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Nortje four-for powers South Africa to six-wicket win in tough conditions

wicket June 14, 2024 0Comment

PC – BCCI. Nortje took a four-for

In very tricky conditions for batting, Anrich Nortje burst open Sri Lanka’s batting unit with amazing figures of 4 for 7 as South Africa began their T20 World Cup campaign on the right note with a six-wicket win. The African nation chased down the target of 78 in the 17th over.

Right from the start of Sri Lanka’s innings, it was quite evident that South Africa’s tall pace bowlers would enjoy the conditions. Marco Jansen troubled the Island nations’ openers, and Ottneil Baartman reaped the reward by removing Pathum Nissanka. Nortje then took over by dismissing Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Angelo Matthews.

It was a combination of hard length and a couple of shots that went straight to the fielders patrolling the leg-side boundary that did the damage against the Sri Lankan batters. In fact, none of them crossed the 20-run mark. Kusal was the top-scorer with 19 runs, while Matthews contributed 16. Eventually, Sri Lanka were bundled out in the final over.

South Africa, too, found the conditions rather tough. If Sri Lanka had added another 30 runs or so, they might have even emerged victorious. For South Africa, Quinton de Kock compiled a patient 27-ball 20. Heinrich Klaasen, lower down the order, smacked a four and a six off Wanindu Hasaranga as South Africa inched closer to victory. David Miller then provided the finishing touches.

Sri Lanka will play their next fixture versus Bangladesh on June 7. South Africa lock horns against their bogey team, the Netherlands, the following day. 

Ireland aim to punch above their weight against traditional Asian powerhouses

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Ireland will hope to put up a good show in the T20 World Cup. PC – Abu Dhabi Cricket

Ever since Ireland punched above their weight to usurp Pakistan, Bangladesh and England in the 2007 and 2011 50-over World Cups, there has been a sense of intrigue surrounding the European nation. But in the last few years, despite achieving full-member status, Ireland have kind of lost momentum. Yes, there was a defining win over the eventual world champions, England, in 2022, but that has been the only time they have progressed to the main round of the T20 mega event since the 2009 edition. 

So, how will Ireland fare this time around in the upcoming T20 World Cup? Can they cause an upset? For starters, Ireland are placed in a tough group, which also has the Asian giants, Pakistan and India. In particular, India have an amazing record against supposedly weaker cricketing nations. So, logically, Ireland’s best hope could be a third-place finish, ahead of Canada and the United States of America.

What about the squad that they have picked? Who are the potential game-breakers, ahead of their all-important clash versus India? Ireland depends more on collective strength than individual brilliance, but in Paul Stirling they have a player who can disrupt the powerplay overs. He is a fine player against spin bowlers who take the ball away from the right-hander, especially in the first six overs. 

The one issue with Stirling is that he is known to get cute 20s and 30s without converting them into big scores. It shouldn’t come as a major surprise that his last three scores in the shortest format have been 21, 36 and 32. Harry Tector, the middle-order bat, is a good-looking player and has a noteworthy record in the 50-over format. Having said that, his T20 numbers aren’t great – 1345 runs at an average of just over 23 and strike-rate of 121.06. Andy Balbirnie, the captain, and Lorcan Tucker too haven’t exactly scorched the T20 format with their willowy prowess. 

George Dockrell, lower down the order, has turned into a fine striker of the ball. Just under two years ago, Dockrell and Curtis Campher had shared a game-changing stand versus Scotland in Hobart. The interesting part of that partnership was the taller Dockrell targeting the straight boundaries and Campher being adept at bisecting gaps square of the wicket on both sides.

The one positive sign for Ireland’s batting unit was that in the recently concluded three-match series versus Pakistan, they notched up totals in excess of 175 in all the games. And they even hunted down a target of 183 in one of those contests, with Balbirnie and Dockrell’s contributions proving to be the difference. 

Incidentally, this is what Heinrich Malan, the current coach head, had told yours truly after Ireland’s decent showing in the 2022 World Cup. “I guess, the way the summer was set up for us, we knew that we had a lot of T20 cricket, obviously the focus was on creating some clarity around that space,” he said. “And if you look at where we are at now, we probably have done that nicely, we have got a real understanding how we want to operate. Process driven. How we develop consistency around these behaviours.

“The way we started off against India, it probably gave a lot of surprise in the way we struck the way we said we wanted to play. Then when we were playing against New Zealand, there was a little bit of disappointment in the way we played, so that second part of our learning was probably, the real disappointment.”

Bowling-wise, too, their performance is subject to a group of players putting up a good show. Josh Little, with his waspish pace and left-arm angle and swing, will have to provide heft to the seam attack, alongside Mark Adair. Craig Young extracts some bounce while Barry McCarthy is a disciplined bowler. Ben White, Dockrell and Gareth Delany complete the spin attack. The one small silver lining is that they will open their World Cup campaign against India at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. 

During the Sri Lanka-South Africa encounter, the track offered enough assistance for the pace bowlers and, to an extent, to the spinners as well. Yes, India clearly have the better pace and spin attacks of the two. However, India’s spin threat might be negated to some extent, and it also gives Ireland a window of opportunity to strike upfront versus India’s top order. Will Ireland progress to the next round? Unlikely. The European nation, though, would believe they can give a couple of established nations a run for their money. 

When Rishabh Pant showed he could ‘leap and keep’ as well as whack the white ball against Ireland

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Rishabh Pant in action vs Ireland (PC: Debasis Sen)

Rishabh Pant is a born fighter, everyone knows that. Yet, what the Delhi-born wicket-keeper came up with against Ireland on Wednesday at the dirt-track type drop-in pitch at the Nassau County Stadium, was sensational.

There has been plenty of chatter around Pant for years. He is indeed blessed, a term which now sticks to him even more, after his miraculous recovery from a major car accident in December 2022 near Roorkee.

To come out of that high-speed car accident, undergo three reconstruction ligament surgeries on his right knee and bounce back has been defining. If people say there is a divine touch to this audacious wicket-keeper batter, Pant bouncing back to form has been mind-blowing.

The sceptics thought, when he was named captain for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, it was risk-laden. No, Pant used it not just as an opportunity to test his knees, in terms of flexibility and the ability to bend and “keep” for 20 overs in a match, he was also mastering his shot production.

What has come across as a revelation is how the team management, captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid, have used Pant at the No.3 position, high up the batting order. If the first practice match against Bangladesh was an experiment of sorts, it was bold. Pant responded, smacking a half ton.

Would that be prudent, to experiment in the ICC T20 World Cup, sending Pant up the order? Well, Pant has always been brave and bold as a batter, red ball cricket or white ball cricket. The pitch was dicey, batters like Rohit and Pant himself, took blows on their elbows. It was testing, more in the mind. But then, when was Pant ever scared in his life?

Rishabh Pant vs Ireland with his reverse scoop (PC: BCCI/X)

His fightback from knee reconstruction, after being taken care of by well-known ortho surgeon Dinshaw Pardiwalla is well documented. It is in rehab and strengthening, Pant defied the odds. He had put on weight, yet he knew how to shed weight, so that it was not harder on his knees. The kind of agility which Pant has shown is captivating.

A wicket-keeper job is not easy at all, more so when the pitch is playing tricks. Pant was alert, his reflexes fantastic. He was ready to do his job and even leap high when the fast bowlers were extracting bounce which was so different from  feather-bed tracks prepared for the IPL.

It was, as if, a trial for Pant to show his skills as a ‘keeper and then come out smoking with the bat.  Yes, the Ireland bowling attack is not the best in the world but Pant still showed that to be promoted to No.3, he was not going to be weak. His response was similar to that of a heavyweight boxer’s mindset, no fear, just smash the white ball. His reverse scoops and that final six left fans in awe.

“It was sheer rhapsody watching Pant play. I mean, we came from Boston to New York to see India and Pant was such fun,” M.Gopinath, a Boston-based NRI told RevSportz. Gopi is in his mid-50s, played club cricket in New Delhi and has followed Indian cricket for more than 45 years as a fan. “I have been a wicket-keeper myself, so to watch Rishabh Pant leap in the air, grab the ball and then bat like a possessed man was awesome,” gushed Gopi.

Indeed, for Team India, Pant arriving in international cricket after that major car accident has been nothing short of a miracle. To score 36 runs not out off 26 balls was beautiful to watch. So what if it was Ireland as opposition.

Given a chance, Gautam Gambhir will do a good job, says Sandeep Patil

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Sandeep Patil and Gautam Gambhir (PC: X)

Sandeep Patil recounted his conversation with Sachin Tendulkar. About 11 years ago, when he was the chief selector, Patil had to take the biggest/toughest call of his tenure as a selector. The five wise men were looking beyond the ‘master blaster’ as far as the Indian team was concerned. But Tendulkar wanted to continue. A conversation ensued and eventually, the legendary batsman decided to call it quits.

“I did speak with him (Tendulkar) with my colleague Rajinder Singh Hans at Nagpur,” Patil said, speaking to RevSportz. “See, the selectors can’t ask any player to retire. The selectors can tell a player that he is not doing well in this department or that department, and drop him. So we asked Sachin (about his future plans) and he said ‘no’ (not planning to quit). But we felt that, in accordance with the coach and captain, we have to look at the future. And then, Sachin himself decided (to hang up his boots).”

When Patil was the chief selector, he had to oversee a transition in the Indian team. And from his personal experience, he can feel that the new India coach, too, will face a tough time, with transition on the anvil. Patil served as the Indian team head coach as well and knows the best of both worlds.

A new coach will take charge of the Indian team in July and if things go to plan, Gautam Gambhir looks a shoo-in to replace Rahul Dravid. The new coach’s term will be until December 31, 2027 and with so many players in the Indian team in their mid-or-late-thirties, transition appears to be round the corner. Does Patil, the explosive batsman of the 1980s and a World Cup winner, back Gambhir to be successful if he takes over?

“Well, it’s mainly up to Rohit Sharma and the senior players in the team, and the BCCI officials (to decide) whether this is the right choice,” said Patil. “Gautam has done exceptionally well as a player, as a captain and as a mentor for Kolkata Knight Riders (and Lucknow Super Giants). But he hasn’t coached any other team (at any level). Now, when you appoint him (as India coach), you are appointing him for Test cricket and 50-over cricket as well (apart from T20Is). So, are we looking into those areas also?”

Gautam Gambhir (Source: X)

Patil spoke about Gambhir the person. “He is a lovely chap. I was happy that I got a chance to work with him throughout his (playing) career. I’m sure, if given a chance, he will do a good job.”

For an India coach, successful man management has to be his biggest attribute. The Indian dressing room is full of prima donnas and handling them is not easy. “Yeah, it’s difficult,” Patil agreed. “Players who are trying to establish themselves and the players who are established; you have to manage them differently. You cannot talk to the two sets of players in the same language. And that’s where the experience of coaching comes in. I was lucky enough (to make gradual progress). I started with India U-19, then graduated to India A and then I got a chance to coach the Indian senior side, where there were too many problems other than cricket.”   

How about handling the big egos? “Ego is everywhere. Ghar, ghar mein ego hai (there’s ego at every home). It’s not easy to handle egos. Ravi (Shastri) was successful. Gary Kirsten was successful. John Wright was successful. Rahul Dravid is successful. Greg Chappell unfortunately failed. It depends on every coach and his personality,” said Patil.

In his first team talk as KKR mentor, Gambhir made it clear that there would be no senior-junior in the team. Everyone would be equal. He is someone who can take the star culture head-on. And there’s a possibility that he will rock the boat if he becomes the India coach. Patil, though, refused to read too much into that. “Well, talking is one thing and doing the job is another thing. I hope he is given the opportunity and he does well.”

As regards to transition, Patil urged the BCCI to give the new coach enough time to oversee that. At the moment, the 67-year-old is busy mentoring the Shrachi Rarh Tigers team in the Bengal Pro League, which is a Shrachi Sports venture, encouraged by the company’s managing director Rahul Todi.

Rohit takes a hit during throwdown but nothing serious

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in nets ahead of Pakistan clash (PC: Debasis Sen)

By Debasis Sen and Ishant Shahane in New York

The India vs. Pakistan match on Sunday at the Nassau International Stadium is the highlight of the ICC T20 World Cup. Both teams are intensifying their preparations with rigorous practice sessions. The Indian cricket team was seen practicing at Cantiague Park on Friday afternoon, maintaining a spirited and upbeat atmosphere. However, there was a moment of concern when skipper Rohit Sharma’s right thumb was struck by a delivery from throwdown specialist Nuwan Seneviratne. Although initially uncomfortable, Rohit Sharma decided to continue batting after a brief pause, opting to move to another net with more consistent bounce. The uneven surface and unpredictable bounce had rattled him, briefly. The positive news for the team and fans is that Rohit Sharma is fully fit for the crucial game against rivals Pakistan.

Virat Kohli also spent copious time in taking throwdowns for an hour straight, as he geared up to face the hostile Pak pace attack on Sunday morning. Additionally, Shivam Dube was seen bowling at the nets. It was a hint, Dube could be contributing with the ball during Sunday’s much-hyped match. Senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya, also the vice-captain, was also seen bowling at a good pace, which is an encouraging sign for Indian cricket as the tournament progresses. After their practice session, the Indian team was engaged in a friendly game of football. It was a good way to destress and relax, indicating their high spirits and readiness for the upcoming clash against Pakistan.

Rohit Sharma in the nets ahead of Pakistan clash (PC: Debasis Sen)

The mood in the India camp is upbeat after winning the practice match against Bangladesh and then comprehensively beating Ireland in the lung opener of the World Cup. In New York, the unpredictable bounce is a source of concern, but the Indians handled it well in the first match. Even Rishabh Pant had taken a blow in the match against Ireland.

Talk of bounce and bouncing back, the pressure is on Pakistan. They were shocked by the hosts, USA, in Dallas. Under new coach Gary Kirsten, Pakistan will hope they can show better skills and will against India, who are on a high. The last few net sessions and intense practice is vital for both teams as well as staying in right mental space before a crunch tie.

David Miller takes South Africa over the finishing line in a nail-biter against Netherlands

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Team South Africa (Image: ICC)

South Africa playing Netherlands in a World Cup has given cricket fans across the globe some thrillers and how could it have been any different today? Despite a strong bowling performance by the Netherlands, David Miller’s crucial half-century ensured that South Africa avoided a shock defeat, chasing down a modest target of 104 with just seven balls  to spare.

SA bowlers take charge

South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that paid off handsomely. The Proteas bowlers, led by Marco Jansen, made early inroads into the Dutch batting line-up. South Africa asserted their dominance early on with the moving ball, Jansen dismissing Michael Levitt in the first over itself. He continued to trouble the batters, eventually cleaning up Vikramjit Singh. The Netherlands struggled to find their footing as Jansen’s movement and accuracy dismantled the top order.

SA’s fielding complementing their bowling

South Africa’s fielding was equally impressive, amplifying the pressure on the Netherlands. An early caught-behind review, prompted by sharp fielding instincts, set the tone for the day. Markram’s brilliant run-out of Scott Edwards cut short a promising partnership. Max O’Dowd’s risky slash resulted in a spectacular diving catch by Jansen, exemplifying South Africa’s dominance in the field.

Netherlands bowlers dent SA top order

Defending a modest total, the Netherlands bowlers responded with a disciplined and aggressive display. South Africa’s chase began disastrously, losing four wickets within the Powerplay. Vivian Kingma and Logan van Beek led the charge, reducing South Africa to their worst Powerplay performance in T20Is. Quinton de Kock’s run-out off the first ball set a chaotic tone, followed by wickets of Reeza Hendricks, Markram, and Heinrich Klaasen, who all fell to tight, probing deliveries.

Miller-Stubbs pair saves the day

With South Africa reeling, Miller and Tristan Stubbs came together to steady the innings. Initially cautious, the pair began to accelerate as they approached the halfway mark, reducing the required rate to under a run-a-ball. Despite a slow start, their strategic running between the wickets and intelligent use of the wind helped South Africa recover. Miller’s two sixes and a four in the penultimate over were pivotal, overcoming a maiden over by Paul van Meekeren that had ratcheted up the tension.

The win placed South Africa at the top of Group D with 4 points from 2 matches, while the Netherlands, with 2 points, must win their next game against Bangladesh to keep their hopes of reaching the Super Eights alive. Meanwhile, South Africa look almost certain to advance, provided they secure a victory in their next match. Coincidentally both the teams will be playing Bangladesh in their next game. Bangladesh are currently at 2 points after one game, having won their match against Sri Lanka.

Akeal Hosein Shines with Five-Wicket Haul in West Indies’ Dominant 134-Run Victory Over Uganda

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Hosein ran through Uganda’s batting line-up. (PC: X.com)

In the second half of the game, it felt like Akeal Hosein versus Uganda rather than West Indies versus Uganda. After the two-time champions posted a total of 173, Hosein’s career-best figures propelled West Indies to a colossal 134-run victory in Guyana. This performance marked the best bowling figures by any West Indian in T20 World Cup history. It was a night to remember for Hosein, delivering a spell for the ages, while Uganda, unfortunately, matched the lowest total ever in Men’s T20I World Cup history.

West Indies essentially won the match at the toss by opting to bat first on a slow, low pitch. Despite a sluggish start, their powerful batting lineup managed to push through. Johnson Charles top-scored with 44 runs, and Andre Russell provided a late surge with an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls. Other batters also contributed valuable runs, ensuring a competitive total of around 160-170.

The Ugandan bowlers were commendable, executing their plans with precision and maintaining a tight line throughout the innings. However, the last over, which went for 18 runs, shifted the momentum decisively in favour of the home team.

Under the lights, the new ball movement proved too much for Uganda. Hosein found swing, rhythm, and turn, taking out five of the first seven batsmen to record his best-ever T20 figures. Romario Shepherd and Russell supported him well, each picking up a wicket in their initial overs. Despite a brief resistance from number nine batter Juma Miyaji, who crossed the 10-run mark, the rest of the Ugandan lineup faltered, with no other player reaching double figures.

Alzarri Joseph also contributed significantly, picking up 2 wickets for just 6 runs in 3 overs, while Gudakesh Motie, Shepherd, and Russell each took a wicket. This dominant bowling performance ensured that Uganda were bowled out for an embarrassingly low total.

Uganda will undoubtedly realise they have a steep learning curve ahead, but such experiences are invaluable lessons on the international stage. Meanwhile, West Indies will eagerly carry this momentum into their next two games.

From Tendulkar to Kohli – how the India-Pakistan rivalry became peripheral

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Source: BCCI/X

When he was approximately halfway through his storied career, Sachin Tendulkar was asked during an interview to pick out half a dozen of his finest knocks. The usual suspects, like the 155 against Shane Warne and company in Chennai (1998) made the list, but there was also what many might have seen as an odd inclusion. He spoke of a 43-ball 44 he made in an ODI in Trinidad in April 1997, a match that India lost badly. But in his mind, the 10 fours he struck and the control with which he batted on a tricky pitch against a formidable attack of Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop and Franklyn Rose made it special.

It was a reminder that the greats don’t deal in numbers like the rest of us often do. For them, context is everything. A cameo against a strong attack on a spiteful surface might have tested their skills far more than a double-hundred on a featherbed. And that battle is what they remember.

Often, it’s not just the pitch conditions and the opposition alone that players have to combat. If you’re bowling at the MCG, you’ll cop plenty of banter and even abuse from the patrons in Bay 13 any time you’re fielding near the fence. Shutting out that noise and performing is an art form in itself.

In that regard, one of Tendulkar’s forgotten gems came nearly two decades into his career, the last time India toured Pakistan for a bilateral series (2006). He may have ended up in Wandsworth Prison because of character flaws, but there was never any doubt over Mohammad Asif’s talent. His dexterous wrists and ability to move the ball both ways had wrecked India in the third and final Test in Karachi. Some of the greatest players in history were powerless to keep out a bowler at his absolute peak. Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman were all bowled by the subtle movement that he was able to get with slight adjustments in wrist position.

Nearly a fortnight later, the teams arrived at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore tied at 1-1 in the five-match ODI series. Unlike 2004, when the prevailing mood was one of amity and friendship, this was a raucous and partisan crowd that desperately wanted payback for the Test and ODI series losses two years earlier. India were set 289 to win, and the atmosphere that Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir walked out to resembled a bearpit.

The cacophony was the least of their worries though. Within nine balls of his spell, Asif had two wickets – Gambhir bowled, and Irfan Pathan caught behind. Rahul Dravid, the captain, came out and only he would be able to tell you how he survived 42 balls. Asif’s first spell was so masterful that Dravid, who then had strong claims to be the world’s best, looked like a novice. Beaten on the inside edge, flummoxed by away movement, rapped on the pads – it was an ordeal.

Virat Kohli for India in WC 2023 (PC: BCCI/X)

At the other end, Tendulkar was like a Zen master. More than any shot he played, what you recall are the ones he didn’t – judgement so precise it made you gasp as the ball whistled past edge or stumps. He didn’t even get Man of the Match – MS Dhoni did for an unbeaten 46-ball 72 that finished things off – but the 95 he made that night was far far better than many of his centuries.

It was a contest that epitomised why we watch sport – two masters of their craft facing each other, and neither yielding an inch. Asif lost that night, but Tendulkar would be the first to tell you that it could so easily have gone the other way.

Why bring this up now, these years later? Well, when India and Pakistan face off in New York later today, Virat Kohli will be playing his 17th ODI against the cross-border rivals. He has also faced them in 10 T20Is. That’s 26 matches in a career that’s now into its 16th year. He also hasn’t played a single game in Pakistan, having made his debut a couple of months after India lasted visited for the Asia Cup in June 2008.

Tendulkar’s catalogue included 18 Tests and 69 ODIs against Pakistan, of which 23 matches (including 10 Tests) were on Pakistani soil. Forget his World Cup efforts against Pakistan, in 1992, 2003 and 2011. Ask yourself if his fellow Indians would remember him with such fondness if not for those many innings against the old enemy. The boy-on-burning-deck batting against Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as a teenager, the near-miraculous 136 with a crippled back in Chennai, the Multan declaration, and the six off Shoaib Akhtar at Centurion – these are inseparable from the Tendulkar legend.

Kohli is a fantastic player. But we will never see him or Rohit Sharma play in front of a packed National Stadium in Karachi, or at the Gaddafi. It’s a bit like a Real Madrid legend never stepping on to the turf at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. It feels almost like a novel with a chapter missing.

Without getting into the politics of it, too complex for these pages, those that watched prime Tendulkar will tell you that both Kohli and millions of cricket fans have missed out.