Tamim Iqbal shines, while the experienced batsmen spoil good work

“The price of greatness is responsibility”

Winston Churchill

Shakib Al Hasan is out due to a finger injury.

Mushfiqur Rahim ruled out from first Test due to a wrist trouble.

No Mustafizur Rahman in the side as well to lead the inexperienced bowling attack.

Well, the above scenarios are not encouraging at all. But keeping in mind the way Sri Lanka fought in South Africa without some of their key players, the same spirit was expected from Tigers, who have shrugged off the tag of bashing-boys-of-world-cricket long ago. 

“How we are performing in overseas conditions is always a challenge for us. Everyone doubts whether we can win an overseas Test or not," he said. "But I can assure you, as a captain and on players' behalf, we are not thinking on that line. We will take inspiration from the recent past and motivate ourselves. We want to play according to our strengths, the way they [New Zealand] are performing”.

“We know how the conditions are, and we also have ideas about their bowlers. But how we are going to execute our plans depends on us. We know the conditions won't be favourable and there will be swing all around. We need to be mentally strong to perform in such conditions”.

That’s what the stand-in captain of Bangladesh said before the start of first Test at Hamilton. Despite the setbacks, Mahmudullah’s intent was positive and his fellow colleague Tamim Iqbal supported the intent of his captain on a sun-kissed day. His marvelous Test ton should have galvanized the mindset of others, but in reality, it failed to inject inspiration and responsibility.

How dominant Tamim had been during his swashbuckling ton one could get an idea about his onslaught against Trent Boult in thirteenth over of the day.

It was an ideal exhibition of how to disturb the line-and-length of a quality swing bowler. Boult pitched the first ball of the over up at which Tamim punched it through the extra-cover by getting closer to the line of the delivery to diminish whatever movement was available. It had created doubts in the mind of Boult, whose following deliveries either pitched on a leg-stump line or over pitched and Tamim leaked boundaries from those to script a 17-run over.

Neither the cheeky Tim Southee was spared. Even though he bowled with a sharp pace and beat Tamim with some zippers, but the southpaw from Bangladesh responded with a crispy stroke played in front of square. Boundaries came thick and fast from the bat of Tamim and it seemed, Bangladesh were not at all worried by the testing conditions of New Zealand and absence of key players.

It seems that Tamim had slightly changed his technique while facing Boult and Southee. Especially, his bat-swing was quicker than previous matches. It helped him to get counter the movement off the pitch and in the air. He had been the only batsmen who got closer to the line of pace bowlers better than rest of top and middle order batsmen. Of course no need to mention about his authority over back foot stroke-play.

Sadly, rest of the Bangladesh batsmen failed to support the spirited display of Tamim.

Especially, the experienced campaigners.  

 As swing failed to stop the flow of runs, Kane Williamson decided to strike gold by unleashing a barrage of short-pitch kinds of stuff - enters Neil Wagner, who continued to pitch the ball short, targeting the ribcage, at a pace to unsettle the batsmen. It required patience to occupy the crease rather than showing the technique of highest quality. In the history of Test cricket, patience has helped to overcome technical shortcomings on many occasions.

 On Day 1, in the afternoon session, Bangladesh simply failed to remain patient against Wagner’s barrage of short-pitch deliveries. The reason for pointing towards patience of batsmen is that most of the dismissals resulted either due to poor shot election or a lacklustre attitude rather than brilliant bowling.

Mominul Haque tickled one harmless Wagner-short-ball down the legside to wicketkeeper and threw away his wicket. Such a lazy approach is never expected from someone like Mominul, who averages 44.08 from 33 Test matches, while the Bangladesh captain also cannot escape criticism for executing a needless stroke against another benign short-ball from Wagner. 

Obviously, after Tamim, Bangladesh looked forward to Mahmudullah and Mominul, who should have guided the rest to weather the storm. But as soon as Tamim departed, a collapse was inevitable. Courtesy of some irresponsible shot selection from experienced batsmen.

Had the senior batsmen exhibited some resolve under pressure, Bangladesh’s day could have been as bright as the sunshine at Hamilton.    

“Quality is everyone’s responsibility”

W. Edwards Deming

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 28/02/2019 Tamim Iqbal shines, while the experienced batsmen spoil good work

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka handled the pressure better

Sri Lanka enjoyed out there. Sri Lanka were not afraid. The Islanders did not melt under pressure……

 Pressure! Life is all about handling the pressure well. And in cricket or any other sports, handling the pressure in the best possible way determines who is the best team and player in the world.  Some teams learn to handle the pressure via a specific system, while some inherit it genetically. And some teams like Bangladesh learn to handle it by getting mauled. 

The journey of a cricket team is never so easy. A purple-patch can transform into an ugly lean-patch in no time and the dark clouds overhead just don’t wish to clear soon, but time and again, continue to gift unhappy moments, which not only dent the confidence of the team, but test the patience of fans as well. Ask a Bangladesh cricket fan of how it felt to digest defeats consistently in last decade; they will share some emotional and pathetic memories.  

But such defeats also helped Bangladesh to develop a certain nothing-to-lose-mentality and fearlessness at the back of their mind, which helped them to play in a bolder and determined manner. Ultimately, it paid rich dividends as for the last four years; Bangladesh’s success has been eye-catching.

Chandika Hathursingha, after taking charge of Tigers as head coach in 2014, recognised the development of such a mentality among the Bangladesh boys and immediately he started to nurture it so that Bangladesh can utilise to a great advantage and in Australia and New Zealand, during ICC World Cup 2015, each and everyone witnessed the emergence of a new Bangladesh team, which play boldly and handles the pressure better than past.

That Hathurusingha became the head coach of Sri Lanka last year. And under him, that struggling Sri Lanka of post-Mahela-and-Sanga-era started to turnaround after a horrible one-and-half years, but all of a sudden they lost their way in the middle of 2018. There is nothing to explain about the on-and-off-the-field incidents and there is nothing to explain about how Sri Lanka were getting hammered at home and abroad.

Even an ardent follower of Sri Lankan cricket gave up hope of a turnaround, while the critics thought, Sri Lanka have joined the list of West Indies, who lost their way in 1995 and until the start of England series at home, were a shadow of glorious past.

But perhaps, during those tough times, Sri Lanka must have developed that Bangladesh-like mentality, as mentioned above, and with Hathurusingha around, perhaps, he nurtured this mentality among the Lankan boys to deliver their best. As Dimuth Karunaratne said, ““When we came here, no one thought we can win a series here. But if we back ourselves, we can win those matches. We wanted to do something good for the team, for the Sri Lankan fans. End of the day, we did a really good job”.

So, when the 2-match Test series against South Africa commenced, the world witnessed the end of great run at home for Proteas as the Lankan Lions became the first team from subcontinent to win a Test series in the rainbow nation, a feat, which some of the best teams from subcontinent failed to achieve in past.

Both the teams batted poorly, while both of them bowled brilliantly. But the factor, which determined the winner, was the ability to handle the pressure and Sri Lanka handled it better than the hosts.

The visitors were without some of their major players either due to injuries or suspension, but whenever, Sri Lanka faced the heat, they did not melt, but stepped up to face the challenge both at Durban and Port Elizabeth.

If Durban was all about Kusal Perea’s individual brilliance and courage then Port Elizabeth can be labelled as a complete team effort – a bunch of Islanders enjoying themselves out there with no fear and anxiety. They know that they have nothing to lose. They know that they would not lose if they enjoy themselves out there.

As Karunaratne said, “The tour (in New Zealand) started in December, so we are out of the country for three months. If you don't enjoy and if you can't free your mind, you can't give your best," Karunaratne said. "I know the talent we have, so we wanted to get those out. If you're enjoying yourself, you can definitely get those out”.

Dhananjaya de Silva took the responsibility of spin department when Lasith Embuldeniya dislocated his left thumb and with Kasun Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando, though looked impressive with the ball, but were not giving any breakthroughs, an ego-free Suranga Lakmal took the matters in hand to end South Africa’s second innings in no time.

Neither Lakmal nor de Silva delivered something extraordinary to dismiss the South Africa batters on Day 2, but kept on pitching the ball further up to the batters on a fourth and fifth stump line, which created pressure and South Africa, succumbed.

Some of the strokes, which South African batters played only indicated, they were afraid to lose and felt the pressure more. It was opposite in case of Sri Lanka, who seemed focused and tough enough and the result was a stunning back-to-back victory in a territory, which is always considered as hostile for subcontinent teams.   

On Day 3, Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando displayed the ideal sense and sensibility with the bat, which Sri Lanka missed on crunch situations. The South African attack failed to breach their determination.

History was created!   

Maybe, this result can be regarded as one of the most unexpected ones in the history of Test cricket and one can end up saying, cricket is a glorious game of uncertainty, but success for any teams doesn’t come so easily. Especially in a five-day match, the team which handles the pressure better, laughs the last laugh. In that sense, I am not ready to tag Sri Lanka’s victory as a fluke. Of course, you don’t win back-to-back Test matches just relying on the unexpected-factor. 

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 23/02/2019 Sri Lanka handled the pressure better

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

The bowlers shine, West Indies win

In a tensed encounter at Barbados West Indies scripted a victory to level the series and the bowlers deserve a lot of credit…..

When the “Universal Boss” Chris Gayle smashed a hundred at Bridgetown Barbados in first ODI, the cricketing world went crazy. Gayle is one of the most favourite cricketers among the young generation like AB de Villiers. So, a Gayle-in-full-flow in West Indies colours would trigger a festive mood among the neutrals. West Indies posted 360 for 8 in 50 overs, but Joe Root and Jason Roy’s eye-catching stroke-play overshadowed Gayle’s ton. England took the lead after completing highest successful One-day International (ODI) chase to win the series opener against West Indies in Barbados.

No matter how big a total you post, if the bowlers don’t deliver, even something around 400 won’t be safe in this era of heavy bats and power-hitting. In the end, the first ODI turned into a damp squib and England showed everyone why they are the ultimate hot favourites in the upcoming ICC World Cup. Sadly, the much-celebrated and swashbuckling ton of Gayle would be regarded as a hundred for a losing cause. In the history of cricket, so many wonderful tons have been forgotten because they failed to produce a result. Someone like Tamim Iqbal would realise the pain of Gayle.

But Shimron Hetmyer did not have to go the Gayle way. With his daring-attitude and ability to essay murderous strokes, Hetmyer is already regarded as one of the stars of future. His aggressive batting was evident in first ODI as well. But a 15-ball 20 only just helped to swell the total and entertain. What West Indies wished more from Hetmyer is a prolonged stay at the crease, and it was fulfilled in second ODI on the same ground.

Gayle set the tempo, but West Indies middle-order struggled to convert the starts as soon as Gayle was dismissed. The situation demanded deft stroke-play and patience to stay at the crease. With Hetmyer around the corner, one could not be much optimistic. But Hetmyer showed he can bat according to the demand of situation and he had to step up as West Indies excluded a batsman – Nicolas Pooran – to strengthen their bowling attack by including Sheldon Cottrell - a bowler who could swing at a decent pace and possesses the temperament to bowl at the death.

At first, Hetmyer played with composure – his 76-run stand with Darren Bravo for the fourth wicket was nothing but salvaging deeds. And when Bravo, Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite fell quickly, he switched to fifth gear and unleashed the attacking instincts.  To challenge England a team at least needs something around 300 runs and with 237 for 6 and five overs to; a batsman needs to accelerate as much as possible. Hetmyer went all guns blazing – flashy strokes showed up and he did not bother to bring up his ton via a boundary while batting on 98 with just two balls remaining in West Indies innings.

It was a very well-organised innings, which could have faced the fate of Gayle’s ton had West Indies bowlers not clawed back into the match.

Cottrell sent Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow packing with a crisp Military salute, a reference to his time as a private in Jamaican Defence Force. Oshane Thomas cut short the stay of Joe Root, but this England side would not bother much losing such big guns as their depth in batting is too good.    

England were cruising when Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes were at the crease. To score 62 off 61 balls was never going to be a tough task for this English batting lineup until and unless someone steps up to set jitters in batting lineup. Who else but West Indian captain Holder stepped up.  He dismissed Stokes, flummoxed Jos Buttler with a slower ball and then trapped Tom Curran lbw first ball. 3 wickets fell for 5 runs and from nowhere West Indies came back into the game.

Cottrell in his second spell removed Morgan, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid – England lost their way. Cottrell bagged a 5-wicket haul while West Indies held their nerves to script a series-levelling win.

The inclusion of an extra bowler reaped a rich harvest for West Indies and in any form of the game, the value of bowlers is worth as a gold. The Caribbean could not defend 360 but hung on to a cliffhanger in the second encounter only because of some superb bowling display. Again, Hetmyer’s ton would be regarded as a match-winning one as because West Indies bowling was too good.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 23/02/2019 The bowlers shine, West Indies win 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar  

A Tale of Defiance and Genius: Kusal Perera’s Masterclass at Kingsmead

In the pantheon of Test cricket’s most extraordinary finishes, Kusal Perera’s 153 not out at Kingsmead will forever gleam as a beacon of resilience and brilliance. On a fourth afternoon drenched in tension and drama, Perera, ably supported by the unyielding Vishwa Fernando, scripted a story that transcended sport—a narrative of survival, audacity, and triumph.

When Sri Lanka’s last pair came together, the target of 304 seemed an Everest too steep to scale. The scoreboard read 226 for 9, with 78 still needed. South Africa, armed with a quintet of specialist bowlers, seemed poised to secure a routine victory. Yet, what followed was anything but ordinary. Vishwa Fernando, a No. 11 in the truest sense, played the role of a stoic sentinel, his contribution of 6 not out monumental in its restraint. At the other end, Perera turned a hopeless cause into an immortal epic, wielding his bat like a wand conjuring miracles.

The Context of Collapse

The backdrop to Perera’s heroics was one of despair. Sri Lanka, chasing 304, had been rocked by Dale Steyn’s incisive burst before lunch. From a position of relative stability at 110 for 3, they crumbled to 110 for 5 in a single over. Steyn, embodying menace and precision, first found Oshada Fernando’s edge and then coaxed a tame return catch from Niroshan Dickwella. South Africa, brimming with intent, tightened their grip as Keshav Maharaj and Duanne Olivier scythed through the lower order after lunch.

By the time Perera and Vishwa joined forces, the visitors were staring down the barrel. Maharaj, exploiting the rough outside off stump, had dispatched Dhananjaya de Silva and Suranga Lakmal in quick succession. Olivier’s barrage of short balls had sent Lasith Embuldeniya packing. The script seemed written: a South African victory, clinical and inevitable.

The Turning Point

But cricket, with its capricious heart, thrives on the improbable. Perera, on 86 when Vishwa arrived, shifted gears with a clarity of purpose that belied the mounting pressure. A lofted six over wide long-on off Maharaj carried him into the 90s, and a reverse sweep brought him to 99. A quick single completed his hundred, but there was no celebratory flourish. Perera knew the job was far from done.

What followed was a masterclass in strike manipulation and calculated aggression. Perera shielded Vishwa from the strike with surgical precision, taking calculated risks against the South African attack. A pulled six off Olivier, dispatched onto the grass banks, signaled his intent. When the new ball was taken, Perera’s ability to counter its menace—hooping outswingers from Steyn and Rabada’s raw pace—turned the tide further.

The Denouement

South Africa’s composure began to fray as the partnership grew. Dean Elgar’s missed run-out chance epitomized their unraveling. Perera, unflappable in the face of mounting tension, unleashed a flurry of boundaries. A top-edged six off Rabada brought the target within a single-digit margin. The coup de grâce came with a serene glide past slip to the vacant third-man boundary, sealing a victory that will resonate through the ages.

A Victory for the Ages

This was only the third successful chase of 300-plus at Kingsmead and the first by an Asian side in South Africa. More than a statistical anomaly, it was a testament to human spirit and cricketing artistry. Perera’s innings, the highest ever in a successful chase for Sri Lanka, was an embodiment of grit and genius. Vishwa Fernando’s six runs—an exercise in stoicism—were no less significant.

South Africa, for all their firepower, were left to rue the absence of Vernon Philander, whose hamstring injury robbed them of a vital cog in their bowling machine. Yet, even with their full arsenal, one wonders if they could have subdued Perera in this form—a man possessed, a cricketer for the ages.

As Sri Lanka head to Port Elizabeth with a 1-0 lead, they carry not just the advantage but the aura of a team that has achieved the unthinkable. For Kusal Perera, this was not just an innings; it was a legacy forged in the crucible of adversity.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh missed Rubel Hossain

It is not understandable why someone like Rubel Hossain was not included in first two ODIs….

 There was nothing new and exciting in Christchurch, but it was the repeat of Napier. Martin Guptill smashed a ton, Bangladesh batting struggled and that man Mohammad Mithun stepped up to give the visitors some sort of respectability,  who were reeling at 93 for 5 and this time around, Mithun had Sabbir Rahman by his side to do the repair work. At least Sabbir’s 43 would shut the mouth of his critics for a while. And, as usual, Bangladesh bowling remained below-par.

The difference has been, New Zealand chased the target quicker than Napier without breaking enough sweat.

Bangladesh bowlers were so easy to play.

Still, they seemed to be hungover by the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

How could such a substandard Twenty20 League be the ideal platform for the preparation of New Zealand tour I fail to understand! Even the head coach and captain endorsed the same thought, but still, why was it necessary to arrange such a pathetic tournament each and every year, which gives Bangladesh cricket nothing, but a flurry of substandard cricket, flawed television coverage, comical local hosts and commentators.     

Bangladesh batting and bowling have been badly affected by BPL, but the trend of modern day expert is, they don’t wish to speak about the bad-effects of Twenty20 Leagues despite realizing its adverse effects.  Cash is so powerful; it can shut anyone’s mouth, except few. And those who speak don’t receive importance from others and their words fell in deaf ears. But one should not stop, but continue speaking about hard-hitting facts.

The Bangladesh skipper, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza yet again emphasized on improving the batting of Tigers, but I always failed to understand, why he skips the bowling sector, which has failed to back the fighting efforts of batters. Again, it was not understandable why such a slowish bowler like Mohammad Saifuddin share the new ball with Mashrafe! Is Saifuddin part of any so-called quota system in Bangladesh cricket? His lollypop-bowling can be suitable in BPL, but surely not in Napier and Christchurch.

Going by the logic of Mashrafe, if Bangladesh batsmen posted something around 270-300-plus runs, they might have given Kiwis a run for their money, but Mashrafe forgot, with such a toothless bowling attack, even a total of 400 runs is not secured enough.

Where is Rubel Hossain?

Why Rubel Hossain is not given the preference ahead of Saifuddin?

It is not known whether Rubel is unfit or not, but if he is picked in the squad then surely he is there because of being fit and ready to bowl.

At Napier and Christchurch, Bangladesh missed the pace and agility of Rubel. Rubel is a skiddy customer and on any tracks, he can prove handy. He pitches the ball on an attacking length and with the old ball he has the ability to dish out the contrast swing and bang on the Yorkers straight into the blockhole. In the 50-over format, Rubel has delivered Bangladesh the goods whenever it was needed.

Meanwhile, against New Zealand, Rubel’s record is very impressive. In the 50-over formats, Rubel has bagged 21 wickets at an average and strike rate of 26.14 and 30.24 respectively. His best bowling figures of 6 for 26 and his only hat-trick in ODIs are also against the same opponent.

How could ignore such a bowler who not only has the experience, but possesses a very good record against New Zealand?

In New Zealand, any visiting teams from subcontinent would require pace and skill to strike gold in Test and ODIs. If anyone wishes to fetch wickets by relying on spinners then he must be as high-class Shane Warne and the masters of modern day cricket: Yuzuvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.  Bangladesh do have a class act like Shakib Al Hasan, but unfortunately, he is absent due to injuries and for which, Rubel factor was much needed to give decisive breakthroughs and pile up the pressure.

Sadly, Bangladesh think tank thought otherwise. They decided to stick to Saifuddin.

Obviously, everyone deserves another chance to prove his worth, but one has to be stupid of high pedigree to ignore someone like Rubel.  

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 16/02/2018 Bangladesh missed Rubel Hossain

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh bowling needs to improve

Mohammad Mithun led the fight with bat to help Bangladesh earn respectability, but the bowlers failed to back Mithun’s brilliant knock…….

“It was tough. We were struggling with the bat, lost too many wickets at the start. They bowled well but we lost too many. There are no excuses. We need a week to adjust to the conditions, but I don't want to make any excuses. We will give our best in the next game. I think batting is a concern, but at the same time the bowling also needs some work. We did not bowl badly today but 232 is hard to defend”

That’s what Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the Bangladesh captain uttered after end of first one-day international (ODI) match at McLean Park, Napier. He emphasized on the importance of an improved batting, but he forgot one more important thing to emphasize and which was the toothless bowling of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s story in New Zealand, be it in an ODI or Test, has never been chummy. Since Bangladesh and New Zealand started to tour each other way back in 2001-02 seasons, it had been the Kiwis who had the last laugh at their own backyard. Until that tour in 2017, Bangladesh hardly had any sweet memories to relish in New Zealand. And for which, a tour to New Zealand has always remained one of the least expected ones for Bangladesh fans.

But in 2017, Bangladesh showed the character to fight despite losing the Test and ODI series and Bangladesh’s recent improvement in both formats of game has instilled a positive expectation in the hearts of Bangladesh critics and fans. Especially in limited-overs format, Bangladesh have a very balanced unit, who can deliver the best even under trying circumstances.

On this tour, they may not have the services of the best all-rounder in the world in ODIs, but obviously, in recent past Bangladesh have proved, even without the presence of the dynamic Shakib Al Hasan; they can survive the scare of best oppositions in world cricket. And thus, the Shakib-factor may not have loomed large in the minds of Bangla boys when they faced the Kiwis on a sun-kissed day at Napier.    

But like the past, Bangladesh made a shaky start after deciding to bat first.

The ball swung. The ball came to the batsmen at pace and the ball bounced.

Bangladesh’s top-order melted in no time as six wickets fell for 94 runs.

The successes in the last couple of years have helped to develop a fighting spirit within the boys and the boys understand how to read the situation and play accordingly when they come under pressure. The perfect example is Mohammad Mithun, who stepped up yet again under pressure to stabilize the tattered innings of Bangladesh. He motored the innings beautifully with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Saifuddin to drag Bangladesh out of the mud.

The total of Bangladesh was competitive in my opinion, but to back that total, they did not bowl the way they should have – the bowling of Bangladesh lacked the cutting edge.

I failed to understand why Saifuddin was preferred over Mustafizur Rahman to share the new ball. Mustafiz is a complete package both with the old and new ball. He can be a handy customer when the matter is about giving breakthroughs with the new ball. But astonishingly, Saifuddin was preferred.

Saifuddin might be regarded as an all-rounder in Bangladesh, but in comparison to batting, his bowling is too mediocre. You can’t expect a slow medium-pacer to rise and shine in New Zealand. His match figures of 43 runs from 7 overs at an economy rate of 6.14 indicate how he released the pressure from another end when Mashrafe was trying to create the same with tighter lines.

With due respect to Saifuddin’s abilities, someone like Rubel Hossain could have given Bangladesh the much needed value at Napier. Rubel is such a skiddy customer, who has added a lot of dynamism in Bangladesh bowling attack on many occasions. Most importantly, Rubel’s pace and Yorkers can never be ignored.

Miraz, Mahmudullah Riyad and Sabbir Rahman tried to fill the gap of Shakib, but leaked five runs an over.

New Zealand coasted home safely without any pressure.

Again, in my opinion, the Bangladesh bowling attack was found to be hungover by Bangladesh Premier League.

How can you dismiss the batsmen with a Twenty20 line-and-length?  

The length of Bangladesh bowlers was much more on the half-volley and shorter side, while the line erred consistently. It’s hard to expect breakthroughs if the line-and-length consistently remains undisciplined and bowling lacks variety in flight.

Overall, the Bangladesh bowling needs a huge improvement alongside batting and it would be better if Bangladesh seek for the right combination ahead of second ODI.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 13/02/2019 Bangladesh bowling needs to improve

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Mark ‘Express’ Wood rocks West Indies

Mark Wood’s spell on second day led to a sensational West Indian batting collapse and might have revived Wood’s Test career……

One of the most exciting things for me to follow, during the Ashes 2015 in England, was an English bowler named Mark Wood. Neither did he give the impression of something special nor did he fit the prototype of a modern English pacer. But his deceptive pace, which clocked around 85 mph on average, caught my attention. He used to deliver from wide of the crease and brought the ball back-in-to the batters at pace. The Australian batters were pressurized by the Wood gave away wickets to big guns.

But after that eventful Ashes campaign, Wood would be an inconsistent campaigner. Lean-patches and injuries would create hurdles in his career. He did get his opportunities to cash in, but sadly, that deceptive pace was not evident. For every team, pace bowlers are an asset. Apart from skill and experience, the value of a pacer gives a team the extra-value. A genuinely quick bowler can not only trigger the fear-factor in the minds of a batting unit, but also can script a collapse from nowhere.  Keeping this in mind, England looked forward to Wood since that Ashes campaign, but he failed to unleash the magic.   

England lacked temperament and an x-factor in the bowling unit throughout the Test series in West Indies. While the hosts peppered the visitors with speed and barrage of short-pitch bowling, the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad or Ben Stokes; just could not deliver the balls at pace – well too much to expect from the old warhorses, though!

England decided to give Wood yet another opportunity. Even his best of fans would not expect anything special from Wood, but would invest faith in the experienced campaigners for the goods.

Shannon Gabriel bowled fast, really fast in the morning session. The ball reached towards the English batsmen like cannonballs. Immediately, it resulted in a collapse – England lost their last six wickets for 46 runs. On this track at Saint Lucia, 277 is still a very competitive total. Even though the kind of start West Indies openers gave to their team, it seemed, England might have to grind under the hot sun yet again.

John Campbell shunned the idea of defensive display and started to play his shots. There were some crispy strokes, but it increased the chances of playing false strokes. Kraigg Brathwaite dropped the anchor as usual, but Campbell’s fluency was contagious – it prompted Brathwaite to attempt a un-Brathwaite stroke against the run of play. He decided to smack Moeen Ali by attempting a Twenty20-shot, which went high up in the air as James Anderson grabbed the catch in the deep.    

Then it was time for restless Campbell to depart, who was not sure how to play an Ali-delivery, which pitched full in-and-around leg stump and was trapped lbw.

The kind of discipline West Indies displayed throughout the series was absent. Perhaps, a bit of over-confidence overshadowed the solid temperament shown at Barbados and Antigua.

A devastating spell to relish

Wood started to bowl.

The run-up was smooth but not thrilling to watch. The jump at the popping crease before delivering the ball did not attract anyone, but as soon as he delivered the ball, he commanded each and everyone’s attention.  Each and every delivery had a touch of hostility as they were delivered with pace – pace, the much needed pace, which England missed in West Indies.

According to Cricviz, “Wood took two wickets in his first over, did not concede a run until his 13th ball and didn’t drop below 140kph until his 34th. This was the Mark Wood that people were calling for when they talked of England’s lack of pace during the Ashes; quick, hostile and taking wickets”.

The deliveries to dismiss Shai Hope and Roston Chase clocked around 94.6 mph, while Darren Bravo’s guts were melted by with balls, which thudded into his body and prompted him to play a meek-shot. The dangerous Shimron Hetmyer was undone by a lifter and then, Alzarri Joseph and Gabriel got the taste of their own medicine.

Wood, who replaced Olly Stone, grabbed five wickets for 41 runs in his 8.2-over spell. It was his maiden 5-wicket haul in his 13th Test.

In Antigua Wood said, “I would never give up hope of playing Test cricket. Growing up it’s the pinnacle”. Certainly, he never gave up. Despite back and ankle problems, he kept on working hard and waited for the ultimate opportunity to prove his worth again. And also, in life, you need a slice of luck. Had Stone not been injured, Wood might have to warm the bench at Saint Lucia as well.  

“There have been some horrible dark days with injury and things, with confidence and self-belief. I thought in my mind I was an England player but I hadn’t shown it. But today I feel like I have. The feeling of five was brilliant. The lads knew what it meant to me and I was emotional in the dressing room. It was a relief and I am so happy”, Wood said after the match.

 The tour to UAE with the England Lions really helped Wood to rediscover his potential as a menacing fast bowler, who would come on and bowl in short but hostile spells. Obviously, Trevor Bayliss had to step up and make one of his students to realise his true potentials.

“Trevor challenged me to go and show I was a step above the lads in the Lions and really set the bar high. In most the games I feel I did that and proved I was an international class bowler," Wood said.

“I felt I was actually here on merit. I felt because I'd done well there [in UAE] it merited my spot being here and this time I wasn't picked on potential, I deserved it”.

Hard work pays off and Wood is just another example, but to prolong the duration of your success one needs to understand the mantra of achieving consistency. Wood needs to be consistent to secure his place in England’s Test team. Otherwise, the accolades would disappear quickly like the morning mist.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 11/02/2019 Mark ‘Express’ Wood rocks West Indies

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

England show resolve, at last

Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler rescue England on Day 1……

I always wish that a West Indies return to glory days will take place at Sabina Park at Jamaica, one of the most historic and famous stadiums in cricket history. It had been the venue where West Indies lost their throne to Australia. No Kingdom lasts forever. No ruler rules for eternity. The dominance of West Indies had to come to an end. For the fans, it was unexpected as they were not habituated to it. But it happened at Sabina Park in 1995 and since then, I firmly believed, Sabina Park should be the ideal place for the revival of Caribbean cricket.

But Saint Lucia has earned the honours of hosting Test matches these days at a regular interval. Historically, this venue does not have an enriched Test history like Sabina Park. Nor do they have iconic players like other islands of West Indies. They do have someone named Darren Sammy, but he is just a famous showman in shorter-format of the game.  On July 21, 2016, Saint Lucia Cricket Stadium was renamed as the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground after Darren Sammy helped West Indies to lift the World Twenty20 in 2016.

I could not understand how a Test venue could hold the name of a cricketer, who is not much interested to feature in Test cricket. In fact, he is not a quality Test cricketer. Nevertheless, Saint Lucia is a very beautiful stadium. One can enjoy the best of facilities in this stadium, which was built in 2002. And, it is the venue for the third Test between West Indies and England as well. The West Indies would lift the Wisden Trophy on this venue and not Jamaica as already, they have sealed the series by 2-0.

Also read: Why England batsmen should adopt composure rather than aggression in St. Lucia

But this Test is supposed to be a test of character for England batsmen. Since the first Test commenced at Bridge Town Barbados, the adventurous batting of England came under serious criticisms. On testing tracks, neither attack not counterattack would bore enough fruits until and unless, you show enough resolve. The kind of bowling England faced in previous two Test matches; it required the highest quality of technique and temperament, which England lacked.

England included Keaton Jennings instead of Ben Foakes, the man who had a very impressive start to his Test career and seems to have a very good technique. But Jennings was favoured, which was baffling. Jennings wanted to make his opportunity count. His intention to occupy the crease was never solid, but shaky. Finally his painful stay came to an end – a loose drive against Keemo Paul, the replacement of Jason Holder, cut short Jennings’ 43-ball 8 runs. How long England will persist with Jennings remains a moot question!

As time progressed, 30 for 1 became 69 for 3 and then 107 for 4. Joe Root was Alzarri Jaoseph’s bunny again while the rest of top order failed to convert their starts into big ones. In fact, the kind of attacking line-and-length Paul, Shannon Gabriel, Joseph and Roach were bowling, the English top order batters did not have the right approach to counter such.

Thankfully, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler – two of the most attacking batsmen in world cricket these days, decided to curb their natural stroke-making-intent and drop down the anchor. And it paid off.

They scripted the longest and most important partnership of this tour on Day 1. A defiant 124-run stand for fifth wicket arrested a collapse. Even though their innings was not chanceless – Buttler dropped at 0 and Stokes walked towards the dressing room before being recalled after Joseph was seen to have overstepped – but their resolve sucked the energy out of West Indies bowling.

According to Cricviz, “Buttler judged the West Indies bowlers’ lengths exceptionally, opting to not attack a single ball pitching between 6.7, and 8.5m – the in-between length that has caused England batsmen so many problems in the series up to now. Stokes had an even bigger zone of reticence, not attacking anything between 5.7m and 8.8m”.

Later on the day, while speaking to media, Stokes said, “I actually looked at some footage of me at Lord's (vs New Zealand in 2015) this morning. I've been thinking about going back to that technique: straightening my feet up and batting with an off stump guard. I've been working with Mark Ramprakash [the batting coach] on it for the last couple of days”.

“I was just trying to find some levelness: not being too aggressive, but not being too defensive. I thought I had been a bit stuck over the last couple of months. Watching myself at Lord's did me the world of good”.

England finally realized the importance of exhibiting resolve and composure according to demand of situation and England fans would expect a similar sort of approach on Day 2 as well. 

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 10/02/2019 England show resolve, at last

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

Ebadat Hossain can give Bangladesh the X-factor

Including Ebadat Hossain in the Test squad is a good decision…….

First thing first! I was pretty delighted to know that, gradually Taskin Ahmed is rediscovering his mojo. I cannot but deny, Taskin Ahmed is a very good bowler and even though, he lost his way a bit in the last couple of years, but still, considering his talent, one cannot deny him easily. He went through bad-patches and career-threatening injuries.  But like any other passionate cricketer, he worked hard to come back into the side.  He was included in the Bangladesh squad to New Zealand, but sadly, yet another injury dented his return.

The exclusion of Taskin Ahmed proved to be a golden opportunity for another promising youngster, Ebadat Hossain. The youngster just needed a slice of luck to represent Bangladesh in international cricket. He would replace Taskin in the Test squad.

Even six years ago, cricket was not even in Ebadat’s mind. He joined Bangladesh Air Force as a Volleyball player in 2012. More than a sportsman, the job security mattered more for Ebadot. The concentration was on volleyball, but it was also the time, when Bangladesh cricket was on the rise. At the international level, the once bashing-boys of world cricket, have started to create an impact against the Big Boys of World Cricket. So, naturally, cricket would attract any youngster during that time and Ebadot also relished the dream of becoming a cricketer.

In fact, before joining Bangladesh Air Force, Ebadat was famous for bowling fast in Moulavi Bazar’s Borolikha village. He was hired by various local teams to play for them and his ferocity was praised by all. He was a raw fast bowler and pace excited him.

  

Volleyball cut short his time to concentrate on cricket, but Rabi’s pacer hunt program in 2016 gave him the opportunity to try his luck in cricket. Even though, some sources say, despite serving as a volleyball player in Bangladesh Air Force, considering his passion for cricket, Ebadat was given the opportunity to play cricket in Dhaka City Club in 2014.

So, among 14, 611 contestants in Robi pacer hunt, Ebadat won with distinction. Even though 139-140 kmph may not satisfy any experts to tag him as a fast bowler, but in Bangladesh how many could bowl with such speed on a consistent basis and there always remains the option to improve more if nurtured in a correct system.  

Ebadat was brought into HP squad.

Aaqib Javed, the former Pakistani fast bowler, paid a visit to Dhaka in August 2016 for a week-long workshop with Bangladesh’s young fast bowlers.  Aaqib was impressed with two young pacers – one was the 6 feet 2 inch Ali Ahmmed and the other was Ebadat. Especially, Aaqib was in full praise about Ebadat.

He said, “He has got pace, good body and action. But he has to come out of that phase. Ebadat is bowling 138-140 kph with his physique. Coaches told me he will go back and join the Air Force and stop practising. I think somebody should give him a contract or a job that is related to cricket. He reminded me of Mohammad Irfan. We worked on him for six months and made him ready for first-class cricket. If he can build a decent body, he can be a future Bangladesh fast bowler”.

Aaqib’s suggestion was taken with great importance by Bangladesh think tank and included him in the BCB XI, who played a warm-up match against the touring England team in 2016. In his first spell, Ebadat impressed with pace and movement – Jason Roy and James Vince were his victims. Ebadat’s first spell impressed many, but lack of professional fitness halted his progress for a while.

Ebadat had sustained the injury during training session soon after practice match against England and would miss the preparatory camp in Sydney, Australia, where the Bangladesh squad departed for a 10-day camp before touring New Zealand. "He has a grade two tear for which it can take three to four weeks to recover," team physio Bayjidul Islam said such.

Ebadat was a surprise pick in the 22-man squad announced on Friday, especially with Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain being ignored for the Australia camp.

After a rehabilitation program, Ebadot returned to first-class cricket. On heavily-batting-friendly decks of Bangladesh’s domestic cricket, Ebadat was impactful. At first, after returning from injury, he struggled to bowl quickly like before, but with each match, he regained his rhythm. That lively pace was back! 

In a domestic shorter-format tournament, Ebadat impressed the expert eyes and as soon as Taskin was unavailable, Bangladesh think tank did not wait further to include Ebadat in the side. Some of the fans criticized his inclusion in the Test squad depending on performance in shorter-format. But to criticise Ebadat's selection on the basis of shorter-format would be lame as the young man has fetched 59 wickets from 19 first-class matches at an average of 28.94 on docile decks of Bangladesh domestic circuit. If we don't give such you guns the chance now, then when?  

Fast bowlers are always special and in any team, they are regarded the x-factor in bowling lineup, who can come up with some inspiring spells against the run of play and contribute to team’s success. And if he is able to move the ball at pace, then that is a big bonus.

Bangladesh’s Ebadat possesses such qualities and he just needs enough opportunities to prove his worth.

In my opinion, the Bangladesh think tank has made a bold decision to include Ebadat in the squad. In New Zealand pace would be needed and someone like Ebadat can not only provide Bangladesh with the cutting edge with speed, but the x-factor in bowling lineup as well.   

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 08/02/2019 Ebadat Hossain can give Bangladesh the X-factor

Thank You

Faisal Caesar    

Alzarri Joseph: The hero of the day

"There is an endearing tenderness in the love of a mother to a son that transcends all other affections of the heart"

Washington Irving

 The bond between a mother and son cannot be explained in few words. For a son, his mother is the best friend in this world. There will never be anything quite as special as the love between the mother and a son. A man loves his mother the longest and when a son loses his mother at a young age, he loses half of his world. It is a huge loss for him!        

For the 21-year old Alzarri Joseph, the morning of February 3 did not start like others. Before the start of third day’s play at Antigua, Joseph came to know the loss of his beloved mother, Sharon. In each and every step of his life, Joseph discovered his mother as the source of encouragement. And his mother celebrated each and every success of her son with utmost joy. But on Day 3, Joseph’s mother would not be with him to take part in the celebration of West Indies’ thumping win over the best in world.

For a 21-year old it is never easy to digest such a tragic loss and concentrate on his usual duties. But Joseph did not step back from taking the field with his team. He decided to be the part of a rejuvenated West Indies side, who were looking to seal the series. Joseph had a dream debut in his home ground Antigua. He not only impressed with pace and hostility, but proved vital in nailing the big fish Joe Root with an absolute ripper in first innings.

Whether Joseph would be able to maintain the similar sort of rhythm in the second stint remained a moot question.

But he came out to bat at number 10 and helped West Indies to stretch the lead. He was greeted by a standing ovation and contributed 7 runs. Then he took the ball and decided to run in full throttle. He delivered full and short at pace – his deliveries clocked around 90mph. One could notice the sadness on his face, but with each delivery he hinted, he was determined enough to transform grief into strength.

***

Rory Burns and Joe Denly seemed to be stitching a solid opening stand despite some nervy moments. But Jason Holder did not want this partnership to flourish. He took matter on his hand. Burns attempted to cut a back-of-a-length delivery, which only flew towards slip, where John Campbell took a regulation catch. Jonny Bairstow arrived at the crease to repeat the heroics in first innings, but it took an early blow as Holder bowled him with a nagging line and incisive length.   

England were in tatters and it was up to Joe Root to script a fairytale-like-turnaround for England. But Holder engaged his menace, Joseph to settle the score. It was a tough thing to ask from a boy, who had just heard the loss of his mother in morning and still decided to take the field. But the speciality about Holder is, he can easily calm his men down and fetch results from them by investing faith and instilling confidence.

Joseph was well aware that he would have the psychological support of his skipper, who would stand by him like a true friend in moments of crisis. Not only his captain, but the whole team stood by him to lend him the much needed support.  

As Holder said, “It's difficult to describe the feelings. We started the day with a daunting task, trying to push on our lead, and then we got the news about Alzarri's mum so we all wanted to rally around one another and we wanted to do it for her”.

“Alzarri was exceptional. It took a lot of heart for him to be on the field today, I think a lot of people wouldn't have been able to, but credit to him”.

“The way he ran in this afternoon was exceptional and with a bit more luck he could have got three or four more wickets and could have put in a man-of-the-match performance”.

"To see him in tears this morning was even harder, and we came together in the huddle and we just wanted to do it for him and we dedicate this day to him, his mum and his family”.

“It was up to him if he played. I didn't want to deprive him of the opportunity to take the field. If he felt he could manage and take the field for the West Indies and perform then I wasn't going to deprive him of that”.

“For sure I knew he wanted to do something special for his mum and credit to him, he held his hand up high and did an exceptional job for us”.

***

Joseph walked towards his mark with lazy steps and started to run – a few of the deliveries were quite casual, but in course of time, Joseph would hog the limelight.

Joseph’s third delivery of England’s 22nd over jagged back in to Root, who was beaten all ends up. Shane Dowrich grabbed the ball and the appeal from him and slip cordon was not loud. Neither Joseph bothered to appeal – with such a mental state it was quite expected, there will be fluctuations in concentration. But his team stood by him and reviewed the decision of on-field umpire. Credit to Holder, who noticed the inside edge while standing from slip as the review turned out to be a masterstroke.    

The umpire raised his finger and Root became Joseph’s bunny, yet again. Joseph had hooked the big fish, but there was no joyous celebration from his side. Well, he was swarmed by his teammates who did the celebration for him. Then Joseph outweighed Joe Denly who misjudged the line of an incoming delivery by shouldering the arms. Again, his teammates celebrated the wicket for him.   

This West Indies team is blessed with team spirit!

Kemar Roach and Holder’s accuracy and hostility never let England settle down. They were bundled out cheaply as West Indies registered a 10-wicket victory to seal the series. But the hero of the day, in my opinion, was Joseph; who overcame such a personal loss and responded to national duties.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 03/02/2019 Alzarri Joseph: The hero of the day

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Boring to watch, but West Indies batting need such resolve according to demand of situation

“Their ability to pivot on the back foot earlier helped them to weather the storm well. England tried their level best to bring West Indian batters forward, but it was a day where they won’t commit a silly mistake frequently like before”

You may become nostalgic after watching the current West Indian pace attack in full flow, but sadly, their batsmen may not trigger the same. Arunabha Sengupta said it right in his article “The WestIndian fast bowlers make one nostalgic, but the batting has miles to go”. Indeed, the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell or Roston Chase are not extraordinary talents like a Sir Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge or Brian Charles Lara. They are the batters with limited abilities and it is always sensible enough to bat according to that considering the demand of situation.

A Viv or a Greenidge were known for their attacking intent with the bat. They were not to hang around and bore everyone, but murder the best of bowling attacks mercilessly to entertain the fans. Such players are born once in a generation. Their attacking intent left a legacy, which the next generation failed to emulate except few. But those who possessed that swagger with the bat either faded or gave earning cash the more priority.

After the 90s, West Indian batting has been a butt of joke for many. Occasionally they would shine, but in most of the times, their intention to revive the past by playing attacking strokes only crushed them in 5-day matches. It paid rich dividends in circus shows like T20 Leagues, sadly, in longer-formats; it failed to create an impact.

What West Indies batting lacked in 5-day matches is resolve. They were disinterested about spending time at the crease and trusting the defence.  After executing some flashy strokes, they would throw away their wickets by attempting something adventurous. Last year in Bangladesh, one could witness, how whimsically West Indies batted, whereas, a bit more patience could have helped them to avoid disgrace.

Thankfully, this West Indies team is eager to learn from mistakes.      

On Day 2 of second Test against England at Antigua, you may develop sore eyes and your mood might be irritated while watching Brathwaite, John Campbell or Darren Bravo’s grinding nature. But one needs to bear in mind, batting positively does not always mean playing shots and each and every batsman in this globe is not a Virat Kohli or Kane Williamson. At times, playing with a defensive mindset may be required according to demand of situation.     

John Campbell can be a strokeful batter, but there always remains an element of risk with his aggressive intent. Like in the morning session, against Stuart Broad’s relentless accuracy, Campbell tried to attack, which led to 42% of false shots, according to CricViz. He decided to cut short the risk factor and finally when he was dismissed, his percentage of playing false shots reduced to 36%.

The English bowlers bowled fuller than Day 1 – 39% in comparison to 29%, but could not extract enough movement. They decided to pile up the pressure by bowling an accurate line-and-length. But West Indies batting line up did not lose patience and committed lesser mistakes by not executing enough false shots.

Their ability to pivot on the back foot earlier helped them to weather the storm well. England tried their level best to bring West Indian batters forward, but it was a day where they won’t commit a silly mistake frequently like before.

Bravo could be spectacular to watch when on song, but on Day 2 he would curb his attacking instincts. His strokes contained 7% of attacking strokes and concentrated on spending time at the crease.  He was more of a sheet-anchor who would help to arrest a collapse, when West Indies lost a few wickets quickly in a crucial passage of play.

Of course, going forward against Broad was never a good idea, but Chase and Dowrich thought otherwise, while Shimron Hetmyer’s  “galloped to the pitch, didn't quite get there, aimed a wild hack out to cover” attempt against Moeen Ali did not benefit either.

What matters more is West Indies have taken a very important lead with still four wickets in hand. Moreover, one must not forget, the track at Antigua is not ideal to bat freely. The unpredictable bounce always made batting tough, and for which, resolve was needed to counter the demons. The West Indian batters did just that.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 02/02/2019 Boring to watch, but West Indies batting need such resolve according to demand of situation

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Antigua track was spiteful, but delivered enough excitement

“Well, some high-quality pace bowling, a spiteful deck and tough character displayed by two batsmen on such a deck – what more does one need to enjoy Test cricket”?

“People come to stadiums to watch boundaries and sixes” had been one of the most widely used theories by some of the commentators from subcontinent in the mid and late 90s. This theory became contagious and even some started to state the same it in 5-day matches as well. This had an impact in the minds of officials around the globe and for which, in the better parts of last decade and this decade to an extent, witnessed sleeping beauties even on venues, where, once upon a time, pace, bounce and swing ruled the roost.

Venues like Antigua started to favour the batsmen more. The Daddy hundreds were scripted easily as the home team bowlers were found grinding under the hot sun. Predictable decks and a predictable result kept spectators away from watching a Test in a venue, where each and every Test match meant a carnival in the 80s and 90s. The West Indian think tank forgot why were they famous for, what people in the Caribbean loved to watch!

Andy Roberts, Malclom Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner were the darlings of every Caribbean venue and in Antigua their hostility gave the crowd same amount joy like the blitzes of Sir Vivian Richards. In those days, tracks in West Indies suited fast bowlers more and it played a vital part in giving rise to legendary fast bowlers, who helped West Indies dominate the world for almost two decades.  A change in plans hampered the growth of Test cricket in West Indies. Definitely, you need helpful decks to attract the youngsters in West Indies take fast bowling seriously. Perhaps, West Indies have started to realize this after a lull.

After the thumping win at Bridgetown Barbados and mesmerizing display by fast bowlers, the spice in the deck at Antigua was expected. But the deck was not only helpful for fast bowling; rather, it had a certain amount of unpredictability. As Jonny Bairstow said to Sky Sports after Day 1, “If you look at the pitch, there's two different grass types. From where the balls were bouncing, there was either a ridge there or something to do with the grass, but unfortunately, a few dismissals came from balls that made us play certain shots”.  

Indeed, the track at Antigua was spiteful – much unpredictable, but nevertheless, it delivered one hell of an exciting day of Test cricket.

When Alzarri Joseph dished out a brutish lifter from a length, which flew off the handle of Joe Root towards slip where the catch was taken by an acrobatic slip-pairing of John Campbell and Shai Hope, the roar of the crowd hinted, what they love to relish and what West Indies cricket had been missing over the years. Or when a Shannon Gabriel leg cutter, delivered from wider of the crease at pace, which cut Ben Stokes into halves after a war of words; it seemed West Indies cricket wants to make aggression their brand once again. Of course, Antigua’s spiteful deck was supporting their wish.  

The tempo was set by the wreaker in chief at Barbados. Who else but Kemar Roach, yet again, bowled with a great hostility! He started off from round the wicket and his first delivery of the day was a tad short of a length at pace and baffled debutante Joe Denly who almost dragged the ball onto his stumps. The intention of West Indies was clear from first ball of the day. They have found a deck to support their brand of play – sheer hostility with the ball in hand.

 In the morning session, West Indian pacers concentrated on movement as Cricviz says, “West Indies’ seamers found an average of 0.78° of seam movement, the second highest figure they’ve ever extracted from the surface at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, behind the 0.92° they found against Bangladesh last year”.  Then as the day progressed, the variable bounce made things tougher for England.

The ball bouncing from a good length in an unpredictable manner, not only tested the character and technique of batters, but at the same time, delivered a fascinating contest.

With the West Indian pacers at the top of their game, Jonny Bairstow decided to shun the “hunker down” approach and counterattack to conquer the perilous nature of pitch. He was cultured in his shot selection as none of the attacking strokes was reckless, but technically spot on.

As Cricviz says, “On a pitch as difficult as this, Bairstow’s was a quite remarkable innings. It was not just a case of taking the necessary risk to counter-attack but to have the ability to execute those shots as well. To put into context how effective Bairstow’s strategy was, his 20 attacking shots yielded 41 runs; that’s a run rate of 12.30 runs per over. Bairstow has never recorded a higher attacking shot run rate in an innings where he’s played 15 or more attacking shots”.

At the other end, Moeen Ali’s composure came to display. Before this Test, he averaged 9.87 with the bat in last 4 Test matches and his lack of patience was evident and even he confessed about it. His patience was required on this deck and for more than an hour, he batted with resolve to avoid yet another collapse. He was behind the line of the deliveries more than previous Test matches and kept on fighting the demons underneath the surface with astute footwork and defence. The end was ugly, but the innings was extremely valuable.

Well, some high-quality pace bowling, a spiteful deck and tough character displayed by two batsmen on such a deck – what more does one need to enjoy Test cricket? It would be unfair to say that the Antigua deck was unfit for Test cricket. Rather, it was a deck, which gives enough hope to Test cricket, as the fans are enjoying the unpredictability rather than the dullness provided by the Daddy hundreds on featherbeds.     

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 01/02/2019 Antigua track was spiteful, but delivered enough excitement

Thank You

Faisal Caesar