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A man for all conditions and occasions, he has led Australia to a WTC title, an away Ashes retention and an ODI World Cup in 2023 alone

Alex Malcolm29-Dec-20235:10

‘A classic at the MCG’

Outside of the MCG, Australia’s sporting cathedral, the statues of Shane Warne and Dennis Lillee stand proudly as a tribute to two of Australian cricket’s greatest-ever bowlers. They might add another statue one day, and it might be of Pat Cummins. It would be hard to argue against.If Scott Boland’s 6 for 7 on debut is worthy of one, then Cummins’ 10 for 97 to carry his side to another Test victory at the MCG in a year when he has already led his nation to a World Test Championship title, an away Ashes retention, and an ODI World Cup is worthy of a similar tribute.On Friday, Cummins became just the second Australian captain alongside Allan Border to take ten wickets in a Test. He also joined Warne and Lillee as one of only ten Australians to 250 Test wickets. Cummins’ average of 22.32 is the second-best among the ten – behind Glenn McGrath’s 21.64 – but his strike rate of 46.70 is the best. He is in rare air. Something that even he had to pinch himself about when he saw the list of ten names flash up on the scoreboard.Related

• Pakistan's pursuit of history culminates in another heartbreak

• Stats – Cummins' rare captaincy double, and Babar's quiet 2023

• Immense Cummins takes 10 to inspire Australia to tough victory

• 'How did that bowl me?' – the tale of Babar, Cummins, and a dream ball

“That was pretty special company being up there,” Cummins said after Australia beat Pakistan by 79 runs on the fourth day. “Nathan [Lyon] and Mitch [Starc] welcomed me into their club, so I look forward to those catch-ups. They’re really proud moments seeing the names that are up there that I’m alongside.”I think the thing that’s most satisfying is the longevity that it takes to hit a few of those milestones – especially after missing a few years when I was a bit younger – so it’s always a nice little reminder.”What he has achieved defies all logic, given he missed five-and-a-half years of Test cricket between his first Test in November 2011 and his second in March 2017 due to injury. What he continues to achieve defies belief, especially in this year alone. The monotony of his exemplary performances in big moments is the biggest threat to his legacy. Observers just assume he’ll come on to bowl and win the game for his country, and invariably he does.This Boxing Day Test was no different. On the second day of the match, with Pakistan 124 for 1 and in cruise control in pursuit of establishing a critical first-innings lead, Cummins turned the game around with a stunning return catch to remove Abdullah Shafique and a sublime delivery to get Babar Azam.”It’s the best I’ve felt like I’ve bowled for a little while” – Pat Cummins•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaIn the second innings, he stood up in the big moments again. Pakistan had started reasonably well while chasing 317 for victory, moving to 49 for 1 from 14 overs. Cummins went around the wicket to Imam-ul-Haq and thundered one into his front pad. Umpire Michael Gough gave it not out. Cummins was irrepressible. Two balls later, he charged in again and smashed Imam on the front knee with something that looked like an Exocet missile as it nipped back in at the stumps; this time Gough raised his finger.Twelve overs later, Pakistan were flying at 106 for 2. Alongside Babar, Shan Masood was playing a captain’s knock, racing to 60 off 70 deliveries with seven boundaries, as they rattled along at four runs an over.Cummins hadn’t bowled since the 19th over when the score was 62 for 2. But he brought himself back from the Members’ end. He went around the wicket to Masood too, and pitched fuller, threatening to shape into middle and off, as Masood tried to drive towards mid-on with the angle. Having removed Imam with one that nipped in, this Cummins missile nipped away late and caught the outside edge.Captain snares captain, Australia on top again.Later in the afternoon, the game was in the balance once more. Josh Hazlewood had bowled an incredible spell of five overs that included 24 dots in a row and the wicket of Babar, bowled through the gate for the second time in the match. Starc had sent Saud Shakeel back with some extra pace and bounce.Whenever Pakistan seemed in control, Pat Cummins brought himself on and provided the spark for Australia•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaBut Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman were threatening to pull off the impossible. Their 57-run stand had drawn Pakistan within 98 runs of a famous victory, with five wickets in hand. The nip and swing that had been ever-present all match had seemingly disappeared. Lyon had been unable to contain the run rate despite creating two half-chances that failed to be taken.Cummins brought himself back again. This time he set a field for short-pitched bowling and summoned his inner nasty streak that hides below his mild-mannered Clark Kent persona. A brutal bouncer had Rizwan ducking, a back-of-a-length ball had him jumping, and then Rizwan lost sight of one and ducked into a length ball that flicked his right wristband on the way through to Alex Carey. It took a while for the third umpire to give it out on review. But Cummins had delivered again.Two more nasty short balls accounted for Aamer Jamal and Shaheen Shah Afridi; Cummins had ten wickets in the match, and Australia were all but home.He’s a man for all conditions and all occasions. When it’s seaming, he is a nightmare, nipping them in and out, and threatening both edges. When it’s flat, he draws his length back and threatens gloves, rib cages and jugulars. He does it with a smile and a sense of calm that permeates through the whole Australian team.”It’s the best I’ve felt like I’ve bowled for a little while,” Cummins said. “Rhythm felt really good. Felt like [I had] good pace. I knew where my wrist was. [I] could control the seam, and [there were] some good bounces. I felt really happy with just how I was bowling even if I didn’t take wickets.”And then as a team, it’s a huge year. All formats, a lot of success and to top it off by winning a series at home, which we pride ourselves on doing. It’s a pretty satisfying way to end 2023.”A bronze statue or not, 2023 is the year Pat Cummins cemented his legacy.

Arsenal have been riding the crest of a wave under Mikel Arteta’s tutelage, but this is the season that needs to see silverware returned to the Emirates Stadium.

Not since 2020, when Arteta took the loose reins after Unai Emery’s dismissal, have the Gunners lifted a trophy, and for all the incredible improvements that have been made since this new era began, the cabinet could do with a fresh adornment – perhaps the Premier League title?

Sporting director Andrea Berta has dovetailed into Arteta’s project this year and strengthened the Gunners with some talented additions. However, a few stragglers have emerged in north London, and they may need to be shipped on next year to continue the development of this elite outfit.

The Arsenal players Arteta needs to move on

Arsenal’s diligence is reflected by their contractual situations: no first-team player will find their deal is up at the end of the season. However, there are several who need to be shipped on regardless in 2026.

Gabriel Jesus, for example, impressed on his return from injury in midweek, coming off the bench against Club Brugge. Into the penultimate year of his contract, the 28-year-old has recently attracted interest from AC Milan.

Though Arsenal have undergone an incredible defensive transformation in recent years, the frontline still leaves something to be desired. Viktor Gyokeres, who arrived last summer for £64m, was picked as the solution, but he’s yet to bring it all together.

Arteta, for what it’s worth, remains steadfast in his belief that Gyokeres, a signing fuelled by Berta’s vision, will hit his prolific stride in the Premier League, but as the Gunners continue to go from strength to strength and challenge for the biggest prizes.

However, there’s another prominent face in the squad who may be enduring more vocal criticism for his performances, and it’s a situation that offers shades of former midfielder Granit Xhaka’s departure from the Emirates.

Arsenal's new Granit Xhaka

Xhaka has been a revelation in Sunderland’s midfield this season. When Arsenal sold the Swiss international to Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, few expected to see his face in the Premier League again, but he has been described as a “genius” buy for the Black Cats by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman.

The 33-year-old left Arsenal on a high, but his time in north London wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, having been stripped of the captaincy by Emery in 2019.

His perceived lack of discipline often led to him being scapegoated, and in a different scenario with a few similarities, the same could now be said of Martin Odegaard, who is Arteta’s proud £30m skipper but has come under fire for his performances.

Odegaard has been unlucky in recent years, missing chunks of the past few seasons, and some suggest he could be more positive on the ball, though statistics do rank favourably for the 26-year-old in that regard.

As per FBref, the Norwegian “wizard”, as dubbed by footballer Babayele Sodade, ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goal involvements, the top 3% for progressive passes, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 2% for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for through balls per 90.

However, he’s not exempt from criticism. Former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere said “it will be tough to choose between” Odegaard and Eberechi Eze going forward, with the skipper not guaranteed a spot just because he wears the armband.

The former Crystal Palace talisman is growing into his skin since his summer move to the club, and should the £240k-per-week Odegaard begin to make trips to the bench, criticism is not going to disappear.

Bigger problem than Gyokeres: Arteta must bin Arsenal's new Aubameyang

Arsenal could have another Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang situation developing this season…

By
Robbie Walls

2 days ago

Captain Jaydev Unadkat talks about how the team introspected, analysed individuals’ shortcomings, and implemented new ways of doing things to rescue a floundering campaign

Shashank Kishore07-Feb-2025Halfway into the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, Saurashtra were in danger of running out one of their worst campaigns in recent times.Four points in four games had left them near rock bottom. A win was far from sight, the knockouts seemed a distant dream. Yet, here they are three games later, having gone on an unreal run of three back-to-back bonus-point wins to set up a quarter-final clash at home against Gujarat.From being no-hopers, Saurashtra sense they are in with a real chance of doing something special: winning a third Ranji title in five years.Over the past week or so, captain Jaydev Unadkat has been thinking about what brought about their change in course. “Plenty,” he says. “At the end of the first half of the season, we asked ourselves some hard questions. Are we doing enough? That was possibly the biggest question staring at us. We probably got a bit carried away with our recent success.”I also felt with the average age of our team increasing, we needed to put in more effort now than we did five years ago [when they won in 2019-20] to replicate that success. Once this realisation dawned, the guys worked really hard.”Until eight years ago, Saurashtra were about their four superstars – Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Sheldon Jackson and Unadkat. With Pujara and Jadeja largely unavailable, Jackson and Unadkat had to do the heavy lifting most times. That perception has changed since Unadkat took over as captain from Jaydev Shah in 2018-19.”Some years back, the talks were always about getting individual runs and keeping their place in the team,” Unadkat explains. “When I took over, I wanted everyone to play like a team. That involves being selfless a lot of times. That involves setting collective goals. That involves talking about team goals and caring about the team.”A happy team thinks about collective success. Obviously, you need individual talent. But for all of them to come together and put in a team effort, you’ve got to establish a culture where people don’t think about individual success alone. To make that a habit was a challenge. At the moment everyone in the team does that really well.”Many guys are now close to playing 100-plus first-class games. It means we’ve all been playing together for so much time. That can happen when there’s collective success, and unity and harmony. Previously, it was about being happy by being in the knockouts. Now it’s about reaching the knockouts anyhow, because that’s what we feel our standard is.”

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As the second leg of the Ranji season started in January, Unadkat and the team management weren’t looking at bonus-point wins or the equation. It was simply about playing and winning moments.”Thinking of bonus points and all that would’ve meant getting ahead of ourselves.” Unadkat says. “You are putting yourself under pressure about scoring big in the first innings or getting a wicket as soon as possible. I don’t think that gets the best out of people. We just talked about getting a result out of every game, and being able to show intent with both bat and ball.”

“When you prepare pitches where results are bound to come, it can go either way. That is not a shocker to anyone. Until a few years ago, there were a lot of draws and it was regarded as playing good cricket on a good pitch. It wasn’t exciting. You want matches where you get results.”Jaydev Unadkat

To achieve this, they had a relook at roles of individuals. They analysed their shortcomings, went down to minute details, like their manner of dismissals at certain times. They identified patterns, wired and rewired habits.”We needed to think out of the box,” Unadkat says. “We were all fairly comfortable in a setting, not allowing ourselves to explore facets of the game we didn’t know existed. Teams had begun to map us out.”For example, Chirag Jani was out twice to a bouncer, when his role was to dominate against spin on turning tracks [against Tamil Nadu and Railways]. That wasn’t the only mistake, it’s just one example.”As a bowling group, we weren’t incisive enough. The way we used to break partnerships till last season, I think that wasn’t happening in the first three games. So yes, we were honest that way. Especially me and Dharmendra [Dharmendrasinh Jadeja] being there, both of us having played since the last 10 years together.”We share a rapport where we have been very honest, where we can talk about just being not good enough amongst our bowlers. I feel when you put aside your egos, when people have played so many games, the only question is whether they are able to accept that they can still be weak in some areas. I think we did that really well this season.”So what did their out-of-the-box thinking prompt?”Arpit [Vasavada] never played a reverse-sweep until the last season. He started sweeping and reverse-sweeping comfortably against the spinners.”Everyone now knows that Sheldon hits the spinners down the ground, and opposition captains put those fielders there right away. He hasn’t really been able to be at his best in this season, but he started working on his game to pick other gaps.”Harvik [their top-scorer with 511 runs at 56.77] has been a revelation in the back half. The intent that he has shown right from ball one, I feel that has been a turning point. He didn’t start that way. Sometimes it’s just about showing that you want to be out there on the pitch and be positive and everyone else follows that.Ravindra Jadeja’s 12 wickets on his Ranji comeback took Saurashtra to victory against Delhi•PTI “Chirag, when he started his career, in the first half he was a batter who could bowl. In the last four-five years, since Covid, we first thought about batting him higher up the order. That’s because, honestly, we don’t have a lot of openers, except for Harvik. We haven’t been able to capitalise, so we obviously needed someone in the top order.”And Chirag [who is closing in on 500 runs for the season] used to face the second new ball most of the times at No. 6 or 7. So then that thought came as to why can’t we bat him higher. The way he has matured into being a prolific batter now, he probably can play in the team as a proper batter. He’s been playing since 2012-13, and didn’t have a hundred or five-for until 2019. Now, that confidence is there that he can hold his own purely as a batter.”Prerak Mankad is another player Unadkat feels doesn’t often get the credit because his name is unlikely to be on the top wicket-takers’ list. “Many times, Prerak being the fourth seamer, he gives me a lot of freedom,” he says. “I hold myself back and bowl shorter spells which allows me to bowl at a higher intensity. These guys have held things together.”

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In a way, the stars have aligned for Saurashtra. Their last two games were at home, where they made it clear that they would turn to spin to win. Against Delhi, the returning Ravindra Jadeja picked up a 12-for, while the other Jadeja – Dharmendrasinh – ran through Assam in the final group game.”No one should be embarrassed with the way they plan out to play to their strength,” Unadkat says. “Why would I want a flat pitch and not want a result out of it? If a team’s strength is spin, they’ve got to take that advantage. We played the same on a similar pitch against Tamil Nadu in the last season’s quarter-finals and lost.”When you prepare pitches where results are bound to come, it can go either way. That is not a shocker to anyone. Until a few years ago, there were a lot of draws and it was regarded as playing good cricket on a good pitch.”It wasn’t exciting. You want matches where you get results. For that, you have to have something in the pitch. You can’t demand a green track in Rajkot. That is not what it is known for. The weather here is not susceptible to that. The soil here is not susceptible to that.”Obviously, if the surface is poor, and I mean by that a lot of deviation in bounce, yes agreed [it’s taking the advantage too far], but the ball turning on a pitch from the start is not a poor pitch. We have to remove that from a lot of people’s mind nowadays.”Arpit Vasavada is closing in on 400 runs this season and Chirag Jani on 500•PTI

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Looking ahead to the knockouts and beyond, Unadkat wants to lead the change, in terms of being able to prepare the team for a transition. “Making them future-proof,” he says with a laugh. For when the likes of Pujara, Jackson, Unadkat, Jani and the others, who are in the back-end of their careers, will move on.”We often talk about the reality in a positive way,” he says. “It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. At the same time no one should feel that they have been signalled that this is their end. Personally I feel we have guys who do understand their career graph. Because we have been playing with each other since so long that we can talk to each other with a lot of freedom. So, I don’t think that will be a problem for us.”But in general, yes, I can definitely say that just being honest about the realistic things that are coming does help a lot. And at the same time give [credit to] everything that people have achieved so far in their career – give all the respect and credit that they deserve.”Before that, Unadkat hopes they can have silverware to celebrate. “The mood is very much upbeat because the way we qualified this season itself has been exciting” he says. “You don’t need to do a lot when you qualify in this way. You believe that things will fall in place.”Obviously there will be some nerves when you play a knockout. But that’s why we have turned so well and then the last few seasons people are now looking forward to such pressure games, rather than being afraid or worried about them.”There’s a real belief within this group no matter what, even if we concede a lead at times, there’s a strong sense of belief that we can come back and win. And for that, honestly I can’t take the full credit. Because you need players, you need guys like Arpit, Cheteshwar, Dharmendra, Prerak, Sheldon. Even the youngsters for that matter who care about the team and who want the team to do well.”We’re ready, and we’ve got the momentum. Hopefully, come knockouts, we’ll be able to carry that forward into the Gujarat game and beyond.”

The Major Associations set to contract 16 players each overall, one more than last season

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2018Former New Zealand opener Jesse Ryder has found no takers among the six Major Associations in round one of contract distribution.The associations announced their first list of contracted players for the 2018-19 season on Friday, part of a two-step contracting process in domestic cricket. They will contract 16 players each overall, one up from last season.As per the rules, the associations are allowed to contract between ten and 15 players in round one, and will fill up their quota of 16 on June 30. Whether 33-year-old Ryder finds a new cricketing home then remains to be seen. For now, it seems like his team from the last three seasons, Central Districts, has moved on. quoted Central Districts chief executive Pete De Wet as saying: “Jesse began his professional career for us way back in 2002-03, when he was a promising youngster himself at just 18. Later, after nine seasons representing the Wellington Firebirds and two seasons with the Otago Volts, we were delighted when his career came full circle in 2015-16 when we welcomed Jesse back.”It was a very difficult decision not to offer Jesse a new contract, as we have appreciated his contribution to the team for the past three summers. However, ultimately, we have considered the balance of our squad and have elected to take a long-range view.”Ryder was one of only six batsmen to score over 600 runs last season in the first-class Plunket Shield. In seven matches for Central Districts, the eventual champions, Ryder scored 640 at 71.11 with two hundreds and three fifties. The highlight of his season was twin centuries from No. 5 in Nelson, to set up a 256-run drubbing of Auckland.Here is the full list of players handed contracts in round one.Auckland: Jamie Brown, Craig Cachopa, Mark Chapman, Danru Ferns, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Ben Horne, Ben Lister, Matt McEwan, Robbie O’Donnell, Glenn Phillips, Sean Solia, Will SomervilleCanterbury: Chad Bowes, Blake Coburn, Leo Carter, Andrew Ellis, Cameron Fletcher, Andrew Hazeldine, Kyle Jamieson, Ken McClure, Cole McConchie, Stephen Murdoch, Ed Nuttall, Henry Shipley, Will Williams, Theo van WoerkomCentral Districts: Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Greg Hay, Christian Leopard, Willem Ludick, Ryan McCone, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Bevan Small, Ben Smith, Blair Tickner, Ben Wheeler, Will YoungNorthern Districts: James Baker, Peter Bocock, Dean Brownlie, Henry Cooper, Anton Devcich, Daniel Flynn, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Nick Kelly, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Bharat Popli, Brett Randell, Tim Seifert, Joe WalkerOtago: Matt Bacon, Warren Barnes, Neil Broom, Mark Craig, Jacob Duffy, Josh Finnie, Shawn Hicks, Anaru Kitchen, Michael Rae, Mitch Renwick, Michael Rippon, Hamish Rutherford, Nathan Smith, Brad WilsonWellington: Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lauchie Johns, Iain McPeake, James Neesham, Ollie Newton, Malcolm Nofal, Jeetan Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Logan van Beek, Luke Woodcock, Peter Younghusband

In his first game for six months, Ben Hilfenhaus did enough to convince Australia’s selectors he deserved a spot in the Test squad

Peter English22-Jun-2010Ben Hilfenhaus didn’t have to do much to prove he was ready to return to the Test squad to face Pakistan in England. He is so valuable to Australia’s plans he doesn’t need to. Over four days in a minor game for Australia A, his first in six months, he showed his exceptional swing-bowling qualities were untainted by the lay-off and that his troublesome knee was holding up.Hilfenhaus’ sentences are shorter than his economical run-up but after taking 5 for 63 in the second innings against Sri Lanka A he said his body had handled the four-day load and the performance was “all very solid”. If the situation is as good as that everyone who follows Australian cricket should be as happy as Hilfy.In less than a year he grew from Test novice to calm and reliable performer, becoming the leading bowler in the 2009 Ashes disappointment and gaining the Man-of-the-Match prize against West Indies at the Gabba. It was his first appearance in a baggy green at home, but the subsequent debilitating tendonitis ended his season. His next chance to perform in front of a local audience is in Brisbane for the Ashes.Other bowlers have emerged over the past year but none offer what Hilfenhaus does: consistent outswing, off-cutters and exceptional control usually delivered in the 140kphs. Extreme fast bowlers are the game’s pin-ups but guys like Hilfenhaus are lauded for their prowess at being a constant threat to all batsmen, most of the time.At Allan Border Field on Monday his final wicket pitched on middle and leg before clipping the top of off stump. It was an excellent sign for his recovery, even if the batsman was a No.11.Despite having played only nine Tests and taken 34 wickets at 30.58, Hilfenhaus deserves the special treatment afforded to him by the selectors. There is another Australia A match in Townsville later this week and a tour game against Derbyshire before the opening Test begins on July 13. England is a perfect environment for Hilfenhaus, especially against the Pakistanis, who waft unconvincingly when the ball swings or seams. Most importantly, it should set him up for the main event at the end of the year.Hilfenhaus will be needed for early England wickets with the new ball before long spells in support of the more destructive Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle or Ryan Harris. He is the perfect ally in an Ashes series, as long as his knee problem is managed.Injuries have had an impact on the 14-man squad for the Pakistan Tests at Lord’s and Leeds next month. Some players, such as Hilfenhaus and Usman Khawaja, have elbowed their way in while two elbows have been holding a couple of men back. Brad Haddin’s left arm, which has been worn down over the past couple of years, hampers his batting but not his keeping and he faces more fitness battles to confirm his spot before the departure on July 2.Johnson has had a lingering infection in his right arm, which was painted with an intricate tattoo before the World Twenty20. He has been cleared for a return to England, the venue of an awful Ashes series last year due to a mixture of family and technical problems.Both Johnson and Hilfenhaus have things to prove over the duration of the tour. Johnson needs to show his 2009 Ashes form was a never-to-be-repeated blemish while Hilfenhaus has to convince himself that his body can cope with the international workload.

The attack occurred around 11pm local time on Friday, as spectators had gathered at the stadium to watch the Ramadan Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2018A series of explosions targeting a cricket match in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, has killed eight people and injured 45 on Friday, according to an AFP report.The attack occurred around 11pm local time on Friday, as spectators had gathered at the stadium to watch the Ramadan Cup, the provincial governor’s office said.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but the Taliban said it was not responsible.Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack. “The terrorists did not stop killing our people even during the holy month of Ramadan,” a statement from the president’s office said. “By carrying out a terrorist attack in a populated sport stadium, once again they have proved that they are not bound to any creed or religion, and they are the enemy of humanity.”Cricket matches in Afghanistan have been targeted previously as well. In September 2017, an Islamic State attack on a cricket match in Kabul left three dead.The profile of cricket in Afghanistan has increased substantially over the last few years, with their national team playing four World T20s and the 2015 World Cup. They are now set to play their first Test match, against India in June, after receiving Full Member status from the ICC last year.

Kylian Mbappe has seen his game time significantly decrease at Paris Saint-Germain, however, Didier Deschamps is unconcerned.

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• Luis Enrique limiting Mbappe's minutes
• Only played entire 90 once in five games
• Deschamps not worried about Mbappe's situation

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ever since the French superstar has committed himself to not signing a contract extension with the Parisians, he has seen his minutes limited by club boss Luis Enrique. The Spaniard has described his move of benching the forward as his way of making sure his team is ready to deal with his expected departure this summer.

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• WHAT DESCHAMPS SAID

  Speaking after France's squad announcement, Deschamps said he's happy to see his star man on the bench: “It’s super, magnificent. Given the number of games he has played… the element of freshness in a big competition is key. It’s good that they have game time, but playing every three days… there will be fatigue. I am not at all worried about Kylian’s rhythm. These are the manager’s choices."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Frenchman has not started in two of the previous four Ligue 1 games and has been substituted off in the other two, most notably against AS Monaco when he was hooked at half-time. However, he played the entire 90 minutes against Nice last time out in the French Cup quarter-finals and also scored the club's opening goal.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  The 25-year-old is almost confirmed to be joining La Liga giants Real Madrid, as a free agent but for a massive amount of money in the form of a signing-on bonus. He could be back in action later this week when PSG take on Montpellier in the league on Sunday, March 17.

Wade brought up his 10th first-class century and struck up two crucial partnerships to propel Tasmania to 5 for 327 on the first day

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2018ScorecardAn outstanding rearguard century from Matthew Wade has wrestled the momentum in Tasmania’s favour on day one against Western Australian in Hobart.The Warriors threatened to run through the Tigers’ lower order having reduced them to 5 for 159 after winning the toss. Andrew Holder had done the early damage removing Beau Webster and Alex Doolan with swing and seam movement. When George Bailey fell lbw to Simon Mackin, the Tigers were 3 for 51.But Wade started the rebuild. First, he combined with Jake Doran in an 82-run stand to steady the ship. Later, he was joined by Simon Milenko and the pair feasted on an inexperienced Warriors attack.Wade marched to his 10th first-class hundred. Milenko scored an unbeaten 66 in the 168-run partnership that can grow even further on day two.

How the offspinner has maximised his skillset to stay in contention to make India’s World Cup squad

Alagappan Muthu05-Aug-2022Though he was playing his very first match in St Kitts, R Ashwin knew about the wind. He went around the wicket to right-hand batters, not to stifle them, or to entice their outside edge with the angle across them. He did it so that if they had to hit with the turn, they would be going against, well, nature.These are the kinds of little things that once made Ashwin the Mona Lisa of modern-day fingerspinners. Only there was a blemish in the picture. His batting. And, soon enough, that’s all anyone ever saw. The fact that he wasn’t a natural six-hitter.Between June 2017 and the start of last year’s T20 World Cup in November 2021, Ashwin played a grand total of one white-ball game for India. That is as emphatic as proof can be that two out of three formats of cricket are only willing to tolerate right-arm offbreak as a secondary skill.Ashwin needed to find a way to fit in. So a player who has hit Test centuries relying only on touch finally gave in and embraced the cross-bat stuff.”I’ve been playing the slog sweep for some time,” he told Star Sports Tamil in May. “I’ve been trusting the sweeps more regularly since the Chennai Test match [in February 2021, when he scored a century against England]. I feel that’s an important shot. I’m someone who times the ball well, so if I play the slog sweep I feel I can make the bowler bowl to my lengths. I’ve worked hard [on my batting]. I read the game well and I know the ebbs and flows of the game; I always back myself on that front. Unfortunately, I’m not so blessed with a lot of power. So, consciously I’ve worked on my batting and my technique.”T20 moves at vicious pace. It leaves people behind. Especially those with limitations. Ashwin had a big one. But he also had the will and the smarts to do something about it. That’s how a player who made his IPL debut in 2009 had his best year as a batter in 2022: facing over 100 balls for the first time, scoring a half-century for the first time, and hitting almost half his career tally (21) of IPL sixes in just one season (nine).A sizable part of that upswing is down to his hyper awareness of the conditions. A few months ago, Ashwin attempted to exploit the bounce and the small boundaries on offer at the DY Patil Stadium by crouching extra low in his stance all in effort to get under the ball and give it the required elevation. This week, in St Kitts, he knew enough about the place to realise he had an ally – the wind – which could help him be even more of a nuisance to the batter, and really, in T20s, that is all a bowler can hope for.R Ashwin batted at No. 3 three times in IPL 2022 and changed his stance a number of times•BCCIAshwin had seen this coming, way back in 2016, and has since then been doing everything he can to stay ahead of the curve. The result of that is now he knows he doesn’t have to be the guy who can run through a batting line-up. He can be just as effective by picking off the opposition’s best player, because that one wicket can turn the whole game around.April 18, 2022. Kolkata Knight Riders are bossing a chase of 218. Andre Russell walks in. The equation is 70 off 42. Ashwin has the ball. Only, he is doing something weird. He is bowing from wide of the crease. The ball is slanted into the batter and pitches on a length, pinning him to his crease and forcing him to play. And then it turns the wrong way and crashes into the stumps. Russell out for a duck. Ashwin sets off in celebration. Rajasthan Royals go on to win by seven runs.”I’d only begun working on that carrom ball yesterday, to get it to turn against the angle like that,” Ashwin told the broadcaster at the end of the game. “So being able to execute that in a match, it was a reaffirmation. It’s just an example of the battle that I always have with myself to keep getting better.”There are other instances too – dismissing Rajat Patidar in the second qualifier, which played a huge part in Royal Challengers Bangalore making only 27 runs off the last 33 balls of a playoff game – that all add up to a delightful little stat.Ashwin dismissed more right-hand batters (seven) than left-hand batters (five) in IPL 2022, defying the convention that spin is only effective when it turns away from the bat. In fact, in eight T20Is since his comeback to the Indian team last November, he has bowled 97 balls to right-hand batters and conceded only five boundaries. That’s a ratio of one in 19.4, which is a marked improvement on what it was at the time he was dropped (one in 7.6). The man has spent half his career railing against perception in sport. Now all he has to do is point to his numbers.Ashwin has always been willing to evolve. To do better; to be better. It’s the reason he is still in contention to make India’s T20 World Cup squad and while a big shiny trophy will certainly add weight to his commitment, it can still be appreciated without one.

Seekkuge Prasanna made good use of his early arrival in England for the Vitality Blast as he bowled Northants to a second successive Championship win

ECB Reporters Network28-Jun-2018
ScorecardNorthants took the final six Glamorgan wickets for 69 runs on the fourth morning to complete a comprehensive 233-run victory and record their second successive Championship win of the season.They also moved away from bottom place in Division Two, after outplaying a Glamorgan team who, after winning their opening game, have lost four of their last five championship games, and won only one of their eight Royal London 50 over matches.They were again let down by their batting, with only Usman Khawaja scoring over fifty in both innings, while there seven half centuries for Northants, whose batsmen showed far more application on a pitch of irregular bounce.Northants’ decision to bring their Sri Lankan legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna over a week early, ahead of the Vitality Blast, played dividends as he finished with four wickets in the second innings.Glamorgan resumed on 121 for 4 in their second innings, and soon lost their nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten, who fatally played back to Prasanna and was leg before on the back foot.Kiran Carlson meanwhile was fortunate to survive against the Sri Lankan leg spinner, twice edging deliveries wide of the slip cordon. He was joined by Chris Cooke who appeared more comfortable against Prasanna, twice striking him through extra cover for four.The fifth wicket pair had added 48 before Carlson, aiming to drive expansively at a wide ball, edged one in Brett Hutton’s opening over of the morning, to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington after scoring 32.Cooke was the next to go when he was bowled by Hutton; undone by a ball that kept very low, Cooke almost ended up on his knees as he tried unsuccessfully to get his bat down in time.The procession continued as Nathan Buck came on for his first over of the day, and with his first ball, trapped Ruaidhri Smith leg before with his opening. When Prem Sisodiya was caught at silly mid off to give Prasanna his fourth wicket, the players shook hands as Glamorgan captain Michael Hogan was absent and unable to bat.Glamorgan’s head coach, Robert Croft, sounded relieved that T20 cricket was around the corner: “This defeat had a common thread that we need to improve on,” he said. “We are not capitalising on the starts we are having, whether it’s a lack of concentration or inexperience. We are developing a young team that I’m sure will improve, but possibly we might have to bring in a senior player into the team for the next game or two.”