< 1 minute readIndia is the home of spin bowling, so we always want to see EXTREME TRIAL BY SPIN whenever there’s a Test over there. There’s some batsman who’s supposed to be good against spin bowling. Yeah? How will he fare in an EXTREME TRIAL BY SPIN? Harbhajan Singh opened the bowling
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Can Steyn, Ntini and Morkel prey on mental frailties?
2 minute readWe only ask because if they get good at it and develop a taste for it, they’re touring England in the summer. England’s batting line-up is currently supporting the entire sports psychology higher education programme in this country. South African coach, Mickey Arthur, says that Steyn, Ntini and Morkel are
Continue readingA B de Villiers reckons batting isn’t so hard on this pitch after all
< 1 minute readVehement letter C denier, A B de Villiers, is currently 217 not out, which knocks India’s 76 all out into a cocked hat. A B de Villiers is young and richly talented. Let’s invite him round for tea but then pretend that we all thought he was a vegan. Then,
Continue readingIndia’s seventh lowest total in Test cricket
2 minute readAll out for 76 in the morning session of day one. Eye-catchingly disgraceful. At just 120 deliveries, this was also the 12th shortest innings in terms of balls faced for any side in Test history. In recent times, only England’s 46 all out against the Windies at Port of Spain
Continue readingRahul Dravid: best bridesmaid ever
< 1 minute readRahul Dravid hit his 10,000th Test run today en route to his 25th Test hundred. It’s a little bit overshadowed by Sehwag’s triple hundred, but that’s pretty much the way it goes for Dravid. Dravid was very much the support act for Sehwag yesterday, hitting 68 in a partnership worth
Continue readingVirender Sehwag hits fastest 300
< 1 minute readVirender Sehwag has now hit the fastest Test triple hundred. He was always likely to achieve it, which is perhaps the biggest compliment of all. A freak innings like Nathan Astle’s is one thing, but Sehwag does this kind of thing consistently. At the close of play Virender Sehwag was
Continue readingVirender Sehwag hits tenth successive hundred in excess of 150
2 minute readThat’s not a particularly arresting statistic on first glance, but think about it. When Virender Sehwag passes 100 he almost always hits in excess of 150. That’s something. A running theme of this site of late has been the importance of imposing yourself on the opposition. We alluded to it
Continue readingHashim Amla beards a hundred
< 1 minute readThe verb ‘to beard’ means to carry out any action whatsoever whilst sporting a smashing beard. India have been on a bit of a high after winning the interminable CB Series in Australia. They’re returning to earth at great speed now, after South Africa scored 540 in the first Test.
Continue readingKyle Mills shames England
2 minute readWe expected England to lose. They’re an insipid outfit at the minute. We didn’t expect them to get thrashed though. And they were thrashed. Getting bowled out for 110 is never too smart, but on this pitch it was jaw-dropping. Don’t let New Zealand’s 177-9 fool you. Runs were the
Continue readingGraeme Smith and Neil McKenzie set world record opening partnership
< 1 minute readOpening partnerships are the most boring kinds of batting partnership – especially if it’s the first innings. There’s no context to the innings and you’re removing any doubt about the rest of the game. Let’s face it, after 415 runs without a wicket, it’s either going to be a South
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