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Vusi Sibanda’s first T20I fifty and Elton Chigumbura’s audacious finishing ensured Zimbabwe had enough runs to beat Hong Kong, although they will be disappointed in an all-round messy performance

The Report by Firdose Moonda08-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVusi Sibanda’s maiden T20I fifty gave Zimbabwe a strong total to defend•International Cricket Council

Vusi Sibanda’s first T20I fifty and Elton Chigumbura’s audacious finishing ensured Zimbabwe had enough runs to beat Hong Kong, although they will be disappointed in an all-round messy performance. Three run-outs stunted what should have been a more imposing total, and loose bowling and fielding, and a gutsy Hong Kong chase could have easily pulled the carpet out from under them.Jamie Atkinson’s career-best 53 held Hong Kong’s innings together but he battled against a constantly rising required rate which ballooned from a shave under eight to more than 13 with five overs left. With Zimbabwe’s slower bowlers struggling for control, Hong Kong were in it until almost the end, when the task proved just a little too much.Zimbabwe could have made it a much more comprehensive result with a better batting performance. They were plagued by lack of partnerships and soft dismissals, which started with the casualness of their captain.Hamilton Masakadza gave himself an over to get his eye in and then unleashed two fours and a six off seamer Haseeb Amjad. His innings, however, met a farcical end when he failed to ground his bat or his foot after setting off for a quick single. Babar Hayat nailed a direct hit from mid-off to catch Hamilton short. Sibanda, who had faced only one of the first 14 balls, took over from where Hamilton left off. Richmond Mutumbami, however, holed out to long-on for a three-ball duck.On a sticky pitch, Hong Kong’s captain Tanwir Afzal sensed Zimbabwe’s hurry and slowed them down. Sean Williams was particularly fidgety and fell when he attempted a cut and played on. Sikandar Raza was run-out in the next over, after Sibanda insisted on a second run, and Zimbabwe were left in trouble at 62 for 4 in 7.5 overs.Sibanda, though, knuckled down and built a steady partnership with Malcolm Waller. They were cautious against seamer Aizaz Khan and Ryan Campbell whose contribution was crucial in pulling Zimbabwe back from a score that seemed to be heading towards 170. Hong Kong conceded just 38 runs in the next six overs before Sibanda slammed left-arm spinner Nadeem Ahmed down the ground to raise his fifty off 40 balls.Sibanda showed signs of cutting loose, but just as his partnership with Waller looked to take off, it ended. Waller gave a gift to sweeper cover, trying to clear the boundary, and then both Sibanda and Donald Tiripano were dismissed. Hong Kong took three wickets in eight balls to leave Zimbabwe wobbling again.Elton Chigumbura, however, teed off early. He hit the ball cleanly and down the ground, slapping 30 off 13 balls to take Zimbabwe past 150. Ultimately, Chigumbura’s cameo turned out to be the difference after Hong Kong put up an impressive fight.Campbell and Atkinson started slowly in the chase against the discipline of Zimbabwe’s seamers. The slow-burn approach backfired when Campbell hit Tiripano straight to mid-on. Atkinson could have been removed an over later, on 10, had Sibanda not misjudged a catch at deep midwicket off Wellington Masakadza.Wellington then had some reward when he trapped Babar Hayat in front but his joy was short-lived. He was attacked by Mark Chapman, who also went after Raza. But the allrounder had the last laugh when Chapman hit him to deep midwicket with Sibanda redeeming himself.Atkinson, however, went on to bring up his maiden T20I half-century off 41 balls with a crunch down the ground off Tendai Chatara. Although Hong Kong needed 53 off the last four overs, they would have felt they had a chance.Zimbabwe brought back their seamers to finish things off. Tiripano rewarded his captain when he deceived Atkinson with a slower ball that he hit to long-on. But the threat from Hong Kong was only properly diffused in the penultimate over with a Chatara double-strike. His hat-trick ball was a beamer, which went for four, an indication of Zimbabwe’s sloppy performance. They sealed the win, but will be mindful of the need to tighten up to stay on top of the group.

Despite winning an FA Cup and two Community Shields at Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas is unlikely to be the most loved man at the Emirates Stadium.

The Spanish midfield maestro spent seven seasons playing for the Gunners, making 303 appearances, scoring 57 goals a recording an incredible 95 assists.

However, unfortunately for Arsenal fans in 2011, Fabregas returned to his boyhood club Barcelona, but the real kick in the teeth came in 2014 when he signed for bitter rivals Chelsea, where he would go on to win two Premier Leagues – something he never managed to do at Arsenal.

Why did Cesc Fabregas leave Arsenal?

Arsenal fans had a deep affection for the now-retired 36-year-old but since his moves to Barcelona and predominantly Chelsea, it is probably fair to say his legacy isn’t quite what it once was.

In a revealing interview with Arseblog in March 2020, Fabregas revealed he left the club because of the pressure that was put on him as captain and the poor quality of players he was surrounded by.

He said: "I was the captain, I always felt so much pressure on myself. I had to lead this team to win something. I gave everything. Sometimes, I used to go home after we lost and I used to cry.

"I used to suffer, I used to spend sleepless nights suffering. And then you lose a game, you're in the bus like this, destroyed, and then you hear some players laughing, thinking about where they will be going out later.

"This was going on for a few years. And at one point I felt kind of lonely. Especially in the last two or three years, I felt Robin and Samir were the only players – it's not an arrogant thing to say, it's how I felt at that time – were the players who were at my level mentally and technically."

You could argue that the Europa League winner’s assessment of the squad was, right as in his seven seasons with Arsenal he was only able to win three trophies, and by the time he left in 2011 they hadn’t won the Premier League since 2004 and the FA Cup since 2005.

However, thankfully for Arsenal fans, manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu have been able to revolutionise Arsenal as a club and its squad of players.

Very few people can question the extremely high quality of the squad now, with players like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba pushing the red side of London to be serious title challengers.

Who has a better legacy than Cesc Fabregas?

It could be argued that many of the players in the current Arsenal squad will one day leave a greater legacy than Fabregas.

But even former controversial Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka could have left the Gunners this summer with a far greater reputation and status.

The Swiss midfielder signed for legendary boss Arsene Wenger in the summer of 2016 for £25m from Borussia Mönchengladbach, and before leaving for Bayern Leverkusen this summer he made 297 appearances for the north London side, scoring 23 goals and providing 29 assists in all competitions.

The 30-year-old quickly became a controversial player at Arsenal, as his performances weren't always spectacular. On top of this he wasn’t afraid to put in a rash challenge, and during his time at Arsenal he picked up 76 yellow cards and five red cards in all competitions.

Xhaka’s performances during this part of his Arsenal career were once excellently summed up in one X by journalist Mark Man-Braynes.

He said: “Petulant booking for AFC captain Xhaka – tugs back Grealish as his counterpart just turns and walks past him with the ball.”

Xhaka’s controversial performances came to a head in 2019 when he was stripped of his captaincy after arguing with the fans, during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

As the midfielder was being substituted, he was booed by the Arsenal fans, prompting him to cup his ear to the fans, tear off his shirt, and walk straight down the tunnel.

However, after the arrival of Arteta and the signing of new players that allowed Arsenal to flourish, Xhaka looked like a player reborn.

Last season the midfielder was part of the side that spent 248 days at the top of the Premier League, claiming the record for the longest time at the top of the league without winning it.

At one point of the season, they were 8 points clear of eventual treble winners Manchester City, but finished 5 points behind the Champions, after they completely capitulated at the end of the season, losing two of their last five games.

During, Arsenal’s title charge the Basel Youth Academy graduate received lots of praise for his performances, even BBC pundit Garth Crooks highlighted his importance to Arsenal and the love he received from the fans.

Writing for BBC Sport he said: “I don’t like Granit Xhaka, I find him confrontational, overly aggressive and altogether irritating. Nevertheless, on his day he’s a very good player. He should have left Arsenal years ago.

"However, for some reason he has not only stayed at the club but also occasionally wears the captain’s armband, such is his popularity these days."

His performances were also backed up by his 7.05 Sofascore rating last season, this rating placed him eighth in the squad overall and ahead of lorded defenders Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

He also played 3,700 minutes last season in all competitions, the fourth most in the entire squad, showing how important he was.

4,100

3,740

3,720

3,700

3,400

Stats via Transfermarkt.

In truth, Xhaka was and will never be as good of a player as Fabregas was for Arsenal – or for any other club.

But he will certainly be remembered more fondly by Arsenal fans, after his excellent final campaign for them along with his two FA Cups and two “Community Shields, which is slightly more than what Fabregas won in his time with the Gunners.

The Spanish midfielder will be more fondly remembered by fans of other teams for his achievements for them, as his trophies away from Arsenal include two Premier Leagues and one Europa League with Chelsea, his one World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, and one LaLiga title with Barcelona

Liverpool's need for midfield reinforcements in no secret, even after they overcame the odds to defeat Newcastle United at St James' Park and extend their unbeaten run to start the season to three Premier League games.

The Reds were, of course, on their way to a fairly successful transfer window, with the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia threw a spanner in the works.

Since then, they have welcomed Wataru Endo, but it could be argued that a more high-profile name is still needed.

With that said, though, the club have reportedly ruled out signing one particular midfielder.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

As the summer transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut, Liverpool are scrambling for the extra reinforcements needed to ensure that Jurgen Klopp has a side capable of returning to the Premier League's top four, after missing out last season.

The name at the forefront of their current list of targets seems to be Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, who the Bavarians could reportedly soften their stance on in the coming days.

As Gravenberch rises to the top of Liverpool's list, however, it is Sofyan Amrabat who has reportedly been ruled out altogether.

According to Manchester Evening News, who were reporting on Manchester United and Liverpool's interest in Amrabat, the Reds have clarified that they will not be making a move for the Fiorentina man this summer.

This news comes at a time when Amrabat has been frozen out at the Serie A club, with La Viola dropping the Morroco international from both first-team games, and training until his future is resolved, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Should Liverpool sign Sofyan Amrabat?

Liverpool's stance on Amrabat is a surprising one, given their need for midfielders, and Fiorentina's reported price-tag of just €30m (£25.6m) this summer.

Statistically speaking, too, the Moroccan would be an upgrade on the options that Klopp waved goodbye to this summer.

According to FBref, Amrabat outperformed Henderson in some key areas throughout the previous campaign.

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Blocks

Pass Completion Rate

Tackles Won

Sofyan Amrabat

1.62

23

88.8%

24

Jordan Henderson

1.61

21

83%

23

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old earned plenty of praise during the 2022 World Cup, as he helped Morroco to reach the semi-final stage, in the surprise of the tournament.

Alan Shearer praised the midfielder, saying on BBC's Match of The Day, via the Liverpool Echo: "He gets it and then he can feed the ball in, and you can see him go back there. He’ll be reluctant to get forward as he wants to protect, he’ll want to do that.

"He really enjoys that and he’s really good at that – ‘get off the ball, I’m having it’ – and he’s setting his team forward. He’s been key. He does that, he protects, he can get out there and help his full-backs, and that’s what he’s in that role to do – to stop, and be a spoiler – he’s excellent at it. Then he drives forward and they’re on their way. He’s been magnificent, he really has."

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Nonetheless, despite the praise and the stats, Liverpool reportedly remain unlikely to push ahead for Amrabat's signature this summer.

After Newcastle United won 3-1 against Aston Villa, Bruno Guimaraes gave his shirt to a fan in exchange for a double pack of Kinder Buenos.

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• Guimaraes trades his shirt with fan
• Received double pack of Kinder Bueno
• Newcastle beat Aston Villa 3-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As the Brazilian headed towards the tunnel, he spotted a fan holding the Kinder Bueno pack and swapped his shirt to get his hands on the popular chocolate treat. Guimaraes then made his way to the dressing room, but it's not clear whether Newcastle coach Eddie Howe would have allowed him to indulge in an unhealthy snack straight after a game. The Magpies have yet to make a major signing in the January transfer window, but this particular exchange brought a smile to the Brazilian's face and the fan that went away with his jersey.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The win was an important one for the Magpies as they halted a four-match losing run in the Premier League. Thanks to a brace from Fabian Schar and an own goal by Alex Moreno, they cruised to victory over the in-form Villans. Newcastle now sit in seventh place, 11 points outside the Champions League places.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GUIMARAES?

  The Brazilian has been a pivotal player for Eddie Howe over the last couple of seasons and has quickly become a favourite among the Toon Army. Thanks to his performances in the centre of midfield he has also garnered interest from European heavyweights like Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, and his stock will only keep rising if he puts in another strong performance in Newcastle's next game against Luton on Saturday.

Lionel Messi didn't show "respect" for Paris Saint-Germain after his departure, according to club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

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Messi left PSG last summerCritical of club since departureAl-Khelaifi suggests disrespect from Miami starWHAT HAPPENED?

The World Cup-winning Argentine parted ways with the Ligue 1 club last summer, calling time on a spell which saw him record an impressive 67 goal contributions in 75 matches. Despite a stellar individual effort, PSG again flattered to deceive on the continental stage, and Messi has since come out with some less-than-positive words about his life in the French capital.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT AL-KHELAIFI SAID

Club president Al-Khelaifi has now responded to such criticism, telling on Tuesday: "We talk when we are there, not when we are gone. I have great respect for him [Messi] but if someone wants to talk badly about Paris Saint-Germain after [his departure], it’s not good. That's not respect […] He's not a bad guy, but I don't like that. It's not just for him, but for everyone."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi secured a blockbuster move to MLS side Inter Miami after his time in Paris came to a close, and made an immediate impact stateside. The 36-year-old helped the Herons win the 2023 Leagues Cup – the first trophy in their history. Fast forward six months and Messi's former strike partner Kylian Mbappe could also be leaving the Parc des Princes, although Al-Khelaifi revealed the pair had an unspecified "gentlemen's agreement".

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

The Argentina captain is enjoying some well-earned rest as MLS breaks for the offseason. He faces a meeting with eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo in a friendly in Riyadh on February 1.

Arsenal have missed out on the signing of teen sensation Dino Klapija, with the USMNT prospect heading to RB Leipzig instead.

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• Arsenal miss out on highly-rated teen
• Signs with RB Leipzig
• Has USA & Croatia international eligibility

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the 16-year-old has signed with the Bundesliga side from NK Kustosija, and will join their ranks this January. He snubbed Mikel Arteta and the Gunners after the Arsenal boss failed to win over his family, reports , with the Bundesliga outfit offering a clearer path to first-team soccer.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Klapija is one of many young dual-nationals who could opt to represent the USMNT in the near future. Also Croatian-American, recent commit Rokas Pukstas has come onto the scene and represented the USA at the U-20 World Cup in 2023. The 19-year-old has been dubbed Croatia's "most promising" talent and is set to be their next big blockbuster export.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Klapija began his youth career in the MLS academy of New York City FC, and was born in New Jersey. He was called up by the USA U-17 for a training camp last October in preparation for the U-17 FIFA World Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KLAPIJA?

  The USMNT prospect will look to break into the Leipzig first team over the next year, while also getting minutes with their reserve side. Eventually, the 16-year-old will hope to be on the radar of USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter or Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic by the 2030 – or even 2026 – FIFA World Cups.

Yorkshire would have slipped into the bottom two if they had lost after following-on against Surrey but hundreds by Shaun Marsh and Alex Lees guarded against calamity

ECB Reporters Network15-Sep-2017Determined hundreds from both Shaun Marsh and Alex Lees ensured Yorkshire’s escape with a hard-earned draw against Surrey at the Kia Oval despite having been being forced to follow-on in their Specsavers County Championship match.Marsh finished unbeaten on 125, from 263 balls, in a dedicated demonstration of crease occupation across five and a half hours, and he had guided Yorkshire to safety at 281 for 2 in their second innings – an overall lead of 83 – when bad light prevented the last 31 overs of the match from being bowled. There was just one over sent down after tea before umpires Michael Burns and Neil Mallender took the players off, never to return.It was a fine effort from Marsh and Lees, with the five draw points highly valuable to a Yorkshire team who are facing a fight to avoid relegation from Division One in the upcoming last fortnight of the season. The 10 points they take from this match leaves them on 124, just one point ahead of both Somerset and Middlesex and with one of those three counties seemingly destined to join already relegated Warwickshire in the second division next season.

So many could go down – Gale

Andrew Gale (Yorkshire head coach): “There are so many teams down there who can go down. Surrey aren’t out of it just yet, either. We’ve got two massive games, but for me the key is not to look at the table. We just need to perform like we have done with the bat here. Our home form has been good for a number of years, and we back ourselves at home.”
Michael Di Venuto (Surrey head coach): “We thought the pitch was going to break up a bit more than it did. The guts of the wicket was still very good for batting. There was a bit of rough there for the spinners to work with, but it was only slow turn.”

Marsh and fellow left-hander Lees put on 215 in 67 overs, a Yorkshire second wicket record against Surrey. The previous record, of 196 between Herbert Sutcliffe and Edgar Oldroyd, dated back to 1922 and was also at the Oval.The 24-year-old Lees, having completed his first century of what has been a difficult, low-scoring season for him, reached 102 from201 balls before chopping on attempting to cut slow left-arm spinner Freddie van den Bergh. It was the 12th first-class hundred of Lees’ career.Yorkshire resumed on 59 for one, still 139 runs adrift, and Marsh was largely untroubled as he moved on from his overnight 27. Lees, however, who started the day on 19, was close to being leg-before to Sam Curran’s left-arm seam and swing when on 24 and, after being beaten by the same bowler on 32, he survived a confident appeal for a catch behind off Curran on 33.On a last day pitch still good for batting, and against a Surrey bowling attack surely growing weary on a third successive day in the field, Marsh took the opportunity to underline his claims for inclusion in Australia’s Ashes Test plans.This was his 22nd first-class hundred, four of which have been made in his 23 Test appearances to date. Next week, his place as overseas batsman in Yorkshire’s team passes to Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies opener signed for the last two games of the championship season with a view to an extended stint going into next summer. Gary Ballance kept Marsh company with 28 not out before the bad light brought a premature finish to the game.Surrey, who take 12 points from the game and now have 136 in total, are not yet totally out of the relegation picture themselves – even third-placed Hampshire could yet be sucked in. Surrey host Somerset at the Kia Oval next week, before a visit in the last week of the season to play Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Asela Gunaratne was the go-to man on Tuesday – for Niroshan Dickwella, with whom he put on 121, and for captain Dinesh Chandimal

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo18-Jul-2017Niroshan Dickwella has played more Tests, but during the 121-run stand that turned the match, it was Asela Gunaratne who found himself constantly pestered for advice. Sri Lanka had been five-down and 185 runs short of their target when the two came together. Dickwella played aggressively through the partnership, and helped ensure some of the pressure Zimbabwe had exerted, was reversed.”Since he came to the crease, what Dickwella told me was: ‘Talk to me all the time, and make me score runs.'” Gunaratne said. “I think what he meant was that he hasn’t scored a big Test innings, where I have. He just wanted me to tell him how to handle situations. Sometimes when the game was going a certain way, he wanted me to keep advising him. Occasionally I’d tell him not to go for certain shots. In the end, he stuck around and scored.”Gunaratne’s own hand in the victory had been a little more measured than Dickwella’s. At the crease when the winning runs were hit, Gunaratne compiled a sensible 80, despite having suffered a mild hamstring injury earlier in the match. Captain Dinesh Chandimal revealed he had expected Gunaratne to play a major role, at the start of the day.”I told Asela this morning: ‘You’re going to get a hundred today’.” Chandimal said. “But very confidently, Asela said to me: ‘No Chandi, there won’t be need for me to get a 100. I’ll get 70 and win the game.’ That’s the kind of faith I expect from my players. There’s a chance he might not have been able to do that today, but the way he spoke, even I became confident as a captain that we could win this match. I’m really happy I have players like that.”Though Chandimal himself had been out for 15 on the fourth evening, he said it was important to him that his middle order batted with freedom. Of the three Sri Lanka players to make fifties, two – Dickwella and Kusal Mendis – batted at a strike rate of around 70 for much of their innings (though they would both slow slightly in the approach to their dismissals).”When it came time for us to bat yesterday, most of what we talked about was playing your own game as batsmen,” Chandimal said. “We knew that it was tough for us to bat out the time and draw the match. If we tried that, it was likely we’d lose. So we said: ‘play your own game’.””As a captain I told them that I’d take the responsibility for any mistakes, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Kusal, Dimuth Karunaratne and Upul Tharanga played well. Then at the end, Asela and Dickwella were excellent.”Dickwella and Mendis had also perished playing aggressive strokes: Mendis a sweep and Dickwella a reverse-sweep. Chandimal, however, refused to characterise those dismissals as wasteful.”We’ve played on these kinds of pitches before in Sri Lanka, and in India and Bangladesh. On these pitches, it’s with sweeps and reverse-sweeps that we can score runs. There’s a risk in that, but if we are chasing scores, we have to play those shots. At training we had practiced those things, and they bore results today.”

Newcastle United are actively looking for new additions who can improve their already impressive squad this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Federico Chiesa?

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are competing with Liverpool for the signature of Juventus winger, Federico Chiesa.

As per the report, both Premier League clubs are monitoring the player's situation with the Serie A giants, as it is claimed that Chiesa is one of the assets that could be moved on to bolster funds and invest in Max Allegri's tactical philosophy – a 3-5-2 set-up that is ill-suited for the forward.

How good is Federico Chiesa?

There is no doubt that Chiesa is a talented forward who could be a revelation at St James' Park if he could emulate his impressive output in the Premier League, however, his injury record casts a dark cloud over his undeniable ability.

During the 2022/23 campaign alone, the Italy international – hailed a "wizard" by Liverpool insider DaveOCKOP – has had seven separate injury and fitness issues amounting to 75 days in recovery which left him unavailable for selection in 14 fixtures for the Old Lady, which follows almost an entire year out of action due to an ACL injury sustained in January 2022.

As a result, Howe could be heading for an absolute howler if Chiesa is brought in as a replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin, as the Frenchman has a similar problem with injuries and has been an unreliable option in the forward line when needed.

Saint-Maximin – who has been recently speculated for an exit from Newcastle this summer – had four spells on the sidelines over last season; tallying up 81 days out of action and missing 13 fixtures for the North East club, demonstrating a similar recent injury record to Chiesa.

The signing of Chiesa would indeed pose risk on his availability and Howe will need to look at their options when considering whether the Italian's impressive output, versatility and experience in the Champions League will be a valuable asset that outweighs his troubling fitness record.

Over 287 club appearances so far, the 25-year-old Euro 2020 winner has scored 67 goals and registered 49 assists, with a goal contribution every 174 minutes.

Not only that, Chiesa ranks in the top 25% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for shots on goal, assists, progressive carries, successful take-ons, tackles and blocks, proving that he is one of the top all-action wingers in Europe over the last 12 month, as per FBref.

The Magpies are also extremely conscious of their Financial Fair Play constraints and with Chiesa commanding a reported fee of €60m (£51m) this summer, it would be a substantial investment for the club to commit to, that would see them edge closer to reaching their financial limits at present.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Chiesa would bring huge quality to the Tynesiders, but when considering his price tag and availability there may be other options worth investing in this summer.

Steven Smith passed 5000 Test runs en route to his second hundred of the series, and along with Glenn Maxwell’s composed unbeaten 82, carried Australia into the ascendancy

The Report by Daniel Brettig16-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:41

Manjrekar: Very uncharacteristic innings from Maxwell

Test hundred number 19, nine of them made overseas, was a measure of the quality Australia’s captain Steven Smith has brought to Ranchi to give his team a chance of unseating India at home. Ball number 147, kept out by Glenn Maxwell in the day’s final over, was a measure of the resolve he brought to his first Test innings in nearly three years.Previously, the most deliveries Maxwell had faced in any international innings across all three formats was 98. By stumps, his new personal mark not only showed how much he had steeled himself to contribute alongside Smith, but also put Australia in a very strong position to dictate terms on what is comfortably the best pitch prepared for this Border-Gavaskar Trophy bout.When Maxwell joined Smith, the day had hung rather more in the balance. Umesh Yadav was reversing the ball sharply, and the 28-year-old Victorian’s propensity for batting brainstorms was recalled by many watching. Yet with Smith’s counsel, Maxwell was able to avoid his usual rush, so much so that he waited until his 56th delivery to reach the boundary – this from a man whose most significant moment for Australia had been a World Cup hundred off 51 balls against Sri Lanka at the SCG in 2015.What followed was a certain acceleration, but nothing too outlandish. The day’s viral video moment was instead saved for Wriddhiman Saha’s attempt to glove a Ravindra Jadeja ball lodged between Smith’s padded legs, so desperate had India’s search for a wicket become. The attempt proved fruitless, and Smith was soon toasting his century, and with Maxwell, walked off boasting a wicketless final session, an unbeaten stand of 159, and the promise of more to come.Their concentration and discipline made for a contrast to some of the more wasteful dismissals seen earlier in the day, as the Australian top order failed to make the most of their starts. David Warner and Matt Renshaw would be particularly frustrated to have wasted starts on a surface that played far better than widely predicted.Peter Handscomb also got established at the crease before being defeated by a fine inswinging yorker from Yadav, the most threatening member of India’s bowling attack. Ishant Sharma had a couple of concerted lbw appeals denied, but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja found far less assistance than they had seen in Pune and Bengaluru. Pointedly they missed Virat Kohli, who left the field for treatment after landing heavily on his right shoulder when trying to stop a boundary.Glenn Maxwell’s fluency grew as his innings progressed, finishing with an unbeaten 82•AFPRanchi’s pitch played far better than appearances had suggested, meaning plenty more runs will be required. But at the very least, Smith and Maxwell have ensured something to bowl at for a team featuring another cricketer making a long-delayed return to the Australian Test team – the fast bowler Pat Cummins.Kohli conceded the loss of a key toss before play began, and that seemed more so as Renshaw and Warner rattled to 50 in less than 10 overs by taking advantage of the pitch’s even pace and a scorchingly fast outfield. Jadeja erred on the full side to Warner, but a full toss found the batsman in two minds about hitting square or straight, and the resultant return catch maintained his mediocre overseas record.Renshaw had been finding gaps either side of the wicket and looked in full control, so it was a surprise when he fiddled in undisciplined fashion at Umesh and edged to Kohli at first slip. Umesh had created uncertainty by gaining some movement. Shaun Marsh was unable to get established, well caught at short leg by Cheteshwar Pujara off bat and pad, the decision made after India’s successful DRS referral against Ian Gould’s initial not-out verdict.Handscomb’s cover drive off his first ball to the fence underlined the improved batting conditions, and though Smith edged one reversing ball from Umesh to the fine leg boundary between his pads, shortly before lunch, he was otherwise certain in his methods and safe in his defence. Handscomb also looked capable of going on to something substantial, but for the fifth time in as many innings this series he was dismissed at a frustrating juncture, unable to get his bat to a Umesh yorker that swerved back sharply to strike him in front of the stumps.Maxwell’s likely approach had seemed a mystery to even his team-mates before this match, but he quickly showed an impressive level of composure to build his innings in Smith’s slipstream while taking few risks. His only moment of nervousness came from the first ball of an Ishant spell that swung back into his pads, but India’s decision referral was waved off when replays showed the bowler had overstepped.In the evening session a steady stream of runs came with the occasional boundary, and Maxwell hammered a second six of his innings to go past 50 for the first time in a Test. Nothing affected Smith’s deep concentration, not even a period of more than an hour spent in the 90s. As attentive, mature batting partners do, Maxwell took up much of the scoring slack during this episode. Like so much else in his innings, it came as a pleasant surprise.