Omitting the pull and hook shots early in his innings was what Kane Williamson has said was the key to scoring the second-innings ton that saw his side to victory in the Hamilton Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton21-Dec-20152:04

‘Nice to be recognised with McCullum’s good year’ – Williamson

Omitting the pull and hook shots early in his innings was what Kane Williamson has said was the key to scoring the second-innings ton that saw his side to victory in the Hamilton Test.”All the guys like to play the pull, but like any shot, on some surfaces it’s important you try to select the right ball,” Williamson said. “I was a victim of that in the first innings as well, having played the pull shot a lot in previous games and thinking I could go out and do that again. I wanted to make sure I was sounder in my decision making in the second innings.”Day three of the match had seen 15 wickets fall to short deliveries as batsmen from both teams failed to contend with sustained bouncer barrages. Williamson scored the only hundred of the match, finishing on 108 not out, but was also the only batsman to cross 50 in the second innings.

Angelo Mathews on Williamson

“His innings was brilliant. It was controlled aggression. I thought he’s up there when it comes to the top-ten batters. He’s been having a great run for New Zealand in the last few years. He was batting well and we just couldn’t get him.”
“He’s surely going to break more records. He’s a tremendous player. At his age he can achieve a lot more than he has achieved right now. He’s really taken up the responsibility and is batting through the innings. That kind of a player is very valuable in the team.”

He occasionally utilised the pull in his second innings, but each of those shots were controlled, and generally played towards the ground. Williamson said he adjusted his batting plan after having been out hooking for one in his first dig.”I think in the first innings we didn’t adapt to the change in the surface and the extra bounce compared to Dunedin. The bounce was a bit variable – some stood up and some kissed through quickly and quite steep to make it more difficult. I wanted to take in a sound game plan to stick to. That meant initially going under the ball when it was hard and then, as it got softer, when the bowlers had a few overs under the belt, I’d look to play the pull bit more. It was important not to get carried away with the shot.”Williamson, who broke the New Zealand records for most centuries and runs in a calendar year — five and 1172 respectively — during his second-innings century, said it was pleasing to be recognised but stressed team success. His tally puts him at fifth for highest run-scorers in 2015 — behind Alastair Cook, Joe Root, David Warner and Steven Smith — though his average of 90.15 is more than 13 runs higher than that of any other batsman to have scored 400 runs. The innings at Hamilton comprised 57% of New Zealand’s fourth innings score of 189.”It’s always nice to get a score but it means more when you spend some time in the middle and make a larger contribution to a team performance,” Williamson said. “The wicket wasn’t easy to bat on. It wasn’t the biggest chase but it seemed some distance away because both teams came up with pretty sound bowling plans.”Williamson lauded the adaptability of New Zealand’s seam bowlers, who had largely bowled full in search of edges in the first innings. Nine of their second-innings wickets had come from the short ball, however, with the tenth being a run out, also partly caused by the use of a bouncer.”We’ve got good swing bowlers and guys that seam the ball, but to have to basically all of them come on the other side of the wicket and bowled short to execute a plan, was very good to see,” Williamson said. “It was different to all those Tests, certainly, that I’ve played. We had to adopt very different tactics. Sri Lanka bowled the short ball very well, and we certainly learnt from their efforts in our second innings in the field.”Dushmantha Chameera had been particularly effective for Sri Lanka with the bouncer, picking up his first five-wicket haul in the first innings, and taking 9 for 115 in the match.”Chameera’s a very talented bowler,” Williamson said. “Anyone that bowls with good pace is an asset to a side. Coming over here on slightly greener surfaces that we feel are suited to our bowlers, he bowled very well on them. I’m sure he will get a lot out of coming over here, playing in these conditions, and continue to improve.”

A flat Gabba pitch and the threat of rain could favour the chasing team once again as India look to bounce back from their defeat in the first ODI

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale14-Jan-2016

Match facts

January 15, 2016

Start time 1320 local (0320 GMT)4:06

Agarkar: India must play wicket-taking bowlers

Big Picture

Australia carry a 1-0 series lead to the second match in Brisbane, although there were several stages during the first ODI in Perth when India looked to be in control of the game. Batting first, they put on 1 for 149 in the first 30 overs and with so many wickets in hand, should have been looking at a total up around 350. That they reached only 309 was perhaps a disappointment, but it didn’t seem that it would matter when Australia stumbled early in their chase and were 2 for 21. Again, India were well on top.But then came the partnership that changed the match, a 242-run stand between Steven Smith and George Bailey that was Australia’s fourth-highest of all time in one-day internationals, and their highest for the third wicket. That the chase came down to the last over perhaps suggested a tighter finish than it really was; for most of the last 10 overs, Australia needed less than a run a ball with plenty of wickets in hand.Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 171 had gone in vain; he said India had suffered from being unsure how to pace their batting innings, and what would be a good total. Batting second once again might be an advantage at the Gabba, where although the pitch is good, expected afternoon and evening rain might bring adjusted targets into play. Duckworth-Lewis can favour the chasing team after mid-match rain, for they know precisely what tempo is required, unlike the side that has already batted.Whatever the case and whatever the chase, India can hardly afford another loss. If they find themselves 0-2 down in a five-match series, they will have no margin for error.

Form guide

Australia: WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)


India: LLWLW

In the spotlight

It is often said that Shaun Marsh has been lucky to be given so many chances at Test cricket. By the same token, he has been unlucky not to play more than 46 ODIs. It is testament to the strength and stability of Australia’s one-day top order – and in recent years their penchant for choosing allrounders – that Marsh has played only 10 ODIs in the past four years. His game suits 50-over cricket, picking gaps and ticking the scoreboard along in the middle overs, and his ODI average of 39.81 is superior to past openers like Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist, as well as the incumbents David Warner and Aaron Finch. Warner’s absence for paternity leave should give Marsh a chance to bump his numbers up even further.In all of one-day international history, 7999 individual innings have been played against Australia. Rohit Sharma has played 19 of those and has been so successful that four of the top 20 ODI scores of all time against Australia belong to him. With a 500-run minimum, no batsman has a higher ODI average against Australia than Rohit’s 68.46. The latest of these monster innings was his 171 not out in Perth, the highest ODI score ever made against Australia in Australia. It turned out that India’s total was not sufficient, but if Rohit goes big again there is every chance of India levelling the series.

Team news

David Warner will miss the match after the birth of his second daughter, with Shaun Marsh set to take his place at the top of the order. Allrounder Mitchell Marsh will also take a rest before rejoining the squad for the third game in Melbourne. If the selectors want a fifth pace option they will need to include either Kane Richardson or John Hastings in the younger Marsh’s place.Australia (possible) 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 James Faulkner, 8 Kane Richardson/John Hastings, 9 Scott Boland, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Joel Paris.There seems no real need to alter India’s batting line-up after they scored 300-plus in Perth, and while the pace bowlers did their job, the spinners were a touch expensive. It is possible that an extra fast man could come in given the likelihood of similar conditions at the Gabba; Ishant Sharma has been passed fit and is available for selection, or the uncapped Rishi Dhawan could debut, providing more of an all-round option.India (possible) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin/Rishi Dhawan/Ishant Sharma, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Barinder Sran.

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba pitch often has plenty of runs in it, though it is the venue where Australia were humiliated three years ago when they were swung out for 74 by Sri Lanka. Perhaps of more relevance is the weather forecast, which is for a sunny morning but a high chance of showers and rain developing in the evening, perhaps even a thunderstorm. Better get those Duckworth-Lewis calculations out.

Stats and trivia

• Virat Kohli needs 78 runs to reach 7000 in ODIs; if he gets there within his next six innings, he will beat AB de Villiers’ record of 166 innings and will be the fastest of all time to the milestone
• Barinder Sran was the 14th Indian to take three wickets on ODI debut; no bowler has ever taken more than three on debut for India
• Scott Boland was the third Australian to concede 70-plus runs on his ODI debut. His captain Steven Smith took 2 for 78 on debut in 2010, and 1970s fast man David Colley was the other

Quotes

Joe Root has been jostling for the place as the No. 1 Test batsman in the world over the last six months, but his gilded reputation can only have been further elevated by a richly enterprising hundred against South Africa

The Report by David Hopps15-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJoe Root has been jostling for the honour as the No. 1 Test batsman in the world over the last six months and his gilded reputation can only have been further elevated by a richly enterprising hundred in challenging conditions against South Africa in the third Test at The Wanderers. He is a serious player, worthy one day in the future of being measured against the best.It had been bittersweet applause that had greeted Root since his last Test century, against Australia at Trent Bridge in August. Five half-centuries in six Tests had done little to satisfy him as long as the hundreds went begging. As the Bullring demanded that courage and character was the order of the day, his ninth Test century was one in which he could take particular pride.With his shambling, stiff-legged gait, Root cuts the sort of figure that makes physios want to impose emergency stretching exercises, but put a bat in his hand and he is revamped into a picture of elegance: the perfect cover drive off Chris Morris that brought up his century will have brought him shivers of satisfaction.That such moments were hard won was emphasised, too, by the final act of a second day that ended 50 minutes before the scheduled close because of bad light and, ultimately, rain. Kagiso Rabada beat Root on the hook, skimming his helmet in the process, and while he called for fresh head gear it was enough for the umpires to withdraw light meters and beat a retreat.It should be remarked that this is an inexperienced South Africa attack: no Dale Steyn, no Vernon Philander. Nevertheless, Root’s record when batting in the Test middle order is unsurpassed and his runs have been made with ambition and charm.If England manage to clinch the series with victory in Johannesburg, they will need to summon one of their outstanding performances of recent years. South Africa’s 313 was quite an achievement from a parlous position late on the first day of 225 for 7, but by the close that lead had been clipped to 75 with five England wickets standing.South Africa had begun with a conviction that a change of captain, in AB de Villiers, will bring a change of fortune as they seek to peg back a 1-0 deficit in the series, but as Root and Ben Stokes cut loose – Stokes’ pulled six against Radaba announcing the charge – a quartet of aggressive right-arm quicks was unable to stem the tide. A fifth-wicket stand of 111 in only 15 overs, from a shaky 91 for 4, represented the boldest of counter-attacks in a Test where no other players have reached 50.On a wonderful pitch of pace and bounce, offering opportunity for bowlers and batsmen alike, the cricket has been compelling. If all Test cricket was like this it would remove the pessimism surrounding the most traditional form of the game. Bethuel Buthelezi, who took over as head groundsman last November, and whose first job 30 years ago was cleaning the tennis courts, had cause for delight.Hardus Viljoen made a memorable entrance to Test cricket when he claimed the scalp of England’s captain Alastair Cook with his first delivery – and on his home turf. The achievement was quite something, even if the delivery itself was unexceptional, a loosener down the leg side which Cook nibbled at, for wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, making his first appearance in a home Test, to take a diving catch.Viljoen came with a big billing – the wild bull in the Bullring. In his two exploratory overs before lunch, he did not quite crank the pace up to the 150kph-plus of which he has been deemed capable, but he was enough of an unknown quantity for Cook, a habitual wafter down the leg side, to fall once again in a manner that has troubled him since the tour of the UAE in November. Sixty runs in five knocks left England’s captain in pensive mood when he returned to the viewing area.To know how fast Viljoen really bowls, it might be best not to rely on a speed gun that, to judge by its inconsistent readings, had been found in a Christmas cracker. But as the day progressed predictions seemed a little overstated.If the notable statistic went to Viljoen, much of the skill rested with Rabada. He bowled superbly for much of the day, repeatedly leaving the right-hander, beginning with a morning spell of 6-3-7-1, picking off Alex Hales by exposing a lack of footwork with one that left him slightly. Hales’ naïve drive ended up in the hands of second slip, the first single-figure score in the match. Suggestions that Rabada is interested in a brief spell in English county cricket should have coaches scrambling to find out more.Nick Compton began with characteristic dourness. Six runs dripped by in 45 balls, at which point de Villiers, of all people, dropped an inviting chance off Morne Morkel at second slip. Compton was encouraged into a spurt forward, particularly against Viljoen, and seemed to have settled but edged a back-foot force against Rabada to second slip where this time Dean Elgar held on.When James Taylor thrust blindly at his first ball, England looked unnerved. In an attempt to flay a boundary, his bat flew past a startled Temba Bavuma at short leg. The next time Bavuma sensed anything in his range it was the ball – arriving via Taylor’s inside edge and body – and an excellent catch at the second attempt brought Morkel the reward.The Test was now at its most physical. Stokes, following his impact innings in Cape Town, was welcomed by two fearsome deliveries from Morkel and responded with customary vigour. Root, on 35, would have been run out by Stokes’ straight drive if Morkel had managed to get a finger on the ball; Stokes, sent back by Root as he sought a single on the on side, would have been run out by a direct hit.Their stand, on either side of tea, revived memories of their alliance against New Zealand at Lord’s last May – a stand that introduced a more enterprising shade to England’s cricket. This time the job was far from complete when Stokes knocked up a return catch to Morkel off a leading edge. Root, bothered this time not by his stiff back, but by what appeared to be cramp on a humid day, reached the close with his hundred achieved but the Test still in the balance.Earlier, South Africa had added a further 46 runs to their overnight 267 for 7. England broke through in the third over of the day, Morris beaten on the drive by Stuart Broad and Rabada followed to James Anderson in the following over top another wicketkeeper’s catch, a relief for the bowler who has yet to make an impression on the series after missing the first Test in Cape Town because of injury.Anderson was removed from the attack by umpire Aleem Dar for running on the pitch – one infringement the previous night, two this morning – but his replacement Stokes immediately brought the innings to a halt when he had Morkel caught at slip.Bairstow equalled the record for catches in a Test innings at The Wanderers, a sizeable list also including another former England keeper Jack Russell. A share of the world record eluded him, though, when he failed to hold a fast but takeable catch above his head when Morkel slashed at Anderson.

Middle-order batsman Henry Nicholls has received his maiden call-up to New Zealand’s Test squad for the Trans-Tasman Trophy against Australia in February

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2016

NZ Test squad for Aus series

Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling (wk)*, Kane Williamson
*Luke Ronchi on standby for Watling
In: Corey Anderson, Matt Henry, Henry Nicholls
Out: Mark Craig, Ross Taylor

Batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out of New Zealand’s team for the first Test against Australia in Wellington due to a slow recovery from the side strain that scratched him from the Chappell-Hadlee ODI series and the preceding ODIs against Pakistan, with the left-hander Henry Nicholls set to come in for his debut.A back problem also meant that the wicketkeeper BJ Watling is under something of a cloud for the match at Basin Reserve, forcing New Zealand to retain Luke Ronchi as cover in the event of the first-choice gloveman being ruled unfit to play.Tim Southee is fit and ready for Test duty – he has not played a game in the new year due to a foot injury picked up during the home series against Sri Lanka in December.Apart from Taylor, the one man missing out from New Zealand’s previous Test assignment – the home Tests against Sri Lanka, which New Zealand won 2-0 – is offspinner Mark Craig.Nicholls has been a consistent performer for the New Zealand ODI team this summer, most recently compiling 61 against Australia in the opening match of the limited-overs series at Eden Park. New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson said Nicholl’s selection was part of a squad put together in the expectation of seaming pitches in Wellington and Christchurch.”Henry has been very impressive the way he has made the step up to international cricket and we’re confident of the job he can do for us in the top order,” Hesson said. “We’ve gone for just the one spinner in Mitch [Santner] and that’s based around what we expect the pitches to play like at Hagley and the Basin.”Tim’s a leader within our group and our most experienced bowler, so we’re excited to have him fit and a part of our pace bowling attack. Matt [Henry] also comes back into the squad after some really strong performances throughout the summer and with Corey’s [Anderson] return we now have a number of seam-bowling options to consider.”It’s well documented how good a Test side Australia are and we know it will take some exceptional cricket for us to have a chance of taking out the series. It doesn’t get much bigger for all New Zealand fans than a Test Series against Australia.”

Having put up a clinical display against Pakistan, India will be keen to press forward towards a semi-final spot when they face a rattled Bangladesh side on Wednesday

The Preview by Mohammad Isam22-Mar-2016

Match facts

Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)1:34

Manjrekar: Expect Rohit, Dhawan and Raina to fire

Big Picture

After a thumping loss to New Zealand in their opening game, India found their footing with a Virat Kohli masterclass against Pakistan, and are now eyeing the semi-finals. They will face a Bangladesh side, reeling from two defeats, to add to the absence of Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny.Bangladesh, however, pushed Australia on Monday right till the finish. The returning Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan led Bangladesh’s defence with five wickets between them. Bangladesh, though, will miss Taskin’s fire and pace, upfront as well as at the death, against India.India are now in a position to take advantage of Bangladesh who need to win their remaining matches and rely on other results going their way. Kohli has been the key to India’s batting, but they would like to see consistency from Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina. Rohit Sharma, too, needs to step up, having made only 25 in his last three innings, including 10 against South Africa in a warm-up match. India, however, will be buoyed by Yuvraj’s resurgence in the middle order.The bowling, led by R Ashwin, looks in good shape, with Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja giving support. Nehra has been effective in the Powerplays, while Bumrah has hit the blockhole regularly in the slog overs in addition to bowling well with the new ball.Bangladesh’s batting woes will be compounded if Tamim Iqbal isn’t fit to play. Soumya Sarkar has promised much, but seems to be bogged down by a mental block. This means that there will be more responsibility on Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, and Shakib Al Hasan.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)India: WLWWWBangladesh: LLWWL

In the spotlight

Suresh Raina is a senior figure in the team and has contributed with the ball and on the field, but his batting form has been poor. He hasn’t made a 50-plus score in T20 internationals since June 2010.Shuvagata Hom was rushed to Bangalore as a replacement player, and his performance against Australia reflected the fatigue, which could have been handled better by the team management. He will have to lift his game against India and shoulder the responsibility of giving his side a good finish, and sharpness in the field.

Team news

India are unlikely to make any changes. They generally don’t change their combination unless there is a pressing need, and MS Dhoni after the Pakistan match, stressed on the need to back players like Raina and Dhawan.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ashish NehraShuvagata Hom being picked ahead of Nasir Hossain against Australia was surprising, given that the latter has been with the side since the start of the World T20. Tamim Iqbal, who missed the Australia match with food poisoning, is not a certain starter.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal/Mohammad Mithun, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nasir Hossain/Shuvagata Hom, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Saqlain Sajib

Pitch and conditions

Bangalore has experienced sweltering heat recently, with temperatures rising to the high 30s. The pitch played fairly true in the Australia-Bangladesh match – like most Chinnaswamy pitches do – but offered more grip to the slower bowlers than it usually does.

Stats and trivia

• In the four T20Is between them so far, Bangladesh’s opening partnership against India has lasted between 2.2 and 4 overs while India has seen their opening partnership stay between 1.3 and 7.2 overs against Bangladesh.

Quotes

“Taskin Ahmed has been a very important bowler for them, but at the same time Mustafizur Rahman, who did not play 2-3 matches in between because of a side strain, he is back. Al-Amin is there. They have depth in bowling. Shakib Al Hasan is a very good allrounder, so I don’t think their bowling is weakened in any way because of one or two players not being there.”India pacer Ashish Nehra on whether Bangladesh were weakened by the absence of Taskin Ahmed</i