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Club pays tribute to popularity and “infectious spirit” of young left-arm spinner

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2024English cricket has been left stunned by the news of the death of Josh Baker, the Worcestershire left-arm spinner, at the age of 20.In a club statement, Worcestershire declined to comment on the nature of Baker’s death and asked for “the respect of privacy” on behalf of his family. Ashley Giles, their chief executive, said that the club were “all devastated” by his passing.”The news of Josh’s passing has left us all devastated,” Giles said. “Josh was much more than a team-mate; he was an integral part of our cricket family. We will all miss him terribly. All our love and prayers go out to Josh’s family and friends.”Baker, who signed his first contract with the club at the age of 17 in 2021, claimed 43 wickets in 22 first-class matches, and a further 27 in 25 white-ball appearances.He was also a burgeoning allrounder, as demonstrated by two half-centuries including a career-best 75 against Gloucestershire in July 2023. Later that same season, while batting against Yorkshire at Headingley in Worcestershire’s final match, he scored the all-important run that secured a second batting point and therefore the club’s promotion to the top flight, prompting celebrations on the visitors’ balcony.Born in Redditch and educated at Malvern College, Baker came through the age-group levels at New Road, and also played for England at under-19 level. Last season, he signed a new three-year deal, and had spent the winter just gone in Sydney, playing grade cricket for Northern District CC in the New South Wales Premier League.Only on Wednesday, he had taken 3 for 66 in the first innings of Worcestershire’s four-day 2nd XI Championship match against Somerset at Bromsgrove School. The match was called off early on the final day.Worcestershire are not due to play in the round of County Championship fixtures starting on Friday, and do not play again until May 10 when they face Kent. The five scheduled Championship matches this weekend are expected to go ahead, with players wearing black armbands to pay him tribute.Baker’s most notable moment came against Durham at New Road in May 2022, when – as an 18-year-old in his ninth first-class match – he came up against Ben Stokes, newly unveiled as England captain, and in a mood to produce a statement innings.Baker was duly struck for 34 in an over – five sixes and a one-bounce four – but after finishing on 161 from 88 balls, Stokes sought Baker out on WhatsApp, sending a message imploring him not to “let today define the rest of your season”.”You’ve got serious potential and [I] think you’ll go a long way,” Stokes added. “Most important opinion is from the lads in your changing-room and they will always have your back. This coming from someone who got meeeeeeeelted in a T20 World Cup final.”Baker walks out to field at Trent Bridge•Getty Images

A statement from Worcestershire recalled Baker’s popularity within the squad. “More than his skills as a spin bowler, it was his vibrant spirit and infectious enthusiasm that endeared him to everyone he met. His warmth, kindness, and professionalism were remarkable, making him a true credit to his family and a loved member of our team.”During this profoundly difficult time, the club is dedicated to supporting Josh’s family, friends, and colleagues. We are united in our grief and committed to honouring his memory in a manner befitting the remarkable person he was.”Plans to pay tribute to Josh will be made in consultation with his family and will remain private at this time. The club, along with Josh’s family, requests the respect of privacy as we mourn this immense loss. No further comments will be provided during this sensitive period.”The ECB said it was “desperately sad to learn” of Baker’s passing, adding: “This is devastating news. We extend our best wishes to Josh’s family and friends, to everyone who knew and loved him, and to everyone at Worcestershire CCC.”Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “This is absolutely heartbreaking. My thoughts go out to all of Josh’s family.”Rob Lynch, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, said: “Everybody at the PCA is heartbroken to hear of Josh’s passing and we offer our sincere condolences to all his family, friends and teammates.”Josh was a cricketer with his full career and life ahead of him and this news is impossible to comprehend. The PCA and the Professional Cricketers’ Trust are working to support Josh’s family, his teammates and all PCA members who are affected. Rest in peace, Josh.”

Former England opener racks up big hundred to put seal on Durham’s campaign

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024Kent 96 for 3 (Finch 34, Ackermann 1-1) trail Durham 360 (Lees 144, Bedingham 66, Parkins 6-109)A sparkling century from Alex Lees gave Durham the upper hand in their Vitality County Championship clash with Kent despite a six-wicket haul from Matt Parkinson.Play was abandoned without a ball bowled on days one and two after heavy downpours at the Seat Unique Riverside, so Lees was on a mission to get quick runs with so much time lost in the game. Lees (144 off 180) was well backed up by Emilio Gay, who made 52, and David Bedingham, who made a swashbuckling 66, as the hosts made 360 in their first innings.Matt Parkinson led a Kent fightback after tea as he picked up figures of 6 for 109 to give the visitors some hope.Kent’s reply didn’t get off to the best start as they lost early wickets but Harry Finch and Jack Leaning combined for a partnership worth 72 to stall the hosts but they closed on 96 for 3, still 264 behind Durham.Kent captain Leaning won the toss and elected to bowl, with Ben McKinney and stand-in skipper Lees opening for the hosts. Lees found his groove early on with a lovely cover drive off the bowling of Grant Stewart.McKinney joined the party as he crunched a glorious shot to the boundary and Lees then reached his run-a-ball fifty with eight boundaries in the Durham skipper’s knock. Kent struck back, with Nathan Gilchrist removing McKinney for 23 after he was caught in the covers.Gay, who is on loan from Northamptonshire ahead of his permanent move to the North East next year, came in and elegantly flicked one off his pads for four. Lees continued to motor, combining well with Gay, and he carved a Stewart delivery for four to third man.After lunch, Lees resumed unbeaten on 95 and reached his fourth century of the season from 115 balls just minutes later. Gay impressed on his home debut looking calm at the crease and he manipulated the field well with the number three reaching his fifty from 92 balls. However, he didn’t last much longer as he feathered a Jas Singh delivery down the legside and it was caught well by Harry Finch behind the stumps.Bedingham wasted no time getting into the groove as Division One’s leading run scorer hit back-to-back sixes over the legside boundary off the bowling of Singh. Bedingham continued to hit the Kent attack around the park with the South African international reaching fifty from 30 balls, which included three fours and four sixes.Bedingham then smashed a Stewart full toss over the ropes, but he went for one maximum too many as he was caught off the bowling of Matt Parkinson for a 38-ball 66. Kent then got a second wicket in quick succession as Lees fell for an excellent 144 after he was caught at mid-wicket off the bowling of Stewart.Ollie Robinson then holed out for five, giving Matt Parkinson his second of the afternoon, and Bas de Leede quickly followed for a duck. Durham resumed after tea and 16-year-old James Minto, who is making his home debut, hit his first six in first class cricket as he smashed a Matt Parkinson delivery down the ground for six. However, the teenager’s joy did not last as the leg spinner bowled him for 25.Matt Parkinson then got his fourth as Daniel Hogg edged to slip and he then got his twin brother Callum out caught and bowled to wrap up his five wicket haul. The former Lancashire man then got his sixth as Durham were bowled out for 360.Kent’s reply got off to the worst possible start with Tawanda Muyeye caught behind off the bowling of Daniel Hogg for five. Kent then lost a second wicket as de Leede sent Jaydn Denly’s off-stump flying for 12.Finch and Leaning then came together and combined well with some lovely shots, but Colin Ackermann bowled Finch for 34 just before the close to leave Kent three down at stumps.

It was not quicker, bouncier or scarier than Newlands but the uncharacteristic SuperSport Park pitch has not drawn any criticism from the men who have to play on it. At least, not yet.

Firdose Moonda in Centurion13-Jan-2018It was not quicker, bouncier or scarier than Newlands but the uncharacteristic SuperSport Park pitch has not drawn any criticism from the men who have to play on it. At least, not yet.With turn from day one, this usually spin-free surface has done the one thing captain Faf du Plessis did not want and has already brought India’s spinner R Ashwin into the game. Ashwin’s three wickets have already had some impact but exactly how much of a say both he and Keshav Maharaj will have on this game may ultimately affect the assessment of groundsman Bryan Bloy’s maiden Test strip.”I feel the wicket did spin a bit but it was not outrageous. It was very slow and there was bounce, sometimes people watching the game mistake bounce for big spin,” Ashwin said.The bounce will be particularly important to the hosts, who see that as being key in allowing them to exploit home advantage. “In terms of bowling, we have got taller bowlers who are used to the conditions and it would be interesting to see how the Indians bat and make an assessment,” Aiden Markram, who top-scored with 94 said. “We’ve got taller bowlers than what the Indians have. That is the only difference I see.”Markram plays his domestic cricket for Titans and knows the Centurion pitch well. He admitted this strip was slower than usual. “It was a little bit different. Generally, there is good pace and bounce. It is still there but it lacked the extra pace that the usual wicket at Supersport is like,” Markram said. “But there is just about enough in it for both batsmen and bowlers. It is a wicket where the contest is always happening. Ideally, we would have liked to have it quicker but I don’t think it’s something bad.”Markram admitted South Africa “didn’t expect there would be so much assistance for him (Ashwin)”, which made him a tricky prospect first up. “He was difficult to face but he is difficult to face on a flat wicket as well. It will be interesting to see if the pitch does get harder or if it will continue to spin or if it spun like that because of grass covering,” Markram said.Pre-match, both teams considered playing all-pace attacks with Ashwin expecting to be benched until the eve of the match. “Two days from the game, it looked like we are going to play an all-seam attack. And then when we walked into the ground yesterday, it was white in colour, the grass was coming off. All of a sudden I really had to pull myself back and think I am in the game now,” Ashwin said. “Today morning when we came to the ground, it looked like a wicket that was really flat and had to have a spinner in the game. Personally, from my side of it, I was very happy that the grass was taken off, if not I think it would have been all-seam attack.”South Africa were also seriously considering leaving Maharaj out and going all guns blazing with a five-pronged pack. In hindsight, that would have been a grave error, even though Bloy told ESPNcricinfo that he expects the pitch to quicken up on the second and third days, something Ashwin agreed with. “I found it to be a bit damp and it was very slow. The new ball isn’t doing a lot actually and the pitch is actually flattening out and spin is going out of the surface a lot more. I think days two and three will be a very good batting day,” Ashwin said.Because this surface has elements of the unknown, it’s difficult to tell what a good first-innings total will be but Markam would like to see South Africa get at least 70 more runs before bowling at SuperSport Park. “Anything above 350 would be good but we would like to push to 400,” he said.

“We should have bowled first but the captain had some different instinct,” he said

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2024A campaign that ended in semi-final heartbreak for Tamil Nadu has now been jolted by coach Sulakshan Kulkarni’s remark that his team lost the match right at the toss on the opening day.Kulkarni made it clear in no uncertain terms the captain, R Sai Kishore, made the call despite conventional wisdom and his own knowledge of conditions having played and coached for Mumbai, suggesting they should’ve bowled first.”I always speak straightforward – we lost the match at 9 o’clock on day one,” Kulkarni said after Tamil Nadu were handed an innings defeat by Mumbai inside three days at the Bandra Kurla Complex Ground. “The moment I saw the wicket I exactly knew what we were going to get.”Everything was set, we won the toss, as a coach, as a Mumbaikar, I know the conditions well. We should have bowled but the captain had some different instinct.”Dinesh Karthik, the India wicketkeeper, termed Kulkarni’s comments as “so wrong” and “disappointing”, while former TN captain Hemang Badani felt Kulkarni had “thrown Sai Kishore under the bus” with his comments in the aftermath of their defeat.Sai Kishore’s decision to bat first backfired spectacularly as TN were tottering at 42 for 5. They were eventually bowled out for 146. Then they had Mumbai reeling at 106 for 7, before a century from Shardul Thakur hauled Mumbai out of a tricky situation. They eventually managed to make 378, which all but ensured TN were batted out of the game.”When I saw that they had played on a different pitch in the quarter-final and what wicket they gave, I realised that this is a seaming-friendly wicket and it was going to be a very tough match, and we would have to play really well to win this game,” Kulkarni said. “Ultimately he [Sai Kishore] is the boss. I can give my feedback and inputs (on) the kind of wickets and Mumbai’s mindset.”We were mentally prepared that whoever wins the toss would bowl first. We knew that we would bowl first. The moment they (on the TV broadcast) heard we would bat first, whatever you say (on how tough it can be to bat early on), it goes in the batsmen’s minds. That first half an hour (before play) got in the batsmen’s minds.”When you get into the first over, where the third (fourth) ball, your international player gets out and you see the situation… in the first hour, it’s difficult. We lost the plot in the first hour, it’s very difficult to come back from there.”

Bangladesh also brought in uncapped pace bowler Hasan Mahmud for the injured Musfik Hasan

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2024Shakib Al Hasan has returned to the Bangladesh Test squad after being out of action for a year in the longest format.Former captain Shakib has been picked for the second Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram, starting March 30. He last played a Test in April 2023 before an eye condition kept him away from Tests although he has played white-ball cricket during this period, including at the ODI World Cup late last year. More recently, he has played in the Bangladesh Premier League for Rangpur Riders and in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League List A tournament for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.Shakib comes into the squad in place of the uncapped Towhid Hridoy, who wasn’t picked in the XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka, which Bangladesh lost by 328 runs in Sylhet. The other change in the squad is the fast-bowling department, where Hasan Mahmud has come in for the injured Musfik Hasan, who has hurt his left ankle and will require rehab. Mahmud is also uncapped in Tests, like Musfik, but has played 39 white-ball games in international cricket.Related

• Shakib boost for Bangladesh in spin-friendly Chattogram against buoyant Sri Lanka

• Dhananjaya de Silva pleased with three-pacers' plan paying off in Sylhet

• Bangladesh's Test credentials in question, again

• Shakib out of Bangladesh's white-ball squads against SL

A retinal condition in the left eye had kept Shakib out of the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka. He had visited an eye specialist in Singapore at the start of the year to address the issue.Shakib had at the time said that batting had been an issue for him because of the condition. He had pushed himself down the order for Rangpur before returning to the top three in the latter stages of the BPL. He scored 255 runs in 11 innings in the BPL, striking at 158.38, and finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets at an economy of 6.31. Rangpur lost to eventual winners Fortune Barishal in Qualifier 2.Earlier this year, Shakib also joined politics, contesting the Bangladesh general elections for the Awami League party. He won from the Magura constituency and is now a member of parliament.Before the loss in the first Test against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh had won the ODI series 2-1 but lost the T20I series by the same margin.

Bangladesh squad for second Test vs Sri Lanka

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Shadman Islam, Litton Das, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud

Dean Elgar will lead the side in his absence, while Zubayr Hamza has been added to the squad

Firdose Moonda28-Dec-2023Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the New Year’s Test against India, after suffering a hamstring strain that kept him out of most of the Boxing Day match. Dean Elgar, fresh off a match-winning 185 in Centurion, will lead South Africa in what will be his final Test. Meanwhile, Zubayr Hamza has been added to the squad.Bavuma hurt himself on the first morning of the match, in the 20th over, when he chased a ball towards long-off and got to it as it stopped before the boundary. He left the field immediately and was sent for a scan, which revealed a strain, but not a tear, and Cricket South Africa said he would be monitored daily to determine his further participation in the match.He was seen briefly at the morning warm-ups, but not at all after that and over the next two days, there was no communication from team management, particularly on whether Bavuma would bat. Since it was an internal injury, he could bat only after he had served the time he was off for, or after the fall of the fifth wicket, whichever was earlier. But repeated questions to the changeroom went unanswered and speculation over the severity of his injury grew.Related

• Shardul Thakur hit on the shoulder at India's nets session

• Jubilant South Africa put their name up in lights

• Rohit backs under-fire bowlers after three-day loss in Centurion

• Elgar and South Africa pacers flatten India inside three days

• Classy Elgar unveils a new dimension in farewell series

South Africa’s Test coach Shukri Conrad confirmed Bavuma was “not in a great physical state” but that the situation was “fluid” and the team did not want to make any public comments before they knew if Bavuma would be needed to bat. Ultimately, Conrad decided not to risk Bavuma because he deemed South Africa’s lead comfortable enough, at 163.”Temba is not in a great physical state,” Conrad said afterwards. “He was ready to bat at every turn, and we kept monitoring it. When we reached where we reached, not because we felt that was enough, we felt that if we sent him out then there was a potential risk that he could aggravate the risk even further. We were constantly giving ourselves maximum time so we could give out the right information. If we lost wickets early, he would have walked on. With 150 runs ahead, I felt it wasn’t necessary to risk Temba.”Bavuma will be assessed to determine his availability for his next assignment, with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at the SA20. He will not play in South Africa’s two-Test series against New Zealand early next year because of his SA20 commitments.This was Bavuma’s first outing since South Africa’s semi-final at the ODI World Cup against Australia on November 16, where he was carrying a right hamstring strain. Bavuma picked up that injury while fielding in their final group match against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on November 10 but did not leave the field at any stage and batted for 49 minutes as South Africa successfully chased down 245. He did not have a scan in India but progressed with a rehabilitation program at training and was cleared to play the semi-final, even though he conceded that he was not 100% fit. South Africa lost that match by three wickets.Bavuma was rested from South Africa’s next assignment of three T20Is and three ODIs against India, which started on December 10, and was due to play a four-day first-class match between December 14 and 17 to prepare for the Test series. He missed the practice game because of a family bereavement. On the eve of the Test, Bavuma declared himself “mentally as fresh as ever” and he was a strong presence in the field for the first 90 minutes of play.In his absence, Elgar took over the leadership duties and will do so again next week when he signs off from South African cricket. Conrad put to bed conversations that his relationship with Elgar had turned sour after Elgar was removed as captain when Conrad took over and has since decided to retire. “If there was this frosty relationship, then he wouldn’t have captained [now],” Conrad said.

Shoriful Islam took the first hat-trick of his T20 career, as new franchise Durdanto Dhaka started with a win

Mohammad Isam24-Jan-2024Comilla Victorians rounded it up with a thrilling four-wicket win against Fortune Barishal in Mirpur. The match finished only off the penultimate delivery, though Imrul Kayes had led the chase with 52 from 41 balls before Matthew Forde smashed Khaled Ahmed for a four and six in the final over.Meanwhile, Khulna Tigers turned out to be the table-toppers due to a better net run rate over Chattogram Challengers, who have played a game more than Khulna. In their second match of the season, Khulna hunted down 188 in a convincing chase against Barishal.Related

• Mohammad Haris leaves BPL 2024 after being denied NOC

• BPL 2024: Comilla eye title hat-trick as big five take centrestage

They had eight wickets and two overs to spare when Shai Hope hit the winning boundary. Hope, who played a cameo of an unbeaten 25 from 10 balls, combined brilliantly with Evin Lewis and Anamul Haque in Khulna’s big win. While Anamul got a composed 63 not out off 44 deliveries, Lewis thrashed 53 from only 22, with 50 of those runs coming in boundaries.Durdanto Dhaka, this season’s only new franchise, started by beating defending champions Comilla in the tournament opener. For Durdanto, Player of the Match Shoriful Islam took the first hat-trick of his T20 career, after which Mohammad Naim hit 52 off 40 balls.On the second day of the season, Barishal’s successful chase of 135 against Rangpur Riders had gone into the final over the match. That included a mini-battle of its own. Bangladesh seniors Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal faced off for the first time since Shakib called Tamim “childish” last September. But all the anticipation only resulted in a dud battle. Tamim managed just five runs from the first seven balls he faced from Shakib, who was dismissed for 2 earlier in the day.Mushfiqur Rahim got over a hundred runs in the first week•BPL

But Rangpur hit back just days later when they reduced Sylhet Strikers to 39 for 5. Sylhet recovered through Benny Howell and Ben Cutting to post 120, and even avenged it with the ball by having Rangpur at 39 for 6. But Babar Azam, reportedly the most expensive signing in this season’s BPL, got Rangpur home with a half-century, and an undefeated stand of 88 with Azmatullah Omarzai. That left Sylhet as the only winless side in the competition so far.

Batter of the week

While both Mushfiqur Rahim and Kayes got over a hundred runs in the first week, Anamul Haque’s unbeaten 63 against Barishal stood out as the best innings from the first eight games. Anamul is often talked about as a lost talent, but he has consistently scored runs in the BPL and the domestic competitions. His half-century came right after Lewis had lit up the powerplay, even as he played a steady hand in the successful chase of 188, which was completed by Hope slamming three consecutive boundaries.

Bowler of the week

Nahidul Islam has often been a match-winner in the BPL. He took four wickets for Khulna against Chattogram, before bowling another tight spell against Barishal by conceding just 23 runs in four overs.Against Chattogram, Nahidul took the first three wickets, including those of Avishka Fernando and Tanzid Hasan, and came back to pick his fourth when he removed Najibullah Zadran. Nahidul has remained economical, with his economy rate at just 4.38 after bowling eight overs across two matches.

Fernando’s namesake and national team-mate Vishwa joins Durham

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2023Asitha Fernando, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, has signed to play for Nottinghamshire in the final three rounds of the County Championship.Fernando, 26, has taken 35 wickets in 12 Tests at an average of 28.97 and is set for his first spell in county cricket, bolstering Notts seam-bowling options for the last few weeks of the season.”Asitha has already shown his talent on the international stage, and we believe he has the skillset needed to be successful in English conditions,” Notts head coach, Peter Moores, said. “We’re excited to have him with us, and he will add much needed depth to our bowling resources until the end of the season.”We’ve had some misfortune with injuries and we’re still in the situation of not having our full complement of seamers available. This has meant greater workloads for a smaller number of bowlers, and Asitha can help ease that pressure over the course of our run-in.”The whole group recognises the importance of these last three games and the need for everyone to step up, so we can finish the season strongly. Having had a bye in the first round of games, we’ve had an extended build up to prepare ourselves for the challenge ahead, which we’re all looking forward to.”His namesake and national team-mate, Vishwa Fernando, has signed for Durham as they look to wrap up the Division Two title, with Matt Potts and Brydon Carse on England ODI duty during the final weeks of the season.”I am really looking forward to joining Durham,” Fernando said. “I very much excited to play in the County Championship in England. I look forward to seeing everyone soon.”Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “He is a vastly experienced player who has succeeded in Test and first-class cricket and we look forward to seeing what he can bring to Durham in September.”Elsewhere, Hampshire seamer Scott Currie has joined Leicestershire on loan for their last three games, as the Midlands club continue a surprise push for promotion from Division Two.

The BPL franchises were supposed to pay the first installment of the players’ contracts before the start of the season

Mohammad Isam02-Jan-2025BCB president Faruque Ahmed has assured the BPL players will receive their payments after it was reported several franchises hadn’t paid the players their first installment on time. The franchises are scheduled to pay half of a player’s payment before the start of the tournament, 25% during the tournament, and the rest after the tournament ends. The seven-team competition began on December 30.Faruque, the former Bangladesh captain who was elected BCB president in August, said that he is in talks with the BPL franchises about the clearing of payment, but didn’t want to elaborate on why the franchises (except Fortune Barishal) haven’t provided the BCB with the prerequisite bank guarantee.The board keeps a bank guarantee from franchises, as per rules, to ensure that the players get paid by the BCB in the event of franchises failing to make the payments. The BCB has paid from the bank guarantee in the past. However, the lack of bank guarantee this time puts the players’ payment in uncertainty.”We have communicated with the BPL franchise owners since day one,” Faruque said. “I told them that they will have to pay the money. If you ask me to answer in black and white why (franchises didn’t pay guarantee money), I won’t be able to provide a clear answer. You have to see the overall situation from everyone’s perspective over the last four months.”It doesn’t however mean the players will not get their payments. We have taken different steps for the franchises. I have spoken directly with the franchise as board president so that they feel that we are partners. They are also spending money for Bangladesh cricket.”This issue emerged just days after a ticketing fiasco that saw irate fans break the main gate of the Shere Bangla National Stadium on opening day of the competition.

India’s lower order propelled them to 600 before their bowlers left Sri Lanka five down and 247 short of the follow-on mark at stumps on day two

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Jul-20171:38

Maharoof: Disappointed by Gunathilaka and Mendis dismissals

Swing, seam, pace and bounce. Dip, drift, turn and bounce. Ingredients that seemed largely absent when India piled on 600, their second-highest total in Sri Lanka, haunted the home side in their reply, as they ended the second day of the Galle Test five down with the follow-on mark still 247 runs away.Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami took the top order apart, even as Upul Tharanga hurtled along with a profusion of silken off-side boundaries. Then came R Ashwin, going around the wicket to left and right-handers alike, harnessing the sea breeze and testing both edges with drift, swinging arm balls, and the occasional instance of sharp turn. Over the course of an unbroken spell of 18 overs, he gradually discovered the ideal pace and angle of seam to extract the maximum possible help from the Galle pitch, and could have easily ended the day with more than one wicket.Umesh gave India their first breakthrough, in the second over of Sri Lanka’s innings. Swing did Dimuth Karunaratne in, a full ball curling back into the left-hander from over the wicket and forcing him to play around his front pad. He missed and reviewed Bruce Oxenford’s lbw decision, a wasted referral given there was no inside edge, and that the ball had pitched on middle stump and had straightened down that line.R Ashwin got drift and dip to be a constant threat•AFP

For a time, Danushka Gunathilaka, making his Test debut, matched Tharanga shot for shot, as the two left-handers drove repeatedly on the up during a second-wicket partnership of 61 at just under five an over. But he played one shot too many, feet rooted to the crease as he flashed at, and edged, a Shami delivery angled across him.Kusal Mendis, in at No. 4, had the misfortune of getting a Shami special when he was still to get off the mark. It hit the seam in the corridor, seamed away slightly with some extra bounce, and all he could do was nick it. Two times in five balls, Shikhar Dhawan was the catcher at first slip.The next two wickets fell during Ashwin’s long and endlessly tormenting spell. The first began with his drift and dip beating Tharanga in the air. Having jumped out of his crease and inside-edged into his pad, he turned and hurried back as the ball rolled towards Abhinav Mukund at silly point. Abhinav flicked the ball to the keeper, and when the bails came off, Tharanga’s bat, after a momentary grounding on the dive, had bounced up. A cruel end to an innings of 64 and a 57-run fourth-wicket stand with Mathews.Then came the wicket of another left-hander, Niroshan Dickwella, who pressed forward but found himself nowhere near the pitch of the ball, thanks to Ashwin’s dip. Extra bounce grabbed the shoulder of his jabbing defensive bat, and Mukund, diving right at silly point, took a superb, low one-hander.Mathews struggled initially against Ashwin, and on 32 survived an lbw decision reviewed by India when ball-tracking returned an umpire’s call verdict. He slowly grew in assurance, and ended the day batting on 54 with Dilruwan Perera for company. With Asela Gunaratne, who fractured his left thumb on the first day, unlikely to bat, Sri Lanka have quite a task ahead of them.An improved bowling display from Sri Lanka, led by Nuwan Pradeep, who finished with 6 for 132, threatened at various points to limit India’s total. But the lower order, led by Ashwin and the debutant Hardik Pandya, kept counter-punching.India lost both their overnight batsmen, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, inside 12 overs of the morning, both out to seam. Away-seam and extra bounce from Nuwan Pradeep found Pujara’s edge on 153, while Rahane, driving away from his body at a rare full ball from Lahiru Kumara, edged to slip.Despite the selection of Pandya, India stuck with Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha at Nos. 6 and 7, trusting their experience and proven firefighting abilities ahead of the debutant’s promise. Ashwin and Saha had put on three fifty partnerships and one double-century stand, and averaged 47.50 as a pair since the start of 2016. They combined once again to stall Sri Lanka’s momentum, adding 59 for the sixth wicket.Not for the first time in his career, Ashwin began finding the gaps almost as soon as he walked in, and took three fours from successive Herath overs, twice driving him through the off side and once stepping out to clip him between midwicket and mid-on. In all, he would hit seven fours in a 60-ball 47.Both fell in the space of six balls, with lunch imminent, and when Pradeep took his sixth wicket after the break, cleaning up Ravindra Jadeja with the bouncer-yorker double, Sri Lanka may have hoped for a quick end to the innings.As it turned out, India’s last two wickets added 83 in 71 balls in a burst of six-hitting. The quicks leaked runs in an effort to pepper the lower order with the short ball, and Herath kept get hitting back over his head, notably by Mohammed Shami who hit him for three sixes. Pandya hit three sixes too, all off Pradeep, two hooked over backward square leg and one whipped over midwicket.The dismissal of Shami, caught on the square-leg boundary off Kumara, ended a ninth-wicket stand of 62, but Sri Lanka’s ordeal wasn’t yet over. Umesh Yadav, India’s No. 11, also joined in the hitting spree, taking Kumara for a big six down the ground and Herath for the lofted four that brought up India’s 600.Pandya, who had brought up his half-century, off 48 balls, in the same Herath over, fell soon after, finding deep square leg while going after another short ball from Kumara.