Peter English reviews Andrew Symonds’s new book, Roy: Going for Broke

Peter English17-Dec-2006Roy: Going for Broke Andrew Symonds with Stephen Gray, Hardie Grant Books

The sterilised age preventing sportspeople from sprouting not much more than corporate spin should be forcing the end of dreary ghosted autobiographies. Instead books with little worth to subject or reader are popping up like springtime flowers and hundreds of pages are devoted to great team-mates, superb wins and important challenges.Often it is possible to come away with no more than a basic knowledge of the player, which usually comes from the standard growing up chapters, and an opportunity to memorise their scoring sequences as they progress from talented junior to international.
Not for Andrew Symonds. A spectator’s dream when in hulking form, he has contributed to a book that is so revealing for a high-profile figure it should almost carry “unauthorised” in the title.It’s no surprise Symonds’ range is not broad, but he offers honesty and it stands out like his zinc-smeared lips. He makes fun of himself, analyses his nights of shame in almost drink-by-drink detail and reports full conversations with senior administrators about being on his final behaviour warnings. There is no skipping over the serious matters and an entire chapter is spent on his Cardiff bender the night before Australia’s loss to Bangladesh in 2005, breaking an unofficial record for transparency.The transgression sections are broken up by large doses of fun and Symonds is almost always the target. It is improbable to think of any other modern player allowing the series of recollections from team-mates that appear at the end of each chapter and outline his various faux pas.When wanting to buy a property he tells Jimmy Maher, his Queensland team-mate, he’ll offer $10,000 more than the price to show the seller how much he wants it. He’s asked Michael Kasprowicz what is the RSPCA date for his wedding and said to a raffle-ticket seller he’d look forward to her call on the 32nd of the month.In primary school he won a prize for speaking French but spent more time learning cricket, fishing and hunting, which led to a life of being teased with impromptu spelling bees from team-mates. Conquering “cat” and “dog” were easy, “knife” took a bit of thinking and at least “pterodactyl” stumped the whole squad. Unlike his team-mates on the regular publishing cycle, Symonds is happy to tell his story with warts and warthogs.Stephen Gray has done an exceptional job capturing Symonds’ voice and expanding on his snippets. What is more remarkable for such an open book is that Gray is Queensland Cricket’s media manager. In other organisations the role is for blocking or controlling information, but in this collaboration Symonds’ adoption, marriage break-up and hiding of some hunting adventures from Cricket Australia are covered with up-front detail.Only the faltering of Symonds’ cricket memory prevents more information about the triumphs of his major innings. He could recall only a couple of moments from his World Cup century and had to watch a DVD for extra talking points, but he does not conceal his approach.Symonds also produces a batch of funny lines including the description of John Buchanan as Professor Von Slickstein. “Buck was like a cartoon mad scientist in those early days and I half expected him to say: ‘Now pay attention because this really is rocket science.'”Buchanan, who often pops up with advice, spilt tears during Symonds’ hundred against Pakistan and offered a crucial line again this week when telling him to play freely at his next Test opportunity. “Give me a simple, clearly-defined task and let me get the job done,” Symonds says. It has worked with his one-day batting in the same way it has succeeded in the book.

George Binoy29-Dec-2006

Graeme Smith scored a chunk of his runs against Sreesanth © AFP
354 – India’s target in this match is also the highest total a team has scored in the final innings of a five-day Test against South Africa. West Indies also scored 354 for 5 to draw at Cape Town in 2004. England scored 654 for 5 at Kingsmead in 1939 but that was a timeless Test . The highest fourth-innings total to win a match against South Africa is Sri Lanka’s 352 for 9 at Colombo this year.340 for 5 – The highest successful run-chase at Durban. South Africa achieved this against Australia in 2002.406 for 4 – India’s highest ever successful run-chase against West Indies at Port of Spain in 1976. However, the next highest successful chase is only 264 for 3 against Sri Lanka at Kandy in 2001 followed by 256 for 8 against Australia at Mumbai in 1964.128 – The number of runs South Africa scored in the morning session on the fourth day. It is the highest for any session in the series so far. South Africa’s 98 runs in the second session on day one of this Test is the second highest.141.66 – Graeme Smith’s strike-rate against Sreesanth whom he hit for 34 runs off 24 balls during his 59. AB de Villiers, on the other hand, scored only 15 off 54 Sreesanth deliveries.44 – the number of runs for which South Africa lost their first six wickets today. Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers added 99 for the first wicket before South Africa were reduced to 143 for 6. They declared on 265 for 8.2 – Ashwell Prince’s zero today made him the second South African to score a century and a duck in the same Test against India. Gary Kirsten was the first when he scored 103 and 0 at Cape Town in 1997.70 – the number of runs out of 265 that South Africa scored between third man and backward point.4 – the number of times Sehwag has been caught behind the wicket in two Tests. His average after four innings is 11.25.

The second day of the Boxing day Test at Melbourne was all about Andrew Symonds’s maiden Test hundred and his stand with Matthew Hayden. Cricinfo looks at the stat highlights of the day

George Binoy27-Dec-2006

279 – The partnership between Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds was the second highest for the sixth wicket in Australia. The highest is 346 between Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton against England at the MCG in 1937. This stand between Hayden and Symonds is the sixth highest sixth-wicket partnership overall.
75.08 – Hayden’s average at the MCG after 15 innings. His 153 today was his fifth century at Melbourne – the most he’s scored at any venue. His last seven scores at the MCG have been 136, 53*, 9, 56*, 65, 137, 153.3 – the number of times Michael Hussey has been dismissed for less than 20 in 25 Test innings. His 6 today broke a sequence of six consecutive fifty-plus scores (including two hundreds). The first time he was dismissed for below 20 was on debut, when he made 1 against West Indies at Brisbane.9 – the number of hundreds scored by Australian batsmen this series. Seven different Australians have scored hundreds while England’s batsmen have scored just three so far.103.70 -Symonds’s strike-rate against Matthew Hoggard. Hoggard bowled 27 balls to Symonds and conceded 28 runs with five boundaries.18.47 – Symonds’s Test average before the Boxing Day Test. After his unbeaten 154 on the second day – his maiden Test hundred – his average has risen to 27.52.

The end of the era came quickly. An Australian unit that seemed unbreakable over the past 24 months had actually been admirably masking the dints

Peter English at the WACA19-Jan-2008

It took four days for India to bring Australia’s 16-match winning run to an end and Ricky Ponting is left with a truer perspective of the future © Getty Images
The end of the era came quickly. An Australian unit that seemed unbreakable over the past 24 months had actually been admirably masking the dints. During the past four days they could not survive any more collisions and Ricky Ponting’s stunning tower has toppled.Through 16 wins there were many one-sided successes, but the handful of near-death experiences had stolen the energy for a world-record miracle. Australia have lost their first Test since August 2005 and India retain the tag as the great spoiler of baggy green parties. India’s victory is a fillip for the global game, proving that the world champions can be beaten, and forcing the hosts into further self-analysis.There will be disappointment from Australia and their supporters, especially when Perth was the most bankable venue for victory, but the team must be praised for extending the streak for so long. Three months ago they re-started a Test campaign without Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer, a scenario that would have floored anybody else, yet Ponting held his side together until the tape could no longer handle the strain.Matthew Hayden was missing his first match since 1999, leaving two inexperienced openers for Perth, Ponting was unable to patch himself up after his failed duels with Harbhajan Singh and a new bowling group seriously missed the influence of McGrath and Warne. Events that were supposed to happen in November were delayed until January and now the world is seeing the new Australia.Like sharemarkets around the world, nobody knows how far they will dive, but the days of regular high dividends are gone. This record, a mark proving team substance over individual effort, must be cherished. After the Ashes defeat Ponting was able to look around his field of dream players and call for greater input. This time he has a handful of stars hovering above a core still waiting to know its worth.Perth will be the venue where they realised Test success is not an Australian birthright. The WACA is meant to shock visiting teams, but the home players are the ones who cannot believe what has happened. The pitch didn’t bounce, Shaun Tait whimpered and the batsmen were shut down by an under-manned India attack.On the final day Ishant Sharma, a 19-year-old novice, operated like a world beater, working over Ponting in a way only Andrew Flintoff has managed since he became Australia’s second best batsman. From the moment Ishant arced the ball wickedly into Ponting there was nowhere for Australia to turn.The corner became tighter with a couple of umpiring errors against Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds and the parallels to the Sydney Test were confirmed when Virender Sehwag picked up two wickets with his part-time spin. It was Australia’s turn to experience misfortune.Decisions are more likely to go bad for the struggling team, which is something Australia’s opponents have complained about for years. At least there won’t be calls for an umpire to be stood down for the final match of a gripping series in Adelaide next week, and the only boycott will remain an English commentator.Australians believe official decisions even out over time. In Sydney it seemed an unfair pronouncement, but it has taken only four playing days for the theory to be proved. Hussey left immediately – only a sharp head turn and the briskness of his walk showed annoyance – while Symonds hung his bat out briefly after being ruled lbw to a ball he hit.They were happy to accept the bonuses at the SCG and when the swings went against them here they were absorbed despite the impending loss. Australia have played in a manner that their supporters can be proud of, even in defeat.Long lines of spectators waited to enter the outer in the morning and the competition India have provided has lifted interest in combination with the fall-out from Sydney. They came to see Australia survive and hoped for better. Most stayed to watch them lose, were entertained by the late charge of Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark, and applauded at the conclusion when the players merged for well-meaning handshakes. Ponting’s men continued to be dignified in a defeat that ended their all-conquering rule.

Greater depth in batting and bowling, coupled with plenty of experience, make South Africa the favourites for the series against New Zealand

S Rajesh07-Nov-2007

Just one rank, and six rating points, separates fifth-placed South Africa from New Zealand in the ICC Test rankings, and yet Graeme Smith’s side will start as firm favourites in the two-Test series which gets underway in Johannesburg on Thursday. The South Africans are coming off a Test series win in Pakistan, while New Zealand suffered a demoralising defeat against South Africa A, with their batsmen, especially, struggling for runs.Traditionally too, South Africa have dominated the exchanges between the two teams, winning 18 out of 33 Tests. Their domination has been equally emphatic since returning to the international fold, with nine wins and two losses in 16 Tests, while their home record is as impressive, with 12 wins from 19 matches.Apart from their lack of form, New Zealand will also have to battle their lack of experience. Among the frontline batsmen, only three have played against South Africa – Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris and Michael Papps. Fleming and Styris have a solid record against them, but Papps has struggled, averaging less than 16 in five Tests.

The South Africans, on the other hand, have a settled and experienced batting line-up, and apart from AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher, they’ve all enjoyed playing against New Zealand.

The pitch in Johannesburg is expected to assist fast bowlers, which could give Chris Martin an opportunity to add to his already impressive tally of 38 wickets from eight games against South Africa. The more famed member of the New Zealand fast-bowling line-up, Shane Bond, hasn’t yet played a Test against South Africa, while their captain, Daniel Vettori, will hardly have pleasant memories of his battles against them: his 15 wickets from nine games against them have cost him 70 apiece, at a staggeringly poor strike rate of 147 deliveries per wicket.

Among the South African bowlers, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn all have excellent records against New Zealand, but Andre Nel, who has been picked over Pollock for the first Test, will want to drastically improve his stats.

If recent numbers are any indication, the fast bowlers should enjoy the conditions at the Wanderers. Since 2000, they have taken the bulk of the wickets here, at a healthy average of 28. Spinners, on the other hand, have struggled for wickets.

What should give New Zealand some hope is South Africa’s recent form at this ground. Since 2000, they have only won three and lost four out of eight matches. New Zealand’s only success in five tries at this venue was in 1994-95. That was the first Test of the series, but they promptly lost the next two to lose the series 2-1.

Like Mohammad Ali, the boxing legend who used to spend hours painstakingly scrawling out his spidery autograph, Glenn McGrath has reproduced his signature deliveries for almost 15 years

Cricinfo staff30-Apr-2008

Yo Mahesh is a stripling in the shade of a giant sequoia, but on Wednesday night he actually conceded one run less than Glenn McGrath from his four overs. For most of the 90 minutes though, he and pretty much every other pace bowler playing in this competition would have been
absorbing a masterclass in the art of limited-overs bowling. Like his old mate in baggy green, Shane Warne, McGrath has been out of the game for a year, but you wouldn’t have known it if you’ve flown back from Mars and watched him bowl at the Feroz Shah Kotla.Like Mohammad Ali, the boxing legend who used to spend hours painstakingly scrawling out his spidery autograph, McGrath has reproduced his signature deliveries for almost 15 years. Not for him the beguiling variety of a Wasim Akram or the hair-raising pace of Brett Lee. The McGrath method has always been about perfect calibration, of pinpointing the centimetres outside off stump where the batsman is most vulnerable.From the minute he landed the first ball of the innings in the McGrath corridor, the Bangalore Royal Challengers would have known what they were up against. “They had to come out and play shots,” he said later, referring to the security of the 191 runs. Even then though, there was little
fiddling with the tried and tested. Praveen Kumar, a worthwhile experiment at the top of the order, did thump one over cover, but as he has done so many times over the past decade, McGrath had the last word.Ross Taylor, whose explosive strokeplay will surely be missed now that he’s off to join New Zealand’s tour of England, also attempted to disrupt the McGrath rhythm with a powerful shot or two, but then ruefully discovered the dangers of going cross-batted against a man whose
reputation was based as much on the ability to extract bounce as it was on the accuracy.Wasim Jaffer was next, with steepling bounce again doing the trick. The speed gun never went past 130 kph, and the obsession with it was put into perspective by McGrath’s uncanny knack of landing the ball in what every bowler now refers to ‘the right areas’.His last act was the finest though. Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid, a combination perfectly equipped to bat through a full day in a Test match, had shown that quality can prevail in any form of the game with a superb 87-run partnership. Though the asking rate was still steep, Bangalore had seven wickets in hand to mount a late charge.Virender Sehwag, whose bowling changes and composure impressed yet again, then played his ace, throwing the ball to McGrath for the 16th over. A slower one and a yorker kept Kallis to one run from the first two balls, and when Dravid then gave himself some room for the big loft, McGrath calmly slipped the ball outside off. “Have a go”, he seemed to say. Dravid did, miscued it, and Sehwag made no mistake running across to mid-off.McGrath wasn’t the only ANZAC hero out there though. Daniel Vettori will play no further part in the tournament, but his farewell spell had Bangalore in a bind. Dravid spoke later of the overs from Vettori and Yo Mahesh that effectively settled the contest, and Sehwag too was gushing
in his praise of a man he called one of the greatest T20 bowlers.While Sehwag answered questions in Hindi, a relaxed McGrath sat and grinned, with an “I agree” quip after one Sehwag reply inducing peals of mirth. “I’m a happily married man. I don’t look at girls anymore,” he said with a big grin when asked about the missing cheerleaders. “For an old
bloke, I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it [the IPL].”When asked about his team’s travails, Dravid spoke of the missing X-factor. On Wednesday night, it wasn’t missing, it was on the other side. A familiar face, a nemesis from another time and place. Like Ol Man River, McGrath just keeps rollin’ along.

Stats highlights from the first Test between India and South Africa in Chennai, which ended in a high-scoring draw

S Rajesh and HR Gopalakrishna30-Mar-2008
RP Singh shows how much he enjoyed bowling on the placid pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium © AFP
The last three Tests in Chennai have all been drawn, but the previous two – against Australia in 2004-05, and Sri Lanka in 2005-06 – were both severely affected by the weather. Over the last two years, the Indians have been the masters of the draw. Of the 26 Tests they have played during this period, 50% have ended in a stalemate. The percentage is easily the highest among all teams. Pakistan is next with 40%, while Australia are at the bottom of the list with just one draw – against India, as you’d expect – in 17 matches. Of the 13 draws involving India, four have been at home [out of seven matches], while nine have happened overseas [out of 19]. There was little joy for bowlers throughout the game, with only 25 wickets falling over five days. An average of 59.92 runs were scored per wicket, making it one of the most batsman-dominated Tests at this venue – only twice have more runs been scored per wicket in Chennai, but one of them, the Test between India and Pakistan in 1960-61, was hosted at the Corporation Stadium. Overall, 25 Tests in India have had an average of more than 50 runs per wicket, with this game slotting in at 13th place. Most of the batsmen who came out for a hit enjoyed themselves, but the ones who made the bulk of the runs were the openers. Apart from Virender Sehwag’s 319, Neil McKenzie made 94 and 155 not out, while Graeme Smith and Wasim Jaffer chipped in with half-centuries. In all the openers from both teams scored 749 runs, which is second in the all-time list of openers’ aggregate in a Test. The only occasion when they scored more also involved South Africa – against England at Edgbaston in 2003, the openers put together 811 runs in the match, with a double-century for Smith, and hundreds for Herschelle Gibbs and Michael Vaughan. (Click here for the complete list.) McKenzie’s total of 249 runs is the highest by a South African batsman in a Test against India. Hashim Amla, who made 240 runs in the match, is in second place. Both batsmen continued their excellent form: McKenzie has scored 475 runs in his last three innings, pushing his career average to 38.74, while Amla has scored three hundreds and two fifties in his last eight Tests. In a match in which most batsmen filled their boots, the most prolific players from both camps missed out. Jacques Kallis managed just 32 runs in two innings – he has now gone ten innings without a century – while Sachin Tedulkar lasted only five deliveries, making his first duck at home since February 17, 1999, when Shoaib Akhtar famously yorked him with a scorcher. The Indian seamers had a forgettable game, finishing with combined figures of 1 for 313. In home Tests where the Indian pace attack has finished with less than two wickets, this is the most expensive in terms of runs conceded. The only bowler who managed a five-for here was Harbhajan Singh, who finished with match figures of 8 for 265. He had to work hard for his success, though, conceding more than 100 runs in both innings of a Test for the first time in his career. His eight wickets were much better returns than what Anil Kumble managed [3 for 163]. The two spinners have played together in 49 Tests so far, and barring injury or illness, the Ahmedabad match will see the two of them play their 50th Test together.

Brydon Coverdale presents the plays of the day from day one in Durban

Brydon Coverdale in Durban06-Mar-2009

Nerves? What nerves?
The nineties didn’t prove nervous for Phillip Hughes in his second Test match. He started an over from Paul Harris on 89 and finished it on 105. First came a lofted drive over mid-on for four that took him into the nineties and after three dot balls, Hughes let loose. The fifth ball of the over was a brave drive over long-on for six that took him to 99. He couldn’t repeat it and bring up his first Test century with a six … could he? O ye of little faith. Hughes planted his foot down the pitch and slammed Harris onto the grass embankment at wide long-on to move to 105 and become the youngest Australian to score a Test century in 43 years.A tasty Morne morsel
Hughes had already enjoyed an even more prolific over in the first session when he helped take 21 off Morne Morkel’s second over. To make it even more remarkable, the over began with two dot balls. Then came a terrific off-drive, another one straight down the ground, a clip to leg and a drive through midwicket, all of which reached the boundary. To make matters worse, one of the deliveries was a no-ball and in amongst the carnage there were also four byes when Morkel dropped one too short and the ball flew over the head of the wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Morkel was promptly removed from the attack with the unflattering figures of 0 for 25 from two overs.Leg-bye … off the bat
South Africa had a horror day with the referral system once again and their first mistake came when Hughes tried to sweep Harris and there was a loud lbw shout. The batsmen took a run, which Asad Rauf called as a leg-bye, and the South Africans were convinced that it was worth
going to Steve Bucknor for another look at the appeal. The review showed there had been a big under-edge onto the pad, so Hughes was not lbw, but for the next over the leg-bye stood. Finally his score was adjusted to avoid the ridiculous situation of him being not out because he hit it but not credited with a run off the bat.Hot flash
Hot Spot’s first appearance in the third umpire’s box brought a lukewarm response. The South Africans were convinced Simon Katich inside edged behind off Morkel and when Billy Bowden disagreed, they wanted Bucknor’s opinion. There was no way to tell using the raw replays, so Hot Spot was employed to shed light on the situation. The infrared camera didn’t pick up any impact between bat and ball – although there was a lightning-like flash down the length of the bat that caused some confusion – and Katich was reprieved.Sneaky snicko
To add to the drama, at the tea break the broadcasters showed the Katich referral using snickometer, which is not regarded as scientifically proven and therefore is not used by the third umpire. Snicko suggested there was an edge. South Africa’s coach Mickey Arthur said after stumps that his players had seen the snicko verdict and it confirmed what they thought. “Our guys – every one of them is totally convinced he nicked the ball,” Arthur said, before clarifying that with the evidence available to the TV umpire the correct decision had been made. Arthur had a laugh when asked about Hot Spot’s non-verdict on a warm Durban day. He said: “I think Hot Spot didn’t work today because it was too hot.”Disappointing Durban
For the first day of such an important match, the small crowd that trickled into Kingsmead was disappointing. If not for dozens of school groups, some of whom ended up playing their own games of cricket on the grass embankment, the stadium would have been inexcusably empty.

India won a Test series in New Zealand after 41 years. Cricinfo runs the rule over those who contributed to the memorable achievement overseas

Sidharth Monga08-Apr-2009Gautam Gambhir removed some question marks over his temperament and batting outside the subcontinent•AFP9
Gautam Gambhir
He set up a win in Hamilton, saved a match that looked lost in Napier, and batted New Zealand out in Wellington – the three main jobs an opener is expected to do. Three ticks in three boxes. In the process, Gambhir also removed a few question marks over his temperament and doubts over his batting outside the subcontinent. He loses out on a perfect 10 because he had a century for the taking in Hamilton, and played a loose shot when on 72.8.5
Harbhajan Singh
The revelation of the tour for India. Harbhajan enjoyed being the lead spinner, taking wickets and also tying one end up for the fast bowlers to do their job from the other. Almost everywhere in New Zealand, one end tended to be more helpful to the pacers. Harbhajan bowled unbroken spells of 23 overs and 17 overs into the Wellington wind, and gave nothing away. The leading wicket-taker in Tests, he had the best bowling average and topped the wicket charts in ODIs too.Zaheer Khan
He got early wickets every time. Hostility, precision, and intelligence all worked for him, resulting in 13 wickets in the Tests. Zaheer crossed 100 wickets outside India, at a better average and strike-rate than any Indian bowler. He promised a five-for in Wellington if the batsmen saved the Napier Test, and delivered, securing the series on the second day of the last Test.8
Sachin Tendulkar
Didn’t disappoint the fans – who thought this could be his last trip to New Zealand – at all. Some of his fluent batting rolled back the years, and reminded of the Tendulkar of the old. He continued from where he left off in the Christchurch ODI – 163 retired hurt – with a 160 in the Hamilton Test. Big scores went uncharacteristically missing, but New Zealand did exceptionally well to escape with 49, 64, 62 and 9 in his last four efforts.7.5
VVS Laxman
Laxman missed out in Hamilton, where India had taken complete control by the time he arrived. But in Napier, all of his artistry was on show. He was disappointed to get out on 71 in the first innings, becoming a part of a collapse. But in the second innings, he scored a hundred that was a perfect blend of caution, fluency, and breathtaking strokeplay. Another half-century in the last Test took his tally to 295 runs at 73.75.Rahul Dravid
Completely shrugged off his poor run of form. He was the most consistent Indian batsman with scores of 66, 8 not out, 83, 62, 35 and 60. It was very unlike Dravid to miss out on so many opportunities to score centuries. He played a poor shot once, which resulted in the collapse in Napier, but was the first to take the blame for it. He made up for it with a dogged half-century in the second innings, where an ordinary umpiring decision robbed him of another century.MS Dhoni
What he brings to the side became glaringly obvious in the Napier Test that he missed. His wicketkeeping and batting at No. 7 were badly missed, apart from his captaincy. It’s tough to put a finger on what difference he makes tactically, but there seemed to be a different level of energy to the team when he was the captain.6
Virender Sehwag
Missed out on explosive starts in Hamilton and Wellington and attracted criticism for shot-selection against spinners two evenings in a row in Napier. Nevertheless Sehwag kept the opening bowlers honest as some of the mental disintegration from the ODIs stayed with Test bowlers as well. He put bowlers off their plan on the fresh Wellington pitch.5.5
Ishant Sharma
Didn’t live up to the high expectations leading into the tour. Ishant struggled in the Wellington wind, but was impressive in Hamilton. Eight wickets at 41.75 wasn’t a fair reflection of the pace and discomfort he managed to create. He just wasn’t consistent enpugh.5
Munaf Patel
The tour was representative of Munaf in general. When he got going in Hamilton, he took more wickets than any fast bowler in the match. When he started to go for runs in Napier, a dropped catch notwithstanding, he looked lethargic and disinterested. Munaf was underused in Wellington, but if he bowls like he did in Hamilton, he could solve the problem of the third seam bowler.4.5
Yuvraj Singh
Undid the good work from the Test series against England. Napier was a situation tailormade for him to make a Test name for himself, but couldn’t survive the new ball. Dropped catches in the slips wouldn’t have helped his confidence. Yuvraj will have to start a new Test innings all over again.

New Zealand’s second-highest Test wicket-taker has just gone past 300, and it’s been a hard, lonely row he’s had to plough

Jamie Alter27-Aug-2009On the afternoon before this Test, as the local media personnel gathered their recorders and microphones from the table on stage, Daniel Vettori turned to the two touring New Zealand journalists and poked one in the elbow. “I can’t believe you didn’t mention me going past Derek Underwood,” he said with a smile, referring to his 298th wicket, which he had taken in Galle.It was a poignant moment, for it almost encapsulated Vettori’s Test career. Slowly and steadily, without the panache, menace and unflappability of the three leading contemporary spin-bowling greats he studied so closely, Vettori has crossed three significant milestones as a New Zealand spinner. His contributions have not always been matched by his numbers. He has had more barren runs than hot streaks. He is unlikely to inspire a generation to turn their left arms over.And yet a day later here he was, the most powerful captain in the world, New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker and run-scorer on tour – in Galle he scored the most runs and took the most wickets – having gone past 300 Test wickets. The first New Zealand spinner to do so.You can’t blame Vettori for wanting to tap you on the shoulder. The last two times he turned over a century landmark it was overshadowed seemingly by more important issues. When he took his 100th Test wicket in Auckland in 2000, the press lapped up how Shane Warne had ended Dennis Lillee’s 16-year reign as Australia’s leading wicket-taker. When Vettori went past 200, in his 63rd Test, in Harare in 2005, those following the match bemoaned the future of Zimbabwean cricket.Yesterday you could sense the anticipation as Vettori brought himself on for the 11th over. The PA announcer reminded the smattering of a crowd that the New Zealand captain was on 298. Vettori struck second ball, drifting one in marginally to Tharanaga Paranavitana, who poked to slip. Wicket no. 299.Vettori had to wait until lunch, in his 16th over, to pass the milestone. When Jacob Oram took a catch off a Kumar Sangakkara slog-sweep, Vettori allowed himself a pump of the fists and a smile. He had spoken of his eagerness to cross his proudest individual achievement: “There’s nothing worse than lingering around milestones.”Vettori’s achievement is remarkable, considering its historical context – before him there had only been one Zealand spinner to take 100 Test wickets, John Bracewell. Vettori admitted to two ambitions early in his career, first 100 wickets and then 100 Tests. He has knocked one of them over by some way. The second is just six games away. Along the way he endured massive drops of form and two seasons with severe back stress-fractures. The puffy red cheeks turned slimmer, the hairstyles changed, there was even a beard. The focus has stayed constant.A good thing too, for he has had to battle the odds. Spin bowlers need support, but Vettori has not always had it. His accuracy has been unwavering, but a lack of back-up has hampered his variety and penetration. He has rarely had enough runs to work with to showcase his true worth, and New Zealand’s fast bowlers have all too often failed to strike at the top, forcing him into defence instead of attack. Despite being gifted with an innate understanding of his fields, Vettori has had to persist in bowling line and length instead of taking risks such as tossing the ball up and experimenting with catchers.

Too many times he’s had to rely on the stock spinner and arm ball. Instead of running through lower orders he has frequently had to wear them down. Too often he has had to attack with a nugget instead of a rock

The ability to land the ball on a dime is perhaps the fundamental attribute Test cricket’s best wicket-takers share, and Vettori, though gifted in that area, is far from great. Circumstances have forced him to bowl with the weight of the world seemingly on shoulders. That he as captain has won New Zealand just one Test with the ball – against Bangladesh – is indicative of the lack of depth in the team’s attack.Too many times he’s had to rely on the stock spinner and arm ball. Instead of running through lower orders he has frequently had to wear them down. Too often he has had to attack with a nugget instead of a rock. A higher trajectory has often tempted batsmen to hit him straight. There were injuries that necessitated a change in action, which resulted in a loss of form and confidence. He has gone through lean spells, most notably three years without a five-wicket haul, and there have been occasions on which he has failed to cash in on tailormade surfaces. That helps explain why the bowling average isn’t so hot.Vettori has been a more destructive force in limited-overs cricket, where the spells are far shorter and he has not had to carry the attack over one or two days. In fact, he was one of the leaders, after Sri Lanka’s array of spinners, in proving that spin had a role in 50-over cricket. He has mastered the art of varying his pace and length in the one-day game, and has repeatedly been able to staunch runs in the middle overs, while taking wickets. Vettori himself has admitted he gets more chances in ODIs for wickets, with fielders in spots where he wouldn’t have them in Tests. He is New Zealand’s leading one-day bowler, with 233 wickets. In Twenty20 internationals he is third on the world wicket-takers’ list, with 25 from 16 games at an economy of 5.50 and strike-rate of 15.30.Vettori is one of the few captains in the current game saddled with the pressure of contributing with bat and ball. But he’s fine with that. “It’s my role to deliver as a bowler, but also to try and chip in other ways,” he said. Rankled by his batting stats in Tests, he went back to the nets and slogged; the result was a string of consistent scores that upped his average. “I think five or six years ago I was pretty embarrassed about my Test batting record. I wanted to rectify it,” he said. “I enjoy it and take a lot of fun out of batting in the middle order and being successful at it. I have to select and lead the team and the runs I contribute are a bonus.”Ah yes, selection. After the radical developments of last Sunday, Vettori has become the most powerful captain around. Martin Crowe has expressed concern Vettori will suffer burnout in his new role, but the man himself didn’t see it that way. “It’s a role that I’ve been performing anyway, so I don’t think it adds to my workload,” he said. “I have to deliver my thoughts and argue them and they’ll have a lot more merit. I’m looking forward to it.”The man ahead of him on New Zealand’s bowling list, Sir Richard Hadlee, with 431 wickets, was a workhorse who lifted his side to unprecedented feats in Test cricket and had a knighthood bestowed upon him for services to the game. Asked in England last summer if 432 was an ambition, Vettori reckoned that going at his current rate he’d have to play 130 or 140 Tests and that he had other things he wanted to tick first.He’s ticked a massive one, and undoubtedly wants to tick a drawn series over the next four days. Maybe this time he will find a helping hand.