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A stats preview of the five-match ODI series between India and Australia

Bharath Seervi11-Jan-20160 Number of bilateral ODI series between India and Australia in Australia. All the ODIs played by India in Australia have been part of series or tournaments of three or more teams only.10-31 India’s win-loss record in ODIs against Australia in Australia, which includes a streak of 11 consecutive losses against the hosts ending in 2004. In their last 11 complete ODIs, India have won four matches which include the two finals of the Commonwealth Bank Series of 2007-08. India’s win-loss ratio of 0.363 against Australia in Australia in ODIs since 2000 is their second worst against host countries.14 Consecutive ODIs without defeat for Australia at home since November 2014. Their last defeat was to South Africa at the WACA on November 16, 2014.3 Bilateral ODI series defeats for Australia at home in 17 series’ since 2000. Their losses came against: Pakistan (1-2) in 2002, South Africa (1-4) in 2008-09 and Sri Lanka (1-2) in 2010-11.They have won ten series’ and four have been drawn.1 Centuries by India batsmen against Australia in Australia in the last eight ODIs, since 2008. The only hundred was by Rohit Sharma, who made 138 at the MCG in January 2015. However, there were three hundreds in six matches by India batsmen in the 2015 World Cup at Australian venues.57.06 Rohit Sharma’s average against Australia in ODIs, his best against any Test-playing team. He has scored three centuries against them: 209, 141* and 138. Sri Lanka are the only other team against whom he has made two centuries in ODIs.169 Runs required by Virat Kohli to complete 7000 ODI runs. If he gets there in this five-match series, he will become the quickest to the landmark beating AB de Villiers who did it in 166 innings. Kohli has 6831 runs in 158 innings.135 Runs needed by Aaron Finch in two innings to become the joint-fastest Australia batsman to 2000 ODI runs. He has 1865 runs in 50 innings. Currently, the fastest Australia batsman to 2000 ODI runs is David Boon, who took 52 innings to reach the mark. Finch averages 45.87 against India in eight innings with four half-centuries and a best of 96.

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2016… but was soon bemused at being removed from the attack for running on the wicket•Getty ImagesAlex Hales fell early when he edged Kagiso Rabada to slip•Getty ImagesRabada was a constant threat in a fine new-ball spell•AFPHardus Viljoen enjoyed the moment of the day when he removed Alastair Cook with his first ball in Test cricket•Getty ImagesCook’s lean series continued as he was once again caught down the leg-side•Getty ImagesNick Compton began with his usual watchfulness, allied to an eye for a scoring opportunity•Getty Images… but he played one shot too many when edging Rabada to slip for 26•Getty ImagesJames Taylor’s skittish innings of 7 included one shot in which he lost hold of his bat•AFP… Temba Bavuma retrieved it for him from square leg•Getty ImagesJoe Root led England’s fightback with a brilliant unbeaten hundred•Getty ImagesRoot added 111 in 15.5 overs for the fifth wicket with Ben Stokes•Getty ImagesStokes had to fend off a sharp spell from Morne Morkel•Getty ImagesHe eventually fell for 58 from 54 balls as Morkel claimed a leading edge•Getty ImagesRoot’s hundred was his ninth in Test cricket, and an invaluable contribution•Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2016Martin Guptill looked in good form before he holed out to deep cover for 31•Getty ImagesKane Williamson, though, kept the runs coming with another solid fifty•Getty ImagesAdam Zampa, on debut, chipped away at the middle order with the wickets of Williamson and Grant Elliott•Getty ImagesNew Zealand collapsed soon after, and were reduced to 205 for 7•Getty ImagesMitchell Santner added a useful 39-ball 45 to guide the hosts to a score of 281 for 9•Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja started the chase in sprightly fashion and struck his first ODI fifty•Getty ImagesKhawaja and Warner smashed a 122-run opening stand in 98 balls•Getty ImagesHowever, the game turned again as New Zealand roared back into the game with quick wickets•Getty ImagesDavid Warner looked set for a ton before he was given out lbw on review for 98•Getty ImagesMitchell Marsh and John Hastings then combined for a 86-run seventh-wicket stand to calmly take Australia to a series-levelling win•Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2016He progressed steadily until edging Dasun Shanaka to give the allrounder his maiden Test wicket•AFPIt was a memorable moment for Shanaka, who was the fifth bowler used by Angelo Mathews•Getty ImagesThat was just the start for Shanaka, too, as he quickly added Nick Compton and Joe Root for ducks•Getty ImagesRoot had to leave without scoring on his homeground•Getty ImagesAlex Hales held firm during the morning and moved to a half-century in the afternoon•Getty ImagesBy then, however, he had lost James Vince on debut who edged to slip•Getty ImagesAnd Ben Stokes chipped a catch to mid-on•Getty ImagesShaminda Eranga celebrates his dismissal of Vince•Getty ImagesHales reaped the rewards for his early hard work as he scored with increasing fluency•Getty ImagesAnd he moved to his second Test fifty•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow played with freedom from the start and reached a 60-ball half-century•Getty Images

Plays of the day from the first ODI between Zimbabwe and India at the Harare Sports Club

Karthik Krishnaswamy11-Jun-2016The dropJasprit Bumrah had taken a wicket in his second over, skidding one on from just back of a length to bowl the leaden-footed Chamu Chibhabha. Now, starting his fourth over with figures of 3-2-2-1, he angled one across the left-handed Craig Ervine, pitching it on the perfect length. It was full, inviting the batsman forward, but not full enough to drive. Ervine took the bait, and edged thickly, straight into the lap of KL Rahul at second slip, and straight out, as he grabbed at the ball instead of letting it come to him.The delayed free-hitThe drop did not affect Bumrah’s outward composure – barely anything changes his placid expression – but perhaps it affected him inwardly, and he overstepped while bowling his next ball. Then, running in to deliver a free-hit, he sent down a massive leg-side wide, which left a diving MS Dhoni sprawled helplessly as the ball ran away to the boundary.The actual free-hitBumrah ran in again, and delivered a length ball. Ervine slogged, looking to hit over midwicket, and only managed a thick edge that swirled high in the air, dropping towards Barinder Sran rushing in from fine leg. Sran positioned himself under the ball, steadied himself, and let the ball slip through his fingers.Chibhabha v RayuduThe last time India toured Zimbabwe, Chibhabha was the home side’s best performer with the bat: he scored 157 runs at 52.33 in three ODIs, and 90 at 45.00 in two T20s. Rather more unexpectedly, he was also one of their brightest sparks with the ball, picking up four wickets at 26.75 in the ODI series. He came on in the 10th over of India’s innings on Saturday, and beat KL Rahul with his first ball. He kept finding late swing away from the right-handers, and in his second over he had Ambati Rayudu in plenty of bother. He kept pitching it just back of a length, and found a bit of extra bounce to go with the away movement. He beat Rayudu’s outside edge twice in succession, and then, after Rayudu managed to get forward to a slightly fuller one and block it, beat him again, opening him up completely.

One of only three to play 100 ODIs after the age of 35, Tillakaratne Dilshan’s performances only improved with age

Shiva Jayaraman27-Aug-2016Less than two months short of his 40th birthday, Tillakaratne Dilshan will make his last appearance in ODIs for Sri Lanka on Sunday. Dilshan finishes his career as one of only 11 batsmen with 10,000 ODI runs. His career spanned nearly 17 years and he is one of only two players – the other being Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik – to have played in ODIs this year having made his debut in this format before the turn of the century.Sri Lanka are looking for established openers in time for the next World Cup and Dilshan, being no spring chicken, obviously doesn’t figure in their plans, but his batting form over the last few years does suggest he may have had a few miles left in him yet.The year 2015 was a particularly productive one for Dilshan: he made 1207 runs – the most he has made in a calendar year – at an average of 52.47 and a strike rate of 90.75. No other Sri Lanka batsman has managed more runs in ODIs in a calendar year when averaging more than 50 and striking at a rate of at least 90 per 100 balls. And 2015 was no flash in the pan for Dilshan: he aggregated 1000-plus ODI runs in 2012 and 2013 as well, and fell short of that mark by only ten runs in 2014. Dilshan is one of only five batsmen have made 1000-plus runs in a calendar year after the age of 35, and he is the only one to have done so thrice. Kumar Sangakkara is the only other batsman to have managed this in more than one year.

Between December 2014 and March 2015 Dilshan had a run of 15 innings in which he made 996 runs at an average of 71.14. He hit five hundreds and three fifties in those innings against five different opponents. No other Sri Lanka batsman – barring the inimitable Kumar Sangakkara, who himself had an even more productive streak that overlapped Dilshan’s – has had a more prolific run.

Advancing age was hardly ever a debilitating factor in Dilshan’s career. It took about nine years for him to cement his place in the ODI side as an opener, by which time he was already 32. From the start of 2009 – when he started to open regularly in ODIs – to the end of the 2011 World Cup, Dilshan made 2462 runs at an average of 53.52. He notched up nine hundreds and eight fifties in 50 innings in that period before a brief slump in the latter half of 2011 saw him score only 279 in 16 innings at an average of 17.43. Well into his 36th year, Dilshan hit his straps again during the tri-series in Australia when he top-scored in the series with 513 runs at an average of 51.3. Since turning 35, Dilshan has made 4632 runs at 45.86; in 112* innings he has made 12 hundreds and 24 fifties – a fifty-plus score every third innings. Before 35, he had averaged ten runs fewer and had hit a fifty-plus score every six innings.

In fact, Dilshan’s last 100 ODI innings have fetched him 4264 runs at an average of 47.91. He has made 34 fifty-plus scores (one in every three innings) including 12 centuries in those innings. Only Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar managed more runs than him in their last 100 ODI innings and only three others – Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson – managed to score 4000 runs. However, among the six, Dilshan is the only batsman to have played all of his last 100 innings after the age of 35 – an age by which a cricketer’s reflexes and fitness are sternly tested by the rigours of the modern one-day game.

Sri Lanka’s decision to look for a younger opener to take Dilshan’s place ahead of the next World Cup may be a sound one, but his replacement will have some big shoes to fill: the batsman he will replace is the only one from Sri Lanka to top the run charts in any World Cup.11 Number of batsmen who have made 10,000-plus runs in ODIs. Dilshan has made 10,248 runs including 22 hundreds and 47 fifties. Only seven batsmen have hit more hundreds in ODIs.1 Number of captains to have hit hundreds in all three formats of the game. Dilshan achieved this distinction when he made an unbeaten 104* against Australia in a T20I in Pallekele in 2011. He had made 193 at Lord’s in only his second Test as captain and a hundred against Zimbabwe in 2010 in the finals of a ODI tri-series. Dilshan is also one of only 11 batsmen to hit a hundred in each of the three international formats in cricket.1 Number of Sri Lanka batsmen to finish as the highest run-scorer at any World Cup. Dilshan was the one in the 2011 edition when he made 500 runs at 62.50, hitting two hundreds and two fifties including a century in the quarter-final against England and a fifty in the semi-final against New Zealand. Dilshan was a key batsman in Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign in 2015 as well, scoring 395 runs at an average of 65.83 including two hundreds and one fifty in seven innings. Overall, Dilshan made 1112 runs in the World Cups at 52.95 including four hundreds and four fifties from 25 innings.65.83 Dilshan’s batting average as an opener in the World Cup – the second best for any opener with a minimum of 500 runs. Only Glenn Turner who made 519 runs at an average of 64.87 did better than Dilshan as an opener in the tournament. Dilshan’s four hundreds while opening in the World Cup are also the joint second-highest along with Mark Waugh’s. Only Sachin Tendulkar hit more centuries in the tournament as an opener.5 Number of players who have achieved the double of 10,000 runs and 100 wickets in ODIs. In addition to his 10,248 runs, Dilshan has taken 106 wickets, bowling his offspin. Sanath Jayasuriya is the other Sri Lanka player among the five.25 Man-of-the-match awards won by Dilshan in ODIs. Sanath Jayasuriya (48), Kumar Sangakkara (31) and Aravinda de Silva (30) are the only Sri Lanka players to have won more. Click here for a list of players with most Man-of-the-match awards in ODIs.329* Matches played by Dilshan in his ODI career. Only 11 players have had a longer career in terms of number of matches played. At 16 years and 258 days it is also one of the longest in terms of time span.*

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2016He was well supported by Evin Lewis in a 126-run opening stand off just 57 deliveries•BCCILewis went into overdrive after Charles’ dismissal, bringing up a century off 48 balls in a knock that included five fours and nine sixes•BCCIAndre Russell, Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite all chipped in with handy cameos…•BCCI…but West Indies lost five wickets and managed just 46 runs in their last five overs to finish with a still-commanding 245•BCCIRohit Sharma did the early running with a dazzling 62 off 28 that helped India weather the early wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli•BCCIAfter Rohit’s exit, KL Rahul carried India’s chase with an unbeaten 110 off 51, in which he struck 12 fours and five sixes•BCCIRahul and MS Dhoni took India to the brink of victory with eight runs required off the last over, bowled by Dwayne Bravo•BCCIBut Bravo used his cunning variations to good effect, having Dhoni caught at short third man off the last ball to seal a thrilling one-run win for West Indies•BCCI

From the emergence of Jayant Yadav and Karun Nair to Virat Kohli’s stunning new heights, ESPNcricinfo rates India’s players after their 4-0 win over England

Alagappan Muthu21-Dec-20162:12

Who is India’s MVP?

9

Virat Kohli
There were many feats he performed over the past six weeks – hitting grubbers to the boundary in Visakhapatnam, and scoring nearly 60 percent of what the entire England team managed in Mumbai. It’s the attitude that makes him as good as he is. He loves a fight, and when he is in the middle of one, he seems to have the time of his life. On the final day in Rajkot, with India facing the possibility of losing the first match of the series, a ball from left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari burst out of the pitch and went past his right shoulder into the wicketkeeper’s hands. Kohli had a mischievous little grin on his face and turned to the square leg umpire to make a signal for one bouncer for the over. He hasn’t quite faced a side, or conditions that undermine India’s strengths yet, and may still be learning as a captain – odd as that is to say after he’s led the team through an unprecedented 18 Tests without a defeat.R Ashwin
A strong stock delivery. A host of variations. No shortage of confidence. And more than happy to indulge in mind games. There was a legspinner who used to do all that. Ashwin seems to be doing his best to fill the void. “I’m looking forward to try and play on his confusion,” he said of Ben Duckett the day before dismissing him a third successive time and forcing him out of the XI. If a 22-year-old, playing his second series may not have been the toughest opponent, how about the man tipped for the England captaincy? Ashwin got Joe Root with dip in the second Test, when he had gone well past fifty, and with drift in Mumbai. The surface was not needed for any of those dismissals. The deception was all in the air. Bodes well for when he travels outside. Became the first Indian to score 300 runs and take 25 wickets in a series.

8

Ravindra Jadeja
Often, the praise he gets is tinged with a sense that it won’t last. He had Michael Clarke’s number in 2013. He had Alastair Cook’s number in 2016. And the critics are still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Zips through his overs. Retains his discipline whether it is his first ball of the day or the last one. The batsman gets no respite. Additionally, in this series, he has shown a willingness to toss the ball up more, thereby gaining drift and dip. Keaton Jennings’ dismissal during the Chennai collapse was a prime example of how this new-found skill enhances his threat. The batsman came down the track, but the ball weaved away in the air, forcing him to check his shot and pop a return catch. Jadeja’s 90 in Mohali also featured all the characteristics of a top-order batsman, and his catch in Chennai to dismiss Jonny Bairstow was comfortably the kind that kept getting better with each viewing.

7

Cheteshwar Pujara
Marked the first time his father came to see him play for India live with a century. It also contributed to India staying afloat despite England putting up 537 on the board. Followed it up with another ton in Visakhapatnam. Responded to the team asking him to show more intent. Seemed at ease though he is playing only one format and as such has to go through long periods without international cricket. Was troubled by the bouncer, though, and the old weakness of his – playing around straight balls – hasn’t been cut out of his game yet. It was, however, masked by the patience he showed against the quicks, and the skill with which he dominated the spinners.M Vijay
The mental strength he has is readily apparent, for he has a game that demands high levels of concentration: leaving countless balls outside off stump while waiting for the right one to put away. In Mumbai, he used a part of that to overcome a perceived weakness. After a century in Rajkot, it seemed like Vijay was not dealing with lifters well. He responded by scoring 136 in Mumbai to make sure England do not get a lead despite making 400. Of course, the Wankhede pitch was awful for the seamers, but there was plenty of spin, and Vijay is remarkable at handling that. He steps down the track late, and yet gets to the pitch of the ball quickly. And the hit is clean more often than not. He put the pressure back on Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, and they buckled. Since they were the only two spinners in the team, England buckled too.Karun Nair
One innings does make all the difference. He was a replacement player – getting his chance only because Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were injured – but his 303 not out might just make his among the first names put down on the team sheet in the next Test. Granted the innings was played on perhaps the best batting track of the series, but Nair did have other things to worry about. There were notions that even if he made a hundred, he might end up losing his place because he was not among India’s first-choice options in the middle order. By turning that into a triple, he has forced the selectors, if not to vote in his favour, to at least feel awkward when not doing so.Karun Nair has given Kohli a selection headache with his triple century•AFP

6

Jayant Yadav
“You might see some surprises,” Kohli said the day before Jayant made his debut, and an impression so strong that he became part of the first-choice XI. His athleticism helped India make the incision they wanted, and England’s blockathon fell away after that. There appear to be no tricks to his bowling, but he did castle Ben Stokes with a ripping offbreak that was almost too good to be true. A high-arm action allows him to extract more bounce than the opposition expects. A very capable lower-order batsman, he became the first Indian to hit a century at No. 9. Could become a regular feature when India play at home.KL Rahul
It may be hard to erase the sight of him on his knees, horror in his eyes, trudging back to the dressing room in Chennai. The disappointment was understandable – he had fallen on 199 – but it dissipated soon enough as he took the catch that set off England’s final innings collapse, racing away from leg slip to square leg in celebration. He admitted that it was “tough” being in and out of the side; “tough” that he kept getting injured. But when he is fit and firing, Rahul appears to have incorporated just enough of the one-day game to be an excellent foil to Vijay and Pujara at the top of the order.Parthiv Patel
For someone who hadn’t played for India in eight years, at times, he was doing some very important jobs. Stepped up to open when the specialists were injured, and did so after keeping wicket for over 150 overs in Chennai. Earned the approval of his captain, and perhaps a long-term presence in the squad moving forward. Missed out on a maiden century, playing an unnecessary shot. Could be sharper behind the stumps.Mohammed Shami Would have been rated higher had his body held up. Bowled the ball of the series to break Cook’s off stump in the second Test. Later derived reverse swing – with the second new ball when it was only seven overs old. Clearly India’s No. 1 fast bowler. Emphasis on the fast because he has often hit the mid 140 kph. One of the main reasons why the experts think India’s quicks outbowled England’s in the series.

4

Umesh Yadav
Good in spurts. Would have got a five-for in the first innings in Mohali but for a dreadful morning when India dropped three catches. Is always in the XI on pitches that are unhelpful because he has raw pace and can make the old ball hoop around. But becomes surplus when conditions are ripe for swing and seam because of his problems with consistency.

3

Ajinkya Rahane
His first dismal series since his debut in 2013. His wicket on the final day in Rajkot – cutting against the turn – gave England hope of an unlikely win. Fell to the second new ball late on the opening day in Visakhapatnam and bagged his first duck in over a year in Mohali. Was injured before he could play his first Test at home in Mumbai. Remains India’s first choice at No. 5 though, considering in each of the nine previous series, at home and abroad, he made at least one score of 90-plusWriddhiman Saha
Looked uneasy as a batsman – as he normally does at the start of every innings. Seemed a little vulnerable behind the stumps too. Fluffed opportunities in Rajkot – Ben Stokes, who scored a century, was dropped twice and survived a stumping chance in Visakhapatnam too. Both the management and the pundits back him to regain his form, but he would know the competitionAmit Mishra
Skillful legspinner. But he struggles on slow surfaces and may well have slipped down the line to his Haryana team-mate Jayant. Did well on the last day in Chennai to keep the pressure up and unveiled a lovely googly to dismiss Liam Dawson for a duck. More was expected of him.Balls such as the one from Mohammed Shami that splintered Alastair Cook’s off-stump showed the upswing in India’s fast bowling•Associated Press

One Test

Gautam Gambhir (29 runs at 14.50)
Did well on the second day in Rajkot to help India go to stumps unscathed and then mount their charge. But a dreadful lbw dismissal in the second innings, getting into a tangle and falling across to a full, straight delivery, left him open to the axe.Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Like some of his team-mates, who play in only one format, he seems to be needed only when the pitch and overhead conditions are in favour of fast bowlers. Came in for the Mumbai Test and didn’t make quite the impact he would have liked.Ishant Sharma
Took a wicket in the third over of his return. Has learned to bowl a fuller length to make himself more of a threat. But again, on unhelpful pitches, he goes out of favour and the outright fast bowlers come in.

Rahul Dravid and Mark Ramprakash talk about what goes into coaching players at the Under-19 level

Nikhil Kalro05-Feb-2017It is the eve of England Under-19s’ five-match Youth ODI series in India. On a practice pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, two left-arm spinners are being put through their paces. Liam Patterson-White and Louis Shaw, both 18, have played second-eleven cricket for Nottinghamshire and Surrey respectively. In a little over an hour, they bowl close to 10 overs each – some deliveries are too full, some short, some are either too slow or too quick, and some even land perfectly at the right pace.On an adjacent pitch, an England batsman is facing throw-downs from a member of the support staff. He is informed of the field set for him: “a mid-off, cover, point, a sweeper cover, third man, mid-on, deep square leg and fine leg.” A slip is belatedly added. A few crisp drives into the net and a couple of false strokes ensue, including a badly-timed pull that finds the imaginary mid-on fielder.There is plenty of talent in these nets, but a lot of it is raw talent. What goes into turning these bright teenagers into consistent, successful players at a higher level?”It’s important for me not to forget how young they are and how little cricket they’ve played,” England’s batting coach Mark Ramprakash, who is in India with the Under-19s squad, says. “The simple things that we take for granted, you have to remember that they may not know that. Coaching is a balance of supporting them, telling them what they’ve done well, but also asking the right questions to where they can improve.”As soon as the batsmen come in, they’re talking about their dismissal, which I don’t like. I want to know what they’ve done well.”Ramprakash, who has never coached at this level before, says there isn’t too much of a difference between coaching the senior team and the Under-19s.”It’s a similar task and a similar style. With the senior team, I don’t give my opinion too much unless I’m invited. If they say ‘what do you think’, then I’ll give my opinion but otherwise I’m trying help them think about their game and how they want to play in different situations.”A lot of the players now are mature in the way they carry themselves. They are open-minded, level-headed, and that impressed me because the youngsters weren’t like this 15-20 years ago. There’s a lot of support, almost parenting in a way because they are young.”The emphasis is to meet halfway – the player must give and the coach must give. I try to build a friendly relationship between the players where they can feel open and confident in talking to the coach. As a player, that two-way relationship was never established with any coach in my England career.”As the series wears on, you begin to see the players improve subtly. In the first two ODIs, the India Under-19s opener Shubman Gill is dismissed as a result of hard hands through the line of the ball. In the third ODI, he plays the ball a lot later and strikes a match-winning 138.Gill’s coach Rahul Dravid is in charge of the Under-19s as well as the India A side. The two roles, Dravid says, are slightly different.”You’re looking at skills and temperament. To identify the pitfalls for them at a higher level,” he says. “For example, if one of the boys looks good here, but you tell him, “if you don’t improve in these areas, you will have a problem in the Ranji Trophy”, making them aware of that. They don’t play fast bowling, short bowling as much, we try to give them exposure of that here. It’s a little more technical here compared with India A. Here you intervene. Here you have time. I tell them it doesn’t matter where you are now, it matters where you are at the end of the cycle.”Rahul Dravid, the India Under-19s coach, would prefer his players failing and learning from it rather than succeeding and not reflecting upon it•PTI In the England Under-19s’ camp, both coach Andy Hurry and Ramprakash stress on the importance of inculcating the basics at this level, since the players’ instincts aren’t as developed as at more senior levels.”If people have good technique, they have a method of play that repeats,” Ramprakash says. “Some of the Indian top-order players, technically, they’re very good, they have a good stance, balanced, orthodox, good grip, pick the bat up. It looks in sync and so it repeats. So you’re more likely to be successful. That technical input is important at an early age to find that technique. With the first team, I find myself talking little about technique, more tactical.”If you have good basics, you can succeed at any level. In trying to produce an international cricketer, you have to have the basics that work at first-class level. You still need to be able to score at the first-class level, where there may be less pace, otherwise you may not get to the international level. In training, we want to expose the boys to challenging practice, pushing them in terms of pace, the method of playing accurate spin bowling.”Dravid is insistent that players learn, imbibe and reflect at this level, rather than focus on results or creating a winning habit. He has also broadened India’s pool of Under-19s, creating an environment for studying the game and taking those lessons to whichever level the players go on to next.”As long as they learn, I don’t care about much else,” Dravid says. “Even if you fail, if you go back with the right feedback, you’re better off than having succeeded and not reflected on it. I was at an Under-17 camp and Hanumant Singh used to tell me, “don’t focus on results at this stage, focus on developing your career”. I feel so similarly about this.”The more they fail, as long as they reflect upon it and recognise these are the shortcomings and this is what you need to improve on. That’s our job, to make them aware of the things they need to work on and become better players. No magic pill; I can’t give them a formula that will make them successful. It’s up to them to go back and put in the work.”Even if some of them don’t make it to the [Under-19] World Cup, I want them to feel they’ve had an opportunity in and around the group. And they’ve got some level of feedback, exposure at this level so that it can only benefit them when they go back to play.”

The Indian captain did not find the fluency with which he usually scores his runs, but he stayed the course and took his team through to a big finish

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston04-Jun-2017Virat Kohli punched his gloved hands hard and let out a shriek. The India captain had just hit Hasan Ali for a six over long-on. It was his first hit over the boundary. The shot, which came three overs before India’s innings ended, brought Kohli his half-century. Kohli, however, was in no mood to celebrate.Yuvraj Singh walked up and put an arm around Kohli’s helmet, like an elder brother. Almost hugging him, Yuvraj tapped Kohli’s shoulder and asked him not to get too bothered. Kohli hit his pads hard with his bat. He was releasing his pent-up frustration. It was an expression of how things had nearly gone awry for India in the middle overs.Both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma took off smoothly but left the safety belt on a little longer than they should have. Such caution is the basis of the Dhawan-Rohit partnership. It looks good when at least one of them converts the start into a big score. Today fell for half centuries.Dhawan was more free-flowing of the two, but he made a mistake while trying to hit a full toss over deep midwicket. The onus was now on Rohit to carry forward the momentum. This was Rohit’s first match for India since returning from a thigh injury he picked up in October. Having survived the opening spell of Mohammad Amir, who troubled him with away-going deliveries, Rohit steadily hit his straps. He passed fifty with a six over deep midwicket off legspinner Shadab Khan.But the grim, overcast conditions and the on-and-off drizzle that disrupted play annoyed the Indians. The two rain breaks also slowed the outfield. Under normal circumstances, Rohit and Kohli may have played with more freedom. Here, they had to check their drives.This phase coincided with the Pakistan bowlers, especially Amir and Hasan, keeping things tight. Between overs 22 and 35, India could manage just three boundaries and 55 runs. Rohit did not hit any.On 74, Rohit played a casual drive away from his body against a slower delivery from Hasan. He was lucky to get away with it because the ball died well before the fielder at mid-off could charge in. He also struggled with his running between the wickets and a mix-up with Kohli eventually cost him his wicket.Until then, India had played old-school cricket: keeping wickets in hands, scoring at a steady pace, and waiting for the end to accelerate. Although he was sluggish by his own standards, Kohli realised the need to stay till the finish. He had to take risks, but calculated ones.Virat Kohli’s flourish ensured India made up for a middle-overs stutter•Getty ImagesThe presence of Yuvraj gave him a second wind. Yuvraj had sized up the situation. The first ball he faced was a 92mph bouncer from Wahab Riaz, and Yuvraj ducked under it nicely. He got his eye in quickly and took charge. His electric half-century transformed the flow of play. It also allowed Kohli to relax a little and have a laugh at the other end.Immediately after he got to 50, Kohli dug out an off-stump yorker to the third-man boundary. It was a no-ball. Having read the free-hit delivery quickly, Kohli played one of his favourite strokes: the bat came down swiftly and the early pick-up ensured the flick sent the ball flying to the midwicket boundary. His confidence was soaring and Wahab was left standing mid-pitch with his hands on his hips.With eight balls to go, Hasan bowled a yorker. The big expanse behind cover was not lost on Kohli and he fluently punched the ball for four. Hasan responded with a near-perfect yorker on off stump. Kohli stood his ground and with a straight bat and straight elbow, hit a powerful drive that flew high over the cover boundary for another six.It was a stunning stroke to play in any form of cricket; Kohli’s high elbow, his elegant follow through and balance were the standout features of the shot. Hasan dug in another yorker. Kohli played it out before tapping his bat to acknowledge the bowler’s efforts.On the eve of this match, Kohli was asked how he managed to maintain his intensity despite performing the high-pressure roles of leading India and being a match-winner.”It’s just that captaincy gives you much more responsibility on the field,” Kohli had said. “And handling your players on and off the field is something that captaincy requires. It’s a big skill to have. And that’s something that I’m focusing on more rather than putting myself under pressure. I’m just trying to make sure that all the guys are in a good mindset and they’re feeling confident about their skills.”At different times on Sunday, Kohli patted his batting partners – Rohit, Yuvraj and Hardik Pandya – and encouraged them to express themselves. He did not show emotions when the India started sedately, and did not show show distress when Kedar Jadhav misfielded and then dropped a catch.As he gains experience as a leader, Kohli is beginning to understand that he does not need to be at the forefront of everything. He understands that if he can be the spark that ignites India’s intensity, his job is done.