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ESPNcricinfo previews the 2nd match of IPL 2012 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils in Kolkata

The Preview by Sidharth Monga04-Apr-2012

Match facts

Thursday, April 5, Kolkata
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Fun and games can wait•AFP

Big picture

They are team-mates, opening partners and friends, but on Thursday, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will knock gloves only at the toss, and will proceed to lead their respective IPL sides against each other. Personally, and internationally, if you were to take out Sehwag’s ODI double-century, the duo has had an ordinary time of it. Gambhir hasn’t scored a Test century in two years; Sehwag last managed one in November 2010. In that regard this could be a no-win situation: if they do really well as captains here, it won’t make any difference to their current standing in international cricket, but failure will add up.Sehwag’s team, Delhi Daredevils, knows failure well from last year when they finished last. Kolkata Knight Riders’ upswing under Gambhir, though, took them to the fourth spot. Daredevils, who have more ground to make, will have to do without Mahela Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen and David Warner for the first few games, which will be a challenge. Knight Riders are more settled in that regard, and should start as favourites, especially given the home advantage of a traditionally tacky surface.

Players to watch

Australia may or may not be relieved at his absence in the Test series, but Knight Riders are sure elated with their new acquisition, the all-sorts fingerspinner from Trinidad, Sunil Narine. His economy-rate of under five and average of under 15 speak for themselves.Daredevils have tapped the West Indies Twenty20 freelance market to their advantage too, acquiring the services of the explosive allrounder Andre Russell. Like with Narine, there is no point holding back Russell either.

2011 head-to-head

Knight Riders and Daredevils played each other just once last year. Manoj Tiwary’s 61 off 47 balls took Knight Riders to 148. Daredevils never came to terms with the slowness of the Kotla surface, and lost by 17.

Stats and trivia

Rajasthan Royals’ batting fired collectively to break a run of four consecutive losses and consign Kings XI Punjab to their fourth defeat in five home games this season

The Report by Abhishek Purohit05-May-2012Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShane Watson scored a quick 36 and took two wickets•AFP

Rajasthan Royals’ batting fired collectively to break a run of four consecutive losses and consign Kings XI Punjab to their fourth defeat in five home games this season. Royals blazed away at the start after Rahul Dravid chose to bat on a greenish pitch, slowed down in the middle and picked up the pace at the death to post the highest total at Mohali this season.Their bowlers kept the home batsmen under pressure from the outset, and at no stage did Kings XI threaten to chase successfully, something which had been achieved in the four previous games at Mohali.Royals’ batsmen had been guilty recently of easing off after strong starts to post inadequate scores. Just when it looked today that the flurry of boundaries upfront from Dravid and Shane Watson would dissipate into another middling total, Brad Hodge and Johan Botha cracked 27 off the last two overs to ensure Royals finished close to the 180-mark which they were aiming for.When Dravid and Watson were pounding the Kings XI attack in their contrasting styles, Royals would have eyed 200. The duo took control after the in-form Ajinkya Rahane fell early to Ryan Harris. Dravid, enjoying the pace and bounce on the true pitch, launched an array of orthodox strokes, clipping and cover-driving Harris for three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over. Watson did it his way, powering Parvinder Awana down the ground for two fours and a six in consecutive balls in the sixth.The stand was worth 69 off 39 deliveries by the time Watson mishit Piyush Chawla to long-off. Dravid had already started to slow down. After breezing to 27 off 16, he managed 19 off the next 23 before slicing a drive off Harris to third man.Ashok Menaria, batting ahead of Hodge and Botha, hit Chawla for consecutive sixes, but could not capitalise on a dropped catch when on 29, to fall for 34 off 27. From 76 for 1 in the eighth over, Royals had meandered to 133 for 4 after 16.Hodge and Botha, though, were around for a final push. Azhar Mahmood was taken for 16 in the penultimate over and Harris, despite taking two more wickets, conceded 11 in the 20th.Faced with a stiff asking-rate right from the start, Kings XI needed Shaun Marsh and David Hussey to contribute. Watson began with a wicket-maiden, getting rid of Mandeep Singh.Shaun Tait, playing his first game of the season, proved difficult to score off with his combination of extreme pace, late swing and rare accuracy. With the overseas bowlers difficult to get away, Hussey tried to go after Siddharth Trivedi in the eighth over but only mishit a pull for Hodge to take a fine sliding catch running in from long-on.A thin line-up meant Marsh was Kings XI’s only realistic hope left, but he departed in the next over, stepping out to Botha but just managing to york himself. The asking-rate was almost eleven by this time, and long before formalities ended, Royals had ensured they would remain afloat this season.

Dennis Lillee quits MRF Pace Foundation, ending a 25-year association

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2012Former Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee has decided to end to his association with the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, citing his desire to “not travel anymore”. He will oversee two more training camps, before ending his 25-year association with the fast-bowling academy.”It wasn’t an easy call. But then, one of the main reasons behind this decision is that I don’t want to travel anymore,” Lillee was quoted as saying in the . “I have decided not to stay away from my family for lengthy periods.”During his time with the academy, Lillee had worked with several India players. “Zaheer [Khan], Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad would top the list,” Lillee said, talking about the bowlers who trained with him. “Munaf Patel, to me, has been a disappointment. He had the natural gift of speed but someone has obviously misguided him to drop pace. S Sreesanth, too, is a big let down, for the talent he showcased …”Lillee said he would have liked to work with the BCCI in some capacity. “Yes, I was a bit disappointed,” he said. “I like to do things my way and sometimes that frightens people.”

Tim Wright, former chief executive of the Deccan Chargers, is suing the franchise for breach of contract, according to a report in the

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2012Tim Wright, former chief executive of the Deccan Chargers, is suing the franchise for breach of contract, according to a report in the . The case, a £10 million dispute, will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday.Wright, who was formerly with IMG and involved with the IPL, has reportedly claimed his dismissal by the franchise in January 2009 amounts to a breach of contract. He joined the Chargers management after the first season of the IPL but, as per the report, was asked to move back to London to work and then told it would be better if the two parties went their separate ways. According to Wright, he was entitled to the £10 million payment as the contract ended and the decision to sue his former franchise was taken as a means of receiving his due.The report, however, quoted the franchise as saying Wright was “avoiding India for fear of being questioned by immigration officials/local police”. Wright is known to have rejected the allegation as “without any foundation whatsoever”. Wright won the right for his case to be heard in the UK, though the Chargers tried to convince the courts that India had jurisdiction.

Centuries by Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell, who put on 254 for the first wicket, put West Indies on the path to securing a sizeable first-innings lead, but a few late strikes after tea gave New Zealand an opening

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKieran Powell’s 134 was his maiden Test century•DigicelCricket.com/Brooks LaTouche Photography

Centuries by Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell, who put on 254 for the first wicket, put West Indies on the path to securing a sizeable first-innings lead, but a few late strikes after tea gave New Zealand an opening. Gayle and Powell extended the hosts’ dominance by batting out the morning session, but the other top-order batsmen couldn’t quite carry on after making starts. Assad Fudadin and Narsingh Deonarine made patient half-centuries to ensure West Indies didn’t capitulate after the start provided by the openers and, by stumps, their team still held the upper hand, leading by 91.New Zealand created opportunities with the swing on offer with the new ball, but once the batsmen had seen off that period, the visitors were left waiting for mistakes. New Zealand were hurt by the fact that their best and most experienced bowler, Daniel Vettori, couldn’t pick up a wicket. Kane Williamson bowled 20 overs, the most he has ever bowled in a Test, and picked up two.Gayle carried on from where he left off, piloting the innings. Given his stupendous limited-overs form, a Test century was there for the taking against a bowling attack low on confidence and form. Gayle started the day with a flat six over long-off off Vettori to take him to the nineties. Keen to reach his landmark in style he pulled a short delivery by Chris Martin and just about cleared the rope to get from 97 to 103. Gayle punched the air and acknowledged his 14th Test century, one that will be talked about for long, given it came after an exile of one-and-a-half years.New Zealand relied on Neil Wagner’s reverse swing to possibly sneak in a wicket or two with the old ball. With the ball swinging in sharply towards the pads, a silly mid-on and short midwicket was placed for the checked drive. It didn’t change New Zealand’s luck as Powell managed to chip it over midwicket and keep out the fuller deliveries. One one occasion, Gayle miscued an on-drive and yet managed to beat mid-on comfortably. It was that sort of morning for New Zealand.

Smart stats

• The 254-run stand between Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell is the fifth 250-plus stand for the opening wicket for West Indies. Four of the five have come in home Tests with the only away one coming against New Zealand.

• The partnership between Gayle and Powell is also the third-highest opening stand against New Zealand and the second-highest for West Indies.

• West Indies’ total of 442 is presently their fifth-highest against New Zealand in Tests since 1990. Their highest in the period remains the 660 in Wellington in 1995.

• The total of 442 is the second-highest at North Sound after Australia’s 479 in 2008. However, the number of overs in the innings (138) is the highest in a single innings at the venue.

• This is only the eighth time that both West Indies openers have scored hundreds in the same innings. The last time this happened was also against New Zealand in Hamilton in 1999.

• Powell’s century is his first in Tests. He has now scored 489 runs in 18 innings at 27.16 with one century and two fifties.

• With his 150, Gayle moved joint-third with Viv Richards and Everton Weekes on the list of West Indian batsmen with the most scores of 150 or more. Brian Lara heads the list with 19 such scores.

The patient Powell couldn’t resist a slash over gully that brought up the double-century opening stand, the ninth in West Indies history. It was also the highest partnership for any wicket by West Indies since December 2010, when Gayle last played a Test. It only underlined Gayle’s impact and how much his team missed him.Gayle offered his second chance of the innings when the ball turned, kissed the glove and lobbed to first slip where Ross Taylor fluffed a straightforward take. New Zealand didn’t get too many chances coming their way, and they will wonder what could have been had they halted Gayle on 36 yesterday.Gayle added only four to his score after lunch when he tried to clear Williamson over long-off but was caught well in front of the rope. Powell got to his maiden Test century with a flourish just as Gayle had done earlier, hittiing a boundary. There were two fielders placed in the deep on the on side and he managed to place it between them with a strong pull off Wagner. It was the first time in 13 years that both West Indies openers had hit centuries in an innings, the last pair being Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith in Hamilton in 1999.The new ball, taken after 83 overs with West Indies at 269 for 1, posed questions straightaway as Doug Bracewell teased the left-handers with his inswing. There were a couple of marginal lbw shouts against Powell and Fudadin, but the ball looked to be missing the leg stump. The left-handed pair looked more comfortable with the ball swinging away as they fetched boundaries through the off side.Powell looked good to carry on to a big hundred when he took on Wagner for three consecutive fours through the off side, including a scoop over mid-off. However, he fell off the fourth, chasing a delivery well wide of the off stump and feathering an edge to the keeper to give a pumped-up Wagner his first Test wicket. Marlon Samuels survived a testing first delivery, deflected down the leg side, and a run-out. Samuels failed to carry on after making a start, inside-edging Martin to his leg stump. Martin struck again in the first ball of his next over when he had Shivnarine Chanderpaul gloving a snorter to Kruger van Wyk. It was his sixth first-ball duck and the third time he failed to score against New Zealand.The double-strike suddenly put West Indies on the back foot, but Deonarine and Fudadin did well to weather the storm. Fudadin played shots on both sides of the wicket and picked up seven boundaries, but, like Gayle, perished while going for the big hit. Denesh Ramdin chopped a short delivery onto his stumps shortly before close, joining the list of those who threw their wickets away.Deonarine played a couple of adventurous strokes, including a straight six off Wagner as he neared his fifty. As a statement of intent, he swung the last ball of the day for a boundary. New Zealand did well to script a comeback in the final session, but another tough day awaits.

Gareth Batty led Surrey to their first Championship victory since he was appointed captain by taking 6 for 83 to secure a dramatic eight-run victory over Middlesex

Tim Wigmore at The Oval18-Aug-2012
ScorecardGareth Batty took six second-innings wickets including the crucial final strike•Getty Images

Gareth Batty led Surrey to their first Championship victory since he was appointed captain by taking 6 for 83 to secure a dramatic eight-run victory over Middlesex which improved their chances of avoiding relegation in a deeply traumatic season.When Batty trapped Toby Roland-Jones lbw, it concluded the second nerve-shredding derby between the two teams in the Championship this season, following Middlesex’s three-run win at Lord’s in April. Batty said: “For everything that’s gone on this season, it was a must win. I dread to thank what would have happened if we hadn’t won.”Batty admitted the pressure had been on him and Murali Kartik to respond to the spinning pitch that had been prepared and by combining for 16 wickets in the match they certainty did that. He singled out Kartik for a “magnificent” display after he bowled 44 overs unchanged on the final day while conceding under two an over for his three wickets. Given the success of their two spinners in home conditions, Surrey will regret only having one more Championship game at The Oval this season.After Middlesex were nine wickets down with 57 runs required, Surrey might have anticipated their victory would arrive with minimal drama. But Tim Murtagh and Roland-Jones displayed sufficient confidence in their batting abilities to avoid the temptation to slog, and sensibly accumulated singles. In total, they added 48 runs from 29.1 overs to follow on from their last-wicket stand of 44 in the first innings.Surrey’s appeals were understandably becoming increasingly desperate, as even taking the second new ball initially failed to break their stand, before Batty’s match-ending intervention.The morning provided few signs of the later drama. In the first hour and a half, the spin twins claimed six wickets, and there could have been several more given the number of vociferous leg-before appeals, and the amount of time the ball whistled past the edge. From the moment Kartik claimed Sam Robson caught at slip to the sixth ball of the day, a delivery that turned and bounced sharply, the morning’s tone was set.With the ball fizzing off the surface, sharp turn and few loose deliveries, Middlesex, save for Dawid Malan, were rendered virtually strokeless, allowing the spinners to establish a rhythm.Batty was rewarded for posting a leg slip to his own bowling, with both nightwatchman Tom Smith and Neil Dexter sharply caught there by Kartik attempting to work the ball to leg. Even more unusually, Andrew Balbirnie was out to Kartik in what could only be described as a case of ‘chest before wicket’, as he fell over missing an attempted sweep.After’s Malan’s neatly-compiled innings of 31 was ended by a brilliant one-handed catch off Kartik’s bowling, Middlesex were 101 for 7 and still required another 153 for victory. Given that Surrey had taken seven wickets for 58 going back to the dismissal of Chris Rogers just before the close of play on Friday, few gave them much hope.However, Steven Crook does not appear to be a man weighed down by prosaic reality. Sensing that cautious batting had allowed Surrey to crowd batsmen with close fielders Crook counter-attacked, though remaining positive rather than reckless. An early slog-sweep for six off Kartik indicated that he would eschew meek submission, with Crook’s intent also visible in his running between the wickets.Although there was still significant turn as the ball got older the bounce, crucial in several of the morning wickets, became less pronounced. In Adam Rossington, who was much less positive, Crook had a partner of real solidity. Amongst an enterprising innings that contained nine fours to go with his six, Crook’s sweeping and cutting were particularly impressive.If Surrey thought their first Championship win since the opening game of the season would arrive before members resorted to nail-biting, they were mistaken. As the threat offered by the spinners diminished, Batty turned to Jade Dernbach’s reverse swing, albeit a few overs later than many would have.In the second over of his spell, Dernbach deceived Crook on 67 with a slower-ball yorker, showing his one-day skills can be effective in first-class cricket too. It ended a partnership of 96, which was eroding the target at an increasingly uncomfortable rate. But as is often the case, the other man involved in a large stand lost concentration almost immediately after: Rossington edged Kartik to slip just two balls later, leaving Middlesex’s final pair requiring 57 runs for victory.After withstanding the remainder of Dernbach’s dangerous spell of reverse swing, Middlesex came closer than anyone imagined, but ultimately Surrey’s spin twins prevailed.

Pakistan want to reschedule their tour of Zimbabwe later this year, as it clashes with their proposed tour of India, ESPNcricinfo has learned

Umar Farooq01-Sep-2012Pakistan has sought a postponement of its tour of Zimbabwe later this year, as it clashes with a proposed tour of India. Pakistan are scheduled to tour Zimbabwe for a series of two Tests, three ODIs and two T20s from December to January but, having agreed to resume bilateral ties with India earlier this year, their winter schedule is likely to need some tweaking.The dates for the India visit haven’t been announced but the respective cricket boards had agreed to a short series over the Christmas period, between the Test and one-day legs of England’s tour of India. It will form the first bilateral series between the two sides since Pakistan toured India in end-2007.”We have requested Zimbabwe to reschedule the series because of the India-Pakistan series,” a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “They agreed to work out another plan to host us so there is no way the series will be canceled. Instead the PCB and Zimbabwe Cricket are in discussions make it happen next year.”Pakistan do not have any international commitments scheduled from the end of the ICC World T20 in October till the tour of Zimbabwe, which is part of the Future Tours Programme. The dates for the tour hadn’t been finalised either. Pakistan last toured the country for a short series in 2011.

AB de Villiers has denied that keeping wicket affects his back, despite the prognosis that the wear and tear that side-lined him for three weeks was a result of an increased workload

Firdose Moonda in Sydney01-Nov-2012AB de Villiers has denied that keeping wicket affects his back, despite the prognosis that the wear and tear that sidelined him for three weeks was a result of an increased workload. De Villiers wants to continue as the Test gloveman despite his chronic condition and appears conflicted by what its seriousness may mean for his future in a dual role.The tour of England – in which De Villiers kept in all three Tests, five ODIs and three T20s – and the World T20, where South Africa played five matches, meant he had three months of continuous action. De Villiers’ back took such a beating that Mohammed Moosajee, the team manager, confirmed that if the trip to Sri Lanka had not been a major tournament, de Villiers would have been sent home earlier. Moosajee, who is also a medical doctor, said the cause of the injury was “overuse”.The national management asked for de Villiers to undergo a 21-day rehabilitation programme with no game time. He completed it last Friday and did not play any Champions League T20 matches, which led to him being declared fit for the match against Australia A that starts on Friday. De Villiers is expected to bat at No. 5 and take the gloves in all three Tests on the tour, and is confident his back will hold up.”They [the media] have made a massive thing out of it. My back’s not fractured and there are no missing bones. I’ve needed rest,” de Villiers said defiantly in Sydney, before conceding that the condition has lingered for a while and remains a worry.”It has been an issue for a long time now. It’s something I’ve got to look after and manage really well for the next few years. I don’t believe the keeping has played a massive part in that. I’ve felt a similar kind of thing with my back when I’m fielding. It’s not really the wicketkeeping. I’ve worked even harder in the field. It has been a few years coming now that this back [problem] has been developing into something serious. That’s why I needed a few weeks at home. I’ve got enough issues with my back to have needed that rest.”If Moosajee’s diagnosis is accurate, de Villiers may be right. The spike in back pain he has experienced is not solely because he is keeping wicket. It is a combination of glovework and batting, which is different to a combination of fielding and batting, that has caused the problem. For as long as he continues to do both, the risk of the recurrence exists.One of the solutions could be for de Villiers to move down the order, although he is reluctant to accept that. “I don’t believe keeping affects my batting,” he said. The numbers tell a different story. In six Tests in which de Villiers has performed both roles he averages 30.33, compared to 50.42 in the 71 he has not. He has also never scored a century while playing as designated wicketkeeper and has one half-century in the role, which he scored in 2004. On the recent England tour, de Villiers managed a top score of 47.But he has an explanation for that. “In England, I put in the hard yards and I gave myself the opportunity to go big,” he said. “I just never pushed on from the 40s. I got out a few good deliveries, especially at Lord’s where Steven Finn bowled me a really good ball. It’s almost as if I’m one knock away from people going, ‘Oh, my word – wicketkeeping is doing him so much good’.”If that doesn’t happen, though, de Villiers insists that he does not mind if his batting is adversely affected for the benefit of the unit as a whole. “I’ve always been big a believer in playing in a successful team. It’s much bigger than the individual. I believe it makes us a stronger side,” he said. “It gives us a better chance to perform really well if I’m taking the gloves; it opens up a spot. JP [Duminy] did really well with Vernon [Philander] there at seven and eight. It looked like the batting line-up would never end.”Part of de Villiers’ selflessness stems from being part of a team culture that he describes as being better than it ever was. “To have that feeling is something I’ve dreamed of all my life. I felt it in my last year at school when I really felt part of a team,” he said, talking about the schoolboy dream team he was part of at Afrikaans Seuns Hoërskool that included Faf du Plessis, Neil Wagner and Heino Kuhn. That team did not lose a match in two seasons and de Villiers believes South Africa is on the same path, especially as they have not lost a Test away from home since February 2010. “We enjoy each others’ company and each others’ successes.”Some of those achievements were only possible because of the longer batting line-up, as was evident at Lord’s in August. For that to continue, de Villiers has to manage his back carefully and has worked out how to do that. “The key is to look after my core very well. I’ve got to make sure my abs and core muscles are really strong to look after my back.”Moosajee said that in the longer term “decisions would have to be made”, implying that de Villiers may not be a permanent replacement for Mark Boucher, no matter how dedicated he is to the task. Should that be the case, de Villiers is confident replacement gloveman Thami Tsolekile, who is part of the squad in Australia, will have his back.”Absolutely, yes, he will. He has proven that over quite a few years in South Africa. He has been a very handy cricketer. He has won games for his provincial sides,” he said. “It’s nice to have him, with his experience, in the team. There’s no doubt when he gets the opportunity he’ll do well. I think he’s ready.”

Marlon Samuels shredded the Bangladesh attack in the morning, reached his maiden Test double hundred and then sat back to watch Shivnarine Chanderpaul breeze to his 27th century

The Report by Abhishek Purohit23-Nov-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMarlon Samuels made 260, his highest Test score•Associated Press

Marlon Samuels shredded the Bangladesh attack in the morning, reached his maiden Test double hundred and then sat back to watch Shivnarine Chanderpaul breeze to his 27th century, which followed his unbeaten 203 in the Mirpur Test. The Khulna pitch refused to stand up for the third day running and apart from ruing their lack of luck, Bangladesh could do little else as West Indies piled on the lead. They did take two wickets, as they had on day two, but at the cost of 323 runs.Almost unobtrusively, Darren Bravo reached his fourth Test hundred, all of which have come in the subcontinent. His partnership with Samuels swelled to 326, West Indies’ sixth-highest ever, before Sohag Gazi ended it by trapping Bravo in front. The one between Samuels and Chanderpaul added 177.Samuels switched gears each session from spectacular to sedate to smooth, with Chanderpaul outscoring him comfortably after lunch. Samuels had taken 82 off 81 deliveries in the morning; he took 86 to make 29 after lunch. He did accelerate to score 40 off 57 in the final session before falling to the third new ball off Rubel Hossain.Samuels had an extremely edgy start to the day for a man resuming on 109, but he recovered to slam 14 boundaries till lunch as Bangladesh wilted after the initial burst from their quick bowlers. He was to hit just two edged fours in the second session.The second new ball was two overs old at the start, and Bangladesh could have had a wicket in each of the first four overs. Bravo edged Rubel Hossain’s second delivery of the day and it nearly carried to the lone slip. Nearly. The word was to define Bangladesh’s morning.Samuels was dropped once and survived several times in the next three overs. He was beaten by both Rubel and Abul Hasan and edged both through the slips for fours. In the day’s fourth over, an edge off Abul even carried low to first slip, but Naeem Islam was late to react. By now, Samuels must have realised it was his day, and three balls later, he thumped Abul through covers for four.

Smart stats

• Marlon Samuels’ 260 is his highest Test score and the second-highest by a West Indies batsman in the subcontinent. It is also the second-highest score in Tests against Bangladesh falling just short of Ramnaresh Sarwan’s 261 in 2004.

• Abul Hasan became the only player to score a century and concede over 100 runs in his debut Test. His economy rate (4.70) is the highest in an innings on debut for a Bangladesh player (min 20 overs bowled).

• The number of balls faced by Samuels (455) is the highest by any batsman in an innings against Bangladesh. The previous highest was 425 balls faced by Jason Gillespie during his 201 in 2006.

• Darren Bravo’s century is his fourth in 21 matches. All four of them (two against Bangladesh) have come in the subcontinent.

• The 326-run stand between Bravo and Samuels is the sixth-highest partnership for West Indies in Tests and their highest in away games. It is also the fourth-highest stand against Bangladesh.

• Shivnarine Chanerpaul’s century is his 27th in Tests and his second in consecutive games. It is also his third century in eight Tests against Bangladesh.

• The 177-run stand between Samuels and Chanderpaul is the highest fourth-wicket stand for West Indies against Bangladesh and their fourth-highest stand for the fourth wicket in the subcontinent.

• West Indies registered their second 500-plus total of the series. For the fourth time (first outside West Indies) since 2000, West Indies have made two 500-plus scores in the first innings in a series.

Bravo did the same to the next two deliveries, off Rubel, and West Indies were now galloping. Bravo was to add 42 to his overnight 85, but he might as well have been invisible, such was Samuels’ assault.Yet again, Shakib Al Hasan, who had troubled him on day two, almost dismissed Samuels today. Samuels had been exploiting the slowness of the Khulna pitch, which gave him ample time to stand front-on against the spinners and swing length deliveries over square leg. After doing the same to Shakib in the 102nd over, he tried repeating the stroke next delivery. The ball took the inside edge, hit the pad and rolled onto leg stump, but to Mushfiqur Rahim’s utter disbelief, did not dislodge the bails. Samuels gleefully charged out and hit the last ball of that over for six down the ground.Had Bravo not gone back to cut a quick and straight Gazi delivery and been hit on pad first, Bangladesh could have spent the break cursing their luck, which did not change in the afternoon. Rubel struck Samuels on the pad first ball on resumption, but a close shout was turned down. First ball of Rubel’s next over, Samuels slashed and the edge flew over slip. He had further issues against Rubel, whose short deliveries did not rise enough to be ducked under, and did not come quickly enough to be pulled with timing. A tuck to leg off his 329th delivery brought up Samuels’ first Test double century in what has easily been his most productive year.Chanderpaul did not need the kind of fortune Samuels had. His pace of scoring was also more consistent across sessions. He made 52 off 96 in the second, and added 57 off 110 in the third. As he so often does, Chanderpaul began quietly. He opened up an hour after lunch to play several cuts, steers, and sweeps, and stepped out to lift Shakib for a straight six. Chanderpaul hit fewer boundaries after tea, but that made little difference to his strike-rate.With the old ball difficult to time on the slow wicket, both Samuels and Chanderpaul went after the third new ball. The Bangladesh quicks were largely wayward with it, with Abul being taken for three fours in the 164th over. Previous edges had hardly carried, but Rubel finally got one to rear enough to take the shoulder of Samuels’ bat and carry to gully.Abul was taken off after that over, only his second with the third new ball. Gazi came on, and Chanderpaul lifted his first ball over mid-off to move to 99, and reached his hundred in the same over. Like Samuels had on day two, Chanderpaul also ended day three unbeaten on 109. Bangladesh would be hoping for the small mercy that Chanderpaul does not cut loose on Saturday morning, like Samuels did today.

MS Dhoni has all but ruled out playing three spinners on an Ahmedabad track that is “on the drier side”

Sidharth Monga14-Nov-2012MS Dhoni has all but ruled out playing three spinners on an Ahmedabad track that is “on the drier side”, but not quite the turner India got in Kanpur when they beat South Africa inside three days in 2008. Even though they were not present at the pre-match training session, Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav are fit and sure starters. With Ishant Sharma down with viral fever, Ashok Dinda is being flown in as cover for any last-minute injury to either Zaheer or Yadav.Dhoni has made no secret of his demand of Indian groundsmen that visiting teams be given a stern spin test, but his faith in two quicks on the eve of the start of the series suggests the pitch might not be a “rank turner”. “If we get a wicket like we got in Kanpur against South Africa, maybe we will even go with four [spinners],” Dhoni said. “Also what we need to see is if the wicket is like that, the fast bowlers also get a bit of reverse swing. It is always advisable to have a bowling attack where you have people for different scenarios, and I believe fast bowlers are important.”The square at the Sardar Patel Satdium has been relaid recently, the lower clay content promises breaking up, the pitch looks completely bald, but the groundsman is worried the turn on offer could be slow. “Looks like a good wicket,” Dhoni said. “As the game progresses it may slow down, and the spinners might get some assistance. Maybe a bit of reverse swing for the fast bowlers.”Definitely it looks on the drier side. I feel they have changed the soil from the last time we played here… Definitely I feel it will turn.”That Dhoni is not thinking of a third spinner has a lot to do with the return of Yuvraj Singh, who can – in the contest against England and Kevin Pietersen – even pass off as an allrounder. Even when Dhoni was asked about Pietersen’s return, he said they will enjoy the contest between him and the “piechucker”.MS Dhoni has welcomed the return of Yuvraj Singh, saying his part-time spin will be vital for India•AFP

“He bats at No. 5 or No. 6, and his left-arm spin is very crucial for us,” Dhoni said of Yuvraj. “The reason being, more often than not, because we don’t have a genuine allrounder, we play four bowlers. So it’s important that the part-timers contribute. Especially that phase when the ball becomes old and you are waiting for new ball, you can’t use your fast bowlers, you don’t want your spinners to be really tired because even with the new ball they come into play after just 10 overs. I feel his contribution will be very important. He is quite intimidating when he bats. If you see his good innings, he can really dominate.”The third spinner in the squad, who is all but likely to miss the Ahmedabad Test, is Harbhajan Singh. Dhoni said his experience, even if he doesn’t get to play, will be valuable. “If you look at the top four or five spinners [in India], Bhajji features there,” Dhoni said. The good thing is, he is now part of this series, and he can share his experience with youngsters. [Pragyan] Ojha has played with him in quite a few games. With [R] Ashwin he can share a bit more experience. He has a big contribution to make in the coming series. He will work a lot with the team. That should help him in the future.”Dhoni reinstated his faith in the spin combination of Ashwin and Ojha. “They understand each other very well,” Dhoni said. “That’s something very important. If it’s not turning, Ojha is someone who can keep it tight.”Ashwin will always be a more aggressive bowler, in the sense he has got plenty of variations. He loves to use those variations. I think one of the important roles of Ojha’s is to keep it tight so Ashwin can attack from the other end. It’s not just that. We have seen in innings where Ojha gets the breakthrough for us, Ashwin does the containing job. Best part is, if they know there is something for them, they come into the game.”Dhoni showed so much faith in Ashwin, he made Ashwin sound like the most versatile bowler of all time when asked to compare him with Saeed Ajmal. After paying due respect to Ajmal, Dhoni said: “Ashwin has also got variations. He can bowl almost each and every delivery that anyone can bowl. He has got the flipper, the googly, bowls legspin, offspin, the carrom ball…”If Dhoni the captain is to believed, Dhoni the keeper better watch out.