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Statistical highlights of how the two teams fared in 2017, India’s bilateral series-winning streak and Shikhar Dhawan crossing 4000 ODI runs

Bharath Seervi17-Dec-2017Eight in eight
India marched to their eighth successive bilateral ODI series victory by beating Sri Lanka 2-1. This winning streak began with a 3-0 victory against Zimbabwe last year and they have beaten New Zealand (twice), England, West Indies, Sri Lanka (twice) and Australia since then. Overall in ODI history, only one team has had a longer streak of bilateral series wins. West Indies had won 14 consecutive bilateral series (of two or more games) between 1980 and 1988. India’s previous longest bilateral winning streak was of six series between November 2007 and June 2009.India’s glorious 2017, Sri Lanka’s worst
India finish the year in ODIs with 21 wins from 29 matches and only seven defeats. Their win-loss ratio of 3:1 this year is their best in any calendar year. Their previous best year was 2008 when they had a ratio of 2.375:1 with a 19-8 win-loss record. This year, only one team has had a better win-loss ratio than India. England have a 15-4 win-loss record with a ratio of 3.750:1. Out of England’s four losses, two were against India in the three-match series in India. India are also the only team to not lose a single bilateral ODI series this year, among the top 10 teams.On the other hand, Sri Lanka’s performance was at the other extreme. They end the year with just five wins in 29 matches and 23 defeats. Their win-loss ratio of 0.217 is the second-worst for any team that played 25 or more games in a year. The only team to fare worse was Zimbabwe in 2004. Sri Lanka’s win-loss ratio is the worst among all 16 teams that have played ODIs this year.Dhawan completes 4000 runs
Shikhar Dhawan got to 4000 ODI runs with a century in his 95th innings. Among India batsmen, only Virat Kohli got there with fewer innings, 93. Overall, five batsmen have got to the milestone in fewer innings than Dhawan. He also scored his 12th century in the format. He is the fifth-quickest to 12 ODI centuries in terms of innings. Among Indian players, Kohli got there in 83 innings. Overall, Quinton de Kock is the fastest to the feat, in just 74 innings.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2016Woakes was dropped on 8 and responded with a Test-best 39•Getty ImagesHe was eventually caught behind off Suranga Lakmal•Getty ImagesMoeen also survived an early drop in the gully on 36•Getty ImagesHe brought up his fifty with a lofted drive off Rangana Herath•Getty ImagesNuwan Pradeep claimed his fourth wicket when Stuart Broad edged to the keeper•Getty ImagesMoeen brought up his second Test century with a four over long-off•Getty ImagesIt was his first century since Sri Lanka’s last tour in 2014•Getty ImagesMoeen cut loose after reaching his hundred, as Sri Lanka wilted•Getty ImagesRangana Herath became the third Sri Lankan to reach 300 Test wickets•Getty Images… but Moeen wasn’t among them as he finished on 155 not out•Getty ImagesDimuth Karunaratne was bowled behind his legs for 9•Getty Images… to give James Anderson his first wicket of the innings•Getty ImagesBroad then removed Kaushal Silva…•Getty Images…thanks to a good low catch from Jonny Bairstow•Getty ImagesDinesh Chandimal did not last long, edging to slip for 4•Getty ImagesChris Woakes then got in on the act, removing Angelo Mathews as Sri Lanka slipped to 58 for 4•Getty ImagesHe then picked up Kusal Mendis…•Getty Images…and Milinda Siriwardana in the same over to put England well on top•Getty ImagesLate in the day, Joe Root caught a rebound off James Vince to leave Sri Lanka 90 for 8 and once again in deep trouble•Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the seventh ODI in Wellington

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jan-2015The stump-breaking slideTillakaratne Dilshan ran 55 of his 81 runs in Wellington, but none more urgently than the single that took him to his fifty. Pushing the ball defensively to the off side, Dilshan called his partner through for the run, but found halfway down the track that the fielder at cover had made good ground. He had run right down the middle of the pitch in his haste, and when he dove to ensure he’d make his ground, he went clattering into the stumps at the other end, spraining a wrist in the process. He was not admonished by the umpires for treading on the wicket though, and continued to do so for much of the remainder of his knock.The déjà vu in inverseIn the fifth ODI in Dunedin, Martin Guptill had been out first ball of the innings as a wide Nuwan Kulasekara ball took his outside edge and flew to the keeper. In Wellington, Guptill collected another golden duck, though this time it was his other edge that was beaten, by the same bowler. Planting his front foot on off stump to a length ball, Guptill failed to adjust to the seam off the deck, and was struck in front by a ball heading towards middle and leg stump.The non-turning mystery ballDilshan has developed into a reliable offspin option over the last few years, and on Thursday, he unveiled what he perhaps hoped would add a new dimension to his bowling. In the 28th over, Dilshan sent down the first of his carrom balls, and though he had fired it down the legside, he managed to dismiss Kane Williamson, who had got himself into a tangle advancing to the ball. Replays showed the ball had not even turned a fraction, however, and throughout the evening, none of Dilshan’s carrom balls would take any spin.The nutmegDaniel Vettori had been whipping everything off his legs brutally into the leg side all evening, but Seekkuge Prasanna found a way through them in the 42nd over. Vettori walked down the pitch to the legspinner, but as the ball drifted and dipped, only ended up yorking himself. The ball passed between his boots, and Prasanna, who is enlisted in Sri Lanka’s army, gave Vettori a see-you-later salute.

Shane Jurgensen has quietly worked at improving the team culture in the Bangladesh squad and has been rewarded with an extended contract as head coach

Mohammad Isam04-Jul-2013Shane Jurgensen’s quiet efforts at building a hard-working environment in the Bangladesh team have been recognised, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) extending his tenure as a head coach till 2015. The period is long enough for Jurgensen to reach two key goals: climbing higher in rankings and establishing a culture of hard work in the side.The confidence he needs to achieve these targets should come from his understanding of the team over the last two years. During this time, his rise has proved a few theories wrong in Bangladesh cricket. First, he has risen to the position of head coach after working as a member of the support staff, a career path never considered seriously by the BCB. Second, he has broken a myth that only big-name coaches are suitable for Bangladesh.Finally, he also disproved an odd belief that many in the BCB held (and still do) that a coach who played the game as a bowler isn’t right for the team’s batsmen and for the team, as a whole. Given Bangladesh’s ebb and flow, however, Jurgensen’s appointment is as appropriate as Dav Whatmore’s in 2003.When Whatmore joined the team after the 2003 World Cup, Bangladesh desperately needed a leader, someone who could guide them out of a five-year losing streak. Whatmore, with the experience of having coached Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning side, provided that leadership for four years.In the current scenario, as the team grows into a winning unit, Jurgsensen has become a sounding board for the senior players, who are turning into match-winners, and a strict task-master for the younger group of players who are still coming to terms with international cricket.The lack of off-field drama has also translated into a more stable side. Jurgensen and Mushfiqur Rahim have stressed on personal discipline, although the captain was responsible for the only dramatic incident of the season and later admitted his mistake.After Richard Pybus’ sudden exit last year, Bangladesh have completed a season of progress. They won their fourth Test in 13 years in April, and have also drawn a Test against Sri Lanka in their backyard. They pushed West Indies in Dhaka late last year. But Jurgensen knows that perceptible improvement in the next two years is mostly possible in ODIs. The ODI series win over West Indies at home and the drawn series against Sri Lanka has encouraged him.”As long as the team improves in Test cricket, it will flow into the limited-over formats,” Jurgensen told ESPNcricinfo. “We are a decent one-day side, so my goal is to see the team climb up the rankings. It would be nice to see them move up a spot or two in the limited-over formats.”We have improved as a Test team, especially since our last game was a hard-fought win against Zimbabwe. The batting has been good, setting a few records in our first innings this season. The bowling has a new face now in Robiul Islam, but spin remains our strength.” Bangladesh have been world cricket’s bottom-placed scrappers for more than a decade now, but they have touched the No. 8 spot a few times in ODIs in the last two years, which explains the confidence of the side compared to even five years ago. The BCB has also appreciated the team’s worth by putting a quiet man in charge, instead of remaining star-struck and seeking out the next Whatmore.

This is the youngest team in the world, so I don’t need to put them under pressure, because there is enough pressure on themShane Jurgensen

Before they became a Test team, Bangladesh needed the likes of Mohinder Amarnath, Gordon Greenidge and Eddie Barlow as much for their star power as their vast experience. It was also the reason why they appointed Whatmore, Stuart Law and Pybus later on. In between, however, Trevor Chappell expected too much from Bangladesh cricket and Mohsin Kamal’s tenure was a misadventure. Jamie Siddons’ hands-on approach wasn’t appreciated by some players, but those who did improved themselves and their average.Jurgensen has risen from within the ranks of the Bangladesh dressing-room – he was appointed bowling coach in October 2011 and became the interim head coach exactly a year later. That arrangement has now developed into a more central role and ensures that the person in charge has the experience of working with the team, and is familiar with the players’ skills, needs and culture.”My style as a person is not to be loud, because it is about the players. I may not be a highly regarded coach, but I am decisive, and I want to develop international cricketers. I like to get personal with the players, try to have a relationship,” Jurgensen said. “My other goal is to create an environment of hard work, but keep it relaxed and enjoyable. This is the youngest team in the world, so I don’t need to put them under pressure, because there is enough pressure on them.”One of his goals is to see the seam bowlers taking the lead, but his immediate goal is the home series against New Zealand in October. He would want to remind the team of the successful 2010 ODI series, where they beat New Zealand 4-0. “I want to have fully fit fast bowlers, and we will try to give the batsmen a feel of longer-version cricket in the next three months.”If the seamers take more responsibility, we can take more wickets with the new ball. It makes it easier for our spinners. I want a complete bowling team, with the batsmen backing up with the runs,” he said.Jurgensen believes Bangladesh need to make an impact in the World Twenty20 to earn their stripes in international cricket.”People respect Bangladesh, but with it comes expectations. We have to keep working hard, and improve ourselves in the next six to twelve months. To have people hold us in high regard, we have to do well in the next big event – the World Twenty20.”Jurgensen is currently the youngest Test coach in the game and one of three Test coaches under the age of 40, alongside New Zealand’s Mike Hesson and South Africa’s Russell Domingo. At this stage of his career, Jurgensen feels his coaching assignment is a privilege, given the company he is keeping among international coaches.Among Bangladesh coaches, he has a lot in common with Stuart Law, who was the head coach between July 2011 and June 2012. Like Law, Jurgensen will also be expected to produce results because a coach’s progress is no longer measured in how many players he can develop into international stars. He will also have to ensure results remain positive, and slip-ups, like the one in Zimbabwe, do not turn into a slide in form.A two-year contract is a good place to start and his challenge will be to hold the team together and find more match-winners. His two years of experience with the team, unlike his predecessors, should work in his favour. But, like all previous Bangladesh coaches, he will face major challenges and see people treat him differently as soon as he becomes the permanent man.

ESPNcricinfo reviews the performance of Pune Warriors in IPL 2012

Abhishek Purohit20-May-2012

Where they finished

Brought up the rear, like previous season, with just four wins from 16 games, and an IPL record of nine consecutive defeats.

Key player

Electric in the field and explosive with the bat, Steven Smith played a key role in each of Warriors’ four wins. His crisp but calm hitting turned tight chases into manageable ones and boosted average totals to match-winning ones. Acrobatic stops in the deep and spectacular attempts at catches were the norm when the ball sped towards Smith. A decent leg spinner, he bowled just two balls in the tournament, but despite that, created enough impact.

Bargain buy

Smith had gone unsold in the 2012 auction (base price $200,000) despite leading Sydney Sixers to the Big Bash League title a week before the auction. He had missed IPL 2011 with an ankle injury after being bought for $200,000 by Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

Flop buy

At $950,000 and $850,000, Angelo Mathews and Ashish Nehra were costly acquisitions in the 2011 auction for Warriors. Mathews has a growing reputation as a finisher for Sri Lanka but he wasn’t able to play even one decisive knock down the order for Warriors. He did end up with a much better economy-rate, 7.38, though, than Ashish Nehra’s, 8.37. Nehra had a few productive outings but on five occasions, he conceded more than ten runs an over. His meltdown in the final over against AB de Villiers heralded Warriors’ downfall after they had begun with three wins in four matches.

Highlight

The surprise win over table-toppers Delhi Daredevils. Daredevils had started the season with four wins in five games before they ran into Warriors and Ganguly. Jesse Ryder, Ganguly and Smith carried Warriors to 192, their highest total ever. Ganguly then bowled Kevin Pietersen to break Daredevils’ momentum in the chase. Warriors did not give it away in the final over either, with Alfonso Thomas conceding five when 26 were needed.

Lowlight

The win over Daredevils was about as good as it got for Warriors. It is difficult to pick one low moment in a season which descended into nine consecutive losses. Conceding a hat-trick to little-known Ajit Chandila, the Rajasthan Royals offspinner, comes to mind, as do the twin losses to fellow strugglers Deccan Chargers.

Verdict

Sourav Ganguly or Yuvraj Singh, Warriors have only four wins to show for each season. Both campaigns began positively; 2012 slipped deeper than 2011, and never recovered. While Chargers copped the majority of criticism for their poor showing, they at least got into winning positions in several games only to lose, mostly, through elementary lapses in the field. Even when they did not lose heavily, though, Warriors hardly reached dominating positions, and were largely dull and uninspiring. It was a common feature of their performances previous season as well. It is difficult to blame captains in as volatile a format as Twenty20, but sequences of nine and seven straight defeats in 2012 and 2011 are damning. Yuvraj at least made lots of runs, and quickly. An average of 17.86 at a strike-rate of 98.89 with all but three innings at No. 3 or above show that Ganguly the batsman made it even harder for Ganguly the captain.

Nagraj Gollapudi watches Netherlands’ shock win paper over what was a damp squib of an opening day in the ICC World Twenty20

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's05-Jun-2009This is not a slur to either party: if there was one man the ICC needed to have on its organising committee for its World Twenty20 opening ceremony it was Lalit Modi.Modi is a master at self aggrandisement, but he is a businessman first who will not stop at anything – like most successful business leaders. For the last two years he has successfully run the IPL brand and even managed to attract a large percentage of new fans to cricket. Cue the second edition of the IPL in South Africa where, according to Modi, “70%” of fans had never seen any form of cricket. It may sound unrealistic, but surely there were a healthy percentage of non-cricketing fans in the rainbow nation, normally a rugby and soccer-mad country, who enjoyed lounging in the highveld and dancing to Bollywood music.If Modi has done one thing consistently, and loudly, it is blow his own trumpet. That may seem churlish, but it has one advantage: it attracts bigger crowds. In marketing jargon, your target audience is widened.Compared to the grand opening and closing ceremonies witnessed in the last two IPLs the one today would have been over in the blink of an eye even had persistent drizzle not caused it to be all but scrapped. As it was, we had two speeches. ICC president David Morgan read out a few lines, followed by the chief guest the Duke of Kent, who declared the tournament open. Both were greeted by a wave of indifference.Even if it we had not been spared by the weather, it would hardly have been better. A single singer – Alesha Dixon – and the 12 captains perched on podiums. They never got the opportunity to wave to the crowd as the infamous English rain arrived like a nagging old aunt to spoil the organisers’ plans.But then given the fickle English weather, why was there no Plan B. “The alternative was cricket,” said an ECB spokesperson with a quizzical look on his face. But wasn’t it a low-key affair? The men running the show deny anything like that.Strangely there was gloom in the air right from the morning. Londoners opened their newspapers to read about the virtual humiliation of their prime minister, Gordon Brown. The grey, cloudy skies and the cold weather only shrouded the mind more. In such a scenario one could at least expect some sort of fanfare, which comes as a given in a Twenty20 game. Even if there was the buzz around, as would be the case when the wildcard overwhelms a strong contender, the atmosphere was bizarrely low-key.Due to low budgets most of London remains oblivious to the fact that it is hosting the tournament. Apart from a smattering of advertisements in a few tube stations and outside the London venues – Lord’s and The Oval – there is little sign of any sort of marketing campaign.The ICC has been selling tickets in spurts over from July 2008, but fans are hard to come by.
Steve Elworthy, the tournament director, after the first day’s sales last year said: “I am told … that the demand has been the equivalent of that for a Robbie Williams or Madonna concert.” If that was the case why was Lord’s not a sellout today? : Netherlands’ remarkable win was witnessed by a two-thirds full ground.Luckily for the ICC, the Dutch saved its blushes with their victory. The Netherlands has, at most, 6000 cricket players. There were 1200 Dutch fans today, chanting enthusiastically for their countrymen in the Mound Stand. It was a glorious sight to see the orange rule the roost on Lord’s greens.

Wrexham have secured the services of veteran midfielder Josh Windass on a contract that will keep him at the Racecourse Ground through the end of the 2027-28 campaign. The 31-year-old arrives as a free agent after parting ways with Sheffield Wednesday last week, ending a four-year association with the Yorkshire club. Josh is the son of Hull City legend Dean Windass.

• Wrexham ramp up their recruitment plans
• Sign Windass on a three-year deal
• Third signing in a space of five days

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Windass' deal with Wednesday was mutually terminated, allowing Wrexham to swoop in and bolster their midfield ahead of their return to the Championship. The signing is seen as a major coup for Phil Parkinson’s side, who continue to strengthen their squad following back-to-back promotions.

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  Windass began his football journey in humble surroundings, featuring for non-league side Harrogate Railway Athletic in 2012. His performances caught the attention of Accrington Stanley, where he signed a professional contract in 2013. Over the course of three seasons, he scored 22 goals in 75 league games for Accrington before earning a move to Rangers in the summer of 2016. During his time at Ibrox, Windass played a key role in the Scottish Premiership, ending the 2017-18 season as joint top scorer alongside Alfredo Morelos, with 18 goals in all competitions. In August 2018, he made a switch to Wigan Athletic, tallying nine goals across 54 league appearances. It was from Wigan that he joined Sheffield Wednesday, where he would go on to enjoy the most prolific and high-profile period of his career to date.

• WHAT WINDASS SAID

  On signing for Wrexham, Windass told the official club website: “I’m looking forward to getting going. I’ve spoken to the manager, who has showed me his plans for the season and what he expects from the group, and I’ve really bought into that. I’d describe myself as honest and hard-working, I like to contribute goals and assists from midfield and that’s what I’m looking to bring to Wrexham.

  “First and foremost, I want to get into the team and earn the respect of my team-mates – I want to be professional, be someone to look up to and then get the team as high up the league as possible.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Windass was Wrexham's third signing in the summer after Liberato Cacace and George Thomason. The Italian was signed in a club record deal of €2.5 million (£2.16m/$3m) from Empoli, whereas Thomason joined from Bolton Wanderers in a £1.2m move.

Jadeja fined 25% of his Nagpur Test match fee and handed a demerit point

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2023

Ravindra Jadeja has been docked 25% of his match fee and handed a demerit point for breaching Article 2.20 of ICC’s code of conduct for players during the Nagpur Test against Australia. The clause relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.The incident in question took place in the 46th over of day one of the Test, which India won by an innings and 132 runs on the third day, when Australia’s first innings was on. He was seen applying a cream – a pain-relief ointment – on the index finger of his bowling hand. Images from the broadcast showed Jadeja taking a substance off Mohammed Siraj’s hand and using it – but not putting it on the ball.The Indian team management later said that the cream was for swelling on Jadeja’s finger, but the same hadn’t been communicated to the on-field umpires.The match referee, Andy Pycroft, was satisfied with Jadeja’s explanation that the cream had been used only for medical purposes and not used to alter the condition of the ball. He, however, charged Jadeja for breaching the spirit of the game under the code.As for the demerit point, this was Jadeja’s first offence in a 24-month period.Jadeja was one of the heroes of India’s win. He picked up five wickets in the first innings as Australia finished on 177. He followed it up with an innings of 70 as India got to 400 in their only innings, and then picked up two more wickets as Australia collapsed for 91 in their second innings. He was named the Player of the Match for the Test.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca heaped praise on new signing Estevao Willian after the Brazilian sensation showed promise on his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Maresca brought on Estevao in the 54th minute for fellow new signing Jamie Gittens, and the Selecao star impressed the crowd at Stamford Bridge with his pace and trickery.

Maresca praised Estevao WillianBrazilian impressed on Premier League debutChelsea held to a goalless draw by Palace Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Estevao, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Palmeiras this summer, garnered praise from his manager as Maresca predicted that he is going to be an "important" player for the Blues in the future. The Brazilian wonderkid was exuberant on the pitch and often troubled the Crystal Palace defence with his sudden bursts of pace down the right flank. 

Advertisement(C)Getty imagesWHAT MARESCA SAID

Speaking about the teenager's performance, the Blues boss told : "The personality has been top. You can see that he is from Brazil, they are different and he is going to be a fantastic player for the club. We know about Cole [Palmer], Estevao needs time to adapt but he is going to be important for the team."

AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A new-look Chelsea side largely failed to impress in their season opener as they were held to a goalless draw by Palace at home. New signings Joao Pedro and Gittens were both ineffective in their first Premier League games for the Blues, while club talisman Cole Palmer also offered little going forward.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Despite having already spent heavily in the summer transfer window to bolster their squad, Chelsea are still chasing RB Leipzig and Netherlands star Xavi Simons. It remains to be seen if the Blues can get Simons in before facing West Ham on August 22 in their next Premier League game.