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Kohli brought up yet another hundred, Pant dominated a beaten and bruised attack, and Jadeja walloped a maiden Test ton before West Indies’ top order crumbled in the heat of Rajkot

The Report by Sidharth Monga05-Oct-2018
2:29

Walsh: Kohli’s hunger for ‘every Test run’ amazing

It was like an afternoon stroll on a warm winter’s day. By the end of it, Virat Kohli had notched up another inevitable-looking hundred, Ravindra Jadeja had entertained his home crowd with a maiden hundred, a run-out where he walked from mid-on and threw the stumps down as if playing marbles, and a wicket off his first ball, Rishabh Pant had attacked his way to 92, India had registered their highest total against West Indies, and the visitors ended the day 555 behind with four first-innings wickets in hand. It seemed so easy you would be forgiven for forgetting they were actually playing in dry, 40-degree heat.The availability of loose balls and defensive fields meant the India batsmen had to barely break a sweat when they resumed play on the second day at 364 for 4. Sherman Lewis bothering Pant with the short ball for about one over, and Keemo Paul beating his bat as a result of that, was the most competitive period of play in this Test.With nearly 400 on the board, Pant kept playing his shots, and when they come off they looked amazing. The flick off the pads was the most productive against pace, and once West Indies went back to spin, Pant was all over them. Over midwicket, over mid-on, taking on long-off at the boundary. At one point, Pant threatened to beat Kohli to the century despite starting the day 55 behind. Eventually, there was one shot too many, as he failed to pick a Devendra Bisho googly and edged a hoick.There was no such uncertainty around Kohli’s hundred. It seemed like batting practice for him. He was hardly challenged by the bowling and the conditions. It was like a session where a batsman is trying to reinforce the basics in the nets. Leave wide balls alone; drive if it is too full; if it is a touch straight, close the bat face late. He ran hard. There were enough bad balls in between for him to not need to take any risks to put the bowlers under pressure. His century was his 24th, taking him past Virender Sehwag on the list of India’s most prolific centurions, and placing him behind only Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.When he off-drove the first ball he faced post lunch for only his eighth boundary, Kohli crossed 1000 runs for the third year in a row. He began to take risks now. Having survived a return catch before lunch, he picked a wrong’un and smacked it over midwicket for four. He began to walk down against pace, eventually getting a leading edge that ended his innings.Jadeja had by then established himself at the wicket, having added 64 with Kohli. As wickets fell at the other end, finally giving Bishoo some reward for his unremarkable toil that gave him 4 for 217 – the second-most expensive figures for West Indies, Jadeja grew adventurous. The half-century was uneventful, his sword-wielding promising that he had something special planned to celebrate a hundred.Thanks to their run rate, India had a lot of time to allow Jadeja a shot at the landmark, but they had lost eight wickets by then. However, Jadeja found support from Umesh Yadav as they added 55 for the ninth wicket. Jadeja showed the urgency required, hitting the second ball he faced after his fifty for a six back over Bishoo’s head. That was the first of his five sixes. He went from 50 to 98 in 34 balls despite refusing singles when batting with the No. 11 Mohammed Shami.That West Indies were a beaten lot showed in their captaincy. The first ball Shami faced was the 25th of the 10th-wicket partnership. The field didn’t change at all at the end of the overs, allowing Jadeja to take the single and retain the strike. Shami kept his end of the bargain, allowing Jadeja to get to the hundred. The celebration, it turned out, was joyous, involving a long look at the heavens above, but he didn’t add any variant to his sword dance.As India took the field, a seemingly flat pitch suddenly became venomous. Before he walked off clutching his side, Shami had removed the openers in a four-over opening spell. He bowled with a beautiful seam position, attacked the stumps, and benefited from the skiddy bounce he gets. R Ashwin soon got into the act, dismissing Shai Hope with an offbreak that didn’t turn. With the ball still new, and his seam parallel to the ground, it wasn’t entirely unintentional.Sunil Ambris and Shimron Hetmeyer went on to self-destruct. Hetmeyer and Ambris ended up at the striker’s end after Hetmeyer hit a shot a touch too well to Jadeja at mid-on. Jadeja teased him by walking slowly to the stumps and then throwing the ball on top of them. Ambris was teased by a flighted ball first up, which he looked to hit over mid-off but edged to slip. Shane Dowrich then tried to hit a big shot off Kuldeep Yadav, presenting him with a gate to burst through. Six wickets in 29 overs.

The legspinning allrounder contributed well with both bat and ball, even as other Test picks had middling outings

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2019On day two in the day-night tour match in Hobart, virtually everyone in contention to play the Test next week had a modest outing, with the exception of legspinning-allrounder Marnus Labuschagne.Most in the Sri Lanka top order got starts, but could not quite get themselves to 50, while openers Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns – both in the Australia squad – were unable to impose themselves on the game either, falling for 10 and 22 respectively, in the CA XI’s second innings.Labuschagne, however, made creditable contributions with both bat and ball. He claimed 2 for 27 from his nine overs, dismissing Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal as well as Dhananjaya de Silva. When Sri Lanka’s overs were up (each team can bat only a maximum of 75 overs in the first innings of this match) and they had declared on 5 for 176, Labuschagne then hit 33 not out from No. 3.Responding to the CA XI’s 5 for 316 dec, Sri Lanka had begun the day on 0 for 38, but lost Dimuth Karunaratne early in the day to an lbw against Scott Boland, for 44 – that score later turning out to be the highest in the Sri Lanka innings. Lahiru Thirimanne, scoring as tentatively as ever, mustered a 109-ball 32, and Chandimal made a 32 of his own, off 80 balls, but no Sri Lanka batsman took the innings by the collar the way Kurtis Patterson and Jake Doran had for the CA XI in the first innings. Roshen Silva was perhaps building to a substantial score, on 36 not out off 91 balls, when the innings hit the 75-over mark and the visitors were obliged to declare.Sri Lanka fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, who had been the team’s best bowler in the first innings, then removed Burns, while Kasun Rajitha got rid of Renshaw, later in the day. Labuschagne, though, put on an unbeaten 55-run partnership with Patterson before stumps.The CA XI lead by 239 runs with eight wickets remaining.

Uncapped left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu was retained in the squad as the lone frontline spinner

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2019Seniors Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor, who had been sidelined from the ODI series against UAE with injuries, have returned to Zimbabwe’s squad for their limited-overs tour of Netherlands, which starts with the first ODI in Deventer on June 19. Masakadza will take back captaincy from Peter Moor, who had stood in as captain in Masakadza’s absence.ALSO READ: Netherlands recall Vivian Kingma, Bas de Leede for Zimbabwe seriesRegis Chakabva, Timycen Maruma and Brian Chari, who were all part of the series against UAE, miss out as they are currently playing in England. Spinners Brandon Mavuta and Tony Munyonga, meanwhile, were dropped.Uncapped left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu has been retained in the squad as the lone frontline spinner. Ndlovu will be assisted by fellow left-armer Sean Williams and offspin-bowling allrounder Sikandar Raza.Richmond Mutumbami is likely to keep wicket, replacing Chakabva. Also returning to the squad are Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, who had led the Eagles to the Pro 50 title earlier this year, and batting allrounder Ryan Burl.Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu and Donald Tiripano make up a familiar seam attack that will also be bolstered by the presence of allrounder Elton Chigumbura.The sides will play two ODIs in Deventer before moving to Rotterdam for the two T20Is that will round off the tour. Zimbabwe will then head to Ireland to play three ODIs and three T20Is.Squad: Hamilton Masakadza (captain), Brendan Taylor, Peter Moor, Solomon Mire, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Ainsley Ndlovu, Elton Chigumbura, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Ryan BurlIn: Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Ryan BurlOut: Regis Chakabva, Timycen Maruma, Brian Chari , Brandon Mavuta, Tony Munyonga

Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

"We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

It took the Dutchman by surprise.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 31, 2025

Tensions boiled over during Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Ecuador as Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister clashed with new Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie. The pair exchanged heated words after a late incident in stoppage time, sparking headlines both in South America and the Premier League. After the fiery exchange, Mac Allister later sent a message to his rival.

• Mac Allister clashed with Arsenal’s Hincapie in fiery duel
• Ecuador beat Argentina for their first home win since 2009
• Mac Allister claps back at Hincapie with Instagram post

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The drama unfolded when McAllister confronted Hincapie after a heavy late challenge involving Franco Mastantuono. The Liverpool midfielder pushed the Ecuadorian defender, and the two exchanged words before being separated by teammates. Hincapie had the last laugh on the field, as Ecuador sealed a famous win over Argentina.

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• WHAT MAC ALLISTER SAID

  Mac Allister later clapped back at Hincapie on Instagram as he posted an edit of him pushing the Arsenal star with the caption: "YOU ARE NOT LIKE THAT!"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The spat adds intrigue to what could become one of the Premier League’s most interesting new rivalries. Hincapie has joined Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen in a £45 million deal, while Mac Allister has been an important figure for Liverpool since his arrival. With both players central to their clubs’ midfield battles, this fiery international clash may carry over to England in the league title race.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MAC ALLISTER AND HINCAPIE?

  The pair will not be able to face off on the field in the Premier League until January, when Arsenal host Liverpool at the Emirates. In the meantime, Mac Allister will be back in action with Liverpool against Burnley on Sunday, while Arsenal face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has rejected the idea of Neymar returning to Barcelona in the summer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Neymar won't return to Barcelona
• Deco ruled out Neymar's dream move
• Neymar wants to come back to Europe in the summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neymar, who left Barcelona in 2017 to join Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee, has been linked with a move back to Catalunya as the Brazil is eyeing a return to Europe ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. The 33-year-old forward spent six years in the French capital before heading to Saudi Arabia, where he had a nightmare outing as he spent the majority of time on the sidelines due to an ACL injury. In January 2025, Neymar mutually terminated his deal with Al-Hilal to move back to his homeland and sign for boyhood club Santos.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amid the Brazilian star's transfer links to the Blaugrana, claims that sporting director Deco has reportedly ruled out any chance of re-signing Neymar in the summer. The reason stated by the ex-Portugal is reportedly Neymar's declining form in recent years. The club also do not want Neymar in their dressing room as they feel that his influence could prove to be negative for several budding superstars in the team.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The former PSG star enjoyed a lot of success during his first stint at Camp Nou as he scored 105 goals and provided 76 assists across all competitions in 186 appearances. He won La Liga twice and also bagged the Champions League title.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?

  The 33-year-old will be back in action for Santos on Sunday as they take on Corinthians in a Paulista A1 semi-final clash.

Manchester United have massively struggled to find the back of the net over the last couple of years, which has massively held the side back in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have spent hundreds of millions of pounds on numerous attackers under multiple managers, but largely to no avail, as seen by their measly goal tally from 2024/25.

Ruben Amorim’s men only notched a total of 44 league goals last campaign, with two centre forwards, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, only netting seven goals combined.

The latter has rapidly fallen down the manager’s plans, leaving on a season-long loan to join Serie A side Napoli during the off-season, with such a deal having an option to buy in the summer of 2026.

In an attempt to improve the current first-team squad, many of the fanbase will have been craving a move for one talent who set England’s top-flight alight in recent years.

Alexander Isak’s form against Manchester United

Alexander Isak has been one of the Premier League’s leading attackers over the last couple of years, often being a player to be feared when coming up against the Magpies.

The Swede has registered 54 league goals in his three years in England, ending last year on 23 goals, sitting second in the goalscoring charts as he helped the Magpies secure Champions League qualification.

He is unbeaten in 63% of his matches against the Red Devils, scoring a header in the clash at Old Trafford as Eddie Howe’s side claimed a 2-0 win back in December.

Isak stated his desire to leave St James’ Park this summer, subsequently joining United’s rivals Liverpool in an English record £125m transfer on deadline day.

Such a move has massively strengthened Arne Slot’s side for the 2025/26 campaign, which could inflict more pain in the Derby matches for Amorim’s men in the near future.

The prospect of the Swede linking up with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitiké is a dangerous one for the rest of England’s top-flight, with such a trio making the Reds favourites to retain their league title.

However, despite the business conducted elsewhere, the Red Devils have also landed numerous top-quality talents who could also make themselves fan favourites at the Theatre of Dreams.

Man United's Isak-level signing

In an attempt to avoid a repeat of 2024/25, the United hierarchy splashed £200m on three new attackers during the summer to inject the needed added quality to the frontline.

Matheus Cunha was the first to make the move, joining in a £62.5m transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers after scoring 15 times in England’s top-flight last campaign.

The Brazilian has been joined by Benjamin Sesko in the final third, costing a fee in the region of £74m from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig – filling the void left by Hojlund’s departure.

The third and final player added to the attacking department was Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroonian arriving from English outfit Brentford as an “unplayable” star in the words of Thomas Frank.

His addition set the club back £71m, including add-ons – a mammoth sum of money, but one that could prove worthwhile after he scored 20 times in the top-flight last time around.

The 26-year-old was one of just five players in the division to achieve a total of 20 goals or more in the Premier League – highlighting the talent the club have on their books at present.

Such a move is similar to that of Isak to Liverpool this summer, with both players falling into the aforementioned bracket for goals scored in 2024/25.

Both players will be hoping to repeat similar feats at their new clubs this campaign, but for the Red Devils’ sake – they will hope Mbeumo can add further goals to add to his dominance over the Swede.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats in the league from 2024/25, Mbeumo managed to better Isak in numerous areas, subsequently highlighting the excellent addition made by Amorim and Co.

The Cameroonian, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Statman Dave, posted a better shot on target accuracy rate (44%) and a higher goal per shot on target rate (0.5).

Such numbers highlight the clinical edge he possesses within the final third, arguably making him a more threatening option than the English-record signing.

He also completed more of the take-ons he attempted (47%) whilst carrying the ball into the opposition’s box per 90 (2.1) – further highlighting his talent when in possession.

If he can replicate such numbers during his time at Old Trafford, Mbeumo may have all the tools to help the Red Devils return to their former glory in the near future.

It remains to be seen if he can once again outperform Isak in 2025/26, but if he does, his £71m transfer fee may be a bargain – especially if he can lead the side to any form of silverware.

Worth more than Baleba: Man Utd have struck gold on "generational" talent

Manchester United already have a big-money talent on their books despite missing out on Carlos Baleba.

2

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 10, 2025

They have chosen to play in SA20 and ILT20 instead, but will play the ODIs in Zimbabwe

Matt Roller13-Dec-2022Josh Little and Paul Stirling will miss Ireland’s T20I series in Zimbabwe next month in order to play in the SA20 and ILT20 respectively, in the latest example of franchise leagues’ growing impact on the primacy of bilateral international cricket.Ireland’s tour to Zimbabwe starts with three T20Is from January 12-15, followed by three ODIs – which are not part of the Super League – from January 18-23, with all fixtures staged at the Harare Sports Club. Little and Stirling will miss a handful of early group games for Pretoria Capitals and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders respectively, but will return to their respective franchises straight after the ODI series.

Fixtures

• 1st T20I – January 12

• 2nd T20I – January 14

• 3rd T20I – January 15

• 1st ODI – January 18

• 2nd ODI – January 20

• 3rd ODI – January 23

All matches at Harare Sports Club

Ireland have a busy schedule in 2023 which features spring tours to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, a home series against Bangladesh, a Test and three ODIs in England and the European qualifying tournament for the 2024 T20 World Cup, plus the possibility of the 2023 50-over World Cup in India if they qualify, either through the Super League or the global qualifiers.Andrew White, Ireland’s national selector, said the volume of cricket meant they would have to develop “a broader pool of ‘international-ready players’ to meet the challenges ahead” and will use Little and Stirling’s involvement in overseas leagues as an opportunity to give fringe players a chance to impress.”2023 will be the year when we return to playing all three formats,” White said. “However, with a T20 World Cup Qualifier in July and a possible 50-over Cricket World Cup in October – if we can qualify – the importance of this white-ball series is obvious. The volume of cricket next year demands that we will need a broader pool of ‘international-ready’ players to meet the challenges ahead, and the Zimbabwe tour will be the start of that process.”While the squads selected reflect the new dynamism and positive philosophy that Heinrich [Malan, head coach] and his staff have been instilling in our white-ball squads, we have taken advantage of the decision to allow a couple of our players the opportunity to participate in franchise tournaments.”As a result, Stephen Doheny looks set to make his full international debut after he was an unused squad member at the recent T20 World Cup in Australia, while bowling allrounder Tyrone Kane returns to the fold and could make his first appearance for Ireland since July 2019.Little and Stirling’s absences have created space for Neil Rock, the young wicketkeeper-batter, and Ben White, the legspinner who played one game at the 2021 T20 World Cup, in the T20I squad. “Ben has benefited from spending time with spin-bowling coach Nathan Hauritz in the nets and is continuing to develop his legspin, and Neil will come into the squad in largely a batting capacity,” White said.Curtis Campher is included in both squads despite holding a contract with Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League which, like the ILT20 and SA20, clashes directly with the tour. Simi Singh, the offspinning allrounder, has been left out of both squads, while Craig Young is sidelined with an injury suffered at the T20 World Cup and Conor Olphert is also absent through injury.T20I squad: Andy Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Tyrone Kane, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben WhiteODI squad: Andy Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Graham Hume, Tyrone Kane, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker

Assistant coach praised ‘driven captain’ Shreyas Iyer for bringing ‘ultra-impressive’ side together ahead of IPL 2025

Shashank Kishore24-Mar-2025Ricky Ponting wants to make this one of the “greatest Punjab Kings team of all time.” Ahead of their IPL 2025 opener against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, assistant coach Brad Haddin echoed similar sentiments.”That’s exciting to the players,” Haddin said, when asked if Ponting’s statement put pressure on them. “In this day and age, you want to challenge the player group to touch greatness. That’s what we want to see everyday. We want to see them get better than they were yesterday, better than what they were the previous week.”You have to set high expectations and high goals. The reason is we’re happy with the group we’ve put together. We’ve been ultra impressed with what they’ve done at training camps. Now all they want to do is play cricket. They’ve had enough cricket in camps, they want to get out there and express themselves.”Related

• PBKS winning without overseas contributions shows 'real confidence', says Nick Knight

• It's Buttler vs Maxwell as Titans kick off against new-look PBKS

Kings bought Shreyas Iyer for INR 26.75 crores to captain a new-look side that features the experience of Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh along with young talents like Priyansh Arya and Suryansh Shedge. They also multiple allrounders in Marco Jansen, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.Asked if the Australian flavour to the Kings support staff group was a “good thing” in driving culture towards team success, Haddin heaped praise on Shreyas, who he termed as a “driven captain” who would lead the way in establishing “standards” and “habits.””We’ve got a driven captain who has had a lot of success, not just for India but in the competition and in this form of the game,” Haddin said. “From the captain down, he has brought everyone together, the staff are on the same page as the players. From that point of view, what we’re seeing is a high[-quality] group being led by the standards and habits of the captain.”Haddin was also clear of the Kings’ brand of cricket, without divulging much about their choice of personnel.”If you have a look at the way IPL has developed, especially with impact player, it allows players up top to play with a lot more freedom,” he said. “Last year, we saw an increase in powerplay numbers. This year, it’ll increase again. From our point of view, it’s giving guys an opportunity to express themselves, make sure they play brave and play what’s in front of them, and not worry too much about what’s happening.”This is a new group, we’ve had a brand new auction, we’ve got every player that we want to play different roles. One of those is a couple of guys to play in those six overs, you’ll be quite excited to see when it comes. Whoever we put up there will be exciting, they’ll play a brave brand of cricket, dynamic at the top. That’s what we want them to do.”

ESPNcricinfo looks at the Plays of the Day for the fourth day between India and West Indies

S Aga17-Nov-2011The let-off
Darren Bravo had made just 54 when he played one down the ground and set off. With Shivnarine Chanderpaul showing no sign of responding, he was three-fourths of the way down the pitch by the time Gautam Gambhir reached the ball. He opted for the flamboyant pick-up-and-throw in one motion. But Ricky Ponting he isn’t, and an appalling throw had MS Dhoni moving yards to his left to collect it. Bravo had plenty of time to scuttle back.The play-on
West Indies’ chances of saving the game rested heavily on Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. They had added 108 before Umesh Yadav broke through on a pitch that had become increasingly placid. It wasn’t nearly the best ball he bowled but it was just short of a length and close enough to the batsman to induce an attempted push through cover. The ball took the inside edge and disturbed the stumps. It was India’s sole success of the morning.The variant that backfired
At one stage, R Ashwin tried a Stuart MacGill-style round-arm delivery. Bravo was waiting, and he fairly thwacked it back for a straight six. Afterwards, he showed Chanderpaul just what the bowler had tried to do.The obligatory DRS moment
Bravo was on 119 when Pragyan Ojha got him to inside edge onto the thigh pad. Short leg took the catch, and India’s appeal was spontaneous. The umpire Bruce Oxenford was uninterested, though, and with no DRS being used, India had to get on with it.The Umesh-I-hit moment
Darren Sammy was in no mood to hang around with an innings defeat to be avoided. He had smashed three sixes by the time Yadav jagged one back at 141 kph. This time, the flamboyant swipe connected only with air and the bails went flying.