Four-day format 'encourages positive cricket' - de Villiers

Assessing whether four-day, day-night Tests have a future on the evidence of a match that lasted less than two days and only had one night session is a bit like deciding to move to India having only seen a picture of the Taj Mahal. Still, in the 907 balls of the Port Elizabeth Test, players from both teams saw enough to form a few opinions.

On four-day Tests:

The match didn't even get to its halfway point, but knowing there were only four days scheduled may have pushed South Africa to be more aggressive than usual. "The batters were a little bit more positive," their stand-in captain AB de Villiers said. "There were talks of declaring earlier than normal. It encourages more positive cricket. I still enjoy five-day [Tests] as well but there is an excitement in this format. We all enjoyed it and I think the spectators will enjoy it as well."

On day-night Tests and the pink ball:

As in previous day-night Tests, the pink ball moved around markedly more under lights. Zimbabwe took five of their nine wickets after the dinner break on day one, and the game's only centurion, Aiden Markram, felt it was the most difficult time to bat. "From that twilight phase that everyone speaks about, I do feel it moves around quite a bit," he said, after day one.

Because teams know the advantage of bowling in the third session, the side that wins the toss will most often look to bat first and have accumulated the bulk of their runs before the lights come on. They may even, as was the case with South Africa, declare earlier than usual in order to put the opposition in when it is most difficult to bat.

"Declarations will play a big part in day-night Tests with teams declaring a bit earlier or a bit later, because every seam attack will want to bowl at night," Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer said. "Like anything, the more it happens the more experience you'll get in knowing when to declare and which bowlers to bowl.

"It's also, during the day, about not pushing your seamers too hard and keeping them for that night period. All the batsmen are going to want to bat during the day but not at night."

As a result of that, the team batting under lights may look to rejig their batting line-up slightly to ensure their best batsman only get to the crease when conditions are easier to bat in. Cremer confessed to having "four of our tailenders padded up in the change room to get them out the way and to give our batsmen a chance during the day. It was a tactic that got forced on us but it's something we're going to have a look at."

Both teams still had concerns about the pink ball. De Villiers, who made 53 on the first day, and Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe coach, said the batsmen struggled to pick the seam.

The ball has also been known to wear and become soft fairly easily which necessitates pitches to be prepared to make things a little easier for the bowlers, with more grass left on them. De Villiers admitted that could skew the game further.

"Zimbabwe had the worst of the conditions last night," he said. "They ran into a wicket that was really spicy and it was going to spice up again this evening."

Four-day format 'encourages positive cricket' - de Villiers

Assessing whether four-day, day-night Tests have a future on the evidence of a match that lasted less than two days and only had one night session is a bit like deciding to move to India having only seen a picture of the Taj Mahal. Still, in the 907 balls of the Port Elizabeth Test, players from both teams saw enough to form a few opinions.

On four-day Tests:

The match didn't even get to its halfway point, but knowing there were only four days scheduled may have pushed South Africa to be more aggressive than usual. "The batters were a little bit more positive," their stand-in captain AB de Villiers said. "There were talks of declaring earlier than normal. It encourages more positive cricket. I still enjoy five-day [Tests] as well but there is an excitement in this format. We all enjoyed it and I think the spectators will enjoy it as well."

On day-night Tests and the pink ball:

As in previous day-night Tests, the pink ball moved around markedly more under lights. Zimbabwe took five of their nine wickets after the dinner break on day one, and the game's only centurion, Aiden Markram, felt it was the most difficult time to bat. "From that twilight phase that everyone speaks about, I do feel it moves around quite a bit," he said, after day one.

Because teams know the advantage of bowling in the third session, the side that wins the toss will most often look to bat first and have accumulated the bulk of their runs before the lights come on. They may even, as was the case with South Africa, declare earlier than usual in order to put the opposition in when it is most difficult to bat.

"Declarations will play a big part in day-night Tests with teams declaring a bit earlier or a bit later, because every seam attack will want to bowl at night," Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer said. "Like anything, the more it happens the more experience you'll get in knowing when to declare and which bowlers to bowl.

"It's also, during the day, about not pushing your seamers too hard and keeping them for that night period. All the batsmen are going to want to bat during the day but not at night."

As a result of that, the team batting under lights may look to rejig their batting line-up slightly to ensure their best batsman only get to the crease when conditions are easier to bat in. Cremer confessed to having "four of our tailenders padded up in the change room to get them out the way and to give our batsmen a chance during the day. It was a tactic that got forced on us but it's something we're going to have a look at."

Both teams still had concerns about the pink ball. De Villiers, who made 53 on the first day, and Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe coach, said the batsmen struggled to pick the seam.

The ball has also been known to wear and become soft fairly easily which necessitates pitches to be prepared to make things a little easier for the bowlers, with more grass left on them. De Villiers admitted that could skew the game further.

"Zimbabwe had the worst of the conditions last night," he said. "They ran into a wicket that was really spicy and it was going to spice up again this evening."

Sri Lanka's worst defeat in T20Is

The 93-run victory over Sri lanka in Cuttack bettered their largest margin of victory of 90 runs against England in 2012 World T20. Two of India's three biggest victories in the format have come this year. They had won by 75 runs against England in Bengaluru in February.

The loss by 93 runs is also Sri Lanka's biggest defeat in T20Is eclipsing the 85-run loss to Australia in Pallekele in 2016.

Yuzvendra Chahal is now the most successful bowler in the shortest format this year. His figures of 4 for 23 in the first T20I pushed his tally to 19 wickets in 10 matches, helping him go past went past Rashid Khan and Kesrick Williams, both whom have 17 wickets. Chahal was also adjudged Man of the Match for his performance. This was the second such award of his 13-match career and both have come in 2017. His first resulted in India's third-largest victory in T20Is and set the record for the best figures by an Indian bowler in the shortest format - 6 for 25.

Shane Warne has returned to the Rajasthan Royals franchise as its mentor ahead of the 2018 IPL season. Warne, 48, will renew his association with the side he led to a title in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. The former Australian legspinner went on to lead the Royals for the next three editions, before retiring after the 2011 season. Warne, who has mentored the side in the past, remains the Royals' third-highest wicket-taker of all time, with 58 scalps from 56 matches.

"I am very happy and excited to be back with the Rajasthan Royals, who I believe hold a very special place in my cricketing journey," Warne was quoted as saying in the Royals website. "I am overwhelmed by the love and affection showered on me by the franchise and fans of Rajasthan Royals. We have a strong, young and energetic bunch of boys, and I am looking forward to work with them."

Sri Lanka's worst defeat in T20Is

The 93-run victory over Sri lanka in Cuttack bettered their largest margin of victory of 90 runs against England in 2012 World T20. Two of India's three biggest victories in the format have come this year. They had won by 75 runs against England in Bengaluru in February.

The loss by 93 runs is also Sri Lanka's biggest defeat in T20Is eclipsing the 85-run loss to Australia in Pallekele in 2016.

Yuzvendra Chahal is now the most successful bowler in the shortest format this year. His figures of 4 for 23 in the first T20I pushed his tally to 19 wickets in 10 matches, helping him go past went past Rashid Khan and Kesrick Williams, both whom have 17 wickets. Chahal was also adjudged Man of the Match for his performance. This was the second such award of his 13-match career and both have come in 2017. His first resulted in India's third-largest victory in T20Is and set the record for the best figures by an Indian bowler in the shortest format - 6 for 25.

Shane Warne has returned to the Rajasthan Royals franchise as its mentor ahead of the 2018 IPL season. Warne, 48, will renew his association with the side he led to a title in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. The former Australian legspinner went on to lead the Royals for the next three editions, before retiring after the 2011 season. Warne, who has mentored the side in the past, remains the Royals' third-highest wicket-taker of all time, with 58 scalps from 56 matches.

"I am very happy and excited to be back with the Rajasthan Royals, who I believe hold a very special place in my cricketing journey," Warne was quoted as saying in the Royals website. "I am overwhelmed by the love and affection showered on me by the franchise and fans of Rajasthan Royals. We have a strong, young and energetic bunch of boys, and I am looking forward to work with them."

Rohit rewarded for sticking to 'set template'

It was for long the insurmountable peak for ODI batting, but one man might now have a template to score ODI double-centuries again and again. In Bengaluru, against Australia in 2013, Rohit Sharma reached 20 off 35th ball, 50 off the 71st, and the hundred in the 38th over of the innings. In Kolkata, against Sri Lanka in 2014, he was nearly caught for 4 off the 17th ball he faced, reached his 20th run off the 35th ball, but accelerated slightly earlier to bring up his century in the 32nd over of the innings. On a cold mid-week afternoon in Mohali this season, he was even slower to start, reaching 20 off 37 balls, 50 off 65 balls, and bringing up the hundred only in the 40th over.

All three were ODI doubles. One time can be a charm, but to accelerate so crazily three times after having set up the innings and to make it look predictable is a perfect combination of skill, fitness and the right mental approach to ODI batting. You can be all amazed at how he manages to do it, but Rohit's reaction to it is typically relaxed. "That's my template, no?" he tends to ask. He remembers the innings clearly: reaching "50 off 70 balls", bringing up the hundred "near the 40th over", and then knowing that the bowlers can't get him out unless he makes a mistake.

"That is my style of play," Rohit said. "You are set and seeing the ball nice and hard and you have understood what the bowlers are trying to do by then, and it's all about trying to play with the field once you get past 100. It's all about you not making a mistake and getting out. I am not saying it's impossible or difficult, but it's very unlikely the bowlers are going to get you out once you have scored a hundred.

"So it was all about me not making a mistake and batting as long as possible. That's what I did. There is no secret or formula to it. You just have to bat and not make any mistake. The ground is good, the pitch is nice and hard, so you can trust the bounce and play the shots."

Rohit was asked to expand on the mindset. "I started off very slow because I like analysing," Rohit said. "I like to analyse the situation, conditions more than that because the conditions initially were not so easy and we wanted to play out those initial overs, and then see what we can do. In all the three double hundreds, it is a very similar pattern that you will see... started off slow, then picked up the pace and then in the end I accelerated.

"That is only because unless you make a mistake, you are not going to get out because you are set and you are seeing the ball well. Bowlers are trying to get away with their plans because things are not going their way. So all those things, I count, I analyse and I talk to myself about it when I am batting. I feel after you get a hundred, batting will only get easier. You have been there, took out the toughest part of the game which is the initial phase with the two new balls. You have batted that, your team is in a good position and you also have wickets in hand, so all those put together, gives you freedom to play those shots. I exactly did that.

"I am not someone like AB de Villiers, or Chris Gayle, or MS Dhoni for sure. I don't have that much power. I have to use my brain to manipulate the field and I have to stick to my strength, which is to hitting through the line and playing with the field. Once you cross the three-figure mark, batting only gets easier. Unless you make a mistake, you will not get out. It can happen if you get a good ball, but eight out of 10 times you will not."

This might have sounded arrogant had it come from someone other than the affable Rohit. He does make it sound like the six-hitting in the last 10 overs is routine, easy even. "Nothing is easy in cricket," Rohit said. "May be when you watch it on TV it looks easier, but it is not. Trust me, when you are out in the middle, you have to use your brain and you have to time the ball. Otherwise, it is not easy. I was trying to play with the field, playing a scoop shot, trying to hit over point. Those are my strengths. It is not always that you can clear the rope easily. So that is the advantage of having five fielders inside. You can play with the field and shot selection becomes very important."

How about selecting which of the doubles is closest to him then? They all are, and Rohit went on to talk of the circumstances that made it impossible to choose between them. "I cannot rate this because the others were as important as this one," Rohit said. "Because the first one against Australia was a series-decider. The second one against Sri Lanka I was making a comeback after three months. I was injured before that and didn't play any cricket. It was a world record so obviously that has to be right up there. This one also having had a loss in the first game, we wanted to come back as batting group. This is my first captaincy stint, and you know I as a batsman first and then as a captain I wanted to do well."

This one did have an extra icing on the top, coming as it did on his wedding anniversary and in the presence of his wife, whom he saluted with a little peck on his ring finger after reaching the double hundred. "You must have seen on visuals, she was more happy than me," Rohit said. "She got a little emotional because it was the first double-hundred that she witnessed. It is not that I score double-hundreds every day. The way she came and told me was quite funny. But it was good to have her there and let her witness what I did today. I am very happy about that part. But more than that, winning the game... my first [successful] game as a captain... very happy with that."

Rohit rewarded for sticking to 'set template'

It was for long the insurmountable peak for ODI batting, but one man might now have a template to score ODI double-centuries again and again. In Bengaluru, against Australia in 2013, Rohit Sharma reached 20 off 35th ball, 50 off the 71st, and the hundred in the 38th over of the innings. In Kolkata, against Sri Lanka in 2014, he was nearly caught for 4 off the 17th ball he faced, reached his 20th run off the 35th ball, but accelerated slightly earlier to bring up his century in the 32nd over of the innings. On a cold mid-week afternoon in Mohali this season, he was even slower to start, reaching 20 off 37 balls, 50 off 65 balls, and bringing up the hundred only in the 40th over.

All three were ODI doubles. One time can be a charm, but to accelerate so crazily three times after having set up the innings and to make it look predictable is a perfect combination of skill, fitness and the right mental approach to ODI batting. You can be all amazed at how he manages to do it, but Rohit's reaction to it is typically relaxed. "That's my template, no?" he tends to ask. He remembers the innings clearly: reaching "50 off 70 balls", bringing up the hundred "near the 40th over", and then knowing that the bowlers can't get him out unless he makes a mistake.

"That is my style of play," Rohit said. "You are set and seeing the ball nice and hard and you have understood what the bowlers are trying to do by then, and it's all about trying to play with the field once you get past 100. It's all about you not making a mistake and getting out. I am not saying it's impossible or difficult, but it's very unlikely the bowlers are going to get you out once you have scored a hundred.

"So it was all about me not making a mistake and batting as long as possible. That's what I did. There is no secret or formula to it. You just have to bat and not make any mistake. The ground is good, the pitch is nice and hard, so you can trust the bounce and play the shots."

Rohit was asked to expand on the mindset. "I started off very slow because I like analysing," Rohit said. "I like to analyse the situation, conditions more than that because the conditions initially were not so easy and we wanted to play out those initial overs, and then see what we can do. In all the three double hundreds, it is a very similar pattern that you will see... started off slow, then picked up the pace and then in the end I accelerated.

"That is only because unless you make a mistake, you are not going to get out because you are set and you are seeing the ball well. Bowlers are trying to get away with their plans because things are not going their way. So all those things, I count, I analyse and I talk to myself about it when I am batting. I feel after you get a hundred, batting will only get easier. You have been there, took out the toughest part of the game which is the initial phase with the two new balls. You have batted that, your team is in a good position and you also have wickets in hand, so all those put together, gives you freedom to play those shots. I exactly did that.

"I am not someone like AB de Villiers, or Chris Gayle, or MS Dhoni for sure. I don't have that much power. I have to use my brain to manipulate the field and I have to stick to my strength, which is to hitting through the line and playing with the field. Once you cross the three-figure mark, batting only gets easier. Unless you make a mistake, you will not get out. It can happen if you get a good ball, but eight out of 10 times you will not."

This might have sounded arrogant had it come from someone other than the affable Rohit. He does make it sound like the six-hitting in the last 10 overs is routine, easy even. "Nothing is easy in cricket," Rohit said. "May be when you watch it on TV it looks easier, but it is not. Trust me, when you are out in the middle, you have to use your brain and you have to time the ball. Otherwise, it is not easy. I was trying to play with the field, playing a scoop shot, trying to hit over point. Those are my strengths. It is not always that you can clear the rope easily. So that is the advantage of having five fielders inside. You can play with the field and shot selection becomes very important."

How about selecting which of the doubles is closest to him then? They all are, and Rohit went on to talk of the circumstances that made it impossible to choose between them. "I cannot rate this because the others were as important as this one," Rohit said. "Because the first one against Australia was a series-decider. The second one against Sri Lanka I was making a comeback after three months. I was injured before that and didn't play any cricket. It was a world record so obviously that has to be right up there. This one also having had a loss in the first game, we wanted to come back as batting group. This is my first captaincy stint, and you know I as a batsman first and then as a captain I wanted to do well."

This one did have an extra icing on the top, coming as it did on his wedding anniversary and in the presence of his wife, whom he saluted with a little peck on his ring finger after reaching the double hundred. "You must have seen on visuals, she was more happy than me," Rohit said. "She got a little emotional because it was the first double-hundred that she witnessed. It is not that I score double-hundreds every day. The way she came and told me was quite funny. But it was good to have her there and let her witness what I did today. I am very happy about that part. But more than that, winning the game... my first [successful] game as a captain... very happy with that."

Australia 4-0 in day-night Tests

Having won in Adelaide, Australia now take a substantial lead in this Ashes series. England have to win a minimum of two more games and draw one to retain the Ashes. However on the last three occasions when England have lost the first two Tests of a series they have been whitewashed. England suffered whitewashes against Australia in 2006-07 and 2013-14 and Pakistan in the UAE in 2012. England will be hoping to change their fortunes this time around. With this win, Australia have now won all the four day-night Tests they have been part of. They have won three in a row in Adelaide and one in Brisbane. Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Starc played key roles in Australia's victory at Adelaide. Marsh scored an unbeaten 126 in the first innings and received his first Man of the Match award in Tests while Starc became the seventh left arm-pace bowler to take a five-wicket haul at home against England. In the last seven Ashes Tests in Australia, left-arm pace bowlers have taken five five-wicket hauls. Mitchell Johnson took one each in the first four Tests of the 2013-14 Ashes while Starc now has one. This is Starc's first five-wicket haul at home since 2012, when he took 5 for 63 against Sri Lanka in Hobart. It has taken Starc 25 innings since then to take five wickets in an innings. In the same period, Starc has taken two such hauls away from home, in Sri Lanka and England respectively.

Nathan Lyon has 11 wickets in the series so far and is the second highest wicket-taker after Mitchell Starc. Lyon has been constantly troubling the batsmen and has taken a wicket every ten overs. However, his wicket-taking ability is severely skewed towards left-handed batsmen and Lyon will hope to change that over the next three matches. Lyon averages 119 against right-handers and has taken just one wicket from 281 deliveries. In comparison, Lyon has 10 wickets at an average of 13.1 and strikes once every 37 deliveries against left-handed batsmen. In this series Lyon has dismissed Moeen Ali on all four occasions while conceding 67 runs from 149 balls.

Australia 4-0 in day-night Tests

Having won in Adelaide, Australia now take a substantial lead in this Ashes series. England have to win a minimum of two more games and draw one to retain the Ashes. However on the last three occasions when England have lost the first two Tests of a series they have been whitewashed. England suffered whitewashes against Australia in 2006-07 and 2013-14 and Pakistan in the UAE in 2012. England will be hoping to change their fortunes this time around. With this win, Australia have now won all the four day-night Tests they have been part of. They have won three in a row in Adelaide and one in Brisbane. Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Starc played key roles in Australia's victory at Adelaide. Marsh scored an unbeaten 126 in the first innings and received his first Man of the Match award in Tests while Starc became the seventh left arm-pace bowler to take a five-wicket haul at home against England. In the last seven Ashes Tests in Australia, left-arm pace bowlers have taken five five-wicket hauls. Mitchell Johnson took one each in the first four Tests of the 2013-14 Ashes while Starc now has one. This is Starc's first five-wicket haul at home since 2012, when he took 5 for 63 against Sri Lanka in Hobart. It has taken Starc 25 innings since then to take five wickets in an innings. In the same period, Starc has taken two such hauls away from home, in Sri Lanka and England respectively.

Nathan Lyon has 11 wickets in the series so far and is the second highest wicket-taker after Mitchell Starc. Lyon has been constantly troubling the batsmen and has taken a wicket every ten overs. However, his wicket-taking ability is severely skewed towards left-handed batsmen and Lyon will hope to change that over the next three matches. Lyon averages 119 against right-handers and has taken just one wicket from 281 deliveries. In comparison, Lyon has 10 wickets at an average of 13.1 and strikes once every 37 deliveries against left-handed batsmen. In this series Lyon has dismissed Moeen Ali on all four occasions while conceding 67 runs from 149 balls.

'Things were dark, but cricket was my release'

Regrets? He's had a few. But then again, fewer than you might expect him to mention.

"I had a lot of problems but I wouldn't swap what I did, because of the love of playing for Durham and England," says Steve Harmison, the former England fast bowler. "There were times when things were dark, but there was times when cricket was my release. I was a maverick, for want of a better word. I could win a game in a spell, or go at nine an over and lose it there and then."

Where Ashes series are concerned, this truism has been distilled into a handful of identifiable deliveries. The elbow clanger to Justin Langer and the cobra bite to Ricky Ponting's cheek at Lord's - early indications in that seismic summer of 2005 that Australia were about to face a challenge such as they had never before encountered.

One Test later, that slower ball to Michael Clarke and that desperate looping rib-tickler to Michael Kasprowicz at Edgbaston - moments recalled with freeze-frame clarity by a generation of England cricket fans, who had been taken to the brink and left there to dangle before that moment of sweet release.

And then, on the first morning of the Ashes rematch in 2006-07, at Brisbane's infamous "Gabbatoir" no less - that ball, that wide. That powder-puff, bio mechanic apology of a misfire that curled straight into the hands of Andrew Flintoff at second slip and signalled - symbolically at least - the surrender of the urn that England had worked themselves to a standstill to earn 18 months earlier.

"When we went to Australia in 2006-07, only four players turned up," Harmison says. "And of the three or four senior players who didn't turn up, I was probably top of the tree."

Looking back on that delivery, a little over a decade ago, it's hard now to recall quite how much of a passion-killer it really was. There were other deliveries in the course of England's 5-0 whitewash, and plenty other disappointments - mere mention of the word "Adelaide", for instance, cricket's own version of the "Scottish play", still brings fans of a certain disposition out in hives.

And yet, that first delivery stands the test of time - as symbolic a shortcoming as has ever been served up on such a grand stage. As James Alexander Gordon might have said to the massed ranks of England fans in the Gabba that morning, "if you don't want to know the result, look away now".

"It wasn't so much the first ball itself but the build-up," Harmison says now. "I needed a lot of bowling to get my rhythm going, but I felt my side go in our final warm-up game in Adelaide, so I took the precautionary option of not playing. So I didn't have 25 overs under my belt going into the Test. I felt good in practice, but then I got to the top of my mark "

Rewatching the footage of that fierce first morning, the main thing that strikes you is the noise. The tribal roar of a packed amphitheatre, tracking Harmison's every step to the wicket, followed by a slightly baffled change of key as Langer shapes to leave well alone, and a renewed outburst of derision as umpire Steve Bucknor spreads out his arms to signal the inevitable. Yes, it was just a solitary moment in time. But what a time, and what a message to relay to the most hostile audience in the sport.

"It's one of those things, as a big tall bowler, you only have to be a little bit out," Harmison says. "I was in no position to let go of the ball. Your front arm leads and your bowling arm follows. And I had no control. It came off my third finger and looped into Andrew's hand. If you freeze the action, you can see I'm losing my left side. I was trying far too hard to bowl too fast.

"It could have gone behind me. Did I freeze? Possibly. I just think I tried too hard."

'Things were dark, but cricket was my release'

Regrets? He's had a few. But then again, fewer than you might expect him to mention.

"I had a lot of problems but I wouldn't swap what I did, because of the love of playing for Durham and England," says Steve Harmison, the former England fast bowler. "There were times when things were dark, but there was times when cricket was my release. I was a maverick, for want of a better word. I could win a game in a spell, or go at nine an over and lose it there and then."

Where Ashes series are concerned, this truism has been distilled into a handful of identifiable deliveries. The elbow clanger to Justin Langer and the cobra bite to Ricky Ponting's cheek at Lord's - early indications in that seismic summer of 2005 that Australia were about to face a challenge such as they had never before encountered.

One Test later, that slower ball to Michael Clarke and that desperate looping rib-tickler to Michael Kasprowicz at Edgbaston - moments recalled with freeze-frame clarity by a generation of England cricket fans, who had been taken to the brink and left there to dangle before that moment of sweet release.

And then, on the first morning of the Ashes rematch in 2006-07, at Brisbane's infamous "Gabbatoir" no less - that ball, that wide. That powder-puff, bio mechanic apology of a misfire that curled straight into the hands of Andrew Flintoff at second slip and signalled - symbolically at least - the surrender of the urn that England had worked themselves to a standstill to earn 18 months earlier.

"When we went to Australia in 2006-07, only four players turned up," Harmison says. "And of the three or four senior players who didn't turn up, I was probably top of the tree."

Looking back on that delivery, a little over a decade ago, it's hard now to recall quite how much of a passion-killer it really was. There were other deliveries in the course of England's 5-0 whitewash, and plenty other disappointments - mere mention of the word "Adelaide", for instance, cricket's own version of the "Scottish play", still brings fans of a certain disposition out in hives.

And yet, that first delivery stands the test of time - as symbolic a shortcoming as has ever been served up on such a grand stage. As James Alexander Gordon might have said to the massed ranks of England fans in the Gabba that morning, "if you don't want to know the result, look away now".

"It wasn't so much the first ball itself but the build-up," Harmison says now. "I needed a lot of bowling to get my rhythm going, but I felt my side go in our final warm-up game in Adelaide, so I took the precautionary option of not playing. So I didn't have 25 overs under my belt going into the Test. I felt good in practice, but then I got to the top of my mark "

Rewatching the footage of that fierce first morning, the main thing that strikes you is the noise. The tribal roar of a packed amphitheatre, tracking Harmison's every step to the wicket, followed by a slightly baffled change of key as Langer shapes to leave well alone, and a renewed outburst of derision as umpire Steve Bucknor spreads out his arms to signal the inevitable. Yes, it was just a solitary moment in time. But what a time, and what a message to relay to the most hostile audience in the sport.

"It's one of those things, as a big tall bowler, you only have to be a little bit out," Harmison says. "I was in no position to let go of the ball. Your front arm leads and your bowling arm follows. And I had no control. It came off my third finger and looped into Andrew's hand. If you freeze the action, you can see I'm losing my left side. I was trying far too hard to bowl too fast.

"It could have gone behind me. Did I freeze? Possibly. I just think I tried too hard."

'If you beat Australia, they quickly turn like the crowd in Rocky IV'

Graeme Swann has fond memories of the one moment in his career when he was able to kick back from the struggle of winning and losing a Test match, and simply soak in the acclaim of a job well done.

The scene was Sydney, on the final morning of the 2010-11 tour, with the Ashes already in the bag. England had resumed needing just three wickets to wrap up their third innings victory of the series, and the SCG - bereft of home fans who had long since accepted the inevitable - had instead been transformed into an Anglican Cathedral of acclaim.

"The Barmy Army were incredible on that trip, I've never heard noise like it on that day at Sydney," says Swann, England's Ashes-winning spinner turned BT Sport pundit. "Paul Collingwood was sent down to field in front of the Barmy Army, rather than third slip. You'd never have the luxury normally, but Straussy [England captain, Andrew Strauss] said, 'it's your last day of Test cricket, get down there and enjoy it'."

If such a finale sounds improbably idyllic, then it is only fair to point out that that 2010-11 tour was the exception that proved the rule of England's Ashes tours. That triumph sits sandwiched between 5-0 whitewashes on the 2006-07 and 2013-14 trips, while just three of England's current tourists (James Anderson, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad) had even been born at the time of their previous victorious campaign - Mike Gatting's 2-1 win in 1986-87.

"A lot of the time on my two tours of Australia, the Barmy Army were the only smiles we got in the day," says ESPN's Mark Butcher, who was twice defeated on tours Down Under in 1998-99 and 2002-03. "Come hell or high water, rain or shine, they were supporting a team that was invariably getting a hiding, so they played a huge part in keeping us going when we were out in the middle, and runs were being racked up left, right and centre."

Instead, the more familiar refrain on England's Ashes tours has been the sound of Aussie crowing - in the venues, around the cities, and even at the airports, where immigrations officials have rarely been backwards in coming forwards to "welcome" their Pommie guests. It all adds up to a pervasive sense of hostility that can only serve to unsettle the unwary tourist.

'If you beat Australia, they quickly turn like the crowd in Rocky IV'

Graeme Swann has fond memories of the one moment in his career when he was able to kick back from the struggle of winning and losing a Test match, and simply soak in the acclaim of a job well done.

The scene was Sydney, on the final morning of the 2010-11 tour, with the Ashes already in the bag. England had resumed needing just three wickets to wrap up their third innings victory of the series, and the SCG - bereft of home fans who had long since accepted the inevitable - had instead been transformed into an Anglican Cathedral of acclaim.

"The Barmy Army were incredible on that trip, I've never heard noise like it on that day at Sydney," says Swann, England's Ashes-winning spinner turned BT Sport pundit. "Paul Collingwood was sent down to field in front of the Barmy Army, rather than third slip. You'd never have the luxury normally, but Straussy [England captain, Andrew Strauss] said, 'it's your last day of Test cricket, get down there and enjoy it'."

If such a finale sounds improbably idyllic, then it is only fair to point out that that 2010-11 tour was the exception that proved the rule of England's Ashes tours. That triumph sits sandwiched between 5-0 whitewashes on the 2006-07 and 2013-14 trips, while just three of England's current tourists (James Anderson, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad) had even been born at the time of their previous victorious campaign - Mike Gatting's 2-1 win in 1986-87.

"A lot of the time on my two tours of Australia, the Barmy Army were the only smiles we got in the day," says ESPN's Mark Butcher, who was twice defeated on tours Down Under in 1998-99 and 2002-03. "Come hell or high water, rain or shine, they were supporting a team that was invariably getting a hiding, so they played a huge part in keeping us going when we were out in the middle, and runs were being racked up left, right and centre."

Instead, the more familiar refrain on England's Ashes tours has been the sound of Aussie crowing - in the venues, around the cities, and even at the airports, where immigrations officials have rarely been backwards in coming forwards to "welcome" their Pommie guests. It all adds up to a pervasive sense of hostility that can only serve to unsettle the unwary tourist.

Friendship, understanding Mumbai's strength - Tendulkar

It was an evening to celebrate Mumbai cricket, more specifically the team's 500th Ranji Trophy game that will begin on Thursday against Baroda. At a function organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association at the Bandra-Kurla Complex ground, Sachin Tendulkar dipped into the mellow glow of nostalgia as he recalled some of his finest moments with the Mumbai team.

First outing with the team

We knew exactly what we wanted to be because when we were playing Under-15, Under-17, we used to watch national players practicing and Ranji Trophy cricketers practicing alongside them. I was selected at the age of 14 to go to Baroda. We travelled by train. My room partner was Suru Nayak, so he was appropriately selected for me to make sure I sleep on time and all that sort of things. As time went by, I grew up. All in all, the experience was overwhelming and as the time went by with all these greats of Indian cricket, I started feeling at home. I didn't play a single game that year, but I spent time in the dressing room. That made me feel I belonged in Mumbai cricket.

Maiden first-class season

The north stand was vocal as usual [with] my friends [sitting there]. I would like to thank Kiran Mokashi and Suru Nayak. Whenever the nets were over, they would take me out and ask me to pad up and set fields - silly point, slip, and all possible attacking fields. There were occasions that they would request that Raju Kulkarni and other fast bowlers to come and bowl at me. Without fail, Mokashi and Suru would come and work on my technique. That would give me so much confidence. They would tell me 'you would need to survive ten minutes', but the ten minutes would never get over. I would look up and see that the time was past 5, but they would continue bowling to me. That's why I was well prepared when I played my first game - I was only 15 then. There were guys at the non-striker's end. Alan [Sippy] was there, Lalu [Lalchand Rajput] was also there. All these guys gave me confidence.

Leading the side to a title in 1994-95 after a dry spell

Our practice methods, I thought, were good, but they could be bettered. I am of this belief that results invariably follow your preparation, so I focused more on preparations. I remember Arjun was there, the groundsman. There were a lot of groundsmen with whom I would regularly be in touch with me and I would tell them not to cover the wicket. The bowlers should make our life uncomfortable. Salil [Ankola] was there, Abey [Kuruvilla], Paras [Mhambrey], Manish Patel, so the fast-bowling attack was formidable, possibly the best in India. I would tell them 'make our lives as miserable as you want and fire away bouncers at will.' I was mentally strong, I felt, and growing up I was told by [Ramakant] Achrekar sir that catches would win you matches. We would take catches every day. We also had that unwritten rule that batsmen should bowl and vice-versa. I enjoyed bowling. Throughout the practice, there was great intensity and we were also great friends. The friendship reflected on the field. When there were difficult times, we had understanding. That was our strength.

Favourite Ranji game

It has to be the semi-finals against Tamil Nadu [in 1999-2000]. I think we were chasing 485 [chasing 486 for the first-innings lead] and Ashok Mankad was our coach. He kept everyone involved. He had a peculiar way of motivating everyone. He would call Vinod [Kambli]'sir'. That was his way of motivating them. A lot of things happened during that game. At one moment, the ball stopped swinging and Robin Singh kept giving it to the umpires and asked for it to be changed. Finally it got changed and the ball started reversing. I stood two feet outside the crease and I knew some message would go across. Hemang Badani told the bowler 'munnadi' [front, in Tamil] and next ball I stood two feet inside the crease. Whatever he kept telling the bowler something, I would change [my position]. Whenever he said munnadi, I would go back and vice-versa. Post-match, I told him, 'by the way, I understand Tamil'. The match was quite evenly poised at one stage, but not just saving wickets but also scoring runs was critical. I think I was batting with Ramesh Powar. Having practiced with him - this is the beauty of practising together - I knew he always liked hitting the ball. The last man was there, Santosh Saxena, and the first ball was a full toss that struck his pads. I said from the non-striker's end 'not out' and the umpire gave not out. It was a coincidence and nothing more lest the papers say something tomorrow (laughs). There were still about 165 overs to go in the game. As we know Wankhede's wicket, on the fourth and fifth day the games start moving fast. Ajit [Agarkar] and other bowlers bowled brilliantly and won us the game.

Friendship, understanding Mumbai's strength - Tendulkar

It was an evening to celebrate Mumbai cricket, more specifically the team's 500th Ranji Trophy game that will begin on Thursday against Baroda. At a function organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association at the Bandra-Kurla Complex ground, Sachin Tendulkar dipped into the mellow glow of nostalgia as he recalled some of his finest moments with the Mumbai team.

First outing with the team

We knew exactly what we wanted to be because when we were playing Under-15, Under-17, we used to watch national players practicing and Ranji Trophy cricketers practicing alongside them. I was selected at the age of 14 to go to Baroda. We travelled by train. My room partner was Suru Nayak, so he was appropriately selected for me to make sure I sleep on time and all that sort of things. As time went by, I grew up. All in all, the experience was overwhelming and as the time went by with all these greats of Indian cricket, I started feeling at home. I didn't play a single game that year, but I spent time in the dressing room. That made me feel I belonged in Mumbai cricket.

Maiden first-class season

The north stand was vocal as usual [with] my friends [sitting there]. I would like to thank Kiran Mokashi and Suru Nayak. Whenever the nets were over, they would take me out and ask me to pad up and set fields - silly point, slip, and all possible attacking fields. There were occasions that they would request that Raju Kulkarni and other fast bowlers to come and bowl at me. Without fail, Mokashi and Suru would come and work on my technique. That would give me so much confidence. They would tell me 'you would need to survive ten minutes', but the ten minutes would never get over. I would look up and see that the time was past 5, but they would continue bowling to me. That's why I was well prepared when I played my first game - I was only 15 then. There were guys at the non-striker's end. Alan [Sippy] was there, Lalu [Lalchand Rajput] was also there. All these guys gave me confidence.

Leading the side to a title in 1994-95 after a dry spell

Our practice methods, I thought, were good, but they could be bettered. I am of this belief that results invariably follow your preparation, so I focused more on preparations. I remember Arjun was there, the groundsman. There were a lot of groundsmen with whom I would regularly be in touch with me and I would tell them not to cover the wicket. The bowlers should make our life uncomfortable. Salil [Ankola] was there, Abey [Kuruvilla], Paras [Mhambrey], Manish Patel, so the fast-bowling attack was formidable, possibly the best in India. I would tell them 'make our lives as miserable as you want and fire away bouncers at will.' I was mentally strong, I felt, and growing up I was told by [Ramakant] Achrekar sir that catches would win you matches. We would take catches every day. We also had that unwritten rule that batsmen should bowl and vice-versa. I enjoyed bowling. Throughout the practice, there was great intensity and we were also great friends. The friendship reflected on the field. When there were difficult times, we had understanding. That was our strength.

Favourite Ranji game

It has to be the semi-finals against Tamil Nadu [in 1999-2000]. I think we were chasing 485 [chasing 486 for the first-innings lead] and Ashok Mankad was our coach. He kept everyone involved. He had a peculiar way of motivating everyone. He would call Vinod [Kambli]'sir'. That was his way of motivating them. A lot of things happened during that game. At one moment, the ball stopped swinging and Robin Singh kept giving it to the umpires and asked for it to be changed. Finally it got changed and the ball started reversing. I stood two feet outside the crease and I knew some message would go across. Hemang Badani told the bowler 'munnadi' [front, in Tamil] and next ball I stood two feet inside the crease. Whatever he kept telling the bowler something, I would change [my position]. Whenever he said munnadi, I would go back and vice-versa. Post-match, I told him, 'by the way, I understand Tamil'. The match was quite evenly poised at one stage, but not just saving wickets but also scoring runs was critical. I think I was batting with Ramesh Powar. Having practiced with him - this is the beauty of practising together - I knew he always liked hitting the ball. The last man was there, Santosh Saxena, and the first ball was a full toss that struck his pads. I said from the non-striker's end 'not out' and the umpire gave not out. It was a coincidence and nothing more lest the papers say something tomorrow (laughs). There were still about 165 overs to go in the game. As we know Wankhede's wicket, on the fourth and fifth day the games start moving fast. Ajit [Agarkar] and other bowlers bowled brilliantly and won us the game.

How India got the better of Latham

India's plan against Latham
Tom Latham's innings in Mumbai was one of the finest played by an overseas player in India. The way he swept the Indian spinners reminded one of Matthew Hayden and Andy Flower. The only place that he didn't target against spin was the long-off region (he had scored only one run towards long-off on Sunday) and it felt that the hosts fielded with only eight men. The Indian bowlers and captain Virat Kohli learnt from that experience, prepared a plan and executed it well. The spinners bowled only a couple of balls within the stumps and constantly had both fine-leg and square-leg inside the circle. The line and the field placement meant the option of padding a single from outside off was cut off, and the only way to find the fence was to go aerial. In addition to that, even after Latham was well set, India had six men inside the circle, which included a fielder at mid-off instead of long-off. The outside-off line forced Latham to walk across all the time and that's where the change of angle from Axar Patel worked. That was the only time Axar went around the wicket and instead of throwing it outside off, he pitched it towards leg and Latham played down the wrong line.

Bhuvneshwar's tight lines
It's a little difficult for a swing bowler to maintain tight lines but Bhuvneshwar Kumar has shown that he's capable of doing so without comprising on his ability to swing the ball bowl both ways. His beehive from today's match was a testament to his accuracy; most bowling coaches tell you to bowl the length that will make the ball hit the top off stump, and he did that consistently. He dismissed Martin Guptill with a ball that was too close to leave but still a little wide to play at and it moved away after pitching. Against Colin Munro he went around the stumps to bowl bouncers and came back over the stumps with a his knuckle ball that tends to float into the left-hand batsman, which accounted for an inside edge. Even for Henry Nicholls, he used the angle from around the stumps and hit the top of the wicket after going through the gate.

AB de Villiers joins Gayle, Dhoni in six-hitting club

3 - Scores higher bigger than AB de Villiers' 176, his highest, for South Africa in ODIs. Three of the top four scores have come since September 2016. Gary Kirsten's unbeaten 188 against UAE at the 1996 World Cup is still the highest individual ODI score by a South African.

25 - Number of centuries for de Villiers in ODIs. He is the seventh batsmen to score 25 or more ODI centuries and the second from South Africa after Hashim Amla to achieve this feat. Incidentally all his 25 hundreds have come at a strike rate in excess of 100. Six of his tons have come in less than 70 balls.

8 - Those who have ODI tons against all older Full Members (excludes Ireland and Afghanistan). Ricky Ponting, Herschelle Gibbs, Sachin Tendulkar, Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli, Ross Taylor, Upul Tharanga and de Villiers make up the super eight.

201 - Sixes hit by de Villiers in ODIs - the sixth cricketer to get past the 200 mark. He is fifth on the list of most six-hitters in ODIs. Shahid Afridi, Sanath Jayasuriya , Chris Gayle, MS Dhoni and Brendon Mccullum are the other members of this elite list.

2 - Scores bigger than de Villiers' 176 against Bangladesh in ODIs. Charles Coventry's 194* in 2009 and Shane Watson's 185* in 2011 are top the list.

7 - Instances of Bangladesh conceding 350 plus in ODIs. Five of these have come away from home, two of which are against South Africa. This is the first time they have conceded 350 plus since April 2011.

3 - Scores in excess of 300 at Boland Park in Paarl. The average first innings score at this venue in nine previous games is 230. South Africa's 353 on Wednesday is tops the 351 for 3 India made against Kenya was the highest team score at this venue going past the 351 for 3 made by India in 2001.

12 - Century stands between Hashim Amla and de Villiers - the most by any South African pair in ODIs. They went past the 11 century stands put together by Hershcelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith.

India's seven-batsman army didn't work

The pitch at the Barsapara stadium
The surface in Guwahati had a deep-brown look that suggested a lot of moisture. There was also an even covering of grass, which allowed the ball to grip the pitch and move laterally. The toss was critical and Australia did the right thing by choosing to field, after which Jason Behrendorff proved the value of a left-arm seamer. His natural angle - moving away from the right-hand batsman - accounted for Manish Pandey, and deliveries that came in got Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Behrendorff reaped rewards for his fuller length.

India's shot selection
In the first ODI, Pandey had fallen for a duck, nicking a full ball from Nathan Coulter-Nile. In Guwahati, Pandey stayed deep in the crease and was fortunate that Coulter-Nile rarely pitched full. Behrendorff, however, did pitch full and Pandey's front foot went down the pitch instead of towards the ball. He reached out for it with his hands and edged behind. Shikhar Dhawan had spent all but one ball in the first three overs at the non-striker's end, giving him ample time to assess the conditions. So the shot he played to fall to Behrendorff - an attempted chip over the infield - was careless.

Dhoni's footwork
The moisture in the pitch ensured the ball gripped and turned for the legspinner Adam Zampa. MS Dhoni tried to counter this threat by stepping out: in the over that he was eventually dismissed, Dhoni stepped out to Zampa five times. The idea was to force the bowler to shorten the length, which would allow Dhoni the freedom to stay in the crease and score off the back foot. It was interesting that Dhoni chose to step out - sometimes only to defend - to five consecutive balls without waiting on the back foot even once.

Seven-batsmen army
India have been picking seven batsmen in recent limited-overs games, the idea being to have extra firepower to set above-par totals or chase huge targets. It is also insurance against a collapse. The strategy hasn't always worked in ODIs with scores of 300, and even in Guwahati having Hardik Pandya at No. 7 did not prevent India from being dismissed in 20 overs. Playing the extra batsman also leaves you a bowler short, leaving no insurance for a bowler having a bad day. With the kind of batsmen India have, playing five proper bowlers is a tactic worth trying.

The Warner-Finch dismissals & Henriques' promotion
Most of the runs scored on this pitch were off the back foot and that led to Australia's openers being a little too eager. David Warner and Aaron Finch went back to balls that weren't short enough and paid the price. Australia were smart to promote Moises Henriques to no. 3, ahead of Glenn Maxwell. The conditions demanded a more technically sound batsman.

India's bowling plans
Travis Head and Henriques went after the left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav and medium-pacer Hardik Pandya. Every time Kuldeep pitched full, which is his strength, both batsmen went really hard at it. He was forced to bowl shorter and, on a slow Guwahati pitch, the ball sat up to be hit. The experience should encourage Kuldeep to expand his repertoire. From time to time, the situation will arise where he needs to bowl quicker and with control.

It was interesting that Kohli did not bowl Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Jasprit Bumrah in the middle overs despite Kuldeep going for plenty. Yes, it would have meant not having their overs at the end, but the only way to fight back was to break the Henriques-Head stand and take more wickets. As it turned out, with Australia winning in the 16th over, neither Bumrah nor Bhuvneshwar bowled their full quota.

The quiet signs of change in Pakistan's bowling strategy by RSBL

How open are we really to change? The entire human endeavour seems accented to carefully curating each day so that it mirrors yesterday and tomorrow. Sleep at the same time, wake up at the same time, go to more or less the same places, eat more or less the same food, listen to more or less the same music, be more or less with the same people. Routine is the real opium of the masses, that which keeps humans from destroying each other and the planet (and one day, we must continue to believe, this great theorem will be proven true).

On Thursday, Pakistan will walk into the Sheikh Zayed stadium and it will feel much as it has the last nine times they have walked into this venue for a Test. It is now home, now fortress. The stands will be empty and the immediate surrounds barren, and that sense of solitude, of diligently beavering towards a goal away from the eyes of the world - a sense that has helped them no end, by the way - will remain. Even the last few days of practice have progressed, more or less, as they always did, as if it's no big deal that they are elite athletes preparing for elite battle - no team's humanness, that they are not all that different to you and I, is as visible as Pakistan's.

Except, way out there somewhere, there's this low rumble gathering, maybe ominous, maybe not. It's the sound of change. The two men, in whose opposing personalities a pure essence of Pakistan was accidentally distilled - the unmoved ice of Misbah-ul-Haq meeting the moving lava of Younis Khan - are no longer here. Expect that rumble to grow louder. Eventually for sure, not right now necessarily.

RSBL & Windies dot matrix struggles to keep up with the times

Much has been made of the return of Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels to West Indies' one-day side but, while they give the batting line-up a stronger appearance, there is one aspect in which they don't improve the team: running between the wickets.

Neither of them are keen to put their body on the line to scurry up and down the 22 yards to put pressure on opposition fielders. At Old Trafford, Gayle reached the point of barely walking singles. Initially there appeared to be an injury - he was heard on the stump microphone complaining about a hamstring strain - although he fielded during England's chase and the West Indies camp said there was no fitness issue.

Samuels struggled for his timing, as did most of West Indies' batsmen barring Gayle and his early boundary collection, but rather than trying to drop and run a little more, it was either attempt to hit the ball the hard or defend it. Samuels eventually fell for 17 off 46 deliveries, 31 of which were dot balls.
In T20, the block-or-bash method has not hindered West Indies, the immense power in the batting order - over a short duration - means they can overcome dot balls by clearing the boundary. But in the 50-over game, an innings such as Gayle's 37 off 27 balls from a top-order batsman has less chance of defining a game, a point that was explored in greater detail in this feature.

Overall, there were 142 dot balls in West Indies' 42 overs at Old Trafford - 56.34% of the innings - something pinpointed by captain Jason Holder and Toby Radford, the batting coach, after the match. That, in fact, is a slightly better mark than their figure since the 2015 World Cup, a period in which they have averaged 59.84% of dot balls in an ODI innings. Only Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and UAE are below them in one-day internationals during the period.

"It's the way Chris has always played, he's a destructive batter and if you have him in for a period of time you can have a matchwinning score," Radford said. "He'll always play the way he does and Marlon plays a bit like that as well.

"What you tend to find when you come to England is that you have big boundaries and they look to push twos into the outfield, then try to limit our boundary hitting. It's the same when we travel around the world. It's something we talk about all the time and as a team we have to adapt, make sure we are pushing the fielders. Those ones and twos add up by the end. We have to find a way to get those singles, but sometimes you have to give credit to how a side bowls against you."

Gayle and Samuels are not for changing at this stage of their careers but it isn't just about the runs they themselves are missing out on, but the impact it has on the other batsmen. Anyone batting with them has to be aware how much to push the running, and it hasn't escaped England's attention that the run out is a likely source of a wicket. Gayle went that way in the T20 and could have been found short at Old Trafford as well.

"He doesn't run that well between the wickets, so maybe we can stop the singles and make him hit boundaries," Liam Plunkett said after the T20.

There could hardly be a bigger contrast than with England's approach. They have the lowest dot-ball percentage since the 2015 World Cup (49.48) and the partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root in Manchester was a lesson in how to milk the bowling. Bairstow faced just one dot ball more than Samuels in an innings that was 51 deliveries longer.

"Jonny is very quick between the wickets, always putting fielders and bowlers under pressure and it makes it a lot easier batting with him when there's someone so quick to run the runs with you," Root said. "I thought that was one thing he did really well, he picked up every single and really challenged the guys on the rope, getting the twos and threes when we could.

"It's such an important part of one-day cricket to try and scrape every run. It's so frustrating as a bowler when you feel like you are bowling good deliveries but the batsmen scratch a single, then when you miss your mark it goes for four. Instead of going at four-an-over you end up going at seven, eight or nine an over."

"It's the genetics," Bairstow said, "it's me being me. It's something I've grown up with up. If there's two to be had I'll try to come back. It's an asset to be quick between the wickets, like someone who can scoop or hit you straight down the ground. It's the intensity we want to play at as a side…if you are chasing a higher score and able to get the ones and twos and score a boundary an over, all of a sudden you are scoring plenty without taking too many risks."

There are many reasons why West Indies have failed to automatically qualify for the 2019 World Cup. Some require longer-term solutions, but there are other things the players can do immediately to try and improve their one-day fortunes. Getting a shift on between the wickets is one of them.

Evolving Babar cherishes scoring runs in front of home crowd News by RSBL

Babar, subsequently, made his international debut in an ODI in May 2015 in Lahore against Zimbabwe - a rarity because Babar's rise was during Pakistan's isolation as an international venue due to security concerns. He then smashed a hat-trick of hundreds against West Indies in the UAE, and became the joint fastest to 1000 ODI runs, equalling Viv Richards, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Quinton De Kock.

Top-flight cricket returned to Pakistan on Tuesday night and Babar marked it with an exquisite 86 off 52 balls, in front of his home crowd. He missed a maiden T20 hundred, but provided great entertainment with 10 fours and two sixes - the highlight being a trademark pull through square leg off Morne Morkel. He followed it with attractive drives off Ben Cutting and a skillful jab through midwicket.

Babar's Test returns - he averages only 27.25 - haven't been as productive as his limited-overs returns, but the selectors have trust in him, largely because of his unflappable temperament, which came to the fore in Lahore. Babar cherished scoring runs in front of his home crowd and said it was "something special".

"It's obviously difficult to play your own home series away from home because playing at home is relatively easy for us," he said. "It's mainly because we grew up playing at our home venues, attuned with the conditions and with the crowd support it's more enjoyable. It helps a lot also playing in front of a crowd that loves cricket and loves you and performing make us more special. We unfortunately have been deprived of playing at home regularly [sic] while every team around the world enjoys the privilege of playing at their home. I did play one game earlier against Zimbabwe at home and it also gives you immense pleasure to play at your home ground."

Babar's match-winning knock against a diverse and robust World XI team highlighted his evolution as a limited-overs batsman. He is strong in defence, picks his shots smartly, and knows when to accelerate. With Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq retiring Pakistan cricket seemed to be in a crisis, but Babar has given hope. He is only 22 and seems set to carry the batting for a long time, like Younis and Misbah had done.

West Indies swing low, but finish their day on a high RSBL

Some days it doesn't matter what you do.

You can wake up after your best ever sleep, look in the mirror and realise you've lost five pounds, accidentally rub against a lucky rabbit's foot and find a fifty pound note in your pocket. The stars can be in alignment, the moon in your house and the sun shining on your back.

Sometimes you can prepare as best you can, mentally and physically, focus on your processes and kick the laurels from underneath you.

Some days you can do all of the right things and it counts for nothing.

At Edgbaston, West Indies were bowled out for 168 and 137. In their first innings at Lord's they were all out for 123. But while they managed fewer runs in their most recent outing, it didn't spark the same sense of calamity as did their batting capitulation in the first Test. Perhaps there was still a lingering and softening glow remaining from their Headingley victory. Or perhaps a realisation that, today, they simply came up against some outstanding swing bowling in the sort of conditions that would have seriously tested the most resolute batsman's defence.

The ball may have been red but there were similarities to Edgbaston. There, the Windies struggled against a moving ball under artificial lights and for much of the first day of this final Test the lights were required at a gloomy Lord's.

Kraigg Brathwaite and Kyle Hope were victims of the new ball leaving them under the expert guidance of James Anderson as he hunted down the last few wickets needed to reach his teasing milestone - he was so difficult to play, it probably cost him the elusive 500th wicket. Could they have left better? Opening batsmen nick off to good outswingers. Such is the nature of the game at this level.

Shai Hope did the early hard work, was patient and looked set; he could arguably have played Toby Roland-Jones better and perhaps have avoided the thin edge. But there will be far worse shots and poorer innings than this.

RSBL Clarke fears for team if pay dispute drags

Australia's former captain Michael Clarke has implored Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association to agree to a 12-month rollover of the most recent MoU and negotiate the game's next collective agreement behind closed doors, before further damage is done to the game and a national team in transition.

The last MoU, signed when Clarke was captain in 2012, was completed 12 months later than originally planned due to a pair of intractable issues - potential privatisation of Big Bash League clubs and a proposed redevelopment of the WACA Ground - with a one-year interim agreement signed in the meantime. Clarke, who said he "hated" coming home to see coverage of the pay dispute take precedence over the concurrent Women's World Cup, said both parties had to consider the game's wider interests.

Specifically, he pointed to a developing Australian side that had lost to South Africa at home, India away and been knocked out of the recent ICC Champions Trophy as a key reason to stop the players from being placed in the middle of the dispute. With a home Ashes summer looming, Clarke feared for the prospects of the team captained by Steven Smith unless they were able to prepare adequately.

"I think what needs to happen is keep the current MoU for the next 12 months, allow the players to get back to what we do best, train, prepare, get some important cricket in," Clarke said at Channel Nine's Ashes launch in Sydney. "The women are playing a World Cup now, massive tournament. The Aussie [men] have got Bangladesh tour, India tour and then the Ashes. Allow the players to concentrate wholly and solely on that. The ACA and CA, please go behind closed doors and do this in private.

"The two MoUs I was around for got extended [2011 to 2012], weren't done by June 30, they got extended so I don't see any difference here. Keep the same MoU for 12 months to allow negotiations to continue. My main concern is players want to play for their country, so let's allow them to play while this stuff is getting sorted out in the background."

More than 230 players were left out of contract when the most recent MoU expired on July 1, with neither side countenancing a rollover of the deal amid a relationship that has grown increasingly toxic. The Australia A squad is presently at a training camp in Brisbane but all players have expressed their strong objection to undertaking any international commitments in the absence of working MoU, whether under contract to their states or not.

"I don't want the Australian players to be underprepared because they've been focused on something else," Clarke said. "So give them 12 months let the players concentrate on the cricket. I don't want to see any cricket missed, because I know how important preparation is as a player. We lost to South Africa in Australia, we got knocked out of the Champions Trophy, we lost to India in India. As a playing group we need to make sure we're 100% focused on our preparation, because the cricket we've got coming up is tough.

"I hate the fact I've arrived home from England and this is taking media coverage over [cricket]. The women are on fire in England in the World Cup and not even getting a look-in, because the MoU's taking up those pages. I think it's bad for the game. Everyone will say 'Michael you take the players' side' because I feel like I was playing yesterday and know those guys so well. I do want what's best for the game."

Given the bitterness of the dispute, Clarke said he was concerned about the prospect of political machinations being behind the two parties' drastically opposed positions. He was also worried about how much either side of the debate had considered how it would be possible for the two bodies to work together after a new MOU is signed, given how much trust has been lost.

"The international players, men and women, are the face of our game, they need to be looked after," he said. "Young girls and boys grow up, watching their idols on television and that's why they want to play for Australia, so the players definitely need to be looked after. But in the same breath I've always believed it's important that our game continue to go [up]. Every boy and girl in this country has the opportunity to play what I think is the best game in the world.

"If they're our two greatest priorities, then to me this will sort itself out - there will be a compromise. If there's other priorities in front of those two things, that makes me nervous. It's important both parties remember ... you are going to have to work together very closely. I think both parties need to keep that in the front of their minds."

A rollover of the current MoU has two major roadblocks. The first is that CA's strident opposition to revenue sharing would mean prolonging the previous arrangement would be seen as a backdown by the board in the face of player power. The second is that the 2012 MoU did not include women, who have been direct employees of CA but are now set to be part of the next MoU shared jointly with the male players.

The national talent manager and selector Greg Chappell and the Australia A coach Jason Gillespie also spoke about the dispute on Monday in Brisbane, and did their best to play down its significance. "I'm expecting we'll see a resolution, a positive resolution, in not too distant a future and we'll get back to focusing on the cricket," Chappell said. "These things go on from time to time. I'm sure you guys from the media love the conversation but I don't think it's quite as big a story from inside.

"I understand both sides of the argument. I expect a resolution and a positive resolution fairly soon. There are very good people on both sides of the table and they're working hard towards getting a satisfactory resolution. I expect a positive resolution and everyone to get on with cricket. So once that happens, I think most of this will fall by the wayside. This is a good, healthy debate which you need to have from time to time and positive things will come out of it."

Gillespie, an emerging coach but also a player who has benefited from the revenue sharing model that the ACA is so eager to keep in place, said he was intent on ensuring the Australia A squad trained this week as though the tour would be going ahead without a hitch.

"It's an interesting situation, isn't it? I'm not involved in any of these negotiations whatever," he said. "So as a coach, [I've looked to ensure] the players looked prepared as well as we can. We have to have the attitude as if we're going to be travelling. I've spoken with other coaches of Cricket Australia, our focus is: let's prepare as well as we can to be on tour let's see what happens.

"I'd like to think the two sides get together and come to a resolution and we can get on that plane and go to South Africa. I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for the players, you know, to do well. Players would love to play cricket. Everyone wants to represent their country. The two sides get talking... what we're hearing is they'll be talking this week, you know and the players have shown good faith in coming up to train and prepare as if we're going on the tour. So we just have to wait that out."