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South Africa look to land knockout blow

Charbel Coorey
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It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. Quinton De Kock and Hashim Amla barely raised a sweat, mowing down Bangladesh’s 278/7 with over 7 overs to go, in Kimberley on Sunday.

South Africa look a well oiled machine, but given how disappointing Bangladesh have been, are we getting too far ahead of ourselves thinking South Africa won’t lose a series in their season, their longest one yet?

For the moment, they are well on track to take a 2-0 lead in Paarl, simply because their opponents don’t have the know-how or quality to ask proper questions. De Kock and Amla made the Bangladeshi bowlers look park quality, following on from the thrashing South Africa gave Bangladesh in the Tests.

This is almost the same Bangladesh attack that made South Africa look ordinary in Bangladesh in 2015. The difference is incredible.

So where to for Bangladesh?  It’s got to the point where just being competitive will count for something. As a Bangladesh fan, if they manage to take a wicket, it will be met with a cheer as loud as the cheers in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Dating back to the Champions Trophy semi-final hammering by India, Bangladesh have taken just 1 wicket in their last 83 overs, and look absolutely toothless in foreign conditions. Significant blame should be placed on the management and coaches for this, but that’s a conversation for another day.

Can a team bounce back just a few days after being destroyed so badly that even Faf Du Plessis felt sorry?

Key to a South Africa win

Do the Proteas even need to do anything different?
Their biggest concern at the moment is whether their middle order batsmen will even get a chance to bat in this series.
Complacency is their only threat, and with Faf Du Plessis at the helm, there will be none of that. The key for South Africa is to continue to remain ruthless and show no mercy.

Key to a Bangladesh win

Miracle as victory may seem in the 2nd ODI, Bangladesh still possess some great talent. 
Mushfiqur Rahim’s century was brilliant, and Shakib Al Hasan became the fastest ever to achieve the double of 5,000 runs and 200 wickets in ODIs.
Taskin Ahmed, who has fallen away badly in recent months, needs some confidence instilled in him real quick. Mashrafe is able to nibble the ball around, and Rubel has had his moments in ODI cricket. However, this has mainly been at home.
Is Bangladesh’s best chance to bowl first and try get some morning movement? Their bowlers seem to be lacking the skill to get anything out of the surfaces away from home. They need this to be their day, with the series on the line.

Possible line ups:

South Africa look strong and settled. They boast a quality batting lineup, and will be looking to go 2-0 up in Paarl. The lowest batting average in the top six is a very respectable 37.71 (Duminy).
Wayne Parnell has even been ruled out of the T20Is, so it looks likely the Proteas will go with the same team.
South Africa possible XI: 1. Quinton De Kock, 2. Hashim Amla, 3. Faf Du Plessis, 4. AB De Villiers, 5. David Miller, 6. JP Duminy, 7. Dwaine Pretorius, 8. Dane Peterson, 9. Andile Phehlukwayo, 10. Kagiso Rabada, 11. Imran Tahir
You can try be as positive as you like about Bangladesh, but it is likely they will be without Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Mustafizur Rahman for this game. They are running thin on resources and confidence.
Imrul Kayes, despite scoring 31, looked out of his depth. Soumya Sarkar has a solid ODI record for Bangladesh and should play instead. With Mushfiqur in doubt, Mominul should play, too.
Bangladesh possible XI: 1. Liton Das, 2. Soumya Sarkar, 3. Mominul Haque, 4. Shakib Al Hasan, 5. Mahmudullah, 6. Sabbir Rahman, 7. Nasir Hossain, 8. Mohammad Saifuddin, 9. Mashrafe Mortaza, 10. Taskin Ahmed, 11. Rubel Hossain

Stats & Facts:

  • If South Africa win this game, they will leapfrog India to top spot in the ODI rankings.
  • 282/0 is the highest successful run chase in ODI history without losing a wicket, overtaking Jason Roy and Alex Hales for England in 2016 v Sri Lanka
  • Quinton De Kock and Hashim Amla became South Africa’s most prolific ODI opening pair, overtaking Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs.
  • Hashim Amla became the fastest ever to reach 26 ODI centuries (154 innings), beating Virat Kohli who reached the mark in 166 innings.
  • In their last 83 overs of ODI cricket, Bangladesh have taken 1 wicket. Since the start of their New Zealand tour last December, Bangladesh away from the subcontinent have taken 55 wickets at a high average of  44.74. Excluding New Zealand and Ireland, Bangladesh away from the subcontinent in this period have taken 4 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 234.5 runs per wicket.
  • South Africa’s batsmen across 2 Tests and 1 ODI have plundered 1,598 runs at an average of 122.92 runs per wicket.
  • Shakib Al Hasan became the fifth player to achieve the 5,000 runs-200 wickets double in ODIs. He is the quickest to achieve this, doing so in 178 matches.
  • Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 110 was the first time a Bangladesh player scored a century against South Africa in any format. 
It is difficult to see anything other than a South Africa victory in Paarl. With Tamim, Mushfiqur and Mustafizur all likely to be missing, anything other than a comfortable South Africa win will be a surprise.

Can Pakistan keep the momentum going?

Charbel Coorey
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Preview: 2nd ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi

Pakistan are flying. Seven ODI wins out of their last eight has the hosts in a really good place – a place that hasn’t been associated with Pakistan for a long time in ODI cricket.

Pakistan were said to be stuck in 80s. Not able to come to terms with how ODI cricket has changed. But, Pakistan have done the most Pakistan thing ever and did what no one thought possible – win a Champions Trophy Title and turn their ODI form around completely.

Sarfraz Ahmed has this team playing well. He’s had his critics, but surely what he’s doing for this ODI side deserves praise. Attacking by nature, he has instilled a positive attitude into this Pakistan unit.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have lost all of their last eight ODIs. Only the West Indies (18%) have a worse win rate than Sri Lanka’s 19% in 2017, and the Lions face a big ask in turning their fortunes around in Abu Dhabi.

To make matters worse, there are rumours that Dinesh Chandimal is suffering from a knee injury. Who will step up for the Sri Lankans?

Key to a Pakistan win:

Pakistan’s bowlers were just too good for Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI.
What’s special about this Pakistan attack is how they can get the ball talking even in unfriendly conditions. Dubai is a flat pitch and the pitches in the Champions Trophy were flat, but these bowlers are brilliant.
Rumman Raees, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali represent a strong pace attack. Add to that the accurate Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim and the question begs – how serious a challenge can Sri Lanka provide?
Pakistan will win if they can continue their impressive run with the ball. Their batting can just flow on from that.

Key to a Sri Lanka win:

Regular wickets with the ball.
As much as I’ve been talking up Pakistan here, the hosts are still prone to the odd collapse or two. Despite Sri Lanka yet to settle on a bowling lineup, their best chance is picking up wickets in the middle overs and halting Pakistan’s progress.
Much of Sri Lanka’s struggles in 2017 have been due to their inability to take wickets in the middle overs. This has to change if they are to win here.

Who has to step up?

For Pakistan, it has to be Ahmed Shehzad. 
In his last 10 ODIs, Shehzad has scored 169 runs at 16.90. The out of form opener fell for a 12-ball duck in the series opener, and needs a score here to ease the pressure.
For Sri Lanka, it is a close call between Thisara Perera and Kusal Mendis.
I’ll go with Mendis.
Apart from a century vs India in Colombo, the talented Sri Lankan’s highest score in the last two months is 36. Sri Lanka are down on the mat, and with all the hype surrounding him back home in SL, he needs to help pick his side up.
Possible teams:

Pakistan: 1. Ahmed Shahzad 2. Fakhar Zaman 3. Babar Azam, 4. Shoaib Malik, 5. Mohammad Hafeex, 6. Sarfraz Ahmed (c & wk), 7. Imad Wasim, 8. Rumman Raees, 9. Shadab Khan, 10. Hasan Ali, 11. Junaid Khan

Sri Lanka: 1. Niroshan Dickwella (wk) 2. Upul Tharanga (c) 3. Kusal Mendis 4. Lahiru Thirimanne, 5. Dinesh Chandimal 6. Milinda Siriwardana 7. Thisara Perera 8. Suranga Lakmal 9. Akila Dananjaya 10. Jeffrey Vandersay 11. Lahiru Gamage

Stats & Facts:

  • Since 2015, Shoaib Malik has scored 1,356 ODI runs at an average of 54.24.
  • Babar Azam averages 55.64 in ODIs and just 23.75 in Tests.
  • Hasan Ali is just 5 wickets away from reaching 50 ODI wickets. He averages 18.97 with the ball in 2017, with 34 wickets.
  • Sri Lanka have lost eight ODIs in a row, and have only won one match in 2017 against a team other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe (India in Champions Trophy).
  • Sri Lanka have won just 1 of 12 when batting first. SL average 47.31 with the ball, which is the worst by any team in a calendar year in ODI history (min. 20 ODIs).
Will this match go the way the 1st ODI did? Or will Sri Lanka put up a better fight?
All the signs point to another Pakistan win to go 2-0 up.

Can Bangladesh turn their horrid tour around?

Charbel Coorey
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Preview: 1st ODI – South Africa v Bangladesh, Kimberley

Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa so far is like a boxer who has taken all the big punches, and thrown absolutely none back.

The ODI leg has arrived of Bangladesh’s painfully one-sided tour of South Africa.

This series will be bolstered by the return of AB De Villiers for South Africa, and Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan for Bangladesh. Will the return of two of Bangladesh’s best ever players see some sort of contest?

It will still be tough going for Bangladesh, with South Africa boasting a very strong line up. Along with De Villiers, JP Duminy returns to the side, looking to make things right after retiring from Tests recently. Add to that David Miller’s extraordinary record in Kimberley, and how South Africa’s bowlers have been all over Bangladesh in this series, the visitors face a tough ask.

Key to a South Africa win:


Attack. Attack. Attack.
South Africa boast a strong batting lineup, and are ready to unleash Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir on the Bangladeshi batsmen.
South Africa’s mindset will be key. They have all the firepower on paper, and if they deliver, it might be a long old day for Bangladesh.
The Proteas have so many different players who can step up. The key will be forcing Bangladesh on the back foot early and see how they respond. If the Tests are anything to go by, Bangladesh won’t compete for long.
Faf Du Plessis expects a tougher test in the ODIs, which means South Africa are unlikely to be complacent.

Key to a Bangladesh win:

Mushfiqur Rahim not being captain of the ODI team automatically gives Bangladesh a better chance. Their inspirational leader, Mashrafe Mortaza, is back.
Bangladesh were out of the game by lunch on Day 1 in both Test matches. Keeping South Africa’s batsmen quiet and negotiating Rabada and Tahir will go a long way to achieving an upset.
This is way easier said than done, though.
The visitors must compete for longer periods, and take South Africa as deep into the game as possible. South Africa will throw punches, but Bangladesh must throw them back.
Mustafizur Rahman will be a big loss for the Tigers, but there is enough experience in this lineup to show a lot more fight than they did in the Tests. That is providing Tamim Iqbal will play – and hopefully he will, for Bangladesh’s sake.
Win the toss, bat first – total of 275+ could be competitive with Mashrafe and Shakib back in the team? Time will tell.

Possible teams:

South Africa: Quinton De Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Faf Du Plessis (c), AB De Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain

Stats & Facts:

I love stats and facts, and here are some to enjoy ahead of the 1st ODI:
  • In the possible Bangladesh team above, there is a total of 1,097 ODI matches played. South Africa have a total of 1,067.
  • The last ODI series played between these two teams was in 2015, with Bangladesh winning 2-1 at home.
  • In his last five matches at Diamond Oval in Kimberley, David Miller has smashed three hundreds. He is set for his 100th ODI appearance.
  • In 24 ODIs away from Bangladesh since 2014, Bangladesh have won 7 and lost 13, with 4 no results.
  • Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan have taken 456 ODI wickets between them.
  • Average score batting first at Kimberley in List A matches in 2017: 259
Bangladesh sure do have the talent to push South Africa, but do they have the confidence and know-how to do it in foreign conditions? They’ll need to be close to their best, while South Africa need to be a long way from their best to cause an upset. Time will tell to see how this one pans out.

Impressive Pakistan thrash hapless Sri Lanka

Charbel Coorey
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The big question leading into this series was which Pakistan would show up? Champions Trophy Pakistan or inconsistent Pakistan?

Pakistan answered that question pretty convincingly, beating Sri Lanka so easily, that has us questioning how competitive this series will actually be.

Man of the Match Shoaib Malik gave the Pakistan innings that extra push in the middle overs, giving Babar Azam, who was striking in the 60s for a while, important support. Pakistan reached a solid 292/6 in conditions they know very well.

It proved to be way too much. Pakistan’s bowlers were just too good for Sri Lanka, with no Pakistan bowler conceding more than 5.44 runs per over. That man, Rumman Raees, took three wickets. Sri Lanka face a tough fight bouncing back in the UAE heat (not bowling first will help).

Here are some stats highlights from Pakistan’s thumping win:

  • Babar Azam‘s 103 was his 6th ODI century in just 32 innings. To put it in perspective:

         – AB De Villiers’ first ODI century came in his 37th innings
         – Sachin Tendulkar’s first came in his 70th innings!
         – Virat Kohli achieved his 6th ODI century in 64 innings
         – Ahmed Shahzad (80 innings) & Shahid Afridi (390 innings), also have 6 ODI centuries

  • Since 2015, Shoaib Malik has scored 1,356 ODI runs at an average of 54.24. Like fine wine, Shoaib Malik is getting better with age.
  • Hasan Ali is just 5 wickets away from 50 ODI wickets. This is having played only 22 matches. In 2017, he has taken 34 wickets at 18.94, helping Pakistan winning the Champions Trophy along the way. A star in the making.
  • Sri Lanka have now lost 8 ODIs in a row, which was the case in 1998-1999 as well.
  • In 2017, Sri Lanka have lost 17 out of 22 ODIs (19% win rate), with one No Result. Only the West Indies have a worse win rate of 18%. What is most concerning is that Sri Lanka hold this record even having played Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at home.
All the signs point to a big series win for Pakistan. Can Pakistan stay ruthless or will Sri Lanka bounce back?
Think there’s something I’ve missed or want to have a say? Do leave a comment!
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India v Australia, 2nd T20I – Was the rock meant for the Indian bus?

Charbel Coorey
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India v Australia, 2nd T20I, Guwahati

Did the fans who threw the rock mistake the Australian bus for the Indian bus?

It was a big moment for the city of Guwahati, hosting a high profile International, only to be let down by the Indian team, who would be disappointed with their performance.

We’re going to a decider!

A decider that nobody expected, really. Jason Behrendorff could’ve let the daunting, loud atmosphere get the better of him after a wide full toss that went for four. Instead, he stood tall. He brought his Big Bash form over the years in Australia over to the International stage, and is capable of helping Australia to an unlikely series win.

Adam Zampa was fantastic, too. The wicket of Dhoni was a dream wicket for any leg spinner.

Moises Henriques (62*) and Travis Head (47*) then saw the Aussies home, after losing two early wickets. It was the complete performance from Australia, and showed that India don’t have it all their own way

Here are some great stats (and a little attempt at humour from yours truly) from Australia’s unlikely crushing win:

  • Biggest impact for India: The two fans who threw the rock at the Australian bus had more impact than India’s bowlers, carted around by Henriques and Head, in an unbroken 109 run stand.
  • The only good rock from an Indian perspective wasn’t at an Australian batsman, but at the Australian bus.
OK, that’s enough before I get really carried away… I could go all night.
Getting late here in Australia, so here are some real stats:
  • 0 – The number of times before this game in which Virat Kohli scored a duck in a T20I
  • 7 – Australia broke a 7-game losing streak against India in T20Is
  • Jason Behrendorff has the best average and third best strike rate in all T20 Powerplays since 2014. Makes you wonder why it took so long for Behrendorff to get his T20I call up?
  • The top three runscorers in this series are all Australian (the rain in the 1st match contributed, however Australia also have the top wicket taker) – Henriques (70), Head (57), Finch (50).
Onto the decider! 
Can India bounce back? Will Australia do the unexpected and win a series in India?

It should be a good game in Hyderabad. 

Australia & Bangladesh rubbish away from home, Pakistan + Sri Lanka set for another great finish

Charbel Coorey
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Not everything that has happened in the last few days of cricket has made for pretty viewing. However, it’s made for some nice talking points.
India predictably beat Australia in the first of three T20I’s, South Africa hammered Bangladesh and Pakistan and Sri Lanka are playing out another close fought Test. 

India v Australia, 1st T20I, Ranchi

Australia + losing wickets at regular intervals is a better lovestory than Twilight, the Notebook, A Walk to Remember… you name it… except that the Australians are taking so many walks to the pavilion that they aren’t remembering each walk too well.
An all too familiar collapse in the middle overs left only the rain in India’s way of a comfortable victory. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were simply too good, picking up 4/33 in 7 overs between them.
– No Indian seamer has taken more wickets in T20Is than Jasprit Bumrah (36). Bumrah sits 2nd on the list of India T20I wicket takers, behind only Ravi Ashwin (52).
– Bumrah’s economy rate of 6.67 is the best among seamers in the top 10 list of Indian T20I wicket takers.
– Virat Kohli needs just 38 runs to become the second highest T20I runscorer. His average of 54.47 is easily the best among the top 10 runscorers. Next best is Jean Paul Duminy with 38.25.

South Africa v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Bloemfontein

Thank goodness, one of the most one-sided Test series in recent memory is over.
Bangladesh were so bad that you just couldn’t figure out how good South Africa were. If you watched this match thinking your club teammates, your neighbour or even your 7 year old could bowl better than Bangladesh did throughout this series, you surely aren’t alone. They lacked strategy and belief.
As a big Bangladesh fan, I say this out of love – things need to change.
“I’m human. I make mistakes”, says soon to be ex-captain Mushfiqur Rahim. Mate, you’ve been making the same mistakes for three years. It’s time to give someone else a chance.
For South Africa, it is a scary thought realising that Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander are to come back to this side. There has to be room for Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, too, who took their 100th and 50th Test wickets respectively in this series.
– In 3 innings, Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla and Faf Du Plessis amassed 1,124 runs. The entire Bangladesh team, in four innings, managed 729.
– Kagiso Rabada became the 5th youngest bowler ever to take 100 Test wickets.
– The innings and 254 run defeat was Bangladesh’s 4th biggest Test loss in their history.
– Bangladesh’s bowling average in this Test was 143.25. Batting average of 15.95.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Dubai

Another unpredictable, topsy-turvy Test Match, played in front of a crowd all dressed as blue seats (ha).
All jokes aside, this match is still anyone’s to be won.
Sri Lanka are currently struggling at 60/7, but with a decent lead of 280. Pakistan already have to better their first innings effort to win this. On a pitch starting to take plenty of turn, Sri Lanka’s spinners might be a little too hard to handle, especially considering SL have Herath and Pakistan’s batting looks very vulnerable. 
Still, Sri Lanka would be very disappointed with their 2nd innings effort.
– First innings of the two Tests combined: Total runs – 1,585, Avg. – 39.63 runs per wicket
– Second innings of the Two Tests combined (so far): Total runs – 312, Avg. 11.56 runs per wicket
Promises to be a very exciting finish. Will Pakistan maintain their UAE record?
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MATCH PREVIEW: 2nd Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Dubai

Charbel Coorey
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Follow CricBlog on Instagram & Twitter at @cric_blog

2nd Test: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Dubai

Sri Lanka look to consign Pakistan to first ever Test series loss in the UAE

The first Test in Abu Dhabi was like having to endure a five course meal in which the first four courses were terrible. The fifth was so amazing that it was all worth the wait. 

Just a few days later after one of the most unpredictable Test matches came to an end, Pakistan and Sri Lanka lock horns again as the Day/Night Test returns to Dubai.

Sri Lanka’s win in Abu Dhabi has given them a renewed sense of hope. Coming off a 9-0 series loss to India at home, Sri Lanka had to find the confidence to push Pakistan in familiar conditions. They did very well. The challenge would be to ensure that the 1st Test wasn’t a flash in the pan.

Pakistan’s loss was predictably unpredictable. It followed the famous Pakistan trend – losing when expected to win, and winning when given no chance whatsoever.

Pakistan would still be favourites here, how will they respond?

Key to a Pakistan win

Dealing with Rangana Herath.
As the Abu Dhabi Test showed, Pakistan have the bowlers to challenge Sri Lanka as the match wears on. However, they didn’t deal with Herath very well at all, and the first Test showed they are extra vulnerable with Misbah and Younus no longer there.
Keeping Herath quiet (easier said than done), can go a long way to keeping their UAE Test record intact.

Key to a Sri Lanka win

Runs on the board.
Rangana Herath, no matter how hard Pakistan try to keep him quiet, will be in the game. So Sri Lanka need to give him runs to bowl at. The Lions gave themselves a chance with 419 in the 1st Test, and would want more of the same from their skipper Denesh Chandimal.
It’s time for Chandimal to lead by example consistently and give a platform for the rest of his batsmen to follow.

How Sri Lanka deal with the Pakistan bowlers under lights will be interesting to see as well.

Stats

– Rangana Herath became the first bowler to take 100 wickets against Pakistan, surpassing Kapil Dev’s record of 99.
– Pakistan have never lost a Test series in the UAE.

– Excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka have won only one away Test series since 2000 – vs. England in 2014.

– Pakistan were ranked no. 1 in Test cricket a year ago. If they lose this Test, they will drop to 7th.

Prediction

This is a very interesting game, which is hard to pick. The fact that this is a D/N Test makes it even more unpredictable. Which group of fast bowlers will step up more?
The loss of Hasan Ali is a blow for Pakistan, which takes some strike out of their bowling attack.
Sri Lanka will look to build on bundling Pakistan out to win the game.
This game might depend on the toss. But, Pakistan look a little more vulnerable than SL, which is why I’ll go for Sri Lanka to cause another upset and be the first side to win a Test series in the UAE.

MATCH PREVIEW: 2nd Test – South Africa v Bangladesh, Bloemfontein

Charbel Coorey
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2nd Test – South Africa v Bangladesh, Bloemfontein

Hope for Bangladesh with South Africa bowling attack ravaged by injury

The 1st Test in Potchefstroom highlighted the gap between South Africa and Bangladesh in Test cricket, especially on South African soil.

From the moment Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and bowled in Potchefstroom – on a flat pitch – South Africa completely dominated Bangladesh.

South Africa stormed home in the 1st Test

Potchefstroom was an opportunity for Bangladesh to show the world they can be competitive away from home. The Test couldn’t have gone worse for them. For South Africa, it was the start of their biggest home season ever, and wanted a good start. They got it, but at a cost, losing Morne Morkel for six weeks.

South Africa will be without key personnel in their bowling attack – namely Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Chris Morris, which is a world class attack, which will give Bangladesh hope.

However, Bangladesh will be without Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, who both sit in Bangladesh’s top three run scorers for 2017, behind skipper Mushfiqur.

Also, the mentality that captain Faf du Plessis instills in his team will be a challenge for Bangladesh to withstand. For four days in Potchefstroom, South Africa put Bangladesh under so much pressure that the Tigers couldn’t even breathe, let alone roar. By day 5, Bangladesh had nothing left, and lost their last 7 wickets in just over 80 minutes on a flat track.

Key to a South Africa win:

Guarding against complacency and keeping the foot on the throat.

Kagiso Rabada, with 22 Tests to his name, will lead the attack

The pitch in Bloemfontein will have South Africa and Faf du Plessis in a good mood. Even without their bowling stars, South Africa will still be confident of getting in the mind of the Bangladesh batsmen, with control, pace, bounce and movement.

The key for South Africa would be to get into Bangladesh early. The Tigers are fresh off conceding 496/3 and getting bowled out for 90, so the Proteas can look to exploit Bangladesh with both bat and ball.

South Africa’s top order are all in form, and will be confident of ripping into an inexperienced Bangladesh attack, and giving their bowlers plenty of runs to bowl at. Aiden Markram was impressive on his Test debut, without being tested too much, alongside Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and Temba Bavuma, who were all in the runs.

On the bowling front, Kagiso Rabada has always stepped up when South Africa are down on bowling troops. He was superb in the 1st Test. Duanne Olivier was poor but he is in an environment that ensures the best can be brought out of him. Dane Peterson or Wayne Parnell need to offer good support as the third seamer. South Africa will also be sure to utilise the brilliant Keshav Maharaj.

Key to a Bangladesh win:

Stay in the game as long as possible.

Bangladesh’s confidence might be shot, but they can’t show it. If they do, South Africa will be ready to pounce. Bangladesh need to forget about Potchefstroom, fast. A lot will depend on how defensive Mushfiqur Rahim decides to be.

Going by recent history, there is every chance he will be defensive.

In saying this, Bangladesh must win day one. The 1st Test was all but gone after day one, and the Tigers need to ensure that doesn’t happen again. They need to give themselves a chance of competing throughout the Test, instead of always chasing the game.

Mushfiqur & Mominul – keys for Bangladesh in the 2nd Test

Another key is for Bangladesh to display more patience – bowl more maidens + attack more in the field, and convert starts to big scores with the bat. In the first Test, Bangladesh bowled only 21 maidens in  202 overs across both innings. With the bat, 5 of the top 6 made scores of 25 or more (1st innings). If one or two convert those starts to 100+ scores, Bangladesh would have matched South Africa’s 496. The players most likely to do this in the 2nd Test are Mominul and Mushfiqur, who both have sound techniques.

Also, Bangladesh got their selections wrong in the 1st Test. Subashis Roy should be included in the team, and be encouraged to hit the pitch hard and showcase his skills. If Bangladesh pick Rubel Hossain however, they’d be making a mistake. Shafiul might keep his place, simply because there is no better option. Mehedi will appreciate the extra bounce that the Bloemfontein pitch should provide.

Some stats you might not have known:

Bangladesh will miss these two

– The last time Bangladesh were without Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal in a Test, Bangladesh amassed 638 v Sri Lanka in Galle 2013. Mushfiqur was Bangladesh’s first double centurion.

– In 2017, Tamim and Shakib have scored 28.5% of Bangladesh’s Test runs.

– Bangladesh have lost 5 out of 5 in South Africa, with no batsman ever scoring a century. Their 333 run defeat in the 1st Test was the first time Bangladesh avoided an innings defeat on South African soil.

Keshav Maharaj has been a revelation

– Keshav Maharaj picked up his 50th Test wicket in his 12th Test, the second quickest South African spinner to the landmark, and the quickest since readmission. This is a superb effort considering he is yet to play a Test in Asia – he has played Tests in SA, Australia, England and New Zealand.

– Dean Elgar is closing in on 1,000 Test runs for 2017 (16 more needed). Hashim Amla was the last South African to achieve this feat, in 2012.

– Rubel Hossain, in 24 Tests, averages 77.93 with an economy rate of 119.8

Prediction:

Without Tamim and Shakib, Bangladesh might find things a bit too difficult, even though hey’ll have some hope considering this South African attack is ravaged by injury.

However, South Africa know these conditions, and have a captain who encourages attacking cricket. Bangladesh don’t, and might struggle batting on a pitch which looks like it will have pace and movement. South Africa to win, but will be closer than the 1st Test.

7 stats from Sri Lanka’s amazing win over Pakistan in Abu Dhabi

Charbel Coorey
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Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi

For nearly four days, this Test was going nowhere.

But, as can be the case in the UAE, day five threw up some of the biggest surprises in recent memory.

I love stats, so here are 7 awesome ones to come out of an incredible Test Match, where Sri Lanka snatched a memorable victory:

1. Avg. 46.50 (SR 111) vs. 9.87 (SR 28.6)

Rangana Herath picked up his
400th Test wicket

The first innings of this match was hard toil for all involved – batsmen, bowlers and viewers. The spinners didn’t find things easy either, averaging 46.50 and taking a wicket once every 111 balls.

The second innings saw one of the most remarkable reversals of fortune ever. Once Pakistan were all out for 422 in their first innings, the spinners became rampant, averaging below 10 and striking once every 28 balls!
Yasir Shah (5/51) and Rangana Herath (6/43) were the chief destroyers.

2. History for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka

For Sri Lanka, they have never defended a total lower than the 136 they successfully defended in Abu Dhabi. Their previous best was also against Pakistan, defending 168 in Galle in 2009.

For Pakistan, this was the lowest score that they’ve failed to chase in the fourth innings. Their previous lowest was 146, vs South Africa in Faisalabad in 1997.

History re-written in Abu Dhabi.

3. 419, 422, 138, 135

Pakistan crumbled in their chase of 136

This Test Match was only the second time in history that both teams were bowled out for under 200 in the second innings, after both posted 400+ in the first innings.

The only other instance was England v South Africa, way back in 1951.

4. Yasir Shah becomes 5th legspinner to take a five-for in four consecutive Tests

The world-class leg-spinner is the first after Richie Benaud, BS Chandrasekhar, Mushtaq Ahmed and Anil Kumble to achieve this feat.

5. Rangana Herath becomes the 1st left arm spinner to take 400 Test wickets

Left arm spinners struggled for quite a while up until a few years ago, and Rangana Herath is a huge reason why left-arm spin is fashionable again.

The champion took just 84 Tests to reach the milestone, which is the 3rd quickest in history. Only Muttiah Muralitharan, Richard Hadlee and Dale Steyn took fewer Tests.

Sri Lanka snatched a memorable victory

6. Scoring over 400 doesn’t make you safe

This was the 7th instance since December 2016 (just 10 months) that a team has made 400 in one of their innings in a Test match, and have lost.

Pakistan have been involved in three of them, losing to Australia in Brisbane (making 450 in the 4th innings), then again to Australia in Melbourne (despite 443/9 in the 1st innings), and here to Sri Lanka after making 422 in their first innings.

7. Franatic final day

15 wickets fell for 183 runs on the final day, after just 24 wickets fell in the previous four days. This was only the tenth time in history that 15 wickets fell on the last day.

This Test match is a strong case for keeping 5-day Test matches, with all the talk of possibly moving to 4-day Tests in the future.

RANT: Mushfiqur Rahim must be removed as captain as Bangladesh cop huge loss to South Africa

Charbel Coorey
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The moment Bangladesh lost the Test, handing South Africa an easy passage to victory.

As a Bangladesh fan, I’m very disappointed writing this, after witnessing such a disappointing performance by Bangladesh in the 1st Test vs South Africa.

This series against South Africa is a chance for Bangladesh to show they can compete away from home against a quality Test side.

In 2015, Mushfiq bowled first with only 3 specialist bowlers.
Lost the match to Pakistan by 328 runs

However, this match was lost before a ball was bowled.


Question: Does any captain in world cricket have a worse impact on his team than Mushfiqur Rahim?

What’s scary that this is considering he is one of Bangladesh’s BEST batsmen, but the Bangladesh skipper did himself absolutely no favours in the 1st Test vs South Africa.

I’ll go one step further and say he has done Bangladesh no favours (as captain) in his entire captaincy reign.

Yes, he is statistically Bangladesh’s best captain in terms of wins. However, even in the wins he’s been in charge of, there have been many times during those games where Mushfiqur has left us scratching our heads, wondering what he’s doing.

In 2014, Mushfiq bowled first with
3 specialist bowlers, 1 on debut.
Lost the match to WI by 10 wickets.

Despite Mushfiqur captaining Bangladesh to Test victories out of any previous Bangladesh captain, there is absolutely no doubt that this Test Series in South Africa must be his last as captain.

Mushfiqur is far too defensive

This match is not the first time that Mushfiqur has won the toss and inexplicably chose to bowl, and put Bangladesh in a position to lose a Test Match even before a ball is bowled. This is also not the first time that Mushfiqur looks clueless in the field, seemingly operating without a plan. This is also not the first time that Mushfiqur has left us wondering what on earth he’s doing – for example, introducing a spinner in the 6th over after winning the toss and bowling first in South Africa or spreading out the field after a few wicketless overs or after a boundary.

Mushfiqur’s defensive approach and lack of strategy is holding Bangladesh back.

But what is that you say? Bangladesh beat England, Sri Lanka AND Australia all in the past year?

Teenager Mehedi led Bangladesh home vs England last year

OK, let’s talk about Bangladesh’s best Test results in their history – victories against England, Sri Lanka and Australia, and how Mushfiqur almost contributed to defeats in all those matches.

Against England last year in Mirpur, there were times he looked quite clueless. In the first innings of
that match, Bangladesh were on course for a lead of at least 50. On a pitch with huge turn and uneven bounce, the name of the game was putting the foot on England’s throat. However, England’s lower order showed some solid defense and Mushfiq was quick to go on the defensive. England ended up leading by 24.

In the second innings, England raced to 0/100 in pursuit of 270+ to win the Test. Again, easy singles and twos were on offer. Giving singles works in limited overs cricket but NOT Test cricket. You simply can’t let the game drift, and Mushfiqur just does it too often. Against England, it was the brilliance of Mehedi and Shakib, rather than brilliant captaincy by Rahim, that saw Bangladesh home.

Against Sri Lanka, Mushfiq treated Suranga Lakmal like he was Kumar Sangakarra, showing way too much respect to a tailender, simply because he played a few good shots. Lakmal helped Sri Lanka post extra runs in both innings, and gave Bangladesh a target of nearly 200 to chase, which was at least 50 more than they should have got. Bangladesh crept home.

Shakib was superb in the 1st Test vs Australia in August

Against Australia recently, David Warner and Steve Smith were allowed to score freely and accumulate as they wished, even on a very challenging surface. Again, it was the brilliance of Shakib winning the match for Bangladesh. In the 2nd Test in Chittagong, Peter Handscomb and David Warner could barely stand or walk because of the heat. Mushfiqur should’ve seen this as an opportunity to strike, with the batsmen looking really tired. Wasn’t the case. They put a huge partnership that took the game away from Bangladesh.

All this in Bangladesh’s biggest successes over the last year. Here in South Africa, there wasn’t huge turn and it wasn’t ever going to be a spinner’s paradise. So what was Mushfiqur going to rely on? Shakib? He’s not playing. Mehedi? Still only a 19 year old. His seamers? His tactics? Wait, what tactics?

Bangladesh need to aim to be more than just Tigers at Home

Bangladesh are an emerging force in world cricket, but they must improve away from home to be really taken seriously in the cricketing world. To do this, four things are key:
  1. Play Mushfiqur as a batsman, ONLY: Remove Mushfiqur of the captaincy. Tamim Iqbal showed last year against England that he is capable of the job.
  2. Attacking, positive mindset: Sorry, but bowling first to “protect” your batsmen is not being positive. Pushing the field back and offering easy singles will not help Bangladesh win more games of Test cricket. Mushfiqur is responsible for this. In the end, what protection did he provide his batsmen? Bangladesh were out for 90 on a flat pitch, and embarrassed.
  3. Encourage batsmen to bat with patience: Can you believe Mominul Haque is in and out of the side? The general view is that he bats too slowly. Unbelievable. This shows that Bangladesh has a culture of “a quick 25-30 is better for us than a patient 70+ score”. It is ridiculous that players like Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman are playing more Test cricket than classy Mominul. This thinking must change.
  4. Produce TEST quality seamers: How do you do this? By producing pitches back at home that encourage youngsters to take up seam bowling. Also, by working on the skills of these bowlers, and how they can get batsmen out, instead of simply rolling their arm over. Taskin and Shafiul aren’t Test bowlers. Subashis showed great potential in Sri Lanka and Kamrul Islam Rabbi in New Zealand. Why aren’t they playing? Where’s Mohammad Shahid? Also, the coaching staff need to help The Fizz find his ability to swing the ball back to the right hander. He’s showing glimpses of his class but needs to be persisted with.
Bangladesh are no longer minnows. This is fact. However, with Mushfiqur Rahim captain of the Test team, Bangladesh won’t achieve the results that their talent suggests they should. 
Time for a change at the helm.
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