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Preview – 3rd T20I: India v New Zealand

Charbel Coorey
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In the space of a week and a half, we are set for the second decider between India and New Zealand. The stage is set for a great match at a brand new venue in Thiruvananthapuram.

Like the ODI series, the team that lost the first game bounced back to win the second. In this case, it was New Zealand, who bounced back from a thrashing in the first game to return the favour to India.

India will be hurting a little after the 2nd T20I, considering they had the opportunity to wrap the series up. It certainly wasn’t a team effort, with only a few players putting in performances of note. The rest of the team must step up.

New Zealand bounced back superbly in the 2nd T20I, courtesy of Colin Munro’s powerful century. Munro was particularly harsh on debutant Mohammed Siraj, who went for 53 in his four overs, and reminded the Indians that they won’t have everything their way in this series. New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Trent Boult, then finished off the job nicely.

There is talk of rain in Thiruvananthapuram. Let’s hope we are not deprived of the second T20I decider in quick succession, after the third game against Australia was washed out recently.

Key to an India win

Need more of a team effort.
In Rajkot, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah Vir,at Kohli and MS Dhoni (despite struggling to really get going) put in performances of note for India. 
On the bowling front, more support is required for Kumar and Bumrah, who were both brilliant in a big score of 196 by New Zealand. On the batting front, more is needed from others around Virat Kohli, who almost played a lone hand in the run chase.
India need to put in a better team performance.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah need more support

Key to a New Zealand win

Big performance from the top three.
Martin Guptill and Colin Munro got New Zealand off to a flyer in Rajkot, putting on over 100 for the first wicket. More impact at the top will help New Zealand significantly in the 3rd T20I, too.
New Zealand will want more from Kane Williamson, who has had a quiet tour by his standards. He is a big-game player, and the stage is set for him to lead New Zealand to an upset series win.

Kane Williamson needs to have a big game

Which players need to step up?

Will India keep patience with Hardik Pandya? In 23 T20Is, Hardik averages just 9.69 with the bat, and has an economy rate of 8.14 with the ball. No better time than a decider to step up.
For New Zealand, Kane Williamson has had a bit of a quiet tour. Scores of 6, 3, 64, 28 and 12 represents a sub-par tour for someone of his class. His 64, though, was in the deciding 3rd ODI. New Zealand will be hoping for more of the same from their skipper.

Predicted teams:

India have some decisions to make after a tough 2nd T20I. Does Axar Patel get another game? What about Mohammed Siraj? I think Kuldeep Yadav needs to return to the team, with Hardik Pandya as the third seam option.
India possible XI: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Shreyas Iyer, 4. Virat Kohli (c), 5. Hardik Pandya, 6. MS Dhoni (wk), 7. Axar Patel, 8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9. Kuldeep Yadav, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal
New Zealand hit a pretty good combination in the 2nd T20I, and will be hoping for more of the same from the top order. Can New Zealand’s middle order step up if needed?
New Zealand possible XI: 1. Colin Munro, 2. Martin Guptill, 3. Kane Williamson (c), 4. Tom Bruce, 5. Glenn Phillips (wk), 6. Henry Nicholls, 7. Colin de Grandhomme, 8. Mitchell Santner, 9. Ish Sodhi, 10. Adam Milne, 11. Trent Boult.

Stats & Facts:

  • India have won 8 out of their last 9 limited-overs bilateral series. The only series where they didn’t win was the recent 1-1 T20I series draw v Australia, with the 3rd game washed out.
  • New Zealand have won the last 8 T20I series that has been two games or more.
  • If New Zealand win this match, they will reclaim their no. 1 T20I ranking.
  • New Zealand have never lost a T20I series v India. They hold a 6-1 head-to-head record against them.
  • Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded just 26.53% of India’s runs in 40% of the overs in the 2nd T20I (52 runs in 8 overs).
  • Jasprit Bumrah’s economy rate of 7.23 in the death overs is the best for fast bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 30 overs between overs 16-20.
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Prediction:

Like the 3rd ODI which was a decider, this promises to be a close match.
I believe New Zealand can get the job done this time, and will win by less than 20 runs/2 overs to spare.
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3rd T20I – 5 bold predictions for India v New Zealand

Charbel Coorey
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India and New Zealand will face off in Thiruvananthapuram, for a winner-takes-all match.

After New Zealand returned serve with a thumping win in the T20I, here are 5 bold predictions that I think can happen in the deciding 3rd T20I.

Kane Williamson will score 50+

By Kane Williamson’s standards, it has been a relatively quiet tour. 
His only score of note was his 64 in the 3rd ODI, where he looked good in a game which was also a decider. Kane Williamson is a big-game player and I expect him to step up here with a 50+ score. If he can do that, it can go a long way to helping New Zealand winning the match.

Kane Williamson will score a half-century

Jasprit Bumrah will take 2+ wickets

The world’s number 1 T20I bowler went for only 23 runs in a score of 196. 
Despite bowling so well, he went wicketless. I expect him to have a little more luck this time and take at least a couple of wickets in his four overs.

Jasprit Bumrah will have more luck in the 3rd T20I

Virat Kohli will score less than 25

Kane Williamson is a big-game player, and so is Virat Kohli. 
However, Virat Kohli has been performing so consistently lately, and this could be the game where he doesn’t quite match his recent performances. With New Zealand hitting great bowling form in the 2nd T20I, I think this is the night where things don’t go quite as planned for Virat Kohli.

Perhaps something has to give after scores of 121,29, 113, 26* and 65. Can he prove me wrong?

Is this the game Virat Kohli gets a low score?

Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi will take 3+ wickets between them

These two looked good once again in the 2nd T20I, taking 2/56 between them in 8 overs.
In the 3rd T20I, I expect Santner and Sodhi to give India some headaches and take at least 3 wickets between them. This can go a long way to helping New Zealand winning, as this will force India to take runs off the likes of Trent Boult and Adam Milne.
Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi will both have a good match

New Zealand will win by less than 20 runs/2 overs to spare

This is a controversial prediction for sure, considering India’s limited-overs form in recent times, especially at home.
However, I think New Zealand would have taken a lot of confidence from the 2nd T20I, as well as how well they played in the ODI series. I think they will sneak home in a tight match and take the series 2-1.
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Are there any predictions you agree/disagree with? Leave a comment, and let’s have a cricket discussion! There is no better discussion to have….
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2nd T20I – New Zealand return serve with thrashing win

Charbel Coorey
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Well, well, well! Who saw this coming?

New Zealand returned serve in the 2nd T20I, thumping India by 40 runs. Colin Munro, part of the New Zealand “big four” that had to step up if they were to be a chance, made he India pay for their awful performance in the field. He was absolutely superb, taking it to India and scoring his second T20I hundred for 2017.

India fielded as if they were competing in the “who could field worse” competition with 1st T20I New Zealand. India saw New Zealand’s dropped catches in the last game, and then offered their own dropped catches and missed run outs, coupled with some really poor bowling. Were India complacent?

India had a poor time in the field

For New Zealand, Munro was well supported by Martin Guptill, who finally made a significant contribution, as New Zealand put on 105 for the first wicket. The middle overs were carnage, where New Zealand at one point scored 83 runs in 38 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli all then tried their best but it was to no avail.

We’re going to another decider.


4 – Colin Munro become the 4th player in history to score two T20I hundreds, after Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis and Brendon McCullum. In the process, Munro became the 1st player to score two T20I hundreds in the same year, after he scored a 54-ball hundred against Bangladesh in January this year.

Colin Munro had a fine night out for New Zealand

2nd highest run-scorer in T20I history – India may have lost, but Virat Kohli played yet another fine innings. His 65 (42) elevated him to number two on the list of all-time run scorers, overtaking Tillakaratne Dilshan. Only Brendon McCullum (2140 runs) has more. Also, during his innings, he became the first ever Indian to score 7,000 T20 runs, at an incredible average of 41.01 across 225 games.

53.97 – Virat Kohli’s average in T20Is. Out of the top 20 run scorers in T20Is, the next best average is 36.95 by JP Duminy.

Virat Kohli continued his special form, but it wasn’t enough

52 vs 142 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah conceded 52 runs in 8 overs at an economy rate of 6.50. The rest of India’s bowlers concded 142 runs in 12 overs at an economy rate of 11.83. Bhuvneshwar and Jasprit need more support in the next game.


6-1 – New Zealand’s record over India in T20Is after the thumping 2nd T20I win.

New Zealand’s 2nd biggest win over India – New Zealand nearly matched their 47 run win over India in the World T20 last year.

Another failure for Hardik Pandya – Do India look to drop Hardik Pandya? In another difficult game, he bowled one over for 14 runs and scored 1 run. In this series, he has bowled two overs for 25 runs, and has scored 1 run in 3 balls.

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Final thoughts:

India looked settled after the 1st T20I, but now have some key decisions to make. Does Hardik Pandya get another chance? What about Axar Patel and debutant Mohammad Siraj, who conceded the 3rd highest amount by a bowler on T20I debut?

New Zealand didn’t look settled ahead of the game, but made some important decisions that paid off. Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls were left out, and their bowlers and fielders stepped up. Trent Boult achieved his best ever figures in the 2nd T20I, after his worst performances in the 3rd ODI and 1st T20I.

It all makes for an interesting 3rd T20I. Who will take out the series?

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2nd T20I Preview – Powerful India look to wrap-up series

Charbel Coorey
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What do we make of the first game? Were India really good or were New Zealand just really bad? If New Zealand improve significantly and India put in a similar performance, will it be enough for India to win again?
Truth be told, New Zealand were terrible but India did what they had to do, and were pretty good in getting their first ever T20I win over New Zealand. Thanks mainly to Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, India are now on the brink of another win in limited overs series. The Indians were rampant, and the fact that they were playing the number one team in the world + Ashish Nehra’s final game gave them plenty of motivation.
India’s bowling performance was impressive in 1st T20I
India look the complete side at home, with all departments clicking in the first match. The bowlers strangled New Zealand down, and will be looking for a repeat. India’s challenge will be dealing with a New Zealand team that will be looking to bounce back.
New Zealand’s fielding, one area which they can really compete with India, let them down badly. Three dropped catches is going to cost you anywhere, especially in India.
Even worse, their batting especially has left them with further questions. Should Kane Williamson and Tom Latham play together in the middle order? Are they explosive enough? Who is New Zealand’s finisher? What is it going to take for Martin Guptill to get going? All food for thought ahead of their must-win game in Rajkot.
Yes, Kane. Plenty to think about….

Key to an India win

Maintaining their ruthless focus.
If we’re going to be honest, India’s team on paper at home is much stronger than New Zealand’s. India have firepower right throughout their line-up, with various players able to strike a big over that can change the game.
Also, India’s bowlers, despite the dew were brilliant. If you throw a ball into a swimming pool, and give it back to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, they’d still execute their yorkers and slower balls to perfection. The form of Yuzvendra Chahal was very impressive too.
The key for India will be maintaining the momentum.

Key to a New Zealand win

Batting, bowling and fielding all needs to improve.
New Zealand are now desperate for a better contribution from their “big four”. Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham all put in underwhelming performances in the first game, after their bowlers were unable to take a wicket until the 17th over. They weren’t helped by poor fielding though, which also must improve.
What do New Zealand do with Colin Munro? I believe Kane Williamson should open the batting to compliment Martin Guptill, and have Munro bat as the finisher a little further down the order. Should Ross Taylor come back to the side? Surely he has plenty to offer.
New Zealand need to execute very well if they are to have a chance.

Stats & Facts:

  • New Zealand’s “big four” scored 78 runs between them at a strike rate of just 102.63 in the 1st T20I
  • Virat Kohli is just 12 runs away from becoming the 2nd highest run scorer in T20I history.
  • For New Zealand to reclaim their no. 1 ranking, they need to win the remaining two games.
  • If India win the 2nd T20I, it will be their 9th win out of their last 10 limited overs bilateral series. The only time they didn’t win was the 1-1 T20I series draw v Australia.
  • If Yuzvendra Chahal needs three wickets to become equal highest wicket taker in T20Is in 2017. The way he bowled in Delhi, there is a very good chance he can do it.
  • Martin Guptill’s scores this tour: 32, 11, 10, 4. New Zealand need more from him.

Prediction:

India look far more settled and are executing a lot better than New Zealand. For this reason, I can’t see any result other than another India win, and a 2-0 series lead.

Opinion: Zimbabwe show fight any top team would be proud of

Charbel Coorey
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22 Tests in a row…

22 Tests in a row finished with a decisive result (win for one team, loss for the other), and Zimbabwe’s draw with West Indies in Bulawayo ended this run.

To be honest, it was a fantastic way to see the run of results end.

How good was it to see grit and determination? In this day and age of T20 cricket, you don’t see it very often. Yes they had luck, but Zimbabwe showed the fight, courage and desire that teams like India, South Africa, England and Australia would have been really proud of. Struggling at 46/4 in their 2nd innings, and still trailing by 76, Zimbabwe put together one of the finest reguard actions you’ll see.

It would have been easy for Zimbabwe to make the excuse of: “oh, we’re 1-0 down in the series, so we’ll just play big shots, and try get quick runs. We’ll hope for the best”. Survival in this game is far more important for Zimbabwe’s development than taking the easy way out making excuses. For Zimbabwe to truly progress in world cricket, they need to get into good habits first.

Despite the fact they’ve lost the series, I believe Zimbabwe have learnt so much. An example was Sikandar Raza – he threw his wicket away badly in the first Test, and learnt from his mistakes and had an incredible second Test. Zimbabwe’s effort was superb to see.

For West Indies, they would feel disappointed to not win the game from the position they were in. They huffed and puffed, threw everything at their opponents and left feeling a little underwhelmed. However, a 1-0 win in a series that looked very tricky on paper is a decent result.

Can West Indies compete in New Zealand in a month’s time? Recent performances in England and Zimbabwe say yes. However, time will tell.

Stats & Facts

In this game, there were great performances from both teams. The best of the lot was Sikandar Raza’s effort – a truly world class all-round performance.

Twin 80s and a five-for


Sikandar Raza had a match that any all-rounder in history would have been proud of. He became the second player in Test history, after Jacques Kallis, to score successive 80s and take a five-for.

Even better was that in each innings, Sikandar came in with Zimbabwe under pressure. This was especially the case in the second innings. Walking in at 46/4 and staring down the barrel of an innings defeat, Sikandar Raza faced 203 balls for his gutsy 89, and helped Zimbabwe save the game.

In total, he faced 350 balls across two innings, and bowled 48 overs for his 5/99. What a performance.

Record-breaking partnership for the 8th wicket


The 212 run partnership between Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder is the highest ever for the 8th wicket for West Indies. In addition, it is the 9th highest in Test history. A fine effort.

For Shane Dowrich, it was his first ever hundred. West Indies were 230/7, still trailing Zimbabwe by 94 in the first innings, and ended up with 448. This is the first time in 109 years that two batsmen have scored Test centuries from no. 8 and lower.

1st Test series win


This was West Indies’ first ever Test series win under captain Jason Holder.

48.4 overs


The length of time Regis Chakabva batted to help save the game.

Regis Chakabva soaked up 192 balls for his 71. Graeme Cremer, despite having luck, also showed great fight, playing out 150 balls for his 28.

Milestone for Devendra Bishoo


Devendra Bishoo sent down 69 overs in the Test, and along the way picked up his 100 Test wicket.

16-year wait


In 2001, Hamilton Mazakadza scored a hundred on debut against the West Indies. 16 years later, he scored his second hundred against the men from the Caribbean, and his first in Tests since 2014.

A competitive series comes to an end, and I feel both teams will be better for the experience. West Indies go to New Zealand next, and Zimbabwe to South Africa. They’ll both be hoping for competitive performances.

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1st T20I Stats Highlights – India v New Zealand

Charbel Coorey
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New Zealand arrived in Delhi as the no.1 ranked T20I team in world cricket. A few hours later, they leave asking themselves “what on earth just happened?”

India shrugged off the fact that they were playing the best team in the world according to the rankings, and delivered an absolute thrashing. Like a boxer who has been knocked to the ground, New Zealand have to find someway to pick themselves up. This probably has to start with their fielding, which was awful. Three dropped catches against India in India is just not on.

Credit to India, they were irresistable and sent off Ashish Nehra as a winner in his final game. Here are some great stats and facts from the 1st T20I:

First win over New Zealand


Had you watched this game not knowing the previous head-to-head record between these two sides, you would have been forgiven for thinking that India had beaten New Zealand many times before in T20I cricket.
Surprisingly, India finally registered a win in T20I cricket, after five losses previously.

Records galore for Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan

Nohit Sharma? I don’t think so. Shikhar theONE? Yes.
Rohit and Shikhar were brilliant on their way to helping India post a massive total.

160 vs 149


If it wasn’t bad enough already for New Zealand, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan actually outscored the entire New Zealand team 160 to 149.

What a dominant way to deal with the world’s number one team.

Struggle of New Zealand’s “big four”

Colin Munro, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham were supposed to be India’s biggest threats.
Instead, the four only managed a total of 78 runs at a strike rate of just 102.63. 
When you need 10 an over from the outset, this just isn’t enough from your main players.

Trent Boult’s tough day

Since his heroics in the 1st ODI, Trent Boult has found things a little difficult.
In this game, Trent Boult conceded his highest total in a single T20I (49), after his most expensive outing in the 3rd ODI (81).

80 vs 60


Shikhar Dhawan’s score in this game vs the combined score of his last seven T20I innings.

Unbelievable stuff. As they say, form is temporary, class is permanent.

A first for everything…

This match was the first time New Zealand didn’t take a wicket in the first 10 overs when bowling first. A tough night out.

Hardik Pandya…

A good day for India, but another tough day for Hardik Pandya, making a duck and conceding 11 of his only over, despite taking a wicket.
In 22 T20Is, Hardik Pandya averages just 10.41 with the bat, and has an economy rate of 8.03 runs per over with the ball. These are not figures reflective of his talent.
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So then, a comfortable victory for India. New Zealand really have to prove to everyone that they deserve their ranking, and face a tough test again in the 2nd T20I on Saturday in Rajkot.
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1st T20I Preview: India v New Zealand

Charbel Coorey
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So just like that, we move onto the T20Is after a pretty awesome ODI series, and India will farewell a fine servant in Ashish Nehra.

What I like about the upcoming series is that New Zealand are here to prove that they deserve to be the number 1 ranked team in T20I cricket.

Is there a tougher place in the world to prove that than in India? I don’t think so. If New Zealand win in India, lock them in as the real deal.

There are so many things to look forward to in this 1st T20I…

The beautiful touch of Rohit Sharma, the wonderful but powerful elegance of Virat Kohli and the best death bowler in the world right now, Jasprit Bumrah. India will also be desperate to send out Ashish Nehra on a high.

New Zealand boast terrific talent too… The power and proven class of Martin Guptill, the world class Kane Williamson, who was back in the runs in the 3rd ODI, and the talented New Zealand spinners, who had an amazing outing the last time they played a T20I in India.

India will want to continue their winning momentum since the Champions Trophy, while New Zealand will be out to avenge the close ODI series loss, and prove their performance wasn’t a fluke.

It all makes for a fascinating contest.

Key to an India win


Death bowling.
Jasprit Bumrah, who was really unlucky not to get Man of the Match, got his team home in the 3rd ODI with brilliant bowling at the death. His 3/47 in a high scoring match shows that he deserves the no. 3 ODI bowling ranking, and he’ll want to transfer that form to the T20I format.
India’s batting also holds the key for them, but with good death bowling, there’ll be less pressure on the batsmen.

Key to a New Zealand win

Everything needs to click for New Zealand to win in India, but the performance of their top 5 holds key.
The statistics say that teams who lose three or more wickets inside the first six overs go on to lose approximately 80% of the time. New Zealand must avoid this – they need to use their firepower to cause India headaches.
Colin Munro hit form with a strong 62-ball 75 in the 3rd ODI, Kane Williamson hit 64, Tom Latham had a superb ODI series, and Ross Taylor was in the runs, too. The missing piece of the puzzle is Martin Guptill, who New Zealand need a good score from.

Who needs to step up?

For India, it’s Hardik Pandya. His statistics, which you’ll see below, are not representative of his talent. His time to stand up is now.
For New Zealand, it’s Martin Guptill. He had a quiet ODI series, and New Zealand will need him to step up if they are to win.

Predicted lineups:
For India, do they stick with the same lineup that delivered their seventh straight ODI series win? Will loyalty be shown to Manish Pandey? Ashish Nehra will play his final game in front of his home crowd.
India: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (c), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Yadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Ashish Nehra
For New Zealand, I expect to see Henry Nicholls replaced with Glenn Phillips. It will also be interesting to see the role Tom Latham plays in the T20I format and also whether New Zealand want to go with an extra spinner, depending on the conditions.
New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (c), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi/Adam Milne, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent Boult


Stats & Facts:


  • If India win the series 3-0, they will move up to second place in the rankings. New Zealand would move from first to fifth.
  • New Zealand have never lost a T20I v India (5 wins)
  • Martin Guptill has scored five fifties in his last ten T20I innings.
  • Virat Kohli is 38 runs away from replacing Tillakaratne Dilshan as the second highest T20I run scorer. His average of 52.91 is easily the best among the top 50 run scorers in the format.
  • Pressure on Hardik Pandya? In 21 T20Is, Hardik averages 11 with the bat, and concedes nearly 8 an over with the ball. He is considered a very talented cricketer, but his numbers don’t show that in T20I cricket. He needs to deliver.
  • The last time New Zealand played in India in a T20I was in the 2016 World T20, where they skittled India out for 79. Mitchell Santner took 4/11, and Ish Sodhi 3/18 on an unforgettable night for the New Zealand spinners.
  • Ashish Nehra will finish with 164 internationals for India – a fine servant.

Prediction


New Zealand put on a wonderful show in the ODI series, and they’ll be competitive again.
India on their own turf, though, led by the incredible Virat Kohli (who is the highest run-getter in all formats this year) will be a tough ask. India will send out Ashish Nehra with a win, but by a small margin.

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Review – a beautiful night in Lahore, Pakistan

Charbel Coorey
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How beautiful was it to see cricket in Pakistan? The packed stands, the great atmosphere and the wonderful display from the Pakistan team.

It was a different country, but same old problem for Sri Lanka, who simply don’t remember how to win a limited overs match.

Here are my highlights from a memorable night in Lahore:

16 in a row

Sri Lanka have now lost 16 limited-overs matches in a row.
Since they beat Zimbabwe in the 3rd ODI of their 5 match series at home, Sri Lanka lost the last two matches of that series, five ODIs & a T20I v India, and five ODIs & three T20Is vs Pakistan.
A nightmare run.

Shoaib Malik joins Umar Akmal & Shahid Afridi…

Hammad Ahmad on Twitter (@dot07HS) is your place for awesome statistics on our wonderful game.
For the second time in his career, Shoaib Malik achieved an innings of 40+ at a strike rate of 200+. Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal are the only other two Pakistan players to do this.

One point off New Zealand…

With the 3-0 clean sweep, Pakistan moved to within 1 point of first placed New Zealand.
If New Zealand lose the upcoming T20I series in India, Pakistan can take top spot.

4/13 on home debut

Mohammad Amir was simply brilliant. 
This was his first ever international match in Pakistan, after making his debut in 2009. It was worth the wait, achieving the best figures at the Gaddafi Stadium in T20Is.
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2nd T20I: South Africa v Bangladesh – stats highlights

Charbel Coorey
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As a fan who loves a contest, surely I’m not the only one who’s glad Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa is over.

However, some of South Africa’s achievements were so incredible that I couldn’t help talk about. Bangladesh, after entering South Africa full of hope, exit the country wondering what on earth happened over the last month or so.
The series was full of extraordinary numbers, and here are some of my favourites:

10 balls

Difference in balls between David Miller’s hundred and Richard Levi’s previous record. After a scratchy start, where he could have been out three times in the first 10 minutes of his innings, ‘killer’ Miller went absolutely crazy, doing what every South African has done in the series so far – show Bangladesh no mercy.

12 balls


The number of deliveries it took for Miller to go from 51 to 100. He was particularly harsh on Mohammad Saifuddin, who went for 31 in the penultimate over of the innings. The first five balls went for sixes.

Hundred from lower than no. 4

The records don’t stop there for David Miller. 
Miller became the first batsman ever in T20Is to score a century from a batting position lower than no.4. He broke Corey Anderson’s record of 94, which was set earlier this year, also against Bangladesh.

7-0

South Africa’s dominance over Bangladesh across three formats this series. In over a month of cricket, only one time did I think Bangladesh could win a game – during their chase in the first T20I.

2,739 runs at an average of 83 runs per wicket

South Africa’s batting statistics across the Tests, ODIs and T20Is. 
Not once were South Africa worried about Bangladesh’s bowling, and more importantly, all of their key batsmen have had good hit outs ahead of more challenging series.
Hashim Amla, one batsman who had a great time v Bangladesh, scored 580 runs across the three formats at an average of 96.67.

224

The most runs conceded by Bangladesh in a T20I.
Can’t remember the last time Bangladesh struggled this much with the ball on a tour. Lots of work to do for Courtney Walsh and co.

5.50

Shakib Al Hasan’s economy rate in 4 overs (2/22).
The rest of his teammates conceded 202 runs in 16 overs.
8 straight


After their historic win over Australia in Dhaka in August, Bangladesh have now lost eight straight international matches.
This is their worst run of losses since 2014, where they lost nine matches in a row across all formats in February-March.
South Africa’s dominance was there for everyone to see. They were simply too good for Bangladesh. The Tigers have some soul searching to do, with their next series against struggling Sri Lanka at home in early 2018. South Africa’s summer is only going to get bigger, with Zimbabwe, India and Australia all touring.

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Stats highlights from India’s thrilling win over New Zealand (3rd ODI)

Charbel Coorey
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What a fantastic way to end a fantastic little ODI series…

New Zealand pushed India all the way, thanks to a fantastic effort from their top and middle order.

Those middle order issues that we saw in Champions Trophy seem to be gone for New Zealand. For India, once again their batsmen stepped up when they needed to most, and the performance of Jasprit Bumrah will be remembered for a long time indeed. He has a big future, that’s for sure.

Here are the stats highlights of India’s thrilling series-clinching victory over New Zealand:

Fastest to 9,000 ODI runs 

Virat Kohli did the usual – score an ODI century, en route to becoming the quickest to the 9,000 run mark in ODIs. By the end of his career, he might very well be considered the greatest ODI batsman ever.

India’s best ever run in bilateral ODI series

India have now won 7 straight ODI series, dating back to the series against Zimbabwe last year.
This is their best ever run when it comes to consecutive bilateral ODI series wins. Their previous best was six straight between 2007-2009. This is brilliant from the men in blue.

Second fastest to 50 ODI wickets for India

Jasprit Bumrah, who in my opinion was unlucky not to get Man of the Match, became the second fastest Indian to 50 ODI wickets, achieving the feat in just 28 matches.

Second fastest to 150 sixes in ODIs

Rohit Sharma, during his fantastic hundred, was the second fastest to 150 sixes in ODI history, after Shahid Afridi.

Fourth-time unlucky for New Zealand

This was the fourth time New Zealand played a series decider in India, and have lost on all four occasions (1995, 1999, 2016, 2017)
8th fastest to 15 ODI centuries

Rohit Sharma became the 8th quickest player to reach 15 ODI centuries (165 innings).
A special series, full of awesome records, has come to an end. Looking forward to the T20I series, where New Zealand will be out to maintain their first placed ranking.

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