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Fast bowler will conclude 17-year career against same opponents where it began

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2024

Tim Southee will end his career as the most prolific bowler in New Zealand international history•Getty Images

Tim Southee, New Zealand’s legendary seam bowler, has announced that he will retire from Test cricket on his home ground in Hamilton next month, at the conclusion of England’s tour of New Zealand.Southee, 35, has claimed 385 Test wickets in 104 appearances to date, second among New Zealanders behind Sir Richard Hadlee (431), and is set to bring his career full circle, having debuted against England as a 19-year-old in Napier in March 2008. He will, however, make himself available for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June if New Zealand qualify.He recently played a key role in New Zealand’s historic 3-0 series win in India, the first by a visiting team since 2012-13. Though he claimed just three wickets across the first two Tests, these included India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, as they were bowled out for 46 in the series opener, and their top-scorer, Sarfaraz Khan, for 150 to the second innings.Southee had handed the Test captaincy over to Tom Latham prior to that series, and has yet to decide whether he wants to continue his white-ball career into New Zealand’s post-Christmas tour to Sri Lanka.”Representing New Zealand was all I ever dreamed of growing up,” Southee said in his retirement announcement. “To play for the Black Caps for 18 years has been the greatest honour and privilege, but the time feels right to now step away from the game that has given so much to me.”Test cricket holds a special place in my heart, so to be able to play such a big series against the same opponent my Test career began against all those years ago, and on three grounds that are incredibly special to me, seems the perfect way to end my time in the Black Cap.Getty Images

In a storied career, Southee will be remembered as New Zealand’s most prolific bowler in international cricket, with 770 wickets across formats to date, ahead of Daniel Vettori (696). No other bowler in international cricket has matched his feat of reaching 300 Test wickets, 200 ODI wickets and 100 T20I wickets.His career-best performance of 7 for 33 came in the ODI format, a famous display against England at Wellington in the 2015 World Cup, which helped to propel his side to the first of two consecutive appearances in the World Cup final. And though New Zealand missed out on both occasions, agonisingly so in 2019, Southee was instrumental in their long-awaited slice of ICC silverware. At Southampton in June 2021, he claimed second-innings figures of 4 for 48 in their World Test Championship final victory over India.He will also be remembered for his improbable batting prowess, with a total of 93 Test sixes to date – second only to Brendon McCullum among New Zealanders, and by a distance the highest ratio of sixes for any player with more than 2000 Test runs to his name. Nine of those came in his maiden Test in 2008, when he struck 77 not out in the fourth innings, still his highest score in Tests.”I’ll always be so grateful to my family, friends, coaches, our fans and everyone involved in the game who has supported me and my career over the years,” he added. “It’s been an amazing ride and I wouldn’t change a thing.”Gary Stead, the New Zealand head coach, said: “Tim’s durability and resilience has been outstanding. He’s an incredibly tough competitor who gets himself up for big occasions and is rarely injured. Tim cares deeply about the team, its reputation and performances, and he will be missed within the Black Caps environment. He now deserves some time with his family and I’m sure he will reflect very positively in years to come about his impact and achievements in the game.”Southee indicated he would remain available for domestic and franchise cricket.

West Ham United supporters are demanding that their team be busy in this transfer window.

So far, the Irons’ biggest move in the market is selling Mohammed Kudus to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £55m which, fair to say, has not gone down well!

The arrival of full-backs El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters have done little to quell the anger in East London, with Graham Potter in desperate need of reinforcements, but are the Hammers set to make a new signing, reminiscent of Jarrod Bowen’s arrival five years ago?

West Ham's search for a new goalkeeper

There are plenty of areas of the West Ham squad that could do with improving this summer, one of which is certainly goalkeeper, as outlined by the table below.

Minutes

2,260

18th

1,160

22nd

Saves

77

15th

50

21st

Save %

64.3%

20th

74.6%

2nd

Goals conceded per 90

1.63

6th

1.63

7th

Clean sheet %

20%

13th

15.4%

17th

Post shot xG – goals conceded

-2.6

36th

+1.6

12th

% of crosses prevented

3.8%

21st

4.5%

18th

Punches

10

17th

9

19th

High claims

15

19th

9

24th

Average SofaScore rating

6.87

34th

7.08

18th

As the table shows, neither the form of Alphonse Areola nor Łukasz Fabiański was particularly impressive last season, both ranking generally pretty lowly for the vast majority of metrics.

Despite actually seeing fewer minutes, the Polish international’s numbers were more impressive, but the 40-year-old has been released this summer, leaving the French World Cup winner as the current number one. He started Saturday’s Premier League Summer Series clash with Manchester United, but the Irons are seemingly targeting an upgrade.

That’s because, as noted by Will Unwin of the Guardian, the Hammers are targeting a move to sign Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper.

West Ham had previously been ‘interested’ in signing Mads Hermansen from Leicester City, but have now turned their attention to Cooper, who Alan Nixon and Henry Tomlinson of the Sun claim is valued at around £15m by the Blades.

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So, could he soon swap South Yorkshire for East London?

How Michael Cooper would improve West Ham

After beginning his senior career at Plymouth Argyle, making 161 appearances for the Pilgrims, Cooper joined Sheffield United for a reported fee of £4m just last summer and certainly impressed at Bramall Lane.

After his debut, Cooper featured in 46 of Sheffield United’s 47 EFL Championship fixtures, including the gut-wrenching play-off final defeat to Sunderland at Wembley, with Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout heralding his “incredible” form in the past.

Meantime, Nancy Frostick of the Athletic labels him a ‘strong all-rounder’ who is ‘capable of game-changing saves’ as well as boasting ‘effective distribution’, forecasting that he is ‘destined for great things’.

His statistics in the Championship certainly support these assertions.

Saves

109

8th

Save %

79.6%

2nd

Clean sheets

21

2nd

Clean sheet %

48.8%

3rd

Post-shot xG – goals conceded

+6.5

5th

% of crosses prevented

9.6%

1st

High claims

54

1st

Average SofaScore rating

7.19

4th

As the table outlines, Cooper ranks highly for all goalkeeping metrics included, most notably shot-stopping and high claims, statistics that weren’t particularly impressive when it came to West Ham’s current goalkeeper Areola.

He would not be the first player West Ham have signed from the EFL in recent times, as documented below.

Crysencio Summerville

2024

£25m

22

James Ward-Prowse

2023

£30m

67

Maxwel Cornet

2022

£17.5m

37

Saïd Benrahma

2020

£26m

155

Jarrod Bowen

2020

£22m

238

Jordan Hugill

2018

£10m

3

Marko Arnautović

2017

£20m

65

Robert Snodgrass

2017

£10m

86

Fair to say, West Ham have spent plenty of money signing EFL stars in recent years, a few of which have been massive flops; looking at you, Maxwel Cornet and Jordan Hugill!

Unquestionably, however, the best signing of them all is the £22m spent to bring in Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in January 2020.

Now the club captain, Bowen has scored 74 goals in 238 appearances for the Irons, most memorably bagging the winner in the Europa Conference League Final against Fiorentina in Prague, securing the club’s first major silverware since winning the FA Cup in 1980.

Speaking to Goal, Michail Antonio jokingly stated that Bowen “needs to leave”, given that he is just 12 goals behind Antonio’s all-time Premier League goals record for the club of 68, a record he’s expecting will be broken this season.

So, while Cooper will have to go a long way to have the impact in East London that Bowen has had, the goalkeeper certainly has the potential to be another transformational signing, especially when considering the Hammers’ ongoing issues in that position.

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Arsenal are “very, very” interested in signing another marquee name after they eventually complete deals for both Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres and Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, and they’ve received an indication that he’d be open to joining.

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Mosquera will sign for Mikel Arteta’s side after Arsenal finally reached an agreement with Valencia over a total £17 million package, including add-ons, with the 21-year-old set to undergo medical tests at London Colney on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Sporting for Gyokeres after what seems like weeks of talks (David Ornstein), and both clubs are said to be ironing out the final details now.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£75m

As fans anxiously wait for any updates on the Swede, given their side’s glaring need for a prolific striker, Arsenal are waiting for the “final green-light” to sign-off on one of the summer’s biggest deals.

Credible reports indicate that Arsenal will set their sights on a central playmaker next, and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is right at the top of their agenda after talks with the England international’s representatives.

Arsenal are set to formally approach Palace over signing Eze (talkSPORT), but they could still also sign another winger despite already moving for Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, who’s capable of playing on both the left and as competition for Bukayo Saka on the right (Ben Jacobs).

Arsenal get "positive" response from Rodrygo about joining from Real Madrid

This would apparently hinge on either Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard leaving (Ben Jacobs), but BBC journalist Sami Mokbel has told the podcast ‘Latte Firm’ that Real Madrid star Rodrygo remains a player of serious interest.

According to Mokbel, Arsenal have been given a “positive” response from Rodrygo about potentially joining them, via his representatives, but he stresses this could be a very costly operation – which has the potential to reach £80 million.

“In terms of Rodrygo, Arsenal are very interested, very interested in him,” said Mokbel.

“I think they’ve spoken to the relevant parties connected to the player to see whether he’d be up for it. I think they’ve got a positive feedback, as I understand it, that he would certainly give it serious consideration.

“But what I, being absolutely frank, what I’m hearing is that the finances attached to that deal, not necessarily just the fee, but the fee will be hefty.

“I think you’re looking in excess of £70m, probably closer to £80m to get that deal done. I think the wages, he’s one of the European football elite players, right? So he will be commanding a big, big wage.

“So Arsenal can do it, but I think they need to be creative in how they can accomplish that deal, but also make sure that they’ve got money coming in to ensure that the books are balanced because as we’ve already spoken about, they really had a significant spend.”

The Brazilian racked up 14 goals and 11 assists in 54 appearances last season, but he was scarcely used by new manager Xabi Alonso at the Club World Cup.

His future will be a major talking point in the build up to deadline day, and a potential move to Arsenal hasn’t yet been ruled out by reliable sources.

The season ended less than a month ago, and so much has already changed at Tottenham Hotspur.

In the space of a week, Ange Postecoglou, who led the club to their first trophy in almost two decades this season, was fired, and his replacement all but announced.

The man to come in and try to improve the Lilywhites’ Premier League form looks set to be Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

However, to ensure the Danish coach can do that, Daniel Levy and Co have to execute this summer perfectly, which means bringing in the right players and selling those who need to be sold, such as Son Heung-min and another big name.

Why Son should be sold

There is no doubt that in the pantheon of great and iconic Tottenham Hotspur players, Son is right near the very top, as not only has he spent a decade at the club, but he was the captain for their Europa League triumph last week.

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However, that is one of the reasons he should be moved on this summer, as if he were to go now, he’d be leaving on an incredible high and as an unquestionable legend of the club, but were he to remain for another year, there is every chance his declining ability would see him eventually leave on something of a sour note next year.

It’s not the South Korean superstar’s fault he’s become less effective in recent years, but just an unfortunate reality of getting older, a reality supported by research carried out by The Athletic showing that wide attackers peak at 26 and see their ability to take defenders on nosedive at 30 and beyond.

Appearances

36

46

Goals

17

11

Assists

10

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

0.5

We can also see this in his numbers, with the Chuncheon-born ace racking up 27 goal involvements in 36 appearances last year but just 23 in 46 games this year.

Moreover, per FBref, the 32-year-old sat in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons per 90 in the 18/19 Premier League season, but then this season, he was in the bottom 42% for the same metric.

Now, the good news is that the North Londoners can probably still get some good money for the Bayer Leverkusen star, as according to French outlet Foot Mercato, he has been approached by Saudi Pro-league side Al-Hilal, and as we’ve seen in the past few years, they can pay an awful lot for ageing stars.

In all, Son is now a bonafide legend at Spurs, but this summer feels like the right time for him to go so he can leave on a high, and the club can cash in, which is the same for another star.

The Spurs star who should be sold

While there are a few players who should be sold this summer because they simply aren’t good enough, like Yves Bissouma, we are talking about one of the co-vice captains, Cristian Romero.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, we are not for one second saying the Argentine isn’t good enough to play for Spurs under Frank.

However, there are a few reasons why the North Londoners should probably be looking to cash in on him, with the first being the interest.

There has always been the odd link here and there for the World Cup winner, but it has to be said that in the last few months, said links have increased in volume and believability.

For example, Real Madrid were reportedly keen on the former Juventus ace in early April, but since then, there has been a near-constant stream of reports touting him for a move to their city rivals, Atlético Madrid.

Worse still, the Córdoba-born “monster,” dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, has reportedly already spoken to his compatriot Diego Simeone and now wants to move to the Spanish capital, which is a want likely strengthened by the sacking of Postecoglou.

The second reason is intertwined with the first and concerns the money involved in a potential move.

If the club can get upwards of £60m for the wantaway defender, as it looks like they want, then that cash can go towards new players that actually want to play for the team and that Frank personally wants in his squad.

Finally, the the £165,000-per-week defender cannot be relied upon to remain fit anymore, as he missed a whopping 27 games for club and country this season, so even if he stays this summer, he could well end up missing half of the 25/26 campaign.

Ultimately, Romero is a brilliant footballer and was important in the Europa League this year, but with him increasingly looking like he wants to leave, combined with his fitness problems, it would make sense for Spurs to cash in now and hand Franks the funds to sign his own players.

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Tottenham Hotspur are now planning to sell Richarlison, in order to fund a move for an “incredible” £55m star, according to a report.

Richarlison struggling to make an impact at Spurs

The Brazilian’s 2024-25 campaign was marred by a number of injury issues, which meant he only managed to make 15 appearances in the Premier League, during which time he provided four goals and one assist.

However, with Dominic Solanke often leading the line, the 28-year-old has found holding down a starting spot very difficult even when fit, often being utilised as a substitute last term, which indicates Spurs can afford to let him move on this summer.

That is exactly what Tottenham are planning to do, according to Football Insider’s transfer correspondent, Pete O’Rourke, who said: “With Son staying, Dibling linked, and Richarlison likely to be moved on… there’s got to be some restructuring at Tottenham this summer.

“The domestic campaign was awful… the squad depth and quality has to be addressed and must improve.”

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The report also states that Spurs plan to sell Richarlison in order to fund a move for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling, with the Saints looking to hold out for a fee of £55m for the forward, although the Lilywhites are hopeful a deal can be done for £40m – £45m.

Signing Dibling is said to align with the north Londoners’ transfer strategy “perfectly”, given that they plan on signing the best youngsters to give them first-team football immediately, in order to make an instant impact.

The Brazilian international’s exit could be crucial when it comes to Spurs’ ability to compete for the Southampton star’s signature, however, given the money it would generate, and Richarlison has previously been linked with a return to Everton.

Dibling could be "incredible" signing for Tottenham

Southampton’s 2024-25 campaign was one of the worst in Premier League history, collecting just 12 points across the entire season, but their 19-year-old winger still managed to make a name for himself.

Reporter Alfie House was left particularly enamoured with the youngster, lauding him as an “incredible” player back in November, and he went on to finish the season with four goals and three assists in all competitions.

The Englishman also drew praise from Match of the Day’s Danny Murphy, who said: “It is the quality he has got – the belief in himself and the physical power. He just goes past people with ease. He has got a lovely left foot. He is very brave on the ball and his decision-making is good.”

With Richarlison falling down the pecking order, it could make sense to cash-in on the forward to fund a move for Dibling this summer, given that he showed some very promising signs during his breakout season at Southampton.

Desperately hoping to turn things around at the London Stadium, Graham Potter has reportedly set his sights on signing a defensive addition for West Ham United this summer.

Potter turnaround must start against Tottenham

Whilst neither Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham have anything to play for in the Premier League with four games remaining, there’s no taking away from the importance of a London derby and Potter should use that to his advantage.

So far, Potter’s West Ham tenure has been full of moments to forget. In an instant, his side stagnated without any true new manager bounce, but the visit of the Lilywhites could change that.

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Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference, the former Chelsea boss said: “Spurs have had a tough season in the Premier League, because of injuries and other reasons. That just shows that in this league, nothing’s forgiven.

“But, they’ve done well in Europe, and hopefully they can get the job done and get to the final. This is the most important game for us, because it’s the next game. And then you add on the fact it’s a London derby, and the added importance for our supporters.

“I feel for our supporters because they’ve had a tough year. That’s the reality. They’re frustrated, understandably so, and we want to try and give them something back.”

Likely doing himself no favours by wishing his rivals well in their pursuit of European glory, Potter must ensure that all the talk is around an excellent West Ham performance rather than his pre-match words and another afternoon to forget on Sunday.

Meanwhile, with little to play for, the Hammers have already turned their attention towards the transfer market and some much-needed upgrades in Potter’s first summer in charge. And that could yet see an impressive defender arrive.

West Ham pushing to sign CJ Egan-Riley

According to GiveMeSport, Potter is now determined to revive his West Ham spell by signing CJ Egan-Riley this summer. The Burnley defender is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, presenting the London club with an ideal opportunity to swoop in and land a bargain deal. At just 22 years old, there’s no doubt that he would be an impressive signing too.

Starts

39

34

Progressive Carries

26

29

Progressive Passes

127

106

Ball Recoveries

180

135

The stats paint quite the picture for the Burnley man, who has played a vital part in his side’s sensational defensive record in the Championship this season. Next to Max Kilman at West Ham – a defender who has also done well in possession – Egan-Riley could form quite the partnership.

Earning plenty of praise from Scott Parker as a result of his performances, the Burnley boss told reporters after Egan-Riley scored his first goal for the club: “I’m pleased for CJ. CJ’s been immense since he’s come in – a young boy that’s probably not had a lot of opportunities since he’s been at the football club. And he deserved that goal tonight.

“He’s been the backbone, and a driving force with this back four, back five. In terms of the clean sheets, and the defensive work of this team, CJ has brought a lot of quality. He deserves his opportunity, and he’s taking it with both hands. I’m really, really pleased for him.”

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has already decided to part company with a member of the Gunners squad this summer, and it is very likely he’ll join the plethora of stars who appear destined to depart N5.

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GiveMeSport have previously claimed that as many as seven major signings worth up to £300 million could be made before the start of the next Premier League season, including a new back-up keeper, full-back, two midfielders, a left-winger, right-winger and striker.

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

High-profile departures are also anticipated, especially Jorginho and Thomas Partey, who are both entering the final two months of their contracts at Arsenal, with both deals set to expire on June 30th as things stand.

Jorginho is attracting interest from Brazil, and pre-summer talks have been held with Flamengo, while left-back Kieran Tierney is also set to leave at the end of the season as Celtic prepare for his arrival at Parkhead on a Bosman deal.

“During the January 2025 transfer window, we acquired the permanent registration of Jota and the temporary registration of Jeffrey Schlupp,” confirmed the Hoops.

“In addition, we extended the contract of Kasper Schmeichel and entered into a pre-contract agreement that will see Kieran Tierney return to Celtic in July 2025.”

Partey, meanwhile, put on a phenomenal display in Arsenal’s most recent match, a 3-0 dismantling of Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League tie, prompting some calls for the Ghanaian to be handed a new contract at N5.

However, it remains the belief that Partey is looking to leave Arsenal and embark on a fresh chapter this summer, with Barcelona among the African’s preferred destinations (Mundo Deportivo).

Arsenal will sell Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer with decision made

Now, an update has also come to light on £150,000-per-week defender Oleksandr Zinchenko and his future at the Emirates.

The Ukraine international has seriously struggled for game time, thanks to a combination of injuries and competition for places at left-back, with Jakub Kiwior, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori all fancied ahead of him.

Journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to The Boot Room, says Arsenal will sell Zinchenko this summer as a result, and it is believed Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato could even come in as a replacement.

“Zinchenko will be allowed to leave, although that will be easier said than done considering his wages and Tierney is going,” said Bailey.

“Jorrel Hato is still a player they love – they’ve done all the work on him for years – they’ve been following him since he was 16. Liverpool like him as well. It wouldn’t surprise me if Hato came to England this year.”

Arsenal’s credible links to Hato stretch back to 2023 (The Athletic), with the teenage Dutch starlet capable of playing at both left-back and as a left-sided centre-back. Hato has come on leaps and bounds since then as well, becoming a mainstay for the Eredivisie side and even managing to chalk up six assists in the top flight this season.

They have been giving us less and less time at the crease together in this format, the one whose limits they have most stretched

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Mar-20253:05

Will Kohli’s chasing form influence NZ’s decision at the toss?

It felt like the final scene of a beloved show, whose characters you have watched grow and change for a decade and plenty. Virat Kohli strode to the crease, every sinew bristling with purpose. Rohit Sharma leaned on his bat and watched Kohli come, almost inert.They batted 2.5 overs together in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia, Rohit making seven off ten balls in Kohli’s company, Kohli gleaning five off seven. Too short a time to savour their co-gianthood. Barely a glimpse into the interplay between two men who have defined so much about Indian cricket, and by extension the game in the latest age.In fact, they have been giving us less and less time at the crease together in this format, the one whose limits they have most stretched. That Kohli will be regarded the greatest chaser in its history has been beyond obvious for years. Rohit is the architect of its most gargantuan innings, that 264 at Eden Gardens still feeling like a fever dream a decade later.Related

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But in the last five years, they have made no more than 436 runs in each other’s company. ODIs are infrequently played now, of course, but in that time, Rohit has made almost five times as many runs (2019) with Shubman Gill. Even Kohli has had more productive partnerships with Gill (913), as well as with Shreyas Iyer (1181) and KL Rahul (913).Partly this is down to Rohit spinning off in a new direction. Where Kohli continues to impose himself on the middle and late overs when form allows, Rohit has become almost exclusively a powerplay artisan, frequently gone before Kohli arrives, and interested only in continuing to hack at the bowling rather than build an old-school block-by-block innings even when he isn’t. It’s worth repeating that the guy who specialises in hitting 60-odd off 40-odd balls was once thought to be an unstoppable six-hitting monster only he had spent 60 to 70 balls at the crease.Kohli’s feet have touched the ground in other formats. In Tests, he has even skidded along for some time, like a regular mortal. He still loves those big numbers against his name, of course, propelled forever by that internal fire that burns like a neutron star. And in ODIs, he is, still, largely managing them – his average of 52.56 over the past five years not much worse than his overall numbers, his strike rate almost exactly where it always had been. Their spending less time at the crease together is not really doing.Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the ODI giants•BCCIAnd yet, although the Kohli-Rohit Venn diagram overlap is shrinking, they are both still there, very clearly driven by the pursuit of India’s success. In this tournament, Kohli has led two chases – against Pakistan and Australia, hitting 100 not out and 84. It had been Rohit’s 41 off 36, against Bangladesh, however, that had bought India’s middle order the time to arrest a middle-overs mini-collapse (they lost 3 for 22 at one point) on a difficult surface. This is exactly what these Rohit innings are meant to do – ease the progress of the remainder of that top order. Rohit prides himself on his sparkling support acts. It fits that although he wears leadership more lightly than Kohli ever did, he is the World Cup-winning captain out of the two of them.In Tuesday’s semi-final, their most intense moment together came in the field sometime during the middle overs, when Kuldeep Yadav yanked his hand away at the non-striker’s end, instead of cleanly receiving Kohli’s bounce-throw from the outfield, and Kohli and Rohit, standing in the distance either side of the bowler, raised their voices simultaneously to give poor Kuldeep an acerbic surround-sound bollocking. They might not be putting up the numbers they used to in each other’s company, but this much at least they do together.2:19

Is it still advantage India in Dubai?

And their numbers once were genuinely awesome. Until March 7, 2020, Kohli and Rohit had made 4878 runs in partnership, a figure surpassed for India only by the legendary opening combination of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Their partnership brought India 65.04 runs on average, which is way better even than Tendulkar-Ganguly (47.55). In fact, the pity in that era was that Kohli and Rohit didn’t find enough occasions in which it was possible for them to dovetail as batters. They had played 176 ODIs together through that period but batted together only 80 times.There is, additionally, this consideration: the Rohit-Kohli relationship does not immediately feel like one of the greatest bromances ever told. Not that there has ever been obvious friction. But the relationship has not conformed to a model others have set down – one artist, and one technician, sharing an elemental bond. Just in this century, and just in South Asia, we have had Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, and the 2001 epic by which their careers will always be partly remembered. There was also Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who smiled at each other across a dressing room one day and knew straightaway they were destined to sell very expensive crab together (they did also score some runs). Kohli-Rohit has never threatened to be sappy, but then who cares, also? Theirs is primarily a professional relationship. They have made each other greater for India – of that, there is no question.Though each of these batters clearly have more left in them, it feels like we have left the best Rohit+Kohli years behind. Which makes the rare occasions on which they bat together all the sweeter – two eagles circling on the same thermal, each acutely aware of the other, but not directly interacting, nor ever getting in the other’s way. One day, not long from now, we will look up, and they will be gone.

They played a near-perfect match to get their engines roaring and furnaces at full blast, dispatching an off-colour Pakistan with awesome precision

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Sep-20231:56

Uthappa: Watching Kohli a lesson on mastering ODI cricket

When your apparatus is as vast as Indian cricket’s is, when your machine is as moneyed, when your stars are supernovas, and your reserve players the envy of much of the cricketing world (how many teams would happily leave a Mohammed Shami or even Axar Patel unused?), expectations are that you are at least occasionally sublime.In the first Asia Cup match between these sides, Pakistan didn’t quite leave the India batting order bruised; 266 may well have been a defendable score. But when three Pakistan quicks scythe through the top order and finish with 10 wickets between them, this is a fire that tends to use up all the oxygen. As a species, Pakistan fast bowlers tend towards incandescence. In the nine rainy days that followed that initial skirmish, it was not hard to wonder. As blessed as this India top order is, can they really handle that heat?Related

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In Colombo, across two afternoons, Pakistan’s quicks surged in, and during parts of India’s innings, it was as if this thought that had never even entered the India batters’ minds. Shubman Gill had two tough chances missed off the bowling of Naseem Shah early, but remained defiant, taking down Shaheen Shah Afridi dramatically and decisively. When he went at Afridi, balls flew like his bat was spring loaded (at one of the favourite hunting grounds of the original owner of the mythological spring-loaded bat, for those who still remember the nineties).Rohit Sharma was less convincing, struggling at length to so much as lay bat on Naseem. But when there is moisture in the pitch, and the seam is hard and new, this is also what senior opening batters do. They stay there through the famine, sometimes because of good fortune, and await more plentiful times. When the early swing disappeared, and his eye was in, Rohit exploded into life too. Against Shadab Khan, whose full tosses and half-trackers were as clusters of ripe mangoes weighing the whole branch down, Rohit gorged on three sixes and two fours in the space of five deliveries.In Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s partnership, India’s batting found full, productive expression. This was run-making that had been studiously conceived, perfectly engineered, and relentlessly honed – inefficiencies stamped out, breakdowns accounted for by multiple redundancies. They didn’t need Hardik Pandya, one of the best hitters in the game, to get to 356.Separately, both Kohli and Rahul are blessed with timing, and have exquisite wrists. When they are flowing, they are beautiful to watch.

“This was run-making that had been studiously conceived, perfectly engineered, and relentlessly honed – inefficiencies stamped out, breakdowns accounted for by multiple redundancies”

But together, their 233-run unbeaten stand had an industrial quality. They ran the fast twos with precision, scored off even the good balls, rarely failed to send the bad ones screaming to boundary, strode swiftly to their fifties, and even faster to their tons, the way modern batters are supposed to. At times, an ailing Pakistan attack seemed less like opposition, more like factory workers feeding in the raw materials that the Kohli-Rahul machine was turning into neatly-packaged runs.An attack with talents such as Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav will rarely fail to be fun, and still, the way in which they choked the Pakistan response, and turned dot balls into wickets also brought to mind a dismissal production line. Where balls rocketed off India bats, Pakistan were trying to heave them over the boundary, and frequently failing.Kuldeep Yadav and Virat Kohli were instrumental in setting up India’s big win•AFP/Getty ImagesAs with Rahul’s innings, this was Bumrah’s first spell after coming back from a long injury hiatus. Their reintegration was seamless. Rahul 111 not out off 106, Kohli having made 122 off 94 in his company; Bumrah swung the ball at pace, bowled a maiden, took the first wicket, and went for just 3.6 in each of his five overs. This was before Kuldeep tore through the middle and lower orders, taking 5 for 25. Their not wasting time bowling Pakistan out (their opposition did not send out the injured Haris Rauf or Naseem Shah to bat), was in itself an efficiency – India have to play Sri Lanka the next day.All this is not to say India’s men’s team has no problems. In their last series at home, they lost 2-1 to Australia.But the way they played in this match, they made it seem like their problems are like a wonky wheel on your supermarket trolley, while there is a hurricane going on in another part of the world. Sri Lanka, for one, might struggle to put together a partnership where both batters can comfortably hit a six.With this 228-run win ahead of a home World Cup, India had the engines roaring, their furnaces at full blast, their Star Destroyers in hyperdrive. They dispatched an off-colour and depleted Pakistan with awesome precision.

Unbroken partnership with Nat Sciver underlines current gulf between 2017 World Cup finalists

Valkerie Baynes27-Jun-2021″You have a choice.” It’s a mantra that has served Tammy Beaumont well this year and the benefits were there for all to see again as she guided England to an emphatic eight-wicket victory in the first of three ODIs against India in Bristol.Beaumont scored 87 runs off as many balls, having shared an unbroken partnership worth 119 for the third wicket with Nat Sciver, whose run-a-ball 74 was as brutal as Beaumont’s was clinical.It was the fourth consecutive ODI innings in which Beaumont had passed fifty after scores of 71, 72 not out and 88 not out on England’s winter tour of New Zealand and followed her 66 in England’s only innings of the drawn Test between these two sides at the same ground just over a week ago.Related

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Beaumont has also scored two centuries in her past 10 ODI innings, against Pakistan in December 2019 and during the Ashes series the previous English summer, but she said her work with Phoebe Sanders, the team’s sports psychologist, earlier this year proved a turning point.”The day before the first game in New Zealand she said to me, ‘you know you have a choice how you go about it’,” Beaumont said on Sunday. “Ever since then her voice has been in my head as I’m walking out, ‘you know you have a choice how you approach it, you can kind of go with the flow and see what happens or you can go out and try to dominate and try to be relentless’.”And it’s not about dominating like how other people might do it, my dominating is making sure that I put away every bad ball I get and make them really work hard to get me out and it seems to be working so hopefully it’ll continue.”There was a period during her latest innings when it seemed like Beaumont only dealt in fours.She survived almost being run out on nought when she set off for a run after being struck on the pad and Ekta Bisht’s throw to the non-striker’s end from cover point was wayward, then an India review when she was given not out lbw on the same ball – the DRS showing Shikha Pandey’s in-ducker was sliding down the leg side.After Lauren Winfield-Hill’s campaign to cement a place as opener ahead of next year’s World Cup was off to a fleeting but entertaining start when Jhulan Goswami had her edging behind, Beaumont seemed to continually find the boundary.She struck back-to-back fours off Pandey, through point and driven in front of square, and then off Pooja Vastrakar with a wonderful straight hit back over bowler’s head followed by a precision cut through point as she and Heather Knight took 13 off the over.Beaumont then hit twin sweeps to the boundary off Bisht so that at the end of the first Powerplay, England were 61 for 1 compared to India’s 27 for 2. By the time Beaumont had racked up 39 runs off 30 deliveries, she had eight fours to her name.Even with spin stemming the flow of runs somewhat, and Bisht ending a 59-run partnership with Knight with a beautiful delivery that took the top of off stump, Beaumont’s strokeplay was all class. She brought up a 48-ball fifty with a four swept off Deepti Sharma and struck Vastrakar to the point boundary with perfect poise and timing.”The main thing is I’ve stopped believing in form,” Beaumont said. “Once you get to a certain age you’ve worked on your technique, you know what works and it’s just a case of sticking to it and doing the tinkering with it if something’s going wrong.”But if it’s going right then for me it’s all about your mindset… that’s what I’ve really been working on, being ruthless and relentless as much as possible and it seems to be working at the moment.”Nat Sciver pulls one away•PA Photos/Getty ImagesSciver settled in with a couple of fours off Bisht before being dropped on 12, off Harmanpreet Kaur, and beaten four times in succession by Pandey.Appointed permanent vice-captain ahead of this multi-format series after standing in for the injured Anja Shrubsole on the tour of New Zealand, Sciver scored a valuable 42 in the Test and the runs came in abundance on Sunday as she punished bad balls and good in powerful fashion.With the rain that had been threatening to arrive all day starting to fall in a sparse drizzle, Sciver struck the tenth four of her innings off Kaur followed two balls later with a thumping six down the ground as it looked like she might overtake Beaumont.”Once Nat starts to unleash there’s no stopping her and at one point I thought I wasn’t going to get to face another ball,” Beaumont said. “But she was very kind to me in the end. For me, today was all about getting the job done and being not out at the end. If I tried to keep up with Nat there’s no chance, she’s just an unbelievable talent.”After pulling Goswami for four, the petite Beaumont, who stands about a foot shorter than Sciver, weighed in with a six of her own, launching Kaur over long-on to level the scores. Kaur’s next ball was a wide to seal the result in something of an anti-climax, given the batting display by England to that point.The margin of defeat was also something of a let-down for India, who had lost a thrilling World Cup final by just nine runs the last time these two sides met in an ODI on English soil, in 2017. And as preparations for the next World Cup begin in earnest, this match gave both teams plenty to ponder.