Jason Gillespie and Ryan Harris think it is not impossible. To do so, Australia’s fast bowlers will need to be switched on at all times

Interviews by Nagraj Gollapudi02-Dec-20182:31

How can Australia tackle the Kohli threat?

The 2014-15 tour of Australia was a watershed for Virat Kohli. India lost the series 2-0, but he finished second, behind Steven Smith on the run charts, and set the bar high with his domineering batting. Since then he has pushed the standard consistently higher. Now he returns to Australia as the game’s pre-eminent batsman across formats and the No. 1 in Tests. Can Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins stop him? We spoke to two former Australia fast bowlers: Jason Gillespie, who is now a coach; and Ryan Harris, who duelled with Kohli a few times, including in that home series four years ago.Get him early
Gillespie: You need to be switched on from ball one. Because if Kohli has faced 20-odd balls and he has got more than 10-15 runs, he usually gets a significant score. And that is why it Is so crucial to impact early. There cannot be any warm-up deliveries against Kohli.Don’t allow him to get going by giving him an easy shot – a half-volley, a tuck off the hip, a cut shot. If he is going to score runs, make him earn them, make him play really good shots, and make him take a risk. That applies to every batsman, but because Kohli is such a big and important player in this Indian side and so much rests on him as captain, it is really important to make sure you are switched on and you are bowling the best delivery you can.Harris: Virat early on is a nervous starter, so you need to really get it up there and get him driving. What he does like is width, so you can’t be too wide. He looks for that good shot to get him away to give him that confidence. We’ve just got to make sure we challenge him early and hope he makes a mistake.

“Virat likes to dominate, has a big ego. And that is why he is so good: he has that ego, he has that confidence in what he wants to do”Ryan Harris

Get him to drive
Harris: My goal early on, especially on the quicker wickets, was always to get the batsman driving. It did not matter whether it was Virat Kohli or Joe Root; I wanted the batsman to be tempted to drive. That would be the plan I reckon even the current lot of Australian fast bowlers will have against him. They also have a little more pace than I had, which can come handy with that plan.I recall Virat getting some four hundreds last time around in Australia. He likes to dictate the pace, so you just have to bowl deliveries that he is not got to hit. And then adjust the fields. You can bowl wider outside off, set an off-side field and try and force him to try pushing them to the on side. You try and bowl good balls, dry up the scoring and build the pressure and be persistent and very patient.Use seam and swing
Gillespie: Everyone thinks Kohli has no weaknesses, and that is fair. He has a lot of strengths. But in England when the ball seamed or swung a little bit, I noticed he, at times, went really hard at the ball. I would like the Australian bowlers to have a look at that.On good surfaces where the ball is not really swinging or seaming, even if the length is not really quite there to drive, Kohli might still throw his hands at it and he will connect 99 times out of 100. But those deliveries in the UK were a bit different, with the Dukes ball, where Kohli nicked to the keeper and slips reasonably early a few times.Virat Kohli watches England dominate•AFPSet him up with a good line
Gillespie: That fourth-stump line, about bail-high, with the potential movement away would be my stock ball to Kohli as a right-arm bowler. The variation would be the one that is pitched on off stump and just holds its line. And maybe even look to angle the ball back in to create the opportunity for bowled or lbw. To me that would be a really simple, easily implementable plan.Bowling straight was also a good counter to Kohli’s strategy in England this summer. He was plonking his front foot towards the off stump and flicking it to midwicket. It got him to get off strike easily. But if you maintain that off stump or fourth-stump line I am talking about, with the ball going away from him, if he tries to access those deliveries, to get over them, then there is the potential it could hurt him.Harris: To start off, you ought to bowl the fourth- or fifth-stump line. I know the guys tried bowling wider on the tour of India against him early on, so that is another plan that could be tried, hoping he nicks one. But the bottom line is: he relies on length. If the length is there to drive then that is what you want to try and get him to do. But just short of length or if it is too full – that is where he capitalises.Find the ideal length
Gillespie: I would recommend finding a length that would go past at bail-height. Keep in mind all of the Australian front-line quicks are very tall. So the bounce they generate from the right length will hit Kohli’s bat a lot higher and make it difficult for him to manoeuvre and place the ball where he wants.

“That off stump, fourth-stump line, about bail-high, with the potential movement away would be my stock ball to Kohli as a right-arm bowler”Jason Gillespie

Adjust the length
Harris: His obvious plan when he stands outside the crease is to negate the swing and force the bowler to change his lengths. He knows he can take the lbw out of the equation as well. I’ve just got to make sure I am aware, I am on top of it and I change my lengths accordingly to make him play shots he does not want to. When he stands outside the crease, just try and pitch on a spot where you are trying to get him to drive, but not too full. If you are getting it to bounce around the knee roll or top of the pads and if he comes hard at you, he could nick or miss.Gillespie: The key is, If he is going to stand that far out [about a yard] and if the ball is going to be bail-high, that ball is going to be essentially a half-volley. If he is batting a foot outside the crease, they need the ball going past him at the knee-roll or so. The challenge for the bowler is to adjust the length depending on where Kohli is taking his stance. So that is a skill in itself. That can be sorted with communication between bowler and the fielders – particularly the point fielder or guys behind the wicket.Use the short one judiciously
Gillespie: You can pitch the occasional bouncer. For that to work, I will have two fielders back – fine leg and deep backward square. So if you do get too straight, and he works it through to the leg side, there is a bit of protection. Having those two fielders also gives the bowler the opportunity to bowl a really good bouncer and know that there is a chance of a wicket. If he gets a top edge, those fielders are there to grab that or to save runs.Plug the off side
Gillespie: Kohli looks to score at all times, especially on the off side. That is where the wicketkeeper and slips will come into play. If the ball is not moving off the straight, if it is not swinging, you can potentially put a fielder at catching cover. But if the ball is swinging I would be inclined to keep cover open and encourage him to drive through there initially. I would also have slips and gully in place initially to invite the drive and potentially get a nick.Virat Kohli in the field•Getty ImagesDon’t lose the mental battle
Gillespie: You have got to get your skill right, but it is always a battle of patience. It is about building that pressure to create that opportunity. Whoever is winning that battle of patience is invariably in front of the game and influencing it. You may well bowl a ball that is a wicket-taking one, but sometimes it is hit for a four or defended well. You have to bowl as many wicket-taking balls as you possibly can, to give yourself a chance. The duel is fascinating if you can hang in, stay patient, build that pressure to create those potential opportunities.I always loved such one-on-one contests with the best batsmen. You want to test yourself against them. You might have some success, you might not. But you go out there with a positive attitude, with an attitude that you can learn something.Harris: Virat likes to dominate, has a big ego. And that is why he is so good: he has that ego, he has that confidence in what he wants to do. So you have got to try and force an error and get him to do something he does not want to do. Whatever you do, you have to be patient with it and you have got to try and put pressure on him. You are going to bowl good balls but he is going to come out and play good and great shots. You have got to make sure you are clear with your plan, so that when he does play good shots, you are able to go back to that plan and bowl good balls again.Virat is a guy you don’t talk to. He loves the battle. If you talk to him it sort of gets him in the game and switches him on. I tried to talk once and I learned pretty quickly that that’s what he wanted me to do. As a bowler you don’t want to help the batsman get into the contest. He loves dominating. He is a very good leader. He loves being the man that wins the game for his country. That is why he is such a very good player.

The absence of Kohli has thrown up some room for experimentation with an eye on the World Cup

Aakash Chopra17-Sep-2018In the last few years, India’s 50-over success has been scripted by their top three. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli are among the finest top-order batsmen in 50-overs cricket. All of them have the ability to negate the new-ball threat (in all conditions) and bat deep into the innings, once set. Since 2016, in 51 matches they have made nearly 65% of the total runs scored by India in ODI cricket. Pakistan’s top three are second best on this metric, with 54%. India’s top three also average 64 runs per match between them, while England’s top three, the second best in this regard, average 50 runs.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen one or two of the top three scores 50-plus each for India, the team’s win percentage shoots up to over 70%. And when none of them do, India lose 57% of their matches (four out of seven). This underlines these batsmen’s influence on the outcome of India’s ODI matches. It amounts to an over-reliance on them that must be addressed before the World Cup starts next year.ESPNcricinfo LtdVery often India’s top three take the team total to 170 runs in the first 30 overs but still India seldom end with 325-plus after 50 overs. India’s batting moves at almost the same pace right through the course of 50 overs, and while they still manage to make enough runs to beat most opponents, it feels like they are underachieving, since the stage seemed set for them to score 20-30 runs more.While Kohli’s absence considerably weakens the team, it also provides one final opportunity to identify the players who can be persisted with to solve the middle-order question ahead of the World Cup. In order to fulfil this objective, the selectors must not try to fill Kohli’s spot with an opener, because that’s not the area of concern; ideally, they should pick someone who is in the running for the No. 4 spot in the XI.ESPNcricinfo LtdHere’s a possible playing XI that can look to address some long-term problems.Rohit and Dhawan at the top
There’s no argument about these two opening. Not only do both complement each other, they are also runaway match-winners in their own right. Just that in Kohli’s absence, they won’t have the luxury to be too adventurous at the start of the innings, for one of them must bat till the 30th over. Also, it’ll be interesting to see if their approach changes significantly when there isn’t the cushion of Kohli walking out at 3.Ambati Rayudu at three, Dinesh Karthik at four
Rayudu averages 50 in ODI cricket, and that in isolation must make you wonder why he was dropped in the first place. But a closer look at the stats will tell you that the average is inflated because of the number of times he has remained unbeaten. The fact that his strike rate is 76 and not in the high 90s isn’t ideal for someone batting lower down the order. His impressive IPL returns brought him back into contention, but it shouldn’t be lost on the team that the majority of those runs came as an opener. He has improved his attacking play against pace in addition to his competence against spin. But since he isn’t your ideal finisher, it would be wise to let him audition for a place in the middle order by batting him in Kohli’s place.Karthik has been around forever but the consensus is that he hasn’t batted as well as he is batting now, and though he has managed to finish some games in T20 cricket, it might be ideal to keep him as an option for No. 4. Like Rayudu, he is also a touch player, and that’s never ideal for someone who bats regularly in the last ten overs.MS Dhoni at five
In Kohli’s absence, there’s more focus on Dhoni’s role and responsibility of not just holding the middle order together but also finishing some games. While his IPL returns suggested that he has turned back the clock, the limited-overs leg of the England tour hinted otherwise. I’d like him to bat at five and use the Asia Cup to find a role that’s best suited for him at this stage of his career. Dhoni has been vocal about his preference for batting at four, but having your most experienced players in the top four positions is a disaster waiting to happen. Also, batting in the lower order, against the old ball and with fewer field restrictions, is the tougher pursuit in ODI batting, and it would be grossly unfair to have only the younger lot lift that load.Kedar Jadhav at six, Hardik Pandya at seven
These are the two allrounders who need to bowl a few overs and play the role of finishers. For the longest time, India went in with only five bowling options – Pandya being the fifth. But while his bowling has improved, he’s not your ideal fifth bowler in any white-ball cricket. Even Mumbai Indians have him as one of six options. Also, not having a sixth bowling option doesn’t allow you a cushion if one of the lead five has a bad day, which happens every now and then.Jadhav’s style of bowling ought not to work in international cricket (it doesn’t in List-A and IPL either), but somehow it does in ODIs. He has taken 19 wickets in 130 List-A matches and 16 of those have come at the highest level. His batting isn’t all about power, which is considered a must to succeed in the last ten overs, but somehow he has made that work too.The rest
Playing four bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, is a straightforward choice, but Bumrah’s workload will need to be monitored right through the tournament. He bowled a lot of overs in the three Tests he played in England, and the heat of the UAE will be unrelenting. It would be wise to play Khaleel Ahmed in both league games. Also, playing Axar Patel in place of Kuldeep or Chahal in the opening game against Hong Kong wouldn’t be a bad option, for he’s unlikely to get too many games leading up to the World Cup.

India have had options for the opening spot, but they are now leaning towards the two rookies in the big race to Australia

Alagappan Muthu in Rajkot02-Oct-20182:04

Vipassana, long-distance running and big runs: The Mayank Agarwal story

People do weird things when they want something bad enough and India right now are absolutely desperate for overseas success. They believe that they are the best team in the world – with each player in advanced stages of no-negative-bones syndrome, how can they not? – but that is not enough. They need everyone else to say it as well. Or at the very least, the scorecard at the end of the Australia tour.The coach Ravi Shastri has called for practice matches, a ritual they were so against in England and with good reasons, or at least it felt that way when Virat Kohli spelled it out in his slow, insistent voice (It’s lack of quality opposition, stupid). Now, with the West Indies series playing the role of a crash test dummy, India are hoping to fix the other major problem that holds them back when they tour: the openers.The selectors have played their hand, keeping faith in Prithvi Shaw and bringing on Mayank Agarwal. It’s time for something new; perhaps even drastic. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Shaw admitted his technique isn’t the most perfect. Then again, where did tight defence get M Vijay or Shikhar Dhawan?So the rookies’ place in the squad – one of them is bound to make their debut as opening partner to KL Rahul on Thursday – may just come down to the runs they’ve got, or more specifically the way in which they’ve got them. Agarwal began turning heads in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy, when he racked up 1160 in 13 innings at a strike-rate of 68.80. He’s always been a hard-hitter of the ball, particularly when he is able to flat-bat it right through the line. Shaw, by the way, has gone even quicker, scoring 76.69 per 100 balls even as he averages 56.72.But tons of players have walloped domestic bowlers around. It doesn’t guarantee that they’ll be able to make the step up, let alone reprise such a dangerous style of cricket. It’s going to be a gamble, and its inferences may not necessarily be iron-clad. The Rajkot pitch tends to be a pancake or a pothole, either assisting easy runs or offering terrifying spin. There are rumours that the team management has asked for extra bounce so that they can prepare for Australia, but is it even possible on this grand old dust bowl?Prithvi Shaw brings out a Ross Taylor-inspired celebration•PTI Whatever the conditions, the spotlight will be on Agarwal and Shaw. In the last 10 years, India have had only one instance of the openers putting on 100 runs or more while on tour in Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa. And more often than not, the opposition’s top two end up doing better. This trend needs to be reversed – and it quite possibly can be with the bowling attack as varied as the one Kohli has at his disposal – but the batsmen need to step up.Agarwal and Shaw have shown that quality for India A, where, their first-class averages of 49.33 and 58 are coupled with strike-rates of 70.47 and 84.58. This ability they have to dominate bowling attacks, without compromising on their own productivity, seems to be what India want. Or at the very least, is too tempting to ignore. Imagine being 100 for 0 in the 30th over on a hot first day in Brisbane. It won’t be easy getting there, not with Mitchell Starc fit again, but before they face the left-arm speed demon, at least one of these two will need to survive the mirror image: Shannon Gabriel, who will be pounding in at them in Rajkot. So will the rest of a very promising pace attack, according to West Indies coach Stuart Law.India have finally decided to take their Ferra – eh, that’s pushing it, let’s say tricked-out Marutis – out on a test drive, right before the big race down under. Meanwhile, Vijay is purring back to form with a slew of fifty-plus scores in English county cricket and Dhawan already showed glimpses of an improved technique outside his off stump. Who’s going to make it to the finish line? And who’ll have enough gas left for the next race?That’s another criteria that makes Agarwal and Shaw’s selections meaningful. It’s been a while since India have let teenagers or 20-somethings into a Test XI, but they might have changed their minds after taking a long look at the rest of the world. England began with Mason Crane and found a beaut in Sam Curran. South Africa are already fitting Aiden Markram for the 10-year captaincy jacket. Australia go both ways – bringing in 31-year old Aaron Finch to make his debut not long after a 20-year old Matt Renshaw did the same. India brought Rishabh Pant in over the summer – admittedly because there weren’t many other options – but now, when they did have other options, they’ve cast their eye towards the future, which is never be a bad thing.

If it has baffled fans that a player of such obvious talent has faltered so often, it has been a frustrating journey for the Sri Lanka batsman himself as well

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Jan-2019Fifth ball of his Test career, no runs yet to his name, Dhananjaya de Silva slinked out of his crease, and with a languid swing of the bat, stroked Steve O’Keefe over the long-off boundary. They were spectacular first runs; it would turn out to be a spectacular first series.Though de Silva made only 24 in that innings, he gathered momentum through the course of Sri Lanka’s whitewash over Australia; a rising ocean swell. His 129 in the third Test was a meeting of grace and grit. The score had been 26 for 5, when he arrived at the crease on the first morning. He faced down Australia’s rampant bowlers until lunch, then set about unfurling his array of velvet shots. From among Sri Lanka’s batsmen, Kusal Mendis had gained the greatest acclaim for his sublime 176 in the first match, but it was de Silva who finished the top scorer across the bowler-dominated series, having hit 325 runs at an average of 65.Roughly two-and-a half years later, de Silva has played 18 further Tests, but has seen his average almost halve. Touted then as a 10,000-run player, partly because of the ease with which he quelled a ferocious Mitchell Starc, there has been a struggle to live up to that early promise. Not that there haven’t been glimpses of brilliance – his second-innings 119 in the pollution-affected game in Delhi, saved that Test, for example. But in between have been: long, dry stretches. Before the Delhi hundred, he had gone 12 innings without a half-century. Last year, he crossed fifty only four times in 19 innings.If it has baffled fans that a player of such obvious talent has faltered so often, it has been a frustrating journey for de Silva himself as well. A multitude of Sri Lanka players have been mismanaged over the past three years – in which three separate coaches have held the reins, and three different selection committees have stood – but de Silva might plausibly claim to have had the toughest run of things. Shunted from position to position in the batting order, he’s played everywhere from No. 3 to No. 9, and has never been persevered with in a single position for more than a handful of innings. Often, he has found himself out of the XI altogether, only to be flung back into a new batting spot whenever an injury or suspension has ruled out one of the others.There has been no sense of long-term strategy; where with the likes of Mendis, Sri Lanka have taken at least some care to not disturb his development, de Silva has essentially been expendable. Where is the gap in the top order? That is where de Silva bats.Dhananjaya de Silva’s ill-advised paddle brought his downfall•Getty ImagesAs Sri Lanka now prepare to play Australia again for the first time since de Silva’s maiden series, events may have conspired to return de Silva to the batting positions he had excelled in two-and-a-half years ago. He didn’t play Sri Lanka’s second Test in New Zealand, because typically, he had had a poor outing at No. 3 in the first Test – having received two outstanding deliveries from Tim Southee – and was dropped in favour of Roshen Silva. But now, with Angelo Mathews’ fragile hamstring having ruled him out, a middle-order spot is open once more. Though he has most frequently batted at No. 3 – having played 11 of his 41 innings there – it is at No. 6 and 7 that de Silva has clearly had the most success, averaging 45.66 and 43 respectively.He is an opener at first-class level for Tamil Union Cricket Club (weirdly, opener is the only real batting position Sri Lanka have not trialled de Silva in, despite having struggled to find a partner for Dimuth Karunaratne over the past two years), but in internationals, particularly overseas, where the new ball presents a much sterner challenge, it is possible de Silva’s batting is too adventurous for him to succeed in the top order. Lower down, where he can expect to face less swing, particularly from this Australia attack that has recently struggled to take wickets with the older ball, de Silva could find himself in the most suitable batting habitat he has enjoyed in some time.If he gets to play from the lower-middle order – and although it seems likely, there is no guarantee – de Silva will hope he can defuse Starc and Nathan Lyon as he had done at home. He’ll know better than anyone else by now that if he wants to keep his spot, results have to be more or less immediate.

As Dale Steyn goes past Shaun Pollock to become South Africa’s most successful Test bowler, we pick out ten of his most memorable wickets

Firdose Moonda26-Dec-2018Michael Vaughan, Port Elizabeth, 2004With just seven first-class matches to his name, of which only five were played at franchise level, nobody really knew what to expect from Dale Steyn until this ball. South Africa were defending a measly 142 when Steyn removed Michael Vaughan with a legcutter that beat the outside edge and knocked back his off stump. The chainsaw celebration, which has become his trademark, was brought out for the first time that day. England teetered on 50 for 3 but no further damage was done and they won by seven wickets.Younis Khan, Karachi, 2007Even in the early stages of his career, Steyn had success on the subcontinent. In what now stands as Pakistan’s penultimate Test series at their real home, Steyn bowled South Africa to a series lead with a five-for in the second innings. The wicket that mattered was Younis’. Pakistan needed to bat out the final day to avoid defeat and with Younis resuming on 93, it looked like they would. Younis was on 126 when Steyn found reverse-swing. Younis played down the wrong line, the ball kept low, and he was bowled. The next five wickets fell for 66 runs. Rahul Dravid, Ahmedabad, 2008 After a drawn first Test in Chennai, India chose to bat first but were made to rue their decision by a display of seam movement that left them exposed. After Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag were dismissed cheaply, Steyn took out the big fish. He
pitched one on off stump, and got it to straighten, Dravid looked to drive straight and missed and the ball kissed the top of off stump. India were 53 for 3, bowled out for 76, and Steyn finished with 5 for 23. South Africa went on to win by an innings and 90 runs.Peter Siddle, Melbourne, 2008South Africa were starting to sense a series win after taking a first-innings lead of 65 and reducing Australia to 165 for 6. The tail staged some resistance but Steyn kept things under control and ended Australia’s innings on 247 with his 150th Test wicket. An offcutter on a shorter length had Siddle caught behind and gave Steyn his 10th wicket in the Test to go with his highest score – 76. South Africa needed 183 to win the series and got there with only one man dismissed.Sachin Tendulkar, Nagpur, 2010Steyn had already made a statement on South Africa’s previous India tour and he made an even louder one in Nagpur. After the batsmen piled on 558, Steyn found swing. After making M Vijay dance with deliveries that went away and then came back in, he curved one out of Sachin Tendulkar’s reach, but only just. Tendulkar was playing for away movement but the ball moved a little more than expected and took the outside edge on its way to Mark Boucher. India were 56 for 3 and, after Steyn also found reverse-swing, were bowled out for 233. That performance earned him ESPNcricinfo’s Test performance of the year.Michael Clarke, Perth, 2012 Steyn had got the better of Michael Clarke during South Africa’s 2008-09 tour of Australia, and four years later returned to target him as captain of the opposition side. Along with Vernon Philander, he reduced Australia to 43 for 5 before Steyn squared Clarke up with the delivery of the series. It pitched on middle and off and moved away, Clarke did not cover the line and the outside edge was comfortably collected by AB de Villiers. South Africa had scored just 225 in their first innings but Steyn ensured they still earned a first-innings lead of 62 with his 4 for 40. A much stronger second innings secured victory by 209 runs and South Africa claimed a second successive series triumph in Australia.AFPMisbah-ul-Haq, Johannesburg, 2013Pakistan had been bowled out for 49 in the first innings and were set a target of 480 so victory was improbable but Misbah was leading them to some sort of respectability. They were 210 for 5 when Steyn presented him with a back of a length delivery that moved away, Misbah tried to block but got a thin edge through to de Villiers. South Africa won by 211 runs.Cheteshwar Pujara, Durban, 2013Things were not going South Africa’s way in Jacques Kallis’ farewell Test with India on top at 198 for 1 when Steyn was brought back for a spell with the old ball. He peppered Cheteshwar Pujara with short balls and got him stuck in the crease before firing in a 140kph full delivery that forced Pujara to move forward and drive. His footwork was not quite quick enough and he pushed tentatively, to get an edge through to de Villiers. Steyn went on to dismiss M Vijay and Rohit Sharma off successive deliveries in his next over and cleaned up the tail to finish with 6 for 100. South Africa won the match and wrapped up the two-match series 1-0.Brad Haddin, Port Elizabeth, 2014After South Africa lost the first Test at SuperSport Park, they needed a win at St George’s to stay in the series. Late on the fourth afternoon, with storm clouds brewing and the fifth day in danger of being washed out, South Africa needed to bowl Australia out. Enter Steyn. The ball was reversing late and he had already used the late movement to bowl Brad Haddin in the first innings so he did it again. He did not know much about the delivery that beat the inside edge except that it flattened middle stump. Steyn took 4 for 55 and put South Africa on level terms.Mahela Jayawardene, Galle, 2014South Africa’s first tour sans Graeme Smith in a decade was to a place they had not won a series in in more than 20 years, Sri Lanka, but they showed good intent when they declared on 455 for 9 and better intent with ball in hand. On an abrasive surface that has usually served only to thwart quicks, Steyn broke through Jayawardene’s defences with an almost yorker-length ball that beat him as he tried to clip through midwicket. At first look, Jayawardene seemed plumb lbw, and he reviewed the decision unsuccessfully. South Africa won by 153 runs.

Australia’s strike bowler is no ordinary left-arm seamer. He is the most lethal weapon ever to play one-day cricket

Jarrod Kimber at Lord's25-Jun-2019You can define it by what the ball isn’t. It’s not a huge swinger; nor a yorker, and perhaps most importantly it isn’t right-arm seam. The delivery is a half-volley that straightens, which is something any international batsman should be able to handle. And the batsman is not a regular player, but Joe Root. Earlier in the tournament, it was Kusal Perera, so the batsman is irrelevant, it’s the bowler that matters.The ball isn’t straightforward; it’s a 90-miles-an-hour ball, and while it is a half-volley, it is a fast swinging Mitchell Starc half-volley. Starc is so extraordinary; his half-volleys are as dangerous as other bowlers’ yorkers. How do you play someone who’s weaponised benign deliveries?

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Mitchell Starc might be the greatest white-ball bowler there has ever been. And if he isn’t the greatest, he’s perhaps the most destructive. At the least, he deserves to be in any conversation.Mitchell Starc has only played 82 ODIs, but in those, he has taken 162 wickets. That’s basically two wickets a game. Bowlers don’t take two wickets a game in ODI cricket. Starc takes a wicket every 25.4 balls. Waqar Younis took a wicket every 30 balls, Glenn McGrath 34, with Joel Garner and Wasim Akram 36. According to cricket analyst Mainuddin Ahmad Jonas’ runs-above-average metric, Starc is equal-second on the all-time ODI bowlers list for with over 100 wickets. Jonas has him as 28% better than the average bowler during his career.Related

• It's been the World Cup of the yorker, and we love it

Starc averages 12 less than other bowlers who’ve played in his era and takes wickets off 13 fewer balls than the rest. Of ODI bowlers with over 150 wickets, no-one has a bigger differential for either.There has never been a fast bowler like Starc in limited-overs cricket. He is not an ODI bowler; he’s an ODI weapon.

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At Trent Bridge earlier this month, Australia’s top order collapsed to ensure they were several runs short of a par score against West Indies. And it was a deep and powerful West Indian line-up they were up against. Starc’s first challenge was to deal with Chris Gayle. In one over he almost had him caught twice, and also had two on-field wickets overturned by DRS while also hitting the stumps without the bails coming off. One over later, he finally got his man.Starc bowled two more spells in the game; each one came when Australia had just slipped behind. The first led to the removal of Andre Russell, and he did it by bringing up his straight fielders and following the batsman’s body. There was no way Russell would wear the over. He played a pull shot while ducking, deflected one off the body for a couple and smashed one across the turf. But Starc kept going at him, and Starc won.Starc came off, and the West Indies came back. With 30 balls left they needed 40 runs, so back he came with Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder in his sights. He finished with five wickets, and Australia finished with a 15-run win. It was a perfect example of Australia’s gameplan in this World Cup. They muddle around for a bit, and then Starc the life out of their opposition.

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Overs 30 to 40 never used to be important. They were the end of the “Boring Middle Overs”, with perhaps – if wickets were in hand – a slight ramp up towards the death. But with the fielding changes meaning that four men out ends at the fortieth over, teams often attack between 30 and 40, because there are gaps in the field during that period that will be closed off in the closing overs.

It yorked Ben Stokes, it yorked the stumps, and Stokes fell over as he lost control of his bat. The delivery made you feel ill, it was so perfect, as if Wasim Akram and Joel Garner’s yorkers had fallen in love and had a baby

It means that instead of your spinner or part-timers hurrying through their overs, you often turn to your best option. This is when Starc shows how important he is. With the new ball over the last few years, he’s been average, and often worse. With these ageing white balls, all seamers in the world have averaged 32 in this period with an economy of 5.6 between the last two World Cups. Starc averages 15 in this period while going at 4.6 an over.In this tournament, he’s bowled 60 balls between the 35 and 40th over, and taken six wickets at an average of 10.66. Pat Cummins and Mehidy Hasan have delivered 100 deliveries between them for three wickets. The average for all bowlers is 33 in this tournament. He’s bowled 117 balls that batsmen haven’t been in control of, a remarkable 30% of his deliveries.Just as set batsmen are about to go, Starc removes them.

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Against Pakistan, Wahab Riaz was the dangerman, as Australia started to look like losing a game that shouldn’t have been close. Starc bowled a quick ball from around the wicket, and Wahab edged a steepler behind. Goodnight, Pakistan.At The Oval last week, Kusal Perera started Sri Lanka’s innings as if he was planning on burning Australia’s house down. He even feasted on some of Starc new-ball bowling. But back he came for a second spell, earlier than intended, and Kusal’s stumps were the real victim. Sri Lanka crawled to a loss from that moment on.Bangladesh started well against Australia with the bat at Trent Bridge, but Marcus Stoinis got rid of their Avenger Shakib Al Hasan for his only non-fifty of the tournament, and only Tamim Iqbal remained as a credible threat. When Tamim had reached his half-century, Starc came back and blew straight through him. Bangladesh were playing for net run rate from then on.Mitchell Starc bowls•Getty ImagesAustralia might still have won some of these games without Starc, but instead they won all of these games because of him. Australian batsmen have struggled at times, the supporting bowlers haven’t always been up to scratch, and some teams have pushed them. The answer every time has been to throw the ball to Starc.

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A standard ODI seamer usually starts with Test lines and lengths, trying to nick the ball off an indecisive shot in the corridor. Then they come back for the middle overs, bowling cross-seamers and slower balls, looking for a mental error from the batsman. Before the death, they’ll bowl with mid-on and -off up, and go short, protecting the square boundaries and hoping for a catch. The death will be about mixing it up, wide and straight, full and short, fast and slow.Starc doesn’t even really bowl standard line and lengths in Tests. The line seems unimportant to him, and he rotates between very full, very short, and somewhere in the middle. There is probably no successful ODI bowler of the modern era who tries slower balls less. Whether mid-on or -off are up – which they usually are – doesn’t matter to him, he will bowl full regardless, backing himself over any batsman to hit him straight. At the death, for a bowler with what can often resemble a Jackson Pollock pitch map, he’s entirely predictable: he’ll go full and wide, or full and straight.This entire tournament has had seamers banging in short balls with their higher likelihood of wickets, Starc – despite an ugly 90mph bouncer up his sleeve – has taken 15 of his 18 wickets with full balls. He’s not playing the same game as the rest of you guys.Starc refers to this as “a simple method”. It’s simple if you’re a massive left-armer who hurls 90-miles-plus. The reason he can use a simple method is that he’s not like a typical bowler. Much like Lasith Malinga, if you tried to bowl like Starc, it wouldn’t work. Since the last World Cup, no seamer in the world has bowled more full balls than Starc after the 30th over, because the rules for them are different, and the balls would disappear.When Starc bowls a length ball at the death, he can get away with it because he gets bounce. His length balls in the last 20 overs of the innings go at less than a run a ball, and he averages 10 from them. Everyone else is above a run a ball and averaging 20.

Australian batsmen have struggled at times, the supporting bowlers haven’t always been up to scratch, and some teams have pushed them. The answer every time has been to throw the ball to Starc

There are basic rules to ODI bowling, and there is what Starc does.

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There has been only one game this tournament where Starc has struggled. Against India he went for 71 runs, and while he took the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan, it was late and after he’d scored a century.Without Starc’s wickets, the Australian attack looked ordinary, India couldn’t be shaken, and they made a total beyond the reach of the Australian batsman. Starc’s impact allows Australia to gamble on their fifth bowler. If Starc comes on and takes a wicket anytime from overs 10-40, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell can burgle some overs. With the fear of Starc, it means teams might be more reckless to score from Australia’s weaker third and fourth bowlers. If Starc takes wickets from 35 to 40, Stoinis as the death bowler is not as big a problem. If Starc is in this attack, it is not ordinary.Against India, Starc not only didn’t strike when he came back at the death, but India could also swing at him with no fear. They scored 40 runs off his last three overs, but the other bowlers struggled more. Starc’s only poor game is Australia’s only loss.

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The bails are on the ground and flashing, Ben Stokes’ bat is next to them, and Stokes swings a boot at it.The over before Starc’s return, he was carving 90mph deliveries to the boundary. Cummins delivered the 36th. It was fast – not only due to the speed of Cummins but also in the velocity of the balls which Stokes slammed into the short offside boundary. First he charged and slashed through point, then he charged and hit through cover. The cover sweeper was stuck in the middle twice. When Chris Woakes hacked one through mid-on to finish the over, Cummins had leaked 13 runs.England now needed eight runs an over with five wickets in hand and their very long batting line-up to follow. Australia were still favourites, but with Stokes set, Cummins looking shaky, and Woakes batting well, England had their best chance since the second ball of the innings.There was no chance of the next over not being bowled by Starc. England were playing well, and these were Starc’s special overs. Like Pavlov’s dog, once the 35th over ticks over, he starts salivating over wickets.The first five balls included a couple of singles and some slices through the off-side. Stokes was on strike for the last ball of the over. The ball was full and fast. It reversed, and before anyone had time to make a sandpaper joke, it hit the base of Stokes’ off stump. It yorked Ben Stokes, it yorked the stumps, and Stokes fell over as he lost control of his bat. The delivery made you feel ill, it was so perfect, as if Wasim Akram and Joel Garner’s yorkers had fallen in love and had a baby.It didn’t look real, it was computer-generated carnage. How do you play someone who’s weaponised the old ball like this?Stokes was on 89, he’d pulled England back from the brink, he’d slapped Cummins into submission, and now he was kicking his bat. There was nothing else left to do.You can define the Starc yorker by what the ball is. Unplayable.With stats input from Shiva Jayaraman

The swap isn’t as easy considering Rahane’s stature as a top-tier cricketer, but if we look at the numbers, Tripathi has a strong case

Dustin Silgardo20-Apr-2019Ajinkya Rahane has been removed as captain of Rajasthan Royals, and Steven Smith has been promoted to the top spot. As such, that would have been Royals’ pick last season itself, but the ball-tampering scandal forced them into a change of plans. Rahane has since gone out and done what he could, but it really hasn’t been good enough.Smith, in fact, is No. 1 on the list of most successful IPL captains (minimum 25 matches). He has won 16 and lost eight of the games he has led in, across stints with Rising Pune Supergiant/s and Royals. Rahane is much lower on that list, with just nine wins and 15 losses over the years. Of those 15 losses, six have come in eight matches so far this season, making the swap a pretty easy decision for the team management.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe other swap, Rahul Tripathi for Rahane at the top of the batting order, isn’t as easy considering Rahane’s stature as a top-tier cricketer. But, if we look beyond reputation, Tripathi has a strong case.Since 2017, Rahane has scored more runs (953) than Tripathi (758), but in five more innings. Rahane’s average is marginally superior – 26.47 to Tripathi’s 26.13 – but the clincher is in the strike rate: Tripathi scores his runs at 137.31, whereas Rahane goes at 121.09.Mumbai must rethink Suryakumar’s batting position
Suryakumar Yadav was Mumbai Indians’ outstanding batsman last season. He played all 14 games, was their highest run-getter with 512 runs, at an average of 36.57 (the best for the team) and a strike rate of 133.33.Of the 14 games, he batted at No. 4 in the first two, and opened in the next 12. He did make a difference there.Suryakumar Yadav has slowed Mumbai down in the middle overs•BCCIThis year, he has batted at No. 3 in all the games except one, in which he batted at No. 4. The reason for the swap – not because he is better lower down – is to slot Rohit Sharma at the start alongside Quinton de Kock. It hasn’t worked. Suryakumar has averaged 24.30, and has scored at a strike rate of 124.61. Not terrible but glaring as a strategic error because his time in the middle has left Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard, the two biggest hitters in the team, with far too little time to always make a mark. They have still done it, but no thanks to the team’s planning.Of the batsmen to have played in the middle phase – overs seven to 15 – this season, Suryakumar has been the slowest, with a strike rate of 98.9, and a poor balls-per-boundary rate of 12.8. On Saturday too, though he came in after the third-over fall of Rohit Sharma – as he should have – he took his time to get going with two runs from seven balls within the Powerplay and then going on to score a 33-ball 34, batting till the 14th over.As such, Mumbai have the second-highest run rate (before this game) among the eight teams in the Powerplay: 8.5. And they are right on top with Kolkata Knight Riders for highest scoring rate at the death (overs 16 to 20): 11.7. But in the middle, they are the third-worst at 7.4.On Saturday, in Jaipur against Royals, Mumbai were stuck with three overs from Jofra Archer at the death. A neat plan from new captain Steven Smith, and one that could have been countered somewhat if Suryakumar had played a little faster.Why did Mumbai hold back Bumrah and Malinga?
Rohit Sharma gave Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga a combined three overs in the first eight of Royals’ chase. By then, in a not-too-steep chase of 162, Royals had already reached 77 for 3.Getty ImagesBut a double-wicket over from legspinner Rahul Chahar in the ninth gave Mumbai a big opening.That was, perhaps, the time to bring in one of the gun bowlers, but Rohit instead went with Mayank Markande, who had been hit for 15 in his previous over. Markande bowled two long hops, which both went for boundaries, handing Royals back some momentum. Then, after a tight over from Chahar, Krunal Pandya was handed the ball. He went for nine, and the required rate for Royals was back down to seven per over. Bumrah did help pull Royals back later on, but it was too late.Royals deserve credit for continuing to attack after losing two quick wickets to Chahar and also for targeting the weak links in Mumbai’s attack sensibly. Taking 48 runs off the four overs bowled by Markande and Krunal meant they could afford to go at just 5.25 an over against Bumrah and less than eight an over against Hardik and Chahar.

There are some of the usual suspects, but the tourists to Australia have a number of unfamiliar fast men in their ranks

Danyal Rasool02-Nov-2019Just as teams walk out at Old Trafford with a little more swagger than from a decade ago, opposition batsmen feel just that little bit more confident stepping out of their crease when a Pakistani fast bowler charges in from his extravagant run-up these days. Up and down form and a general lack of effectiveness has seen the fear factor ebb away, and while Manchester United can’t not stay at Old Trafford, Pakistan can afford do away with one crop of fast bowlers and usher in another. For the series against Australia this month, that is precisely what new chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq has done.That doesn’t necessarily mean youth, even though there is a noticeable pivot in that direction, with four fast bowlers selected across the T20I and Test formats still teenagers. But there are recalls for – at international level – relatively inexperienced pacemen: 37-year-old Mohammad Irfan has made the T20I squad, while 32-year-old Imran Khan (not the prime minister) is a part of the Test side. While most opponents know Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, both a part of the T20Is, and Test man Mohammad Abbas well, here’s a look at the other half-a-dozen fast bowlers we’re going to see this month.Naseem ShahThe future of Pakistan fast bowling. The unfortunate man, or boy, set to have unrealistic expectations dumped on slender, 16-year-old shoulders. Selected, arguably too prematurely, in the Test side, the buzz around Naseem Shah almost mirrors the excitement a teenaged Mohammad Amir generated when he burst on to the international scene. Returns of 6 for 59 on debut in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as a 15-year-old had raised the initial expectations, but it’s a feat he repeated this week to bookend his budding career thus far.It will, however, be vital to manage his workload. Pakistan have been profligate with young quicks in the past, and fears about injuries are inevitably evocative of Mohammad Zahid and how he fell by the wayside after an explosive start.Muhammad Musa KhanMusa Khan, just 19, is an advertiser’s dream. With green eyes and an eye-catching hairstyle, that somehow adds to the aura of express Pakistan fast bowlers, Musa emerged at the PSL this year, routinely clearing 140kph. While accuracy and discipline were concerns then, a return to form of late, particularly in the National T20 Cup, has seen him called up for both the Test and the T20I squads. With roots in Chitral, never considered fertile ground for cricketing talent, he could well serve as an inspiration to budding cricketers in the northern hinterlands of the country, so often overlooked to its detriment. His height means he has managed to extract bounce even on moribund pitches across Pakistan and, as such, Pakistan feel pitches around Australia are especially suited to his skills.Great things might be just around the corner for young Mohammad Hasnain•Getty ImagesMohammad HasnainYou’d have to be a fairly keen follower of Pakistan cricket to know much about Mohammad Hasnain. The 19-year-old was picked for international selection right after the PSL, where he bowled the fastest delivery of the tournament at over 150kph. That, as it turned out, wasn’t the best thing for him, with the ODIs he played subsequently coming against England and Australia; Pakistan lost all of them. He would be taken along to the World Cup and benched for the entire tournament, likely doing little for his confidence. Each of the three T20Is he has played have also ended in defeats, and he’s yet to truly impress at international level.That he will seems something of a given in Pakistan, though. His pace, height and attitude suggest this is a precocious talent, with the maturity and smarts Pakistan bowlers are known for surely around the corner. Australia, again, will be a difficult tour, but it could also be a breakout one.Shaheen Shah AfridiYou probably recognise this name reasonably well. With the state of flux Pakistan cricket is in, Shaheen Shah Afridi is almost like a senior player in the side by now, though he isn’t 20 yet. A bout of dengue fever kept him out of the home series against Sri Lanka, but fully recovered now, Shaheen was an fairly automatic selection for the Australia series; the only surprise was he wasn’t picked for the T20Is as well. The three Tests he has played have come in New Zealand and South Africa, with 12 wickets at 31.65 possibly a sign of good things to come.Mohammad Irfan isn’t the fittest, but he need only bowl four overs•Getty ImagesMohammad IrfanWhen he limped off in an ODI against England five overs into his spell in 2016, it seemed like that would be that in international cricket for Mohammad Irfan. It probably would have been if Mickey Arthur had still been in charge, but Misbah sees things differently. The appeal of selecting Irfan isn’t particularly sophisticated, but there is a certain irrefutability behind the logic. He is tall, very tall, and Australian pitches are bouncy. Yes, he might not be the fittest, but he need bowl only four overs. How he goes should be fascinating to watch. Equally intriguing will be to see where Pakistan hide the 37-year-old in the field.Imran KhanAnother player Arthur didn’t rate much, but for a man who’s only played nine Test matches, Imran Khan always finds himself in contention with Australia on the horizon for Pakistan. This is set to be the third Test series he features in against the opponents, having been a part of both the 2-0 series win in the UAE in 2014 and the 3-0 reversal in Australia in 2016-17.A front-on action with a steady gather at the crease, Imran might be reliable, but nothing about his recent performances screams “match-winner”. More of a workhorse who can hold up one end, Imran may simply be attractive to Pakistan for his hefty domestic experience. Remember, other than him and Abbas, Pakistan’s Test squad possesses two 19-year-olds and a 16-year-old. Imran, like his (significantly) more gifted and glamorous namesake, could even find himself catapulted to the role of leader in the fast-bowling attack.

Bjorn Fortuin and Beuran Hendricks had solid plans against India’s big hitters, and it paid off

Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru23-Sep-20193:07

‘Fortuin was very clever in his bowling’ – De Kock

Several South African cricketers in this new-look T20I side are massive rugby fans and they all gathered in front of the TV on Saturday in Bengaluru, anticipating a victory for Springboks over defending champions All Blacks in the ongoing rugby World Cup. It didn’t happen, but there was some cheer for the cricket team on Sunday as they completed a nine-wicket rout of India to square the series 1-1.Sure, captain Quinton de Kock biffed an unbeaten 79 off 52 balls, but the series-levelling win was shaped by the unheralded Bjorn Fortuin and Beuran Hendricks, who had broken into the South Africa T20I side on the back of sparkling performances in the Mzansi Super League (MSL) and the CSA T20 Challenge. Opener Reeza Hendricks and Temba Bavuma, who had also impressed in the MSL, made cameos, helping South Africa turn the tables on India.Watch cricket on ESPN+

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After Virat Kohli challenged India to break out of their comfort zone and opted to bat, Shikhar Dhawan swatted the first ball – a dirty leg-stump long-hop from Fortuin – to the square-leg boundary with utmost authority.It was a bad ball all right, but Fortuin is used to bowling the tough overs in the Powerplay with just two men inside the circle. He has done that in the MSL for Paarl Rocks and for Lions in the CSA T20 Challenge. Fortuin doesn’t turn the ball much, a left-arm fingerspinner in the mould of New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner and West Indies’ Khary Pierre. He is adept at darting the ball into the stumps and denying the batsmen swinging room.In November last year, on a Paarl track that was termed an absolute belter by former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell, Fortuin took the new ball and returned 4 for 15 against Cape Town Blitz – the second-best figures in the inaugural season of the MSL. Fortuin then bagged 4 for 27 in the CSA T20 challenge final, which had 395 runs scored.BCCIBut, with Dhawan adopting a gung-ho approach at the top, de Kock held Fortuin back and gave him just one over in the Powerplay – the phase where he excelled in the domestic T20 competitions in South Africa. When Fortuin was recalled, India were 54 for 1 in six overs. He immediately created a chance by attacking the stumps, but couldn’t cling on to a sharp, shin-high return catch off Kohli. Dhawan then clattered a four through square leg, but Fortuin conceded only eight off the over.Dhawan had holed out by the time Fortuin returned for a new spell, in the 13th over. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer were the batsmen. Pant was going for his shots, he had just shovel-swept Dwaine Pretorius for an outrageous six over fine leg.

How good is the Mzansi Super League? It compares to the IPL, says Rassie van der Dussen pic.twitter.com/3TLQui3IiV

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 21, 2019

Fortuin dangled a non-turner wide of off and invited Pant to hit over the off side with long-off and sweeper cover in place. Pant took the bait, reached out for the ball and wound up slicing a catch straight to long-off. Two balls later, with Iyer charging down the track, Fortuin speared it down the leg side and had him stumped. The double-strike punctured India’s momentum and there would be no way back for them on a pitch that suddenly became more responsive to the slower bowlers and change-ups.”The MSL has given the local guys the platform to show what they can do against world-class players. Bjorn is a bowler for the big occasion,” South Africa vice-captain and Fortuin’s team-mate at Lions, Rassie van der Dussen, said. “We’ve seen it a lot of times back home and maybe now the international crowds are seeing that. It was a clear plan against Pant. When he tries to go for boundaries, he looks at long-on, cow corner for the slog-sweep. So when he tries to attack, the spinners also try to attack and Bjorn executed that plan perfectly.”ALSO READ – Rassie van der Dussen interview: I can play match-winning innings for SA by being a RassieLeft-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, too, smartly exploited the pitch with the variations that have made him a fairly popular T20 option. After leading Jozi Stars to the MSL title, Hendricks was called up to the Mumbai Indians squad in the IPL and won another T20 title with them. He was then snapped up by St Lucia Stars for CPL 2019, but he had to pull out of the tournament because of international duty.Hendricks wasn’t picked for the second T20I in Mohali, but he got the nod on Sunday at the expense of tearaway Anrich Nortje. He had Rohit Sharma nicking off cheaply in his first over – Hendricks has now dismissed Rohit three times in four balls in T20s – and then owned the middle overs with his grippy slower balls. When he didn’t take pace off the ball, he kept hitting harder lengths, making it difficult for the Pandya brothers to find the boundary. Hendricks didn’t concede a single boundary and picked up 2 for 14 in his four overs, helping limit India to a below-par 134 for 9.At the start of this T20I series, perhaps not many expected this inexperienced South Africa side – that was without the likes of Imran Tahir, Dale Steyn, and JP Duminy – to challenge India, but they found a way to topple the hosts and square the series. Thanks, they will say, in large measure to their new T20 league.

Little is going right for the New Zealand opener, but for the man who dismissed him, everything is going right

Andrew McGlashan in Perth15-Dec-2019Test cricket is a game of great contrasts. Both macro and micro. In Perth, there has been the contrast between the overall fortunes of Australia and New Zealand which finished with a crushing victory for the home side. Within that the small moments that encapsulate the bigger picture.Mitchell Starc is currently in the sort of form where little is going wrong. Jeet Raval is in the sort of form where little is going right. It came head-to-head in the opening session of the fourth day after New Zealand had been set 468.Raval, playing his 23rd Test, is in the midst of a career slump and Starc is a Test bowler reborn after the early-season tweaks on his action that has brought consistency to his wicket-taking threat.Mitchell Starc celebrates a wicket with his teammates•Getty Images”Last Test of your career,” Starc chirped to Raval as the left hander clung unconvincingly to the crease. A couple of balls later, after hanging on for 20 deliveries, Raval jabbed at a short-of-a-length delivery and offered a simple catch to point. He walked off with scores of 1 and 1 in the Test, taking his tally to his last nine innings – since his maiden hundred against Bangladesh in March – to 85 runs at 9.44.For Starc it was his sixth wicket of the match. He would finish with 9 for 97 and the Man of the Match award, taking his Test haul this season to 23 wickets at 14.56 from three matches. With two Tests remaining he has every chance of making it his best summer ever – currently the mark is the 28 wickets he claimed in six matches of the 2016-17 season. He is living up the words on wrist band which reminds him to “f*** it, bowl fast.””I’m finding less can go wrong when I’m more compact and having that ball on my back hip,” he said after the second day’s play. “There was a big conscious effort to be more economical as a group through the Ashes so taking a little bit out of that, but also the technical changes have helped me not sacrifice any pace but be more consistent.”Tim Paine was a delighted captain. “He’s bowling really well, he’s got new a theory, attitude to bowling which we’ve all seen on his wrist and it’s work for him,” he said. “I think his simple slogan is one thing but he’s also worked very, very hard away from the cameras and refined his action a little bit which is giving him slightly better control. He deserves everything he’s getting at the moment.”A dejected Jeet Raval walks back after being dismissed•AFPIn contrast, New Zealand have a significant problem with Raval. They have invested considerable time and he was given backing when he struggled in the recent England series. There was justification in that. He scored six half-centuries in his first nine Tests before hitting the wall against England and Pakistan in 2018, but the maiden hundred in Hamilton was a weight off his shoulders. Now they must decide what do for the rest of this series. Kane Williamson is a wonderful batsman, and it’s the lot of the No. 3 to often have to bat early, but it would aid New Zealand’s cause if it wasn’t so early.”I suppose Jeet is like every other batsman in the world and that’s that they want more and more runs and you always have good days and bad days,” Williamson said. “These are some hard lessons for him and great experiences as well.”They have two days of match practice against a Victoria XI in Melbourne before the Boxing Day Test which is a chance to build some confidence. There is not a natural replacement in the squad with Tom Blundell, the reserve wicketkeeper, the spare batsman on the tour. He scored a century on Test debut, against West Indies in 2017, when standing in for BJ Watling but only played one further Test.However, he is highly rated as a batsman – it was the deciding factor that earned him a spot at the World Cup – so he could come in a specialist batsman. Opening is unlikely, though, so there would need to be a reshuffle; a promotion for Henry Nicholls, who has opened in ODIs, would appear the only realistic option although Watling began his career as opener. But keeping and opening would be a tall order. That is all for New Zealand to ponder.It was Watling’s wicket, gloving down the leg side off Starc, the over after Colin de Grandhomme departed, that ensured Australia would earn a much-needed extra day off to rest the weary bodies of a bowling attack that did an outstanding job in the absence of Josh Hazlewood. They have to decide who will replace Hazlewood but have plenty of options. New Zealand have to decide about Raval’s immediate future and there are far fewer directions for them to turn.