We want to get a whitewash against India, says Rabada

Agencies
January 20, 2018

Johannesburg, Jan 20: Five days before the final Test on a pitch that bore an excessively green tinge, pacer Kagiso Rabada said South Africa are gunning for a whitewash of India, having trampled the visitors in the first two matches.

The hosts have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead with convincing wins in the first two Tests, with Rabada producing a match-winning spell at the Newlands.

"Obviously we know how to play fast bowling and we've got respect for their attack. Every game you go into, you want to win. So obviously we want to get a whitewash against India."

Rabada said that India are too reliant on skipper Virat Kohli, who scored his 21st Test hundred at Centurion.

"I think they do rely on him. But it is just like we rely on a couple of players too. I'm not saying India don't have any quality players, they do. But it's just a fact - Kohli scores most of their runs.

"It is really enjoyable bowling to the likes of him. He was named ICC Player of the Year (sic), so it's quite cool to go up against the best."

When asked about India's lack of preparation going into the series, he said, "I don't know what's going on in their preparation. That's not something we want to look at really.

"We've got no concern with their preparation. We're concerned with how we want to get them out and how we want to win against them. I'm not going to diagnose their problems."

The young pacer though feels that the Indian attack has given a good account in the two Tests.

"The fast bowlers are excited to bowl at the Wanderers.

We always are as it has pace, bounce and swing. Bumrah is a very good bowler, he's already opening the bowling now. He's done very well with the one-day stuff and now he's doing very well in the Test matches too.

"Mohammed Shami is very experienced and got some pace.

Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who caused a lot of trouble in Cape Town, they've got good fast bowlers."

His team 2-0 up, he is not thinking about cricket now.

"I haven't seen the pitch yet. Cricket is off my mind now and the hard work starts again on Monday. Then we'll have a look at the pitch. We know how the conditions behave here.

"India played really well the last time they were here, Kohli got a hundred. Wanderers is a good wicket, it's normally a moving wicket. It's a pitch where if you bat well you can score some runs, and if you bowl well you'll take wickets."

Rabada said playing India is a challenge though there is a difference between their overseas record since 2011, and their record during their dream run in the 2015-17 period.

"Playing against the Indians is extremely challenging.

They are known for their great batsmen and they've got really good bowlers as well. So they are very competitive, they're throwing everything they have at us, and their batsmen want to make a statement.

"They've made a statement everywhere else in the world, and they wanted to come here and really beat us. So things are going to get a bit messy out there. But that's just the nature of it, with two quality sides coming against each other. Off the field, we're friends," he added.

The Proteas won the second Test by 135 runs to clinch the the series and Rabada said that their team effort helped them to beat India.

"It's nice to see youngsters step up like Lungi Ngidi, he stepped up. Aiden Markram stepped up in the first innings.

It was also nice to see Hashim Amla get some runs, AB de Villiers came in and played a very crucial knock in the second innings.

"He's just got the ability to speed the game up and not get out at the same time. So he played very well, I thought that was a very key moment. And also the way Dean Elgar hung with him."

He said South Africa wanted to bat as long as possible in the second innings at Centurion.

"In the second innings, we just wanted to bat time, see how long we could go because we knew the pitch was only getting harder to bat on. There was a bit of variable bounce.

The wicket was squatting a bit and some balls were bouncing, a bit more misbehaving.

"We knew reverse swing was going to be a tactic, and the short ball as well, because of the nature of the wicket. All in all, I thought our bowlers did a great job in containing the runs and bowling wicket-taking deliveries," he added.

Rabada highlighted that AB de Villiers' free-scoring knocks in Cape Town and Centurion had set up the wins for South Africa.

"AB is a genius at his craft. It's a fact. He stays in on difficult wickets, but he's striking at 70 or 80 - he makes it look easy.

"He's got a real understanding of the game, which a lot of people don't get that easily. It looks very simple to him.

He's a very crucial player in our team," said Rabada.

He also talked about Lungi Ngidi, someone who he has played with since the Under-19 days. The latter took 6-39 in India's second innings collapse at Supersport Park.

"Lungi and I, we played together in the Under-19. We even toured India I remember, but he got injured unfortunately and his trip was cut short. But we played together at school and we have a history. So it's just nice to play with your friend, from when you were a teenager.

"Hopefully long may it continue, and we can form a great partnership. I know he has enjoyed bowling with the likes of Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander as well.

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News Network
May 4,2020

May 4: Yuzvendra Chahal is among the best leg-spinners in international cricket right now but he can be more effective with better use of the crease, says former Pakistan spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

Ahmed picked Chahal, Australia's Adam Zampa and Pakistan's Shadab Khan among the top leg-spinners in white-ball cricket.

"Chahal as been impressive. He is definitely among the top leg-spinners of the world. And I feel he would be more effective if he uses the crease a lot more," Ahmed said.

Ahmed, who has coached all around the world and is currently a consultant for his native team, said India's ability to take wickets in the middle-overs in the limited overs format through Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has been a game-changer for them.

Both the wrist-spinners were brought into India's limited overs set-up following the 2017 Champions Trophy. Though, of late, both Chahal and Kuldeep havn't been playing together.

"He (Chahal) can go wide of the crease at times. You got to be smart enough to understand pitches. If it is a flat pitch, you can bowl stump to stump," said Ahmed, one of the best leg-spinners Pakistan has produced.

"If the ball is gripping, you can go wide of the crease because you can trouble even the best of batsmen with that angle. That way your googly also doesn't turn as much as the batsman expects and you end up taking a wicket."

Chahal has taken 91 wickets in 52 ODIs at 25.83 and 55 wickets in 42 T20s at 24.34. He is not a huge turner of the ball but uses his variations very effectively.

Ahmed also feels the likes of Chahal and Kuldeep have benefitted immensely from former captain M S Dhoni's advice from behind the stumps.

"You have got to be one step ahead of the batsman. You should know your field position as per the batsman's strength. I always say attack with fielders not with the ball. If you understand that theory, you will always be successful," the 49-year-old, who played 52 Tests and 144 ODIs, said.

"India has become a force to reckon with in all three formats as it uses its bowlers really well. Dhoni was a master at getting the best out of his bowlers in limited overs cricket and now you have Virat Kohli."

He also said the art of leg-spin remains relevant more than ever.

"You need leg-spinners and mystery spinners in your team as they have the ability to take wickets at any stage of the game. I see a lot of them coming through in the next 10-15 years.

"Most batsmen now like playing express pace but with a good leg-spinner in the team, you are always in the game," added member of the 1992 World Cup-winning squad.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said the Women's IPL or the Challenger series, as it is better known, is "very much on", ending speculation about the parent body not having a plan for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team.

The men's IPL will be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in) in the UAE due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The women's IPL will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.

The BCCI president, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge details but another senior official privy to the development said that women's Challenger will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.

"The women's Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that," the source said.

The former India captain also said that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp which has been delayed due to the prevailing situation in the country.

"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers -- be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous," Ganguly said.

"The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that," he added.

The BCCI's cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule where Indian women are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. 

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8: Former opener Gautam Gambhir is mighty impressed with the way K.L. Rahul batted during India's comfortable seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second T20I and said it amazes him why the right-handed batsman can't play the same way in Tests. On Tuesday, Rahul top-scored with a 32-ball 45 as India chased down the meagre target of 143 with utmost ease at the Holkar Stadium.

"Rahul is in unbelievable form. It amazes me every time I see Rahul bat that why didn't he play the same way in Test cricket," Gambhir told the host broadcasters. "It's not about only white-ball cricket; it is about Test cricket too. He just got into a shell too much. With the kind of quality he posses, he is someone who can get you a 50-ball 100 in Test cricket as well. The kind of shots he has is superb," he added.

Shikhar Dhawan, who is making a return to the team after an injury lay-off, also contributed with a "rusty" 30-ball 32. Both Dhawan and Rahul are virtually playing for the second opener's slot for the World T20, with Rohit Sharma set to be one.

And Gambhir feels going by the current form, Rahul should be opening the batting alongside Rohit in Australia. "You can't compare IPL to international cricket. When you're playing for Delhi Capitals, you know there's no one waiting for the opportunity, but when you're playing for the country and you know there's someone who's actually can replace you, there'll always be pressure. And today it was shown who's in better form," Gambhir said.

The cricketer-turned-politician, however, exuded confidence that Dhawan will bounce back strongly in the next game. "Shikhar Dhawan looked rusty but it's a good thing that he got some runs under his belt. It will help him when he walks out to bat in the next game. Had he got out early, the pressure would have been more," he said.

India will play Sri Lanka in the final T20I in Pune on Friday before taking on Australia in a three-match ODI series beginning January 14 in Mumbai.

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