End of the road for Zaheer Khan?

December 10, 2012
Zaheer-KhanKolkata, December 10: It's never prudent to write off someone who has been a class act over some time, knowing that all it takes for such talent to bounce back is rediscover pride and belief.

But, then, Zaheer Khan's omission from the Nagpur Test squad has come at a time when recovery and resilience have a very different ring to it for him.

It's not just the skills that have deserted him, it is becoming increasingly evident that his injury-wracked body is not holding up anymore. It has left him looking lethargic and disinterested on the field, and probably has something to do with the loss of 'bite' in his bowling.

What's wrong with Zaheer? His skipper was more gracious than blunt when the obvious question came up, but not before he hinted at disappointment about his hit-man performing well below expectations.

"It would be of a great help if we can find the solution as everybody is asking the same question. Maybe the batsmen are playing him better. From behind (the wicket), it looks like he's bowling in the right areas. He's bowling the same way, swinging it both ways. Maybe this is just a phase where he's not getting wickets," Mahendra Singh Dhoni contended, but not after saying that he had expected a little more from his seamers.

"Their fast bowlers bowled well (read better). When we took the second new ball, we couldn't get the sort of 'reverse' they got. It was more about the bounce (they got) and the length they bowled," Dhoni added as a veiled reprimand of the reverse-swing expert in his team.

On the 34-year-old's fitness, or the lack of it, Dhoni indicated indulgence, a longer rope to someone whose skills had lent an air of 'indispensability' about him. "As far as his fitness is concerned, he has been that way for the last few years. He's definitely not unfit," the skipper said.

Hamstring, ankle, groin and shoulder with a nerve twitch thrown in... Zaheer has been dogged by injuries right through his career, missing many matches. He has made many a comeback, only to be let down by his body again.


This is a different crisis. Possibly the biggest test for the 'comeback man'.

ZAHEER IN TESTS

Matches

Wickets

Average

Best

5WI

10WM

Strike Rate

Economy

Home

38

104

35.87

5/72

3

-

70.2

3.06

Away

50

191

30.43

7/87

7

1

53.9

3.38

Total

88

295

32.35

7/87

10

1

59.7

32.5

Last 10 Tests

10

24

36.95

4/77

-

-

77.3

2.86

Home

5

7

56.00

2/59

-

-

127.5

2.63

Away

5

17

29.11

4/77

-

-

56.6

3.08

- In 2012, Zaheer has claimed 15 wickets in eight Tests at an average of 49.26.


- Zaheer failed to produce a single instance of four wickets in an innings in eight Tests in 2012.


- Zaheer's strike rate of 97.9 this year is his worst ever in a calendar year.


- Zaheer's last five-wicket haul in a Test innings was 5/94 in the Mohali Test against Australia in October 2010.


- Zaheer has failed to capture five wickets in an innings in the last 15 Tests that he has played.


- Zaheer's strike rate of 132.7 in three Tests against England is his worst in a Test series when he has played at least three Tests in a series.


- Zaheer's bowling average of 53.25 is his worst in a series (minimum 3 Tests).



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News Network
March 26,2020

New Delhi, Mar 26: As India continues its fight against coronavirus, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly pledged to donate rice worth Rs 50 Lakhs to the needy people.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), in its statement, said Ganguly along with Lal Baba Rice will provide rice to people who have been put in government schools for safety and security.
"#Sourav to provide Free Rice to the Needy It is heartening to note that Sourav Ganguly along with Lal Baba Rice has come forward to provide free rice worth Rs 50 lacs to the needy people who have been put in government schools for safety and security. Hope this initiative of Ganguly would encourage other citizens of the state to take up similar initiatives to serve the people of our state. #CAB," CAB said in a statement.
CAB President Avishek Dalmiya has also lent support to the needy people as he donated Rs 5 lakhs to the Government's Emergency Relief Fund.
"CAB President donates 5 lakhs to the Government's Emergency Relief Fund to fight against #CoronaVirus/#Covid19," CAB said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day nation-wide lockdown to contain coronavirus.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8:  India skipper Virat Kohli has added yet another feather to his cap by becoming the fastest player to score 1,000 runs in T20I cricket as a captain. Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 30 during India''s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the ongoing three-match series on Tuesday evening.

Kohli achieved the milestone of scoring 1,000 runs as captain in his 30th T20I inning. He is the second Indian and sixth overall after MS Dhoni to have achieved the feat. Dhoni had scored 1112 runs in 62 T20I games as captain.

Faf du Plessis (1273 runs from 40 games), Kane Williamson (1083 runs in 39 games), Eoin Morgan (1013 runs in 43 games) and Ireland''s William Porterfield (1002 runs in 56 games) are other captains on the list.

During India''s emphatic victory at the Holkar Stadium, Kohli also surpassed team-mate Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the series, as the top run-getter in the T20Is. Kohli now has 2663 runs from 71 innings.

Both had finished 2019 as joint top-scorers in T20Is, with 2633 runs each.

India, already with an unassailable lead of 1-0 in the series, will now face Sri Lanka in the final T20I on Friday in Pune. The first match between the two teams was called off without a ball being bowled due to wet patches on the pitch in Guwahati last Sunday.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Sydney, Jan 6: Nathan Lyon captured five for 50 and 10 match wickets as Australia crushed New Zealand by 279 runs on Monday, capping a golden domestic summer as they swept the three-Test series.

The off-spinner led the powerful Australian bowling attack to dismiss the Kiwis for 136 and seal another heavy win over the Black Caps after similar victories in Perth and Melbourne.

Australia have been unbeatable this season, winning all five Tests at home -- two against Pakistan and three against New Zealand -- after retaining the Ashes by drawing the series 2-2 in England.

"It's been a great summer for the Australian Test side," Lyon said.

"It's pretty special to be part of it, we have been impressive, pretty clinical, the batters have done well and given us bowlers plenty of time."

Australia declared their second innings at 217 for two with David Warner scoring an unbeaten century, leaving the Black Caps with a revised 416-run target in the fourth innings on a wearing Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

But the Kiwis buckled under the pressure of Australia's superior bowling attack with Mitchell Starc taking three for 25 to support the wiles of spinner Lyon.

"They were clinical in all areas and after the first match they put us under pressure session after session," said skipper Kane Williamson, who missed the Test with a virus.

New Zealand were reeling early at 27-4 and never recovered after Starc and Lyon took two wickets each in the middle session to put the skids under the tourists.

Starc removed both openers, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell, in the first five overs. Blundell fell to a stunning catch by a diving Lyon at point for two and stand-in skipper Latham lost a review for leg before wicket.

Jeet Raval was out in a review to the faintest of edges on 'Snicko' in Lyon's first over for 12.

First-innings top-scorer Glenn Phillips went for a duck after technology detected a faint outside edge to wicketkeeper Paine off Lyon.

Taylor's Kiwi record

Ross Taylor became the leading all-time Kiwi batsman, going past Stephen Fleming (7,172) before he was bowled by Pat Cummins for 22 to take his Test aggregate to 7,174.

Big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme smacked Lyon for six to bring up his fifty but went next ball hoicking to Joe Burns at deep mid-wicket for 52.

Todd Astle was out to a superb diving catch by James Pattinson in the outfield for 17.

Starc yorked William Somerville's middle stump for seven and BJ Watling was the last to fall, caught at backward square leg by Pat Cummins for 19.

Earlier, Warner completed his 24th Test century and remained unbeaten when skipper Paine declared upon the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne.

"You know you're capable of doing so," Warner said, when asked about how he had bounced back from his disastrous Ashes campaign in England last year.

"I was in the nets hitting the ball well and had the skipper backing me. To be able to play with freedom helped me. It's all paying off."

Labuschagne, who was dropped on four in a regulation caught-and-bowled chance by leg-spinner Astle, was caught at long on off Matt Henry for 59 -- his seventh score over 50 in eight innings this domestic summer.

Labuschagne finished the home five-Test season with a stunning aggregate of 896 runs, made up of his 215 in the first innings, three other centuries and three half-centuries in eight innings.

There was drama late in the Australian innings when Warner was given an official warning by umpire Aleem Dar for running down the middle of the pitch in scampering a single.

It resulted in five penalty runs being added to New Zealand's first innings total meaning their target was revised down from 421 to 416.

The Test was played against the backdrop of one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons with at least 24 people losing their lives in blazes raging across the country, including on the outskirts of Sydney.

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