Sports

Carey: ‘Was nice to reduce sundries; they can turn out to be extra batter at times’

Published

2 years ago

2023/03/6

Alex Carey admitted he feared the worst after Rohit Sharma was given two lives in the first over of the Indore Test when Australia opted not to review for a nick and an lbw, but was delighted to play his part in ensuring the India captain did not inflict major damage.

Carey’s stumping of Rohit in the sixth over, Matt Kuhnemann’s first wicket of the match, was picked out as a key moment by head coach Andrew McDonald who lauded Carey’s glovework on a tough pitch for wicketkeeping.

Having beaten Rohit with one which spun sharply to beat the edge, Kuhnemann then drew him down the pitch and another ragging delivery presented Carey with a stumping opportunity but he had to navigate some significant bounce to ensure the dismissal was completed.

“Instinct takes over when you see a ball bounce like that,” Carey said. “I don’t think many of us were expecting an eight-degree turning ball that early in the game. But it was nice to hold onto that and for us to get a bit of momentum.

“Once the big screen showed the nick [in the first over], I thought he [Rohit] might have settled in for a nice 150 or something like that. It was challenging conditions throughout the match, but it was nice to get that one away and for us to get on a bit of a roll after that.”

Carey was exceptional with the gloves throughout the match, conceding just three byes on a surface with uneven bounce, and has been impressive all series. Conditions in Indore were comparable to those he faced in the first Test in Galle last year when he was struck on the helmet by a Nathan Lyon delivery that exploded off the surface.

It continued the development of his keeping after some initial struggles on the low surfaces in Pakistan last year and a handful of missed chances early in his Test career. This time, he had some bruises on his shoulders to show for his efforts.

“It’s fun being out there, it’s challenging for everyone, and it’s great to be on the right end of this one,” he said. “Balls are going to explode off lengths and even Starcy bowled a half volley that exploded up, so you’re out there reacting to what you see.

“In terms of our sundries, it was nice to reduce those and it can turn out to be an extra batter at times. You don’t really think about it at the time, you probably think back and go ‘that was pretty good’, but a few nice little bruises as well just to get the body behind it.”

Australia lower-order struggles

Though Australia got over the line outstandingly in Indore, they did suffer another collapse, losing 6 for 11 on the second day when there was a more substantial lead in the offing. It continued a trend where the lower order has struggled to contribute, an area in which India have excelled, with Pat Cummins’ 33 in Delhi the only significant score among the bowlers. From No. 8 onwards, India’s have scored 307 runs at 25.58 in the series compared to Australia’s 84 and 4.94.

In Australia’s defence, conditions have been extremely tough, especially in Delhi and Indore, even for top-order batters. Axar Patel could easily command a place higher up the order, and his position at No. 8 or 9 highlights India’s batting depth. Even in the third Test when it ultimately did not make a difference, while Cheteshwar Pujara and Axar were together, there was a chance Australia could have had a much tougher chase.

“I think it’s one of those things where it’s so hard to start for any player, so we’re asking guys to play in different environments,” Carey said. “I think if we go out and try to slog and get a few runs that way [and] if it goes pear-shaped, we’re happy to live with that. If they go out and try to survive for the [top-order] batter, we know that there’s a ball with their name on it.

“We know that we haven’t given enough with the tail. We also understand that India’s batting line-up is very, very strong. So they bat all the way down to No. 10 really. We’ll have those conversations about how we can navigate and try to get 10-15 runs each more.”

Carey himself also knows he needs to contribute more after four low scores following his 36 in Nagpur.

“I had some confidence out of the first game and then getting out defending [in Indore]. Am I happy with that? Not really,” he said. “So back my strength and try to score with the sweeps and manipulate a little bit more that way. Looking forward to another opportunity in Ahmedabad and get down and maybe get the broom out again.” (cricinfo)

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Sports

Therapuththa National School Amabalanthota reach finals of Under 19 division III Tier B limited over cricket tournament

Published

5 hours ago

2025/04/14

Priyan

The Therapuththa National School Under 19 cricket team with offficials

Therapuththa National School Ambalanthota reached the final of the Under 19 division III Tier B limited over cricket tournament conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association

The Therapuththa team captained by N M Senura Daksitha was selected from P A Imanga Rashmika, M P Akash Udayanga, M B Senuth Daritha, J G Pramith Hasintha, A J A Senuth Kithmina, K G Pathum Dilshan, Jayasinghe Sathira, H W Ashan Chamika, U M Senuka Dineth Ransara, B G Didun Nethsara, J H Yasith Pinsara, A Y Rahal Lakkitha, U H Yashmin Ashinsana Kulathilaka, T H Malindu Prabashwara, O P Samudya Charunya, Nethindu Thamudina, P P G Sadeep Lakshan, and A L G Sanuth Sandera.

The team was coached by P A Leelananda Kumarasiri together with J M Kokum Induma and T G Kavindu Keshika.

As the Under 19 division III Tier B final between Therapuththta National School Ambalanthota and Nenamal Royal International School Kelaniya, which was to be played at the Army ground Diyagama on 10th April was abandoned without a toss due to rain, both teams were named joint champions. A total of 282 teams participated in this years Under 19 division III tournament

Sports

Mykolas Alekna shatters discus world record with 75.56m in Ramona

Published

6 hours ago

2025/04/14

Priyan

Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna improved his own discus world record by more than a metre with a sensational 75.56m [Subject to the usual ratification procedure] throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, in Ramona on Sunday (13).

Back at the meeting where he set his first world record of 74.35m last year, the Olympic silver medalist twice improved that mark – first setting a world record of 74.89m with his opening throw and then improving to 75.56m in the fourth round.

Australia’s Matt Denny, who threw 74.25m in Ramona on Thursday (10), also surpassed Alekna’s previous world record by launching the discus 74.78m.

In a competition of record depth, five athletes surpassed 70 metres and seven threw beyond 69 metres. USA’s Sam Mattis, who threw 70.08m to finish runner-up to Denny three days earlier, improved to 71.27m to finish third in Sunday’s contest and Germany’s Clemens Prufer threw 71.01m to finish fourth. Great Britain’s Lawrence Okoye finished fifth with 70.76m.

Alekna’s 74.35m in Ramona on 14 April last year had broken the longest standing men’s world record – that 74.08m having been achieved by Jurgen Schult in 1986, some 16 years before Alekna was born.

Now the 22-year-old has become the first athlete to surpass 75 metres.

The Alekna family has two of the top four men’s discus throwers in history, with two-time Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna – the father of Mykolas – now placed fourth on the world all-time list with his 73.88m from 2000.

Mykolas Alekna’s latest world record came the day after ValerieAllman threw a North American record of 73.52m in Ramona for the farthest women’s discus throw in the world since 1989.

[World Athletics]

Latest News

IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians survive Nair storm, snap Delhi Capital’s winning run in a thriller

Published

18 hours ago

2025/04/14

Priyan

The DC-MI fixture ended with three consecutive run-outs [BCCI]

Mumbai Indians snapped back to form with a thrilling 12-run win defending 205 against Delhi Capitals. Karun Nair’s 40-ball 89 had threatened to take the game away from MI after Tilak Varma’s 59 had headlined their innings. But the bowlers pulled things back dramatically in the second half of the defence to pocket a memorable win and clip the Capitals’ four-game winning start to IPL 2025

Where was the game won?

MI managed to keep their nerve even after the blistering assault upfront from Karun Nair. Through the second half of the innings, they kept striking in every over bar two to drag the game back in their favour. MI got the ball changed after the 13th over and it helped their two key architects of the win – Karn Sharma and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who picked four of the five wickets when Delhi collapsed from 119/1 to 160/6. They capped off that good work by three run outs in the penultimate over.

MUMBAI INDIANS

Powerplay – MI show intent but DC keep them in check
Phase Score – 59/1 (RR: 9.83; 4s/6s: 7/3)

A score of 59 was the result of a couple of big overs inside the PowerPlay for Mumbai Indians. Mitchell Starc, searching for swing, erred on the fuller lengths and was hit away for 30 runs in his first couple of overs by Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma. The former was adept at covering for the swing and launched a couple of eye-catching shots – a flick and a cover drive – to get going. Sharma, meanwhile, hit Starc through the offside and even attempted a lap which was a top-edge that went for a six. Mukesh Kumar, in comparison, was more difficult to put away from the hard lengths for MI and conceded 27 in his three overs in the PowerPlay. Additionally, legspinner Vipraj Nigam struck gold, getting Rohit Sharma LBW in his first over which went for just two. But Suryakumar Yadav, coming in at No 3 for this game, announced his intentions with a six off the first ball he faced complementing the aggressive Rickelton.

Middle overs – Tilak, Suryakumar keep MI going
Phase Score – 87/3 (RR:9.66; 4s/6s: 8/5)

Delhi threatened to come back into the game with the spinners coming into play. Kuldeep Yadav got the better of Rickelton with a googly, dismissing him for a 21-ball 45 soon after the PowerPlay was done. With the turn on offer, Delhi had a chance to squeeze MI more. But Tilak, like Suryakumar, got going with a boundary off his first ball. The duo managed to get at least one boundary in every over of their partnership – 60 off 33 balls. While Suryakumar struggled with the momentum initially, getting to 29 off 24 at one stage, he managed to up his strike-rate with a six and four off Nigam to get into the forties. But just as he was getting into the groove, Kuldeep Yadav hit back for Delhi getting Suryakumar caught at long off. Delhi had it even better when Nigam got Hardik Pandya similarly in the following over even as Tilak kept going strong at one end.

Death overs – Naman Dhir provides the finishing touches
Phase Score – 59/1 (RR: 11.8; 4s/6s: 6/2)

Kuldeep finished with exceptional figures of 4-0-23-2 and started the last five overs with a tight one giving away only eight. But Tilak got to his fifty – his eighth in the IPL – off just 26 balls and looked set to shift gears. However, it was his partner Naman Dhir that proved to be the biggest thorn in Delhi’s flesh. In a 62-run stand with Tilak, Naman Dhir was the aggressor hitting a 17-ball 38 that took MI past the 200-run mark. The young batter used the angles well, picking up useful boundaries with the lap shot as well to provide MI a good finish.

DELHI CAPITALS

Powerplay – Karun Nair makes a stunning appearance
Phase Score – 72/1 (RR: 12; 4s/6s: 10/2)

Playing the match as an Impact Sub after Faf du Plessis’ injury, Karun Nair, who had not played an IPL game since 2022, was required to come in just after the first ball of the innings. Jake Fraser-McGurk had chipped the first ball from Deepak Chahar straight to cover and Nair had to dig out a big inswinging yorker from Chahar first-up. He dealt with that and then proceeded to unleash a stunning attack on Mumbai’s No. 1 bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Nair got to a 22-ball fifty hitting eight fours and two sixes. 26 off his first 50 runs had come off just Bumrah whom he toyed with on both sides of the pitch. He started off getting three fours off Trent Boult, but the assault on Bumrah turned the PowerPlay on its head and left MI scampering.

Middle Overs – Nair explodes but MI’s spinners hit back
Phase Score: 86/4 (RR: 9.55; 4s/6s: 8/4)

Abhishek Porel provided an ideal foil, but he was only second-fiddle to Nair who found answers in boundaries to every question posed by Mumbai Indians. Against the spinners who came into play in the middle overs, Nair brought out a variety of sweeps to keep the momentum going in the chase. The 119-run stand for the second wicket appeared to have turned the game decisively in DC’s favour. They had notched up half of the target in half the overs with plenty of wickets in hand still. But Karn Sharma, MI’s Impact Sub, brought an end to it when he had Porel caught in the deep going for a second consecutive six. Inbetween, Nair continued to keep the heat on, hitting Karn for back-to-back boundaries and picking one of Mitchell Santner in the following over. However, against the run of play, Santner got one to turn big and past Nair’s bat ending a sensational 40-ball 89. Axar Patel got going with a couple of boundaries but he got a leading edge off Bumrah to give MI their third wicket in as many overs. It turned out to be four in four as Sharma got Stubbs to get a top-edge in the following over. Despite the clump of wickets, DC were still in the chase needing 47 from the last five overs with the in-form KL Rahul still in the middle.

Death Overs – Hat-trick of run-outs seal thriller
Phase Score: 35/5 (RR 8.75, 4s/6s: 3/1)

Karn Sharma had an outing to remember finishing with 4-0-36-3 with the last of those wickets being the big one of Rahul in the 16th over. Rahul top-edged a slog-sweep offering a simple return catch to Karn, who had now turned the game back on its head, leaving a tight chase for DC’s finishers against MI’s experienced attack. Trent Boult backed this up with six yorkers in the 17th over giving away only three runs leaving DC needing 39 off 18. DC managed 16 off the next over with Vipraj Nigam striking Santner for a six first ball. But the spinner hit back, getting the batter stumped to keep DC in check. The penultimate over bowled by Bumrah started off on a good note with Ashutosh Sharma squeezing two boundaries off Bumrah. But in a desperate attempt to keep strike, Ashutosh was run out going for the second run. Similar desperation for a second saw Kuldeep Yadav too run out off the next ball. MI capped this off with Santner’s glorious pick-up and throw from mid wicket off the final ball to have three run outs in as many balls and clinch MI a come-from-behind win.

Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indians 205/5 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 59, Ryan Rickelton 41, Rohit Sharma 18, Suryakumar Yadav 40, Naman Dhir 38*; Mukesh Kumar 1-38, Vipraj Nigam 2-41, Kuldeep Yadav 2-23) beat Delhi Capitals 193 in 19 overs (Abhishek Porel 33, Karun Nair 89, KL Rahul 15, Ashutosh Sharma 17, Vipraj Nigam 14; Deepak Chahar 1-24, Jasprit Bumrah 1-44, Mitchell Santner 2-43, Karn Sharma 3-36) by 12 runs

What next?

Mumbai Indians have a three-day gap after this game before they host the imperious Sunrisers Hyderabad while Delhi Capitals host Rajasthan Royals a day earlier on April 16.

[Cricbuzz]