Sports

A battle of flare and resilience

Published

5 years ago

2021/06/17

by Aravinthan Arunthavanathan

It was a glorious summer evening down under in 2014 December. The Australians breathed a sigh of relief, while the Indian counterparts were left gasping for breath. The stand in skipper had committed the unthinkable. Pulling a long hop straight into the hands of deep midwicket, in the fourth innings of a high-profile Test. That shot could have cost the leadership and may be even the place of the player concerned in the past, but in this case it did not. In fact, it turned out to be a moment which defined the brand of cricket India pledged to play under the leadership of Virat Kohli.

As Kohli walked off the ground distraught, he had lost the battle, but India under Kohli were preparing to win the war. Under Kohli they would not settle for anything less than a victory. The prince waiting in the wings to take over from M.S. Dhoni had walked the talk that day.

Since the turn of 2015, India became an embodiment of excellence driven by aggression. It is no surprise they topped the tables at the end of the World Test Championship cycle. They are an invincible force in their backyard which alone would have guaranteed this place at the start of the cycle. Having seen the way they came back from behind to win the Test series down under in 2020/21, which in fact was rated by ICC as the best Test series ever to have taken place, no one would doubt whether they deserve to be in the finals.

India’s opponents on the contrary are a personification of calmness and values of highest order. If there was a niceness index for overall demeanor, the scale will fail to measure the true value of the Kiwis. But despite being warm in nature, when considering the desire to win they are second to none. Kane Williamson has taken Brendon McCullum’s philosophy forward in his own way.

This was visible in the first Test against England in the recently concluded series. A proactive declaration on the final day with the aim of forcing a result demonstrated what New Zealand cricket is all about. The path of New Zealand to the summit is not as comprehensive as their counterpart’s journey. The highlight is undoubtedly the 2-0 win over India. The series however was closer than what the results suggest.

Mastery of home conditions leading to comprehensive wins against visitors during this period formed the foundation in Kiwis reaching the summit. Two deserved teams with an insatiable desire to win promises, a tantalizing duel in Southampton starting Friday provided a dreaded bubble breach or the English weather do not make an unwelcome entry.

On paper, India should be the favorites on the back of an impressive season, dominated by a great win down under. However, a little bit of reflection will reveal the intricate complexities that can influence the result of this contest.

Both teams are not short of arsenal at their disposal. They are faced with the problem of plenty, especially in the bowling department. The conditions in Southampton will probably provide a perfect balance between bat and ball. With the track routinely having pace and bounce to begin with followed by some degree of wear and tear towards the end combined with fluctuating overhead conditions Southampton promises to be an ideal setting for a high-profile balanced encounter. The swinging ball together with seam has been India’s nemesis. Despite conquering the pace and bounce, India have been exposed in the past when the ball has swung.

The debacle in New Zealand at the start of 2020 is a prime example. How much they have progressed since then is yet to be seen. However at least for the balance of odds India’s coveted line-up is not as strong in England as it is elsewhere.

The Kiwis led by Trent Boult and Tim Southee are masters of swing and seam. Backed by Kylie Jamison and Colin De Grandhomme the Kiwi line-up is well equipped to exploit this weakness in the Indian line up. This duel will be a significant factor in the outcome of this contest.

The Kiwis will be faced with the tough choice of choosing a spinner over most probably Neil Wagner or playing an all-out seam attack. Given the history of the venue and the magnitude of the game, the Kiwis may opt to leave out Wagner and select Ajaz Patel adding the spinning dimension to the attack.

The Kiwi batting line-up in contrast is not the most attractive or celebrated. But there is no doubt regarding their effectiveness. It is a line-up which thrives on resilience than flare. Tom Latham at the top has been consistent across conditions and has been a standout opener in recent times. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor have struggled in English conditions. With Taylor having an overt deficiency against the incoming delivery, and Williamson not having a good record in England, the Indian seamers would be fancying their chances against the Kiwi batting unit.

The presence of three left-handers in the top order is sure make Ravi Ashwin a trump card. India will not even consider the option of leaving Ashwin out. An inexplicable practice employed in the past to play an additional seamer.

India would look to play Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma as their lead bowlers. The third seamer’s place will be a toss-up between Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. While Shami’s experience is invaluable, Siraj has forced into contention with a rapid ascent in stature on the tour down under. Either choice would not have a significant impact as both are extremely efficient.

The threat of Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin would be a massive threat for the Kiwis. The duo is sure to add value by lengthening the Indian batting line-up too. It is too close to call who has the advantage. The Indian greatness in batting can disintegrate in the face of skillful swing bowling by the Kiwis.

Trent Boult versus Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be riveting duels. Both batsmen would be eager to make amends for their failures in the World Cup semi-final against the same opposition at Old Trafford.

How India’s newest sensations Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant face their baptism of fire beside the rock solid shielding of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, promises enthralling entertainment. The resilient Kiwi batting can find the high-quality Indian attack too difficult to handle. Ross Taylor overcoming his technical glitch and leading the Kiwis to a world title, first in more than two decades would be a fairy tale ending to one of New Zealand’s modern greats.

Kane Williamson would be more than eager to set his record straight in England and there can not be a better platform than a World Test Championship final. It could go either way. There is absolutely nothing to distinctly differentiate both the teams. Only time would reveal who emerges victorious. India since their 2011 triumph, have experienced a trophy drought despite showing remarkable dominance across formats. The desire for an ICC trophy is on the verge turning into despair.

Kiwis deserve to win at least for the criminal injustice they encountered in the 2019 World Cup final. However, the cricketing world would know the impact of an Indian win in a newly introduced tournament. One need not look beyond the 2007 World T20 see the commercial upside, such a prospect holds. Irrespective of who holds the title at the end of the game, the common fan could be assured that it has all the ingredients to be a battle for the ages.

(The writer’s blog can be found at “Cricketing perspectives” on facebook)

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Sports

Veteran sports administrator Prema Pinnawala passes away

Published

46 mins ago

2026/05/14

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prema Pinnawala

Prema Pinnawala, one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced and influential sports administrators, passed away after a brief illness on Tuesday. He was 88 at the time of his passing.

‎Pinnawala, who dedicated more than six decades to sports administration, played a pivotal role in shaping athletics and Olympic sports governance in Sri Lanka. His contribution to sport extended across national and international platforms, making him a respected figure within the athletics fraternity.

‎He first rose to prominence as a sportsman during his school days at Christian Mission College in the 1950s. His journey into sports administration began in 1963 when he was appointed Chairman of the Sports Council at the University of Peradeniya, marking the start of a career that would span several decades.

‎Joining the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation in the late 1960s, Pinnawala also became actively involved with the National Service Sports Association, where he held a number of positions over the years.

‎His association with athletics administration commenced in the late 1960s when he joined the committee of Sri Lanka Athletics. In 1978, he was elevated to the position of Vice President of the association, before taking on a more prominent national role in 1983 as Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.

‎Pinnawala held the position for 15 years until 1998, becoming one of the key architects of Sri Lanka’s Olympic and sports administration during a transformative period. Following his tenure at the National Olympic Committee, he returned to Sri Lanka Athletics and assumed duties as General Secretary in 1998. He held the post thrice (1998-2010, 2013-2014 and 2017-2023) between 1998 and until his retirement in 2023.

‎Although his prolonged presence in sports administration, attracted criticism from certain quarters, Pinnawala remained steadfast, often maintaining that his continued involvement served the greater interests of sport. Undeterred by opposition, he continued to contribute extensively to the functioning of athletics.

‎Over the decades, he developed a reputation as an effective mediator and coordinator between local and international sporting bodies. His expertise and diplomatic approach saw his services sought by influential government officials, including heads of state, particularly in matters involving sports administration and international relations.

‎Internationally, Pinnawala earned considerable recognition within the athletics community. In 2025, his exceptional and long-standing service to athletics was acknowledged by World Athletics, which honoured him with the World Athletics Veteran Pin.

‎His contributions beyond Sri Lanka included serving as Secretary of the South Asian Sports Council, Secretary of the Media Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia, and as a Council Member of the Asian Athletics Association.

‎Apart from sports administration, Pinnawala also established himself as a prominent corporate leader, serving for many years as General Manager of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation.

‎He is survived by his wife, Jayani Pinnawala, a senior administrative officer and former Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and their two daughters.

(RF)

Sports

Ayesha Zafar’s rapid ton crushes Zimbabwe

Published

12 hours ago

2026/05/13

Priyan

Ayesha Zafar's unbeaten 102 came off just 47 balls [Cricbuzz]

Before the first T20I against Zimbabwe Women, Ayesha Zafar had hit just one six in 28 T20 innings, with her career strike-rate in the early 80s. On Tuesday (May 12), she hit two sixes and 15 fours, smashing the joint third-fastest Women’s T20I hundred in a record-filled win for Pakistan Women.

Her unbeaten 47-ball 102 propelled Pakistan to 237/5 – the first time they crossed 200 in the format – paving the way for a whopping 153-run win in Karachi, their biggest ever margin by runs in T20Is. By the time she was done, Zafar’s career strike-rate had gone up to 97.

The 31-year-old Zafar, who made a comeback to the side in March after nearly two years away, put on a fine show dominant with leg-side hits, notching up her first T20 fifty and converting it to three figures.

At the crease in the second over, Zafar repeatedly shuffled to the backfoot and targeted the leg-side against spinners, pulling any remotely short deliveries to the midwicket or square leg fence. On 20, she got a reprieve playing that shot, with square leg shelling a catch. But Zafar continued to play that stroke, also punishing anything too full by hitting it firmly down the ground.

Gull Feroza, meanwhile, departed for a 19-ball 37, having given them an early push. Zafar raced to 40 off 18, but slowed down a bit thereafter, reaching her fifty in 29 balls.

From the 16-over mark, Zafar picked up again, showcasing her power-hitting against quicks, particularly with shots in the V and towards midwicket, using the crease well to make room. A 67-run stand off 35 balls with Aliya Riaz (48) and a 70-run partnership off just 27 balls with Fatima Sana ensured they easily crossed 200 for the first time. A last-ball four ensured Zafar crossed her three-figure mark.

In reply, Zimbabwe couldn’t really match the run-scoring, pegged down by a flurry of wickets in the Powerplay. Sana prised out Beloved Biza and Kelly Ndiraya off back-to-back balls in the third over to leave Zimbabwe at 14/3. Despite three boundaries in the sixth over, they had slipped to 30/5 at the end of the Powerplay.

There was very little resistance thereafter, with opener Natasha Mtomba top-scoring with 24 and staying put until the tenth over. No other player crossed 20.

Sana finished with 3-7, becoming the highest wicket-taker among T20I quicks for Pakistan Women (46). Zafar won the Player of the Match award and is now the only other Pakistan Women’s T20I centurion besides Muneeba Ali.

Brief scores:
Pakistan Women 237/5 in 20 overs (Gull Feroza 37, Ayesha Zafar 102*, Aliya Riaz 48, Fatima Sana 21*; Precious Marange 1-39, Nomvelo Sibanda 2-59, Beloved Biza 1-33, Michelle Mavunga 1-23) beat Zimbabwe Women 84 all out in 18.2 overs (Natasha Mtomba 24, Beloved Biza 10, Adel Zimunu 18; Fatima Sana 3-07, Sadia Iqbal 2-14, Rameen Shamin 1-18, Natalia Pervaiz 2-03) by 153 runs.

[Cricbuzz]

Latest News

Gujarat Titans go No.1 after Rabada and Holder rout Sunrisers Hyderabad

Published

23 hours ago

2026/05/13

Priyan

Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj gave their side a rollicking start [Cricinfo]

Kagiso Rabada and Mohommed Siraj could have been wearing their Test whites. By the end of the powerplay, they had bowled three overs each, and Sunrisers Hyderabad were reduced to 34 for 4. Somehow, they had outdone the Gujarat Titans batting line-up from the first innings – they had been reduced to 34 for 2 themselves. Wickets in hand allowed B Sai Sudarsan (61 off 44) and Washington Sundar (50 off 33) to mount a comeback for GT. On the other hand, SRH let a tricky chase of 168 slip from their grasp, folding for 86 in 14.5 overs.

At the toss, GT captain Shubman Gill said that the pitch in Ahmedabad looked like “a better wicket than we have had in the past couple of matches.” He was dismissed in the third over, off a rare mistimed swipe across the line. He had misjudged a pitch that turned out to be one of this IPL’s most treacherous ones: deliveries stuck in the surface, the new ball jagged both ways, and scoring options were hard to find square of the wicket.

An endless battery of tall GT fast bowlers – rounded out by Jason Holder and Impact Player Prasidh Krishna in the middle overs – kept striking in the chase. At the end of it, GT rose to the top of the table with 16 points.

Pat Cummins unlocked the secret to bowling on this surface early: he pushed it in on a hard length, and kept swinging the new ball away from both Sudharsan and Gill. But the first two wickets for SRH came from elsewhere. Praful Hinge found himself back in the SRH side, in place of Harsh Dubey to give them an extra pace option.

Hinge mimicked the Cummins line-and-length early on, and tempted Gill into a misjudged on-drive. In the final over of the powerplay, Jos Buttler realised he could not go big in the ‘V’, so he tried to scoop Hinge behind the wicket instead. All he managed was an edge to the keeper.

Hinge’s twin strikes consigned GT to 34 for 2, their lowest powerplay score this season.

If ever there was a pitch suited to Sudharsan’s brand of T20 batting, it was this. He kept pouncing on the deliveries that erroneously landed in the slot, and pushed the others around to turn over the strike. Nishant Sindhu, who made 22 off 14, kept him company at the other end through the middle overs. Sindhu stayed deep in his crease and played drives and cuts, both batters biding their time.

Sensing a breakthrough, Cummins brought himself back into the attack in the 10th over to bowl his third. He rifled in a delivery outside off, full but rearing off the pitch at Sindhu. He could only mistime a lofted drive to long-off.

Cummins ended with figures of 1 for 20 in the 16th. Just an over later, Sai Sudharsan – who had brought up his sixth half-century of the season – opted for another scoop off Sakib Hussain. The full delivery took off the bottom of his bat, and Hinge gobbled it up at short third.

Washington starred in the final overs of the GT innings. He jumped on top of deliveries too high for most others to cut, and sent them off to the ropes by rolling his wrists over them late. He saved his best shots for the end of the 19th over, off Eshan Malinga, who had a rare off-day and gave away 46 runs. He fell down on successive deliveries, first scooping a yorker down over short fine, then attacking a full toss by rolling his wrists, once more, for a shovel over deep square leg.

At the midway mark, GT’s total was the Schrodinger’s par score – neither quite par but also just, with Sudharsan hesitating to call it enough for their bowlers between innings. Siraj and Rabada then bowled through the powerplay for the fifth match in a row. Nineteen balls into the innings, they had dismissed Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.

Rabada, in particular, kept hitting the hard length close to 150kph, slanting deliveries away from the left-handers to have Kishan driving at one away from his body, Abhishek chopping one into his stumps, and No. 4 R Smaran mistiming one to Gill in covers. He finished his spell in one go, returning 3 for 28.

Holder’s entry to the GT side has given them another tall, accurate bowler to go to in the middle overs. In their previous game, against Rajasthan Royals, he had plucked out the final three wickets in the space of five balls. Here, he took 3 for 20 as he mopped up SRH’s lower order.

The wicket had worn down as the evening went on, so Holder resorted to slower balls in the back-half of the innings. First, he effectively finished the contest by taking out Heinrich Klaasen, who swiped at a ball lacking in pace over his head, to keeper Buttler running to his left. Nitish Kumar Reddy was his next victim, courtesy an edge from the extra bounce Holder kept extracting from the surface, while Shivang Kumar was the final batter to fall off a misadventurous scoop.

Our final tall bowler of the day – in the cohort of Cummins, Holder, Rabada and Siraj – also had the highest release point of all: Prasidh Krishna. He went back-of-a-length in his spell to finish with figures of 2 for 23 of his own.

At the end of a fast-bowling buffet, GT marched to their biggest victory in the IPL. Their W in the last match – a 77-run win against RR – had been their previous best. They finished this night on top of the table, suddenly the team to beat this season.

Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 168 for 5 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 61, Nishant Sindhu 22, Washington Sundar 50, Jason Holder 11*; Pat Cummins 1-20, Praful Hinge 2-17, Sakib Hussain 2-37) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 86 in 14.5 overs (Ishan Kishan 11, Heinrich Klassen 14, Salil Arora 16, Pat Cummins 19; Mohammed Siraj 1-11, Jason Holder 3-20, Kagiso Rabada 3-28, Prasidh Krishna 2-23, Rashid Khan 1-03) by 82 runs

[Cricinfo]