Drama in Jaipur as Jos Buttler mankaded by R Ashwin

R Ashwin has reignited the spirit-of-cricket debate by running out non-striker Jos Buttler without bowling the ball. It turns out the dismissal was touch and go when it comes to being within the laws of the game.

Running in to deliver the penultimate delivery of his final over, Ashwin stopped after entering his delivery stride. Buttler didn't have his eye on the bowler and slipped out of the crease. As soon as he saw that, Ashwin simply turned around and broke the stumps at the non-strikers' end with the batsman out of his crease. The decision was sent up to the third umpire, who didn't need much time to send Buttler on his way.

Rajasthan Royals' Buttler had an unpleasant exchange with Ashwin, the Kings XI Punjab captain, while the third umpire made his decision. He walked off angry, and was seen shouting in the general direction of one of the dugouts.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ashwin said of the incident: "Look, it was very instinctive. On my part, it was very instinctive. It was not planned or anything like that. It's there within the rules of the game. I don't understand where the spirit of the game comes, naturally if it's there in the rules it's there."

Responding to a comparison drawn between this incident and the 1987 World Cup match between West Indies and Pakistan - where Courtney Walsh did not run non-striker Saleem Jaffar out in the last over of the match, despite the latter being well out of his crease - Ashwin said the question of 'sporting' didn't arise when it came to rules.

"I don't understand the point of sporting or sportive in that point because it's rules. What applies for one man does not apply for everyone else. Neither was Jos Buttler playing there nor was I played so it's very pertinent to just not compare two people..."

This was not the first time Buttler had been run out backing up too far. On air in host broadcaster Star Sports' "Dugout", Kumar Sangakkara pointed out how, in a game against Sri Lanka in 2014, Buttler was run out in a similar fashion after two warnings by Sachithra Senanayake. Ashwin, too, had attempted dismissing a batsman in similar fashion a few years ago. During an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2012, Ashwin had run out Lahiru Thirimanne for backing up too much. The appeal was withdrawn by then India captain Virender Sehwag, who stated that Ashwin had warned Thirimanne before attempting the dismissal.

The question here, though, was whether Buttler would have been inside his crease had Ashwin not stopped at the point of delivery. The updated Law 41.16 says: "If the non-striker is out of his/her ground from the moment the ball comes into play to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the bowler is permitted to attempt to run him/her out."

The wording "expected to release the ball" leaves room for subjectivity, which is where Ashwin's assertion that he hadn't even loaded becomes critical. If the bowler hadn't even loaded, as Ashwin said, is it possible to estimate a time when he was "expected to release the ball"?

Royals' coach Paddy Upton, though, didn't bother about the technicalities. He was miffed, and it showed in the press conference. "I think R Ashwin's actions tonight speak for him and represent him, when I looked at his team-mates," Upton said, "and I'm not sure it represented his team-mates. I think we'll leave it up to the IPL fans to decide if that's the kind of things they want to see, and we'll leave it up to the cricket world to judge R Ashwin's actions tonight. But for us, we're certainly here to play cricket and entertain the fans and be good role models for people who love the game."

Buttler was looking in control of the chase of 185 at that time, having scored 69 off 43. His wicket, though, triggered a collapse as hosts Rajasthan Royals lost seven wickets for 16 runs to lose by 14 runs. Every wicket brought about loud boos from the Sawai Mansingh Stadium crowd.

At the end of the match, Buttler shook Ashwin's hand, but refused to look his way. Just behind Buttler, Upton seemed to have said something to Ashwin while shaking his hand, which made Ashwin stop in his tracks and give them a bemused look.

"Part and parcel," Royals' captain Ajinkya Rahane said at the post-match presentation. "Sadly we are not allowed to comment on controversial issues. I am sure the match referee will take a call. We take these decisions sportingly."

Hardik Pandya fit, Shivam Mavi out, Sourav Ganguly is "advisor"

Fit again, Hardik joins Mumbai Indians

India allrounder Hardik Pandya has regained full fitness and has joined Mumbai Indians' preparatory camp which started on Tuesday. Hardik had been rested by the Indian team management for the entire limited overs series against Australia due to "lower back stiffness." During the time away from the national team, Pandya was at the NCA in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. On Thursday, Hardik even tweeted a video of him batting at the nets, asking fans who he was trying to imitate.

KKR get Warrier; Nagarkoti, Mavi ruled out

Tearaway quick Kamlesh Nagarkoti has been ruled out of the IPL for a second time running, as he's yet to recover from a back injury. The franchise has signed Kerala fast bowler Sandeep Warrier as his replacement.

Nagarkoti, one of India's key players during the Under-19 World Cup triumph last year, was signed for INR 3.2 crores. He's currently at the NCA, and will need another "two-three months" to fully recover. In his absence, KKR had signed Karnataka seamer Prasidh Krishna last year. He has now been inducted as a permanent member.

Their injury concerns don't end there. Shivam Mavi, also part of the Under-19 World Cup winning team last year, has been ruled out of the ongoing season with a stress fracture in his back. Mavi, who plays for Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit, is likely to be out of action for at least six months.

Meanwhile, this will be Warrier's second IPL stint, after being part of Royal Challengers Bangalore for three seasons (2013-15), but couldn't get a game. Warrier, who had set his base price of INR 20 lakhs, went unsold. He played a key role in Kerala's first-class season, picking 44 wickets in 10 matches.

His eight-for in the quarterfinal against Gujarat took Kerala to the semi-final for the first time in the tournament history. He carried his form to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he picked eight wickets in six matches, including a hat-trick in the game against Andhra in the group stage.

Ganguly roped in by Delhi Capitals as advisor

There were whispers as early as March 2018 that Sourav Ganguly was advising Parth Jindal, the new franchise head, on matters regarding Delhi Capital (formerly Delhi Daredevils). On Thursday, it was announced that Ganguly has been signed as an advisor, although the exact nature of his role is yet unclear. Ganguly was part of KKR's leadership for three seasons, and finished his IPL career with Pune Warriors in 2013.

PCB takes 'strong notice' of India's army caps

The PCB has taken "strong notice" of India's use of army camouflage caps during their third ODI against Australia in Ranchi, urging the ICC to take action against the BCCI.

MS Dhoni, who is an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Indian territorial army, distributed the caps to the team before the toss. The move was initiated as a way to pay tribute to those killed in the terror attack in Pulwama last month. The BCCI had approached the ICC before going ahead with the plan, and the ICC confirmed to ABOCricinfo that permission had been granted as it was part of a charity fundraising effort.

"We have strongly taken up the matter with the ICC," PCB chairman Ehsan Mani told reporters in Karachi. "There is absolutely no misunderstanding in the ICC about our position. We believe that cricket and sports should not be used for politics and we have said this very clearly. Their [India] credibility in the cricketing world has gone down very badly."

"There should not be any ambiguity as we are taking this very strongly. We don't do politics, neither we do we use cricket for politics"

EHSAN MANI

India's captain Virat Kohli had explained at the toss in Ranchi that donning the caps were meant to encourage countrymen to donate to the National Defence Fund to help with the education of the martyrs' dependents.

"This is to pay respect to the martyrs of the Pulwama attack and their families," Kohli said. "All the players have decided to donate their match fees from this particular game to the National Defence Fund. I, as the captain of the team, would urge everyone in the country to do the same, donate how much ever they can to the National Defence Fund and help in the education and well-being of the families and the children of those who lost their lives in the attack. So this is a very special cap and a very special game indeed."

Mani, however, insisted that ICC should take "strong action" against India, especially as there was already precedent for the same.

Moeen Ali, the England allrounder, was banned in 2014 for wearing wristbands bearing the slogans 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine' on the first two days of the third Test against India at The Ageas Bowl. While the ECB had defended Moeen's stance, describing his actions as humanitarian rather than political, match referee David Boon had reminded Moeen of the ICC's clothing and equipment regulations.

Similarly, South African legspinner Imran Tahir was reprimanded by the ICC for his celebrations during a T20I against Sri Lanka in early 2017. After dismissing Asela Gunaratne, Tahir went off on one of his usual celebratory runs before taking off his playing kit and revealing a t-shirt with an image of the late Junaid Jamshed, a Pakistani pop icon and latterly religious preacher who had died in a plane crash.

"You have two examples from the past already, where both Imran Tahir and Moeen Ali were sanctioned for something similar," Mani said. "The ICC had taken strong action against them and we have sought similar action against India. The permission they took was for a different purpose but they acted differently.

"We have been in touch with ICC from day one, sent one letter already and another is being followed up in next 12 hours. There should not be any ambiguity as we are taking this very strongly. We don't do politics, neither we do we use cricket for politics."

Ties between the two boards have deteriorated sharply in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. The BCCI initially wanted to have Pakistan banned from the World Cup this summer, before deciding to tone that down by asking the ICC to "sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates".

BCCI officials did not bring up the request at a recent ICC board meeting but it was brought up - and turned down - by the ICC head Shashank Manohar.

Turner 195.34 as Australia complete their highest chase

5- Australia successfully chased down the fifth-biggest target in ODI history, by getting 359 in this ODI. It was also the highest successful chase for Australia, beating the 334 chased down against England at SCG in 2011.

322- The previous highest target successfully chased down versus India by any side before Australia making a new record in this match. Pakistan had won chasing 322, also in Mohali, in 2007 and Sri Lanka did so at The Oval in the 2017 Champions Trophy. This is also the second-highest successful chase for any side in India. In 2013, India quickly chased down 360 versus Australia in Jaipur.

2- Instances of three batsmen making 80 or more in a successful ODI chase. The trio of Peter Handscomb (117), Usman Khawaja (91) and Ashton Turner (84*) emulated Rohit Sharma (141*), Virat Kohli (100*) and Shikhar Dhawan (95) who achieved this against Australia in Jaipur in 2013 when chasing 360.

98- Runs scored by Australia in the last 10 overs, which is after the 40th over the most by any team against India in a successful chase. The previous highest was also in Mohali in 2013 when James Faulkner did the most damage and scored 96. Before these two, Pakistan had also made 91 in the final 10 overs in 2007. The Australia batsmen got 64 runs off four overs between the 44th and 47th overs.

68- Runs scored by Turner in the last 10 overs, off 29 balls - the second-most by a batsman in a successful chase in the final 10 overs (after the 40th over). Abdul Razzaq had hit 76 off 35 against South Africa in Abu Dhabi in 2010. Faulkner got 67 off 29 in Mohali in 2013.

Most Runs By A Batsman In The Last 10 Overs In A Successful Chase

Batsman              Runs        SR               Runs required      Opposition         Venue           Year

Abdul Razzaq     76 (35)  217.14                   87                     South Africa         Abu Dhabi    2010

Ashton Turner   68 (29)  234.48                    98                       India                      Mohali        2019

James Faulkner 67 (29)  231.03                    96                       India                      Mohali        2013

Gulbadin Naib   66 (34)  194.11                     88                     Zimbabwe              Sharjah        2016

Kevin Pietersen 64 (25)  256.00                    76                     Australia                 Bristol         2005

195.34- Ashton Turner's strike rate in scoring 84 off 43 is the highest by a non-opening batsman facing a minimum of 40 balls during a successful chase. For Australia, the previous such quick innings was by Damien Martyn when scoring unbeaten 92 off 51 versus Bangladesh in Cairns in 2003.

One last time? Nervous Ranchi buzzes as Dhoni comes home

When MS Dhoni was becoming the phenomenon he is now, he used to be asked where he hails from, particularly during overseas tours. Dhoni used to explain: "It's [Ranchi's] near Kolkata, near Jamshedpur, where Tata originated. It's [Jharkhand's] India's richest state in terms of minerals."

Ranchi was a hockey hotbed, and the craze for the sport grew bigger here after Jaipal Singh led the hockey team to gold at the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928. But, ironically, it needed a schoolboy football goalkeeper-turned cricketer to put an old-world small-town city into international spotlight. Now, Ranchi is Dhoni. Dhoni is Ranchi.

After he slugged Nuwan Kulasekara over the wide long-on boundary at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to win a second World Cup, Ranchi looked like this:

Eight years later, Dhoni is gearing up for another World Cup, but there are whispers that this could be his last international match in Ranchi. Whispers on the streets. Whispers at press conferences. Whispers in airports.

Jasmeet Singh, my co-passenger on the flight from Delhi to Ranchi, was born and bred in Ranchi and is now the director of Manikaran Power Limited in Delhi. He's returning home for personal reasons, but he's thrilled to have got tickets to third ODI for his kids. But he too reckons that this could be Dhoni's last international appearance in Ranchi. He tells me Dhoni might retire soon - quite possibly after the World Cup - and might serve the army. I nod in approval. After all, Dhoni travels in camouflage pants and even dons camouflage gloves.

There are several hoardings and posters of Dhoni on the way to the south gate of the JSCA stadium. There are more signposts saying "MS Dhoni pavilion" than the JSCA stadium. He was supposed to inaugurate the pavilion named after him in the lead-up to the third ODI against Australia, but politely declined the invitation. Instead, on the eve of the match, he turns up for optional practice and keeps biffing the bowlers into that pavilion.

The net bowlers - and throwdown specialists Raghavindraa and Nuwan Seneviratne - are all being Dhoni-ed into the stand named after him over wide long-on. The groundstaff lean back on the roller and soak in the monster blows before they are shooed away by the cops.

Moments later, headline-hungry journalists tell Bhuvneshwar Kumar that this will be Dhoni's last international in his hometown. Bhuvneshwar has a smirk on his face when he asks: "How do you know that?"

When the same question is posed to Adil Hussain, the former Bihar and Central Coal Limited (CCL) captain who had played alongside Dhoni at the club for five years, he says you never know what you get from Dhoni. He had retired from Test cricket just like that. He had quit one-day captaincy just like that. Boom. Gone.

"Dhoni is fit and can keep going. He can even run faster than the younger guys in the side," Hussain tells ESPNcricinfo. "He can come back and play in Ranchi, but he can also suddenly spring a surprise and walk away."

Dhoni was only in 11th grade when Hussain spotted him carting bowlers in a schools tournament, and got him on board at CCL in 1997. Hussain gushes that Dhoni's sky-high confidence right from junior cricket made him a cut apart from the rest. He recalls a match where a teenaged Dhoni smashed then India bowlers Debasis Mohanty and T Kumaran into smithereens.

"He never really bothered about his technique and despite being a junior player, he made his plans and views clear to the senior players," Hussain said. In a Sheesh Mahal Trophy match, he took on Kumaran and Mohanty - two India bowlers - and kept hitting them away. Even back at that time before Dhoni became a star, many people came to watch him hit big sixes."

The schoolboy football goalkeeper-turned international cricket icon used to co-own Ranchi Rays in the now defunct Hockey India League. Ashley Jackson, the English midfielder was part of that side and is quite a fan of Dhoni, and the hockey players used to even try to mimic Dhoni's helicopter shot at training.

But who isn't a fan of Dhoni in Ranchi? The buzz here is palpable, and if this turns out to be his last international here, the fans deserve a blockbuster finish from their hero. Of late, Dhoni has been batting as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders. Ranchi wants that Dhoni who bats as if the world is at his feet.

The schoolboy football goalkeeper-turned international cricket icon used to co-own Ranchi Rays in the now defunct Hockey India League. Ashley Jackson, the English midfielder was part of that side and is quite a fan of Dhoni, and the hockey players used to even try to mimic Dhoni's helicopter shot at training.

But who isn't a fan of Dhoni in Ranchi? The buzz here is palpable, and if this turns out to be his last international here, the fans deserve a blockbuster finish from their hero. Of late, Dhoni has been batting as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders. Ranchi wants that Dhoni who bats as if the world is at his feet.

More Updates:ABOC-Cricinfo               


                        ESPN-Cricinfo

Vijay Shankar holds his nerve to stake World Cup claim

On the eve of the second ODI against Australia in Nagpur, Vijay Shankar was eyeing Virat Kohli's bat like a kid would do a box of candies. After getting the MRF thing in his hands during training, he shaped to punch the ball over the leg side.

He rolled out two such jaw-dropping straight-bat punches over midwicket during his 46-ball 41, including one that elicited applause and approval from his captain in a breezy 81-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Vijay was unfortunately run-out when Adam Zampa deflected a drilled drive from Kohli onto the stumps at the non-striker's end in the 29th over. He slapped his bat against his thigh, threw his head back, and walked off like a kid whose box of candies had been stolen.

It was a sense of deja vu for Vijay: he had been run out for 45 in the Wellington ODI in February after having bed in for a big score on a seaming track. He slapped his bat against his thigh then as well and departed.

Welcome back to Nagpur. Marcus Stoinis, whose towering frame and sixes have drawn comparisons with 'The Incredible Hulk', is doing more of a Bruce Banner here. No violence. No monster power. Just good old limited-overs smarts. A dink here, a dab there, and he is keeping Australia alive.

He has just seen off India's gun bowler Jasprit Bumrah and hauled the game to the last over - not too dissimilar from how MS Dhoni deals with chases. Kedar Jadhav has conceded just 33 runs in eight overs with his low-arm slingers. More importantly, Jadhav has bowled eight dots out of 13 balls to Stoinis. But, Kohli trusts Vijay with the last over of the game. This is only his second over of the match; he had leaked 13 in his first over.

The master at the death, Bumrah, has a word with Vijay. The allrounder cracked under pressure against Mustafizur Rahman in that Nidahas Trophy final. His good friend and Tamil Nadu team-mate Dinesh Karthik, however, conjured a last-ball six and pulled off a famous win. However, that Mustafizur over was still playing in Vijay's mind on repeat mode.

Karthik then calls him to join the post-match revelry, but Vijay is utterly shattered. Karthik drags him into the celebrations, but that doesn't quite lift his spirits.

He is getting trolled on social media. He reads nearly every troll post there, and ultimately switches off from social media. He was so scarred by trolls that when he revisited his school as a chief guest during a golden jubilee function on Valentine's Day, after returning from New Zealand, he advised the students to "stay away from social media a little bit" and use it carefully

Ever since the night of the Nidahas final, Vijay has been "literally waiting" to look pressure in the eye and say: you're next like WWE's Bill Goldberg does. On Monday night, with 10 to defend off the last over against, he speared Stoinis and Adam Zampa in three balls to deliver India a tense victory.

Bruce Banner couldn't quite transform into the Hulk, but the nervy Vijay transformed into a nerveless player.

He hit a hard length with the first ball of the last over - neither short enough to pull or full enough to hoist it over mid-on - and had Stoinis swishing and missing. Boom. Stoinis pinned lbw. The next ball was on a length on off, and Zampa made some room to jab it to point and hurry back for the second. Vijay, on the other contrary, is in no rush. He reckons Zampa might back away, again, and hurls the ball into the blockhole to floor his middle stump.

Vijay punches the air, lets out a roar, and his pent-up emotions: the frustration of multiple injuries, including a knee problem that forced him out of the India A side that was set to tour Australia in 2016. Hardik Pandya then replaced him and then went onto establish himself as the senior team's No. 1 allrounder across formats.

Vijay was initially confused whether to take injections and go to Australia or go under the knife to repair a meniscus tear and a grade-four patella injury. He finally decided to get the operation done, and had to spend two months at the National Cricket Academy [NCA] in Bengaluru.

It was the most difficult phase of Vijay's cricketing career. He couldn't travel with the A team to Australia, he couldn't play the Chennai first-division league or the 20-over Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) for his franchise Lyca Kovai Kings. And every time he switched on the TV, there was some cricket that was unfolding, reminding Vijay what he was missing.

He was depressed with everything around him. Rajinikant (nope, not the actor, get acquainted with the trainer) was instrumental in pulling Vijay out of depression and inspiring him to train harder and get fitter quicker.

Having a strong family support system has also helped him. His father H Shankar and elder brother Ajay, both of whom have played lower-division cricket in Tamil Nadu, knew that injuries are part and parcel of the game. His father, brother, and personal coach S Balaji, a former Railways player, all made Vijay believe in himself again.

Vijay returned to domestic cricket and enhanced his reputation as Tamil Nadu's crisis man. His struggle in the Nidahas Trophy final at the Khettarama then shook up his confidence, again.

But Vijay has always found a way past the hurdles. At the start of his domestic career, he was an offspin-bowling allrounder, who couldn't break into a spin-heavy Tamil Nadu team. So, he switched to medium-pace. After he broke into the national side thanks to his ability to pitch in with medium-pace, he worked harder at it - the result of which was on show in the second ODI against Australia. Vijay's plays and misses in the Nidahas Trophy are now history.

Sure, he has his limitations as a bowler - he can't get his speeds past the lower 130kph range - but his form with the bat has contributed to a spike in his bowling. And his confidence was on bright display in Nagpur under pressure. Pressure? What pressure? Say hello to the nerveless Vijay Shankar who has staked his claim for a place in India's World Cup squad.