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Inzamam ul-Haq has agreed to continue as head coach of Afghanistan till 2017 following the team’s recent success in Zimbabwe, where they clinched both the ODIs and T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2015Inzamam ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain who had originally agreed to coach Afghanistan on a temporary basis, is believed to have agreed to a new two-year deal period following the team’s recent success in Zimbabwe, where they clinched both the ODIs and T20Is – their first series win against a Test playing nation.”I spoke to Inzamam and he has accepted a two-year contract with the Afghanistan team which will do them a lot of good,” Kabir Khan, the former Afghanistan coach, told PTI. “Inzamam is satisfied with what he saw in Zimbabwe and believes that the Afghanistan team has good cricket talent and can move ahead.”Kabir, who is now a national selector in Pakistan, said Inzamam was happy with his first stint with the team, and that his experience and cricketing acumen will help improve the team’s batting standards. “Inzamam is a cricket great and he can do a lot to improve their batting standards,” Kabir said. “And his calibre and stature is such he will remain above any petty politics which have hurt Afghanistan cricket.”Inzamam, who played 120 Tests and 388 ODIs in a career that spanned over a decade and a half, was offered a similar position by the Pakistan Cricket Board in 2013, which he declined.

The two greatest batsmen of their generation will now get a chance to bat together as captain Sachin Tendulkar drew Brian Lara’s to play in the Sachin’s Blasters squad for the Cricket All-Stars series

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-20150:52

Cricket All-Stars rosters announced in New York

The two greatest batsmen of their generation will now get a chance to bat together as captain Sachin Tendulkar drew Brian Lara’s name along with 13 other players as part of the “Sachin’s Blasters” squad for the Cricket All-Stars series beginning at Citi Field on Saturday.In a random draw conducted Thursday in Times Square, Tendulkar drew Lara as well as former Indian teammates VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag. Tendulkar also no longer has to spar with Glenn McGrath, having picked the Australian pacer for his side in a bowling group that also includes Curtly Ambrose, Shaun Pollock and Muttiah Muralitharan.While the luck of the draw meant that Tendulkar wound up with his Indian batting brethren, Shane Warne wound up drawing a slew of his former Australian teammates to play for “Warne’s Warriors” including Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds. Warne also wound up with a dream fast bowling trio of Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald and Wasim Akram.While the first 26 players were drawn by lots, Shoaib Akhtar’s status was decided by a coin flip. Warne called heads, but the coin came up tails, drawing a big sigh of relief from Tendulkar. The first All-Stars match begins on November 7 at Citi Field in New York with two more in Houston and Los Angeles on November 11 and 14.Sachin’s Blasters: Sachin Tendulkar (c), VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Carl Hooper, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Moin Khan, Graeme Swann, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Curtly AmbroseWarne’s Warriors: Shane Warne (c), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Michael Vaughan, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Andrew Symonds, Jonty Rhodes, Saqlain Mushtaq, Wasim Akram, Daniel Vettori, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald, Ajit Agarkar

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has urged the set batsmen to carry on and make a big score rather than leave it for the others in the batting group

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur08-Nov-2015Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has urged the batsmen in the side to carry on and make a big score once they are set instead of leaving it for the others in the batting group. Having clinched a 145-run win in the first ODI, Bangladesh will look to wrap the series in the second ODI in Mirpur on Monday.In the first ODI, Mushfiqur Rahim struck his fourth century that guided the hosts to a competitive 273, before Shakib Al Hasan’s five-wicket haul sealed the big win.Tamim said that if Mushfiqur hadn’t made the big score or hadn’t added 119 for the fifth wicket with Sabbir Rahman during a critical phase, things would have panned out differently. A set batsman should try to make the big score himself, Tamim said referring to his innings of 40 which ended in the 24th over after 96 minutes in the middle.”It is good for the team that someone comes up with a big score,” Tamim said. “But none of us should think about it. I got out for 40 and then what if [Sabbir Rahman] Rumman and Mushfiqur didn’t do well? The question would have been different. Whoever gets set, should try to score big. It shouldn’t be left to others.”My dismissal wasn’t great. I was set. I should have batted longer. I was doing what I wanted but my application, in that delivery, wasn’t correct. I was trying to hit the ball over cover but I ended up playing that way [long-on]. It was a mistake. I have to start from zero in the next match. I was on 40 yesterday so in that regard, it was a big miss. I wasn’t scoring freely at the time of my dismissal but I could have covered it. I will try to play a bigger innings tomorrow.”Tamim also said that there was some unusual extra bounce in the Mirpur pitch but conditions would get easier once batsmen spent more time in the middle. When asked whether the Bangladesh batting line-up has the potential to make 300-plus scores, Tamim agreed saying that they can do it against most bowling attacks if things go according to plan.”There was extra bounce on some deliveries in the early stages, which isn’t usual here,” Tamim said. “But I felt it was easier to play the pace bowlers than the spinners. There was some turn, either quick or slow. It took a bit of time to adjust. But those who batted for 20-30 balls, it became easier for them. We thought we would get around 250-260 when Mushfiqur and Sabbir were batting quite well. I think 273 is a good score on this wicket.”If everything goes to plan and we bat properly, we can get a bigger score [like 320-plus]. And that can be against any team. We have to keep an eye on their bowling too.”

Joel Paris has been fast-tracked into the Australian ODI squad while Scott Boland and Kane Richardson are also included as pace bowling coverage in the 13-man group to face India in five matches

Daniel Brettig and Brydon Coverdale03-Jan-2016Joel Paris has been fast-tracked into the Australian ODI squad while Scott Boland and Kane Richardson are also included as pace bowling coverage in the 13-man group to face India in five matches.A left-arm fast bowler and former standout Australia Under-19s prospect, Paris has performed strongly for Western Australia this season, having overcome a series of injuries that stalled his progress. He is highly rated by the assistant coach Craig McDermott, and the selector Trevor Hohns said Paris’ ability to swing the ball made him attractive to the panel in all formats.

Ins and Outs in the squad

In: Joel Paris, Scott Boland, Kane Richardson, Shaun Marsh,James Faulkner, Josh Hazlewood
Out: Joe Burns, Ashton Agar, John Hastings, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins,Peter Handscomb, James Pattinson, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Shane Watson

“He is coming along nicely,” Hohns said at the SCG. “We find him exciting, particularly being a left-armer. Possible not quite as quick as Starc and Johnson but he swings the ball and he is tall and gets good bounce. We would like to encourage him as much as we can. We need to balance our attack for Test match cricket. He may need some more long form cricket but he is high on our agenda.”Paris, now 23, was a key member of Western Australia’s Matador Cup-winning squad last summer, with 13 wickets at 12.92, and he was again productive this season with 10 one-day wickets at 22.40. The inclusion of Paris comes with Mitchell Starc still recovering from an ankle injury, and Pat Cummins (back), Nathan Coulter-Nile (shoulder) and James Pattinson (omitted) also missing from the squad that played in England last year.Hohns also said Boland’s call up was deserved after strong domestic displays in Sheffield Shield and 50-over matches, in which Victoria preferred him to the more experienced Peter Siddle. Boland has been part of Australia’s squad for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests against West Indies but was not included in the final XI for either game.”I was lucky to be present when he bowled WA out [in Perth],” Hohns said. “He was very impressive. His pace was good and his bounce was good. It was very high. He has come on and we know and knew that his short form cricket was very good for the past couple of years. He gets the opportunity and it is up to him to make the most of it.”There was no room in the squad for Shane Watson or Nathan Lyon, the World Cup-winning allrounder jettisoned in favour of Mitchell Marsh, and Glenn Maxwell considered sufficient as the only spin bowler. These selections allow Watson and Lyon to play out the remainder of the Big Bash League, and they are both thought still to be in the selectors’ plans for the World Twenty20 in India.”With the all-rounders that we have in our squad right now, with Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner and you can put Glenn Maxwell in that category, we think we’re adequately covered for all-rounders,” Hohns said of Watson. “Watto by no means is out of the picture either. It’s a matter of him showing us what he can do.”It was a bit of an issue, there’s no doubt about that. We obviously would like to see him in better form. He’s very well-performed, so he’ll certainly come into consideration for that [the World T20].”Hohns indicated that Josh Hazlewood is in line for a rest following the first two matches of the series in Brisbane and Perth, and also stated that the selectors were presently acceding to the captain Steven Smith’s desire to play as many matches as possible despite ongoing knee soreness that requires periodic rest.”There’s no doubt we want to give Josh a rest, he’s very important to us, as we all know,” Hohns said. “We will certainly manage him, as per what the medicos’ advice is. But with the first couple of games in Brisbane and Perth we thought it was essential to have him in the squad initially, because he normally bowls very well at both of those cities.”Steven has made it very clear that he doesn’t want a break. He’s Australian captain and he wants to play just about all the time if he can, unless we’re advised by the medical staff that he absolutely needs a rest. But he has made it very clear that he wants to play.”Ashton Agar, Joe Burns and Marcus Stoinis were all left out of the squad that played in England, with Aaron Finch returning after missing that series with a fractured foot and Shaun Marsh also included for the first time since he played against England in Hobart last January. The first ODI against India is on January 12.Australia ODI squad David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Joel Paris.

Mitchell McClenaghan has suffered a hairline fracture above his left eye, during the first ODI against Pakistan. He picked up the injury when a bouncer burst through the gap in his helmet

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jan-2016New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan has suffered a hairline fracture just above his left eye, during the first ODI against Pakistan in Wellington. He picked up the injury when a bouncer burst through the gap in his helmet in the final over of New Zealand’s innings on Monday. It rules him out of the second ODI in Napier, and puts him in doubt for the final match on Sunday, as he is scheduled to undergo minor cosmetic surgery on Friday in Auckland.McClenaghan was batting on 31 from 17 deliveries when the penultimate ball of the innings – from Anwar Ali – squeezed between the peak of his helmet, and its grille to strike him flush on the left eye. Slow-motion replays showed the ball had hit him with considerable force. McClenaghan immediately fell to the ground as the umpires, the Pakistan players and non-striker Matt Henry moved towards him. He eventually rose to his feet to cheers from the crowd, after attention from the team physio. The area around his eye was swollen as he walked off the field.He did not bowl in Pakistan’s innings, spending most of it in hospital instead. He received stitches on his left eyebrow, but was well enough to tweet an update on his condition and congratulations to his team-mates after the victory. “Thanks for all the concerns. Everything is as good as it can be just a few broken bones. Great win for the boys!” he tweeted.McClenaghan is the fourth New Zealand player to be unavailable for Thursday’s game, with Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee also out through injury.

Dale Steyn will make a return to competitive cricket after almost two months out of action on Saturday in a club game in Cape Town

Firdose Moonda23-Feb-2016Dale Steyn will make a return to competitive cricket after almost two months out of action on Saturday in a club game in Cape Town. Steyn will play for Western Province Cricket Club in the first day of a two-day fixture against St Augustine in order to determine his readiness for next month’s three T20s against Australia and the World T20.Steyn has been named in South Africa’s squad for the tournament despite being sidelined with a shoulder injury since pulling up during the first Test against England in December and playing just two matches since November. Steyn missed six of South Africa’s eight summer Tests – first with a groin injury he sustained in India and then the shoulder injury on comeback in Durban – and all the limited-overs matches against England.South Africa’s team management took extra care not to rush him back from injury fearing it would worsen their chances of having him for the World T20. Steyn returned to bowling last week and joined the squad for a team bonding session which involved shark cage diving and also a net session at Newlands. T20 captain Faf du Plessis said Steyn, “looks fully fit,” but a call could only be taken on whether he will travel to the tournament if he gets through the matches against Australia.Should Steyn not be available for the World T20, South Africa have put a bowler on standby. Although the selectors have not revealed who that is, Morne Morkel, who was left out the squad, is the likeliest candidate.

Yorkshire have signed Travis Head, the South Australia, Adelaide Strikers and Australia batsman, for the second half of the English season

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2016Yorkshire have signed Travis Head, the South Australia, Adelaide Strikers and Australia batsman, for the second half of the English season.Head, 22, who made his debut for Australia in the T20 series against India last month, will replace Kane Williamson from July 18 when he returns to international duty.The move will reunite Head with Jason Gillespie who was the Strikers coach during the 2015-16 Big Bash where Head excelled with 299 runs at a strike-rate of 154.92 runs. His standout innings was an unbeaten 101 against Sydney Sixers when he took 51 runs off the last three overs to win the match for the Strikers.His returns in the current Sheffield Shield season are not as eye-catching with 322 runs in seven matches at an average 24.76, but Gillespie expects him to play a key role in all three formats.”Travis is a great signing for us,” Gillespie said. “He has had a terrific season in Australia and is eager to develop his skills in England.”The fact that he can adapt to all formats is beneficial to us. He will add something different to the squad with his aggressive batting style and his ability with the ball as a genuine spinner.”He has a lot of maturity for a young man and his cricket intelligence is improving with every match. He will fit in nicely to our system.”Head said: “To play across all formats is important to me and playing in English conditions will be a good challenge. I can’t wait to get over and make an impact.”

Tim Southee won New Zealand a thriller the last time they met Australia in a T20I six years ago, but now, the stakes are almost as high as the altitude as they face off in a crucial encounter in Dharamsala

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale17-Mar-2016

Match facts

Friday, March 18, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)

Big picture

Six years ago, Australia and New Zealand played a highly entertaining T20 match at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. Brendon McCullum blasted a 56-ball 116 and scooped audaciously off Shaun Tait, New Zealand racked up 214, Australia matched them in the chase, and Tim Southee kept things tight in the Super Over to seal a memorable win for the home team. And they haven’t met in a T20 match since.Strange as it seems, February 28, 2010 was the last time these Trans-Tasman neighbours played each other in T20 cricket. Now they finally reconnect in the shortest format and the stakes are almost as high as the altitude. Dharamsala is the venue for Australia’s opening match of this World T20, but New Zealand already have a win on the board against hosts India. Another one here and they will be in prime position to progress to a World T20 semi-final for the first time since 2007.New Zealand’s spin success against India in Nagpur augurs well for their hopes in this tournament. Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum between them picked up nine out of ten wickets against India, and given that Australia can struggle against the turning ball in the short form it may just be advantage New Zealand. A few more runs from the top order would be handy, though – New Zealand were wobbling at 13 for 2 in the second over against India before recovering adequately.Quite what to expect from Australia remains a mystery. Punished at home by India in three T20s, they moved on to South Africa and found some form, but then were outdone by West Indies in a warm-up in Kolkata. They too have three spinners available, including the allrounder Glenn Maxwell, but neither Ashton Agar nor Adam Zampa had played a T20 international three weeks ago. This is a big step up. Australia are preaching “flexibility”, which is admirable, but there is something to be said for stability as well.

Form guide

Australia: WWLLL (last five completed matches)
New Zealand: WWWLW

Watch out for

David Warner has made his name as an opener but suddenly has become a floater in Australia’s T20 middle order. The switch worked well in South Africa, where he scored 20, 77 and 33, and although it is possible he could open again in this tournament, with other options such as Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and Usman Khawaja, that seems unlikely.Mitchell Santner‘s 4 for 11 against India was the best analysis by a New Zealand spinner in T20 internationals, and there is no reason to think he won’t cause problems for Australia’s batsmen as well. Santner has a certain about him – he just seems like a man for any occasion. And the big occasion hasn’t worried him yet.

Team news

There are so many possible combinations Australia could go with that choosing their final XI feels like something of a lottery, which their selection process has more or less been over the past six games. One question is whether to choose all three spinners, another is whether Usman Khawaja can squeeze into the top order, and another is how many fast men are required with a heavy complement of seaming allrounders.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 David Warner, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Peter Nevill (wk), 9 Ashton Agar/John Hastings/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood.New Zealand may well be tempted to stick with their winning combination.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Luke Ronchi (wk), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

A new pitch has been prepared, which may not turn as much as that used by the Associates recently, but spin is still expected to play more of a role than pace and bounce. There is some rain expected on Friday as well, which could lead to an abbreviated game.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and New Zealand have met five times in T20s for four wins to Australia; New Zealand’s only victory was in the Super Over in Christchurch in 2010
• Australia have played only six T20s in 2016 but have used a remarkable 25 players

Quotes

“Yeah, I think you have to have something in mind [for a shortened game]. I don’t think a lot of the game-plans or the way each individual plays changes too much but I think you do have to have a few different game-plans if the game is a bit shorter.”
.”It was definitely a lot of happy team-mates after the game [against India]. But we don’t want to get too carried away. It’s just one game in what is a short and condensed tournament. Lot of games to be played.”

Rising Pune Supergiants coach Stephen Fleming did not mince words when he said he was “angry” and disappointed by a two-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders

Nagraj Gollapudi in Pune24-Apr-20161:15

Our spinners didn’t create enough pressure – Fleming

Rising Pune Supergiants coach Stephen Fleming did not mince words when he said he was “angry” and disappointed by a two-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders which he called “very poor.” The defeat, Supergiants’ second successive home loss and fourth in a row, has put the Supergiants second to last on the IPL table after five matches – equal with Kings XI Punjab on two points but above them on net run rate.”We are not playing winning cricket and that’s all matters,” Fleming said in an appraisal of his team’s performance on Sunday when the Supergiants failed to defend 160 on a pitch that was slow and taking turn. “I thought today’s performance was poor, performance in the field was I thought very poor.”According to Fleming, his bowlers failed to dominate the Knight Riders especially after the opposition had lost their opening pair of Robin Uthappa and captain Gautam Gambhir inside the first three overs. Instead Suryakumar Yadav and Yusuf Pathan rebuilt the Knight Riders innings, creating a winning platform that was able to withstand a late wobble.”160 was a good to very good score on this surface,” Fleming said. “We saw there was a lot of assistance for the slow bowlers, but we still did not adjust. We did not use that spin to create enough pressure. We kept Kolkata in the game. They hit well at crucial times, but our fielding and the bowling… the slow bowling in particular towards the middle overs was left wanting and that is disappointing. 161 was easily defendable.”Even in the batting, the Supergiants were circumspect during the field restrictions, finishing at 31 for 1 in six overs. In contrast, the Knight Riders were 59 for 2 after the powerplay. Fleming said the Supergiants top order was cautious and tentative about the pitch which was taking turn straightaway and that was one reason for the contrasting approaches to the powerplay.”Their six overs was a mixture of poor bowling and some good strokeplay,” Fleming said. “But apart from that, as I said, at a time they were going 10 an over, and on a ground where it should have been a tight tussle, we gave away too many free runs. And when you are in a positon when you need to win a game, it is unacceptable.”On the eve of the previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Fleming had said that he was not fussed about losing as being a new franchise everyone was getting used to the new environment. After four defeats, clearly the Supergiants are in disarray. So how does Fleming intend to raise the morale of the dressing room? At the moment, he is in no mood to be sympathetic.”I was pretty angry with the way things went today so my morale needs a bit of boost,” Fleming said with a wry smile. “I’ve been in the IPL long enough to know that we have to sleep on it, tomorrow we’ve got to travel down and then we are back into it.”So it’s becoming pretty clear that whilst we don’t want to put the onus on getting victories, we have to get victories. We’re using up all those free lives. Even the last two games, we have a good chance of winning. We’ve just got to move on but there’s no doubt as a new team, trying to develop some culture and some camaraderie, but it does take a little bit of work.”Another problem is that Dhoni’s key lieutenant, R Ashwin, is going through a period of low form. The senior India offspinner has just one wicket so far in five matches. Curiously he has not been able to finish his quota of four overs in the last two matches and three of the five on the season. Against Royal Challengers, Ashwin still had one over left and on Sunday, after Yadav hit a six each in Ashwin’s first two overs which went for 21 runs during the powerplay, Dhoni did not throw the ball back to Ashwin. Fleming conceded that Ashwin’s dip in form was affecting the team.”I thought today was disappointing,” Fleming said. “I would have thought that he could have played a key role. But in terms of that line in the first six overs, he just struggled to get to grips with the pace and line he wanted to bowl. So we have to look at that but if we get conditions like that again I think he himself would concede he can be better.”Ashwin got exaggerated turn as soon as he started and even delivered wides spinning down leg in each of his two overs. Yadav said that seeing Ashwin getting adjusted to the pitch and the lines allowed him to settle down. That he managed to dominate the opposition’s lead spinner was not intended but happened as he found balls that he could hit. But Fleming said he would not blame Ashwin for the Supergiants getting off to a poor start in the field.”There were lots of turning points,” Fleming said. “You can look at a lot of scenarios like that where we just let the pressure off. We would bowl two or three balls okay and the next two were not good enough. On a pitch [like this] you should really shut the team down.”You saw the amount of turn and how difficult it was with the pace of the ball. With that knowledge, I would have expected us to shut that side down. With three spinners and a slow bowler like [Rajat] Bhatia we were well suited to do well. But the fact that we didn’t do that is very disappointing.”

For Jonny Bairstow, even on the grandest days the debate about whether England should utilise him as a wicketkeeper or specialist batsmen seems destined to ring loudly

The Report by David Hopps10-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKaushal Silva continued to enjoy batting at Lord’s•Getty Images

The highest Test score ever lodged by an England wicketkeeper in a home Test followed by a perplexing dropped catch. For Jonny Bairstow, even on the most exultant of days the debate about whether England should utilise him as a wicketkeeper or specialist batsmen is destined to ring loudly.Bairstow was left unbeaten on 167 as England were dismissed for 416, 45 minutes into the afternoon session on the second day at Lord’s, but Sri Lanka ended the day strongly by reaching 162 for 1 with Kaushal Silva becoming just the second player to score half-centuries in his first three Test innings at Lord’s.Spritely of mind and stroke, Silva delighted in every opportunity to dart his runs between cover and third man. All three England pace bowlers – James Anderson twice at Headingley, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn at Chester-le-Street – had shared in four successive catches from Silva for Bairstow in this series, but on a surface with few devils his outside edge this time looked less compromised. He played with positive intent from the outset to spearhead Sri Lanka’s most productive batting display since they arrived on these shores.Bairstow’s innings was the highest by an England wicketkeeper on home shores and only six runs short of Alec Stewart’s all-time record. His authority as a batsman is growing apace. With three Test hundreds in eight knocks, it was a time for celebration. Here, said some, was England’s Adam Gilchrist.Then came the wobble. Whether it was the Lord’s wobble – the ground is notorious for the ball swinging late after passing the batsman – or the Bairstow wobble – equally notorious – will be debated long into the night. Bairstow did have to contend with some late dip after the ball shaved Dimuth Karunaratne’s edge, but he missed the ball by a considerable distance as it hit him on the thigh.Chris Woakes, an undemonstrative sort, cast his hands apart in disbelief as he was denied a wicket with his first ball; Bairstow widened his eyes as if the ball had turned into a Christmas pudding upon its final approach. Karunaratne was reprieved and Sri Lanka, scooting ahead on another placid Lord’s Test pitch, closed with deserved satisfaction. After two heavy defeats in the frozen north they have thawed out impressively. Sri Lanka love Lord’s.Bairstow is not the first wicketkeeper to be embarrassed by Lord’s capricious ways. Mention of Stewart invites discussion of another England player whose career constantly shifted between a role as batsman or batsman-keeper. Bairstow openly resents the debate surrounding his role far more than Stewart ever did – Stewart preferred a straight-backed Do My Best For England barked response, but it will be discussed all the same.Long before the close of the second day, he looked exhausted. His body ached after 408 minutes at the crease, a bruised finger was on his mind no matter how much he tried to block it out and, considering that his valiant efforts had provided a get-out clause for poor England batting, some of the throws he received from England teammates were lazy enough to have deserved a bawl-out. He was a man in need of an early night.Karanaratne, 28 when he was reprieved, is not the type to punish such an error: his Test career is awash with 20s and 30s. Spared an lbw verdict three runs later when England unsuccessfully reviewed Woakes’ inducker he then became becalmed, as if aware of his reputation, then suddenly spurted like a tap with a faulty washer with three successive boundaries off James Anderson.”Keep going,” tweeted Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, Sanath Jayasuriya, as both batsmen reached half-centuries in the same over, Sri Lanka’s first century opening stand raised for two-and-a-half years Instead, Karunaratne nudged Steven Finn off his hip to Bairstow. Tweets are yet to be read between balls by batsmen at the crease, although one suspects it is only a matter of time.Silva did graze contentedly to the end against an England attack where only Woakes, the fastest England bowler in terms of a single ball and average, possessed much exuberance.Tranquillity washed over the day from the outset. Matt Prior, after ringing the bell at start of play, was invited on to the England balcony to catch up with old mates and down below Bairstow and Woakes made serene progress to their highest Test scores against a Sri Lanka attack that was as unthreatening as England’s was to prove later.England’s slightly dicey overnight position of 279 for 6 was suitably refined to 384 for 7 by the time the clock reached 1pm. Woakes was the only wicket to fall before lunch, frustrated by Herath’s over-the-wicket approach into the footholes outside his leg stump and advancing to chip a return catch. But he did have his first Test half-century, 66 from 142 balls, an innings characterised by genial off-side drives.England have got 400 in the first innings in a home Test and lost before, but not since 1998 when Muttiah Muralitharan was rampant at The Oval and his 16 wickets in the match enabled Sri Lanka to pull off an unlikely heist. A dominant Sri Lankan Saturday, with few wickets lost, would cause a quiver or two.But these days Sri Lanka have no Murali and, indeed, one wonders how long they will have the benefit of the excellent Herath. He is 38 now, and remains a master of little subtleties, drawing one or two nods of appreciation from Bairstow as he coaxed him into minor errors of judgment.Serenity is hardly Bairstow’s calling card. Watch him bat at his most combative and one imagines he could fight his own shadow. But with a century gathered in 11 balls before stumps on the first day, his appetite to take advantage of placid batting conditions was evident from the outset and the moments of fortune that had helped him through the opening day were absent.Woakes shared in a sixth-wicket stand of 144 in 40 overs as Sri Lanka’s seamers made no impression. He is very much the anti-Stokes, as peaceful as Stokes is belligerent; as unobtrusive as Stokes is the centre of attention. If he saw a locker door upon dismissal, he would check it was safely closed not punch it in anger. In such, he does not fit modern fashions, but his first fifty – at the 11th attempt – will have won him respect, if not celebrity status.England’s innings subsided quickly after lunch with the last three wickets falling in the space of six overs. Stuart Broad made a typically insecure appearance before slashing Suranga Lakmal to gully, Finn – after surviving an lbw decision for Herath on review – top-edged the same bowler to deep backward square and Anderson was caught at the wicket, defending a short ball from Shaminda Eranga.