Numbers Game

The importance of the opening gambit in the IPL

The opening partnership is crucial in any form of the game, but in the Twenty20 version teams have little time to recover after an early setback

09-May-2008•S Rajesh

Win toss, lose match

Much has been written about teams needing to adapt their batting and bowling strategies to the demands of the new format, but the IPL has shown that another area that needs urgent attention is captaincy, and especially the decision-making at the toss

02-May-2008•S Rajesh

The marauding match-winner

McCullum's talent and ball-striking ability have never been in doubt, but it's only over the last 16 months that he has begun to live up to his potential as a batsman

25-Apr-2008•S Rajesh

Bangladesh slide, Steyn and Yousuf soar

Bangladesh's superb performance in the 2007 World Cup suggested they were at last learning to play with the big boys, but over the last year they've slipped into mediocrity again

18-Apr-2008•S Rajesh

Why India have been missing a Srinath at home

India have won only seven of their last 22 home Tests, and while their spinners have been less effective recently, that is hardly the complete explanation

11-Apr-2008•S Rajesh

How important is Shoaib Akhtar for Pakistan?

Numbers can't completely explain what Shoaib has brought to the table for Pakistan, but they can help reveal the basis for some of the arguments that have been used to support or rubbish him

04-Apr-2008•S Rajesh

Gayle and his struggle against Vaas

For a batsman of his ability, the manner in which Gayle has been dominated by Vaas is amazing - seven dismissals for ten runs in all

28-Mar-2008•S Rajesh

Home truths for Sri Lanka and Jacob Oram

Sri Lanka's batsmen have consistently turned it on when playing at home, but most of them have struggled for runs overseas. The same can be said of Jacob Oram the bowler

21-Mar-2008•S Rajesh

England's overseas woes

Since the Ashes triumph in 2005 England have done dismally overseas, with both their batsmen and their bowlers underperforming significantly

14-Mar-2008•S Rajesh

New Zealand's best batsman, and the world's best allrounder

Over the last decade Daniel Vettori has offered New Zealand much more than just accurate and incisive left-arm spin

07-Mar-2008•S Rajesh

The new and improved Mahendra Singh Dhoni

When Mahendra Singh Dhoni first burst onto the international scene, he was known for his six-hitting, but over the last couple of years his batting has changed considerably

29-Feb-2008•S Rajesh

Tendulkar and the run-chase quandary

Sachin Tendulkar has been outstanding when batting first in ODIs, but has been outshined by many of his team-mates in run-chases

29-Feb-2008•S Rajesh

The most successful batsmen against Murali

The teams, and the batsmen, who have handled the threat of Muttiah Muralitharan better than others

15-Feb-2008•S Rajesh

A test for India's batsmen and Sri Lanka's bowlers

The CB Series will be a huge test for the Indian batsmen, who haven't always done well overseas, and the Sri Lankan bowlers, who have similarly struggled to turn it on abroad

08-Feb-2008•S Rajesh

Opening worries for the Indians

The Indian openers' poor showing in Australia, and how they and other subcontinent opening pairs have done in pace-friendly conditions overseas

01-Feb-2008•S Rajesh

A soft corner for Adelaide and Sydney

The relatively easy conditions in Sydney and Adelaide have clearly favoured overseas batsmen more than Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth

25-Jan-2008•S Rajesh

Rearguard to the rescue

Australia's last five wickets cost oppositions 31 runs each, while they get the oppositions' last five out for 20 each. Clearly their lower half is their better half

18-Jan-2008•S Rajesh

Of boundaries, dots, and everything in between

How teams, and batsmen, compare in terms of dot balls, singles and threes scored, and more

11-Jan-2008•S Rajesh

The year of the No. 4 batsman

After playing second fiddle to the No. 3 batsmen, the No. 4s came into their own in 2007, dominating in both Tests and ODIs. Also: lefties strike it big, and how pace and spin stacked up against each other over the year

04-Jan-2008•S Rajesh

Australia's toughest opponent, and the spin dilemma

India have been the one side to have consistently stretched the Australians over the last decade

21-Dec-2007•S Rajesh

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Numbers Game

Sidharth Monga

Valkerie Baynes

Alan Gardner

Mohammad Isam

Andrew McGlashan