In Case You Missed It: Covid challenges and captaincy changes
The best content from the week gone by

Cummins and goings: Pat Cummins had to hand over captaincy to his deputy, Steve Smith, after just one Test • Getty Images
Yet another clinical display from Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam powered Pakistan to their highest successful chase in T20I cricket as they beat West Indies by seven wickets in the third T20I in Karachi. Earlier, the game was in doubt after five West Indies players returned positive Covid Tests, including Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein and Justin Greaves. The ODI leg of the series is now postponed to June 2022.
England's decade-long drought down under continued as another calamitous collapse from the visitors handed the hosts a comfortable win in the first Ashes Test. The match was lost in its first half hour, says Andrew Miller, irrespective of "positives" England captain Joe Root says can be gleaned from the wreckage. Jarrod Kimber, though, argues that England are the most innovative team in the world. For Nathan Lyon, it was a match to remember: he picked up his 400th wicket; it's a landmark that took a while to arrive, but when it did, the wickets came in a rush.
The report marking the culmination of South Africa's social justice and nation-building hearings is out, and there isn't anything in it we didn't already know, says Firdose Moonda, but extensive grassroots development and a detailed transformation policy that goes beyond mere numbers are now a must.
Batmaking trends have changed greatly in the last two decades, but perhaps not as much as batting trends. Varun Shetty dives deep into the ever-evolving mechanics of batmaking.
And what's the highest score made by an opener in a Test innings in which his partner made a duck? Steven Lynch has all the answers to your stats and trivia questions.
The South Africa fast bowler is ready for a comeback after yet another spate of injuries. Ngidi, and his bowling coach Charl Langeveldt, look ahead to the home series against India.
The PSL starts on January 27 in Karachi, with all sides picking two supplement players to cover for injuries and Covid-19. Umar Farooq has the cheat sheet.
Kartikeya Date looks at the DRS numbers over the last three years that show that there is no case for saying that home umpires are biased.
Alan Gardner and Andrew Fidel Fernando want you to share in the highs and lows, joys and Paine of a year of cricket that kept on giving, in this month's Light Roller.