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David Willey carried on where he left off in the Friends Life t20 final by pummelling his maiden senior century for Northamptonshire in their crushing 125-run Yorkshire Bank 40 win over Warwickshire

26-Aug-2013
ScorecardDavid Willey’s outstanding recent form showed no signs of abating•Getty ImagesDavid Willey carried on where he left off in the Friends Life t20 final by pummelling his maiden senior century for Northamptonshire in their crushing 125-run Yorkshire Bank 40 win over Warwickshire at Edgbaston but it wasn’t quite enough to earn a semi-final, missing out the final berth by net run-rate to GlamorganWilley made his maiden Twenty20 half-century and took a hat-trick in Northamptonshire’s triumph over Surrey at Edgbaston nine days ago and enjoyed himself on his return to the ground with 10 sixes in his 101-ball 167.The left-hander, fresh from playing for England Lions against Bangladesh A, reached three figures for the first time from 62 balls and required only 22 deliveries to accelerate from 50 to his century.Warwickshire’s decision to rest seamers Keith Barker and Rikki Clarke ahead of Wednesday’s County Championship match against Sussex meant offspinner Jeetan Patel was the only senior specialist bowler in a severely-depleted attack and Northamptonshire cashed in by piling up their highest 40 overs score of 324 for 6.Rookie seamers Tom Milnes and Recordo Gordon returned combined figures of 15-0-149-3 and the four part-time bowlers, including veteran Darren Maddy in his farewell one-day appearance before retirement, also came in for some heavy punishment from Willey.Willey took four of his sixes in two overs from Maddy and offspinner Ateeq Javid and he was eyeing Wayne Larkins’ Northamptonshire record 40 overs score of 172 made against Warwickshire at Luton in 1983 when he lifted Milnes to long-on aiming for his 11th six.Willey received excellent support from David Sales, with 31 from 37 balls, England Under-19 captain Ben Duckett with a breezy 30 and Rob Keogh – who shared a fifth wicket stand of 101 with him on his way to 61 from 40 balls, his maiden half-century in senior cricket.Warwickshire limped to 199 all out in 31.1 overs and slipped to their eighth defeat of the season, which left them bottom of the group. There were pockets of resistance from William Porterfield, who stroked 44 before he was bowled by Steven Crook, and Scotland international Freddie Coleman – who gave a hint of his potential with a breezy 34 before he picked out long-on.Maddy was given a guard of honour by Northamptonshire’s players but he managed only a single in a three-ball innings before he was brilliantly stumped down the leg-side by David Murphy off Trent Copeland.Maddy departed to a standing ovation from the Bank Holiday crowd after a career that began with a 40-over appearance for Leicestershire against Derbyshire in September 1993.

The match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Brisbane Heat was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Ahmedabad

The Report by Mohammad Isam30-Sep-2013The rain began during the T&T-Lions match•BCCIThe match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Brisbane Heat was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Ahmedabad. This puts Sunrisers out of the Champions League after they finished with six points from four matches, winning once and losing twice. This was the third washout in Motera, after the double-header on September 23 took the same route due to rain.Heat were already knocked out having lost their first three matches. This leaves the Titans and Trinidad & Tobago battling for the second position in Group B behind Chennai Super Kings who have already qualified. All T&T need to do is not lose by a great margin against Super Kings in their final group match.The match scheduled for an 8:30pm start couldn’t go through after heavy rain began during the first match between T&T and Titans. That match ended with three overs to spare, the Caribbean side winning by six runs by the Duckworth/Lewis method.The two matches were retained in Ahmedabad, after an earlier game was moved out of the city due to week-long rains. Though there was 60% chance of rain today, the first game was uninterrupted until rain struck 17 overs into Titans’ chase.

Graeme Smith has successfully completed his first competitive outing since May, turning out for his franchise, Cobras, in a warm-up match against Indian side Madhya Pradesh at Newlands

Firdose Moonda02-Oct-2013Graeme Smith has successfully completed his first competitive outing since May, turning out for his franchise, Cobras, in a warm-up match against Indian side Madhya Pradesh at Newlands. Although the South African Test captain scored just two runs, he fielded in the slips and reported a clean bill of health after 21 weeks out of the game, which bodes well for the upcoming series against Pakistan.Earlier this year, Smith had to cut short his stint at Surrey due to the recurrence of an ankle problem and returned to Cape Town for surgery. Doctors discovered the condition was actually a fracture of the heel bone. Smith was operated on and had two pins inserted. He was on crutches for eight weeks before he could begin any physical activity.He has had a multi-disciplinary team of experts around him including a personal trainer, biokineticist and physiotherapist, and has made steady progress. Smith’s rehabilitation has included running on an anti-gravity treadmill and, more recently, regular cricket activity.”He has been working really hard with us in the nets,” Cobras coach Paul Adams told ESPNcricinfo. “And he has made good progress. He looks ready to go.” Smith, with the South African side, will depart for Dubai on Friday evening for a series of two Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s against Pakistan.”As things stands now, Graeme is on track to play,” Mohammad Moosajee, the team manager who is also a medical doctor, said. “We are happy with the progress he has made so far. We have approached every week with a plan in place to get him to ready for the series. Ideally you always want more time, but he has worked well. We have been careful to monitor him at every step, so we don’t overload him.”The Tests series is South Africa’s first since they whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 at home in February and will be an important assessment of their grip on the No. 1 ranking because of the conditions. This will be South Africa’s first series in subcontinent conditions since earning the Test mace and they are expecting a time as tough as England, who were also No. 1 when they went to the UAE early 2012 but were blanked 0-3 by Pakistan.South Africa also have a proud record to uphold. They have not lost a Test series on the road in seven years, since they were beaten in Sri Lanka in 2006. Smith has led them throughout that time and has previously said he looks forward to extending that run in the future.His return to the crease will be welcome news for South Africa’s Test ambitions, and it will also bolster their ODI campaign after a forgettable time at both the Champions Trophy and in Sri Lanka. Smith was ruled out of both series with the same injury concern and South Africa did not fare well at all. They were booted out of the Champions Trophy at semi-final stage by England and crashed to a 4-1 defeat in Sri Lanka. Although he is not captain in that format, he will partner Hashim Amla at the top of the order to add stability and experience in what is still a developing unit.

Sri Lanka Cricket will continue to accept applications for the position of head coach, despite the deadline having been eclipsed, an official statement has said

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2013Sri Lanka Cricket will continue to accept applications for the position of head coach, despite the deadline having been eclipsed, an official statement has said. The closing date for applications had initially been October 6, but the board has moved it after being informed that potential candidates could not submit their applications on time.SLC said it has received 11 applications in total so far, eight of which are from foreign coaches.”It was observed by the executive committee that there were several other interested parties who were deprived of submitting their applications due to time constraints,” the release said. “Therefore, it was requested by the executive committee to explore the possibility of obtaining applications from the interested parties prior to evaluating the applications received.”Ranjit Fernando will head the committee which evaluates the applications, with secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, acting CEO Ashley de Silva, head of coaching Jerome Jayaratne and vice president Mohan de Silva, comprising the remainder of the committee.ESPNcricinfo understands that former assistant coach Paul Farbrace, current fielding coach Ruwan Kalpage and former trainer Shane Duff are among the applicants.Current coach Graham Ford will vacate the post due to family reasons when his contract expires in January, leaving the team in the hands of a new coach in the year leading up to the 2015 World Cup.

Michael Carberry and Alastair Cook impressed as an alternative opening combination for England on the first day against Australia A in Hobart

The Report by Daniel Brettig in Hobart06-Nov-2013
Scorecard0:00

‘Spare a thought for Bairstow’

Shiny, space-age in design and emblazoned with a racing stripe, Michael Carberry’s batting helmet seems less appropriate headgear for an Ashes tour match than Olympic track cycling. There was something of the road race about day one in Hobart, however, as Carberry and his captain Alastair Cook tested out an alternative opening combination to impressive effect against Australia A on a pristine Bellerive Oval pitch.His choice of headgear was the only jarring thing about Carberry, who otherwise looked entirely at ease alongside Cook and made a persuasive case for his inclusion at the top of the order in Brisbane. Joe Root, who had opened across the earlier Ashes encounter in England, was left to watch from the boundary’s edge from his new post at No. 5, and must now be pondering a middle-order commission across the five Tests. By the close Carberry and Cook had pushed on to the highest opening stand ever seen at Bellerive.Equally welcome for England alongside Carberry’s appearance of certainty was Cook slipping comfortably into the prolific batting groove he occupied on the last tour in 2010-11. Helped by Australia A bowling that was often too short and too straight, he had little trouble scoring freely around the ground, and showed no signs of the back stiffness that had ruled him out of the opening tour fixture in Perth.For the Australia A captain Moises Henriques and his somewhat uneven XI – far stronger in batting than bowling – it was a day of unrequited toil. Unable to take early wickets when the pitch offered the mildest hint of life, the hosts were sentenced to a day devoid of joy, coming closest to a wicket in the evening when a snick by Carberry from Ben Cutting on 135 landed short of Trent Copeland in the gully. They face further hard labour on the ‘morrow.Upon choosing to bat on a surface far less verdant than those prepared in Hobart this time last summer, Cook revealed that his opening partner would not be Root but Carberry. He had hinted as much on match eve, but it remained notable to glimpse Cook walking to the middle accompanied by the very same man Shane Warne had recommended as a better option at the top in Australia than Root.Michael Carberry finished the day unbeaten on 153•Getty ImagesThere was some semblance of early life in the pitch, and neither Cook nor Carberry looked completely at ease in the early overs, nudging runs here and there while being beaten often by balls that zipped away from them. Most often these were bowled by Copeland, demonstrating the seam-up skill that made him a valued recruit for Northamptonshire earlier in the year. It was the jetlagged Henriques who made the first appeal of the morning, striking Cook on the pads in the vicinity of off stump but not finding any response to his shout.Those early alarms safely negotiated, Cook and Carberry were able to settle in. Nothing could be found in the pitch for either of the spinners Jon Holland and Glenn Maxwell, while Cutting’s line and length were not quite consistent enough to create the desired pressure. Cook reached his 50 just before lunch, and Carberry joined him soon after.Closely watched by the team director Andy Flower and the batting coach Graham Gooch, Carberry played neatly enough, seeing off several periods of slow scoring without growing too frustrated. He snicked numerous deliveries going across him towards the slips when attempting come forward and drive, but was otherwise able to sit on the back foot in defence and attack, suggesting that Australia A’s bowlers too often dropped short of the ideal zone.Cook meanwhile offered his familiar mixture of sound judgment, efficient strokeplay and deep reserves of concentration, able to work the ball off his hip consistently to rotate strike and frustrate the local attack. Both batsmen enjoyed themselves against the spinners, Holland treated with particular brusqueness in his short spells and shielded for much of the day while Henriques hoped for the wicket that would bring a right-hander to the crease.It was not to arrive, however. Cook was 97 at tea and reached his century shortly after the resumption, marking it with a low key celebration that recognised the innings as a sound building block for the tour to come but nothing more. Carberry was understandably more demonstrative when he crested three figures, rejoicing an innings that will go a long way towards earning him a place in the Test team for Brisbane.Carberry’s exuberance contrasted with the mounting fatigue of Australia A’s bowlers on a surface offering very little help at all beyond the first half hour. Some of the fielding was also poor, the lack of energy or intensity on display unlikely to have impressed the selector Rod Marsh as he watched from the stands. The new ball brought hope of renewed life as the shadows lengthened, but when Cutting drew another edge from Carberry with a delivery of decent pace and zip, it fell tantalisingly short of Copeland.England’s openers were thus left to reach the close unparted and largely unhindered, setting down a very fine platform indeed for their likely pairing across the Ashes series. In doing so they also provided Australia’s bowlers with a reminder that anything less than their best offerings may result in grim days to rival those of four summers ago. They may be seeing a lot more of the Carberry helmet.

A round-up of President’s Trophy matches that ended on December 24, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2013A seventh-wicket partnership of 294 between Sarfraz Ahmed and Tahir Khan set Pakistan International Airlines up for a nine-wicket win over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in Rawalpindi. Having bowled ZTBL out for 179, PIA were 157 for 7 when Tahir joined wicketkeeper Sarfraz at the crease. Sarfraz was eventually out for a 198-ball 165 while Tahir remained unbeaten on a 205-ball 141, his maiden first-class century, as PIA took a 323-run lead. Medium-pacer Imran Khan took five wickets for ZTBL.ZTBL did well to make PIA bat again, scoring 354 thanks to an explosive 130-ball 154 from their captain Imran Nazir, who struck 21 fours and two sixes. But no one else made more than 37, and left-arm seamer Najaf Shah struck regularly to finish with six wickets, leaving PIA to chase 32 for victory. They got there in 7.2 overs, losing opener Shehzar Mohammad along the way.Allrounder Hammad Azam scored 87 and an unbeaten 106, his highest first-class score, to earn National Bank of Pakistan a draw against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Islamabad.Having chosen to bat, SNGPL were all out for 394, with Ali Waqas scoring an unbeaten 127 and Khurram Shehzad making 76. For NBP, medium-pacers Ataullah and Hammad took three wickets each.SNGPL’s new-ball pair of Samiullah Khan and Asad Ali – who were to end up sharing nine wickets in the innings – scythed through NBP’s top and middle order to leave them gasping at 44 for 6. This was when Hammad walked in. He shared stands of 72 and 84 with Qaiser Abbas and Wahab Riaz for the seventh and eighth wickets to push NBP’s total to 204. Hammad was the eighth wicket to fall for a 114-ball 87, with 13 fours and two sixes.It still wasn’t enough to avert the follow-on. NBP began their second innings 190 behind and were only 59 ahead when Fawad Alam fell for 98 to leave the team 249 for 6. Samiullah, who had taken four wickets in the first innings, now had his fourth for the second innings, but that was to be SNGPL’s last success of the match, as Qaiser and Hammad remained unbeaten through the last 39.1 overs of the match. They put on 181, with Qaiser finishing not out on 115 off 198 balls, with 15 fours and a six, and Hammad on 106 off 122, with 10 fours and five sixes.

It is a good time to be a player on the fringes of the England Test team. There is clamour for change and James Taylor is just one member of the England Lions squad hoping to take advantage

Alex Winter16-Jan-2014It is a good time to be a player on the fringes of the England Test team. There is clamour for change following the Ashes whitewash and with reformation imminent the England Lions programme has never taken on such value.Untried is now better than overexposed. Potential is preferred to experience. The Lions’ tour to Sri Lanka for three unofficial Tests in February has become as wide a shop window as most of the players will have enjoyed.Only five of the party have previous Test experience. James Taylor is one of those. An attractive strokemaker, his debut against South Africa at Headingley was presented as the arrival of a player earmarked for England for some time but two Tests into his career and he was back on the heap of alternatives. Two ODIs is the only other international cricket on his CV.”Those Tests were a dream come true but it was a short dream,” Taylor said at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough, the heating on full blast in an attempt to create the conditions of Kandy, Dambulla and Colombo. “Obviously I wasn’t selected for the next tour but sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward and I feel I’ve definitely learned so much from that little experience.”I came back last year and scored the runs I did, then again I was frustrated not to get picked on the Ashes trip. So I’ve kind of been batted down a couple of times but that inspires me more to get up and show them what I can do and prove people wrong.”I’ve had a little taste but I haven’t really been around the squad for a long time. I think that’s the key, so I want to be get on a tour and show what I can do over a long period of time.”Taylor was a victim of a stable England set up that produced much success. He was not required for the India tour and a 2-1 success suggests the tour party was selected perfectly. But with the old era seemingly concluded with the Ashes humiliation and as many as seven players from the squad having potentially played their last Test, England may no longer have the riches to overlook much longer a 24-year-old with a first-class average of 47.35.Dejected at being omitted from the Ashes squad after a summer where his first-class average was a shade under 50, Taylor travelled to Perth to play club cricket and met England one-day coach Ashley Giles. Team director Andy Flower was also in touch. “Positive” was the theme of the conversations. Flower, batting coach Graham Gooch and new national selector James Whitaker will all be in Sri Lanka at some stage.Advice also came from an unexpected source with Mickey Arthur, deposed as Australia head coach before the Ashes in England, lending his ear via Stephen Eskinazi – a friend of Taylor’s from Perth who spent last season with Middlesex second XI.”It wasn’t planned,” Taylor said about his one-to-one meetings with Arthur, now director of cricket at a grammar school in Perth. “It came about in a funny way but it was great and very worthwhile. To be around a world class coach, somebody who has worked with the best players and have him comment on my game was very positive.”Arthur came to watch every game Taylor played for first-grade side Claremont-Nedlands, where 40 degree sunshine topped up his blond highlights. Taylor averaged 60.60 in six innings, the best of which – 101 not out – came from the same No. 4 slot from where he scored a century against Australia for Sussex last summer as he crept towards Test selection again.But England could have an opening one place higher with Jonathan Trott’s future unclear and a lack of obvious alternatives. Naturally, Taylor is happy to slot in anywhere in the Test side and makes a strong case for himself.”I will back myself to the hilt. I know I can do it – I obviously had a little taste against South Africa but I’ve played against a lot of international attacks and scored runs against them. So hopefully, fingers crossed, I get an opportunity. But not just in Test cricket, I want to be playing one-day cricket as well. I’ve got a little bit of a record behind me but I now need to kick on and show people what I can do.”It is literally as simple as scoring runs. If I don’t score runs, I don’t warrant being in the team. That’s what came across to me. I’ve got to make sure the selectors can’t not pick me. At the moment, even though I’ve scored shed-loads of runs, I’ve probably given them a little bit of an excuse because I haven’t gone above and beyond, more than the guys in the Test team at the moment.”But I’m in a great space. My game’s in a great spot. I scored the runs last season in all formats and hopefully this Lions trip is a great opportunity to stake a claim for next summer.”

A round-up of the PCB Qatar Women’s 20-over Tri-series matches played on January 22, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2014
ScorecardLizelle Lee’s second consecutive fifty helped South Africa Women storm to a nine-wicket win over Ireland Women. Chasing 102, Lee smashed 53 off 52 balls to help South Africa finish the game with more than five overs to spare. The win confirmed South Africa and Pakistan as the finalists of the competition.A combined bowling performance kept Ireland to a below-par score. A more competitive score looked promising when Clare Shillington and Isobel Joyce came together to add 53 for the second wicket at more than seven an over.However, Shillington’s run out for 25 changed the complexion of the innings as Ireland lost three quick wickets for nine runs. Joyce kept running out of partners before she fell in the 19th over for 47. Joyce and Shillington were the only two batsmen to pass double figures. Five bowlers took a wicket apiece.An aggressive opening stand of 83 in 11.5 overs between Lee and Trisha Chetty put South Africa on course for a big win. Lee followed up her fifty in the previous game, also against Ireland, with another one. She fell for 53, caught off Amy Kenealy with her team 19 short of the target.The early finish gave the South Africans a bit more time before their second game of the evening, against Pakistan.”It was a great game played by the team,” South Africa captain Mignon du Preez said. “Today we executed our game plans well and, even when things went slightly off course, we were able to bring it back really well. That’s one out of two, now we look towards Pakistan later this evening.”
ScorecardSouth Africa Women reiterated their dominance on the day by completing a comfortable win against Pakistan Women in what was a dress-rehearsal of the final.Choosing to bowl on winning the toss for the second time on the day, South Africa made early inroads into the Pakistan batting line-up. Moseline Daniels struck in the first over to remove opener Marina Iqbal and Pakistan’s boat was further rocked as they lost their Player of the Match in their previous outing, Nain Abidi, in the second over. Nida Dar hit the only six of the match, but she could only add 17 before being dismissed. 18-year-old legspinner Sune Luus then tightened South Africa’s grip with a couple of strikes in a stifling spell. Pakistan’s only resistance came through Nahida Khan, who scored 33, and that lifted them to their eventual score of 96.But the total didn’t challenge South Africa. Despite losing Trisha Chetty early, South Africa made confident progress, with Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee adding 60 for the second wicket. Lee scored a patiend 30, but du Preez maintained brisk pace, scoring 38 in 34 balls with the help of four boundaries. Both batsmen were dismissed, but Marizanne Kapp ensured there were no further hiccups as South Africa strolled to the target in the last over.”It’s been a long day, but very rewarding for our team,” Mignon du Preez said. “I’m so proud of the professionalism that the team displayed today. Everyone put their hand up, whether they were playing or not and everyone contributed to the success of the day.”Lizelle (Lee), Trish (Trisha Chetty) and Kappie (Marizanne Kapp) did really well with the bat and our bowlers did a great job to set up the match for us. Moosie (Moseline Daniels), Shibby (Shabnim Ismail) and Sunétjie (Suné Luus) made sure that the wickets were constantly falling and kept the pressure up all the way to the end. I’m also happy to have been able to contribute with the bat and on the field. Nothing makes a captain happier than a solid team effort, and that’s what we had today.”

A round-up of the Plunket Shield games that ended on February 10, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2014A double-century from Jamie How in the second innings paved the way for Central Districts’ 134-run win against Otago in a rain-interrupted match at the Saxton Oval.How struck 25 fours and three sixes during his unbeaten 207, and put up big stands with Greg Hay and Kieran Noema-Barnett before Central Districts declared at 375 for 4 to set Otago a target of 412.James Neesham propelled Otago’s chase with a quick 147, but received little by way of help from remaining batsmen who all together scored just 105. Seth Rance picked up four wickets while Noema-Barnett chipped in with three scalps to dismiss Otago for 277 in 89.1 overs.Central Districts, put in to bat, had made 307 in their first innings. Most of their top order made starts, but only captain Noema-Barnett could convert it into a fifty, making a handy 74. Neesham was the pick of Otago’s bowlers, finishing with 4 for 79.Otago, in reply, were buoyed by centuries from Aaron Redmond and Jesse Ryder, but the team declared at 271 for 3 to hand Central Districts a first-innings lead of 36.An all-round effort from Canterbury helped them defeat Auckland by 64 runs in Christchurch. Canterbury, batting first, were guided by handy contributions from all their top-order batsmen, but only Rob Nicol could convert his start into a fifty, making a patient 66. Colin de Grandhomme and Colin Munro snared three wickets apiece for Auckland, but a 44 from Todd Astle, batting at No.9, pushed Canterbury to 328.Auckland lost opener Jeet Raval early in the reply, but fifties from Martin Guptill, Anaru Kitchen and Munro helped the team recover to 300 for 7, before they decided to declare after 104.3 overs.Canterbury made full use of their slender advantage, as Nicol once again came through with an unbeaten 81. He also forged big associations for the fourth and fifth wicket with Dean Brownlie and Shanan Stewart. Brownlie fell two runs short of what would have been his ninth first-class ton, while Stewart remained at 96 not out.Set 361 to win, Auckland lost three quick wickets but recovered with a 100-run stand for the fourth wicket between Craig Cachopa and Munro. Cachopa eventually hit 118, but once he was dismissed by Astle in the 72nd over, Auckland eventually folded for 296. Astle and Ryan McCone shared eight wickets between them for Canterbury.The clash between Wellington and Northern Districts in Karori Park ended in a draw, due to rain. Only 50.4 overs of play, all in the first day, were possible in the match, with Northern Districts on 169 for 2.

Rahul Dravid has said it’s time for Zaheer Khan to start contemplating his future as it will be difficult for the bowler to survive the rigours of five Test matches in England

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2014Rahul Dravid has said it’s time for Zaheer Khan to start contemplating his future as it will be difficult for the bowler to survive the rigours of five Test matches in England. Zaheer made a comeback to the Test side for the tours of South Africa and New Zealand, and despite managing 51 overs and a five-wicket haul in the second innings of the Wellington Test, struggled to trouble the batsmen.”Can he survive five Test matches in England? I am not so sure,” Dravid told ESPNcricinfo. “I think it is a question he deeply needs to ask himself. He doesn’t want to end up being someone who struggles his way through to the end. It can be really hard. And we have seen, he struggled to back up time and time again in these two series. So that’s an issue he needs to consider, Indian selectors need to consider.”Zaheer is the second most successful India seamer behind Kapil Dev, with 311 wickets in 92 Tests, but his career has been plagued by injuries, the latest of which threatened to end his career. But Zaheer spent the summer in France to work on his fitness and made a comeback for the South Africa tour, one year after playing his last Test. However, the strain of bowling at Test level started showing in the second innings at Wanderers, where he managed just one wicket in 34 overs as South Africa almost overhauled a 458-run target.”He has been a great bowler for India, arguably the finest India fast bowler since Kapil Dev,” Dravid said. “I would hate to see Zaheer Khan end his career bowling 120-125 kph and limp away from international cricket. He has done a great job to get himself fit for these two series and to be fair, he has bowled well in patches, he has bowled consistently.”Speaking on India’s spinners, Dravid said India would need to show patience with them as the bowlers in the past had also struggled in overseas conditions.”We will need to show some patience with our spinners, whether it is R Ashwin or whether it’s Jadeja, it’s early days for both in international cricket,” he said. “We have seen some greats of Indian cricket, including Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, take a long time to get used to bowling with a Kookaburra ball in overseas conditions.”I thought we were a little bit impatient with Ashwin. We haven’t given him as much a run as I would like, so I think there is an opportunity for him to get back into the side and play a few more games. He will only learn if he play more games.”