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Ross Taylor, the New Zealand batsman, has said it would be “very hard to bet against India” going into the 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2010Ross Taylor, the New Zealand batsman, has said it would be “very hard to bet against India” going into the 2011 World Cup. Despite the absence of several first-choice players, India have dominated New Zealand to run up a 4-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series, prompting Taylor to make his prediction ahead of the last game in Chennai.”The team is young but has experienced players,” Taylor said. “They go in as favourites for the World Cup, not only because of the home conditions but also on account of their experience. They are a very talented bunch of players. Virat Kohli and Praveen Kumar are still inexperienced but they have been very successful in their international careers.”New Zealand were completely outplayed in the first three matches of the series before their batting clicked in Bangalore. That could not stop India from winning, thanks to a blinder from Yusuf Pathan, but Taylor hoped his side would draw from the batting gains and get a consolation win to round off the tour.”We take confidence from our last match when for the first time we really played well,” he said. “We back ourselves to restrict India with the ball as well here. In the last match, we really stood up with a batting performance by posting 315, but we didn’t field as well.”Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum are the only guys who have played in India before. For the rest of the side, it is a learning experience. Hopefully it would help our players in the World Cup.”Apart from inexperience, New Zealand’s chances have also been hampered by the inability of their top order to convert its starts, while India have had centuries in each of the four games. Taylor said he hoped to make amends and push on to make a big score in the final game.

MS Dhoni has said India are missing a bowling and fielding coach

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai01-Jan-2010Indian captain MS Dhoni has admitted that the absence of a specialist bowling coach is hurting the team’s performance. Dhoni said it was “tough” for the bowlers and especially head coach Gary Kirsten to perform at optimum levels, and that ideally he would like the vacancy to be filled soon.”To some extent it does hurt not having a bowling coach. If you have a specialist coach he is always interacting with the bowlers and trying to get the best out of them,” Dhoni said on the eve of the Indian team’s departure to Bangladesh.Though India ended 2009 at the top of the ICC’s Test rankings, they have struggled to make a consistent progress in ODIs. After the early exit at the ICC World Twenty20, they were knocked out of the Champions Trophy in South Africa even before the tournament reached the second week. In a desperate move, the Indian board sacked Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, the bowling and fielding coaches respectively. No explanation was given with the assumption being both coaches had been under the scanner after the World Twenty20 debacle.Dhoni said that decision had only increased the burden on Kirsten, who he felt was submerged under extra duties. “He [Kirsten] has to look after everything: he has to sit and talk to the batsmen, bowlers, fielders, build strategies and look after team building,” he said, adding that the BCCI could reduce the pressure simply by naming replacements who could closely work with the bowlers and fielders.The inconsistency in the fast bowling department has remained a concern for India right from the World Twenty20. In England, Zaheer Khan had aggravated the shoulder injury he picked during the IPL in South Africa. His inability to go full throttle exposed the younger lot like Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, and though Ashish Nehra was around he was just finding his own feet, having made a return after a long time. Things did not improve during the Champions Trophy, and India’s problems were exacerbated during the home ODI series against Australia, which they lost 4-2. But things have started to improve after Zaheer’s return.Zaheer will lead the fast bowling department in Bangladesh which comprises Nehra, Sreesanth, and the rookie Sudeep Tyagi. During the recently concluded Sri Lanka series the Indian fast bowlers were lukewarm even if they improved on their death bowling. A good example could be the difference in their performances in Rajkot and Kolkata, for the second and fourth matches. In the first instance, after Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara’s blistering innings, India recovered admirably to clamp down the batsmen in the final ten overs. But in Kolkata, abetted by some shoddy fielding, the bowlers got distracted and allowed Upul Tharanga and Sangakkara to build a solid platform.

Dhoni’s reaction to Mohammad Yousuf’s statement on Twenty20 hurting Pakistan

• It is quite similar to the review system [UDRS]. If the decisions are in your favour you are OK with it but when they go against you don’t really feel it is working. It is the same case with Twenty20 format. I don’t think it would be great to blame the format. It is a mental approach that needs to change. The change of mindset is important. The basics remain the same.

Though Dhoni felt that a bowling coach would be able to discuss with the youngsters and build their confidence, he put faith in his squad. “It is a matter of time before they return to form. In Rajkot we bowled really well,” he said, “but we haven’t bowled consistently well in the death overs. It is a bit of a worry. But if we can do it in patches I don’t see why we can’t do it consistently.”A twin headache has been the fielding. Embarrassingly in the two Twenty20s and the first ODI of the Sri Lanka series, India dropped 12 catches. In the second ODI in Nagpur, when the match was still hanging in the balance, in the penultimate over Zaheer’s misfield cost them the match. By the time they reached Kolkata their ground fielding improved a lot but they still dropped Tharanga and Sangakkara when the batsmen were yet to get off the blocks. The pair built a valuable partnership of 171 runs. In the abandoned final game another simple catch went down.Dhoni was blunt in his appraisal once again. “We need to improve our fielding because in a close game avoiding the fielding errors can save us at least 15 runs,” he said. “We have a mix of safe fielders with some brilliant ones like Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.”He also praised Mike Young, the former Australian fielding coach, who spent time with the Indian team as a consultant during the limited-overs series. Though Young didn’t rush in with some innovative stuff, Dhoni said it had been “interesting” to spend time in his company. “He didn’t come with lots of ideas. He just wanted to see what was happening and where we are positioned. He worked really slow and came up with few basic techniques. It is important to take that forward.”Young will not travel with the squad to Bangladesh.

India’s spin allrounders add 99 runs in the session – 100 for their partnership – to erase England’s lead

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2025

Ravindra Jadeja celebrates his fifty as Washington Sundar looks on•AFP/Getty Images

Tea Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja batted through the afternoon session, frustrating England and helping India creep towards a doughty draw. Washington and Jadeja both made battling half-centuries as England’s bowlers toiled without reward, adding exactly 100 in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership that took India into the lead.Washington batted at No. 8 in India’s first innings, below Shardul Thakur, but was promoted to No. 5 for the first time in their second. He brought up his half-century by hooking Ben Stokes for six, then pulling him for four, and Jadeja raised his later in the same over thanks to Zak Crawley’s misfield.Dropped first-ball by Joe Root at slip off Jofra Archer’s bowling, Jadeja brought out his trademark sword celebration to mark his fifth half-century in his last six innings. He also became the seventh Indian – and the third this week, following KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant – to reach 1,000 Test runs in England.England’s close fielders were occasionally excited by tight leaves or half-chances, but there were far fewer genuine opportunities than they would have anticipated. Liam Dawson and Root both wheeled away between spells from the four seamers, but found little joy from a pitch which has not deteriorated as much as they must have hoped.India’s slender lead means that England will have to chase down a target if they do manage to run through the lower order, but the draw is the clear favourite. The two captains could shake hands at the start of the last hour if they wish, though Stokes will be reluctant to accept what would be only the second draw of his tenure as captain.

“I only think about improving my game and enjoying it. If I don’t do that, there is no purpose left,” he says

Syed Hussain06-Feb-2024Andhra have won three of their five Ranji Trophy games outright so far, and are second in the Elite Group B at this stage, behind Mumbai. Hanuma Vihari has contributed well in that run, scoring 365 runs in seven innings, behind only new captain Ricky Bhui’s 550 for the team. That’s helped his first-class average stay above 50 (52.68), but the chances of adding to his 16 Test appearances don’t look too bright.”I do feel sad and disappointed that I am not in the Test team, but everyone goes through ups and downs, and my job now is to score runs in the Ranji Trophy,” Vihari told ESPNcricinfo after Andhra beat Bihar in Patna for their third win on the trot. “The season has gone all right, both for the team and for me. So the ambition is to score a lot of runs and try to return to the Test team.”Vihari might not be on the selectors’ radar, though. He says that since his last Test appearance, back at Edgbaston in July 2022 where he batted at No. 3 and scored 20 and 11 in a seven-wicket defeat, he hasn’t had many conversations with the people who matter in the Indian team – the management or the selectors. Except one conversation with head coach Rahul Dravid.”No-one has spoken to me recently, but Rahul Dravid did speak to me after my last Test, and he told me what I can improve on, but no, I haven’t been in touch with anyone since then,” Vihari said. “But I only think about improving my game and enjoying it. If I don’t do that, there is no purpose left. When I go into the middle, I just want to do my best for the team and score runs.”I am at a stage [in my career] where I have no expectations. I give my best each time I bat and then whatever happens will happen.”A year-and-a-half before that Edgbaston Test, in January 2021, Vihari had scored perhaps the most celebrated 23 not-outs in Indian Test history, and played his part in securing one of the most famous draws in the game. With India set 407 for a win by Australia in Sydney, India were 272 for 5 in 88.2 overs before Vihari and R Ashwin collaborated for 62 runs in 42.4 overs. Vihari had scored his 23 in 161 balls in just under four hours, while Ashwin scored 39 not out in 128 balls, in just over two hours. The draw meant the teams went to the final Test, in Brisbane, on level terms, before India pulled off a magical win to take the series. Neither Vihari nor Ashwin played that last Test, because at the SCG, both of them were carrying injuries, making their fight against Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon all the more remarkable.”I have very wonderful memories of the Sydney Test. It was one-all. If we had lost that Test in Sydney, we would have lost our chance of winning the series,” Vihari recalled. “So Ashwin and I – we were both carrying injuries, so we couldn’t run much – decided to take it ball-by-ball, over-by-over, and see where we end up. We ended up playing one-and-a-half sessions and it was a memorable result. Then we went to Gabba and won the series, but the Sydney Test will always be a special one for me.”He is far away from international cricket now, and at 30, the road back can’t be easy. But one of his old mates, who has never played international cricket, has had a drastically different career graph from Vihari and suddenly has a shot at international cricket now.Unmukt Chand, India’s captain when they won the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, never made the cut at the highest level. Vihari, Chand’s team-mate, did. But Chand, after a struggle at home, moved to the USA and could well play the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the USA and the Caribbean. He might play against India, too.”We don’t talk much, because after the Under-19 World Cup, we moved quickly to the senior level, and his career graph was different from mine, and he is now in the USA,” Vihari said. “He chose a different route and is doing well, and I am happy for him. I am sure he will be doubly motivated when he plays against India, because after a brilliant Under-19 World Cup, he couldn’t make it at the senior level in India. So definitely he will be motivated. Yeah, we don’t talk, but I wish him all the best.”

The hosts pinned down Pakistan to a below-par 130 for 7 to coast home with plenty to spare

Deivarayan Muthu11-Oct-2022
On a subcontinental-style pitch in Christchurch, New Zealand’s spin quartet, led by offspinner Michael Bracewell, pinned down Pakistan to a below-par 130 for 7 and set up the hosts’ second successive victory in the tri-series.That Pakistan couldn’t score a single six in their innings summed up the dominance of New Zealand’s spinners. It was the first completed T20I innings in New Zealand a single six in 77 games. Finn Allen, who was picked ahead of Martin Guptill once again, alone hit six sixes during his 42-ball 62 as New Zealand coasted home with plenty to spare.Bracewell, who is more of a batting allrounder for Wellington Firebirds, followed up his 2 for 14 against Bangladesh with an even miserly 2 for 11 on Tuesday. Left-arm fingerspinner Mitchell Santner marked his return from paternity break with 2 for 27 while legspinner Ish Sodhi took 1 for 23. Glenn Phillips also pitched in with an over of part-time offspin as Kane Williamson rifled through his spin options. Thirteen overs were bowled by spinners – the most by New Zealand in a T20I innings – on a day when Trent Boult was rested and Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne were nursing abdominal injuries.Pakistan start well
Mohammad Rizwan gave Pakistan a jumpstart, picking off three fours in the first two overs. Santner took the new ball upon return but uncharacteristically missed his lengths and lines in his first over which cost New Zealand 11 runs. Then when Blair Tickner, who got a game in place of Boult, darted one on the pads, Babar Azam whipped it firmly over midwicket. Pakistan moved to 24 for 0 in three overs.Spin to win

After having bowled six dots to Rizwan, Bracewell dared him to go over the top by bringing Jimmy Neesham into the circle from long-on. Rizwan swung hard but could not find elevation to clear Neesham at mid-on, falling for 16 off 17 balls. Bracewell then found sharp drift to scratch Babar’s outside edge, which was well held by Devon Conway.Bracewell isn’t a big turner of the ball – there wasn’t big turn on offer either – but with drift and bounce, he ensured Pakistan never got away. He was the only bowler to have not conceded a boundary on the day.Finn Allen brought up a 31-ball half-century•Getty Images

Outside of the powerplay, Santner cut his pace down and drew mis-hits from both Shadab Khan and Shan Masood. Shadab was promoted to No.4 once again – he has excelled as a pinch-hitter for Islamabad United in the PSL – but he holed out to long-on on Tuesday.Pakistan’s middle-order batters then sleepwalked through their innings, going 34 balls without a boundary. Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed ended the drought and hit three fours each, but it was not enough to drag Pakistan to a competitive total. Tim Southee did his bit at the death by dismissing Iftikhar and Mohammad Nawaz off successive balls in the last over.Allen makes his case for the T20 World Cup
With Allen showing explosive power at the top, New Zealand are giving him a decent run, in place of Guptill, in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. After managing scores of only 13 and 16 earlier in the tri-series, Allen made his case for the T20 World Cup in Australia with a 31-ball half-century on a pitch where most other batters struggled.Allen manufactured scoring opportunities by dashing out of the crease or backing away. He hit full tilt when he launched a six onto the roof of the Hagley Oval. Conway, meanwhile, sat back and complemented Allen by knocking the ball into the gaps.Pakistan, perhaps, missed a trick and made New Zealand’s job easier by holding spin back until the seventh over. And when Shadab finally came into the attack, Allen hoicked him over the leg side for a massive six.By the time Shadab struck to have Allen stumped in the 14th over, New Zealand were just 14 runs away from victory. Conway and Williamson sealed the deal, a result that keeps Bangladesh alive in the tri-series.

Somerset batter brought in for third ODI after finding form in Blast

George Dobell01-Jul-2021England have added Tom Banton to their squad for the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka in Bristol on Sunday.Banton, the 22-year-old Somerset top-order batter, hit a 47-ball century in the Vitality T20 Blast at the start of the week. He has played six ODIs and nine T20Is for England.He joins the squad to provide back-up with Dawid Malan currently absent for personal reasons. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, of England’s first choice batting line-up, are also missing as they recover from injury.Related

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In a different era Banton, who has more than a touch of Kevin Pietersen about his batting, might already be established in the England limited-overs sides. But with the side currently blessed with impressive depth of top-order options, Banton has been obliged to wait for another opportunity. He has been preferred to other options such as Phil Salt, Alex Hales or Sam Hain.Somerset confirmed that Banton will miss their derby in the Blast against Gloucestershire on Thursday evening, as well as their home fixture against Middlesex on Friday.England are 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series and take on Sri Lanka at The Oval in a day-night game on Thursday.

A round-up of the Under-19 World Cup games on February 1, 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2020
ScorecardMatthew Patrick was at the centre of a very tense game, first picking up two wickets with his offspin to further a South Africa collapse and then scoring a vital 25 runs off 61 balls to see West Indies through to victory in the fifth-place play-off match in Potchefstroom.South Africa were rather well placed at 120 for 4 in the 29th over but then Patrick and left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (10-1-18-2) took control of the innings, triggering a collapse that resulted in the hosts losing six wickets for only 23 runs.With only 143 on the board, West Indies might have hoped for a straightforward finish but they ran straight into trouble, losing two wickets with only 11 runs on the board. Bryce Parsons and Merrick Brett turned five of their 19 overs into maidens and picked up four wickets between them as well to keep South Africa in the game, but Patrick, coming in at No. 6, absorbed all that pressure and made sure he stayed there while the winning runs were hit.Jonathan Figy plays a drive•ICC via Getty

ScorecardUdaybir Walia’s Player-of-the-Match performance helped Canada take 13th place with a win over UAE in the play-off at Potchefstroom. Walia came in at No. 8 and made an unbeaten 42 as he put together an unbroken 86-run stand with Harmanjeet Singh Bedi to rescue his team after they’d fallen to 93 for 6 in a chase of 175. Earlier in the day Walia, bowling for the first time in the tournament, took 3 for 16 to close UAE’s innings after medium-pacer Akhil Kumar and offspinner Gurjot Gosal shared five wickets to restrict UAE.A Aravind, Ansh Tandon and KP Meiyappan all got into the 20s for UAE around Alishan Sharafu, who came in at 70 for 4 and was unbeaten on 65 by the end of the innings after Canada had elected to field. In response, Canada lost wickets regularly, four of them to offspinner Rishabh Mukherjee, who finished the tournament with eight wickets in his last two matches. But little damage came from the other ends as Walia and Bedi saw Canada through.Ifeanyichukwu Uboh wheels away in celebration•ICC via Getty

ScorecardA five-wicket haul by Ifeanyichukwu Uboh helped Nigeria to their first win in the Under-19 World Cup, beating Japan by eight wickets. His efforts brought the opposition down from 81 for 3 to 115 all out which then set up opener Sulaimon Runsewe to score a half-century and close the game out with 164 balls to spare. Japan have not won any of their games in this tournament, nor put up a total above 120, but they looked good for it with Shu Noguchi doing his best to stick to the crease, but his wicket for 31 off 77 balls caused a seven-wicket collapse for only 34 runs.

O’Keefe’s three-wicket burst in his first two overs helped Sixers defend 165, which had been built on a record fourth-wicket stand of 124 between Jordan Silk and Daniel Hughes

The Report by Andrew McGlashan22-Dec-2018Sydney Sixers launched their BBL campaign with a 17-run victory over Perth Scorchers in front of their home crowd at the SCG. Steve O’Keefe’s three-wicket burst in his first two overs gave them the ideal start to their defence of 165, which had been built on a record fourth-wicket stand of 124 between Jordan Silk and Daniel Hughes.Both sides struggled in their Powerplay: the Sixers were 3 for 39 after six overs and the Scorchers 3 for 30 after the top had been knocked over by O’Keefe. In the final outcome, it was the stand between Silk and Hughes which came out on the winning side despite the efforts of Ashton Turner and Hilton Cartwright, who added 99 in 12 overs.For the Scorchers, it means their campaign has started with two defeats in three days, following their loss to Melbourne Renegades. It is a long tournament, so it is certainly not panic stations, but they will be twitchy and keen to get a win on the board on Boxing Day against the defending champions Adelaide Strikers.Getty Images

Record recoveryThe Sixers would have been in deep trouble on 4 for 57 in the ninth over if Silk had been removed on 17, as he should have been when Ashton Agar spilled a simple return catch. From there, Silk and Hughes continued to consolidate the innings, aware that they could not throw the bat, given the early damage in the Powerplay.They managed the innings to the effect of 98 runs in the final 10 overs and 56 off the final five without there ever being a full onslaught. Silk’s fifty came off 39 balls and Hughes’ off 37. The Sixers did not manage a six until the 18th over, but then Hughes twice deposited Andrew Tye over midwicket. Silk then closed out the innings by taking Tye for his third six of the innings.The eventual stand of 124 was a BBL record for the Sixers, beating the 115 put on between Moises Henriques and Hughes against Sydney Thunder in 2016.SOK-ing it to themThe Sixers couldn’t have wished for a better start with the ball. With his first delivery, O’Keefe had Sam Whiteman stumped as the left-hander was drawn down the pitch. Then, in his second over, he had David Willey caught at long-on, and three balls later, Michael Klinger was lbw. At that stage, O’Keefe had the figures of 3 for 4 and he would finish with his best BBL figures.In the eighth over of the innings, it was then time for Lloyd Pope’s first bowl in the BBL. He has been signed with some fanfare following his eye-catching performances at U-19 and first-class level early in his career. His first two overs went for a respectable 17, before he was brought back for a third that cost 15 to give the Scorchers some momentum.Worries for ScorchersAs Turner and Cartwright forged their stand of 99, the Scorchers chase was taking a similar shape to the Sixers’ innings. The partnership had got the requirement down to 64 off 36 balls, and when Turner took Sean Abbott over the leg side at the start of the 15th over, it felt like the force was with the Scorchers. Then, Turner carved to point and there was too much left to do despite Cartwright’s 53 off 39 balls.The closing stages of the match included a stunning, juggled catch at midwicket by Hughes to remove Will Bosisto, as he parried the ball up one-handed before holding on, and Cartwright being run out off a no-ball, beaten by Josh Philippe’s pinpoint throw from deep cover, after Tom Curran had overstepped.For a team with such an illustrious T20 history, it has been a poor start from Perth Scorchers. Against Melbourne Renegades, their batting flopped for 103, and it was the quick loss of their top three here that hurt them. They are without the Marsh brothers due to international duty, and the top order feels a batsman light despite the all-round skills of the likes of David Willey and Agar. It seems increasingly likely that Cameron Bancroft will return as soon as available on December 30.

Assam coach Lalchand Rajput blames Delhi’s second-innings over-rate for missing opportunity to secure an outright win in fading light

Akshay Gopalakrishnan09-Oct-2017The drawn match between Delhi and Assam in the first Ranji Trophy round in New Delhi on Monday ended in controversy over a slow last hour. Delhi fell 30 runs short of securing an outright win, and their coach KP Bhaskar pointed to bad light and Assam’s alleged slow tactics as factors in the eventual result.Delhi needed 79 in 14 overs, but were stranded on 49 for 2 with Assam bowling only eight overs in the last hour. Bhaskar has ruled out lodging a formal complaint, but admitted the opposition were astute in tackling the situation while remaining within the laws.The official time for close of play on the fourth day was 4.15pm, with teams being given the half hour extension. The umpires allowed the game to continue till 5.30pm, until they felt the light had deteriorated. “Within the laws of the game, they were using delaying tactics. Where they should have bowled 14 overs, they ended up bowling seven (Assam bowled eight),” Bhaskar told ESPNcricinfo.”They packed the off-side field and started bowling wide of the off stump. Even then, we managed 49 runs. We needed 30 more, which could have been easily scored. Unfortunately, bad light messed things up. But as I keep saying, what Assam did was within the laws and fair enough.”Under the BCCI’s playing guidelines, fines can be levied on a team for an over-rate breach only if they bowl a minimum of 50 overs. Bhaskar said the decision to go off the field when they eventually did was correct, but felt Assam crossed a line by creating delays.”There were still six overs to go and 30 runs to score,” Bhaskar said of the moment when umpires decided to call off play. “Given the light, at the most the umpires would have allowed another two overs or so. But for bowling those six overs, the way they were doing it, they would have taken about half an hour. There were reasons like the bowler fell down, so he took about five-seven minutes there and then he limped outside the ground. Then after two overs, he came back again to bowl.”Lalchand Rajput, the Assam coach, deflected the blame on Delhi, suggesting they paid the price for failing to complete their overs on time in the second innings. “They were seven or eight overs short,” Rajput said. “That automatically got carried over to us. Had they been quicker, we would have bowled earlier.”In hindsight, Bhaskar rued one critical error committed by Delhi in Assam’s second innings. Wasiqur Rahman was reprieved on 0, courtesy a no-ball from Navdeep Saini. Wasiqur went on to face 168 balls to make 63, thereby spending close to three hours at the crease, which Bhaskar felt may have also cost them.”My grudge is that we could have got them out earlier. Keeping all these factors in mind, we should have got the 10 wickets much before the last hour,” he said. “Had we done that, we would probably have been in a better position and light wouldn’t have been a factor. The no-ball wasn’t very clear, so the benefit of the doubt went to the batsman. That was a blemish from our part.”But I’m very happy with the way our bowlers bowled. They were excellent on such a good wicket; they really bowled their hearts out. We could have taken six points here, or maybe even seven, but tough luck.”

USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake has said he is confident his side will produce a strong performance at WCL Division Four in Los Angeles next month, despite the team ‘not being used to the workload’

Peter Della Penna24-Sep-2016USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake has said he is confident his side will produce a strong performance at ICC WCL Division Four in Los Angeles next month, despite the team ‘not being used to the workload.’ After coming out of his first five-day national team camp with USA’s 22-man squad in Indianapolis this week, Dassanayake admitted there is still plenty of work to do but is encouraged by the initial progress he has seen.”We are still behind in all three departments and from the last three weeks I would say we have come actually at least a very decent way,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo at the conclusion of the five-day camp, which included a 50-over match against a touring Marylebone Cricket Club side.”Very proud of the boys. They put a lot of effort. These five days was very tough for them. Some of them are not used to this much workload but they would still fight, and went through the whole program. I think especially the areas we are looking for in the batting and I think some of them got it right. At least mentally they are prepared to get what we want.”Early on in the camp, the USA batsmen produced several tentative displays which began with their effort against the MCC when they were bowled out for 141 in 40 overs. However, a spirited bowling effort saw them restrict the MCC to just 94 in reply. As the camp wore on, Dassanayake said he felt the players started to become less nervous about making the final 14-man squad for Division Four and focused on playing freely and positively.”There are a few areas that I was concerned before I came here, especially the middle order, the fielding side and also the fitness part,” Dassanayake said. “But I think we have covered mostly those areas and the boys are very aware of the things they need to be working on in the next five to six weeks. Some of them are given programs to work on for the next couple of weeks.”Despite recent USA coaching regimes where the coach only worked with players during a tournament, Dassanayake said he will be traveling back and forth between New York and Los Angeles over the next five weeks leading into Division Four. Although some USA players may not be able to take time off work to get together in one central location, Dassanayake is committed to travelling to their home bases to focus on specific skills to lay the platform for success in Los Angeles.”Everyone is aware of what they need to do and now it’s about taking the responsibility and working on their own until we meet again, and then there’s the Auty Cup before the main tournament to check everybody where we stand again,” Dassanayake said. “After Auty Cup, we still have another couple of weeks to improve if we are behind in some areas. Like I said, we are on the right track to get everything done.”