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The Islamabad United captain expressed his disappointment after two of his players were provisionally suspended for alleged breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code

Umar Farooq in Sharjah18-Feb-2017Misbah-ul-Haq, who did so much to steer Pakistan away from the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, has spoken of his disappointment at having to face up to another case of corruption in Pakistan cricket. Six years ago, Misbah took over a Test side gutted by the sudden loss of its captain and opener, Salman Butt, as well as its new-ball pair of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. This time, he was already captain of the Islamabad United side from which Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were chargedfor alleged breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code.”Nobody wants Pakistan and Pakistani players to be associated with fixing again,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “After six years of hard work such things happening again is a matter of great concern and disappointment. I am really disappointed. But, I think whenever such things happen, you have got to be very strong to face them. Forget about the individuals who are responsible and try to make sure that things are not happening again; move forward, try to perform better, try to be disciplined and improve the reputation around the world.”This latest case, during the ongoing Pakistan Super League, has come as the Lord’s trio stands all but reintegrated into the Pakistan system. Misbah has captained Amir at the international level through the course of 2016, while Butt and Asif are back playing domestic cricket. ESPNcricinfo understands Butt is also in contention to make the national squad for the tour of the West Indies in March. But given what has happened in the PSL, the PCB could be forced to rethink that situation.Frustratingly for the Pakistan board, the latest incident has come after six years of concerted effort to tighten its anti-corruption code and practices. Men’s and women’s teams, at all levels, are given lectures before any tour or series, emphasising the dangers of corruption, as well as the ways in which approaches might occur. Players are given literature in Urdu as well. At the domestic level, apart from the regular programme, Amir, Asif and Butt gave anti-corruption lectures in which they spoke about their experiences.The alleged incidents of corruption in the PSL have come as big blow for the PCB, which had taken great steps to stamp it out of Pakistan cricket•PCB

Both Sharjeel and Latif are Pakistan internationals. Sharjeel, especially, was on the verge of becoming a vital cog in the national side. He has played 25 ODIs and 15 T20Is since his debut in December 2013, and over the last year or so, blossomed into the kind of opener Pakistan needed, especially in limited-overs cricket. He was one of the few bright spots in Pakistan’s chastening tour of Australia recently, from the time he made his Test debut in Sydney to his three fifties in the ODI series. Potentially, under the PCB’s anti-corruption code, he could be facing a life ban.Losing Sharjeel and Latif, along with Andre Russell before the season began for an anti-doping code violation, has hit Islamabad hard as they try to defend their title. At the halfway stage of the PSL, they have two wins and two losses.”It obviously affects you when your match-winners and best players go down, but then, there are other boys on the bench raring to go in, and they are equally good,” Misbah said. “There are tough situations, but it’s about the environment and the winning habit so that it doesn’t matter who comes and goes. The boys take inspiration from every win. They are building up, they are getting the confidence, and with couple of victories, we have a way forward in this PSL. They know their roles, they are always ready to chip in and win us games. Our squad is capable enough to retain the title this year.”Islamabad retained their 17 players this season. The core of their side, however, is an aging one, with several of them over 35 years old. But for Misbah, that is an asset.”Philosophy is just to have players who have better understanding about the game,” he said. “Players who are fit for the game, know their roles, handle pressure very well, and if there are younger players around, then they have good chance in making in our squad as well. It’s not deliberate, but this is actually helping us because we have players from around the world who are mature and experienced in this format. This is actually an advantage for us in many ways as we have players who are mentally strong.”

If what MS Dhoni says is to be gone by, another good start by the top three in the final T20I could mean no batting for Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya

Sidharth Monga29-Jan-20162:39

‘Didn’t want to play spinners in first six overs’ – Dhoni

Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya were brought into the Indian T20 side to address the lack of big hitters, but there is a good chance they might come back from Australia having contributed only with the ball and in the field. If what MS Dhoni says is to be gone by, another good start by the top three in the final T20 international could mean no batting for Yuvraj and Pandya. Dhoni said he was against experimentation even though India wrapped up the series win in Melbourne, but then again Dhoni also ruled out playing Rishi Dhawan precisely two days before he was picked in the ODI XI.The final T20I in Sydney on Sunday will be a dead rubber, and Dhoni was asked if India would go out of the way to see what potential Pandya held and what kind of form Yuvraj was in. “It is a difficult one,” Dhoni said. “Experiment word is never there with the Indian team. It is never there. Yes we want to see what Yuvraj will do in the batting, we want to see what Hardik can do, but where is the opportunity? That also we have to see.”We can’t make them open. Virat [Kohli] is batting very well at No. 3. If the partnership goes on, and if it is the 15th or the 16th over, then it is my time to come in and play the big shots. It will be difficult for them, but with a few of the games coming up maybe they will get better chances. But as I said there won’t be any experimentation. If an opportunity arises definitely they will get a chance to bat.”Yuvraj and Pandya, though, have freed Dhoni up to play around with his bowling options. After Australia got off to a good start in their chase, R Ashwin picked up a wicket to give India a sniff, but by that time India’s four main bowlers had exhausted 10 of their overs. This was a crucial period with Australia past half of their target at the halfway mark. The next two overs were bowled by Pandya and Yuvraj, and both brought a wicket each.”The strength of the piechucker [Yuvraj] is his bowling,” Dhoni joked. “He bowled really well. You need more individuals who can do more than one job in the field. Especially if all of them are good fielders, and if they can contribute with bat and ball if needed. Just adds to the strength of the side. Sometimes in T20 you need to bowl only one over, and once the captain has given you that one over, irrespective of whether it is good or bad that one over is out of the equation. That actually helps you. That one over. By the time the batsman figures out what you are trying to do you get rid of one over.”It helps us because Pandya also bowled decently well (1 for 17 in two overs). Both of them together will be very good. Not to forget we have [Suresh] Raina too. If needed he can also bowl if there are many left-handers in the opposition. Yuvi bowled really well, hit the areas, and with time he will get better and better because he is that sort of player.”Pandya has really impressed Dhoni, and might leapfrog Rishi and Stuart Binny as the seaming allrounder in ODIs too. While counting the positives from the tour, Dhoni said: “Also the performance of Hardik as a bowler. Still it will be tough for him to bowl 10 overs in an ODI game but if others are contributing a few overs here and there then we can look to have him in the side. That can strengthen our batting also and at the same time put pressure on the opposition.”It is in foreign conditions that India really need that extra seamer because the spinners become less effective, and this is where Dhoni wants the ICC, too, to stop experimenting. When asked about the luxury his spinners provide him, Dhoni said: “All of a sudden the spinners are bowling well. Not like they were bowling badly but we have to see the rule changes also. I think it is quite against the spinners. I feel they will have to do something with the rules [in ODIs]. In T20 you have the five fielders outside throughout. You have that extra fielder [as opposed to ODIs where only four fielders are allowed outside the circle until the start of the 41st over]. Let’s see how it goes.”

Moeen Ali’s first century in the Championship for nearly two years steered Worcestershire into a strong position against Gloucestershire

23-May-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Moeen Ali progressed to his first hundred of the season•PA Photos

Moeen Ali’s first century in the Championship for nearly two years steered Worcestershire into a strong position in their Division Two clash with local rivals Gloucestershire at New Road. Having bowled out their neighbours for 234, Worcestershire powered into a lead of 68 as Moeen – badly dropped at mid-off on 99 by Liam Norwell – closed the second day with 122 not out in a total of 302 for 3.While Moeen was all flair and flicks, with 18 fours and three sixes, the diligent Matt Pardoe grafted for nearly five hours for 89, the highest of seven half-centuries so far in his Championship career. Their partnership of 173 in 52 overs built on the advantage secured by Alan Richardson’s first-day return of 8 for 37, the best Championship bowling for the county since Zaheer Khan took nine wickets against Essex in 2006.Worcestershire’s top order has rarely fired so consistently in recent times but after a sticky period following last year’s relegation from Division One, they have been given a shot in the arm by their two-day demolition of Kent last week. With a first win of the season secured at the fifth attempt, suddenly they are a team playing with authority.After rain in the morning had cost an hour’s play, Gloucestershire’s seamers were unable to match Richardson’s destructive performance when Daryl Mitchell and Pardoe resumed their overnight partnership of 65. The first pair moved on to 90 before Mitchell, having hit 10 fours, went for 63, carving a ball from Norwell to Benny Howell at point.If Gloucestershire hoped this would put them back in the game, they were quickly disappointed as the ever-entertaining Moeen revealed his full repertoire in reaching three figures from 130 balls.In a partnership of left-handed batsmen, Pardoe had a different role to play and he carried it through as Worcestershire would have wanted when pushing him up the order in place of last year’s overseas player, Phil Hughes. Tall and watchful but always quick to punish the bad ball, he hit seven fours in reaching 50 for the second match in a row at New Road and he added five further boundaries before the new ball gave Gloucestershire a lift late in the day.In the third over, James Fuller bowled Pardoe, before Thilan Samaraweera became a leg-before victim for Craig Miles from the ninth ball he faced. The final session was twice interrupted by rain and in all 27 overs were lost to the weather.

Paul Horton batted for more than seven and a half hours as Lancashire escaped with what had appeared more than once to be a draw that was beyond their reach.

Jon Culley at Edgbaston19-May-2012
ScorecardPaul Horton’s long stay grabbed an unlikely draw for Lancashire•PA Photos

Paul Horton batted for more than seven and a half hours as Lancashire escaped with what had appeared more than once to be a draw that was beyond their reach. It did not prevent Warwickshire overtaking Nottinghamshire at the top of the First Division table, but denied them the 15-point lead they were hoping to secure.Lancashire avoided a fourth defeat in their sixth match of the season and did so in such a way that it felt like a win. Horton finished unbeaten on 137, his best score in the Championship since September 2009 and his first century in the competition for more than two years, and found significant support too from Luke Procter, with whom he shared a partnership of 61 spanning more than 26 overs when the Warwickshire attack was at its most dangerous, and Gareth Cross, who himself survived for 13 minutes short of three hours for his unbeaten 75, playing his part in a stand of 139 that Warwickshire could not break in 51 and a half overs of trying.It could, perhaps, be a turning point in Lancashire’s season. Peter Moores, their head coach, will try to make it one for sure. “It does feel like a win in a way,” Moores said. “In some ways it is like a 19-point win, in that while we get only three we stop them getting 16, which makes it quite a significant result.”It was an opportunity to show some fight and get our season moving after a difficult start. We have struggled for runs so it was important to get some momentum to carry forward.”It was a great knock from Paul because he was under pressure throughout, in light that was not good against a Warwickshire side who went at us really hard. This was a chance to save a game in adversity and he took it. But Luke Procter deserved a lot of credit, too, as did Gareth Cross, of course.”Moores shied away from the opportunity to declare Lancashire’s title defence to be over already, although he would admit that the ground lost will be difficult to make up. Second-bottom of the table, they are 51 points adrift of Warwickshire, who have played one match fewer.”I don’t think you can say the title has gone but we are not thinking about that,” he said. “It is the time now to just think about the next game against Middlesex and take each session one at a time, as we always do. But this gives us some momentum, which you always want, and we just have to build on that.”A draw had scarcely seemed possible when Lancashire were 54 for 5 on the second evening after Warwickshire’s marathon first innings was finally declared. Nor when they were forced to follow on 360 behind midway through the third day.It still appeared unlikely on the final morning, given they had lost eight wickets in the course of Friday and somehow needed to preserve their remaining seven on a pitch, you supposed, that would be at its least benign.But Horton answered Lancashire’s call to shoulder the burden of responsibility by maintaining a vigil that revealed patience, good judgment and unwavering concentration. It was particularly merit-worthy not least because Horton had not scored a Championship century since April 2010 and had been out four times in the 90s last season, which only added to the psychological pressure under which he found himself.Warwickshire lead the First Division, yet will feel they should have taken the opportunity, having already won at Liverpool this season, to complete a double over the side that pipped them to the title last year, and put daylight between themselves and the pack.Lancashire were helped a little by the weather, in that the start was delayed until 11.45 because of rain, but reached lunch with only one more wicket lost after Steven Croft was given out caught at second slip in the seventh of the 84 overs left, the ball coming off a low part of the bat from a full length delivery by Chris Wright, the catch a brilliant one-handed effort by Rikki Clarke.But Horton, making light of the extra responsibility on his shoulders after Stephen Moore, Karl Brown and Ashwell Prince were out on Friday afternoon, had stuck to his task exceptionally well, adding only nine runs to his 56 overnight but more importantly preserving his wicket.The middle session was the toughest. Jeetan Patel did not find much help for his off-spin but was naggingly accurate, while he and Procter had to contend with a hostile spell from Clarke, who tested Horton’s supposed weakness against short-pitched bowling and was convinced he had him caught behind off the glove on 78, only for umpire Martin Bodenham to remain unmoved.A change of pace, with Darren Maddy entering the attack to skid the ball through, accounted for Procter, but Cross was no less dogged, and ultimately found opportunity to unleash some aggression as fielders crowded the bat. Once Warwickshire turned first to Ian Westwood and then even to Varun Chopra, Lancashire knew the job was almost done.Horton deserved his century, that came off 242 balls in a little over five hours and contained 14 fours, and equally so deserved to still be there at the end, at 20 minutes to six to be precise, when Jim Troughton, the Warwickshire captain, decided finally that the win had eluded him.

Punjab’s bowlers, led by a resurgent Piyush Chawla, capitalised on Delhi’s woes to run to their third win on the trot, keeping their late-blooming campaign alive

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar15-May-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIrfan Pathan surprised everyone by rediscovering old-ball swing, but not much else changed for Delhi as they continued to flounder•Associated Press

The scorecard will say Paul Valthaty hammered 62 to power Punjab to an eventually match-winning 170, but that’s not even half the story. Through 50 balls of clueless flailing, Valthaty put on a display completely out of place in the beautiful setting that is Dharamsala. Delhi Daredevils matched his ordinariness with a shoddy show on the field, followed by the sort of batting display that can be expected from a one-man team, when that one man is missing. Punjab’s bowlers, led by a resurgent Piyush Chawla, capitalised on Delhi’s woes to run to their third win on the trot, keeping their late-blooming campaign alive.By all counts it was an average game of cricket, and the tone for the ordinariness was set right at the start. There was swing for Irfan Pathan, but not enough pace. There were swings of Adam Gilchrist’s bat, but not too many connections. At the other end, Morne Morkel’s other-worldly bounce systematically exposed Valthaty’s limitations. The pressure was on Punjab and the chances promptly followed, but Delhi graciously fluffed them. Yogesh Nagar and Irfan combined to mess up a straightforward run-out opportunity, before Venugopal Rao dropped a chance at slip. Delhi’s generosity was duly reciprocated by Punjab, as Gilchrist gifted his wicket soon after the botched run-out. It was like watching two football sides trying to outdo each other in an own-goal contest.Shaun Marsh’s advent sought to bring sanity to the proceedings – he began by charming Aavishkar Salvi over mid-on, before shredding him through point – but Valthaty’s methods continued to spoil the scenery. Initially he attempted on-the-up thumps, regardless of length, and often missed by ridiculously large margins. He later tried to counter the bounce with cuts, but rarely made contact. He then resorted to the pull, and it was soon evident why he doesn’t play that shot too often. On the one occasion when he managed to middle the ball, Varun Aaron at fine-leg ran in too far, and the ball sailed over the boundary.Valthaty eventually found his match against James Hopes’ trundle and ignited the innings with two violent sixes over the leg-side and an edged four through third man. Bowling listless lengths to Valthaty wasn’t Hopes’ biggest mistake of the innings though. He brought on S Sriram’s nondescript left-arm spin in the 13th over and Marsh indulged himself to some slog-sweeping violence. The over bled 25, including three big sixes over the leg side, as Punjab galloped from 70 for 1 in ten overs to 115 for 1 in 13.Delhi managed to contain the damage in the remaining overs, through Aaron’s pace, and Irfan’s surprising rediscovery of old-ball swing. Marsh and Valthaty perished to Irfan’s stock indippers off successive balls in the 15th over. Delhi could have taken control in the next over, but Naman Ojha grassed a chance to let off Dinesh Karthik, allowing Punjab to motor along to 170.Delhi’s chase followed a now-familiar template: David Warner’s shocking loss of form – he had cobbled up 47 runs in his last six innings before the game – and Virender Sehwag’s absence meant the innings lost steam quickly. Along with Naman Ojha, Warner played out ten successive dot balls early on, in the process giving Praveen Kumar his fourth maiden of the season. Ojha eventually found release by clouting Shalabh Srivastava for two sixes and a four in the sixth over, but it proved to be a false dawn. Ojha guided Srivastava behind in the eighth over for a run-a-ball 28, before Warner miscued the same bowler for a run-a-ball 29. Run-a-balls were, however, not going to be enough.Chawla has endured a rough time recently: he struggled for impact in the World Cup and his place in the team became a national debate; his struggles continued in the IPL, and he’s been left out for the West Indies ODIs. On Sunday, he finally came into his own with a sprightly spell, in which he refrained from his old failing of over-doing the googly. He accounted for Sriram, Rao and Hopes in successive overs, as Delhi went down with the setting sun in Dharamsala.

David Hussey, the Australia and Victoria batsman, will lead Nottinghamshire in the Friends Provident Twenty20 competition this English domestic season

Cricinfo staff21-May-2010David Hussey, the Australia and Victoria batsman, will lead Nottinghamshire in the Friends Provident Twenty20 competition this English domestic season. Hussey is the club’s second overseas player, joining his Australia Twenty20 team-mate, left-arm fast bowler Dirk Nannes.Hussey will only lead the club during the Twenty20 tournament, while Chris Read will resume his duties as captain in the 40-over one-day competition and the County Championship.”Captaining in Twenty20 cricket can be very intense and I feel that it’s best for me and the team if I take a break and draw on David Hussey’s experience,” Read said. “David has an excellent record in this format and he’ll have his own ideas on how the team should approach matches that I’m sure we’ll all learn from.”He’ll have my full support and the support of every player in the dressing room.”Hussey has played 23 Twenty20 internationals for Australia, most recently in the ICC World Twenty20, and has scored 512 runs at 28.44. He starred for his team in the World Twenty20 final against England, making 59 to help Australia recover to a competitive score after a poor start, but one they failed to defend.

Meanwhile, Chris Silverwood has declared an interest in becoming the county’s new head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2024Jonny Bairstow will play his first match of the season for Yorkshire this week when the County Championship returns following a six-week break.Bairstow has only played two first-class games for his home county since the end of the 2020 season due to his England and IPL commitments. He is yet to feature for Yorkshire in any format this season, having taken a short break from the game between the T20 World Cup and the start of the Hundred, where he represented Welsh Fire.But he will return for Thursday’s fixture against Sussex at Scarborough, with Yorkshire sitting just outside of the two promotion places in Division Two. They are four points behind second-placed Middlesex heading into the final five games of the season, and can close the 27-point gap on leaders Sussex this week.Bairstow made 123 runs in seven innings for Welsh Fire this season•Getty Images

Bairstow lost his place in England’s Test team after failing to reach 40 on their tour to India this year, and appears unlikely to feature in their T20I and ODI series against Australia in September. He declared at the start of the Hundred that “all I want to do is play for England”, but was short of runs for Welsh Fire, with 123 runs and a single half-century across seven innings.”I spoke to Jonny, and he still has ambitions of getting back into the England team,” Ottis Gibson, Yorkshire’s head coach, said last week. “When he was coming back from his injury last year, our medical team and coaches – everybody associated with the club – helped him get back into the England fold.”If it’s that we need to do that again with him, give him some love and get him into a position where he puts good performances in, everybody benefits from that. Jonny Bairstow is a serious cricketer anyway, but when he has a point to prove, he’s even more dangerous. Hopefully, we can take advantage of that.”Related

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Yorkshire confirmed on Monday that Bairstow is available to play at Scarborough after a shoulder niggle, but his availability for the final four games of the season has not yet been confirmed. They will be without their captain Shan Masood this week, who is with Pakistan’s Test squad ahead of their series against Bangladesh.The club announced earlier this month that Gibson will leave his job at the end of the season, and are also in the process of recruiting a new director of cricket, having advertised for the role earlier in the summer.Chris Silverwood, who recently left his job as Sri Lanka coach, has declared his interest in the head coach vacancy: “I haven’t spoken to anybody as yet,” he told talkSPORT. “Would it interest me? Absolutely, it’s my old county and I have a great love for Yorkshire.”

Bhuvneshwar has led Sunrisers in seven games in the past, winning two and losing five

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2023In the absence of designated captain Aiden Markram, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening match of IPL 2023, against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on April 2.Markram is in South Africa for the two-match ODI series against Netherlands and will arrive in India only on April 3. The series is crucial for South Africa’s direct qualification for the ODI World Cup, to be played in India later this year. They need to win both ODIs against Netherlands (without over-rate penalties) and then hope Ireland lose at least one ODI against Bangladesh in a three-match home series in May.Bhuvneshwar has been with Sunrisers since their inception in 2013, and has led them in the past as well – in six games in 2019 and once in 2022. Sunrisers won two of those seven matches.After finishing eighth on the points table in 2022, Sunrisers revamped their squad ahead of this season. One of the big changes was releasing their then-captain Kane Williamson and handing over the reins to Markram.Markram recently led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title, where he also finished as the tournament’s third-highest run-getter, scoring 369 runs at a strike rate of 127. He also bagged 11 wickets at an economy of 6.19 with his offspin.Apart from Markram, Marco Jansen and Heinrich Klaasen will also be unavailable for the first match. That leaves Sunrisers with only five overseas players – Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips, Adil Rashid, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Akeal Hosein – to choose from for their first match.Sunrisers’ second game is on April 7, against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow.

Teams agree on draw after Jharkhand extend lead to 1008, the biggest in the history of first-class cricket

Himanshu Agrawal in Kolkata16-Mar-2022Their first-innings lead – a mammoth 591-run lead at that – over Nagaland took Jharkhand into the quarter-final of this season’s Ranji Trophy. Nagaland’s struggle finally ended just after halfway on the fifth day, as the two teams shook hands at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, with Jharkhand having taken a lead of 1008, the highest in the history of first-class cricket, when they finished on 417 for 6 in their second innings.When the final day’s play started, Jharkhand were 132 for 2 in their second innings, already 723 ahead, and could have pushed for a win, as they might have when they bowled Nagaland out for 289 after putting up 880 in their first innings. But they chose to bat on, taking a result out of the contest. As a result, opener Utkarsh Singh and middle-order batters Anukul Roy and Kumar Kushagra, who had scored 266 in the first innings, added to their numbers.Jharkhand added 285 runs in just over 53 overs of play on the day. Roy followed his first-innings 59 with an entertaining 159 off 164 balls, smashing 14 fours and seven sixes in his knock. He added 163 with Kushagra, who scored 89 in 104 balls. Utkarsh was the first wicket to fall on the day, caught off Shrikant Mundhe for 73 after resuming on 50.Kushagra joined Roy at the start of the 51st over, and after the 58th, the two started to up the scoring rate. They took 41 off four overs as Roy edged closer to a century, and he got to the landmark, his second in first-class cricket, in the 66th over by hitting a six off left-arm spinner Imliwati Lemtur.He continued to have fun against the spinners, taking four and six off consecutive balls from Rongsen Jonathan in the 77th over, before cracking two successive sixes off Lemtur in the next. Though Roy fell to Jonathan for a career-best 153, Kushagra continued to go big, launching Jonathan for two sixes before being dismissed off the third ball of the 91st over, which turned out to be the final delivery of the match.The Ranji Trophy quarter-finals begin after the IPL concludes on May 29, the tournament having been split into two chunks this season. The fixtures for the knockouts have not been released yet.

Kings XI batsman credits Stoinis for telling impact

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2020Crestfallen after losing their IPL opener, Kings XI Punjab batsman Mayank Agarwal said it feels terrible to not close off the game after making a stupendous comeback against Delhi Capitals.Chasing 158 to win, Kings XI were struggling at 55 for 5, until Agarwal turned it around with a fine counter-attack after a slow start. He made his IPL best of 89 and fell with Kings XI needing one run off the final ball. Then, Marcus Stoinis, who had effected a sensational turnaround with the bat for Delhi Capitals, forced the match into a Super Over by dismissing Chris Jordan off the last ball.”We had a tough day,” Agarwal told . “There are a lot of positives to take out. The way we came back was fantastic, the way we bowled with the new ball was terrific. It really hurts to not close off the game from the situation we were in, feels terrible.”This is just the first game. We can get things rolling again. Let’s see how we will go in the coming games. I think to play a game like that first up was fantastic. Everyone was up for it. The guys really put in the effort. Definitely, we should have finished the game when we needed one run.”Agarwal also observed the target – albeit 20-25 more than what Kings XI looked like chasing – was still gettable. “It was a par score and going into the break, we knew that if we can stitch a partnership and not give them wickets with the new ball, we could win the game,” Agarwal said. “We batted extremely well to reach there. I don’t know what to say (about the final moments).”Agarwal also praised Stoinis for his 21-ball 53 that helped Capitals smash 57 off the last three overs. Stoinis was particularly harsh on Chris Jordan, who was hit for two sixes and three four in an over that went for 30 runs. “Stoinis batted extremely well,” Agarwal said. “Even if we made a little mistake, he took us apart. So credit to him and he had a great game and he did really did well for them at the death.”Axar Patel, the Capitals left-arm spinner, was equally effusive in his praise Stoinis. Patel himself had an excellent outing, keeping a lid on the scoring with his loopy variations – something he’s only developed recently – after R Ashwin had to go off the field with an injured shoulder. Patel finished with creditable figures of 1 for 14 off his four overs.”If the team wants to go with six bowlers then you need an all-rounder and if he can contribute with both bat and ball it’s really good for the team,” Patel said. “Stoinis performing like this in the first game itself means we don’t have to change our strategy too much. It’s good we won the Super Over and the morale is high in the dressing room.”