Shaun Udal beams when recollecting how the great Sachin Tendulkar fell into his trap to inspire England to an unlikely Test win in India, memories which brighten his outlook when he is at a low ebb.
Living with Parkinson’s disease, which can leave him in excruciating pain, Udal embraces the chance to think back to March 2006 when a patched-up England beat a vaunted India in a Test on their own soil.
With Andrew Flintoff’s side trailing 1-0 and beset by injuries and illness ahead of the Mumbai decider, Udal vindicated his call-up with figures of four for 14 in the fourth innings just as a draw beckoned.
Key to a 212-run triumph was Udal exploiting some rough outside off-stump to have Tendulkar snaffled at bat-pad on the Little Master’s home ground at the Wankhede Stadium, provoking pin drop silence.
“There was about 40-odd thousand in the crowd when he was batting, when I got him out there was about 10,000 left,” Udal told the PA news agency as he thought back to his fourth and final Test appearance.
“You have a plan for each batsman and mine was to try and get him caught short-leg. I didn’t think it would actually happen and to get him was just surreal.
“I still remember to this day the overriding feeling of ‘wow, that’s Sachin Tendulkar I’ve just got out in a Test match’. I ran out around like a seven-year-old for a couple of minutes celebrating.
“It was very special, it lives long in the memory and I’m happy to have played a significant role on the last day.”
There are parallels between the current set-up led by Ben Stokes heading to India and those that played in the ‘Ring of Fire’ Test, with both captained by maverick all-rounders and largely written off.
England’s spin attack is as raw now as it was then with Monty Panesar in his third Test although he and especially Udal, while unproven at international level, could fall back on their county experience.
The same cannot be said of Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, who have just one Test cap, between them as the supplementary options to first-choice Jack Leach, who has a chequered fitness past.
“The spinners are going to be crucial,” Udal said, suspecting India’s selection of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav is revealing for the series which starts on Thursday.
“It’s a telltale sign of what the pitches are going to be like because India have picked four spinners in a squad of 16, so it’s obviously going to spin square.
“India can be a bit of a graveyard for a spinner, you can sink or swim. My worry is if Jack Leach goes down then we’ll be left with three youngsters as our first-choice spin attack.
“But they’ll be under no pressure from the management and captain. I’ll be intrigued to see how effective ‘Bazball’, or whatever you want to call it, is in India.”
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019, Udal is familiar with misconceptions around the progressive neurological condition so he seeks to raise awareness by highlighting his own experiences.
He has a “lot of balance problems” and his “motor skills are very bad”, while “the cramps and pains” which frequently wake him up in the middle of the night can be debilitating.
“There are bad days and good ones,” he said. “It’s a question of living with it; I can’t do anything else about it, it’s incurable, it will deteriorate and it will get the better of me at some stage.
“But I’m determined to try and delay that for as long as I can.”
Udal’s world was rocked in the period after his diagnosis by the deaths of his mother, brother and close friend Shane Warne, prompting him to reach out to the Professional Cricketers’ Association.
“I truly believe if it wasn’t for them and the help they’ve given, I don’t think I would be here,” Udal says of the support he received from the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, the charitable arm of the PCA.
As well as remembering a career that brought more than 800 first-class wickets for Middlesex, Hampshire and England, Udal tries to stay upbeat and is overjoyed that he is due become a grandfather in April.
“It’s not easy to stay positive then but there’s always someone worse off, you’ve got to remember that,” he added.
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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