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He also hoped Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran would get called up to the Test squad in the future

PTI29-Jun-2023Sourav Ganguly cannot understand the process behind Ajinkya Rahane getting the Test vice-captaincy after spending nearly 18 months on the sidelines. The former India captain has called for “consistency and continuity” in the selection process.Rahane, 35, was out of favour for one-and-a-half years but was India’s best batter in the World Test Championship final against Australia earlier this month, with scores of 89 and 46 at The Oval.Related

• Rahane: 'I'm young and there's a lot of cricket left in me'

• Time to temper expectations as India enter Test transition

• Jaiswal and Gaikwad in India's Test squad for West Indies

• Jaiswal a far cry from Dravid and Pujara, but can make No. 3 his own

• Gavaskar defends 'loyal servant' Pujara

Just one Test after he had made a comeback – he played his previous Test in January 2022 – the national selection committee headed by interim chief Shiv Sunder Das re-appointed Rahane as Rohit Sharma’s deputy for the West Indies Test series.So was it not ideal to groom someone like Shubman Gill for the role?”Yeah I think so,” Ganguly told during an exclusive interaction from London.Ganguly suggested that the allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, a certainty in India’s Test XI both home and away, could have been considered for the role.”I won’t say it’s a step backward,” Ganguly said. “You have been out for 18 months, then you play a Test and you become a vice-captain. I don’t understand the thought process behind it. There is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been there for a long time and a certainty in Test matches, he is a candidate.”… but to just come back and straightway become vice-captain after 18 months, I don’t understand. My only thing is that selection shouldn’t be hot and cold. There has to be continuity and consistency in selection.”The Indian selectors have hit the transition button by excluding Cheteshwar Pujara from the squad for the West Indies tour. Ganguly wants the selectors to have clear communication with Pujara, who has played 103 Tests for India, about his future.”Selectors should have a clear idea about him [Pujara],” Ganguly said. “Do they need him to play Test cricket anymore or do they want to continue with youngsters, and communicate it to him. Somebody like Pujara can’t be dropped, then picked, dropped again and then picked. Same with Ajinkya Rahane also.”Ganguly feels Yashasvi Jaiswal has proven himself not just in the IPL but in first-class cricket as well•Bangladesh Cricket Board

‘I feel for Sarfaraz Khan’

The selections of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad for the West Indies tour suggests the selectors have emphasised IPL performances over those in domestic cricket, but Ganguly doesn’t believe this is the case. He hopes, however that Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who have been prolific in the Ranji Trophy over recent seasons, will get their chance too.”I think Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored tons of runs in Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy, Duleep Trophy. I think that’s why he is in the squad,” Ganguly said. “I feel for Sarfaraz Khan. At some point he should get an opportunity for the amount of runs that he has scored in past three years.”And same thing for Abhimanyu Easwaran for the tons of runs he has scored in last five to six years. I am surprised that both of them have been omitted but they should get a chance in future. But Yashasvi Jasiwal is a good selection.”Ganguly has observed Sarfaraz from close quarters as director of cricket at Delhi Capitals. He rubbished the idea that Sarfaraz has a weakness against fast bowling.”If you don’t play him against fast bowling, how do you know?” he asked. “If he had problems he wouldn’t have scored so many runs all around [India]. I personally feel he has no problems against fast bowling and he should be given an opportunity.”

Political rallies scheduled in Islamabad – the twin city of Rawalpindi – has forced the change

Danyal Rasool18-Mar-2022Pakistan’s white-ball matches against Australia will now be played in Lahore, and not Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said on Friday. On Saturday, the two boards agreed on the shift, and the three ODIs and one-off T20I will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium.The move was forced on the PCB because of a political situation surrounding prime minister Imran Khan, who is set to face a no-confidence vote next week.ESPNcricinfo understands that the final decision was a matter for the two boards – the PCB and Cricket Australia – and not the government to finalise. However, the boards have now mutually agreed to the recommendation of the minister.The political atmosphere in the country has led to both the ruling party, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), promising to bring massive numbers in support for their respective causes towards Islamabad, which adjoins Rawalpindi.PTI has announced it will bring one million people to D Chowk, a square in Islamabad known for hosting political rallies, on March 27 “to express solidarity with the prime minister Imran Khan”. The spot is less than two kilometres from the hotel where the two teams were expected to stay during the series. PDM has also given a call to its workers and the public at large to begin a long march towards Islamabad on Pakistan Day – March 23.The dates for the four games remains unchanged. Lahore will host the three ODIs on March 29, March 31 and April 2, and a one-off T20I on April 5. The PCB is understood to have been reluctant to shift venue, concerned about the message it might send to the cricketing world. It appears, though, that circumstances may have forced their hand.Australia are currently in Lahore to play the third Test of a three-match series, starting March 21. The first two Tests – in Rawalpindi and Karachi – were drawn. It is the first Australia tour to the country since 1998.

Her return to the 15-player squad had not been approved by the tournament technical committee

Andrew McGlashan22-Nov-2020The Sydney Sixers have been fined A$25,000, of which $15,000 is suspended for 12 months, after they erroneously named pace bowler Hayley Silver-Holmes in their XI to face the Melbourne Renegades on Saturday, despite her not officially being part of the squad.Having been replaced in the squad due to a foot injury, Silver-Holmes was fit again for the weekend’s matches but her return to the 15-player squad had not been approved by the tournament technical committee.The error was spotted, and self-reported, by the Sixers after the match against the Renegades had started and she was withdrawn from the match without batting.A hearing took play before Cricket Australia’s senior conduct commissioner, Alan Sullivan QC, on Sunday and the breach was termed “serious”. He could have imposed a fine of up to $50,000 plus other sanctions but took into account the fact the Sixers lost the game and that Silver-Holmes had not played any part in the contest”Cricket Australia places a significant emphasis on the integrity of all competitions, including the compliance with its player contracting rules and regulations,” Sean Carroll, CA’s head of integrity and Security, said. “This breach by the Sydney Sixers, while serious in nature, had a reduced impact due to the club’s actions during last night’s game.”As such, we support the findings of Alan Sullivan QC, including the suspension of $15,000 of the $25,000 fine imposed.”Alistair Dobson, CA’s head of Big Bash Leagues, said: “We commend the Sydney Sixers for their swift action and cooperation in addressing this error. In particular, we echo Alan Sullivan QC’s praise for the Sixers’ self-reporting and actions undertaken to minimise the impact of the breach on last night’s match.”The defeat against the Renegades on Saturday left the Sixers with only the slimmest of chances of making the semi-finals and for the second season in a row they missed the knockouts when they couldn’t overturn an almost-impossible net run-rate calculation against the Stars.”We made a regrettable administrative error for which there are understandably stringent rules,” Jodie Hawkins, Sydney Sixers’ general manager, said. “We were given a fair opportunity to present our case in the hearing and accept the findings and sanction. As a club we will learn from this and put processes in place for the future.”

Mohammad Mithun fell nine short of a hundred, while Mushfiqur Rahim struck a 46-ball 50 as Bangladesh handed Sri Lanka Board President’s XI a five-wicket defeat

The Report by Madushka Balasuriya23-Jul-2019Bangladesh got their tour of Sri Lanka off to a winning start with a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka Board President’s XI in their one-off warm-up game at the P Sara Oval. The visitors added pace bowler Shafiul Islam to their squad for the three-match ODI series which begins on June 26. Shafiul is expected to join the team in Colombo on Wednesday.Set a target of 283, fifties from Mohammad Mithun and Mushfiqur Rahim ensured the visitors remained in control through their chase.Mithun’s 100-ball 91 in particular will please the Bangladesh coaching staff, after he was given a chance in the No. 3 position vacated by Shakib Al Hasan. Scoring 11 boundaries and a six, the 28-year-old right-hand batsman put on partnerships of 73 and 96 for the fourth and fifth wickets respectively, with the rest of the Bangladesh line-up batting around him.Mithun’s calm approach also allowed Mushfiqur to take on a more attacking role on his way to a 46-ball 50, built on a threatening 37 from Tamim Iqbal at the top of the order. Mahmadullah (33) and Sabbir Rahman (31) kept the Bangladesh innings on track, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers – apart from Lahiru Kumara, who impressed with figures of 2 for 26 in six overs – struggled to gain any foothold in the game. Mithun fell with Bangladesh only 21 runs shy of the target, but some lusty hitting from Mosaddek Hossain and Sabbir made sure there were no late scares.For the hosts, Dasun Shanaka was arguably the only Sri Lankan player to come out of the game with his reputation significantly enhanced. Having come in to bat at 127 for 5, his 63-ball 86, studded with six boundaries and as many sixes, put a significant dampener on what was an otherwise stellar bowling performance from Bangladesh. The hosts put on a respectable 282 for 8 in 50 overs.Shanaka was aided by 21-year-old legspinning allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who bolstered his case for selection in the first ODI with a quickfire 28 that included three fours and a six to go with his bowling figures of 1 for 39.Earlier, Shehan Jayasuriya’s 56 off 78 deliveries had helped the hosts recover from a top-order collapse during which Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka and Oshada Fernando fell by the eighth over of the game. Shehan put on 82 for the fourth wicket with Bhanuka Rajapakse and helped steer Board President’s XI past 100.Of the Bangladesh bowlers, on a wicket that didn’t offer much assistance, fast bowlers Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed struck early after the hosts opted to bat. Alongside Rubel, medium-pacer Soumya Sarkar stood out, taking the two crucial middle-order wickets of Jayasuriya and Rajapakse.

Somerset’s young skipper just survived relegation in his first season in charge and his defiance at Taunton suggested he has no wish to repeat the experience

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2018
ScorecardTom Abell produced a captain’s innings to guide Somerset into a strong position on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Yorkshire at Taunton.The 24-year-old skipper rescued his team from 24 for 4 in their second innings, making 82 off 137 balls, with 8 fours and a six, as they recovered to 200 all out. Ben Coad claimed 4 for 61 and Jack Brooks 3 for 44.That set Yorkshire a testing target of 321 to win on a pitch still offering assistance to the seamers. By the close of a day interrupted three times by bad light, the visitors had reached 49 for 1, with Adam Lyth unbeaten on 25, and trailed by 271.The day began with Somerset six without loss, leading by 126. They soon plunged into trouble as Coad and Brooks made good use of the new ball to pick up four cheap wickets between them.Coad had Marcus Trescothick caught at second slip and George Bartlett taken by wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd, while Brooks bowled Matt Renshaw and James Hildreth, both driving.With their lead only 144, Somerset needed a partnership. It was supplied by Abell and Steve Davies, who added 66 before Davies, on 33, edged Coad to first slip where Cheteshwar Pujara took the catch.Lewis Gregory got off the mark with a six over midwicket off Brooks and followed up with a four off the next delivery before Matthew Waite had him lbw playing no shot for 14.At lunch the scoreboard read 113 for six and Somerset had extended their advantage to 233. Craig Overton contributed a bright 18 before being bowled by a full, swinging delivery from Brooks to make it 129 for seven.Abell stood firm, playing an innings of sound technique and good judgement to reach his half-century off 103 balls, with 6 fours. Dom Bess (14) shared an important stand of 42 before driving at Waite and edging a catch to second slip.Yorkshire gave Abell two lives, Hodd dropping a touch chance off Coad when the Somerset captain was on 24 and Jack Leaning spilling a more straightforward catch at gully off Tim Bresnan with the batsman on 69.Abell hit a rare six, clipping Waite over backward square as Somerset’s lead passed the 300-mark. Josh Davey made a useful 11 before driving Bresnan to Gary Ballance and the innings ended when Abell was bowled by Coad, aiming a big shot.Yorkshire were 13 without loss when bad light brought an early tea. On the resumption they had doubled that score when Harry Brook, on 15, edged a drive off Davey to Trescothick at second slip.At 44 for one bad light intervened again and, although the players returned briefly while five more runs were added, the umpires soon took them off again. After 25 minutes of consultation, aided by a light meter, they abandoned play for the day.

South Africa have little time to recoup after their series against Sri Lanka and their travel across several time zones to get to New Zealand, before they take the field there

Firdose Moonda11-Feb-2017While Australia are still navigating their way through a calendar that sees them start a Test in India the day after a T20 at home, South Africa have scheduling challenges of their own. They will play a warm-up match in New Zealand less than 48 hours after their final ODI against Sri Lanka at Centurion and a T20 within a week of their series win. The difference between them and Australia is that South Africa are taking the same group that was on duty at home across 11 time zones to New Zealand.”It’s not ideal. Usually we have a seven to ten day period to acclimatise,” Mohammad Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager, who is also a medical doctor, said. “We will have some tricks up our sleeve to help players deal with the jet lag.”But that was as much as Moosajee would give away about how he is planning to help the players adjust. Not even the men themselves seem to know what’s in store. “We will sleep a lot on the plane I guess,” Faf du Plessis joked. “I’m not too sure but we have an amazing team doctor, so I’m sure he has got a plan.”South Africa will play a T20 and five ODIs in New Zealand, with only one change to the squad that beat Sri Lanka 5-0, and that change is only for two matches. Cobras’ quick Dane Paterson has been included as cover for Dwaine Pretorius, who will remain at home to welcome his first child, before flying over.The T20 series, in which du Plessis will captain, will not have as much emphasis placed on it as the ODIs, which form an important part of preparations for the Champions Trophy. South Africa want to be tested, not least because Sri Lanka did not present an adequate enough challenge but they also want to banish some bad memories. The last time South Africa were in New Zealand was at the 2015 World Cup and their semi-final defeat against the hosts still stings.”We have got a bit of unfinished business there form the 2015 World Cup,” AB de Villiers, ODI captain said.While a bilateral series in no way compares to a major tournament, South Africa will use the matches as a barometer to justify their newly gained No. 1 ranking. They took the spot from Australia, who have just been beaten by New Zealand, who sit third. “Being the No. 1 team in the world, people expect you to play a certain level of cricket all the time. With what we’ve got going at the moment, I think we will thrive under that kind of pressure,” de Villiers said. “We’re very positive, we have a great culture and we go there with a lot of confidence and belief in our ability.”The same can be said of the Test outfit, who will play three matches after the limited-overs fest, by which time South Africa will definitely have adjusted to the time difference – any additions to the squad would have enough time too. South Africa will fly over a fresh attack for the three Tests but they need to hope they are all fit. Vernon Philander is nursing a slight ankle impingement and Morne Morkel, who has been out of action since the CPL in mid-2016 with a back concern, will play in domestic one-day matches to determine his availability. Duanne Olivier, who has taken over 50 wickets in this season’s first-class competition, also has a good chance of playing but du Plessis hinted they may also hang on to a few players from the one-day outfit.”The only gap available in our Test team is the third seamer. Morne is coming back. I faced him the other day in the nets and he is bowling beautifully but we’ve also got guys like Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell, who have been bowling well.”Both Morris and Parnell are part of the limited-overs’ squad that depart South Africa on Saturday. On Monday, they will be in action again. No rest.

Mohammad Shahzad displayed trademark brute force and timing to make a record-breaking ton and lead Afghanistan to an 81-run win against Zimbabwe in the second T20I in Sharjah

The Report by Nikhil Kalro10-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Shahzad’s 118 was the highest individual T20I score from an Associate nation and fourth overall•Chris Whiteoak

Mohammad Shahzad displayed trademark brute force and timing to make a record-breaking ton and lead Afghanistan to an 81-run win against Zimbabwe in the second T20I in Sharjah. Shahzad clobbered a 67-ball 118, the highest individual score from an Associate nation in T20Is and fourth overall. By the time he was done, Zimbabwe had conceded 215 and were deflated.That the next highest contribution after Shahzad’s blitzkrieg was Mohammad Nabi’s brisk 22, was symbolic of the ascendancy he had over Zimbabwe’s helpless bowling attack. He got stuck into the medium-pacers as well as the spinners after a slow start, peppering the midwicket region with pulls and slog-sweeps. Within 14 overs, he reached his century and had batted Zimbabwe out of the series.The Afghanistan innings had begun in amateurish fashion – a lot of shots but few runs. Both Shahzad and Usman Ghani looked to hit the cover off the ball, and thereby lost their shape and failed to find any timing. The first five overs produced 30.Spin was introduced after the Powerplay and Shahzad used his technique with success – dancing down the pitch, going deep in the crease or down on one knee after a premeditated shuffle. Afghanistan had 59, and Shahzad 50. He connected with most of his sweeps and swipes, using his muscle to clear the boundary with ease.Zimbabwe’s bowlers repeatedly landed deliveries in Shahzad’s hitting arc. Under duress, yorkers were attempted but were dispatched after ending up as low full-tosses. Legspinner Graeme Cremer went around the wicket to try and take the ball away from the right-hander. Shahzad shuffled across, bent down on one knee and slog-swept him to the midwicket boundary. When he got to his hundred, his joy was evident in his celebration as he removed his helmet and did the .When Zimbabwe’s bowlers created a rare opportunity, their fielders let them down. At least three chances were spilled, including two off Shahzad – a hard running catch at long-on was parried to the boundary, and wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami, failed to get much glove on a skier. Shahzad was given another reprieve in the 16th over, on 101. Nabi had called him for a quick single but Shahzad failed to make his ground at the striker’s end when the bails were whipped off. The third umpire, however, was not called upon.Shahzad had laid the platform for the other batsmen to launch from the get-go. Despite struggling for timing, all the batsmen barring Ghani had strike-rates over 130 and at least one boundary.Zimbabwe, who had never won a T20I series comprising more than one game, were never in the chase. Save Hamilton Masakadza, the rest of the top six contributed a total of five runs, as they slumped to 34 for 5 in the sixth over. Mutumbami and Sikandar Raza were comfortably stumped off deliveries that slid in with the arm and sneaked past the inside edge. Malcolm Waller misjudged a skidder and captain Elton Chigumbura was run out after looking for a run during an lbw appeal. The chase was done.Masakadza and Peter Moor displayed a range of strokes and found a boundary almost every over, but the required run rate had touched 20. Masakadza, Zimbabwe’s best batsman on the tour, looked comfortable for the duration of his stay. He lofted a Dawlat Zadran delivery with such splendid timing that it cleared the midwicket boundary and took him past Chigumbura as the Zimbabwe batsman with the most T20I sixes.Masakadza struck his eighth fifty but it barely had any impact on the game. By the time he was bowled for 63, an innings that featured two fours and five sixes, Zimbabwe required 102 from 26 balls. The lower order could not achieve much, and slogged catches to fielders. Zimbabwe’s misery ended when a casual Tendai Chisoro was run out after failing to ground his bat.

James Fuller became only the fourth Gloucestershire player to take a hat-trick at Cheltenham as Worcestershire were bowled out for 182 on the opening day.

17-Jul-2013
ScorecardJames Fuller, seen here for Otago, became the fourth Gloucestershire man to take a hat-trick at Cheltenham•Getty Images

James Fuller became only the fourth Gloucestershire player to take a hat-trick at Cheltenham as Worcestershire were bowled out for 182 on the opening day.Having won the toss, the visitors crashed to 22 for 6, Fuller removing Matthew Pardoe with the final ball of the eighth over and then striking with the first and second deliveries of the 10th, sending back Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee.Joe Leach came to Worcestershire’s rescue with a career-best 82 not out, sharing a seventh-wicket stand of 120 with Gareth Andrew, who made 54. Fuller finished with 5 for 43 from 19 overs.By the close, the home side had made a confident start to their reply and were 83 without loss, Chris Dent unbeaten on 56 and Michael Klinger 27 not out.The first Gloucestershire player to take a hat-trick at the College Ground, where the club have been playing fixtures since 1872, was Charles Townsend back in 1893. The feat was repeated by Mike Procter in 1979 and James Franklin in 2009. Fuller joined the group after having Pardoe and Kervezee caught behind, with the wicket of Moeen, who played on trying to withdraw the bat, sandwiched in between.In the over that divided Fuller’s three wickets, Will Gidman had Daryl Mitchell taken by wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick and from 18 without loss Worcestershire nosedived to 18 for 4. Worse was to follow in Craig Miles’ first over as he had both Thilan Sameraweera and Ben Cox caught at second slip by Dent off successive balls.It was left to Andrew and Leach to steady a sinking ship with determination and application, but both needed lives early on.They took the total to 63 for 6 at lunch. In the afternoon session Andrew was first to his half-century off 91 balls, with 10 fours. Leach soon followed, his fifty occupying 109 deliveries and also featuring 10 boundaries.For a while Gloucestershire bowled without much luck. Then skipper Klinger pulled off a stunning catch above his head at short cover off Benny Howell to dismiss Andrew. Shaaiq Choudhry soon followed, caught behind to give Fuller his fourth wicket, and at tea Worcestershire were 154 for 8.The final session saw Graeme Cessford dismissed for a duck on his Championship debut by Tom Smith before Fuller wrapped up the innings, having Alan Richardson caught in the slips.The pitch has seamed around early in the day and the ball also swung, but conditions looked very different when the hosts replied. Klinger and Dent, who reached fifty off 50 balls, with nine fours and a six, produced positive shots from the outset and looked in little trouble.

Iqbal Qasim, Pakistan’s chief selector, has said that there are no points of conflict between the national selection committee and coach Dav Whatmore

Umar Farooq28-Apr-2012Iqbal Qasim, Pakistan’s chief selector, has said that there are no points of conflict between the national selection committee and coach Dav Whatmore. Qasim was referring to media speculation about a possible disagreement prompted by Whatmore working with discarded Test players at the National Cricket Academy earlier this week. He said that communication between the selectors and the coach is important, though, and will help both parties avoid a clash in strategy.Pakistan’s cricketers have not had any assignments since March’s successful Asia Cup campaign, and will next be in action again only a month from now in Sri Lanka. Whatmore, who had taken over coaching the team only before the Asia Cup, has used the break to collect data on players around the country. He had worked with players like Mohammad Yousuf and Kamran Akmal at the NCA, prompting talk of potential comebacks.The selectors, meanwhile, have named 12 fast bowlers to be supervised by Whatmore at the NCA. The list includes promising youngsters, as well as players like Mohammad Sami and Iftikhar Anjum who have been out of the national set-up for a couple of years.”I am in contact with Whatmore on a constant basis and I don’t think we are facing any points of conflict at the moment,” Qasim said. “He [Whatmore] is new in Pakistan and wants to understand the system and wants to see what [players] we have. There is no harm in this, [in fact] we are helping him in this regard by giving him players [the 12 fast bowlers] to assess. This is the part of his strategy.””I know players who are out of contention are there, practising with him. There is no harm in this, but we should ensure no communication gap crops us, sparking a clash with our [the selection committee’s] strategy.”Pakistan have been in fine from over the past 18 months, losing only the ODI series to England in the UAE during this period. It was important to keep moving ahead, Qasim said. “Our vision is quite clear, we have to look forward.”But our doors aren’t shut on players who are on the fringes. There is always a criterion for every player [to make their way back into the team]. If they have fallen out of contention but are the part of coach’s strategy, then we will definitely will consider them with an open mind. We cannot decide that XYZ player is finished and won’t return.”

West Indies will be better prepared to combat India’s spin threat in the upcoming ODI and Test series, coach Ottis Gibson has said

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2011West Indies will be better prepared to combat India’s spin threat in the upcoming ODI and Test series, coach Ottis Gibson has said. The West Indies batsmen proved vulnerable against spin during the drawn Test series against Pakistan, losing 32 of their 40 wickets in the two games to slow bowlers. They face a spin-heavy Indian one-day squad, which includes offspinners Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin, legspinner Amit Mishra, and part-timers Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma.”It is not a lot of time but we have got a lot of players that have played spin and made runs against spin before,” Gibson told the. “People just have to be clear what their game plan is against spin and back themselves and their ability.”The key to overcoming the spin threat, said Gibson, was to rotate the strike, something West Indies had struggled to do during the Tests against Pakistan. “Sometimes, we look very tentative and we sort of lock ourselves in a hole and then our only response is to try to hit ourselves out of the hole. We have got to find the balance between attack and defence,” he said.”They are setting us up, working us out and getting us out quite easy so we need to be able to rotate the strike against the spinners a lot more and make sure that the bowlers aren’t bowling too many balls in succession to us.”The batsmen tackled spin quite comfortably in the nets, Gibson added. “We practice very well in the nets and guys chip down the wicket to the spinners in the nets, hit the ball over the top and hit the ball through the covers with ease,” he was quoted as saying by . “But once the game starts, it seems always to be something that has held us back, certainly for the last couple of series that I have been involved in.”The Indian tour of West Indies begins with a Twenty20 international on June 4 in Trinidad. The teams then play five ODIs and three Tests.