Another week into the 2019 World Cup, ESPNcricinfo takes a look back at some of the outstanding moments so far
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2019Week 2, 6 – 12 JunePerformance of the weekShakib Al Hasan, 121 off 119 balls v England
Shakib Al Hasan sauntering to a century despite the heat being on against England was a pleasure to behold – Bangladesh faced a nigh-impossible task chasing 387 but Shakib played beautifully to continue his prolific tournament.
Hardik Pandya, 48 off 27 balls v Australia
Hardik Pandya against Australia. For 27 balls, he owned the stage. And also changed the game.
Wahab Riaz, 1 for 44 and 45 off 39 v Australia
Bat, ball and general dude groove.
Mohammad Amir, 5 for 30 v Australia
Amir’s renaissance five-for against Australia was a stunning display of seam, swing, speed and accuracy, and as many wickets in one match as he had harvested in 15 ODIs since the Champions Trophy final.To take 5 for 30 when your teammates are mostly going at over 6 an over, you’ve got to be doing something right. And to do so when Australia scored 300-plus is truly amazing.Wow moment of the week: Given everything that has gone between them, Kohli admonishing Indian fans from booing Smith. It is also my wow moment
: The moment Jofra Archer bowled Soumya Sarkar instantly demanded rewinding, to check the evidence of your eyes: did that ball really just clip the off bail and go for six?
: Hazratullah Zazai walloping Matt Henry over the Taunton pavilion roof.
: MS Dhoni, full-sleeved, swiveling and then using those wrists to powerfully flick Mitchell Starc’s failed yorker deep, deep, deep over deep square leg, almost threatening to bounce onto the road behind the Tenison Terrace before being caught by a jubilant Indian cricket fan. A shot enough to send Dhoni’s captain Virat Kohli, the non-striker, jumping on the Oval trampoline going “Wow, wow, wow.”: Jos Buttler’s back-foot biff for six off Mosaddek Hossain in Cardiff. Not the longest boundaries in the world, I grant you, but the power and elevation he can create from the most undeserving deliveries is remarkable.
: I’m biased, but the Babar Azam straight drive was my wow moment of the week.
Contest of the week: Gayle v Starc: big man v big man; bazooka v thunderbolts; umpiring blunder upon blunder; pure theatre
: India’s base was rock solid against Australia, but they needed something to top off the superstructure – cue Hardik Pandya blowtorching the bowling for a nine-over passage, all whippy wrists and cement-mixer shovels as the late-innings runs flowed
: Hazratullah Zazai’s opening salvo against New Zealand’s pace attack
: When Pat Cummins returned for a second spell to have a face-off with Virat Kohli. It was not Test-match standard, but the intensity was amazing.
: Babar Azam versus his own self-destructive tendencies. His ludicrously fluent innings of 30 from 28 balls against Australia featured seven fours, almost exclusively fondled through the covers, two singles and 19 dot balls, including the flappy hook that ended his mini-masterpiece.
: Australia v Pakistan, all of it. India’s openers against Australia’s pace attack in the first 15 overs of the innings also had my full attention.
Hardik Pandya has been in blistering hitting form, and could give you a few valuable points•Getty ImagesTactical masterstroke: Promoting Hardik Pandya to No. 4 against Australia after the top order had raised a solid platform – dropped first ball, Hardik told the defending champions why he is one of the most dangerous finishers in world cricket currently.
: The manner in which Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy played themselves in against Bangladesh, taking 15 runs from the first five overs before resuming their normal service. A far cry from the sort of 20 for 6 heap that they have previously ended up in when batting first in challenging conditions
: West Indies’ opening bowlers vs South Africa, Sheldon Cottrell’s short balls, Kemar Roach pitching it up
Wahab Riaz goes for a big one•AFPSurprise of the week: Wahab Riaz thrashing Pakistan back into contention during an eighth-wicket revival against Australia… Although the fact they still fell short was entirely predictable
: Pakistan pinballing from woeful to wonderful every five overs against Australia was fun to watch
: As the full house at The Oval awaited the DRS verdict on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s lbw appeal against Steven Smith, a young Indian male, sitting next to me, suddenly stood up. With every passing second, he was getting anxious, fidgety, furious, having a monologue about how it was a no-brainer that Smith was plumb. When the big screen upheld his verdict, this guy went bonkers. I asked him how his blood pressure might have skyrocketed in those few seconds. Without even looking at me, he shot back: “Not every day (do) you get to watch India play at the World Cup.” As a journalist, I will never understand the feelings of a fan
: An uninterrupted contest between Australia and Pakistan in Taunton
: Faf du Plessis walking over to South African reporters at the indoor nets in Southampton to chat reasonably but firmly about why he had not come to the press conference after their third defeat in a row. As an Indian cricket journalist, I’d forgotten that can happen
Brain fade of the week: Even accounting for ‘that’s the way be bats’, Andre Russell trying to hoist Starc against the angle when West Indies needed about run-a-ball didn’t feel very smart
: The ICC has apparently asked commentators to avoid criticising umpires and the tournament. This is, of course, extremely pathetic
: Chris Gaffaney’s comedy of errors at Trent Bridge that forced Chris Gayle asking for a review twice, exposing the umpiring gaffes in the Australia-West Indies contest
: Nothing comes to mind. Everything has gone … err … swimmingly this week!
: To believe that Bristol sunshine would allow play to happen
Quote of the week – Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes wasn’t a happy man after his team were affected by the third washout in five days at the World CupHonourable mentions
– Ramiz Raja on what cricket was like in the previous millennium
– Chris Gayle responds to Trevor Bayliss’ remark that he’s not a fan of Sheldon Cottrell’s salute celebration, on ESPNcricinfo’s Instagram page
