Mini-session Analysis, 2nd test, Ind Aus, Hyderabad 2013

Here is the final mini-session analysis for the second test between India and Australia at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, India

A mini-session is (normally) half a session, either between the start of the session and the drinks break or the drinks break and the end of the session. Occasionally a long session will have 3 mini-sessions where it will be broken up with 2 drinks breaks.

Mini-Session	Score	Winner
1-1a	Australia 49/2 off 13	India
1-1b	Australia 34/2 off 15	India
1-2a	Australia 46/0 off 14	Australia
1-2b	Australia 58/0 off 18	Australia
1-3a	Australia 30/2 off 13.5	India
1-3b	Australia 20/3 off 11.1	India
	India 5/0 off 3
2-1a	India 26/1 off 13	Australia
2-1b	India 23/0 off 14	draw
2-2a	India 52/0 off 14	India
2-2b	India 54/0 off 19	India
2-3a	India 94/0 off 16	India
2-3b	India 57/0 off 14	India
3-1a	India 45/0 off 16	India
3-1b	India 44/2 off 14	Australia
3-2a	India 56/1 off 15	India
3-2b	India 47/6 off 16.1	Australia
3-3a	Australia 53/0 off 16	Australia
3-3b	Australia 21/2 off 16	India
4-1a	Australia 37/3 off 15.2	India
4-1b	Australia 20/5 off 19.4	India

Final update, click here
India take the mini-session count 13 - 6

First drinks, Day 1: India lead the mini-session count 1-0

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the star, having gone wicket-less in his debut test. He uprooted Warner’s leg stump in his second over and then trapped Cowan lbw not long after, although replays showed the ball had pitched just outside leg.

Watson and Hughes survived till drinks – Watson playing with considerable assurance, Hughes less so. - PaulADennett

Lunch, Day 1: India lead the mini-session count 2-0

India are well on top now. Outstanding bowling by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and R Ashwin to set the game up well for India. Australia will be glad that they picked an extra batsman in this test. The hope for Australia will be in the ease with which Michael Clarke came down the wicket to hit Ashwin back over his head for 6. - Mykuhl

Middle drinks, Day 1: India lead the mini-session count 2-1

Another Michael Clarke rescue job. Someone on cricinfo suggested that Australia should try to bat him at 3, 4 and 5. - Mykuhl

Tea, Day 1: The mini-session count is tied up, 2-2

Fantastic innings from Wade here. He's been under some pressure, and is responding to it well. - Mykuhl

Final drinks, Day 1: India lead the mini-session count 3-2

It was going to be interesting to see how Henriques backed up. Unfortunately for him, he got a good one early and as a result is heading back to the shed. - Mykuhl

Stumps, Day 1: India lead the mini-session count 4-2

Stephen Fleming was a fan of the declaration 9 down, although he had Chris Martin in his side regularly, so there wasn't a significant difference between being 9 down and all out. Clarke here has taken a small gamble, and while it hasn't paid off, it's still admirable captaincy. The opportunity to bowl 3 overs at the end of the day, and give his bowlers two bites of the cherry was worth the cost. Traditionally the final wicket has provided 4% of a team runs, so realistically Clarke cost his team about 8 runs for a better chance to dismiss an opener. That's a gamble worth taking. - Mykuhl

First drinks, Day 2: India lead the mini-session count 4-3

An early breakthrough and some very disciplined bowling from Australia gives them this first hour. They are fighting back into this test. - Mykuhl

Lunch, Day 2: India lead the mini-session count 4-3

While the Indian batsmen scored very little, they both survived. India are going at less than 2 an over, which is a product of both a conservative approach from the Indian batsmen, but also some tight bowling by Australia. Henriques in particular has been very demanding. - Mykuhl

Middle drinks, Day 2: India lead the mini-session count 5-3

The two Indian batsmen have started to open up now. They waited until the bowlers started to tire, and then punished any bad ball. It's good test batting, almost from a different age. - Mykuhl

Tea, Day 2: India lead the mini-session count 6-3

Pujara and Vijay are doing exactly the right thing here. They are in a match position where they can afford to play each ball on it's merits. This batting has, to a degree, been made possible by the good work with the ball, meaning that they are not under any scoreboard pressure. - Mykuhl

Final drinks, Day 2: India lead the mini-session count 7-3

These two are relentless at the moment. Australia are in significant trouble. I am still struggling to understand why they went for Maxwell over Lyon. - Mykuhl

Stumps, Day 2: India lead the mini-session count 8-3

This is an exhibition of batting. These two are closing in on some big milestones. They are 51 runs away from being the highest 2nd wicket partnership for India, and from there another 32 runs away from the largest partnership for any wicket for India vs Australia. 89 more runs and they are the highest partnership against Australia by anyone. That's still a long way away and they have to survive the first hour that is likely to be testing, but these two have batted India into a dominant position. - Mykuhl

First drinks, Day 3: India lead the mini-session count 9-3

The big moment in this hour was the lbw shout against Che Pujara from a ball that pitched on middle and beat the bat by Doherty. Other than that it has been plain sailing for the batsmen.

I wanted to look at the Hawkeye replay of that ball, but unsurprisingly BCCI TV haven't played it as yet. Generally that implies that the ball was going to hit the stumps. - Mykuhl

Lunch, Day 3: India lead the mini-session count 9-4

Finally Australia have something go their way. And it was a double breakthrough. People often say things like "When one falls, the other often falls soon after." While that's been statistically proven to be not true, occasions like this make it feel true. Australia are hardly "back in the game" but they did win that hour. - Mykuhl

Middle drinks, Day 3: India lead the mini-session count 10-4

It looks like Dhoni wants another double century, but also wants to declare tonight. He's raced through to 43. The key moment was the dismissal of Tendulkar. It is unclear what happened in between the umpires, but somehow Tendulkar was given, and probably correctly too. - Mykuhl

Tea, Day 3: India lead the mini-session count 10-5

The final 9 wickets fell for 116 runs. The first one fell for 17. It was the 370 runs that happened between the first and second wicket that made this an awesome innings. - Mykuhl

Final drinks, Day 3: India lead the mini-session count 10-6

A very good start for Australia. In order to have a famous come-from-behind victory you first need a terrible start. They certainly have the first part sorted out. - Mykuhl

Stumps, Day 3: India lead the mini-session count 11-6

It's very easy to criticize a batsman for getting out bowled round his legs to a finger spinner. It's much harder to defend them for it. There is nothing wrong with sweeping a ball outside leg stump, provided you cover your stumps. If a batsman can play the shot properly, it is a fantastic shot. But if a batsman gets bowled round his legs, it's clear that he can't play the shot properly and therefore he shouldn't be experimenting with it when his team is 200 runs behind. One big partnership could open this match up, but that won't happen if batsmen try stupid shots that they haven't practiced in the nets. - Mykuhl

First drinks, Day 4: India lead the mini-session count 12-6

India dominated this session, and it could have been even more dramatic. There was a catch down the leg side that was hardly even appealed for, and a lbw that looked pretty good, but wasn't given. Australia are looking square in the eyes of an innings defeat. - Mykuhl

End of match, Day 4: India win the match by an innings and 135 runs, and the mini-session count 13-6

A convincing win by India, but back to the drawing board for Australia. They've become only the 11th team to lose a match after declaring the first innings closed, and the first to ever lose by an innings after declaring. This match was completely dominated by one partnership, with Pujara and Vijay putting on more runs than either their team mates combined or both of Australia's innings combined. If it wasn't for those two, this might have been a close match. But that's a bit like saying that if it wasn't for their three great sprinters, Jamaica might not have won the mens 100m Olympic gold medal. India won this match because they played much better cricket. The conditions here were less suited to India than the conditions at Chennai were, and yet India were more dominant in this match than in the last one. - Mykuhl

Mini-session Analysis 1st Test Ind NZ Hyderabad 2012

Here is the final mini-session analysis for the first test between India and New Zealand at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, India

A mini-session is (normally) half a session, either between the start of the session and the drinks break or the drinks break and the end of the session. Occasionally a long session will have 3 mini-sessions where it will be broken up with 2 drinks breaks.

MS Dhoni said before the match that their aim was to win the most mini-sessions, because the team that does that normally wins the match. His team certainly executed his plan.

Mini-Session	Score	Winner
1-1a	India 65/1 off 13	India
1-1b	India 32/1 off 12	New Zealand
1-2a	India 39/1 off 15	New Zealand
1-2b	India 46/0 off 14	India
1-3a	India 75/1 off 16	India
1-3b	India 50/1 off 17	draw
2-1a	India 26/0 off 12	India
2-1b	India 38/0 off 9	India
2-2a	India 41/2 off 15	New Zealand
2-2b	India 26/3 off 11.3	New Zealand
2-3a	New Zealand 39/3 off 14	India
2-3b	New Zealand 45/1 off 19	India
2-3c	New Zealand 22/1 off 9	India
3-1	New Zealand 53/5 off 19.3	India
3-2	New Zealand 41/1 off 18	India
4-1a	New Zealand 30/0 off 14	New Zealand
4-1b	New Zealand 21/0 off 11	draw
4-2a	New Zealand 30/2 off 14	India
4-2b	New Zealand 24/3 off 16	India
4-3a	New Zealand 18/4 off 6.5	India

Final update here. India win the match by an innings and 115 runs. The win the mini-session count 13-5

Lunch, Day 1: The mini-session count is level at 1-1

New Zealand really missed a trick in the morning session. They dropped Sehwag twice, and left a gap for him to score at 3rd man, allowing him to score 24 of his 47 runs to that spot.

However despite that, the first session was quite even. Boult again looked dangerous. He is turning into a very handy bowler.

Middle drinks, Day 1: NZ lead the mini-session count 2-1

Trent Bould bowled Tendulkar. In his 5 matches, his victims now include Gayle, Kallis, Gambhir, Tendulkar and Michael Hussey. It seems that the better the batsman, the more they struggle with Boult.

Tea, Day 1: The mini-session count is level at 2-2

Kohli and Pujara have put together a great partnership here. New Zealand will want at least one more wicket before the new ball.

Post tea drinks, Day 1: India lead the mini-session count 3-2

Two more dropped catches in that session. The Kohli-Pujara partnership was fantastic. New Zealand will be very frustrated with this match. They have played some good cricket, and yet are behind in the match.

Stumps, Day 1: India lead the mini-session count 3-2

It was a day of missed chances for New Zealand, and yet they are still well in this match. Boult bowled very well, as did Jeetan Patel, although with very little luck. The 4 bowlers who took wickets all had at least one catch dropped off their bowling, so all can feel a little unlucky.

The star of the day, however is Cheteshwar Pujara. His 119* so far has been head and shoulders ahead of any of the other Indian batsmen. It wasn't quite chanceless, but the one half chance that he did offer up was still after he'd scored more than anyone else managed.

Tomorrow there is likely to be some good cloud cover, which, when combined with a two paced pitch, should make for tricky batting conditions.

Tea, Day 2: India lead the mini-session count 5-4

Due to my TV dying, I've been unable to watch much of this day, but Kruger van Wyk seems to have pulled off one of the stumpings that he made his name with. The partnership between Dhoni and Pujara threatened to take the game away from New Zealand, but in the end 438 is a fair score, but not much more. In the last 6 first class matches at this ground, at least one of the first innings have scored more than 400, so it's about what would be expected.

How the New Zealand batsmen go about building their innings now that Hesson is in charge will be interesting.

Stumps, Day 3: India lead the mini-session count 10-4

New Zealand are in a lot of trouble.

While India are dominating the match, I don't think that the difference between the teams has been quite as great as the scorecard would indicate. There have been number of 50-50 decisions by the umpires, and only one of them has gone to New Zealand's favour. India have also had the luxury of having a lot of men round the bat. It's a luxury that their batsmen purchased for them.

Ashwin and Ojha really made the most of the advantage that their batsmen gave them, and looked more dangerous than I've seen either of them before. Ashwin bowled one of the best deliveries I've seen to Chirs Martin. That was really a waste, as he could have probably gotten out Martin without needing such a good delivery. He should really have saved his best for when he's bowling to someone who is good against spin, like Misbah-ul-Haq or Darren Bravo.

First drinks, Day 4: India lead the mini-session count 10-5

Good work from McCullum and Williamson. McCullum has really gone into his shell here. He has quite a poor record when he defends. In innings where he has a strike rate of less than 45 he's never scored a 50. In his career he's only batted more than 150 balls 8 times, so to face 92 balls for only 31 runs is certainly not batting according to his normal script. If these two put together a very large partnership it could be the start of a very good period in McCullum's career.

Lunch, Day 4: India lead the mini-session count 10-6

McCullum and Williamson are still there, and have batted through the entire session. Realistically they need to bat for another session before New Zealand start to look even marginally likely to draw the match.

Second session drinks, Day 4: India lead the mini-session count 11-5

The umpire strikes back. Brendan McCullum was out bat before wicket, then Ross Taylor left one that bowled him. Still, the Indian bowlers put a lot of pressure on the batsmen, and created the situation where the umpire had to make a decision.

Williamson is still looking solid. This is the 7th time he has faced more than 100 deliveries, in only his 27th innings.

Tea, Day 4: India lead the mini-session count 12-5.

Ashwin and Ohja have continued to weave a web of mystery over the New Zealand lower order. Dhoni made a fantastic change bringing in Raina for an over to Williamson. The lack of overspin seemed to unsettle him. The next over Ojha came back in and got out Williamson immediately.

End of match: India win the mini-session count 13-5

A complete thrashing. New Zealand went from 98/1 to 164 all out. 9 wickets for 66 runs. The innings was typified by the dismissal of Doug Bracewell. He was beaten by a good ball, edged it. The catch was grounded by Kohli, but Bracewell didn't notice, and walked off in a hurry. If he had stayed around, he might have been given not out, but he had given up. Ashwin and Ojha were too good, and New Zealand were awful, despite good, fighting knocks from Guptill, McCullum and Williamson.

New Zealand will need to make an enormous improvement in order to level up the series in the second match.