Test Match Special - CWC Day 24: Afghan and West Indian chases fall just short on epic day

Episode Date: June 22, 2019

Two thrilling matches to recap as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami combine at the death to deny Afghanistan arguably the greatest upset in World Cup history before six-hitting machine Carlos Brathwaite was a metre shy of completing what looked an impossible chase for the West Indies against New Zealand.

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Cricket World Cup. This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Shammie in. He's on a hat trick. He's bowed him. He's got a hat trick. He's won the game. India have won.

What sensational scenes. They've won by 11 runs. But how it's Shami has got a World Cup hat trick. That's how you win a game of cricket. Goodness me. It was full. It was straight. And he's castle Mujibura man.

What a thrilling, thrilling game has come to a fitting end. Welcome to the TMS podcast from Southampton, where for a while we were wondering where Afghanistan beating India might slot in amongst the greatest shocks in World Cup history. India beaten the West Indies in the 83 final, perhaps, Bangladesh over Pakistan in 99 Ireland, beating England. But in the end, India prevailed. We'll talk to Alex Stewart and Prakash Wakanka. We'll also get the story of New Zealand against the West Indies, and who is the tournament's most valuable player so far? Available every day during the Cricket World Cup. This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live.

It's been just thrilling. It's been thrilling from beginning to end. It was so confusing, so odd, watching the Indian struggle so much, and Mujibo a Raman, who bowled so brilliantly in those first ten overs. A shame for him that he should be the man to provide the hat trick for Mohammed Shammie, but the crowd has gone wild. We've seen just superb entertainment. and India, who have various times today,

look like they could well lose this game to Afghanistan while they've scraped home, they've won it by 11 runs. It's been a game of just tension. There's been tensions between the captains and the umpires. It's been played on the glorious skies at a beautiful venue in front of a fervid, rampant crowd. It's been everything you could possibly wish for. Abala joins me again from our BBC Afghanistan correspondent.

This is a difficult time. to talk to you in the immediate aftermath of sadness, but you must be enormously proud of our Afghanistan play. I'm emotional, but of course it was a great game and all Afghan fans wanted this team to fight. At least they did fight today and that's the main thing. It could have been much better. So it's hard to take it. Well it must be hard to take it and unfortunately we've got you on to take it. So let's look at where it didn't quite happen. There was in a game with such fine margins. I think that's one hour by Bombra,

where the two set batsmen gone. That was the time that I felt like we were going to lose. Because both Rahmat and Hashmat were playing well, and I will call it a rash shot, stupid shot. I don't know what to call it. I love Rahmat, by the way. He wasn't the control of the shot, was he? That was the issue.

Good bowling, but the execution of the shop wasn't there. He did not need to hit that ball. So I think that was the time. And I know that Afghan batsman has two ways to go. Stop or hit. Hashmat and Rahmat were the two who could rotate the strike. And when they're gone in the same hour in two or three balls, that was the knocking punch.

You've got to say they got back into it, thanks to Mohammed Nabby. You played a fantastic knock. But then with Rashid Khan, for me, sort of key moment towards the end of that chase were actually kind of just had a beautiful

reverse sweep before and then he could see this beautiful gap that was there for him in the offside and you could see him just thinking I could play this

into that gap for a single get Ramid and Abbey back on strike at the time I think 25 were needed off 21 and that ball has just spun beautifully past

a great bit of bowling from Charles just overbalanced didn't he but again it's it's a great learning curve you know you've lost the game

you know which is sad for everyone who's supporting Afghanistan, but they'll take a lot from this. But again, it's learning that when you're playing top teams and you get into positions where perhaps you haven't been before, i.e. looking at winning, different pressures suddenly become at the front of your mind instead of just treating it purely as a ball. Pomi and Bangwa is with Jasperit Bomra.

I think we're going to hear a few words from Jasperit Bomber who we think had probably won the match for India. You are the go-to guy for Virat. How does that feel as far as being the leader of this and being required sometimes to do just what you did today. You know, that gives you a lot of confidence. If the captain has so much of trust in you, that gives you a lot of confidence to express yourself,

and that helps me to keep a clear head whenever I want to execute. Now, in terms of keeping a clear head, of course, there's adjustment to conditions day after day and making sure you can deliver what you want. What did you have to do here in order to be effective? Over here, we saw that the wicket was getting slower and slow, so with the older ball, it was necessary to be able.

was necessary to be accurate and bold stump to stump and in the end then there's a big ground so you rely there was a little bit of reverse swing as well so you rely on your yorkers so you can use your slowball as well but according to the situation so it was a tight game so I was backing my yorkers now you turned up in the middle of the game their partnership was going quite nicely what was your discussion with virat and did it go according to plan the two wickets in the over so what we wanted to do that time is that sometimes when you run behind wickets you don't get wickets so we wanted to create pressure take the run rate high. So as soon as the run rate goes up, they'll have to take chances.

So then that will create chances. So that was the plan. And it was a good day, so it worked. And as far as winning this game, you guys, not just you as the only bowler, a hat trick as well for Shami who comes into the side. How are you enjoying working as a group? That's very good because that gives us healthy competition in the side. We all train together. We are very close unit. We all discuss with each other. What do we want to do? during the field as well, we talk to each other, what are the plans, and how the things are going. So it's always very good when everybody's chipping in with wickets, so that's a great sign for RTI. Well, ball today. Well done.

Thank you so much. Thank you. There was Jasper at Bumra there, talking to Pomi and Bangua. Yeah, great plan. Restrict the runs, wait for it to get over sort of six and over. We saw today, didn't we, Alec, that it was really hard for the batsmen to force the pace. At no real point, with the exception of Koli's in his, did anybody on either side? actually look particularly fluent on this pitch and that meant that where you might have thought to yourself that it was a little bit you know that six and over is is comfortable it sort of never really was comfortable here was it meant forcing the pace and it brought those wickets as jazz Brit Bomber said yeah he had the bad intelligently it was one of those pitches where you can just stand and deliver because it stopped it was a stoppy type of pitch it spun a little bit as well so and that that creates good cricket different style of cricket you can't just stand and whack a ball and the bowler can bowl a good good ball and on good pitches you'd still be hit for six. He really had to bat intelligently and Coley, he said he's in the league in his own anyway, but he made batting look pretty simple.

Only a few months ago in the Asia Cup, Afghanistan were playing India and India was chasing a modest total, but they tied. On the last ball, they needed one run, but Rashid bowl and that batsman was caught out. So I think that was the Indian experience I would say and Today I was hoping somehow that a similar miracle will happen. But as Alice, you were saying earlier, Afghanistan will learn a lot from this and I'm pretty sure that they will do much better against Bangladesh on Monday. Well, I was going to say that their World Cup is, I mean, it's over in terms of qualification. It was before today.

But they've got matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan. And West Indies. And then the West Indies at the very end. And a performance like this today is going to make them believe that they can get that. win that a lot of people thought was in them a couple of wins people thought were in them because they've got players of talent they certainly have and also they're playing Bangladesh here on Monday on the same pitch there's not another pitch cut out so it's be the same pitch again Afghanistan will have that

advantage of having played on the surface so they'll know how to go about batting on it the type of total they should be searching for should they bat first or if they're batting second chasing a total down how to go about that chase yeah I think they will get a lot out of this game though they will be disappointed right now but in a few hours time they will know that they have done well and if they could take this to the Bangladesh team remember Afghanistan and Bangladesh played around seven or eight games and they're four three somehow like that so they're very close though Bangladesh is on in farm and they're doing very well in this World Cup but I think after this game and the way they

baited against England I think Afghanistan will take a lot and I'm pretty sure that this the next game will be even closer. It's about making progress. They're new to international cricket playing on a big stage. So if they're making progress, learning lessons, then that's going to stand in great stead for the immediate future. Well, it is. And that match coming up, you might say, in a battle of the spinners,

they possibly would have the edge. The way we saw Mujah Bowl today and Rashid Karin back to near his best today on a pitch that suits him much better. Look, it'll be tough, because Bangladesh themselves, of Shaky and Mahadi Hassan, but you're interested to see if they... But Bangladesh basements are much better than Afghans, by the way. Well, Bangladesh...

Sadly. Bangladesh basemen are excellent. What you've said is factually correct, obviously, but it is also they've had more experience at plan at the higher level. Think back when Bangladesh first came into the international arena. They were making silly errors.

They've learned, and they're now a good side. Same in Afghanistan. They've got the numbers, they've got the interest. They will get better and better. And today, as I say, I think they'll learn and take a lot. Emil, thanks for coming on. Commiserations today didn't quite happen, but it nearly did, and that's the story of today. It's the story of nearly one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Whatever people say about Afghanistan, the strength of India's side, and the fact that they themselves have got the players perfectly suited for pitches like this,

and yet they were taken so close. We talked about that over from Bomra. That feels key. Again, the dismissal of Rashid Khan, who was just getting going. That's, I guess, one of the things Afghan fans are going to look back and there's been lots of if-only's, what-ifs. It is. So, experience counted and also when you're top-top-class player,

when it really gets tough, more times are not, those top-top players stand up. So he said the Bumra over there, the way Koli Badd of a 6-8, even at the end there, the way Shammy bold, go back to another game

just earlier on in the week when New Zealand beats out Africa. It was Kane Williamson, got them over the line. I think there were just nine balls to go. The other close game of this tournament, a great game that was. But today, as I say, so much will have been gained for everyone,

the cricket neutrals, the independence, just seeing how good Afghanistan challenge and took it so close to India. Available every day during the Cricket World Cup. This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Thank you, Alec. And now joining me is, well, a distinctly relieved, and much happier looking and more serene, if I may say, Prakashwakanka than the one I saw pacing around the box next door.

Not so long ago. That was thrilling, wasn't it? Too thrilling. Too far too thrilling for my liking. I actually just had my blood pressure medication ready just in case. But what a game. I mean, just the kind of game you needed to go after the game that we saw had yesterday where England didn't make it over the line.

Another very close finish. Now you feel, don't you, Dan, that the World Cup's buzzing. Yeah, you really do. And I wonder how much of it had to do with the pitch, because in a sense, it played into the hands of Afghanistan, didn't it? If they play on traditional English wickets, they're going to get outdone because their batsmen don't have the depth and the experience just to keep hitting,

whereas here they were able to restrict India. I mean, India chosen to bat, and I think they probably had initially their sights on 300 plus, but it became clear almost immediately the way Mugi bowled that it was going to be difficult, it's going to be slow, and it was going to play into the fact that Afghanistan had three really useful spinners today. A fantastic bowling by Afghanistan, but I also wonder that, you know, as long as sort of the top three were batting, okay, Rohit didn't stay too long, but when Virad Koli was at the crease, he got, he's only one in this game, I think, who got runs at more than run a ball, four or five percent false shots, really looked like he was batting on a different wicket.

And everybody else struggled. The ball maybe wasn't coming onto the bat, but I also felt that there's this belief that, this belief that, you can leave it to the end, take it deep, and then you can get 10, 12 runs of the last 10 overs. It's something that is beginning to form as a pattern. We saw that with Australia in the game against India against India at the Oval the other night. And I think this is something that teams will think about. I think wickets and pitches and their nature will change

as the tournament goes along. And I think this was a very stern test, to say the least, for India. But I was a little bit concerned about the batting approach, you know, walking through for runs. Yeah, we all understand they are professional cricketers, the ball's going into the deep, you know you're not going to get a second,

but where was this pressure on the field when India were batting? It was a different team when Koli was there and after he had been dismissed, it was a different batting line up. India just about managing to scrape through. They got out of jail today. Well, they really did.

I'm just looking at the partnership between Doni and Yadav, and it was 57 runs in 14 overs. And it's a fact there didn't seem to be a huge amount of intent there. I mean, the batsmen weren't using their feet. Muji was being played out essentially. 10 overs, one for 26. Rashid Khan, after going for 110, the other day, came back with a bang.

One for 38 in his 10. And the Indian batsman looked as if they'd settled. I don't think they'd settled for 224, mind you. No. They were still thinking 250, 260 was going to be enough. Yeah, I think they may have at some point decided that that was the target they were looking at, given the way the wicket was playing and the way that some of the loose shots. I mean, Kiel Rahul, great opportunity, got to 30 and then played, well, that's the thing with these shots, isn't it?

They come off, they look great, they don't, you look, if you're a bit embarrassed. So I'm beginning to sort of think whether he's the James wins of the Indian team, you know, get a start and not move on. Look at Vijay Shankar, he had a glorious opportunity. I think he's played the sweep four times in ODI cricket. He's got four runs of it, and he's been dismissed twice. I think he's got to just put that away in the locker. In the field, India were very poor. There was some great fielding efforts,

but you think about the time when loose throws, Vijay Shankar there letting a second run being taken. You just felt that something was a little bit off. And I think there's a good wake-up call. It's a good time in the tournament to have it. And the fact that India got over the line is going to be something that they'll be pleased, but they will have some serious conversations.

conversations. I mean, the amount of pressure they were under was etched all over Coley's face today. He was really tense. He got into potentially a little bit of trouble with the umpires we'll see. His heart is always worn on his sleeve, but you could tell he was getting furious with his fielders. There was that point when the ball landed between three fielders and it was what was Shanker doing? Why wasn't he running in hard enough? You just sort of sensed that it's not that all's not happy in the camp, it's just that today was a really, really tough day at the office for it.

And you're going to get that day. I mean, you're going to get one or two of those kind of games. And it's good that you sort of get over the line, which is, I think, the positive that India will take from the game. That being said, you know, you wonder about some of these, the way the rules play, right? I mean, Alec and I were discussing that during commentary. The ball kisses the stump.

The bail generally falls off, notwithstanding what we've seen here. And that's out in normal cricket. But in the format of the review system, half the ball in, pitching in line, not pitching. I think this just leaves an unnecessary bitter taste in the mouth of the team that loses the review. And I think there's a case to be made to think about how you can remove all of that. Use the technology. One decision. Common for all. End of story. Let's just talk a bit about the key moments, though, of the chase for Afghanistan. Because actually, there were moments

when they looked like they were playing it. Absolutely perfectly. Ramat Shah and Hashmatullah. Hashmatelah has been actually the rock for Afghanistan throughout this World Cup. He's looked like a proper batsman. Ramat Sharwood Hurd got a lot about, but he hadn't really translated that into numbers. Today, they put on a steady, sensible partnership, but they lost those two wickets, and that's the reason why Jasperit Bomra was man of the match, because that over turned the game, didn't it? It certainly did.

That being said, and we'll get to that, I'm sure, at some stage. But, you know, the 49th over that Boomer Bowl, I think, was equally important. He set it up for Shami. Yes, Shami finished it well. But coming back to your question of those two wickets in that over, now that it's worked out, it was brilliant captain Siwa Koli as well. The fact that he bowled both his opening bowlers only for four overs, held back six, brought Bumra back for a spell of three.

He handled his bowl as well. What was interesting also was he stayed with his top five. No bowling for Vijay Shankar, not done for Kedar Jadav either. So he's decided that he'll go with those five. And they delivered. And that's why Bumra is the overall. world number one ODI bowler, I suppose. Well, and also, I mean, how times have changed

that Bumra and Shammie on this wicket, which was a slow, awkward wicket, and whenever the seamers were bowling for Afghanistan, that was when you thought India might plunder some runs. Well, today, when the Indian seamers were bowling, they just looked at a different level. I mean, it was really tough facing, and Bumra's bowling around about 90 miles an hour.

Shammie in his first World Cup game. Picked up a hat-trick, picked up for, he's not even man of the match. The idea that an Indian fast bowler could have done that, in days of your another fast bowler would have overshadowed him

tells you something about yeah I mean in 1987 I think it was when Chetan Sharma got a hat trick against New Zealand

at the Widarba Cricket Association ground in Naqpa but you wouldn't have thought that Indian fast bowlers would do that

but that's what's happened I mean just talking about Boomer I'm looking at a stat from Crick quiz analyst again

nine balls in a 1.2 meter range were bowed during that death spell by by Jembram

that's tremendous accuracy It was impossible to get away. I mean, this was why, whilst it felt that there was great tension numerically, you sort of realized that the bummer was going to have to fail for Afghanistan to get in, and the thing is under pressure he didn't. And think about, I mean, spare a thought for Afghanistan, especially for Nabi not to say that the ones that came earlier weren't crucial,

but he came in at a time when everybody almost thought, all right, this is done, two wickets, two new batsmen in the crease, nothing's going to happen now. And what a knock by Mahmabhi. and when he hit that six, maybe the 46th over or something, off Bumra, you suddenly felt, wait a minute, this is supposed to be the world's number one ODI bowler, and he's just been hit away for a six, anything's possible. And at any given time, Afghanistan looked like within a little bit of luck

and a couple of hits from creating history. Absolutely. Prakash, thanks ever so much. I'm glad that you've made it through. I'm glad the blood pressure tablets have kicked in. Yes, and well bold at the end there. Oh, thank you very much. Thank you very much. I was full and straight, I thought, was the way to go in that last over.

For the remainder of the podcast and for news from the match between New Zealand and the West Indies, let's head over to Kevin Howells. From BBC Radio 5 Live, this is the TMS podcast at the Cricket World Cup. Oh my days, what a game of cricket that was. A victory here for New Zealand, which all but certain now, of course, of a semi-final place, finishing the top four. They're currently top of the group for the West Indies. a heartbreaking defeat.

I mean, gosh, I probably will lose sleep myself thinking about poor old Carlos Brathwaite is 101 of 82 balls, 9-4s and 5-6s, is almost getting them over the line. But defeat in the end by five runs. I've got Sir Curtley Ambrose alongside me and I've got Jeremy Coney as well. Well, Sir Curtley, you're able to smile at least.

But, you know, West Indian as you are, and you know still relatively recently all part of that setup as well that that that's painful it's painful it certainly is painful i mean when they look back at the way the western days played you know i'm quite sure all of them will sit back and just figure what could have been because they were so they were so well poised and so there's so much ahead of the run rate at one point but they kept losing wickets and you know after the seven wicket was taken everyone figured including myself Well, it's all over. But Carlos Bartret had other ideas.

He played a magnificent inning, innings, and brought West Indies within five months of winning this game. Jeremy Connys, as I mentioned, is with us as well? Kane Williamson, what can we... Is there anything we can say that we haven't talked about this man? I mean, it's his composure. It's the way that no matter whatever is thrown at him, he just seems just able to cope.

Well, he talks a lot about adapting, doesn't he? And it seems to be his favorite word. but he's first of all he's a very capable batsman and he can play a variety of ways he can attack if he wants to and he can manipulate the ball

around he can defend when he wants to and he's got a variety of shots that he can play to a similar ball so one that you could drive through the covers he can also whip it on the on side or he could let it come a bit further and he can run it to third man exactly the same

ball so that makes it rather hard to set a field to someone like Kane Williamson. He's quite hard also, you know, to keep at the non-strikers end because that's what a lot of teams start to do to the very best players. They say, well, if you're that good, you go and stand up the other end and we're going to try and bowl exactly to the other fella, you know, at the other end. But he seems to get away to make sure that it's a two and so that he gets back on strike always.

And so he's got a lot of options available to himself. And not at a huge risk either. And I think apart from the actual sort of, I've just been talking about skills at this stage with his hands and his feet and seeing the ball and making decisions. But he's also, I reckon he's got a very, very cool, relaxed, calm head

that he sees his way through problems. Now that's probably the real boon that he's had in the last two games. The last game at Edgebiston was not a polished innings. It was not affluent innings. It was an innings of the mind. It was an innings where that's why cricketers sometimes are locked in a battle with themselves. And that's why they're prematurely bald, most of them. And, you know, they lose their hair.

And Williamson's growing it on his chin. But, you know, so I... just think he's a wonderful player. He's also having to captain doing all those things. So we've known that for a while in New Zealand if you've, you know, if you watch him. Yeah, well, let's talk about the fact he's quite an unassuming character as well. So just picking up on Jeremy's point there, I mean, actually everybody around the world is sort of cod and dawn to Kane Williamson, but I wonder if we really do truly appreciate the talent and where this man is going to end up, when we look back on a career and the context of

the history of World Cricket. Where do you think he's going to stand? He's a wonderful cricketer. When you look at World Cricket today, in terms of the lead investment in the world, most people tend to mention people like Vuea and David Warner and Smith from Australia and, you know, the likes of Root of England and all that stuff. And not too many people tend to talk about King Williamson. But in my opinion, he's up here with him in terms of his quality. You know, so he's been just flying on the way there are for most people.

but when you look at the way he's playing and the kind of talent that he's possessed I mean, he's right up there with him. Stuart Mitchell, who listens to this podcast has been in touch. He says, if the Cricket World Cup did an MVP, that's the most valuable player like in American sports, the winner would hands down be Kane Williamson

aside from being arguably the best player in the tournament no one carries or means more to their team. Do you agree with that so curtly? Well, he does carry a lot of weight in the New Zealand team. You know, the responsibility that he has as a captain and has bailed New Zealand out of certain situations so often. You know, he's really one of the main play in the team

and New Zealand always want him to do well. They can always count in him. Throwing maybe another couple of names. You think about that for a moment. Other players that might fall into that bracket. Well, I think Shakib, for me, would be another throughout the tournament who has got Bangladesh over the line a few times. He's bold, difficult times.

He sometimes comes in the power play. and he's gone up to number three rather than sort of staying down at four and five. So he's said, I want to do that. He's not the captain, but I'm sure he's gone to him and said, look, this is what I want to do. It's where I can make a difference for you, and he has made a difference. So I would put him certainly in the same category of being very important to his side. You might say Warner's had quite a good tournament as well,

but solely a batsman, of course, and not a captain, Joe Roots, 300s. Yeah, they're the sort of names, I think you'd have in a hat and you'd line them up and say, okay. The sort of players, that if it doesn't come off for them on that particular day, the rest of the team seemed to struggle. It does happen from time. Can you think of any more?

Well, it does happen from time to time. You know, I mean, for instance, when they go back to Westinney's team back in the day, someone like Brian Lara, you know, we realize so much on him to score, heavily and other guys bat around him. If you lose him early, there's a sense of panic a little bit.

Not saying the other guys can't step up because they've done that, but, you know, when you lose your key player early, you always feel a sense of panic. Man, you know, we've got it really come good. That kind of thing. So Kenneville and, you know, and all these guys are very much the same.

Lockhe Ferguson, again, another player that New Zealand will have been aware of. The world will start to sit up and take notice of Locky Ferguson, weren't they now? He's been the pick of the New Zealand bowlers. Ahead of Bolt, he's been more consistent than Trent Bolt. Bolt had a very good day today, certainly. But Ferguson, for me, right from the start of the tournament,

he's but generally bowled straight. He's developed a slower ball that is quite hard to pick. I thought today he uses the bouncer. The bouncer is a ball that I sometimes think is overdone. It's also in one day cricket got to be very precise. You can bowl just a short ball, but if it's just a few millimeters down the leg side, it's widened. It can be widened for height.

It can be hit as well if it's not a little bit quicker to bring about a wicket and so on. So I think you're only allowed two and over. So I think he has been really the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with the balls for me over the tournament hole. I think probably today Bolt was the pick, but I mean that's just one day. I think Ferguson has picked up wickets and big wickets, usually.

Just an overall view, really, the West Indies and New Zealand to date in the competition, but after we just talk about the approach of the West Indies in trying to get those runs, we talk about that third wicket stand for both teams because they were very contrasting approaches. Obviously, one's trying to set a total, the other one is chasing anyway.

But equally, you throw in the characters and the personalities involved. What did you think of the West Indies approach? I thought that when Chris Gale and Shimon Hetmaier had that wonderful partnership, I thought they were going well. Chris Gail was dropped a couple of times, but I thought that they were well-headed their run-rate. So there was no need for them to keep playing all those big shots.

They could have kept, you know, get ones and twos, because they're going to get boundaries eventually. You know, just make sure that one-wreat kept going up, kept going up and I thought that they sort of gave it away in the end. Hetmeyer got bold trying to play cross-battie's shot. You know, Chris Gale played a big shot, got hold out. So I thought in that middle period when New Zealand was down the pressure, they wasn't so sure what was happening.

And from the time they got Hetmaier out and then Captain Holder, the very next ball, they brought New Zealand back right into the game. And it was really New Zealand's game until Carlos Batweight really decided that, you know, I'm going to have a go. So Western East, when they look back, they will see the mistakes that they made in that middle session that caused them the game. Of course they are so destructive and that puts pressure on and I guess there is a tendency to think we can just keep this going but it doesn't work out that way. Now what about the position of the West Indies? Mathematically they could still get into the top four.

What have you made of them to date and what are you hoping to see from them in the remaining games? Well for me personally when they lost that game to Bangladesh I just probably felt that that was their last hope of getting into the semifinals, right? Yes, mathematically, they still have a chance. If they'd win today, who knows what could have happened? They would have depended on a couple of teams ahead of them to lose a few games here and there. But I think after losing today,

I just can't really see them making the semifinals. Then after when, they remain in three games. Which is India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Right. Now, West is the kind of team. They could very well come here Thursday and beat India. And they lose to Afghanistan two games later. They're the kind of team.

You never can tell with them. But to make a semi-finals from here, it's going to be extremely tough. It seems to be, talking of tough, tough to question New Zealand. They've got Pakistan, Australia and England their final three games. But there are some vulnerabilities, Jeremy, that Kane Williamson and the team will be looking at to make improvements as they enter the latter stages of the group and looking ahead to a semi-final. Well, I thought New Zealand were extremely fortunate to win today. I thought they started to look pretty fallible in distinct areas of the game.

The first one I would say, obviously the opening partnership is starting to become a little bit of an issue for them. Anyone can get out early on in their innings. We know that, especially with the new ball and so on. There was a little bit of movement in that first couple of overs. But, you know, I just think Monroe has got to a point now for me where it needs to be looked at even more closely. I think by dint of the credit that he's worked up in the years, I think Gaptil is worth certainly another go.

I think Latham at number five has not yet really got away and made any difference at all there. I think, you know, Nisham himself not going up to five and getting a bit longer at the crease and not having to hit. He got another 20 today, but he's not going on at certain stages. And I think that the catching is starting to be very, very costly. Two catchers put down eminently catchable at Edgebiston and three more today.

One of them difficult, but two eminently catchable ones again today in the outfield. And then the bowling, I mean, I just thought on a slow pitch to always go short and the same paces of ball that you bowl full is just asking for trouble, especially against a team like the West Indies. So I thought that some of the bowling have to have sort of question marks about it. And we've been saying how well Williamson has done as a captain and as a batsman.

But I thought the last seven overs, when he had two overs each from Ferguson, Bolt and Henry, and then one from the fifth over, you've got choices, and I think the ones that he made were wrong. You can either put them, you know, one over, reach. You could either go Ferguson Bolt Henry, Ferguson Bolt Henry, and delay, if you want to push it out and delay your weakest bowler till the very end. And if you can't get them out, okay, that's fine. Then you might lose. But you're pushing it, in other words, the decision about the game is going further and further away. So you hope that it's a higher run rate in the very last over by bowling your better overs first. Or you're bowling first and you then slide everyone down one. But he didn't do that. He left Henry. and then this fifth bowler and then Henry to bowl again

and it just didn't kind of work Okay, let's go down and see what they've got to say for themselves with Brian Waddle he's down pitch side Trent Bolt how were those nerves Yeah, obviously Came down to the wire there Yeah, awesome came to be a part of obviously

Yeah, nice to get a win A win's a win but no, exciting game, brilliant for the tournament The ball in the air down there Did you know where you actually were? Well, I think this is potentially the biggest ground I've ever played on. And when I saw Mr. Chris Gale hitting him a long way, yeah, I was probably more nervous under his one.

But, yeah, nice to snapple it and, yeah, move the wind column up. Another one, and, yeah, we'll move on. Yes, unbeaten, but it almost was not unbeaten. Yeah, no, I think we needed that. I definitely think it was nice to bolt second. And I wouldn't say be exposed like that, but it's always nice to be put in those positions. early in the tournament

and yeah obviously coming off on the right side of it is a great feeling as well but no hey there's still a lot of cricket left to be played no doubt about it

but I'm sure we'll take a bit of confidence from it 291 was a pretty good score defendable yeah yeah definitely only just yeah I didn't bat on the surface but yeah

it's it looked like a really good surface to be honest going into the game but yeah I thought they bowled extremely well Cottrell coming in and doing what he did at the start it was pretty cool to see so no great game for the big crowd as well

you had your best bowling spell of the tournament so far yeah a little bit of swing there but yeah nice to get a little bit of reward with a couple of wickets but yeah obviously I'm only 10 overs of the 50 overs so as a collective we got the job done but no definitely look to go back to you know the meeting room and just make sure we're clear

with what is happening at the death because I think it's 100% a big part in this tournament and like I said with these big games hopefully coming up I think that's where we're going to really be tested. Jason Holder is so close it must be hard to accept that you've ended up losing this game. Yeah, a hard one to swallow. Yeah, but still a lot of positives in this game. I thought Carlos batted outstanding well and he's well supported by Keimar at the

very Sheldon and even on Shane. These guys really put at their hand, you know, they fought blood, sweat and tears for us and it was just unfortunate we came up on losing today. Great partnership for the third weekend. You're big hitters, they really put you in the hunt, didn't they? Yeah, I mean, we were always up with the scoring rate. You know, I don't think we were ever behind the game at any stage. It's just a matter for us to keep wickets in hand, which we really didn't do in the middle.

You know, we lost two quick wickets in, you know, I think, 142, which really put them back into the game and gave the momentum. And, you know, from then we were always trying to rebuild, which I felt we did a reasonable job coming back into the game. But, you know, I guess it just wasn't enough at the end. You nearly had it. Carlos Brathwaite, what a wonderful innings from him. How do you console him?

He looked heartbroken at the end. It's tough, you know, you came so close, but yet so far. But, yeah, outstanding for him personally. He was outstanding today. It was great to see. You know, he kept us in a hunt. You know, he gave us hope. You know, he went very, very deep for us.

I'm just so fortunate. It wasn't able to carry us over the line. The TMS podcast at the Cricket World Cup. Okay, well, England may have been rooting for Afghanistan or the West Indies to pull off those run chases. But as it is, the repercussions from the defeats by Sri Lanka will rumble on for England. There's a quick turnaround with Australia looming on Tuesday.

Trevor Bayliss has been speaking to Stefan Shelmelt. Trevor, thanks for joining the TMS podcast. Two defeats now in this World Cup and going into three big games to finish the group stage. It's not a great deal of wriggle room, is there? I don't know. We'll just think about the next game. We've played well against these three teams in the recent past. So we're as confident as you can be.

going into the next match. Yeah, they'll be big matches. But, you know, we're still in a reasonable, you know, pretty good position. Yeah, the ball's in our court. How will you pick the team up after a defeat against Sri Lanka? Well, just reminding them that we've played matches in the past that we haven't been too proud of. And we've been able to come out the next game and play good cricket.

We know if you play good cricket, we're hard to beat. That doesn't guarantee six. but as long as we're playing good cricket, we give ourselves a chance. How do you look ahead to the next three games? It's a tough running. Oh, yeah. Yeah, no, it's three good teams and one team in a time. As I said, we've played all of these teams before and just recently and done well.

So, look, we're going to have to play some good cricket to actually beat them. But we're confident we can. Are you expecting to have Jason Roy fit for Tuesday at Lodds? Look, at this stage, not sure. we'll leave that up to the medical staff and Jason but we're in no real hurry to get him back and we'll look at it if he's not right for the next going we'll look at it for the one after that

he's certainly an important player for us and he's starting to get close so hopefully it's not too far before too long before he can come back might you be in a greater hurry if results don't go your way and maybe you're in a must-win situation? Probably not for the next match.

Yeah, the one or two after that. That's a possibility. As I said, let's just play one game at a time and we'll assess things after that. Thanks, Trevor. Great. Thank you. Well, there we are. Sri Lanka went paintballing today, you know,

to celebrate that win over England. And some celebration, I'm sure, it was. Jeremy Coney and Sir Curtley Ambrose alongside me. The old team bonding. Can you recall any of those bonding exercises where you felt so much love and joy and happiness

within your team so curtly? Of course, you know, whenever you win a particular game where you're very excited, sometimes you want to get away from the pressures of international cricket and nice boat crews

you know, where the team just set the tone so you could unwind a little bit. Pressures of international cricket you need to unwind sometimes, you know, on a nice boat cruise and nice music, live band playing and all that stuff with the teammates, you know, just kick back and let you hear down, basically, you know, before you go back to battle. Indeed, indeed, that sounds a good idea.

Jeremy, you'll forgive me for saying this, I hope. But it seems from the days when you were leading your brave boys, it's a bit more touchy-feely these days amongst the players. But how would you have gone about any team bonding? We had several things. We had a little committee organizing those sort of things throughout a tour. So the social committee came into play. things like we would have orienteering. Now that's cunning running.

That's running with a compass going through certain points around the hotel, however. So certain points. So somebody's quietly coming in to register at the hotel and these big hulking Kiwis, thundering pass. Excuse me? Chasing, because you've got to do it in a certain time, you see, and you win the golden pineapple at the end of it.

Of course you do. Yeah. And then tennis tournaments, we've always tennis tournaments. They were fantastic fun. And if there are wives on tour at a certain time of the tour, say if they were allowed for two weeks, they'd be mixed doubles and so on, they'd be involved in it as well. So all those, and then we'd play cards, of course. A cards evening, 500, fantastic. Winners stay in the seat, losers move on. And always involved the toilet, I've got to say. That was one of the seats you had to sit on as you go through. And after 10 minutes, flush went to toilet and whoever was losing off you'd go again. You'd keep moving around.

So, I mean, that was the Kiwi sing anyway. It sounds very nice, but I think I still prefer to the cruise. Oh, the cruise sounds great to me too. Of course. Although I don't know about singing to a bass guitar just by itself. You can't beat a nice boat cruise and some nice live band with some reggae music. You can't beat that, can you?

Can you imagine thinking we could have been orienteering instead. Yeah, it'd be good fun, really. Good fun, isn't it? Okay, well, there we are. Oh, but what a day. This World Cup really has come to life today, hasn't it? It has been very, very special, real joy to watch weather and listen to, of course, whether you've been in Southampton

or whether you've been in Manchester and hopefully so much more still to come. It really has been great. Thank you very much for joining us. For me, Kevin Hulles and the rest of the team here in Manchester. I wish you goodbye. The TMS podcast at the Cricket World Cup. Download and subscribe via the BBC Sounds app

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