Shaun Udal beams when recollecting how the great Sachin Tendulkar fell into his trap to inspire England to an unlikely Test win in India, memories which brighten his outlook when he is at a low ebb.
Living with Parkinson’s disease, which can leave him in excruciating pain, Udal embraces the chance to think back to March 2006 when a patched-up England beat a vaunted India in a Test on their own soil.
With Andrew Flintoff’s side trailing 1-0 and beset by injuries and illness ahead of the Mumbai decider, Udal vindicated his call-up with figures of four for 14 in the fourth innings just as a draw beckoned.
Key to a 212-run triumph was Udal exploiting some rough outside off-stump to have Tendulkar snaffled at bat-pad on the Little Master’s home ground at the Wankhede Stadium, provoking pin drop silence.
“There was about 40-odd thousand in the crowd when he was batting, when I got him out there was about 10,000 left,” Udal told the PA news agency as he thought back to his fourth and final Test appearance.
“You have a plan for each batsman and mine was to try and get him caught short-leg. I didn’t think it would actually happen and to get him was just surreal.
“I still remember to this day the overriding feeling of ‘wow, that’s Sachin Tendulkar I’ve just got out in a Test match’. I ran out around like a seven-year-old for a couple of minutes celebrating.
“It was very special, it lives long in the memory and I’m happy to have played a significant role on the last day.”
There are parallels between the current set-up led by Ben Stokes heading to India and those that played in the ‘Ring of Fire’ Test, with both captained by maverick all-rounders and largely written off.
England’s spin attack is as raw now as it was then with Monty Panesar in his third Test although he and especially Udal, while unproven at international level, could fall back on their county experience.
The same cannot be said of Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, who have just one Test cap, between them as the supplementary options to first-choice Jack Leach, who has a chequered fitness past.
“The spinners are going to be crucial,” Udal said, suspecting India’s selection of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav is revealing for the series which starts on Thursday.
“It’s a telltale sign of what the pitches are going to be like because India have picked four spinners in a squad of 16, so it’s obviously going to spin square.
“India can be a bit of a graveyard for a spinner, you can sink or swim. My worry is if Jack Leach goes down then we’ll be left with three youngsters as our first-choice spin attack.
“But they’ll be under no pressure from the management and captain. I’ll be intrigued to see how effective ‘Bazball’, or whatever you want to call it, is in India.”
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019, Udal is familiar with misconceptions around the progressive neurological condition so he seeks to raise awareness by highlighting his own experiences.
He has a “lot of balance problems” and his “motor skills are very bad”, while “the cramps and pains” which frequently wake him up in the middle of the night can be debilitating.
“There are bad days and good ones,” he said. “It’s a question of living with it; I can’t do anything else about it, it’s incurable, it will deteriorate and it will get the better of me at some stage.
“But I’m determined to try and delay that for as long as I can.”
Udal’s world was rocked in the period after his diagnosis by the deaths of his mother, brother and close friend Shane Warne, prompting him to reach out to the Professional Cricketers’ Association.
“I truly believe if it wasn’t for them and the help they’ve given, I don’t think I would be here,” Udal says of the support he received from the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, the charitable arm of the PCA.
As well as remembering a career that brought more than 800 first-class wickets for Middlesex, Hampshire and England, Udal tries to stay upbeat and is overjoyed that he is due become a grandfather in April.
“It’s not easy to stay positive then but there’s always someone worse off, you’ve got to remember that,” he added.
Andre Russell ventures into Bollywood music scene with SRK's support
West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell is set to make waves in Bollywood, following in the footsteps of Trinidadian cricketer Dwayne Bravo, who achieved success with his hit song 'Champion' in India.
Known for adding energy and entertainment to the dressing room, West Indian cricketers have a history of making their mark beyond the cricket field, with stars like Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy shining in the IPL. The latest to join this list is Andre Russell, the dynamic KKR sensation.
Russell is stepping into the music world by lending his vocals to a song composed by Palaash Muchhal. He will also be featured alongside actress Avika Gor in the accompanying music video.
What makes Russell's foray into music even more exciting is the backing of Bollywood titan Shahrukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. Known for his larger-than-life persona, SRK is not just a team owner but also a key figure in the entertainment industry. Russell and SRK share a strong camaraderie, often seen enjoying each other's company and having fun moments together.
Recently, a video of Russell singing SRK's iconic song "Lut Put Gaya" from the movie 'Dunki' went viral, showcasing his passion for music. With SRK's support and Russell's infectious energy, fans can anticipate an exciting collaboration between the cricket star and the Bollywood icon.
Andre Russell's venture into Bollywood music adds a new dimension to his versatile talents and promises to be a delightful treat for his fans in India and across the globe.
IPL: Kumar the hero as Sunrisers stun Royals for final-ball win
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero as Sunrisers Hyderabad came back from the brink to secure a final-ball win over Indian Premier League leaders Rajasthan Royals on Thursday.
Kumar left the Royals reeling at 1-2 as they chased 202 for victory, dismissing both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for first-over ducks, flattening middle wicket to send the latter walking five balls in.
A 127-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag then seemed to have the Royals closing in on a fifth straight win, only for their chase to unravel in spectacular fashion.
Two wickets apiece from Thangarasu Natarajan and Pat Cummins left the Royals needing 20 runs off 11 balls, and Rovman Powell came up with a thrilling cameo, the highlight being an unbelievable dive to avoid being run out on the penultimate delivery, which took Rajasthan within two runs of victory and one of a super over.
However, there was one more twist to come as Powell swung at Kumar's full toss, which clipped his back leg and was confirmed as out following a review, sealing a memorable win for Sunrisers.
The Sunrisers had also found themselves in a hole in their own innings, only for Nitish Kumar Reddy (76) and Heinrich Klaasen (42) to finish unbeaten and bring up a total they were just about able to defend.
Data Debrief: Kumar bookends back-and-forth innings
For much of the Rajasthan innings, it looked like Kumar's early dismissals of Buttler and Samson would count for nought, with some expensive overs from Cummins and Marco Jansen leaving the Royals on the brink.
However, Kumar stepped up when it was all on the line on the final delivery, leaving Powell in a tangle to end Hyderabad's two-match losing streak and lift them into the top four.
Pakistan bowlers shine to hand West Indies first loss of tour in fourth T20I
West Indies Women suffered their first loss on their tour of Pakistan as the hosts secured an eight-wicket win in the fourth T20 International at the Karachi National Stadium on Thursday.
Excellent Pakistan bowling meant the tourists were restricted to just 84-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Shemaine Campbelle (26), Zaida James (19) and Jannilea Glasgow (10) were the only West Indian batters to get double-figures as Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar dominated with 3-18 from four overs and 3-19 from four overs, respectively.
Pakistan then needed only 16.3 overs to reach 87-2 and secure their first win of the series. Ayesha Zafar led the way with 42* off 48 balls while Gull Feroza finished 21* off 24 balls.
Afy Fletcher and Shamilia Connell took a wicket, each, for the Windies.
Full Scores: West Indies Women 84-9 (Shemaine Campbelle 26, Sadia Iqbal 3-18, Nida Dar 3-19)
Pakistan Women 87-2 (Ayesha Zafar 42*, Gull Feroza 21*, Afy Fletcher 1-6, Shamilia Connell 1-8)
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