England in SA: Dawid Malan: The beauty and the beast

Aryan Surana


Dawid Malan fell prey to the classic brain fade. It wasn't amongst the cream of the crop. Not Steve Smith turning towards the dressing room to seek some quick advice on an lbw referral or Glenn Maxwell shouldering arms at a ramrod straight shooter to hear the morbid clank of wood. Malan's episode didn't involve a life and death scenario or an epilogue which nudges the victim into the rabbit hole of ignominy. In fact, his grey matter betrayed him on the most auspicious occasion a batsman can think of. On the very verge of victory. 

Scores drawn level with Malan on strike at 98, England stood within sniffing distance of a prolific series whitewash over South Africa in Cape Town. They had 15 balls left in the tank to knock off the solitary winning run whereas Malan just needed a brace to avail the magic three-figure mark and put a kibosh on the cynicism revolving around his place in T20Is. A hundred would have been one hell of a statement. But alas, it wasn't meant to be as he eked out a yorker to point for a single to finish the clean sweep against Proteas in their own backyard. Their belief beggared, startled faces in the pavilion rose to a standing ovation for Malan, the near-centurion, the late bloomer who's constantly wading his way through an existential crisis in England's star-studded pecking order.

"I honestly should've known about the hundred, I did, but I went for the single either way. Maybe I should go back to math class," Malan conceded in a lighter vein after shepherding England's climb to the 192-run target alongside Jos Buttler who contributed 67* in their unscathed alliance worth a bumper 167.  

The sword is always dangling over Malan's neck. Don't let the number one rank among T20I batsmen wheedle you into believing otherwise. Despite an earth-shattering T20I average of 48.71 and a strike rate of 146.66, the southpaw himself admitted, in a build-up presser to the South African assignment, that he still doesn't walk into the team. 

"The rank doesn't guarantee runs, it certainly doesn't guarantee you a spot in the team. Everyone has to work to play for England. I don't think it's ever just given on a plate. Every opportunity is gold when you are trying to break into this team. All I can do is put in the work in the nets and if I get the opportunity to play, keep scoring as many runs as I can to put pressure on the guys that have the spots," he said while emphasizing the cut-throat competition in England's team. 

You bet he has put his fellow contenders under the pump with an overall tally of 173 runs in the three slam-bang matches, saving the best for the last in which he occupied the crease long enough to offer a microscopic view of his potential to pundits and fans alike. Malan is neither a fish from the pod of muscle-packed bullies who worship the tormentor that is Andre Russell, nor is he an extremely gifted entity like Rohit Sharma or Quinton de Kock to whom the game of cricket seems a lot more kind than other mere mortals. He straddles a neat line between both, making merry of whatever little gifts of timing and poise he has been blessed with while calculating with careful consideration when to give a sneak peek of the hard-hitting beast. On a balmy Tuesday evening at Newlands as well, it took two to tango. 

The nerves settled with a couple of boundaries against Anrich Nortje, the first being a delectable swivel-pull. Malan poked South Africa where it hurt them. Lutho Sipamala was an evident loophole in their attack which was still coming to grips with the bad news of Kagiso Rabada sustaining a right adductor strain. He overstepped on his first bite at the cherry and Malan swooned the free hit high and handsome over fine leg. Tabraiz Shamsi was greeted into the mix with a cold-blooded reverse-sweep before George Linde copped the venom of Malan's beefy wrists for a scintillating backfoot punch. Bringing intelligence to the fore in a format governed by a devil-may-care gospel, Malan joined the tactical dots of his innings as if they were silken beads of a bracelet, each dash to the fence burying on its path the debate of a seemingly undeserved place in the batting order. 

"Very happy that the last two innings, I wasn't hitting as well as I'd like, but this time I really got some momentum. The wicket played really well and that was to my advantage. It was skidding really nicely onto the bat and it was a lot of fun to play. Jos didn't start as quickly as he would have liked but I had the momentum and took the pressure off him, and that ebbed and flowed over the course of the partnership. I play the same way every time, sometimes it comes off and sometimes, it doesn't. I have the power and it's just about applying myself," Malan laid bare his heart in the post-match presentation, talking with the host broadcaster. 

There's a proverb that has become almost a mandatory baggage for the players on the other side of the thirties, for instance, Joe Denly and Malan. It goes that 'the clock is ticking', signifying the fact that these not so young men are always racing against time in their bid to cement a place in the national side. And irrespective of the statistics that flow fluidly from their bat or ball, they are destined to be examined through the unforgiving lens of age. Safe to say, Malan has rammed his fist into the clock's dial for now. 

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Malan's Brilliance Blows Away South Africa to Give England Series Whitewash

England completed a highly satisfying clean sweep over hosts South Africa in the three-match T20I series with a comprehensive 9-wicket win in the final game, at Cape Town. The star of the show, once again, was batsman Dawid Malan, who finished with 99 not out. He was ably assisted by Jos Buttler who remained unbeated on 67 at the other end. Thanks to the superlative batting of these two individuals, a seeminly big target of 192 was chased down by the visitors in just 17.4 overs. For the first time in this series, the toss went in favour of South Africa, but they chose to bat first, the same situation that England put them in during the first two games. The Proteas were propped up by two good innings. Faf du Plessis once again came good, scoring 52 off 37 balls. He was bettered by the man with whom he created a 128-run partnership, Rassie van der Dussen. The latter smashing 74 in just 32 balls. This undefeated partnership took South Africa to 191/3 in their 20 overs. In reply, England romped home thanks to a blazing 167-run partnership between Buttler and Malan. The wicketkeeper batsman scored 67 off 46 but got upstaged by Malan whose 99 came off just 47 balls. Captain's Take After suggesting that his team wasn't far off the mark in the first two games of the series, South Africa captain de Kock accepted that in this match, they were thoroughly outplayed. But he still thinks his team isn't out of sorts. "It's disappointing, but they blew us away. They put our bowlers under a lot of pressure, played cleverly and we couldn't stop them. We are not playing as badly as it is perceived to be. We are coming up against the English first-up and, going forward, the boys are confident." the captain said after the match. Eoin Morgan was satisfied by his team's performance in this match. After being apprehensive about aresa of his team's game in the first two matches, the England skipper was full of praise this time. "It's extremely pleasing. Dawid and Jos were absolutely outstanding. To win a game in such commanding fashion builds a lot of confidence in the changing room. To be able to chase a total like that, given we didn't get off to an absolute flier, it's very encouraging signs." Morgan did notice that there is still room for improvement, probably hinting at his team's bowling. "We need to put together an allround game, we've progressed nicely, but as regards performance, striving for that collective performance is important," he pertinently added. Expert's Take Nor surprisingly, the comments by experts and followers of England team, following the match, were full of praise for Malan. Former England cricketer and now, a commentator, Ebony Rainford-Brent had the same reaction to the left-hander's batting. "Only just noticed Malan’s T20 international strike rate is 144! Same as Buttler. Impressive!," she noted. How good Malan is was also explained succintly by commentator Daniel Norcross. "Babar Azam is the fastest man to 1000 runs in T20I (26 innings). Kohli second fastest (27). Dawid Malan has scored 855 runs in 19 innings at an average of 53.44. Only two men average over 50 after 20 innings (Azam and Kohli). If Malan plays one more match he will be the third." Cricket author and analyst Freddie Wilde summed up the current position of Malan in the England team. "There are still actually a fair few T20Is before the World Cup—& time for players to fall in & out of form—but it's increasingly hard to imagine an England team at the World Cup without Dawid Malan in it. Coming from the outside he's made himself close to undroppable." Always upbeat about England's prospects, former captain Michael Vaughan chipped in with his comment. "Whoever beats England will win the T20 World Cup next year ... #JustSaying" Only time will tell whether this is overconfidence or not.

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New Zealand vs West Indies | 1st Test: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

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Interestingly, the lower order of the batting line-up seems a little more reassuring. Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder have bailed their teams out of trouble several times. But they would need help from the middle order to take their team to a winning position. Stable New Zealand Without anyone noticing it, the Kiwis have developed a highly dependable batting line-up. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are the two superstars in the middle order. But around those two, there are other high-quality batsmen also who have proved their worth with brilliant performances. Tom Latham has been a regular member of the New Zealand team since 2014 and has become a successful opener for the side. Henry Nicholls has also established himself firmly in the middle order in the last couple of years. BJ Watling is among the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world but he may be missing due to injury. In his absence, Tom Blundell seems a very capable option. Colin de Grandhomme's injury is a big blow but still, the batting seems very solid. New Zealand vs West Indies 1st Test: Match Details Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton Broadcast: Amazon Prime Video Date and Timing: December 3, 3:30 AM IST, 10 PM GMT, 11 AM Local Pitch Report The pitch at hamilton does not have any great distinguishing features. Like most venues in New Zealand, what happens in the match has more to do with overcast conditions than those on the track. If the weather stays fine and the hosts don't demand an especially green wicket, it's likely to be a good batting wicket. The last Test here, between New Zealand and England last year, ended in a run-filled draw. Weather and Toss There is chance of rain on the first day. If the skies remain overcast, both teams will consider bowling first. Bit of cloud cover is expected on the next two days as well but not too much. Day 4 is expected to be sunny but rain is expected on the final day. Teams New Zealand are in doubt over the availability of BJ Watling. In his absence, Tom Blundell may have to keep wickets. In that scenario, a new opening partner will have to be found for Latham as it would be too much for Blundell to perform both the Tasks. Devon Conway has been added to the squad and he is likely to get a go if Watling missed out. The injury to de Grandhomme also ensures a place for Will Young, the 28-year old Central Districts batsman. Probable XI: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (Wk), Will Young, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult West Indies With Shai Hope dropped from the team, a crucial spot opens up in the middle order. However, there are two strong contenders for it - Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer. With Bravo's experience and good form in the practice matches, he is certain to get in. But Hetmyer also has a good chance to make it to the side due to the all-round abilities of Chase. Probable XI: Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (Wk), Jason Holder (C), Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel Dream11 Fantasy Team Suggestions Tom Latham, Kraigg Braithwaite, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (Wk), Jason Holder, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult

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Stuart Broad nominated for BBC Sports Personality Of The Year award

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CA Defends BCCI After Channel 7's Attack in Court

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