It was a distinct pleasure to watch India bat in the first Test against New Zealand. It was good to see spin bowling played so well.I especially enjoyed the play of Cheteshwar Pujara. I love the way he quickly gets back to either play a forcing shot through the covers or a pull to the midwicket boundary. Many batsmen limit themselves by closing off when they play the pull shot, but Pujara opens up, thrusting his left leg towards the square-leg umpire, and creates a wider arc in which to place the ball. He was well supported by M Vijay, a dangerous opponent because he handles the new ball competently and can extend his innings by playing spin bowling well. This pair and Virat Kohli give India a trifecta of batsmen who can dictate terms to opposition spinners.As well as watching the Test on television, I was also in the process of reading Gideon Haighs excellent new book, Stroke of Genius. Its about Victor Trumpers batting artistry captured in one photograph, titled Jumping Out. In his playing days, Trumper extolled the virtue of footwork with this simple philosophy: Spoil a bowlers length and youve got him.This statement accords with the best use of the feet against a top-class legspinner that Ive witnessed. Following VVS Laxmans magnificent 2000-01 series against Australia in general and Shane Warne in particular, I asked Warne how he thought he had bowled. I didnt think I bowled badly, replied Warne. You didnt, I answered. When a batsman comes out three metres and drives you wide of mid-on and then when you go higher and shorter to tempt him with the next delivery, hes quickly onto the back foot and pulls through midwicket, thats not bad bowling.In the words of Trumper, Laxmans nimble footwork, ensured hed got him [Warne]. Its this type of decisive footwork that allows a batsman to dictate the bowlers field placings. Both Pujara and Vijay did this exquisitely by employing the late cut and either the square cut or the forcing shot off the back foot. By playing both shots, they forced the fielding captain to place a man behind as well as just in front of point. When a captain has to expend two men patrolling a limited area, it leaves some inviting gaps elsewhere. Good footwork is not only decisive, its also physically demanding if you play a long innings. Pujara, like my former team-mate Doug Walters, the best player of offspin bowling Ive seen, pushes back with intent. If Mitchell Santner had done something similar instead of just swivelling in the crease, his admirable rearguard action may have continued longer.Too many batsmen are easily tempted into lazy footwork. They either prop forward one pace or just swivel on the back foot rather than advancing to attack the delivery or quickly retreating to allow more time to place the shot.Some right-hand batsmen also limit themselves by moving outside off stump to thwart offspinners. This theory is flawed because its based on survival rather than on developing a method that creates more scoring opportunities as opposed to than fewer.As well as stifling scoring opportunities, this theory also opens batsmen up to being ambushed by smart bowlers like R Ashwin. He achieved such a dismissal when he cleverly out-thought Ish Sodhi to bowl him behind his pads.The more proficient a spin bowler, the more attacking a batsmans thought process needs to be. This doesnt mean coming up with ways to belt him to or over the boundary but rather thinking of how to score regularly and frustrate the spinner. This is a demanding process both physically and mentally and isnt achieved by lazy or leaden footwork.For some time India has been the leading light in producing batsmen who are devoid of gimmicks and rely on tried and tested methods to score at every opportunity. Whatever development methods India are employing for their young batsmen, the rest of the cricket world should start taking notice. Hydro Flask 64 Oz Wide Mouth . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Cheap Hydro Flask 40 OZ Wide Mouth Straw Lid Black Water Bottle . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. http://www.flaskwaterbottle.com/hydro-flask-20-oz.html . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Cheap Hydro Flask Straw Lid 32 oz Wide Mouth Flamingo Water Bottle . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Cheap Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Flamingo Water Bottle .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers most likely will be AL West champions by time they return home next week.Even before a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night, the Rangers knew any chance of ending their homestand with a clinching game had ended earlier in the day when second-place Houston won at Oakland.Destiny is in our hands, shortstop Elvis Andrus said. Believe me, no matter if we clinch here, or anywhere, as long as youre in that, thats been our main goal. Thats our first goal.With nine games left in the regular season, the magic number remained at two for the Rangers (90-63) to clinch their second consecutive AL West title and seventh overall.After a day off Thursday, when Houston is home against the Angels, the first division-clinching opportunity for Texas could come as early as the series opener Friday night against the As. The three-game series at Oakland is their last on the road before finishing the regular season at home against Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.I feel great about our ball club and where theyre at, manager Jeff Banister said.Mike Trout hit his 28th homer for Los Angeles and Jered Weaver went six innings for his 150th career victory in an Angels uniform.Weaver (12-12), who struck out six and allowed four runs, joined Chuck Finley (165) as the only pitchers to win 150 games for the Angels.Andrew Bailey worked the ninth, allowing a two-run double to Andrus before hitting Jurickson Profar with a pitch. He earned his fourth save in four chances since his Angels debut Sept. 2.Trouts three-run drive off Derek Holland (7-9) in the fifth put the Angels up 5-1.Were still fighting. ... Were not going to give up. Were just going to try to get some positives out of the end of the year and go from there, Trout said. Its not fun when youre not playing for a playoff spot.Holland, who spent two months on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, allowed five runs and six hits in five innings. The lefty struck out three and walked two while throwing only 71 pitches.Obviously I just didnt do my job, Holland said. Its plain and simple.After two imprressive starts in late August when he came off the DL, Holland has lost his last three starts while giving up 14 runs in 14 2/3 innings.ddddddddddddRookie outfielder Nomar Mazara had three hits for Texas, including two RBI singles. After his run-scoring hit in the fifth, he scored on Carlos Beltrans homer that got the Rangers within 5-4.Beltran hit his 28th homer overall, and sixth since getting traded from the New York Yankees on Aug. 1.We won the series, now weve got to move on to Oakland and win the series over there. Sometimes you want things to go your way, but at the end of the day, we play good baseball, Beltran said about not clinching at home. Unfortunately it didnt happen, but theres no letdown.E5 TO HIGHLIGHT PLAYRangers 3B Profar was charged with an error when he allowed a grounder by Carlos Perez to go through his legs for an error to start the fifth. But when the next batter, Shane Robinson, tried to bunt, he popped it up and Profar made a diving back-handed catch in foul territory.CENTURY AND A HALFWeaver is a California native who has spent all 11 of his MLB seasons with the Angels, and is 150-93 in 321 career starts. The right-hander 18-8 in 40 career starts against the Rangers, his most wins against any opponent.SHORT HOPSThe Rangers won the season series against the Angels 10-9. ... Texas is still an MLB-best 36-11 in one-run games. The Rangers won the first two games in the series by one run, both comeback victories that pushed their majors-leading total to 47.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: OF Shin-Soo Choo, out since mid-August because of a fractured left forearm, said he was feeling good as he continues workouts in hopes of being ready for the postseason. He has taken batting practice in the cage, but not on the field yet.UP NEXTAngels: Travel about 250 miles south to start their final road series of a season in Houston, with the first of four games on Thursday night.Rangers: A day off before opening a three-game series Friday in Oakland. 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