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Injury concerns for India: Virat Kohli has stiff back, Ajinkya Rahane swollen hamstring

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Both senior players are expected to be available for the Test series opener against England

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Jul-2021India’s Test captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane missed the three-day warm-up against County Select XI in Chester-le-Street because of a stiff back and swelling in the left hamstring respectively.The niggles are unlikely to hamper the availability of the senior pair for the first Test against England, which starts at Trent Bridge from August 4.In Kohli’s absence, Rohit Sharma led the Indians in the warm-up match, which has been classified as a first-class game. BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in the media release that Kohli, who was at the ground, “felt some stiffness in his back late Monday evening” and consequently was prescribed rest by the board’s medical team. However, the Indian team management would be more concerned by Rahane’s fitness, considering the first Test is about two weeks away.According to Shah, Rahane, too, was being “monitored” after he reported “mild swelling around his left upper hamstring” which “has been addressed by an injection.” Shah, however, said that Rahane “is expected to fully recover well in time” for the first Test.Related

  • Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav to join India Test squad in England

  • Haseeb Hameed hits ton as Indian bowlers get solid workout

  • Avesh Khan all but out of England tour

  • Stats – R Ashwin records his County Championship best

  • Bracey, Hameed in County Select XI to face India

There would be further concerns in the Indian camp after fast bowler Avesh Khan was sent for a scan after hurting his left thumb in the afternoon session. Khan, along with allrounder Washington Sundar, had been allowed by the Indian team management to turn up for the County Select XI after the pair of James Bracey and Zak Chappell were not available for different reasons. Bracey, as reported on Monday, was identified as contact of a Covid-19 positive case and had to be pulled out of the squad while Chappell suffered an injury on Tuesday morning.Khan, who was picked for the tour as a reserve bowler, hurt his thumb after successfully intercepting a punchy straight drive from Hanuma Vihari. Immediately he signaled to the Indian dressing room left the field wincing in pain, alongside the physio, with a strapped thumb.

Dharamsala weather in focus as India hunt for 11th straight T20I win against injury-hit Sri Lanka

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

SL’s batting line-up could be bolstered after new squad members were added

Hemant Brar25-Feb-20220:53

Jaffer: We might see Samson or Hooda at No. 3

Big picture

With both India and Sri Lanka missing many of their first-choice players, it was going to be a battle of bench strengths. Few countries enjoy the depth India have and that was evident during the first T20I in Lucknow. The 62-run win margin, huge in itself, looks even more crushing when you glance at India’s bowling card. Their four frontline bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal – didn’t complete their quotas as India tried Venkatesh Iyer and Deepak Hooda for three overs each.After their early exit at the last T20 World Cup, India have taken a few steps in the right direction, especially with their top three batters showing more intent. With Venkatesh stepping up with both bat and ball and Ravindra Jadeja making a comeback, they seem to have a sixth bowling option covered as well.However, their fielding, especially catching, is one area that still needs work. The three catches dropped on Thursday could have proved costly on another day. If their goal is to be the best fielding side at the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, as Rohit Sharma said after the match, they will look to improve on those metrics.After their first T20I loss, Sri Lanka were dealt another blow on Friday: Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana and batter Kusal Mendis have been ruled out of the T20I series with their hamstring injuries.In the absence of Theekshana (and Wanindu Hasaranga), it will once again be down to Jeffrey Vandersay and Praveen Jayawickrama to shoulder the responsibility in the spin department. The pace attack looks relatively experienced and settled but for Sri Lanka to beat India at home, not only their bowlers but also their batters need to come good. Sri Lanka know that, and therefore have added Niroshan Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva to the T20I squad with the two injuries.

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWLLLRelated

  • Rohit admits managing workload will be key

  • Kishan, Shreyas fifties muscle India to win

  • Theekshana, Mendis ruled out of T20s

In the spotlight

In the last few years, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has struggled with his form and fitness, but every now and then he shows what peak Bhuvneshwar brings to the table, with his ability to swing the new ball and deliver yorkers and slower ones at the death. Last year, when England posted 188 for 8 in their unsuccessful chase of 225, Bhuvneshwar had figures of 4-0-15-2. Last week, his four-run 19th over against West Indies all but sealed the game for India. On Thursday, he dented Sri Lanka’s chase with 2 for 9 from two overs. India would like to see more of that from him before the World Cup comes around.Bhuvnewshwar Kumar rocked Sri Lanka with two early blows•BCCI

Charith Asalanka was among the top five run scorers at the 2021 T20 World Cup. He had a difficult time in Australia earlier this month, where he managed just 64 runs in five innings (average 12.80, strike rate 114.28), but showed encouraging signs during his unbeaten 53 off 47 balls on Thursday. In fact, he was the only Sri Lanka batter to show any fight.

Team news

Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the first T20I after he complained of pain in his right wrist, which is affecting his batting. If he remains unavailable, India could go in with an unchanged XI.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Sanju Samson, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Venkatesh Iyer, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalTo infuse some experience into the batting line-up, Sri Lanka could replace Kamil Mishara with Danushka Gunathilaka, while Dinesh Chandimal could make way for Dickwella.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Janith Liyanage, 5 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Praveen Jayawickrama, 11 Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

The last time India were to play an international match in scenic Dharamsala, rain didn’t allow even a coin toss. The same thing had happened during their last scheduled T20I here. And rain could play spoilsport on Saturday as well. Given the last T20I in Dharamsala was played back in 2016, it’s difficult to say how the pitch will behave.

Stats and trivia

  • Since losing to New Zealand at the T20 World Cup, India have won ten T20Is on the trot. The record for the most successive T20I wins is held jointly by Afghanistan and Romania with 12 wins.
  • Sri Lanka have won three and lost 12 of the 16 T20Is they have played in India. Their win-loss ratio of 0.250 is their joint-worst in any country.
  • Chahal’s 67 T20I wickets are now the most for India. He overtook Bumrah, who has 66 scalps.

Quotes

“We have been very predictable in the games against big teams, thinking much about keeping our wickets in hand and slogging in the second half of the innings. But right now it’s very simple. All of us are so talented, we have got shots in our pockets and the captain and the coach believe in us. So we have to just go there and play our game. If the ball is there then we need to go for it rather than just taking a single.”

Pant and Jadeja go full amazeballs to rescue India against England

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Wicketkeeper hits 146, allrounder unbeaten on 83 after coming together at 98 for 5

Karthik Krishnaswamy01-Jul-20223:11

Can we compare Pant to Gilchrist in Test cricket already?

Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell may have left the UK, but the narrative arc they established during New Zealand’s just-concluded Test tour continues to define the 2022 English summer. From the despair of 98 for 5, India roared back through the sixth-wicket heroics of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, who put on 222 off just 239 balls.On a rain-interrupted day in which only 73 overs were possible, India galloped to 338 for 7 at the rate of 4.63 per over. Bazball? Well, Rishabh Pant was doing it long before the term was coined, and he moves to no one else’s rhythm but his own. He scored his fifth Test hundred and his second in England, a breathtaking 146 off just 111 balls.Jadeja, meanwhile, began his innings with India in considerable strife and calmed the dressing room down with an innings of crisp driving and discipline outside off stump. At close of play, he was still batting on 83.Seven overs remain before the second new ball is due, and while India’s first-innings total is already well within the realms of respectability, it is by no means a safe one. Their hopes of getting to 375 or beyond rest with Jadeja, and how much support he can get from their brittle bottom three.All through this summer, the Dukes ball has softened after the 30-over mark or thereabouts and become far less of a threat to batters. This was certainly a contributor to India’s fightback, but another possible factor – and a far more worrying one for the home team – may have been England’s lack of bowling depth, and their over-reliance on the ageless and peerless James Anderson.With a two-hour rain break – which included the 40 minutes of an early lunch – allowing him to rest his legs when the ball was still new, Anderson bowled 15 of the first 35 overs of the day. But he only bowled four of the last 38 overs, a time when England could have done with their other bowlers stepping up.2:15

Giles on Anderson: ‘He’s a genius, still a pleasure to watch him operate’

Instead, England’s third and fourth specialist bowlers conceded 156 runs in just 26 overs. While Matthew Potts’ day unraveled after an encouraging start – he took the wickets of Hanuma Vihari and Virat Kohli – Jack Leach had an entirely forgettable time of it, as Pant – by no means for the first time – toyed mercilessly with him.Pant took 59 runs off Leach, off just 32 balls, and 46 of these runs came through the leg side despite the left-arm spinner bowling with six fielders on that side of the wicket, including three protecting the boundary. He launched the ball thrillingly down the ground, as you might expect, but the highlight of Pant’s takedown of Leach was probably the way he manipulated his quicker, flatter change-ups by sinking halfway onto his back knee and sweeping, swiping or swatting him either side of deep backward square leg. He was quite likely lbw if he missed, but at no time did he seem remotely likely to miss.Pant got through almost his entire repertoire of shots against both spin and pace – there was a not-quite-middled repeat of his reverse-scoop over the slips off Anderson, for instance, and a straight hit off Leach that ended with batter lying flat on his back – but the most brilliant bits of his strokeplay were from the more textbook end of the spectrum, none better than a pair of scorching back-foot punches off Potts.These two shots came during a passage of play immediately after tea when India wrested the momentum entirely away from England, with Potts conceding 37 runs in a five-over spell, only to give way to the even more expensive Leach, who eventually ended the day nursing figures of 9-0-71-0. At the other end, Anderson and then Stuart Broad could only apply so much salve.Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja embrace after the former reached his fifth Test ton•Getty Images

Eventually it was Joe Root who dismissed Pant, finding the edge with a clever change of pace immediately after being hit for a straight six. Ben Stokes dismissed Shardul Thakur soon after with a sharp bouncer, giving England a welcome sight of India’s tail after being under the pump for so long.England couldn’t have envisaged the day ending in that manner given how it had begun. Overhead conditions – and the afterglow of their back-to-back-to-back successful run-chases against New Zealand – prompted Stokes to bowl first, and Anderson justified that choice by dismissing both openers.Shubman Gill got going with three sweetly timed early boundaries, but always seemed a little vulnerable to feeling for the ball outside off stump. He survived two edges that fell short of the cordon, but had no such luck on 17, when he pushed away from his body at a ball from Anderson that straightened from just short of a length.Cheteshwar Pujara, back in the Test XI but opening rather than batting at No. 3, made a typically solid start against testing bowling, but having seen off 45 balls, he got a peach from Anderson that he could do little about: an outswinger angling into the stumps initially before curving away late with extra bounce. At second slip, Zak Crawley, who had just put down Vihari off Potts, held on to this far simpler chance that came straight to him off the shoulder of Pujara’s bat.Then, after the two-hour weather interruption, Potts got two wickets in two overs, trapping Vihari plumb with a nip-backer before having Kohli bowled off his inside edge when he was caught in two minds between playing and leaving.India were in intense strife at 71 for 4, and it only deepened after a short, stroke-filled and ultimately unconvincing innings from Shreyas Iyer, when Anderson aimed at his ribcage and got him to glove down the leg side. The efforts of Mitchell and Blundell may have cautioned England against celebrating too much at this point, but surely even they couldn’t see the same thing happening all over again?

Bradburn: Adopting aggressive style of play 'a demand, not a request' to players

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Pakistan head coach also praises Faheem Ashraf, saying the allrounder has taken his finishing skills to “another level”

Danyal Rasool16-Aug-2023Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn has said that Pakistan have bought into the new-look attacking style they adopted against Sri Lanka in the Test series, promising the ODIs would see more of the same being implemented. He also said the players called up to training camps in Lahore and Karachi over the past week had been geared to implement the attacking skills they have demonstrated in the nets in match situations across the series against Afghanistan and the Asia Cup.”We’re not training to show skills in the nets,” Bradburn said. “We are looking to use those skills in the game. And it’s not a request from coaches to players. It’s a necessity for them to be in the team because that’s the way the game is moving forward globally. We want to play winning cricket. We have to demand that from our players. The game is moving forward all the time. And we want to be leaders of the game.”While the wasn’t officially mentioned, the PCB leaned in hard on branding Pakistan’s more belligerent new approach that way throughout the successful tour of Sri Lanka. Bradburn was keen to insist it was a philosophy the side would adopt across formats, and that Pakistan’s selection for the upcoming series had been driven by the approach rather than the other way around.Related

  • Faheem in Pakistan squads for Asia Cup and Afghanistan ODIs

  • Bradburn confirmed as Pakistan men's head coach for next two years

  • Thrill, thrill Pakistan

“In some ways, the selection has been difficult, but in our minds, the selection is being very easy,” he said. “And what I mean by that is we are very clear around our starting XI, we are very clear around our batting approach, the way we want to approach the game. We are very clear around how we want to attack the game, particularly in the middle overs. Pakistan hasn’t been successful in the middle overs as well as we should be. We are working hard on developing some skills to really attack that middle-overs period with some hostility, not only with the bat but with the ball and with our field placings as well. We want to take wickets through that period.”Among the more contentious selection calls was the return of Faheem Ashraf to the ODI side. Faheem has not played an ODI in over two years and had fallen out of favour across all three formats. While there has been little notable form to make a return inevitable – especially with the bat – Bradburn singled out Faheem’s allrounder credentials, saying a dearth of fast bowling allrounders made him an attractive prospect.”I believe that there is no one better at hitting pace bowling at the death than Faheem Ashraf. We really want to develop all around us. There is a lack of pace-bowling allrounders in the country and we have worked hard during the camps and our selections to reflect the fact that we want to promote pace-bowling allrounders. We want to really give opportunities to guys who are dynamic in both forms with the ball, with the bat and in the field.”Whether we go with a batting allrounder or we take the best bowler, that’s still to be decided and that’s a decision that Mickey [Arthur], myself and Inzi [Inzamam-ul-Haq] will be involved with alongside Babar as well. But it’s good to have him coming back into the one-day mode. We have really taken note of the way Faheem has been able to finish games with the bat, particularly in PSL. You would have seen him going to another level in the last year or so and he is really now starting to use his skills to finish games at the back end with the bat.”On the subject of Arthur and Pakistan’s somewhat unusual coaching arrangement due to his limited availability, Bradburn insisted the two were on the same page. Arthur is the director of Pakistan men’s cricket team, appointed after the PCB failed to reach an agreement with him to take up the head coach’s job. That elevated Bradburn into the position, which means Pakistan’s backroom staff suddenly looks very similar to the one they had during the 2019 World Cup, with Arthur, Bradburn and Inzamam all a part of the setup.”Mickey and I are very aligned. We communicate daily and he is very much in tune with where everyone is at. He is very much part of the new direction that we are wanting to take this team. So we are really looking forward to him joining us on the 23rd of August. He will be with us through to the end of the India game in Kandy. And then again, Mickey will be joining us straightaway after the English domestic season and joining us at the World Cup for its entirety and right through the Australian series and New Zealand series as well. We are really looking forward to having Mickey on board, but for me, he is on board every day anyway.”

'My last day' – Ashwin announces retirement from international cricket

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Ashwin played only one of the first three Tests of the ongoing series in Australia, taking 1 for 53 in the day-night fixture in Adelaide

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-20241:59

‘Truly an emotional moment’ – Ashwin retires from international cricket

R Ashwin has retired from international cricket with immediate effect, announcing his decision at the end of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Brisbane. He will be leaving for India on Thursday.”This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin said after the Brisbane Test at a press conference. “I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India].”I’ve had a lot of fun. I must say I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit [Sharma] and several of my other team-mates, even though I have lost some of them [from the India team] over the last few years. We’re the last bunch of OGs, if we can say that, left out in the dressing room, and I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level.”Obviously there are a lot of people to thank, but I would be failing in my duties if I didn’t thank the BCCI and the fellow team-mates. Several of them. I want to name a few of them. All the coaches who have been part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat [Kohli], Ajinkya [Rahane], [Cheteshwar] Pujara, who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years.

“Also a big thank you to the Australian cricket team, who have been very fierce competitors. I have enjoyed my time playing against them.”Saying that he wouldn’t be taking any questions from the media and was there just to make the news public, Ashwin said, “Truly a very emotional moment. I don’t think I am in a position where I would be answering the questions in the right way. Please pardon me for that. Thanks for being the journalists you’ve been, writing good things and of course writing nasty things on occasions. That’s a relationship I think we would maintain forever, and I hope the cricketers to come in the future will also get the same amount of love.”And finally, he confirmed that he would be staying connected to the game, and possibly not just as a cricketer in the IPL (he is part of Chennai Super Kings now) or in the TNPL (Dindigul Dragons). “See you soon. As a cricketer, I have just stopped it. Might go on to be involved with the game, because this is a game that has given me everything.”He was bought by CSK, his first IPL team, for INR 9.75 crore at the mega auction last month, and will be playing for them in IPL 2025.Rohit, sitting alongside Ashwin as the latter made his announcement for the press, said, “Some decisions are very personal and I don’t think too many questions should be asked or raised. If a player has [made] a choice, he has to be given that choice, and somebody like Ashwin who has been there for us for so many years is allowed to make those kind of decisions on his own and we as team-mates have to respect it. He was very sure about what he wanted to do and the team has complete backing of his thought process.

“Obviously, there’s a bit of gap [between Tests] now so for us, as a team, to regroup and collect our thoughts on this is very, very crucial right now. We’ve got some time to think about how we need to proceed further. But speaking about Ash, he was very very sure about his decision.”I heard [about the plan to retire] when I came to Perth. Obviously I was not there for the first three or four days of the first Test match, but this was in his mind since then and there are obviously a lot of things that went behind it. I’m pretty sure Ash will be in a position to answer that but he understands what the team is thinking, he understands what kind of combinations we are thinking, and when we came here as well, we were not sure about which spinner is going to play. We just wanted to assess and see what kind of conditions we get in front of us.”But when I arrived in Perth, this was a chat we had and I somehow convinced him to stay for the pink-ball Test match and then, it just happened so that if he felt that if I’m not needed right now in the series, I’m better off saying goodbye to the game.”But obviously we’ve not been to Melbourne yet so we don’t know what sort of conditions we expect there and what sort of combination. But just keeping Ash particularly in mind, giving him that respect that if this is what he thinks, we should allow him to think that way. And we should all stand by what he is thinking at this point in time.”That is what I’m thinking right now and that is the kind of chat we’ve had as well – me and Gautam Gambhir as well. It’s important when a player like him who has had so many moments with the Indian team and he’s been a truly a big match-winner for us is allowed to make those decisions on his own and if it was now, so be it.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ashwin ends his Test career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in the format, with 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 Tests, only behind Anil Kumble, who finished with 619 wickets from 132 Tests.He played only one of the first three Tests of the ongoing series in Australia, taking 1 for 53 in the day-night fixture in Adelaide. In the previous series, the 3-0 defeat at home to New Zealand, Ashwin had picked up only nine wickets at an average of 41.22.With him not being a regular in the XI in India’s overseas fixtures, and their next Test series an away tour of England, Ashwin will be 39 by the time India’s next home season comes around.In addition to his wickets, Ashwin also scored 3503 Test runs with six hundreds and 14 fifties, making him one of 11 allrounders with more than 3000 runs and 300 wickets. He also won a record 11 Player-of-the-Series awards, level with Muthiah Muralidaran.In an international career that started in 2010, and included the 50-over World Cup win in 2011, Ashwin also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, picking up 156 (average of 33.20) and 72 (economy rate of 6.90) wickets in the two formats respectively. He hasn’t had a go in white-ball cricket for India since October 2023, though, when he turned out in an ODI World Cup match against Australia in Chennai.

October 18 at T20 World Cup: West Indies take on New Zealand in a battle of underdogs

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Neither team was a pre-tournament favourite but now they have a chance to make it to the final

Sruthi Ravindranath17-Oct-2024

New Zealand vs West Indies

Sharjah, 6pm local timeNew Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea TahuhuWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonTournament guide: New Zealand started the tournament with a big win against India. Following a loss against Australia, they went on to win the next two matches, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, to seal a semi-final spot in a Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time since 2016. West Indies started their campaign with a loss but won their next three games. They knocked out one of the tournament favourites England in their last group-stage match to qualify for the semi-final.News brief: Stafanie Taylor missed the England game with a knee injury. In her absence, Qiana Joseph opened the innings and smashed 52 off 38 balls to give West Indies a memorable win. New Zealand, meanwhile, brought in left-arm spinner Fran Jonas for offspinner Leigh Kasperek for their match against Pakistan. Jonas picked up 1 for 8 in her two overs in a winning cause.West Indies have won just five out of the 23 T20Is they have played against New Zealand. Two of those five wins came in the T20 World Cup, in 2012 and 2016. The 2016 game was also a semi-final, where West Indies defended 143 before going on to beat Australia to lift the trophy.Player to watch: Few can hit the ball as hard as Deandra Dottin, and she has shown that at this World Cup too. She has the highest strike rate (167.30) and most sixes (6) so far in this tournament. Against England, she smashed offspinner Charlie Dean for two sixes and a four in an over. Her quick knocks meant West Indies did not have to worry about their net run rate throughout the group stage.Georgia Plimmer has contributed crucial runs at the top of the order for New Zealand. The 20-year-old scored a 53 off 44 against Sri Lanka to set up the chase. In New Zealand’s opening match, it was her 34 off 23 balls that took India by surprise. With 108 runs from four innings, at a strike rate of 122.72, she is currently New Zealand’s top run-getter in the tournament. Given the average first-innings total in Sharjah in this tournament has been only 119, another quick start from her could be decisive.

WBBL round-up: Shabnim Ismail secures Thunder's semi-final, Alyssa Healy hits 48-ball ton as Sixers go out

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Perth Scorchers lost but there net run-rate was enough for a knockout berth

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2020A devastating spell of fast bowling from Shabnim Ismail helped Sydney Thunder secure a WBBL finals spot with a six-wicket victory over last-placed Hobart Hurricanes in the final round of the season.Ismail’s burst of pace in the Powerplay left the Hurricanes reeling at 3 for 4 in the third over. She removed Nicola Carey and Hayley Matthews in the first over after Rachael Haynes had won the toss and sent the Hurricanes in. Carey miscued a pull shot to square leg while Matthews played on trying to defend. Two overs later Chloe Tryon got a leading edge trying to flick off her pads and the sky ball was comfortably taken by Tahlia Wilson.Ismail finished with 3 for 10 from four overs and the Hurricanes never really recovered. Rachel Priest and Sasha Moloney shared a 57-run stand but took 58 balls to do so. Hannah Darlington also claimed three wickets for the Thunder as the Hurricanes finished at 9 for 115 from their 20 overs.The chase wasn’t completely smooth sailing but it was comfortable enough thanks to contributions from Heather Knight (25) and Tammy Beaumont (22). Phoebe Litchfield (24 not out) and Sammy-Jo Johnson came together at 4 for 81 and guided the side home comfortably to ensure the Thunder qualified for the finals while the Hurricanes finished last with just three wins.Alyssa Healy raced to a magnificent century•Getty Images

Alyssa Healy smoked a breathtaking 48-ball century, the fourth-fastest in WBBL history, but it was not enough for the Sydney Sixers to reach the knockouts as they were left with a near-impossible net run-rate deficit to overhaul – a requirement beyond even the powers of Healy.Still, it was a magnificent display for a good crowd at North Sydney Oval who enjoyed the mountain of boundaries that came from both sides after Meg Lanning had earlier put in a cracking display of her own. To qualify for the semi-finals, the Sixers had to chase the target in six overs so that was off the cards from the start. Healy just played her normal game, getting off the mark with a six against Katherine Brunt, and peppering the boundary with regularity as overs rarely dipped below the double-figure mark.The opening stand with Ellyse Perry was worth 150 in 14.1 overs when Perry chipped to midwicket which sparked a wobble as four wickets fell in eight balls including Healy. However, Angela Reakes held her nerve with 21 off 12 balls to complete a brilliant chase.The Stars’ top order had put in a strong display of their own, Lanning and Elyse Villani added 79 for the first wicket even though Villani appeared to be battling a leg injury. There was then significant acceleration between Lanning and Nat Sciver as they added 82 off just 33 balls either side of a brief rain delay which knocked an over off the innings.Jemma Barsby was run out as the Scorchers fluffed the chase•Getty Images

The Scorchers suffered a startling collapse as they wasted another century opening stand between Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney which left them needing to wait for the outcome of Stars verses Sixers to see if they secured a semi-final spot. They held a significant net run-rate advantage so it would take a huge swing in the Sixers’ favour to deny them but the way they couldn’t seal the chase from such a strong position raised questions about the middle order.Devine again struck the ball with power and Mooney moved along effortlessly as the pair broke the back of the chase, following their unbroken 140-run stand the previous day, but from needed 42 off 37 balls things went badly wrong after Devine skied a catch to the keeper. It came down to needing nine off the last over bowled by Sarah Coyte and Jemma Barsby was run out off the first delivery. A boundary from the last ball would have earned a Super Over but it proved beyond Taneale Peschel.It had been a fine innings from Amanda-Jade Wellington which transformed a stuttering Strikers innings and gave the Scorchers a tougher chase than appeared likely. She struck 48 off 25 balls after the top order had played solidly but without taking the game away from the Scorchers. Katie Mack skipped to 32 off 20 balls and Laura Wolvaardt completed her tournament with another compact innings while Sarah Glenn was again impressive with the ball.A career-best haul of 4 for 12 from Georgia Prestwidge helped defending champions Brisbane Heat thump Melbourne Renegades to secure the second spot on the WBBL table ahead of the finals.Defending a DLS-adjusted target of 120 in 17 overs, Prestwidge and Delissa Kimmince sliced through the Renegades top order as they crumbled to be all out for just 76. Kimmince found Lizelle Lee’s outside edge off the first ball of the chase with a superb outswinger.Prestwidge then had both Josephine Dooley and Rebecca Carter caught behind in the third over, extracting some extra bounce from the Drummoyne Oval surface, although Dooley was attempting a ramp stroke. The Renegades slumped to 3 for 7 and never recovered. Only four players reached double figures but no one passed 14 as Prestwidge took four wickets for the first time in her WBBL career while Jess Jonassen and Amelia Kerr claimed two wickets each. It completed an excellent all-round display from Kerr who made 35 not out off 26 balls with the bat to help the Heat post a competitive total having scored at less than a run-a-ball during the powerplay. Lea Tahuhu proved difficult to deal with claiming 2 for 16 from her four overs. But the Renegades season ended with a whimper after their brilliant win over the Sydney Sixers on Saturday night.

Shaheen Afridi left out of second Test against Bangladesh

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Pakistan have brought in a legspinner after losing the first Test in Rawalpindi with an all-pace attack

Danyal Rasool29-Aug-2024Shaheen Afridi has been left out of the Pakistan team for the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, beginning on August 30.While Pakistan’s head coach Jason Gillespie stopped short of saying he had been dropped, he said Afridi was “working on some things” to improve his effectiveness. Pakistan named a 12-man squad on the eve of the match, which included legspinner Abrar Ahmed and fast bowler Mir Hamza.”Shaheen’s missed out this game,” Gillespie said. “We’ve had a good conversation with him, and he fully understands and appreciates the thinking behind it. Shaheen’s been given some feedback. He’s working on some things with his bowling to be as effective as he possibly can be. He’s working really well with Azhar Mahmood. We want to see Shaheen at his best because we’ve got a lot of cricket in all formats and Shaheen’s going to play a really big role in that.”Shaheen’s form, particularly in Test cricket, has been a concern for Pakistan for nearly a year now. He averaged over 41 in pace-friendly conditions in Australia, and took two lower-order wickets for 96 in a forgettable showing in the first Test against Bangladesh. His pace, routinely in the mid-140 kph range earlier in his career, has also dipped since his most recent injury last year. While Afridi has attempted to downplay those concerns, his performances with ball have not followed.Afridi also became a father last week and the fact that hasn’t been offered as the main reason for his omission is the clearest evidence this is a drop rather than a rest.”Shaheen’s had an interesting last couple of weeks,” Gillespie said. “He’s a new father. We’re seeing an opportunity where we’re able to allow him to go and spend some time with his family as well.”While Abrar’s inclusion in the starting XI is likely, after Pakistan’s decision to pick an all-pace attack for the first Test backfired, Gillespie said the hosts had named 12 because of weather conditions in Rawalpindi. It has rained for much of the last three days, and with the pitch under covers, neither side has been able to get a close enough look at the surface. Training on Thursday was also cancelled due to the weather, with the press conferences held at the Serena Hotel, where the teams are staying, rather than the ground.”We’re looking at what our best combination is this game,” Gillespie said. “We’ll look at conditions and decide what the best makeup of our bowling attack looks like. We haven’t been able to look at the surface much because of the weather, so we wanted to name 12. We want to be as informed as we possibly can before we select the side we think is best capable of taking 20 wickets.”Pakistan must win the second Test to draw the series, having suffered their maiden loss to Bangladesh in the format in Rawalpindi over the weekend.

Pakistan grab unexpected lifeline to make the semi-finals

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Shaheen Afridi took four wickets to restrict Bangladesh to 127 in a knockout clash in Adelaide

Alagappan Muthu06-Nov-2022
A team under pressure. A captain refusing to give up. The odds piling up against them. And then one fine day, the stars align.Pakistan cranked up the deja vu in Adelaide on Sunday as they sailed into the T20 World Cup semi-finals. If anyone is still working on time travel, please follow this cricket team. They’ve made it 1992 again.This game wouldn’t even have played out this way if not for Netherlands shocking South Africa. Some people might call that destiny.At the receiving end of this unreal series of events were Bangladesh and Shakib Al Hasan. His wicket turned this game, adjudged lbw on field, and upheld on DRS even though he was absolutely certain he’d nicked the ball.Bangladesh were 70 for 1 after 10 overs. Then they lost their captain and could manage only 127 for 8. Advantage Pakistan.Wasim Akram lite
Shaheen Shah Afridi admitted he’s not 100% at this tournament. Someone should splice that press conference video with the ball he bowled to Mosaddek Hossain. Left-arm. High pace. Around the wicket. Reverse swing. Bowled ‘iiiiimmmmmmm!Growing up, he would have shoved Wasim Akram videos straight into his veins. Now, he’s recreated his idol’s most famous dismissal on the grandest stage with everything on the line. How many people get to do that? How many people are good enough to do that?The good, the bad and the collapse
Najmul Hossain Shanto (54 off 48) was smiling. His leading edge had pretty much bunny-hopped for four over point. That was the first over. Back when Bangladesh had gained a sizeable advantage batting first on a used pitch where shot-making got harder as time went on.Even halfway through, they were sitting pretty. Then it happened.Shadab Khan looped one up over the batter’s eyeline. Shakib accepted the invitation and came charging out of his crease. The legspinner’s dip deceived him. A big hit turned into a scramble to put bat on ball.Shakib thought he did. Umpire Adrian Holdstock on field didn’t. DRS came into play, and everything turned murky. UltraEdge showed a spike, but the third umpire Langton Rusere thought that was bat hitting ground. Only there seemed a fraction of daylight between those two things.The on-field decision was upheld. And Shakib was distraught. He kept standing there, swinging his arms around, wondering what was going on. The Bangladesh captain had to literally be pushed out of the field.That wicket was part of a procession: 6 for 36.Mohammad Haris played a crucial innings of 31 off 18 balls•Associated Press

Another expensive no-ball
The Adelaide pitch wasn’t great for strokeplay. Batters kept trying to hit out but it just wasn’t happening. On the broadcast, a telling stat came up: the strike rate when pace was on was 122, but it was only 28 when pace was off.That kept Bangladesh in it. That’s the reason this game was even alive. Remember, earlier in the day, on this very surface, South Africa came undone against Netherlands’ slower balls to turn this into a quarter-final.Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put on their first fifty partnership of this T20 World Cup. But Bangladesh fought back.They were an angry team. A team raging against the way the world was working. At one point, when an lbw didn’t go Bangladesh’s way, Shakib grabbed his cap and flung it into the turf. They could easily have been distracted by these things but they kept at it.They pushed this game into the death – and then unravelled.Taskin Ahmed, who could have had a wicket in his first over if not for a bad fumble from the wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, who has carried his team on his back in these Super 12s, overstepped.The equation was 30 off 28. They had taken a wicket five balls ago. The pressure was piling on Pakistan.Then – much like in that game against India – a team that desperately needed a free-hit got one. And 21-year old Mohammad Haris whacked it for six.Pakistan are into the knockouts now. They even returned the favour to Netherlands, giving them a great chance of finishing fourth in Group 2 which ensures they will play the next T20 World Cup.Now, if India beat Zimbabwe in the last group game on Sunday, Pakistan will travel to Sydney, where once again conditions have been very helpful to slow bowling. Conditions that could favour Babar and his men if they go up against New Zealand in the first semi-final.

Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque, Smriti Mandhana help India avoid clean sweep

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

India spinners ran through England’s middle order and only a fighting 52 from captain Knight took the visitors to 126

Valkerie Baynes10-Dec-2023India’s new spin pair of Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque and an improved batting performance led them to a consolation victory in the third and final T20I against England at the Wankhede Stadium.The things that had gone wrong as India slumped to a 2-0 deficit in the series came together as Renuka Singh finally found support with the ball and, despite Shafali Verma’s second failure in as many matches following her half-century in the series opener, India staged a key batting partnership with Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues adding 57, which helped chew through a modest target. With captain Harmanpreet Kaur delaying her entrance after appearing to twist her foot while fielding – she came in at No. 5 – she marshalled the remainder of the chase with Amanjot Kaur to seal victory with an over to spare.Patil and Ishaque built on Renuka’s good early deeds to run through England’s middle order as the visitors lost five wickets for nine runs in the space of 21 balls, lurching from 67 for 3 to 76 for 8 before Heather Knight’s half-century salvaged something from the innings. Knight, England’s captain, provided her side’s sole resistance, hitting down the ground as the majority of her countrywomen perished sweeping or cutting. Twin sixes over long-on in three Amanjot deliveries took Knight past fifty in the final over of the innings before she holed out on the penultimate ball, with Mahika Gaur giving Amanjot two wickets in as many balls when she was caught by Deepti Sharma at cover point with England all out for 126.With India needing 11 runs from the last two overs, Sophie Ecclestone bowled Richa Ghosh attempting to paddle and put some pressure back on India but Amanjot, who replaced Pooja Vastrakar in the side, pierced the covers for four next ball to ease the tension and another four levelled the scores before her reverse sweep took her to 13 not out in just four balls and India to victory.

Newcomers shine for India

Patil and Ishaque, who both made their T20I debuts in the first match of this series, were pivotal in England’s demise. Patil, the 21-year-old offspinner, held on at deep midwicket to remove Amy Jones for 25 off 21 and give Ishaque her second wicket, sparking the rot for England. Left-arm spinner Ishaque, a revelation as the inaugural WPL’s joint third-highest wicket-taker, had already had Alice Capsey taken by Rodrigues at extra cover and she then bowled Danielle Gibson for a duck attempting to cut.Bess Heath, making her T20I debut as England rang in the changes, did little better, giving Patil her first with an attempted reverse sweep which found Amanjot at short third. Patil then had Kemp lbw and Ecclestone bowled, on the cut and sweep respectively. Both India spinners overcame nervy debuts, Patil taking 2 for 44 from her four overs in the first match as Ishaque took 1 for 38, and reinforced India’s faith in a revamped side.Renuka Singh struck twice inside the powerplay, including dismissing Maia Bouchier for a first-ball blob•BCCI

Renuka reprises powerplay role

Just as she had in the first two matches, Renuka struck early, removing both England openers inside the first three overs. On this occasion, with Danni Wyatt, who scored 75 in the opening match, making way for Maia Bouchier in this dead rubber, Renuka struck with the third ball of the match, a slightly fuller one that nipped back a little and pierced Bouchier’s tentative prod, bowling her through the gate.Renuka also accounted for an out-of-sorts Sophia Dunkley for the third time in as many matches, throwing her hands at a ball outside off stump which was there to be hit but she just couldn’t clear Patil at backward point. Dunkley’s score of 11 was her highest of the series and came amid a lean stretch dating back to the Ashes in the middle of this year, where she managed just one half-century – in the first T20I – and has scored just one since – at the WBBL last month. Unlike in the opening two games, however, Renuka’s good work received ample support in the form of Patil and Ishaque.

Mandhana, Rodrigues step up

Scores of 159 for 6 in pursuit of 198, where Shafali lacked support from her team-mates, and 80 all-out raised worrying questions over India’s batting ahead of this match. But Mandhana and Rodrigues stepped up when required. Mandhana’s run-a-ball 48 included two glorious sixes over deep midwicket and long-off, and five fours while Rodrigues was particularly effective on the sweep on the way to her 29 off 33.Offspinner Charlie Dean had broken their stand with a full ball that rapped Rodrigues on the back thigh as she knelt to sweep, her call for DRS unable to save her as ball-tracking showed the ball on target. Soon after, Mandhana also fell, agonisingly short of her half-century when she drove tamely to Dunkley off Ecclestone. But the India duo had set their side up and gone some way to answering those batting questions while Amanjot’s cameo at the end gave her side more encouragement.England, meanwhile, missed Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was rested from the match but still named Player of the Series for her 93 runs and two wickets, her 77 in a 138-run stand with Wyatt in the opening game the standout performance. Sarah Glenn, who is not part of England’s squad for the Test starting on Thursday, missed the match with a thumb fracture picked up in the second T20I.

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