All posts by n8rngtd.top

Silverwood says seam duo are “fit and ready to go” ahead of Adelaide’s pink-ball fixture

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2021Stuart Broad and James Anderson are in line for selection in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, with England head coach Chris Silverwood declaring that the pair are “fit and ready to go”.The omission of the vastly experienced seam-bowling duo from the series opener at the Gabba raised eyebrows even before Australia romped to a nine-wicket victory inside four days, and selection was a predictable focus of the post-match wash-up.And while he did not confirm any selections for the day-night Test starting on Thursday, Silverwood backed Broad’s assertion earlier in the day that they would be well prepared, having started training with the pink ball in the Brisbane nets as soon as their omission from the first Test was apparent.Related

• Australia's Broad-map: Done our homework on the around-the-wicket line, says Travis Head

• Root faces 'tricky decisions' around bowling combination on 'thatchy' Adelaide pitch

• James Anderson sits out first Test with an eye on Adelaide pink-ball contest

• Australia to monitor Hazlewood fitness after 'minor' side strain

• England docked five WTC points for slow over rates in Gabba Test

“Jimmy will be fit and ready to go for the second Test, as will Stuart,” Silverwood said on Sunday ahead of the team’s planned departure from Brisbane on Monday. “They are available. Certainly, from an experience point of view, with the bowlers we’ve got heaps of experience so I’m happy with that.”The guys have already been training with the pink ball behind the scenes. And what we have got is a very skilful set of bowlers. We have talent and we still have two of the best up our sleeve as well.”The decision to leave Anderson out of the first Test emerged on the eve of the match, with the ECB saying it was not injury related but aimed at managing him ahead of the day-night fixture in Adelaide. Broad’s omission was more of a surprise on match-day morning when England opted for spinner Jack Leach instead, a call which came in for more criticism after Leach’s return of 1 for 102 in 13 overs.Broad, who hasn’t played since tearing his calf in August, wrote in his Mail On Sunday column that he believed he would only have been chosen in a five-man seam attack at the Gabba. While disappointed, he believed it would be inappropriate to “kick up a stink” over his non-selection, having publicly questioned his omission for the first Test against West Indies in Southampton in July 2020.”Stuart has been great, to be honest,” Silverwood said. “Obviously he was disappointed not to be playing but he understood that this is a long series.”Everybody will put their hand up to do the hard work out there and he is ready to do that now. We had good conversations with Stuart before any decisions were made and he was 100 per cent on board.”I’ve not told anyone they are playing yet. We will have some sore bodies from this Test and we’ll make decisions from there.”Australia also have some decisions to make at the selection table with Josh Hazlewood flying to Sydney nursing a side strain, although Cricket Australia have said he hasn’t been ruled out of the Adelaide Test yet. David Warner is also being monitored for a rib injury after being struck by a Ben Stokes short ball in Brisbane.Silverwood said his team were looking ahead, rather than dwelling on their disappointing showing in the first Test, which was characterised by twin batting collapses and some sloppy fielding.”We had a good chat in the dressing-room after,” he said. “There are obvious areas we need to improve on, such as holding our catches and building big partnerships.”Obviously they were hurting, but there is belief they can win this series. We have been in this position before. We have gone 1-0 down and then bounced back. We have the players here that can match the Australians. The confidence is there that we can compete with Australia, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”

They will earn INR 15 lakh per Test, six lakh for each ODI and three lakh for a T20I

Shashank Kishore27-Oct-2022India’s centrally-contracted women cricketers are set to earn the same match fees as their male counterparts for appearances in international matches, according to BCCI secretary Jay Shah, in accordance with the board’s new pay equity policy.Under this policy, the women – like the men – will earn INR 15 lakh for a Test, 6 lakh for an ODI and 3 lakh for a T20I. These amounts are significantly higher than the flat INR 1 lakh that India women players currently earn for an ODI or T20I appearance, and 2.5 lakh for a Test match.While describing the move as “the first step towards tackling discrimination”, Shah thanked the BCCI’s Apex Council for its support in implementing the move, which he said was a “commitment to our women cricketers.”As things stand, there are no changes to the BCCI’s annual retainers for women players. Currently, those in the highest retainer bracket take home INR 50 lakh, while Grade B and Grade C are valued at INR 30 lakh and INR 10 lakh respectively. In comparison, the male cricketers are divided into four categories with Grade A+ players taking home INR 7 crore, and those in Grades A, B and C collecting INR 5 crore, 3 crore and 1 crore respectively. ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI has been engaging with the country’s top women cricketers to work out changes to the annual retainers. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain, is believed to have attended a meeting held at the board’s Mumbai headquarters.Contracts and match fees aside, the inaugural women’s IPL, which the BCCI formally announced at the Annual General Meeting earlier this month, is also understood to have been on the agenda with the board putting together a process for TV rights and franchise ownership. There are also discussions ongoing over whether the league will follow a draft process or an auction for the players.India women have had significant success in recent months. They followed their silver-medal finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in August with a record 3-0 ODI series sweep of England in England in September. Earlier this month, India beat Sri Lanka to clinch a record seventh Asia Cup crown in Bangladesh. They are set to host Australia next for five T20Is in November and December.

“We need to play a certain brand of cricket, which we have been known for. Fearless cricket is something I’ve always advocated”

S Sudarshanan05-Dec-20236:58

‘We are seeing the positive effects of the WPL on India’s squad’

In his first press conference as the head coach of India, Amol Muzumdar picked fitness and fielding as areas of top priority ahead of the women’s T20I series opener against England.”Fielding and fitness are of highest priority,” Muzumdar said on the eve of the first T20I. “There is no compromise on fielding and fitness. There will be lot of camps that will be happening post this series and getting into the next season. There will be a lot of cricket played either at the NCA or somewhere or the other.”More exposure, fitness and fielding will be my top priority. The fringe players – the new generation coming through – will get equal opportunities. These are the prime things that we will take forward after this series.”Related

• Where did India go wrong in the ODIs against Australia?

• Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt and Ecclestone star in clinical England win

• Charlie Dean doubtful for England's tour opener against India

• Dunkley finds 'new lease of life' in India after tough summer

• New Test dawn for India, but focus firmly on road to T20 World Cup

India kicked off preparations for the multi-format series against England and Australia – including two one-off Tests – mid-November at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. After a four-day practice match, they had a three-day camp before touching down at the Wankhede on December 2. Skill aspects aside, focus was strained in on the fitness aspects with parameters set.”Goals have already been set,” Muzumdar said. “We already had some [fitness] test done when we were at the NCA in Bengaluru. [The parameters] are already in place and we follow it very rigorously and religiously moving forward. There will be three tests in the season, that is already being followed.”Muzumdar called for the batters to play fearlessly, starting from Shafali Verma. In T20Is in 2023, India’s openers have had a fifty-run partnership only twice. Shafali averages 20.45 in 11 outings this year and has a strike rate of 112.50 – well below her career strike rate of 130.58.”We need to play a certain brand of cricket, which we have been known for,” Muzumdar said. “Shafali and Jemimah [Rodrigues] are both a very important cogs in the wheel. I would like them to continue what they have been doing.”Fearless cricket is something I have always advocated. We would be playing that brand of cricket.”It is the first time India are playing a T20I at the Wankhede and the opening clash against England will be only the second women’s T20I at the venue. Muzumdar, who played most of his domestic cricket for Mumbai, was nostalgic talking about the venue but cautioned against getting complacent.”Coming back to Wankhede, I am starting a new role at the home ground,” he said. “I have played all my cricket since childhood here. [It is] great to start the series here at Wankhede. [We are] familiar with the conditions but cannot be complacent as every game has its own challenges.”India have won only seven of the 27 T20Is against England, but Muzumdar brushed aside the numbers.”We have decided to leave the statistics and whatever has happened behind us. We are looking forward to a fresh start. The numbers are there to be seen, but these girls and the team are looking forward to the season ahead. We are not going to go back in history — of course it is important — but at the same time, it is also important to look forward to the season ahead.”Harmanpreet Kaur and Amol Muzumdar will combine as captain and coach for their first series together•PTI

DRS a first for a women’s bilateral series in India

The series will be the first to have the Decision Review System (DRS) for a women’s bilateral series in India. Each team will have two reviews in the T20Is and three per innings in the one-off Test.DRS was first introduced in women’s cricket at the 2017 ODI World Cup but it was inconsistent in bilaterals. The Women’s T20 World Cup in 2018 was the first T20 edition to have the review system in place. For bilateral series, it is up to the host boards to have the broadcast facilities for DRS.While England have had DRS in their home series for a while, Muzumdar said India have a “DRS committee” in place to deal with what he called “important aspect of the game”.”We have already had a discussion on this. We do have a DRS committee in place. It is an important aspect of the game. It could be a game-changer or a series-changer. Every small little aspect will be taken care of. We already have a committee in place to deal with that.”England captain Heather Knight, on the other hand, laid bare the key members of the on-field DRS decisions, having used to the system in the women’s Hundred as well.”We are really used to playing with DRS both internationally and domestically,” she said. “Myself, the bowler and [wicketkeeper] Amy Jones are really key cogs in terms of information. Not sure I am the best at it, don’t think if I have an amazing record at DRS. Yeah, one of those you trust your bowler and keeper to try and work it out.”

Left-hander will start the season coaching Yorkshire’s batters after quitting red-ball cricket

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Apr-2024It speaks of the crossroads at which Dawid Malan finds himself that he will start the 2024 season moonlighting as a batting coach for Yorkshire.Even with the T20 World Cup two months away, Malan, the ICC’s No.11-ranked T20I batter – Phil Salt (second) and Jos Buttler (ninth) are the only Englishmen sitting higher – seems unlikely to make the squad for the 2022 title defence. Despite being halfway through his year-long ECB central contract, he is already looking at what comes after.Malan will turn 37 in September and announced during the 50-over World Cup in November that he would be parking first-class cricket to prolong his white-ball career, which includes the T20 Blast this summer. Though he was left out of the white-ball tour of the Caribbean at the end of last year, stints at the SA20 and PSL kept him busy in a winter that began with the 50-over World Cup in India.He returned from Pakistan two weeks ago and, at present, has no plans to hit balls again until the start of May. In the meantime, Yorkshire batters now have an extra sounding board at Headingley, with over 100 caps and centuries in all three international formats. For Malan, it will show him whether coaching is an avenue he would like to pursue once he decides to call it a day.”It’s quite exciting,” said Malan. “I’m going to do a bit of coaching in my off time and help the boys out two or three days a week. I’ll work with the firsts and seconds, whoever is around. I’ll see if I can share some of my knowledge, if anyone wants it, and if it’s something I enjoy for after cricket.”I still feel I’ve got two or three years of playing if things go well and I can still perform, but I want to give back as much as I can now. It’s exciting to be back and give myself a different kind of challenge for this time of year than I usually have.”It’s an unofficial capacity. Whoever is at home, be it first team or second team, I’ll throw some balls and speak to whoever wants to speak to me about batting without treading on any of the coaches’ toes.”Related

• Meet Jamie Overton, England's T20 World Cup bolter

• Malan dropped for England's Caribbean tour

• Stokes opts out of England's T20 World Cup defence

Malan pitched the role to head coach Ottis Gibson last week, who was surprised. Gibson was in for a further shock on Wednesday when Malan also revealed he could U-turn on his first-class retirement this summer if “that itch” comes back, or his summer is limited to just the Blast and the Hundred, in which he was picked up by defending champions Oval Invincibles in last month’s draft after his release by Trent Rockets.”At first I was a little bit surprised because I was thinking: ‘Is he thinking retirement already?'” Gibson said on the initial conversation, before adding: “And then you tell me that he wants to play red-ball cricket, so I’m like, ‘Wow, where is he going with this?'”Nevertheless, Gibson would welcome Malan back into the Championship fold. He has only played 17 first-class matches for Yorkshire since moving north from Middlesex in 2020, but boasts an impressive average of 55.93 from 1,622 runs, with five centuries. Anything resembling that output will go far in helping a young squad surer of their footing – and no longer weighed down by a 48-point deduction – in their push to return to Division One. Ultimately, the caveat to all the above is Malan’s schedule.At this juncture, international commitments look unlikely. Despite top-scoring for England at the 50-over World Cup with 404 runs at 44.88, Malan was left out of Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler’s squads for the Caribbean. Other high-profile batters missed out to preserve them for the Test tour of India at the start of 2024. Malan’s absence, however, felt like moving on outright.Malan was in and out of the Multan Sultans’ XI in the PSL•PSL

Ben Stokes’ decision to pull out of contention for the World Cup could yet open the door for a recall, with Malan fulfilling a similar role as a left-handed anchor. But Rob Key pointed to his recent output in T20Is when explaining his omission from the squads that faced West Indies and his form was middling over the winter.”I’d like to be,” Malan said, when asked if he was in consideration to defend the T20 title he contributed to two years ago. “I wouldn’t say performance would have anything to do with it. In 2023, I had a pretty good year in 50-over cricket and I wouldn’t say I’m old, considering Jimmy [Anderson] is 42 or something like that! I can’t see it being an age thing, and there’s a tournament in a few months’ time.”Obviously I know they might want to go in a different direction. That’s absolutely fine. They’re entitled to do whatever they need to do that they think is the best way to move English cricket in the right direction. I still feel I’m good enough and young enough to do it. That’s out of my control, selection-wise.”Malan was coy about why his time might be up as an international cricketer. He had a conversation with the management following the conclusion of England’s dire ODI campaign in India, but was unwilling to divulge what exactly was said. A meeting with Key in the next fortnight will give him clarity on where his future lies.”I have no idea what they are thinking at the moment,” he said. “We have got appraisals in 12 or 14 days so I’ll probably find out a bit more then. I will just take it as it comes. I am not looking too far ahead or wanting something that might not be there.”If it is, it is; if it isn’t, it isn’t. I have made peace with that. I have a different path that I am looking at at the moment in terms of the last two or three years in my career and if things pop up, they pop up. And if they don’t, they don’t. It’ll be interesting to see where things are and, yeah, it’ll be good to have a good chat with Keysy.”

Konstas thought Kohli bumping into him was an accident but he said he enjoyed India coming at him: “It got heated at times, just feel like that brings the best out of me”

Alex Malcolm26-Dec-20241:51

Manjrekar explains how Konstas took down Bumrah

The naivety of youth. That’s the secret to reverse scooping Jasprit Bumrah for six, according to Sam Konstas.Not many 19-year-olds are conscious of how naive they are. But Konstas appears to be. He reverse scooped Bumrah twice to the boundary, and lap scooped him once, in his astonishing debut innings at the MCG, despite having nearly got out to the reverse scoop twice in the first three overs.Konstas had no fear of what might have been said had he got out to that shot, opting to focus on the scoring possibility rather than the consequences of an error.”I think it probably will look silly if I did get out,” Konstas said at the end of a day when 87,242 fans came to the MCG. “But I’ve worked pretty hard on that shot, and I feel like it’s probably a safe shot for me really. But I think that’s the beauty about being young and maybe a bit naive. I’m just trying to put pressure back on the bowler in the best way I think is, and it was good to get a few runs today.”Related

• Konstas taking on Bumrah 'no surprise' to his coach Tahmid Islam

• Kohli fined 20% of match fees after heated altercation with Konstas at MCG

• Konstas arrives at the Test arena like a supernova

• Konstas' debut, Bumrah's riposte highlight Boxing Day

Konstas showed the value of playing the ball and not the man. Bumrah had tormented Australia’s batters through the first three Test matches and tormented them again after Konstas was out by picking up three scalps – Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh – to drag India back into the game.He threatened to torture Konstas as well, having beaten him four times in the opening over and seven times in his first three, which included the two failed reverse scoops. But Konstas was completely unflustered.”I think I was just getting used to the wicket, first time facing him, getting used to his action,” Konstas said. “Obviously, he beat my bat quite a few times, and [I] was lucky enough to get a few away. But it was a great contest.”He’s a legend of the game, obviously, so I was trying to put a bit of pressure on him, and it paid off today. But obviously, he took three wickets and he changed the momentum. But I think I’m always challenging myself, trying to bring the best out of myself, so just getting that contest with him and trying to take his lines away.”He took more than his lines away. He did something no one had done to Bumrah in his Test career. Bumrah conceded 18 runs in an over for the first time. He conceded 38 in a six-over spell for the first time. He got hit for six for the first time in nearly four years and conceded two sixes to an individual for just the second time.Konstas explained that his reverse scoop was premeditated and designed to get the field changes that India ended up granting him.”Yeah, definitely premeditated, especially with the pace,” Konstas said. “[I was] just trying to keep my head still and just watch it as hard onto my bat. But yeah, got a few away today and changed the field, which was good, and then trying to [get them to] bowl in my zones.”Sam Konstas took on Jasprit Bumrah with high-risk reverse scoops•Getty Images

It is something former Australia captain Mark Taylor, the man who presented Konstas his baggy green at the start of the day, would have never dreamed of doing during his era. But Konstas is grateful to playing in a generation where he is allowed to express himself.”Yeah, definitely,” Konstas said. “I reckon maybe 20-30 years ago people were probably saying, defend a lot, just bat all day. But I think the new generation, new shots, it’s exciting for me. Obviously, I like doing that, putting pressure back on the bowlers, and hopefully it pays off for the next innings.”India also got baited into trying to intimidate him and paid an enormous price for it. Mohammed Siraj sledged him verbally and got dispatched to the boundary next ball.Virat Kohli deliberately bumped into him to spark a verbal argument which Konstas didn’t back down from. Konstas thought the bump was an accident but he said he enjoyed India coming at him.”I was just doing my gloves and I think he accidentally bumped me,” Konstas said. “But I think that’s just cricket, just the tension.”I was just trying to get in the contest and whoever I was facing, just trying to bring the best version of myself. Obviously, it got heated at times, which was good for me. Just feel like that brings the best out of me.”

New South Wales were able to declare in mid-afternoon after a dominant batting display

Andrew McGlashan20-Oct-2020Sean Abbott added his name to the list of allrounders to make a mark early in the Sheffield Shield as he scored an unbeaten half-century then claimed two wickets, but a positive innings from opener Sam Whiteman kept Western Australia in touch.Abbott and New South Wales captain Peter Nevill added an unbroken 118 for the sixth wicket to set up the declaration, building on the mammoth partnership of 244 between Moises Henriques and Daniel Solway.Following a solid start, Western Australia were wobbling a touch at 2 for 71 when Abbott struck in consecutive overs but Whiteman responded with a flurry of attractive shots and alongside Cameron Green their third-wicket stand was worth 81 at stumps.New South Wales resumed on 3 for 262 and after ensuring against an early losses Henriques looked keen to try and increase the tempo although for a little while it did not go entirely to planHenriques took his magnificent innings beyond 150 before his partnership with Solway eventually ended after 87 overs when the latter was bowled sweeping at Ashton Agar having faced 273 balls for his 86Henriques soon followed when he failed to clear mid-on against Matthew Kelly then in the next over Jason Sangha clubbed to the same position when trying to go down the ground off Agar.However, any hope Western Australia had of bringing the innings to a swift conclusion was stymied by Nevill and Abbott as the pair played with increasing freedom towards a mid-afternoon declaration.Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft started confidently in reply and had a half-century stand by the time they strode off for tea, but after the break Abbott produced a terrific spell. Firstly he had Bancroft caught behind with a delivery that just nipped away outside off then Shaun Marsh, who scored a century last week, flashed a drive which was well held at third slip by Kurtis Patterson. Abbott’s second spell finished at 5-1-12-2.But Whiteman held firm, and flourished, in another compact and confident innings which included four boundaries in an over off Harry Conway. Green was more circumspect but also very solid as Nathan Lyon settled into what could be a heavy workload on a surface still very much in favour of the batsmen.

An exemplary fielding performance and a perfectly executed 19th over help Australia eke out a narrow win

Valkerie Baynes24-Feb-20232:45

Baynes: Australia’s death bowling the difference

India needed 18 runs off nine balls when Ellyse Perry sprinted to her right from deep-backward square leg, threw herself into the air and flicked the ball back before tumbling over the boundary rope to save two runs. That moment epitomised what makes Australia tick. Every piece of effort is given at 100% and forms part of the whole juggernaut, which even when pushed by India in the T20 World Cup semi-final prevails by five runs.At the time, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen – who hadn’t played since their opening match as Australia opted for legspinner Alana King for the next three games – was in the middle of executing the perfect 19th over, conceding just four runs when India needed 20 from 12 balls, and pegging Sneh Rana’s leg stump back with the last ball.With India left to get 16 off the last over, the eventual Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner gave away only ten and claimed her second wicket as Perry again held her nerve and settled under a skier, by Radha Yadav, at long-on to allow Australia to snatch a berth in their seventh successive T20 World Cup final.Related

• The anatomy of India's heartbreak

• Australia clinch thriller to make seventh straight final

• Harmanpreet rues luck, missed chances after semi-final exit

After the win, Gardner said the victory ranked “pretty high” on Australia’s unmatched list of triumphs.”I think at the ten-over mark in India’s batting innings, everyone had probably written us off, but I think that just shows our character within our side and that’s why the best teams win in those types of positions,” she said.”What we speak about is when our backs are up against the wall, we always try and find a way, and today we probably had no right to win at one point there. They were cruising and then we found a way to get some wickets and ultimately came out on top.”It was similar to last year’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal match, which Australia had won by nine runs. That, combined with Thursday’s performance at Newlands, suggests the gap might be closing somewhat compared to the 85-run thumping they had dished out to India in the final of the T20 World Cup back in 2020.India, on the other hand, squandered their chances with crucial drops of Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning, Australia’s two biggest run-scorers on this occasion, as well as leaking runs through numerous misfields and overthrows.”We showed our class today in the field and we always speak about as a group being the best fielding team in the world, and I think today really showed that,” Gardner said. “Ellyse Perry was elite on the boundary. Whether it’s dropped catches, [or] missed opportunities in the field, those ultimately add up to quite a lot of runs and I think we took those moments when we really needed to.Player-of-the-Match Gardner contributed 31 off 18 balls with the bat and followed that with two wickets•ICC/Getty Images

“I certainly think Pez is probably the blueprint for our side going forward – certainly on the boundary. At the end of the day, that could have been the difference between us and them.”Gardner, who had also contributed an excellent 31 off 18 balls with the bat, revealed it was no accident that Australia are so strong in the field.”We have KPIs and there are markers that show us whether we’re positive or negative in the field,” she said. “So there’s a pretty clear indication of how we’ve fielded. We just know how to push each other. In our training sessions, there are always really high-pressure situations, and as athletes, we all push each other – whether it’s on the field or off the field, whether it’s in the gym, running.”That’s something we really pride ourselves on is being fit, being strong, and ultimately that’s one of the things that has an impact in the field.”India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who overcame illness to put her side in a winning position before being run out when her bat got stuck in the pitch, acknowledged that the difference in fielding was the key.”The Australian side, they always field very well; and from our side, we made some mistakes,” Harmanpreet said. “But again, we have to just learn [from] whatever mistakes we have made. But obviously, the Australian side is better than us. They always field well, and today also, after I got out, their body language completely changed. The way they stopped two-three boundaries, that also made a huge difference.”Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s second-highest run-scorer on the day, agreed: “When you lose, you always find a lot of reasons. You can blame anything… but yeah, that is one aspect. As an Indian team, we know that we need to improve our fielding and our running between wickets. Today the running between was really good but I think there’s so much to learn from.”Gardner, Jonassen and Mooney all said that competing under pressure in franchise tournaments such as their own WBBL and England’s much-newer Hundred had contributed to Australia’s strength, which is encouraging for India ahead of their inaugural WPL season, which starts next month.”It probably comes back to the exposure of those sorts of situations,” Jonassen said. “Having such a quality domestic set-up, having the WBBL, having some of the best international players coming over every year – that plays a significant part. Then we’re almost primed for those same situations on the international stage.”We’ve had a few young players making debuts in different formats this season as well that have come from those competitions, and we’re always looking to try and improve, and try and push each other to that next level and try and get the most out of each and every person because ultimately we know if we can gain an extra one or two percent individually, then the team’s collectively going to be better off.”And such is Australia’s depth that Jonassen jokingly revealed her disbelief when head coach Shelley Nitschke told her after training on match eve that she was back in the side.”I had to get her to repeat it because I had walked about ten laps after training yesterday, sort of getting my head around how I would mentally deal with if I missed out again,” Jonassen said. “I’ve got my partner and my mum who have flown over, so I was pretty disappointed up until today that I wasn’t able to play a game in front of them. Hopefully one more and it’s another successful one.”One more will mean a contest for the trophy against either hosts South Africa or England. Besides India at this World Cup, only England have looked capable of threatening Australia. Whoever it is will need to do more than just threaten, as India found out.

Champions bowled out for their lowest T20 total of 74 as Ben Green, Matt Henry, Lewis Gregory chime in

ECB Reporters Network24-May-2023Revenge was sweet for Somerset as seamers Craig Overton and Matt Henry led them to a crushing eight-wicket Vitality Blast victory over reigning champions Hampshire Hawks at sun-drenched Taunton.Beaten in last season’s semi-finals by the same opponents, the hosts dominated from the start after winning the toss, Overton claiming 3 for 8 from four overs and Henry 2 for 19 from three to leave the Hawks 27 for 5.The Blast title holders never recovered and were bowled out for 74, their lowest ever T20 total, in 16.1 overs, Ben Green taking 3 for 11 and Lewis Gregory 2 for 13, while Overton added four catches to his heroics with the ball.It was a ruthless display by the Somerset seamers, backed by some razor-sharp fielding. In reply, the hosts breezed to 74 for 2 off just 9.3 overs, Tom Banton smiting 40 off 24 balls.Overton and Henry appeared to be trying to outshine each other when the Hawks innings began in front of a packed crowd, both maintaining excellent line and length.Sam McDermott fell to the last ball of Overton’s opening over, caught two-handed to his left by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at slip.It was 9 for 2 when Henry struck with his first delivery, bowling James Vince between bat and pad with a ball that nipped back. The New Zealand Test bowler then had Joe Weatherly caught at mid-on by Overton off a skyer to make it 12 for 3 in the fourth over.By the end of the six-over powerplay, the Hawks were in disarray at 26 for 3. Their plight worsened when Overton had Tom Priest caught behind attempting to pull a short ball.Overton notched his third victim in the same over as Toby Albert was also snaffled by wicketkeeper Banton, going hard at a wide delivery.
Albert had scooped a six off Henry, but it was a rare moment of defiance from the Hawks as Overton produced 17 dot balls in bowling his allotted four overs straight through from the River End.Rightly impressed by his opening attack, Somerset skipper Tom Abell did not make a change until the eighth over, which saw Peter Siddle replace Henry.Ross Whiteley hit fours off successive balls from Gregory and Liam Dawson pulled a a six off Green as Hampshire briefly threatened a recovery.But, having helped take the score to 57, Dawson fell to another Overton catch, this time at fine leg off a scoop, and Scott Currie went in the same Gregory over, the 12th of the innings, bowled off a bottom edged pull shot.Whiteley had reached his side’s top score of 18 when caught by Kohler-Cadmore, diving forward at long-off, having made decent contact with a Green full toss.At 61 for 8, the Hawks were down and out. Chris Wood was pouched by the diving Overton at mid-off off Green, who completed the rout by having Nathan Ellis, who had taken 13 off Henry’s final over, caught at long-on by the same fielder.Somerset’s big-hitting batting line-up were never likely to be troubled chasing such a paltry total and Banton soon signalled his intentions to end the match early by clearing the ropes with a ramp shot off Wood in the third over.A scoop off Ellis brought the England T20 international another boundary, followed next ball by a clip through the leg side for four. Will Smeed was caught at short third man for 5 in the same over, but by the end of their power play, Somerset were comfortable at 37 for 1.Banton launched another six over mid-wicket off Dawson before being stumped in the same over chasing a wide one. Kohler-Cadmore (18 not out) got off the mark by smashing the spinner over wide long-on for a maximum and by then the outcome had long been beyond doubt.

Jadeja’s 3 for 28 restricted Australia to 199, but India’s pursuit of a modest target began with a historically bad start

Vithushan Ehantharajah08-Oct-20231:19

Tom Moody: Australia did not have a plan for that sort of pitch

The hosts and favourites for the 2023 World Cup are up and running. But as clinical as India’s six-wicket victory over Australia looks on paper, there was far more jeopardy out on the field in Chennai.Ravindra Jadeja’s exemplary 3 for 28 restricted Australia to 199, but the pursuit of a modest target began with a historically bad start. India were reduced to 2 for 3 – the first time in ODIs three of their top four were dismissed without scoring; Mitchell Starc removed Ishan Kishan for a first-ball duck before Josh Hazlewood’s double-wicket maiden snared captain Rohit Sharma lbw and Shreyas Iyer, caught tamely at short cover.But from the ruins rose Virat Kohli and KL Rahul – two of India’s “been there, done that” world-beaters. A stand of 165 turned a problematic start into a cakewalk of a finish. So much so that while Kohli fell for 85 – he was dropped on 12 – Rahul was able to manoeuvre himself into a position for an outside shot at ODI century number seven.With 91 to his name and five left to get, a four and a six would have taken him to three figures. Alas, too sweet a connection on a lofted drive off Pat Cummins cleared the boundary sponge at extra cover, finishing the match and leaving the keeper-batter dismayed on 97 not out.It was particularly chastening for Australia for the match to end in such one-sided circumstances. Cummins’ decision to be the first captain to win the toss and choose to bat at this World Cup looked optimistic, especially as the second innings wore on and the ball stopped talking.Halzewood’s 3 for 38 ended up being the only plus point in the second half. But one imagines most of the post-match debrief will centre around the inability to combat the turn and nous of Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and R Ashwin.Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Steven Smith with a ripper•Associated Press

India’s spin amigos shared six wickets between themselves, instigating an inescapable chokehold epitomised by the 16.5 overs worth of dot balls within their collective 30. The control assumed throughout the guts of Australia’s innings was primarily through Jadeja, who was introduced in the 20th. Australia had made a steady start before an eight-over-straight spell of 3 for 28 from the Chennai Super Kings stalwart on familiar conditions demolished those foundations.Despite losing opener Mitchell Marsh for a six-ball duck – edge found by Jasprit Bumrah, well-taken by Kohli tumbling to his left at first slip – David Warner was typically breezy, moving past 1000 ODI World Cup runs in just his 19th innings, setting a new benchmark for the feat having done so in one knock fewer than Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers.A return catch for Kuldeep’s first of two dismissals ended his stay on 41, and a stand of 69 with Steven Smith, who himself made it to 46 before losing his off stump, beaten on the outside edge and losing his off stump. It was the first of three wickets to fall in the space of 10 Jadeja deliveries.Marnus Labuschagne was adjudged caught behind off a sweep, before the Alex Carey lasted just two deliveries before behind adjudged lbw in front of middle. Both batters took Australia’s two DRS reviews back to the dressing room.At 119 for 5, the onus fell on the last two remaining “full-time” batters Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green to conjure a partnership of note. Maxwell was able to strike Jadeja through extra cover for the first boundary in 73 deliveries, but an awry shot across the line to Kuldeep followed by Green’s lazy cut to backward point off Ashwin took the score from 140 for 5 to 140 for 7 in the space of four balls.Starc and Cummins were valiant in pursuit of late runs; the latter striking the first six of the innings midway through the 40th over (Kuldeep heaved over deep square leg) before the former bashed the second over the same region off Bumrah.Starc would be the last to fall, holing out into the leg side to bring the innings to a close with three balls to go. But within four balls of the restart, the left-arm quick had Kishan departing first ball, slashing to Green a first slip.Virat Kohli and KL Rahul piled up pressure on Pat Cummins and Co•AFP/Getty Images

Hazlewood followed with his double-hit in his opening over and, just like that, India’s task looked far from academic. But the fact there was only 197 to clear in 48 overs when Kohli and Rahul came together meant no undue risks needed to be taken.And yet, India should have been 19 for 4 when a top edge from Kohli on 12 – hurried by a skiddy bouncer from Hazlewood – fell through the hands of Marsh running in from square leg after some miscommunication with Carey behind the stumps. Kohli then survived an edge past his own stumps off Cummins on 13.Kohli was soon back into his work, supreme through midwicket for back-to-back fours off Green – the first just his second boundary in 50 deliveries. The pair exchanged strike regularly, until Rahul struck three fours – two fine of third, then a drive through cover – to take 13 off Adam Zampa’s opening over to jump-start his innings.That the legspinner was held back until the 17th over spoke of the loss of that early movement with the two new balls under lights, dissipating Australia’s incisiveness. By then, Starc had changed his angle to over the wicket to both right-handers, hoping to elicit either movement or a mistake off the straight.Kohli would win the race to the half-century, whipping a Cummins bumper off his nose to reach fifty for the 114th time in ODIs, off 75 balls. Soon after the century stand was reached, Rahul square drove his 72nd delivery for a 16th fifty in the format. ODI hundred number 48 looked odds on for Kohli, only to fall 15 short when pulling Hazlewood straight to Labuschagne at midwicket. His walk-off suggested a desire to take the side home, but with 33 required off 74, the finish line was in full view.And so came the sprint finish. Pandya charged Hazlewood to muller him over wide long off for India’s first six of the tournament. Rahul then followed with the second in the next over, planting Maxwell into the stands down the ground.Perhaps a century for Rahul would have been the neatest of bows on a professional opening win. As far as consolations go, sizeable red ink and victory by 52 deliveries should more than make up for it.

SA’s quicks Rabada and Jansen then tore through a line-up already missing the injured Ayub

Danyal Rasool04-Jan-2025Pakistan’s horror day in Cape Town was complete after South Africa ripped through their top order to leave them staring down the barrel of a huge defeat. Having posted 615 thanks to a double-hundred from Ryan Rickelton and a century from Kyle Verreynne, South Africa’s quicks Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen tore through a Pakistan line-up already missing the injured Saim Ayub. So effectively, South Africa are six wickets away from making Pakistan bat again, with the visitors a mammoth 551 runs behind after day two.Having taken command before lunch, South Africa ground Pakistan into the dust in the afternoon. Rickelton ended up with 259, falling just short of Stephen Fleming’s 262 as the highest score at Newlands. Verreynne brought up his fourth Test hundred. Jansen, out of form with the bat all year in 2024, heralded the new year with a whirlwind half-century. Six fours and three sixes helped him get there in 42 balls. Thus, as many as 137 runs were added in the second session, with South Africa having surged to 566 for 7 by tea, already their highest score at home in four years.Pakistan gamely battled on, but their efforts never looked like bearing fruit on a wicket that had long since flattened, and batters that had long since settled. Much of the second session became a milestone-marking exercise. Verreynne continued with the belligerence that had lit up the first session, a boundary off Mohammad Abbas and a single off the next ball bringing up three figures. It brought Newlands to its feet once more; they may have sore legs from the frequency with which they had to do that.Salman Ali Agha struck next over to prise him out as Verreynne went for a slog sweep, but it did little to stymie South Africa’s momentum. With no scoreboard pressure, Jansen let his natural talent speak for itself, swinging freely and timing it beautifully. He took 11 balls to get off the mark, but once he did, there was no stopping him. Two fours and a six off Khurram Shahzad in two successive overs helped bring up the 50 partnership in 46 balls, while each of Rickelton and Jansen helped themselves to sixes off Salman.Kyle Verreynne got to his fourth Test hundred•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan finally saw the back of Rickelton before tea was called. Having slapped Mir Hamza over his head for four, he top-edged the next ball to Abbas at long-on, who hung on to send him on his way, but not before he had nearly doubled his Test tally in one innings.In the morning, Rickelton had become the first South African in eight years to score a Test double hundred as South Africa tightened their grip on the Test. Pakistan began the session with some promise, taking the new ball immediately and striking within four overs, when Abbas tempted David Bedingham into a push outside off stump and induced an outside edge. It gave Pakistan a lift, but Rickelton merely carried on with the discipline that saw him go in overnight unbeaten on 176. He was cautious against the length deliveries and dismissive of everything else.Verreynne, meanwhile, was less discerning in his shot selection, a hook over deep backward square off Abbas revealing his intentions. It was a shot that defined the session for him; he picked up another two sixes off Jamal in the final over before lunch the same way. When Shan Masood put in three fielders close in at cover, he still found a way to pierce them through that region against Hamza, whose attempts to induce cover drives were successful, but just not in the way he had hoped.At the other end, Rickelton got to his double hundred with a punch through the off side, haring off halfway down the field in celebration. But the highlights all belonged to Verreynne, who greeted Salman with a reverse sweep for four off the second ball, and another one to finish the over off. Before the session was out, Verreynne had taken Jamal down by plundering 17 runs in an over.Kagiso Rabada got two early wickets with the new ball•Gallo Images

Pakistan finally did manage to bring the innings to a close after more than 140 overs under the hot Newlands sun, finishing, with pleasing symmetry, the way they started it. Abbas hit the top of off to knock back debutant Kwena Maphaka’s stumps, just like ball-tracking projected Abbas would have done off the innings’ first ball had Aiden Markram’s pad didn’t get in the way.But as soon as they started with the bat, they might almost have been left wishing South Africa’s innings didn’t end. Masood didn’t see out the first over, pushing at a Rabada delivery that nibbled away and took his outside edge along with it. Saud Shakeel fell in almost identical fashion as he uncharacteristically drove at Rabada, the same edge carrying to the same slip fielder, with David Bedingham making no mistake.In between, extra pace and bounce from Jansen forced Kamran Ghulam into an awkward position that culminated in his stumps being scattered behind him.So threatening was South Africa’s opening salvo and so listless were Pakistan’s batters that it felt the hosts might burrow deep into the tail this evening. But Babar Azam, opening in the absence of Ayub, dug in alongside Mohammad Rizwan, and South Africa’s replacement bowlers were not quite at Rabada and Jansen’s devastating level.It helped Pakistan that made sure they ended a day that had no redeeming features with the hope the next one may delay the inevitable a while longer.