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Hetmyer, Bravo and Russell star with the bat for the hosts as Australia fall in a heap for the second night running

Andrew McGlashan11-Jul-2021A superbly constructed century partnership between Shimron Hetmyer and Dwayne Bravo was the cornerstone of an impressive West Indies performance as they went 2-0 up against Australia.Having pulled victory from the jaws of defeat 24 hours ago this time a West Indies victory felt far more secure after they had posted a formidable 196 and removed Australia’s openers cheaply.

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Hetmyer, who had been given a vote of confidence by injured captain Kieron Pollard prior to the series, found the ideal balance between seeking boundaries and keeping the scoreboard ticking as he reached a career-best and just his second T20I half-century. Bravo, promoted ahead of Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran when West Indies were three down inside 10 overs, batted at his highest position and produced his highest score for at international level for five years although was given two lives.The fourth-wicket stand of 103 was West Indies’ best in T20Is then the innings was given its finishing touches by Russell. There were 13 sixes (and just eight fours) in the innings but what will please captain and coaching staff was how the strike was also rotated. West Indies managed 123 runs off the second 10 overs.Mitchell Marsh made his second consecutive half-century and West Indies lost Fidel Edwards from their attack with injury, but the asking rate climbed out of control. In the end, Australia fell in a heap for the second night running.Pressure grows on GayleThere is no arguing about what Chris Gayle has achieved in his career, but right now batting is looking a pretty painful affair for him. He has 102 runs in nine innings since returning to the side against Sri Lanka and his 13 off 16 deliveries today did not hint at any return to fluency. Over his career there have been many examples of him eating up dot balls but turning around an innings with such force that it doesn’t matter, but he’s not getting out of the starting blocks at the moment. On this occasion he ended up dragging on against Marsh in the eighth over which left West Indies uncertain at 59 for 3, but it may have been the best thing to happen to the innings.Mitchell Starc’s last two overs cost 30 runs•AFP

The perfect partnershipIt was surprising to see Bravo walk out at No. 5 but it proved a masterstroke, although Australia had their chances to remove him. Adam Zampa missed a low caught-and-bowled chance when he had 2 and Dan Christian made good ground to a chance at long-off when Bravo had 15 but it spilled out. That second dropped chance came in the 12th over with the stand still to move through the gears and Bravo’s run-a-ball display was threatening to be polarizing. But in the 13th over, both he and Hetmyer cleared the ropes against Ashton Agar and from there the innings never looked back. Hetmyer struck the ball beautifully having calmly played himself into his innings, bringing up a 29-ball fifty with an audacious scooped six against Mitchell Starc whose last two overs cost 30 on another difficult night. The final four overs of the innings were carted for 14, 15, 16 and 16 with Russell finishing it emphatically.Level pegging, but not reallyIt was worth noting that after eight overs both teams were 59 for 3, but from there the two innings went on vastly different paths. Australia had been set back by the early loss of both openers – Matthew Wade pulled the second ball to mid-on and Aaron Finch was flummoxed by Edwards’ slower delivery – then Josh Philippe couldn’t get going before missing a straight delivery from Hayden Walsh Jr. Marsh’s innings was also ended by Walsh, who took his tally to six wickets in two matches, which heralded another clatter of wickets. Australia’s position was summed up when Christian and Agar were both left watching the big screen to see who had been run out when both ended up at the same end.

India captain acknowledges NZ were the better side but says great Tests come in series

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Jun-20213:08

Manjrekar: ‘This team has more world-class players than any NZ team previously’

Virat Kohli, India’s captain, admitted that New Zealand are the deserving winners of the inaugural World Test Championship, but has called for future editions of the tournament – which is contested over a two-year cycle – to be decided in series comprising a minimum of three Tests between the two finalists.”I am not in absolute agreement of deciding the best Test side in the world over the course of one game,” Kohli said in the wake of his team’s eight-wicket loss in Southampton.”If it is a Test series, it has to be a test of character over three Tests – which team has the ability to come back in the series, or totally blow away the other team. It can’t just be pressure applied over two days of good cricket and then you suddenly you are not a good Test side anymore. I don’t believe in it.”Kohli was expanding on the point he had made on the eve of the final, when he had said victory or defeat in the one-off final would not carry too much significance for his team. The best-of-three final was suggested by Indian head coach Ravi Shastri in a recent interview, and Kohli today added more flesh to that argument.”It has to be a hard grind and something that definitely needs to be worked around in the future,” he said. “At the end of three matches, where there’s effort, there’s ups and downs, there’s situations changing during the course of the series, a chance to rectify the things you have done in the first game, and then really see who is the better side over the course of a three-match series or something, will be a good measure of how things really are.”So we are not too bothered by this result because we understand as a Test side what we have done over the last 3-4 years, not just over the last 18 months. So this is not a measure of who we are as a team [with] the ability and the potential we have had for so many years now.”Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson have a chat after the WTC final•ICC/Getty Images

Despite days one and four of the WTC final being washed out, the match reached a riveting climax on the reserve day, with several stand-out performers including the Player of the Match Kyle Jamieson, his captain Kane Williamson, and Tim Southee, who claimed four second-innings wickets. For India, Mohammad Shami was outstanding in New Zealand’s first innings, while Rishabh Pant’s inventive counterattacking on the final afternoon helped post an eventual target of 139.Asked if he believed that the quality of the cricket on display could help make the case for a best-of-three final in the future, Kohli responded with a categorical yes.”Absolutely. If you saw the way the game went, with whatever time we got on the field, why wouldn’t you want to see two more Tests of the same teams battling it out and, eventually, being the worthy winners of the World Test Championship?”Historically all the great series that you’ve seen in Test cricket, you remember them over a period of three matches or five matches perhaps, with two teams going against each other and those series become memorable.”This definitely has to be brought in. I’m not saying this because we’re not on the winning side, but just for Test cricket and for this saga to be absolutely memorable, it has to happen over a period of three games minimum, so that you have a series to remember.”There are going to be ups and downs throughout, with two quality sides going at each other, knowing that there’s so much on the line.”Related

• 'Why cannot it be March?' – Rohit questions WTC final scheduling and venue

• Virat Kohli: 'Win or lose this game, cricket does not stop for us'

• Under the radar no more, New Zealand trump India to become Test world champions

• Dig deep, get down and dirty – no one does it better than New Zealand

• Kane Williamson toasts 'special feeling' as New Zealand finally get 'across the line'

New Zealand’s captain, Kane Williamson – for whom the WTC crown was a maiden global title after World Cup final defeats in 2015 and 2019 – acknowledged Kohli’s argument, but believed a one-off final still had its attraction.”I suppose the exciting part to finals is that anything can happen,” Williamson said in response to Kohli’s comments. “We know how fickle cricket is and we’ve seen it in other competitions, in other World Cups and in all other bits and pieces.”The one-off factor does bring a unique dynamic, which does make it exciting and all these sorts of things, and on any given day anything can happen. We’ve been on all different sides of that statement.”On the eve of the final, ICC’s acting chief executive officer Geoff Allardice had told ESPNcricinfo that the one hurdle to hosting anything like a best-of-three WTC final would be the absence of any window in an already choking cricket calendar. Williamson agreed.”I suppose there’s arguments for both sides, and I guess the challenge would be scheduling that series among a lot of cricket that’s already on, but no doubt, the more cricket that you have within a series, the more you do find out and the more it does reveal itself.”But in the same way it was a really exciting match. It’s the first time that there’s been this competition on, and both teams were fully geared for the game, and it was a brilliant game of cricket.”

Sakariya and Gaikwad talk about their maiden India call-up and what they’re most looking forward to in Sri Lanka

Shashank Kishore11-Jun-2021The year 2021 has given Chetan Sakariya some of his most cherished memories. But it has also taken away the pillars of his life. In February, his younger brother died by suicide days before the IPL auction. In May, soon after Sakariya impressed in his maiden stint with the Rajasthan Royals, he saw his father succumb to Covid-19.At 23, Sakariya is no stranger to hardships and struggle, having been the sole breadwinner of his family for the last three years, but he now wants to live with the happy memories life has thrown at him, like the news of his India call-up for the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka in July.Related

• Second-string Indian team? 'Not thinking about it,' says Suryakumar Yadav

• Rahul Dravid: Winning series against Sri Lanka the priority

• India's squad to Sri Lanka to quarantine in Mumbai from June 14

• Dhawan to lead India in Sri Lanka

• How did India build their world-beating bench strength? They have a system

“I would’ve been happy just going to Sri Lanka as a net bowler, so this is a massive surprise,” Sakariya told ESPNcricinfo. “At the IPL, I thought I exceeded my own expectations. Initially, I thought I may have to wait for my turn [at the Royals], but once I got into the camp, the kind of confidence and faith everyone showed in me, I got the vibes that I’ll start. So while it is a surprise [to be picked for India], I’m very much ready and confident with the way I’ve prepared.”After the IPL was suspended, Sakariya, a left-arm medium pacer, resumed training in the third week of May. Much of his routine has been focused on improved fitness and developing a strong core. He has been working under the mentorship of AT Rajamani Prabhu, a renowned strength and conditioning coach, in Chennai. The pair first worked together during a pre-IPL camp.”I enjoyed training under him at Royals, so when I was ready to resume, I expressed keen interest in training again under Rajamani sir. The franchise was very supportive of that and arranged everything – like my accommodation and travel – in Chennai, so that I could become a better version of myself. For the last 15 days, I’ve had two intense training sessions every day, with a short break for lunch and rest.”Sakariya has specifically been working on “energy system development”, a training method he explains as something where you “sustain energy over a long period of time through a dedicated training routines”. Ask him about the benefits, and he spontaneously says it has helped improve his agility.”I feel my movements are swifter, my core is stronger, and I believe I’m bowling a tad quicker as well. This side of training isn’t something I knew a lot of growing up, but I’ve felt a lot of change in the way I feel about myself. It’s been a busy routine in Chennai, but one I’m happy and satisfied with. I’m looking forward to learning a lot more with the Indian team.”Ruturaj Gaikwad is focused on getting “the process right”•BCCI/IPL

Sakariya isn’t the only one to have utilised this break to make changes to the way he approaches his training. Opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad, also part of the 20-man tour party led by Shikhar Dhawan, focused on “sleeping early and become a morning person” so that the 7-11am window during lockdown at home in Pune was utilised in the best way possible.”In Pune, there’s been a lockdown since May, and things have been open only from 7-11am. So I wanted to ensure I didn’t spend that time sleeping,” Gaikwad said. “I wanted to utilise more of that time for my fitness work and gym work. I didn’t want myself to be caught off guard and be in a situation where I was picked but wasn’t conditioned enough.”Because he has tuned himself to going to bed early, he almost didn’t come to know of his India call-up on Thursday night when it was announced – he happened to check his phone only because he mistook the repeated ringing for distress calls from his friends.”When I go to sleep, I generally switch off mobile data. I know if it’s an emergency, someone will generally call twice. When my phones started ringing continuously, I wasn’t first sure what it was,” Gaikwad said, laughing. “Then two journalists informed me of my selection.”I had to wake my parents up to tell them. They were quite deep in sleep, and weren’t fully able to process what I was telling them at first. But this morning they woke up really happy and made some (sweets) at home, and I was happy to make an exception and have them to celebrate the happy news.”Like Sakariya, this is Gaikwad’s maiden call-up. Unlike Sakariya, Gaikwad, has been in and around the India A set-up. While he says the ultimate dream is to earn a debut, he wants to keep his mind blank and soak in the experience of being on tour with the national team.”I had a few good scores for India A two years ago, but I wasn’t thinking much about my selection,” he said. “Even now, I’m not thinking on the lines of ‘will I play’. My main focus is on doing my processes right. I’m looking forward to learning the knack of adaptability, something that will be very important going forward.”Once you play international cricket, teams and players watch you, they make plans against you. Dhawan and a few of the other seniors have played a lot of international cricket, so I’d like to learn from them by chatting to them about how they assess conditions, how they’ve adapted, how they’ve used their experience and learnt from their failures.”I am also really excited to train and spend a month under Rahul Dravid, who was our India A coach when I was part of the team two years ago. He was with us on three tours, and we started to get familiar with each other. So when he was appointed the National Cricket Academy chief, I was personally disappointed at not being able to pick his brains anymore. But now, getting a chance to do that will be very useful for me.”

England’s swashbuckling batting line-up makes them firm favourites as Afghanistan look to reach their first ICC final

Sreshth Shah31-Jan-2022

Big Picture

The first semi-final of the 2022 Under-19 World Cup will feature two teams, who in many ways, play just like their senior sides do. England are the side that bat aggressively, while Afghanistan have tied a web around other teams with their spinners.However, both teams have had largely different paths to the semi-final. England reached the West Indies early. They played the warm-ups, beat Bangladesh in their competition opener, and have not looked back since.Afghanistan, on the other hand, had a late arrival to the tournament, forcing them to miss both warm-up games entering the event. They lost to Pakistan, finished second in their group, and barely went over the line in the quarters.Related

• Afghanistan defend 134 against Sri Lanka to reach semis

• Bethell's 88, Ahmed's four-for lift England to semi-finals

Therefore, the two sides are in wildly different headspaces. England have been dominant. They rolled Bangladesh over for 97, made 320 and 362 against Canada and UAE, and chased a target against South Africa inside 32 overs.Afghanistan, though, have been tested, more than once. Against Pakistan, they could not go over the line, but they defended 200 against a talented Zimbabwe side. Lessons from both those games came to use against Sri Lanka in the first knockout game, where they successfully defended 134. That Sri Lanka game gave Afghanistan the sinking feeling of how being eliminated may feel, but most importantly, provided the redemption arc that gives them the belief that they can crawl out of any situation on the field.As expected, Afghanistan are reliant on their spinners, led by left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, playing his second tournament and also in the radar for the upcoming IPL auction. Izharulhaq Naveed provides legspin, and together the two have taken 15 wickets. Throw in left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote’s seven wickets, and Afghanistan have a formidable 30 overs of spin to test England.But standing in their way is England’s swashbuckling batting line-up. Their captain Tom Prest has smacked the second-highest score of the competition. Barbados-born Jacob Bethell scored an outrageous 44-ball 82 in the quarter-final against South Africa. And William Luxton, from the middle order, averages 70+ at a strike-rate of almost 120. If England’s batting plays out 50 overs, they will be favourites to take the win.That’s because Afghanistan’s batting is frail. Papua New Guinea bowled them out for 200, and the Sri Lanka game showed that playing quick seamers isn’t a strength either. And England have plenty of challenging bowlers, with left-arm quick Joshua Boyden leading the way with his 12 wickets, followed by legspinner Rehan Ahmed who have both produced match-winning spells.

Form guide

England WWWWW (most recent first)
England WWLWLAfghanistan players celebrate their win against Sri Lanka in the quarters•ICC via Getty Images

In the spotlight

Can the captain Tom Prest produce the same form that he showed against Canada and UAE? The 154* and 93 against the two non-Test playing countries showed that he is a notch above bowlers from those teams. He has used his feet to the spinners and comfortably played off the back foot against seamers who aren’t extremely quick. But the Afghan spinners will provide a whole different challenge.Suliman Safi is the lone Afghanistan batter who has put on any substantial score. The captain made 62 against PNG and 111 against Zimbabwe, but against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, he couldn’t produce a significant innings. Afghanistan, so far, seem to build their innings around him, and he is the lynchpin who could decide what score the team finally posts.

Team news

No injury news in either team, and both are expected to field their strongest XIs. If the pitch shows cracks, England could throw in spinning allrounder Fateh Singh into the mix.England (possible): 1 George Thomas, 2 Jacob Bethell, 3 Tom Prest (capt), 4 James Rew, 5 William Luxton, 6 George Bell, 7, Rehan Ahmed, 8 Alex Horton (wk), 9 Thomas Aspinwall, 10 James Sales, 11 Joshua BoydenAfghanistan (possible): 1 Bilal Sayedi, 2 Nangeyalia Kharote, 3 Allah Noor, 4 Suliman Safi (capt), 5 Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, 6 Abdul Hadi, 7 Mohammad Ishaq (wk), 8 Noor Ahmad, 9 Izharulhaq Naveed, 10 Bilal Sami, 11 Naveed Zadran

Pitch and conditions

The scores have gotten lower as the tournament has moved on, and there’s a bit of rain expected. If the match is washed out, or no result is possible, then England would qualify into the final because of their better group-stage performance.

Stats and trivia

• The last time England reached an Under-19 World Cup final, they went on to win the whole event. Afghanistan are yet to reach a final in any ICC competition.
• With 275 runs, Prest is the competition’s second-highest run-scorer.
• The two squads have never played each other, although they were supposed to in the warm-up game that was cancelled due to Afghanistan’s late arrival.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that his team is working on closing out sessions and days with the advantage, as opposed to giving everything in winning one-hour periods and then fading away

Mohammad Isam05-Mar-2017Bangladesh’s players have often stressed on the need to do well in the first hour of a session. But they have understood, and justifiably so, that far too many times they have given it their all in the first hour only to fizzle out in the second.In their last three Tests in New Zealand and India, there have been examples of Bangladesh starting well in a game or a session, only to be unable to carry on for the rest of the day and press home the advantage. In Hyderabad against India, Taskin Ahmed and Kamrul Islam Rabbi started strongly on the opening day, but the pair, as well as subsequent bowlers, could not keep up the pressure on the Indian top order. The same situation transpired with the ball on a number of occasions in Wellington and Christchurch, where they could not push on after a good start.This happens even more when Bangladesh are batting. Too often, they lose wickets in a cluster in the latter part of a session after getting into a position of strength. Well-set batsmen lose focus, which is one of the two problems addressed by coach Chandika Hathurusingha.”The one-percenters and five-percenters are letting us down,” Hathurusingha said. “We know that we have the capability. There are two things – one, concentrating over a period. We sometimes switch off. The other thing is something that we have identified and spoken about, which is that we have to play the whole session rather than giving everything in the first hour and fading away in the second hour.”We have discussed the game plan, how to be competitive for two-hour sessions. We did well when we tried this in the two-day practice game. I think this is going to help us. Now, we will learn from those mistakes and identify those moments in the game when they come, and obviously, we are going to keep reminding [ourselves] those things during this series.”Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh’s opening batsman, also spoke of the need to achieve small targets within the Test. One of the early boxes he has ticked has been getting a big score in the practice match in Moratuwa, where he cracked 136 off 182 balls with nine fours and seven sixes.”The team and I have to take on small targets so that our process remains on track. If we can bat well and stick to our plans, we can do something good. Things will be different.”I did well in one innings, but that doesn’t mean I will keep playing the same way in Galle. But, as I said, if I am on track with the process, it gives me more chance to get a big score.”Tamim said that Bangladesh have a chance to beat Sri Lanka in a Test series, something they are yet to do. “We know the importance of the series. We feel we should win it if we play good cricket,” he said. “They are also a good, young team. We are mentally prepared and everyone is trying their best to make it to the final playing XI.”Hathurusingha said that the players, having impressed more on an individual level, and sporadically as a team in New Zealand and India, would now have to put it all together for a major team effort in Galle and Colombo despite the heat, which is a worry.”I think we have a good chance this year – other than the two Test series in India and New Zealand – for various reasons. We had good performances in those conditions, but here, we stand a good chance if we execute our plans.”Skill-wise, both teams match really well. Home advantage for Sri Lanka is a huge factor. It is totally different to any other Test country. Heat is a huge factor, for concentration and building pressure. That’s the only thing that I am bit concerned about, but we are going to be very competitive.”

Moeen Ali has said that the security arrangements that dominated England’s planning ahead of their tour of Bangladesh never crossed his mind during their opening practice match

Mohammad Isam05-Oct-2016Moeen Ali has said that the security arrangements that dominated England’s planning ahead of their tour of Bangladesh never crossed his mind during their opening practice match against a BCB Select XI in Fatullah on Tuesday.”I didn’t think about it once. No one mentioned it and I can’t remember thinking about it,” he said on Wednesday, as the England players took a day-off from training.Moeen was speaking at the team hotel, which has been given several layers of extra security because of the presence of the England contingent. On their way to Fatullah, they were accorded VVIP security so that their long convoy could cut through Dhaka traffic at morning rush hour. There was no need for the fleet of vehicles to stop at any crossing or roundabout in the busy Bangladesh capital.The convoy flowed at one speed, before reaching the destination which was 25 kms south of their hotel. A typical ride takes about 90 minutes but this one took half the time.While the match was going on in Fatullah, the security agencies held their final rehearsal at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, where the first two ODIs and the second Test will be held. The forces involved in maintaining security in this series include the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, SWAT, Special Branch, Detective Branch, Rapid Action Battalion and the Bomb Disposal Unit.The Mirpur venue is now under full CCTV coverage. During the first ODI, there will be body checks at the main gate and at the gallery gate. When the England team’s convoy nears the stadium, at least 1 km is blockaded, and only those on foot can go through. The stadium perimeter wall has been raised too. All the shops in the stadium will be closed on the eve of the match and each shop owner has to sign a bond that declares that their shops don’t contain anything harmful.This is what the Bangladesh government, in conjunction with the BCB, assured Reg Dickason, the ECB’s security advisor, in mid-August. Based on this, Dickason and the ECB sanctioned the tour.Although England’s assistant coach Paul Farbrace had said that the security in Bangladesh isn’t as “in your face” as it was for him in Pakistan, the level provided this time is unprecedented, certainly for Bangladesh.And it must be doing a good job if Moeen didn’t notice it in Fatullah where fans had to go through two walk-through scanners to watch them play. He said that he was happy with the measures taken during this tour.”I’m pretty laid back about it. My theory’s a bit different. I think you’re probably not safe anywhere, if you’re meant to go you’re meant to go.”It doesn’t mean I’m going to go out but so far it’s been the best we’ve ever had in terms of security, and I think any other country would do well to beat it,” he said.A helicopter patrols above the stadium in Dhaka•Getty Images

Moeen said that if the security provided during the Bangladesh Premier League is up to the mark, the English cricketers should not feel unsafe although the PCA has, earlier this week, warned them against participating in the Bangladesh Premier League on security grounds.”It’s up to the guys. I know the PCA have sent emails and stuff around to the guys. I don’t see why they shouldn’t go. If the security’s fine and the guys are happy then they should come. It probably won’t be as tight as this but they would have good security still,” he said.Moeen has been in Bangladesh before, playing for Mohammedan Sporting Club in the 2010-11 Dhaka Premier League and later in the 2013 BPL for Duronto Rajshahi. He said that he understood what it would mean to people in this country when England arrive for their tour.”I know the people here. They are very nice, and generous. I’ve always got looked after here. I’ve got a lot of friends here. I thought it was important for us to come out. It’s a great experience playing out here.”

The Mumbai Indians’ head coach says his batters have adapted well to the challenge of playing on slow wickets in Chennai

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Apr-2021The Mumbai Indians’ head coach Mahela Jayawardene feels that his batters have adapted well to the challenge of playing on slow wickets in Chennai, but there are areas where the team could “still improve”, referring to the middle-overs batting especially in their previous match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.After successfully defending 152 against the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Mumbai bowlers were once again adept in their defence of 150 against the Sunrisers. Legspinner Rahul Chahar starred again as he turned the game around with contributions from Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, as Sunrisers fell from 71 for 1 to 137 all out in the chase. But on both occasions, Mumbai’s batting never hit top gear, especially in the middle overs where they considerably slowed down after getting off to a decent start in the powerplay. Against the Sunrisers, Rohit Sharma’s efforts took them to 53 for 0 in the powerplay but Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Vijay Shankar applied the squeeze thereafter, which meant their run rate never crossed 7.50 after the tenth over.”Probably the last game was a bit of an off one for us but the previous two games I think our tempo was very good,” Jayawardene said. “Overall, we are very happy but knowing Rohit, he will keep pushing the guys. If we haven’t hit those marks, he will bring it up and want us to improve. I think last game we have to consider that we were up against two quality spinners in Rashid and Mujeeb, especially in the middle overs, and at the same time we lost a couple of wickets.”I think considering all that, we handled the situation better to set it up in the last two overs and get that par score. We always try and get to the par score on the day on that wicket would be a good score. There are areas we could improve but pretty happy how things are.”The Sunrisers bowlers, on Saturday, exploited the slowness of the surface, conceding just a single boundary between overs ten to 16. The onus was once again on Mumbai’s lower middle order to drag them to a competitive total, just as they had done against the Knight Riders. After the match, Sharma had also said that they could do better in the middle overs, but was mindful of the fact that it hasn’t been easy to bat at the venue especially against spinners. “I thought we had a good score for this pitch,” Sharma had told Star Sports. “Having said that, we can do better in the middle overs. The pitch is getting slower and slower, bowlers are always in the game till 20 overs. Even the seamers, it’s not easy to get them away and the slowish nature makes it harder for the batter to slog straightaway”.Kieron Pollard lifted Mumbai Indians in the last over against the Sunrisers Hyderabad•BCCI/IPL

“Yes, the wickets are slightly on the slower side but still seeing scores of 150-160, the other day we saw 200,” Jayawardene said. “On a given day depending on the opposition how you approach can have that different variable. They are not unplayable wickets. They are good competitive wickets and adjusting to those challenges is always the key for any batsman. I think we’ve been consistent with that approach. It’s been challenging but we have adapted pretty well. Sometimes we’ll make mistakes and that’s part of the game.”On the day, Mumbai also sent Kieron Pollard to bat at No. 5, ahead of Hardik Pandya – a move that paid off – as he blasted an unbeaten 22-ball 35. Jayawardene put the move down just to tactics, adding that they also wanted Pollard to get more time in the middle.”You aren’t going to have the same breakfast every day, right? So if we keep having the same thing, it’s quite easy for the opposition to plan against us. So we would like to try and change depending on the opposition, on the conditions.”Especially in this kind of competition, we need to keep everyone guessing on what we are going to do. That was the process. Obviously, Polly [Pollard] got a bit more time in the middle early season, which we could give him in the first few games. We have a very versatile line-up where guys can bat depending on situations. They understand we’re going to utilise that.”

Marchant de Lange is back with Trent Rockets after Wahab Riaz is forced out with an injury

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2021Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur will play no further part in the Hundred. While Mandhana, of Southern Brave, will fly back home to spend time with her family before the India Women’s tour of Australia next month – and will be replaced by Ireland’s Gaby Lewis – Manchester Originals’ Harmanpreet has a quad injury. Her team will not replace her.”I would love to be able to stay with the team until the final but we’ve been away from home for a long time with more tours ahead,” Mandhana said in a statement.” I’ll be watching the team at Lord’s and hoping they can continue our good form. It’s been a fantastic competition to be involved in and I’ve really enjoyed it.”Mandhana’s final innings was her best when, on Wednesday, she hit a 52-ball 78 to lead Brave to victory over Welsh Fire. Overall, she scored 167 runs from seven innings at a strike rate of 133.60. Harmanpreet, meanwhile, aggregated 104 runs from three innings, striking at 109.47.Shafali Verma (Birmingham Phoenix), Deepti Sharma (London Spirit) and the tournament’s top run-getter at the moment, Jemimah Rodrigues (Northern Superchargers), are the other Indians in the fray.The Indian players who are in the squad for the tour of Australia – one day-night Test and three ODIs and T20Is each, between September 19 and October 11 – reached Bengaluru on Tuesday and are currently in quarantine before taking part in a pre-tour camp. The players who are part of the Hundred are expected to join them after the end of the tournament on August 21 before travelling together to Australia.There has been a change in the men’s Hundred competition too, where an injury to Wahab Riaz has led to a comeback for Marchant de Lange at Trent Rockets. Curiously, de Lange was released by the team just last week when Wahab, whose participation in the tournament was delayed because of visa-related issues, was finally available for selection.De Lange was one of the bowling stars of the early bit of the competition, with eight wickets from three games, before Wahab joined the team. But he left when Wahab returned to the UK after being forced to go back to Pakistan – he didn’t have a valid work permit – and sort the matter out, and then return to link up with his team.ESPNcricinfo understands that Trent Rockets will also be without Luke Wood for the final stages of the Hundred after he suffered a side strain. The ECB confirmed on Thursday night that Saqib Mahmood would be released from England’s Test squad to play for Oval Invincibles against London Spirit on Saturday.

Australian Cricketers’ Association has plans for a contingency fund to help female and domestic players avoid financial difficulty if stalled MOU talks with Cricket Australia (CA) don’t progress before June 30

Daniel Brettig18-May-2017Australia’s players are preparing for a long, cold and out-of-contract winter, with the Australian Cricketers’ Association unveiling plans for a contingency fund to help female and domestic players avoid financial difficulty in the event of the stalled MOU talks with Cricket Australia (CA) not progressing before the June 30 deadline.On the day Australia’s squad for the Women’s World Cup was unveiled with an acknowledgement by CA that the team will be paid in advance for a tournament that will conclude after that date, the players union outlined plans to aid around 200 players who will be out of contract if an agreement is not reached in time.Clea Smith, the ACA’s past players, development and personal development manager, said the plan was designed to protect the most vulnerable players. “The playing group is unified. All male, female, international and domestic players are standing together because they believe in what their position represents,” she said.”The players’ position is about preserving the Revenue Sharing Model as well as understanding a need for increases in grassroots cricket. Female and domestic players are the most vulnerable once locked-out by Cricket Australia after June 30, so the [fund] will provide some financial security until a new MOU is resolved.”The Women and Men Cricketers’ Assistance Plan will allow players in need to apply for financial help as and when required in the second half of 2017. International male players, whose rich salaries have been highlighted during the dispute, are not eligible for access to the fund. The fund is a response to CA’s threat, delivered by the chief executive Jame Sutherland last week, that the board was not considering any alternative contract plans beyond the MOU expiry.”We are genuinely committed to getting a deal done before June 30,” the ACA player liaison manager Simon Katich said. “Unfortunately, however, the players and CA still appear to be a long way apart in the current negotiations, especially given CA are now refusing mediation. And with CA’s threat last week saying that they would effectively lock-out the players after June 30, it looks as though this impasse may continue for some time yet.”The players continue to be united with the ACA and are up for the fight when it comes to having the Revenue Sharing Model for all players – male, female, national and domestic. There is no doubt that there is a degree of uncertainty about what lies ahead given June 30 is fast approaching, so whatever can be done to ease some of the pressure on the players is welcome.”In naming the Women’s World Cup squad, the CA team performance manager Pat Howard said the team led by Meg Lanning would be supported either side of the deadline. “Selectors have chosen this squad irrespective and independent of the status of the MOU,” he said. “We are confident that there will be a resolution in place by 30 June and look forward to continuing to support these players to perform at their very best on the global stage.”The first tour to take place after the expiry of the current MOU is an Australia A tour of South Africa, with the former international players Jason Gillespie, Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin to be among the coaching staff. The national selectors are yet to announce a squad for that tour.CA and the ACA remained poles apart on Thursday, following the board’s rejection of a request for independent mediation in order to get negotiations moving once more. Darren Lehmann, the former ACA president and national men’s team coach, has stressed that communication is key to avoiding further turmoil.

Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile has been ruled out of the remainder of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka with an injury to his lower back

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2016Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile has been ruled out of the remainder of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka with an injury to his lower back. Australia have named a 13-man squad for the two T20s that round out the tour, with wicketkeeper Peter Nevill retaining his place and allrounder Glenn Maxwell and batsman Chris Lynn set to join the group.But Coulter-Nile, who played in all four of Australia’s matches at the World T20 in India earlier this year, will not be part of the series and will instead fly home to have his injury assessed. Coulter-Nile has been in Sri Lanka since the start of the tour as part of the Test and ODI squads but has not played a match.”Nathan had been experiencing a gradual increase in lower back pain which is now preventing him from bowling at match intensity,” Australia’s physiotherapist David Beakley said. “He will now return to Perth for further investigation which will determine the extent of the injury and possible return to play timelines.”Coulter-Nile will not officially be replaced in the ODI squad for the remaining three matches, with the selectors comfortable that enough cover is already present. Scott Boland and John Hastings, who are in the T20 squad, have arrived in Sri Lanka early and are travelling with the ODI team and could be called on if fast-bowling cover is needed.Maxwell, who was dropped from the ODI squad due to disappointing batting form, will get a chance to impress in the two T20s alongside Lynn, who has played five T20s for his country.”Both Chris and Glenn are dynamic players who are both capable of winning a game from their own bat and they also bring that x-factor in the field,” national selector Rod Marsh said.Matthew Wade had been Australia’s preferred gloveman in the T20 format until the selectors sprung a surprise by installing Test wicketkeeper Nevill for the World T20 in India earlier this year. Wade remains the incumbent ODI keeper, and scored a career-best 76 in the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday, but Nevill remains the choice for T20s.”Peter is the incumbent wicket-keeper in the T20 side and had a very good World T20 for Australia, the panel wanted to keep that consistency heading into these two matches,” Marsh said.Australia play Sri Lanka in two T20s in Pallekele and Colombo on September 6 and 9. David Warner will captain the side in the absence of Steven Smith, who is flying home to rest ahead of the upcoming tour of South Africa and a busy home summer.Squad David Warner (capt), Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Peter Nevill (wk), James Faulkner, John Hastings, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Scott Boland.