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It had to be Rashid Khan. After starring in each of Afghanistan’s previous three Test wins – in Dehradun, Chattogram and Abu Dhabi – he wrapped Zimbabwe up with a match haul of 11 for 160 in Bulawayo. That included career-best figures of 7 for 66 in the second innings, with expectations of a thrilling finish being quashed only 15 deliveries into the final morning. Zimbabwe were 73 runs away from victory, with all hopes from their captain Craig Ervine. Afghanistan needed two good balls to finish the game off.But even the short span of play on the fifth day was enough for plenty of drama. The day started with exactly what Afghanistan wanted: Rashid bowling to Zimbabwe’s No. 10 Richard Ngarava. Four balls into play, Afghanistan got exactly what they wanted – almost. Ngarava skied an attempted slice off Rashid, and the ball popped up behind the man at silly point. Hashmatullah Shahidi, placed at cover, moved to his right. Fareed Ahmad, at point, stepped to his left.With his attention divided between the dipping ball and the approaching Fareed, Shahidi dropped Ngarava. Rashid couldn’t hold back an angry expression towards his captain, who had stretched both his hands out, only for the ball to never stick. Ngarava survived, but for hardly any longer.Ngarava did play out the remaining two deliveries of the over to ensure Ervine had the strike for the next. Starting on his overnight score of 53, and being the last recognised batter, he had a spread-out field to play with. After turning down two singles, Ervine decided he should go for the third. He drove Yamin Ahmadzai towards deep extra cover, where the man was placed only about three-fourths of the way to the boundary.Shahidullah collected the ball while chasing it forward, and fired a flat throw at the wicketkeeper. Perhaps not expecting Ervine to go for the run that early in the over, Ngarava was late to take off. But Ervine was well down the pitch by that time, and wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai whipped the bails off with Ngarava miles short.Last man Blessing Muzarabani defended the next two deliveries and left the third one alone. Ervine again took strike for the next over, with Zimbabwe having yet to add to their overnight score. Rashid went short for the first two balls, but pitched it much fuller the third time. The ball landed just outside off, turned in, and struck Ervine in front as he missed an attempted sweep.Rashid and his mates went up right away, even as umpire Ahsan Raza’s finger took its time to show up. But it eventually did, although the first impression was of the ball missing leg stump. However, there was no DRS to turn to, leaving the Afghanistan players jumping and celebrating.It was a come-from-behind win fashioned by centuries from Rahmat Shah and debutant Ismat Alam in the second innings, which Afghanistan had started 86 runs in the arrears. Not to be left behind with the bat, Rashid even contributed what turned out to be crucial innings of 25 and 23.As a result, Afghanistan took the two-match series 1-0 after a high-scoring draw in the first Test, and left Zimbabwe with a series win across each of the three formats.

India will play their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the UAE. The decision, though widely expected, was finalised after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met with Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior UAE minister and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board.”The PCB has picked the UAE as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said.The Pakistan vs India league match will be played on February 23, a Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the other two teams in India’s group are Bangladesh and New Zealand. India will face Bangladesh on February 20, and New Zealand on March 2. All these games are likely to be held in Dubai.

Champions Trophy 2025 groups

Group A – Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and New Zealand
Group B – Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa

Pakistan, the defending champions, will kick off the tournament on February 19, against New Zealand in Karachi. Pakistan’s last league match, against Bangladesh, will be played in Rawalpindi on February 27.The second group has Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa. The matches for both groups – apart from the India games – will be played across Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.The two semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 (without a reserve day) and March 5 (with a reserve day). The final on March 9 also has a reserve day. The first semi-final, if India make it to that stage, will be played in the UAE. If India don’t qualify, the game will be held in Pakistan. The final is slotted for Lahore, with the provision of holding it in the UAE if India make it that far.The hybrid model was finalised after the parties involved agreed that, in return, Pakistan’s matches at ICC events hosted by India till 2027 will also be at a neutral venue. In all instances, knockout games such as the semi-final and the final will also be held at neutral venues.The agreement begins with the Champions Trophy, and will apply to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It will also apply to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next events cycle that has now been awarded to Pakistan.

The patio heaters, industrial-sized fans and rakes have worked their magic. But as Rawalpindi’s famed batting track produced 13 wickets on the opening day of this third and decisive Test, it was England who benefitted, first scrapping to 267 and then making that a workable total by reducing Pakistan to 73 for 3 by the close.On a pitch that had everyone guessing, Ben Stokes winning England’s first toss in eight attempts felt heaven-sent, especially as his opposite number Shan Masood admitted to trepidation as to how matters would play out underfoot. But it would have been a wasted miracle were it not been for a remarkable 89 from Jamie Smith, bagging a first half-century way from home, and driving a vital 107-run stand with Gus Atkinson (39) for the seventh wicket.Sajid Khan flourished once more, finishing with 6 for 128 from 29.2 overs for the third five-wicket haul of his career, and second in as many first-innings in this series. His early incisions and quick dismantling of the tail kept England in check as they dreamed of 300 following Smith and Atkinson’s rebuilding effort from 118 for 6.The initial foundations set by Ben Duckett’s accomplished 52 had collapsed on an uncertain surface displaying irregular bounce rather than excessive turn. A score of 56 for 0 became 98 for 5 in the space of 12.5 overs as the pitch started to play tricks, exacerbated once more by Sajid and left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who finished with 3 for 88.As expected after sharing all 20 English wickets in the second Test in Multan to square the series, the spin duo did the lion’s share of the bowling, sending down all but 11 of the 68.2 overs, including the first 42 unchanged. For only the second time in Test history – and first since 1882 – no pace bowler was used in the first innings of the match.England began reasonably enough, with a relatively untroubled 50 up in 12 overs. After a watchful start before Zak Crawley – playing in his 50th Test – he fell to Noman with a scuffed drive to backward point. Ollie Pope unfurled another skittish effort of 3 off 14 – trapped in front playing a desperate sweep – before Duckett (wearing one on his toes), Joe Root (trapped in front) and Harry Brook (bowled leg stump attempting to sweep) succumbed to deliveries that did not get up as expected.That England had something to work with, lunching on 110 for 5, was thanks largely to Duckett. While somewhat precarious, it was hard to label it outright as a problematic position, and in propelling that total to 242 for 8 by tea, Smith and Atkinson ensured England had a firm footing.By the time Sajid was eventually relieved of his mammoth first spell of 21 overs, he had removed Stokes, caught at slip, 11 balls into the second session, for his fourth wicket. He eventually returned to bring Noman’s opening salvo to an end after 23 overs.Sajid Khan salutes the crowd after his six-wicket haul•Getty Images

Atkinson joined Smith and set about an all-Surrey stand, acting as the straight man to the latter’s devastation, even if those roles only truly came to the fore at the end of their century stand. After a watchful start from both – Smith’s fifty took all of 94 deliveries – the final 39 runs to take their partnership to three figures took just 21 deliveries.It was a charge instigated by Atkinson, striking three fours in the last four balls off the 56th over, against the legspinner Zahid Mahmood who was was now in England’s sights as the bowler to target. That being said, Smith followed with successive boundaries off Sajid, albeit the second – his third six – pierced the hands of Saud Shakeel at long on.Had Shakeel been set back on the fence rather than a few feet in front, he might have ended the keeper-batter’s innings on 54. Alas, Sajid felt the brunt of that miss, taken for another two more boundaries by Smith in his next over – the first smeared over midwicket for six, the second lofted gloriously down the ground for a one-bounce four.The second took the value of the seventh wicket to 103 from just 159 deliveries. And though it would only reach 107 as Noman returned to take a catch off his own bowling as Atkinson bunted back a delivery that stuck in the pitch, Smith kept going, blasting two sixes down the ground off Zahid as he rounded on his second Test century. A third six at the end of the over was avoided thanks to exemplary work from Sajid, who took a boundary catch twice, but had to hurl the ball back in play for a second time to prevent the boundary.Alas, Smith would fall nine short, Zahid the beneficiary of a top-edged heave that was taken to end a remarkable knock and polish the legspinner’s figures, which would read 1 for 44 from 10 overs. It was Pakistan’s first wicket in 28 for a bowler other than Sajid and Noman, who combined for all 20 in second Test in Multan.Leach and Rehan Ahmed, recalled to the side for his first international appearance since February, resumed after the break but lasted just 32 deliveries, with Sajid dragging both out of the crease to claim his fifth and sixth wickets of the match, and his 15th in three innings since his recall in Multan.Naturally, Stokes opened with Leach, though he handed Atkinson the new ball at the other end for the first sight of pace, albeit for just a two-over spell. A leg bye in the second of that burst took Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub past their previous highest opening stand of 15. But having made it to 35, Bashir spun one into Shafique’s front pad for the first of three Pakistan wickets to fall for just 11 runs.An attempt to batten down the hatches through to stumps allowed England to squeeze. Leach pocketed Ayub, prodding to Root at midwicket – the middle of three catchers on the leg side – before Atkinson returned for a solitary over and profited from the low bounce to knock back the off stump of Kamran Ghulan, gone for three having marked his debut in Multan last week with a century.Masood will resume on day two with Shakeel, who was incorrectly given out on one when adjudged to have been caught by Stokes after Smith deflected the ball to his skipper at first slip when attempting a take down the leg side. It was the second of two clear errors from umpire Sharfuddoula overturned by DRS, having earlier raised the finger to Ayub at the start of the seventh over for a similarly mistaken call for a catch in the cordon.

Sixteen wickets fell on an eventful opening day of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa in Dhaka. At stumps, the visitors managed to take a lead of 34 runs despite Taijul Islam returning a five-wicket-haul on a surface that has helped spinners to grip and turn the ball. Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten knocks took South Africa to 140 for 6 before bad light stopped play six overs short.South Africa dominated the first two sessions but Bangladesh came back into the contest in the final session when conditions became difficult for scoring. Tony de Zorzi looked comfortable against spin and consumed the most of number of balls among the South Africa batters but Taijul sent him back for a 72-ball 30 in the last session to dent South Africa. This was after Taijul induced a top edge of David Bedingham for his second wicket. From a comfortable position of 65 for 2 post tea, South Africa slipped to 108 for 6.Debutant Matthew Breetzke exposed his stumps expecting the ball to turn away but the ball skidded on to clean him up, and that wicket made Taijul only the second Bangladeshi bowler to reach 200 Test wickets after Shakib Al Hasan, who was forced to miss his farewell Test game due to security reasons.Earlier, South Africa got into the act quickly with Mulder, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj ripping through Bangladesh with three wickets each to skittle them out for just 106 inside two sessions.Kagiso Rabada dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das on the way to 300 Test wickets•AFP/Getty Images

The majority of the damage was done by the two fast bowlers in the morning session when they left Bangladesh six down and hurt them in hazy Mirpur after Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to bat first. Mulder and Rabada utilised the grass cover on the surface for extra movement off the surface while also finding early swing to leave Bangladesh reeling at 60 for 6. Mulder was exceptional in his six-over opening spell, taking three wickets and bowling three maidens. Rabada picked up two in the morning to cross 300 wickets in Tests.Maharaj spun a web around the lower middle order and had Mehidy Hasan Miraz lbw at the stroke of lunch. Mahmudul Hasan Joy was patient in his 97-ball 30 before offspinner Dane Piedt bowled him to end Bangladesh’s chances of redemption.Mulder’s third wicket was set up nicely when he removed the left-hand Shanto going around the wicket after four balls only for the batter to get a tame leading edge to Maharaj at extra cover when he tried to work through midwicket against the angle.Rabada, after bowling four overs in his first spell, came back and dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim straightaway when he got one to zip through the gap between his bat and pad to rattle the stumps. A few overs later, he hit the hard length and forced Litton Das to edge one to a flying Stubbs at gully.Taijul and Nayeem Hasan put on 26 runs for the ninth wicket – also the highest stand of the innings – but Rabada came back in the second session to remove Nayeem. Bangladesh added 46 runs and lost four wickets post lunch.Poor shot selection and good bowling saw Bangladesh being bowled out for a small total. South Africa have also lost half the side on the wicket that’s turning and bouncing but by gaining a small lead, they are slightly ahead at the end of day’s play.

An all-round show from Ahmed Daniyal and a three-wicket haul from Khushdil Shah helped Lions keep their campaign alive, as they held on for a 12-run victory in the Champions One-Day Cup Eliminator against Stallions in Faisalabad. Lions will now face Markhors in the second Eliminator on Friday, with the winner facing Panthers in Sunday’s final.Opting to bat, Lions were in a spot of bother at 43 for 3, before Sharoon Siraj (38) and Mohammad Taha revived the innings with a 77-run partnership. However, Stallions kept chipping away, resulting in another slide for Lions, who went from 120 for 3 to 140 for 7 in the space of five overs. With Lions staring at the possibility of a sub-200 total, Daniyal and Aamer Yamin launched a counterattack, their 81-run eighth-wicket stand eventually guiding the team to 263 for 9. While Yamin was run out for 46, Daniyal remained unbeaten on 65 off 59 balls, with two fours and five sixes. For Stallions, seamer Ubaid Shah was the pick of the bowlers, ending with 3 for 46.Stallions began their 264 chase well, courtesy an opening stand of 64 between Yasir Khan (39) and Maaz Sadaqat (27). However, three wickets in successive overs saw the team stumble to 68 for 3, with Khushil accounting for both Sadaqat and Adil Amin. Another threatening partnership – 69 for the fourth wicket between Tayyab Tahir and Hussain Talat – appeared to give Stallions a way back into the game, but Daniyal broke through to halt their momentum in the 30th over.Stallions captain Mohammad Haris and Jahanad Khan provided a late surge, but Lions stayed ahead with regular wickets. Stallions needed 23 off the last two overs, but they only had two wickets in hand, and Lions finally bundled them out for 251. Khushdil finished with 3 for 40 while Daniyal took 3 for 59.

Central Districts

Uncapped right-arm seamer Grace Foreman has been awarded her maiden contract. Foreman, who hails from New Plymouth, has impressed through Taranaki and Central Districts’ pathway systems in recent years.She represented the team at the Under-15 and Under-19 levels and was part of the side that won the 2022 NZC Under-19 national championship. She debuted for a Districts A side last season and was also invited to a NZC Under-19 national camp last season.Related

• Dodd opts out of Hinds' list, U-19 star Browning moves to Otago

Foreman joins right-arm quick Anna Gaging as the new face on the list and completes the Districts’ contracted player roster for the 2024-25 season.”I’m really grateful and honoured to get this opportunity with the Hinds,” Foreman said. “I was shocked when [head coach] Jacob Oram phoned me to offer me the contract as it has been a goal of mine for some time now. The prospect of playing with some of my role models is surreal, and I am really looking forward to joining the team.”Foreman hails from a cricketing family. Her elder sister Amy Foreman has coached the Taranaki women’s team in the past and was on NZC’s pathway-to-performance coaching scholarship last season. Their mother, Helen, has also been involved in Taranaki cricket.This list of 15 players also consists of two NZC-contracted players Rosemary Mair and Hannah Rowe who will represent the team when available. Captain Natalie Dodd was unavailable as she is expecting her first child later this year.Contracted players: Aniela Apperley, Georgia Atkinson, Ocean Bartlett, Flora Devonshire, Grace Foreman, Anna Gaging, Kate Gaging, Claudia Green, Mikaela Greig, Ashtuti Kumar, Emma McLeod, Thamsyn Newton, Kerry Tomlinson
NZC contracts: Rosemary Mair, Hannah Rowe

Canterbury

Canterbury have signed batter Emma Irwin as their 13th and final signing for the season. This will be Irwin’s second stint with Canterbury. Irwin, 20, was part of the New Zealand Under-19 side at the World Cup in January last year.Contracted players: Kate Anderson, Sarah Asmussen, Missy Banks, Natalie Cox, Jodie Dean, Harriet Graham, Abigail Hotton, Laura Hughes, Frankie Mackay, Izzy Sharp, Jess Simmons, Gabby Sullivan, Emma Irwin

Auckland

Fast bowler Sophie Court is Auckland’s final signing for the season. Court’s elevation to the contract list comes after her rise through Auckland Cricket’s Talent and Pathway programme, where she represented Auckland Under-19 and Auckland A. She was part of the Auckland Under-19 team that won the women’s national under-19 tournament in Lincoln earlier this year.”There were a lot of emotions when I got the call,” Court, 19, said. “I would like to thank my parents and all my coaches. Their support over the years has been great. It means a lot to me and I’m excited and honoured to be a part of this group. I’m looking forward to learning heaps and gaining lots of experience.”Contracted players: Olivia Anderson, Bella Armstrong, Elizabeth Buchanan, Prue Catton, Amie Hucker, Bree Illing, Kate Irwin, Rishika Jaswal, Cate Pedersen, Josie Penfold, Saachi Shahri, Anika Todd, Sophie Court

Northern Districts

Allrounder Carol Agafili is Northern Districts’ 13th signing as they round up the contracts list for the season. Agafili has represented Districts in the past and also turned out for Samoa in three T20Is earlier this year.Contracted players: Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Caitlin Gurrey, Eve Wolland, Holly Topp, Jess Watkin, Jesse Prasad, Kayley Knight, Marama Downes, Marina Lamplough, Nensi Patel, Shriya Naidu, Tash Wakelin, Carol Agafili

Wellington

Right-hand batter Gemma Sims is the final addition to Wellington’s roster. Sims played six Super Smash matches last season for Wellington but failed to deliver a big performance.Contracted players: Antonia Hamilton, Caitlin King, Hannah Francis, Jess McFadyen, Kate Chandler, Leigh Kasperek, Tash Codyre, Nicole Baird, Phoenix Williams, Rachel Bryant, Rebecca Burns, Xara Jetly, Gemma Sims

Otago

Isy Parry has been awarded her maiden Otago contract and is their final signing for the upcoming season.Contracted players: Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Anna Browning, Harriet Cuttance, Chloe Deerness, Olivia Gain, Bella James, Louisa Kotkamp, Felicity Robertson, Molly Loe, PJ Watkins, Saffron Wilson, Isy Parry

Big picture – The ODI learning curve

And they said the middle overs in an ODI are dull. India and Sri Lanka are playing a series where all of the action is contained in the exact period where the 50-over format tends to be dull. And that’s largely because they have been playing these games – the first of which ended in a tie – on pitches that challenge a batter, in ways that extend far beyond technique.The Khettarama is asking people to play cricket thinking two overs ahead; to avoid the expansive drive just even if the ball seems to be tossed up, because that juicy half-volley is actually going to dip and turn to go past the middle of the bat and take the edge through to slip.Restraint is the very thing that India have spent the better part of two years beating out of themselves, but now it is the very thing that stands between them and a bit of a black mark on a very proud record. They have lost only five out of 22 bilateral ODI series. They have won the last 10 rubbers against Sri Lanka – a streak that will come to an end regardless of the result on Wednesday – and that is tribute to the way this Sri Lanka side has performed even though it is missing several first-teamers. They are certainly shading the middle-overs battle, averaging 24.7 and losing only 10 wickets to India’s 17.8 and 14 wickets.Related

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• Vandersay brings the vibes back for Sri Lanka

• Vandersay six-for gives SL first ODI win over India in three years

• India, Sri Lanka throw it back to the '90s in Colombo classic

Throughout the series, the aggression of Rohit Sharma at the top of the order has made Sri Lankan fans wax nostalgic about the days when their line-up was littered with all-time greats too. In the same way perhaps, India fans might be looking at Dunith Wellalage, all of 21 years old, shepherding Sri Lanka through back-to-back collapses like someone who used to do it for them. He is one of two men in this series to strike at better than run a ball and the other one has been playing this format for almost as long as he has been alive.Whether India win and level the series or Sri Lanka win and claim it 2-0, these three games are likely to be an important learning curve for both teams and that is a check in the box next to why bilateral ODI cricket is still worth it (just, does it to be eight hours long?).

Form guide

Sri Lanka WTLWL
India LTWLW

In the spotlight – Virat Kohli and Avishka Fernando

Virat Kohli has only one fifty in his last 15 innings for India across formats. But here’s the thing. He doesn’t look out of form. And this is ODI cricket as well. He could probably write five different books about it – and star in their movie adaptations – and still not be done explaining how well he knows it. So a big score is probably on the horizon, and even if it isn’t, he isn’t the sort to be fussed about his numbers, not as long as he feels good in training and doesn’t have to force himself to be involved. That’s when there will be cause for worry.Avishka Fernando is the best of both worlds. He can finesse the ball to the boundary, or if the mood strikes him, inflict that same ball to a whole lot worse. He puts attacking shots together like the rest of us put two and two together. It’s just that natural to him. Except sometimes he might get carried away, which is why 26 of his 40 innings have ended at or before the 30-run mark and 17 of those innings have been single-digits. He’ll be pushing himself to justify the talent he has and take his place as one of Sri Lanka’s mainstays.Sri Lanka have edged the middle-overs battle so far in the series•AFP/Getty Images

Team news – Does Parag have a chance?

Sri Lanka hit a sweet combination packing their side with spinners for the last game, which helped them drag India down from 97 for 0 to 147 for 6.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 8 Kamindu Mendis, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Asitha FernandoIndia might weigh up the pros and cons of Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag. Dube is a proven spin-hitter, which is sure to come in handy, but Parag offers them a bowling option that is better suited to the conditions. Or if they’re feeling really funky, they might drop a quick bowler to bring in Parag and hand Dube the new ball.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube/Riyan Parag, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions: Bit of rain around

There are chances of showers in Colombo both leading up to and during the game, but it is unlikely that the whole thing will be washed off. Spinners have bowled twice as many balls (812 vs 351) as the quicks and picked up almost four times as many wickets (29 vs 8). Consider yourself warned.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka last beat India in a bilateral ODI series in August 1997.
• Rohit has hit 90 of his 122 runs in this series in fours and sixes.
• Charith Asalanka has 11 ODI wickets from 61 matches; 10 of them have come against India, six in this series.

Quotes

“We have very good batters. When it comes to their attack they’ve got great variety in legspin, offspin and left-arm spin. We need to find a way to put them under pressure. That’s why a left-hander is in the middle in the middle overs.”
Washington Sundar breaks down the importance of a left-hand batter against a quality attack