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Graham Onions, the Durham pace bowler, will travel with the England squad to UAE next month to provide cover for the fast-bowling attack

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2011Graham Onions, the Durham pace bowler, will travel with the England squad to UAE next month to provide cover for the fast-bowling attack in the opening weeks of the trip.Onions won’t be an official member of the squad which was named on Friday but the selectors want to ensure there is adequate back-up available to Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss with three of the quick bowlers – Stuart Broad (shoulder), Chris Tremlett (back) and Tim Bresnan (elbow) – recovering from injuries.Tremlett hasn’t featured for England since the first Test against India, at Lord’s, and Broad hasn’t played since the fourth ODI against the same team at the same ground in September. Both are currently in South Africa, along with Onions and James Anderson, at a training camp with the performance programme players. Bresnan, meanwhile, recently underwent elbow surgery to remove a bone fragment.The England management are hopeful all three will be fit for selection ahead of the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, on January 17 and if Onions isn’t required he is likely to return home when that match begins.”We’ve obviously got some niggles from the seamer point of view, so Graham Onions will go out there in a cover capacity,” Geoff Miller, the national selector, said. “If he’s not required then he’ll probably come back after the first Test, or even during it.”Onions hasn’t played for England since the third Test against South Africa, at Newlands, in early 2010 after suffering a career-threatening back injury. However, he was back around the national set-up last season when he was called into the Test squad as cover for Anderson at The Oval. He then went to Ireland with the one-day squad and flew out to India for the ODI series in October after injury to Chris Woakes.Onions may yet find himself in a similar position to Ajmal Shahzad, the Yorkshire pace bowler, on last year’s Ashes tour when Shahzad started as an unofficial 17th member of the squad during the warm-up matches before the management decided to keep him on for the whole of the Test series.

The MTN40 will have two key changes this season – the use of two substitutes and the reduction of Powerplays to two

Firdose Moonda29-Oct-2010If all other sports have substitutes, why shouldn’t cricket? The question was from a cricketer who may just have been seduced by the marketing speak, or may have landed upon an interesting point; either way, he’ll remain nameless. He was speaking at the launch of the MTN40 and was posing his question because many members of his franchise were opposed to the use of substitutes in cricket.South Africa’s 40-over competition this season will feature not one, but two substitutes, allowing teams to name 13-member squads for every match. Unlike the last time substitutes were used, the starting eleven does not have to be named before the toss. Only the squad of 13 has to be named, allowing certain players to play specialist roles.That’s the biggest change in the second season of this competition. The other adjustment to playing conditions is a Powerplay change. There will only be two Powerplays; the first one is allocated to the first ten overs, and the second, is a five-over power-play that can be taken any time before the 31st over on the request of the batting side.The competition’s structure has also been tweaked. The six franchises have been divided into two groups of three teams each. Each team will play the other two teams in its own group twice (home and away) and play the three teams in the other group only once. Each franchise plays seven round-robin matches. The semi-finals will be played in the best-of-three format with the final scheduled for December 10. The day matches will start at 11am local time and the day-night games at 4pm.Gerald Majola , the chief executive officer of Cricket South Africa (CSA) said the changes have been made because CSA anticipates that the ODI format will be modified after next year’s World Cup, so it wants to be ready for all possibilities. England and Australia are also experimenting with their 40-over competitions and Majola believes the three countries will have valuable inputs for the ICC come 2011. “Together with the other countries, we will compare and discuss what works and what doesn’t and then there may be changes to the format of the World Cup after next year.”This season’s competition gets underway in Durban on October 29. Last year’s runners-up, the Dolphins, will be hosting the Cape Cobras. It’s a Cape-Natal rivalry of a special kind; on October 30, the rugby teams – Western Province and the Sharks – from the two provinces, will square-off in the final of the country’s premier rugby competition, the Currie Cup.The next two MTN40 games will be played on October 31 – the Lions play the Knights in Potchefstroom and the Warriors take on the Titans in Port Elizabeth.

Former New Zealand batsman John Wright, who coached India for five years, has praised their elevation to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings

Cricinfo staff07-Dec-2009John Wright, who coached India for five years, has praised their elevation to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. Wright, who along with former captain Sourav Ganguly brought a more professional outlook towards fitness and training and touring overseas, pinpointed the team’s unity and all-round depth as key features to the pinnacle as well as the future.”India deserves this … not only the players and the board but also the fans,” he told . “I always knew that India has the ability to become the best Test team in the world. I’m so pleased for the players, Gary [Kirsten], Paddy [Upton] and the BCCI. I know the board is a tough task master but it is fantastic. I’m very pleased for your country. They are the best in the world and they truly understand and celebrate their cricketers’ success.”Wright, a former New Zealand batsman, had a successful five-year stint as India’s coach from November 2000 during which India won a historic series against Australia in 2001 at home, won in Pakistan in 2003, and also guided the team to the finals of the 2003 World Cup.There have been many key steps to the summit for India, not least the epic 2001 home series against Australia. Wright played down the Kolkata Test of that series, which many believe instilled the belief in India that they could be the best. “The ability to bring about a turnaround was always there. The theme was to achieve team achievement as against individual achievements,” he said. “There are great individual achievements but in a funny way today’s achievement is greater than any of those.”The key for India is to have potent fast bowlers. That way Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth are very important for the side. But the best thing about India is that they are not reliant on any one player. A few individuals will soon go away but every young Indian cricketer now knows that the team can be the No.1. That is the turnaround.”The lack of Tests in India’s upcoming schedule could limit the duration of their No. 1 ranking, and Wright said the challenge for India would be to maintain their position. “They first have to enjoy it and then take up the challenge. In India everything is there in the system – they have the structure and the academy. Now they have to keep producing the players. I think they can stay at the No.1 spot.”Former captain Anil Kumble, writing in the , said India had planned reaching the top spot two years ago. “You can imagine the feeling among all concerned now that the task has been achieved,” he wrote. “Back then, we knew that in the next 18 months or so we would play almost every team in the world, either home or away. We made a conscious effort to sit down and discuss the way to the top. The team goal was simple. We were fifth in the rankings and said to ourselves: ‘Let’s go out there and win every series from here on, as that is the only route to the top.'”Kumble singled out “exceptional” individual performances along the way, which he termed as “not an easy ride”, that contributed to victories and hard-earned draws. “Gautam Gambhir’s batting for almost two days to save the Napier Test against New Zealand, Virender Sehwag’s start during the run chase at Chennai against England, Sachin and Yuvi’s efforts in the same Test, Rahul, Sourav and Laxman’s holding the innings together time and again – these are prime examples.”

England lose Zak Crawley to last ball of day after being set 374 to win with series on the line

Matt Roller02-Aug-20253:22

Bangar: ‘Jaiswal’s Sehwag-esque impact makes it easier for batters to follow’

The fate of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be sealed at The Oval on Sunday. England need another 324 runs to pull off the second-biggest chase in their history and win 3-1; India need eight wickets – or nine, in the improbable event that Chris Woakes walks out to bat one-handed – to square the series. The draw is no longer on the table.India are the favourites, and owe that status to four men: Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his sixth century, and second of the series; Akash Deep, the nightwatcher whose maiden Test fifty wore England’s seamers down; Ravindra Jadeja, who passed 500 runs for the series; and Washington Sundar, whose late blitz took the target from 335 to 374 inside five overs.Related

• England made to toil amid mishaps of their own making

• Akash Deep joins nightwatch lore with Oval knock to remember

• Butter-fingered England spill six chances

• Oval and out: Jaiswal's series comes a full circle with statement hundred

England have been here before. They chased 371 in the first Test of this series with five wickets in hand, and cruised to 378 against India at Edgbaston three years ago without breaking a sweat. A punchy opening stand between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett shaved 50 runs off the target as the shadows lengthened, and England will not be overawed by scoreboard pressure.But Crawley’s dismissal in the final over of the day swung the pendulum firmly in India’s favour. It was Mohammed Siraj, the last seamer standing in this series, who delivered a moment of high skill and high drama. With two balls remaining, Siraj pushed Jaiswal back to deep square leg, a bluff to mask the searing 84mph/135kph yorker which followed, and crashed into off stump.It will be a huge test of both teams’ character, skill and resilience as the series heads into its 24th – and surely final – day. A draw would be a superb achievement for India under new leadership, not least from 2-1 down and on the ropes in Manchester; for England, a series win would be their first against a ‘Big Three’ opponent under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.3:25

‘Root’s wicket will be most important for India’

In Woakes’ absence, this was a brutally tough day for their three greenhorn seamers Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton, who bowled 79 out of 88 overs between them in India’s second innings. Ollie Pope did his best to rotate them but the workload was immense, particularly without a specialist spinner. Their cause was not helped by six dropped catches, and India profited from their profligacy.Akash Deep was the unlikely protagonist of the morning session, seizing an opportunity to chance his arm after seeing out two balls as nightwatcher on Friday evening. He popped the third ball of the day over mid-on for four and decided to keep on swinging, punching the air and thumping his chest when he reached 50 for only the second time in his professional career.England could have had him twice in two balls: they were convinced that Tongue had trapped him lbw, only for the DRS to uphold umpire Ahsan Raza’s not-out call, and Crawley dropped Tongue’s follow-up at third slip. By the time his leading edge was pouched by Atkinson at point off Overton, Akash Deep had added 107 in partnership with Jaiswal.Akash Deep’s gleeful hitting cast Jaiswal in an unfamiliar role, playing in his partner’s slipstream. But he continued to inflict death by a thousand cuts on England’s seamers, scoring heavily behind square on the off side and seizing on any width offered. He reached his hundred after lunch by pinching a single into that very same region, bookending his first tour of England with centuries.By that stage, he had lost another partner. Shubman Gill’s fine series ended with the first ball after lunch, which nipped back off the seam and thumped into his knee roll to give Atkinson his seventh of the match. His overall aggregate – 754 – was second only to Sunil Gavaskar among Indian batters in a Test series, but his highest score in four innings in London was just 21.2:58

Bangar: ‘Akash Deep could be India’s No. 8’

Karun Nair soon became Atkinson’s eighth victim of the Test, edging behind for 17. Nair was struck on the glove first ball, and dropped by Harry Brook – whose view was obscured by Crawley diving across him – on 12 before failing to account for Atkinson’s extra bounce. After a top score of 57 in eight innings, it seems Nair’s comeback series may also prove to be his farewell.Dropped twice on Friday evening, Jaiswal got a third life from Duckett at leg gully, but holed out to deep point for 118 soon after. But India’s lead continued to swell: Jadeja successfully overturned an lbw decision after being struck flush on the right boot and added exactly 50 for the seventh wicket with Dhruv Jurel, as England finally resorted to their occasional spinners.The pitch had clearly flattened out from the first two days but still offered something to work with. Overton managed to get a 76-over-old ball to swing away and trap Jurel lbw, and Tongue threatened to end the innings quickly: Brook finally held on to one when Jadeja steered to him on 53, and Siraj was distraught when given out lbw off the inside edge, with India out of reviews.But Washington went down swinging, as though Brook’s advice in Manchester to “get on with it” was ringing in his ears. He hauled four leg-side sixes in 12 balls, the last of which brought up a 39-ball fifty. By the time he miscued to Crawley at midwicket to give Tongue his fifth wicket, he and Prasidh Krishna (0 off 2) had put on 39 vital runs for the 10th wicket.Duckett and Crawley were left with 14 overs to lay a foundation for England, and Gill was clearly desperate to avoid a repeat of their freewheeling stand in the first innings, posting a deep point from the outset to stem the flow of runs. If it initially seemed curious that Siraj was held back to first change, then his crucial strike vindicated Gill’s decision to give him a single, late burst.

Sam Konstas has left Sri Lanka ahead of Australia’s second Test in Galle to play Sheffield Shield for NSW

AAP and ESPNCricinfo staff04-Feb-2025Sam Konstas’ Sri Lanka tour is officially over with the teenage star returning to Australia to play Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales.Despite an impressive first two Tests, Konstas was replaced at the top of the batting order by the more experienced Travis Head in last week’s series opener in Galle.With Head making a speedy half-century to set the tone for Australia’s big win, Konstas was set to miss selection again for the second match beginning Thursday.Related

• Travis Head expects Sam Konstas to open in WTC final

• Head to replace Konstas as opener against Sri Lanka

• Karunaratne to retire from Test cricket after making his 100th appearance

Konstas trained with the team at their main session in Galle on Tuesday before packing his bags to fly back to Australia in the evening, Cricket Australia confirmed.Australia selectors determined the 19-year-old would be better served lining up for NSW against Queensland on Saturday at the Gabba – a Test venue at which he has never played – than watching from the sidelines in Galle. The selectors value players getting experience at home Test venues. It was part of the reason Nathan McSweeney got the nod at the start of the Border-Gavaskar series, as Konstas has not played at either the Gabba or Adelaide Oval.Australia will have adequate concussion substitutes in Konstas’ absence, with 15 remaining in the squad as well as development player Tanveer Sangha.The tour was Konstas’ first with the Australian squad to the subcontinent, but he previously attended development camps in Chennai and Sri Lanka.He may have an additional opportunity to hone his skills against spin with an Australia A tour of India in the works for later in 2025.After his famous start to life as a Test player, the Sri Lanka tour may have shaped as underwhelming for Konstas, who missed selection and was then struck down by a stomach bug.But Head said Konstas would have learnt from the touring experience.”Sam’s a big part of where we’re going, there’s no doubt about it,” Head said. “Disappointed that he missed out on the first Test but great for him to be here, great for him to be experiencing conditions.”Head expected Konstas would return to the top of the batting order when Australia travelled to England for the World Test Championship Final against South Africa in June.”Most likely I’ll go back in the middle order and Sam will open,” Head said.

Dillon du Preez will take over in an interim capacity for South Africa’s tour of India with a new coach to be appointed after that

Firdose Moonda10-May-2024Long-serving South Africa Women head coach Hilton Moreeng’s tenure has ended after a period of 11 years and four months.Moreeng was originally appointed in the role in December 2012, and oversaw South Africa’s transition to professionalism in 2014 and their greatest successes in the decade since. He took them to two ODI World Cup semi-finals, two T20 World Cup semi-finals, and was in charge when they became the first national senior side to reach a World Cup final, at home in the 2023 T20 World Cup. He was South Africa’s first black African national coach.Dillon du Preez, Moreeng’s assistant since September 2020 and a former first-class cricketer, will take over from him in an interim capacity for South Africa’s tour of India in June-July with a permanent coach to be appointed after that.Moreeng’s departure came after a period of short-term extensions to his contract since 2020 – originally for three years until after the 2023 T20 World Cup, and then for periods of time in the months that followed.CSA have confirmed it was Moreeng’s decision to step away.”He opted not to continue. And the timing of it is not great, but we really respect and understand his position,” Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket, said at a press conference on Friday. “He’s invested a lot, you know, obviously into women’s cricket. He’s taken this team from basically nothing to great heights. He’s reached a point where, and he was completely honest, he needs to allow the next person to take the team to the next level.”In his latest extension, Moreeng was contracted for the 2023-24 season, initially until the end of 2023, and then until the end of the summer, after his contract expired last year. He was also retained in 2020 when CSA first appointed a director of cricket – Graeme Smith – who undertook a major overhaul of the organisation’s coaching structures.Most recently, Moreeng remained in the job despite senior players expressing unhappiness with the length of his tenure. In August last year, six months after South Africa reached the final of the T20 World Cup, a group of players wrote to CSA to express their desire for change, but ESPNcricinfo understands that the process to replace Moreeng was delayed, and he was allowed to continue. As it turned out, CSA changed the captain and replaced Sune Luus, who led at the T20 World Cup and prior to that in Dane van Niekerk’s injury-enforced absence, with Laura Wolvaardt.A process was then put in place to recruit Moreeng’s replacement, who was expected to take over after the home series against Bangladesh last December, but that never happened. In early November, Nkwe told reporters that CSA “had interviews last week and we are still finalising a couple of things”. “As soon as we are done with the post-interview process, we will be able to make an announcement,” he said, and indicated the new support staff would be in place for South Africa’s January-February tour to Australia. He has since said CSA was not satisfied with those who put their hands up for the job. “We did advertise the position and unfortunately we couldn’t find the fitting candidates to take the team forward,” Nkwe said. “We went into the process of headhunting as well and unfortunately we couldn’t find anyone.”Moreeng then took South Africa to Australia, where they beat Australia for the first time in both a T20I and an ODI (though they lost both series) and was in charge for the home series against Sri Lanka. South Africa lost a T20I series to Sri Lanka for the first time and shared the ODI spoils, as Sri Lanka successfully completed the highest chase in women’s ODIs. It was after the Sri Lanka series that Moreeng decided his time was up, Nkwe said.CSA had initially hoped that Moreeng would continue until the 2025 World Cup, during which time they could plan a transition phase for his successor but “the process didn’t work out as planned”. Du Preez will now take the team to India and it is possible a new coach will be in place ahead of the T20 World Cup. Asked if the players are comfortable with du Preez, who has been in his role since September 2020, Nkwe suggested it may take some time for things to settle.”They’re still a little bit shocked because they didn’t expect [Moreeng’s departure] so soon; immediately at the end of the season. A lot of them are still processing what just transpired,” Nkwe said. “We’re going to be engaging with them later in the month, at a camp, to try and gauge, obviously, where they’re feeling and where everybody’s at. We also want to see how we can help Dillion to make sure that the team can pull in one direction, which I have no doubt he’ll be able to do.”Under Hilton Moreeng, South Africa Women became the first national senior side to reach a World Cup final•ICC via Getty Images

Asked if he would consider putting himself up for the job full-time, du Preez stayed on the fence, for now. “I see myself as someone who has to do this at this stage of my life. Whether or not I try to do it going forward, this will allow me to grow. I see it as a positive move, even if it is for a month or two,” he said. “I think I will want to [have the job permanently] but it’s too early to give you a 100% answer. But that’s where you want to be, at the highest level. I would really want to coach there. I enjoy it a lot. But let’s talk after India.”Du Preez also indicated he would not change too much to begin with, having been mentored by Moreeng. “He’s been here for 11 years in this space and to learn from him, meant a lot to me. Whatever you know about cricket, the moment you move into the women’s space, you actually find out that you might know nothing,” du Preez said. “It’s been an emotional week. Hilton has left big shoes for me to fill. What he has done for women’s cricket, it feels like no one is going to match. I couldn’t pick a better guy to learn from.”There is no suggestion that CSA will continue to look for a women’s director of cricket, and that Moreeng could be considered for that. Nkwe said the former coach needs “time” to “continue reflecting and to see what his journey is going to look like moving forward”. But, Nkwe said, CSA would be open to engaging Moreeng in the future. “From our point of view, we would like to retain him in whichever way, because you don’t just let go of such experience, especially in women’s cricket.”In parting, Moreeng offered thanks to everyone he met along the way. “It has been an honour and a privilege to lead such a talented group of athletes over the years,” Moreeng said in a statement. “I want to express my sincere appreciation to all the players and team management who have been instrumental in this journey. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside each of you. I would also like to thank the South African fans and the media for their unwavering support throughout this journey. Your encouragement has been a constant source of motivation. Last but certainly not least, I am deeply grateful to my family and friends who have stood by me through the highs and lows along the way. Your love and support have been my rock.”CSA has also appointed a new batting coach in Baakier Adams, previously with the Warriors provincial team, and Bongani Ndaba as fielding coach alongside a new physiotherapist Neline Hoffman-Kellerman.

The visitors in Bengaluru will be looking for their first win in IPL 2023

Deivarayan Muthu14-Apr-20234:50

Moody: Harshal Patel needs to step up for RCB at home

Big picture: Delhi Capitals look to snap losing streak

Two weeks into IPL 2023, Delhi Capitals are the only winless team in the tournament. Anrich Nortje threatened to put them on the board with his pinpoint yorkers in their last match against Mumbai Indians, but a wayward throw from David Warner in the outfield and Tim David’s big dive on the last ball consigned Capitals to their fourth successive defeat.Royal Challengers Bangalore were also on the wrong side of a last-ball finish earlier this week, but they’re better placed than Capitals on the standings and will be bolstered further by the return of Wanindu Hasaranga, who is one of the top wristspinners in T20 cricket right now.However, there are some concerns around RCB’s middle order and their batting approach in the middle overs, particularly against spin. Left-arm spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav offer Capitals a favourable match-up against Royal Challengers’ right-hander heavy top five. Nortje and Mustafizur have been formidable at the death, but Warner’s go-slow at the top has left them playing catch-up. Mitchell Marsh’s return and an easy-paced hit-through-the-line Chinnaswamy track, though, could free him up.

Form guide (most recent match first)

RCB: LLW
Delhi Capitals: LLLL

Team news: Wanindu Hasaranga, Mitchell Marsh return

Related

• Waiting for the real David Warner

• Kohli and du Plessis' slowdown against spin proves costly for RCB

• Watson: I'll be blown away if Warner doesn't set the IPL alight

Hasaranga has linked up with Royal Challengers and is available for selection after having completed his national commitments in New Zealand. The Sri Lanka legspinner will slot into the XI in place of David Willey or Wayne Parnell. This will result in another swap: Akash Deep for Karn Sharma. Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is expected to arrive in India on Friday and will finish his rehab with Royal Challengers. It is understood that he’s unlikely to play against Capitals on Saturday.

Toss and Impact Player strategy

Anuj Rawat might be used as a floater in the middle order to counter Axar and Kuldeep if Royal Challengers bat first. Seamer Akash Deep is likely to come in as an Impact Player when they bowl.Mitchell Marsh is back in the IPL after leaving to get married•BCCI

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Bat-first XI (possible): 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mahipal Lomror, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Anuj Rawat, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 David Willey/Wayne Parnell, 11 Mohammed SirajBowl-first XI (possible): 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mahipal Lomror, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 David Willey/Wayne Parnell, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Mohammed SirajDelhi Capitals
Marsh, who had missed Capitals’ last two games for his wedding, has rejoined the squad and is set to return to the starting XI in place of Rovman Powell.Capitals are likely to bring in Mukesh Kumar or Chetan Sakariya as their Impact Player, when they bowl. Prithvi Shaw might make way for one of the two seamers.Bat-first XI (possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yash Dhull/Aman Khan, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Lalit Yadav, 8 Abhishek Porel (wk), 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Mustafizur RahmanBowl-first XI (possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Yash Dhull/Aman Khan, 5 Axar Patel, 6 Lalit Yadav, 7 Abhishek Porel (wk), 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Mukesh Kumar/Chetan Sakariya, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Another Chinnaswamy belter is on the cards. A total of 1161 sixes have been hit at this ground in the IPL which is the second most behind Wankhede (1349) in the competition. The weather is expected to be fine for the duration of the game.

Stats that matter

• Glenn Maxwell vs Kuldeep promises to be an intriguing match-up. Maxwell has hit the wristpinner for 59 runs in 21 balls while being dismissed three times in the IPL.
• Dinesh Karthik has a strong head-to-head record against Mustafizur in T20 cricket: 46 runs off 23 balls with just one dismissal.
• Royal Challengers (9.51) and Capitals (9.18) have the worst economy rates in IPL 2023.

Cameron Green, Tim David’s fifties in vain as India hunt down 187-run target

Deivarayan Muthu25-Sep-20221:54

Hodge: ‘It looks like Kohli has his mojo back’

Half-centuries from Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli trumped fifties from Cameron Green and Tim David as India chased down 187 and clinched the series 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd in Hyderabad.Suryakumar got together with Kohli after Daniel Sams and Pat Cummins had bounced out KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma respectively. Whenever the bowlers hit the Hyderabad pitch hard, the ball either kicked up or stopped on the batters. Case in point: the first ball to Suryakumar, from Cummins, reared up from a back of a length and zipped away past his outside edge.Suryakumar, however, rose above the conditions and Australia’s attack, proving a potent point of difference in India’s line-up. He struck up a 104-run partnership off 62 balls with Kohli and disrupted the bowlers by manufacturing swinging room or jumping out of the crease.After Suryakumar ultimately fell for 69 off 36 balls, with India 53 away from victory, Australia staged a mini-fightback and dragged the game down to the last over in which the hosts needed 11.Kohli shovelled the first ball from Sams over long-on and holed out next ball for 63 off 48 balls. Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya, though, got the job done for India with one ball to spare.8:05

Rohit: ‘We still need to be more aggressive and clinical’

Green’s opening salvo
With the new ball sliding onto the bat, Green immediately teed off in the powerplay, muscling his way to a 19-ball fifty in the fifth over. Much like Suryakumar, Green often backed away outside leg and lustily swung at the ball. Only David Warner and Glenn Maxwell have hit faster fifties for Australia in T20Is.Green was responsible for 52 off the 66 runs Australia had scored in the powerplay. He once again unfurled his range against spin when he cracked Axar Patel for three successive fours in the fourth over, with the pick of those being a hard, flat sweep to the midwicket boundary.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had conceded 12 runs in his first over, however, returned to the attack in the next over and hid one away from his reach to have Green caught at backward point for 52 off 21 balls. Axar steps up once again
After being picked apart by Green, Axar got his arm ball fizzing against Maxwell and varied his pace well to make it even more effective. He had already dismissed Aaron Finch for 7 and claimed 1 for 31 in his three overs in the powerplay.Axar then returned to the attack with a double-wicket 14th over. He had Josh Inglis lobbing a catch to backward point and drew a return catch from Matthew Wade. Axar went over the wicket to the left-handed Wade, got a shortish ball into the pitch and had him spooning a punch back to him. Axar ended the series with figures of 8 for 63 in ten overs at an economy rate of 6.30. No other bowler got more than three wickets in the series.2:36

Has Tim David cemented his place in the Australia XI?

David’s end-overs bash

That Australia reached 186 for 7 from 117 for 6 was largely down to David’s big-hitting. In his first international series for Australia, David showed why he is in demand in franchise T20 leagues. Despite India posting fielders at both long-on and long-off for the most part, David took 27 of his 54 runs down the ground with Kieron Pollard-esque blows. When Bhuvneshwar marginally missed his yorker, David took him for 6, 6, 4 in the 18th over. Jasprit Bumrah, too, couldn’t control the damage, finishing with 0 for 50 – the most he has conceded in a T20I.The Suryakumar-Kohli show
India lost both their openers within four overs, but Suryakumar and Kohli quickly changed the mood and tempo of the chase. Both batters were proactive against legspinner Adam Zampa, using their feet and hitting him against the intended turn for sixes.Zampa could’ve cut Kohli’s innings short at 23 had he hung onto a tough return catch. Suryakumar soon overtook Kohli and surged to a 29-ball fifty. He then hit two sixes and a four off his next five balls and threatened to rush India home. Hazlewood and co. though applied the brakes and made India work hard for victory.India managed only one four and a six between overs 16 and 19, but Suryakumar’s early assault ensured the chase was always within their grasp.

Bengaluru now the likeliest venue for the series of five ODIs and three T20Is in March-April

Annesha Ghosh15-Feb-2021India Women’s return to action has hit yet another hurdle, with the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) informing the BCCI late last week about its inability to host the eight-match series against South Africa in March in Thiruvananthapuram. The reason given by the KCA is that the ground has been “made available to the Indian military for a recruitment drive, without the KCA’s prior knowledge”, and it doesn’t have a venue with “appropriate broadcast facilities” apart from the Greenfield International Stadium to stage the matches. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) might now host the matches in Bengaluru.India, who haven’t played international cricket since the T20 World Cup final on March 8 last year, were scheduled to play five ODIs and three T20Is against South Africa, with the Indian squad and support staff set to assemble in Thiruvananthapuram and enter a bio-security bubble on February 17. Though the BCCI hasn’t released an official tour schedule yet, the first match was marked for March 7 or 8, and the series is expected to run for a month or so.Related

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The games are now likely to take place in Bengaluru, though ESPNcricinfo understands that the Indian team has not been informed of the change yet, and no official communication has come from the BCCI.Responding to the development, Cricket South Africa director of cricket Graeme Smith told a press conference, “The talks have been progressing so it is still my hope that is the case, that the tour will go ahead. We are very keen on providing as much content to our ladies as possible. We are working hard on building a busier FTP for them going forward. We are in the process of dealing with the BCCI on it.”The update came less than a fortnight after KCA office-bearers and BCCI joint secretary Jayesh George met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to seek permission to host the series. The KCA on Monday confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the proposal was subsequently green-lighted by the state government, but the sudden allotment of the stadium to the army forced the state association to alter its plans.”The series was originally allotted to KCA. The BCCI had informed us in January, and we had begun our preparations accordingly. But the ground has been suddenly given to the army, without informing the KCA or the KCA’s prior knowledge,” Sreejith V, the KCA secretary, told ESPNcricinfo. “Unfortunately, the army’s recruitment drive is supposed to go on for 20 days or so, and we explored an alternative, smaller ground – the St Xavier’s College ground – for the first two games but appropriate broadcast facilities are not there and all these eight games are meant to be broadcast. So we don’t have an alternative choice.”We tried our level best to conduct the matches here and the chief minister and sports minister of Kerala were very interested to host the India women and South Africa women here, and they intervened directly, and fully supported us. There was a Covid facility in the premises [of the stadium], so with the CM’s help, we had even begun taking steps to have that moved, sanitised everything, and all safety protocols for all parties involved were being put in place. The hotel bookings were done, the travel agents, too, were booked.”So, it’s a big loss for us that we can’t host the series because to host eight international matches at one venue, because of the Covid-19 pandemic situation, was a good opportunity for us, too.”

Last season’s champions Melbourne Renegades have now lost five in five

Daniel Brettig02-Jan-2020James Vince and Jordan Silk guided Sydney Sixers home to a tight victory over Melbourne Renegades on a slow surface at Docklands. Aaron Finch’s men have now lost their fifth consecutive match after winning the Big Bash League last season.With an innings that saw Sam Harper excel at the start and Dan Christian finish off effectively – between them taking Tom Curran for 1 for 58, the third-most expensive BBL figures ever – the Renegades thought they had enough runs to defend.James Vince is quite fluent through the off side•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

However Josh Philippe and Daniel Hughes gave the Sixers a sturdy start, and after a wobble in the middle, Vince and Silk were able to find the boundaries they required to scramble home. The win took the Sixers up to second on the BBL table with four wins from six matches.Harper 1, Curran 1
On what has traditionally been a slow and sluggish Docklands drop-in pitch, Harper has made a name for himself with a series of quick burst starts to give Renegades the push. After Aaron Finch unfurled one handsome cover drive and then completely miscued an attempt to take a Jackson Bird outswinger over mid-off, Harper came into his own by targeting the ground’s shorter square boundaries – his diminutive height tending to open up more opportunities for the cut shot than for most.The prime target of Harper’s attack was Tom Curran, who in his first over dropped obligingly into Harper’s scoring zones and soon found himself nursing figures of 0 for 22 from his first over. It was a six-ball sequence that allowed Renegades to manage 57 from their powerplay, providing Shaun Marsh with the platform to launch. Curran, though, would benefit from a tighter line to cramp Harper, who maintained his habit of a cameo innings, when he shovelled a jamming full toss to midwicket.Christian 1, Curran 0
Marsh’s innings, which promised a payoff for all the early investment, fizzled out to nothing when an attempted slog sweep could only find Moises Henriques at long on. This after Lloyd Pope had struck twice to remove Marcus Harris and Beau Webster, the latter perhaps unluckily lbw to a googly that may well have missed leg stump. This meant that Harper’s fast start was in danger of being squandered. But just as Harper has topped a few Renegades innings, Christian has tailed plenty of them all over the world.While Will Sutherland struggled to make contact at the other end, Christian rounded on Curran’s final over, finding boundaries to fine leg, third man, cover and then a thumping six over straight midwicket to the Englishman’s final ball. Curran was left with figures of 1 for 58, Christian with a huge penultimate over for the Renegades, and the hosts with a defendable tally. Curran’s analysis was the third most expensive in BBL history, behind only the 59 conceded by Thisara Perera also at Docklands in 2017, and 60 by Dan Worrall at the MCG in 2014.Philippe’s foundation
In their opening unions so far Philippe and Hughes have rather contradicted the conventional wisdom that Philippe is the dasher and Hughes the accumulator. On this occasion, both the Sixers openers looked to be settling in for as long as possible, and they steadily built up the visitors’ chase at a tick over six an over with the occasional boundary. When Andrews was introduced and took a wicket with his first ball as a Renegade – a half-tracker that stayed low and was on its way down to a second bounce when it reached Philippe – the Sixers were well placed.Their platform soon looked somewhat shakier, however, as Hughes fell to Cameron Boyce when he picked out Marsh on the boundary, and Andrews skidded a straight delivery through Moises Henriques’ attempt at an imposing sweep shot to his third ball. The Renegades looked, for a time, to be cornering the Sixers into the sort of position from which they won many of the matches in 2018-19 that took them all the way to victory in the BBL final.Vince sets up, Silk finishes
Given how hard it can be to time the ball at Docklands, the Renegades could have been forgiven for thinking they were favoured to finally win their first match of the tournament. But that was to reckon without Vince, who showcased his tendency to sweet timing in challenging circumstances to nail 41 from just 26 balls and score the majority of 57 runs made while he was at the crease.Of course, it would not have been a Vince innings without his departure just as the job looked to be done, and he left Silk with a still tricky scenario given how effective slower balls could be. He was able to take after Vince’s timing, however, lacing a first flat six over cover to the audible distress of Finch, who could be heard asking out loud why Shaun Marsh was not fielding right on the boundary rope where he might have taken a catch. And in the final over, Silk lined up a Richard Gleeson cutter for the six that effectively ended the contest. The Renegades’ drought goes on.