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Hales plays anchor in two crucial partnerships after England’s disciplined bowling performance had kept India to a below-par score

The Report by Varun Shetty06-Jul-2018England swept and swept, first unsuccessfully, then inefficiently, and then decisively enough to outdo India’s spinners and pull the duel their way in a tight finish, where Alex Hales punished Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s lapse in lengths to help them level the series.Hales’ unbeaten 58 was built during two crucial partnerships. The first one in Eoin Morgan’s company, which began at 44 for 3 after England’s top three, much like India’s top order earlier, couldn’t get them going in pursuit of a conservative, if not below-par target. Once again, it was the two Yadavs who had put England in such a position: Umesh was true to his new-found specialisation of getting wickets in the Powerplay, rattling through the opening stand. Jason Roy was out stabbing at a furious indipper, while Jos Buttler, having been reprieved by Kohli at mid-off, handed the same man a catch two balls later.Joe Root came in ahead of Hales, at his customary No. 3 position, but that move to give him time up front to settle down didn’t pay off. Once again, it was a wrong’un that accounted for him; this time, it was Yuzvendra Chahal’s and it spun into him and under his sweep to crash into the stumps.Alex Hales’ unbeaten 58 not out steered England to victory•Getty Images

There was more sweeping, and more sweep-induced lbw calls and at one point, it seemed like England’s Merlyn bowling-machine exercise hadn’t changed a lot for them. Morgan in particular was caught flailing about, trying to sweep it on either side of the wicket. He was fortuitous, though, as was Hales, who survived both an lbw appeal and the ensuing review against Kuldeep.Then, Hales started making contact on the cross-batted hits. Hales found big sixes on either side of long-on with his slog-sweeps as Morgan struggled further, eventually falling to a Hardik Pandya bouncer.This brought Jonny Bairstow, and England’s second and ultimately decisive partnership, with Hales as the anchor. Bairstow made 28 of the 36 they put up in four overs. Crucially, he took Kuldeep for two sixes in his penultimate over, leaving both captain Kohli and the bowler visibly frustrated. Kuldeep’s lengths and paces were largely defensive after that, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar couldn’t defend 12 in the last over. It was hard enough without the six and four off the first two balls from Hales, the Man of the Match half-centurion who had been considered the starting point of England’s meek surrender in the last match.Earlier, Morgan had elected to bat and England’s seamers were disciplined in hitting the deck on the shorter side of a good length, a strategy that – in combination with a good mix of varying natural speeds – took the boundaries almost completely out of the equation for an in-form top-three. With hardly anything to drive, India managed only three boundaries in the Powerplay.Fans stormed into the field after Shikhar Dhawan’s catch to dismiss Eoin Morgan•Getty Images

But the plan to play four seamers at the expense of Moeen Ali was truly vindicated by the fact that they had dismissed the top three inside the Powerplay. Jake Ball, on debut, followed up a miserly first over by trapping Rohit Sharma under a steep short ball. His sliced pull, trying to make room down the leg side, was matched in technique – or the loss of it – by KL Rahul a few overs later. India’s No. 3, looking to slash Liam Plunkett over cover, lost his middle stump.In the middle of these wickets was the strange case of Shikhar Dhawan who, while trying to switch his bat to his right hand halfway through a run while seemingly trying to avoid obstructing a Jason Roy throw from point at the non-striker, ended up losing his grip entirely. A tumbling bat’s first contact with the ground was outside the crease and he was caught short by Morgan who had initially forgotten to appeal as he despaired at a fluffed gather.At 22 for 3, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, batting in almost alien positions for them in this format, were largely kept to running between the wickets too. If the spinner was the release they were waiting for, Adil Rashid proved to be a downer. Rashid floated his deliveries up, rather than pushing them through as he had done in the previous match, and forced both batsmen to manufacture power on a slow track. The result was a 57-run stand that came at under eight an over. Raina was the more fluent batsman, peaking with a hook shot that went several rows behind at deep square leg, and generally scoring at a good strike rate before he was stumped. Kohli top-scored with 47, but his 38-ball knock provided little by way of momentum.That came from MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya, who left it late to pummel Ball’s last over – the only one in which not a single ball was of optimal length – for 22. It wasn’t to be the difference.

Desire for austere ceremony has ruled out the fascinating prospect of Indian cricketing royalty’s presence for Imran Khan’s inauguration

Danyal Rasool and Umar Farooq02-Aug-2018Plans to invite foreign dignitaries, including some of India’s greatest cricketers, to Imran Khan’s impending inauguration as Prime Minister of Pakistan have been shelved. Fawad Chaudhry, the spokesperson for the party Imran heads, said Imran had ultimately decided on a “simple ceremony” that would include just a few of his close friends.That was a 24-hour turnaround in which Imran’s party had first floated the tantalising possibility of the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev flying in for the inauguration. Chaudhry had confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that enquiries had been made of the Foreign Office to see if foreign delegates could be invited to the oath-taking ceremony. Those in line for invitations to the event included Gavaskar and Kapil, contemporaries of Imran in his cricketing heyday, as well as Navjot Sidhu. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi was also in the frame for an invitation, but the change of stance today means those high-profile guests from across the border will not attend.”The PTI chairman [Imran Khan] has directed us to stage the oath-taking event with austerity,” Chaudhry told . “He will take his oath in a simple ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr (President House). It has been decided that no foreign personalities will be invited to the ceremony — it will be a completely national event. Only a few close friends of Imran Khan will be invited. There will be no show of extravagance at the event.”Imran, whose party the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the most seats in the country’s general elections last week, is effectively Pakistan’s Prime Minister-elect, with his inauguration likely to be days away. His decision to invite cricketers who were among the biggest rivals of his career appeared to be, prima facie, an extension of the agreeable tone he struck towards India in his unofficial acceptance speech following the elections.Imran has enjoyed convivial relations with most of his contemporaries across the border. When he was an opposition leader in Pakistan’s parliament in 2016, he was a high-profile attendee in Kolkata for the India-Pakistan game at the World T20, and was part of an entertaining evening after-dinner talk on a panel that also included Kapil. The pair were two of the great quartet of allrounders that dominated the game in the 1980s, alongside Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee.Kapil was among the first from the cricketing fraternity to send his congratulations to Imran following his party’s victory, saying it “felt really good” to see a cricketer he had played alongside become Prime Minister of his country. Sidhu was particularly effusive in his praise of Imran following the election, calling him a “pure soul who led from the front”.Long-suffering fans across both sides of the border may have drawn a flicker of hope from this recent outpouring of warmth for the India-Pakistan on-field rivalry, currently on hold by factors unrelated to cricket. Political tensions have meant the two countries haven’t played any bilateral cricket since Pakistan toured India in 2012 for two T20Is and three ODIs, while the last time they clashed in a Test match was back in 2007. Of the Indian side currently playing the first Test against England at Edgbaston, only two players – Dinesh Karthik and Ishant Sharma – have played a Test against Pakistan. India and Pakistan will clash in the Asia Cup in the UAE in September.The last time Gavaskar toured Pakistan as a cricketer also had heavy political overtones. It was the ill-fated tour of 1984, which saw an ODI between Pakistan and India in Sialkot cancelled halfway through after news broke of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, with the tour immediately called off. Gavaskar was never to play in Pakistan again.*Aug 2, 1215 GMT: The piece was edited to reflect the fact that Imran Khan decided against a lavish oath-taking ceremony, effectively ruling out the possibility of Kapil Dev and Sunail Gavaskar’s attendance at his inauguration.

Having ironed out the technical flaws that had crept into his game, the wicketkeeper-batsman looks to put his head down and score big runs

Madushka Balasuriya 12-Sep-2018Niroshan Dickwella would have considered himself rather unlucky to miss out after Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup squad was announced last week, but poor returns in the domestic T20 tournament last month had somewhat overshadowed an impressive showing at home against South Africa.In that series, Dickwella was among Sri Lanka’s top three performers with the bat, scoring 158 runs at an average of 31.60 – behind only Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera. With Sri Lanka struggling to find consistent openers over recent years, Dickwella’s omission raised more than a few eyebrows.The man himself though was not surprised following a domestic outing that saw him score just 24 runs in four innings.”I have changed my technique and game plan, it has worked in ODIs and Tests, but I think I’m struggling a little bit in T20s,” Dickwella told ESPNcricinfo. “One of the reasons [for failing in the T20 tournament] is that maybe I was trying to score too quickly. I know I have to plan my game better. I hadn’t played T20s for a while and I was desperate to score some runs.”However, a finger-injury sustained by Dinesh Chandimal in that same tournament has now handed the 25-year-old a lifeline, with him being drafted in as Chandimal’s replacement for the Asia Cup.For Dickwella, it’s an opportunity he knows he’s good enough to take, even though he acknowledges that at times he can be guilty of throwing away his wicket.”I normally get out in silly ways, everyone talks about that. But when I score runs in a similar way, they appreciate it. But I think now I have to calm myself down a bit, and put my head down and bat. Then only I can improve my game and score big runs.”Niroshan Dickwella celebrates his maiden ODI hundred•AFP

Indeed, an ODI career that touts 1232 runs at an average of 32.42 with six fifties and two hundreds in 39 innings screams unfulfilled potential – and that potential is considerable when you look at Dickwella’s international career thus far.Having made his international debut in 2014, it wouldn’t be until late 2016 – when he was included as part of an inexperienced touring party to Zimbabwe – that he would make his mark on the national side; 179 runs at 44.75 in five ODIs in Zimbabwe, followed by 197 at 39.40 in five losing ODIs in South Africa.He added to this in the T20I leg, scoring 133 runs in three games at 44.33 and with a strike rate of 156.47, as Sri Lanka secured their first series win in South Africa.”I have been successful in T20s. In South Africa, I was Man-of-the-Series, and Man-of-the-Match in the final game,” Dickwella said. However, the highest score of 68 – his only half-century in the format – Dickwella’s average stands at 20.75 after 13 T20Is.But while he was suffering in the shortest format, in 50-over cricket he was thriving. A further 121 runs at 40.33 in the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, and 266 runs against Zimbabwe at home at 53.20 – including a career-high of 116 – saw Dickwella end as Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-getter in ODIs for the year 2017, behind Upul Tharanga.This was despite ending the year in a miserable run of form where, following an assured 74-ball 64 against India at home in August 2017, he scored just 243 runs in his next 15 ODIs – a run that would eventually saw him being dropped for the Nidahas Trophy.Fortunately, for Dickwella, this austere spell coincided with the hiring of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and batting coach Thilan Samaraweera.”Both of them [Hathurusingha and Samaraweera] are always talking to me how I can improve my game in different formats,” he said. “Now it’s good in ODIs and Tests, but I need to have a good game plan and be mentally strong in T20s.”Following constant in-depth conversations with the pair, a rejuvenated Dickwella emerged to star against South Africa. Conversations, he revealed, which helped identify the necessary technical alterations that would see him return to his best.”My front leg was going across, and I have made that adjustment. I made some small changes in terms of my upper body positioning while in my stance, and it’s helping me a lot now. I’m also playing with a split grip now – [earlier] I used to play with a split group but it got changed over time.”It’s important to speak to the coaches and get back to being normal Dickwella.”Indeed in Tests and ODIs Sri Lanka have begun to reap the benefits of “normal Dickwella”. They’ll be hoping he turns up in the shortest format as well and sooner rather than later.

The allrounder is building on a strong T20 season with Somerset to make his way back into the ODI and T20I squads

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2018With the 2019 World Cup less than eight months away, allrounder Corey Anderson has decided to focus on white-ball cricket by opting out of the first-class format for the coming season. Anderson has been away from Test cricket since February 2016 and last played a first-class match in April earlier this year.Back from representing Somerset in the T20 Vitality Blast, Anderson will leave with the New Zealand A squad for the UAE to play against Pakistan A. That will give him a chance to slot straight back into the New Zealand ODI and T20I squads because the selectors had decided to keep two open slots in each of the limited-overs squads to pick players based on their performances in the A series.”I got a taste of [the World Cup] here four years ago and it was unbelievable,” Anderson told . “To try and give myself a chance to be involved in that again, that’s the driving force.”I really want to be in that side. I want to be in there right now. There’s still that dream and still that goal. I think it’s probably just making sure I’m doing it the right way as well. Trying to earn [my place] back and earn the right to be in the side. Performing at that level is the next biggest thing you have to try and achieve.”Anderson played as many as 16 T20 matches in the Vitality Blast and accumulated 514 runs but bagged only one wicket because he bowled only four overs. His last international match was an ODI in the Champions Trophy last year before he underwent a back surgery in September 2017. His career has been plagued with multiple back injuries and putting in several weeks of work in England gave him a “massive boost”.”It’s the first time I’ve got to the top of my mark and not had to be worried about if I was going to be sore or hurting in any different area,” he said. “It’s given me that little bit of love back in the game, which you tend to lose sometimes when you get bummed out with injuries. It’s nice to feel like I’ve got my body back and I can get stuck into it.”Although the surgery was 12 months ago, it’s probably just being cautious around those things. I had my 12-month scan last week to make sure everything was great and I got the all-clear to say everything was spick and span.”To have everything back and heading in the right direction gives your psyche a massive boost.”

Her 103 off 51 balls – the first century by an Indian woman in T20Is – consigned New Zealand to a 34-run loss in the World T20 opener

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu09-Nov-2018
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I perform better under pressure – Harmanpreet

Sixteen months after blitzing an unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 50-over World Cup semi-final in Derby last year, Harmanpreet Kaur unleashed another brutal hundred – the first by an Indian woman in T20Is – to raze New Zealand in the World T20 opener at Providence.After she tip-toed to 5 off 13 balls, Harmanpreet switched on the Harmonster mode and charged to a fifty off 33 balls. When she glanced Sophie Devine off her pads for a couple in the last over of India’s innings, she raised a hundred off 49 balls. Her monster sixes – she smashed eight in total – vaulted India to 194 for 5 for their second highest total in T20Is.New Zealand opener Suzie Bates briefly threatened to do a Harmanpreet and became the top scorer in Women’s World T20s, but the rapidly rising asking rate was too much to overcome.Harmanpreet walked out to bat when India were wobbling at 40 for 3 inside the Powerplay. Fast bowler Lea Tahuhu struck with her first ball to burst through the defences of new opener Taniya Bhatia, and in her next over, she had Smriti Mandhana holing out to deep midwicket, where Hayley Jensen leapt to her left and pulled off a blinding catch – an early contender for the highlights reel of this tournament. When debutant D Hemalatha jumped across off and swept weakly to short fine leg for 15 off 7 balls, questions were raised about players batting out of positions. Why was Bhatia bumped to the top after impressing in the middle order in Sri Lanka? Where would Mithali Raj bat?Harmanpreet Kaur blasted seven fours and eight sixes during her 103•Getty Images

Ultimately, India didn’t need Mithali at all. It was 18-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, who made the early running in a 134-run partnership with Harmanpreet – the highest for any wicket for India in women’s T20Is. She crunched Tahuhu through extra-cover, swatted Jensen over midwicket, and even left umpire Gregory Brathwaite in the firing line with a fierce drive. After a poke here and a prod there in the early exchanges, Harmanpreet exploded when she ventured down the track and swatted offspinner Jess Watkin over the midwicket boundary. She owned the arc between long-on and midwicket, nailing five sixes and two fours. She was particularly severe on Watkin, taking her for 27 off 7 balls.And just like that, Harmanpreet outscored Rodrigues and raised her fifty in the 15th over. While Rodrigues’s strokeplay was easy on the eye, Harmanpreet’s power-hitting was extraordinary. Although she regularly stepped across the stumps or down the track, she maintained a stable base and launched the bowlers into oblivion.Rodrigues was dismissed in the 19th over by Watkin, but by then India had passed 170. Harmanpreet then nicked behind off the penultimate ball of the innings, but she had armed her side with a mighty total.It did not appear as mighty, though, when Bates jumped across off and mowed the ball into the leg-side boundaries. Bates ran up a 38-ball half-century, but India’s spinners kept striking at the other end. Legspinner Poonam Yadav removed Sophie Devine and Watkin off successive balls with donkey drops that turned and gripped, but it was offspinner Hemalatha, the debutant, who claimed the key wicket of captain Amy Satterthwaite, when she had her skying a sweep to square leg. When seamer Arundhati Reddy removed Bates in the 14th over, New Zealand slipped to 98 for 5. There would be no way back for them.

The allrounder has spoken of the challenges of switch between formats while always being under pressure to deliver

Daniel Brettig14-Nov-2018Glenn Maxwell has criticised the mixing and matching of formats faced by Australian players in the early part of the home summer, describing a schedule that has taken him from 50-over cricket to T20, then back to 50-overs and then T20 before getting to play any Sheffield Shield matches as “broken”.Having been omitted from the Australian Test squad for the UAE series against Pakistan and instead played in the domestic limited-overs tournament won by Victoria, Maxwell journeyed to Abu Dhabi and Dubai for a T20 series, then returned home for the ODI series with South Africa. Now, as other Test aspirants prepare for two Shield rounds ahead of the India Test series, Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis among others will now be playing four T20 matches against South Africa and India.While Maxwell was happy to admit that he had not been making the runs he needed to both demand a spot higher up Australia’s ODI batting order and also to press for Test selection at a time when Steven Smith and David Warner remain suspended, he said that the chopping and changing between formats and spots in the batting order made it very hard to find rhythm.”I think it’s a very broken sort of start to the season,” Maxwell told . “You’re getting flown here, there and everywhere and changing formats, and then as soon as these four T20s are done you’re back into Shield cricket and trying to put your name up for Test selection again. It’s been interesting. I’ve probably been working on different things to what I had been during the JLT Cup period. Having come straight into the T20s over in Dubai, working on a lot of power hitting and trying to clear the rope, and started to make some inroads there, then getting back into the one-day stuff I went back to technique stuff and was working on that.”Then all of a sudden we’re back in the T20 stuff. As you feel like you’re about to make breakthroughs and starting to work it out, you’re changing format again and change position in the team. So that can be very frustrating and opportunity and the game situation probably drives how you play as well. So it’s been a little bit frustrating, and not winning consistently is quite frustrating also.”I think it’s a lot harder as a lower middle-order batter when you’re not sure what situation you’re going to come out on during the game and you’re not really sure how to prepare for the game as well, there’s only so much technique stuff you can do when you go out there and you have to chase 12 an over against guys bowling good yorkers, high bouncers and different changeups. If all you’ve been working on is your cover drive and straight drive, it’s going to be difficult to get a positive result.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

While Australia’s domestic schedule is now broken into a series of format-by-format blocks, the international programme is a far more complicated exercise, involving the preferences of Pakistan, South Africa and India and the demands of Cricket Australia’s strategic, events and broadcasting departments in addition to the preferences of medical and sports science personnel. Maxwell pointed to the long gap between the UAE Tests against Pakistan in October and the first home match against India in early December as an example of why continuity was difficult to find.”It’s a pretty good question,” he said when asked whether he’d prefer to be playing Shield matches at this time of year. “The opportunity to play Sheffield Shield cricket probably doesn’t come up that often for me, but to get the opportunity to play for Australia you’re never going to knock that back, you’re never going to miss that opportunity. They’ve always said that runs in any format count and that’s why I’ll be doing everything I can to make as many runs as I can in this series.”But it is difficult missing as much Shield cricket as we do, being white-ball players, but there’s two Shield games straight after it and I’ve got to make those count. It [Test cricket] is probably not at the forefront of my mind at the moment, I’m probably not penciling my name in for that first Test side and a lot is going to have to go right, opportunity-wise, batting in the middle order in T20s you’re basically just waiting on what happens above you to see what effect you can have on the game.”There’d be a few guys a little bit unsure of where they stand right now, and I think they’ll probably feel okay after the Dubai series, felt they gave a good enough account of themselves, but unfortunately there’s a long time between Tests where a lot can happen. You’ve only got to look at Shaun Marsh’s form. If you’d picked the Test squad the next day you might’ve left him out, but he’s gone back to Shield cricket, made 80 and 98, then made a beautiful hundred in Hobart and looked a million bucks. You can’t imagine that Test side without his name now, and a lot can happen between Tests.”As for the comments of the ODI captain Aaron Finch, who had indicated that Maxwell was not presently making enough runs to merit a spot any higher than No. 7 in the Australian order, he was happy to concede he had missed earlier opportunities to secure a higher spot, starting with the mid-year tour of England.”I need to be bowling, I need to be contributing to the team somehow,” Maxwell said. “You’re not always going to be gift wrapped positions in that top order with the numbers I have. I’ve just got to make sure whatever format I am playing in, whether it be this T20 series or Shield cricket when I go back, I’ve got to keep working and making big scores and making the most of any opportunity.”I know they’re not just going to hand it to me and hope I perform. It’s going to have to be earned and I’m hoping once this T20 series is done that I can go back and score heavily in the Shield and really show my batting is actually improving and all the work I have put in over the last few months is showing through.”I was disappointed that I missed some opportunities in the practice games over in England. Early on the preparation when we went over there was for me to bat at No. 4 in that one-day side and all the training around that was what we were working on, the two practice games I batted at No. 4 and I didn’t make the most of those opportunities, and then the first game you’re straight back down to Nos. 6 or 7 and then you’re always chasing your tail.”

‘If I make mistakes, or it is because of me that the team is losing then I will definitely think about it, and if there is someone better than me to do the Test captaincy, then he should’

Osman Samiuddin in Abu Dhabi07-Dec-2018Fresh after a second home-series defeat in two seasons, and with a daunting series in South Africa to come, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has admitted that results could eventually force his hand. Defeat to New Zealand on the final day in Abu Dhabi consigned Sarfraz to a fourth loss in seven home Tests, a stark contrast to the seven years that preceded his ascension.Asked whether there could come a time in South Africa when he reconsiders the Test captaincy, Sarfraz said, “When things like this happen, you do start to think about it.”But let’s see what happens. The tour of South Africa is a tough one and if you start thinking like this before it then it is not helpful for anyone. If I make mistakes, or it is because of me that the team is losing then I will definitely think about it, and if there is someone better than me to do the Test captaincy, then he should.”In the background, Mohsin Khan, the head of Pakistan’s cricket committee, has argued publicly that Sarfraz should relinquish the Test captaincy. He has been given no guarantees by the board to stay on as leader, other than on a series-by-series basis. And Pakistan have retained Mohammad Rizwan in the Test squad for South Africa, a wicketkeeping understudy who has recently started getting selected once again, and is also in a rich vein of form with the bat.As far as facing the music goes, Sarfraz will not be alone. The pressure will be as high on his fellow seniors Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. Both scored centuries in this Test, but crucially both were out cheaply on the final day. And both had failed to take Pakistan home in their chase of 176 in the first Test in Abu Dhabi.Neither is under pressure of the axe, but a poor series in South Africa could tip that equation.”They are both senior players, you can’t drop them,” Sarfraz said. “They scored hundreds and took us out of trouble. That time we needed their hundreds. In the second innings, Azhar was out to a good ball, they did not commit mistakes. But if the batsman is in good form then he has to carry that in both the innings.”We have that example of Kane Williamson who carried his team’s batting throughout the series. Our batsmen have scored runs, but not consistently. If they played a good and big innings then they did not score big in the next.”Neither was Sarfraz going to shift the blame onto the coaching staff. Mickey Arthur has been coach during all six of Pakistan’s final-day blowouts since 2016. Grant Flower has been the batting coach since 2014, and the failures of Azhar and Shafiq to progress over the last year, as well as the nature of these collapses, is bound to bring scrutiny on their roles.”The head coach has his job, the batting coach has his, but it’s the responsibility of the players as well,” Sarfraz said. “Mentally, we have to be strong as a batting unit. The batting pair who play the new ball has to set the momentum because it’s not easy to bat on the fifth day.”Before the series I had said that it’s the responsibility of the batsmen. The batting coach does his job. He tells them the basic faults and helps them improve their technique. But if the batsman is in form then he has to carry that form.”

Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson and Heinrich Klaasen are the three players to drop out of the squad

Liam Brickhill23-Jan-2019Quinton de Kock and Dale Steyn are back in South Africa’s squad for the remainder of the ODI series against Pakistan, while the left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, who is uncapped in ODIs, has also been called up.De Kock and Steyn were rested for the first two matches after three Tests in quick succession. Hendricks’ selection is part of South Africa’s continued search for back-up seamers ahead of the World Cup. Hendricks, who has played seven T20Is between 2014 and 2017, showed consistent form for Jozi Stars in the recent Mzansi Super League, taking 12 wickets at 17.16.Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson and Heinrich Klaasen are the three players to drop out of the squad for the remaining ODIs, and rotation within the squad will continue as the selectors are hoping to pick fast bowler Anrich Nortje once he has fully recovered from an ankle injury and, after the ODIs, rest Kagiso Rabada for the T20I series against Pakistan.”We are very happy with the depth of our fast bowling resources,” said selection panel convener Linda Zondi, “particularly if you consider that Lungi Ngidi is still on the road back from injury and we also want to have a look at Anrich Nortje when he is fully recovered. At the same time we want to explore all the options that are available to us and Beuran will be able to offer variety to our attack.”Left-arm seamer Hendricks has taken eight wickets in his seven T20Is and has 87 wickets in List A cricket at an average of 32.86.”We are well aware of what Duanne, Dane and Heinrich have to offer and in the case of Duanne we are mindful of the amount of bowling he has done at the top level over the past month and we want to give him a break ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka,” Zondi said. “For the same reason we will be looking to rest Kagiso Rabada for the entire T20 International Series.”South Africa ODI squad for 3rd, 4th and 5th ODIs: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir , Aiden Markram, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.

‘When he plays, at least one of us in the unit can bank on getting wickets, because the batsmen have to constantly adjust to the angle, and it’s tough’

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Port Elizabeth19-Feb-2019Three of Sri Lanka’s four first-choice seamers are injured for the South Africa series, but through all those mishaps, the team might have unearthed a bowler who could potentially be a game-changer.Left-armer Vishwa Fernando’s unbeaten six runs off 27 balls have understandably cornered a lot of attention since the Kingsmead victory, but his 8 for 133 in the match was also instrumental to keeping South Africa in check.For Suranga Lakmal, by far the most senior bowler in Sri Lanka’s attack, Vishwa not only injects freshness to the bowling outfit, but also makes the remaining bowlers more menacing with his presence.”We had actually been desperately needing a left-armer in the team,” Lakmal told ESPNcricinfo, two days out from the second Test. “When you have a left-armer, your combination is very different. In the last little while, we played with three right-handers, and you’ve all got the same angle and pace. Lahiru Kumara was the only one who had a bit of extra speed.”Vishwa is massively important for the other bowlers in the unit as well, because of that angle he creates. When he plays, at least one of us in the unit can bank on getting wickets, because the batsmen have to constantly adjust to the angle, and it’s tough. He’s got the chance now, and I’m sure he’ll continue in the same way. His bowling in that Test was very special. If he can be as threatening as he was to the opposition, it’s because he’s got a lot of talent.”Suranga Lakmal celebrates a wicket•AFP

Sri Lanka were also buoyed in Kingsmead by two other young, inexperienced players. Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya was playing his first Test, but took a vital 5 for 66 in the second innings to prevent South Africa from establishing an untouchable lead. Batsman Oshada Fernando, who came in at No. 3, also looked comfortable at the top level, making 19 and an important second-innings 37. The new players, Lakmal said, had brought a new energy to the team.”It’s these new players that made history. Oshada and Embuldeniya showed us their quality in the first match itself. It’s not easy to play in a country like this. Embuldeniya bowled really well, and batted well also. You wouldn’t have been able to tell it was his debut, looking at those performances. Oshada also played like an experienced hand.”No one thought until the winning run was hit that we could get there. But we didn’t let it go right until the last moment. What we should learn is that even if you’re eight down or nine down, one player can still change the game. Kusal [Perera] showed us that, and the young players helped us get to that stage.”As Sri Lanka look towards the second Test, with the chance to become the first team from Asia to win a Test series in South Africa, Lakmal is especially glad they are playing in Port Elizabeth. The first five-wicket haul of his career came at this venue, in the Boxing Day Test of 2016. That experience, he said, would prove vital when he leads an attack comprised of frontline bowlers playing their fifth (Vishwa), sixth (Kasun Rajitha) and second (Embuldeniya) Tests.”Compared to the first time I toured South Africa, I’ve got a lot more confidence now. If you put the ball in my hand, there are no nerves any more. I am probably better at thinking about what the team needs from me, rather than just about my own performance. I’m always in touch with the captain and the coach, and I have a lot of belief now that I can do whatever it is that is needed.”I know what the pitches are like as well, and it’s great to be able to pass that experience on to the younger bowlers, because they are a very young and inexperienced group.”What I have to do now is to get another five here. I’m feeling good. In the first Test Vishwa did well. I think this is my Test.”

Hampshire waiting on BCCI approval for Ajinkya Rahane to fill their overseas vacancy

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Apr-2019After not being considered for the World Cup, India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is likely to play first-class cricket for English county Hampshire. It is understood that Rahane, who is a Grade A contracted player, sought permission from the BCCI this week to play for Hampshire.ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI is open and favourable to Indian players featuring in county cricket and will give Rahane the required no-objection certificate. Rahane is believed to have not yet signed the contract with Hampshire as he is waiting for the nod from the BCCI.Hampshire have been casting around for replacement overseas players since their original signing, Dimuth Karunaratne, became a surprise candidate to lead Sri Lanka at the World Cup. South Africa batsman Aiden Markram is currently with the club but he will also depart in May after being selected in South Africa’s squad for the tournament.This would be the first time Rahane has played in county cricket, following the footsteps of contemporaries like Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin and Ishant Sharma.Despite being one of the most dependable batsmen for India, in the recent past Rahane has endured a dry phase. Since the 2017 tour of Sri Lanka, Rahane has not scored a Test century. He endured a challenging Test series in England last year, scoring just two fifties in five matches and totaling 257 runs at an average of 25.70.Hampshire, who are captained by England batsman James Vince, began their County Championship campaign with an innings victory over Essex, before losing by an innings themselves against Yorkshire last week. They are also the reigning champions in the 50-over Royal London Cup.