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Head coach Powar says they will identify their Commonwealth Games XI on the Sri Lanka trip

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2022The upcoming tour of Sri Lanka will be the “ideal platform” and the “right time” for the young quick bowlers to grab their “opportunities” in the absence of the experienced Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey. Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s newly-appointed ODI captain, and head coach Ramesh Powar, laid out the plans for the team before departing for the Sri Lanka tour, as they look to fine-tune their plans for the Commonwealth Games starting next month and the T20 World Cup next year in South Africa.The omission of Goswami, Pandey and allrounder Sneh Rana were among the talking points when the squads were picked for the ODIs and T20Is in Sri Lanka. While Rana was “rested,” Powar explained, he also hinted that Goswami and Pandey had been dropped.While India’s spin attack includes experienced names like Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad apart from Radha Yadav (only for T20Is), the pace attack features Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh and allrounder Simran Bahadur.Related

• Where will Harmanpreet bat? And what is Deepti's role now?

• Rodrigues, spinners script comfortable win to put India 1-0 up

• Goswami not in squads for SL tour, Rodrigues back for T20Is

• Mithali Raj retires from international cricket

“I think if we talk about our bowling unit, this is the time they can take responsibility and this tour will be the ideal platform for them to perform,” Harmanpreet said at a virtual press conference on Saturday. “We will take the charge and bowl [their] full quota [of overs]. For me, it’s a great opportunity where you can build a good team. Sri Lanka is not going to be an easy tour for us. So, it’s important [to ensure that] whatever we are planning we go and deliver. That’s what as a unit we are looking forward to.”Powar further said this tour will open the doorway for further growth among youngsters.”When you move forward in a transition period, you need to give opportunities to young players to cement their places,” he said. “For that as a support staff, we need to go and give them support through NCA and skill coaches that they should concur in every situation. So, this is the right time for players to take their opportunity and do well going forward.”As far as pace bowling is concerned, you’ve seen from the Australia tour, we’ve introduced Renuka and Meghna, we introduced a few bowlers in the system as well. So, it will take a little time to see the results because they have to address their fitness and match experience.”As far as Jhulan and Shikha are concerned, I think they have done a fantastic job over the years and BCCI and selectors can update on their fitness and everything. As of now, Shikha and Jhulan are not travelling with us.”So, whichever bowlers are there – we are carrying four fast bowlers – you will see results from them. Pooja Vastrakar has been an outstanding bowler for the last six months. Moving forward, we will try and fast-track this fast bowling attack’s improvements.”Rana, he said, was given time off to stay “fresh” for the busy calendar ahead.”She’s been rested for this series, she’s in NCA,” Powar said. “She’s working on her fitness and moving forward. In the FTP we have 20-25 T20 games and some ODI series, so we want her to be fresh for those series. We are trying to manage workload of the bowling as well as the batting unit and are trying to balance it out”India will play without the experienced duo of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami•Hindustan Times via Getty Images

This will be India’s first international assignment since the Women’s World Cup in March, where they bowed out in the group stages after a loss in the virtual quarter-final against South Africa.This will also be the first time in over two decades where the batting order will not feature Mithali Raj, who announced her retirement recently. Taking over the ODI captaincy too, Harmanpreet felt the leadership centralisation could aid clarity among the team members too.”I think things will be easier for me now because [when] two different captains were there, sometimes things were not easy because we both had different ideas,” she said. “But now the players will think clearly [and know] what I am demanding as a captain, and everybody can look forward to that. It’s easier for me to ask them what I’m expecting from them, so things will be much easier for me and my team-mates also.”With the Commonwealth Games around the corner and a T20 World Cup next year, Harmanpreet and Powar talked about assessing where the team stood right now and how they will approach the upcoming games.”In T20s we will definitely look to [play] our first combination, give them as many games as possible,” Harmanpreet said. “In the ODIs, we have a little time to prepare for the next World Cup [in 2025] and it is where we will see if we can give chance to each and everybody.”Powar said they will also freeze a combination of 11 on the Sri Lanka tour for the Commonwealth Games.”At this moment, we are trying to assess where we stand as a team and where we need to get at to beat all the teams in the ICC tournaments and in every series we play. This Sri Lanka tour will give us the opportunity to try a few players. We are trying to plan our next eight months according to the situations we have to face ahead. It is more of a planning phase right now and we will execute those plans once we go ahead in the series and tournaments.”To add to that, we will freeze down a combination of 11 which will take part in Commonwealth so that we are confident walking into the tournament. And the players will be confident that they are going to play in the first game.”India and Sri Lanka will play three T20Is in Dambulla on June 23, 25 and 27 followed by as many ODIs on July 1, 4 and 7.

England opener will head back to boyhood club after five years in Birmingham

Matt Roller30-Jun-2022Dom Sibley will return to Surrey for 2023 after five successful seasons at Warwickshire which saw him win the County Championship and break into the England team.Sibley left Surrey under something of a cloud in 2017 after turning down a contract extension to join Warwickshire, who offered him “written assurances” that he would bat in the top three in all formats. Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said he was “bitterly disappointed” to lose him at the time and has now brought him back to the Kia Oval.”I made no secret at the time that I didn’t want him to leave but the move to Warwickshire worked out well for him as he earned England selection,” Stewart said. “I truly believe his best years are still ahead of him and his proven run-scoring ability will add even more strength to our current group of players.”Related

• Sibley grinds out hundred as Warwickshire take the slow road

• Warwickshire land long-term target as Barnard signs three-year deal

Sibley has thrived in first-class cricket for Warwickshire and retains ambitions of returning to the England set-up after losing his central contract at the end of last summer but has increasingly become a one-format player at Edgbaston and became frustrated with his lack of opportunities in their T20 side, last playing the format in 2020.While he is unlikely to find a place in Surrey’s full-strength T20 side, he will be a senior player for them in the Royal London Cup and said in a statement that it was “the right time… to return to London and Surrey”.”I will be forever grateful and thankful to everybody at the Bears who signed me and helped me achieve so much in my time here,” Sibley said. “I will always cherish the memories and friendships made on and off the pitch.”I’m really excited to be returning home after five years. It feels great and I’ll be hoping to make match-winning performances that contribute to success and trophies.”Sibley will be reunited with Rory Burns, his former England opening partner, at the top of the Surrey order. As a result, there is unlikely to be a regular first-team place for Ryan Patel, who has enjoyed a breakout season but is out of contract at the end of the summer.

Lanning’s women have won everything but Harmanpreet’s are still chasing that elusive global title

Shashank Kishore07-Aug-2022

Big picture

Two years after they played the T20I World Cup final in front of 86,174 fans at a packed MCG, Australia and India will square off in the gold-medal match at the Commonwealth Games 2022.The setting is perhaps a little less intimidating, but Edgbaston will likely be sold out to its 25,000 capacity. This is a rivalry that is fast gaining ground as the second biggest in women’s cricket after England vs Australia.Having laid their hands on every trophy of significance in the game, Australia are overwhelming favourites. For India, it’s another shot at trying to win a major global crown, five years after they came closest to winning one, at Lord’s at the 50-over World Cup final against England.Related

• Schutt: Australia 'thrive' on the favourites tag

• India reactions – 'You have brought a smile to the nation'

• Harmanpreet: CWG 2022 gold 'can change a lot of things'

• India reap the rewards of Mandhana and Rodrigues' personal growth

• Mooney: 'The belief in the dressing room is at an unprecedented level'

The core of both squads remains the same as it was in 2020. Australia may have aged a bit, but their never-say-die spirit, as was evident in their jailbreak in the tournament opener, makes them a formidable force in any conditions.India’s is largely a young team learning the ropes of big-match play. After the emotional high of beating England in a tense semi-final, they will need to quickly channel the anticipation, and subdue nerves that playing Australia can often elicit.India have backed their strengths of batting first and putting opponents under scoreboard pressure. Australia nearly wilted in the first game but found a saviour in Grace Harris, who played a match-turning knock in her first game in six years.Much of India’s success has been down to Smriti Mandhana’s aggression at the top, followed by Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma finishing off games. Can Sunday be Harmanpreet Kaur’s turn to rise to the occasion against her favourite opponents?The 171* she made in the 2017 semi-final was pathbreaking in every way. Another impact performance to deliver a win here could spur a revolution. Purely given the novelty and the fascination India attaches to gold medalists, a win on Sunday could be as big, if not bigger, than a World Cup win.

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWWTahlia McGrath has been so good as an allrounder that she’s keeping Ellyse Perry out of the XI•Getty Images

Players to watch

India are blessed to have three quality allrounders in Deepti, Pooja Vastrakar and Sneh Rana. Deepti has lent much needed batting depth and has been Harmanpreet’s go-to bowler to restrict run-flow, while Rana has been the banker. Vastrakar’s inclusion has given the team the balance they missed when they played Australia in the opener. She is a useful medium-pacer and can wield the long handle down the order. This is firmly a team that is carving out an identity that isn’t always superstar centric.Alyssa Healy knows a thing or two about turning up and slaying nerves in crunch games. But since that T20 World Cup final in 2020, where she blew India away with a stunning assault, her form hasn’t quite been the same. She has passed 25 just once in 16 innings and averages a shade over 10. Sunday is as good an opportunity as any to once again remind the world of her prowess.

Team news

The only question dilemma India may have is between picking a makeshift wicketkeeper who offers batting depth in Yastika Bhatia or an out-and-out wicketkeeper in Taniya Bhatia. The spate of run outs under pressure on Saturday made it amply clear it helps to have a proper wicketkeeper in crunch moments.India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Deepti Sharma, 6 Taniya Bhatia (wk), 7 Sneh Rana, 8 Pooja Vastrakar, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Meghna Singh, 11 Renuka SinghShe has bowled plenty in the nets lately, but game time remains elusive for superstar allrounder Ellyse Perry. Barring an injury or a late change owing to short turnaround time, it’s likely she may have to settle for watching Australia’s entire CWG campaign from the bench. Moreover, Meg Lanning has gone in with the same XI in all of their four games in the tournament.Australia (possible): 1 Alyssa Healy (wk), 2 Beth Mooney, 3 Meg Lanning (capt), 4 Tahlia McGrath, 5 Rachael Haynes, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Grace Harris, 8 Jess Jonassen, 9 Alana King, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Darcie Brown

Pitch and conditions

Forty overs of cricket would have already been played on the surface by the time the final comes around, with the bronze medal playoff between New Zealand and England having finished. On Saturday, the adjacent surface, prepared similarly with an even grass cover that aids consistent bounce, remained good for batting right through. Expect more of the same on Super Sunday.

Stats and trivia

• India have lost only two wickets in the powerplay across four matches, the fewest by any team in the CWG
• India’s powerplay scoring rate of 8.73 is by far the fastest among all teams in the tournament.
• Since March 2020, Alyssa Healy has managed just 140 runs in 16 T20Is at an average of 10.76 and strike rate of 84.84.

Luke Wood shines on debut, Pakistan stumble despite Mohammed Rizwan’s 46-ball 68

Alan Gardner20-Sep-2022Alex Hales made a half-century on his first England appearance in more than three years as the tourists began their seven-match series by completing a comfortable chase under the Karachi floodlights. Hales fell for 53 off 40 with 17 needed but an unbeaten 42 from Harry Brook, in his fifth T20I, saw England home with four balls to spare.Having been inserted at the toss, Pakistan’s innings was once again built around a solid opening stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Rizwan continued his good form from the Asia Cup, top-scoring with 68 from 46, but the middle and lower order failed to fire, Iftikhar Ahmed’s three sixes in 28 from 17 providing only a flicker of the aggression needed on a placid batting surface, as England debutant Luke Wood finished with 3 for 24.In response, Hales was the glue that held England’s chase together. Phil Salt was brilliantly held at deep square leg and Usman Qadir struck with his second ball to remove Dawid Malan; but Ben Duckett swept and reverse-swept – with varying degrees of success – to keep the required rate in hand. Brook then produced perhaps the most fluent innings of the night, playing a number of eye-catching shots in his 25-ball innings, including the winning hit over extra cover.Hales prevails after long wait
It had been 1291 days since Hales last batted in an England shirt, and plenty of water has flowed under the bridge in the intervening period. Plenty of runs have flowed from Hales’ bat, too, and he continued that prolific form in the shortest format with his first T20I fifty since July 2018 (1538 days ago, to be precise).His second legitimate delivery was clattered through backward point in trademark, long-levered style and, although he was not at his most fluent, there was plenty of ringcraft about Hales’ innings as he anchored the chase. Three of his first seven balls went to the rope, as he looked to push England ahead of the required rate, but he was then content to tick along – although content might not be the right word, on the evidence of several frustrated yells as he struggled for timing during the middle overs.Hales only managed one boundary with the field out between the seventh and 14th overs, and on 28 from 22 he was dropped in the deep by Shan Masood looking to manufacture a slog-sweep off Qadir. But the target was always in range and, with 52 needed from 36, Brook and Hales suddenly clicked into gear, the latter going from 38 off 32 to 53 off 39 before holing out to cover with only the finishing touches required.Pakistan’s opening statement
Despite their gluttonous exploits as an opening pair, there has been a little heat on the Babar-Rizwan combination recently. Babar made 68 runs in six innings at the Asia Cup and, while he clearly needed time in the middle in search of some form, there had been a suggestion that Rizwan would be rested, allowing Masood to bat in his preferred position at opener and Mohammad Haris to take the gloves.Instead, Rizwan’s name was in its usual spot on the teamsheet at the toss, and the regular openers walked out together after England had opted to bowl. Rizwan was busy looking for singles and Babar stroked his first ball through the covers; boundaries were picked off around the ground as they raised their ninth 50-plus opening stand for Pakistan. Moeen Ali was smoked over long-on as Rizwan went to a 32-ball fifty.But things began to go awry towards the middle of the innings. First Babar was unstitched by Adil Rashid’s googly, ending the partnership at 85 in the tenth over. Haider Ali, playing his first T20I in nine months, struggled to get going before holing out off Sam Curran. And although Rizwan equalled Babar’s record as the fastest man to 2000 T20I runs, he was stumped off Moeen just when Pakistan were looking to him to kick on. When Masood, on T20I debut at No. 4, top-edged a reverse-sweep to the edge of the ring for 7 off seven balls, Pakistan had lost 4 for 35 off 35 balls.Once again, Pakistan’s top three made more than two-thirds of the team’s runs – in this case 69% – but having faced 83 out of 120 balls (also 69%). Whether that is an ideal distribution of resources is a debate that will continue to rage.Good Wood
England selected a much-changed side, with Hales back, Salt opening for the first time and Duckett playing his second T20I three years on from the first. The only new cap was Wood, an unused member of the ODI squad in the Netherlands earlier this year. A third left-armer in the XI, alongside David Willey and Curran, Wood brought a few mph extra pace to the equation – as well as the confidence of an impressive season in the Hundred, where he led the attack for eventual champions, Trent Rockets.Usually charged with the new ball in search of early swing, Wood was instead first change, but conceded just 12 runs from his two overs in the powerplay. When he returned later in the innings, he produced a beauty to clean up Mohammad Nawaz for his first international wicket, nipping the ball back past an expansive swing to flatten off stump. Just four runs came off the 18th over and although he started the 20th with a full toss that sailed for six, a sequence of W-1-W-dot-1 meant England finished in confident mood.

Batter makes hay with the tail before Kent collapse cements Essex’s dominance

David Hopps06-Sep-2022Kent 74 for 4 trail Essex 573 (Khushi 164, Critchley 90, Cook 78, Westley 54, Allison 53) by 499 runsIt has been Feroze Khushi’s misfortune that until now the most national attention his career had attracted was when beer was heedlessly sprayed over him during Essex’s balcony celebrations after winning the Bob Willis Trophy two years ago.Khushi visibly recoiled at what he later dismissed as “just a silly mistake”. He had to withstand scrutiny from within the Muslim cricket community and from some members of his wider family. Not to mention the debate in the media and on social media.Kent at Canterbury in September 2022 is the time when, rightfully, he put all that behind him. He was in princely form during the Royal London Cup, collecting two hundreds, and has now added a maiden Championship hundred – 164 from 228 balls from No.6 in a measured innings that insisted he deserves a regular run in the four-day side. That run should arguably have come already.After dabbing Joe Denly wide of short third man to secure his hundred, Khushi shared a brief hug of congratulation from Ben Allison, whose own maiden half-century at No.9 had provided the support he needed, and then quietly bowled his forehead to the ground in an act of .Should liquid refreshment be required for a celebration, there are advantages of Kent having a supermarket on the edge of the ground these days, as they do a very good line in Cocoa and Coconut Rooibos Infusion.Kushi said: “I’ve had a couple of good celebrations this year. I obviously lay flat thanking God as well, because without Him nothing would happen and without my parents’ hard work this success wouldn’t be possible, so I always keep them in my thoughts. I pride myself on my beliefs as well. It’s very important for me, being a Muslim and a British Pakistani. I’m very thankful and appreciative of my form at the moment. I’m doing quite well and I hope it can continue.”Kent’s loss of four wickets in the last 25 overs of the day have left them under pressure entering the third day, especially as their skipper, Sam Billings, has popped a groin and will take no further part. They will be grateful for forecasts of that rare thing in Kent this summer – rain – on the final day.Three wickets fell to the new ball: the most wasteful, Ollie Robinson, who drove Jamie Porter to cover; the best catch, a one-handed scoop by Adam Rossington as Sam Cook left Daniel Bell-Drummond slightly; the most unexpected, the sight of Ben Compton being bowled behind his legs while jazz sounded from the Cowdrey Suite. Cook’s dismissal of Denly came in marginal light.While Essex’s fortunes fluctuated around him, Khushi’s constant tread remained unimpaired. He was 46 overnight and saw Matt Critchley miss out on his own century ambitions when he contrived to flick a wide leg-side delivery from Bell-Drummond to the wicketkeeper.Brief flurries from Rossington, who pulled Bell-Drummond to deep midwicket, and Shane Snater – whose 11 from eight balls ended with a leading edge to mid-off as he flicked Harry Podmore to leg – added to the pressure, three wickets lost for 17 in 19 balls. Khushi was only on 71 when Allison joined him and it appeared that Essex, at 383 for 7, had an appetite for rapid progress. But it emerged that such thoughts were only in the heads of Rossington and Snater, and normal service then ensued.Kent were led by a stand-in captain, Jack Leaning, and his options were limited by a back strain for Matt Milnes, who managed just 14 overs on the opening day and was prevented from bowling on the resumption. Milnes will have a precautionary scan and, as he is departing for Yorkshire at the end of the season, it is entirely possible that Kent have seen the last of him.It was left to Podmore to sum up the demands on Kent’s weakened attack. “It’s been 17 weeks since I bowled more than ten overs so 32 was a bit of a shock to the system,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going to sleep tonight.”With no specialist spinner, such as Hamidullah Qadri, in the side, Kent’s attack became a vapid affair on a benign surface. When Khushi laced Grant Stewart through extra cover, it was a rare act of aggression. His method remained ingrained, despite a growing sense that his singles were appearing at the start of overs rather than the end so giving him rather too much time off strike. At lunch he was still 14 short of his hundred.An edged boundary against Quinn helped him settle into the afternoon, but there was a further delay, on 97, when Quinn struck Allison on the helmet as he tried to hook. Khushi then timed a full-blooded off-drive against Harry Podmore to mid-off. Meanwhile, Allison was serenely driving boundaries without concern. At that moment, the maiden century appeared to be far from certain, but Leaning turned to Denly’s leg spin with him on 99 and one ball was enough to reward his labours.His maiden hundred achieved, life instantly became easier, the rest of his runs coming at around a run a ball. Kent’s spinners had a slow over-rate to address and runs were calmly collected. That Khushi has big shots, too, was exemplified by a straight six against Denly which landed in the top deck of the Woolley stand and was politely tossed back by a man in a natty Panama hat. A Denly googly ended Allison’s best on 53, before Cook hit around him to good effect.Essex by now were so dominant that the last three wickets had added 190 in 50 overs. Khushi was last out, trying to slog Podmore down the ground – Leaning clinging on despite a collision with Grant Stewart. If his final act had been one of unabashed aggression, it was his cogency that had caught the eye. Anthony McGrath, his coach, once told him that he had the ability to play for England. At least now he should get the chance to play for Essex.

Middle order pair timed South Australia’s run chase to perfection following Jake Doran’s maiden List A century

AAP21-Oct-2022Nathan McSweeney chose the perfect time to hit a career-best score with a perfectly weighted run-chase alongside Jake Lehmann to deliver South Australia a four-wicket win over one-day Cup leaders Tasmania in Adelaide.South Australia struggled for fluency early in their innings but reached 6-255 to pass Tasmania’s 5-252 with 14 balls to spare.McSweeney was dismissed for 75 with victory in sight having added 126 for the fifth wicket with Lehmann. McSweeney’s previous best was 53 in seven outings.Lehmann’s 78 not out guided the Redbacks home after the home side had slipped to 4 for 110.Having recorded a hefty eight-wicket win over South Australia just three weeks ago, Tasmania would have harboured high hope of a third win in as many starts to open the season.Jake Doran’s unbeaten 105 looked set to deliver that win on a relatively challenging Adelaide Oval pitch, which saw South Australia elect to bowl first.Doran had managed a best of just 36 not out in his 21-match seven-year Marsh Cup career but picked up a deserved ton in a 128-ball innings.Batting at No.3, Doran entered the fray in the fourth over and, in a judicious knock, reached three figures in the penultimate over.
In reply, South Australia had several batters make starts in the first half of their innings.Test pair Travis Head and Alex Carey looked dangerous before falling for 27 and 37 respectively, with the latter’s dismissal leaving the home side at a precarious 4-110.Tasmania’s innings resembled South Australia’s with Doran ensuring his side overcame a rocky start.With invaluable assistance from Beau Webster, who crashed 65 off 57 balls, the pair put on 117 for the fifth wicket.Tasmania’s two stars from their one-sided win over the same opponent in late September were back in the pavilion soon after the commencement.Wes Agar produced a world-class inswinger to hit the middle stump of Ben McDermott (7).Fellow opener Caleb Jewell (13) then spooned a simple catch to the infield from spinner Ben Manenti’s very first ball leaving the visitors at 2-34.Part-time wicketkeeper Doran steadied the ship with a breakthrough 50-over knock to add to three Shield centuries.

Finch still scratchy but took Australia over par before Australia tumbled Ireland

Firdose Moonda31-Oct-20222:32

Moody: Tucker really did stand up and shine

The margin of victory will suggest the defending champions have got their campaign back on track. But it was a less-than-perfect performance from Australia as they beat Ireland by 42 runs to join New Zealand on five points at the top of Group 1. Their net-run rate remains below England’s, which could come into play when semi-final spots are decided.After being asked to bat, Australia recovered from a slow start thanks to a half-century stand between Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh. But Ireland made regular incisions and Australia only brought up their 100 in the 14th over. It was then that Marcus Stoinis and Finch lashed out, against a hapless Mark Adair, whose third over cost 26 runs, to put Australia within sight of 200. The pair shared 70 runs for the fourth wicket before Ireland hauled them back at the death to keep them under 180.Importantly for Australia, Finch notched up his highest score in T20Is since March 2021 and highest in T20 World Cups since 2014. But he injured his hamstring in the process and was off the field from the seventh over of Ireland’s reply. Tim David and Stoinis also picked up niggles, and there will be concerns about how quickly they will heal up. Australia’s next match is in four days’ time, against Afghanistan.In Finch’s absence, Matthew Wade marshalled an attack which was outstanding upfront but took their foot off the gas later on. Ireland were 25 for 5 before Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany got together for a sixth-wicket stand of 43. Tucker ensured Ireland were not dismissed for any record-lows or bowled out for 104 or less (which would have put Australia’s net run-rate higher than England’s). He scored his fifth T20I half-century and was eventually stranded on 71*. Ireland’s semi-final hopes are slim. They have one match left to play, against New Zealand on Friday.Australia’s scratchy start
Australia were slow off the blocks against a disciplined effort from Ireland and took 14 balls before finding their first boundary. David Warner was tentative up front, followed a Josh Little delivery down leg but did not connect, slashed at an Adair full toss but only got it as far as cover and then pulled Barry McCarthy straight to short fine leg to depart for 3. He is yet to get going in this tournament, with 19 runs from three innings so far. Australia were 14 for 1 after three overs and added 24 runs in the next three overs to end the powerplay on 38 for 1 before Marsh smoked two sixes off Fionn Hand. Marsh was looking good but then didn’t move his feet when he tried to cut McCarthy and edged it behind. The Finch-Marsh partnership was worth 52 off six overs and laid a foundation for another strong stand later in the innings.Aaron Finch goes big•ICC via Getty Images

Adair’s awful over
Ireland had mostly kept a lid on Australia, with the run-rate below eight an over until the end of the 14th. And then things went awry. When Adair stepped up to bowl the 15th, Finch and Stoinis tucked in. Stoinis slammed a drive down the ground off Adair’s first ball, then lofted him to long-on – where McCarthy pulled off a great save – and then pulled Adair through short fine. Under pressure, Adair went on to deliver three successive wides before adjusting to back of a length, which Finch pulled for four. He finished with a full toss which Finch deposited over deep backward square to bring up his first T20I fifty of this tournament. In total, Adair bowled 11 balls in that over and conceded 26 runs. Little goes big
There’s plenty of hype around left-armer Little, who will play in the SA20 in the southern hemisphere. He put in another impressive showing against high-profile opposition. He started with two tight overs of mostly hard lengths in the powerplay and then struck in the middle and at the death to ensure Australia did not completely run away from Ireland. After his opening burst, Little was brought back for the 11th over where he set up Glenn Maxwell and removed him for 13. Australia were 84 for 3 and not progressing as smoothly as they may have hoped. He delivered the penultimate over, removing Stoinis and conceding only four runs to finish with 2 for 21 – Ireland’s most economical on the night.Australia on the attack
Ireland got away with one when Josh Hazlewood flicked Andy Balbirnie’s offstump but the bails did not fall. But that was as lucky as they got. In the next over, Balbirne shuffled across his stumps to flick Pat Cummins through fine leg only to be bowled. Two balls later, Paul Stirling toe-ended Glenn Maxwell to mid-off. At the end of that over, Maxwell got Tector to pull one straight to square leg. There was no let up at the other end, where Starc replaced Cummins and blew the Irish middle-order away. He bowled Curtis Campher and George Dockrell with almost identical deliveries that swung into them and beat the edge. Ireland were 25 for 5 inside four overs and chances of another upset had all but evaporated.Tucker shines alone
Throughout the tournament, Balbirnie has referred to Tucker as the batter who will lead Ireland’s line-up into the future and, with his team in disarray, he showed why. He hit Cummins over mid-on for four, two balls after the fifth wicket fell. He was similarly dismissive of Starc and picked up on any small errors in length. Overpitched on the pads? Tucker flicked. Back of a length? He pulled. He took 11 runs off Starc’s third over and 16 off this fourth and got more adventurous as his innings went on. Tucker scooped Starc over Wade, lofted him over the infield and then over mid-off and in total scored 35 runs off the 18 balls Starc bowled to him.

Shakib moves past Stokes to No. 3 among allrounders while Indians surge too after their Chattogram win over Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2022Babar Azam has moved past Steven Smith and only behind Marnus Labuschagne in the rankings for Test batters following scores of 78 and 54 in the third and final Test against England, which Pakistan lost to concede the series 3-0 at home.Far away from Karachi, in Brisbane, Travis Head scored 92 in 96 balls in the first Australia innings in a Test where 34 wickets fell well within two days, and that got him into the top five for the first time in his career. He is currently joint-fourth with Joe Root, who scored a duck in his only innings in the Test in Karachi. In the Brisbane Test, Smith hit 36 and 6, and Labuschagne 11 and 5 not out; so far ahead of the pack was Labuschagne that Babar, despite his rise, is still 61 rating points behind Labuschagne.

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At the end of England’s phenomenal performance in Pakistan, many of their other batters made big gains: Ben Stokes was up two spots to No. 23, Ollie Pope one spot to No. 28, and Harry Brook, named the Player of the Series, went up 11 positions to enter the top 50 for the first time at joint-44th place.The third Test series in progress over the last week was between Bangladesh and India, where India won the first Test in Chattogram by 188 runs.Cheteshwar Pujara scored 90 and 102 not out there, and Shubman Gill scored 20 and 110. As a result, Pujara went up 19 places to No. 19, and Gill ten places to joint-54th. Shreyas Iyer’s 86 in his only innings helped him move up 11 places to No. 26.Kagiso Rabada was the only bowler to gain significantly in the top ten for bowlers, his eight wickets – twin four-fors – in the Brisbane Test lifting him four spots to No. 3. Outside the top ten, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav moved up ten places to No. 18 and 19 places to No. 49 respectively after leading India’s bowling charge in Chattogram.Also in Chattogram, Shakib Al Hasan played an aggressive innings of 84 in Bangladesh’s second innings, and that helped him move past Stokes to No. 3 on the table for Test allrounders.

Jadeja is winding up his rehab and was named by the selectors in the 17-man Test squad for the first half of four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jan-2023In a boost for India, premier allrounder Ravindra Jadeja is likely to resume playing and will feature in Saurashtra’s final round of Ranji Trophy starting January 24. The match will be against Tamil Nadu in Chennai.Jadeja had to abort the Asia Cup last September to undergo surgery on his right knee. Currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, Jadeja is winding up his rehab and was named by the selectors in the 17-man Test squad for the first half of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy which begins in Nagpur from February 9. The second Test will be played in Delhi followed by the final two Tests in Dharamsala and Ahmedabad.The selectors, though, picked Jadeja on the condition that he was declared fully fit by the NCA. It is learned that Jadeja started to bowl and bat from earlier this week, but will need to take fitness tests before he gets the nod to play competitive cricket. Keeping in mind Jadeja’s rustiness – not only has he not played any cricket since September, but his previous first-class match was the one-off Test at Edgbaston against England last July – the selectors along with the NCA and the Indian team management agreed the allrounder should play in the Ranji game before taking a call on his participation in the Australia Test series.A fit Jadeja has shown he picks himself in the playing XI both at home and overseas. As a left-hand batter and especially in the absence of Rishabh Pant, Jadeja offers balance to middle-order at No. 5 or 6 while playing the lead spinner role alongside R Ashwin.While they are mindful about the risks of rushing Jadeja back, the selectors also do not want to deprive India of his match-winning abilities, which he proved during Australia’s previous Test series in India in 2016-17.One of the most thrilling bilateral series ever played, India overcame Australia 2-1, winning the final Test in Dharamsala thanks in part to Jadeja’s 63 in their first innings as well as a match haul of four wickets. Jadeja was an obstacle Australia kept encountering as he finished the Player of the Series for his 25 wickets and 127 runs. Since 2017, in 19 Tests, Jadeja has taken 82 wickets at 21.46 including three five-fors. Importantly his value as a batter has increased gradually in this period where he has scored 898 runs at an average of 52.82 along with two centuries and seven fifties.The result of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is significant for both India and Australia because both are frontrunners to contest the World Test Championship final in June which is scheduled at The Oval. India need to win the series to make the final, which will make them the first team to feature in the summit clash of both editions of WTC.Both teams will have their own preparatory camps ahead of the first Test with the Australians in Bengaluru while the Indians will be in Nagpur between February 1-5.

West Indies collapsed from 32 without loss to 67 for 6, as the hosts bounced back with a 44-run win after the loss to India

Srinidhi Ramanujam21-Jan-2023West Indies’ batting woes continued as they went down to South Africa by 44 runs in the second match of the women’s T20I tri-series in East London. After Marizanne Kapp’s fifty propelled South Africa to 141, Masabata Klaas’ four-wicket haul helped them bounce back from the opening game defeat to India.

Kapp lifts South Africa

A spin-heavy West Indies restricted South Africa to a competitive total on a slow and sluggish surface at Buffalo Park. After being asked to bowl first, Shamilia Connell dismissed Anneke Bosch early in the fourth over when she was caught by Britney Cooper while trying to heave it over the mid-off fielder. They ended the powerplay at 43 for 1, with Laura Wolvaardt playing a steady knock and bringing out her trademark cover drives.However, the opener was out for 25 in the ninth over, off Shamika Gajnabi when Wolvaardt tried to slice a full ball on the off stump, and was caught by the wicketkeeper. Lack of footwork cost her her wicket.It was Sune Luus and Kapp who lifted South Africa, as Kapp once again thrived at No.3. Walking in at 58 for 2 in the ninth over, the duo stitched together a key 63-run stand off 53 balls for the third wicket. Though the surface was conducive to slow bowlers, aiding them with turn and uneven bounce, Kapp played a cautious yet crucial knock to propel the team to an above-par total.The seam-bowling allrounder brought up the team’s hundred in the 16th over when she hit Gajnabi for a straight four, with the scoring rate hovering between six and seven during her innings. In her innings of 52 from 43 balls – her second half-century in the format – Kapp unleashed four boundaries, converting low full tosses and half volleys to fours, and also keeping the scorecard ticking.Her partner Luus struck 30 off 26 deliveries with three fours. The 18th over by Hayley Matthews saw both the set batters back in the dugout: Luus was run-out while Kapp was caught at long-off when she heaved a tossed-up delivery to try and up the scoring rate.West Indies used seven bowlers on Saturday, but eventually it didn’t prove enough to end their losing streak in T20Is since October last year.

South Africa’s Klaas act

Scoring never looked effortless in East London, especially for West Indies, who had lost eight of their previous nine T20Is. That their star allrounder Stafanie Taylor had to miss out didn’t help their cause too. Taylor is still working herself back to full fitness after recovering from the injury she suffered while batting in the ODI series against New Zealand in September last year.West Indies had made six changes to the XI that played against England in their previous T20I in December, still trying to find a partner to open the batting with Matthews. If Aaliyah Alleyne had opened the batting for the home series against England, they tried Britney Cooper on Saturday. But Cooper perished while trying to clear the mid-off fielder, and became Klaas’ first victim.They never looked comfortable in the chase, as West Indies collapsed from 32 for 0 to 67 for 6. Three of those six wickets went to Klaas, who was on a hat-trick in the tenth over when she removed Matthews and Gajnabi off successive deliveries. While Matthews tried to slice and was caught at backward point, Gajnabi was trapped lbw.Matthews tried to hold fort by scoring a patient 35-ball 23 before being dismissed. Cooper, Shamilia Connell and Shemaine Campbelle got to double figures but the target was far out of their reach.Klaas, who came back in the 19th over to finish her quota, removed Afy Fletcher with a toe-crushing yorker to finish with a career-best 4 for 21.