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South Africa fall short by seven runs in 221-run chase at the Wanderers

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2023Romario Shepherd’s unbeaten 44 off 22 balls, and his ninth-wicket partnership of 59 off 26 balls with Alzarri Joseph, who went on to take his first T20I five-for, secured a series win for West Indies to end an entertaining series.Shepherd and Joseph gave West Indies the third-highest score at the Wanderers and the highest total without an individual fifty since Australia’s 221 for 5 against England in 2007. They were able to defend it in challenging conditions, with plenty of dew greasing up the ball, and against a determined South African line-up.Reeza Hendricks notched up a career-best 83 and put on 80 with Rilee Rossouw for the second wicket but the required run-rate ballooned on South Africa and their batting line-up appeared a little light.The result means West Indies have now won a second successive T20I series win in South Africa, eight years after taking the trophy in 2015. Sheldon Cottrell and Jason Holder are the only members of the current squad who played in that series.Ngidi’s nightmare start After last playing a T20I when South Africa lost to Netherlands at the World Cup in November, Ngidi may have thought things could only get better but they didn’t for him. He bowled a decent delivery first up but then erred down the leg-side to the powerful Brandon King who helped the ball on its way over long leg. Ngidi adjusted to outside off stump with his next ball but King launched it onto the roof over deep mid-wicket and forced Ngidi to think of something else. He tried pace off with this fourth ball but King spotted it and sent it over mid-wicket for four. In frustration, Ngidi overstepped for his next ball and had to bowl it again. His extra delivery was a low full-toss that Kyle Mayers hit over extra cover for four to complete a 22-run over.But the rest of the bowlers do the early work Kagiso Rabada was given the ball immediately after Ngidi and made amends. He bowled Mayers with a full, fast delivery that knocked the West Indian opener off his feet as it found the stumps and then brought the centurion from SuperSport Park, Johnson Charles, down to earth with a first-ball duck. Charles didn’t move his feet to a ball that nipped back into him and inside-edged onto his stumps as South Africa roared back. Anrich Nortje returned in the ninth over and saw Mayers walk across his stumps so pitched it on leg stump and took it out. Aiden Markram joined in the fun when Rovman Powell opened his stance and missed a slog and he became the fourth West Indian to be bowled. West Indies were 108 for 4 at the halfway stage, after which Ngidi redeemed himself when he had Nicholas Pooran caught behind. Shepherding the tailWest Indies needed a strong finish after they lost 3 for 21 between the 13th and 16th over with not much batting to come. Shepherd and Joseph put on the highest ninth-wicket partnership at the Wanderers, and took 52 runs off the last three overs to ensure West Indies topped 200. Shepherd survived two chances in that time – he edged Wayne Parnell but Quinton de Kock could not hold on and then he skied a chance off Rabada but Heinrich Klaasen lost it in the lights at fine leg. Shepherd finished the innings with a massive six over long on, a pull through mid-wicket for four and an aerial drive over Rabada’s head in an over that cost 26 runs. Shepherd finished unbeaten on 44 off 22 balls. All square in the Powerplay South Africa started in fairly circumspect style, with only seven runs off the first two overs of their reply, before Quinton de Kock picked up the pace. He steered Cottrell past third man to open his boundary count and then took three fours off Roston Chase’s second over to signal South Africa’s intent. De Kock was profiting off the slower bowling but misread when Joseph put the brakes on and cut to Chase at third. As he left the field, de Kock told Rossouw the ball was sticking in the pitch a bit but that seemed to mean nothing to the No.3. He hit the first ball he faced over extra cover for four, and then sent Joseph over point for six and through the covers for another four. Rossouw scored 19 runs off the first six balls he faced and South Africa finished the Powerplay on exactly the same score as West Indies: 61, but had lost one fewer wicket.Six of the best Unlike de Kock or Rossouw, Hendricks finds his runs with finesse over fury, and he has found a lot of them that way. He brought up his sixth T20I half century in his last eight innings with a six. Hendricks pulled a Shepherd slower ball over deep mid-wicket, showing off his strong use of the wrists and the power he finds through placement, and then decided it was time to show off his big-hitting. He threw his bat at the next ball and sent it swirling to deep extra cover, where it slipped through Brandon King’s hands. South Africa needed 92 off 46 balls at that stage. Hendricks’ lifeline emboldened him and he went aerial in the next over too, but the ball fell short of mid-wicket and Hendricks survived again. He went on to a career best 83 and was at the crease until the penultimate over. South Africa needed 35 runs off 12 balls and Hendricks tried to muscle them there by going over long-on but hit Joseph to Powell on the fence.Joseph gets another five-forHe removed de Kock in his first over, and Miller in his third but Joseph’s biggest task came in his final six balls, with South Africa’s big-hitters at the ready to get big runs. Hendricks was out off his first ball and then Klaasen walked across his stumps and hit him for six. Joseph could have been overawed but he wasn’t. He pulled back the pace and presented Klaasen with a full slower ball that he sliced skyward. Cottrell took a good running catch to send South Africa’s last recognised batter back. Then Joseph got the gas back and sent a full, fast ball to Wayne Parnell, who swung and missed, to record his first T20I five-for.

New in-house commentary team can’t put a positive spin on bleak day at Wantage Road

David Hopps21-Apr-2023Northamptonshire 95 for 5 (Cobb 28*, McManus 8*) trail Hampshire 482 for 8 dec (Vince 186, Gubbins 125, Brown 55) by 387 runsHeavy overnight rain with a forecast of more to come, a soggy outfield and a chill easterly wind. It all contributed to a thin crowd at Wantage Road. Perhaps Northants loyalists also had an inkling about what lay in store because, if the weather holds, Hampshire are making quick strides towards a convincing victory.James Vince’s strokeplay might well be pretty, but against your own county, it was also pretty galling. He extended his overnight 104 to 186, and was in more blissful form than on the first day, doing much as he pleased, but by the time he failed to loft Gareth Berg over deep mid-off, he had overstayed his presence as far as local tastes were concerned. He had felt “scratchy” until now, by his own admission, but this was more like it.Then, after losing a wicket to the first ball of their reply, Northants faltered again by losing three wickets in five balls under the lights to totter to 95 for 5 by the close. Hampshire’s seam attack is formidable when there is good carry and a little movement and up-and-down bounce to be had.It was the sort of day then for a Northamptonshire supporter to mark themselves absent, take in the commentary from time to time and get some odd jobs done. But which commentary?Those who chose a now-established habit and followed the game on the county’s live stream might have been disconcerted because change is afoot. Northants have become the latest county to end their link with BBC radio (a link that, as far as the average county supporter is concerned, has only been going five minutes) and instead turn to their own in-house commentary team. By contrast, Hampshire still use the BBC commentary, and will presumably expect ECB funding for it to remain in place. To lose this audio service because of changing times would be insane.The BBC link-up has helped bring county cricket to the biggest audiences in its history – some 27 million views across all formats in 2022, and that is before you count the BBC’s own audio figures – but some counties hanker after the sort of advertising revenue that any relationship with the Beeb precludes. At the time of its greatest triumph, county cricket’s financial ambitions will either enhance its opportunity to re-enter the mainstream or undermine it.As Vince undertook his special brand of elegant destruction after lunch, the new Northants commentary team fielded a question as to whether their own coverage was, ahem, unavoidably one-eyed. To their credit, they gave it a considered reply. On the BBC, the mellifluous tones of BBC Northampton’s Andrew Radd (an ever-present on the county circuit since 1984, and co-writer of the Northamptonshire history) were joined by the respected Hampshire commentator, and former player, Kevan James. It was a more balanced, analytical offering; a more independent one, too, although in some counties that independence can feel somewhat compromised.As usual county cricket is muddling through, some counties going in one direction, some going in another. Middlesex, Surrey, Somerset and Lancashire are leading the way with good quality in-house products. Not just because of potential financial returns, but because of the conviction that TV pictures and radio commentary are uneasy bedfellows.As Northants join the chase for that advertising revenue, they will not be advertising the breakdown of county live video streams in this year’s . Northants had the lowest average among the 18 counties in 2022 – with 24,000 average daily views, ranging from 13,000 in the Championship to around five times as many in the T20 Blast – the format where adoption of a more ramped-up, partial, in-house commentary seems most persuasive. Lancashire and Surrey, the most watched counties, attract three times as many viewers as Northants.Clearly then, there is progress to be made, but bad days like this are not about to enhance the viewing figures. To add to their problems, the Australian quick, Lance Morris, has withdrawn from a short-term deal because of a back complaint. Chris Tremain, the current incumbent, for some reason is unable to extend his visa. A search is underway for a solution.Hampshire’s seam stocks are also lower. They are without the admirable Keith Barker here – he is fulfilling drinks duties which is a considerable effort for a man who managed to suffer minor fractures on both hands against Surrey last week – but James Fuller proved a worthy back-up.Ricardo Vasconcelos has had a lean start to the season, his latest outing lasting only one ball as Mohammad Abbas dipped one back from around the wicket to win an lbw decision. Stalwart resistance from Hassan Azad and Sam Whiteman settled the game until Hampshire struck midway through an extended final session.Kyle Abbott claimed Azad lbw as he offered no shot (James, who knows a bit about Hampshire, observed that he rarely brings one back into the left-hander from over the wicket – the sort of specialist insight that understandably might be lost on the Northants in-house team). Whiteman, who had not been entirely comfortable, was expertly caught at slip two balls later by Liam Dawson off James Fuller as he attempted an off side punch. Liam Procter got a second-ball nought, befuddled by Fuller’s thigh-high full toss which crashed into his off stump.Rob Keogh’s insecure stay ended to Ben Brown’s catch at the wicket. Brown later dropped Lewis McManus, the man he replaced in the Hampshire side, a low, one-handed catch to his right off Fuller. In normal circumstances, McManus might have secretly thought “I’d have caught that,” but he had just needed prolonged treatment on a hand injury so he probably won’t be supremely confident of catching much at all for the rest of the match.There was a bit of a suspicion as cold got into the bones that one umpire quite fancied getting into the warm, while the other was a bit of stickler. Play was called off at 7pm on the pretext of bad light, the floodlights taking over from natural light and all that jazz, with seven overs left.Sympathies of this observer were firmly with the umpire who fancied a pint. Nobody wants these interminably long days. And judging by the fact that a thin crowd had disappeared to almost nought, that view was shared by many. When will the game wake up to its responsibilities? Its timings are so irrelevant that even TransPennine Express could do better.

Chakabva, Shumba and Munyonga miss out from the last time Zimbabwe were part of a global tournament

Firdose Moonda02-Jun-2023Zimbabwe have made just three changes to their squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup qualifiers from the 15 that competed at the T20 World Cup last year. Top-order batter Joylord Gumbie is in line for an international debut, while Tadiwanashe Marumani and Innocent Kaia are also in the playing group. Regis Chakabva, Milton Shumba and Tony Munyonga miss out from the last time Zimbabwe were part of a global tournament.The three new squad members have all been rewarded for recent form. Gumbie has enjoyed a successful last three months, with a century against a touring Glamorgan side and hundreds in both the first-class and List A formats against Pakistan Shaheens, where Kaia was also among the runs. And Marumani topped the batting charts in Zimbabwe’s Pro50 Championship last summer.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The squad will be captained by Craig Ervine and includes familiar faces such as Sean Williams, Blessing Muzarabani, Luke Jognwe and Sikandar Raza. Raza has just returned from a stint with the Punjab Kings at the IPL, and has been signed by Seattle Orcas in the upcoming Major League Cricket [MLC] tournament. By the time that competition begins on July 13, Zimbabwe will know whether they have qualified for this year’s ODI World Cup in India, after missing out on the 2019 edition.Then, Zimbabwe failed to make it out of a home qualifying tournament after losing to UAE in a rain-reduced encounter in Harare in March 2018.This edition of the qualifiers is taking place in June-July, in the southern hemisphere winter, which is typically dry in Zimbabwe and should reduce the risk of weather-interrupted fixtures. It will also, unlike the 2018 edition, include the use of the DRS system from the Super Six stage onwards. The group stage will have a third umpire referral for run-outs at its disposal.Zimbabwe have been grouped alongside Nepal, Netherlands, USA and West Indies and will play all their first-round matches at Harare Sports Club. The top three teams from each group will progress to the Super Sixes, where they will play against the three teams from the other group. The teams that finish first and second from the Super Six stage will advance to the World Cup.Full squad: Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara, Craig Ervine (capt), Bradley Evans, Joylord Gumbie, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams

Australia’s reserve opener is prepared to wait until Warner’s planned farewell next year

Alex Malcolm16-Jul-2023Australia’s reserve opener Marcus Harris is resigned to the fact that he may not play in the Ashes, praising David Warner for his performances despite twin failures in the Headingley Test.Harris, 30, is the only specialist reserve batter currently in the squad after Matt Renshaw was released following the second Test at Lord’s. But he is not expecting to play a part in the series unless there is an injury to one of Australia’s top five batters.Since Australia’s loss at Headingley, all the selection talk has revolved around trying to fit Cameron Green back into the team after Mitchell Marsh made himself indispensable following his stunning opening-day century and crucial wickets, having replaced Green when he was withdrawn due to a hamstring niggle.Related

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Warner has been mooted publicly as the man who could make way given his continued struggles against Stuart Broad. But Green, and others within the Australian team, have tempered suggestions that either he, Marsh or Travis Head could be viable options to open the batting at Old Trafford.Harris echoed those sentiments and acknowledged that he is unlikely to be considered until after Warner’s planned Test swansong in January next year, given that Warner and Usman Khawaja have produced three 50-plus opening stands in the series so far while England’s opening duo of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have managed just one.”Davey’s earned the right to pull the pin whenever he wants to pull the pin and he’s done well this series,” Harris said.”England’s not an easy place to open the batting and him and Uz have got us off to some good starts. So if I have to wait until then, so be it. But if something comes up earlier, I’m ready to go. Davey’s obviously a bit of a lightning rod for opinion.”Even if you’re not getting the big runs that you want to get, if you can still contribute to the team in some way, shape or form, I think you’re doing a job. But that’s coming from an opening batter so I’m probably biased towards that.”Harris was called upon midway through the 2019 Ashes series and found the challenge every bit as difficult as Warner, making just 58 runs in six innings.Marcus Harris has made nine first-class centuries in England•Getty Images

But Harris has accrued three years’ worth of County Championship experience since then and has built an impressive first-class record in England, averaging 45.83 from 52 innings with nine centuries, including two this season for Gloucestershire.Given his experience in English conditions, Harris cautioned against asking a middle-order batter to open the batting in a Test match in England.”I think it depends on the conditions and where you are,” he said. “Like you saw in the subcontinent, it is probably the best time so to have someone destructive like Heady, he can open the batting there. But I think probably in England and in Australia, the way the wickets have been the last couple of years, and New Zealand, those sorts of wickets, it’s more of a specialist position. And you want your destructive players like Greeny or Mitch or Travis to be coming in against a bit more of an older ball.”Maybe those first two wickets were alright. Definitely, Edgbaston would have been okay, but I think like we saw at Lord’s, whenever there were some overheads, and at Headingley, it was hard work. My experiences from county cricket [are] if you cop the wrong time of the day to open the batting, especially if you’re a destructive batter, it’s probably not ideal.”Harris is strong in his belief that he is a much-improved player compared to both his last England tour in 2019 and his last Test opportunity in January 2022.”I have been exposed to a lot more conditions,” Harris said. “Since then I have been to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and played three county seasons here. Being an overseas pro to county teams is a different experience to playing Shield cricket. I just feel more well-rounded. That series taught me a lot in 2019. At the time it didn’t seem good, but I have probably benefited from it in the long haul.”I feel like I am ready to go whenever that chance comes. Whether that is this tour or not, so be it. I am in a good place mentally and with life. Whenever it comes up, I’ll be ready to go.”Harris has not played since making an unbeaten 122 for Gloucestershire against Durham on May 21, with the attack featuring Test bowlers Matthew Potts and Ajaz Patel.He was given the option of playing county cricket last week to get some middle time under his belt, as Michael Neser did for Glamorgan, but he opted to go on a golf trip to Scotland with Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, and Australia bowling coach Daniel Vettori.”I got given the option,” Harris said. “I thought it would be good to have a couple of days off and get away from cricket altogether. I have been here since April 1 so it has been a pretty long tour. The training we can do now with how big the squad is as a collective, during the games is as good, if not better, than playing a game of cricket. I don’t feel like I haven’t had a lot of cricket.”Might have been a different story if I just came on the Ashes and hadn’t played any county cricket. But personally, there hasn’t been any issue for me.”

Harmanpreet Kaur was the only India player selected as seven clubs took just two overseas given six players are set to sign directly

Alex Malcolm03-Sep-2023Marizanne Kapp was unsurprisingly selected by Sydney Thunder with pick one in the inaugural WBBL overseas draft and Perth Scorchers elected not to retain South Africa’s star allrounder, instead choosing to retain their current captain, Sophie Devine.Scorchers were always set to shape the draft with their retention pick as they had to decide between Kapp and Devine as to which allrounder to retain. Thunder took Kapp with pick one and the Scorchers kept their retention pick in their pocket, meaning Kapp will join her third WBBL club having played for Sydney Sixers and Scorchers previously.Melbourne Renegades immediately selected Devine with pick two but Scorchers swiftly used their retention pick to ensure their captain remained in Perth with her leadership a major reason as to why she was retained over Kapp.Related

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Scorchers coach Bec Grundy said the decision came down to Devine’s leadership quality.”It was incredibly difficult,” Grundy said. “To be honest, we’ve flipped from one to the other for a period of time. Two world-class players, two players who helped us win our first championship. But ultimately it came down to leadership and the captaincy. It’s such a pivotal role in T20 cricket in particular. That’s ultimately what split the two. We’re actually really sad to lose Marizanne.”The flow on effects were interesting thereafter through the first two rounds but the draft ultimately fell flat in rounds three and four with seven of the eight clubs passing twice each, and only Thunder taking the full quota of three players. Six of the clubs that passed twice and only took two players are set to sign another overseas via the unique direct nomination route in the next 24 hours but the players can only sign at 95% of the amount of silver category player – which equates to AU$61,750.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Renegades opted for West Indies allrounder Hayley Matthews due to her all-round capabilities and leadership. They had the option of picking India captain Harmanpreet Kaur but chose Matthews first after she captained Renegades late last season as cover for the injured Sophie Molineux.Renegades kept their retention pick but didn’t need it in the end as they still took Harmanpreet with pick 10 in the second round as a platinum player after the six clubs looked elsewhere. Kaur was the only India player selected in the draft out of 18 that nominated with the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar all left on the table.Renegades’ selection of Matthews and Harmanpreet meant they did not retain Shabnim Ismail. The South African quick instead went to Hobart Hurricanes with pick five after Melbourne Stars chose England rising star Alice Capsey.Renegades coach Simon Helmot told ESPNcricinfo that it was a really difficult decision to pass on Ismail.”That was really tough,” Helmot said. “I said this to Shabs straight after the last season. We have to improve our batting. We need runs. Batting depth is what we’re looking to develop.”Hayley Matthews filled in as Renegades captain last year after Sophie Molineux’s injury•Getty Images

Renegades only took two players but look set to add another batter via a direct nomination on Monday.Stars took another familiar face in the second round in Maia Bouchier, who played at Stars despite some more experienced players still being available.Amelia Kerr returned to Brisbane Heat with pick six as expected but Sydney Sixers raised some eyebrows picking South Africa allrounder Chloe Tryon with their first platinum pick. With Sophie Ecclestone out injured, they did not replace her with a specialist spinner but instead opted for Tryon who will join her third WBBL club after playing at both Hurricanes and Thunder. Sixers wanted a left-arm orthodox to replace Ecclestone but also needed some batting after the retirement of Nicole Bolton.Adelaide Strikers passed in the first round to try and retain Laura Wolvaardt at the gold level rather than platinum to save some money within the salary cap with the salary difference of AU$20,000. But Stars called Strikers’ bluff picking Wolvaardt at the platinum price in the second round at pick 12, forcing Strikers to match at that price.”We were always keen to retain Laura,” Strikers coach Luke Williams told ESPNcricinfo. “She’s been a fantastic asset to us over the last three years and in the end, it was platinum that was needed to retain Laura.”Laura Wolvaardt was retained by Adelaide Strikers•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

But Strikers passed on Deandra Dottin for the same reason after she had nominated at the platinum and gold price only. As a result, Dottin was not selected by any team. Strikers took emerging England allrounder Danielle Gibson at the silver price instead.”We loved having Deandra,” Williams said. “Obviously it just got down to whether we were able to fit her within the salary cap and obviously Deandra nominated at platinum and gold level and we ended up with a platinum and silver picks tonight.”[Gibson]’s a really exciting player that looks to be improving all the time. She offers great flexibility in terms of being able to bat in the powerplay and through the middle and the same with her bowling.”Thunder were the only club to pick three players in the draft and arguably left with the best haul taking Kapp, England captain Heather Knight and swing bowler Lauren Bell after they did a pick swap with Sydney Sixers.Scorchers took Danni Wyatt with their second pick and Brisbane Heat decided not to retain her. Scorchers’ top order looks power-packed with a decision to be made on whether Wyatt opens instead of one of the successful duo of Devine and Beth Mooney.How the draft played outSydney Thunder: Marizanne Kapp, Heather Knight, Lauren BellPerth Scorchers: Sophie Devine (retained), Danni WyattMelbourne Renegades: Hayley Matthews, Harmanpreet KaurMelbourne Stars: Alice Capsey, Maia BouchierHobart Hurricanes: Shabnim Ismail, Bryony SmithBrisbane Heat: Amelia Kerr, Bess HeathSydney Sixers: Chloe Tryon, Jess KerrAdelaide Strikers: Laura Wolvaardt, Danielle Gibson

Injury is worse than initially expected, says the club; he is being monitored by the BCCI’s medical experts

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2023Prithvi Shaw will take no further part in the ongoing One-Day Cup competition in England for Northamptonshire after injuring his knee while fielding in a fixture against Durham on Sunday.Scan results have revealed that the “injury is worse than initially expected”, according to a statement released by Northamptonshire. Shaw is currently being monitored by the BCCI’s medical team and is set to meet a specialist in London on Friday.Shaw made a big impact in his limited outings with the team, recording two hundreds in four innings, including a 244 off 153 balls against Somerset, the second-highest List A score in England. He recorded scores of 125*, 26 and 34 in his other three innings to become the leading run-getter (429 runs) after four games.”In his short stint Prithvi has made a huge impact on us as a club. It’s a huge shame he won’t be with us for the remainder of this competition” Northamptonshire head coach John Sadler said in a statement. “He’s an extremely humble young man, he’s very respectful and had been so grateful for the opportunity to represent Northamptonshire.”As well as his performances on the field he had a huge impact in our dressing room. Nobody wanted to win games more than him and he contributed to us doing so. We wish him well and hope to see him scoring runs again soon.”The injury came at a time of a bit of an upswing for Shaw, who had been looking for a reboot of sorts following a poor IPL 2023, where Delhi Capitals left him out halfway through the competition following a run of poor form.Shaw last played for India in July 2021, but was most recently part of the T20I squad in February this year for the series at home against New Zealand. However, poor returns in the IPL meant he wasn’t considered even in India’s second-rung T20I squads for Ireland and the Asian Games.Based on how quickly he recovers, Shaw’s next assignment could be the white-ball leg of India’s domestic calendar that begins with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20s) in October, if he isn’t picked in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup fixture against Ranji Trophy champions Saurashtra.

The head-to-head, of course, has India leading 7-0. Pakistan will be very keen to end that jinx

Shashank Kishore13-Oct-20235:28

Why has Bumrah stood out? What’s ailing Shaheen?

Big Picture – Can the teams shut out the noise?

There was thunder and lightning. Rain that began as a passing shower turned into a deluge, sending people scurrying for cover to preserve – guess what? – their physical match ticket so that they could return the next day to watch a game of cricket, the IPL final no less.It turned out to be the match of the tournament, and perhaps for many of the fans, their lives. As people made a beeline for the exit at 3am, more than 30 hours after the match was scheduled to have begun, several were still revelling in the festivities that followed that emotional roller-coaster of a final.Ahmedabad was the epicentre of Indian cricket that night, and the promise of a similar occasion, perhaps even grander, later in the year for a match they were all sure would be held in Ahmedabad, excited them.That grand occasion is nearly here.Related

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On Saturday, Ahmedabad won’t just be the epicentre of Indian cricket, but world cricket, with 132,000 people – a decent chunk being celebrities, industrialists, politicians, friends of politicians and, of course, cricket administrators – congregating at what they say is the world’s biggest cricket stadium to witness a match that makes the cricket economy – bilateral non-relations notwithstanding.Welcome to instalment eight of India vs Pakistan at men’s 50-over World Cups. Depending on whether you plan to sport blue or green on the day, you probably feel like gloating over that unmatched record or need no reminding of the duck you hope will become . In literal terms, that means “together” – like administrators from both sides who spar at boardrooms and in the media will be – but in this cricketing context, it refers to the scoreline that Pakistani fans, and the players, will hope for at the end of the night: 1-7.5:40

‘Once the first ball is bowled, everything is back to normal’

Pakistan have spent two weeks in Hyderabad, and are among the teams that will travel the least at this World Cup. Whether by design or accident, that should be a blessing in disguise, for a game of this magnitude will need plenty of recovering from anyway. And in a twisted sort of way, perhaps, the Pakistan players will have it a tad easier, in that at least they won’t need to be juggling match passes for long lists of friends and family – due to all the visa issues.It’s the kind of game that can take up mind space for days, if not longer. Sachin Tendulkar, for example, revealed that Centurion, and nothing else, was on his mind for over a month, until the sides met on that memorable day in March 2003, because he was reminded of it wherever he went and by whomever he met – from those on room-service duty to the fans to the media. MS Dhoni, whose hotel room was apparently never shut while on tour, decided he needed to make an exception ahead of the 2011 Mohali semi-final.In a nutshell that’s the essence of India vs Pakistan.

Form guide

India WWLWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)

Pakistan WWLWWJasprit Bumrah was menacing with the new ball and wily with the old against Afghanistan•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Jasprit Bumrah and Abdullah Shafique

Jasprit Bumrah will be playing a World Cup game on his home ground, but seems immune to all the pressure. When the inevitable question on playing Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium came up at a press interaction, he quipped he was more keen to first make a quick dash home to visit his mum. And if he’s got his head in the right place, form is on his side too: Bumrah heads into the game on the back of a stellar show against Afghanistan, a four-wicket haul that would have won him the match honours on most nights but was overshadowed by a Rohit Sharma special that time.Abdullah Shafique would not have been playing had Fakhar Zaman shown a semblance of form in the lead-up to the tournament. But, on World Cup debut, his century and his partnership with Mohammad Rizwan helped put together a record chase against Sri Lanka. Expectations are bound to rise, but he seems level-headed enough to deal with the attention that may come his way. Saturday will be a test of that.

Team news: Shubman Gill very much in the picture

Shubman Gill, who missed India’s first two games with dengue, has recovered well enough to have a 99% chance of playing the game. He had had a net session immediately upon arrival in Ahmedabad, where he joined up with the rest of the team after a spell away to recover. If that 1% comes into play and Gill doesn’t feature on Saturday, it’s likely Ishan Kishan will continue to open. Only last month, Kishan counter-punched to make an 81-ball 82 against Pakistan in Pallekele, so there’s enough recent evidence of his being quite ready to face an attack of this quality.It can also be quite tempting to play Mohammed Shami, given his IPL record here. Also, pacers have bowled a bigger percentage of overs than spinners (59.8% versus 40.2%) and have more wickets (38 to spin’s 23) in ODIs here since 2021. But the team management leans towards having some batting cushion at No. 8, which none of their frontline pacers provide. So, for now, it could be another opportunity for Shardul Thakur.India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan/Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajAbdullah Shafique’s century would have Pakistan feeling good about their opening combination•ICC via Getty Images

Pakistan have little reason to change a combination that worked wonders for them against Sri Lanka. There’s just a one small concern. While Hasan Ali picked up four wickets, he did get taken for plenty. If they are looking for a change, there’s Mohammad Wasim waiting in the wings.Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Ifthikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Hasan Ali/Mohammad Wasim, 11 Haris Rauf

Pitch and conditions

Hot and dry on the weather front. There could be some dew later in the evening, which will also mean the team batting first will want to go hard. It’s a black soil surface, next to the one that played host to the tournament opener where New Zealand’s top order made merry. As such, it should be a belter of a surface for the organisers want to make it a spectacle in every sense.

Stats and trivia

• Rohit Sharma has been out five times in 13 innings against left-arm pace in the powerplay since 2021. It’s all then set up for another exciting round of Rohit vs Shaheen Shah Afridi.
• India’s bowling strike rate of 32.5 in the powerplay is the best among all teams in ODIs since 2022. In this phase, Siraj has taken most wickets for India (32).
• The 67 innings Imam-ul-Haq took to get past 3000 runs in the previous game makes him the second-fastest behind Hashim Amla to get there in ODIs. The glaring concern, though, will be his five dismissals in seven innings this year against short-pitched bowling, including in the opener against Netherlands. This is something India’s pace attack may want to exploit first up.
• Babar Azam has hit just 71 runs in five innings since his 150* in the Asia Cup opener against Nepal. This is his joint-longest streak of not scoring 30 or more in an ODI innings.

Quotes

“I don’t focus too much on what has happened in the past and focus on what’s coming ahead. These records are made to be broken and we will try to break it.”
“All the guys are quite used to playing in front of big crowds. It can only work in your favour. It cannot work against you. A lot of the guys in the team love a big crowd, the cheers, the noise in the ground. The boys really enjoy it.”

Luckless fast bowler suffers injury while fielding for WA’s second XI last week with his imminent Sheffield Shield return now delayed

Alex Malcolm23-Oct-2023Luckless Western Australia fast bowler Jhye Richardson has suffered another injury blow after he dislocated his shoulder while fielding in a second XI match for WA against South Australia in Adelaide last week.Richardson was preparing to make his Sheffield Shield return for WA this week, also against South Australia at Adelaide Oval, after making a successful comeback from hamstring surgery in the Marsh Cup earlier this month.Richardson made 85 for WA’s second XI at Park 25 in Adelaide last week and bowled eight overs in the first innings including three maidens. But it is understood he dislocated his shoulder while diving in the field and he did not bat or bowl again in the match although it is hoped the injury will only set him back a few weeks, with surgery not required.”Scans on Jhye Richardson’s right shoulder which was dislocated in the second XI match last Tuesday have cleared him from any major structural damage,” WA confirmed in a statement. “As a nationally contracted player, WA Cricket is working with Cricket Australia to determine his return to play.”Richardson first dislocated his right shoulder while diving in the field during an ODI for Australia in March 2019 against Pakistan in Sharjah which ruled him out of the 2019 World Cup and the Ashes. He eventually had surgery on the shoulder after further dislocations.He fought his way back to international cricket taking a maiden Test five-wicket haul against England in December 2021. But a series of soft tissue injuries have plagued him since then including suffering a serious hamstring injury in the BBL last summer that required surgery and required a long rehabilitation over the winter.His return to both the Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield was being carefully mapped out by WA. He was set to replace Lance Morris in the Shield squad this week as Morris is also being carefully managed ahead of Australia’s Test summer where he may be in line to make his Test debut depending on how Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins recover after a long World Cup campaign.

Australia skipper supports Khawaja and sees no difference between a dove logo representing human rights and Labuschagne’s approved eagle sticker that is a religious display

Alex Malcolm25-Dec-2023Australia captain Pat Cummins says there is no difference between Usman Khawaja displaying a dove logo on his shoe and bat to raise awareness of humanitarian issues and teammate Marnus Labuschagne displaying an eagle on his bat which signifies a personal religious message, after the ICC denied Khawaja’s application to display the logo during the Boxing Day Test.Khawaja made an application to the ICC to display a small dove holding an olive branch on his shoe and bat during the Test match which is a reference to article one of the Universal declaration of Human Rights that reads, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”But despite being cleared by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association to display it, the ICC denied his application with an ICC spokesperson stating that, “Personal messages of this nature are not allowed as per Clause F of the Clothing and Equipment Regulations, which can be found on the ICC Playing Conditions page. The ICC is supportive of players using their platforms outside of the playing arena to promote human rights, peace and equality and would encourage him to continue to use alternative platforms.”Related

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• ICC denies Khawaja's latest attempt to raise Gaza crisis awareness

Labuschagne displays the symbol of an eagle on the back of his bats which represents a verse from the bible and has long been allowed to have the sticker on his bat in international cricket. Almost every player in the Australian team, including Khawaja, also have multiple advertising stickers on their bats that represent different companies including their bat/equipment sponsor and a secondary personal sponsor, which are allowed under ICC rules.Usman Khawaja’s attempt to wear a dove logo on his shoes was denied by the ICC•AFP/Getty Images

Speaking on Christmas Day, 24 hours out from the start of the second Test against Pakistan at the MCG, Cummins said he saw no difference between Labuschagne displaying a religious reference and Khawaja’s attempt to display a logo referring to the Universal declaration of Human Rights.”Not really, no – I don’t know the ins and outs of the application, but I think it is pretty vanilla, a dove,” Cummins said.”We really support Uzzy, I think he’s standing up for what he believes and I think he’s doing it really respectfully.”All lives are equal and I don’t think that’s very offensive, and I’d say the same about the dove. That’s Uzzy. He can hold his head high the way he’s gone about it, but there’s rules in place, so I believe the ICC have said they’re not going to approve that. They make up the rules and you’ve got to accept it.”The ruling has raised the ire of former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding who has accused the ICC of double standards.”If it had been most other organisations that showed some semblance of consistency with their attitude and behaviour on issues I could claim surprise, but not them,” Holding told the . “Once again they show their hypocrisy and lack of moral standing as an organisation.”Khawaja was charged by the ICC with breaching the same Clause F of the Clothing and Equipment Regulations after wearing a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth. He said he would challenge the charge having told the governing body it was for a “personal bereavement” but added that he won’t continue to wear one in the MCG Test.Khawaja wore the armband having initially planned to take the field with writing on his shoes which he had worn in training stating “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.Speaking at the MCG last Friday, Khawaja said that he did not believe ICC were implementing their own regulations consistently.”They asked me on day two [in Perth] what it was for and told them it was for a personal bereavement,” he said of the armband. “I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I’m happy to say that. The armband makes no sense to me. I followed all the regulations, past precedents, guys that put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes, done all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded.”I respect the ICC and the rules and regulations they have. I will be asking them and contesting they make it fair and equitable for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That consistency hasn’t been done yet. I was very open and honest with that. I’ll deal with that with the ICC.”There was no official statement when Khawaja wore the armband on the first day in Perth, but at the time it was understood to be in relation to the video he had posted on social media after being told he could not show the messages on his shoes.

Hosts take command of first Test with South Africa still trailing by 431 runs

Ashish Pant05-Feb-2024Coming into the Mount Maunganui Test, Rachin Ravindra had never batted in the top six in Test cricket and had all of 73 runs in six innings at 14.60. In just one innings here, the left-hander has more than tripled his numbers on both counts. Given the all-important No. 4 slot, Ravindra cashed in scoring a sparkling 240 to help New Zealand extend their dominance over South Africa on day two of the first Test.South Africa captain and debutant Neil Brand finished with figures of 6 for 119, but Ravindra’s double on the back of Kane Williamson’s 118 helped New Zealand amass 511 in their first innings. Kyle Jamieson struck twice as South Africa ended the second day 80 for 4 still trailing the hosts by a massive 431 runs.Resuming their day on 258 for 2, New Zealand lost Williamson early, but Ravindra continued from where he left on day one. With the second new ball just six overs old, South Africa surprisingly did not go with Tshepo Moreki first up on the second day, instead starting with allrounder Ruan de Swardt and Dane Paterson.Paterson got the wobble seam going his way and induced an edge off Ravindra’s blade with just his second ball but there was no third slip in place to take the catch. Williamson got his first boundary of the day with a thick edge past gully but failed to carry on. Looking to unsettle de Swardt’s consistent wicket-to-wicket lines, he eyed an uncharacteristic cross-batted hoick, but all he could manage was a top edge that ballooned straight up with Moreki taking the catch at mid-on. That ended a 232-run association between Williamson and Ravindra off 472 balls.Having been padded up for ages, Mitchell immediately got going with a full-blooded lofted drive past mid-on. Moreki didn’t have the same kind of nip that he found on day one and was pulled stylishly by Ravindra through midwicket. Duanne Olivier was handed similar treatment before two delicious straight drives helped Ravindra breach the 150 mark in Tests for the first time.Having played circumspect cricket for about four sessions, New Zealand notched up a gear after lunch. Ravindra got his second session underway with a delightful drive past mid-off off de Swardt while Mitchell pulled Dane Paterson with disdain through square leg.Mitchell lofted de Swardt for a straight six but fell soon after courtesy of a stunning caught and bowled by Neil Brand. Mitchell pummeled a tossed-up length ball back but Brand stuck out both hands to his left and plucked out a quite spectacular take much to the shock of Mitchell.Tom Blundell came in and struck a four but soon mistimed a heave to short midwicket who took a low catch. Meanwhile, it was a nervous wait for Ravindra on 199. With Blundell falling and Glenn Phillips not able to hand him back the strike, the youngster had to endure close to 20 minutes on the score and go through a drinks break as well.Kyle Jamieson took two wickets in his first spell•AFP/Getty Images

Ravindra finally reached the milestone by cutting a short-of-a-length ball towards cover as he removed his helmet to soak up the applause. With the double-hundred checked, Ravindra and Phillips decided to go into overdrive adding a 82-run stand off just 71 balls for the sixth wicket.Ravindra notched up the highest score by a New Zealand batter for his maiden Test century when he went past Matthew Sinclair’s 214 but fell minutes before tea cleaned up by Brand for 240. South Africa struck four times in the session, but New Zealand had added 145 runs in 27 overs going at over five an over.New Zealand came looking for some quick runs in the final session and Matt Henry provided that by smashing one four and three sixes in his nine-ball 27. Brand, however, picked the last three wickets first going through Mitchell Santner’s defences and then taking out Henry and Tim Southee in one over to become the first South African spinner to bag a six-for on Test debut.In reply, the South African openers, Brand and Edward Moore, both on debut, held their own for nine overs and a bit. Moore got going with a fierce cut off Southee through point before repeating the shot for a similar result. Brand was more solid in defense getting right behind the line of the ball.Jamieson, however, came on and changed the face of the match. He first sent back Brand with a fuller delivery that threatened to come back in but held its line. Brand, unsure whether to play or leave the delivery fathered a tiny edge to the wicketkeeper. Two balls later debutant Raynard van Tonder was trapped right in front of the stumps by a Jamieson inswinger. Henry then got rid of Moore with a snorter that he could only glove to Conway who rushed in from cover-point to dive and complete a stunning catch as South Africa slipped to 30 for 3 after 15 overs.David Bedingham and Zubayr Hamza, however, took the attack to the opposition. Hamza first struck Henry for two successive fours before Bedingham cracked Southee for three fours in the next over. Bedingham was dropped by Henry at deep backward square leg but barring that looked largely untroubled. The duo added 44 off 53 balls for the fourth wicket before Hamza was castled by Santner.At the end of play on the second day, Bedingham had reached 29 off 39 balls with five fours to his name and had Keegan Peterson for company on 2.