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Australia’s captain said her side were challenged by Bangladesh’s bowlers in tough conditions

Andrew McGlashan05-Apr-2024Alyssa Healy was left delighted with the experience and knowledge her team were able to take away from the tour of Bangladesh with an eye on the T20 World Cup later this year.Australia completed a cleansweep of the visit, their first in bilateral cricket, with a 77-run victory in the final T20I and it was the fourth time their bowling attack kept Bangladesh to under 100. They will return in late September to defend the T20 World Cup title and Healy believed the trip ticked plenty of boxes.Related

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“Everyone in the squad is taking something home that they can work on for when we come back here in September, so it’s been hugely worthwhile for us,” Healy said. “The results went our way but from a big picture perspective, and what we’re building towards in September, October, I think we got everything we possibly could out of this series.”The tour was concluded with two players returning from long-term injuries, Tayla Vlaeminck and Sophie Molineux, taking player of the match and series awards respectively. Vlaeminck took a career-best 3 for 12 while Molineux finished the T20I series with six wickets at 8.33 as the pair all-but assured their places at the World Cup.”It’s obviously great to have someone like Tay back, she’s a real point of different within world cricket, with the sheer pace she bowls with, and Soph Molineux’s consistency is outstanding so they’re both real attributes to our side,” Healy said.Tayla Vlaeminck made a mark on her return to Australia duty•Getty Images

“We’ve had different players of the match and different players of the series across the two series, so that’s been really pleasing as well. Everybody’s standing up and when they need to, and grabbing opportunities which is cool.”Although the margins of victory were convincing in all six matches, Healy felt her team had been put under pressure by the home side. In the first ODI they were 48 for 4 and 146 for 7 before the lower order lifted them to a strong total and in the final T20I had to work hard to post 155 from being 98 for 5.”In particular with the ball they [Bangladesh] challenged our batting line-up,” she said. “They will be a real threat come the World Cup. Home conditions are a real advantage and I think the team will fly under the radar a little bit. They’ll be really dangerous for some of the top sides.”The conditions, especially the heat, also pushed the visitors with Healy prepared for more of the same at the World Cup although did not expect the pitches early in the tournament to offer the extreme turn seen at times in this series. Australia will split their matches between Dhaka and Sylhet which was not part of this tour.”We’ve heard it [the heat] will be even worse come September, October so we’ll have to wait and see what it throws at us there,” Healy said. “Naturally being an ICC event, I think the wickets will start out being really good then probably tire throughout the tournament.”1:59

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Kim Garth, who took five wickets in the two ODIs she played, and legspinner Alana King did not feature in the T20I series as Australia used just 12 players in three games. King has not played a T20I since the last World Cup in South Africa although will likely retain her spot as back-up to Georgia Wareham. The experienced Jess Jonassen was the significant omission for this tour while Darcie Brown was ruled out with a stress fracture of her foot.The central contract list will be announced early next week while the players themselves now have time off following a hectic season which included series against West Indies, India and South Africa alongside the WBBL and, for many, the WPL.They will return to action with a T20I series against New Zealand in September as a lead-in to the World Cup, which will be followed straight after by the WBBL. They then host India in December and travel to New Zealand before Christmas ahead of the multiformat Ashes in January.”We’ve got a great break now. Our group is looking forward to going home and having a little bit of time off and a great opportunity to refresh and actually get ourselves right for the back end of the year, which is a huge summer for us,” Healy said.

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the ODI series but is in the T20I squad

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20251:19

Chopra: Rohit’s place in the side will now depend on form

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been picked in India’s ODI squad for the series in Australia starting on October 19, marking their international comebacks after last playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March. The squad will be led by Shubman Gill, who has replaced Rohit as the ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer the vice-captain.The selection panel, headed by former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, met on Saturday in Ahmedabad, where India won the first Test of the series against West Indies by an innings and 140 runs.There are five changes to the ODI squad from the 15 that won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March: Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy are missing, Hardik Pandya is recovering from a quadriceps injury, Rishabh Pant has not yet fully recovered from the broken foot he suffered in England, and Jasprit Bumrah has been rested. They have been replaced by allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was injured for the Champions Trophy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.Related

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“With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE]. At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washi [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Bumrah is part of the T20I squad for the five matches in Australia after the ODI series. The only change to the T20I squad that won the Asia Cup last month is Hardik being replaced by Reddy, while Washington has been added, making it a squad of 16.”We have already rested him for the one-day games. When we can manage his workload, we will do that,” Agarkar said about Bumrah. “Wherever you can give him a break, you will, because we all know how important he is, but we have also got to see what is in the interest of the team. And when we need him to play, he is always available, but we will look after [him]. Not just him, Siraj bowls a lot of overs as well. There are other guys who do play Test cricket, who will end up having a lot of bowling to do, so we will try and manage all the seamers, so that we minimise the risk of injuries.”Agarkar indicated that Gill and Rohit were likely to open in the ODIs, which means Jaiswal could miss out on a place in the starting XI. He also said Jurel was picked ahead of Sanju Samson in the ODI squad due to batting position, while KL Rahul is likely to remain the first-choice wicketkeeper.”Sanju Samson bats at the top of the order,” Agarkar said. “I think when he got a 100, I think he batted No. 3, if I am not wrong. Jurel usually bats lower down the order. KL bats there as well. You have seen how good a player Dhruv is. Again, you are looking at spots. I don’t think there is room at the top again. So, we are looking at guys who can fit in those spots. Obviously, Sanju at the moment in T20 cricket is batting there [middle order] and we are trying him there. But in one-day cricket, it’s a little bit different. So, that’s basically the thought. It’s more the position than anything else.”India play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.

India’s ODI squad for Australia

Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

India’s T20I squad for Australia

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

Kamboj’s performance was among his most impactful yet in a nascent first-class career

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2024Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj’s career-best haul of 8 for 69 and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s second half-century of the match were the major highlights on a dull fourth day in Anantapur, as India C’s second Duleep Trophy 2024-25 fixture petered to a tame draw.Having begun the day on 309 for 7, India B were bowled out for 332 with Kamboj picking up all three wickets to fall. Abhimanyu Easwaran, the India B captain, carried his bat through and was unbeaten on 157 as his side conceded a 193-run lead early on the final day.At this point, it seemed certain only India C could force a victory if they wished to. They instead decided to settle for the first-innings honours and were at 128 for 4 after 37 overs when both captains decided to shake hands.Kamboj’s performance was among his most impactful yet in a nascent first-class career. Coming into his 15th game, Kamboj hadn’t taken more than three wickets in a single innings previously. His eight-for in Anantapur brought him the second-best figures by a fast bowler in Duleep Trophy history, behind Debasis Mohanty (10 for 46).India C lost B Sai Sudharsan early when Mukesh Kumar had him bowled for 11. Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar put on 96 for the second wicket, Patidar hitting 42 to go with his first innings 40, before falling to Musheer Khan’s left-arm spin.Rahul Chahar, the legspinner, then had first-innings centurion Ishan Kishan for 1, followed by Gaikwad’s scalp in his very next over. The only blip for India C in this game was a leg injury to pacer Sandeep Warrier, which led to him hobbling off after just 1.1 overs.Manav Suthar, who picked up a match-winning seven-for in the first round of matches, went wicketless in this game. His figures read: 33-4-85-0. Musheer, the player of the match last week for his 181, managed just 1 while Sarfaraz Khan, asked to play in this fixture before linking up with the Indian Test squad in Chennai, managed 16.

India A gather healthy lead after India D are skittled out for 183

Shashank Kishore13-Sep-2024Khaleel Ahmed’s India career hasn’t quite taken off, but a decent IPL opened the doors for a white-ball return in Zimbabwe in July for the first time since 2019. Now, Khaleel is working his way back up to a steady diet of first-class cricket.The ongoing Duleep Trophy fixture is only his 14th since his debut in 2017, and with Yash Dayal having leapfrogged him to the Indian Test squad for Bangladesh, Khaleel had another opportunity to impress. On Friday, he built on his five wickets from the opening round to pick up another three first-innings wickets to give India A control.Having added just two runs to their overnight 288 for 8, India A bowled out India C for just 183, with Khaleel turning in a superb spell of swing and seam bowling to finish with 3 for 39.While he just bowled eight overs, he managed to create opportunities and kept batters guessing with his late movement and lift. He dismissed Atharva Taide with a wicked inswinger that he shouldered arms to off the third ball of the innings and then had Shreyas Iyer for a seven-ball duck in his second over.Iyer, seemingly troubled by the away-movement and a short ball that he somehow managed to sway out of, fell as he lobbed a full delivery to mid-on, unable to fully commit to the shot because he had been hanging back in the crease.Khaleel’s third was Zaheer Khan-esque for the angle he managed to create from around the stumps as he bent one back in late to strike Ricky Bhui on the pads. Bhui was overbalanced and was trapped plumb in front.File photo: Devdutt Padikkal scored 92 of India D’s total of 183 all out•PTI

Khaleel’s fire from one end was matched by the intensity of young Uttar Pradesh quick Aaqib Khan. Just 12 first-class games old, Aaqib isn’t express pace but makes up for that with his control and minute deviations off the pitch. In what is possibly his most high-profile first-class appearance so far, Aaqib remained unfazed by the quality of batters up against him.One of his three wickets early in his spell was that of the returning Sanju Samson, whose stay lasted just six deliveries as he miscued a pull to mid-on. Aaqib finished with 3 for 41.For India D, only Devdutt Padikkal was among the runs, a punchy 92 filled with sumptuous cover drives and a solid back foot game, especially off his statemate Prasidh Krishna, who bowled a lot better than his figures of 11-4-30-1 suggest.Prasidh had the last laugh, however, when he had Padikkal with one that decked away sharply to take the edge through to the wicketkeeper. Padikkal’s 92 came off just 124 balls with wickets falling around him. He hit 15 boundaries in his knock.Having taken a 107-run lead, Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh tucked into a tired attack to hit half-centuries late in the day, before an innocuous delivery from Iyer had Agarwal tamely lobbing a return catch in the dying moments of play.

Haris Sohail suffered a left shoulder injury when he landed awkwardly during a fielding drill

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-2023Pakistan allrounder Iftikhar Ahmed will replace batter Haris Sohail for the final three ODIs of the ongoing series against New Zealand. Sohail suffered a shoulder injury on the eve of the first ODI, and while the PCB announced initial scans were satisfactory, he did not take part in the second game on Sunday.Sohail, 34, returned to Pakistan’s ODI squad for the first time in three years for a previous series against New Zealand in January. He was retained for this one as well but landed awkwardly on his left shoulder during a fielding drill, causing the injury that has necessitated his absence.The injury is a significant blow to Sohail’s World Cup chances. Pakistan play three more ODIs against Afghanistan in August and then they have the Asia Cup, but its logistics are still only being worked out. Sohail has played 45 ODIs, and was a part of Pakistan’s World Cup campaigns in 2015 and 2019.Iftikhar, 32, has played just 10 ODIs, and none for over a year. His record with the bat has not been especially encouraging, with 132 runs in nine innings and a highest score of 32 not out. But there is a spot in Pakistan’s middle order up for grabs with Sohail’s absence, and Shan Masood’s recent struggles. Masood was omitted from the starting XI of the second ODI, and replaced by debutant Abdullah Shafique.

Sri Lanka, who were in the driver’s seat with Pakistan 101 for 5 in reply to their 312, will need quick wickets on the third morning to bounce back

Danyal Rasool17-Jul-2023Stumps A see-sawing day ended with Pakistan wresting back the momentum from Sri Lanka thanks to a counter-attacking partnership between Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman. Half-centuries for the two in an unbeaten stand of 120 means Pakistan are now just 91 runs behind Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 312, and might well have made a deeper dent into that deficit if monsoon rains hadn’t brought the day to a premature close.But it was more the speed of the run-scoring than the accumulation which impressed. Across 38 overs, Pakistan scored at just a tick under five, spearheaded initially by Shan Masood. But Agha and Shakeel, traditionally much more conservative in their approach in international cricket, took the baton and ran with it in a frenetic final hour that saw all of Sri Lanka’s bowlers put to the sword as Pakistan stormed back into the contest.Related

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Finding themselves five wickets down with a deficit greater than 200 and Nauman Ali to come in next, most Pakistan sides would have gone into their shell. But instead of waiting for Prabath Jayasuriya or Ramesh Mendis to invariably find a ball that breached their defences, the pair began to exploit gaps, rotate the strike, use their feet and find the boundary. Shakeel’s drive over Jayasuriya’s head early on was a statement of intent and a couple of slogs over cow corner from Agha forced Sri Lanka’s best bowler out of the attack. Both players brought up fifties, and as the runs continued to flow, Sri Lanka appeared to run out of ideas, turning to Kasun Rajitha’s pace.The middle session had moved the game along more than the entirety of the first day, with Sri Lanka’s spinners demonstrating clear superiority over their counterparts in these conditions. Jayasuriya’s three wickets put Sri Lanka on top even as Pakistan took the attack to the bowlers. Masood’s 30-ball 39 epitomised that approach as Pakistan moved along at 4.71 runs per over, though it did come with the loss of half the side.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Abdullah Shafique survived an exceptionally close lbw shout in the first over before Imam-ul-Haq fell playing a rash cover drive in the second, spooning it into backward point’s lap. Masood’s arrival heralded the start of the only passage in that phase where Pakistan were dominant. Picking up from an impressive display in the two-day warm-up game in Hambantota, Masood continued in the same fashion. He was adept at carving the ball through the covers, exploiting gaps and getting the run rate ticking.His approach against the quicks necessitated Sri Lanka turning to Jayasuriya as early as in the ninth over, and Masood showed him enough respect to play out a maiden. Ramesh was not afforded the same regard, Masood saving the shot of the innings so far for him, dancing down the track to clobber him over mid-on for a colossal six to get to 39. The very next delivery, though, had him pinned back on leg stump. The umpire didn’t raise the finger but Sri Lanka reviewed, and Hawkeye flashed up three reds, sending a disbelieving Shan on his way.By now, Jayasuriya had already begun to work his magic, sending Shafique on his way with a hint of extra turn. It would get better for Sri Lanka, when Babar Azam top-edged an arm ball straight up to the keeper, exposing Sarfaraz Ahmed and an inexperienced lower-middle order with Pakistan still 239 runs behind.Mastery against spin is considered one of Sarfaraz’s strengths, but a sweep too many off Jayasuriya found him struck adjacent enough to be given out lbw in the last half-hour before tea. It left the two new men in Pakistan’s middle order, Agha and Shakeel, to hold Sri Lanka’s relentless spinners off.Prabath Jayasuriya gave the afternoon session to Sri Lanka•Associated Press

In the morning, Pakistan bowled Sri Lanka out for 312, but not before Sri Lanka had added a useful 70 runs with the last four wickets.Over the course of a slightly scrappy morning session, Dhananjaya de Silva stood out. Having been unbeaten overnight on 94, he was in no rush to snatch at the three-figure mark, taking about half an hour to get to the mark with a whip towards fine leg. Alongside Ramesh, who was offering doggedness but not many runs, de Silva prioritised survival over quick run-scoring. It was an arrangement Pakistan were content with as the spinners operated on autopilot while they awaited the new ball, and a slash from Ramesh off Abrar Ahmed soon brought the gritty partnership to an end.Babar called up Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for an extended spell with the new ball. Afridi’s pace was up and he found more movement, but it was Naseem who ended up in the wickets, dispatching Jayasuriya with a short delivery the tailender got a feather to. And when de Silva decided it was time to up the ante, he fell as soon as he played an attacking shot, a mistimed drive over backward point caught brilliantly by a scampering Masood. By now, though, he had scored 122, rescuing an innings that badly needed salvaging after the first session yesterday.Sri Lanka’s Nos. 10 and 11 held Pakistan off much longer than anticipated, though, and scored runs while doing it. Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando added 29 runs for that last wicket, ensuring Sri Lanka crossed 300, and perhaps edging the session in their favour.That dominance looked to have been underscored firmly through the afternoon, but Pakistan’s late onslaught means the Test remains finely balanced under Galle’s mercurial skies.

Lancashire allrounder gets nod above Will Jacks, Ben Duckett confirmed as opener for first Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Nov-20221:56

Why Livingstone could play ahead of Jacks vs Pakistan

Liam Livingstone will make his England Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Thursday.Livingstone, 29, will be one of two new faces named by skipper Ben Stokes for the first Test from the team that ended the English summer. Ben Duckett will partner Zak Crawley at the top of the order, replacing Alex Lees who was dropped for this tour, adding to his four Test appearances from 2016-17, against Bangladesh and India. Yorkshire batter Harry Brook keeps his spot at No. 5, having replaced the injured Jonny Bairstow at the Kia Oval in the final match of the South Africa series.Livingstone, picked on this tour for his capabilities as a spinner along with his ball-striking which has made him a go-to signing on the Twenty20 circuit, last played a competitive red-ball match at the end of the 2021 summer for Lancashire. Both of his first-class averages are in the high 30s: 38.36 with the bat and 36.13 with the ball.Related

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His selection in the XI is ultimately for his potential, bombastic upside. As head coach Brendon McCullum put it on Monday: “He bowls offspin, legspin, fields well and smacks the ball out of the park – it’s hard not to get around a player who plays like that.” Ultimately, the call was between him and Surrey’s batting allrounder Will Jacks, who bowls offspin. Livingstone got the nod on account of offering both wrist and finger spin.”The only real discussion we thought was worth having was whether we go with Jacksy or Livi,” Stokes said. “I think given the place where Livi’s going to play and as that third spinner role, it’s quite nice to have someone who turns it both ways. And quite nice the way he applies himself with the bat – very similar to Jacksy, but having that legspin and offspin possibility with Livi was a big plus for us.”Stokes referring to Livingstone as a “third spinner” is down to wanting to utilise Joe Root’s offspin alongside the left-arm orthodox of Jack Leach, who is regarded as the frontline spinner. Livingstone will supplement both.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“With Livi he’s one of those cricketers who can come on from anywhere and take a wicket when the ball’s flowing a bit the opposition’s way. I’ve already spoken to Rooty as well. I’m going to try to use him quite a lot. I think he underuses himself. He’s actually got some very good assets as an offspin bowler. He’s been working very hard on his bowling.”The presentation of a maiden Test cap this week will round off a special month or so for Livingstone, who was part of England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in Australia. As a verified specialist in the shortest format, notably from an English perspective when he carried the first edition of the Hundred in 2021, it perhaps bodes well that someone like him would relish the chance to play the longest format.Stokes revealed he spoke to Livingstone about the prospect of playing a part in these Test matches a couple of months ago. The response he got back was encouraging. His lack of first-class action has featured less as a worry and more as a punchline over the last fortnight. Stokes joked that Livingstone “will probably try to hit a few over this media centre, no doubt”.”It was a pretty simple conversation I had with him, actually before we went out to Australia for the World Cup. I obviously told him where we stood in terms of him playing some red-ball cricket out in the subcontinent.”With the skill he has with the ball and the way he plays with the bat, [he] is very aligned with how me and Baz want to see the team play. He jumped at the opportunity. I don’t necessarily think that not playing a red-ball game is going to be too much of a thing for him. He’s a very natural cricketer, he’s going to go out there and really express himself. So yeah looking forward to seeing him in the whites. He did say when he got his white pads out of the bag ‘what are these?'”Duckett, while also selected on style of play, has earned a recall on an impressive showing last season with Nottinghamshire. He struck 1012 runs at an average of 72.28, at a rate of 76.09 – that last figure as much a pro for this management group as the three centuries. He underlined his expansive play in the T20 series in Pakistan a few months ago with 233 runs at 46.60 (strike rate 159.58), which gave Stokes in particular a nudge he was the man for the job ahead of the other opener in the squad, Keaton Jennings.Liam Livingstone has been picked in England’s Test XI for Rawalpindi•Getty Images

“Ducky showed out here in the T20s just how good he is against spin bowling,” Stokes said. “To have someone at the top like him who can mess around with the fields and make it a captain’s nightmare because he sweeps both ways, and we know how much of a part spin plays out in this area. Excited to have him at the top.”Brook’s selection, meanwhile, is a continuation from the summer in which he carried drinks before making his bow in the format in the final South Africa Test. He scored 12 in his only innings of that match but comes off the back of a stellar season with Yorkshire: a monster average of 107.44, with three hundreds – including a career best 194 against Kent – and a final tally of 967 from just eight matches.”The way in which Harry’s gone about his first-class cricket over the last year, we won’t see much difference out here in the subcontinent,” Stokes said. “Another one who’s a perfect like for like in the way they play for Jonny. He [Bairstow] is a big miss in this Test team out here, but very blessed to have someone like Brooky to replace him.”Stokes also discussed the importance of approaching this tour of Pakistan with an understanding life is more important than cricket. On Monday, the England captained revealed he would be dominating his match fees, understood to be approximately £50,000 (US$60,000) for this tour to the Pakistan flood appeal.”Coming here is a monumental time for English cricket and for Pakistan as a nation. There are bigger things to life than cricket. The floods were devastating to the country, and me coming out here and representing my country, bringing the sport back to the nation. There are things that go on in life that are bigger than sport and I felt compelled just to give something that is bigger than cricket.”Donations to the appeal can be made via the Disasters Emergency Committee.

After hitting his fifth T20I ton, Rohit starred again in the Super Overs to wrap up India’s clean sweep

Sidharth Monga17-Jan-20243:53

Takeaways: Relief for Rohit, spin-allrounder conundrum for India

Rohit Sharma became the first man to five T20I hundreds, as he took India from 22 for 4 to 212 for 4 through their highest partnership in T20Is, with Rinku Singh. It was not enough. He came out again to hit two sixes in the first Super Over, and then seemingly retired himself out to get a better runner at the non-striker’s end. Still not enough. He had to – and was allowed to – come back again and hit a six in the second Super Over too.This time, the valiant Afghans ran out of gas, hitting two short-of-a-length legbreaks straight to long-off to end a dramatic night still without an international win against India despite their highest score when chasing, despite stunning batting from Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi, and despite a great start with the ball in regulation time.Don’t let them tell you it was just a dead rubber of a bilateral series. Things happened that you don’t often see. Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz ran overthrows off the body on the last ball of the first Super Over, leaving Virat Kohli incensed and clapping in Nabi’s face.Related

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Minutes later, with two required off the last ball, Rohit, the non-striker, walked off to allow Rinku to take up the running duties. But Yashasvi Jaiswal’s bottom edge went only as far as the wicketkeeper, and the second tie necessitated another Super Over. Within one ball, Rohit was ready to bat again, which, under point 22 of Appendix F of the playing conditions, should have only be allowed if Rohit had earlier retired with an injury or illness or “any other unavoidable cause”.India were now batting first. So one ball later, Rohit smoked Fareed Ahmad, India’s tormentor with the new ball in regulation time, for a six and a four. If Rohit did indeed get away with one there, he would probably think he was owed one after a clearly high full toss earlier wasn’t called a no-ball. Or after the umpire kept him waiting on 0, following his two ducks earlier, by calling leg byes when he had hit the leather off a ball on a leg glance. The match, though, twisted more as Fareed got Rinku out on review and then Rohit ran himself out trying to steal a bye.Avesh Khan, who had gone for 55 in the main match, and Ravi Bishnoi, who had conceded 38, then warmed up throwing one ball at each other. When India saw two right-hand batters come out, they went to Bishnoi’s legspin, who didn’t repeat the earlier mistake of bowling too quick. He kept it slow and back of a length, and Nabi and Gurbaz just couldn’t impart enough power in their attempts to hit sixes.Nabi, especially, had batted like a dream during his brief stay in the main match. He hit three sixes in the 16 balls he faced to give a fledgling chase the kickstart it needed. In overs 15 and 16, he scored 31 of the 34 runs, as the spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Bishnoi, went flatter and quicker when under the pump.Gulbadin Naib’s unbeaten 55 took the contest to Super Over•BCCI

Washington Sundar then did the opposite. He bowled slow and away from the batters’ reach. It is like going against every natural instinct when you are under fire. He reaped rewards for it when he bowled the 17th over without a boundary, and also had Nabi caught at deep cover.Then Karim Janat, who had conceded 36 in the last over of India’s innings, got out immediately. The Afghan worm was still higher than India’s, but they needed 44 off 14. That’s how brutal the last few overs with the ball had been for Afghanistan. Now was when Naib found pace on the ball, and nearly ran away with the match with some sensational hits. The last of his sixes brought it down to five required off the last two.Mukesh Kumar, who would bowl straight yorkers successfully in the first Super Over, kept going for wide ones in the 20th over of Afghanistan’s innings, but got away with two hittable balls in the end. A weak throw from Rinku allowed Naib to come back for the second to level the scores.Not that the straight yorker is the only unequivocal option. Afghanistan bowlers tried a few of those and went for 103 in the last five overs, the highest in a T20I outside one Nepal vs Mongolia match. However, even that game was no match for the 58 India took in the last two overs.As it turned out, India needed every last one of those runs after the start they had had. On a pitch that started off tacky, Fareed and Azmatullah Omarzai made full use of the variable pace and movement out of the surface. Amid frequent miscues, India’s intent remained aggressive. Jaiswal skied towards deep midwicket trying to go over long-on, and Kohli and Sanju Samson bagged golden ducks trying to attack short-of-a-length balls. Omarzai got the better of Shivam Dube with three inswingers followed by one that nipped away.India players pose with the trophy after beating Afghanistan 3-0•BCCI

After the new-ball bowlers did through the powerplay, legspinner Qais Ahmad extracted grip and turn from the same surface later. He even extracted an lbw decision against Rinku, but on review, UltraEdge recorded a faint inside edge that naked eye missed even on slow-motion replays. Had Rinku not got it overturned, it would have left India at 49 for 5 in the ninth over.What followed might tempt some to use as vindication for the conventional method of a slow start – Rohit reached a run a ball only in the 12th over, and then followed an explosive acceleration as he smashed 93 off the last 35 balls he faced – but it wasn’t like Rohit had dropped anchor. He had tried all kinds of shots, including five reverse sweeps, which is four more than he has ever tried in a T20 innings. His first reverse-swept six in T20 cricket took him to 40 off 36, the first time his runs outnumbered the balls faced.Once he found that six, Rohit broke free. He began taking liberties, starting out by targeting the debutant Mohammad Saleem. He just began to shuffle to off to target the leg side. If the ball happened to be in the slot, he went over midwicket or down the ground; if not, he manipulated the field.It was vintage Rohit with a little help from his friend Rinku. Rohit dominated the first part of the slog overs, managing to nudge good balls into gaps for fours, and monstering errors in length. And once your good balls are nurdled for fours, those errors tend to increase. Rinku ended the innings with three consecutive sixes to give Rohit’s innings just the impetus it needed, but little would Rohit have known that he would need to play two more pretty special knocks in the night just to win this match.

South Australia had been well-placed before a middle-order wobble but Ben Manenti ensured against a full collapse

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2024South Australia and NSW were both been left satisfied but not fully content following an even opening day of their Sheffield Shield clash in Sydney.South Australia were in control early at 128 for 2 as Nathan McSweeney and Thomas Kelly posted fighting knocks before Ben Manenti resisted later in the day with an unbeaten half-centuryBut NSW hit back to limit the damage, ensuring their hunt for a spot in the Shield final remains alive. McSweeney’s innings was ended by a superb running catch from Daniel Hughes.NSW sit fourth on the ladder, and need to beat both South Australia and Queensland to have a chance of snaring a top-two berth.Chris Tremain, Jack Edwards, Chris Green and Jack Nisbet shared the bowling success.”I think everyone bowled very well today, especially the way we started,” Nisbet said. “During the middle overs when there was a partnership, I like the way we really stuck at it. To have them eight down at the end of the day, I think we’ll all be happy with that.”Kelly was disappointed South Australia didn’t make the most of their promising start, but felt the day ended evenly.”It’s probably a pretty even day – to not get bowled out after being dobbed in,” he said. We were definitely in front there…so to lose a couple is disappointing. The game is definitely in the balance. Hopefully Benny and Spence can push on tomorrow and get us towards 300.”For 23-year-old Kelly, the day was special after he posted his maiden first-class half-century in what is his sixth appearance.”I’ve been in and out [of the side] over the last few years, so it’s nice to finally get a bit of a run of it, and get past that first fifty,” he said. “Hopefully it flows from there.”

Madhya Pradesh were 15 for 3 replying to 484 and still have a long way to go

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2023Harsh Gawli and Yash Dubey put up an unbeaten 97-run stand to resurrect Madhya Pradesh’s innings after Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar rattled them early with the new ball.In reply to Rest of India’s (RoI) massive total of 484, Madhya Pradesh got off to a shaky start, as Mukesh struck in the first over getting Arham Aquil to edge behind for a duck. In the next over, Saini induced a thick outside edge off Himanshu Mantri’s bat with Dhull at second slip taking a superb catch. It wasn’t too long before Shubham Sharma walked back to the pavilion after Saini pinned him in front, leaving Madhya Pradesh reeling at 15 for 3.Gawli and Dubey then came together to resist the RoI bowlers, who were made to toil without rewards for the rest of the day. After a watchful start, the pair managed to hit a few boundaries to build up the score. Dubey also brought up his half-century with a four off Saini to backward point. At stumps, Madhya Pradesh had reached 112 for 3, with Gawli on 47 and Dubey on 53.Resuming the day on 381 for 3, RoI lost their nightwatch Saurabh Kumar early in the day for a duck. Yash Dhull then joined B Indrajith at the crease, as the duo took RoI’s total past 400. While Dhull displayed an aggressive intent, picking the gaps with every chance he got, Indrajith was more sedate at the crease. Indrajith’s 72-ball stay came to an end with him edging an Anubhav Agarwal delivery to the wicketkeeper. Soon after, Dhull brought up his fifty off 65 balls with a boundary.At one point, RoI were cruising towards 500 with Dhull going strong at one end. But with Upendra Yadav’s dismissal, RoI went on to lose their last five wickets for 18 runs. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya cleaned up Upendra for 14 before Agarwal had Atit Sheth caught behind for a duck at the stroke of lunch. Kartikeya then claimed the key scalp of Dhull, who played down the wrong line to be struck on his back pad. Saini and Pulkit Narang then hit three boundaries combined to take the total to 484 before Avesh Khan (4 for 74) struck back-to-back to finish the proceedings.