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The India captain stressed on keeping a calm team environment and trusting his experienced players to perform their roles in the semi-final

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-20246:19

Rohit: ‘I don’t think we need to change from what we did in 2022’

India’s captain Rohit Sharma stressed on the importance of keeping the team environment normal and clarity of thought as they prepare to take on England in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Providence, Guyana on June 27.”See, we want to treat this game as another game that we have played in this tournament,” he said on the eve of the match. “We don’t want to think about what lies ahead and what is the context of the game and all of that. Everyone knows in the back of their mind it’s a semi-final. But you don’t want to keep talking about it again and again and again. And not to think about what has happened in the past.”The fixture is a re-match of the semi-final at the T20 World Cup 2022, where India suffered a ten-wicket defeat against England in Adelaide.Related

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• Providence venue guide: Go hard in powerplay, expect sharp turn and low bounce

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“I think we are, all of us, the entire group is in a good frame of mind. We are playing well as a team, enjoying each other’s company, enjoying each other’s success at times as well. Yes, we’ve been put under pressure in certain games during this tournament as well, but I thought we responded pretty well. And that is probably because we’re not thinking too far ahead.”We want to think about how well we can play and what we can do as a team for us to achieve the result that we are looking for. Sometimes if you think too much, you then will not be able to make the decisions that you want to make on the field. So, I think it’s important that we stay clear in our mind what we want to do. We have had enough conversations with the players, what is expected out of each one of us. So, it’s time now to just rely on the individual instinct and then take the game forward.”Both India and England will be playing in Providence for the first time this T20 World Cup – it’s a 10.30am start – and assessing conditions quickly will be crucial.”I know it sounds very boring for me to talk about conditions, conditions, because that does matter a lot,” Rohit said. “Because in New York, we saw what the winning score was. So, we want to be a smart cricket team. We don’t want to just talk in one language, which is to just go and swing the bat.”I think it is important for us to understand what conditions are in front of us and what we have to do. And I have spoken about experience in this group, and we rely on that experience from each player to go out and make that decision, whether it is playing the reverse sweep, whether it is bowling a yorker, whether it is bowling a bouncer. We rely on those individuals to make that decision.”1:58

Defeat to England in 2022 semi-final was a ‘wake-up call’ for India – Manjrekar

When asked about India adopting an aggressive batting approach during this T20 World Cup, Rohit picked out their Super Eight contest against Bangladesh as the “perfect game”. In that match, India scored 196 for 5 with only one batter – Hardik Pandya – making more than 40 and the team won by 50 runs.”Yes, it’s important to play without fear,” Rohit said. “Of course. And we have created this environment in the team for the past few years … This format is like that now. Individual scores and individual brilliance don’t matter that much. If someone does it, it’s good, but you shouldn’t focus on it that I have to score 70 runs, 90, or 100 runs. I think the game that we played against Bangladesh was the perfect game. Why I say that is because only one guy scored 50 runs. Rest of the team scored 20 – 30, 20 – 30, and still we reached 198 [196]. Which is a very good score.”That is because the role that we have given each player – he did his role in his phase. That’s why we reached that score. I think this is what our team needs – if we play eight batsmen, they will play their roles and we will get the score we want.”I see the same with bowling – it’s not any one person’s day – they might not get a chance to bowl four overs. He will get a chance to bowl one or two overs. I keep talking to the players about this. I want one or two overs from you. I want those two tight overs. You are creating pressure here so that the other bowler can come and take the wicket from the other end.”So, these small things, we keep talking about these things in the team. I think the message in the team is very clear. Our focus is not on the individual score, it is on the role, how you will play the role.”

“He just has that different look in his eye this year – you can see that he’s probably hungrier than ever,” Ponting says after spending time with Shaw

Sreshth Shah24-Mar-2023Ricky Ponting feels IPL 2023 could be the season the “real Prithvi Shaw” turns up.”He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before,” Ponting told reporters in Delhi on Friday. “And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL.”He just has that different look in his eye this year – you can see that he’s probably hungrier than ever. Yes he’s had some success for us, but I think with the level of talent and ability that he’s got, I think we’re going to see the real Prithvi Shaw this season.”Related

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Shaw has played five IPL seasons with Delhi Capitals, with 2021 his best, when he scored 479 runs at an average of 31.93 and a strike rate of 159.14. Barring that, he has largely been inconsistent, with a tournament average of 25.21 and a strike rate of 147.45, but he was retained by the side ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.Over the past 18 months, Shaw has had an up-and-down time, falling off the pace as a contender for a spot in India’s white-ball squads initially, and then struggling with his fitness. He last represented India in July 2021.However, he bounced back in the 2022-23 domestic season with consistent scores for West Zone, India A and Mumbai, with big hundreds in the Duleep Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Ranji Trophy, which translated into his inclusion in the T20I squad in January. His 383-ball 379 against Assam is the second-highest Ranji score of all time.Most recently, though, Shaw was in the news when there was an alleged attack on him and his car, a matter that is being dealt by the police.Ponting, who is no stranger to trouble outside the field from his playing days, said that whether there had been issues outside the field, the one thing he can’t stand is lazy players who do not utilise the talent they possess. On that front, Ponting felt Shaw had been ticking all the right boxes.”It’s well documented that I had some issues early on, but it’s all about just being true to yourself and wanting to be the best that you can be,” Ponting said. “The one thing that I always say to our players is I don’t like laziness and I don’t like guys not utilising the talent that they’ve got. That’s one thing I always say.”And so that’s then my job as a coach. If I can see that guys aren’t working as hard as they should, they’re not getting the most out of them, then it’s up to me to try and change that. So, you know, it just seems to me that this season, though, something has really clicked in Prithvi. He seems to be in a better space than ever before.”Ponting has worked closely with Shaw since taking over the head coach’s role. In 2021, he had said that he hadn’t seen a batter as talented as Shaw in all his years in cricket, but also revealed that he disagreed with Shaw’s philosophy about practice, where he didn’t bat in the nets when he was struggling with form.Now, two years on, Ponting believes that his job as a head coach is as much about making the young squad members better people as it is about making them better cricketers. He said that cricketers having their personal lives in order allows them to be disciplined sportspersons on the field too.1:27

Ponting: No Pant leaves big hole, still undecided on wicketkeeper

“The thing about the IPL is you’re seeing so many younger players getting an opportunity. They’re maybe not ready for it. I mean, I think they’re ready for the cricket side of it, but a lot of the guys are not ready for what comes with that,” Ponting said. “There wasn’t as much spotlight on me, I guess, back as a young player as there is on some of the young Indian guys.”As a player, sometimes you want to play cricket, you want to get out there and represent your team, represent your franchise, and represent your country, but sometimes you don’t see the bigger picture of it. There’s a bigger picture out there than just you playing cricket. It’s how everyone else perceives you in the real world.”So that’s my job to make them better players, but at the end of the day, I want to make them better people as well. That’s a big part. The better person you are, I think it’s easier to become a better player. And if you haven’t got your personal life in order off the field, it’s really difficult to be a disciplined performer on the field. So that’s one of the things that I try to teach because I’ve been there and done it.”Capitals begin their IPL 2023 campaign away at Lucknow Super Giants on April 1, looking to improve from their fifth-place finish last season. They have named David Warner as captain in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant, with Axar Patel named vice-captain.

Glenton Stuurman and Prenelan Subrayen are back in the mix too, while Sisanda Magala and Ryan Rickelton have earned maiden call-ups

Firdose Moonda07-Dec-2021Duanne Olivier could make a Test comeback after an absence of almost three years after being named in a 21-player squad for the upcoming three-Test series against India. The squad includes two new faces – seamer Sisanda Magala and top-order batter Ryan Rickelton, who were both part of the ODI line-up that played in the series against Netherlands, which had to be postponed because of the latest Covid-19 outbreak – and recalls for offspin-bowling allrounder Prenelan Subrayen and quick bowler Glenton Stuurman, who have been part of previous Test squads but haven’t been capped.The rest of the group is largely the same as the one that toured West Indies in June, which is when South Africa last played Test cricket. That series, which South Africa won 2-0, was Dean Elgar’s first as the regular captain. The upcoming one against India will be his first in charge at home. His vice-captain, Temba Bavuma, who was on tour in the Caribbean but missed the Tests because of injury, is also in the squad.Related

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South Africa have given themselves several options in all departments, especially in the bowling attack. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are expected to lead the pack, with Lungi Ngidi included after recovering from Covid-19, two left-armers in Marco Jansen and Beuran Hendricks, and two right-arm options in Stuurman and Magala.A lot of the focus, though, will be on Olivier, who has been in exceptional form for the Lions and leads the first-class wickets chart this season with 28 strikes at 11.14, including two five-wicket hauls.Olivier spoke to ESPNcricinfo after the last round of fixtures and confirmed that he had been in discussion with selection convener Victor Mpitsang and was available for South Africa again after his Kolpak-enforced absence. He is the second Kolpak-returnee to be selected for a national squad after Wayne Parnell, who played against Netherlands.Conditions, on the whole, are expected to favour quicks, especially at SuperSport Park and Wanderers, where the first two Tests are scheduled to be played, but Newlands could offer something for spinners and South Africa have three of them too. Keshav Maharaj remains the first pick, and will have back-up in allrounders George Linde and Subrayen. Tabraiz Shamsi, who was part of the Test squad in West Indies, has not been selected while there was also no room for the second-highest wicket-taker – behind Olivier – in the first-class competition, Simon Harmer. But South Africa have included one seam-bowling allrounder in Wiaan Mulder.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The batting line-up has a more familiar look to it, with Sarel Erwee providing back-up to Elgar and Aiden Markram at the top of the order, and Rassie van der Dussen, Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne and de Kock expected to make up the top six.Rickelton, the other back-up batter who is in tenth place on the first-class run chart, has been preferred over Tony de Zorzi and Pieter Malan, who are leading run-scorers in the ongoing series between South Africa A and India A.This is South Africa’s first series in the 2021-2023 cycle of the World Test Championship, and first series at home since they hosted Sri Lanka over the festive period last summer. They finished fifth in the previous edition of the ICC tournament, winning two series – against Sri Lanka and West Indies – and losing three – to England, India and Pakistan. It also marks the start of a busy summer for South Africa in which they host India, travel to New Zealand, and host Bangladesh, before a winter tour in England, and it was all very nearly derailed after the discovery of Omicron, the new Covid-19 variant last month.The series has been pushed out by a week – it was initially scheduled to be played from December 17, and the first Test will now start on Boxing Day. The players will be in a biosecure bubble for the duration of the series, although they can expect to see some fans. As things stand in South Africa, 2,000 fully-vaccinated fans are permitted at sporting venues but this may change if further restrictions come into place in the next few weeks.

The board wants a 40,000-capacity venue in the capital in order to strengthen its bids for ICC events

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-May-2020Sri Lanka Cricket is intent on constructing a new 40,000-capacity stadium in Colombo in addition to the existing R Premadasa Stadium in Khettarama.Primarily, the board appears to be interested the highest-capacity sports venue in the country in order to strengthen bids on major ICC events in the next rights cycle. This, despite calls by players for Khettarama’s existing training facilities to be enhanced.SLC has ordered a feasibility study on the new ground, and according to the board CEO has been “allocated” 26 acres of land by the Sri Lankan government, east of the city, in Homagama. On Sunday, SLC president Shammi Silva appeared in a photo-opportunity with government minister Bandula Gunawardana at the proposed site. While a public commitment to building the stadium has been made, many of the details are yet to take shape.For now, board CEO Ashley de Silva has said that while the government – and by extension the taxpayer – will provide land, the cost of the stadium’s construction “will have to be borne by SLC”. This would be the second stadium SLC has committed to building in the last few years. The board had also announced in 2017 that it would build a stadium in the northern city of Jaffna, but has failed to begin work on that ground. De Silva confirmed that a feasibility study on the Jaffna venue has not been completed yet.”Discussions are going on about the stadium at a high level about the ground in Colombo, which the board’s executive has been made aware of,” de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “We are looking at it very positively for now and we have got the process started. The details will have to be worked out.”The ground at Khettarama, which currently hosts the majority of limited-overs matches played in Colombo, is now believed by the board to be insufficient in light of the board’s desire to bid on two major tournaments in particular.”We’re making bids for World Cups, and you would need five stadiums in order to host a big event of that nature,” de Silva said. “Tournaments like this bring money into the country.”The Khettarama ground only has maximum capacity of around 25,000 and we would need another floodlit ground in Colombo for day-night matches. Khettarama is also being used as a training venue for all our squads.”The ICC, however, does not appear to have stipulated a certain number of venues in a potential host country, nor required those venues to have a certain capacity, in order to make successful World Cup bids. These factors do come into play when the ICC assesses a potential host nation’s suitability, but general practice is that upgrades to existing facilities or construction of new stadiums occurs only after tournament hosting rights have been secured.In a normal year, the Khettarama ground is frequently filled to capacity for T20 matches, but almost always has seating to spare during ODI games. Tests in Colombo are usually played at either the P Sara Oval or the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, neither of which have floodlights. Capacity is not a concern for the longest format, in any case.Although SLC is expressing significant interest in building a stadium, it has not addressed long-standing calls to upgrade the existing training facilities at Khettarama. High-profile players have called for a swimming pool to be built at Khettarama to assist with low-impact rehabilitation work, but five years after a pool’s construction was put in motion, council approval has not yet been obtained for the structure.There is also no indoor nets facility at Khettarama, which has proved a challenge not only to Sri Lanka’s own players, but to visiting teams, who must train indoors at the Nondescripts Cricket Club across town.It is unclear whether the ICC has ever indicated that Sri Lanka must have a certain number of stadiums of a certain capacity in order to make a successful bid for hosting rights. The 2012 World T20 was held successfully across three venues – Khettarama, Hambantota and Pallekele – while the Dambulla ground has also come back into use for day-night cricket. The SSC, P Sara and Galle grounds also remain viable options for day games, though it does not appear as if any of those grounds will get floodlights installed anytime soon.In the early parts of this year, Khettarama underwent renovations. According to de Silva, SLC has not yet worked out how much the new stadium in Homagama would cost.

The hosts have won all seven ODIs at the Wanderers since they started wearing pink for this fixture, and will wrap up a series win if they make it eight in a row

The Preview by Liam Brickhill26-Jan-2019

Big Picture

A see-sawing series turns celebratory as Pakistan and South Africa return to Johannesburg for the annual PinkDay ODI event at the Wanderers. This will be the eighth edition of the popular fixture, which has helped to raise nearly R 5 million (USD 370,000 approx) for various breast-cancer-awareness organisations over the past six years.and a crowd of 24,000 is expected with tickets sold out.There’s a special mood at these pink games, and the fixture has created some singular memories over the years, such as when bees (perhaps attracted to the hot pink) stopped play halfway through Sri Lanka’s innings in 2017, with all 13 players, as well as two umpires, lying facedown on the grass. Last year, the PinkDay ODI was the only one out of six in which South Africa managed to beat India, and three years ago Imran Tahir hit the winning runs in a one-wicket win over England. Most notably, of course, the PinkDay was also the occasion of AB de Villiers’ defining innings, when he smashed 16 sixes – and the record for the fastest ODI ton – during his 44-ball 149 against West Indies in 2015.Their misadventures with insect infestations at the Wanderers during this tour notwithstanding, Pakistan have all the ingredients to play their part in what should be another engaging encounter to add to the storied narrative of South Africa’s PinkDay games. The visitors have held their own during the three ODIs so far, even as controversy threatened to derail their tour after the second match.Chasing has been key to success in the series so far, with Pakistan winning the first match by five wickets before South Africa reversed the result to draw level and then pulled ahead at a soggy Centurion. The quick turnaround leaves no time for what-ifs and navel-gazing from Pakistan, but the momentum is with South Africa and given the history of the occasion, the hosts will be very hard to beat.

Form guide

South Africa WWLWL (completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLWWL

In the spotlight

Sarfraz Ahmed has barely left the spotlight since the second ODI, though the extra attention had more to do with his mouth than his gloves or bat. While there has been no announcement from the ICC about an official sanction for Safraz’ comments to Andile Phehlukwayo, his words have cast a shadow over the tour and on the field Sarfraz has pushed himself down the order as low as no. 8 with middling results. His actions will continue to be scrutinised, as will his returns as captain.The no. 7 position in South Africa’s XI is one of the few places in the side without a settled incumbent. Andile Phehlukwayo staked a bold claim for the position with his career-best performance in Durban, but then leaked 71 runs at Centurion. It’s a position Dwaine Pretorius might also look to fill, and behind him Chris Morris and Wiaan Mulder – both included in South Africa’s T20 squad – will also have designs on it. Another strong all-round showing from Phehlukwayo would go some way towards holding off the competition.Fakhar Zaman swivels into a pull•Getty Images

Team news

Left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks should get another chance on what has become his home ground with the Lions franchise, and if the track looks flat and hard South Africa may look to bolster their seam attack and lower order with allrounder Dwaine Pretorius, who also plays his domestic cricket here. If not, South Africa may look to swap Tabraiz Shamsi for Imran Tahir, who has a decent record at this ground with 7 wickets at 22.57, after Shamsi put in an inconsistent performance at Centurion.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Beuran Hendricks, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi/Imran TahirSarfraz Ahmed has apologised in person to Andile Phehlukwayo for his racially-charged on-field taunt, but is yet to face any official sanction for the incident from the ICC. That issue aside, Pakistan’s selections, like South Africa’s, will be influenced by conditions. While the top order
is fairly stable, Faheem Ashraf’s seamers could put him ahead of Imad Wasim, though Imad’s handy lower-order runs at Centurion will be hard to ignore. Fakhar Zaman’s poor returns in the series could see him make way to set up Shan Masood’s ODI debut, Masood having looked in decent nick during the Tests.Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman/Shan Masood, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Imad Wasim/Faheem Ashraf, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pitch and conditions

Limited-overs pitches at the Wanderers tend to provide some of the best batting conditions anywhere in the country, and 400 has been breached three times in ODIs here (including twice, famously, in the same game). The last time South Africa and Pakistan met in an ODI here, South Africa racked up 343 for 5 to win by 34 runs and anything other than a belter would be something of a surprise. Don’t be surprised, though, if there’s a little rain around in the afternoon, as there often is at this time of the year on the Highveld.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have never lost a Pink ODI.
• During the course of the third ODI, Imam ul Haq became the second-fastest player to 1000 runs in ODIs.
• Hashim Amla needs to score 89 to reach 500 runs at the Wanderers, entering the top five of the list of ODI runscorers at a ground where he is also just four runs shy of the record for most Test runs.

Quotes

“PinkDay will once again demonstrate the remarkable power of how sport can mobilise support for a cause that affects millions of people around the world.”

The current trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the pace trio of 2013, according to Ryan Harris

Daniel Brettig07-Nov-2017Ryan Harris rates Australia’s Ashes pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins as superior to the trio he formed with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle to inflict a 5-0 sweep on England in 2013-14, but believes both teams face potential trouble in the form of unsettled batting line-ups.In a judgement some may find surprising, given the older group combined for a total of 627 Test wickets, including 75 in that Ashes series alone, Harris said that this summer’s combination boasted a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the one he was a part of, starting with Hazlewood’s greater height.”I think so. Hazlewood’s probably doing the job that I did and he’s quicker than me, and he gets more bounce,” Harris said in Adelaide when asked if the current attack was better than his own. “And you’ve got Starc who can definitely do a Johnson role, and you’ve got Cummins so you’ve probably got an extra bit of pace.”Cummins on his day, he’s fast as well. Obviously we did a good job last time but the key is going to be working as a team, as a bowling unit. That’s what we did well last time and obviously got the results.”Australia and England each enter the series with doubt swirling around their batting line-ups – for the visitors at the top of the order and the hosts in the middle order. Then there is the uncertainty around the possible participation of Ben Stokes – pending a police investigation and an ECB internal investigation – after his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub during the northern season. Harris said these issues raised the potential for a closer series than four years ago.”I think both squads are a bit unsettled, more on their batting line-ups, which I think brings them closer together,” Harris said. “I think Australia have got a pretty good idea of who they want to pick but having unsettled feelings going into that first Test – the bowling line-ups are fine – but I think they’re on even par with their batting line-ups.””[Stokes missing] it’s huge. He’s the one that if England lose wickets at the top he is the one that comes out and steadies or counter-attacks. It’s a big hole for England to be honest. I’m sure Australia will be happy he’s not here but they’d also want him here because you want to play against and win against the best. I guess time will tell whether he comes but I think it’s a big hole for them.”Joe Root’s tourists are in Adelaide preparing for a four-day floodlit fixture that will give them a first look at the conditions in which the inaugural day-night Ashes Test will be staged in early December. Harris is coaching a Cricket Australia XI that lacks bowlers of the sort of velocity expected from Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood, but he still expected the adjustment to be a challenging one for England.”The ball will probably swing early around start time, it may stop swinging in that sort of 30-45 overs and then when it gets to dusk the grass seems to stand up and it zips around,” he said. “We saw in the Shield game the other week that Starc got it to talk a bit around that time when the sun goes down.”Talking to a couple of boys they find it tough to bat around that time so that’s where we’ll try to make it as hard as we can for them. Hopefully we’re not batting around that time, that’s my plan. But they’ll have to get used to that real hard seeing time, and we’ve got some good bowlers here. We haven’t got the pace of Starc or Cummins or Hazlewood, but they’ll have to get used to it.”As for the possibility that the moving pink ball would provide an advantage for England, Harris said he saw bowling attacks as the strong suit of each team. “The bowling line-ups are world class and I think they’re going to have a big say on each Test match,” he said. “With the ball moving around, it’s been well documented that we’ve had trouble with that, but we’re in our own conditions.”But Anderson and Broad – I’m not sure about England’s third quick, probably Woakes – but those two blokes can destroy games and destroy line-ups and they’re proven good bowlers over here. Anderson’s gotten better in these conditions, it’s pacey and Broad likes
the pace.”Having met with the national coach Darren Lehmann before venturing to Adelaide, Harris said the invitational side was not planning to “bat for four days” but would endeavour to make life difficult for the tourists, while also keeping a close eye out for any information that might be useful once the Test matches start.

Moeen Ali has said that England’s batting approach in the second ODI against Bangladesh was similar to how they played before their surge in limited-overs cricket

Mohammad Isam11-Oct-2016Moeen Ali has said that England’s batting approach in the second ODI against Bangladesh was similar to how the team played before their surge over the last 18 months in limited-overs cricket. He said that the team would rather lose while playing with their new-found, aggressive method than take a step back.On Sunday, in the second ODI, their innings run rate was 4.56 per over, their third-lowest in a completed innings over the last 18 months. They also struck only 17 fours and single six, while they have had at least seven matches during this time when they struck at least 10 sixes. But a disciplined bowling effort from Bangladesh and a sluggish pitch slowed them down in the 44.4 overs.”I think the most disappointing thing was that we batted a little bit like the old England for the first time in a couple of years,” Moeen said on the eve of the series-decider in Chittagong. “That’s more disappointing, the way we lost. We would rather lose the game playing the way we played in the last two years. So hopefully tomorrow [Wednesday] we can play the way we have been batting and not just throw our wickets away. It was a decent pitch to bat on.”Since their early exit in the 2015 World Cup, England have won four of the six bilateral ODI series. Fourteen of their 48 300-plus scores have come in the 32 matches during this period. Twice they have gone past 400 runs, a score they never touched earlier, and their overall run-rate in this period, 6.27 runs per over, is the highest among all teams.Eight of their batsmen have 100-plus strike-rates, making this one of the most aggressive England limited-overs line-ups in history. Another major indicator of their batting improvement is the increase in their historic run-rate, from 4.71 to 4.78, in these 18 months.Moeen said that they were not too concerned by the sudden downturn in their batting aggression, but admitted the team needed a quick turnaround.”We just took a small step back, it wasn’t as bad as probably the way Bangladesh batted in the first game. But these things can happen when you are chasing. We didn’t play the way we can play,” he said. “We played like we played almost back in the day.”England’s practice session was also affected by the heavy rain in Chittagong. The visitors could only finish their warm-ups in the morning session on Tuesday, and most of their net session was held at the indoor facilities.”We are used to this weather. Some of the guys had a hit, some guys have gone indoors,” Moeen said. “It is more of a mental preparation. Some guys batted well last game so preparation-wise, we are fine.”Moeen said that Bangladesh probably took their foot off the pedal towards the end of the first game, which allowed the visitors a dramatic win, but he felt England had not yet played their best game in the series.”We are a different side now than we were before. I know the last game we didn’t bat well,” he said. “Bangladesh are good at home anyway, any ground at home. It just eggs us on to score big runs and win.”It’s going to be a tough game for us we know that, they should have probably won the first game they let us off a little bit. We still have our best to come.”

Left-arm spinner Rahil Shah ended with match figures of 9 for 81, helping Tamil Nadu seal a thrilling seven-run win against Baroda in Chennai

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai03-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Rahil Shah ended with match figures of 9 for 81•Sivaraman Kitta

With the ball ripping and spitting from a length on a Chennai minefield, any target in the fourth innings was going to be a difficult task. Baroda’s left-arm spinner Bharghav Bhatt’s match haul of 10 wickets had helped his team edge ahead at stumps on the second day, but it was Rahil Shah’s nine wickets which tipped a see-sawing thriller Tamil Nadu’s way. Seconds after the No.11 Sagar Mangalorkar was snaffled by Rahil, the spinner was mobbed by his team-mates in a raucous celebration.

Tamil Nadu captain Abhinav Mukund on…

The rank turner and the last-gasp finish
“It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat. Even though there was a partnership of 10-13 runs, we knew it would be hard for a new batsman. We always knew it was a matter of just one wicket. We got a lucky strike, hitting the gloves of Dinesh and carrying to Bharath [slip]. Pinal Shah – that was an important wicket. The bowlers kept believing.”
The key moment of the match
“Yusuf Pathan’s wicket was the turning point. His 41 in the first innings gave them momentum and he also started rotating the strike, which was more dangerous on wickets like this. There was a big plan. It was important we learned from the mistakes in the first innings. We put our best fielders there [deep midwicket and long-on]. Instinctively, I thought the batsman would predetermine his shot to mid-wicket. I wanted to prevent that as that was his only option. I removed silly point and it worked.”
Playing his 100th first-class game
“Not a memorable [milestone] for me personally as I got a pair, but an excellent one for the team and I’m happy. I thought we bowled brilliantly and fielded really well”

While Rahil punched the early holes and wrapped up the innings, Malolan Rangarajan and DT Chandrasekar took care of the middle order. Baroda had more than a whiff of a chance when Deepak Hooda and Hardik Pandya took the attack to the hosts in a 33-run partnership, but Tamil Nadu held their nerve to open their Ranji campaign with a victory.Rahil opened the bowling and found success in his second over of the day when he dismissed Hitesh Solanki for 7. Two balls later, he roared again after having Aditya Waghmode caught at slip for nought but it was nipped in the bud, with replays showing that Rahil’s foot was on the line. Waghmode added only six before he was snapped up smartly by Baba Aparajith, who gave the Baroda captain a mini send-off.Malolan followed that strike with the wickets of Kedar Devdhar and Yusuf Pathan, as Baroda were reduced to 50 for 4 in 17.2 overs. There were only about 10 people in the stands at the start of the second session, after the first was washed out by a persistent drizzle, but once Malolan zipped away, the crowd started slowly building up.Tamil Nadu’s captain Abhinav Mukund identified Yusuf’s wicket as the crucial one after the match and also admitted that it was a plan to place a fielder at deep midwicket. Yusuf had slugged two sixes off Malolan in the first innings and had consistently targeted the leg-side gaps. In the second dig, Yusuf swiped at a ball that was not full enough, and holed out to deep midwicket for 5.Deepak Hooda, who had walked in with his side still 72 runs away from the target, began positively with back-to-back fours. The fourth ball he faced was laced inside out over the covers but it was the powerful reverse-sweep over backward point that stood out. He continued to be positive with his score at various points reading: 14 off 4, 24 off 9, and 30 off 14.Hardik Pandya then fed off Hooda’s approach and pinged Chandrasekar for a six down the ground. Chandrasekar, however, held one back in the next over and had Pandya nicking behind for a run-a-ball 17. Four overs later, Chandrasekar, wary of Hooda tripping down the wicket, shortened his length and hoodwinked the batsman.With a close finish looming, Tamil Nadu remained calm, but they also enjoyed some good fortune. Pinal Shah, who was sharp behind the stumps, edged one behind, and the ball ricocheted off Dinesh Karthik’s gloves and settled into the hands of Bharath Shankar. Murtuja Vahora was then given out leg before despite signs of an inside snick.The close-in catchers also showed good composure, as Rahil wiped off the tail with four wickets in two overs, which culminated in a seven-run win.

West Indies’ net run rate is now miles ahead of South Africa’s and England’s in their Super Eight group

Danyal Rasool22-Jun-20242:02

Ganga: Chase is a utility player for West Indies

West Indies 130 for 1 (82*) beat United States of America 128 (Gous 29, Chase 3-19, Russell 3-31) by nine wicketsFor much of T20 World Cup 2024, USA haven’t looked out of place against any side, but West Indies were a class apart against them. A brilliant bowling performance from the spinners spearheaded by Roston Chase was followed up by a chase that was sledgehammer-like in its brutality. Shai Hope crunched an unbeaten 82 off 39 balls, smashing eight sixes along the way as Nicholas Pooran helped him finish the game off with 55 balls and nine wickets to spare.By the end, the contest looked like the first real mismatch USA have been on the wrong side of as they ran out of ideas bowling to Hope, who until now had only played one match all tournament. He would reach his half-century in just 26 balls – the fastest in T20 World Cup history for West Indies – before only speeding up after Jonathan Charles holed out. Pooran and Hope unleashed fire and fury towards the end as the game hurtled to an early finish, plundering the last 53 runs in just 14 deliveries.The game was set up, though, by a disciplined bowling performance led by the wily old hand of Chase. Not by any means West Indies’ most glamorous spinner, Chase didn’t even get to bat against England in the previous game. He showed his all-round value with a statement performance, though, ripping through the USA’s middle order and breaking the back of the innings.Akeal Hosein had played his customary role upfront, squeezing USA in the powerplay, while Andre Russell’s three wickets helped the hosts continue to shackle USA whenever they tried to get a partnership going. The extra bounce Alzarri Joseph generated to dismiss Andries Gous just as he was beginning to whir into full gear ended up being the sliding doors moment for USA, who, in truth, were never close to competitive from that moment on. West Indies, meanwhile, are back with a bang.

Gous’ brief resistance

It seems a long time ago, but for a short while in the second half of the powerplay in the first innings, it looked as if Gous – now the second-highest scorer of this tournament – had turned the tide on West Indies. Halfway through, it was West Indies’ powerplay, having conceded just 13 in the first three overs. But Gous, who nearly took USA home against South Africa with an unbeaten 80 off 47, stormed to a flier once more, punishing the length deliveries of Joseph to help plunder 35 off the final three of the powerplay.It helped USA put on 48 in the first six – their second-highest powerplay score at this World Cup. But with large parts of the middle order misfiring since their early couple of wins, USA needed Gous to press on as he did in the previous game. So when he holed out off Joseph after a bright 16-ball 29, trouble brewed for the co-hosts.

Chase leads the West Indies rally

Roston Chase picked consecutive wickets in the 14th over•ICC/Getty Images

West Indies did not allow USA to post a big score and take the game deep; they were chasing net run rate as well as points in Barbados. Once Joseph had cleared Gous from the path, Chase and Gudakesh Motie had free rein to run rings round the rest. A bit of extra turn did for Nitish Kumar, but it was the Chase show from there.Aaron Jones had just walloped a 101m six, but it didn’t stop Chase bravely flighting the first ball of the spell up to him on the stumps. Jones missed and Chase cleaned him up, but it was the double-strike in his third over that truly crippled USA. Corey Anderson’s desperate run with the bat continued when he was trapped on the back pad plumb in front, before slowing the next one right up, duping Harmeet Singh into lobbing it up straight to point. Chase was wisely bowled out in one four-over spell, with figures of 3 for 19 not flattering him in the slightest.

It’s Hope that kills USA off

There were calls for Hope to be included in West Indies’ starting line-up right from the start. Instead, it’s Brandon King’s injury that paved the way for him to come in, and leaving him out suddenly feels even more perplexing. He lit up his home ground with a sizzling display, ensuring West Indies got ahead of the rate early, and from thereon the contest turned into a run-rate salvage operation.No bowler was spared the brutality of his raw power, and when a heave over mid-off cleared the rope, he brought up a scintillating half-century. But Hope wasn’t fading away; if anything he kicked it up a notch, smashing the hapless Milind Kumar for three consecutive sixes in the ninth over, priming West Indies to the sort of run-rate boosting win they so badly needed.

Aggressive approach inspired by senior team helps fuel tense final day in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2023England U19 314 (Singh 67, Hurst 55) and 254 (McKinney 70, Foreman 58*) beat Australia U19 268 (Singh 64, Anderson 53, Foreman 4-66) and 276 (Blackford 106, Kelly 5-69) by 24 runsBen McKinney, the England men’s Under-19s opener, said that his team had taken inspiration from Ben Stokes’ seniors after securing a first Youth Test victory in Australia since 2003.England’s 24-run victory came on a tense final day in Brisbane, as Australia – 142 for 4 overnight, chasing 301 – were bowled out for 276 with the Hampshire seamer, Dominic Kelly, claiming figures of 5 for 69.Kelly’s wickets included the crucial dismissal of Australia’s top-scorer Liam Blackford, who had reduced the deficit to 34 before he was ninth man out for 106, with McKinney himself claiming the catch that exposed the tail.”We got ahead of the game and took a good initiative, which is how we want to play in every game,” McKinney said after the match. “We took a few risks, but we always felt we could bowl them out. We were pretty confident, and then we had a great finish on the final day.”Despite the final-day tension, England had held the upper hand for much of the match. They secured a useful first-innings lead of 46, thanks to half-centuries from Harry Singh and Matthew Hurst and a four-wicket haul for Bertie Foreman, then pressed along at five runs an over in setting Australia’s target of 301.McKinney, England’s white-ball captain, set the tempo from the top of the order with 70 from 45 balls, while Foreman’s unbeaten 58 from 59 balls at No.10 helped lift the total from a dicey 172 for 8 to 254 all out.”It was quite tough early on, but the boys did well in the middle and worked hard for a good score,” McKinney said. “That first innings was the only score above 300 all match. Then we bowled them out in less than a day, which really helped us get some control. The way we went about it was pretty aggressive. We had good fields and our approach was different to what they wanted to try to do.”We’re going to follow suit from the England Men’s senior team,” he added. “We’ve got the skill level already, but this approach also helps your skills to progress because you’re not worried too much: you’re just focused on your strengths. That’s the best way to play. The last time the men’s U19s won in Australia was 2003, and maybe this approach is the difference. I think our aggressive intent definitely helped us win this Test.”England and Australia meet again in Brisbane next week for the second Test, before three ODIs and a T20I, and McKinney said the experience of the trip was already proving invaluable, ahead of a 2023 home summer in which he hopes to break into Durham’s first team.”It’s been so good,” he said. “Obviously, the main goal was to win every single game, the next match is the next big test.”It’s my first time in Australia and it’s a great place to be. But the tour is about winning. Our reaction when the last wicket fell showed that. But when we’re playing this way, it’s also helping us to socialise and get together as a team.”The main thing I’ve learned to face is the length of time you’re away from home,” he added. “I’ve never been away for 35 days before. That’s the toughest part. You’ve got to learn when to switch on and when to switch off. While you’ve got to concentrate on your game, you’ve also got to know how and when to step away. It’s about keeping your confidence level high, and all the boys are doing that so far.”England’s last Youth Test victory over Australia featured a team boasting five future international players – Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Luke Wright, Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan – who defeated their Under-19 counterparts by 14 runs in Adelaide.