Australia have World Cup winners Head, Maxwell and Zampa waiting in the wings, while India have all-round options in Dube and Washington to pick from

Vishal Dikshit25-Nov-20230:59

Tilak Varma: I am learning from Rinku Singh how to finish games

Big picture: Expect swing in ThiruvananthapuramWhat did the ODI World Cup not give you? Enough last-ball thrillers? Runs from Suryakumar Yadav and Josh Inglis? Wristspinners being carted around? Well, that’s why we have bilaterals…A mere four days after Australia’s World Cup triumph, a bunch of their players stayed back – and others joined them – for a five-match T20I series, which started with a nail-biting game that ended with a last-ball six that didn’t even find a place in the scoreboard. Line-ups and fortunes changed so much that Steven Smith opened the batting, Ishan Kishan walked in at No. 3, and Inglis hammered Australia’s joint-fastest men’s T20I century. But some other things remained the same. Suryakumar’s domination was back as the format changed, India still had just seven batters, runs continued to flow on an Indian ground, and even though Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins flew home, Australia’s bowlers found a way to bounce back and nearly win after India needed just 14 from 12 and seven from the last over.Related

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The action now moves further south to Thiruvananthapuram, where the last T20I, in September 2022, saw South Africa collapse to 9 for 5 in overcast conditions. It could be overcast again, given it rained on Saturday, and could force the teams to change their plans.If the ball does swing, Smith’s technical expertise will be handy for Australia before the more hard-hitting batters take over. They would, however, want some more runs beyond Smith and Inglis. The pair accounted for over 80% of the runs that were scored by Australia in the series opener, though they faced 91 balls between them. Marcus Stoinis faced just six balls and he will be itching to smash the ball after managing just 87 runs in five World Cup innings. Australia will also rue not scoring more than 208 on a batting track after being 179 for 2 with three overs to go. That had to do with India’s quicks, especially Mukesh Kumar, who sent down a mixed bag of slower ones, bouncers, yorkers and hard lengths to stem the flow of runs, capped by a stunning five-run last over.India were in some trouble at both ends of their chase, especially where they nearly fluffed their lines by slipping from 194 for 4 to 208 for 8 before Rinku Singh’s last-ball six gave the packed house a smile to go back with, even though Sean Abbott’s no-ball robbed Rinku off that six. It is this brittleness in the lower-middle order that India will again be wary of, especially given their batting ends at No. 7, unless they change their combination. Will they bring in an allrounder like Washington Sundar or Shivam Dube (in swinging conditions) for legspinner Ravi Bishnoi, who leaked 54 in four overs, after just one game?Australia have World Cup winners Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa – as well as Travis Head – to pick from•ICC/Getty Images

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Australia LWWWWIn the spotlight – Ravi Bishnoi and Marcus StoinisRavi Bishnoi took 13 wickets in eight games and gave away just 6.09 runs an over for Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while the World Cup was on. Among his highlights this year was the four wickets in Ireland in two games. He got just one T20I in the Caribbean, in which he went wicketless. He could, however, draw confidence from the 16 wickets he got in the IPL that played a crucial role in Lucknow Super Giants’ third-place finish. But there, too, he leaked 7.74 runs an over, and how he responds in the second T20I, keeping in mind the race for spots for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June, will be worth watching.A batting average of 21.75 and a bowling average of 35.75 in six World Cup games must have made Marcus Stoinis desperate to show his A game in this series. He struck an unbeaten 37 off 21 to lead Australia’s chase of 191 to whitewash South Africa before the World Cup, but the main tournament saw him getting out in the back end of the innings when the team expected more runs from him than he scored, with a highest of 35 from five innings. The shorter format could free him up, like it did for Suryakumar, and helping the team level the series could give him the lift he needs.Team newsIndia may not make many changes since it’s a five-match series. What was a surprise, though, in the first game was slotting Kishan in at No. 3 when it was assumed he would be in a race for the opening slot with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The possibility of swing could make India change their combination, and bringing in Dube for a spinner could be an option, but leaving out Axar Patel would be unfair and replacing Bishnoi with Dube would seriously undermine India’s bowling options. India’s other options outside the XI of the first T20I are Jitesh Sharma, Washington and Avesh Khan.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Mukesh KumarThere was rain on Saturday, and there is rain forecast for match day too•AFP/Getty Images

Australia don’t have a big reason to tinker with their XI but their World Cup winners Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head and Adam Zampa have stayed back and will be slotted back at some point. Whether Head slots it for Smith or Matthew Short will be the question – whenever it comes up – and Tanveer Sangha’s expensive spell – 47 runs in four overs – wasn’t great for him or the team. The other players in their squad are Aaron Hardie and Kane Richardson.Australia (probable): 1 Steven Smith, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Josh Inglis, 4 Marcus Stoinis, 5 Tim David, 6 Aaron Hardie, 7 Matthew Wade (capt, wk), 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Jason Behrendorff, 11 Tanveer SanghaPitch and conditionsThiruvananthapuram has hosted just three T20I, and it hasn’t been easy for teams batting first, as the scores reflect: 67 for 5 (eight-over game), 170 for 7 on a slow pitch, and 106 for 8. Barring the rain-truncated first game, teams chasing have won and that might be the better option on Sunday too, with rain around. It will be humid and temperatures will be in the late 20s and early 30s.Stats and trivia The last time Australia beat India in a T20I was in September 2022, just before the T20 World Cup Suryakumar and Maxwell are one century away from joining Rohit Sharma at the top for most centuries in T20Is (four) Inglis’ 110 was the second time an Australia batter’s T20I century ended on the losing side. Shane Watson’s unbeaten 124 off 71 in Sydney in early 2016 was the first such instance – India were the opponents then too. Inglis has smashed three T20 centuries in his career, and all of them have come outside Australia. The other two were for Leicestershire in the Vitality Blast in 2021. All his other five hundreds – four in first-class cricket and one in one-dayers – were scored in AustraliaQuotes”I have played under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy in the IPL, when he captained Mumbai Indians for one match. He is very calm and clear in his thoughts. He is a very good captain. In the last match also he played really well in a tough situation and he managed [the players] well.”
“They are all pretty good players and may be try to keep them guessing, just to stay one step ahead which is hard to do at times. Maybe do what we can in terms of change in pace, line and length.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras conquistou o Campeonato Brasileiro de 2022 de forma incontestável, muito por conta do trabalho de Abel Ferreira ao longo dos últimos dois anos. Foi o sexto título do treinador desde sua chegada ao clube, em novembro de 2020, igualando Felipão. Isso, definitivamente o aproxima de atingir o topo da história alviverde e gera a discussão: o português já é o maior de todos os tempos?

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> Relembre a invencibilidade do Palmeiras fora de casa no Brasileirão
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui

Desde que a comissão técnica de Abel desembarcou no Palmeiras, o Campeonato Brasileiro sempre foi uma obsessão, talvez não tão grande quanto a Libertadores (conquistada duas vezes), mas importante o suficiente para que ganhasse o foco dos portugueses, principalmente por ser uma das ligas mais equilibradas do mundo.

Era o que faltava para Abel conquistar os principais títulos em âmbito nacional, pois já tinha o Paulistão, maior estadual do país, e a Copa do Brasil. Ao mesmo tempo, em âmbito continental, já havia levado a Libertadores (duas vezes consecutivas) e a Recopa Sul-Americana.

Dos títulos que o português disputou, faltou apenas o Mundial de Clubes (quarto lugar em 2020 e vice em 2021) e a Supercopa do Brasil (vice em 2021). Essa última, inclusive, Abel terá uma nova oportunidade de conquistar e justamente contra o mesmo adversário da anterior: o Flamengo, que levou a Copa do Brasil de 2022.

O número de conquistas é incontestável. O Campeonato Brasileiro é o sexto título de Abel no Verdão, o que o deixa empatado com Felipão na história do clube. Scolari, em três passagens, conquistou Libertadores (1999), Brasileirão (2018), Copa do Brasil (1998 e 2012), Copa Mercosul (1998) e Torneio Rio-São Paulo (2000).

Abel segue atrás de outros dois gigantes da história: Vanderlei Luxemburgo, com oito títulos, e Osvaldo Brandão, com sete títulos. No entanto, por tudo o que português fez até aqui, o tempo de trabalho, a potencialização de jogadores, a identificação com o clube, a idolatria junta à torcida, não seria exagero já colocá-lo como postulante ao status de maior técnico da história palmeirense.

Com mais dois títulos ele já igualaria Luxa como o mais vitorioso, mas levaria vantagem no quesito Libertadores. Isso sem dimensionar a importância dos Paulistas de 1993 e 1996, por exemplo. De qualquer forma, a relevância de Abel nesses 108 anos de história alviverde é digna dos maiores de todos os tempos e o Brasileirão somente ratificou o que já estava desenhado: o português está no topo.

Confira o ranking dos técnicos com mais títulos no Palmeiras:

Vanderlei Luxemburgo – 8 títulos
– Campeonato Brasileiro (1993 e 1994)
– Campeonato Paulista (1993, 1994, 1996, 2008 e 2020)
– Torneio Rio-São Paulo (1993)

Osvaldo Brandão – 7 títulos
– Campeonato Brasileiro (1960, 1972 e 1973)
– Campeonato Paulista (1947, 1959, 1972 e 1974)

Abel Ferreira – 6 títulos
– Libertadores (2020 e 2021)
– Campeonato Brasileiro (2022)
– Copa do Brasil (2020)
– Recopa Sul-Americana (2022)
– Campeonato Paulista (2022)

Felipão – 6 títulos
– Libertadores (1999)
– Campeonato Brasileiro (2018)
– Copa do Brasil (1998 e 2012)
– Copa Mercosul (1998)
– Torneio Rio-São Paulo (2000)

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Andrew McDonald has floated the notion of a batting reshuffle, but the former captain cautioned against it

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2023

Ricky Ponting insists Cameron Bancroft should be David Warner’s replacement once the veteran Australia opener bows out of Test cricket in January.WA’s Bancroft is again the Sheffield Shield’s top run-scorer after making 945 runs – almost 300 more than the next best – last summer.Despite the 31-year-old’s domestic success, Bancroft was still overlooked for Marcus Harris for a spare batting spot in Australia’s Ashes squad in June.Related

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Harris and Queenslander Matt Renshaw loom as the other candidates at the top of the order to partner Usman Khawaja after Warner’s farewell at the SCG.All three will get another chance to impress for the Prime Minister’s XI against Pakistan in Canberra next week.However, Ponting believes Bancroft needed to be recalled for his first Test since 2019 due to his sheer weight of runs.”If you look at those three guys, I think it’s quite clear that Bancroft is the one that’s got the runs on the board and I wouldn’t be surprised if they [selectors] go that way,” he told SEN on Thursday. “If you wind the clock back about six months it might have been a slightly different order than what it is now.”I think they probably had Harris as the one that would come back in a while ago. To me now it sort of feels [there’s] a bit more of a groundswell behind Cameron Bancroft getting first crack.”Australia coach Andrew McDonald has floated the possibility of a change in the batting order to open so allrounder Cameron Green can slot back into the Test XI.But Ponting has cautioned against such a move, saying Green should be forced to earn his spot by finding form in the Shield with WA.But the prodigiously talented 24-year-old was dropped during the Ashes, just months after his maiden Test century, for Mitchell Marsh.”I think Cameron Green might just have to sit back and bide his time and wait for the opportunity to come back,” Ponting said. “He can get a truckload of runs in Shield cricket and sort of force his way back into the side.”[Marnus] Labuschagne has been outstanding at number three for Australia, it’s very much a specialist position.”Ponting also believes enigmatic allrounder Glenn Maxwell should seriously be considered for a Test recall after his stunning white-ball success in India.Maxwell played the last of his seven Tests in 2017, but his three recent international centuries, two in the ODI World Cup and one in a T20, have been irresistible.”I could see him getting back into a Test line-up because of the all round game that he brings in those conditions,” Ponting said. “The [201] not out in that game against Afghanistan, which is the most remarkable one-day innings I’ve ever seen.”I’ve been around a lot of games, watched a lot of games, played a lot of games, I’ve never ever seen anything like that.”Ponting, who captained Australia to World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007, has urged Pat Cummins’ team to maintain the rage in the Test summer when they host Pakistan and the struggling West Indies.”I’d be saying to go as hard as you can and just really try and bury these teams and win as convincingly as you can,” Ponting said.The squad for the first Test in Perth is expected to be named shortly after the conclusion of the ongoing round of Sheffield Shield matches and before the PM’s XI contest.

MatériaMais Notícias

O 11º título do Palmeiras no Brasileirão pode ter nome e sobrenome: Abel Ferreira. Há exatos dois anos, o treinador português chegava ao Brasil e agora ergueu a taça que faltava sustentando o lema “todos somos um”. Ao falar em entrevista coletiva sobre as projeções de quando desembarcou no país, fez questão de relembrar as promessas que foram cumpridas.

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>Maior campeão do Brasil! Relembre todos os títulos nacionais do Palmeiras

– Meus valores enquanto homem eu não altero em função daquilo que ganho ou dos títulos. Não é isso que me guia. Quando cheguei não prometi títulos. Prometo trabalho qualificado, dedicação e fazer tudo com os recursos que tenho. Minha missão é valorizar o clube e os jogadores. Acho que quando falamos em sucesso, não podemos apenas falar em títulos. Fizemos uma mudança e hoje é uma equipe que tem presente e futuro. Isso é fruto do trabalho de muita gente. Todos somos um e hoje todos somos 11 – disse Abel.

> Clique e simule todos os resultados da reta final do Brasileirão!

Ainda em coletiva, um dos treinadores mais vitoriosos da Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, com seis títulos na bagagem, tentou ser cauteloso ao citar o assunto “reforços”. Abel voltou a falar que não pretende fazer nenhuma grande mudança na equipe para a temporada de 2023.

Campeões da Libertadores duas vezes consecutivas (2020-2021), da Copa do Brasil (2022), do Paulistão (2022), da Recopa (2022) e agora do Brasileirão sob o comando do português, os jogadores do Verdão foram valorizados pelo treinador.

– Nunca vou virar as costas para esses jogadores. Enquanto me mostrarem rendimento, é com eles que conto. Se houverem saídas ou vendas, aí as reposições terão que ser feitas. Penso em apenas um ou dois reforços, uma ou duas mexidas para que consiga suprir alguma saída que houver. Como por exemplo a do Scarpa. Enfim… Na minha ideia, não estou esperando mexer no elenco. Esses jogadores mostraram, não só a mim, que têm vontade e ambição. Quando olho para a equipe, as mudanças serão sempre em caso de vendas. Se não houverem vendas, não terão mexidas – concluiu.

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“I will respect their view and decision, but I will fight it and seek to gain approval,” Khawaja says of the ICC regulations

Alex Malcolm13-Dec-2023Usman Khawaja has vowed to fight the ICC for his right to express humanitarian views on the field, after it was confirmed that he will not wear any written messages on his shoes in the first Test against Pakistan starting on Thursday in Perth due to ICC regulations.Khawaja had “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” written on his batting spikes at training on Tuesday with the reported intention of wearing them during the Test, but he later said he would follow the rules, and “fight it”.A visibly emotional Khawaja defended his messaging in a video post on social media soon after Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed that he would not wear the messaging on the field. Khawaja argued that his stance was not political.”What I’ve written on my shoes is not political. I’m not taking sides,” he said. “Human life to me is equal. One Jewish life is equal to one Muslim life is equal to one Hindu life and so on.”I’m just speaking up for those who don’t have a voice.”

All Lives are Equal. Freedom is a Human right. I'm raising my voice for human rights. For a humanitarian appeal. If you see it any other way. That's on you… pic.twitter.com/8eaPnBfUEb

— Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) December 13, 2023