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Afghanistan counterattacked in the chase but eventually fell to a 42-run loss

Madushka Balasuriya09-Feb-2024Pathum Nissanka’s historic double ton ensured Sri Lanka withstood a spirited Afghanistan counterattack to record a 42-run victory in the first ODI at Pallekele and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.That Afghanistan even got that close was down to a record 242-run stand between Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, the second-highest sixth-wicket stand in ODI history. Omarazai ended on a 115-ball 149, while Nabi scored 136 off 130, as Afghanistan fell short but with their heads held high.It would leave them wondering perhaps what might have been had there been more substantial contributions from their top order, but in a chase of the mammoth 382-run target set by Sri Lanka, many fell wanting in searching for a fast start.Related

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Pramod Madushan did the most damage sending three of Afghanistan’s top four packing inside the first powerplay. The right-handed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the left-handed Hashmatullah Shahidi were both done in by in-duckers, Madushan adept at moving the ball both ways – either through the air or off the surface.In between the two he had Ibrahim Zadran caught at slip, and returned later in the game to break the stand between Nabi and Omarzai. He finished with figures of 4 for 75.With Dushmantha Chameera accounting for the scalps of Rahmat Shah and Gulbadin Naib at the other end, Afghanistan found themselves staring down the barrel of an ignominious defeat, having stumbled to 55 for 5 midway through the ninth over.But that was when the fightback began, as the pair of Omarzai and Nabi resolved early on to take the game as deep as possible.With not much batting to follow, it was clear the pair could not take undue risks, nevertheless they found boundaries to ensure the run rate never got too out of hand. That said, it wasn’t until the 36th over that their scoring rate went beyond six an over, by which point the required rate was touching 12 an over.By the 40th over the requirement was 137 needed off 60 deliveries, a tall ask but put into context by the fact that Sri Lanka had struck 120 in the same period.In the end the asking rate proved too much, especially with Sri Lanka having multiple overs available from each of their frontline bowlers.Mohammad Nabi is the oldest player to score an ODI hundred•AFP/Getty Images

It also put into perspective the batting effort put in by the Lankans, particularly the outstanding Nissanka, whose 210 had come off just 139 deliveries.Avishka Fernando, with a run-a-ball 88, was the next highest scorer, as he and Nissanka put on a 182-run opening stand – Sri Lanka’s first century opening stand in nine innings, and just the third to hit double digits in that period. But that was just the start of Afghanistan’s misery.The visitors, who had opted to go with a four-strong seam attack, were left to rue their decision to bowl first having won the toss, with conditions proving ideal for batting. After a subdued start in the opening five in which just 22 runs were scored, Nissanka began to let loose.There was a subdued period through the middle overs when Nabi was rifling through his overs, but at the start and the death the Afghan bowlers were at Nissanka’s mercy.Omarzai was the first to feel the heat, taken for back-to-back boundaries through midwicket and then cover. Two overs later Fareed Ahmad was taken for 19, inclusive of two fours and a six – the latter off a free hit. Ahmad went for a further 17 in his next over, Avishka doing the brunt of the damage on that occasion, as Sri Lanka raced to 90 by the end of the 10th over.The scoring tapered from there on, the occasional flurry of boundaries serving to keep the scoring rate hovering around the seven an over mark. It took a scorching grab from Hashmatullah Shahidi at backward point to bring an end to the opening stand, as Avishka flayed a wide one hard to his right.Kusal Mendis’ entry saw more of the same, as he scrounged around for a 31-ball 16 before skying a miscued shot after coming down the track. The entry of Sadeera Samarawickrama, midway through the 36th over, though was the catalyst for Sri Lanka to shift gears, as his ability to rotate strike and find boundaries dovetailed perfectly with Nissanka, who was beginning to see the ball bigger with every stroke.Their stand of 121 came off just 71 deliveries and scaled up in the final 10 overs. Of the 120 runs ransacked in this period Nissanka alone accounted for 76 of them.Having earlier brought up his century with a single eased to deep cover, he brought up his 150 with a double past backward point. But those milestones were surrounded by belligerence.Noor Ahmad was slog-swept twice in an over, with the wind, over deep midwicket. Fazalhaq Farooqi was clobbered down the ground, flicked over square leg, heaved over deep midwicket and paddled behind square. And when all else failed Afghanistan turned back to Fareed, but Nissanka would not err.Having failed to get away a string of wide Fareed yorkers two overs prior, Nissanka squeezed the first such attempt in the final over past backward point to bring up his double ton. Two balls later he swung one high over square leg and then he crashed a drive to deep extra cover to finish the innings.It was a knock worthy of winning any game, and so it proved in the end.

He is also hopeful of playing more Test cricket, which remains his favourite format

Matt Roller09-May-2023Trent Boult still has “a big desire” to represent New Zealand at the 50-over World Cup in India later this year, and remains hopeful that he will add to his 78 Test caps.Boult was released from his central contract last August at his own request in order to spend more time with his family and increase his availability for franchise leagues around the world.He has not played any international cricket since New Zealand’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to Pakistan in November and has not played a Test match in nearly a year, with New Zealand prioritising contracted players in their selection.Related

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But, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo in Jaipur, where he has been representing Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Boult expressed his hope that he will return to India in October-November for the ODI World Cup.”I’ve still got that big desire to play for New Zealand,” Boult said. “It is what it is: I’ve made my decision. I’ve been lucky enough to have a 13-year career in the Black Cap and hey, I’ve still got a big desire to play in the World Cup as well. We’ll see how that unfolds: there’s still a bit of movement in the landscape at the moment.”I remember after the 2019 final, I said to Kane [Williamson] that we’ve got to be there again, come 2023 in India. It’s a shame with what’s going on with his knee but he’ll be working as hard as he can to try and get there. It’s such a great tournament… One hundred percent, I’ve got that desire to be out there.”We’re a great one-day side. We’ve got some players that have travelled to India and experienced the conditions a lot, and that’s what it comes down to in World Cups. You can’t buy experience, and you can’t replace players that have toured for however many years across these conditions.”Boult has not featured in any of New Zealand’s past six Test matches, and in February, was overlooked for the fixture against England in Mount Maunganui, where he and his family are based. “It felt bizarre,” he said. “Test match cricket was on, a couple of kilometres down the road, and I wasn’t part of it.”But he retains hope that he will be considered for their home Tests against Australia and South Africa in early 2024. “Hopefully not, no,” he said, asked if he had played his final Test match. “There are some big Tests coming up next year: Australia and South Africa are due to travel to New Zealand. And Test cricket is still my favourite format.”I’ve played nearly 80 Tests and had some pretty great times in the Black Cap, but they said that, if I chose to move away from that contract, my time in it would be limited. And I’m pretty sure they’ve never had anyone play Test cricket that isn’t contracted – so that probably makes it hard as well.”Boult has played in the Big Bash League and the ILT20 since stepping away from his national contract, and is likely to play in at least one other league later this year. With new tournaments emerging, heavily backed by IPL franchises, he predicted: “International cricket, I think, is going to suffer in some aspects.”It’s an interesting time for both franchise and international cricket, I reckon,” Boult said. “The leagues – there’s a lot of movement happening in that space, but the golden question is what it’s going to look like in a couple of years.”

Russell Domingo first to be interviewed but Mike Hesson being seen as a frontrunner

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka08-Aug-2019The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has cranked up its search for the senior team coach, with the side’s next assignment – a one-off Test against Afghanistan – less than a month away. The board’s shortlist included Mike Hesson, Grant Flower, Paul Farbrace, Russell Domingo and Chandika Hathurusingha, after Andy Flower declined the board’s offer a second time. The BCB may be in a race with other subcontinent boards, with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan also looking for a head coach, and ongoing issues between Hathurusingha and Sri Lanka Cricket.Farbrace, it is understood, is out of the running after he declined the BCB’s offer to take things further.* It is the second time the former England assistant coach has done so; he was among those being discussed for the role even though he had declined the board’s offer in March last year. The BCB eventually appointed Steve Rhodes then, with whom it parted ways immediately after the World Cup.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Hesson, the former New Zealand coach, is a frontrunner, with BCB president Nazmul Hassan and some directors expressing interest. However, Domingo, who coached South Africa from 2013 to 2016, was the first coach to be interviewed as the board began its process in Dhaka on Thursday. Grant Flower, who was Pakistan’s batting coach, and Hathurusingha remain on the periphery of the board’s interest.Hathurusingha, who coached Bangladesh from 2014 to 2017, is known to be a favourite of the BCB president and a few directors, even though he quit to take up the Sri Lanka job in October 2017. However, ESPNcricinfo understands that Hathurusingha’s ongoing struggle with Sri Lanka Cricket, which resulted in his suspension this week, has resulted in a difference of opinion between the Bangladesh board directors over his prospects. Still, the BCB will reportedly conduct a telephone interview with Hathurusingha, which doesn’t rule him out of contention.The, BCB, meanwhile, was impressed with Domingo’s presentation during the interview.”We have started working with our shortlisted coaches,” the BCB’s media committee chairman, Jalal Yunus, said. “We have just conducted an interview with Russell Domingo, the former South Africa coach. He is a real professional. He is well qualified. He gave us a presentation about what he thinks about Bangladesh cricket. It was satisfying for the BCB.”We will interview the rest of the coaches on our shortlist. We have two more to interview in the next few days, and then we will choose between these coaches.”*

The squad includes two players from the runner-up side Saurashtra: wicketkeeper Snell Patel and left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2019Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup match against the Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha, in Nagpur from February 12 to 16. The selectors named the squad shortly after the conclusion of the Ranji final, and included two players from the runner-up side Saurashtra: wicketkeeper Snell Patel and left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.KL Rahul, meanwhile, will lead India A in their second four-day match against the touring England Lions, taking over from Ankit Bawne, who is currently captaining the side in the first match. The only change in the India A squad otherwise is the inclusion of the middle-order batsman Karun Nair.Rest of India squad for Irani Cup: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh, Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), K Gowtham, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ankit Rajpoot, Tanveer-ul-Haq, Ronit More, Sandeep Warrier, Rinku Singh, Snell Patel (wk)India A squad for second four-day game against England Lions: KL Rahul (capt), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Priyank Panchal, Ankit Bawne, Karun Nair, Ricky Bhui, Siddhesh Lad, KS Bharat (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem, Jalaj Saxena, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Avesh Khan, Varun Aaron

Moeen Ali ended India’s spirited pursuit of a victory target of 245 with a series-sealing display of patient, probing offspin.

The Report by Andrew Miller02-Sep-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMoeen Ali was England’s star turn on another gripping day of Test cricket at the Ageas Bowl, as he ended India’s spirited pursuit of a victory target of 245 with a series-sealing display of patient, probing offspin.Bowling with renewed confidence after his first-innings five-wicket haul, and with a juicy dinner-plate of rough to aim outside the right-hander’s off-stump, Moeen finished with match figures of 9 for 134, having effectively sealed the contest either side of the tea interval.Bowling significantly slower than his India counterpart, R Ashwin, who had been so notably ineffective on day three, Moeen was able to find more purchase off the pitch as a result, even though it took him until the 17th over of a previously luckless day’s work before his rewards started to come in a torrent.First, he broke India’s determined fourth-wicket stand of 101 with the massive scalp of Virat Kohli for 58. Then, five overs later, he added Kohli’s steadfast partner, Ajinkya Rahane, for 51. By then, he had also out-thought Rishabh Pant, caught in the deep for a cameo 18 from 12, as India slumped from a threatening 123 for 3 to 184 all out.The end of India’s challenge came in a jubilant rush for England – Ben Stokes cemented his side’s post-tea dominance by removing the dangerous Hardik Pandya with his third ball after the break, before extracting a less-than-convincing lbw against Ishant Sharma to send India’s birthday boy on his way, also for a duck.Four years ago on this very same ground, Moeen had sealed England’s restorative victory over India with second-innings figures of 6 for 67. Today he went one better for the match when Mohammad Shami smoked him to James Anderson at long-on, and though Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah made England wait for their glory in a long-handled alliance of 21, the contest was fittingly sealed by the young gun, Sam Curran, whose batting in both innings had been so vital to England’s hopes. Ashwin wandered across his stumps and was sent on his way lbw for 25.Like Ishant’s dismissal, Ashwin’s was shown on replay to have been missing leg stump, but India by then had burnt through their reviews – one of them used rather imperiously by Kohli himself, who had been caught at short leg by Alastair Cook after Moeen had clearly snagged his glove with another tweaker on off stump.Moeen Ali has Virat Kohli caught at short-leg•Getty Images

It was the pivotal moment of the day, but England by that stage had been seriously aggrieved by a key let-off for Kohli early in his stay. On 9, he had once again propped forward to Moeen and was thumped on the front pad for a vociferous appeal. England lost their subsequent review, however, when the third umpire Joel Wilson deemed Kohli to have got an inside edge on his shot. England’s collective reaction to the big screen told its own story.Almost before the dust had settled on that moment, Kohli persuaded England to burn their second review when, on 15, he was pinned on the back leg by a massive offbreak from Moeen that kept low as well. Umpire Dharmasena, to his credit, immediately shook his head, recognising that Kohli had set himself up outside off stump to negate that very dismissal. Sure enough, replays showed he had been struck outside the line, and as Rahane rose through his own gears to match his captain’s inevitable levels, India began to believe.They were forced to find their belief in the wake of another top-order failure, however. Though England’s second innings had been sawn off for the addition of 11 runs inside the first five overs, with Stuart Broad falling to the first ball of the day before Curran was run out for 46 while trying to farm the strike, their senior bowlers responded to that disappointing preamble by striking hard and early with the new ball.Broad, bowling with predatory intent once again, sent shudders through India’s dressing room by torpedoing KL Rahul with an off-stump grubber in his second over, having showcased the pitch’s increasingly variable bounce with two high-kicking snorters in quick succession. James Anderson then found more sharp movement off the seam to dislodge the rock of India’s first innings, Cheteshwar Pujara, for 5, and having troubled Shikhar Dhawan with a brace of lbw appeals that might have clipped leg stump, soon added India’s remaining opener for 17 via a thick outside edge to gully. At 22 for 3, India were in the soup.Kohli, however, was not about to let his resolve crumble with a shot at a series-levelling victory in his sights. Unusually in this series, his initial duel with Anderson was short-lived, as England turned quickly to the spin of Moeen (and latterly Adil Rashid, who bowled tidily for seven overs but never quite posed the same questions as his offspinning sidekick).But that inevitable battle was rejoined in the 38th over, when Anderson returned to the fray and immediately started extracting some skilful reverse swing from the dry and now abrasive deck. Kohli was beaten on a handful of occasions as the ball exploded outside off, but latched onto a rare leg-stump half-volley to bring up his fifty from 114 balls, and continue a stunning personal series in which he has now gone past 500 runs, with a fifth Test still to come.Rahane, at the other end, briefly got the better of Moeen, sending him into a mid-spell lull by stretching confidently forward to smother his wiles. But England, to their credit, never stopped believing that the rewards for their endeavours would come, and one ball after Cook had dropped a tough chance off Kohli at short leg, he clung onto the one that counted, to prise the opening, at 123 for 4 – the precise halfway mark of the chase – that England needed. The rest was not exactly a formality, but the belief in India’s ranks had visibly drained.”England were braver in tough situations than us,” admitted Kohli in the post-match presentations. India’s captain himself was unbowed after a stellar personal summer, but he will know that this series – much like the South Africa tour earlier in the year – represents a massive opportunity squandered by his world No.1 team.

Mahela Jayawardene has revealed that one of the biggest challenges he faced as Sri Lanka captain was to convince Muttiah Muralitharan to overcome his “defensive mindset” as a bowler

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-20163:28

‘Murali was a very defensive bowler, I liked to attack’ – Jayawardene

Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has revealed that one of the biggest challenges he faced during his tenure as captain was to convince Muttiah Muralitharan to overcome his “defensive mindset” as a bowler. Jayawardene made the comments on the second episode of , to be aired on SONY ESPN on Friday night. According to Jayawardene, Murali, who is the highest wicket-taker in Test history with 800 scalps, tended to be “a bit stubborn” about his methods and needed cajoling from captains to employ more aggressive tactics.”Murali was a defensive bowler, but the thing is, they couldn’t take him down because he had everything covered,” Jayawardene said. “But I was a different captain. I wanted to attack with Murali more, and Murali only attacked when he felt he was in control of the situation, then he’ll go all out on attack. But for me it was different, I wanted to use him in a different way. I wanted to create opportunities for him rather than us sitting and waiting for an opening to happen. I think Arjuna (Ranatunga) probably had the same battles with Murali, but with Arjuna, because Murali was young and he was just coming through, he probably didn’t have a choice with Arjuna. But with Sanath (Jayasuriya) afterwards as well, it was quite tough for Sanath to tell Murali, ‘let’s have a bit of attacking mindset’. But that’s something that I’ve always encouraged Murali to do, but we’ve always found a way to come to a middle ground.”Among the other challenges Jayawardene reflected on during the course of the interview were the difficulties he faced in handling senior pros such as Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya during his time as captain. Dropping Atapattu from the XI during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, where Sri Lanka made the final, was particularly trying, Jayawardene said; he revealed how that ruptured their relationship, leading to a long period where they didn’t even converse despite being team-mates.”Knowing Marvan, I think he is a very honest player, he played really hard but he didn’t take it in the right spirit,” Jayawardene said. “So, throughout the World Cup, his contribution wasn’t very good as a member of the team, but we had a great campaign. No one gave us any opportunity, everyone thought we’ll probably go out of the group stages, but we topped the group. Then, we went as a second best team in the Super Six stages before going all the way to the finals. And when we got back, obviously, Marvan played a few more Test matches before retiring. He probably didn’t speak to me for a good four to five years after that, and our first conversation probably was when he was appointed as a batting coach to the national team.”Watch at 9.30pm IST on Fridays, and the repeat at 12pm on Sundays, on SONY ESPN

A game that was nicely poised going into the final day petered out into a draw as Essex successfully negotiated the 63 overs that were bowled in their second innings

ECB Reporters Network25-May-2016
ScorecardNick Browne’s 71 anchored Essex’s rearguard•Getty Images

A game that was nicely poised going into the final day petered out into a draw as Essex successfully negotiated the 63 overs that were bowled in their second innings, finishing on 160 for 5. Glamorgan had batted on in the morning session to set Essex an unlikely victory target of 334 in 70 overs. On a pitch where free-scoring has been difficult throughout this match, a required rate of nearly five an over was always beyond Essex, but Glamorgan went for a safety-first approach.When Essex began their chase just before the lunch break, Timm van der Gugten had early success, claiming the wicket of Jaik Mickleburgh with the score on 12. The Dutch international followed that up with another wicket shortly after the interval when he found the edge of Tom Westley’s bat to leave Essex in trouble at 30 for 2.When Michael Hogan had Ravi Bopara well caught by Aneurin Donald at second slip Essex were 46 for 3 and Glamorgan were dreaming of their first win in the County Championship since June 22, 2015.While there were wickets tumbling at the other end, Essex opener Nick Browne remained unmoved. He did a fine job at playing the ball late and with soft hands so that the edges did not carry to the slips as he made an excellent 71 before he was dismissed by Graham Wagg bowling left-arm spin. Browne put on a decent stand with Daniel Lawrence who played with more freedom than any other Essex batsman before he was bowled for 24 by a ball from Hogan that he left alone.When Lawrence and Browne had departed, Jesse Ryder and Ryan ten Doeschate came to the crease and closed the game out for a draw. Ryder played with uncharacteristic restraint as he scored just 25 runs from 83 balls.Glamorgan had batted in the morning session but took a while to get going, Will Bragg looking to pass his highest first-class score of 129 that he made against Derbyshire earlier in the season and Aneurin Donald looking for his second Championship fifty of 2016. Once both men had passed those landmarks there was an injection of impetus but the declaration did not come until 20 minutes before the lunch break.There was a hint of over-cautiousness in the length of time that Glamorgan batted but, with the struggles they have had so far this season, it was perhaps understandable that they went for a “first don’t lose” approach rather than something more aggressive. In reality, even another 20 overs at Essex would have most likely not been enough to force a win on a pitch that, for all of its faults, has held together well.Bragg finished on a career-best 161 not out, his second hundred of the season, as he and Donald completed the third century stand of the Glamorgan innings.

On the eve of Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket, Tatenda Taibu has said that a lack of funds and poor professional structures are crippling the game in the country

Firdose Moonda in Harare02-Aug-2011On the eve of Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket, senior wicketkeeper batsman Tatenda Taibu has slammed the country’s administration for not doing enough for the game. Taibu said that a lack of funds and poor professional structures are crippling cricket in the country.The end of an almost six-year long self-imposed exile from Test cricket, the introduction of a franchise system and the return of many former players such as Heath Streak and Grant Flower to the coaching structures had many thinking that transformation was in the air. Taibu has knocked that notion, saying that the only reason the game survives in the country is because of the commitment of its players.”I don’t think much has changed really, the administration is still struggling to run cricket in the country well,” Taibu said candidly. “For example, the guys haven’t been paid their match fees from August last year up to now. At the moment, I am sitting here without a contract, no one has got a contract; those are all things that the administration is struggling to deal with.”Although the franchises have been able to contract and pay players, the issue of central contracts has never been clarified or resolved. All players who play for Zimbabwe must be contracted to a franchise, which means they earn some form of income, but Taibu indicated that may just be a form of bandaging a wound that really needs surgery. “When you walk around and you see a house that’s painted well, you will think that house is really standing strong but if does not have a strong foundation, it will fall down one day or another,” he said. “Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has just painted a house that’s about to fall.”Taibu said the players have tried to seek certainty from ZC but that, personally, he had kept a distance from the subject because of his reputation as a pot-stirrer. “It’s hard for me as a player with the history that I’ve got in Zimbabwe cricket to go up and mention these things,” he said. “We’ve tried to go through the right structures, the captain and the manager but nothing has been done to date.”Taibu resigned from the captaincy in November 2005 in controversial fashion after speaking out about the way cricket was being run and spent time living in Namibia, Bangladesh and South Africa before coming home in 2007.He vowed not to speak about administrative issues again but now, Taibu has broken his silence and said he is no afraid of the repercussions. Instead, he feels it his responsibility, as the senior statesman of the side, to be the mouthpiece for some of the juniors. “I like telling the truth, I know most of the other guys are scared of being targeted and they won’t be able to come out and say it in the open but I am not scared of being targeted. I think it’s important that I can stand up for the younger guys who don’t have a voice.”With such discontent bubbling under the surface of a historic comeback into the game, it’s difficult to see what keeps the players motivated. Taibu explained that it was the patriotism and passion in the ranks, and that he is proud to be involved with men of such character. “I can’t fault the coaching staff, they’ve worked really hard and I can’t fault the guys. They come in day in and day out but they are not getting much support from the administration unfortunately,” he said. “To see the guys running in and bowling and hitting a lot of balls in the nets it really shows that the guys have got the country at heart. It is two days before a Test match and no one has got a contract, no one knows what we will get paid, but the guys love their country and they can’t see cricket drop like that.”As much as there is strife in Zimbabwe cricket, there is also pride and the return to the game’s premier format is something the players are cherishing. “It will be sad to see Zimbabwe cricket die, after all the people that have worked hard for us to get Test cricket back, I think it will be a waste if we let it die.”Taibu believes the game is still very much alive and the upcoming Test matches, against Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand, will only help cricket thrive in spite of its structures. “When you play Test cricket, you improve faster,” he said. “As a batsman you spend more time at the crease, as a bowler you learn how to get people out, how to be disciplined and when to attack and when not to.”

Talks of the viability of the ODI game can take backseat for a while – when India faces Pakistan, it takes the format out of the equation

The Preview by Nitin Sundar18-Jun-2010

Match Facts

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Start time 1430 (0900 GMT)
There won’t be any pleasantries once the game begins•AFP

The Big Picture

It is time for match-up again. Debates on the viability of the ODI game can take a backseat for a day – when India faces Pakistan, the format is irrelevant. The reasonably long interval since their last game – in the Champions Trophy in September last year – has only increased the pre-match buzz. It is safe to say millions around the world will be tuning in.Coming as it does at the midway point of the tournament, the game will decide the course of the Asia Cup. Pakistan impressed during their opening game against Sri Lanka, but could not finish it off. Another defeat could end their campaign early.Their problem lies in the batting department – specifically the out-of-depth youngsters at the top. Shahzaib Hasan and Umar Amin were bullied by sharp seam bowling, and ended up consuming too many balls before getting out. Shahid Afridi will have to re-think the batting line-up, and possibly promote Kamran Akmal against the new ball. The Pakistan captain must be gutted that one of his best knocks failed to secure victory. Can he inspire himself to another classic? Can Shoaib Akhtar overcome his sub-par fitness and produce ten high-intensity overs?India’s opening game panned out in a manner diametrically opposite to Pakistan’s – they were average, yet won easily thanks to Bangladesh’s largesse. India’s bowlers looked alarmingly flat, the fielding was lethargic and the top order struggled to deal with rustiness and the unusual floodlights. The new-ball bowlers handed the Bangladesh opening pair the initiative on a platter, and sides better than Bangladesh would have never let go of it.Having been rescued by a freakish spell of offspin from Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni will want more from his frontline bowlers this time around. He will not read much into the failures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the chase – the young top order’s real test will be against Shoaib and co., who will try to bounce them out.A win here will put India in final, while a defeat could leave them facing a tricky perform-or-perish game against the hosts. Given their recent travails in similar situations against Sri Lanka – in the World Twenty20 and in the Zimbabwe tri-series – they will be anxious to avoid a pressure game against their bugbears.

Form guide (most recent first)

India WLLWL

Pakistan LLLLL

Watch out for…

Virender Sehwag has savaged Pakistan at the Test level, but his record against them in ODIs is not very good. After enjoying himself with the ball against Bangladesh, he looked set to explode during the chase when he edged Mashrafe Mortaza behind. He will be eager to make amends against Pakistan’s seamers, who will be happy to spar with him. Expect fireworks when Shoaib Akhtar steams in at Sehwag.
Shoaib Malik must be anxious to stand up and be counted, given the fractious relationship he has endured with team management. He loves facing the Indian attack, and will look to fill his boots again. He was under-bowled in the first game, but in the absence of a specialist spinner in the XI, he may be given a longer stint in the middle overs.

Team news

Ashish Nehra struggled with his fitness in the first game and is a doubtful starter against Pakistan. A final decision will be taken on Saturday morning, and if required, Ashok Dinda should replace him.
India (likely) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautham Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra/Ashok DindaFollowing the struggles of Shahzaib and Amin at the top, Imran Farhat can expect a recall. Shoaib’s fitness issues will also be a talking point in the Pakistan dressing room.Pakistan (likely) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Shahzaib Hasan/Imran Farhat, 3 Umar Amin, 4 Shahid Afridi (capt), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Kamran Akmal(wk), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Mohammad Aamer

Stats and trivia

• India and Pakistan have faced off eight times in the Asia Cup, with India winning three and losing four. One of the games did not have a result.
• Shoaib Malik has plundered 1685 runs against India – the only side against whom he has crossed 1000 – scoring four of his seven ODI hundreds against them, including two in the teams’ last two games.
• Salman Butt also enjoys facing India, with five of his eight tons coming against the neighbours. He is 82 runs away from the 1000-run mark against them
  

  Quotes

  “It will be good to play Shoaib.. He can be effective as he can bowl quick. We’ll see how our boys cope against him.”

Batter to miss Test series for personal reasons; Dan Lawrence named as replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2024Harry Brook has withdrawn from England’s Test squad to tour India for personal reasons. He is set to miss the start of the five-Test series, with England calling up Dan Lawrence as his replacement.The team were due to arrive in Hyderabad on Sunday, ahead of the start of the first Test on Thursday, but Brook will no longer be with the party having travelled home from the team’s training camp in the UAE instead.The ECB said in a statement: “Harry Brook is set to return home with immediate effect for personal reasons from the England Men’s Test tour of India. The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space.”Although officially ruled out of the entire tour, ESPNcricinfo understands that Brook could still return at a later date.Related

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The loss of Brook comes as a significant blow to England’s attempts to become the first team to win a Test series in India in more than a decade. Since making his debut in the final Test of the 2022 summer, he has averaged 62.15, at a strike rate of 91.76, from 12 appearances, with four hundreds.He was briefly promoted to No. 3 during the Ashes, after Ollie Pope suffered a series-ending shoulder injury, before Moeen Ali moved up as a stopgap. Pope is fit to return in India, meaning England will have to rethink their middle order.Brook’s absence could see England deploy Jonny Bairstow as a specialist batter once again, filling the gap at No. 5, with Ben Foakes available to keep wicket.ESPNcricinfo understands that Brook could still return at a later date•Getty Images

Lawrence, the spare batter with the Test squad last summer, had only recently arrived in the UAE for the ILT20 after a stint at the Big Bash League, but will make his way to India in the next couple of days. Lawrence’s last Test appearance came in March 2022, on the tour of the Caribbean, shortly before the dual appointments of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes as coach and captain helped to revitalise the side.There are also a number of back-up options among the England Lions party currently in India, Josh Bohannon, in particular, impressing with a century in Ahmedabad earlier this week.England will train at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday, having spent the last ten days in Abu Dhabi acclimatising for the tour.