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Super Giants aim to do season double over RCB and consolidate their position on the points table

Shashank Kishore30-Apr-20234:41

Moody: Conditions will dictate contest between Bishnoi and RCB

Big picture – RCB begin long streak of away games

The effect of travel fatigue is underrated. It can’t be easy playing IPL games up until midnight and fly out the next day, before that same old routine for another game on the third day.Teams were spared of this routine during the Covid-19 era, but the return of home-and-away has added another layer of intrigue. Royal Challengers Bangalore have played six of their eight games so far at home and have felt a sense of comfort not because of any apparent home advantage, but by knowing they ain’t just living out of suitcases.But all that changes now with Lucknow being the first of five pitstops during what promises to be a hectic series of away games, bunched together due to assembly election in Karnataka.Playing on bigger grounds, and on some challenging decks may come as a relief for a side that has blown hot-and-cold. Their wins have been spectacular, but familiar failings – of being over reliant on their big three – have been exposed in defeats.Related

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Lucknow can’t get more challenging, both because of the surface that has tended to be slow and crumbly, but also because the Lucknow Super Giants will be coming into the game on the back of a record bash in Mohali two nights ago.The RCB attack should welcome more bowler-friendly conditions as much as their batting will be wary of slip-ups; especially a slightly shaky middle order that has struggled to fill the Rajat Patidar void. Dinesh Karthik’s lean run hasn’t helped matters either.Both sides played out a last-ball thriller in a high-scoring contest when the sides met for the first leg. This time around, LSG could have the edge because of their adaptability in playing on surfaces where 135 v 135 have made for compelling contests.

Form guide

Lucknow Super Giants WLWLW (last five games, most recent first)
Royal Challengers Bangalore LWWLWMarcus Stoinis was hit on the finger while trying to stop the ball in his follow-through•BCCI

Team news – Hazlewood likely for RCB; Stoinis under injury cloud

David Willey could sit out after injuring his foot while batting in RCB’s previous game. But the good news is they have Josh Hazlewood fit and ready to replace him. Hazlewood has completed his rehab for an Achilles injury under the franchise and Cricket Australia’s supervision.Marcus Stoinis underwent a scan for his injured left index finger during Super Giants’ previous game, and although it doesn’t seem very serious, the short turnaround could potentially have him miss out this game.

Impact Player strategy

Lucknow Super Giants

Super Giants have shown a settled pattern with Amit Mishra coming in as an Impact Player with the ball by replacing a top-order batter like Kyle Mayers, after he’s sent down his quota up front.Super Giants XII: 1 KL Rahul (capt), , 3 Ayush Badoni, 4 Marcus Stoinis/Quinton de Kock, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Naveen-ul-Haq, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11Yash Thakur, Royal Challengers Bangalore

Harshal Patel’s finger injury hasn’t made batting easy, while Faf du Plessis continues to manage his rib injury. It’s been three games now that they’ve not used the Impact Player rule to full capacity just so that du Plessis only bats and Harshal only bowls.RCB XII: 1 Virat Kohli (capt), , 3 Mahipal Lomror, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Suyash Prabhudessai, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Vijaykumar Vyshak, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Mohammed Siraj,

Stats that matter – Watch out for Rahul v Siraj

• In IPL 2023, fast bowlers have averaged 3.8 wickets per innings on an average in the eight batting innings here. Spinners, who’ve had purchase and turn on offer, have been more economical by conceding at 7.2 an over, compared to 7.7 off the quicks.
• The Ekana Stadium is the least favourable IPL 2023 venue in terms of run rate (7.50). Because scoring has been difficult, it’s also produced the second-highest balls per six (22.3) in a match.
• Siraj has the second-most powerplay wickets among fast bowlers this season, but KL Rahul, who has tended to start slow, has a favourable match-up. His strike rate of 181 against Siraj is the second-highest against those who’ve bowled at least 40 T20 balls to him.

Pitch and conditions

Dew hasn’t had much of an effect so far in Lucknow, and it’s unlikely to change come Monday. Surfaces have been slow and have aided turn. Spinners will yet again have a massive say. RCB would gladly welcome the prospect of bowling to much bigger boundaries. There is also some rain predicted for Monday.

The big question

Green says that the thinking was to win and put pressure on RCB, and not worry about NRR equations

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-20231:29

Moody: Massive step for Green in his IPL career

Despite acing yet another 200-plus chase, Mumbai Indians need Gujarat Titans to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in the last league game of IPL 2023 to confirm their playoff spot. If they don’t make the cut, their captain Rohit Sharma feels that they only have themselves to blame.Mumbai’s win over Sunrisers Hyderabad took them to 16 points with a net run rate of -0.044, and even though RCB have 14 entering their last fixture, they have a superior NRR (0.180) already. For Mumbai to have gone past RCB’s NRR, they would’ve had to win in 12 overs with the assumption that RCB win by one run.”We came with the mindset of winning the game and not worrying about what happens elsewhere,” Rohit said after the match. “What you can control, you can control and hope for the best. If we don’t go through, we have ourselves to blame for it. If we go through, I’ll give all the credit to the boys. That’s the last thing you want – to be dependent on the other results.Related

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“Last year we did a big favour to RCB, I hope the result comes what we are looking for.”In IPL 2022, RCB needed Mumbai to beat Delhi Capitals in their last league game to go through to the playoffs. Mumbai, who were already eliminated by then, went on to beat Capitals by five wickets.While summing up Mumbai’s season, Rohit looked back at two games – against Punjab Kings at home and against Lucknow Super Giants away – as ones they should have won. Against Kings, Mumbai needed 40 off the last three overs with seven wickets in hand and a set Suryakumar in the middle. But Arshdeep Singh and Nathan Ellis denied them. Against LSG, chasing 178, they were 92 for 1 after ten overs but couldn’t close out the game.”We did a lot of things right as we went along,” Rohit said. “We lost a couple of games at the start and won three on the trot. The crucial moments in the game that we lost… if I have to look back there are a lot of moments like that. The game against Punjab here, we needed 30-34 [40] off 18 balls. We could have played well there. Against LSG, we had the game in our hands after the first half of the innings. But can’t look too much into that. I am sure the guys want to do well but sometimes it doesn’t come off.”Cameron Green reached his century in just 47 balls•BCCI

Green: ‘Thinking was to just win and put pressure on RCB’

Cameron Green, who starred with an unbeaten 100 off 47 balls, also said that they were not thinking about the NRR situation. “Our intention was to win the game,” he said. “We were not going to chase down a total in the seventh over or anything to try to boost our net run rate. The thinking was to just win and put pressure on RCB.”Earlier, Green, who came in at No. 3, and Rohit added 128 in 10.2 overs for the second wicket. Talking about the partnership, Green said: “It was absolutely awesome being out there with Rohit. We helped each other through that. Chasing 200 you got to show intent at the top. I was trying to smack the spinners and he was batting beautifully against pace bowlers.”With me and Rohit batting, it’s awesome knowing you have got SKY [Suryakumar Yadav] after you. Watching those guys in the nets and then you have got Polly [Kieron Pollard] to help with range hitting. That’s a pretty good setup we have got.”Green smashed eight fours and eight sixes in his unbeaten innings. However, towards the end, with Green on 99 and Mumbai needing just one to win, he and Suryakumar refused to take a bye. On the next ball, Green hit the winning single to bring up his hundred.”When we had 20 to get, I just said to SKY, just finish it,” Green said. “We’ve obviously come here to win the game firstly, so make sure you do that. Then we had a couple of runs left, we just trickled over the line.”Green has spent the best part of the last four months in India, as part of the touring Australians for the Tests as well as the ODIs first, and now at the IPL. He said that playing in the subcontinent was “valuable” as prep for the upcoming ODI World Cup which will be held in India.”Getting exposed any time you can to subcontinent conditions – as an Australian you are not really used to how low the ball skids at times, how much it spins at times – any experience you get over here is so valuable for us who bat in pretty different conditions,” he said. “The past three and a half months I have had here is so valuable and hopefully holds me in good stead coming here again and I can pass it over to other guys who come over.”

T20 World Cup winner chooses to focus on career in franchise leagues

Matt Roller04-Aug-20232:21

Alex Hales’ legacy: T20 World Cup winner or off-field antics?

Alex Hales has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, at the age of 34. He signs off from his England career as a T20 World Cup winner, having played his last game in their five-wicket win over Pakistan at the MCG in November last year.Hales has been in semi-regular discussion with England’s management over the last nine months, weighing up the balance between bilateral commitments and his franchise contracts. He has opted to bow out of the international game, confirming his continued availability for short-form leagues around the world.”It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats,” Hales said in a statement seen by ESPNcricinfo before publication. “l’ve made some memories and some friendships to last a lifetime and I feel that now is the right time to move on.”Throughout my time in an England shirt I’ve experienced some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows. It’s been an incredible journey and I feel very content that my last game for England was winning a World Cup final.”Related

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Hales opted out of England’s T20I series in Bangladesh earlier this year in order to fulfil a contract in the PSL, and faced another clash of commitments later this month. He is in talks with a CPL franchise about a replacement deal, which would have ruled him out of England’s home T20I series against New Zealand.England are increasingly comfortable with white-ball players opting out of bilateral series but regular clashes played a part in Hales considering his future. He recently told Rob Key, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, that he was contemplating international retirement, and confirmed that decision on Thursday evening.Having last played 50-over cricket four years ago, Hales was never in serious contention for this year’s World Cup, but would have been a contender for England’s T20 title defence in the Caribbean and the United States next year. Instead, his retirement will open up opportunities for players like Will Jacks and Phil Salt.Hales made a surprise return from his three-year England exile last September after Jonny Bairstow’s leg-break ruled him out of the World Cup. He played 15 T20Is across their tours to Pakistan, Australia and the T20 World Cup, averaging 30.71 with a strike rate of 145.27.Hales played vital innings in England’s final two group games, making 52 and 47 against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and then marmalised India with 86 not out in a 10-wicket semi-final thrashing in Adelaide – which he immediately described as “one of the best days of my career”.He fell second-ball in the final, bowled by a Shaheen Shah Afridi inswinger for 1, but England scrapped to a five-wicket win with an over to spare. Hales celebrated with team-mates in front of their travelling supporters – including family members who had travelled to Melbourne.Hales scored six ODI hundreds and twice helped England set records for the highest team total•Getty Images

He feared that moment – lifting a global trophy with England – would never arrive after he was axed from their squad for the 50-over World Cup in 2019. News of a failed recreational drugs test broke a month before the tournament started, and Hales was withdrawn.Eoin Morgan, England’s captain at the time, said that learning of the news via the media represented “a complete breakdown in trust” between Hales and his team-mates; Hales watched England lift the trophy from his sofa, and never played for England again under Morgan’s captaincy.Hales had been a significant part of England’s progress from short-form laggards to the game’s cutting edge, forming half of a destructive opening partnership with Jason Roy as Morgan and Trevor Bayliss launched their white-ball revolution in 2015.In 2016, he made 171 against Pakistan on his home ground Trent Bridge, breaking Robin Smith’s long-standing record for England’s highest ODI innings. His innings set up a world-record total of 444 for 3 – a record England broke at the same venue two years later, when Hales made 147 out of their 481 for 6 against Australia.By that stage, Hales was England’s spare batter, having lost his first-choice berth in the aftermath of the street-fight outside a Bristol nightclub also involving Ben Stokes. He was not charged with any criminal offence, but an ECB-imposed suspension opened up a vacancy for the recalled Roy, who then formed a brilliant opening partnership with Bairstow.Hales also played 11 Tests between 2015 and 2016 as one of England’s many attempts to find a regular opening partner for Alastair Cook. He made five half-centuries and averaged 27.28, but was dropped ahead of the 2016-17 winter tours and quit red-ball cricket ahead of the 2018 county season.”Throughout the ups and downs I’ve always felt a huge amount of support from my friends, family and undoubtedly the best fans in world cricket,” Hales added in his statement. “I look forward to continuing to play for Notts and experiencing more franchise cricket around the world.”Hales finishes his England career with 2419 ODI runs at 37.79, including six hundreds, and is one of three men to score more than 2000 T20I runs for England, with his single hundred coming against a Sri Lanka side featuring Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga at the 2014 World T20.

Doug Bracewell, Matt Critchley claim the key wickets to give Essex vital victory in title race

Paul Edwards13-Jul-2023
Lancashire’s cricketers arrived at Stanley Park this morning knowing that if they could bat out the day against Essex, they would certainly earn their team five points. Even in this era of extraordinary feats, chasing down 430 for victory on a fourth-day Blackpool pitch was surely an absurdity. So we thought anyway…But Keaton Jennings and his players also understood that even if they merely scraped a manky draw, it would go some way towards expiating the hurt to their professional reputations suffered by their hogwhimperingly incompetent performance on the third day. So it was one of those times on which county cricketers learn something about themselves that goes beyond technique and character. Colleagues and coaches can help but they cannot face the bowling in either the actual or metaphorical sense.Something like ten hours later, Jennings’ players had indeed discovered much about themselves, even in defeat to a fine Essex team, whose varied attack had conjured a 46-run victory with just ten balls to spare. And rather than block like buggery for 96 overs, Lancashire’s batsmen had played positively, more or less every one of them, to give their side a chance of achieving the highest successful fourth-innings run-chase in their history. As things turned out, it wasn’t quite enough but those who witnessed it, regardless of their loyalties, will not forget it.For in the penultimate over of the day, with Tom Westley’s players perhaps doubting that victory would be theirs, Rob Jones glanced Doug Bracewell into the safe hands of Dan Lawrence at leg-slip. Almost on the instant, Lawrence was mobbed by colleagues celebrating their fourth victory of the Championship season; at the same moment Jones stood motionless in the crease, the fact of his superb 111 suddenly lost amid the desolation of defeat. Of course he received a standing ovation as he returned to the pavilion, but so did Essex’s players at the end of a long drama, whose tension had seemed improbable in the extreme when the rain was cascading down on Monday and Tuesday.But in truth this match was something of a triumph for almost all the players, not least Jennings and Luke Wells whose 58-run stand in the first hour of the day was the highest opening partnership of the contest. However, since the previous three had all been nought, this achievement did not prompt Glen Chapple to lead a conga on the home balcony. What might have pleased Lancashire’s head coach rather more was the sight of his openers negotiating the first hour’s play with few alarms save Wells being dropped on two when Simon Harmer grassed a tough one-handed chance at second slip off Sam Cook. Shortly after midday, however, Jennings was not as fortunate on 30 when he tried to cut Bracewell but only nicked the ball high to Will Buttleman’s left and saw the keeper take an outstanding one-handed catch.Essex enjoyed no other breakthroughs in the morning session. On the contrary, Wells reached his fifty off 83 balls and Josh Bohannon took the fight to Harmer, twice lofting the off-spinner for leg-side sixes. Lancashire came in to lunch prosperously placed on 140 for one after 32 overs, the sort of score that led some well-watered souls in the pavilion to speculate about the chances of their side winning the match. Apparently they were getting particularly animated in the touring version of the 1864 Suite, although that might have been linked to the arrival of three cases of Château Lafaurie Peyraguey.Such excitement was not lessened when Bohannon whacked Harmer for another six over long-on in the second over after lunch but it was stilled a few moments later when Lancashire lost two wickets in the space of five balls. First Wells, having ridden a little luck and been dropped twice was safely taken at backward point by Paul Walter off Matt Critchley. Then Dane Vilas, who is sadly out of nick, could make nothing off Critchley’s googly and was bowled for a five-ball duck.The atmosphere of the game changed almost at once as the Essex fielders encouraged their bowlers with fresh optimism and loud encouragement. Justifiably so, as well, for having reached an impressive fifty off 65 balls, Bohannon again fell to a backward of square leg-side catch off left-arm seamer Paul Walter when a sweetly timed pull off his hip went straight to Jamie Porter at long leg.Phil Salt joined Jones and although Lancashire reached the midpoint of the day exactly halfway towards their target, they did so with their last two specialist batsmen together. And no-one was talking about knocking off 430 now. Yet as paralleled in so many cricket matches, Essex’s best chance of winning the game lay in the fact that Lancashire could also do so. While Jones and Salt were tantalised by the possibility of improbable victory, Westley’s players knew their own chances were increased as long as their opponents still had a sniff.The game swung in Essex’s favour, perhaps vitally so, shortly after tea. First, Salt, having made 41, top-edged a sweep off Critchley to Porter behind square on the leg side. Three overs later, Colin de Grandhomme hooked Paul Walter straight to Jamie Porter at long leg and it became plain that Lancashire were running out of batters capable of scoring the runs they needed for victory.Still, however, with 89 needed off the last 16 overs and the new ball about to be taken, they gave it a go. Tom Hartley made 17 before he nicked Cook to Buttleman. Next over Jack Blatherwick gave Porter a return catch and with seven overs left in the contest Tom Bailey skied Bracewell to backward point, where Harmer took a superb diving catch. Finally, and perhaps just a trifle too late, Lancashire settled for the draw and the crowd subsided into a tense silence. Will Williams defied Harmer with some front foot lunges and the draw beckoned. Then, Bracewell gathered his substantial form and galloped in to bowl to Jones….

Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna make their ODI comebacks, but Yuzvendra Chahal has been dropped from the 17-man squad

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-20231:02

Will India miss Chahal in their Asia Cup squad?

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have been selected in India’s ODI squad for the Asia Cup after recovering in time from a thigh and a back injury respectively.The 17-man Asia Cup squad announced by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in Delhi on Monday included rookie left-hander Tilak Varma, who hasn’t played ODI cricket yet.Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, who made their international comebacks during the ongoing T20I series in Ireland after recovering from back surgeries, were also selected. Mohammed Shami made a comeback after being rested for the entire tour of West Indies, while Mohammed Siraj and allrounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur complete the pace attack.”In West Indies, we saw some real promise in terms of not just performances but the temperament,” Agarkar said of Tilak’s selection. “And it gives us an opportunity to take him with the team, give him some more exposure; a left-hander again, looks very promising. So fortunately we can take 17 here, it’ll be 15 at the World Cup. So when the time comes we’ll take that decision, but at the moment it at least gives the coach and captain an opportunity to have him with the squad.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Experienced legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal was dropped from the squad, with Kuldeep Yadav preferred as the only wristspinner along with two fingerspinning allrounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. There was no offspinner in the squad.”We thought about an offspinner as well, [R] Ashwin and Washy [Washington Sundar], but right now you see Chahal had to miss out because we could only pick 17 players,” India captain Rohit Sharma said at the press conference. “The only way we could have picked him was if one of the seamers was missing. We can’t do that because seamers are going to play a big role in the next two months. A few of them are coming back after a long time, so we wanted to have a good look at them, get them in and see what they have to offer. Having said that, no doors are closed on anyone. Anyone can come in anytime. If we feel like we need Chahal for the World Cup, we’ll see how we can squeeze him in, same goes for Washy or Ashwin.”Ishan Kishan was chosen over Sanju Samson as the second wicketkeeper in the squad, behind Rahul, with the left-hand batter doubling up as a reserve opener. Samson, however, will travel to Sri Lanka as a back-up player.”We’ve picked these 18 guys. It’ll be in and around these guys [for the World Cup squad],” Agarkar said. “A few important guys coming back from injury, hopefully all goes well with them. They have a few games now at the Asia Cup. There’s a short camp in Bengaluru] followed by a couple of games before we announce the World Cup squad, but it’s quite obvious it’ll be around these guys.”Rahul and Shreyas had spent several weeks undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and took part in match-simulation exercises in the days leading up to their selection. Rahul has not played any competitive cricket since he was injured during IPL 2023, while Shreyas has been out of action since Australia’s tour of India in March. Agarkar said that while Shreyas was passed fully fit, there was still a question mark over Rahul.”Both are coming off long-term serious injuries. Shreyas has been declared completely fit. Rahul, not his original injury but there’s a niggle, which is why Sanju is travelling,” Agarkar said. “We’ll get a report from the physio at some stage but we all expect him to be fit. If not at the start, by the second or third game, but he’s on track. Shreyas has been passed fit, which is good news for us.”1:09

Shastri: ‘Virat must bat at No. 4 if the team needs him to’

Apart from Tilak’s inclusion, there were no surprises in the batting unit and Rohit said the team management wanted to be flexible with the batting order.”One thing I want in this team is to make sure everyone is okay to bat anywhere,” Rohit said. “You need flexibility, guys who can step up at any position. No one should say, ‘I’m good at this position or I’m good at that position’. You want guys to be able to bat anywhere, that’s the message conveyed to every individual. Not now, but over the last three-four years. I know it’s tough for guys on the outside to understand why a guy who bats at six is batting at four, but the message has been given. You don’t want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting in one position. Having said that, you want to get the best out of players in certain positions. All seven-eight [positions] are open to anyone, that’s the message we have sent out for so many years now.”The Asia Cup begins on August 30 with Pakistan hosting Nepal in Multan. India’s first Group A game is against Pakistan in Pallekele on September 2, after which they play Nepal in Pallekele on September 4. Group B comprises Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and the top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Four stage. The sides that finish one and two in the Super Fours will contest the final in Colombo on September 17.India squad for Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna

Glenn Maxwell’s form and fitness shows promising signs for Australia as the real deal approaches

Andrew McGlashan04-Oct-20232:22

What role will Travis Head play at World Cup for Australia?

Like a number of teams over the last few weeks, Australia have been trying to reach the start line of the World Cup without any further major setbacks. They have had to manage a lengthy injury list but have just about got there.If a reminder was needed of how seriously to take the last couple of warm-up matches, the sight of David Warner sending down two overs of long hops and full tosses against Pakistan (albeit nearly conjuring a wicket which would have given him plenty of social media content) reinforced that it’s dangerous to read too much into the final stretch of preparation.There was a grain of truth when George Bailey, the national selector, joked before the match against Netherlands that if there were any Australians around Kerala they should pop down for game – for some players there has been a risk of too much cricket and it’s been all about getting to Chennai where they face India on October 8.Related

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But while the scoreline against Pakistan was largely irrelevant, there were a few aspects that may not be insignificant over the coming weeks.

Form and fitness coming together for Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell is a pivotal player in Australia’s hopes of another title, even more so now that he is effectively the second frontline spinner alongside Adam Zampa. He struck a breezy 77 off 71 balls in Hyderabad, a significant stint in the middle to test the durability of his previously broken leg, then backed that up with a tidy eight overs.”There’s always that weariness I suppose mentally – ‘how’s it gonna go tonight?’ But once I get moving I’m absolutely fine,” Maxwell told reporters.”My warm-up’s probably a little bit more structured these days. Have to do all those little things that I negated early in my career – I used to just run out here and go 100 percent and I was fine. But probably [now] just a little bit more thought around how much time I spend out there in the warm up and certain little drills I have to do.”Then there was the timely half-century for Cameron Green, who has struggled with the bat for much of the year since the IPL. It was his first fifty since the 47-ball hundred he struck for Mumbai Indians in May.The concussion he suffered in South Africa disrupted preparations, but he would appear inked in ahead of Marcus Stoinis who has not appeared in either of the warm-up matches or the last two ODIs against India.Cameron Green spent valuable time in the middle•Getty Images

The fact fellow allrounder Mitchell Marsh has bowled in consecutive matches having not been used at all against South Africa and India is another plus when it comes to balancing the side.

Josh Inglis vs Alex Carey?

Alex Carey could have done with a substantial innings ahead of the tournament, but he was run out for 11. Aside from the 99 he flayed in a heavy defeat at Centurion, he has been unconvincing with the bat with only one other score over 20 against South Africa, India and in these two warm-ups.It is unlikely Australia will move away from him, at least early in the tournament, partly because he adds a left-handed option in a right-hand dominated batting order. However, Josh Inglis gave a reminder of his versatility with a lively 48 off 30 balls in the closing stages.With preparations now almost complete, and Australia working with 14 fit players for now until Travis Head recovers from his broken hand, it would appear that their XI to face India is taking shape. Marnus Labuschagne has surely done enough to lock himself in at No. 4 behind Warner, Marsh and Steven Smith.Having been heavy on allrounders in the lead-up, there has been shift back towards the big three quicks – captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – lining up together, although Sean Abbott could still be in the frame if they want to lengthen the batting at No. 8. But with nine round-robin matches plus a heavy travel schedule, it’s likely the entire squad will be needed at some point.

Both teams are waiting until the morning of the game to find out whether their captains will be fit to play

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-20234:35

Preview: Is batting first Bangladesh’s only chance to beat South Africa?

Big picture: Crucial game for Bangladesh

Who wants to face the team that smashed 399 in their previous game? And at the venue they did it too. Bangladesh have that privilege, as they take on a South African unit fresh – or are they, given the searing Mumbai heat? – from their dismantling of defending champions England on Saturday.With three wins in four games, South Africa are comfortably placed at No. 3 in the points table. And their thumping margins of victories – 102 runs against Sri Lanka, 134 against Australia, and 229 against England – have earned them the best net run rate in the tournament.South Africa have scored 300-plus every time they have batted first in this World Cup – with their top order laying a strong platform for a powerful finish, of which Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen provided a devastating example at the Wankhede.Their pace-heavy bowling attack – comprising Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, along with the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj – dismissed the line-ups of Sri Lanka, Australia and England. The only time they fell short in both disciplines was when they bowled first against Netherlands.While South Africa are well placed to push for a semi-final spot, Bangladesh are struggling to be a serious contender, having lost three games – to England, New Zealand and India – after an opening victory against Afghanistan. They are one of four teams stuck on one win after four matches, and another defeat will almost certainly extinguish their flickering chances of qualification.Mushfiqur Rahim has been their best batter, with the likes of Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz unable to make significant contributions in the middle order. Tanzid Hasan scored a fifty against India after a tough start to his international career, while Litton Das has been hot and cold at the top of the order. Whether Shakib Al Hasan, who missed their previous game against India with a niggle, is passed fit to play is critical, as Bangladesh will be without the injured Taskin Ahmed once again.

Form guide

South Africa WLWWW (last five ODIs, most recent first)Bangladesh LLLWLSouth Africa thumped England by 229 runs at the Wankhede on Saturday•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Klaasen and Mushfiqur

Heinrich Klaasen will undoubtedly be a hot topic at the Bangladesh team meeting after his 109 off 67 balls against England at the Wankhede, an innings that was played in the gruelling afternoon heat and humidity of Mumbai. A late-bloomer in the South African setup, Klaasen is having his best year in ODIs, having made 725 runs at 55.76 in 2023. His strike rate of 139.43 makes him one of the most destructive batters at the World Cup. After not fielding during England’s chase, will Klaasen have recovered to have enough gas in the tank against Bangladesh?Amid Bangladesh’s batting gloom, Mushfiqur Rahim has emerged as their top scorer and most dependable batter. He has been batting at No. 6 this year, which seems a bit too low for an in-form batter in a misfiring middle-order. The batting line-up, especially in Shakib’s absence, could do with Mushfiqur at No 4 but he is unlikely to move up the order.

Team news: Will Bavuma and Shakib play?

South Africa were led by Aiden Markram against England because Temba Bavuma was not fit. If he’s recovered by Tuesday he will come back in for his replacement Reeza Hendricks, who scored 85 off 75 balls against England. The decision will be made on the morning of the game.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt)/Reeza Hendricks, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi NgidiShakib missed the game against India with a left quadriceps injury but he said he trained without issues on Sunday and is likely to be fit for the game. Taskin remains unavailable because of a shoulder injury.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahmudullah, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions: Another sweltering day

Expect another hot afternoon with temperatures in the mid-30 celsius with high humidity. Jos Buttler conceded he had perhaps made a mistake by fielding first in such conditions on Saturday, so expect the team that wins the toss to bat first on a flat Wankhede pitch and wear out the opposition by the time the chase begins.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh have outplayed South Africa in two of their three World Cup matches, in Providence (2007) and at The Oval (2019). South Africa won the game in Mirpur (2011) with a huge margin of 206 runs.
• Klaasen’s strike-rate of 147.95 this year is the second highest among batters who have scored more than 700 runs in ODIs.
• In 2022, Bangladesh won an away ODI series against South Africa for the first time

Quotes

“We haven’t done particularly well against them in the past, so that’s extra motivation for us to come out and replicate what was a good performance against England.”
“I really don’t think there’s any need to motivate players in the World Cup. Everyone is well motivated and trying hard. We have had some individual performances, so if we can pool it together, we can have a good result.”

Teenage legspinner impressed in Antigua defeat and hopes to continue learning from England’s past master

Cameron Ponsonby04-Dec-20231:50

Miller: Judge Buttler and Mott on T20Is, not ODIs

For more than a decade, the of England’s white-ball set-up has been Adil’s wristspin.Filling the shoes of any world-class performer is almost always a doomed task. And those anointed to do so rarely appreciate the burden of expectation that is lumped on their growing shoulders. But nevertheless, step forward Rehan Ahmed.Rehan was the pick of England’s bowlers during defeat to West Indies in the first ODI, claiming 2 for 40 from his ten overs, spinning the ball sharply in both directions. His googly, which is arguably more of a stock delivery for him than his legbreak, is sensational. A modern-day legspinner in the shape of Rashid Khan as opposed to Shane Warne. And he can launch the ball out of the ground with the bat too.Related

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At a time when England are heading into the final years of Rashid’s career, the fact a readymade replacement is developing in front of our eyes is a blessing. Whether Rehan contributes the same quantity of wickets that Rashid has done across his career, it’s impossible to tell. What you can be sure of, however, is that he will provide a quality of entertainment that few across the rest of the game can.Rehan was picked for Pakistan last winter on the basis that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum just liked it. What they liked exactly, no one was really sure. A batter who bowls? A bowler who bats? No one knew. They just felt that whatever mysterious concoction they’d been served up by the Leicestershire academy was delicious and they wanted lots more of it.”I don’t mind being hit for runs,” Rehan said the day after England’s defeat. “I just want to take wickets. The runs aren’t really part of it. I know there’s going to be a couple days where I get it wrong and I get hit around, which I’m fine with, it’s just more when I’m on top and I’m bowling well to [try to ] impact the game as much as I can.”On Sunday in Antigua, Rehan gave West Indies No. 3 Keacy Carty a living nightmare. In 17 deliveries to Carty, who has been struggling for domestic form, Rehan conceded just seven runs as he consistently turned the ball past both edges. Yes, the pitch assisted spin – but if it’s turning, you want your spinner to bowl well. And he did.”I think there was a couple of overs in there I could have maybe attacked a bit more,” Rehan said a spell that looked certain to have won England the match. “[I could have] played around with the field a little bit more. But again I’m not seeking perfection and I felt like I bowled very well. I think I challenged the stumps quite a bit. But there’s always ways to improve.”Rehan Ahmed was the pick of England’s attack in the first ODI•Getty Images

This isn’t to retire Rashid prematurely, with the sweet spot for England potentially lying in the idea of playing both of them. For just £40, you can go to a Trent Bridge ODI and watch Qui-Gon Jinn train his Padawan one over at a time. After all, in the same way that Rehan was picked for the tour of Pakistan on the basis that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough – a 39-year-old Rashid in 2027 may rock up to another World Cup on the basis that if you’re good enough, you’re young enough.”I think so,” Rehan replied when asked if he reckoned England could play with two leggies in one side. Which, admittedly, is a question it is in his interest to answer affirmatively. “You see more than one seamer in a team, so there can always be more than one legspinner.””Rash is probably the best legspinner in the world right now and whenever I’m with him I try to take as much information as I can, especially on his legspinner – he’s got about 12 so I just try to pick one of them for now. But it has offered me a lot and I’m getting a bit more sidespin than I used to.”I played a couple of T20s in the summer and the Bangladesh game [in March] as well so I think it was a nice feeling for all of us together. I feel like I can speak to Rash about bowling and it felt like a practice game even though it was an international game so it kept me very relaxed.”What’s more, if the idea of more than one legspinner in a team is cause for excitement, a team with more than one Ahmed is doubly so, with Rehan’s brother, Farhan, a 15-year-old offspinner, set to be named in England men’s Under-19 World Cup squad.”He bowls a lot of dot balls so he’ll be quite boring,” Rehan joked. “But no, I’m very happy for him. He’s very young and he’s been picked for such a big thing as well. It’s an unbelievable achievement. He’s actually at school right now doing his physics test.”Rehan is one of three brothers, and the family have a strong cricketing bond with his elder brother playing regularly for Nottinghamshire 2nd XI. The trio also regularly turn out together for their club side Cavaliers and Carrington – previously described by Rehan as the “Manchester United of cricket, the best club in England”.So invested is Rehan, he returned to play for Cavaliers the weekend before the Ireland ODI series in September began. “I play with my older brother and younger brother and dad in club cricket and it’s the best feeling ever. As many of us that can play together, it’s always going to be good. Whether it’s for England, for county, for school, for a club, anything. I think playing alongside family is always a great feeling.”

Kieron Pollard joins Karachi Kings and Mohammad Amir goes to Quetta Gladiators

Sreshth Shah13-Dec-2023Australia allrounder Daniel Sams and the South Africa duo of Reeza Hendricks and Lungi Ngidi are set to play their maiden PSL events after being picked up in the draft held on Wednesday in Lahore. Sams was a platinum pick by Karachi Kings, Hendricks was a gold pick by Multan Sultans while Ngidi the supplementary pick made by Peshawar Zalmi.Returning to the PSL will be South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen, who was selected by defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the platinum category alongside Fakhar Zaman. Qalandars also secured Sahibzada Farhan, the highest run-scorer from the 2023-24 National T20 Cup.Last year’s losing finalists Sultans topped up Hendricks’ addition by also selecting England batter Dawid Malan and England allrounder David Willey. Islamabad United stocked up on the English pair of Jordan Cox and Tymal Mills. Karachi Kings supplemented Sams’ selection by adding Kieron Pollard, Tim Seifert and Mohammad Nawaz.Joining Ngidi at Zalmi are Afghan wristspinner Noor Ahmad and the hard-hitting Asif Ali. Quetta Gladiators roped in the West Indies pair of Akeal Hosein and Sherfane Rutherford, while also selecting Mohammad Amir.The PSL 2024 draft had players being selected into six categories. They were platinum, diamond, gold, silver, emerging and supplementary. Teams had to fill three spots each in the platinum, diamond and gold categories. They then had to fill five in the silver and emerging categories, followed by two in the supplementary. A total of 485 overseas players had initially signed up to take part in the draft as the six PSL teams filled the gaps to complete their 18-player squads.

Full squads:

Lahore Qalandars – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen (South Africa) (all Platinum), Haris Rauf (Brand Ambassador), David Wiese (Namibia) and Sahibzada Farhan (Wildcard) (all Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan (all Gold), Mirza Tahir Baig (Successful relegation request), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Mohammad Imran, Ahsan Bhatti, Dan Lawrence (England) (all Silver), Jahandad Khan, Syed Faridoun Mahmood (both Emerging), Shai Hope (West Indies) and Kamran Ghulam (both Supplementary)Islamabad United – Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Jordan Cox (Wildcard) (England) (all Platinum), Imad Wasim (Mentor), Azam Khan, Tymal Mills (England) (all Diamond), Faheem Ashraf (Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (England), Colin Munro (New Zealand) (all Gold), Rumman Raees (Successful relegation request), Matthew Forde (West Indies), Salman Ali Agha, Qasim Akram, Shahab Khan (Silver), Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah (both Emerging), Shamyl Hussain and Tom Curran (England) (both Supplementary).Multan Sultans – Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, David Willey (England) (all Platinum), Khushdil Shah, Usama Mir, Dawid Malan (England) (all Diamond), Abbas Afridi, Reeza Hendricks (South Africa), Reece Topley (England) (all Gold), Ihsanullah (Brand Ambassador), Tayyab Tahir, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Ali, Usman Khan (UAE) (all Silver), Faisal Akram, Yasir Khan (both Emerging), Chris Jordan (England) and Aftab Ibrahim (both Supplementary).Karachi Kings – Kieron Pollard (West Indies), Daniel Sams (Australia), Mohammad Nawaz (all Platinum), James Vince (England), Hasan Ali, Tim Seifert (New Zealand) (all Diamond), Shan Masood (Brand Ambassador), Shoaib Malik (Mentor), Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa) (all Gold), Mir Hamza (Successful relegation request), Muhammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Amir Khan, Anwar Ali and Arafat Minhas (all Silver), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Sirajuddin (both Emerging), Saad Baig and Jamie Overton (England) (both Supplementary).Quetta Gladiators – Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies), Mohammad Amir (Platinum), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Jason Roy (England), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) (all Diamond), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Brand Ambassador) Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain (all Gold), Will Smeed (England), Saud Shakeel, Sajjad Ali Jnr, Usman Qadir, Omair Bin Yousuf (all Silver), Adil Naz, Khawaja Nafay (both Emerging), Akeal Hosein (West Indies) and Sohail Khan (both Supplementary).Peshawar Zalmi – Babar Azam, Rovman Powell (West Indies), Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan) (all Platinum), Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (England), Asif Ali (all Diamond), Mohammad Haris (Brand Ambassador), Aamir Jamal, Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan) (all Gold), Khurram Shahzad, Salman Irshad, Arif Yaqoob, Umair Afridi, Daniel Mousley (England) (Silver), Haseebullah, Mohammad Zeeshan (both Emerging), Lungi Ngidi (South Africa) and Mehran Mumtaz (both Supplementary).

England wicketkeeper braced for extreme conditions in Visakhapatnam after Hyderabad victory

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Jan-2024It feels a bit of a missed opportunity to have the second of a five-Test series take place in the ‘City of Destiny’. Perhaps recent history was considered when sorting the order of the off-broadway venues selected for this India-England series. Only the games up front are guaranteed to be live.But as both teams arrived in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday afternoon, a strong whiff of fate lingered in the Bay. This time next week, it could be all square, or – get this – England could be heading into their mid-series break in Abu Dhabi 2-0 up. Only those within the touring party believed this was a possibility when they arrived in India.The ACA-VDCA Stadium has only hosted two previous Tests matches – starting with England’s visit in November 2016 – which have both played about the same: initially good for batting, before the spin turns up from day three onwards. Not unlike the surface rolled out at Hyderabad.There is a suspicion, borne out of past experience, that Friday’s pitch may be more extreme. Those who toured India in 2021 recall all too well the three chastening losses that followed their opening victory in Chennai. “All three were probably the worst pitches I’ve batted on,” recalled Ben Foakes, who came into the side in the second Test of that series.Some of those who experienced that tour have labelled it the worst of their lives, as much because of limitations on movement in the Covid-19 era as the unforgiving, embarrassing manner of the defeats. It is a far cry from the free-spirited atmosphere under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. And so, too, is England’s mindset to cope with whatever India might have up their sleeve this week.Foakes was involved in a 112-run stand with Ollie Pope in Hyderabad•AFP/Getty Images

“Going into that, I was thinking, ‘These are horrific wickets – I just need to find a way to stay in’,” Foakes said. “I think now the group is more, if that’s the situation, you’ve got to be positive; got to put it [pressure] back on the bowler and put them under pressure.”Before, there was more of a fear of getting out and that put us in our shells. Whereas now it’s not worrying that you are getting out and accepting that you probably are on those sort of surfaces. But how can you actually go and dominate at times as well?”Ollie Pope was the poster-boy of that approach in Hyderabad with his second-innings 196, and not for the first time, Foakes was a vital accessory. A watchful 34 from 81 balls offered Pope support in a stand of 112, which took England into the lead. It was the fifth time in the Bazball era Foakes has featured in a century stand for the sixth wicket – all in victories.”I usually get about 25 of them,” he joked when asked about the role he assumes in such partnerships. “At Surrey, I bat at No. 5, so I just bat and that’s really an ideal situation for me, whereas playing for England, batting lower down, I’d say my game is better suited to when a batter stays in.”The thing I’ve tried to develop when I go in is if we lose a couple of wickets, to expand early. But I think generally, throughout my career, when there’s been those kind of situations where you have to grind in is when I’ve been most successful. That’s where I need to keep improving, so it fits quite nicely into my game.”Related

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That grind, while welcome in those situations, ultimately brought about Foakes’ axing for the Ashes last summer, when Jonny Bairstow took the gloves after recovering from injury. The sense of disappointment was all too familiar for Foakes, even if he has become used to intermittent runs in the England side since winning the first of his 21 caps in Sri Lanka in 2018.”I obviously found it difficult,” he said. “I think with my career in England being in and out a lot, it wasn’t as if I was shocked or anything like that. For me, I find it difficult to crack on with what I’m doing.”Obviously you go through a few emotions. One time I was at Lord’s waiting to bat [for Surrey] and Jonny took one on the finger. I was panicking, looking at the telly thinking, ‘shit, I’ve got to bat here!’ It’s more that sort of thing. I try to keep a clear mindset when there’s so much going on. It was obviously an incredible series to watch and I just enjoyed it from the sofa.”Ben Foakes celebrates England’s victory with Tom Hartley•Getty Images

But this should be a rare clear streak for Foakes. He was picked for this tour with a view to playing on pitches that demand immaculate keeping. Harry Brook’s return home for personal reasons made his route back into the XI a little easier, with Bairstow told to focus solely on batting at No. 5.It took until the dying embers of the first Test for Foakes to get on the scorecard, effecting the stumpings of R Ashwin and Mohammed Siraj off Tom Hartley. He had one blemish in the match, an early half-chance off KL Rahul during India’s first innings off Joe Root’s bowling, but stressed the importance of staying level in Indian conditions.”The more extreme the conditions you know things are occasionally going to wrong so you just have to mentally strong enough to put it out of your mind,” he said. “There is a good chance the next one is going to be a tough one.”You’re in the game, so it’s nice as a keeper. It’s obviously a very hard place to keep, and you’re aware of that. You’re going to have some tough moments or a tough day. But you’d rather be in the game than watching the ball do nothing in front of you.”In conditions like this, it’s about trying to think on your feet and learn because it’s not natural conditions [for me]. I’ve obviously kept away a lot and kept to spinners, but I find that Indian pitches, with the variable bounce, are up there with the hardest.”