Tag Futebol

Charith Asalanka had been appointed their T20I captain just before the ongoing series against India

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Jul-2024Sri Lanka’s selectors have appointed Charith Asalanka as the new ODI captain, replacing Kusal Mendis. Asalanka had been named T20I captain as well, ahead of the ongoing series against India after Wanindu Hasaranga had resigned from the role following Sri Lanka’s early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup.The same set of selectors had appointed Mendis as the ODI captain in December 2023, though he had also led Sri Lanka in several matches in last year’s World Cup in an acting capacity. Though Mendis has been in good touch with the bat, and Sri Lanka won six of the eight completed ODIs under his leadership, the selectors opted to go in a different direction. Under Mendis’ captaincy Sri Lanka had won five consecutive home matches against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, but lost 2-1 away to Bangladesh.Asalanka’s elevation to the T20I captaincy was expected following Hasaranga’s resignation, but a change in the ODI leadership was somewhat unexpected, largely because Mendis has not been in the position long. Nevertheless, Asalanka has been one of Sri Lanka’s more consistent ODI batters, averaging 43.59 with a strike rate of 90 across 52 innings.Test batter Nishan Madushka, 24, has also been included in Sri Lanka’s squad for the three ODIs against India on August 2, 4 and 7, while the likes of Akila Dananjaya and Chamika Karunaratne receive recalls.Seamers Dilshan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando, who were only added to the T20I squad after Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara were ruled out, will stay on for the ODI series. Left-arm spinning allrounder Dunith Wellalage has also found a place.The remainder of this squad is largely as expected. Illness continues to keep Chameera out, while a fractured thumb makes Thushara’s participation impossible. In addition to Madushanka and Asitha, Matheesha Pathirana is the only other specialist seamer. This is understandable given Khettarama stadium in Colombo, where the three matches will be played, tends to be spin-friendly. There is no room for Lahiru Kumara or Pramod Madushan, who had played in Sri Lanka’s most-recent ODI series, against Bangladesh.On the spin-bowling front, Sri Lanka have plenty of options, between Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dananjaya and Wellalage. Kamindu Mendis and Asalanka himself can send down some part-time spin as well.The top order seems fairly set. Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, and Mendis are likely to form the top three. Kusal Perera has not been included, despite some good T20 performances recently. Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, and Kamindu are in the mix to be in the middle order. Captain Asalanka will likely bat at No. 5.

Sri Lanka squad for ODIs vs India

Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Nishan Madushka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando

Their XI is likely to include PJ Moor and James McCollum, who went to Mumbai to prepare to face Bangladesh’s spinners

Mohammad Isam03-Apr-2023There is excitement in the Ireland camp ahead of their return to Test cricket after more than three years. Captain Andy Balbirnie, himself about to lead the Test team for the first time, set the scene by talking about how they could have several Test debutants, one of whom could also be cutting his teeth in first-class cricket. Ireland have been so out of loop from Test cricket that they stopped playing the longer-version game at home.But it won’t just be the novelty factor of playing a Test match. The excitement has translated to couple of them, PJ Moor and James McCollum, taking the extra step. The pair were in Mumbai couple of weeks ago to have a few sessions of specifically playing spin in the Global Cricket School. It is a cricket programme, founded by Sachin Bajaj in 2007, quite popular with county and European cricketers.Related

• PJ Moor: 'I missed out on World Cups for Zimbabwe but I'm hoping I can play for Ireland at the next one'

• Shakib and Litton Das picked in Bangladesh squad for Ireland Test

• Bangladesh await inexperienced Ireland on their return to Test cricket

Moor and McCollum worked under Vinayak Mane, the former Mumbai batter, at the Parsi Gymkhana ground. Mane said that their focus was obviously on spin as they were preparing for the Tests in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka this month.”They were mainly playing spin,” Mane told ESPNcricinfo. “They will be facing that in the Tests in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They were mainly facing different kind of spinners. Our role was to arrange lots of spinners, and give them a feedback how they approach. I think they are pretty well equipped. They have decent techniques. They are very aware of what they will encounter in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They will be facing couple of left-arm spinners and offspinners. Nowadays professionals do have a lot of information about their opposition.”Mane said that he impressed upon Moor and McCollum the general playing style of encountering spin in the sub-continent.”Being an Indian batsman, I always think of it as a game of cat and mouse, more so against spinners,” Mane said. “In a Test match, you set a spinner up. You can hang back and get him to come towards you and move out. There are times you move out and then hang back. It is a tactical game, which you can keep playing in a Test match.”Former Zimbabwe batter PJ Moor will be the most experienced player in Ireland’s Test line-up•AFP

Moor has played in this region previously. In fact his last Test was for Zimbabwe at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in 2018. Ireland captain Balbirnie said that Moor’s experience is invaluable to a team that comes up short in that aspect.”[Moor] brings experience, he has played eight Tests. More than double of any of our players,” Balbirnie said. “He has played a number of first-class matches too. I think he played a Test here with Zimbabwe so he has knowledge of the ground. He is really good with the younger guys. He will be crucial for us for the next two or three weeks.”Ireland’s big challenge in the one-off Test in Dhaka will be to stretch themselves in all departments. Balbirnie said their players have to bat, bowl and field for longer periods than they are used to in white-ball cricket.”I think [the challenge will be] the longevity. A lot of our guys don’t have a huge amount of first-class experience,” Balbirnie said. “Five-day Tests are very different. A lot of our guys have been brought up on white-ball cricket. A batter has to set himself to bat for as long as possible. Bowlers have to be as disciplined as possible. That’s going to be the biggest challenge. Conditions will play a part in terms of the heat. These guys need to learn on the job.”He called the occasion so unique that one of their players, Matthew Humphreys most likely, could be making his first-class debut in this Test match. “It is not many times in recent history that there’s going to be a lot of Test debuts,” Balbirnie said. “It only happens to the new nations. It would have happened to Bangladesh in the early 2000s. We are going to have a bit of a get-together tonight to do some presentations. I think if we do it in the morning, it will take too long.”It is certainly unique. We have potentially someone making his first-class debut tomorrow. I can’t think of a cricketer who has done that before.”In fact, the last time so many cricketers made their Test debut for reasons other than inaugural Tests, South Africa’s readmission or West Indies’ 2009 players’ boycott, was a South Africa-New Zealand Test in 1961.Ireland have only four survivors from their last Test in 2019•Getty Images

Balbirnie said Ireland are up against a Bangladesh side that is known to do well at home, so the message to the team has been to simply play without any trepidation.”A lot has happened.” he said. “We have been through a pandemic. There’s been so much changes. Players have gone. Players have come in. It was a memorable occasion in 2019 for a lot of Irish cricket people. This is memorable as well.”This is a big cricketing nation, playing against a top team. A lot of good teams have come here and got unstuck. The message is to go out and play, not hold too many fears. There’s not a lot to lose in a one-off Test. So we want to enjoy it.”Balbirnie himself is leading the Test side for the first time. He said he may have to lean on his team-mates for help from time to time. “It will be nice. I was fortunate to play under William Porterfield for a long time. I know how much it meant for him to captain the Test team. It is certainly different for me.”I don’t think I have captained in first-class cricket so it brings its own challenges as well. It is exciting. There will be times I will have to think on my feet, and look for help from the other players. It is part of the challenge of being a Test cricketer.”Ireland’s return to Test cricket is already a memorable moment for them. The excitement will start from the eve of the Test when they will hold a special cap ceremony.They will also have a keen follower from Mumbai. “Couple of guys who did the sessions with me will play for Ireland tomorrow,” Mane said. “In any case I love Test cricket, so I will definitely be eager to follow the game tomorrow.”

Zak Crawley reprieved after being caught off a no-ball late in the day

Alex Malcolm06-Jan-2022Usman Khawaja has produced a comeback century of the highest class to put Australia in another commanding position at stumps on day two of the fourth Test against England at the SCG.Khawaja’s silky 137 from 260 balls underpinned Australia’s 8 declared for 416, but it would have been more without a magnificent lone hand with the ball from Stuart Broad. After writing publicly about his frustrations at being left out in two of the first three Tests, Broad backed up his words with his 19th Test five-wicket haul including the crucial wickets of Khawaja and Steven Smith for 67, having knocked over David Warner on day one.England had to face a frightful five overs before stumps and Zak Crawley got a major reprieve. He nicked Mitchell Starc to first slip with Warner taking the catch head high. As Crawley walked off for what would have been a 12-ball duck, replays showed Starc had overstepped. Extras were the major contributor as the ball nipped and bounced prodigiously but Haseeb Hameed and Crawley survived another brutal examination from Starc and Pat Cummins.Related

• 'Just not fearing them' – Zak Crawley's plan to succeed against Australia quicks

• Usman Khawaja raises the roof amid groundswell of support

Khawaja was the star of the day for Australia. Playing his first Test in more than two years after he was dropped during the 2019 Ashes, he made his ninth Test century in his 45th Test, and his first in an Ashes series since making 171 in the SCG Ashes Test four years ago. Khawaja’s innings was proof he remains one of Australia’s best batters despite only playing due to Travis Head’s Covid-19 diagnosis.He was calm and composed throughout on a pitch that was not the traditional SCG batting paradise. He played some sparkling pull shots off Mark Wood and Broad and attacked Jack Leach and Joe Root with his full repertoire, scoring boundaries via reverse sweeps, cover drives and pull shots. Beyond his trademark stroke play, his ability to withstand some excellent spells of fast bowling was particularly noteworthy. As Australia lost Smith and Cameron Green in quick succession when Broad made the second new ball talk, Khawaja calmly kept the good balls out and was unflustered as several misbehaved on a surface becoming increasingly uneven.He did offer one chance on 28 that England will rue. Leach had barely troubled him on a leg stump line from around the wicket, but finally pitched outside off and found the outside edge as Khawaja prodded forward. The edge went past Jos Buttler’s gloves and deflected off his thigh before floating to Joe Root’s right, but the skipper failed to grasp it.From then on Khawaja was flawless and had the crowd so engrossed and invested that they booed Australia captain and New South Wales darling, Cummins, in the penultimate over before tea when Cummins retained the strike with an untimely single. But the skipper was immediately back in the good books, sneaking a single early in the next over to give Khawaja three balls to reach his century before the break. He only needed one with a neat tuck behind square sparking a standing ovation.Usman Khawaja latches onto a pull•AFP/Getty Images

Earlier in the day, Khawaja shared a 115-run stand with Smith, their seventh together in Tests, their third at the SCG and their first since the last Ashes Test in Sydney in 2018. He also shared invaluable stands with Cummins and Starc. The latter was worth 67 to help Australia press to 400 with Starc making 34 not out, his third score of 30-plus for the series.Smith looked destined for a century of his own as he cruised to his second fifty of the series and his sixth consecutive fifty at the SCG. His only concern in the opening session, where Australia made 83 without loss, was keeping his bat dry as several brief showers interrupted play momentarily.Smith looked impenetrable. He played a contemptuous on-drive off James Anderson’s first ball after one rain delay. He also picked off anything fractionally straight and dealt with an unsuccessful short-ball barrage that left Ben Stokes wicketless and unable to bowl for the rest of the day. Stokes failed to complete his 14th over due to sharp pain in his left side. He left the field with grave concerns but returned after lunch and fielded without issue.But Broad stopped Smith in his tracks with his outstanding spell with the second new ball. In one over he deceived Smith completely as he shouldered arms to a good length ball that hit him in front of middle and leg. But it had seamed back considerably and he was given not out, and the decision was proven correct as England lost a review proving it was missing leg stump. Broad got his man for the ninth time in Test cricket two balls later as he turned Smith inside out with a back-of-a-length leg cutter that took the outside edge. Broad added to his haul finding Cameron Green’s outside edge with a fuller cutter. Green’s struggles in the series continued as the only boundary in his 5 came from a nick that went between first and second slip.Alex Carey missed a golden chance to cash in against a weary attack, holing out for just 13 trying to slog-sweep Root from the rough outside off. It was Root’s seventh wicket in England’s last three Ashes tours in Australia making him the equal-most successful England spinner across those tours.Broad returned later to bounce out Cummins with a brutal lifter that brushed the top of the bat handle on the way through to Buttler. He also knocked over Khawaja with a beauty late in the day. It was another leg cutter that nipped off the seam, caught the inside edge and ricocheted onto leg stump.Broad had been described as a caged lion prior to the Test by England assistant coach Graham Thorpe and his five wickets was just reward for a lion-hearted effort. He also went past Bob Willis to claim the second-most Ashes wickets for England behind Ian Botham, and became the second-oldest visiting quick to claim a five-wicket haul in Australia behind Sir Richard Hadlee. He did suffer the ignominy of Nathan Lyon launching his last ball into the stands at midwicket but he deserved the warm applause he got walking off after Australia’s declaration.

Mayank Agarwal almost took Kings XI Punjab home, but Stoinis stole a tie out of nowhere before Kagiso Rabada bossed the Super Over

Karthik Krishnaswamy20-Sep-2020Seam movement and bounce with the new ball. A 20-ball half-century that came out of nowhere. A two-wicket over ending with a nasty-looking injury. A slow-burning, calculated rescue act that all but aced a tricky chase. A short run that wasn’t. Then, with one run required from three balls, somehow, Marcus Stoinis, who had also been the Capitals’ gamechanger with the bat, produced a dot and two wickets.The second match of IPL 2020 contained pretty much everything, until an anticlimactic Super Over handed two points to the Delhi Capitals and heartbreak to the Kings XI Punjab, particularly to Mayank Agarwal whose 89 off 60 balls had rescued them from an abject 55 for 5 in their chase of 158.Just as he was against the Kolkata Knight Riders last season, Kagiso Rabada was the Capitals’ Super Over hero. He took out KL Rahul with a well-directed bouncer, which followed the batsman’s premeditated movement towards the leg side, and bowled Nicholas Pooran next ball. Pooran’s slog across the line wouldn’t have been cause for too much censure in the regular part of a T20 game, but it was an unwise shot off the third ball of a Super Over, in which teams are only allowed two wickets.That left the Capitals just three runs to get, and they completed the job with no additions to the day’s quota of twists and turns.A fast bowlers’ pitchWith only three venues hosting this tournament, the pitches will, at some point, slow down and offer plenty of assistance to the spinners. For now, though, they’re keeping the fast bowlers interested. Saturday’s surface in Abu Dhabi had a healthy covering of grass. Today’s pitch in Dubai was well-grassed too, and offered seam movement and plenty of bounce. Both teams filled two of their overseas slots with fast bowlers.It was an Indian quick, however, who made the most of the early help. Delivering with his trademark upright seam, Mohammed Shami nipped the ball around, got it to spring off the pitch, and sent back Prithvi Shaw and Shimron Hetmyer in his second over. He had two catches dropped in his first over too, but one of them – Rahul putting Shikhar Dhawan down off a gloved hook – turned into a run-out.A recovery, and an eye-catching debutFrom 13 for 3 at the four-over mark, there was a bit of rebuilding to be done for the Capitals. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant ensured they wouldn’t lose another wicket for another 10 overs, but the Capitals’ run rate remained in check. Staying below 6 an over even at the 12-over mark.One of the main reasons for this was the performance of Ravi Bishnoi, the 20-year-old legspinner, who performed the difficult act of keeping Pant quiet despite being the left-hander’s obvious target to go after. He did this by slanting the ball across Pant from over the wicket, and almost exclusively bowling sliders and wrong ‘uns that veered away from his hitting arc. He exhibited impressive control over his lengths as well, and only conceded 13 runs to Pant off 12 balls, ending their skirmish by bowling him off the inside edge.Iyer had a better time against his designated target, hitting the offspinner K Gowtham for three towering sixes. Ever since his India return late last year, Iyer has shown he’s become a ruthless hitter against spin, and this ability should come in handy for the Capitals right through this season.Stoinis goes berserkJust when Iyer was looking dangerous, Shami returned to the attack in the 15th over and dismissed him with a well-disguised knuckle ball. There were no boundaries in that over, or the next one from Bishnoi, or the one after that from Sheldon Cottrell. After 17 overs, the Capitals were 100 for 6 and looking at a total in the region of 130.They ended up with 158, thanks to one of the most remarkable slog-overs efforts the IPL has ever seen. The bowling wasn’t great – Chris Jordan and Cottrell didn’t vary their pace all that much, and kept missing their length while going for yorkers, both wide and straight – but Stoinis’ hitting was magnificent. He took guard on off stump to get closer to the line if the bowlers went wide, and that also allowed him to put away straighter deliveries behind square on the leg side. From there, it was all still head and stable base, and the last three overs brought the Capitals 13, 14, and an eye-watering 30 runs respectively.Stoinis ransacked 49 runs in the last three overs of the Capitals’ innings. Only Virat Kohli and Andre Russell have scored more in that part of an IPL innings.Mayank Agarwal drives powerfully•BCCI

Ashwin’s two-way impactJust as in the first innings, the new ball did a bit in the second too. Kings XI expected this, and also had a not-particularly-steep target to chase, so their top order played out this phase with a little more caution than Shaw and Hetmyer in particular had done for the Capitals. Rahul muscled a Mohit Sharma free-hit for a monstrous leg-side six but was otherwise circumspect until he was bowled by an inducker from Sharma in the fifth over. Agarwal was even more circumspect: he was on 4 off 10 at the end of the fifth over.Ashwin came on for the sixth over, and took a wicket with his first ever ball for the Capitals, against the team he captained last season; Karun Nair was the victim, falling to a top-edged sweep. Four balls later, Ashwin burst through Pooran’s defences with an arm ball from around the wicket. Kings XI were 34 for 3, and were looking at negotiating 19 more balls from Ashwin, but in an attempt to dive and save a single down the ground, he damaged his left shoulder and left the field in what appeared to be intense pain.Glenn Maxwell fell in the next over, miscuing Rabada to mid-off, but Kings XI had a bit of a lifeline. With Ashwin unable to bowl any further, targets could be found among the other five bowlers.Agarwal comes agonisingly closeWhen Kings XI lost Sarfaraz Khan at the end of the 10th over, they needed 103 from their last 60 balls with only five wickets in hand. Agarwal at that point was batting on 13 off 20.The boundaries began to arrive for him, but still in small, measured doses: a pulled six off Stoinis in the 11th over, two fast-hands slashes square on the off side off Anrich Nortje in the 13th. Amidst all this, the left-arm spinner Axar Patel kept him and Gowtham quiet, finding a bit of in-drift and getting the ball to skid towards the stumps.With 74 needed off 36, Gowtham went after Sharma, picking his slower delivery and launching it over the long-on boundary before flat-batting a short one over mid-off for four. He fell in the next over, off Rabada, but Agarwal kept Kings XI in touch with the required rate with two more fours off Nortje in the 17th.If Ashwin had been able to bowl, Sharma may not have had to finish his quota. As it happened, Sharma bowled the 18th and conceded two sixes to Agarwal, who was by now picking his spot and finding it ruthlessly, even if it meant carving full balls over point. Then, in the 19th over, Agarwal got the bit of luck that his innings deserved, Iyer putting down a chance running to his left from deep midwicket and giving away another four.Twelve came off that Rabada over – it could have been 13 but for a tight but erroneous call of short run when Jordan turned for a second run – leaving the Capitals’ sixth bowler, Stoinis, to defend 12 off the last over. Agarwal smacked the first ball for six, high over long-off, and seemed to have the match all sewn up two balls later with a drive that beat long-off to his left.That left one to get off three balls. A dot ball followed as Agarwal slashed at and missed a bouncer outside off. Stoinis brought all but one of his fielders into the 30-yard circle, and bowled a wide full-toss. Did he mean to? Who knows, but Agarwal picked out deep point, the only fielder on the boundary.Then, with one to get off the last ball, Jordan flicked powerfully, but just within range of Rabada, who moved a step to his right at square leg to pull off a terrific reflex catch. There was no logical reason for the Capitals to still be alive in this match, but logic was taking a day off.

The left hander is expected to miss at least India’s next two matches and his ability to field will also be a factor in his recovery

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2019Shikhar Dhawan’s fractured left hand will be assessed after 10-12 days and India captain Virat Kohli hopes the batsman’s positive mindset will help his recovery.Dhawan was injured in the match against Australia played on June 9, during which he scored a century, and therefore the earliest he will go through an examination of how much his fractured hand has mended can only be made after approximately June 21.”Dhawan is going to be in a plaster for a couple of weeks. After that we will assess where he stands,” Kohli said. “Hopefully, the injury heals quickly and he will be available for the latter half of our league games and semi-finals for sure.”From that point of view, we want to hold him back, keep him here because he wants to play. I think that kind of mindset will help in healing the injury as well as he really wants to play.”However, it will not be his ability to bat alone that will be under question. India fielding coach R Sridhar said that the assessment will have to include the load that his hand will be put under once it has mended sufficiently to undergo heavier examination.Sridhar said that “throwing won’t be a problem as it is not his dominant hand” – Dhawan is a natural right hander who bats left handed. What will need to be studied carefully is “the impact while fielding and catching, specially is he is a slip fielder”.Following the washout against New Zealand it is possible Dhawan will miss on not one but India’s next two matches, against Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sridhar said that as far as his department goes, Dhawan would be tested out after 10-odd days, “with lighter balls first and gradually move on to the cricket ball and see how it goes from there, but yes that will be a challenge”.Rishabh Pant has been called into the squad as cover but will not officially be added unless Dhawan fails to recover. Once a player is ruled out of the tournament through injury he can’t be brought back unless another player is injured and the ICC technical committee is satisfied with the replacement. In the short-term India will use KL Rahul in the opening position.

Victoria registered their first victory of the season, chasing down 252 with six wickets remaining on the final day

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2018
Scorecard
Australia’s Test squad member Peter Handscomb hit form before heading to South Africa, scoring an unbeaten 114 off 127 balls to carry Victoria to their first win of the season, helping them chase 252 against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval.Victoria’s fast bowlers ran through South Australia’s line-up on the final day, starting with Scott Boland, who broke an 80-run partnership between Tim Nielsen and Alex Ross in the fifth over of the day. South Australia subsequently slid from 216 for 6 to 243 all out, having added just 35 runs to their overnight score of 208. Boland picked up four wickets to finish with a match haul of 8 for 129.In response, Victoria lost openers Travis Dean and Marcus Harris to Joe Mennie, but a solid 138-run, fourth-wicket partnership between Handscomb and Cameron White pushed Victoria closer to the target. Although Jake Lehmann dismissed White, captain Handscomb’s 13th first-class century comfortably took Victoria home with six wickets remaining.

Ravindra Jadeja took seven wickets in an innings for the first time to bowl India to victory over England by an innings and 75 runs to give them a 4-0 series win

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy20-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:50

Ganguly: Kohli’s captaincy, India’s bench strength stood out

In Mumbai, England had slipped to an innings defeat after batting first and scoring 400. In Chennai, they batted first again and scored 477. At lunch on the fifth day, they were 97 for no loss in their second innings, trailing by 185. This was a flatter pitch than Mumbai, less bouncy and a lot slower. Surely it couldn’t happen again?It did. This time, they lost by an innings and 75 runs, their punishing seven-Test tour of the subcontinent ending at 3.56pm IST, with a draw nine overs away. In Mirpur, they had lost all ten wickets in one session. Here, in less frightening conditions, they lost all ten in 48.2 overs, for the addition of 104 runs, after their openers had added 103.Ravindra Jadeja was India’s match-winner, taking seven wickets for the first time in a Test innings and ten for the first time in a match as well as grabbing two catches, including what was surely the catch of the series. England, though, were their own worst enemy, batsman after batsman getting himself out to hasten India to a 4-0 series win.England still had six wickets in hand when the final session began, and, in Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes, batsmen at the crease with three hundreds between them in the series. But Jadeja hounded them, pounding the rough outside their off stump relentlessly. Moeen stepped out, looking to hit him off his length, and only found a leaping R Ashwin at mid-on. Stokes went on the back foot, looking to work him with the turn. The ball stopped and popped to midwicket.This was no longer an entirely flat pitch. It still wasn’t doing much for the bowlers from the Pattabiraman Gate End, but there was something in it now for those approaching from the Anna Pavilion End. England could have negotiated it if the decisions made by their top order hadn’t exposed Nos. 8 and 9 to it. Amit Mishra bowled the No. 8, Liam Dawson, with a googly as he looked to drive against the turn. Umesh Yadav had the No. 9, Adil Rashid, caught off the leading edge, at point, by, who else, Jadeja.Out of the attack for seven overs, Jadeja returned with 12 overs remaining. Stuart Broad saw out the first over of his spell, but could do nothing about the first ball of the second; it jumped out of the rough as he stretched out to defend, and popped up off the glove to leg slip. Three balls later, it was all over. Turn and bounce again, this time to the right-handed Jake Ball. The No. 11 poked, and Karun Nair caught the ball at slip.Broad and Ball, the Nos. 10 and 11, were the only two England batsmen dismissed while trying to defend. It was an indictment of their approach after they had made the best possible start to the fifth day, a wicketless first session.Both sides of lunch, Jadeja had threatened to dismiss Alastair Cook for the sixth time in the series. He produced a loud lbw shout with his first ball of the day, turning the ball past the inside edge when Cook, on 25, pressed forward to defend. India did well not to review umpire Marais Erasmus’ not-out decision: replays suggested the ball struck Cook in line with off stump but would probably have spun past leg stump. Then, on 47, Cook shuffled across his stumps and missed a flick; this time India reviewed, and ball-tracking suggested the ball was turning too much to hit leg stump.Eventually, Cook’s shuffling unease about getting lbw caused him to play at a ball fired a long way down the leg side, and he effectively glanced the ball straight to leg slip. He fell one short of a half-century in his final innings of this long and difficult tour of the subcontinent, and what might possibly be his final innings as England’s captain.It was a typical innings in cussedness if not in length, taking no risks and forcing India to bowl their best balls at him even as he struggled against both Jadeja and Ashwin, who had beaten his outside edge frequently in the first hour. There was a dropped catch too, Ashwin finding dip and turn in the third over of the day to find his outside edge, but not the desired support behind the wicket, the ball bouncing off Parthiv Patel’s gloves.Keaton Jennings had played the spinners well, sweeping and reverse-sweeping confidently and also using his feet to try and get to the pitch and work Jadeja and Amit Mishra with the turn. This enabled him to clip both of them for fours through midwicket, but having done this to go from 50 to 54, he stepped out again, premeditatedly, and Jadeja fired it in low and full. The ball hit Jennings on the front foot, and then bounced up into the face of his bat, and looped back for a simple return catch.Joe Root, England’s best batsman of the series, got himself out six overs later, sweeping unwisely off the line of the stumps. The ball was too full for the shot, and it sneaked under his bat and hit his front pad instead. India reviewed Simon Fry’s not-out decision – a fair call, given it wasn’t immediately apparent whether the ball had straightened enough to hit the stumps – and ball-tracking said it was hitting more than 50% of leg stump.Jonny Bairstow was next to go, perhaps unfortunate to see a perfectly acceptable flick, off a full, leg-stumpish Ishant delivery balloon into the air, the ball perhaps stopping on him. He was even more unfortunate that Jadeja was the fielder sprinting from midwicket towards the square leg boundary with his back to the pitch, looking over his shoulder to keep his eye on the ball. Perhaps no one else on the field would have been able to pull off the catch.

New Zealand will trial the pink ball and day-night format in the Plunket Shield in February, with plans being formulated to play a floodlit Test match against Bangladesh in December 2016

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide26-Nov-2015New Zealand will trial the pink ball and day-night format in the Plunket Shield in February, with plans being formulated to play a floodlit Test match against Bangladesh in December 2016.The February 20 round of the domestic competition will feature day-night matches played in Auckland, Hamilton and Napier, as a step on the road towards a proposed night Test against Bangladesh. Lindsay Crocker, New Zealand Cricket’s head of cricket, said December was the right time of year for the concept.”We think probably the best one to try it would be Bangladesh in December,” Crocker told stuff.co.nz. “We think November is a little early so that December series could potentially be one. But we haven’t discussed that with them yet.”That [Plunket Shield round] sits quite nicely with three home teams having lit venues. We’ve identified that as a round that, should this [Adelaide] match go successfully and we’re satisfied that we can try it, then we would [go ahead].”The BCB said it hadn’t been approached yet. “They haven’t told us but if it comes up, it will first go to the cricket committee, then we will take a policy decision on the board level,” the chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo.David White, the NZC chief executive, said momentum for the format was growing. “In the debate around the ICC chief executives’ table there has been a lot of interest,” White said. “Everyone acknowledges that outside of England and Australia it’s been a challenge for Test crowds and is certainly a concept that people are very receptive to.”The news arrived as Brendon McCullum’s team prepared for the inaugural day-night Test at Adelaide Oval from Friday, with several other nations already showing an interest in a concept that has been pushed heavily by Cricket Australia in recent times.”People are voting with their feet that they’re encouraged by what the pink ball Test match has to offer,” McCullum said before his team’s floodlit training session on match eve. “For us to play in front of 40,000-odd people in a Test match is pretty amazing and we’re really, really excited about it. Hopefully it goes off brilliantly and there’s no challenges and no problems.”If we have that final session on that fifth day under lights and a result is in the balance then it could be anything for Test cricket. It could be something that is outstanding for the game. We’ll find out once the game’s over but we’re relishing the opportunity to test it out.”

India have put their ODI tour to Zimbabwe that was scheduled for July “on hold” due to the “fatigue factor”

Firdose Moonda and Amol Karhadkar15-May-2013India have put their ODI tour to Zimbabwe that was scheduled for July “on hold”. A BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo that the “fatigue factor”, which will follow the Champions Trophy and a tri-series in the West Indies between June 28 to July 11, was the reason for the board’s decision to put the series on ice.The Future Tours Programme had pencilled in three ODIs to be hosted in Zimbabwe but there was talk of that being extended to five. The BCCI has given an assurance it will “respect” its commitment to Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and intends for India to travel there at some stage, but it has not set a deadline for taking a call on when to reschedule.Both ZC and broadcasters SuperSport are unaware of the proposed postponement. Zimbabwe’s cricketers are under the impression they will start training to compete against India in two weeks’ time, having just completed what Brendan Taylor called a “satisfactory” series against Bangladesh, while a spokesperson for the television production told ESPNcricinfo they had not heard about any reschedule and are “due to host broadcast and transmit the series”.An India no-show will have wide-ranging consequences for Zimbabwean cricket, most notably financially. ZC is running on close to empty and is in severe debt. Match fees to some players are still outstanding and there has been no clarity on the scheme for funding franchise cricket next summer.The cost of hosting Bangladesh in April and early May will not have helped that situation. There are also scheduled tours by Pakistan in August and Sri Lanka in October, for which they will likely make a loss.Some of the money could have been recovered by the big drawcard of India because of the substantial television rights fees they bring with them. It could also have helped ZC clear some of their outstanding bills. One of them is some of the commentators who worked on the Bangladesh series. They were not paid by ZC at the time but told they would be reimbursed after the India series.Another cost they could have thought of covering is putting up the floodlights at Harare Sports Club, something that has been in the works for close to three years. The pylons have stood bare for several years while the lighting units were stuck at customs because ZC was unable to pay the money for their release. They were due to go on auction but ZC were able to secure them before that. During the second Test against Bangladesh they arrived at the ground but there is still no timeline for when they will go up. A source close to ZC estimates it will cost in the region of US$250,000 to install them. ZC will also need to secure a power source if they hope to play day-night cricket.

Worcestershire have confirmed that Saeed Ajmal will not be able to join them for the Friends Life t20 due to international commitments with Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2012Worcestershire have confirmed that Saeed Ajmal will not be able to join them for the Friends Life t20 due to international commitments with Pakistan.ESPNcricinfo reported earlier this month that Ajmal would have to pull out of his contract because of Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka and that trip is now set to take place between late May and mid-July. The FLt20 tournament begins on June 12 with the group stages finishing on July 8.Ajmal played for Worcestershire last year and was their best bowler in the FLt20. He claimed 16 wickets in eight games, conceding fewer than six runs an over and averaging 11.37 per wicket.Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, said: “Losing a player of Saeed’s quality is a big disappointment, however, we are extremely active in finding a replacement for the t20.”Ajmal’s Pakistan team-mate Junaid Khan, the left-arm fast bowler, is still waiting to find out whether he will be given permission to join Lancashire for the second half of the season including the FLt20.