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Kent make strides towards victory on third afternoon as Darren Stevens demonstrates timeless virtues

Richard Hobson at The Oval09-Jul-2019On the day the London reported that the ECB had accepted the name of Oval Invincibles for the Hundred side based at the ground next season, the county associated with the place through its cricketing history looked rather more vincible than they would have wished.Kent will enter the final day in the stronger position having established a lead of 98 on first innings and, after Surrey battled through the second session for the loss of only a single wicket, made sufficient inroads after tea to feel that a third win of the season is within their grasp. Just as long as the weather holds and their heads remain level.When bad light halted play with floodlights beaming for the third day in a row, Sam Curran and Rikki Clarke had at least averted the slender possibility of immediate defeat. Surrey will draw some hope from the fact that batting has rarely been simple, and if they can extend the lead to around 150, while taking time out of the game, they may be able to force mistakes. It would help if Gareth Batty recovers from illness to feature.Next summer, these counties will be together for the new concept. The name is said to have pleased both: Surrey have ground recognition, Kent a strong nod to the county motto of Invicta. This goes back to Norman times and means unconquered, although they seem to have remained so not by defeating William the Conqueror but thanks to a mutual agreement not to fight. Perhaps the Oval Pragmatists would be more appropriate.A cheeky soul might ask Darren Stevens what he remembers about motte and bailey castles. True, he was born in 1976 rather than 1066, but he looks a year or two older than 43 and the little hair now left is grey, and light grey at that. When Paul Downton, Kent’s director of cricket, announced the signing of Matt Milnes last September he talked of “building and developing a seam attack that grows to be the best in the country”. But that attack would not be the same without the man who is old enough to be the father of the rest.As in the first innings, the Kent bowlers kept Surrey under near-constant pressure. They maintained a challenging line to the succession of left-handers. Revealingly, the first four wickets all fell to catches by wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson, albeit that of Rory Burns to a gloved attempt to hook. Before that stroke, Surrey were 9 for 1 overall in what had effectively become a four-session game. At that point, Kent took back the initiative.Without being spectacular the hour or so before tea was especially engrossing. A blanket of thin cloud blocked the sky, but it felt warm and close, as though a raindrop might herald a storm just as a wicket might easily spark a collapse. Grant Stewart struck Dean Elgar on the forearm, from the other end Ollie Rayner turned the ball past the bat. Yet Elgar and Burns were batting actively, rotating strike and finding gaps.Elgar nudged and poked and guided, his runs ugly but valuable. Burns, meanwhile, had enjoyed success on the pull from the second ball of the innings when he swatted away Harry Podmore. And so his demise to Milnes came as all the more of a shock. Then, confirming how difficult it has been to begin an innings, Scott Borthwick followed immediately to give Milnes his 39th wicket of the season. His signing from Nottinghamshire has been well and truly vindicated, as they have noticed at Trent Bridge as well as Canterbury.From then on, it became the Stevens Show. Curran, whose instinct is to counterattack, survived appeals for catches behind in successive overs, the second with particular conviction. It barely mattered when Elgar’s stubborn effort ended leg-before on 65 and Jamie Smith quickly fell in similar fashion – not the first and not the last youngster to succumb playing around his front pad with Stevens wobbling the ball late.His figures currently read 4 for 46, and with a breezy 29 before lunch he could reflect on a day’s wage well earned. As it happened, Surrey would have been relatively happy to have claimed the remaining six Kent wickets for 84, keeping the deficit in double figures. The highlight was an athletic diving catch by Mark Stoneman at midwicket to remove Stevens and a high take at first slip by Clarke accounting for Stewart.Clarke had demonstrated remarkable reflexes for a man close to his 38th birthday, and with three wickets in the session he demonstrated what Stevens later confirmed, that youth does not hold a monopoly on quality cricket. Which is not to say that either man will necessarily be sprinting around the boundary for the Invincibles next year. They are too pragmatic for that.

Heather Knight, Nat Sciver and Anya Shrubsole are named among the Five Cricketers of the Year, while Virat Kohli is Leading Cricketer in the World

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2018The 2018 edition of has continued to break new ground, with three members of the England Women’s World Cup-winning team named among the Five Cricketers of the Year: Anya Shrubsole – who also becomes the first woman to feature on the cover – Heather Knight and Nat Sciver.For the second year running, Virat Kohli is named Leading Cricketer in the World – matching Virender Sehwag’s achievement in 2008 and 2009 – while another of the competitors in the Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s, India captain Mithali Raj, wins the Leading Women’s Cricketer accolade. Afghanistan’s teenage sensation, Rashid Khan, is the inaugural winner of a new award for the foremost T20 player in the game.Previously, only two women have won places among ‘s Five – Claire Taylor (2009) and Charlotte Edwards (2014) – a tradition that dates back to 1889 and is judged on performances during the English summer, with no player able to be named more than once.Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2018•Wisden

Alongside Shrubsole, Knight and Sciver, West Indies’ batsman Shai Hope, scorer of twin hundreds in a famous win at Headingley, and Essex’s Jamie Porter, the seamer who helped lead them to a first County Championship in 25 years, make up the Five Cricketers of the Year for 2017. Winners receive a commemorative edition of the Almanack, which is published on Wednesday.Lawrence Booth, the editor of , praised Knight’s role in lifting the World Cup as “the culmination of a personal tour de force that helped change women’s cricket for ever” and said no stroke was more memorable in 2017 than Sciver’s flick through the legs, christened the “Natmeg”. On Shrubsole’s match-winning turn at Lord’s, he added: “She finished with figures of six for 46, the best in a World Cup final, and the status of a national hero.”While the women’s game may enjoy a higher profile than it has ever done, Booth writes in his Editor’s Notes that there remains work to be done and calls for a statue to be erected of the pioneering Rachael Heyhoe Flint, who died last year. “If Barnsley and Hobart can honour Dickie Bird and David Boon, Lord’s can find room for Rachael Heyhoe Flint – preferably in the Coronation Garden behind the Pavilion, casting a mischievous eye in the direction of WG.”Although has only singled out the world’s best male cricketer since 2003, Kohli is the third player to win it twice – after Sehwag and Kumar Sangakkara – and the second to do so in consecutive years. The women’s award is only in its fourth year, with Raj the first Indian to be honoured.”For the second year in a row, Indian captain Virat Kohli is ‘s Leading Cricketer in the World,” Booth said. “In all formats in 2017, he scored 2,818 runs – more than 700 ahead of Joe Root in second place. Three of his five Test hundreds were doubles, and the other two unbeaten, and his 1,460 one-day international runs were unsurpassed.”Mithali Raj made it an Indian double after she was named the Leading Woman Cricketer in the World. In the course of captaining her country to within a whisker of the World Cup title, she became the leading run-scorer in the history of women’s one-day internationals, and completed her seventh successive half-century, another record.”Elsewhere in the Almanack, Booth describes England’s Test team as “going backwards” and is critical of the ECB’s handling of the Ben Stokes affair. There is praise, however, for increased engagement with the UK’s South Asian communities. “This is about more than doing the right thing, and bringing a passionate group in from the cold. It is a matter of survival.”

MS Dhoni also said that he had waited for Virat Kohli to settle in as Test captain before deciding to step down as India’s limited-overs leader

Arun Venugopal in Pune13-Jan-20173:18

Wanted Virat to ease into Test captaincy – Dhoni

MS Dhoni has revealed that his reservations with split captaincy were a factor in his decision to give up the role of India’s limited-overs captain. Speaking at his first press conference since stepping down as India’s ODI and T20I captain last week, Dhoni said he had waited for his successor, Virat Kohli, to settle in as Test captain before making the decision.”Right from the start, when I left Test captainship, I knew split captaincy doesn’t work in India, doesn’t work in our set-up,” he said at a press conference in Pune, where the first ODI against England will be played on Sunday. “I was waiting for the right time. I wanted Virat to ease into the Test format. With so many games, I feel he is right there. With this kind of decision, there is no wrong decision in it. It is just the timing. I feel this is the time.”And specially Virat, starting from Champions Trophy, to win the Champions Trophy in England. I felt it was the right time to move on. If I would’ve stayed till the Champions Trophy, nothing much changes.”Kohli had taken over as Test captain from Dhoni in December 2014, after Dhoni retired from the format during India’s tour of Australia in 2014-15.Dhoni explained that the rationale behind quitting Test cricket midway through the tour was to give someone like Wriddhiman Saha, who was being groomed as the second wicketkeeper, greater exposure.”A lot of people were like why did I quit mid-series in Australia, but you have to look at the bigger picture, what is more beneficial,” he said. “One more game into my numbers, it doesn’t make a lot of difference. But, since Saha was there, he gets a chance to play one more game in Australia. And if everything goes well, he will be the person to be going on foreign tours, so he has that exposure. And Virat also has the same kind of exposure.”Dhoni said he would continue to be a de facto vice-captain in Kohli’s team by virtue of being the wicketkeeper. From his position behind the stumps, Dhoni felt he was well-placed to give the new captain counsel whenever required.”I think the wicketkeeper is always a vice-captain of the side irrespective of whether he is announced vice-captain or not,” he said. “One thing is the field setting is usually given to the vice-captain or the wicketkeeper. In this scenario, I will have to keep a close eye as to what the skipper really wants, as to what are his preferential field positions.”I already had this chat with Virat about how he likes his fielders, where he wants them to be. In the sense I have to be more aware of whether he wants a short third [man] fine or he wants it slightly wider because different people have different opinions. If you had a short third or a fine leg, I always preferred it closer to me so that it’s slightly more difficult for the batsman to play a shot to get it through the right side of the field. All of that I have to adapt, but overall I don’t think much changes.”I will be there to give as many suggestions as possible to Virat as and when required. The field positioning is something I have to keep a close eye on. I will have to consult him and tell him because if it is strategically positioned in a particular place I can become a bit of a problem if I start moving around, but it’s not something that’s a big trouble to cope with. It’s just that I will have to keep a close eye, especially in the first few games, maybe a couple of games I can read the field positioning and everything and use it properly.””I already had this chat with Virat about how he likes his fielders, where he wants them to be”•Associated Press

In an insight into his methods as captain, Dhoni said his main job was to extract the best out of his players without unreasonable expectations of them. He said he played both good cop and bad cop when it came to handling players, and spoke of the importance of identifying match-winners and giving them a fair run. Dhoni didn’t take names, but he could well have been referring to players like Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, who weren’t consistent initially but went on to establish themselves as key players in his tenure.”The main job is to make sure that whatever is the potential of the player, he is performing to 100%,” he said. “Usually if you can achieve something between 90 to 110%, you know you’ve done really well.”You can’t really get 150% performance from a player who is 80%. That’s where you have to be very practical, very honest. There are different ways to handle everyone: for some it is a kind word, for some it is a harsh word. For some it may be just an expression with your eyes. At times it may be the false confidence you give the guy because that is what is really needed at that point of time. You have to be clever enough to evaluate as to this is what is needed at that point of time.”If you know the potential of the team, you can definitely make sure that they perform to the potential. You may face a few problems at times, say, you have two or three batsmen who are not performing at the same time [and] that maybe a hindrance. But, more often than not, you look at the bigger picture and say once it comes to the ICC events and the big tournaments and the knock-out stages, who is that person who can really win those big games for you. But, at the end of the day, you can give only a few games to an individual. Maybe two or three or four more games that is provided by the team if they are doing really well. Overall you can’t do much but you still need to have that faith.”Dhoni said he did not have any regrets during his tenure, or in life – “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” – and stated there were several moments, good and bad, which brought a smile to his face. High on the list was how the team handled the period of transition following the retirements of Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag.”When I started there were a lot of senior players in the side and as we progressed there was a time when the senior players had to leave and we had to make sure the transition is smooth,” he said. “The only good thing is over the period – once the seniors left us and the juniors came into the side – it is the same juniors who have started to do well.”We invested in them and over the period they started proving they are the ones who will take the legacy forward when it comes to Indian cricket, so that was a very satisfying thing to see. Overall it was a journey I really enjoyed and it is something that brings a smile on your face whether it is the tough periods or the winning periods. Overall it is the journey that is more important.”

Victoria fast bowler Scott Boland is one step closer to a dream debut in the Boxing Day Test after he was officially added to Australia’s squad

Brydon Coverdale22-Dec-2015Victoria fast bowler Scott Boland is one step closer to a dream debut in the Boxing Day Test after he was officially added to Australia’s squad. Nathan Coulter-Nile, who had been 12th man in the win over West Indies in Hobart, suffered a shoulder injury while playing for the Perth Scorchers in Monday night’s BBL match at the WACA, and has been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test.”The Scorchers medical team confirmed that Nathan dislocated his right shoulder while fielding last night,” Cricket Australia physiotherapist David Beakley said. “Although the extent of the injury and rehabilitation period will not be fully known until we receive the results of scans later today, we can confirm that Nathan will not be available for the Boxing Day Test.”Boland, who was on standby for the Hobart Test but was ultimately not required to join the squad, has now been officially added to the squad for the second Test against West Indies. Although it remains unlikely that Boland will play, if any of Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson or Peter Siddle struggle with their fitness over the next few days he will come into contention.Boland, 26, has collected 13 wickets at 17.07 so far this Sheffield Shield season. He particularly impressed Australia’s selectors during a Shield game against Western Australia in Perth, where he picked up 7 for 31 and bowled with pace, accuracy and movement.

Rajasthan Royals bowler Siddharth Trivedi has recorded a statement at the Saket District Court in Delhi in relation to the case against his three team mates

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2013Rajasthan Royals bowler Siddharth Trivedi has recorded a statement at the Saket District Court in Delhi in relation to the case against his three team-mates – Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – who were arrested on charges of fraud and cheating during IPL 2013. Trivedi will be a witness for the prosecution.Trivedi made his statement before a magistrate, which under section 164 of the Indian Penal Code means it is admissible as evidence. “He is not seen as a suspect, he had a periperal role and he never acted, he was refusing all the time,” SN Srivastava, a Delhi police official, told . “In their cases they had agreed to perform or under perform, in Siddharth Trivedi’s case he never agreed to perform at all.”Srivastava also said “nothing has come on any other player at this stage”.ESPNcricinfo understands Trivedi had declined multiple approaches by bookies and had also reported an approach by a bookie to the Anti Corruption and Security Unit during IPL 2012. Last year, Trivedi was among more than a dozen cricketers approached by undercover India TV reporters acting as bookies during a sting operation and was among those who turned them away. On Thursday, Trivedi travelled from his home in Ahmedabad to Mumbai and reached Delhi, it is believed, early this morning to record his statement before the court.The three players were arrested on May 15, soon after Royals played Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, for the alleged fulfilling of promises made to bookmakers during this year’s tournament. The players were allegedly promised money ranging from US$36,000 to $109,000 for their participation in spot-fixing.They were charged by Delhi Police under three laws of the Indian Penal Code: Section 409, which deals with criminal breach of trust and is a non-bailable offence; Section 420 which deals with deal with fraud and cheating; and Section 120B, which deals with deals with criminal conspiracy. The Delhi Police had registered cases against the players under Sections 420 and 120B. The charge under 409 was added to the list following Rajasthan Royals’ complaint against the three.

West Indies have been hit with a penalty for a slow over-rate during the first Test against England at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2012West Indies have been hit with a penalty for a slow over-rate during the first Test against England at Lord’s, which they lost by five wickets. West Indies captain, Darren Sammy, was fined 80% of his match fee, while his players received 40% fines.Roshan Mahanama, the match referee, imposed the fines after West Indies were ruled to be four overs short of their target, when time allowances were taken into consideration. Sammy admitted that with fast bowlers Shannon Gabriel and Fidel Edwards struggling he had resorted to bowling part-time spinner Marlon Samuels to try and bring the over-rate up as England closed in on victory.”Shannon went out with back spasms and Fidel was not at his best, so Marlon had to fill in some overs and make up some time,” Sammy said.The ICC’s code of conduct governing minor over-rate offences states that players are to be fined 10% of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount. Sammy could also face a one-match suspension if he is found guilty of one more minor over-rate offence in Tests during the next 12 months.

Duncan Fletcher, the new Indian coach, has said that his coaching philosophy will not be dictatorial in approach but will be about offering advice to the players

Sriram Veera13-May-2011Duncan Fletcher, the new Indian coach, has said that his coaching philosophy will not be dictatorial in approach but will be about offering advice to the players. Fletcher also pointed out that he had mentored Gary Kirsten and that was one of the main reasons that influenced Kirsten to recommend him for the post and for the BCCI to appoint him.”It’s not about dictating to the Indian players how I want them to play – sure to some degree you have to try influencing them – but it’s about offering advice to the players and it’s up to them to take it on board,” Fletcher said in his first news conference as India’s coach in Chennai. “Gary Kirsten followed my philosophy. He came and spoke to me before he took up the Indian job. I offered him advice on how to handle situations and he took that on board. And now, by Gary sort of pushing me for this job by taking my credentials to BCCI, he realised that my philosophy of coaching is right for India. Hopefully it’s right.”Fletcher said that he has been observing the Indian players over the last few months during his role as batting consultant to South Africa and New Zealand and reiterated that he was not going to make any wholesale changes. According to him, the most important thing would be to gain the respect of the players and he said that works both ways. “You have to gain their respect and they have to gain my respect. And that’s what this is about. Once you have that then it makes your job easier. It’s something you just have to work on as time progresses. I have worked with some big players elsewhere as well and you just got to develop this man-management process.”During the stint with South Africa and New Zealand I watched the Indian players. Sometimes I find more interest in quietly watching these players off the field and just observe because it interests me. “A coach’s relationship with the captain is the most crucial aspect of the job and Fletcher said he wouldn’t have taken up the role if he didn’t respect [MS] Dhoni as a captain. “It’s quite important that even before I was offered this job I had high regard for Dhoni. In fact I wrote a few articles which showed how I rated him as a very very good captain – not only on the field but how he handles the players off it.”India’s bowling is considered the team’s weak link and Fletcher said he has had an extensive chat with Eric Simons, the bowling coach, on May 12 about the bowlers and also met with Dhoni. “Having chatted with Eric Simons – he is a very good bowling coach and one I have lot of faith in – you must understand that I don’t want to come in and make lots of changes. I have the players during India’s last tour of South Africa and the series against New Zealand; so I have some idea about the bowlers but I would want to observe a little bit and then make some decisions.”Fletcher said he was very excited taking up the coaching role and said he arrived at the decision after giving it a lot of thought and speaking to the likes of Kirsten. “I asked for four-five- days time from the board. It was just to make sure you settle down as there are some areas you have to be careful about because it’s a high-profile role. I made a few calls, in particular to Gary Kirsten and I then accepted it.”India are the No.1 ranked Test team and ODI world champions and Fletcher admitted that it would be a challenge to maintain that momentum. “Yes, it will be difficult and that’s one of the things you consider before taking up the job. Hopefully I can add value somewhere down the line. First West Indies, then we are going to England where there will be lots of swing and seam. Then Australia where there will be bounce. Hopefully, the knowledge I pass on will be effective.”Fletcher also had a brief taste of the Indian media and the Indian’s board’s iron-hand approach. Suddenly, out of the blue, he was asked about his views on DRS, a system that the Indian board has steadfastly opposed. “I think it’s a system that will come in place. Obviously there are imperfections but once those imperfections are sorted out, it will play a role.”N Srinivasan, the board secretary, then leaned across and muttered something to Fletcher. Srinivasan, then, addressed the journalist who asked that question and said, “That was a loaded question. Mr Fletcher doesn’t know BCCI’s stance on DRS. You should have prefaced your question properly.”There was another instance of Srinivasan’s interjection. When Fletcher was asked about his views on rotation policy, Srinivasan chose to answer: “It’s a selection matter, no? He can give advice but ultimately it will come down to selectors. But I am sure when the coach sits in those meetings; his take will be taken on board by the selectors.”There was also a delightful faux pas from Fletcher. “Hopefully, my observations on these players will prove useful when I coach the England team. I mean the Indian team.”

A stunning late assault from Darren Sammy couldn’t prevent South Africa sealing a 17-run victory set-up by fifties from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis in a high-scoring game at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium

The Bulletin by Sahil Dutta24-May-2010

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOnce Chris Gayle fell to Morne Morkel, South Africa looked to have the result certain•Getty Images

A stunning late assault from Darren Sammy couldn’t prevent South Africa sealing a 17-run victory set-up by fifties from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis in a high-scoring game at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium.The match had looked all but over after West Indies had slipped to 236 for 8 in the 45th over, still 65 short of their target but Sammy launched six sixes and two fours on his way to the fastest ODI fifty by a West Indian – from 20 balls. He took the equation to 18 needed off 13 but successive run outs sealed a tense result that had looked a formality for almost the whole game.Earlier South Africa batted with typical efficiency to post 300 for 5. There was no Sammy-style assault on the bowling at any point in their innings, instead slowly and methodically they advanced to an imposing position. Amla pierced the off-side ring with a series of punchy drives early on, before working the ball around with total ease to progress serenely to 92 of 95 balls. Kallis was similarly authoritative, making 85 from 89 balls with just four fours. With David Miller underlining his promise to finish the innings with a quick-fire 26, South Africa reached the 300 mark which looked well clear of what West Indies could chase.Chris Gayle, so often the inspiration in the Caribbean, lifted West Indies’ hopes with a couple of crunching blows early on – including one murderous thump over extra cover off Lonwabo Tsotsobe – but with his dismissal to Morne Morkel there was a collective groan as the vocal crowd realised their main hope of a contest had vanished.The reliance of the home side on their captain is similar to the days where Brian Lara’s fortunes determined West Indies’ but Sammy’s performance, alongside a skilful 74 from Dwayne Bravo, proved the pool of talent runs a little deeper.Ramnaresh Sarwan could have made a real difference, but in the over following Gayle’s fall, he pulled a hamstring running a sharp single and hobbled off the field. It left West Indies without a senior batsman and with question marks lingering over the fitness of a number players in the side. Sarwan had been left out of the team for Zimbabwe’s tour in March on fitness grounds and he hasn’t returned in top condition. Dale Richards, into the side for Andre Fletcher, struggled through the second half of his innings with a pulled muscle himself and earlier Nikita Miller was forced off in the middle of his third over with a rib injury.Each blow proved important as West Indies ultimately fell short. For all the West Indies’ self-inflicted faults, South Africa were impressive. The local supporters must have recognised something faintly familiar about Morkel’s performance. Until Sammy got hold of him at the end Morkel recalled memories of local-boy Curtly Ambrose, as he used his long levers to extract bounce that no other bowler could find on his way to three wickets.Through the middle overs West Indies’ middle order were choked, not only by the quality of South Africa’s bowling and fielding, but by their lack of deftness and ability to work singles. The contrast with Amla and Kallis could not be more apparent. Narsingh Deonarine, batting ahead of Bravo, picked the fielders with frustrating frequency before ending his own anguish by chipping Tsotsobe tamely to mid on.Richards, meanwhile, though never looking dominant, had worked his way to 51 and shared a useful partnership Bravo, but could never quite resist the vice South Africa were slowly closing on his side. His dismissal brought Kieron Pollard to the wicket with West Indies pleading, once again, for a big-hitting miracle. By the time the Batting Powerplay was taken in the 36th over, West Indies needed 9.53 an over and Pollard ended up toe-ending Steyn soon after to be smartly caught by Johan Botha sliding in off the long on boundary.It was Bravo who first gave something for the home crowds to cheer about – and set an example for his team-mates to follow. His 74 came quicker than a run a ball but featured just three fours. He ran superbly and almost laid the foundations for an unexpected victory. His dismissal brought a vaguely farcical scenario where Sarwan took an eternity to drag himself on to the field, only to fall first ball and hobble all the way back off.At that stage the game was as good as done but Sammy had other ideas. He took to his impossible mission with gusto but ended up crestfallen as Miller – using Pollard as a runner – attempted a single to Smith at cover, only for Smith to throw down the stumps and secure a result Sammy had almost ambushed.

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.”