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Mahmudullah has recovered from the calf injury he picked up against Afghanistan, and is expected to play on Tuesday

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy01-Jul-20193:00

Nafees: If Mahmudullah not fit, bring in Sabbir

Big picture

They’ve beaten South Africa, they’ve brushed aside West Indies, and they’ve looked impressive even in defeat. They are still in contention for a semi-final spot, just about, and they might have had an even more realistic chance had rain not kept them from playing Sri Lanka in Bristol.Rather than ruminate over what could have been, however, Bangladesh will want to focus on what can still be: they win their two remaining matches. First up are India, fearsome opponents in many ways but also one with weaknesses in key areas, namely the middle and lower order.Those weaknesses, exacerbated by injury, give Bangladesh a clear target: get early wickets, and somehow get past Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It’s easier said than done. And we haven’t even mentioned India’s bowling.Still, Bangladesh couldn’t be meeting India at a better time. Their vulnerabilities have been plain to see in their last three games, they are no longer unbeaten, and they’re playing their second game in three days. Most of Bangladesh’s batsmen, on the other hand, have been in solid form, their superstar is having one of the great World Cups for an allrounder, their bowling is more than useful on slow pitches – Edgbaston fits that description – and they are playing after an eight-day gap.But India are experts at shrugging off setbacks and putting up calm and professional displays against teams they are expected to beat. Bangladesh know this well: they’ve pushed India hard in each of their last three meetings at ICC tournaments. But whether in Melbourne, Bengaluru or, indeed, Birmingham, India have found a way to win. Will Birmingham 2019 be any different?

Form guide

Bangladesh WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India LWWWW

In the spotlight

He’s a hero for what he puts his knees through every time he plays, and an inspirational captain, but Mashrafe Mortaza‘s primary skill is his fast bowling, and he won’t be pleased with his returns at this World Cup: one wicket in six games, an average of 279.00, and an economy rate of 6.34. Can he summon up the spirit of Trinidad 2007 and produce a big performance in a must-win game?Against well-directed bowling and smart fields on a slow pitch, with India’s required rate climbing into absurd territory, and with only a long tail to come, MS Dhoni did the sensible thing against England, and played for net run rate. The widespread censure that came in that innings’ wake will not bother him overly, but one thing should worry him ahead of the game against Bangladesh. He has struggled to score quickly against spin for quite a while now, and particularly so at this World Cup – 41 off 87 balls, one four, zero sixes. What plans does he have to combat all the overs of Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain he is likely to face in the middle overs?MS Dhoni plays a shot•IDI via Getty Images

Team news

Mahmudullah was Bangladesh’s one big injury worry ahead of this game, with the batsman having picked up a grade 1 tear in his calf during the match against Afghanistan. But the eight-day gap between that game and this one has given him enough time to recover, and he is likely to feature on Tuesday.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Liton Das, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 11 Mustafizur RahmanIndia’s wristspinners struggled to come to terms with the flat pitch and asymmetric ground dimensions against England, and went for a combined 160 from their 20 overs, while picking up just the one wicket. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar back to full fitness after suffering a hamstring injury against Pakistan, India could leave out one of the wristspinners and play three fast bowlers. Alternately, if they choose to retain faith in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal but want to strengthen their lower order, Bhuvneshwar could replace Mohammed Shami, who picked up five wickets against England but was expensive at the death.India (probable): 1 KL Rahul, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

The same Edgbaston strip that hosted the England-India game on Sunday will be in use once more. If it plays similarly, it should be flat but slow down as the match progresses, which will favour the team batting first. The position of the pitch on the square will also mean one square boundary is significantly shorter than the other. Kohli wasn’t too pleased with this, and his side did not match England’s know-how, with ball or bat, in exploiting this quirk, but now that they’ve played one game here, they might be better prepared for the challenge.4:08

Agarkar: Couldn’t see any intent to hit the big shots from Dhoni, Jadhav

Strategy punt

Rather than a like-for-like replacement for the injured Vijay Shankar, India have called in Mayank Agarwal, an opening batsman who is yet to make his ODI debut. With KL Rahul not quite coming off at the top of the order, and with Rishabh Pant not yet seeming to possess the middle gears of a top-notch No. 4, India could be looking to return to a combination similar to the one they played before Shikhar Dhawan left the tournament with a broken finger.The game against Bangladesh may come too early for Agarwal, but India could still think of moving Rahul back down to No. 4 and pushing Pant up to open. This could have two positive effects on their team composition.It will give them an aggressive left-hand option to partner Rohit Sharma and allow him to take his time settling down, and it could also allow Rahul to face more spin. At this World Cup, he has averaged 21.25 against pace, with a strike rate of 56.29, as against 87.00 and 88.78 against spin. Rahul’s ability to play the reverse-sweep – a shot most of India’s middle order doesn’t play that much – and target the shorter boundary could also come in handy.

Stats that matter

• Soumya Sarkar is one of only six batsmen in ODI history to score more than 1000 runs as opener at a 30-plus average and a strike rate of over 100.
• If he scores 53, Mahmudullah will become the fourth Bangladesh batsman to score 4000 ODI runs.
• Jasprit Bumrah is five wickets short – and Kuldeep Yadav eight wickets short – of 100 in ODIs.

Quotes

“We have to be 100 per cent in every area. Good thing that we still in the tournament but we have to play a lot better than what we played in our previous games.”
, wants still more from his team.”It does because when you have not major combinations coming from the lower order a Bhuvneshwar Kumar becomes vital or anybody who is handy at No. 8, maybe, could be [Ravindra] Jadeja. What it does is it gives a bit of a freedom to somebody batting at 6 and 7 so that they could start going at the bowling maybe, if you are batting first, a little earlier rather than leaving it for the last three or four overs. It is a tactic we have been debating about [while discussing] the team combination. We will have to reassess those combinations.”
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Rushworth claims ten wickets for the match despite resistance from Ben Cox, Ed Barnard

ECB Reporters Network16-Jul-2019Durham continued their impressive run of form in the Specsavers County Championship Division Two by defeating Worcestershire by 109 runs at Emirates Riverside.The home side had laid the groundwork for their triumph on day three with a solid batting performance followed by a late onslaught by Chris Rushworth. He returned to notch third five-wicket haul of the campaign on the final day, claiming 10 wickets in the match with figures of 10 for 67.Ben Cox and Ed Barnard did offer resistance with a sixth-wicket partnership of 96, but it was in vain as Worcestershire slipped to their second defeat on the bounce in the Championship. Durham extended their unbeaten run to six matches, securing their fourth victory of the season to move into fourth place in the table, one point behind Northamptonshire in the final promotion spot.The visitors resumed on day four on 31 for 3, but Rushworth was to continue his charge from the previous evening. He had an lbw appeal turned down against Ross Whiteley, although the veteran seamer returned to remove the Worcestershire batsman’s off stump for 18. Rushworth claimed his fifth wicket of the innings after probing away at Callum Ferguson. He eventually found the edge and Graham Clark took the catch at first slip to reduce the visitors to 56 for 5.Worcestershire were in dire need of a partnership to stem the tide. Barnard and Cox were able to come to the fore to provide a semblance of resistance. The two deployed a positive approach and brought a much-needed fifty partnership before the lunch break, reaching the milestone in 65 balls.Barnard and Cox continued to frustrate the Durham bowlers after lunch, working their way towards a century stand. However, their excellent partnership was broken when Nathan Rimmington trapped Barnard lbw for 43. Cox was able to work his way to a deserved half-century – his third of the campaign – from 87 deliveries.Brydon Carse got the vital breakthrough for the hosts, using his pace to hurry Cox on his glance to the legside that found the edge and allowed Ryan Pringle to claim the catch at cover. Carse then notched his second wicket courtesy of a fine diving catch from Ned Eckersley behind the stumps to remove Joe Leach. Durham closed in on the victory as Dillon Pennington played a loose drive at a Rimmington delivery, resulting in a good low claim by Clark at first slip from the edge.Brett D’Oliveira and Charlie Morris put on 43 for the final wicket, but Rushworth returned to earn his sixth wicket of the innings and 10th in the match by bowling Morris to secure the win for the hosts.

The 24-year old batsman says it was ‘difficult’ to miss out on World Cup selection, but is confident he ‘will play for sure in the future’

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2019Shreyas Iyer has an opportunity to end India’s search for a reliable ODI No. 4 as they head to the Caribbean, where he has had recent success with the India A side. But he wants to have some sort of continuity in the side, because “getting in and out of the team doesn’t create a good pattern.””If you are really a good talent, then you need a certain amount of chances to prove yourself and get acclimatised to the conditions,” quoted Iyer as saying. “If you keep coming in and going out [of the team], it doesn’t really set a good pattern for one’s self and you start disbelieving yourself. If you are a great talent, then you need some time.”Iyer, who at 24 is among India’s most consistent domestic performers, made 187 runs at 62.33, including two half-centuries in four innings, for India A during their 4-1 unofficial ODI series win in the Caribbean earlier this month. In April and May, Iyer played a key role in steering Delhi Capitals to their first IPL play-off spot since 2012, impressing not just with his run-making but also his leadership under head coach Ricky Ponting.In December 2018, Iyer admitted to being “emotionless” after being overlooked repeatedly despite consistent scores. He was part of India’s T20I squad against Australia in March, but couldn’t break into the XI. Iyer admits it’s only natural to lose patience, but wants to try and put past frustrations behind him.”Yes, you tend to lose patience but selection is not in your hands,” he said. “All you can do is perform, perform and perform and that is what I enjoy doing. You have to keep performing and keep showing people that you are capable of playing at the higher league. Once you get that sniff, you never look back.”Iyer also said “it was difficult to not get selected” for the World Cup, but wants to build towards the next edition through his consistency.”It was my dream to play the World Cup for my country. I know there are a few opportunities that I got but unfortunately the team combination was such that it didn’t demand me to be there.”There was a lot of buzz about me before the World Cup selection because I was consistent and aware about the hard work and smart work that I had put in. It will definitely reap benefits and help me in future when I play for India. I just kept myself positive and always in high spirits. It didn’t disturb me from inside at all. It was a dream to play the World Cup and I will play for sure in the future.”Iyer’s strength is his back-foot game, and he is quite a good puller of the short ball, an area he admits to have worked on with Ponting. For now, as he gears up for a second wind of sorts, he believes the familiarity of having played in the West Indies will help him.”The A tour has always given me an opportunity to prove myself in the higher league as this is the stepping stone,” he said. “I was in West Indies for the List A series and I had an idea of how the pitches play and also it’s so hot out there that you need to keep yourself hydrated. These are little things that you learn as you start playing.”You have to always work on your batting as you are never perfect. I am working on my batting every day and trying to perfect a few shots that will help me score all around the world. Pull and sweep are two shots that can help me score runs outside India. These are two shots that can immediately put pressure back on bowlers.”

Late collapse, allied to Somerset win, puts pressure on Essex in context where victory is inconceivable

Jon Culley at Edgbaston12-Sep-2019
Consistent, accurate bowling and diligent, resilient batting have been the feature of this match, but on a durable and somewhat slow pitch those worthy qualities looked unlikely to lead to a positive result in favour of either side until a wobbly final 45 minutes put Essex in unexpected trouble.Warwickshire supporters will not complain. Another defeat for Nottinghamshire, their opponents at Trent Bridge next week, means that, provided they do not somehow contrive to lose this match, which seems almost impossible, they can look forward to another season of Division One cricket in 2020.For Essex, on the other hand, the interruption to their run of six straight wins could not come at a less opportune moment, title rivals Somerset having stolen a march on them with their victory over Yorkshire with only two rounds of fixtures left. They must still face each other at Taunton the week after next, but Somerset may be in the position of needing only a draw to claim their maiden Championship crown.Tom Westley compiled his first hundred of the season and Nick Browne a half-century, but Essex’s hand of batting bonus points is not as handsome as they had hoped for, as a result of which, again assuming a draw, Somerset will probably take a lead of seven points into the final two weeks.Essex resumed on 31 for one after losing Alastair Cook late on the second evening, but night-watchman Sam Cook was gone in the sixth over of the morning, well taken at second slip off Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who was getting enough movement to beat the bat with encouraging frequency for the home side.However, Browne and Westley had clearly learned from the disciplined approach that had favoured Matt Lamb in particular during Warwickshire’s marathon first innings. The seamers were equally consistent in keeping to a tempting length but the third-wicket pair were able to negotiate a path to lunch.Their biggest test was always likely to be posed by Jeetan Patel, who was unlucky not to dismiss Westley on 43 when Sam Hain put down a sharp chance at short leg. An hour into the afternoon session, Patel did get his reward, a flighted delivery finding a way inside Browne’s defensive push.Next man Tom Lawrence was never able to find any real fluency and probably should have gone on 16 when Michael Burgess, keeping wicket in place of the injured Tim Ambrose, missed a stumping opportunity.Westley completed his hundred around half an hour into the final session, steering a ball from Hannon-Dalby square on the offside for his 13th boundary, having batted with exemplary concentration save for that one aberration for four hours and 21 minutes.By then, however, Lawrence had gone, caught at point off George Garrett, a young bowler who is among several whose progress has been accelerated by Warwickshire’s seemingly endless injury crisis. His departure for 28 sparked a nervy end to the day.Ravi Bopara was bowled playing back to Patel and Ryan ten Doeschate went without scoring, leg before without scoring to a ball from Henry Brookes that struck him on the back pad as he tried to bring the bat down. When fading light forced a slightly premature close, Essex were suddenly in a spot of bother that they will need to ensure does not become worse on the final morning, still 90 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.Nottinghamshire have been so woeful that the possibility that Warwickshire would occupy this season’s one relegation place instead has looked remote for some weeks, if not months. Nonetheless, it has been a challenging season for on-field and off-field teams at Edgbaston, not least those in the physiotherapy room.The raft of injuries that has kept them busy has forced Warwickshire to use 24 players in the Championship, the most of any of the top division teams. Every match seems to introduce a new name on the scorecard, in this instance Ethan Brookes, the younger brother of Henry.This was always likely to be a season of consolidation and, in that respect, it appears the objective has been achieved.

Nazmul Hassan also ducked questions on conflict of interest, and said the board would adopt a ‘wait and watch’ policy for the strike

Mohammad Isam22-Oct-2019BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that they are open to talks with cricketers who have called for a strike, but not before accusing them of “conspiring against and tarnishing the image of the country”.After a 25-minute monologue which at times veered into the bizarre, an angry Hassan countered every question with “but why did they not tell us before?”When asked how the BCB would solve the problem of the players threatening to boycott the India tour, Hassan said that they are ready to talk to the players.”We are open,” Hassan said. “I don’t know if you listened to me. We have agreed to bigger demands. We have always given them a lot of money. We have solved each and every problem. We were focused on the World Cup, and now we are focusing on domestic cricket. They didn’t go for a strike when nothing was happening but the moment I started to do things, they did this. So these are not real issues. If they come, we are ready to talk.”ALSO READ: The events that led up to the Bangladesh players announcing strike actionHassan also peppered his answers with incidents in which he helped cricketers or their family members. He was then asked about how he would answer if the players pointed at the lavish travel options for Hassan or other board directors, while they had to find bus and train rides within BDT 2,500.”Let me tell you something,” Hassan said in reply. “We made [the travel allowance] BDT 2,500 from BDT 1,000. Nobody talked about it when it was BDT 1,000. They didn’t go to strike when it was BDT 1,000, so why don’t you find out about it? We pay the divisional authorities, and they manage hotel, bus, etc. We heard them, so we will improve it. But why stop the cricket? Why before the India tour? This can’t happen.”Hassan said the BCB was going to adopt a wait-and-watch approach for the next couple of days, when the strike action will come into effect. The NCL’s third round, in four venues, begins on October 24, while the India tour squad’s camp begins on the following day.”I want to see who goes to the [NCL] matches, or the national camp. I want to find out who is trying to stop the India tour. I am hopeful the camp will take place, and the India tour will happen,” he said. “Most of the players want to play, and want the best for Bangladesh. I can’t believe they will destroy Bangladesh cricket for 5,000 taka. But we will soon see what is going on.”Hassan then deflected a series of questions about the board’s conflict of interest problem, which was part of the issues the players had with the board. When asked how committed he was to reducing conflict of interest within the board, especially after the BCB ended franchise rights deals following Shakib Al Hasan’s move to Rangpur Riders from Dhaka Dynamites, which is owned by the same company where he and two other board directors are employed, Hassan had no answer.He also deflected questions about other conflict of interest points including that of the CWAB chairman Naimur Rahman also having the role of a BCB director, Khaled Mahmud holding eleven roles within the BCB and outside, and home broadcaster Gazi TV having a BCB director as its owner.Hassan finished the press conference saying that he had no idea about some of these conflicts, but he would find out.

The Test vice-captain succeeds Dane Vilas, who led the team to the MSL title last season

Firdose Moonda05-Nov-2019Temba Bavuma will captain Jozi Stars in the second edition of the Mzansi Super League, which starts on Friday. Bavuma joined the squad this season after playing for Durban Heat in the inaugural edition and succeeds Dane Vilas, who led the Stars to the title last summer.Bavuma’s appointment is another nod to his leadership credentials, which include captaining the Lions in all formats last season and taking charge of the South Africa A side in India on their recent tour. Bavuma is also the Test vice-captain and is increasingly being seen as a successor to current captain Faf du Plessis in the longest format.That said, Bavuma – like his team-mates – had a poor time of it in India during the Test series recently.He was promoted to No. 4, and then brought back to No. 5, but managed scores of only 18, 0, 8, 38, 32 and 0, adding to the pressure already on his 29-year-old shoulders. After scoring back-to-back fifties in only his third Test and then scoring a maiden Test century in his seventh Test – he hasn’t reached three figures since – Bavuma has averaged only 31.24 from 39 Tests, well below what the expectations from him at the start of his international career were.”A lot of guys are under pressure [in the Test team], it’s not just Temba,” Quinton de Kock, the captain of Cape Town Blitz in the MSL, said. “A guy like Temba is now been seen as playing all three formats and I’m sure he will play MSL to try and get his confidence back.”Temba has played enough cricket and he is old enough now – it’s not like we are dealing with a youngster – he has gone through the ups and downs of playing professional cricket. Temba is a relatively good space. He didn’t score the runs he would have wanted to but I think he understands what he needs to get done to be at his peak again.”Apart from being South Africa’s flagship T20 tournament, the MSL is also an important part of the pipeline for identifying talent for the international arena. Last season’s top scorer, Rassie van der Dussen, earned a call up to the ODI team, but this season the focus seems to be on captaincy. While Bavuma is being groomed for leadership at the Stars, de Kock, who is also being touted as a future national captain, was on Monday unveiled as the Cape Town Blitz skipper.

The best of Sunday’s action from the WBBL as the Adelaide Strikers sit top of the table

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2019Amelia Kerr played a gem of an innings to help the Brisbane Heat come through a tricky chase against the Hobart Hurricanes with one ball to spare at Allan Border Field. The Heat fell to 5 for 82 in the 15th over chasing 124 but Kerr hit 29 off 19 balls while the in-form Beth Mooney provided the anchor with an unbeaten 44. The key over came with the Heat needing 29 off 18 balls and Kerr took four boundaries off Belinda Vakarewa. The stuffing was knocked out of the Hurricanes’ innings when Jess Jonassen took three wickets in four balls in the 15th over but Heather Knight (61 not out) played a superb hand to nurse them to 123 which almost proved enough.Tahlia McGrath hit a dominant, unbeaten 65 off 46 balls to lead the Adelaide Strikers to a convincing seven-wicket victory over the Perth Scorchers. Chasing 116 after an impressive all-round bowling display, the Strikers were unsteady at 3 for 22 in the third over with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates dismissed in the first seven balls of the innings. However, McGrath, who struck eight fours and two sixes, took charge and alongside Lauren Winfield the pair knocked off the runs with more than five overs to spare. Megan Schutt had set a superb tone with the ball when she started with consecutive maidens and the wicket of Amy Jones. Yesterday, Jones and Lanning added 129 for the first wicket against the Brisbane Heat but here they made just seven between them with Lanning bowled by Devine in her first over. Sarah Coyte backed up the early wickets with 3 for 18 off her four overs.The experienced Alex Blackwell guided the Sydney Thunder home in a thriller at Bankstown Oval to keep the Melbourne Stars winless. Blackwell made 45 not out from 36 balls and timed the chase to perfection. The Thunder had stumbled to 6 for 108 after Madeline Penna took 4 for 20 for the Stars. They needed 34 to win from the last 20 balls but Blackwell struck two fours and two sixes to get them home with two balls to spare with the support of Rene Farrell. The Stars have lost four from four to start the season despite Elyse Villani and Lizelle Lee both scoring half-centuries as they posted 5 for 141. Farrell was outstanding with the ball taking 1 for 18 from her four overs.

One of the four allrounders, Bryce Parsons, was named captain

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2019Pace sensation Gerald Coetzee, who had suffered a hamstring strain in a recent MSL match, has recovered and was named in South Africa’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup at home in January next year. Allrounder Bryce Parsons was appointed captain of a 15-man squad that is filled with all-round talent. As many as four allrounders were picked, and wicketkeeper Khanya Cotani, who has played eight first-class matches, was named Parsons’ deputy. Odirile Modimokoane was the lone frontline spinner to a find a place.

Squad

Bryce Parsons (capt), Khanya Cotani (vice-capt), Luke Beaufort, Jonathan Bird, Merrick Brett, Achille Cloete, Gerald Coetzee, Tyrese Karelse, Mondli Khumalo, Jack Lees, Andrew Louw, Levert Manje, Odirile Modimokoane, Pheko Moletsane, Tiaan van Vuuren

“Congratulations to all the players who have been selected as well as the management and support staff,” CSA acting chief executive Dr Jacques Faul remarked. “I am sure head coach Lawrence Mahatlane, his fellow selectors and our talent scouts around the country have left no stone unturned in identifying our best players in this age group and that the work done at the various training camps will be well rewarded.”Coetzee is the only member of the squad to have played in the last World Cup in New Zealand, where he impressed with eight wickets in four matches, including a five-for against the hosts. South Africa had finished fifth in the tournament.Coetzee also made a bright start on his MSL debut for Jozi Stars, where he picked up the wickets of Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan. The pacer has taken 17 wickets in four first-class matches so far, at an average of less than 25.Most of the squad assembled has come through the school system, except batsman Tarese Karelse, who is a product of the Regional Performance Centre programme started a few years ago.ALSO READ: Will Gerald Coetzee be South Africa’s next pace sensation?“I feel we have chosen a well-balanced squad that has good leadership potential in its ranks as well,” Under-19 selection convener Victor Mpitsang said. “Having a player who has experienced a previous ICC under-19 World Cup tournament in Gerald Coetzee also brings significant advantages of its own.”The advantage of playing at home also brings extra confidence into our ranks, particularly as the team has a good programme of competitive youth ODIs leading into the tournament.”Parsons was the captain of the team through a torrid period earlier this year when they were walloped 7-0 by Pakistan at home. But he had head coach Lawrence Mahatlane’s full backing, who expressed confidence in Parsons’ growth not only as a leader but also as a person over the winter.”Bryce is a natural leader,” Mahatlane said. “The tone that he has set and the growth we have seen over the last couple of months, it was very natural for us to back him as a leader. He captained the side throughout the winter and we have seen a lot of growth in him, not only tactically, but also as a person. Hopefully, he will keep doing the country proud.”South Africa will take on India in a three-match series later this month before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on January 17, also the tournament opener. They are slotted alongside Afghanistan, Canada and United Arab Emirates in Group D.

Nails perfect yorkers as Strikers defend 12 off the final over to remain unbeaten

The Report by Shashank Kishore27-Dec-2019Peter Siddle experienced ecstasy and agony within the space of three deliveries. He’d just dismissed the rampaging Glenn Maxwell for a 25-ball 43. This was Adelaide Strikers’ game to lose now, but in the same over, he saw Nathan Coulter-Nile back away and put him into the stands to bring the game in the balance again, with Melbourne Stars needing 24 off 12 balls.Siddle would once again be called in to defend 12 off the final over with Ben Dunk and Coulter-Nile still at the crease. He responded by nailing three yorkers – five full deliveries in all – as Strikers squeezed home by five runs to remain unbeaten after three games. Siddle’s international career may or may not be over, his BBL career certainly isn’t, for there’s still enough fuel burning inside. Stars, meanwhile, registered their first loss in three matches.Peter Siddle’s experience has often come good in the BBL•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Dale Steyn’s BBL initiationDale Steyn’s first four balls in his BBL career had people wondering briefly if they’d be able to see magic from him. Jake Weatherald thumped the first ball to mid-off, and then hit him for a sequence of 6,6,4,4. The method was simple: stand inside the crease, get under the length and go over the top. The third of those boundaries was off a slower ball. Weatherald 1-0 Steyn.In his previous T20 outing, on December 1 at the Mzansi Super League, he’d conceded 10 runs in four overs combined. Now, Steyn was properly under pressure now. Having seen the full deliveries disappear, he shortened his length and cramped Weatherald for room, and had his man when the batsman toe-ended another lofted hit off a thickish inside edge to Glenn Maxwell at mid-on. Weatherald 1-1 Steyn.Legspinning twins pull it backMaxwell immediately took Steyn off and introduced Adam Zampa, who struck off his second delivery with some drift and fizz off the pitch. Having watched Weatherald thump boundaries, Phil Salt tried to leave his mark too, and he may have erred in playing for turn as this one gathered pace after pitching to beat his slog and castle him. It could’ve been a double-strike had Marcus Stoinis not put down Matthew Short first ball at extra cover when he stepped out to drill a half-volley.However, Short’s stay was short-lived – no pun intended – as he was foxed two overs later by Nepal leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Having seen Alex Carey caress the ball inside-out for six only two balls earlier, Short tried to do the same. Except, he didn’t pick the googly and didn’t have the length to get underneath it. Bowled. Strikers 53 for 3 after the Powerplay.Glenn Maxwell is very good at playing some unbelievable shots•Getty Images

Carey lends control, Wells rides luckCarey had driven sublimely through covers and mid-off so far in the season. His drives had produced 44 runs (four fours and three sixes) off just 19 balls. And he showed those imperious driving skills by hitting Zampa and Maxwell with the spin to clear long-off and the extra cover boundary. It was evident why three IPL teams were in a frenetic bidding war for Carey.At the other end, Jonathan Wells struggled on the face of some tight spin bowling in the second half. And every time he looked for a release shot, he found fielders who reprieved him. First, Hilton Cartwright put down a simple chance at deep midwicket on 20. Then Zampa himself put one down on 25, running backwards from point. It didn’t help that Steyn kept the pressure on with a tight second over with four dots, including a 148.3kph thunderbolt that swung away late to beat the outside edge.Fortunately, Wells fought through and after pottering to 17 off his first 20 deliveries, he made 51 off his last 26 deliveries; his 13-ball stand of 32 with Rashid Khan, including the dismantling of Nathan Coulter-Nile for three successive fours in the final over. Suddenly, a 155-160 total had been lifted to 174 for 4.Stars’ contrasting powerplay approachWhere Strikers had a turbocharge in the powerplay, Stars seemed intent on taking the chase deep after losing two early wickets. They played out 29 dot balls in the first 10 overs; in comparison the Strikers’ innings had just 40 dots. This slow-steady-boom approach also brought with it the risk of having to negotiate Rashid Khan, who was held back until the ninth over – in the second half.Marcus Stoinis struggled for timing. He tried to back away and flick, back away and scoop, back away and slash – just about anything. But it just didn’t come off, barring the one hit into the top tier for six in the 10th over. But two balls later, he was out to an excellent reflex catch off his own bowling by medium pacer Cameron Valente. Enter Maxwell.Siddle pips Maxwell Wells will tell you why cricket is a great leveller. His unbeaten 46-ball 68 fired Strikers to a score far above what they looked like getting at one stage. But later in the evening, his reprieve off Maxwell with the Strikers seemingly in control could have been a massive moment on another night.On 5 off 9 with Stars needing 79 off 39, Maxwell swung a length ball over wide long-on, only to see Wells tip it over for six. From there on, he brought the chase within sniffing distance with some of the most audacious hitting to make 43 off just 25 balls. When he fell, looking to reverse hook a short ball, from Peter Siddle, Stars still needed 34 off 14 balls.Coulter-Nile, who leaked 17 off the final over, then came in and clobbered a clutch of sixes to bring the chase within sniffing distance, only to run into Siddle, who nailed yorkers at will to finish with 3 for 24 as Strikers stole victory under Stars’ noses.

Shaw and Agarwal then got off to a rollicking start in the second innings to help India gain an 87-run lead

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2020India quicks dominated on the second day of the tour game in Hamilton as they ran through the New Zealand XI to bowl them out for 235. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini shared nine wickets between them, while the final wicket went to offspinner R Ashwin. Following that, openers Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal got off to a steady start in the second innings to help India gain an 87-run lead.In reply to India’s 263, Rachin Ravindra began positively despite losing his partner Will Young to Bumrah for a cheap score. Shami was the chief tormentor on the day, picking up the first of his three wickets by having Tim Seifert caught behind for 9. Finn Allen then joined Ravindra as the hosts gained some momentum, but Yadav wouldn’t let it last, dismissing Ravindra for 34. Bumrah struck soon after to remove Allen as well.There were brief stages of recovery from the New Zealand XI thanks to the middle-order contributions from Henry Cooper (40), Tom Bruce (31) and Daryl Mitchell (32) but none of them could go on to make a big score. James Neesham, walking in at No. 8, became Shami’s third victim, bowled for just 1. The lower order then added 74 runs, taking the total past 200, to finish with a deficit of 28 runs. Shami finished with figures of 3 for 17, while Bumrah, Yadav and Saini picked up two apiece.After failures in the first innings, Shaw and Agarwal were off to a rapid start, hitting a boundary-laden 35 off 25 and 23 off 17 respectively. The duo was especially severe on Scott Kuggeleijn, who had dismissed them for those low scores in the first innings, taking him for 34 runs in three overs. India finished the second day with the score on 59 for 0 in only seven overs.