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Yasir Shah followed the lead of his captain to give Pakistan the edge after two days of the first Test at Lord’s

The Report by Alan Gardner15-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsYasir Shah followed the lead of his captain to give Pakistan the edge after two days of the first Test at Lord’s. Misbah-ul-Haq’s hundred provided the initial inspiration and Yasir backed that up with a virtuoso display to leave England battling for parity, his fifth five-wicket haul in 13 Tests, on a pitch that offered him little assistance, underlining his claim to be one of the most dangerous spinners currently playing the game.It could have been worse for England, with Alastair Cook dropped twice off the bowling of Mohammad Amir on his way to 81. Amir eventually bowled Cook for his first Test wicket since he removed Graeme Swann on the same ground almost six years ago but the spotlight had already begun to shift to his team-mate Yasir. The last legspinner to take a five-for at Lord’s was Mushtaq Ahmed in 1996 – also the last time Pakistan won on the ground.England had been 118 for 1, Cook and Joe Root adding a century stand for the second wicket, before Yasir struck for his first Test wickets outside of Asia. Root, in his first innings replacing Nick Compton at No. 3, looked at something like his dynamic best before trying slightly too hard to force the pace and top-edging a slog-sweep to be taken at midwicket two short of a half-century. It was to prove a costly indiscretion.Pakistan had their first look at England’s reshaped middle-order, an area Misbah had tentatively suggested his bowlers might be able to exploit before the Test, and Yasir in particular liked what he saw. James Vince briefly shimmered on an otherwise dull, cloudy day, before playing back to be lbw to Yasir – DRS confirming it would have clipped leg stump – for a fifth innings without a significant score at Test level; Gary Ballance clipped one four on his comeback but was then beaten by a gently turning legbreak, pushing down the wrong line.Jonny Bairstow bristled with intent as he attempted his latest England rebuilding effort, hammering boundaries either side of the wicket with the vigour of a blacksmith at his anvil, but he too fell to Yasir, attempting to cut a delivery that was too full and seeing it skid on to the stumps.Misbah erred towards defensive fields, as his quicks struggled for containment, but he had a dual-purpose operator in Yasir, who settled into a 15-over spell that yielded 4 for 46 once he had switched to the Pavilion End. Only the occasional delivery spun but Yasir, like an experienced engineer calibrating a favourite piece of machinery, twiddled away at the control panel, imparting drift and subtle changes of pace to leave England scratching their heads at 193 for 6.They were grateful to Chris Woakes, who had earlier taken his maiden Test five-for, battling to the close. Woakes and Moeen Ali negotiated almost a dozen overs but Yasir again changed ends and an appeal that would once have been dismissed as highly speculative gave him his fifth victim. Joel Wilson adjudged Moeen lbw to a delivery spinning in from round the wicket and, with DRS registering umpire’s call on impact in line with off stump and ball hitting leg, Yasir did not have to consider retracting his of joy.Woakes’ 6 for 70 had helped finish off Pakistan with only 57 added to their overnight score before the stage was transported back to 2010, as Amir prepared to bowl to Cook once again. Amir’s first delivery in Test cricket after a five-year ban for his involvement in spot-fixing on this ground was met by a few pseudo-witty cries of “no-ball” from the crowd and it was unceremoniously tucked away into the covers for a single by Cook.Much has changed in the intervening period but Amir’s tightly coiled action caused the England captain just as many problems as it did on their first meeting, when he picked him up three times in five Tests; when Cook dragged on during the evening session, Amir had his moment of release.He had initially struggled with his line and length, leaking 33 runs from six overs before lunch, but gradually became more comfortable as the adrenaline ebbed away. Rahat Ali was generally the most demanding of Pakistan’s left-arm trio and he removed Alex Hales in the second over of the innings, angling a delivery across to have the opener taken at third slip.The England reply had been anchored by Cook, who benefitted from two glaring errors in the field. When he had made 22, Amir slanted the ball in to take the edge, just as he had done as a teenager, only for Mohammad Hafeez to make a mess of a straightforward low catch at first slip. There was further anguish for Amir when he began his second spell during the afternoon, his first delivery luring Cook into a drive as the ball left him, only for the ball to hit wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed on the wrist as he dived to his left.Cook had reached his fifty by that point and went on to pass Sunil Gavaskar’s record as the opener who has scored the most runs in Tests, but a rather less pleasing statistic for England soon emerged. Of the last eight Tests in which Cook has made a 50-plus score, none have resulted in victory (two draws, six defeats).In the morning session, a burst of three wickets in eight balls, including the dismissal of Misbah for 114, saw England wrap up Pakistan’s innings inside the first hour. Having been 282 for 4 shortly before the close on Thursday, Pakistan might have been disappointed to make only 339.Misbah, fresh from becoming the oldest captain to score a Test hundred, began the second day with designs on seeing his side up towards 400 and a secure position from which his bowlers could mount an attack. He could only add four runs to his overnight score, however, before Stuart Broad brought a delivery back to burst between bat and pad and rattle the stumps.That dismissal meant Pakistan had gone from 310 for 7 to 316 for 9, with Woakes removing Sarfraz and Wahab Riaz in the preceding over. Sarfraz had looked in dangerous mood, frequently stepping down the pitch to cut and drive on his way to 25 from 29 deliveries but he gifted his wicket when slapping a short, wide delivery to backward point to give Woakes his maiden five-for.Two deliveries later, Wahab was following Sarfraz back to the pavilion, as Woakes followed up an excellent outswinger with one of the fastest balls of the match, full and ducking in past a flimsy defence to leave off stump flat on the ground. As the crowd applauded Woakes’ achievements, Amir walked out for his first involvement in a Test since the corresponding match at Lord’s in 2010. But this was far from the main event, as Yasir would later prove.

The fourth overall modification in the Powerplay conditions is set to change the mindset of the bowlers and their captains starting with the first ODI between Bangladesh and South Africa on Friday

Mohammad Isam09-Jul-2015The fourth overall modification in the Powerplay conditions is set to change the mindset of the bowlers and their captains starting with the first ODI between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday. There is hope, among the bowlers who will get a first taste of the new rules, of less trouble and fewer runs in the slog overs.Fielding captains no longer have to worry about the batting Powerplay and close-in fielders in the first ten overs, while bowlers will have extra protection in the last ten overs after the new rules came into effect from July 5. Five fielders are now allowed outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs of an ODI innings. Free hits are awarded for all no-balls in ODIs and T20 internationals, not just when bowlers overstep.South Africa allrounder Ryan McLaren said that bowlers will welcome the changes in the fielding regulations and there will be better strategies for the last ten overs. “Obviously the new rules mean guys have to adapt to not bowling in the Powerplays, and to have that extra fifth fielder in the last ten overs is a bit of a different mindset for the bowlers and something they will welcome, to be honest.The only difference between overs 10 and 40 is the removal of the batting Powerplay•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Powerplay rule changes over the years

• 1992: All ODIs have fielding restrictions for first 15 overs, two inside the circle; five outside for rest of the overs

• 2005: Powerplays and supersubs are introduced for the first time

• 2006: Supersub is discontinued

• 2008: Batting team can now choose one Powerplay

• 2011: Second and third Powerplays only between 16th and 40th overs

• 2012: Powerplays reduced from three to two, and four fielders allowed outside circle in non-Powerplay overs

“If you look at the statistics at the World Cup, it was quite easy to see over the last ten overs there were many occasions when it went for more than 100 runs. Surely it showed the batters dominated that facet of the game. From a bowling point of view, it helps to strategise the last ten overs. I don’t think it will change the mindset of the batters.”McLaren reckoned that batting sides would try to score at a higher run rate in the first few overs to make up for the extra fielder in the last ten overs. But Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh batsman, believed that when five fielders were available previously, it didn’t stop teams from going after the bowling in the slog overs.”I don’t entirely agree with what McLaren has to say,” Tamim said. “When five fielders used to be outside the circle about three-four years ago, people used to go after the bowling in the last ten overs. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to start the hitting earlier. It is important to use the fielding restrictions in the first ten overs. If we can give a solid base, there will be runs towards the end. You cannot put up a building without a foundation.”Tamim said that teams would have to adjust quickly to these major rule changes, especially the two that will play the first match under the new regulations. Coincidentally, Bangladesh played the first match when the Powerplay rules were first tweaked in October 2008 and also the first match when the second and third Powerplays started to be used between overs 16 and 40.”Somehow we end up being one of the first sides to start a new rule,” Tamim said. “It is actually a headache for any team. You will have plans to do it this way or that, and sometimes you will do things in the middle which were not in your plans. We will need at least two matches to get used to the new rules.”We can be mentally prepared to play in a certain way from the 40th to the 50th overs or during the first 20 overs. But it will take time to get used to. When the rule was to have four fielders outside, extra fielder inside, then too everyone was puzzled for the first couple of matches.”In the first 10 overs, there need not be two compulsory fielders in the 15-yard circle•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Two days after the ICC announced the changes, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said that unless pitches around the world are made sporting and bats are not regulated, fielding changes won’t make much of a difference. He, however, was happy that he had fewer things to worry about as a fielding captain although he said he would still have close-in catchers in the early overs.”I don’t see any reason for bowlers to be so happy,” Mashrafe told on June 28. “It is still a batsman’s game. Still, it is better than before. There is some relief for the bowlers. There is no benefit unless wickets are changed. The world over, ODI wickets are purely for batting. There’s nothing for the bowlers. Bats are ultra-modern too, making it tougher for bowlers.”I can’t just think about the bowlers being a bowler myself. As a captain I have to think about the batsmen too. Their advantage has reduced. Previously, I used to think a bit more, like who will open the bowling, who will bowl in the batting Powerplay or in the last ten overs. There used to be a lot of calculations. Now there is less to think about. Whether to place a close-in fielder or not, will depend on the situation. I usually want to keep a slip or a close-in fielder.”Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, another bowler who has seen much of the changes in ODI playing regulations since 2005, said that spinners can now think of taking wickets and will be beneficial of the new rules.”Wicket-taking spinners were getting lost from ODIs,” he said. “Everyone had to think about stopping runs. Batsmen used to get mental support with four fielders outside the circle. They didn’t hesitate to play shots. The rule change will help the spinners.”The other change is the application of the free-hit for all no-balls. McLaren said that bowlers will have to be extra careful, especially in games where dew is a factor.”Obviously it is now slightly more challenging. It is something you practice or aim but in these conditions it can be slippery so we need to be aware of it, because it can happen,” he said.

Major news agencies have boycotted the first Test of the series between England and India in protest at media restrictions imposed by the BCCI

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2012Major news agencies have boycotted the first Test of the series between England and India in protest at media restrictions imposed by the BCCI.UK newspapers including the and the Telegraph will not use live pictures of the Test after the BCCI barred several agencies, including Getty Images, from the ground. ESPNcricinfo will also not carry live images.Others agencies, such as Agence France-Presse (AFP), Reuters and the Associated Press, have taken the decision to boycott the match in protest. The Press Association (PA) will continue to provide its text service but has withdrawn its photographer.
While the BCCI has accredited some news agencies, they refused to allow Getty Images, Action Images and some India agencies into the stadium on the grounds that their pictures were not used only for editorial purposes.The BCCI are providing images that are downloadable from their website, but most media organisations are declining to use them, fearing the action sets a precedent along the road towards censorship.The episode is the latest dispute between the BCCI and media organisations in the run-up to the series. Sky TV, which owns the television rights for the tour in the UK, decided not to send its team of commentators to India after the BCCI demanded £500,000 for hosting them in the grounds. Sky refused to pay and are instead commentating from a live television feed in London. Sky’s small reporting team has also been asked to film only outside the ground despite having bought rights to the series.The BBC, which owns the rights for audio coverage in the UK, was also asked for an extra £50,000 in costs ahead of the series but reached an agreement with the BCCI.

VVS Laxman was relieved to get his first century in 15 months, a period in which he scored several crucial fifties

S Aga15-Nov-2011Many modern coaches speak of the importance of visualisation. VVS Laxman doesn’t need to imagine things when he arrives at Eden Gardens. He just needs to tap into the memory bank and recall the greatest innings in India’s cricket history. Whatever he does, it works. This was his fifth century in 10 Kolkata Tests. No one apart from Donald Bradman (128.53 at the MCG) and Greg Chappell (111.77 at The Gabba) averages more at a venue where they have batted at least ten times, than Laxman at Eden (110.63).”I have always enjoyed batting at the Eden Gardens,” he said after the second day’s play. “It’s a great ground with a lot of history. Even though there were not a lot at this Test match, the spectators make it special.”For such a gifted batsman, Laxman would be the first to admit that he could have made bigger scores. This was his first century since August 2010. “It was a relief to get a hundred,” he said. “The last hundred I got was against Sri Lanka in the last Test match at P Sara Oval where the team was under tremendous pressure. After that, I have played knocks in pressure situations. Luckily, in this Test match, Sehwag and Gautam gave us a good start, and Rahul and Sachin had a good partnership.”When I went in to bat, the position wasn’t very challenging but it was important for us to build a partnership at that stage and that’s what Rahul and I tried to do. It was also important to get a big score in the first innings especially seeing the nature of the wicket, which will deteriorate on the third and fourth days. Even though I had some valuable 50s under my belt, it is always satisfying to get a hundred.”His best efforts in that 15-month period between tons came at Mohali and Kingsmead. The first inspired a remarkable one-wicket win against Australia, while the second was a matchless 96 in conditions that no other batsman could master. When the going’s good though, Laxman hasn’t always thrived, and he admitted as much.”When Paddy Upton was the mental conditioning coach, we tried various strategies to get the best out of me, especially in a situation where the team is not under a lot of pressure,” he said. “This is the first time in a long time where the team has not been in a difficult or challenging position and I have gone and got a hundred.”Thoughts of a double-hundred were quickly scotched as the light waned in the afternoon, and he had no hesitation in walking off with an unbeaten 176 to his name. “The light was fading, especially after MS [Dhoni] got out,” he said. “We wanted to bowl at least 20 to 22 overs at the West Indies this evening, that’s why we declared when we did.”The declaration was made possible by a stunning onslaught from Dhoni, who bludgeoned 116 runs in an extended second session in which India rattled 180 runs. Laxman did the sensible thing and picked off as many singles as he could, watching from the bowler’s end as Dhoni laid waste an exhausted attack.

Rahane released for Ranji duties

Top-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has been released from the Indian side so that he can participate in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy fixture against Karnataka from November 17-20 at the Brabourne Stadium. The India selectors are yet to name the squad for the third Test against West Indies to be played from November 22 at the Wankhede Stadium, also in Mumbai. Rahane remains in contention for a spot in that squad.

“Whenever he hits a six, he says he didn’t connect the ball,” said Laxman with a big grin on his face. “I just start laughing because he easily clears the boundary. In fact even in the last Test match here against South Africa, we had a similar partnership where both of us remained unbeaten. It was the same today.”When we needed quick runs, it was easy for me because Dhoni was at the other side and common sense says you take a single and give him as much strike as possible because he is definitely a cleaner hitter than me. It’s always great to see Dhoni [batting]. He is a brilliant batsman, he puts the bowlers under pressure right from the word go.”Laxman’s innings spanned 391 minutes and given the problems he’s had with his back in recent years, he was pleased to have emerged from it with little discomfort. He did cramp up after playing a pull shot, but credited the physio and trainer for his improved fitness levels.If there was a hint of disappointment, it was at the sparse turnout, at a ground renowned for vociferous and intimidating crowds. “We always felt that Kolkata was one place where you had a lot of support for Test match cricket,” he said. “It’s quite strange, I am not sure what the exact reason behind that is, but as I said earlier, it’s always a great feeling playing here. Whenever I come here, all of you remind me about the 2001 Test match. That gives a lot of inspiration to me and all the guys who were involved in that game.”Light permitting, Laxman was confident that India could make scoreboard pressure tell over the coming days. “The wicket is already turning and there is good bounce for the spinners,” he said. “Hopefully, our bowlers can bowl in the right areas and we can win the game.”

A round-up of the third day of the second round of matches in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2010Group BRP Singh scythed through Orissa with a career-best 6 for 48•Getty Images

Bhargav Bhatt, the 20-year old slow left-arm bowler, spun Baroda to an innings-and-33-run win against Haryana on the third day at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Rohtak. Haryana, who needed to score 343 to make Baroda bat again, resisted for almost 100 overs before being dismissed for 310. Bhatt, playing only his third first-class game, took 7 for 127, his maiden five-wicket haul. Haryana’s opening pair of Nitin Saini and captain Rahul Dewan had started solidly, adding 68 runs before Bhatt struck, getting Dewan caught behind. Saini and Sunny Singh soon followed, and Haryana had slumped to 77 for 3. Wickets continued to fall regularly, and though Hemang Badani and Joginder Sharma resisted briefly, it was all but over for Haryana when Badani fell for 79. Bhatt’s accuracy was reflected in the manner of his dismissals, with six of his seven wickets either bowled, caught behind or leg before.

Form Guide – Tracking ESPNcricinfo’s players to watch this season

• R Ashwin: Failed with the bat, but picked up both the Delhi wickets to fall in the second innings

• Piyush Chawla: Had a day to forget, going wicketless in 22 overs against Orissa

• Ravindra Jadeja: Took three wickets to help Saurashtra take the first-innings lead against Gujarat

• Jaidev Unadkat: Also picked up three wickets for Saurashtra

• Yuvraj Singh: Helped himself to an unbeaten half-century a day after being demoted in the BCCI contracts list

Yuvraj Singh made an unbeaten half-century a day after being demoted to Grade B in the BCCI’s list of central contracts. Punjab had already dropped first-innings points against Karnataka in Mohali, and Yuvraj’s 52 helped them to 173 for 2 in their second innings at stumps on the third day. Ravi Inder Singh also made a half-century after having been bowled off the second ball of the match in the first innings. Karnataka’s lower order had supported Amit Verma for more than 25 overs in the morning to prolong Punjab’s misery. Verma made a sedate 60 before becoming the last man to be dismissed. He fell to medium-pacer Manpreet Gony, who finished with three wickets. Punjab still trail Karnataka by ten runs.RP Singh tore through Orissa with a career-best haul of 6 for 48 to leave them reeling at 232 for 9 against Uttar Pradesh at the Dr Akhilesh Das Stadium in Lucknow. RP trapped former India opener and Orissa captain Shiv Sunder Das leg before for 1 in the sixth over of the day. Soon, Orissa were deep in trouble at 42 for 4. However, opener Natraj Behera found some support from the lower middle order, and went on to score his maiden first-class hundred which included 17 fours. Behera made more runs than the rest of his team-mates combined managed to, but fell to RP for 113. However, Orissa still trail by 171 runs and UP are almost assured of first-innings points going into the final day.Group AMumbai‘s bowlers gave their side a huge first-innings lead, bowling Bengal out for 296 at Eden Gardens. Resuming at 28 for 1 in reply to Mumbai’s mammoth 621, Bengal slipped to 84 for 5 as Manoj Tiwary, Shreevats Goswami and Wriddhiman Saha fell cheaply. Debutant Writam Porel and offspinner Saurasish Lahiri fought back with half-centuries. However, Mumbai’s frontline bowlers struck repeatedly and despite a 91-run stand eighth-wicket between Lahiri and Shibsagar Singh, Bengal had little chance of even reaching the follow-on mark. The Mumbai seam trio of Ajit Agarkar, Aavishkar Salvi and Dhawal Kulkarni picked up seven wickets between them. It is to be seen whether Wasim Jaffer will enforce the follow-on tomorrow, or whether he will be satisfied with first-innings points, like he was in Mumbai’s opening game against Saurashtra.Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten 76 kept Delhi in control•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Railways put behind the disappointment of conceding a narrow first-innings lead, and had Assam reeling on 160 for 9 at stumps on the third day at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. Murali Kartik picked up his 32nd first-class five-wicket haul, and was supported by the medium pace of veteran Sanjay Bangar. As many as eight Assam batsmen failed to reach double figures. Amol Muzumdar, the captain, waged a lone battle with an unbeaten 73. He got some support from wicketkeeper Kunal Saikia though, who made 25. Assam lead by 165 runs with one wicket remaining and would be glad that Muzumdar is still batting. In a low-scoring match where a total of 529 runs have been made in three days, the final day could see a close finish.S Badrinath’s 23rd first-class century was not enough as Tamil Nadu fell well short of Delhi‘s first-innings score at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Tamil Nadi had begun the day 196 runs behind with five wickets remaining. C Ganapathy stuck around for 133 deliveries, making only 22 but adding 89 in a sixth-wicket partnership with Badrinath. However, Ganapathy’s run-out by Pawan Suyal triggered a lower-order collapse as Tamil Nadu slipped from 171 for 5 to be bowled out for 208. Badrinath was the last man dismissed, bowled by Suyal after making 104. The next highest score in the innings was 28. Vikas Mishra, the 17-year old left-arm spinner, finished with 4 for 49 off 38 overs. Delhi stretched their lead to 232 by stumps, with opener Shikhar Dhawan easing to an unbeaten 76. Offspinner R Ashwin took both the Delhi wickets that fell.Jaidev Unadkat and Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets apiece for Saurashtra to skittle out Gujarat for 191 at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat. Five of the six Saurashtra bowlers used were among the wickets as their side comfortably took first-innings honours. Gujarat fell short of Saurashtra’s total by 71 runs. Most of the Gujarat batsmen got starts but none went on to make even a half-century. Opener Priyank Panchal was the top scorer with 40 before he fell leg before to Jadeja. With three points in their kitty, Saurashtra crawled to 60 for 2 at stumps, offspinner Mohnish Parmar taking both wickets.

Andrew Strauss has saluted his bowlers after England’s clinical seven-wicket victory over South Africa, just two days after a 112-run mauling in Cape Town

Cricinfo staff30-Nov-2009Andrew Strauss has saluted his bowlers after England’s clinical seven-wicket victory over South Africa, just two days after a 112-run mauling in Cape Town. The architect of the turnaround was James Anderson, who took a career-best 5 for 23 to rip through South Africa.Anderson, who played with a likely broken toe after stubbing it on a chair, started with a wild delivery down the leg side, and had figures of 3-0-15-0 before turning in two devastating spells of fast bowling. “Jimmy was outstanding with how he built pressure but also bowled wicket-taking deliveries,” Strauss said, “but today was a day for the bowling unit as a whole and they complemented each other very well.”Anderson’s performance eased concerns over his troublesome knee, which has required strapping during the early weeks of the tour, and he is confident it won’t be a further problem although his toe required a local anaesthetic.”If it’s getting better while I’m playing I’m pretty confident it will just continue to do so,” he said of the knee. “It’s not a concern at all once I’ve started bowling. “It seems to be getting better. The practice sessions, I’m taking reasonably lightly – and I’m getting it strapped up in a game as well. The way we are managing it, it is gradually getting better – and I hope it can continue.”The win gives England an unbeatable 2-1 lead heading into the final ODI and came on the back of a remarkable effort from the bowlers, who had leaked 354 runs in Friday’s ODI.”The key was to start well and it was a good toss to lose if I’m honest. But I was pleased with how the bowlers reacted to the conditions,” Strauss said. “You have got to adapt quickly and make sure that if there’s anything in your favour then you use it. I think we did that today.”After being smashed for 55 runs in seven overs in the third ODI, Anderson was thrilled with his Man-of-the-Match performance. “We had a chat after the last game because we didn’t bowl as well as we could have done,” Anderson said. “We wanted to come here and bowl a lot better and, luckily, we got a wicket that helped us with our plans.”England have had an excellent run against South Africa since last year, winning seven out of the last eight completed games. Victory in the fifth ODI in Durban on December 4 will hand them the series.

Duckett scored 149 after Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped him on 97, the latter’s third drop of the match

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2025Tea Shardul Thakur blew the first Test back open with two wickets in two balls to keep India’s hopes alive after Ben Duckett set England on their way to another famous Headingley run chase. Thakur had been a passenger for the first four-and-a-half days of the Test but was thrown the ball by Shubman Gill, and dismissed Duckett and Harry Brook off consecutive deliveries.Duckett and Zak Crawley added another 71 in quick time after batting through the morning session, with Duckett racing to his hundred – his sixth in Tests, and his first in England’s second innings – off 121 balls. He was reprieved on 97 by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who dropped his third catch of the match – this time on the square-leg boundary – as Duckett punched the air on reaching three figures.After a brief interruption for rain, Crawley pulled Prasidh Krishna through wide mid-on for four but fell to his next ball, edging to slip for 65. England’s first-innings centurion Ollie Pope followed soon after, chopping Prasidh on to his own stumps, but Duckett continued to cruise; his most outrageous shot was a reverse slap for six over cover off Ravindra Jadeja.But Thakur’s reintroduction gave India a foothold, as he struck with two innocuous balls. Duckett slapped the first, a wide half volley, straight to substitute fielder Nitish Kumar Reddy at extra cover; Harry Brook strangled the second, a freebie angling a long way past leg stump, through to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps, becoming only the fifth man out for 99 and 0 in the same Test.Ben Stokes started scratchily against Jadeja, missing a pair of reverse sweeps – the first of which Shubman Gill unsuccessfully reviewed for a catch at short leg, only for replays to confirm the ball had hit him on the biceps. Stokes and Joe Root will resume with 102 more runs required after the tea interval, which arrived early due to another rain shower.

It will come as a blow for Netherlands, who were scheduled to get three T20Is against a Full Member in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup

Danyal Rasool22-Nov-2023Pakistan’s tour of the Netherlands in 2024 has been postponed indefinitely at the PCB’s request.Pakistan were scheduled to play three T20Is against Netherlands in early May 2024 as part of a tour of Europe that also included three T20Is against Ireland, and four against England. All those games were scheduled in the build-up to the T20 World Cup which starts in June 2024, to be held in the West Indies and USA.Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Board (KNCB)’s high-performance manager Roland Lefebvre confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the tour had been put off, with the PCB citing scheduling clashes, and concerns about player workload.”The KNCB understands the predicament the PCB are in, given the busy playing schedules and at the same time keeping the well-being of players in mind,” Lefebvre said. “We value the good relationship we have with the PCB, and look forward to rescheduling this series to a later date.”The postponement will come as a blow for Netherlands, who were scheduled to get three T20Is against a Full-Member side in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, for which they have already qualified. That also means Netherlands and Pakistan are yet to face each other in a bilateral T20I fixture, with their only two meetings in the format having come at the T20 World Cup.In fact, there was significant on-field bonhomie between the Pakistan and Netherlands players after their fates were tied together at last year’s T20 World Cup, with each side doing the other a favour. Netherlands beat South Africa to keep Pakistan alive in a tournament that saw them go on to reach the final, while Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in the following game to ensure direct qualification to the 2024 T20 World Cup for Netherlands.Last year, Netherlands had hosted Pakistan for three ODIs as part of the Super League. Pakistan went on to win the series 3-0, but two of those matches were decided by margins of only 16 runs and nine runs.The PCB acknowledged to ESPNcricinfo that next year’s series had been postponed at their request, and said they were actively working on finding an alternate window.

Johnson Charles also returns; Yannic Cariah preferred over Hayden Walsh

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2022West Indies have recalled Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles to their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, and have made a surprise pick by including the uncapped legspin-bowling allrounder Yannic Cariah, who last played a T20 in 2016. The selectors left out the experienced duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.Lewis last played international cricket at last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, and had since missed out on West Indies’ squads for fitness reasons. Over recent months, CWI lead selector Desmond Haynes and director of cricket Jimmy Adams had been critical of West Indies’ players – Lewis in particular – for failing to meet fitness standards, but Haynes has now welcomed Lewis back to the team.”Someone like Evin Lewis, we all agree that he’s our best one-day cricketer, he’s done so well for us over the years,” Haynes told Ian Bishop in an interview on the sidelines of Wednesday’s CPL game between Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. “We had a meeting with him, and he’s committed to West Indies cricket, and I believe he should be given the opportunity.”Sometimes we have to move on and appreciate when people come to us and explain their position to us, and if we agree, we give them a chance,” Haynes later said in a press conference.The 15-man squad that will represent West Indies at the 2022 T20 World Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Russell also last featured for West Indies during last year’s T20 World Cup. He has had a quiet time in CPL 2022 so far with Trinbago Knight Riders, particularly with the bat, managing a top score of just 17.Cariah, 30, made his West Indies debut during last month’s ODI series against New Zealand and his experience in the T20 format is limited to four games, the last of which came during the 2016 CPL. Cariah is not contracted to a CPL team this season.The selectors picked Cariah ahead of Hayden Walsh, who had been the preferred wristspin option over recent months.”When we look at consistency, we don’t feel that Hayden is consistent enough,” Haynes said. “We don’t write off anybody, because Hayden is somebody we have invested in, and we believe that he still stands a chance of playing for the West Indies, and we hope again that he is another one that will continue to do well in the CPL and give himself a chance to be selected.”Haynes was confident Cariah could do a job in T20 cricket despite his limited experience of the format.”I think Yannic has impressed us from the time we picked him for the A team,” Haynes said. “And then we gave him the opportunity to play against New Zealand in the 50-overs competition, and I think going to Australia, I know we’ve got a lot of confidence in him, we think that he’s bowling well enough that [he] can play in the T20 format. It’s a bit unfortunate that he’s not in the CPL, we have no control over that, but we think that he is a guy who we feel can do a job for us. I don’t think you can underrate his batting either.”Fabian Allen, who recently announced his availability for selection after taking a break for family reasons, was absent from the squad. Haynes said Allen was unfortunate to miss out with the squad having room for only one left-arm spinner in Akeal Hosein.Apart from Cariah, the squad includes one other uncapped T20I player in Raymon Reifer, the left-arm seam-bowling allrounder who has played three Tests and five ODIs. Reifer has been in excellent form for Jamaica Tallawahs in the ongoing CPL, scoring 171 runs in four innings at an average of 57 and a strike rate of 143.69.Among other seam-bowling allrounders, there was no room for Romario Shepherd – Haynes termed his exclusion “another close call” – while Dominic Drakes was unavailable due to a knee injury.”His bowling has gone off a little bit and he is very good in the backend with six-hitting. It was a close thing, but because of the composition of the side, he missed out on this occasion,” Haynes said of Shepherd’s exclusion.CPL form has also led to a recall for Charles, who last played a T20I in December 2016. Charles is presently the second-highest run-getter in CPL 2022, with 227 runs in six innings at an average of 45.40 and a strike rate of 136.74.Charles, Haynes said, would fill the role of reserve wicketkeeper in West Indies’ squad behind Pooran.”Judging from his performances in the CPL, he [Charles] is experienced as well, he had a tour of Australia, he’s done well down there, and also we are looking at someone who can be the second keeper,” Haynes said.

“Knight Riders have now moved towards a daily testing routine to identify any other possible cases”

Nagraj Gollapudi03-May-2021Monday’s IPL 2021 match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challenges Bangalore in Ahmedabad has been rescheduled after the Knight Riders’ spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seam bowler Sandeep Warrier tested positive for Covid-19.This is the first instance of positive Covid-19 cases within an IPL team bubble since the 2021 season started.It is believed that Chakravarthy recently left the IPL’s biosecure bubble through the official green channel to get a scan on an injured shoulder and that is where he might have been exposed. An IPL statement on Monday said the two players had been “found to be positive in the third round of testing in the last four days”. Barring Chakravarthy and Warrier, the rest of the Knight Riders contingent’s latest tests came out clear.The IPL confirmed the developments, saying in a statement that “Knight Riders have now moved towards a daily testing routine to identify any other possible cases,” and that its “medical team is also determining the close and casual contacts of the two positive cases during the 48 hours” prior to testing. The entire Knight Riders’ contingent has been put in a five-day quarantine in their hotel rooms in Ahmedabad, starting yesterday. That will be over on May 6, two days before their next match, on May 8 against the Delhi Capitals.Related

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Under the IPL’s “green channel” protocol, a player requiring treatment – usually scans – is taken in a vehicle (which is in the bubble with a driver), clad in PPE, to the hospital. The testing/treatment is done by medical personnel with PPEs and masks and the player returns in the same bubble vehicle.The latest development came almost a week after Hemang Amin, BCCI’s interim chief executive officer, had reassured all teams that they were “totally safe” in the IPL bubble. The BCCI has also reassured all players and franchises that the 2021 IPL would carry on despite India being caught in the grip of a deadly second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.Amin had added that, “to be extra vigilant”, the IPL had “strengthened” the testing process, increasing its frequency from every five days initially to every two days for the second leg of the tournament, during which the teams shifted from Chennai and Mumbai to Ahmedabad and Delhi (matches began at the last two venues on April 26).The Knight Riders are currently seventh on the points table, having won only two of their first seven matches and go up against the high-flying Capitals next. The Capitals were also their opponents when they last played, on April 29. The Capitals, who played the Punjab Kings on Sunday evening, were tested a day after that Knight Riders contest, with everyone coming out clear.