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Mitchell Santner, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the next game with a finger injury

Deivarayan Muthu08-Jun-2021New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner has been sidelined from the Edgbaston Test with a finger injury. His captain Kane Williamson is under an injury cloud, having sustained an elbow niggle ahead of the second Test, which starts on June 10. New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said that the team management would take the final call on Williamson on the eve of the match.Trent Boult, their premier seamer, however, has been lined up for a Test return after having linked up with the squad for his first training of the tour at Lord’s on Saturday. Boult also trained with the group at Edgbaston two days out of the second Test.Santner had suffered a cut to his spinning finger during the intra-squad match, in the approach to the tour, and then aggravated his injury by playing the first Test at Lord’s. Santner, who was the only frontline spinner in either team in the opening Test, had gone wicketless in 23 overs, conceding 68 runs. He served up eight full-tosses in that game, including a chest-high beamer, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, giving up 16 runs. Stead conceded that the cut to Santner’s left index finger disrupted his rhythm.”People probably would have seen him open up the piece on his finger again; he had quite a bit of blood on his pants,” Stead said of Santner. “That came from the cut he originally had. We thought it had healed okay, but obviously we needed a little bit more time for that to happen and it definitely hampered his ability in the match as well.”New Zealand have two other left-arm fingerspinners in their squad to replace Santner – Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra. Patel, himself, is working his way back into international cricket after a calf injury; he had last played Test cricket in February 2020. Ravindra, the Wellington batting allrounder, meanwhile, is uncapped in international cricket.As for Williamson, this isn’t the first time this year that he’s dealing with an elbow complaint. He had earlier been ruled out of the ODI series against Bangladesh at home and subsequently missed the start of IPL 2021.”His [Williamson’s] elbow is still niggling him a wee bit,” Stead said. “We’ve had some more treatment on that and we just want to make sure it’s the best thing for him, playing in this match versus taking a bit more time to be ready and training the way he needs to train.”Mitchell Santner is nursing a finger injury•Getty Images

Stead, though, welcomed Boult back into the set-up, all but confirming his comeback. After the IPL was suspended, the left-arm seamer opted to return home to spend time with his family in Mount Maunganui rather than head straight to the UK along with the rest of the New Zealand contingent. Before the Lord’s Test, Stead had indicated the turnaround for Edgbaston would be too tight for Boult but updated quarantine protocols have allowed him to train immediately after arriving which has advanced his preparations by a few days.”Trent’s back and available to be selected and it’s likely we’ll play him in this game as well,” he said. “It’s good news for us. Things did change when he got here or from the information we had initially. So, think it’s the best thing for Trent to get out there, get the Dukes ball in his hand and show us what he’s capable of.”With an eye on the forthcoming World Test Championship [WTC] final against India, which begins on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl, Stead reckoned that the rest of the attack could also be rotated. Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson all had solid workouts at Lord’s, bowling 40 or more overs each across both innings, despite the entire third day’s play being wiped out by a persistent drizzle. Matt Henry, Doug Bracewell and Southland’s Jacob Duffy, who is also uncapped, are the potential seam-bowling replacements for the frontline quicks. Stead said that they would lock in their XI on Wednesday.”They [bowlers] have all scrubbed up pretty well, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they will play in the next match,” Stead said. “With an eye to the [WTC] final we want to make sure the key bowlers who we think will take part in that game are fresh, raring to go and ready for that first ball of the match versus India.”We’ve got a squad of 20 obviously. So, a lot of guys have played Test cricket before. Matt Henry is here, Daryl Mitchell is here, Doug Bracewell, Ajaz Patel…there’re guys in and around the squad who’ve played for us in the past. So, again, we’re having those discussions with them about what’s best for them given training loads, playing loads and readiness for that match.”

India slide after Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli fifties to end up 32 short of 297 target

Saurabh Somani19-Jan-20223:18

Cullinan: South Africa had better ‘all-round’ ODI approach; India lacked fight

A sparkling century from Rassie van der Dussen was complemented by a well-paced one from Temba Bavuma, as South Africa cantered to a 31-run win over India in the first ODI of a three-match series.van der Dussen joined Bavuma when South Africa were 68 for 3 in the 18th over, but they shrugged off that rickety start to eventually drive the team 296 for 4 on a slow Boland Park pitch. India were on track in the first half of their chase, particularly when Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were batting together in a 92-run stand for the second wicket, but the innings withered after they both fell.Bavuma and van der Dussen had put on 204 runs in just 183 balls, conquering bowlers and conditions. In particular, van der Dussen’s knock took the first innings, and it turned out the match, away from India. In the end, he remained unconquered on an ODI best 129 off just 96 balls. His innings included four hits over the fence and nine to it, with more than half his runs coming via running between the wickets – this on a day when the heat was sapping. In the final over of South Africa’s innings, van der Dussen was often down on his haunches to gather his breath. It was his batting that left those watching breathless though.Related

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He got off the blocks quickly, injecting much-needed momentum into the innings, using sweeps and reverse sweeps to devastating effect against the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin. The feature of van der Dussen’s innings was how he took the pitch out of the equation. Till his arrival, scoring had been laborious. But his use of the square boundaries, and ability to capitalise on the slightest errors in length, meant the innings found a new gear.Bavuma had a head start on his innings and got to his century first, with a single off Shardul Thakur in the 45th over. At the start of the 48th over, van der Dussen got to his own hundred with a flick to fine leg.The heat in Paarl saw the Indian bowling also wilt after a good start, as van der Dussen continued to go full throttle. Bavuma, who was on 23 off 45 when van der Dussen joined him and later on 28 off 53, gradually picked up his pace too. He made 82 from the last 90 balls he faced, playing an able foil to van der Dussen. By the time he had holed out to become Jasprit Bumrah’s second wicket, he had made 110 off 143.India’s bowling had begun well. Bumrah got Janneman Malan nicking behind, and the returning Ashwin – playing his first ODI since 2017 – castled Quinton de Kock with a quicker one. When Aiden Markram ran himself out via a direct hit from debutant Venkatesh Iyer at mid-off, India seemed well in control.Aiden Markram sent back KL Rahul•Gallo Images

However, the van der Dussen and Bavuma rebuilding plus counterattack left India looking a bit ragged. There were several mis-fields and overthrows too, which eased any pressure that was built up.KL Rahul, captaining India for the first time, didn’t have an outing to remember. He never went to his sixth bowling option Venkatesh, and had used up eight overs each of Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar by the time the innings was 40 overs old. Eventually, 86 runs came off the final ten overs, including a 17-run final over by Shardul Thakur.When Rahul came out to open the innings, he treated Markram’s part-time offspin with exaggerated caution. Markram bowled six overs on the trot after taking the new ball. Rahul had opted to play him out safely rather than attack, but that approach didn’t pay dividends either when he poked Markram behind to de Kock.That led to India’s best phase in the chase, with Dhawan scoring freely and Kohli building busily. During that period, the target looked within reach, with both men looking in control. However, a sharply turning ball from Keshav Maharaj spun into the Dhawan, past the inside half of his bat and onto his stumps as he was shaping to cut, and Kohli top-edged Tabraiz Shamsi to midwicket three overs later. From 138 for 1 in the 26th over, India’s slide was steady. Thakur, coming in at No. 8, belted a maiden ODI fifty and was unbeaten on 50 off 43 balls, but his hits only served to lessen the margin of defeat.

Video analyst Sherullah Afghan and physio Dr. Sifatullah Wardak have returned to Afghanistan, and are set to be reemployed by the board

Umar Farooq16-May-2022Two out of four Afghanistan team members from the 2022 Under-19 World Cup touring party returned to the country three months after staying back in England with a view to seeking asylum in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the country. ESPNcricinfo understands both have been accepted back by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and are likely to be reemployed by the board.Afghanistan finished fourth at the Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean, three places higher than in 2020. While returning from Antigua, the team had a scheduled stopover in London. While the rest of the Afghanistan squad, including the coaching and support staff, boarded their flight from London, four members of the travelling party decided to stay on at Heathrow with a view to seeking asylum.”There were three officials and one player [who stayed on in London], with video analyst Sherullah Afghan and physio Dr. Sifatullah Wardak among them, but those two have decided to return to Kabul,” ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan told ESPNcricinfo. “It was not the first time that people in our country stayed in other countries in various ways or were smuggled out of the country. I am pleased that our technical staff has returned to the ACB, and I warmly welcome them.”Their presence shows that security in Afghanistan is improving day by day and that the ACB has overcome the challenges it faced in the early days of the regime change. I hope those young people who have left the country return, as there are several possibilities for them to serve their country on various occasions. The doors are open for all Afghans.”Both officials met with the ACB’s top brass at the board headquarters in Kabul as the duo admitted that they preferred to return to serve their cricket. “Afghanistan needs manpower in technical aspects, so we decided to return back and work in our very own country because there is peace and prosperity in the country, so the priority must be given to Afghanistan,” Wardak said in a statement.ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf confirmed that both will be given employment. “The game has spread to all parts of the country,” said Ashraf. “The country is in need of technical staff and capacities, so everyone must strive hard to work for the country.”Immediately after Taliban took over the country last August, hundreds of Afghans including at least one former president, bureaucrats, sportspersons and civilians left. Since the takeover, the cricket board has been reshuffled extensively, and the working structure was revamped. Former allrounder Ashraf was brought in as the new chairman.Despite being a Full Member country, availing visas has become progressively tougher for Afghan cricketers and support staff, especially in the aftermath of the Taliban establishing a government. To alleviate the problem and expedite visas, the ACB has decided to procure UAE residency visas for nearly two dozen players and officials. The residence visas will allow the players and officials to stay in the UAE for longer periods of time while also ensuring they are able to apply for visas without physically needing to be present in Afghanistan.Afghanistan’s next tour is against Ireland in Belfast in August, with the ACB in the process of procuring UK visas.

Key signings announced ahead of first season of new women’s county competition in 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2024Bess Heath, England’s up-and-coming wicketkeeper-batter, has signed a three-year deal with Durham that will make her one of the mainstays of the Tier 1 outfit, based at Chester-le-Street, when it replaces the existing Northern Diamonds team in the new women’s county competition from 2025 onwards.Heath, 22, has scored more than 3000 runs in all formats since her professional debut four years ago, and made the first of her five England appearances against Sri Lanka last year. In her short career, which began in Derbyshire’s youth system, she has also represented Brisbane Heat, Northern Superchargers, Melbourne Stars and Yorkshire.With Northern Diamonds, she reached the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in her maiden season in 2020, then went on to lift the trophy two years later. Last summer, her haul of 286 runs in the same competition earned her a nomination for the PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year award.Her decision to commit to Durham comes with the Diamonds squad in a state of some flux, following the decision to move the new club’s base from Headingley to Chester-le-Street. Lauren Winfield-Hill, Heath’s team-mate and fellow wicketkeeper, who also captains Northern Superchargers, is expected to commit her own future to her native Yorkshire, despite their Tier 2 status next summer.On joining Durham, Heath said: “I am so excited to be joining Durham from next season and get going in the North East. The opportunity to join Durham is something I am very much looking forward to and hopefully I can play my part in creating new history for Durham.”Marcus North, Director of Cricket said: “Bess is one of the most exciting young talents in England, and we are thrilled to have recruited her to Durham on a long-term contract.”Despite being only 22, she already has a tremendous amount of experience in the domestic game and we look forward to seeing her continue to thrive at Durham as she looks to add more England caps.”Meanwhile, David Ripley has been appointed as the Head Coach of Northamptonshire’s Women for their first season in Tier 2 next year.Ripley, who guided Northamptonshire’s men to two T20 Blast titles in 2013 and 2016, also achieved two promotions to the County Championship Division One to cement his status as the club’s greatest coach.He will officially take up his new role in February 2025, ahead of a maiden Tier 2 season that will also feature Derbyshire, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Sussex, Worcestershire and Yorkshire.”I’m delighted to be joining the Women’s Steelbacks as Head Coach, it’s exciting times ahead as the new format is rolled out,” Ripley said. “As well as a competitive senior team I hope to help develop our younger girls into future professional players, in partnership with our pathway coaches.”

Not all their team-mates agree – “I like ODI cricket, it is just enough time to do enough,” says Ashton Agar

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2022Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch feel that for ODI cricket to remain interesting, the number of overs should be brought down to 40 for each innings.”I think I’d like one-day cricket more if it was 40 overs,” Khawaja told . “I played Pro40 in England a few years ago when they were playing 40-over cricket. I really enjoyed it.Related

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“I just think 50 overs is just that little bit too long now. T20 cricket is awesome. Test cricket is the pinnacle. I just feel like one-day cricket, if it could be 40 overs, I reckon that would just take out that little middle bit.”Finch – who recently retired from ODI cricket – agreed with Khawaja on 40 overs being the sweet spot, but expected the format to become popular around the time of the next World Cup, 50 overs or not.”The same debate keeps coming up every few years,” he said on the same programme. “When you’re 12 months away from a World Cup, people try and find relevance. But then the World Cup rolls around, and it’ll be bigger than again, and then another format will be on the chopping block.”But it’s that middle period Khawaja mentioned, that Adam Zampa suggested needs a close look. “There’s about ten overs in the middle that needs to be scrapped or something needs to be done with them, something a bit more exciting” he said. “Or, in between overs 20 and 30, there could be bonuses or extra free-hits, or something like that… make it a bit more interesting.”However, not all their team-mates agree with them. Ashton Agar, for example, said he liked the 50-overs-a-side format the way it has been.”I like ODI cricket, it is just enough time to do enough,” Agar said. “You know, ten overs [per bowler] is a lovely amount of bowling time. Fifty overs is a good time to bat, like it gives the guys lower down the order a bit of time if there’s a few wickets that have fallen.”Yes I think people get frustrated at, maybe it gets a bit too long, but I think that’s just because of the advent of T20 cricket. So I like ODI cricket.”Alex Carey, meanwhile, said that “there’s still lots of room in the game for one-day cricket for sure”, and cited the example of the 2019 ODI World Cup, where “the atmosphere was incredible”, for proof of the format’s popularity.In terms of solutions, Nathan Lyon had one: “One ball from one end, or both ends… stop giving the batters a new ball to hit,” he said. “It’s only 25 overs old, it’s still hard, I’d like to see… bring reverse swing back, bring spin back into it.”

New Zealand came close in the 219-run chase, but Sri Lanka did enough to get a consolation win

Madushka Balasuriya02-Jan-2025In the end, Sri Lanka did enough. That’s not something you’d expect to say about a team that had racked up 218 runs in their first innings, but it speaks towards just how well New Zealand had set about their chase for most of the innings. It was a victory set up largely by Kusal Perera’s maiden T20I ton, the fastest ever by a Sri Lankan, coming off just 44 deliveries.For about 15 overs of the chase New Zealand were keeping up with the nearly 11-an-over required rate, and when Daryl Mitchell struck Charith Asalanka for four consecutive sixes in a 25-run 15th over they might have even been ahead.Sri Lanka then thought they had done enough with a couple of wickets at the death, before Zachary Foulkes’ final-over fireworks provided yet another scare. But despite frayed nerves, Sri Lanka held on to close out a consolatory seven-run win.Having entered inside the powerplay, Perera fell with less than two overs left in the innings, and such was the impact of his innings even a run-a-ball final two overs couldn’t prevent Sri Lanka from registering their second-highest T20I total ever.Asalanka also played a starring role – despite the treatment meted out by Mitchell – backing up his 46 with the bat with a three-wicket haul that derailed New Zealand’s well-planned chase. He also took a scorcher of a catch at extra cover to cap an impressive outing. There was however no looking beyond Perera for the player of the match award.Jacob Duffy, a thorn in Sri Lanka’s side throughout the series, picked up just the solitary wicket this time round, although his economy rate of 7.50 was still the best of any bowler who bowled at least two overs in the game. He was deservedly named player of the series.

SL and NZ trade early blows

The rollercoaster nature of the game was telegraphed right from the start. Sri Lanka lost three of their top four inside the opening 10 overs, and their openers inside the powerplay, but they didn’t let that slow them down.Kusal Mendis struck 22 off 16, Pathum Nissanka 14 off 12 and Avishka Fernando 17 off 12, as Sri Lanka kept a steady rate of around eight an over.Despite the early wickets, it could have been better too, had New Zealand held on to miscued reverse sweep off Perera when he was on just 15.Despite taking two excellent grabs to dismiss both Nissanka and Mendis, it was the chance they will likely look back on and regret.Mitchell Santner celebrates Kusal Mendis’ wicket•MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images

Perera and Sri Lanka turn on the afterburners

Despite losing three wickets, Sri Lanka’s score of 85 after the first 10 overs constituted their best score at the halfway mark of an innings all series. But the 10 overs to follow would put that tally comfortably in the shade.Led by a belligerent Perera, and aided by some short boundaries at Nelson, Sri Lanka proceeded to plunder 133 runs off the final 10 overs – and that could have been considerably more if not for two excellent overs at the death from Mitchell and Duffy.Those two overs went for six each, but that Sri Lanka still ended up on a mammoth 218 speaks towards the damage done in the overs that preceded them – particularly devastating was a four-over period from overs 14-18 that brought 75 runs. Much of that was down to Perera, whose century came at a strike rate above 200 and included 13 fours and four sixes.While he initially targeted the boundaries behind square with a catalogue of sweeps, switch hits and outright slogs, by the end his knock was a true 360 exhibition – a monster six over cover to bring up his century emphatically ramming home the point.He was kept company by an equally combative Asalanka, who struck 46 off 24 during a 100-run fourth wicket stand that came off just 45 deliveries.

Well prepared New Zealand come out firing

Regardless of the match situation you can always count on New Zealand to come out with an effective plan, and their chase in Nelson was a prime example.Most sides would be overawed when hunting down a target of 219, but from the very first over of the chase New Zealand set the tone as Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra each took Chamidu Wickramasinghe for a boundary each.This was followed by a five-run over by Nuwan Thushara, but New Zealand made up for that by taking on Sri Lanka’s most effective seamer this series, Binura Fernando, for 18 off his opening over.Sixty-three runs were scored inside the powerplay, but the onslaught only continued afterwards. By the halfway point New Zealand had run up 108 runs and still had eight wickets in hand.Charith Asalanka struck in three consecutive overs•MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images

Asalanka the unlikely hero

With Thushara and Binura being saved for the death overs and Theekshana having an off day, Asalanka was left with a conundrum through the middle overs. Was he going to rely on the green Wickramasinghe to handle the fifth bowler quota on his own, or would he bowl a few himself?He ended up opting for the latter, and it might just be what swung the game in Sri Lanka’s direction. In his first over the Lankan skipper removed Mark Chapman, before taking out Glenn Phillips in his second. But it was his third that brought the big fish, sliding one past Ravindra’s inside edge to dismiss the New Zealand opener for a 39-ball 69.Perhaps Asalanka overestimated his capabilities in bowling himself out, and was duly punished by Mitchell. But his breakthroughs meant New Zealand would be forced to score heavily off Sri Lanka’s frontline bowlers at the death.

New Zealand can’t stick the landing

Despite Asalanka’s strikes, Mitchell’s monster striking had brought the equation down to 51 from 30 with six wickets in hand.At that point it seemed like the hard work had been all but done, but New Zealand just couldn’t stick the landing. Hasaranga’s double-wicket 16th over did much to reverse to momentum that had swung New Zealand’s way through Mitchell’s onslaught. And then when Mitchell fell an over later, looking to take on Thushara, the writing seemed on the wall.Foulkes however ensured Sri Lanka were made to work for their win with some powerful hitting at the death, but the visitors just about managed to hold on.

The bowlers set up Australia’s win, Zampa, Cummins and Starc doing all the damage after Sri Lanka had raced away to 125 for no loss

Madushka Balasuriya16-Oct-20231:34

Did Australia tick every box against Sri Lanka?

Australia chased down Sri Lanka’s sub-par 209 with some ease, cantering to a five-wicket win in Lucknow to revive their flagging World Cup campaign. The result leaves Sri Lanka second-last on the table with three losses from three, and essentially needing only wins from hereon to stand a chance of making it to the semi-finals.For Australia, it was a victory set up by a tenacious bowling effort, and then capped off by a chase exemplified by its clarity of thought.Having won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch that stand-in Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Mendis had deemed a “280-300” track, Sri Lanka got off to the ideal start with the opening pair racking up 125 runs.But a collapse of astounding proportions saw them lose ten wickets for just 84 runs – the worst such collapse in World Cups since 2011, and Sri Lanka’s worst collapse since their inaugural World Cup game – as they were bundled for 209.Adam Zampa was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4 for 47, while Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc grabbed two apiece. Though special mention should go to David Warner for two outstanding catches in the deep to dismiss Pathum Nissanka and Mendis, wickets which in many ways catalysed Sri Lanka’s downfall. It was also a fielding effort that was a welcome change for Australia, after their opening defeats to India and South Africa had been marked by some uncharacteristically poor catching.In defence of their total, Sri Lanka, and particularly Dilshan Madushanka, started excellently. Madushanka’s first 12 deliveries went for zero runs and two wickets, including a double-wicket maiden. While those two wickets would see the dangerous Warner and Steven Smith sent packing, Mitchell Marsh at the other end offered Sri Lanka no respite.1:23

Maharoof: ‘Absolutely pathetic batting display from Sri Lanka’

Marsh lofted the first ball of the chase, a fullish delivery on off from Lahiru Kumara, back over mid-off and he didn’t look back. Maheesh Theekshana, brought into the attack as early as the third over after Kumara had been hacked for 15 in his opening over, was taken for a pair of exquisite boundaries, and Marsh repeated the feat in Kumara’s next over. The worst, though, was reserved for Dunith Wellalage, who was lashed for three boundaries in his opening salvo.It took a fine Chamika Karunaratne throw from the deep to dismiss Marsh as he looked for a tight second, but by then a third of the chase had been scratched off, and the game was well in hand. Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne then put the result beyond doubt with a stand of 77 off 86; though both fell before the finish line, Inglis notched a half-century. The finishing touches were added by Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, who entered the fray to turbo-power an already comfortable chase and romp home.But on a surface that Cummins had said he would have liked to have batted first on, this was a game won with the ball.Sri Lanka’s partnerships tell the entire story. A substantial opening stand of 125, followed by a brief but industrious 32, and then… well, nothing. Indeed, beyond those two top-order efforts only two others passed double-digits, and that too by the barest of margins. Contrast that to Australia, who put up stands of 24, 0, 57, 77, 34 and an unbroken 23 on their way to victory.The collapse is a worrying theme for Sri Lanka, who have now thrown away a promising position for the second game running – the fourth time in five games if you count the warm-up games. This game also highlighted what could happen if Mendis fails to fire; despite the opening pair of Nissanka and Kusal Perera putting on 125, Sri Lanka’s middle order failed to capitalise on the platform, going from 157 for 1 to 209 all out.Nissanka had got runs against Pakistan but Perera was coming into this game nursing a recently recovered shoulder strain, and not much recent form behind him. But a lacklustre start from the Australia seamers meant that even though the Lankan openers weren’t exactly proficient in rotating the strike, there were enough boundary balls on offer to allay any pressure being built.Together, the pair put on Sri Lanka’s best opening stand of the tournament, which would have had them eyeing a total in excess of 300, but no one could have predicted the extent of the collapse that followed.1:13

Maharoof: Madushanka a real positive for Sri Lanka

While the start of Sri Lanka’s slide will nominally be attributed to Cummins for picking up both openers in the span of a couple overs, a large part of the credit should go to Warner whose catching provided the opening.Either side of Cummins nipping one back and castling Perera, Warner held on to two high-difficulty chances in the deep. The first was to get rid of Nissanka, who mistimed a hook seemingly into the safety of the vacant midwicket region, only to see the patrolling Warner sprint across from deep square-leg and hold on to it on the slide.He grabbed an even better one a couple of overs later, once more tearing to his left – from deep midwicket this time – making up an incredible amount of ground to gobble up a miscued slog sweep off Mendis. He then had to nurse some bruised kneecaps for his troubles as his forward tumble took out lumps from the Lucknow outfield, but it was well worth it as the Australians never looked back from thereon.Zampa was the beneficiary of that second moment of Warner brilliance, and he struck once more an over later, trapping Sadeera Samarawickrama lbw with a slider shown to be barely clipping leg stump on umpire’s call. It was a marginal decision that left Samarawickrama shaking his head, but Australia will feel it evened out a not-out lbw call against Perera when he was on 24, which had they reviewed would have shown three reds.It was around this time that the game was halted by a brief shower, followed by some heavy winds which blew off some scaffolding and adverstising hoardings from the stadium roof. When play continued, it was all Australia as Sri Lanka’s batters struggled to come to terms with the extra bit of zip in the surface following the rain.Dhananjaya de Silva fell just two balls after the restart, chopping one on from Starc, while a period of concerted pressure saw Welllalage attempt an ill-advised single to mid-on, only for Cummins to throw down the stumps.With the innings in freefall, a pair of Zampa googlies accounted for both Karunaratne and Theekshana, shortly before Starc returned to take out Kumara with an inch-perfect yorker. Charith Asalanka was the last man out, slicing a slog sweep off Maxwell.

With his return, Australia for the first time in the series can at least look to balance the side however they wish

Andrew McGlashan28-Feb-20232:26

What improvements can we expect from Australia?

The last time Cameron Green picked up a bat in India it helped him become the second-most expensive player in IPL history.His value to Australia’s Test side has been made abundantly clear during the first two Tests of this series where the selectors have had to make concessions each way in his absence. Now the allrounder is back and Australia can for the first time, even in the absence of some senior players, at least look to balance the side however they wish in Indore.Related

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• Smith wants Australia to 'slow things down' under pressure

Whether or not Steven Smith keeping every option open on the eve of the match was a bit of pre-game bluster, it highlighted the flexibility that a cricketer such as Green brings. That ranged from playing an extra batter – so Green being part of a four-strong attack – to three quicks or retaining the three spinners used in Delhi, but this time having two pace bowlers alongside them.There remains a small question mark over Todd Murphy after the side soreness he reported during the second Test, although he had an extensive bowl on Tuesday.”In terms of playing an extra batter, that’s on the cards as well,” Smith said. “Three spinners is on the cards, someone with a bit more airspeed is on the cards. We’ve got some options there, we’ll wait and see.”The extra batter route would mean a reprieve for Matt Renshaw who has made just four runs in three innings so far after being parachuted in as David Warner’s concussion sub in Delhi. The reference to airspeed could put Lance Morris in with a chance of a Test debut, although Scott Boland’s wicket-to-wicket skills may also bring value. Australia’s quicks have had precious little impact so far.Cameron Green has not played competitive cricket in two months•Getty Images

They also need to work out how to get through India’s deep batting order and Smith hinted at some new plans. “Particularly with Green and [Mitchell] Starc, two fast bowlers now, and five out-and-out bowlers potentially, it gives us a few different ways to go about things,” he said. “Whether we want to bowl some quick stuff at the tail to try and unsettle them or whether it’s spinning, [we] just have to play what’s in front of us.”The Indore pitch was only getting drier by the hour. The ends were already bare and now much of the grass has been shaved off. It was kept under covers for most of the day, occasionally being revealed by the groundstaff when players and staff from either side wandered over for a look.At one point, there was a brief summit between Australia coach Andrew McDonald and tour selector Tony Dodemaide. A while later Green, along with a few team-mates, asked to have a look themselves with Green kneeling down to have a feel of the wicket’s firmness.Whatever way the selection cards fall, Green will likely need to recall his performance against Sri Lanka in Galle last year when he made 77 on the most spin-friendly pitch he had yet to encounter.”He’s a quality young player and just his all-round ability helps us in terms of the way we want to go about things with our XI,” Smith said. “We saw him play exceptionally well in Galle. He did things a bit differently to how he’s done things in the past. He brought the sweep out, he used his feet, he got deep in the crease. He did all the things that you need to do really well when the conditions were extreme.”Green’s numbers are certainly the right way round for an emerging allrounder: the batting average sits at 35.04 and the bowling dipped to 29.78 when he claimed his maiden five-wicket in Melbourne, the day before the broken finger he is now returning from.But expectations also need to be tempered. It is two months since his last competitive outing and there’s only so much nets can do to bring a player up to speed for the type of Test cricket taking place in this series. Still, it’s one part of the jigsaw puzzle Australia have been missing. And for Green, his India adventure really starts now.

Fast bowler named in 15-player squad with England needing 3-0 win to take series

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2023Fast bowler Lauren Filer is in line for her England white-ball debut, in the wake of her fiery performance in the Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge last month, after being named in a 15-person squad for the three ODIs against Australia next week.Filer, who touched speeds in excess of 75mph at Trent Bridge to live up to her reputation as the fastest female bowler in the country, comes into the reckoning with England needing a 3-0 clean sweep of the ODI series if they are to reclaim the Ashes for the first time since 2015.With the onus on victory, Filer could conceivably be unleashed alongside her fellow quick, 21-year-old Issy Wong, who was overlooked for the Test and hasn’t featured for England since the T20I leg of their tour of West Indies in December.Also included is the opening batter, Tammy Beaumont, whose England-record 208 underpinned her side’s strong first-innings batting display in the Test match, which Australia eventually won by 89 runs to claim four points towards their Ashes defence.Beaumont underlined her strong white-ball form with a match-winning 83 not out from 62 balls for The Blaze against Northern Diamonds in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy last week, and having missed the T20I leg of the Ashes, is set to resume her place at the top of the 50-over batting order.England head into the ODIs with confidence after coming from behind to seal a thrilling 2-1 victory in the T20Is, Australia’s first loss in any series since the corresponding leg of the 2017-18 Ashes.That leg was played out in front of a series of crowds in the region of 20,000 at Edgbaston, The Oval and Lord’s, and Heather Knight’s team are hopeful of similar support at Bristol (July 12), Southampton (July 16) and Taunton (July 18), all of which are sell-outs.Head coach Jon Lewis said: “We were delighted with our T20 series win and look forward to the next stage of the Ashes with everything to play for.”We’re pleased to welcome Tammy (Beaumont) and Lauren (Filer) back into the group. Tammy showed her quality during the Test match with her double-hundred while Lauren offers us real pace in our bowling alongside Issy (Wong).”The support the team have received throughout the series so far has been incredible and it is fitting to finish with this deciding ODI campaign as the first sell-out series in England Women’s history.”We respect Australia and know that this part of the Ashes series will again be a big challenge. However, we take a great deal of confidence and belief from our recent T20 victories and will, as always, be trying to put on a great showing for our fans.”England squad: Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

“How we approached the seven games has been quite clinical – everybody put in the effort”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-20231:13

Hayden: ‘Iyer finding his feet is a big step for India’

Twenty-five days after starting their campaign, India have become the first team to qualify for the ODI World Cup semi-finals after a mammoth 302-run win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Thursday.”I’m very happy knowing we have officially qualified for the semi-finals, it’s been a good effort from the entire squad,” India captain Rohit Sharma said after India notched up their seventh win in seven games. “When we started off in Chennai, this was the first goal for us, to qualify first and then obviously, the semis and the final.”But all in all, I thought how we approached the seven games has been quite clinical. Everybody put in the effort. We wanted individuals to stand up and a lot of individuals towards these seven games put their hands up and stood up.”Related

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Rohit said that players hitting top gear augurs well for the team at the business end of the tournament. He was particularly impressed with the likes of Shreyas Iyer, who had a few low scores coming in to the game and hit a quick 82 to lift the team to 357, and Mohammed Siraj, who rattled Sri Lanka with three wickets up front. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah played their parts to ensure Sri Lanka were bowled out for 55 in under 20 overs.”Shreyas, as far as I know him, is a very strong lad, strong in his mind, and today, as you saw… he did what he is known for. And that’s what we expect from him; to take on the opposition and the bowlers,” Rohit said. “The couple of sixes he hit in his innings showed that he is there to take on that challenge in front of him. He’s been working very hard on his game and today we saw what he’s capable of.”As for Siraj, he’s a quality bowler and if he does that, it’s quite a big difference for us with the new ball. He can swing the ball, get the ball to get back in, he’s got a lot of skills when he is operating with the new ball.”