Head coach calls on team to go ‘too far’, as other opponents wake up to new approach

Vithushan Ehantharajah28-Jun-2022Brendon McCullum has challenged England to test the limits of their new attacking approach by taking it “too far”, and hopes county cricketers look to emulate how the Test batters have performed in their 3-0 series win over New Zealand.England ticked off three run-chases out of three in McCullum’s first series as head coach of the Test side, sealing an emphatic seven-wicket victory at Headingley. Just as at Trent Bridge in the second Test, when 299 was chased comfortably in 50 overs, victory came in a flurry on the final day, sealed by Joe Root (86 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (71 not out) in a 111-run stand spanning 14.3 overs that ultimately saw off a target of 296 in less than two sessions.This was only England’s second series win since the start of 2021. But the manner of it spoke of much more than simply a team overcoming a dire run of form. With the 277 achieved at Lord’s, England have three new entries in the top 12 of their all-time chases list, this one at Headingley coming in at No.7.As observers of English cricket wonder just how much longer the team can sustain this run, and indeed this style of play, McCullum believes they will only find their limits if they continue to push themselves to go bigger and better.”I hope we take it too far because then we’ll know exactly where that line is. Until you do that, you’re not really sure. We’ve seen it with the England white-ball stuff – there have been times where they’ve probably pushed too hard, and then they know. I think it’ll be the same with us, and we’ve got to keep exploring what that line is.”It’s not just about batting either,” McCullum added, reflecting on how England overcame a wicketless morning session on the fourth day at Headingley to run through New Zealand’s lower order with five quick wickets. “If you look at how we’ve fielded and how we’ve bowled as well, some of the field placements that the skipper’s had in place and the mentality the guys have had is constantly to try and chase wickets.”Even yesterday [Sunday] when there was a partnership establishing between Mitchell and Blundell, maybe in the past at times there might have been a slight unease about the total that was building up. But we kept attacking, the fields were very attacking right throughout, the bowlers kept trying to bowl towards modes of dismissal and to me that’s just part and parcel with how this team wants to play.”Highest run rate for a team in a Test series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

As dynamic as the batting has been, the bowling effort has carried a never-say-die spirit, typified by Jack Leach’s maiden ten-wicket match haul (comprised of five for 100 and five for 66) and Matthew Potts’ debut series of 14 dismissals, the most for the hosts.Speaking after stumps on Monday, new captain Ben Stokes hoped his charges have sent a message to those angling for Test honours in the future, whether with bat or ball. “I’d like to think people watching would know what they have to do to bang the door down to get in this team”. It was a sentiment McCullum was keen to amplify.”It would be nice,” McCullum said, when Stokes’ comments were put to him. “We can’t impose any of that stuff on them as well, because they’ve got things that they want to achieve, but I think you’ll see if we can build this and we have success doing it, you see the type of player (we want).”If I was a young player around county cricket and I saw what our No.5 for England [Bairstow] is currently doing and the role and how he’s encouraged to play that way, then I’d probably look at trying to play like that myself to ensure that I would get noticed as well, in case something was to happen to that person.”You hope that it filters down, you certainly can’t be belligerent enough to think that it will always be the case. I think that we’ve already seen with county cricket scores over the past couple of days that maybe that positivity has filtered down.”Those inside the dressing room and beyond have heaped praise on the way McCullum and Stokes have lifted a group of players who were coming into this summer with just one win in 17 matches behind them. Speaking to Sky during this third Test, James Anderson, who was unable to take part due to an ankle issue, championed McCullum for making him feel “ten feet tall”. Stokes, meanwhile, has practised what he preaches: batting selflessly – arguably to a fault, at times – and backing his bowlers completely in the field.No doubt there is a far greater atmosphere around the English game, the tell-tale sign being how engaged those who have been in the stands seem to be with the way the game is being played. McCullum, however, was keen to dampen down the influence of both him and Stokes, insisting that they have benefitted from circumstance to a degree.”Timing is important – you have got to be ready for change. I think taking over this job when the skipper and I have, there was a thirst for change. When your results haven’t been good, people are more receptive to change.”The freshness of some of the ideas, the approach, stripping out some of the noise, but getting guys to play the game for the game’s sake. Still understand your obligations and responsibilities but just play the game. Enjoy the game with your mates and understand you have a very finite time as an international cricketer, so you should try and enjoy that, rather than being paralysed by the fear of failure or the noise.”The skipper has taken them on a journey, I’ve tried to fill in the gaps where needed and they’ve got instant gratification for that change. It doesn’t always happen. But that’s why those guys are so keen on this style.”Related

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• Sam Billings added to England squad for India series decider

However, England are clearly benefitting from the fact that McCullum has already lived through the methods that he is calling for. Across an international career spanning 14 years, he was praised and pilloried for how he approached his cricket as a wicketkeeper-batter with a global profile. There were highs and lows, but most of the highs – certainly the ones celebrated fullest – seemed to come at the back-end of his career, once he had made peace with how he wanted to play and what he wanted from the game.Having only retired from professional cricket in 2019, his connection to the generations he is now overseeing is strong. As is his appreciation of the pressures facing them on and off the field and why, as well as shedding doubt and blocking out the external noise, they should enjoy this time as much as possible.”I had a great time during my career – loved it. It wasn’t always beers and skittles, but it was fun and at the end you look back at where you landed and the time you had. That’s why I’m so strong with my messaging, they should enjoy themselves.”They need to now play the game in the way that will give them the most satisfaction to try and quieten down the other stuff. Because if you are able to do that, and you are able to have success, you build that camaraderie in the group and it’s such a magic place to be. They’re the memories which you create. Then you leave the game content and not wanting to go back out there and play.”The next challenge is right around the corner, with India on Friday at Edgbaston for the fifth and final Test of the series which began last summer. India lead 2-1 and will no doubt have played close attention to the noise coming out of the England camp, both in their play and their talk.McCullum is looking forward to the challenge, in particular how his side copes after putting other teams on notice. In many ways, they have caught New Zealand cold. Other teams, including South Africa later this summer and Pakistan this winter, will not be as unprepared.”It’ll be quite good fun to look at a new opponent,” said McCullum. “The world test champions were a formidable opponent to overcome and the alarm bells have probably gone off somewhat around world cricket as to how this team is going to play. We need to make sure against a different opposition we’re well researched, well planned, well prepared for that and try and roll out a similar kind of performance.”Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s enjoy the moment and see what unfolds in the next little while. It’s exciting.”

Hampshire now assured of home tie in knockout phases

ECB Reporters Network21-Aug-2022Hampshire 260 for 7 (Prest 76, Snater 3-46) beat Essex 257 for 8 (Snater 64) by three wickets.Hampshire once again showed their insouciance as they chased down 257 to set up a home knockout fixture while knocking Essex Eagles out of the Royal London Cup.Hampshire had found themselves behind the rate despite Tom Prest’s 76 and required 78 from the last 10 overs, on a pitch difficult to score on.But Toby Albert – who had match-winning 84 and 65 not outs against Derbyshire and Lancashire – continued his clutch form with 34 in 26 balls before Felix Organ, Ian Holland and Scott Currie took their side to a three-wicket victory.Hampshire, who were already through despite losing for the first time against Glamorgan last time, will play a home semi-final if they beat Yorkshire at Scarborough on Tuesday, or a home play-off if they don’t and Lancashire defeat Kent.Related

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Hampshire found timing the ball a chore almost from the off of their chase, as Nick Gubbins was brilliantly caught at slip by Khushi in the fourth over before Ben Brown was bowled.Aneurin Donald added some impetus with a slog-swept and on-driven sixes and Prest looked at his most fluent during their 54-run partnership, the required run rate had gradually inclined though.Donald was run out attempting a push and run and Fletcha Middleton’s attempt to wrestle back the rate saw him sky straight up.Prest reached his third fifty of the competition in 73 balls before he hoisted to long off, having twice been dropped during his innings of 76. Victory seemed a distance off.But Albert’s flair in a vital 60-run partnership with Organ took Hampshire to 31 needed from 28. That was dragged down to 12 needed when Organ was caught at midwicket for 30.That dozen was knocked off by Ian Holland and Scott Currie with ten balls to spare, and took Hampshire back to the top of Group B.
Essex had chosen to bat and began with unbridled run-scoring with Feroze Khushi and Robin Das rushing to 44 inside six overs but a bowling change to Jack Campbell reversed the momentum.The fast left-hander struck with his fifth delivery when he found extra bounce to have Khushi caught behind before getting Tom Westley to loop to midwicket – both wickets sandwiched by Das flicking Ian Holland to deep square to leave Essex 48 for three.Grant Roelofson, the Eagles’ leading run-getter in the competition, lived a charmed life as he was dropped on five, eight and 29 before Toby Albert finally clung on under a steepler at deep square.Nick Browne and Luc Benkenstein had also departed by this point, with Essex 112 for six, with Aron Nijjar following when leg before to Nick Gubbins’ leg spin.But Shane Snater and Richards recovered things and took their side towards a par score. Netherlands international Snater caught the eye with a huge slog sweep but it was his intelligent gap finding that accumulated runs quickly.His maiden format fifty came in 51 balls during a 96-run stand with Richards – who only scored one boundary in his unbeaten 31. Snater was eventually caught at cover for 64 but Ben Allison thwacked two sixes to take Essex to 257 for eight.

The Knight Riders bowling, led by Anisa Mohammed, came to the fore again as Royals were stopped ten runs short in a low-scoring game

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2022The Women’s CPL final wasn’t a run fest, and the 190 runs that were scored came off 38.4 overs – at under five an over – but it still became an interesting contest, not least because of some special shows.Deandra Dottin, the Trinbago Knight Riders captain, came first, with a 62-ball 59. Hayley Matthews, Dottin’s opposite number, put in a sterling performance, with 3 for 22 and then a 49-ball 46, though it ended up being in a losing cause. And then four Knight Riders bowlers picked up at least two wickets each, giving them a ten-run win over Barbados Royals, and the title, at the inaugural edition of the tournament.Matthews won the toss, and asked Dottin to bat, and had reason to be pleased at the halfway mark after restricting the total to 100 for 7. In a low-scoring tournament, this was Knight Riders’ lowest total – they batted first in each of their three games – after they had put up 114 for 7 and 105 for 6 in their previous outings.Their innings was all about Dottin, who hit four fours and two sixes from the top of the order. Only one other batter, Sune Luus, got into double-digits, scoring 12. Her partnership with Dottin for the second wicket was worth 29. The only stand better than that was late in the script, when Dottin and Kyshona Knight (8) added 32 for the fifth wicket.For Royals, Matthews was the best bowler, with three wickets, though no one conceded runs at above six an over; Qiana Joseph (3.50) and Afy Fletcher (4.25) were the most economical among them.Matthews was then Barbados’ best batter too, as she opened the batting and top-scored with 46, before becoming the ninth batter out.Around her, it was a sorry sight. The next best individual score was 7, scored by three batters: Aaliyah Alleyne, Chloe Tryon and Chinelle Henry, but at no stage did a proper partnership take shape; Royals needed someone to bat with Matthews to have a chance.For Knight Riders, Anisa Mohammed was the most successful bowler with 3 for 16, Matthews among her victims, while Luus, Hayley Jensen and Sheneta Grimmond all picked up two wickets each.

Hardik Pandya on why what Virat Kohli did at the MCG – and getting to be a part of it all himself – was so special

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-20224:14

How did he do it? Kumble and Fleming explain Kohli’s MCG masterclass

Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli’s partner in the century stand that rescued India and set them up for their grandstand finish against Pakistan at the MCG, knows first hand why Kohli’s epic role in that finish was “so special”. It was because of all the hard graft the pair had to do to get the innings back on track from the depths of 31 for 4 in a chase of 160.Speaking with Kohli on the BCCI’s website after the game, Hardik said Kohli’s two sixes to finish the 19th over against Haris Rauf was something only he could do, given the situation and given the conditions. “Those two shots – I knew how important those two shots were. Let’s be honest, even if you [looking at Kohli] had missed one, they were running ahead of us.”I’ve hit a lot of sixes but those are special, special, and really special in my heart now because of what [it] meant for both of us. I’ve played cricket, so much cricket, but I don’t think anyone could’ve played those two shots except Kohli.”The best part about what I loved about him [doing that] is we struggled, bro. Why it was so special was we struggled together. This would’ve been not this special if we had just cruised through. You would have played exceptional shots, I would have been [in the flow]… This was special because we knew we’d struggled.”Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya soak in the atmosphere at the MCG•ICC via Getty Images

When Hardik walked in in the seventh over, India had lost KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel. They needed 129 runs from 83 balls – asking rate over nine. There was only Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin and the fast bowlers to follow. The asking rate would rise to over 11 as the partnership went the next 24 balls without a boundary.In the 11th over, the tempo briefly changed. It started with a Hardik straight drive off legspinner Shadab Khan, before the left-arm spin of Mohammad Nawaz was dispatched for three sixes in six balls, two by Hardik, one by Kohli. But again, India managed only three fours off the next five overs, and it was 48 off 18 and then 28 off eight before Kohli went bang, bang against Rauf.Related

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Hardik was out one ball later, for 40 off 37, before Kohli and Ashwin got the job done. Coming into the game and the innings, Hardik said he could sense tension all around, but he was just “happy to be here”, having struggled with injury issues over the past couple of years, and overcome questions of whether he would ever bowl again following back surgery.”I sensed a lot of pressure in the group,” he said. “With all due respect, a lot of people in big games [feel pressure] and [know] how important it is. We all have worked every hard as a collective, and people are happy for each other.”But for me, I don’t know, I was very numb today. Even when I came on the ground, I was very happy and I was speaking to Rahul [Dravid] sir as well initially, I wouldn’t say he was tense but he told me: ‘you have done a lot of things’, and ‘be calm’ and all that. I had to tell him: ‘sir, please understand I’m happy to be here. Ten months back, I was working in my space and I had no idea and this is where I wanted to be, irrelevant of what happens. Just happy to be here, playing with all the best cricketers in the world, and they are my brothers.”The quality of relationship that I have with this group is something I cherish and always cherish. When I was coming inside [to bat], I would have taken a bullet for you [Kohli] at that point of time, I would not have let you get out at that point of time. My goal was simple: whatever I can to make your life easy [do it], because you have done this over the years in crucial games. No one is better than handling pressure than you.”

Batter looking to press his case for a T20 World Cup starting spot in Australia T20Is

Tristan Lavalette07-Oct-2022Opening batter Phil Salt hopes his new home ground in Perth can help him apply further pressure for a T20 World Cup berth as England prepare for a warm-up clash with Australia at Optus Stadium on Sunday.Salt has fond memories of playing at the 60,000-seat ground in Burswood, which is hosting international cricket for the first time since late 2019, having smashed 59 off 31 balls for Adelaide Strikers against Perth Scorchers in January 2020.His destructive, hard-hitting batting appears perfectly suited for a traditionally quick Optus Stadium pitch and outfield, which often fuels high-scoring BBL games. Calculating defending champions Scorchers made a shrewd decision after selecting Salt with pick No. 19 in the inaugural BBL draft in August.Related

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“Expecting it to be fast and bouncy. It’s a good wicket to bat, suits my game,” he told reporters on Friday. “The boundaries are pretty big square and generally does suit the guys who are stronger square of the wicket.”Salt plans to meet with Scorchers officials ahead of Sunday’s match, but in the meantime his focus is building on his Player-of-the-Match 88 not out against Pakistan in the sixth T20I in Lahore, which revived his T20 World Cup hopes after a grim run of form netted just 59 runs in five innings.Having opened in Pakistan in place of injured skipper Jos Buttler, Salt appears slightly behind Alex Hales, who has long dominated the BBL, in the pecking order and looms as a likely spare batter in England’s T20 World Cup squad.
“Not too sure right now,” Salt said when asked if he had been given clarity on his role in Australia. “It’s not a conversation we’ve had yet.”With a golden opportunity to further impress in the series opener against a weakened Australia attack, Salt said he would pick the brain of team-mate and former Scorchers star Liam Livingstone for added insight.”Obviously he’s done really well here and it would be silly not to lean on him on exactly how to play these conditions,” he said.After a thrilling 4-3 T20 series victory in their long-awaited return to Pakistan, a buoyant England are feeling upbeat ahead of the World Cup where they enter as one of the favourites.It’s been a low-key start to their campaign with players and staff staggering their arrivals to Perth this week and they hit the nets at Optus Stadium for a light session on Thursday morning to launch a hectic tour Down Under.While this three-match warm-up series against old foe Australia probably lacks the traditional punch, Salt believed there was still a lot at stake with game one set to be played in front of a 30,000 crowd on Sunday afternoon.”It’s a series to win and we’ve got an eye on the World Cup,” he said. “It’s very important to keep the momentum rolling after Pakistan. To beat them in their own conditions…that’s very tough to do.”We played with a lot of guys who hadn’t played much international cricket so we’re pretty happy with how that went. We want to keep the ball rolling and continue the momentum.”

A round-up of Sunday’s WBBL action as the finals line-up is confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2022Adelaide Strikers 4 for 144 (Wolvaardt 75*, Darlington 2-36) beat Sydney Thunder 118 (Beaumont 37, Schutt 6-19) by 26 runsMegan Schutt became the first bowler in WBBL history to claim six wickets in a match while Laura Wolvaardt produced a classy 75 not out to help Adelaide Strikers sew up second spot and a home final on the final day of the season against Sydney Thunder at North Sydney Oval.Needing a win to jump past Brisbane Heat on the table, avoid the Eliminator, and secure hosting rights for the Challenger, Schutt and Wolvaardt delivered the goods for Strikers and denied retiring Thunder captain Rachael Haynes a fairytale exit from the professional game. The former Australia batter instead received a guard of honour and a standing ovation from both teams at the end of the match.Chasing 145 for victory, Thunder were in a position to cause an upset. After losing Haynes for just 6 in her final WBBL innings, Tammy Beaumont had cruised to 37 and was joined by the dangerous Chloe Tryon with Thunder needing just 80 from 60 balls and seven wickets in hand.Beaumont was trapped lbw by Jemma Barsby two balls later. Tryon and Olivia Porter thumped two fours and two sixes in the next five overs to reduce the equation to 53 off 30. But Schutt extinguished all hopes taking three wickets in the 16th over. She returned to pick up two more in the last, having earlier bowled Phoebe Litchfield, to finish with the best figures in WBBL history of 6 for 19.None of it was possible without Wolvaardt’s one-woman show with the bat. She batted through the innings after Strikers were sent in making 75 not out from 56 balls as Strikers posted 4 for 144. She struck 12 boundaries in an exceptional display. Deandra Dottin and Madeline Penna were the only other batters to reach double figures but both struck at unusually low strike-rates.Strikers will now face the winner of the Eliminator between Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes. The Eliminator will be played at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide on Wednesday night with the winner to face Strikers at the same venue on Thursday night. The winner of the Challenger will play Sydney Sixers at North Sydney Oval in Saturday’s final.Ellyse Perry sweeps behind square•Getty Images

A stunning allround show from skipper Ellyse Perry has put the WBBL on notice as Sydney Sixers confirmed their status as the team to beat for the title after a comfortable eight-wicket win over Hobart Hurricanes at North Sydney Oval.Perry made 56 not out off 39 balls to help guide her side through the chase after earlier claiming 2 for 16 with the ball including 12 dot balls in her four overs to help restrict Hurricanes to just 156. Sixers had already qualified top to host the final and Hurricanes had already confirmed a place in the finals after Perth Scorchers lost earlier on Sunday. They had the chance to clinch second spot on the table and avoid the third versus fourth Eliminator with a win.But Perry and Ash Gardner snuffed out all hopes with a rollicking unbeaten 88-run stand in just 9.3 overs to mow down the target with seven balls to spare. Gardner finished 45 not out from 29 balls. She did survive one nervous moment when she thought she was caught behind off Nicola Carey but the ball just failed to carry to Lizelle Lee behind the stumps.Perry and Gardner struck 11 fours and two sixes between them as Hurricanes struggled to contain their mix of power and finesse. They had come together after Alyssa Healy and Suzie Bates had given Sixers a solid start but they still required more than eight runs an over in the final 10 overs of the chase.Earlier, Kate Peterson took 3 for 31 alongside Perry’s miserly spell to restrict Hurricanes after they threatened to post a big number. Peterson knocked over the dangerous trio of Lee, Elyse Villani and Carey. Nicole Bolton chimed in with the important wicket of Mignon du Preez who had played well for her 38 from 29 balls. Hurricanes were well poised at 3 for 88 in the 12th over but lost 7 for 68 in the final 50 balls of the innings.Hurricanes will now travel to Adelaide to play the cut-throat Eliminator against Heat on Wednesday night.Danni Wyatt made 52 off just 24 balls•Getty Images

A late downpour in Moe handed Brisbane Heat a point and denied Melbourne Stars the chance to pull off a remarkable run chase to finish off their season.Stars were 1 for 49 after just 3.5 overs chasing 105 in a game that had been reduced to 10-overs-a-side thanks to the earlier rain that had affected the Melbourne Renegades Perth Scorchers match in the double-header.Lauren Winfield-Hill and Sophie Reid made a blistering start smashing four fours and a six between them as the run-rate neared 13 runs per over in the reduced powerplay. But the moment Reid fell to Amelia Kerr the rain settled in and ended the match leaving the two teams to share one point each.Earlier, Danni Wyatt made a stunning half-century smashing 52 off just 24 balls to underpin Heat’s total of 5 for 104 in the 10-over sprint after being sent into bat. She struck seven fours and two sixes in a whirlwind innings before Sophie Day and Sasha Moloney pegged things back with two wickets apiece.Stars finished in sixth spot on the WBBL table with five wins and three no results. Heat slipped to third and will have to win three straight games away from home to win the title.Erica Kershaw hammered 34 not out off 18 balls•Getty Images

A stunning cameo from Melbourne Renegades left-hander Erica Kershaw has ended Perth Scorchers hopes of back-to-back WBBL titles in an eight-over-a-side rain-affected clash in Moe.Kershaw smacked 34 not out off just 18 balls to help Renegades chase down a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern adjusted target of 57 with six wickets in hand and three balls to spare after they had slumped to 4 for 15 in the fourth over. The loss means Scorchers will finish fifth on the table and miss the finals just a year after claiming the title with a very similar squad.Scorchers could have stayed alive if they had won but did need other results to go their way with all eight teams playing their final qualifying game of the season on Sunday. Scorchers were in control of the game after Lilly Mills claimed 3 for 9, including two in the first over of the chase. Chamari Athapaththu and Hayley Matthews both holed out trying to attack the offspinner. She also claimed Courtney Webb just four balls after Josephine Dooley fell to Alana King in the third over to leave Renegades in deep trouble.But Kershaw played a fearless knock pounding five fours and two sixes. She relentlessly attacked the spinners over midwicket and carved the seamers square through the off side to muscle her way to the target. Carly Leeson provided steady support at the other end in a 44-run unbeaten stand.Earlier, Scorchers’ innings was cut short by rain after the match had initially been reduced to a 16-overs-a-side game due to a wet outfield. Scorchers were cruising at 2 for 46 with Sophie Devine and Marizanne Kapp just starting to roll following the early losses of Beth Mooney and Maddy Green. Mooney had fallen for a first-ball duck to Ella Hayward while Shabnim Ismail castled Green in the fourth over. But rain intervened before Scorchers had a chance to accelerate and ended the innings leaving them to defend an adjusted target of 57.Renegades finished seventh, with four wins from 14 games.

India’s top order needs to step up on what could be a flat pitch in Rajkot

Hemant Brar06-Jan-20236:01

Who should bowl for India at the death? Should Dasun Shanaka bowl more?

Big picture: SL eye first T20I series win in India

The last time India lost a bilateral T20I series at home was in 2019 when Australia beat them 2-0. Since then they have been on an 11-series unbeaten streak. But that could change on Saturday.After running India close in the first T20I, Sri Lanka beat them by 16 runs in the second to make it 1-1. A win for Sri Lanka in Rajkot will not only snap India’s streak but also give the visitors their first T20I series win in India in six attempts.Sri Lanka’s batters may not put fear in the opposition’s mind, but they understand the grammar of the format. Throughout their innings in the second T20I, Sri Lanka had at least one batter in the middle – Kusal Mendis in the first half and Dasun Shanaka in the second – taking the attack to the bowlers. In Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, they have two have the wiliest spinners going around. If their fast bowlers click, as they did in Pune, they can compete with any side.

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India, on the other hand, had two top-order collapses in as many games. Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel rescued them in the first T20I, and Suryakumar Yadav and Axar tried to keep them in the game in the second. Apart from that, their bowling unit as a whole hasn’t clicked either. After the first T20I, Hardik Pandya spoke about putting his players in tough situations. In the form of a must-win game, he has got exactly that.

Form guide

India LWTWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLLWLDasun Shanaka has a variety of shots in his repertoire•BCCI

In the spotlight: Arshdeep Singh and Dasun Shanaka

Despite making his T20I debut only six months ago, Arshdeep Singh was supposed to be the leader of the pace attack in this new-look Indian squad. He missed the first T20I with illness, and then bowled five no-balls in two overs, which cost India 37, in the second. Overstepping has been an old issue with Arshdeep, and it is high time he fixed it.Dasun Shanaka loves playing against India. In the opening game, his 47 off 27 balls kept Sri Lanka in the contest. On Thursday, he smashed the fastest T20I half-century by a Sri Lanka batter before picking up two wickets in the final over of the game to seal the win. His last five T20I knocks against India are 56* (22), 45 (27), 33* (18), 74* (38) and 47* (19). With ball, he has taken more than half of his T20I wickets (14 out of 23) against them. If he continues in the same vein, it will not be easy for India to keep their unbeaten streak intact.

Team news: Will India, SL make changes?

After the second T20I, Rahul Dravid said that India were not looking to make too many changes unless there was an injury. So expect them to go with an unchanged XI.India (probable): 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shivam Mavi, 9 Umran Malik, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalSri Lanka might be facing a selection conundrum. Do they retain the winning combination, or try to improve it further by replacing an out-of-form Bhanuka Rajapaksa with Sadeera Samarawickrama? In the recently concluded LPL, Samarawickrama was the second-highest run-getter with 294 runs at an average of 58.80 and a strike rate of 131.25.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Sadeera Samarawickrama/Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Pitch and conditions: Run-fest in Rajkot?

The Rajkot pitch is often compared to the adjacent national highway, so be ready for another run-fest. The teams will be looking to bowl first after winning the toss as this venue favours the chasing team. It’s expected to be a cool evening with clear skies; the temperature should be around 17°C.

Stats and trivia

• Yuzvendra Chahal (88) needs three wickets to overtake Bhuvneshwar Kumar (90) as the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
• Hardik has captained India in seven T20Is so far. Thursday was the first time he finished on the losing side.
• Sri Lanka have never played an international match at the SCA Stadium, Rajkot.
• In his last ten T20Is, Rajapaksa has 137 runs at an average of 15.22 and a strike rate of 115.12.

Quotes

“They [Sri Lanka] have got a pretty experienced T20I side in this series. From the World Cup, they haven’t made too many changes to their playing XI. They’ve got some class players. They’ve got a couple of very good spinners, they have got power-hitters at the backend of the game. I think Dasun Shanaka is playing really well. They might have had some tough periods but certainly they are not a side you would take lightly at any stage.”
“It’s not about the mystery, it’s always about the right line and length. If I don’t hit the right line and length, they [batters] will go after me. So while bowling, I always try to focus on that. That’s why I have been continuously doing well in this format.

South Africa great calls time on career in wake of Championship-winning season in 2022

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2023Hashim Amla, one of South Africa’s greatest batters, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, after confirming to Surrey that he will not be returning to help defend the County Championship title that the club secured in his final season as a player in 2022.In the course of a two-decade career, Amla, 39, scored 34,104 runs across all professional formats – 9,282 of which came in his 124 Test appearances between 2004 and 2019, second only to Jacques Kallis for his country. This included 28 hundreds and a best of 311 not out against England at the Kia Oval in 2012, which was also South Africa’s first triple-century in Tests.He scored a further 8113 runs including 27 hundreds in 181 ODIs, and 1,277 runs in 44 T20Is, and has already embarked on a coaching career, with a stint as MI Cape Town’s batting coach in the ongoing SA20. It is understood he could be in the running to become South Africa’s batting coach, under the country’s new coaching structure.Amla retired from international cricket at the conclusion of South Africa’s World Cup campaign in 2019, having bowed out of Test cricket against Sri Lanka at Gqeberha in February that year.He rejoined Surrey later that year, having also represented the county as an overseas player in 2013 and 2014, and after stints with Derbyshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire and Essex. He also represented Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, as well as Kwa-Zulu Natal, Dolphins and Cape Cobras in South Africa’s domestic competitions.Even in the twilight of his career, Amla’s impact was plain to see in his final two seasons at Surrey, in which he contributed five more centuries including a best of 215 not out against Hampshire in 2021, and provided crucial support to captain Rory Burns as a senior figure in the dressing-room”I have great memories of the Oval ground and to finally leave it as a player fills me with immense gratitude for what has been,” Amla said.”A sincere thank you to Alec Stewart and the entire Surrey staff, players and Members for their support. The Surrey ship runs so professionally that it would make any international player feel a sense of honour just to be involved with.”I wish them all the best and many more trophies.”Stewart, who has worked with Amla throughout his spells at Surrey, described Amla as a “true professional and a great of the game”.”Everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club will be sad to see Hashim retire, but we all applaud what has been a phenomenal career. He will quite rightly go down as a great of the game,” Stewart said.”Hashim is a fantastic cricketer and a wonderful person. He has been an incredible resource for the team to learn from on and off the field.”As well as posting big scores at vital moments, he has also shown his willingness to dig in and do what is needed to get his team a result in tough games. I can’t thank him enough for what he has done for Surrey and hold him up as an example to all young players of what a true professional looks like.”Everyone at Surrey wishes him the best in the future, and I am sure all our Members and supporters would like to thank him for his time here and congratulate him on such a decorated career.”

“Being able to rub shoulders with him and bounce ideas and debrief games, it’s something I’ve cherished,” Ellis says about bowling with Mitchell Starc

Deivarayan Muthu21-Mar-2023Nathan Ellis wasn’t originally in Australia’s ODI squad for the India tour. An injury to Jhye Richardson opened up a spot for him, and now he is relishing every moment of being with the Australia side on tour. Like pinning Virat Kohli lbw in a ten-wicket victory in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam. Like smashing the net bowlers for fun with the bat at the MA Chidambaram B Stadium, which is adjacent to the main ground, on a hot afternoon. Like answering every question at a press conference with a big smile.With Pat Cummins and the injured Josh Hazlewood also absent for the ODIs, Ellis could get another crack at the Indians at Chepauk as Australia look to seal a rare bilateral series victory in India.”Yeah, 100% [enjoying it]. I sort of have to pinch myself sometimes when I am wearing the Australia colours,” Ellis said on Tuesday. “It is obviously a dream come true. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Josh and Pat… all the guys in the squad, it is helping my game and it is helping me as a cricketer and as a person. So, having blokes like that around the squad and being able to have coffee with in the morning or dinner with in the evening is huge. Really thankful [for the experience].”Related

• Starc among the greatest fast bowlers in ODIs? Probably

• Can the batters fight back in spin-friendly Chennai?

Ellis expressed his excitement at bowling in tandem with fellow New South Wales native and leader of the attack Mitchell Starc. “Starcy has been huge for me,” Ellis said. “For me, personally, he is someone I looked up to for a lot of time. He presented me my first Australia cap too. He is a big part of my Australia journey. Even up to the other day, speaking to him pre-game and post-game… He is a calming influence; he is also someone who has been there and done almost everything the game has to offer, whether it is the ups or downs. Being able to rub shoulders with someone like Starcy and sort of bounce ideas off [him] and debrief games, it is something that I’ve cherished. It is invaluable, I think.”On Sunday, in the second ODI, Ellis bagged the prized wicket of Kohli for 31 with a fuller ball that seamed into the batter, and he then extracted extra bounce from a length to have Ravindra Jadeja nicking off for 16. With the Chepauk track likely to be on the slower side, Ellis is prepared to adapt and dip into his back-of-the-hand slower balls – his variations have given Hobart Hurricanes a potent point of difference in the BBL.”For me, I am not necessarily a bouncy bowler as it is,” Ellis said. “As I said before, it is a matter of assessing the wicket on the day and adapting my sets of skills to the wicket. Whether it is adjusting my line, being a bit straighter… if it is not as bouncy, slower balls if needed and changing my lengths. The scores haven’t dictated or gone as we thought the wickets might have played. Tomorrow is another case of not going with pre-conceived ideas and taking it as it comes.3:21

Tait: Starc close to being an Australia all-time great

“Obviously, it’s known to spin here [in Chennai]. For me, if I was to get the opportunity, the slower balls might come into play. I think it will be a matter of assessing the wicket if we are bowling first. You get a bit more information for the batters who will come out in the second innings and vice-versa for batting first… relaying the message back on what the wicket is doing and adapting as the game sort of progresses. It has not been a high-scoring series so far, so we will have to adapt to the wicket and what is presented to us on the day.”Victory on Wednesday will hand Australia their second bilateral ODI series win in three recent attempts in India. Barring Australia, no other team has toppled India in a bilateral ODI series since 2016. Ellis’ future opportunities after the Chennai ODI remains uncertain, but he feels playing in potential World Cup venues like the Wankhede and Chepauk will serve as a dry run for the main squad members for the tournament in October-November later this year.”I mean, it’s obviously a great opportunity for us as a squad to play one-day cricket in the place where we will be playing the World Cup at the end of the year,” Ellis said. “It will be silly not to take out as much as we can… try and sort of emulate maybe the set-up or squad we are going to have for the World Cup. For me, I was not part of this squad initially. I was a late call-up, I am just stoked to be here. I imagine that the guys who were named in the initial squad are taking it as a dress rehearsal. Absolutely!”

R Ashwin, putting in a special performance of his own on a track offering little assistance, made sure they did not bat India out of the game

Alex Malcolm10-Mar-20232:01

Tait: A bit of Jacques Kallis about Cameron Green

India 36 for 0 (Gill 18*, Rohit 17*) trail Australia 480 (Khawaja 180, Green 114, Ashwin 6-91) by 444 runsAn epic 10-hour 180 from Usman Khawaja and a dazzling maiden Test century from Cameron Green helped Australia post an imposing first-innings total in Ahmedabad but it would have been far greater without six wickets from a tireless R Ashwin to ensure India weren’t batted completely out of the game.Khawaja and Green shared a magnificent stand of 208, the first double-century stand by an Australian pair in India since 1979 and just the fifth overall. Khawaja faced 422 balls over more than five sessions to post the third-highest score by an Australian in India. He deserved a double-century but fell to one of his only lapses in the innings first ball after tea. Green struck 18 boundaries in an equally dominant display to shake off the Test century monkey that was starting to grow into a gorilla on his broad back.But Ashwin conjured some magic either side of tea taking five of the last six wickets to finish with 6 for 91 from a relentless 47.2 overs on a pitch offering precious little assistance to the spinners compared to the raging turners of the previous three Tests.Batting in black armbands to honour absent captain Pat Cummins’ mother Maria following her passing overnight, Khawaja and Green prospered in the first three hours of the second day. The pair complemented each other beautifully, batting through the entire first session almost faultlessly.Khawaja continued on his merry way from his first-day century. The serenity of his play was something to behold. He was completely unflustered throughout, picking off bad balls without risk and defending with ease. He never looked in any kind of trouble. Every time India’s bowlers erred straight, he tucked them away with sublime timing. Any time they erred wide, he would find a gap with elegant simplicity.Green fed off Khawaja’s energy to play the best innings of his career to date. An elusive Test century had been hanging over his head across his first 19 Tests, having failed to convert six previous Test half-centuries despite having scored eight first-class hundreds.He began the day on 49 and moved swiftly through the gears in the opening session. While Khawaja rotated the strike serenely, Green pummelled anything loose with eye-catching authority. Every time Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav overpitched, he dispatched them down the ground either side of mid-off. Shami tested him with the short stuff with men back on the fence as he neared the nervous 90s, and he clubbed a devastating pull shot to end that mode of attack moments after it started.He was patient to the spinners, defending solidly on the front foot and driving to long-off and long-on to rotate the strike. He went after anything fractionally short and wide, never missing a cut shot that was offered. He had to eat lunch stuck on 95 but only needed eight balls after the break to celebrate his maiden Test century with Ravindra Jadeja dropping short and wide for him to crack it behind point.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Green looked set for a massive score, having converted four of his previous nine first-class centuries into 150-plus scores including a 251. But Ashwin’s patience and willingness to dry him up on a leg-stump line eventually paid dividends. Having not swept a single ball in his entire innings, he tried to sweep a ball well down the legside and gloved it to KS Bharat.It sparked a mini-collapse as Australia’s tail threatened to fold cheaply yet again. Alex Carey played arguably his worst shot of the series trying to hit Ashwin over mid-off fourth ball only to skew a top edge to short third. Ashwin made it three wickets in quick succession when he had Mitchell Starc smartly caught at short leg by Shreyas Iyer via the inside edge.But Nathan Lyon provided stubborn resistance having been promoted to No. 9. He produced the longest innings of his Test career batting for 133 minutes and surviving 96 balls for 34. He helped Khawaja get to tea and was determined to take him further but Khawaja fell first ball after the break, missing a short delivery on leg stump to be trapped lbw by Axar Patel. Khawaja cut a dejected figure having fallen 20 runs short of a maiden Test double-century just two months after posting 195 not out against South Africa.India thought they would wrap the innings up in short time as per the previous three Tests but Todd Murphy made his highest first-class score of 41 with five boundaries. The pair added 70 and ground India into the dirt as they played with assuredness and comfort to prove how good a batting strip it is if you are prepared to spend time out there.But Ashwin found a way through them with the third new ball, getting two offbreaks to skid on straight, with Murphy trapped plumb lbw and Lyon caught at slip.Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill shook off any fatigue that might have developed from 167.2 overs in the field to bat out the last 10 overs of the day without any concerns. Both timed the ball sublimely to confirm the track is exceptional to bat on, particularly against the extra pace and bounce of Starc and Green. They were allowed fewer liberties against Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann, although Gill launched Lyon into the stands in the final over of the day to make a statement.