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Zimbabwe have named seven uncapped players for their upcoming historic Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests against Afghanistan. Batters Ben Curran and Johnathan Campbell, wicketkeepers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Nyasha Mayavo, and pace bowlers Trevor Gwandu, Takudzwa Chataira and Newman Nyamhuri have all been included.While six of these seven players have been with the national team before in the white-ball formats, 26-year-old right-arm seamer Chataira has earned his maiden national call-up. He is currently sixth on the wicket-taker’s chart for the ongoing Logan Cup first-class competition.Curran – the middle brother of England internationals Tom and Sam, and son of former Zimbabwe international Kevin Curran – has been rewarded for being the leading run-scorer of the Logan Cup. Nyamhuri, the 18-year-old left-arm seamer who made his Zimbabwe debut in the first ODI against Afghanistan and is also part of the T20I squad, now has the opportunity to make an international debut in all three formats inside a month.The experienced quartet of Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava form the core of the Test squad, led by Craig Ervine.Related

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The selection committee has left out seven players from the Zimbabwe squad that played a one-off Test against Ireland in July. They are batters Clive Madande, Roy Kaia and Prince Masvaure, seamers Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga and Victor Nyauchi, and left-arm orthodox spinner Wellington Masakadza.The two-Test series will mark the first Boxing Day Test in Zimbabwe since 1996 and their first home New Year’s Test in their history. Afghanistan have also included seven uncapped players in their squad for the series.Zimbabwe Test squad: Craig Ervine (captain), Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Takudzwa Chataira, Joylord Gumbie, Trevor Gwandu, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brandon Mavuta, Nyasha Mayavo, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams.

MS Dhoni has not yet confirmed his availability for IPL 2025, according to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan, who is hopeful that Dhoni will be part of the upcoming season.”We have still no confirmation from him, though we will like him to continue playing for us,” Viswanathan told ESPNcricinfo. “Hope he will confirm before 31st [October].”October 31 is the deadline by which the ten franchises have to submit their list of retained players to the IPL ahead of the mega auction, and this year Dhoni is eligible to be retained by CSK as an uncapped player. That was made possible after the IPL brought back a rule that had been scrapped in 2021, according to which a player can be considered as uncapped if they have been retired from international cricket for five years.Related

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Dhoni last played for India at the 2019 ODI World Cup, and announced his retirement in August 2020; he does not play any cricket apart from the IPL, and scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220 as a finisher in the 2024 season after handing over the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad.While it is extremely likely that Dhoni will be retained by CSK, if they retain him as an uncapped player, they will lose only INR 4 crore from their auction purse of INR 120 crore.The IPL franchises have been allowed to retain up to six players ahead of the mega auction before the 2025 season, of which a maximum of five can be capped internationals. While the IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each player retained – INR 18 crore for the first player, INR 14 crore for the second, INR 11 crore for the third, INR 18 crore for the fourth, and INR 14 crore for the fifth – the franchises are free to pay more than those amounts to their retained players. For example, Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to retain Heinrich Klaasen for INR 23 crore, Pat Cummins for INR 18 crore, and Abhishek Sharma for INR 14 crore.

Sam Konstas signalled he is a player for the future, even if he might not be ready for the first Test, making an outstanding unbeaten half-century to guide Australia A home in a tricky run chase at the MCG after Dhruv Jurel and Prasidh Krishna gave India A hope while putting their hand up to play in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Konstas, batting at No. 4 in this match for the first time in his short career after appearing to be removed from the Test opening calculations, made a composed 73 not out alongside Beau Webster, who made an unbeaten 46, to guide Australia A to a 2-0 series win after slumping to 73 for 4 chasing 168 in the fourth innings.Earlier, Jurel made his second half-century of the match while Prasidh made 29 as India’s tail wagged with contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Tanush Kotian ensuring Australia A had a tricky chase after the game threatened to finish early on day three.Prasidh then struck twice in the opening over of the fourth innings with Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft falling for ducks in consecutive deliveries. Nathan McSweeney only made 25 as Australia A slumped to 48 for 3 and 73 for 4 before Konstas and Webster combined for an unbeaten 96-run stand to win the game.Australia’s A chase got off to a disastrous start and Australia’s selectors did not get the final pieces of information they were hoping for from Harris and McSweeney. Harris played a half-committed drive to a very full ball and was given out caught behind off the inside edge. His luck from day two might have evened out as it was not entirely clear whether he hit it. Bancroft’s horror run of form continued when he was hit on the toe by a cracking yorker and given lbw. It was tight to leg but probably hitting. Bancroft has scored 29 runs in eight first-class innings so far this season, including four ducks, with any hopes of a Test recall completely dashed for the time being.McSweeney looked organised in his last bid to convince selectors he is worthy of opening the batting in the Perth Test. He hardly made an error in his 69-ball 25. But he was undone by a cracking delivery from Mukesh Kumar that angled into off and nipped away to catch the edge.Konstas, 19, then showed the composure and the batting craft that has so many astute judges in Australian cricket cooing. He weathered the storm with resolute defence and then began to expand as the ball got softer and Kotian came into the attack. He unfurled a cracking pull shot off Prasidh and then skipped out to Kotian several times to bang him over the top down the ground. He also sat back and punched him through the off side. He didn’t get sucked into playing at balls outside his leg stump when a short leg and leg gully were set for him.He lost Ollie Davies for a brisk 21 when his New South Wales team-mate misjudged the length from Kotian completely and was bowled attempting an ambitious cut shot.Webster settled after a nervy start and hit the ball with trademark power to help ease the pressure of the chase. The pair rattled along, striking 13 boundaries and a six between them. They scored fast enough for the umpires to extend play with an extra half-hour to win the game on the third night. Konstas only gave one life, with substitute Abishek Porel dropping him at deep square with 15 runs to win.Dhruv Jurel made 68 in the second innings•AFP

Earlier in the day, Jurel was once again the fulcrum that held India A’s batting together with another outstanding knock. There have been three 50-plus scores in the match and he has two of them. His 68 was the key to giving the visitors a total to defend in spite of four wickets to Corey Rocchiccioli and three to Webster.Unlike the first innings though, he did need a large stroke of luck. Early in the morning, on 25, he uppercut Scott Boland to deep third absentmindedly with a fielder placed there for that exact shot. Ollie Davies had to run forward and dive but he spilled the difficult chance offered despite getting two hands to it. Had that been held, India A would have been 85 for 6, leading by just 23 and in danger of losing before lunch.Thereafter, the momentum swung in India A’s favour. Jurel and Reddy shared a pivotal 94-run stand to give their side a chance. Jurel’s class shone through again. He pounced on anything short or overpitched and was rock solid in defence. While his team-mates have looked all at sea against the extra bounce at the MCG, Jurel has looked right at home with a game tailormade for Australian conditions.Reddy played his best innings of the tour to-date, striking five fours and a six in a key supporting role. Australia A struggled to penetrate given they were a bowler down after the loss of Michael Neser on day one.But just as Jurel got a stranglehold on the game, he holed out to deep square off Rocchiccioli to open the door to the tail. Three overs later, Reddy fell to Webster for the third time in four innings. It was also the third time he was bounced out, gloving one to the keeper trying to hook to fine leg.That left India A 162 for 7 with a lead of just 100. But the last three wickets added 67 to ensure Australia would have a tricky chase. Kotian and Prasidh frustrated the bowlers with an entertaining and vital 49-run stand. They struck nine fours and a six between them. Kotian posted the fourth-highest score of the match, making 44. Prasidh’s innings was bewildering. He consistently backed away but slapped the ball with power both sides of the wicket in a breezy 29. He eventually fell to a sensational diving catch at deep midwicket by Konstas.Kotian added 28 with Mukesh Kumar who scored just 1 before miscuing one to mid-off. Rocchiccioli wrapped up the innings with his fourth wicket, pinning Mukesh plumb lbw.

Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel echoed his coach Jason Gillespie’s comments about Pakistan’s game plan, saying his side were looking to use England’s aggressive tactics against them in their three-Test series. England’s reputation for playing high-risk, high-reward cricket under current coach Brendon McCullum means Pakistan are sniffing an opportunity to draw them into making mistakes, according to Shakeel.”England always play attacking cricket, and that always gives you an opportunity to induce mistakes in them, and to use their mistakes to stay in the game,” Shakeel said at a press conference in Multan.Shakeel, who was Pakistan’s second-highest scorer during their series against England in 2022, said Pakistan would draw inspiration from that tour, despite England ultimately beating the hosts 3-0. “The last series we played against England, there were times we were quite close to winning, such as Rawalpindi and Multan, but we couldn’t finish it off.”Related

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It was in Multan, where the first Test starts Monday, that Pakistan ran England closest last time, with Shakeel almost steering his side home. Needing 355 for victory in the fourth innings, Pakistan were securely placed at 290 with half the side still to bat, and Shakeel on 94. But two wickets from Mark Wood on the stroke of lunch ended Pakistan’s resistance, with England ultimately edging to a 26-run victory.The idea of exploiting England’s mistakes is not exactly novel. Most recently, Sri Lanka managed it with relative success in their three-Test series in England, winning the third Test after inducing England collapses in each innings. Pakistan’s ability to execute such a plan, though, is far from guaranteed, given recent struggles with both bat and ball, badly exposed by Bangladesh.Saud Shakeel finished as Pakistan’s second-highest run-scorer when they last played England•AFP/Getty Images

“We’re struggling with the bat from time to time, and unable to convert starts into huge scores,” Shakeel said. “That’s a point of concern. The series that’s over is now in the past. Admittedly we didn’t play well there. Our focus is on what’s ahead.”But we don’t follow any particular style playing cricket, we play according to the requirement of any situation, which gives us flexibility.”Pakistan have been trying to carve out their own identity, something new head coach Gillespie has tried to nail down. In July, he told ESPNcricinfo he wanted his side to find a style of cricket “authentic to Pakistan”, admitting he didn’t yet know what that was.Earlier this week, he told the that Pakistan would look to “hang in there, keep being disciplined” and “strike at the right moments”, suggesting the quest for an identity is temporarily being shelved in the hunt for the results Pakistan have been starved of.”The strategy is often decided on the spot depending on how England play,” Shakeel said. “Reverse swing may also come into play depending on the weather and the pitch [that is] prepared. If a team is being aggressive, it can be easy to get sucked into their style of play and over-attack. If they’re attacking, and we just let them make their mistakes, that might work out better for us.”

Samoa batter Darius Visser has broken the men’s T20I record for most runs in an over, against Vanuatu in the T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Region Qualifier in Apia on Tuesday. Visser finished with a score of 132 off 62 balls.In just his third T20I, Visser, 28, smashed six sixes in a 39-run over from Nalin Nipiko. It was the fourth time a batter had hit six sixes in an over in men’s T20Is and the first time that a team scored more than 36 runs in an over.The record was broken in the 15th over of Samoa’s innings. Visser hit the first three deliveries from Nipiko over the deep midwicket boundary after which there was a front foot no-ball. The free-hit was hit for six over the leg side, followed by a dot ball when Visser’s straight hit struck the stumps at the non-striker’s end.Nipiko overstepped for the second time and then bowled another no-ball, for height, that Visser pulled over fine leg for six. The last ball of the over was a low full toss outside off stump that Visser flicked over deep square leg to achieve the 39-run over.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Previously, there were five instances of a team scoring 36 runs in an over in men’s T20Is. India’s Yuvraj Singh was the first batter to hit six sixes in a T20I, off England’s Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup. West Indies’ Kieron Pollard repeated the feat against Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya in 2021, and Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee did it earlier this year.The other two instances of 36-run overs that did not contain six sixes came when West Indies – aided by Nicholas Pooran – scored 36 against Afghanistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and when India’s Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh combined to score 36 against Afghanistan, also in 2024.Visser is the first Samoa batter to score a T20I century and his 14 sixes were the fifth highest in a men’s T20I innings. His score of 132, out of Samoa’s total of 174, was also the highest percentage of runs scored by a batter in a team’s innings. The second-highest score for Samoa against Vanuatu was 16 by their captain Caleb Jasmat. Visser scored 75.86% of his team’s runs surpassing the previous record of 75.1% by Australia’s Aaron Finch.According to a report in St George & Sutherland Leader, Visser grew up playing in Sydney and was a fast bowler before nagging injuries and stress fractures made him switch to legspin and batting. He also picked up a wicket as Samoa restricted Vanuatu to 164 for 9 to win the game by ten runs.

Sussex’s bowlers dealt Northamptonshire a double blow late in the day at Wantage Road to close in on victory and the chance to stretch their advantage at the top of Vitality County Championship Division Two.Set a target of 284, Emilio Gay’s 67 appeared to have given Northamptonshire a fighting chance – but he and skipper Luke Procter both fell in the space of four balls to leave the visitors as clear favourites in a low-scoring contest.Seamer Nathan McAndrew, who dismissed Gay leg before, ended with 2 for 37 as the home side closed on 137 for 4 – still needing another 147 to pull off a first win of the season.Procter played a key role with the ball earlier in the day, recording season’s best figures of 4 for 45 as Sussex were bowled out for 237 in their second innings, while Ben Sanderson took 3 for 44.The opening day’s play had encompassed 22 wickets – and more of the same looked on the cards when Tom Alsop departed in the first over, edging Sanderson behind with no increase to Sussex’s overnight lead of 129. In a tight opening spell Sanderson soon dismissed nightwatcher Sean Hunt as well, taken at first slip, while Raphy Weatherall and Justin Broad also extracted movement and bounce off the surface.James Coles settled down to dispatch a series of classic cover drives to the boundary, while Oli Carter shook off a slow start by whipping Procter for six over square leg, but the Northamptonshire captain responded by bringing one back to pin Coles in front.Broad then struck twice just after lunch with a ball that seamed and bounced to clip Carter’s off bail before Fynn Hudson-Prentice miscalculated a cut shot and speared it into the hands of mid-off instead.Having spilled a number of catches in Sussex’s first innings, the home side squandered an opportunity to remove John Simpson as Gay, springing across from second slip, fumbled a sharp chance off Sanderson. In the same over, Broad’s throw from cover should have left McAndrew short of his ground and the Australian capitalised on that let-off, thrashing five boundaries to reach a valuable 22 before he was out in peculiar fashion.McAndrew’s leading edge off Procter looped up towards mid-off, with the bowler racing to gather it, colliding with the substitute fielder and dumping the ball on the turf in his follow-through – yet the catch stood.Procter swiftly polished off the last two wickets, including that of Simpson for 40, to leave Northamptonshire almost a session and a half’s batting and they lost Ricardo Vasconcelos prior to tea, trapped in his crease by McAndrew’s second delivery.However, Prithvi Shaw got off the mark by crunching McAndrew to the cover fence and continued to exhibit classy strokeplay on either side of the wicket as he and Gay built a partnership of 69, the highest of the match.Left-armer Hunt produced a beauty to separate the pair, knocking back Shaw’s off stump for 37 – and he might also have dislodged Gay in his next over but Simpson, leaping low to his left, was unable to pouch the chance.The opener took advantage to pass 50 for the sixth time this season from the next ball and he and Procter dug in to reach 118 for 2 before Sussex prised them both out in successive overs. Offspinner Jack Carson persuaded Procter to nudge one to Simpson and the swift loss of Gay left Matthew Breetzke and Rob Keogh with the task of ensuring Northamptonshire at least live to fight another day.

Marcus Stoinis and David Warner extricated Australia from an uncertain position in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Oman with the result ultimately a comfortable 39-run win on a tricky Barbados pitch.When Glenn Maxwell fell for a golden duck, continuing his horror run with the bat, they were 50 for 3 and thoughts briefly turned to what could unfold but Stoinis and Warner added 102 off 64 balls to ensure Australia did not stumble early in their bid for ICC trophies across all three formats.Stoinis was dropped on 9 and then bludgeoned six sixes as he turned around a sluggish start with Oman’s bowlers keeping pressure on their big-name opponents for 14 overs. It was hard work for Warner, who became Australia’s leading run-scorer in men’s T20Is, but he used his experience to not throw the innings away.Australia were then largely efficient with the ball as Mitchell Starc struck in the opening over with an inswinging low full toss – although he was later unable to complete his spell as he left the field but it was confirmed as cramp – and Stoinis’ fine day continued as he added three wickets. Nathan Ellis, who had been selected ahead of the rested Pat Cummins, struck in his first over to claim a maiden World Cup wicket.Marcus Stoinis was in the thick of the action – both with ball and bat•ICC via Getty Images

Oman’s moment(s) to remember

For well over half of Australia’s innings, this game was far from one-way traffic. Scoring was tough on a niggly surface and after the powerplay the total was 37 for 1 – Australia’s lowest in their last 15 T20Is dating back to the previous T20 World Cup. Head put away one well-timed cover drive early on but timing was hard work for him and Warner with Head picking out mid-off with a drive to lift Bilal Khan’s spirits after his Super Over disappointment against Namibia.Mitchell Marsh couldn’t get going before picking out long-on, then came Oman’s big moment. Maxwell, coming off an IPL where he averaged 5.77, drove at his first ball from Mehran Khan and Oman captain Aqib Ilyas dived full length to his left at cover to hold a spectacular catch. It was Maxwell’s fifth duck in 10 T20 innings.

Stoinis takes his chance

Stoinis survived the hat-trick ball but there was no immediate release of pressure for Australia. After ten overs they had crept to 56 for 3 with the next two overs only bringing seven runs. Warner began to break the shackles with consecutive boundaries off Zeeshan Maqsood, but then it was a case of what might have been for Oman.On 9, Stoinis edged a turning delivery from Ilyas which wicketkeeper Pratik Athavale could not gather – it was tough but not impossible. Two balls into the next over from Mehran, Ayaan Khan arguably paid the price for not being right on the rope at long-off when he held a good catch, but was unable to stop his backwards momentum taking him into the boundary.That was the first of four sixes Stoinis struck in the over and from there he was away, bringing up a half-century from 27 balls. Australia’s first 14 overs had brought 80 runs; the last six brought 84.Marcus Stoinis and David Warner scored fifties to boost Australia•Associated Press

Warner’s record

Before this match, Ricky Ponting lauded the winning mentality of Warner as he closes out his international career and said he was the type of player needed at World Cups. He couldn’t quite move through the gears in the same manner as Stoinis but reached a 46-ball fifty having earlier gone past former captain Aaron Finch to top Australia’s run-scoring charts in the format. Finch, at the ground as a broadcaster, appreciated the moment. There was one unfortunate moment for him after being dismissed when he started to accidently walk into the Oman dressing room before being redirected.

Professional Australia close it out

A target of 165 was always likely to be beyond Oman. Starc’s opening over was a bit of a mixed bag but he pinned Athavale lbw when a low full toss hammered into the toe, although Australia needed the DRS to get the lbw decision. Oman were then grateful for the review system when Ilyas was given lbw to Starc but even live the on-field call from Joel Wilson looked a poor one.Ilyas deposited Stoinis for a six over deep square leg but two balls later edged a lifting delivery to Matthew Wade. Stoinis became only the third player, after Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo, to score a fifty and take three wickets in a men’s T20 World Cup match. However, Oman did not completely fade away as Ayaan provided a couple of moments of late defiance with two sixes off Adam Zampa while Mehran ensured they could cross 100 and bat out the innings.

Big picture: A potential World Cup final?

It was a false start to the T20I series in Canberra as the rain swept in, but the second match in Melbourne has the makings of a memorable evening with the crowd approaching, or even surpassing, 90,000 as India return to a city where they attracted huge support both in last season’s Test series and the 2022 T20 World Cup. That is, if the weather plays ball. It’s a watching brief on that front.With these two teams likely to be among the favourites for next year’s T20 World Cup, there is a chance they could meet in the final at the only cricket ground bigger than the MCG – the vast Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where Australia toppled the home side in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. That, of course, is for another day, and there are plenty of things that could get in the way for both sides, so for now it’s about continuing the build towards the tournament.Related

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However, the prospect of close to a full house at the MCG is exciting even for the Australia players. “It’s an experience for the guys who haven’t been there and done it,” said Nathan Ellis, who has yet to play an international at the MCG, which hasn’t hosted a T20I since the final of the last World Cup.”I was just talking [to Marcus Stoinis] about the early days [in the BBL] where the Melbourne Derby would get 90-odd thousand and he was saying how exciting it is and how cool it is, running us through his experiences there. So really excited to play in front of a huge crowd at MCG, it’s an exciting prospect. A few of us have had that one in the calendar for a little bit.”There wasn’t too much to be gleaned from 9.4 overs in Canberra, but India’s top order had made an early statement and they looked set for a hefty total as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav motored at 10 an over. Not that this Australian side would have been overawed by that, given their own batting power which has shone across the last three series, although India’s spin trio would have been a fascinating challenge to overcome and will likely remain so in Melbourne.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWWMitchell Marsh and Suryakumar Yadav will try again in Melbourne•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

In the spotlight: Tim David and Varun Chakravarthy

Like Ellis, Tim David has not played an international at the MCG. The one opportunity he has had so far was against England at the 2022 T20 World Cup but the game was abandoned without a ball being bowled. His BBL record at the ground is not too flash with 148 runs in nine innings. The average of 16.44 is his lowest at any venue he has batted more than five times in T20s. However, if there’s ever a moment for that to change, it feels like now. David’s move up the order – initially to No. 5 and now likely No. 4 in this series – has added a new level of dynamism to Australia’s top order and allowed him to shape games over a longer period.Australia’s play against spin has improved, but it still feels like an area they could potentially come unstuck. Varun Chakravarthy is the No. 1 T20I spinner in the world but has yet to send down a ball against this opposition in the format; Canberra was his first match against them, although there have been head-to-heads in the IPL. It will be very interesting if he is used early against Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head. Chakravarthy removed Head when he was threatening a big innings in the Champions Trophy final earlier this year.

Team news: Both teams might be unchanged

This is the last game Josh Hazlewood is available for before he switches to Ashes preparation. Australia could consider rotating in Sean Abbott, who is only around for the first three matches of this series.Australia (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Mitch Owen, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Josh Philippe, 8 Xavier Bartlett/Sean Abbott, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh HazlewoodGiven the lack of cricket in the first game, an unchanged team could be on the cards for India unless conditions persuade them to play Arshdeep Singh as an extra quick. Nitish Kumar Reddy is out for at least the first three matches of the series.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahJosh Hazlewood will get his Ashes preparations started after this T20I•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first match the MCG has hosted for the season. “I feel like every Big Bash game has been 180-plus [totals] there and you had good value for runs, whilst being a little bit in it for the bowlers,” Ellis said. The bowlers will need to adjust to some different dimensions. “It’s bigger square, shorter straight, [Canberra] was longer straight, shorter square,” he said.Frustratingly, it may be another evening of looking skywards with a chance of showers through the day and a possible thunderstorm. October may not have finished gifting its rain-affected matches just yet.

Stats and trivia

• India have won four of their six T20Is at the MCG.
• Marsh needs four runs to reach 2000 in T20Is; Sanju Samson needs seven for 1000 runs and Tilak Varma needs 38 for 1000.
• Jasprit Bumrah needs four wickets to reach 100 in T20Is.

Quotes

“T20 cricket now, the bowling side of things, you’re going to have a lot more bad days than good days. So [it’s about] being able to not ride the highs and not ride the lows too much, but just learning and trying to do it better the next time you are put in that scenario.”

Harshit Rana has been pulled up and has had a demerit point added to his disciplinary record for his gesture at Dewald Brevis after dismissing the batter, which was a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, in the first India vs South Africa ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.In a statement on Wednesday, the day of the second ODI, ICC said Rana’s gesture “breached Article 2.5” of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter”. It was Rana’s first offence in a 24-month period.A level 1 breach such as this carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.Related

• Harshit takes the first step in fast bowlers' race for 2027 WC

The incident took place in the 22nd over of South Africa’s chase of India’s 349, when Rana dismissed Brevis caught at deep point by Ruturaj Gaikwad and pointed in the direction of the dressing room.Brevis fell at a crucial juncture in the game when South Africa were 130 in the 22nd over and he was in a strong-looking partnership with Matthew Breetzke, who was South Africa’s top-scorer with 72. Rana had earlier sent back Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock and finished with 3 for 65. Virat Kohli had earlier scored 135 in 120 balls – a record 52nd ODI century for him – to headline India’s batting effort after South Africa had won the toss and inserted them.Rana admitted to the offence after the charge was levelled by on-field umpires Jayaraman Madanagopal and Sam Nogajski, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit.

Bangladesh’s spinners wrested back control from Ireland at stumps on the first day of the Sylhet Test. The visitors lost their way after a strong first session, ending the day on 270 for 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets while Hasan Murad, the debutant left-arm spinner, picked up two wickets.Ireland started losing their way in the middle session as they went from 96 for 1 to 184 for 4. Four more fell in the last session as they ended the first day in a disappointing note. Paul Stirling and debutant Cade Carmichael had given Ireland a bright start with a 96-run second-wicket stand. Stirling, opening for the second time in his career, made 60, with a dominant display through square on the off-side. He struck seven of his nine boundaries through that region.The 22-year-old Carmichael was composed in his first day of Test cricket, batting confidently in his 59. Stirling and Carmichael struck fifties while Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker got out in the forties. Towards the end of the day, the 19-year-old debutant Jordan Neill impressed with his drives in his unbeaten 30.Bangladesh had to wait for about half an hour in the last session to get their first breakthrough. But once they had removed Campher, who struck six boundaries including two sixes in his 94-ball 44, Bangladesh made more headways into the Ireland innings.Campher, who was caught at slip, was Murad’s first Test wicket. It was followed by the wicket of Tucker, who was beaten by Murad’s flight and stumped for 41 off 80 balls. Tucker was looking good and hit three fours and two sixes, but he got sucked into an aggressive false shot by Murad. Mehidy got the big wicket of Andy McBrine, also stumped, for five.Ireland however fought back with the eighth wicket stand between Neill and Barry McCarthy, who added 48 runs till the end of the day. Neill made 30 with three fours and a six before falling on the last ball of the day.Bangladesh could have had a much better start to the day, had they held on to three chances in successive overs in the morning. Stirling was dropped twice, at slip and gully, while Taijul Islam spilled Carmichael’s chance at short square-leg. All of this happened betwen overs 4 and 7.Already a wicket down and with Bangladesh creating regular chances, Stirling and Carmichael rode out the difficult period. They found regular boundaries, particularly Stirling cracking numerous hits through backward point. Carmichael was circumspect during the first session, hitting three boundaries.Ireland started losing their way in the middle session. Nahid Rana removed the well-set Stirling in the first over after lunch, getting caught at second slip. Mehidy Hasan Miraz trapped Harry Tector lbw for one in the next over, before Carmichael reached his fifty off 110 balls. Miraz however removed him for 59. Najmul Hossain Shanto then dropped Lorcan Tucker on 11 late in the second session.