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Harbhajan Singh has criticised the Hyderabad pitch that was prepared for India’s second Test against New Zealand, saying India is developing a reputation for batsmen-friendly pitches

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2010Harbhajan Singh has criticised the Hyderabad pitch that was prepared for India’s second Test against New Zealand, which offered no help to the fast bowlers or spinners and produced a draw, saying India is developing a reputation for batsmen-friendly pitches.”These days foreign teams come to India secure in the knowledge that it is the best place to get runs,” he told the . “Gary Kirsten told me that when he came to play a Test series in India, the best place to bat was as an opener, because once the spinners came on, batting became difficult. But now, every wicket has been re-laid and the black soil has made the wickets pretty firm. It just doesn’t turn and the wicket plays well even on the final day.”He was critical of the curator, saying he “deserves to be given the contract to build national highways”.Harbhajan has had more success with the bat than the ball in the series, having scored back-to-back centuries but taken just six wickets in the first two Tests. In the Hyderabad Test, he and Sreesanth put together a 105-run partnership for the last wicket in India’s first innings, which Harbhajan thinks signifies how flat the wicket was. “Even our No. 11 was playing like Sachin Tendulkar,” he said. “So we should give all the credit to the groundsmen.”India’s bowlers have failed to take 20 wickets in each of the two Test matches and India captain MS Dhoni had blamed the pitches for failing to produce results and said teams would “have to play 10 days” to get a result.

Rain foils India’s practice session

India’s preparations for the third Test against New Zealand on Saturday are being scuppered by the Nagpur weather, as a heavy downpour washed out Thursday’s practice session. New Zealand finished their practice session before the weather struck on Thursday and have the afternoon slot for Friday’s nets. The Regional Meteorological Centre predicted that the clouds would clear by Friday afternoon

Harbhajan said flat pitches had become a recurring problem in Test series in India. “I can’t remember the last time I bowled on a turning track where the ball spun and bounced,” he said. “I think Kanpur was the last and we got the desired result against South Africa in 2008. I don’t suggest we play on bad wickets. But we should play to our strength, and our strength, over the years, has been spin bowling.”India go into the deciding Test at Nagpur, on Saturday, without Zaheer Khan, which will increase the pressure on Harbhajan to spearhead the attack. Harbhajan’s centuries have elicited suggestions he is turning into an allrounder, but his bowling has received criticism from some quarters. “I think I have bowled well in the last two Tests,” he said. “But the way our critics think, you bowl well only when you take wickets. When I took four wickets in the first innings in Hyderabad, I bowled well. But on the final day, when I took just one wicket, I was in the line of fire. Some days, I can bowl a few full tosses and get five wickets. Figures do not always do justice.”India came into the series ranked No.1 in the ICC Test rankings, with New Zealand at No.8, and having recently beaten Australia 2-0 at home, anything less than a win in Nagpur would be considered a disappointment. But Harbhajan still has his hopes up. “Hopefully, Sachin Tendulkar will get his 50th Test hundred, I’ll get another hundred and pick up 7 to 8 wickets and India will win.”

The scoreline says the series is all-square, but after such a convincing 112-run victory at Cape Town South Africa are now the side with the momentum

The Preview by Andrew Miller03-Dec-2009

Match facts

Friday, December 4, 2009
Start time 14.30 (12.30GMT)Preparing for the puddles: Stuart Broad warms up on Durban beach•Getty Images

Big picture

Somewhat astonishingly, England stand on the verge of their first ODI series victory in South Africa, and their second in consecutive rubbers against Graeme Smith’s men following their 4-0 victory at home in 2008. After three fluctuating performances and a washout at the Wanderers, they have emerged with a 2-1 series lead – a scoreline that they have reached on merit thanks to two dominant performances at Centurion and Port Elizabeth. The fact that those games were punctuated by a record-breaking thumping at Newlands merely underlines the ongoing battle for consistency that is forever England’s weakness.Nevertheless, for the first time in a long time, England have displayed the makings of an impressive one-day outfit. Andrew Strauss’s personal form and tactical acumen make it hard to imagine a world in which he was exiled from the ODI set-up for two years, as was the case from the 2007 World Cup onwards. Eoin Morgan and Jonathan Trott have performed like instant veterans, while the veteran, Paul Collingwood, has rediscovered some of his finest form, with both bat and ball. The young guns, Luke Wright and Tim Bresnan, have started to move on from being merely promising, and all that remains is for Kevin Pietersen to rediscover his touch, and the renaissance will be complete. Or at least until their next Cape Town-esque relapse.South Africa, on the other hand, have got a few issues to resolve. Whereas England have had plenty practice at moulding a side in which Andrew Flintoff makes cameo appearances, the loss of Jacques Kallis has proven stupendously hard to overcome. At Newlands, the decision to trust five specialist batsmen paid handsome dividends when Smith won the toss and AB de Villiers blazed a 75-ball century; but at Port Elizabeth, the middle-order looked threadbare to say the least once James Anderson started to turn the screw.On the plus side, the addition of Morne Morkel has provided an extra layer of menace to South Africa’s attack, particularly when coming round the wicket to England’s left-handers, but the likely loss of Dale Steyn to a hamstring strain will undermine their bid for a share of the series. Nothing, however, could undermine it as much as the Durban weather, which has been abysmal all week. A washout would suffice for England – and provide a neat symmetry to the results column – but Strauss wants more than that. “We’re fully expecting to play tomorrow,” he said, “and if we do we will make sure we’re at the races and put South Africa under pressure again.”

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa – LWLWW
England – WLWLL

Team news

South Africa’s dilemma is whether to stick or twist … do they recall Herschelle Gibbs to the middle order in an admission that their batting is vulnerable, or do they trust Ryan McLaren to knuckle down at No. 7 and put his consecutive ducks to the back of his mind? Given that Steyn’s injury leaves them lacking in firepower, the likelihood is a reprieve for McLaren, whose medium-pacers have had their moments in the series, and a silent prayer that de Villiers comes as good as he did at Newlands.South Africa (possible) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Alviro Petersen, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Charl LangeveldtNo such concerns for England, who have a settled first XI for arguably the first time since the 1992 World Cup final (when even then they had to decide between Allan Lamb and Robin Smith). James Anderson reported a knee injury in the build-up to the Port Elizabeth match, but figures of 5 for 23 in ten overs suggest he shook it off pretty effectively, meaning Graham Onions will once again be left carrying the drinks.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Jonathan Trott, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson.

Watch out for

Kevin Pietersen needs a score to settle him down, because it’s not so much nerves as nervous energy that has been his problem so far in the tour. After a four-month lay-off, KP has been visibly rushing to pick up where he left off, never more so than at Port Elizabeth, when he could have been dismissed twice in a six-ball innings. More haste, less speed is the motto that springs to mind. If he allows himself a little longer to regain his timing, the entire squad could find themselves reaping the benefits as the Test series approaches.It ought not to be a coincidence, but such is the hold that Graeme Smith has over his team these days, that his rare failure at Port Elizabeth – lbw for 2 – was the cue for South Africa to crumble to an ignominious defeat. Conversely, when his agenda-setting strokeplay has come off – never more so than during his 44-ball 88 in the second Twenty20 at Centurion – there’s been no stopping the momentum he generates. If, as could happen amid the showers, the Durban game becomes a rain-reduced sprint, his 20-over prowess could well come to the fore again.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa’s overall record in ODIs against England since 2008 now reads seven defeats and a solitary win in eight completed games, which is their worst clutch of results since the two teams first met in 1992
• Ominously, the last ODI match that England played in Durban, in 2005, was a washout. The match was abandoned with England uncomfortably placed on 7 for 2, chasing 213.

Quotes

“”We really want to come and win this series 3-1. When you start thinking about rain and things like that, it is going to affect your preparation.”
.”For us the priority is the Test series and we would never compromise Dale’s chances of being 100% fit for the first Test [at Centurion] by playing him on Friday.”
Mickey Arthur hasn’t abandoned the ODIs entirely, but it’s clear he’s already shifting his focus.

Scott Boland claimed a 10-wicket match haul but Victoria’s batting collapsed on a tough pitch

Andrew McGlashan20-Feb-2025Jackson Bird joined an elite group of bowlers to take 400 Sheffield Shield wickets as he propelled New South Wales to a victory that put them firmly in contention for a place in the final.Bird claimed 5 for 68 on the third day, making full use of a surface that was getting tougher to bat on, as Victoria were bowled out for 154 chasing 230, the margin only narrowed by a late dip from Todd Murphy who flayed 40 off 32 balls.Related

• Konstas calms himself but can't cash in as New South Wales take control

• Morris turns up to the heat as WA thrash Queensland

Scott Boland had earlier finished with 6 for 46 and a match haul of 10 for 102 as NSW lost their last six wickets for 31 but a fourth-innings chase was always going to be a tall order for the visitors.Bird’s first wicket of the final innings, finding the edge of Marcus Harris, took him to his milestone as he joined Clarrie Grimmett, Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel and Jo Angel as the only bowlers in the 400-club.”It probably means I’ve been around a long time,” Bird said. “It’s nice to tick off the milestones along the way, but when you have a good win like that with a team, it makes it more special. So it’s a great team effort.”It’s nice to be in that [400] group. But the goal of mine now is to win a Sheffield Shield. I’ve never won a Sheffield Shield, so that’s more important to me at the moment and it’s what’s driving me to keep playing at my age.”Bird, 38, indicated that any decision on whether he would continue his career would be made at the end of the season. “I’m just taking it game by game at the moment,” he said. “I didn’t have much left in the tank after this afternoon. I don’t want to hang on too long. Whether I can mentally do another pre-season. If I do play next year, it’ll probably look different in terms of my availability.”None of Victoria’s top five reached double figures as they slid to 31 for 5 which effectively decided the contest. Bird had Tom Rogers taken at first slip, Harry Dixon miscuing a pull and forced Peter Handscomb to fend a viciously rising delivery into the cordon. He later returned to remove Fergus O’Neill for his fifth wicket and finished the game with a season’s tally of 30 at 13.96.Captain Jack Edwards was again impressive with the ball while Liam Hatcher chipped in with a brace.The victory pushed NSW into second place in what looks like a race to play South Australia in the final. It was Victoria’s third consecutive loss leaving them a tough route to the final with games against the leaders, SA, and an away trip to Western Australia.”Dropping Ollie Davies in the first innings cost us quite a bit,” coach Chris Rogers said. “With our batting we lost a number of wickets in and around breaks and just probably not up to the standard we needed to be if we’re going to win games of cricket. We’ve got a lot of questions we need to answer.”Playing our last Shield game against Queensland before the BBL break I didn’t imagine us being in this position. We’ve only got ourselves to blame. It’s frustrating and shows how competitive this league is. We’ve let too many moments slip and we need to question why that’s happening.”

The majority of the World Cup squad is likely to be rested with fringe players set to get opportunities

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-2023Hardik Pandya will not be part of India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against Australia which begins on November 23, four days after the ODI World Cup. ESPNcricinfo has learned that India’s squad for the T20I series is scheduled to be picked on November 15, the same day Rohit Sharma’s team faces New Zealand in the World Cup semi-finals in Mumbai.It is understood that Hardik, who tore a ligament in his left ankle in the World Cup league match against Bangladesh on October 19, was advised six to eight weeks of rest by the BCCI medical staff. The medical staff was initially optimistic about Hardik recovering in time to play in India’s last league match against Netherlands on November 12. However, the swelling failed to recede, causing pain during the fitness tests Hardik underwent before he was eventually ruled out of the tournament, with Prasidh Krishna named his replacement.Related

• Wade to captain Australia in T20I series against India

• Hardik Pandya out of World Cup with ankle injury

• Dravid after Hardik exit: 'Enough quality in our top seven to look after itself'

It is understood that the majority of the World Cup squad is likely to be rested, with the group selected for the Australia T20Is likely to feature most players who were part of the Asian Games in October. The Indian team, which had won the gold medal at the event in Hangzhou, was led by Ruturaj Gaikwad. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma featured in that squad.The selection panel, led by former India allrounder Ajit Agarkar, will be mindful of the senior Indian team’s workload in the past two months, a period in which they have played the Asia Cup and the World Cup.It is also understood that VVS Laxman is set to be the head coach for the T20I series against Australia. It could not be confirmed what the BCCI plans to do about Rahul Dravid whose two-year contract will end after the World Cup.

Head coach Walsh believes that the tour will give West Indies an opportunity to test their depth ahead of the 2023 T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2022West Indies Women are set to host New Zealand Women for the first time in eight years, for three ODIs and five T20Is in September-October. All the games will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.”I am very happy that we will be hosting New Zealand in the West Indies,” Courtney Walsh, West Indies head coach, said in a CWI release. “They are a very competitive team, and this will make for a great series for our team. As it comes just after we’ve had the Women’s regional tournaments and the Women’s CPL, it will be a great fillip for our players.

Fixtures (all games in Antigua)

1st ODI: September 16
2nd ODI: September 19
3rd ODI: September 22

1st T20I: September 26
2nd T20I: September 28
3rd T20I: October 1
4th T20I: October 4
5th T20I: October 6

“We will also have an eye on the T20 World Cup [to be played in South Africa in February] around the corner. So, this will give the squad a chance to showcase all their skills, and also give us, the coaching staff, a chance to look at what depth we have.”West Indies are currently holding a specialist camp that includes some new players. There will be another camp in Antigua after the Women’s CPL.”In addition, the lead selector was with the West Indies U-19 Women’s team for their series in Florida and has identified some exciting prospects to consider,” Walsh said. “So, we should have enough cricket before the New Zealand series starts.”The last time New Zealand toured the West Indies was in 2014. The visitors lost the ODI series 4-0 before bouncing back to clinch the T20I series 2-1, winning the final game in Super Over.

Explosive NZ batsman offers a peek into the way his mind works after he helped beat Bangladesh in Auckland

Mohammad Isam01-Apr-2021In explaining how he got off the mark with a reverse sweep in two successive T20Is, Finn Allen provided a glimpse into his mindset. He used the word fearless up front. It can come across as a word that is overused but this 21-year old really does bat like that. For proof, check out his 29-ball 71 in a rain-reduced game that helped New Zealand to a 65-run win in Auckland.His ten fours and three sixes was a reflection of how he batted during this season’s Super Smash. Allen scored 512 runs at 193.93 strike-rate in 11 games. It is the third-highest strike-rate among batsmen with 500-plus runs in a T20 tournament. Big-hitting luminaries Andre Russell and Alex Hales are the other two, but neither were playing their first T20 tournament like Allen.When asked why he played a reverse sweep to get off the mark in the second T20I in Napier, especially after his golden duck on debut, Allen said that he backs himself to pull it off despite the risks involved.”It was just about being fearless, continuing to be like that from the Super Smash,” he said. “The fear of not getting out and wanting to take it to the opposition. I felt like it is a shot that I worked on a lot against left-arm spin this summer.”I thought that it is a shot I play a lot so why not pull it out [against Nasum Ahmed]? It doesn’t matter the situation. I could have easily thought I haven’t scored a run yet, just get one under the belt. But I felt like it was the best option for me. Talking to Guptill at the other end, he said back yourself and back your skills. I went for it.”Allen did the same at Eden Park on Thursday. After Martin Guptill hogged most of the strike in the first two overs, Allen reverse swept Ahmed over point for four. He cultivated the shot originally as a means to counter Mitchell Santner in the Super Smash but is now finding a lot more uses for it.”I just felt it was a good option,” Allen said. “The whole field was up and I knew roughly what he was trying to bowl. I felt like it was a good match-up for me. I was lucky that it came off. We just went from there.”I found out a lot of guys got out trying to hit Mitch Santner down the ground. I wanted to hit the reverse sweep but over the top, which is a potential boundary option for me. I think I spent two or three days batting left-handed against the spinners in the nets. Luckily it came off and just kept going from there.”Once he had struck that first four, he struck two more off the next couple of deliveries and added a straight six to take 19 off the Ahmed over. New Zealand were away with both Guptill and Allen going after literally every delivery.Allen’s best shot was perhaps the square-cut six over point off Rubel Hossain, that leapt high into the Eden Park stands.”From the beginning I felt I was in the zone. I was focused on my partner and the bowler. I didn’t hear anything else. (In the end), I had a moment to appreciate the guys who hung around in the rain to watch us. It was pretty cool,” he said.But the T20I series against Bangladesh weren’t all bed of roses for Allen. It taught him that in international cricket, you can’t always rely on plan A.”With all the games I play, I want to have the same brand. I want to approach it in the same aggressive way. But I think this series has made me realise I need to have more options. Get in similar positions and look to be dominant, but have more than one option for a particular delivery,” he said.Also helping Allen perform the way he liked was a dressing room full of people offering him their unstinting support. “I definitely didn’t think it would be so easy to integrate into an international side. I think it just shows how good the group is. The coaching staff made it easy for me to fit in and feel comfortable. It helped my confidence to go out there and play the way I did. It is a similar way Wellington brought me in here,” he said.

No side has won three of their first four Tests. Afghanistan have a chance to change all that

The Preview by Sreshth Shah26-Nov-2019

Big picture

Don’t let Afghanistan’s two-day loss on their Test debut against India fool you. Incidentally then, Phil Simmons was their head coach. Today, he’s in the opposition camp, perhaps with a bank of knowledge he’d want to share with his West Indies team. Since that insipid debut, of course, Afghanistan have beaten Ireland in India and Bangladesh in Bangladesh. If they beat West Indies in Lucknow, they’ll become the only team in the history of the sport to win three of their first four Tests.The possibility is real. Under captain Rashid Khan, who has taken three five-wicket hauls in his last four Test innings, Afghanistan will run into a wonky West Indies batting line-up. The win in the T20I series should boost the ‘hosts’ to that effect. In their last three Tests, only twice have the West Indies batsmen gone past fifty. On a ground that is hosting it’s maiden Test, there are a lot of unknown variables, not least of all the pitch. Against a spin-based attack, West Indies will be tested.That said, Afghanistan would also do well to worry about their batting weakness. Barring Rahmat Shah, few have shown the tenacity to bat long. In both of Afghanistan’s Test wins, Rahmat’s contributions have been as integral as Rashid’s. But with senior allrounder Mohammad Nabi having retired from Tests, someone else too needs to step up.For West Indies, the series is about showing that they aren’t falling behind in the red-ball format. For Afghanistan, it’s time to say that, they too, possess the quality to find a spot in the next cycle of the World Test Championship.

Form Guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan WWL

West Indies LLLWW

In the spotlight

It appears that the job of filling the Nabi void has been given to 21-year-old allrounder Karim Janat, who has earned a Test berth after a splendid T20I series against West Indies. He struck an 18-ball 26 and picked up 5 for 11 in the second game before finishing the series with 1 for 33 in the third. He can find speeds of 140kph regularly, and with his elder brother Asghar Afghan there for company, Janat can find an arm around him for comfort, instead of being intimidated by the prospects of a main Test appearance.The form that made Kraigg Brathwaite ESPNcricinfo’s opener of the year in 2016 has gradually diminished as the decade comes to a close. He’s gone 19 innings without a Test fifty, and since February 2019, his only first-class century was one for Glamorgan in the English County Championship. It’s West Indies’ last Test match of the year, and with no other Test till they face England in June 2020, the team’s seniormost batsmen will ache to end 2019 with an impactful performance.Getty Images

Team news

Afghanistan coach Lance Klusener said it would be desirable to keep faith with the XI that won the Test in Bangladesh, though they’ll have to find a replacement for the retired Mohammad Nabi of course. Given the way Karim Janat performed in the T20Is, and that he offers an all-round option, he could well be the man to replace Nabi, even though he bowls seam up rather than spin. Afghanistan having plenty of spin options already with Rashid, Qais and Zahir.Afghanistan XI (probable): Ibrahim Zadran, Ihsanullah, Rahmat Shah, Javed Ahmadi, Asghar Afghan, Karim Janat, Afsar Zazai (wk), Rashid Khan (capt), Qais Ahmed, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan.Rahkheem Cornwall had an ice-pack strapped to his left knee and didn’t take part in the warm-up drills or training session for West Indies. Coach Phil Simmons, however, said a final call on Cornwall would be taken only on the morning of the match. John Campbell is recovering from a stomach bug.West Indies XI (probable): Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell/Sunil Ambris, Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder (capt), Shane Dowrich (wk), Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican/Alzarri Joseph.

Pitch and conditions

The match will be played on the same surface as the second ODI was played on. It’s a red-soil pitch, and is expected to aid spin bowling. Expect foggy mornings at the onset of winters up north in India. As such, conditions for red-ball cricket is relatively unknown at the ground, with only three first-class games being played at Lucknow since 2017.

Stats and trivia

• In the last three first-class games at Lucknow, an average of 2 centuries and 3.33 half-centuries have been witnessed per match
• With 333 runs, Jason Holder is West Indies’ highest run-scorer in 2019, averaging over 55 runs per innings. The second-highest run-scorer, Roston Chase, is more than 100 runs behind Holder.
• Rashid Khan averages 18 runs per wicket in Tests

What they said

“Obviously one day I’d like to play at ‘home’ home, but this is home away from home for us. The surfaces have suited us, and that’s the important thing if you’re going to have home advantage”.
“They’ve had three Tests, and did well to win in Bangladesh, but it’s still a learning phase for them and hopefully we can capitalise on that.”

Imalka Mendis and Anushka Sanjeewani have been left out from the squad that played India last month

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2018Sri Lanka have named a largely unchanged side to the one that lost at home to India last month. They made just two changes to the 15-member squad for November’s Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean.Oshadi Ranasinghe and Inoshi Fernando, who were out of the initial squad to face India only to be included midway through the series, have been retained. Ranasinghe picked up four wickets across the final two games in that series and scored a brisk 22 in the final T20I, while offspinner Fernando picked up three wickets in the same game.Imalka Mendis, who was named in the squad to face India but failed to play a game, made way, as did batsman Anushka Sanjeewani. The team will be led by Chamari Atapattu, whose century in the final ODI against India had given Sri Lanka their first win over their neighbours in over five years.Sri Lanka begin their campaign with warm-up games against New Zealand and Ireland on November 5 and 8 respectively, before facing England on November 10 in their tournament opener.Full squad: Chamari Atapattu (Captain), Yasoda Mendis, Shashikala Siriwardene, Eshani Lokusuriyage, Hasini Perera, Ama Kanchana, Rebeca Vandort, Dilani Manodara, Nilakshi De Silva, Sripali Weerakkody, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari, Kavisha Dilhari, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Inoshi Fernando. Standby list: Imalka Mendis, Anushka Sanjeewani, Nipuni Hansika, Harshitha Madavi, Inoka Ranaweera

This will be the India offspinner’s first stint in county cricket, and he could be available as early as Worcestershire’s match against Gloucestershire starting on August 28

Sidharth Monga14-Aug-20172:08

Dasgupta: India will want Ashwin primed for overseas tours

India offspinner R Ashwin, who had been left out of the limited-overs leg of the tour of Sri Lanka, will play county cricket this season. He could be available as early as Worcestershire’s match against Gloucestershire starting on August 28. ESPNcricinfo had earlier reported that Worcestershire had shown interest in availing Ashwin’s services towards the end of their season.Ashwin’s India team-mate left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja is also in talks with the counties, but it as yet unclear whom he will play for.Worcestershire are currently placed second in division two of the county championships. Ashwin could come up against another India team-mate, Cheteshwar Pujara, in his second match as Worcestershire take on the table-leaders Nottinghamshire starting on September 5. Pujara is all set to continue playing for Nottinghamshire, whom he signed up for at the start of the season, following the conclusion of the Tests against Sri Lanka. Pujara scored 223 runs for them in five innings over four matches, including a match-winning hundred against Gloucestershire.This will be Ashwin’s first stint in county cricket. The last time India toured England for a Test series, he was played in only two of the five Tests, losing out to Jadeja in the first three. India have another five-Test series coming up in England next year.India’s next assignment after the Sri Lanka tour is the five ODIs against Australia starting on September 17. If Ashwin is selected for those matches, he might play only two matches in England. If he is not, he could go on till the end of the season as Worcestershire make a push for promotion.

Dwayne Bravo and Hashim Amla changed the game for Trinbago Knight Riders with a record fifth-wicket partnership of 150

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Bravo followed up his rescue act with the bat with the big wicket of AB de Villiers•CPL/Sportsfile

Five overs into the match in Port-of-Spain, it looked like visiting side Barbados Tridents would be runaway winners. Then, Dwayne Bravo joined Hashim Amla at the crease, and the game changed. Dwayne Bravo and Amla came together with Trinbago Knight Riders 20 for 4 – with Brendon McCullum, Colin Munro, Darren Bravo and Umar Akmal already dismissed – and went on to record the highest ever fifth-wicket partnership in T20 cricket. Their stand of 150 came at almost ten to the over, eventually consigning Tridents to a 11-run defeat.

Amla picks up back niggle

Following his Man-of-the-Match-winning 81, Hashim Amla did not take the field for Trinbago Knight Riders due to a back niggle. After the match, Amla confirmed he had done something to his back, but said it was nothing serious.
“I think I’ve kind of tweaked something in the back, but I think it should be fine. [Not taking the field] was more a precautionary matter; we’ve got a game tomorrow night, it’s a very quick turnaround, so it was a precaution to not hurt it anymore. But I’m fit enough.”

Tridents put Knight Riders in, and struck their early blows through the left-arm spin of Akeal Hosein and pace of Ravi Rampaul. Hosein was the first to break through, bowling the New Zealand pair of McCullum and Munro with balls that held their lines, before Rampaul had Darren Bravo and Akmal caught behind. The next bit of success any Tridents bowler enjoyed came off the very last ball of the innings, when Amla was out for 81. His innings came off 54 balls and included four sixes, two of which came in his South Africa team-mate Wayne Parnell’s final over. That over, the 17th of the innings, went for 19 runs; Amla hit the second ball into the stands down the ground and hooked the third for six more.Dwayne Bravo hit four sixes of his own, in a knock of 66 not out off 46. The partnership was the highest for any wicket in the CPL.Tridents were off to a decent start in their chase, with Steven Taylor and Kyle Hope putting on 41, before Hope was lost just as the Powerplay concluded. That Taylor survived that long was down to a good chunk of luck in the first over: off the second ball, Taylor skied one which fell in the middle of three fielders, before Munro dropped a straightforward chance at long-on – parrying it for six, to make matters worse for Knight Riders.But neither Taylor nor Hope could score at a rapid rate, a trend that continued with Shoaib Malik and AB de Villiers. Malik managed to become the tenth player to 6000 T20 runs during his innings off 28 off 24, while de Villiers scratched his way to 12 off 14 before falling to that man Dwayne Bravo. Kieron Pollard registered a golden duck while attempting an ambitious shot off seamer Kevon Cooper, and with Sunil Narine at his miserly best, Knight Riders were in control. The only real threat to them came from Nicholas Pooran, who slammed 33 off 12 from No. 6, but a run-out ended his challenge prematurely.