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.

He says it will be “extremely disconcerting” if his candidature was rejected due to reasons other than “my incompetency as a coach”

PTI15-May-2021India Women’s outgoing head coach WV Raman has alleged that a “smear campaign” against him has gained unwarranted traction and he has urged the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly to stop it. In an email that Raman also sent to the National Cricket Academy head Rahul Dravid, he wrote it will be “extremely disconcerting” if his candidature was rejected due to reasons other than “my incompetency as a coach”.Raman was not retained as the head coach of the senior women’s team by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) which picked Ramesh Powar for the job.”I presume you might have been told different views about my style of functioning and work ethic,” Raman wrote. “Whether those views conveyed to the officials of the BCCI had any impact on my candidature is of no consequence now.Related

• Ramesh Powar returns as India Women coach

• Uncertainty over contracts as India Women prepare for England

“What is important is that the smear campaign seems to have gained some unwarranted traction with some BCCI officials which needs to be halted permanently. I am prepared to give an explanation should you or any of the office bearers require it.”Raman said there was no argument if his application was rejected because of “incompetency” as a coach, but he expressed his concern for the involvement of other reasons behind it.”If I were to be rejected due to my incompetency as a coach, there is no argument on a judgment call at all,” he wrote. “But what will be extremely disconcerting is if my candidature was rejected due to any other reasons. Especially if it was due to allegations from people who were more focused on achieving their personal objectives at the expense of the overall hygiene and welfare of the Indian women’s team and the pride of the country.”While Raman’s letter did not name anyone, it is understood that he was writing about the star culture that prevails in the team, which he said is probably doing more harm than good.”If some people in the system have been highly accommodative to the extent of being seemingly obsequious to an accomplished performer for years on end – and if that performer feels constrained to adhere to the culture – then I would leave it to you to decide if the coach was asking for too much.”In a coaching career spanning 20 years, I have always created a culture in which the team always comes first and insisted on no individual overriding either the game or the team.”He said “paying heed to only one individual’s views while disregarding everyone else’s over a long period of time has resulted in gaping holes in the process and the system”.”The time has come for you two accomplished former legends to salvage women’s cricket, falling which things could gather momentum in the wrong direction. I have some suggestions that might help in the improvement of women’s cricket. I will be delighted to share those if you are interested.”

Country’s leading run-scorer hits 121 as Worcestershire face heavy defeat

ECB Reporters' Network04-Jun-2021David Bedingham propelled Durham into a position of strength with his third century of the season on day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship encounter with Worcestershire at New Road.The competition’s leading run-scorer hit a chanceless 121 to take his tally for the summer to 787 at an average of 71.54.Bedingham and Michael Jones shared a fifth-wicket stand of 171 to help Durham to 381 all out and a first innings lead of 250.Worcestershire rallied after a disappointing first session, in claiming six wickets for 76 to secure maximum batting points with Josh Tongue returning 4 for 73 from 25 overs.But there is still sufficient encouragement in the pitch for the bowlers and Matty Potts picked up two wickets as Worcestershire limped to 99 for 3 by the close despite an unbeaten Jake Libby half-century.”We said the first hour would be key and we played and missed a bit but you need a bit of luck in a big partnership,” Bedingham said at the close. “We got through it, and the magic spray did the trick after I got hit in the ribs by Tongue, who bowled well the whole day.”It has been a feast-or-famine campaign for Bedingham who has scored three hundreds and two fifties but in eight other knocks in the Championship has a highest score of 33.He was in fine fettle today as Durham built effectively on their overnight 140 for 4, greeting the introduction of Dillon Pennington into the attack with three boundaries in his first over and hitting legspinner Brett D’Oliveira for two straight sixes – the second of which completed an 84-ball fifty.Jones went to a 116-ball half-century and Durham batted through the morning session without losing a wicket and adding 102 runs.Related

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It was a different proposition for batting once the second new ball had been taken and Leach made the breakthrough when Jones edged through to keeper Ben Cox.Bedingham brought up his century – from 154 balls with two sixes and 11 fours – when he turned Dillon Pennington off his legs for two, but Jack Burnham on nine had no answer to a lifting delivery from Pennington and the nick was taken head-high by Cox.Ned Eckersley edged a Leach away swinger to Cox after making eight and Brydon Carse had only a single to his name when he cut Pennington to Ed Barnard at point.Tongue brought Bedingham’s fine knock to an end on 121 when he was lbw working the ball to leg. He batted for 183 balls and hit two sixes and 13 fours. Barnard wrapped the innings up when Ben Raine, after a quickfire 16, holed out to deep backward square.Potts quickly made a breakthrough with Daryl Mitchell falling to a superb one-handed reflex catch in the gully region by Carse.Libby looked in good form and greeted the introduction of Raine with three boundaries in an over. Tom Fell also looked composed at the crease and the second wicket pair added 67 in fluent fashion in just 15 overs.But Potts returned to the attack and had Fell leg before for 21 and Gareth Roderick completed a pair when shouldering arms and being bowled by Chris Rushworth.

He bowled 23 wicketless overs of offspin during the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Harare

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2021Zimbabwe’s offspinning-allrounder Roy Kaia has been reported with a suspect bowling action during the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Harare.Kaia bowled a combined 23 overs across two innings without picking up a wicket. With bat, he bagged a pair as Bangladesh went on to win the match by 220 runs.An expert panel will analyse the video footage of his bowling action from the Test as an in-person assessment at an ICC accredited testing centre is not possible due to various restrictions resulting from Covid-19. Until the panel makes its decision known, Kaia can continue bowling in international cricket.Kaia, 29, first played for Zimbabwe in an ODI in Pakistan in 2015, when he was picked more for his batting abilities. That remains his only appearance in while-ball cricket for the country. He made his Test debut earlier this year, also against Pakistan. The Test against Bangladesh was the third of his career.He has over 100 wickets in domestic cricket but hasn’t picked up one at the international level so far.Zimbabwe are yet to announce their squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh that starts on July 16.

“Nida is an icon and inspiration to millions of young girls who are passionate about cricket and follow the game”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2021Nida Dar has become the first Pakistan player – male or female – to 100 T20I wickets. The 34-year old reached the milestone when she had West Indies opener Deandra Dottin caught by Diana Baig in the T20I series opener in North Sound. She picked up one more wicket on Wednesday – that of Stafanie Taylor – to push her tally to 101. Only Anisa Mohammed, Ellyse Perry, Shabnim Ismail and Anya Shrubsole have taken more wickets than Dar in women’s T20Is.”Definitely there was a lot of hard work behind this milestone,” Dar said after the game, which Pakistan lost by 10 runs. “I always had this in mind to complete 100 wickets as quickly as possible. I had a chance in the previous series but unfortunately couldn’t do. But this time made sure I will try my best in this series against West Indies and I am feeling great by getting this in the very first game. Sadly, the game didn’t finish in our favour and it could have been a lot better if we won the game. Anyway, next time I will try to win the game from my performance.”Among all Pakistan players, Shahid Afridi is the second-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, with 97 strikes. Among Pakistan Women, Sana Mir (89) is the second-highest wicket-taker, behind Dar, with Sadia Yousuf (57) at third. Dar’s career-best haul of 5 for 21 came against Malaysia in the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2018. The PCB hailed Dar’s latest achievement, calling her an “inspiration” for the next-gen women players.Related

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“This is no mean achievement and is a testimony of the hard work and dedication Nida has put in over the years,” Wasim Khan, the PCB CEO, said. “Over the last decade, Nida has prospered into an integral part of the national women’s team and has become an inspiration for the next generation of women cricketers.”It is a great moment not only for her but the whole nation as she is also the first Asian woman bowler to record this landmark. Nida is an icon and inspiration to millions of young girls who are passionate about cricket and follow the game. In a day and age when women’s cricket is flourishing and its fan base is increasing day-by-day, role models like her would do well in taking the women’s game to the corners of the earth.”Dar was also at it in the first T20I, returning 2 for 15, which helped Pakistan Women restrict West Indies Women to 136 for 6 after the hosts were 65 for 0. However, the Pakistan batters couldn’t overhaul the target, despite a late assault from Ayesha Naseem and Fatima Sana.”The conditions were windy and the rain also intervened, but the pitch was supportive overall,” Dar said. “It had everything for bowlers and batters, so whoever comes strongly can score runs and can pick up wickets. We as a bowling unit gave a good start and bowled well in bits and pieces. I think 136 was a chaseable target and batters need to show more responsibility and that’s the key. We had a good outing with the ball and also took good catches in the field.”

Luke Wright, Delray Rawlins overhaul small target to secure quarter-final vs Yorkshire

ECB Reporters' Network and ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2021Jofra Archer made a low-key return from his elbow injury to help Sussex seal a quarter-final spot in the Vitality Blast by beating a depleted Kent side by four wickets at Canterbury.Archer was restricted to three overs as an injury precaution, returning figures of 0 for 20 as he bowled two overs with the new ball and then returned to bowl the 19th. It was his first appearance since May, when he aggravated an elbow injury during a County Championship match against Kent and was required to undergo surgery.

Vitality Blast quarter-finals

• Yorkshire vs Sussex (Aug 24)

• Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire (Aug 25)

• Somerset vs Lancashire (Aug 26)

• Kent vs Birmingham (Aug 27)

Sussex finished on 134 for 6, Luke Wright’s 39 and Delray Rawlins’ 33 steering them into the last eight with 2.5 overs to spare.Earlier Ravi Bopara took 3 for 15 and David Wiese 2 for 16 as a Kent side with 15 first-teamers still isolating struggled 130 for 7, Calum MacLeod – the Scotland batter on a short-term deal – their top scorer with 31.Kent had already ensured top spot in the South Group and will play their quarter-final against Birmingham Bears at the St Lawrence Ground despite tonight’s defeat, while Sussex will play Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street on August 24.Related

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Kent won the toss and chose to bat, but Wiese quickly removed the openers, getting George Munsey caught by Oliver Carter for 11. Zak Crawley was given a life when Harrison Ward fell over while attempting to catch him at deep point, but Wiese then deceived him with a slower ball, which he chipped to Ollie Robinson at mid-on for 19.Will Beer caught and bowled Heino Kuhn for four with his first ball, before Harry Finch and MacLeod partially rebuilt the innings with a stand of 44.Finch, however, fell for 30, caught by Ollie Robinson off Bopara and when MacLeod was lbw to Rashid Khan, Kent were 101 for 5.It was left to the lower order to nudge the score towards respectability. Dan Lincoln was caught by Wiese for 10 and the same combination removed Harry Podmore for 0, leaving Marcus O’Riordan and Safyaan Sharif unbeaten on 13 and 7.The target looked low and although Elliot Hooper bowled Phil Salt for a duck with the third ball of Sussex’s innings, Wright and Bopara put on 61 for the next wicket. There was a wobble when the former holed out to O’Riordan and was caught by Munsey for 39, and Bopara was out in the same over for 19, caught by Matt Quinn.However, Crawley stumbled when well-placed to catch Rawlins and by the time Wiese was caught by Kuhn off Podmore for 21, the run rate was down to 2.8.Just two were needed when Kuhn made a diving catch off Podmore to dismiss Ward for 8 and Rawlins skied the next ball to O’Riordan, but Khan hit the winning runs with a four through cow corner.

On a surface that is expected to dry out and take turn by day three, Sri Lanka’s 267 for 3 represents a substantial advantage

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Nov-2021Dimuth Karunaratne hunkered down in the difficult first session, scored more confidently in the afternoon, and then pressed home Sri Lanka’s advantage in the evening, to go to stumps at 132 off 265 balls in his first Test since May. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva also made contrasting fifties, to help their captain bookend the day with big stands. On a surface that is expected to dry out and take turn by day three, Sri Lanka’s 267 for 3 represents a substantial advantage for the hosts.West Indies will rue a number of close and missed chances, none greater than the dropped catch off Karunaratne when he was on 14. Rahkeem Cornwall, who perhaps put Karunaratne through his greatest test of the innings with his first spell, got a ball to take the outside edge as the batter attempted to open the face. It flew just wide of the wicketkeeper’s gloves, and at a catchable height to the right of slip. Jermaine Blackwood could not get two hands to the ball, though, and grassed it.Related

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Offspin was West Indies’ most effective weapon on day one, with Roston Chase removing Oshada Fernando and Angelo Mathews, both for 3, after tea. Their best bowler, however, was Jason Holder, who delivered eight maiden overs in his total of 14, and troubled Mathews so consistently that it prompted the batter to take a fatal risk against Chase.Shannon Gabriel, who was controversially preferred over Kemar Roach for this Test, was the other bowler to take a wicket, when he had Nissanka chase a wide delivery, and nick off to first slip roughly midway through the middle session. Gabriel was expensive, though, leaking 56 runs from his 12 overs. Both frontline spinners – Cornwall and left-armer Jomel Warrican – also delivered good spells, particularly in the morning, when the pitch had a little bite.Jason Holder was perhaps West Indies’ best bowler on day one in Galle•AFP/Getty Images

Karunaratne struggled in the early overs, as you might expect from a batter who has barely played any competitive cricket over the past six months. He played and missed against Gabriel and Holder, and was pinned down by Cornwall, who used the crease to vary his angle to the left-hander from around the wicket. With the benefit of that dropped catch, though, Karunaratne survived, and began to build. He went to lunch on 32 off 75 balls, and raised the tempo after the break – the conditions having settled somewhat. He used his feet to drive the spinners through mid-off, and sometimes shuffled across to either lap or glance them through fine leg – his two most productive regions. The seamers he largely hit square of the wicket, often employing his favoured flick.

Roston Chase on the Galle pitch so far:

Think the pitch is a good batting pitch. Not much there for the fast bowlers. The ball was spinning a little bit early on with the moisture that the wicket had, but after lunch it settled down. We took the second new ball, but I still think it’s a pitch where we need to be patient. On this track it’ll take a little more time to take the batters’ wickets. We need to be disciplined in our lines and lengths, and back it up in the field. Patience is the key.

Karunaratne got to fifty soon after lunch, and had a second mild slice of fortune soon after, when he hit one low in the air through the legs of bowler Cornwall, who was not quick enough to get down to the possible catch. But the remainder of his innings was largely fuss-free. He used the depth of the crease to punish spinners who pitched too short, and although his first attempt at a reverse sweep had prompted a big lbw appeal, he got better with that shot through the course of the day. Karunaratne did get stuck in the nineties for 29 balls, but that was largely the doing of Holder’s impeccable line and length. The hundred, which came off 212 deliveries, was the 13th of his career, and his fourth this year – his previous four innings having brought 66, 118, 244 and 75. Earlier in 2021, he’d also hit a second-innings hundred at The Wanderers.Karunaratne’s most fruitful stand of the day was with Nissanka, who hit 56 off 140 balls. The pair made 139 together, which is a Sri Lankan record for the first wicket against West Indies. Although Karunaratne was reticent through the first session, Nissanka had been even more so, having been promoted to the top of the innings due to the elected absence of Lahiru Thirimanne.Late in the day, after West Indies’ dry bowling had brought them two wickets, de Silva came in at No. 5 and livened up the place, as he often does. He creamed his fourth ball behind point for four, came down the track against the spinners and hit them aerially down the ground, swept effectively, square drove, and reached his ninth Test fifty off the 62nd ball he faced.West Indies took the second new ball late in the day, but could not make a breakthrough before bad light stopped play two overs short of what would have constituted a full day.

For the hosts, the Wanderers should be a turning point if their cricket is to move beyond the foundation phase of their rebuild

Firdose Moonda10-Jan-20221:26

Manjrekar’s India XI: Who replaces Siraj, and who makes way for Kohli?

Big picture

After India’s dominance in Centurion to South Africa’s fightback in Johannesburg, this series is now set for a decider in Cape Town. It could not be more perfectly scripted, or perhaps more unexpected.Despite South Africa’s strong record against India at home, they came into this series on the back of two years of turmoil (which started when they last visited India in 2019) and there were predictions of the visitors not only winning a first series in this country but sweeping it 3-0. India still have the opportunity to achieve the former; South African resolve has ensured the latter is off the table.India will still go into this contest as slight favourites, having stormed through fortresses in Australia, England and most recently, at the SuperSport Park. They couldn’t protect their unbeaten record in Johannesburg but may see this as a time for breaking new ground. Newlands is the place for it. India haven’t ever won at this venue but this is a side that thrives on challenging history and have already rewritten some narratives on this tour.Related

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Even with Mohammed Siraj unfit for the third Test, they have plenty in reserve. That means it won’t get any less intense for South Africa’s line-up, which remains very much a work-in-progress. Aiden Markram, especially, is due some runs while the middle order needs to build consistency ahead of two more Test series this season.India’s soft spot is also the middle-order, although they carry bigger reputations. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were both under pressure but shared in a 111-run third-wicket stand in the second innings in Johannesburg and each brought up a half-century to dim the spotlight on their performances. South Africa’s attack has demonstrated good plans, especially against Pujara, and know that winning those contests can precipitate a collapse.That responsibility may fall to Kagiso Rabada, who was on the receiving end of stern words from his captain Dean Elgar earlier in the series. Rabada remains South Africa’s highest-profile bowler (and after Quinton de Kock’s Test retirement, their highest-profile player) and he will want to be at his best in what will be his 50th Test.Of course, there’s always the danger that South Africa have already played their final after achieving their highest successful chase in Johannesburg and they will do themselves a disservice if that’s the case. The Wanderers should be a turning point for them, especially if their cricket is to move beyond the foundation phase of its rebuild.Virat Kohli missed the second Test due to back spasm•Associated Press

Form guide

South Africa WLWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
India LWWDW

In the spotlight

At times an animated figure on the sidelines in Johannesburg, Virat Kohli will be eager to get back to leading the side, especially as they chase history. Though KL Rahul led relatively well in his absence and was even involved in some heated exchanges on the field with Rassie van der Dussen, he lacked Kohli’s killer instinct. How the returning skipper does with the bat also needs to be seen. Kohli last scored a Test hundred 15 Tests ago, in November 2019, and although his overall Test average remains over 50, it has been 26.08 since that hundred.Keshav Maharaj has bowled only 20 overs in the series so far, and only two in the last Test, and his most significant role in the series has been as a nightwatchman in the second innings at Centurion. That has resulted in questions over whether South Africa understand how to pick teams for their own conditions. They could have lengthened the batting line-up or added a fifth seamer in Maharaj’s place but neither is likely to come into contention at the most spinner-friendly of this series’ venues. With the threat of R Ashwin in the opposition camp, Newlands is unlikely to be too dry but this venue historically takes turn as the match goes on. Maharaj isn’t the biggest spinner of the ball but given the right opportunity, he can cash in as he did in the West Indies.

Team news

South Africa are unlikely to make any changes to the XI that won at the Wanderers. That will mean there won’t be a debut for top-order batters Sarel Erwee and Ryan Rickelton, while seamers Glenton Stuurman and Sisanda Magala also have to wait their turn.South Africa (probable): 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Keegan Petersen, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada 10 Duanne Olivier, 11 Lungi NgidiAfter missing the Johannesburg Test because of upper back spasms, Kohli comes back in, with Hanuma Vihari most likely sitting out. Kohli also confirmed that Siraj, who picked up a hamstring concern at the Wanderers, isn’t fit to play. Either Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav could take his place.India (probable): 1 KL Rahul, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ishant Sharma/Umesh Yadav1:40

‘I still pinch myself to this day’ – Rabada set to play 50th Test

Pitch and conditions

The pandemic has kept Test cricket away from Newlands over the last two years, and in that time much has changed about the ground. An office block has been built on what used to be the smaller grass embankment (you might remember it as Castle Corner) and a new groundsman has taken over. Braam Mong will prepare his first international pitch, which is likely to be less challenging for batters than the Highveld surfaces the teams come from. The average first-innings total in the eight first-class matches played at this ground since its last Test in January 2020 is a healthy 361. In first-innings total terms, Newlands ranks sixth among the 68 grounds that have hosted at least five first-class matches in the last two years.Conversely, wicket-taking is tough. Of the 320 potential wickets which could have fallen since the start of 2020, only 215 have been taken. Seamers have been responsible for 130 of those, at an average of 32.70, while spinners have taken 85 wickets at 34.40.Cape Town had a week of temperatures above 30 degrees to ring in the new year but that cooled off to 22 on the eve of the match. Things will heat up as the Test progresses, with Thursday expected to top 34 degrees.

Stats and trivia

• Rabada will play his 50th Test match. Rabada has taken 226 Test wickets thus far and is South Africa’s seventh-highest wicket-taker of all time, 65 behind Jacques Kallis.
• India have never won a Test at Newlands, with three defeats and two draws from the five matches they’ve played there.
• Kohli needs 146 runs to become the sixth Indian batter to reach 8000 Test runs while Rahane needs 79 runs to reach 5000. Kohli is two catches away from 100 and Rahane is one away.

Quotes

“In the last 10-11 years I’ve been playing three formats and the IPL constantly, and the workload is obviously high when you’re performing consistently, and there are training days when you’re working hard in the gym, travelling days – they all accumulate, and somewhere you take it for granted that you’ll play every match, that there won’t be any fitness issues. It’s a strange feeling [to miss a match with injury], but it shows you the reality. You’re playing a sport, and your body will suffer wear and tear, and you need to accept that you’re also human, and you need to view yourself as a human, and if your perspective around that isn’t clear, it can lead to frustration, and that’s not right, because niggles and injuries are very natural in sport.”
“It’s the best I’ve seen Newlands in quite some time. They’re trying to prepare a good Test wicket. They want it to deteriorate over time, over day four and five. It looks like a relatively good cricket pitch. Newlands has never really been known for massive pace and bounce. They want to get us to play five days of cricket. If we implement the basics, from both teams, we will get there. The fact that they’ve got a new groundsman, he is maybe under pressure to prepare a good wicket. Visually, it looks like it’s going to be a good Test wicket. If you bowl well, you are going to reap rewards but if you apply your basics batting, you are also going to get success.”

South Africa will be eyeing a clean sweep in the ODIs – something that seemed unlikely when the tour started

Hemant Brar22-Jan-20221:42

Should South Africa experiment? And should Rishabh Pant continue at No. 4?

Big picture

Outbatted. Outbowled. Outcaptained. That’s what South Africa did to India in the first two ODIs. Under Temba Bavuma, they played like a close-knit unit and, on a Boland Park pitch that looked more Indian than South African, defeated India comprehensively in successive games.In the first ODI, Rassie van der Dussen and Bavuma’s hundreds helped them post an above-par total before their bowlers closed out the game. In the second, they chased down 288 with little discomfort. Now, in the third in Cape Town, they will step out to attempt what not many would have imagined at the start of the series: a whitewash.India, on the other hand, had said before the series that they were looking to build a team for the 2023 World Cup and wouldn’t mind trying out a few things. They will have another opportunity to do that, but it’s not clear if they have ticked any boxes so far.Ahead of the series, stand-in captain KL Rahul spoke about how important it was to have a sixth bowling option in the XI but then he didn’t give Venkatesh Iyer a single over in the first ODI. Rahul’s own approach with the bat – a strike rate of 69.79 in the series – has also been a little puzzling, while the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin has looked anything but threatening despite the spin-friendly conditions in the first two ODIs.

Form guide

South Africa WWLWL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India LLLWW

In the spotlight

Aiden Markram was arguably South Africa’s best batter at the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, his poor returns during the Test series against India started the chatter about whether he needed to go back to domestic cricket to find his form. In the second ODI, Markram showed encouraging signs with an unbeaten 37 off 41 and would be eager to build on it.It hasn’t been a memorable comeback for R Ashwin in ODI cricket. He did score a crucial 25 not out in the second ODI, but he is in the side primarily for his bowling. So far in the series, he has had figures of 1 for 53 and none for 68.India’s powerplay bowling will also be under the microscope. Their bowlers have picked up only ten wickets in the powerplay overs in the last 23 ODIs. They have the worst average (132.10) and the worst economy (5.74) among all teams in that phase. Can they find a solution to their new-ball issues?Tabraiz Shamsi pats Rishabh Pant on the back as he walks off after scoring 85 off 71 balls in the second ODI•AFP/Getty Images

Team news

South Africa may rest Lungi Ngidi, who has played all three Tests and two ODIs so far. In his place, they could either bring back Marco Jansen, or give an opportunity to Dwaine Pretorius.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Marco Jansen/Dwaine Pretorius, 10 Sisanda Magala, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiIndia played the same XI in the first two ODIs but they could rest Jasprit Bumrah and give a chance to Mohammed Siraj. Deepak Chahar could get a look-in as well.India (probable): 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Venkatesh Iyer, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Deepak Chahar/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Pitch and conditions

Cape Town last hosted an ODI in February 2020, so it’s difficult to say how the pitch will behave. Conditions wise, it should be cooler than Paarl, with a peak temperature of around 31-degree Celsius.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won 31 out of 37 ODIs they have played in Cape Town.
• Chahal is two short of 100 ODI wickets. If he reaches there on Sunday, in his 59th ODI, he will become the joint fourth-fastest Indian to the landmark.
• India have lost three out of their last four away ODI series.
• It has been 64 innings now since Virat Kohli scored his last international hundred.

Quotes

“A guy like me has always seen them bowl in the IPL and international cricket. So it was good to go out and get some game-time against them. You need more time to face guys like those because you need to get the rhythm of each and every one of them. So it was a kind of challenge for me to do it in the first and second game.”
“The way Rishabh batted, with two wickets down, it’s not easy. We all know he can play shots but the way he managed the first 20 balls and then took down the spinners… He targeted the areas where he is strong, which is something he is really working on. It’s great to see he has done that and it will give him a lot of confidence going ahead.”

The allrounder took the Belinda Clark award as Australia’s leading female player

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2022Ashleigh Gardner’s increased maturity has paved the way for her to become the first Indigenous player to claim one of Australian cricket’s top honours.Gardner, 24, was on Saturday named winner of the Belinda Clark Award, crowning her as Australia’s best female player for the past 12 months.The offspinning allrounder was told by Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley of her award on Friday night, admitting she asked him more than once if he had the right person. But Gardner’s growth over the past year means she is a more than deserving recipient.She found consistency in 2021, going from a big hitter to solid performer with 281 runs at 35.10 across all formats in the past year. She scored four half-centuries in that time, highlighted by an unbeaten 73 in a successful T20I chase in New Zealand in March.Related

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Gardner also produced her maiden Test half-century, against India, before backing it up against England in the Ashes match in Canberra – although the latter match came outside of the award voting period.Adding to Gardner’s improvement, she was in the team’s top-five run-scorers and top-three wicket-takers in each of the three formats.”I’ve certainly grown up both on and off the field,” Gardner said. “I think maturing off the field probably has an impact on my game on the field. I feel really comfortable within this side.”I’ve known what my role has been and I’ve been really clear in the direction that I need to do with either bat or ball in hand.”Gardner’s maturity has also been most evident in her bounce back in recent months. While her international success has been clear, her underwhelming WBBL with Sydney Sixers – which included a run of four consecutive ducks – left her battling mentally and needing time out after months in bubbles.She made the point to see Australia’s sports psychologist, took a few weeks out and then rebounded with a first-innings 56 and 1 for 27 with the ball in the current Test against England.”You can find yourself in some pretty dark places when you aren’t in the best form. And that was certainly me,” Gardner said. “I can openly admit that my mental health probably wasn’t great.”But I think it’s good for people’s careers to go on that slight decline to then actually find the confidence again and find the rhythm back in your batting.”Being able to go back into the [NSW] Breakers set up around a different bunch of girls was really instrumental to actually feel confident again. As soon as I got back into this [Australian] set-up, it was full faith that I would get back to where I wanted to be.”Gardner picked up 54 votes to finish clear of T20 player-of-the-year Beth Mooney (47) and ODI recipient Alyssa Healy (39).