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The hosts have spent 167.2 overs on the field but their batsmen still have to dig deep and show character if they are to survive in Sydney

Alagappan Muthu03-Jan-2019
4:44

Martyn: Pujara’s centuries take the pressure off Kohli

Sydney offered runs to India and misery to Australia as Cheteshwar Pujara amassed 193, Rishabh Pant cruised to 159*, Nathan Lyon complained about his team’s tactics and the three 140 kph quicks were bowled into the ground.So complete was India’s hold over the final Test match – and by extension the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – that they had Usman Khawaja – a man who’d only ever bowled one over in his life as an Australian cricketer – lobbing his harmless offspin soon after the tea break.Mitchell Starc was stuck on 199 Test wickets. Pat Cummins was down on pace. Josh Hazlewood was left waiting for the third new ball. And Australia suffered an 11th instance of being out on the field for 100 overs or more since January 2018. That is not a nice stat. The key stats on the day, anyway, seemed reserved for India, from Pujara facing 1258 deliveries – the fourth-highest by any batsman in a series not longer than four Tests – to Pant becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century down under.Rishabh Pant congratulates Cheteshwar Pujara after the latter’s 193•Getty Images

Even the man who didn’t trouble the number crunchers did well. Hanuma Vihari looks a safe bet at No. 6 for India, scoring 42 off 96 balls, and was only dislodged from the crease after a slightly contentious catch at short leg. He was judged out on the field. His review was immediate. He indicated the ball had gone off the forearm. The bowler Lyon too appeared to agree as he joined his team-mates to wait on DRS but snicko suggested a spike as the ball passed the top edge of the sweeping bat.Those kinds of shots were more the norm on the second day of the New Year’s Test. Even the phlegmatic Pujara began with an expansive cover drive and later went past 150 with a down-the-track lash through the same region. India’s No. 3 made 51 runs in 82 deliveries this morning and looked set to make his third double-century against Australia but Lyon managed to hoodwink him as he came out of his crease to secure a return catch.That left the stage open to the antics of a 21-year old in his first year of Test cricket. Pant has found stardom with his stump mic cameos. He may also be the most famous babysitter in the world – without actually doing any babysitting. And the day job’s going pretty well too. India already had 329 runs on the board when he came to the crease. He could easily have started throwing his bat around for some quick runs. No one would have blamed him; they might even have celebrated it as the perfect kind of innings from a No. 7.But that only applies to wicketkeepers for whom batting is their second string. Pant doesn’t belong in that box. He has all the shots. Too many shots. There have been times in the past when he indulges once too often and gets out. Remember the two 92s against West Indies last year? So – as if his resolution for 2019 was to show more responsibility – he played like Pujara with Pujara at the other end. Sure, the runs came at rapid pace, but there weren’t too many risks. In fact, through the first 100 deliveries that he faced, there were only five shots hit in the air.That restraint has served Pant well. He now has 350 runs in this series – which is more than Virat Kohli’s tally. It is more than MS Dhoni’s tally combining all three of his tours to Australia.There was plenty of merry-making in the last session of the day with Ravindra Jadeja participating in a seventh-wicket stand that produced 204 runs in only 224 balls, the peak of which was an over when the left-hander crashed Cummins – bowling at 130 kph – to the boundary four times in a single over. His dismissal for 81 off 114 deliveries triggered India’s declaration. With 622 on the board, their bowlers had 10 overs to further torture Australia before the safety of stumps. They would have struck in the third over, with Mohammed Shami drawing Khawaja’s outside edge, but Pant dropped a straightforward catch.Australia managed to keep all their wickets but very little is well with them. Simon Katich said the system was setting players up to fail, pointing to the case of Aaron Finch having to open the batting at Test level when he doesn’t do so for his state. Shane Warne rubbished the team they had picked to play the one-day series against India. Discontent appears to be brewing even within the team with Lyon questioning why the team had to bowl bouncers soon after drinks on the first day when the pitch – at least back then – had enough moisture to keep pitching it up.There are still three days left in the Sydney Test. Conditions are glorious for batting. Australia’s batsmen have to stand up and show their character and earn a draw. Only a draw won’t be enough for them. It would still mean they’d lose their first Test series at home to India.

While the tournament is set to be played between October 5 and November 19, the BCCI is yet to finalise the schedule

Nagraj Gollapudi27-May-2023The schedule for the 2023 World Cup will be unveiled during the World Test Championship final at The Oval, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has said. The board has prepared a list of more than a dozen venues across India, and the final shortlist will be shared with the ICC soon.Shah made these comments during a media briefing after the BCCI’s special general meeting in Ahmedabad which will host the IPL final on Sunday. While the ten-team World Cup is set to be played between October 5 and November 19, the BCCI is yet to finalise the schedule, with just about four months left for the start of the tournament.Related

• ICC: 2023 World Cup fixtures to be released 'as soon as we possibly can'

• World Cup 2023 likely to start on October 5 and end on November 19

A total of 48 matches, including the three knockout games, are set to be played across the 46-day period. Ahmedabad aside, the original shortlist of cities on BCCI list comprised: Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Rajkot and Mumbai and Trivandrum. It is understood that Nagpur and Pune, too, are under consideration. It is likely that the league matches will be hosted across 10 cities, with two more cities staging the warm-up fixtures preceding the main tournament.

Asia Cup to be formally discussed at ACC meeting

Shah, who is also the current president of the Asian Cricket Council, said an emergent meeting of the ACC will be held to finalise whether the hybrid model proposed by the PCB for the 2023 Asia Cup is feasible.On Sunday, Shah will be meeting his counterparts from Sri Lanka Cricket, Bangladesh Cricket Board, and Afghanistan Cricket Board to informally discuss their views on the Asia Cup.Pakistan are the hosts of this year’s Asia Cup, scheduled for September, but with India declining to travel there, the ACC has been looking at alternatives. Recently, the PCB had suggested a hybrid model for the six-team tournament, where four of the 13 matches will be held in Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan are grouped together along with Nepal. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are part of the second group.The biggest challenge about the hybrid model concerns the travel involved. Shah said “two or three countries” had sent in their views, which will be formally discussed at the ACC meeting in the next ten days.Shah said, in his capacity as ACC chairman, he wanted the Asia Cup to go ahead this year. The tournament has not been be hosted in Pakistan or India since 2008 due to the political differences between both countries.

Disagreement revolves around the nominees that make up the PCB board which plays a role in deciding the chairman

Umar Farooq27-Jun-2023The election to determine the new Pakistan Cricket Board chairman will not take place until July 17 with the High Court of Balochistan issuing a stay order against it.The Court was hearing a case which claimed the governing board of the PCB, which plays a big role in selecting the new chair, was formed in violation of the 2014 constitution. The Court did not hear the PCB’s arguments and issued notices to all stakeholders to attend the next session.On Monday morning – 24 hours before the election that could have led to Zaka Ashraf becoming PCB chairman – a number of writ petitions were filed in various courts in Pakistan to stop the whole thing. The Lahore High Court has admitted at least three petitions, combining them into one hearing, which was adjourned until Tuesday.The PCB’s board is comprised of ten members: four regional representatives, four representatives from services and the two members nominated by the Prime Minister. These members would then conduct a vote to determine the next chairman. Historically, it is the Prime Minister’s appointment to the PCB board of governors who becomes the chairman for a three-year term, and Ashraf was the overwhelming favorite.Najam Sethi was the most recent head of the PCB, but he was a temporary appointment, tasked with bringing back the 2014 constitution. He was working with a management committee and they are the ones who have taken to the courts to contest the elections. They claimed that the PCB board was improperly set up, emphasising that it disregarded a list of nominees that Sethi had put forward.Sethi’s list included Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi but they were named out of the rotation. The PCB election commissioner and acting chairman, Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana, rejected them and replaced them with representatives of Larkana, Dera Murad Jamali, Bahawalpur and Hyderabad. This difference of opinion is the reason the matter has been taken to court.These proceedings are a throwback to 2013 and 2014 when Sethi launched a legal offensive against Ashraf. The pair were involved in a protracted battle for the PCB chairmanship, with the position switching hands several times. Ashraf won in court but was ousted by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif which led to Sethi taking control.

The Australian cited “personal reasons” but it is understood that delays in finalising the deal between him and the PCB may have played a part

Umar Farooq14-Aug-2018The Pakistan Cricket Board will have to start their hunt for a fielding coach afresh after Darren Berry withdrew his interest in the role due to personal and professional reasons. Berry, who played 153 first-class matches in Australia from 1989 to 2004, had been in talks with the PCB for more than a month.Pakistan were looking for a replacement for Steve Rixon, the previous fielding coach who chose not to renew his contract after it expired in June. Berry had emerged as a leading candidate for the post after being endorsed by head coach Mickey Arthur, and official talks between the PCB and Berry began in the third week of June.It is understood Berry was originally due to join the Pakistan team on their tour of Zimbabwe in July, but that was delayed because the PCB’s official procedures took time. The date of Berry’s joining was then pushed to August 25, with the Asia Cup in September set to be his first assignment with the Pakistan team.On the understanding that everything in his contract was principally agreed on to save a few minor tweaks, Berry had let go of a coaching job in the Global T20 Canada. But when faced with more unusual delays from the PCB, he decided to pull out of the discussions. While he won’t be taking up the Pakistan job, Berry has renewed his ties with Islamabad United for the next PSL season, and also retains his Bangladesh Premier League contract.”I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity presented by Mickey Arthur and PCB,” Berry told ESPNcricinfo. “After healthy discussions between the PCB and myself, I have decided that at this point in time with a young family (Berry has three children) that full-time international travel was a bridge too far right now. I will continue to work with Islamabad United in the PSL and will keep an open mind in relation to international coaching opportunities in the future.”Rixon, 64, had his last working day with Pakistan on June 13, when they beat Scotland by 84 runs to seal a two-match T20I series 2-0. Since that game, Pakistan have been without a fielding coach. The PCB did confirm that they have been in talks with Berry and that he was on the verge of being selected for the role, but the deal wasn’t penned down formally. “(There was) no delay,” a PCB official said. “Steve Rixon was contracted to us till end June. We gave an ad that had a deadline of June 27 to hire new coach. After that we were negotiating terms and everything was agreed until he withdrew for personal reasons, but on good terms with PCB.”Berry, a respected name in cricket coaching, had spent four years with South Australia until 2015 and guided them to the 2010-11 Big Bash title, the last before the BBL became a franchise tournament. His luck was different in first-class cricket with the Redbacks finishing last in three out of four seasons.

Hamsphire fight back after Surrey dismantle top order

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Apr-2023Surrey 37 for 0 trail Hampshire 254 all out (Brown 95, Lawes 4-58) by 217 runsIf you come to this part of south London, you’re guaranteed at least two things – Portuguese restaurants and wicketkeepers.There is a high concentration of both in this corner of Lambeth. As many as 10 of the former within a one-mile radius of the Kia Oval and four of the latter within the ground as part of Surrey’s XI for the visit of Hampshire. Probably more coincidence than anything else, but who could blame you for indulging the fan fiction that Alec Stewart’s penchant for a pastel de nata bred an Iberian culinary turf war?Nevertheless, if you want the best of either, this is a good part of the country to seek it. Usually, anyway. On Thursday, patrons of the Kia Oval for the defending champions’ 2023 homecoming were informed that one of the best wicketkeepers around was not part of the four. Ben Foakes, England’s incumbent behind the stumps – a position surely reinforced by 76 and 103 not out against Lancashire last week – was out with back issue. Not enough to raise concern, but enough to urge caution and bring a sense of disappointment no amount of custard tarts could overcome.Shorn of theirs and England’s number one, locals made do with Jamie Smith, a long-term international prospect, as deputy. Ollie Pope, who did it twice on the Test tour of Pakistan, was also a potential option, though he seemed happy enough standing at second slip. Skipper Rory Burns was once considered a capable understudy many moons ago. Trawl through the annals, and you’ll even find under-17 scorecards of allrounder Jordan Clark with a dagger by his name. By stumps, however, the leading wicketkeeper turn came from the opposition.Ben Brown stood above his peers with a diligent 95, holding Hampshire together on day one of this first battle of the summer between two title rivals. That the visitors made it to 254 in their first innings was a minor miracle, and Surrey’s score of 37 for no loss at stumps put the under-performance of Hampshire’s top-order into perspective.Brown arrived at the crease on 39 for 4, after James Vince had won the toss and chosen to bat first under bright blue skies. Kemar Roach worked over Felix Organ for his 50th first-class wicket for Surrey, then fortuitously bowled Nick Gubbins – the left-hander defending a ball that bounced and spun back onto his leg stump – for 51. At the other end, Vince had poked at Sean Abbott’s first delivery before Tom Lawes knocked out Liam Dawson’s off stump.Alec Stewart – a case of mild indigestion perhaps?•Getty Images

The 14th over hardly called for a “traditional” wicketkeeper in the modern sense. There was little to riff off beforehand and counter-attacking against a bowling group as rampant as they were relentless would have only gone one way. Just as well then that Brown strolled out.He is more batter-keeper than keeper-batter, and thus something of an anomaly among his full-time contemporaries. One who gets bowlers to come to him rather than the other way around, rarely straying from a self-imposed box, whether punching drives off the front foot or swivelling off the back foot to anything short. There are not many misjudgements, which makes the life he got on 3 all the more noteworthy.A hook off Sean Abbott burst through the hands of Lawes out on the square leg fence. Lawes would profit from Brown’s next error 146 deliveries later when the right-hander drifted across his stumps and was trapped in front, missing out on a 24th career century. The 20-year-old seamer made further amends to remove Keith Barker, the only other batter to offer resistance, before yorking Kyle Abbott to finish with 4 for 58.Brown used the time between his errors wisely, ticking over the scoreboard without taking undue risk, even for the 11 boundaries he managed. Even with the losses of Fletcha Middleton – caught behind for 32 after Smith had dropped him on 0 – and Ian Holland, Brown did not panic and go into cavalier mode. In Barker, he found an accomplished ally for a ball shy of 35 overs before their stand ended on 95.Brown has a degree of misfortune in that the gloves seem to distract from his batting, which is worthy of merit on its own. The straightforward methodology and average of 40.45 suggest he could have done it as a full-time pursuit, something lost by being a first-choice gloveman.That average has been steadily improving since 2015 and ticked over the magic 40 mark at the end of the 2021 season, where it has remained ever since. All the while, his keeping remains tidy, and in turn his value to Hampshire rises in tandem with the frustration of Sussex supporters. It remains a mystery why he was managed so poorly back in that 2021 summer when he was stripped of the captaincy. A mutually-agreed release from Hove two years ahead of time came to pass at the end of the year, ending an association that began as an under-11.Aged 34, international honours for a former England under-19 are probably gone, even if Brown has publicly stated he will keep pushing for a Test cap even when he’s 40. That he has rarely been mentioned in the numerous conversations around England’s keeping position over the years is best reflected in the “Foakes or Bairstow” one happening at the moment. The reliability of Foakes’ conventional batting is taken as read rather than a tick in his box.Brown falls into the same category. But, like Foakes, taking that for granted would be a mistake. Without his efforts, Hampshire could have been staring at a similar innings defeat they suffered here last season. Now, thanks to Brown, they will return with something to work with on day two.

In the BBL a new batter must be ready to face up within 75 seconds of a wicket falling

AAP01-Jan-2023Adelaide Strikers overseas player Adam Hose believes Marcus Stoinis was too slow to face the first delivery of his matchwinning knock and the 75-second timed out rule should have been enforced.Stoinis blasted his way back to form on New Year’s Eve, crunching 74 off 35 deliveries in the Melbourne Stars’ eight-run win at Adelaide Oval. But according to Hose, Stoinis could have been sent packing first ball had the umpires upheld the Strikers’ appeal.The rule states that at the fall of a wicket, the incoming batter must be ready to face within 75 seconds. If the batter fails to arrive in time, they must stand to the side of the pitch for the first delivery of their innings and allow the bowler – in this case Wes Agar – a free ball at the stumps. If the ball strikes the wicket, the batter is out bowled.Related

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• Stoinis returns to form with 35-ball 74 as Stars secure thrilling win

“To be honest, I was at cover for his first ball and I’m pretty certain he timed out – 75 seconds, he wasn’t ready,” Hose said. “I just hope that if it is the rule then we can play by it. That’s my only experience of the clock being run out.”We asked the question, we appealed, but nothing happened. I’m pretty certain his time was up.”Eleven days earlier, against Sydney Thunder, Hose, the incoming batter, was still scratching his guard and gardening when batting partner Matt Short yelled “Hosie, face up” as the 75-second countdown almost expired.”Umpires have been very hot on me the last couple of games getting to the crease,” Hose said. “I’ve been warned about it a few times and had to change my first-ball routine.”I guess that’s why my frustration came in, because they’ve been very hot on me. I just hope, moving forward into the rest of the tournament, if it’s going to be a rule then it has to be enforced.”Stoinis was aware of the ticking clock but rejected Hose’s claim, insisting Adelaide’s field was not set in time.”I checked centre [guard], then I was standing off because I could see the field moving,” he said. “I actually didn’t know that I had to stand there regardless.”Stoinis was also critical of the Strikers’ appeal for a timed out call against Hilton Cartwright in the 14th over.”The same thing happened with Hilts,” Stoinis said. “They [Strikers] appealed for that but the field was moving so it ended up being a dead ball. I wouldn’t appeal [for that]. The rule is in place if someone is trying to take advantage and slow the game down.”

Queensland build a dominant lead as Tasmania only managed three wickets all day

AAP07-Oct-2022Marnus Labuschagne appears to have lost little of his batting appetite over the winter after the Test run-machine opened his Sheffield Shield season with a century for Queensland against Tasmania on Friday.Labuschagne scored 127 in a controlled innings that lifted Queensland to 4 for 357, a hefty 210 runs clear of the visitors’ 147 at the midway point of the match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.There were runs also for fellow Test batter Usman Khawaja and former Australian opener Joe Burns.Only one wicket fell in the opening two sessions as Tasmania’s bowlers found life much harder than it seemed to be on day one for the Queensland attack.Burns and Labuschagne put on 148 for the second wicket after Queensland resumed at their overnight 1 for 24.
As always, Labuschagne looked capable of batting all day only to be trapped lbw by former Test stalwart Peter Siddle. After shouldering arms at a Siddle inswinger, Labuschagne bizarrely seemed to be walking off before the umpire had raised his finger to confirm the dismissal. Labuschagne’s 24th first-class century included 19 boundaries and a six.It was a hard day’s toil for Tasmania’s attack who, though limiting the home side to just 2.5 runs an over during the opening session, created few wicket-taking opportunities.Former Australian Test skipper Tim Paine collected three catches at the wicket in his return to the game. The third was Queensland’s only failure of the day as Jack Clayton fell for a third-ball duck off the bowling of Riley Meredith.

Injury concerns aside, CSK have begun well, squeezing out maximum points so far. Now they run into a revamped Kings XI Punjab, captained by an old friend

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu14-Apr-20185:03

Agarkar: Out of form Yuvraj on shaky ground

Big Picture

Two matches, two last-gasp wins and two injuries. Having squeezed out maximum points so far, Chennai Super Kings now run into a revamped Kings XI Punjab side captained by an old friend in R Ashwin. Kings XI have had a seesawing start to the season: they mowed down Delhi Daredevils but came up short against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday. They have a little less than 48 hours to address their weaknesses, particularly their batting.Despite losing wickets in a cluster, Kings XI’s batsmen kept going after the bowlers and were ultimately bowled out with four balls unused in their innings. Such an approach works only if you have a fail-safe option in the batting line-up. Yuvraj Singh is past his prime while Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, and Marcus Stoinis are largely hit-or-miss batsmen. Ashwin, however, has indicated that the side will not curb its aggression after just one loss.Super Kings’ middle order is rickety as well, and the injuries to Suresh Raina and Kedar Jadhav have forced them to dig deep into their reserves. Ambati Rayudu has given the team bright starts in both games, so, perhaps, there is a case for him to stay at the top. Super Kings will have to choose between a fit-again M Vijay and Delhi’s Dhruv Shorey, who is uncapped in the IPL, for the middle-order slot thrown open by the absence of Raina.

In the news

• Raina will miss a Super Kings match for the first time in his career.
• Jadhav’s replacement David Willey joined the squad on the eve of the match.
• Lungi Ngidi will not be available for Sunday’s clash, having flown back home to South Africa following the death of his father.
• Ngidi’s captain at South Africa Faf du Plessis, who is recovering from a finger injury and a side strain, is “close” to full fitness, according to coach Stephen Fleming.

ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Aaron Finch/David Miller, 4 Yuvraj Singh/Manoj Tiwary, 5 Karun Nair, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin (capt), 9 Andrew Tye, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Mujeeb ZadranChennai Super Kings 1 Shane Watson, 2 Ambati Rayudu, 3 M Vijay/Dhruv Shorey, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Sam Billings, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Imran Tahir

Stats that matter

• Axar Patel has a perfect record against Shane Watson, having dismissed the Australian allrounder five times in five IPL matches
• MS Dhoni has struggled against spin, managing only 367 runs off 349 balls with a dot percentage of 45.6 since IPL 2015. Ravindra Jadeja has fared worse against spin, scoring only 157 off 161 balls in the same period.
• Mohit Sharma has bagged 25 wickets between overs 16 and 20 in 43 IPL games since 2015. He also tends to leak runs in the same phase, though, as his economy-rate of 9.4 suggests.

Strategy punt

If Rayudu continues to open for CSK, Ashwin could do well to bring himself on right away. The spinner has dismissed Rayudu four times in 48 balls while giving away only 53 runs.

Fantasy pick

That he can bowl legspin with accuracy too has amplified the threat posed by Ashwin. He struck with a loopy legbreak in the 12th over on Friday, removing Sarfraz Khan, and bowled a total of four legbreaks in the match for just one run. In Kings XI’s tournament opener against Delhi Daredevils, Ashwin had ventured four legbreaks and conceded three runs.

Quote

“There is obviously a lot going on. The positive is we have two wins out of two. There haven’t been great performances but scrapping and fighting wins, which at the start of a tournament is more valuable.”

No. 8 Jahanara Alam dived to the striker’s end and completed the second run to seal the three-wicket victory and clinch Bangladesh’s maiden Asia Cup by defeating India for the second time in the tournament

Annesha Ghosh10-Jun-2018Bangladesh’s post-match revelry•ACC

A maiden Asia Cup final. Nine runs required off the last over. Two wickets go down on the fourth and fifth balls and the match spills onto the final ball, with Bangladesh women needing two to win.A thriller. A heartbreak for six-time champions India. A perfect ending for Bangladesh, as No. 8 Jahanara Alam dived at the striker’s end to seal a three-wicket victory and give Bangladesh their maiden Asia Cup title.Deepti Sharma’s throw from midwicket to push the final into a Super Over proved as bereft of vigour as was India’s performance with the bat that saw them post 112 for 8; half of the tally courtesy captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 42-ball 56. That they were still able to drag the game to the final over was down to legspinner Poonam Yadav’s career-best 4 for 9.
With Bangladesh requiring 23 off 18 and a set Rumana Ahmed batting on 13, Harmanpreet, who hadn’t bowled in India’s last two league matches, brought herself on to bowl the 18th and 20th overs. She drew a top-edge off her first delivery that flew over the wicketkeeper for four. The rest of the over continued to be eventful, featuring two singles and two twos, before ending with a missed run-out opportunity due to an erroneous throw from Smriti Mandhana.India missed a second run-out opportunity in the 19th over when Deepti, the bowler, decided against throwing the ball at the non-striker Sanjida Islam’s end after collecting a return drive. Islam survived and added 14 vital runs off 13 balls for the sixth wicket with Rumana. Deepti, however, gave away just four runs, leaving India with nine to defend in the final over.By then, however, all of India’s four frontline spinners had bowled out, their spearhead Jhulan Goswami had leaked 20 in two overs, and their only other fast bowler – Shikha Pandey – left the field with a knee injury – in the second over of the chase – having bowled only four balls.It was in that context that Harmanpreet, who had memorably bowled the final over in India’s 2016 Asia Cup victory, came on to bowl the 20th. But Rumana, who had single-handedly routed India in their seven-wicket league-stage win, struck an inside-out four off the second ball as Bangladesh shaved off six runs off the first three balls. Islam then slogged Veda Krishnamurthy to long-on as more drama ensued. Deepti and Harmanpreet then combined to have Rumana run out off the penultimate ball of the innings.With two required off the final ball, Harmanpreet pitched on a fullish-length, and it was met with a slog from Alam towards the deep. With that, India were denied a seventh straight title and Bangladesh had their fifth win in six matches to end a momentous Asia Cup campaign.But Bangladesh took their first steps towards history much earlier in the game, when they strangled India in the Powerplay, thanks to left-arm spinner Nahida Akter, whose three overs cost just six runs.Salma Khatun, the Bangladesh captain, complemented that effort with some disciplined offspin bowling that kept India’s openers on a leash. The pressure eventually got to the batsmen, when Mandhana’s bid to steal a third run in the fourth over was ended by a direct hit from Akter. An out-of-form Mithali Raj and Deepti then laboured to 9 off 15 balls 3 off nine balls respectively in the Powerplay.It was enough to inject nerves into India’s innings and led to a wicket in each of the next three overs. Medium-pacer Alam bowled Deepti, offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra removed Raj, while Anuja Patil became the second Indian female player – and the first in T20Is – to be out obstructing the field as she changed her course en route to making her ground at the non-striker’s end.By then, India had slumped to 32 for 4, before top-scorer Harmanpreet added 30 runs with Veda Krishnamurthy. An ill-judged sweep sent Krishnamurthy back for 11, before legspinner Rumana’s double-strike in the 15th took out wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia and Shikha Pandey for single-digit scores.Harmanpreet fought on to notch up her highest score in 20 innings across limited-overs formats since her unbeaten 171 in the World Cup semi-final last year. Her resistance ended in the last ball of the innings when she found Alam in a bid to clear deep square leg.

The Victoria player, who scored a double-hundred last week, is being treated for mental health-related illness

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2018Will Pucovski, the highly-rated Victoria batsman who made a double-century in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield, will take an indefinite break from the game for treatment on a mental health-related illness.Pucovski, 20, was withdrawn from the latest round of Shield matches on the eve of Victoria’s game against New South Wales and his state has now confirmed it will be an extended absence.”Will’s health remains our highest priority and Cricket Victoria’s medical staff will continue to provide support to Will during this time,” Cricket Victoria’s doctor Trefor James said.Cricket Victoria general manager Shaun Graf said: “Will is a terrific young player and we need to do what’s best for him at this time. We’ll continue to work with our medical staff to determine the best training and preparation plan to support Will at this time.”Pucovski hit 243 against Western Australia at the WACA, his second first-class century in seven matches, and given Australia’s current batting problems he was already been talked about as a potential option for the Test team.He has previously had to battle a series of concussions during his brief career following a number of blows to the head.