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Raghvi Bist helped India A recover from a tricky start to post a decent total in Mackay

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2024Katie Mack’s superbly-constructed 129 led Australia A to a four-wicket victory over India A which was more comprehensive that the final scoreline suggested in the first one-day match in Mackay.Mack’s hundred controlled the chase as she added 122 in 20 overs for the third wicket with captain Tahlia McGrath who continued the form she showed in the last two T20s with a brisk half-century.Mack took 106 balls to bring up her century and the innings ensured the home side was never under significant pressure. She added 50 for the first wicket with Maddy Darke and 65 for the second with Charli Knott before the latter was run out by a direct hit. Mack was yorked by Meghna Singh with five runs needed.”It swung a little bit early then died down,” Mack said. “Think the challenge was finding the boundaries on a bit of a slower wicket with not much pace on the ball so it was a bit of a slog with a lot of running, but I was super focused to make sure I made the most of the start. Got a couple of starts in the T20s so just wanted to make sure I capitalised today.”McGrath was given a life on 10 when Sayali Satghare dropped a return catch. She later appeared unhappy to be given out sweeping although by then the result was assured despite a flurry of late wickets which included two falling with the scores level.India A had earlier been put into bat and were soon under pressure as Nicola Hancock struck with the new ball, nipping one back through Shweta Sehrawat in the first over then having Priya Punia edging to slip.From 56 for 3 the innings was rebuilt by consecutive stands of 55, 52 and 68 all involving Raghvi Bist. Legspinner Grace Parsons again impressed, producing a sharp leg-break to remove Tejal Hasabnis for 53.Maitlan Brown closed out the innings well, ending Bist’s hopes of a century and then claiming three wickets in the final over.There are two more one-day games in Mackay on Friday and Sunday before a four-day match on the Gold Coast next week. Australia A won the T20 series 3-0.

Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis have flown back home to recover from their injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-20232:07

Starc: ‘Obviously the priority is the World Cup’

Mitchell Starc is in line to return to the Australian side for the third and final ODI against India in Rajkot. The fast bowler has been out of international action since the Ashes in July but hinted his comeback is on track as Australia try to avoid a whitewash.Starc was ruled out of the South Africa tour with groin soreness that had lingered following the Ashes. He travelled to India ahead of the first ODI but did not play the first two games as he continued to be carefully managed in the build-up to the World Cup.”It’s on track,” Starc said of his recovery. “Obviously, the priority is the World Cup so if that means we have to be mindful of tomorrow that’s one thing, but we’ll see how today goes, see how I pull up in the morning. The goal is to play tomorrow, but what that looks like depends on how today goes, the priority being the World Cup and not compromising that.”Related

• Rohit, Kohli, Cummins tag in for India-Australia series finale

• Australia's bowling under the spotlight

• Cummins: We can't afford to be 'cooked' before World Cup

Glenn Maxwell, too, is likely to return to action after he took part in the nets session on Tuesday. Maxwell’s last competitive game was a first-class appearance for Warwickshire in July. He was set to play in the T20I series in South Africa but experienced soreness in his previously broken leg at the first training session. He was sent home early as a precaution as he was always set to miss the subsequent five-match ODI series to be home for the birth of his first child.Australia will be without Spencer Johnson (hamstring) and Nathan Ellis (groin), though. The pace duo has returned home to begin their recoveries ahead of the domestic season. While Johnson made his debut in the second ODI, Ellis did not feature in the series. Neither bowler is part of the World Cup squad.Glenn Maxwell is also in line to make a comeback•Getty Images

Maxwell played a practice match for Victoria last Wednesday but did not arrive in India until Friday. While Starc did not confirm Maxwell’s inclusion for the third ODI, he suggested the allrounder was “certainly on track for the World Cup”.”Yeah, Glenn [Maxwell] has come back as well,” Starc said. “He is on track. I am not sure about his particular timeline but no doubt he will be looking to make an impact as soon as he gets his chance.”He has got a wealth of experience over here through IPL, through multiple tours. He is certainly an X-factor no matter which team he plays in. This is his third one-day World Cup. He is an X-factor for us and certainly who can take the game on.”His ability with the ball, particularly in these conditions, adds another option in the bowling department as well. He seems in good spirits and going really well, [but] his return I am not sure what that looks like for this week but certainly on track for the World Cup.”Australia haven’t had the best of preparations in the lead-up to the World Cup. They started the five-match ODI series against South Africa with two wins but lost the final three games, each by a margin of 100-plus runs. They then lost the first two ODIs against India by five wickets and 99 runs (DLS method), respectively, leaving themselves on a five-match losing streak.While Starc admitted Australia’s form ahead of the World Cup is a bit of concern, but with one ODI and two warm-up games in hand, he is confident the five-time ODI champions will find a way back.Australia are not concerned about Steven Smith’s form•Getty Images

“Leading into the World Cup, it’s not a position that we want to be in,” he said, “but plenty to play for tomorrow in terms of what our make-up of the team looks like, what we want to take into World Cup campaign. We have two or three opportunities after this game before game one of the World Cup. Another chance to get accustomed to the conditions, to adapt to what’s been thrown at us against probably the favourites at the World Cup. Big day for both teams tomorrow.”Starc also said that the team was not concerned about Steven Smith’s form. Smith missed the South Africa series with a wrist injury and has scores of 41 and 0 so far in the two outings in India.”His numbers speak for him,” Starc said of Smith. “He is a high-class player and has been a massive part of all formats for Australia, so no concern there. It is the adjustment factor.”We have got a lot of guys with IPL experience, we know that the wickets are going to be very different through the night and day, depending on which part of India we play as well. There are not too many grounds where we play back-to-back games so, conditions are going to play a part. We just need to adjust better than what we have in the first two games.”

The Sri Lanka selectors do not want to test youngsters this close to the tournament

Madushka Balasuriya04-Mar-2024Sri Lanka’s selectors want to lean on known quantities and experience as opposed to the untested vigour of youth, as they make their final tweaks for the T20 World Cup in June. That was the main reason they recalled Niroshan Dickwella for the T20I series in Bangladesh after Kusal Perera was ruled out with a respiratory infection.This also means the likes of Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Dunith Wellalage, Lasith Croospulle and Shevon Daniel may have to bide their time for further opportunities with the national side. And if so, Viyaskanth might feel the most hard done by, having picked up eight wickets in four games for MI Emirates, at an economy of 5.43, in the recent ILT20.Viyaskanth has also shown himself to be a growing threat throughout his multiple seasons in the LPL. But given he has played just one T20I till now, the selectors felt it would be a risk to blood him in with the World Cup around the corner.Related

• SL and Bangladesh committed to putting past flare-ups behind them

• Can Shakib-less Bangladesh keep their unbeaten spree going?

• Kusal Perera ruled out of Bangladesh T20Is with respiratory infection

“In T20s we need a wicket-taking option, which is why we opted for Jeffrey [Vandersay] over someone like Dunith [Wellalage],” Upul Tharanga, the chairman of selectors, said. “We felt that Jeffrey was more of an attacking bowler in T20s.”We [also] had a big discussion regarding Viyaskanth and Jeffrey, and there were differing opinions within the selection committee. But in the end, we went with Jeffrey because the World Cup is coming up soon and there was a question over whether Viyaskanth could suddenly be brought in to play in a World Cup. So that’s why we went with Jeffrey and his experience.”It was a similar story regarding Dickwella, who was picked ahead of Croospulle and Daniel.”We were looking for someone to play in the top order [with the injuries to Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera]. We looked at Shevon Daniel, Lasith Croospulle and Dikka [Dickwella], but the first two are still quite young. It was difficult to pick them based purely on their most recent performances.”They’re very talented cricketers, someone like Shevon can play for 10 to 15 years for Sri Lanka. A player like that, do we drop him into a difficult situation? Or do we hold him back and let him play in the NSL, A team, give experience and then bring him into the side?””We spoke to the captain, as well as the coach, and they also felt Niroshan Dickwella was the best option at this time because heading into a World Cup, his experience will be useful.”Apart from his erratic form, among the primary concerns surrounding Dickwella’s inclusion were also his disciplinary issues, most notably when he was among three players banned for breaching bio-bubble protocols in 2021. Tharanga, however, said this was a subject that had been discussed with the player.”Discipline is very important. We spoke to Dikka. The team is playing well, and we really haven’t had any issues with discipline in recent times. That’s a very important thing, it shows the unity of the team as well. Discipline needs to be the number one thing.”

RCB are 10th and in desperate need of a win, but is there any stopping Travis Head and co at the moment?

Sruthi Ravindranath24-Apr-20242:23

Aaron: ‘In-form Siraj perfect bowler to get Head and Abhishek out’

Match details

Sunrisers Hyderabad (3rd) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (10th)
Hyderabad, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – Can RCB out-SRH SRH?

If Travis Head doesn’t get you, Abhishek Sharma will. If Abhishek doesn’t get you, Heinrich Klaasen will. If neither gets you, one of the middle-order batters will.Or they will all come at you together, just like they did against Royal Challengers Bengaluru about ten days ago.There were doubts about the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers being able to support their star batting line-up. There have been a few noteworthy performances, even though their bowlers have been taken for runs. But in their most recent match, against Delhi Capitals, T Natarajan had an effect in the end overs, and their captain Pat Cummins has been instrumental in slowing the pace down in the middle overs. Mayank Markande has also shown promise.Related

• Du Plessis on RCB's bowling: 'We don't have as many weapons'

• Maxwell takes a break to refresh after asking to be rested by RCB

• It's too many runs, somebody make it stop

• The good man Pattie and the scoundrel Cummins

In a way, SRH and RCB operate similarly: their batters have done the heavy lifting to compensate for their bowling deficiencies. SRH, though, have been more fearless and consistent with the bat. RCB, meanwhile, have had to toil harder. Their captain, Faf du Plessis, had even acknowledged that his bowlers did not have “as many weapons” to restrict the flow of runs.One positive for RCB is that they have fought hard with the bat despite two consecutive losses in their last two games while chasing large totals. They scored 262 in a record 288-run chase against SRH and fell one run short in the 223 chase against Kolkata Knight Riders. They have had some great individual performers too. But they are missing a key player who, on his best day, is capable of SRH-ing the living daylights out of SRH. Is out-of-form Glenn Maxwell feeling rejuvenated enough to return? RCB can only hope, as that will be critical if they don’t want to give up their slim chance of staying alive this season.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bengaluru LLLLL
Sunrisers Hyderabad LWWWW

Previous meeting

SRH bested RCB on an evening that produced the highest IPL total and the highest match aggregate in all T20s. They posted a record 287 for 3 on the back of Head’s 102 and Klaasen’s 31-ball 67. RCB then finished on 262 for 7, Dinesh Karthik leading the way with 83 off 35 balls as they eventually fell 25 runs short at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.1:40

‘Shahbaz, Samad have given SRH top order confidence’

Team news and impact player strategy

Sunrisers HyderabadSRH are unlikely to change their XI barring any injuries. Head has been the player subbed out when they have batted first and subbed in while chasing. In their last game, against Delhi Capitals, they brought in Washington Sundar as the Impact Player.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable XII): 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 5 Abdul Samad, 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Mayank Markande, 12 T NatarajanRoyal Challengers BengaluruRCB brought back Mohammed Siraj, Cameron Green and Karn Sharma for the previous match in place of Vyshak Vijaykumar, Reece Topley and Saurav Chauhan. If Maxwell is good to go, he might slot in for Green. They got Suyash Prabhudessai in as the Impact sub in their second innings, swapping out Yash Dayal.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable XII): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Cameron Green/Glenn Maxwell, 6 Suyash Prabhudessai, 7 Mahipal Lomror, 8 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 9 Karn Sharma, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Yash Dayal/ Vyshak Vijaykumar

In the spotlight

Abhishek Sharma has been making heads turn. His explosive starts have been crucial in SRH setting up massive totals, his strike rate of 215.96 the second-best for a batter who has faced over 100 balls this season. He’s scored 257 in seven matches so far, but has only one half-century. He will be keen on converting those starts and putting up big scores to strengthen his case with the national selectors.RCB have not been able to get the best out of Rajat Patidar, having used him as a floater in the first few matches of the season. In the last three matches, though, he has played at his usual No. 4 position and has scored two quick fifties, including a 23-ball 52 against KKR in the last match. Patidar has showcased his big-hitting abilities in the past for RCB, his best being a match-winning effort of 112* off 54 against LSG in the 2022 eliminator. RCB’s Nos. 3 to 5 have the lowest collective average of the season (15.7) among all teams, but Patidar’s continued good form in the No. 4 position may help them turn it around.1:29

McClenaghan: Important for RCB to get their angles right

Pitch and conditions

The match will be played on the same pitch as the first game of the season at this ground, where SRH plundered a record 277 for 3 batting first against Mumbai Indians, who in turn made 246 for 5, so expect a high-scoring game. It is expected to be hot on Thursday evening in Hyderabad.

Stats that matter

• Virat Kohli scored 100 off 63 balls at this venue last season and has registered 50-plus scores in each of his last three T20 appearances here. Overall in T20s, he averages 59.20 at this venue.
• How can Sunrisers stop Kohli? Call Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He has dismissed Kohli four times in 15 meetings in T20s.
• Sunrisers batters have struck at 177.79 this season. This is the first time the combined strike rate of batters from a single team has breached the 170 mark in the IPL.

Quotes

“I think the quality of Travis and Abhishek at the top and their their fearless attitude [has been the reason for aggressive batting style]. And I think once the openers do it, it’s pretty contagious. So those two in particular have been fantastic and then we’ve had some players have been really complementary to that style.”
“I think as a batting group, we may have lost the last two games but we scored 262 in a tough chase and then the other night 220 again. We know we’ve got the high scores in us. We’ve been playing with the freedom of chasing a high score. You know you have no option but to go after. We’ll be looking to continue that and play with the same freedom as if we were chasing a 220-plus score.”

Former England allrounder had been club’s T20 Blast captain but not offered new deal

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2023Sussex have announced that former England allrounder Ravi Bopara will leave the club after not being offered a contract extension.Bopara joined from Essex on a white-ball contract at the end of 2019 and captained Sussex’s T20 side for the last two seasons. At the start of the summer, new head coach Paul Farbrace targeted a place at Finals Day, but Sussex eventually finished sixth in the South Group, missing out on the quarter-finals.Bopara, 38, enjoyed his best Blast season since 2014, scoring 408 runs at a strike rate of 146.23 and recording a career-best 108 against Kent. He did, however, have to sit out Sussex’s trip to the Ageas Bowl after arriving after the start time.Related

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He indicated that he would be looking for a new county, “as I have a great deal more to offer to the game as a player”.Farbrace said: “I have enjoyed working with Ravi this summer in the T20 Blast competition and of course wish him well as he moves on to new opportunities. He has played some excellent cricket for Sussex this year, including a superb hundred at Canterbury last week.”Ravi has helped our young players with their development over the last couple of years that he has spent at Hove and we will miss his personality and experience at the club.”Bopara has played 452 games of T20, putting him sixth on the all-time list, and is part of the London Spirit squad for the Hundred, which begins next month.”It was very disappointing to be told by Paul Farbrace last week that there was not to be an extension of my contract at the club,” he said. “This is particularly so after a very good season with bat and ball. Having said that, I’ve loved my time at Sussex.”I have thoroughly enjoyed working with young players in the 2nd XI T20 matches and seeing some of the boys progress to the 1st team. Seeing that progression and development has been incredibly satisfying.”It’s been an absolute honour to have captained the 1st team in the T20 Blast and seeing the potential of our young team of players come through and finish the back end of the tournament strong has highlighted the progress we have made.”I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the players and staff who have helped me become a better cricketer and person and all the members and fans for their loyal support throughout the years. I now really looking forward to my next playing opportunity as I have a great deal more to offer to the game as a player.”

New Zealand batter fell for 92 just eight balls into the final morning, before Jayasuriya bagged five in the second innings

Madushka Balasuriya23-Sep-2024Sri Lanka didn’t need long on the final morning in Galle to wrap things up, taking just 15 minutes to grab the final two New Zealand wickets and secure a 63-run win in the first Test. The result means Sri Lanka go 1-0 up in the two-match series, while also leapfrogging New Zealand up to third place in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.Prabath Jayasuriya was at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s charge, finishing with figures of 5 for 68 – his eighth five-wicket haul, and his seventh in Galle. He ended with match figures of 9 for 204, taking home the Player-of-the-Match award.After having fought so hard the previous day, Rachin Ravindra lasted just eight deliveries into the first session of the final morning as Jayasuriya trapped him in front with an arm ball for 92 off 168 balls. Coming around the wicket, Jayasuriya tossed one up on leg as Ravindra was caught in the crease playing down the wrong line. He reviewed, but once it was confirmed to be pitching in line, there would be no saving him.And any lingering hopes of a famous rearguard were then swiftly quashed, as Will O’Rourke kept out just five deliveries before the sixth slipped past his forward defence and on to off stump to hand Jayasuriya his fifth wicket of the innings.O’Rourke wouldn’t quite be satisfied with how the game ended after an impressive showing in the game as he finished with eight wickets to his name – the second-most across the Test, and the same as Ajaz Patel.In terms of how this result impacts the WTC, it keeps Sri Lanka’s outside hopes of a berth in the final alive. But for New Zealand, it makes their task considerably tougher, with an away series against India and a home series England coming up in the next few months.There will be no time to dwell on this result for either team, with just a two-day break before the second Test gets underway on Thursday – also in Galle.

There were no real surprises in the squad picked for the World Cup

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Aug-20253:52

Nayar: India went for Rawal’s solidarity over Shafali’s flamboyance

Fast bowler Renuka Singh and allrounder Amanjot Kaur have returned from injuries and have been named in India’s Women’s World Cup squad.Shafali Verma, who fell out of favour in the ODI set-up last year, continues to miss out on selection, while Tejal Hasnabis and Sayali Satghare, who were all part of the recent ODI series against England, have been left out of the 15-member squad.Amanjot has, however, been rested for the three-match ODI series against Australia leading up to the World Cup, with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur saying she was at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence “working on a few small niggles”. Renuka has been named in that squad for the series, which starts on September 14 in New Chandigarh. Satghare will also play the three ODIs against Australia and will be replaced by Amanjot for the World Cup.Amanjot, who has risen through the ranks to become one of the key allrounders for India, missed the last two ODIs against England last month due to a flare up of a back injury. Renuka, meanwhile, has been out of international cricket since December 2024 with a stress fracture.”Renuka has been a precious player for us,” chief selector Neetu David said. “She had niggles and been out of the game, but is available. Is our main player. This is a main event, great she’s part of the team.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

David said Shafali, who recently played in the three one-dayers for India A against Australia A in Brisbane, is still part of India’s ODI plans in the future.
“Shafali played the Australia A series. She’s in the system, it’s not like she’s not. We’ve got our eyes on her. Hope she plays a lot more and garners experience, it’ll help serve India in the 50-overs format.”Kranti Goud, who finished as the highest wicket-taker in the England ODIs, is among the pace bowlers in the squad alongside Renuka, Amanjot and Arundhati Reddy. Sneh Rana, who made an excellent comeback during the Sri Lanka tri-series, and Shree Charani are the two other specialist spinners in the squad, along with Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav.”We have Renuka and Kranti [to bowl] in the power play,” Harmanpreet said. “Then have Shree Charani, Deepti and Radha to bowl in the slog overs, Sneh Rana in the middle overs. We didn’t want to make a lot of changes and wanted continuity.”Pratika Rawal, who took over Shafali’s spot in the format last year and has been impressive across her 14 ODIs so far, is expected to continue opening alongside Smriti Mandhana. Harleen Deol, who has shown consistency with the bat in recent times, is expected to continue at No. 3, with Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues to follow at No. 4 and 5 respectively.Yastika Bhatia, who last played an ODI in October 2024, is also in the squad and will serve as a back-up option for wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh. Though Satghare is not part of the World Cup squad, she is among the standbys alongside Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Uma Chetry and Minnu Mani. Bhatia made two fifties in the Australia A series, which Hasnabis, Mani and Rawat were also part of.Co-hosts India and Sri Lanka are set to begin the tournament on September 30. India have never won the ODI World Cup but have made the final twice, in 2005 and 2017.The selectors also picked up an India A squad that will play the warm-up match against South Africa on September 28. All six standbys for the main squad and Shafali are part of that team. India’s main team will play their warm-up against England on September 25.

India squad for Australia ODIs

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh, Kranti Goud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav, N Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Sneh Rana

India’s World Cup squad

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh, Kranti Goud, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, N Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Sneh RanaStandbys: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Uma Chetry (wk), Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare

India A squad for warm-up match

Minnu Mani (capt), Dhara Gujjar, Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Vrinda Dinesh, Uma Chetry (wk), Nandini Kashyap (wk), Tanushree Sarkar, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Sayali Satghare, Saima Thakor, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Raghvi Bist

“He is still a leader within the team and his experience and knowledge of the game is invaluable,” Maharaj says of de Kock

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2023Quinton de Kock has been removed as captain at SA20 side Durban’s Super Giants and replaced by Keshav Maharaj for the 2024 edition of the tournament.”I am super happy, humbled and privileged to accept the opportunity as the captain of the DSG franchise in the next SA20 league,” Maharaj said in a video released by the franchise on Friday. “I am super excited, being a Durban boy – been here 18 years of my life, and it’s a place that I call home for me. So I am hoping I can bring some performances from domestic cricket into the SA20, from a leadership perspective and from a player’s perspective.”Former South Africa captain de Kock, a part of the squad at both the Super Giants franchises – Lucknow in the IPL and Durban in the SA20 – led the team in the inaugural season of the six-team South African league, where they finished one off the bottom after winning four of their ten games (the same as third- and fourth-placed Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Paarl Royals, respectively, but behind them on net run-rate). De Kock was one of the better performers with the bat for the team, scoring 271 runs at a strike rate of 151.39 in nine innings.”I’d like to thank Quinny for all the hard work that he has done on and off the field,” Maharaj said. “However, his job is not over. He is still a leader within the team and his experience and knowledge of the game is invaluable to this unit. And it’s going to be a large and integral part to play for us in terms of bringing the trophy to Durban this year.”