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Former captain says preparation has to be intense at the start of a Test series overseas, then it can taper off

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2018Did India learn anything from the defeat in South Africa earlier this year? Did they not learn that match practice is the key to winning Test series, especially abroad? Was playing just a three-day tour match against Essex enough before a big clash with England? These are the questions raised by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who said the team management had erred by focusing on “simulated” training rather than playing actual cricket matches to prepare for an important five-match series.India lost the first of those games by 31 runs two days ago, with all of their specialist batsmen, barring Virat Kohli, showing weak technique and even weaker temperament. This led Gavaskar to question why the players were given five days off before the start of the England Tests, and took issue with India reducing the proposed four-day match against Essex into three days. He held that while Kohli might have the skills needed to adjust to Test cricket even after time off, the Indian captain and management needed to realise that the others could have benefited from more match practice.The white-ball portion of India’s tour ended with the third ODI on July 17, but there was only one practice game – against Essex – scheduled in the 14-day gap until the start of the first Test on August 1. India lost that Test, despite Kohli scoring 149 and 51.”See Virat Kohli is such an exceptional talent, he can take 15 days off and then score a hundred the next day,” Gavaskar told . “If he takes time off, no quarrel at all. But he has to understand, and the team management have to understand, that others need practice.”I understand the need to switch off, but it can’t be five days. The preparation should have been much more intense at the start of the series. You can taper off later, but not at the start. The last ODI was on July 17, and the Test series started on August 1. There were 14 days in between. And you play only a three-day match in that period? Why have you gone to England – to play cricket or something else? I agree, they have practised for long hours in those days, but like I said, you cannot get by with just practice. You have to play matches too.”Gavaskar also didn’t agree with the notion that arriving in England a month before the Tests began had been helpful, largely because India had spent that time playing one-day cricket.”They deluded themselves, and everybody, by saying they have been in England for a month. But in that time they were playing against the white ball. And the white ball doesn’t move as much as the red one, and the Duke ball particularly moves even more,” he pointed out. “They didn’t learn anything from the South Africa experience. [India lost 2-1 away to South Africa at the start of the year] They didn’t have much time there, but they did have a two-day practice match which they also cancelled. In South Africa, India played well in the third Test, only after playing in two Tests. We’re talking of five Tests here, if you start winning after two Tests, the series can be gone by then.”You can have as many match simulations, as many throw-downs, but it is never the same as a match situations. While taking throw-downs, you can get out, but you know you’ll still be batting the next ball. If a bowler bowls a no-ball in a match, he won’t get a wicket. In the match, if you get out, you’ll be sitting in the dressing room and watching someone else score the runs you should have.”Another error India had made, according to Gavaskar, was going in without an extra batsman. “If it was up to me, in the first Test of an overseas series, I would always go with six batsmen,” he said. “Then with a wicketkeeper and an allrounder like Ashwin, your batting depth increases. If after that, your top four hit form, you can go with five bowlers in the subsequent Tests. The need of the hour now is to strengthen the batting.”Analysing India’s batsmen in the first Test, Gavaskar said only Kohli made the mental adjustment needed. “Virat adjusted temperamentally. The bat-speed in one-day cricket is higher, because you’re looking to play shots. It’s not like that in Test cricket,” Gavaskar said. “The more you leave balls in Tests, the better for you, because the bowler tires. And if you keep leaving balls outside off, you will force the bowler to change his line. Virat made that adjustment, the others didn’t. See Shikhar Dhawan’s dismissals in both innings, Rahul in the first innings, Ajinkya Rahane in both innings – they all went at the ball with hard hands. The secret to batting in England is not to reach for the ball, but let it come on to the bat. If they can make that adjustment, the others can make runs in the next Test onwards.”

Shardul Thakur dominated with the ball, Virat Kohli with the bat and India cruised to an eight-wicket win in Centurion, taking the six-match series 5-1

The Report by Nikhil Kalro16-Feb-2018Confidence and form are two of the most influential factors in batting. They often dictate timing and placement – requisites for scoring runs. South Africa have lacked both after their sub-par performances this series. Therefore, in good batting conditions in Centurion, South Africa’s batsmen grappled with their own lack of confidence and India’s disciplined bowling, resulting in another mediocre total. Shardul Thakur, playing his first match of the series, led another clinical display from India with figures of 4 for 52 as South Africa were bowled out for 204.On the other end of that form spectrum lies Virat Kohli. With 429 runs in five games prior to the final ODI, Kohli was oozing confidence. Against a jaded bowling attack, and with all that belief, his 35th ODI hundred was almost a formality. It helped India coast to an eight-wicket win, and take the six-match series 5-1. Kohli finished with 558 runs in six matches, the most by a batsman in a bilateral series.Just like in the second ODI at the same venue, South Africa began cautiously to suss out conditions early. What their openers, Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram, found was a surface that was sluggish, with strokes on the up taking the inside and outside halves of the bat. In the thin air of the Highveld and under some pressure, Amla saw an opportunity to hit Thakur over fine leg for six in the seventh over. His attempt to pull, from bottom to top to get underneath the ball, cost him a fraction of a second, and he could only strangle a leg-side delivery to the keeper.Markram played some fluent strokes, including a well-timed six over square leg, but like in Port Elizabeth he was caught in the circle trying to force the pace. He was caught, looking to clear cover, a shot that was preceded by two languid drives off overpitched deliveries that found the same fielder.South Africa’s best period of batting followed, with AB de Villiers and Khaya Zondo attacking India’s wristspinners. In the 18th over, de Villiers hit Kuldeep for three successive fours – a drive through point, an inside-edge just past the stumps, and a reverse sweep. Zondo pulled Yuzvendra Chahal for two sixes over midwicket in the next over. They had added 62 off 65 balls before de Villiers missed a straight, flat delivery, trying to cut.Zondo and Heinrich Klaasen, after the loss of South Africa’s best ODI batsman and with a fragile middle order to follow, were overly cautious, accumulating 30 in 58 balls. Klaasen then drilled a slower delivery to short cover. Farhaan Behardien, playing his first match of the series, holed out to third man in the next over. Zondo’s spirited fight ended when he chipped Chahal to sweeper cover, for 54. South Africa’s score hadn’t progressed much since de Villiers’ dismissal and their momentum had been sucked out.Andile Phehlukwayo and Morne Morkel pleased the sparse Centurion crowd with an exciting 36-run partnership, the second-highest of the innings. Then Morkel scythed a cut to sweeper cover, and Imran Tahir and Phehlukwayo were caught off slower balls. Even though they did reasonably well against the wristspinners – scoring 89 runs for three wickets off 20 overs – South Africa fell well below the target they must have aimed at, ending up with 19 unutilised deliveries.Fresh off a match-winning hundred, Rohit Sharma began the chase with a few exquisite cuts behind and in front of point. South Africa’s short-ball ploy worked as he gloved a bouncer from Lungi Ngidi to the keeper. They persisted with that length thereafter which, on a slow pitch, was always fraught with risk.Kohli pounced on that length. With attacking fields and the short deliveries sitting up, Kohli laid into cross-batted strokes on either side of the pitch. He blazed away to 38 off 25. Dhawan, on the other hand, struggling for timing, was 14 off 30. Dhawan’s 34 ball struggle ended when he nailed a cut to backward point, for 18, South Africa’s last moment of respite in an effortless chase.Kohli and Rahane added an unbeaten 129 off just 117 balls. Rahane contributed 34 off 50 balls, playing adeptly around the belligerence of Kohli. In stark contrast to his usual mode of operation in ODIs, Kohli’s ton was filled with boundaries: 19 fours and two sixes, making up 68.21% of his runs. The trouble he faced in mustering all those runs, though, was nearly zero.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc, meanwhile, lamented the state of the old pink ball and his team-mates’ lack of situational awareness

Matt Roller04-Dec-2025

Jofra Archer played a valuable hand batting at No. 11 for only the second time in Test cricket•Darrian Traynor/CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

England believe that the chaotic final half-hour at the Gabba swung the opening day of the second Ashes Test in their favour, after Joe Root and Jofra Archer’s unbroken tenth-wicket stand of 61 took them to 325 for 9 under lights.At the scheduled 9pm close, England were 269 for 9 after 68 overs, with Root unbeaten on 111. It was a remarkably similar situation to the opening day of the 2023 series between these teams in Edgbaston, when Ben Stokes declared with Root on 118 to give England four overs to bowl at Australia before the close.The added element of the pink ball – and the opportunity to bowl at Australia under floodlights – strengthened the case for a declaration, prompting David Warner on Fox commentary to say he was “absolutely baffled” that Stokes had not pulled the plug on England’s innings.Related

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Steven Smith, who had floated the prospect of opening the batting with two nightwatchers in such a scenario, was at pains to slow the game down as much as possible, and Root remonstrated with umpire Sharfuddoula at Australia’s apparent time-wasting when Travis Head got padded up to spend a single ball under the helmet at short leg.But Root and Archer seized the opportunity to tee off, adding 56 runs in the final six overs of the day in a partnership that Zak Crawley said had changed the mood of the day for England’s players, who watched on from the viewing gallery outside the away dressing room. “We definitely won that last hour,” Crawley said. “We’re positive going into tomorrow.”Joe Root and Jofra Archer added an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls before stumps•Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Archer, batting at No. 11 for only the second time in Test cricket, started the carnage by charging Scott Boland and swiping him over square leg for the first six of the day off the first ball of an over that cost 19 runs. He then swung Mitchell Starc’s full toss over the sprawling Brendan Doggett at long-on, and Root reverse-scooped Boland over deep third in the following over.By stumps, Archer had registered a new Test best of 32 not out, while Root reached 135 overnight. Their stand was England’s first half-century partnership for the tenth wicket since Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson added 66 in the drawn Old Trafford Test in the 2023 Ashes, and their first in Australia since Norman Cowans and Derek Pringle in 1982.Starc, whose six wickets had put Australia firmly on top, was exasperated not only with the state of the old pink ball, but with his team-mates’ lack of situational awareness. “If you have a look at that ball, it’s basically bowling with a tennis ball,” he told SEN radio. “They chanced their arm, there were a few that dropped short. I think there’s a little bit of tactical nous in there as well.

“Hopefully, we take that tenth one early tomorrow and get batting with the sun out. We saw that it [the ball] didn’t do a whole lot, and day two is generally a good day to bat on. If we can get stuck into batting early tomorrow when there’s sun on the wicket – and their balls go soft as well – it could be a good day’s cricket.”Crawley, who had briefly changed back into his whites in anticipation of fielding, said that the situation had been “perfect” for England. “There was no talk of a declaration,” he said. “We were just saying, ‘Go really hard,’ and it was a win-win: if it comes off, then we’ll get 50 runs like we did, or if you got out, then we could have a crack at them under lights.”They’re valuable runs and it would’ve worked out either way… We were pretty happy with [being bowled out for] 260 and having an hour at them at that point, to be honest. We were quite optimistic about that last hour, and then it turned out we batted for all of it. It felt like it was a great chance for us either way – with bat or ball – to seize that last hour.”Australia only bowled 74 overs out of the scheduled 90 on the first day, which Simon Katich described as “an absolute joke”. They risk being docked World Test Championship points if they fail to bowl England out inside 80 overs. “The over rates are what they are,” Starc said. “If we keep taking the wickets, they won’t worry about it.”

Also returning for the three-match series in Harare were Brad Evans and Tadiwanashe Marumani

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2025Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter, is back in their T20I squad, more than three years after he last played in the format. Taylor, who returned from a three-and-a-half-year ICC ban in August, was named in Zimbabwe’s 16-man squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The other notable inclusion in the squad was Sean Williams, who is back in the T20I fold after more than a year.Taylor had been banned from all cricket in January 2022, for failing to report an approach from alleged corruptors without delay. With the ban ending earlier this year, Taylor subsequently returned to the international fold in the Bulawayo Test against New Zealand, before playing the ODI series against Sri Lanka last month. Taylor’s last T20I, though, was in April 2021, against Pakistan in Harare.Williams, meanwhile, had previously played a T20I in May 2024, and he’s set for a comeback into the format ahead of the Africa regional qualifiers later this month for the T20 World Cup in 2026. Zimbabwe will be competing in the tournament alongside Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, with two World Cup spots on the line.Zimbabwe had missed out on qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2024 despite 20 teams participating in the tournament, as they couldn’t finish in the top two of the Africa Region Qualifier after suffering losses against Namibia and Uganda.Among other changes for the T20Is against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe left out Newman Nyamhuri, Wessly Madhevere, Vincent Masekesa and Tafadzwa Tsiga from the squad that played the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in July. Apart from Taylor and Williams, those back in the squad were fast bowler Brad Evans and top-order batter Tadiwanashe Marumani.Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have so far faced each other in only six T20Is, the last of which was in January 2024. Sri Lanka had won the three-match series after Zimbabwe levelled it with victory in the second match.

Zimbabwe’s T20I squad vs Sri Lanka

Sikandar Raza (capt), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sean Williams

Michael Richarson, Alex Lees guide Durham to victory with half-centuries

ECB Reporters network28-Apr-2019Durham made it three wins in a row at home in the Royal London One-Day Cup by defeating Derbyshire by three wickets at Emirates Riverside.The hosts restricted Derbyshire to 255 for 8 from their 50 overs due to tight bowling from Ben Raine and James Weighell, who claimed two wickets apiece. Matt Critchley and Tom Lace led the way with the for the visitors, although neither batsman was able to pass fifty.Durham were measured for the majority of their run chase, despite losing an early wicket. Alex Lees made 55, scoring his third half-century in a row. Michael Richardson (72 not out) saw his side over the line, upping the ante with five sixes to secure the victory for the hosts, leaving them in a strong position in the north group after five matches.Derbyshire openers Luis Reece and Billy Godleman were prevented from scoring freely, which forced a mistake by Reece as he pulled a delivery from Weighell straight to Graham Clark. Godleman had made three centuries in a row, but his outstanding run was ended when he was caught down the legside for 23 off a delivery from Weighell.Wayne Madsen looked in prime touch, dispatching two sixes over the rope. However, the arrival of Liam Trevaskis was to end his innings, bowling the South African for 38. Alex Hughes then became the first victim of Scott Steel in List A cricket, slicing the ball straight to Brydon Carse at backward point.Leus du Plooy and Lace were able to stem the tide. The two players reached their fifty partnership from 52 balls, guiding Derbyshire past 150 in the process. Ben Raine ended their stand as du Plooy smashed an attempted pull straight to Lees for 32, leaving the visitors five down for 157.However, Lace continued his impressive knock, and having already reached his highest List A score, the 20-year-old was on course for a fifty before he edged a Salisbury delivery behind to Cameron Bancroft.Derbyshire were in need of a late surge from the lower order. Critchley provided the power, blasting three sixes in his unbeaten innings of 49 that allowed the visitors to post their highest List A total at Emirates Riverside.Clark lasted just two deliveries into Durham’s reply, slicing a ball from Sam Conners up in the air for Lace to claim with ease. Steel responded to kick-start the innings with a flurry of boundaries. He and Lees put on fifty in 55 deliveries before Steel was run out by a great throw from Conners from short fine leg to the bowler’s end for 32.Lees built his innings steadily with Bancroft before he upped the ante with three boundaries off a Reece over, bringing up the hundred for Durham and the fifty partnership with his skipper. Lees notched his third List A half-century on the bounce before giving his wicket away for 55 tamely driving a Ravi Rampaul delivery to Conners.Rampaul then claimed the major scalp of Bancroft, who edged an attempted hook behind to Harvey Hosein for 45.Richardson and Jack Burnham were able to calm the nerves for the home side, establishing a fifty partnership. Du Plooy had a huge opportunity to break the stand when Burnham skied a Critchley delivery straight to square leg, but the South African shelled the simple catch.Burnham capitalised on his second chance, blasting two huge sixes to take his team within touching distance, although he fell for 45 to Lace. There was still time for Trevaskis and Carse to be dismissed before Richardson took control to blast Durham over the line, earning their fourth win in five games in the competition.

Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer brought quality, intensity and fire to proceedings

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2025

Nitish Kumar Reddy is distraught after falling on the last ball before lunch•Getty Images

England came to Lord’s looking for six wickets. They bagged four of them before lunch in an inspired morning’s play where their captain Ben Stokes and their returning talismanic fast bowler Jofra Archer brought quality, intensity and fire to proceedings.India were in the mire early when Rishabh Pant, hampered by the injured finger on his left hand, fell on the third over of the day. Three overs later, Stokes got one to nip down the slope at the Nursery end to trap KL Rahul lbw. Stokes bowled a nine-over spell this morning, constantly threatening everyone who made the mistake of standing 22 yards away. This time, the England coaching staff weren’t interfering with his plans. They just let him do his thing.Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy got together with the score at 82 for 7. India’s hopes looked quite dire at the time, but a packed crowd, with a loud Indian contingent cheered them on with every block, every leave, every run scored. Eventually the ball started to lose its hardness and batting became slightly easier. There were 12 false shots leading to the three wickets in the first hour. But only eight in the second.Just as it looked like India would go to the break with their last two recognised batters intact, Chris Woakes gave them a different challenge. Swing instead of seam. And eventually he was able to prise Reddy out for 13 off 53. There remained a fair bit of needle through the morning session with Archer giving Pant a send-off, Stokes and Reddy having a fairly amiable chat at the end of overs and Brydon Carse and Jadeja actually colliding with each other.England were on point with their fielding as well, spurred on by Stokes who was loath to let the intensity drop. Archer took a fine one-handed catch, diving to his right to get rid of Washington Sundar.

‘They are human beings. They made a mistake. They have paid the price for it’ – Langer

Sidharth Monga30-May-2019Steven Smith and David Warner are humans too. They made a mistake – a pretty big mistake – and have paid a price for it – a pretty heavy price. Stop booing them. That’s the plea from Australia coach Justin Langer to crowds in England after the duo were made to feel welcome upon their return in the IPL. However, they have had to cop it in the World Cup warm-up games in England, where they will likely stay back to play the Ashes too.Smith and Warner – captain and vice-captain at the time – spent a year out of cricket for their role in the ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test last year. These will be their first international matches back after they resumed competitive cricket during the IPL.The booing at the warm-up game was a wake-up call for Australia after which Langer spoke to the duo.”We have talked about it a lot,” Langer said. “We are expecting it. That said, when it happens, it doesn’t make it any easier. You can talk about it as much as you like but that doesn’t make it any easier. I mean they are human beings, and that’s the truth. That’s where I find it hard.”I am a dad, and I have got kids. A lot of the time, players feel like they are my kids. And you see that happen. You know, you feel for them personally. They are going to have to have thick skin. We have talked about earning respect. I think it is really important that people show some respect as well. Because they are humans, they are really good cricketers. They made a mistake. They have paid the price for it. Big price actually. I feel for them as people more than anything else.”Langer said speaking more about it was not going to make much difference.”After the experience of the other day at Hampshire, I think they have got a pretty good idea what to expect,” Langer said. “And, as I said, you can talk about it as much as you like, you can put strategies in place to make sure they deal with it, but no human likes it. That is the truth. As professional cricketers, they will put that out of their mind. They will go and do their job but no one likes that.”Forget Smith and Warner, Langer said he didn’t want to see any cricketer booed. “I will be disappointed any day if any cricketer is booed on a cricket ground,” Langer said. “Regardless of what country they play for. It is not the spirit that any of us like to see.”Obviously it hurts because I have got an emotional attachment, and personal attachment, to our players. But it is never a good look, is it, when that happens.”This appears to be consistent with how Australia reacted to the booing of visiting captain Virat Kohli in the home summer when he copped it in pretty much every Test. Ricky Ponting, assistant coach now, called it “disgraceful”, and Cricket Australia asked fans to show more respect to the visitors.It is a departure from the time when Stuart Broad was booed all summer in the 2013-14 Ashes, when then-coach Darren Lehmann said: “I just hope the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole summer and I hope he cries and he goes home.”

Warwickshire and Northamptonshire were both eyeing up a precious Specsavers County Championship victory after swapping blows for two gripping days at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network12-May-20181:59

County round-up: Clarke century rattles champions Essex

ScorecardWarwickshire and Northamptonshire were both eyeing up a precious Specsavers County Championship victory after swapping blows for two gripping days at Edgbaston. Northamptonshire, trailing by nine on first innings, were 160 for 7 when bad light ended the second day 14 overs early.On a pitch starting to offer variable bounce, the visitors will fancy their chances if they can set a target in the region of 200. But Warwickshire will point to the partnerships that have been built when the ball has gone soft and feel they have a real chance of cementing their place at the top of Division Two.It was a splendid, intense, competitive match with the initiative switching from team to team and, attended by good crowds, a fine advert for County Championship cricket.After resuming on the second morning on 100 for 4, Warwickshire advanced to 265 all out. Doug Bracewell quickly removed both overnight batsmen as Matt Lamb fell lbw and Ian Bell departed furious with himself after steering Brett Hutton to third slip.Hutton’s third catch of the innings removed Jeetan Patel off Steven Crook, who also had Chris Wright caught behind. That left Warwickshire struggling on 169 for 8 – still 87 behind – but Tim Ambrose and Henry Brookes added 95 in 21 overs.They took their side in front before Ambrose edged Crook behind. Two balls later, Crook limped off injured but Ben Sanderson wrapped up the innings in the next over when he trapped Brookes lbw. Bracewell and Crook shared eight of the ten wickets – having scored 173 of their side’s 256 runs in the first innings.Northamptonshire started their second innings with a brisk opening stand of 39 in 47 balls before Luke Procter edged Brookes to third slip. Ben Duckett, with 38 from 34, fell lbw attempting to sweep Patel’s first ball and further wickets fell just before and after tea as Alex Wakeley pulled Olly Stone to deep square leg and Richard Levi was superbly held by Jonathan Trott at slip off Chris Wright. Adam Rossington’s perky 23 was terminated by one from Wright that barely got up and struck him in front.Stone then ensured that the last initiative shift of the day favoured Warwickshire when he removed Josh Cobb caught behind and Steven Crook, bowled, with successive balls.

“As cricketers, if you’re not tested in your chosen skill, then you’re not going to challenge yourself to get better”

Firdose Moonda19-Feb-2025South Africa’s bowlers are looking forward to the chance to test themselves on batter-friendly surfaces in Pakistan, where high scores are expected to define the Champions Trophy.Since 2021, Pakistan has been home to the highest batting average in ODIs – 35.53 – and the mini tri-series which preceded the Champions Trophy saw five out of eight scores in excess of 300, including Pakistan’s highest successful ODI chase.South Africa’s white-ball bowling coach Anton Roux said he expected “the trend going around all the venues” to continue and Keshav Maharaj, South Africa’s premier spinner, believed the bowlers were up for the challenge.Related

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“It’s a wonderful opportunity to see the class within our bowling line-up stand up and sort of defend these scores,” Maharaj said from Karachi, where South Africa will play Afghanistan in their tournament opener on Friday. “Although the totals might seem high in the context of cricket it’s probably on par to get 320 these days when batting first and chasing it down in the 44th or 46th over.”It’s a nice test. As cricketers, if you’re not tested in your chosen skill, then you’re not going to challenge yourself to get better. I think it’s a wonderful advert to see the high scores and when the bowler does come out on the right side of things, it shows his class and worth within the team and the world line-up.”Maharaj recognised that this may mean a return to a more traditional containing role for him with the seamers expected to attack.”In order to get success, it’s about building pressure and just limiting the boundary balls in between,” he said. “It’s probably more of that holding role that one’s accustomed to seeing in South Africa. It’s not about changing the way I bowl, it’s just about changing the field sets that we have. I’m still trying to bowl my best ball to create opportunity, but with probably a more defensive type of field, maybe not carrying a slip for so long. That’s basically the sort of mindset.”On the evidence of the only ODI Maharaj has played in Pakistan, which was just last week, he has taken to the task well. He was South Africa’s most economical bowler on a difficult day as Pakistan chased down 353 with an over to go – going wicketless but conceding just five fours and a six in his ten overs, which included 30 dot balls. And his economy of 5.40 was a result of experimenting with ways to limit run-scoring in a place where he has found that “it doesn’t turn as much as one would think”.So Maharaj has had to rely on changes of pace instead. “You still want to try to spin the ball because the more revolutions you get on the ball, you create flight and drift,” he said. “For me, it’s about trying to play with the overspin and the sidespin and it’s more about the paces that I bowl at so that the batters can’t really line you up in terms of using their feet or getting them caught on the crease.”Tabraiz Shamsi is the only other frontline spinner in the squad•ICC/Getty Images

South Africa’s approach of using their spinners as holding bowlers and loading their squad with seamers – there are five seamers and two specialist spinners in the squad – is in keeping with what the statistics say about what kinds of bowlers have success in Pakistan. Since 2021, pace bowlers have taken 180 wickets in 44 innings at 36.02, a better average than the spinners’ 43.98, though spinners have had an economy of 5.49 to the seamers’ 6.02. That may mean the quicks can expect to get hit, which Roux said needed “critical real good planning and execution” to prevent.It also means that the batters, especially those that like the ball coming on to the bat like South Africans tend to, would be licking their lips at the prospect of big runs. Asked if the likes of Temba Bavuma, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller have just been walking around smiling, Maharaj indicated that they were not complaining but were being careful not to count their chickens.”They’re quite happy with the conditions, but they understand that it’s not just rock up and score runs. It’s still a process and method,” Maharaj said. “When wickets are in your favour, you train that much harder because you want to make the most of the opportunity that you’re presented with. I don’t think there’s any sense of complacency even though conditions are deemed to be in the batters’ favour. You’re going to see a supercharged outfit.”

Bangladesh were unable to bounce back after losing four wickets in the powerplay

Ashish Pant20-Jul-2024An excellent all-round show from Sri Lanka in the field, backed up by Vishmi Gunaratne’s steady half-century, helped Sri Lanka start their Women’s Asia Cup 2024 in style as they beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in Dambulla.After Bangladesh elected to bat, everything that could have gone wrong for them did as they lost four wickets inside the powerplay. It needed captain Nigar Sultana playing an anchor role and some lower-order hitting from Shorna Akter, who smashed 25 off 14 balls, to take Bangladesh to 111 for 8.In the chase, Sri Lanka lost their captain Chamari Athapaththu early, but as they have shown time and again this year, they are no longer a one-woman team. Gunaratne, who is having a stellar 2024, continued her excellent form and smashed her third T20I half-century, all three coming this year. She got good support from Harshitha Samarawickrama as Sri Lanka got over the line with 17 balls to spare. That meant Bangladesh’s winless run in T20Is in 2024 extended to nine.

Bangladesh’s powerplay to forget

It started on a bright note for Bangladesh with Dilara Akter lofting Udeshika Prabodhani for a straight four first ball. But, it all went downhill from there. Two balls later Prabodhani went fuller, getting the ball to tail back and leaving Dilara’s stumps in a mess. The very next ball she had Rubya Haider chipping a drive meekly to the right of cover-point where Nilakshika Silva took an excellent catch running back and diving sideways.Nigar Sultana top-scored for Bangladesh with 48 off 59 balls•ACC

Ishma Tanjim’s debut lasted all of three balls when she gave a simple catch to backward point off Inoshi Priyadharshani. In just nine balls, Bangladesh had slipped to 8 for 3 which soon became 17 for 4 in the sixth over courtesy of a stunning return catch from Priyadharshani. Ritu Moni jumped down the track and smashed a length ball hard to Priyadharshani’s right. But she stretched her right hand to grab the ball and kept hold of it even when her elbow hit the turf. Moni was left flabbergasted as Bangladesh’s powerplay ended on 18 for 4.

Nigar firm, but Sri Lanka keep chipping away

The responsibility to take Bangladesh forward was on Nigar’s shoulders. She started slow, her first 18 balls yielded only six runs. Bangladesh reached 46 for 4 after ten overs and the pressure brought about Shorifa Khatun’s downfall. Athapaththu, sensing her willingness to break the shackles, kept a length ball slow on off stump. Shorifa took the bait eyeing an across-the-line hack only to see her off stump disturbed.Rabeya Khan got off the mark with a four but was soon sent back trapped plumb in front of the stumps by Sugandika Kumari for 10. At 67 for 6 after 15, Bangladesh’s chances of reaching 100 looked bleak.

Shorna shores up Bangladesh

Bangladesh finally got the momentum they so dearly required, via 17-year-old Shorna’s blade. She first thrashed Priyadharshani through midwicket before slog-sweeping Athapaththu for four more. Shorna then struck Kavisha Dilhari for three back-to-back fours taking Bangladesh close to 100. Her attempt at a fourth boundary, however, failed with Silva taking another good catch, this time at long-on.Nigar kept things going at the other end. Bangladesh reached 100 in the 19th over before Nigar struck two fours off Prabodhani in the 20th. Bangladesh added 44 runs in the last five overs, but 111 against an in-form Sri Lanka unit was never going to be enough.Inoshi Priyadharshani came away with 2 for 17 in her four overs•ACC

Gunaratne sparkles in comfortable Sri Lanka win

Sri Lanka’s over-reliance on Athapaththu has often cost them dearly in the past. But Gunaratne kept a calm head after her captain fell early. Athapaththu started with a six over deep midwicket but failed to clear long-on soon after against Nahida Akter.Gunaratne, however, kept Sri Lanka on track. She got going with a four over mid-off and then whacked Marufa wide of long-on. Gunaratne collected five fours in the three overs after the powerplay as Sri Lanka sped towards the target. The highlight of her innings was her running between the wickets. When the boundaries didn’t come, she tapped and ran.She got good support from Samarawickrama. The duo added 54 off 48 balls for the second wicket and did not let Bangladesh into the game at any stage. Gunaratne brought up her fifty with a reverse sweep, a shot she played seven times during her innings.By the time she fell for 51 off 48, cleaned up by Nahida, Sri Lanka needed just 26 from 37 balls. Samarawickrama then took up the mantle and she and Dilhari struck three fours in a Shorna over to bring the target down to single digits before Dilhari finished the chase with a four over mid-off.For Bangladesh, Nahida picked up all three wickets to fall, ending with 3 for 12 from her four overs.