Live report of Afghanistan's debut Test
Follow ESPNcricinfo’s live report of Afghanistan’s entry to Test cricket, against India in Bengaluru
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2018
Follow ESPNcricinfo’s live report of Afghanistan’s entry to Test cricket, against India in Bengaluru
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2018
Former West Indies captain Viv Richards has blamed the ‘arrogance of administrators’ involved in West Indies cricket for the failure to ensure the best players in the region remain available for international duty
Gaurav Kalra05-Apr-20175:47
‘Arrogant administration’ causing problems – Viv Richards
Former West Indies captain Viv Richards has blamed the “arrogance of administrators” involved in West Indies cricket for the failure to ensure the best players in the region remain available for international duty. Several big ticket players including Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons, Carlos Brathwaite, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Darren Bravo are currently in India to participate in the IPL even as a three-match ODI series against Pakistan gets underway on Friday in Guyana.In the last few years a number of high profile Caribbean players declined central contracts from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), leaving them under no compulsion to appear for national duty. One of the diktats of the WICB that has irked the players is being asked to play the Regional Super50 in order to qualify for selection for ODI squad. Considering the aforesaid players all feature in domestic T20 leagues like the Big Bash, which clash with the Super50, they have refused to sign the binding WICB contract.Richards insisted that the situation has come to pass only because members of the WICB have done a “lousy job” in creating an environment where players feel treasured by the national set-up. “When you have an arrogant administrative unit, guys are going to pick and choose,” Richards told ESPNcricinfo in Mumbai on Wednesday. “We must remember that many of the players come from humble backgrounds. I have no qualms in saying this, some of these administrators think they are as important as the players on the field. They are not. It is all about the attraction of the environment that the players on the field would have created for them to be in an administrative position.”I think it is a bigger issue than about the guys playing in our domestic competition. Most of the guys played there when they first started out, that’s what they wanted to do. But when you get an administration who thinks that they are the most important entity where West Indies cricket is concerned, they better wake up. The players have done their bit in terms of their representation. We lost a series in the UAE recently [in 2016 against Pakistan], now we have lost the T20 series in West Indies to Pakistan. All this after winning the last World T20. That sends a message in my opinion that all is not well with all the players who are representing West Indies at this stage.”Having failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy in June, West Indies are currently lying ninth in the ODI rankings and face the prospect of missing out on direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup. The cut-off date for the World Cup, which will be held in England, is September 30 this year. Other than the hosts England, the top seven in the ODI rankings will get a direct berth in the World Cup. West Indies, Pakistan and Bangladesh are vying to take the seventh position to avoid being forced to play the qualifiers.In Test cricket too, West Indies continue to founder and are in eighth spot in the rankings, only above Bangladesh who are in fact snapping at their heels, and Zimbabwe. Attendances continue to be poor back home but Richards remains hopeful of a turnaround, urging the administrators to pay heed to counsel from former greats.”I am one of those individuals that never says never,” Richards said. “I believe if we start having a little bit more respect for the individuals who would have helped the administrators into that administrative position. You have a Michael Holding, who refuses to be part of cricket in the region because of the behaviour of members at the administrative level. It hurts because we are the ones that are the trailblazers, not the ones who have come on the scene at present wanting to be administrators. We are the ones who made it attractive enough for them to administer and they have done a lousy job.”Besides keeping a close eye on West Indies cricket, Richards has stayed involved with the game in a mentorship capacity for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash and most recently with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League for the last two years. One of the most destructive players of all time, Richards keeps his advice simple to eager young batsmen who have sought him out during these stints.”Some of these individuals in the coaching department are trying to enhance their product in terms of what they believe coaching is all about,” he laughed. “If you look at the instinctive nature of players in T20 and the things that they do try, it is tough to coach that. So it is all about getting the guys to be mentally prepared and in a frame of mind that they understand what their duty is. This is such a great format for you to have a swing of the bat. I would have loved that more than anything else.”Our job is to give them the confidence if necessary. It is to be brave. You will have your bad days, but in the end it is about believing in the product that you have. As they say, he who dares, wins. That sort of mentality, you can take that in, you will have success.”
A round-up of the Plunket Shield 2015-16 matches that ended on February 16, 2016
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2016Northern Districts were dismissed for 139 in a chase of 201, giving Otago a 61-run win in Dunedin.Ish Sodhi’s 7 for 102 had limited Otago’s second innings to 287, leaving Northern Districts with a 201-run target. Their chase, however, unraveled with a slide that saw them tumble from 31 for 1 to 61 for 8. James Baker’s unbeaten 41 pushed the score past 100 but he had little support to count on as the side folded in 51 overs.Otago had scored 237 in the first innings after being put in to bat, limited by Northern Districts’ quicks. The only significant contribution came from opener Brad Wilson, who scored 97 even as Scott Kuggeleijn (3-72), Baker (3-42) and Tony Goodin (4-50) chipped away at the line-up.Northern Districts then surged from a shaky 82 for 4 to take an 87-run lead, thanks to opener Daniel Flynn’s 92 and a 73 from Daryl Mitchell. Sodhi enhanced their position with his seven-for, running through the line-up for his best first-class returns in an innings. Otago were kept to 287 despite an opening stand of 103 and fifties from Brad Wilson (64) and Michael Bracewell (96). No other batsman crossed a score of 40 in the innings.An innings-and-119-run win over Wellington helped Auckland climb to the top of the Plunket Shield table. Wellington could only manage scores of 174 and 219 in their innings, failing to match Auckland’s mammoth total of 512 for 9 declared, set up by a knock of 167 from Robert O’Donnell.Auckland dominated from the start, reducing Wellington to 116 for 8 after putting them in to bat and eventually bowling them out for 174. Colin de Grandhomme took 4 for 31, cleaning up the lower middle order.Auckland’s reply was led by Michael Guptill-Bunce (89) and O’Donnell as they added 172 runs for the second wicket to firm up the side after the early wicket of Jeet Raval. O’Donnell was involved in two other half-century stands and, after his dismissal, Auckland were strengthened further with an 85-run stand for the ninth wicket between medium-pacer Donovan Grobbelaar and legspinner Tarun Nethula.Grobbelaar (3-27) and Nethula (4-77) then took seven wickets between them to rout Wellington for 219. Scott Borthwick chipped in with 55 from 106 deliveries but another collapse saw Wellington lose their last six wickets for 56 runs.Will Young’s unbeaten 66 helped Central Districts eke out a closely fought draw against Canterbury in Nelson. Chasing a target of 376, Central Districts were at a strong 112 for 1 with opener Ben Smith’s 78 leading the way. Their position quickly turned precarious, however, fast bowler Andrew Ellis began working his way through the line-up. Ellis dismissed the lower middle order cheaply on his way to 5 for 52 but Young helped Central hold on for the draw.Young had earlier played another key knock, scoring 84 in his side’s first-innings total of 168. His knock, which included eight fours and two sixes, had lifted the total in an innings where the next best score was 26. Kyle Jamieson did most of the damage for Canterbury taking 5 for 47.Jamieson’s five-for ensured Canterbury took a 36-run lead after they mustered 204 in their first innings. They were propped up solely by Peter Fulton’s 89 as the batsman stitched together partnerships to steer the side against Central Districts’ bowlers. They built on that lead with a stronger performance in the second innings, scoring 339. Opener Leo Carter top-scored with 82 and had support from Ellis who scored 63. Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel took 6 for 152, adding to his two wickets in the first innings.
It was not exactly 624 but Kumar Sangakkara’s career-best had a similar effect as the 2006 record stand he put on with Mahela Jawaywardene against the same opposition seven years ago
The Report by Firdose Moonda20-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKumar Sangakkara’s career-best 169 proved to be too costly for South Africa•Associated Press
It was not exactly 624 but Kumar Sangakkara’s career-best had a similar effect as the 2006 record stand he put on with Mahela Jawaywardene against the same opposition seven years ago. Sangakkara’s 169 was his 16th ODI century, the highest score by a Sri Lankan batsman at home, which sent him past Ian Bell as the second highest run-scorer in ODIs this year and took his 2013 average to 75.55. It was also the difference between the two sides at the Premadasa Stadium.Sangakkara dominated the South African attack with unusual aggression. He built his innings to a crescendo, scoring 66 runs off the first 91 balls and 103 from the next 46 and bulleted the leg side with boundaries. Almost 78% of his runs – 131 – came on the on side.He made all South African bowlers – from their seamers who persisted with the short ball to their sitting duck trio of spinners – appear ineffectual and set their batsmen a target that would require them to complete the highest successful chase at the ground. That set Sri Lanka up to subject South Africa to their second-biggest loss and begin Russell Domingo’s tenure on a difficult note.South Africa went into the fixture understaffed, with Lonwabo Tsotsobe unfit for selection and Hashim Amla missing out because of an overnight neck problem. But they also seemed underprepared despite a week of training on the island.Morne Morkel and Chris Morris bowled 19 deliveries between them in the first two overs because of the seven wides they sent down. To add insult to that ill-discipline, Morkel had Upul Tharanga dropped on nought by Alviro Petersen in the first over after the quick changed angles to round the wicket as he tried to find his line.Morris discovered his soon after and bowled Tillakaratne Dilshan for 10 but Tharanga was there to remind South Africa what an error can cost. He took advantage of any width and put on 70 with Sangakkara before inside edging onto his stumps off Morkel.Sangakkara and Jayawardene evoked even more memories of 2006 in their stint at the crease together. In their 74-run stand, Jayawardene dispatched the short ball at will while Sangakkara dealt with the spinners. Jayawardene succumbed to the pull but left Sangakkara to inflict the bulk of the damage.Sangakkara imposed his authority in the latter third of the innings. Lahiru Thirimanne scored just 17 runs in a 123-run stand with Sangakkara, who hit audacious shots like the scoop and had some fortune with his edges. Already on a magical run this year, Sangakkara took that to new heights against an attack that ran out of ideas.Thisara Perera’s cameo at the end allowed Sri Lanka to take 103 runs off the last 10 overs and saw Sri Lanka post a total South Africa were never in with a chance of chasing.Colin Ingram, opening in place of Amla, was out for a golden duck as his defences were absent against a perfect, inswinging Lasith Malinga yorker. Duminy, who was in a new role at No. 3 and playing his 100th ODI, dealt with Malinga better and hit him for two fours in the fifth over. Just as he looked good, he outside edged off Shaminda Eranga and Sangakkara reacted outstandingly to take a one-handed catch, low down.Petersen showed why he should be considered in the openers’ role more permanently with a watchful knock. Along with AB de Villiers, who was dropped by Eranga off his own bowling on 4, he made a South African challenge seem possible. De Villiers drove well and looked comfortable until Rangana Herath was brought on.Sri Lanka’s go-to man produced a delivery that angled into de VIlliers and bowled him as he played inside the line. Petersen, who was joint top-scorer on 29, was caught behind in the next over and at 75 for 4, it was only a matter of time.South Africa’s last six wickets fell for 58 runs as the middle order lacked temperament and application. That only served to worsen their record: South Africa have not won an ODI against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka since 1993 and have won only one of the 11 completed matches against the hosts they have played there. They will question their flawed strategy, especially in the spin department as they played two left-arm spinners against a top five with three left-handed batsmen and two sublime players of spin, who made them pay today.
With more than a day’s worth of overs lost to rain, and a pitch that was a scourge of bowlers, the SSC Test ended in the inevitable and dreary draw it was destined to be
The Report by George Binoy04-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kumar Sangakkara is disappointed after missing a double-century for the second time in two Tests•Getty Images
With more than a day’s worth of overs lost to rain, and a pitch that was a scourge of bowlers, the SSC Test ended in the inevitable and dreary draw it was destined to be – the fourth such result in the venue’s last five matches. Only 20 wickets fell over the course of the Test – nine of them today – while 1128 runs were scored. The only vestigial hope of last-day drama lay in whether Pakistan’s bowlers could end Sri Lanka’s first innings early enough to enforce the follow-on. They did not, and that was that.Sri Lanka achieved their objective of consolidating their position in the Test by not losing a wicket in the first session, with Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews steadfast during an 89-run period that saved the follow-on. In the second they collapsed: Junaid Khan completed the second five-wicket haul of a budding career and Sangakkara missed a double-century for the second time in consecutive Tests.Having taken a 160-run lead in the first innings, Pakistan scored quickly in their second after lunch, at nearly six runs an over. They promoted left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman to No. 3, after the openers had added 51, with the license to swing. The move paid off and Pakistan’s lead increased rapidly to 259 at tea, but they did not declare then. Misbah-ul-Haq declared eight balls after the break, an odd decision that gave Pakistan’s bowlers 37 overs, instead of 40, to have a crack at Sri Lanka. The hosts were never in any danger during their final innings, though, and the captains agreed to call off the game as soon as they could. Sangakkara walked off unbeaten on 24, having done so much to preserve Sri Lanka’s 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.The fifth day in Colombo was hot and sunny, with no sign of the clouds that helped ruin this Test, but very few people turned up to watch, as Sangakkara resumed on 144 and Mathews began his innings. They focussed on risk-free survival. Junaid, who had sparked some life into the Test with two quick wickets on the fourth evening, beat the bat on occasion but created no scares.
Kumar Sangakkara missed out on scoring his ninth double-century. However, he is now fourth on the list of batsmen with the most 150-plus scores (16) in Tests.
Sangakkara became only the second batsman after Mohammad Yousuf to be dismissed in the 190s on three different occasions. It is also the first time that two batsmen have been dismissed in the 190s in the same game.
Sangakkara’s average of 79.96 at the SSC is the highest among the batsmen who have scored 2000-plus runs at a venue.
For the second time in two Tests and the fourth time since the start of 2011, four batsmen were dismissed for ducks in the Sri Lanka innings.
This is the sixth time that Pakistan have had a five-for and a four-wicket haul (two four-plus wicket hauls) in the same innings against Sri Lanka. The last such occasion was in Kandy in 2006.
For the second time in this series and the ninth time overall, a team innings featured two centuries and four ducks. Pakistan have been the bowling team on four of the nine occasions.
Saeed Ajmal bowled 34 overs without a single maiden. This is the highest number of overs bowled by a Pakistan bowler in an innings without bowling a single maiden over.
Pakistan declared in both their innings for the first time since the Karachi Test in 1993 against Zimbabwe. On that occasion, Pakistan went on to win by 131 runs. It is also the fewest overs faced by Pakistan in an innings (18 overs in the second innings) before declaring.
Sangakkara went past 400 runs in a series for the fourth time in his career. His best is 516 runs against Pakistan in the UAE last year.
Pakistan were not wayward with the ball, though. There was nothing happening for them, and when they tried to conjure something, the umpire Simon Taufel nipped it in the bud. Taufel noticed a fielder throwing the ball from a short distance on the bounce to the wicketkeeper, possibly hoping to scuff up one side, and told him not to do it. He had a word with the captain Misbah as well.Every now and then Mathews would break the spate of dot balls and singles with muscular shots. Sangakkara, on the other hand, simply nudged around for the first 18 overs, before finally unfurling a stylish cover drive against Aizaz Cheema. Another quiet period followed before Sangakkara stepped out to loft Ajmal over his head for six.Sangakkara ended the first session 13 short of his ninth double-century, Mathews four away from his ninth half-century, but Sri Lanka’s dominance of this day was about to end.Junaid struck in his first over after the break, getting the ball to straighten on Mathews and inducing an edge to the wicketkeeper. He could have had another wicket next ball, but Taufel felt Prasanna Jayawardene had been struck marginally outside the line of off stump.On 192, Sangakkara was undone by a soft shot. He came down the track and whipped a tame delivery from Rehman straight to square leg. Having been stranded on 199 in Galle, Sangakkara threw his head up in anguish and stormed back to the dressing room. The ball was reversing now, and Junaid collected his fifth scalp with a yorker that crashed into the stumps after nicking the inside edge of Nuwan Kulasekara’s bat.The end came quickly after that, with Rehman mopping up. Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 21 runs to finish on 391 and their scorecard made for bizarre viewing: apart from Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who made centuries, only Mathews and Rangana Herath got into double-figures.Pakistan’s openers set off with purpose, and Rehman coming in to pinch-hit at Mohammad Hafeez’s wicket seemed to signal a declaration was not far away. He played shots that belied his place in the tail, racing to 36 off 22 balls. Tea came and went, though, and Pakistan continued to bat. And when Misbah made his oddly-timed decision minutes after play had resumed in the final session, Mahela Jayawardene walked off the SSC looking bemused.Hoping for anything but a draw was akin to buying fool’s gold, though, and Sri Lanka’s openers batted out 12 of the possible 37 overs. Ajmal and Rehman picked up a wicket apiece, and there were hoarse appeals for lbw and catches around the bat at every opportunity, but the players agreed to end the game at the first opportunity.
Steve O’Keefe is intent on pressing his case for Australian limited overs and Test match consideration during the tourists’ two Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2011Australia’s most statistically accomplished spin bowler, Steve O’Keefe, is intent on pressing his case for limited overs and Test match consideration during the tourists’ two Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka.In 14 first-class matches, O’Keefe has winkled out 52 wickets at 24.05, yet has been ignored by the national selectors for all but the briefest of formats, in which he took 3-29 on his debut against Pakistan last year.The selection of Nathan Lyon and Michael Beer has been considered by some to be a slight on O’Keefe, but he preferred to view it as a sign that in selection terms, anything was now possible.”Definitely. I think every time you play, it’s a bit of an audition, isn’t it?,” O’Keefe told in Colombo. “Sometimes, if you do well in any sort of form for Australia, it can translate in all sorts of forms so, any time you get to wear [Australian colours], you’re on show.”O’Keefe has watched Lyon bowl, and said the South Australian-based off spinner had all the attributes of a classical slow bowler.”He’s a beautiful bowler when you watch him go,” O’Keefe said. “He gets it up and over and one of the best natural spinners I’ve seen around in the country for a long time. He’s got a good head on his shoulders which I think will serve him in good stead if he gets his opportunity to play.”While O’Keefe’s time in Sri Lanka will be short, the time spent training ahead of Saturday’s first T20 match against the Sri Lankans will be enthusiastically undertaken by one of the more personable cricketers in Australia.”It’s changing times that you come away and you’re here for two weeks for these games that go for three hours but, in saying that, the intensity of training is quite tough,” O’Keefe said. “The training that we did today for fielding, it doesn’t get much tougher and I think you can definitely take your skills up a notch by working around these guys.”There’s a lot of benefits besides the two games. You get to surround yourself with the best players in the world and play up to their level. It’s a great forum to showcase your skills.”
Gary Kirsten, India’s coach, has expressed disappointment over how few Indian fast bowlers have added to the bare cupboard, or shown the promise to be given a long run
Sidharth Monga in Galle18-Jul-2010Gary Kirsten, India’s coach, has expressed disappointment over how few Indian fast bowlers have added to the bare cupboard, or shown the promise to be given a long run. “In the last two years and seven months that I have been with the team, we have tried 15 or 16 seamers in one-day cricket,” Kirsten said. “That’s a lot of options. We need to settle on the few who can get through.”It is a concern that the guys are not saying ‘I am here now and now I am going to play international cricket for next five years’. A lot of them might argue that they haven’t been given enough opportunities, but when you are trying to achieve results all the time, sometimes you get only limited opportunities and you have got to ensure that you show what you are capable of in that time.”Kirsten was speaking after India had a disappointing start to the Test series against Sri Lanka, conceding 256 for 2 in 68 overs on a rain-curtailed first day. Ishant Sharma, who has not had a great time after a promising start to his career, found himself leading the pace department in the absence of Zaheer Khan. He went for 79 runs in14 overs.”We need to be patient with Ishant Sharma,” Kirsten said. “He hasn’t had much game time in the last three months. In his last Test in Kolkata he made a crucial contribution, got two vital wickets against South Africa. We need to be patient with guys who we know have the potential and talent to go forward. We must be careful not to judge him on one practice game and one day here. Let’s give him a bit of a run and see how he goes. He lost a bit of confidence towards the end of the last season and that takes some time to come back.”When asked if Ishant and Sreesanth should have been sent on the A tour of England, especially to play in the first-class games, Kirsten said: “I would like the guys to have as much game time as possible. Wherever they get an opportunity to play quality cricket they must play.”Kirsten also spoke about the missing allrounder in the scheme of things, someone who could have shored up the bowling in circumstances like today. “It [playing five bowlers] is an option, but you know that our success in the last 16 Test matches has been this combination. We are a good batting line-up, and it’s important for us to have six batsmen. Ideally we want a batting allrounder who can bowl seam but there are not many of those.”If he is going to be a batting allrounder, he has to be able to make a contribution with the ball. We can’t have a guy bowling at 115 kmph, holding up one end and getting one wicket every five Test matches. He has got to be able to make a proper contribution with the ball. Irfan [Pathan] was certainly one of the individuals that we earmarked, but he is probably a little bit light on his bowling side.”
Nitish Kumar Reddy had received his maiden India call-up before being sidelined due to a hernia
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2024Nitish Kumar Reddy will have to wait for his international debut after he was sidelined from India’s T20I tour of Zimbabwe due to an injury. Shivam Dube will take his place in the 15-member squad.While the BCCI did not specify the nature of Reddy’s injury, ESPNcricinfo has learned that he has been ruled out due to a hernia.Reddy, a 21-year-old seam bowling allrounder, had earned his maiden India call-up after an impressive IPL 2024 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He made 303 runs in the season at a strike rate of 142.92, while also delivering 13.1 overs for three wickets.In just his second innings of the season, he scored 64 off 37 balls against Punjab Kings, which took SRH to 182 and eventually helped them seal a two-run win. Reddy also scored an unbeaten 42-ball 76 against Rajasthan Royals in a group game later in the tournament. With the ball, his three wickets included Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs and Jitesh Sharma.Reddy has been a part of the BCCI’s target group of young players who have been under the NCA’s watch over the past year.Dube is part of the India squad at the T20 World Cup 2024. While his numbers in the tournament so far have been middling: 106 runs in six matches with a strike rate of 107.07 and zero wickets, he had a tremendous IPL 2024. Coming in to bat primarily in the middle overs, he was Chennai Super Kings’ spin-hitter, finishing the season with 396 runs in 14 games, striking at 162.29. He was CSK’s second highest run-scorer behind Ruturaj Gaikwad.India will play Zimbabwe in five T20Is in Harare which get underway on July 6. With the senior players rested, Shubman Gill will lead the squad which features Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag and Tushar Deshpande, all of whom received maiden India call-ups.
Ꮪhubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande
Sunday’s training session gave no possible answers to Bharat vs Kishan and how many spinners India will pick
Nagraj Gollapudi04-Jun-2023Two spinners and three fast bowlers? Or one spinner and four fast men including Shardul Thakur as bowling allrounder? Who should be wicketkeeper – the specialist KS Bharat or the X-factor player Ishan Kishan?These are among the key questions that have confronted India since they announced their squad for the WTC final. If you were at The Oval on Sunday, two days before the Test billed as the Ultimate Test, you would have struggled to come away with any hints as to what combination India are leaning towards.Two young men, good friends, both in their 20s, were in focus during India’s first training session in London after almost a week in Arundel where the squad assembled in batches, with players joining at different times while the IPL concluded.Related
Pressure on India to win an ICC title after ten-year wait? Not at all, says Dravid
Cummins happy to be 'underdone than overdone'; 'getting mentally ready' key for Rohit
Watson: Transition from IPL to WTC final in England is 'extreme'
WTC final FAQs: Dukes ball, reserve day, a first-of-its-kind Oval Test, and more
Ponting wants India to play Kishan and Suryakumar
Shubman Gill and Kishan share a close bond off the field, and are not shy to rib each other with friendly banter. Gill needled Kishan as soon as he noticed the left-hander attempting to sweep a few times, albeit not convincingly. Kishan acknowledged that it was “not my shot.”Kishan, who is yet to make his Test debut, had two long batting sessions lasting close to three-quarters of an hour overall, but didn’t practise his keeping. He also had a potential scare late in his second stint, taking a hit to his left forearm while trying to push at a delivery from left-arm quick Aniket Choudhary, one of India’s back-up bowlers. Kishan instantly dropped his bat and walked out to get his forearm iced and wrapped.It didn’t appear to be a serious injury, as Kishan carried two bats comfortably in the hand of his injured arm post-training. A couple of hours later he and Gill walked onto what could potentially be the match pitch for a quick inspection.Though he did not keep wickets, the ample batting time he got is an indicator that India are seriously considering Kishan. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said Kishan would feature in his India XI because the left-hander is an “X-factor player that you need when you might be pushing for a win in a Test match.” Ponting felt that job had previously been done by Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash last December.Bharat, Kishan’s direct competitor, started the training session with a spell of wicketkeeping drills on one of the practice strips on the main square and then returned to bat. Bharat replaced Pant for the four-Test home series against Australia in February-March and showed signs of being a talent who remains a work-in-progress both behind and in front of the stumps.A major challenge for wicketkeepers in England is that the ball tends to wobble and dip after passing the stumps, so technique and positioning are key attributes while standing back to fast bowlers. Neither Bharat or Kishan have any international experience of keeping in England, though Bharat has kept wickets for India A in one match, against West Indies A in Beckenham in 2018.Mohammed Siraj is expected to start at The Oval, but Umesh Yadav could also feature if India play four quicks•ICC via Getty Images
Overall, the Indians turned up at full strength on a sunny Sunday. While they had their sweatshirt hoodies on in the morning, they discarded them when noon approached and The Oval shone under a clear blue sky.Barring Ajinkya Rahane and the fast-bowling trio of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav, the rest of the Indian squad got through batting sessions.Gill enjoyed his time in the sun. He has experience of long-format cricket in English conditions, having played two Tests there in 2021, including the previous WTC final in Southampton, as well as three County Championship games for Glamorgan in 2022, scoring 244 runs at an average of 61.00, his four innings including a 92 against Worcestershire and a century against Sussex. Incidentally, Gill batted at No. 3 in all four innings.With KL Rahul injured, Gill is set to open in the WTC final alongside Rohit Sharma. Gill arrives in England on the back of stellar form across all international formats in 2023 and in the IPL. Gill, though, will be mindful both of Australia’s bowling attack and the seamer-friendly conditions where the Dukes ball can surprise the best of batters. On Sunday, Gill spent considerable one-one-one time with batting coach Vikram Rathour.A good opening partnership was a catalyst in India playing the dominant hand in the first four Tests of the 2021-22 Test series in England, with both Rohit and Rahul scoring big runs. Both scored match-winning hundreds, Rahul in the second Test at Lord’s and Rohit in the fourth Test at The Oval.Any apprehension India may have felt about playing in June (The Oval has hosted Test matches since 1880 but never one in June) would have been eased by the forecast for the coming week, promising sunny weather with temperatures ranging from the late teens to the early 20s Celsius. While there was no confirmation about which strip will be used for the match, it will be a fresh pitch with the surface likely to be dry,All three Indian spinners bowled and batted on Sunday, suggesting both R Ashwin and Axar Patel were in contention for the second spinner’s slot if India pick two slow bowlers. But if they field four seamers, India ensured Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat and Umesh were ready alongside the lead new-ball pair of Shami and Siraj.Both Thakur and Unadkat bowled long spells and then had decent batting stints. Unadkat also received advice from head coach Rahul Dravid on his bat swing.Having watched more than three hours of the training the impression you would walk way with was: India are keeping all their options open, but ready.
Clarke was mentioned in former team-mate Alex Hepburn’s rape trial in 2019
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2022Joe Clarke, the Nottinghamshire batter, has been taken off England’s blacklist after being placed on standby for next month’s Test tour to the Caribbean.The reported that Clarke is among a number of non-travelling reserves for March’s Test series against West Indies, who will be called upon in the event of a squad member contracting Covid-19 or being ruled out through injury.Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s interim managing director, refused to confirm the names of the players on England’s standby list at Lord’s on Wednesday, but clarified that James Anderson and Stuart Broad – the high-profile omissions from the squad – were not included.”There are a number of non-travelling reserves,” Strauss said. “We have identified a group of players who could come in if there are injuries, so we have asked them to prepare themselves as if they might get a call-up at some stage.”Clarke was mentioned in a court case involving his former Worcestershire team-mate Alex Hepburn, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2019 after he was found guilty of raping a woman in 2017 and has since been released.Related
Root instigates move up to No. 3 for England's West Indies tour
'Not the end of the road' for Stuart Broad and James Anderson – Andrew Strauss
Anderson, Broad dropped from England Test squad for West Indies
Clarke, Kohler-Cadmore on England blacklist after WhatsApp revelations
Hepburn sentenced to five years in prison after rape of sleeping woman
The pair shared a flat in Worcester and during the course of his trial, the jury heard from the prosecution how Hepburn had “dehumanised” women as part of a “sexual conquest competition” on WhatsApp with Clarke and another ex-Worcestershire player, Tom Kohler-Cadmore.Neither Clarke nor Kohler-Cadmore was arrested, nor suspected of an offence. Both were fined by the ECB, handed back-dated suspensions, and told they would not be considered for England selection until further notice.Kohler-Cadmore was part of the England Lions tour to Australia in 2019-20 and named in an enlarged training group at the start of the following summer, but Clarke – once a regular feature in Lions squads – has not played for England at any level in the years since.Clarke spoke about his involvement in an interview with ESPNcricinfo in 2020, saying at the time: “If I could take back everything that happened, in terms of the whole situation for all the parties involved, then I would. It runs through my mind every day.”Clarke’s first-class form has been solid over the last two years – he has averaged 36.53 with two hundreds since the start of the 2020 season – but he has flourished in T20 cricket, impressing for Nottinghamshire in the Blast and recently for Melbourne Stars in the BBL.