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Hundreds from Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan, the latter unbeaten, helped Pakistan to 340 for 6 and their most comprehensive day’s batting of the tour so far

The Report by Andrew Miller12-Aug-2016 Pakistan 340 for 6 (Younis 101*, Sarfraz 17*) lead England 328 by 12 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt was across the river Thames, at Lord’s last month, where Pakistan’s stunning victory in the first Test set the agenda for a series that has proven to be constantly enthralling, if not always as competitive as had initially been promised. But now, on their return to London, a city in which England have found success strangely elusive in recent months, Pakistan fronted up with their most comprehensive day’s batting of the tour so far, to give themselves real hope of snatching a 2-2 draw from the fourth and final Test at the Kia Oval.Thanks to centuries from Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan, plus a gutsy 49 from Azhar Ali and even a bonus 26 in the first hour of the day from the nightwatchman, Yasir Shah, Pakistan confounded their doubters, having resumed on an ominous 3 for 1 overnight, to reach 340 for 6, a lead of 12, at the close of a perfect day for run-harvesting. Their position might have been even stronger but for the efforts of Chris Woakes. He had been let down by his catchers in a messy start to England’s day, but got his just deserts shortly before the close, striking twice in five balls after rightfully earning a share of the new ball.The mainstay of Pakistan’s performance was Shafiq, promoted up the order following the indignity of a pair in last week’s third Test, who answered the call with a gutsy, patient and hugely accomplished ninth Test century. He picked his strokes with authority, particularly through the covers, and showed admirable resolve in waiting 17 nervy deliveries on 99 before easing a cathartic single past mid-on off the spin of Moeen Ali to reach three figures.But it was the return of the King that really set Pakistan’s innings apart from its flimsy predecessors at Old Trafford and Edgbaston. Just as Misbah-ul-Haq had done at Lord’s, so Younis at The Oval provided that stamp of old-stager authority to ensure that Pakistan’s hint of a revival during the day’s first two sessions had been transformed into real substance by the close. He too endured an anxious time on 99, stuck at the non-striker’s end as Woakes’s startling bounce accounted for Misbah, caught at gully for 15, and then the debutant Iftikhar Ahmed for an ugly top-edged smear to Moeen at mid-on, one ball after thumping his first runs straight down the ground.But Younis has seen it all before, and having waited six deliveries, spread across four overs, for the right moment, he nurdled Woakes into the leg side to bring up a masterful 32nd Test hundred, from 139 balls. Like Shafiq before him, Younis settled for a celebratory sajdah but none of the salutes and press-ups that had characterised Pakistan’s previous milestones. The time for team-galvanising gestures has long gone. Now it is all about the cricket and the series scoreline, and by the close, he was still in situ, unbeaten on 101 with Sarfraz Ahmed settling in confidently alongside him on 17.The feature of Younis’s innings was that it lacked many features at all. Somehow, through a combination of willpower, hard work in the nets and a greater degree of confidence in the Oval conditions, he had managed to shelve those anxious pogo-stick pushes that had characterised his lack of form earlier in the series, and instead produced an innings that was grounded in every sense.With every passing delivery, Younis looked more and more like his regal former self – a man with more than 9000 Test runs to his name, including (as the Oval scoreboard was proud to announce shortly before tea) more than 1000 fours and counting. Fifteen of those have come in this innings alone, as well as a mighty swipe into the OCS Stand, as he made it his elder statesman’s duty, like Misbah previously in the series, to take the cudgels to England’s spinner, Moeen.For England, it was a day that finished on an uplifting note, and with the new ball still fresh, they will expect to keep Pakistan’s lead to the sort of manageable proportions that they achieved at Edgbaston last week. But the first session in particular was a very different story, as three catches went down, one of each of the batsmen to feature at that stage. As England themselves demonstrated in the first innings, when a spate of let-offs allowed Jonny Bairstow and Moeen to engineer their own recovery from 110 for 5, opportunities on this pitch are hard to recreate when they are allowed to go begging.The first to benefit – though not for long as it turned out – was the nightwatchman, Yasir, who had been the focus of heated attention from England’s fielders when play resumed, on account of his disputed catch at square leg to dismiss Alex Hales in England’s first innings.Hales, who had joined Broad in a Twitter conversation at the close of play in which they cast doubt on the dismissal, was seen in animated conversation with Yasir during the opening overs of the day, and so there was no little irony when Hales, of all people, shelled a dolly in the gully as Yasir fenced loosely outside off from the very first ball of Woakes’ day. Before he could make the chance count, Steven Finn struck in his second over, finding sharp lift from a tight off-stump line for Joe Root to take a calmly juggled edge at second slip, but he had done his job well, and proven to his team-mates that England were there to be rattled.Azhar, who had been the silent partner during a bonus stand of 49 for the second wicket, was then joined by Shafiq, who had been slated to come in at No. 3 before Yasir’s promotion. And though he got off the mark for the first time since the Old Trafford Test, he too should have been on his way for 7 when Woakes, once again, found some extra lift outside off stump, only for Anderson at third slip to let the chance fizz through his fingers for four.And, with lunch approaching, Azhar completed the hat-trick of escapes when, on 35, he came forward to another sharp delivery from Finn and looped a tantalising chance straight back at the bowler, who got both hands to the offering but couldn’t cling on.The pair had taken their stand along to 75 when Moeen made the breakthrough, albeit in mildly irregular circumstances. Despite being under pressure throughout the series, he has retained a happy knack of prising out vital wickets, and when Azhar dropped to his knees for a missed sweep, England enthusiastically called for a review. Azhar was found to be out – though not via an lbw, as the ball looped straight up in the air off his gloves. Bairstow behind the stumps had pocketed the chance almost as an afterthought, but the deflection was clear on Hot Spot and England had the breakthrough.And so, into the fray came Younis, a skittish presence all series long, but visibly more grounded from the outset, as he fought to control the ticks and twitches that had crept into his game in the first three Tests. In particular his flicks off the pads, the cause of several downfalls in the series to date, were performed from a much more stable base, as he kept his balance and made England pay whenever they strayed in line. There was an inevitability about his innings that could only previously have been applied to his impending dismissals, and that was never better showcased than in the manner with which he reached his half-century. During the same passage of play in which Shafiq, on 99, was being tortured by Anderson’s drip-drip tactics outside off, he simply leant back and caned the same bowler through backward point for four.Shafiq’s lack of showmanship meant he was well placed to absorb the pressure of the match situation, and it took England’s most memorable moment of a poor day in the field to end his vigil on 109. Finn, another man whose efforts hadn’t earned the rewards that he might have expected on a different day, banged in a rare long-hop that indicated, perhaps, that his happy old knack for wicket-taking is slowly seeping back into his game. Shafiq rocked into a pull only for Broad at short midwicket to cling onto a blinder with two hands, diving to his left.He departed with disappointment, but he had more than played his part. Just as at Lord’s, where his vital twin contributions of 73 and 49 were overshadowed by a masterful hundred from his captain, so this innings was destined to take second place in his nation’s affections. But he won’t mind that one bit. As he told ESPNcricinfo recently, “I want to do things very simply and quietly”. He certainly did that, and more. And he could yet have set Pakistan up for a remarkable share of the spoils.

He is disappointed with Apex Council members Gaekwad and Rangaswamy for not doing their bit

Shamya Dasgupta20-Jul-2020Ashok Malhotra, the president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), has expressed his disappointment with Aunshuman Gaekwad and Shanta Rangaswamy, the association members who are also part of the BCCI’s Apex Council, for not addressing the ICA’s demands.Malhotra, who made his displeasure public with a Facebook video a few days back, said that “unfortunately” the body is dependent on the board to get its work done, and it was the “duty of the Apex Council to deliver” on their obligations.The demands from the ICA are (a) pension for former players who have played less than 25 first-class games, (b) pension for widows of former cricketers, (c) increase in medical insurance from Rs 5 lakh ($6674 approx.] to Rs 10 lakh [$13,348 approx.], and (d) release of the money from the benevolent fund to Manoj Prabhakar, whose ban for match-fixing ended in 2005.”We are answerable to our stakeholders in the ICA, and the Apex Council members are answerable to the ICA,” Malhotra told ESPNcricinfo. “Three Apex Council meetings have been conducted, and these issues are not even in the minutes of those meetings. You talk about IPL, you talk about (administration of the) Bihar Cricket Association, domestic calendar, the FTP… I have nothing to do with it; it’s for the BCCI to do something.”I have been told by my Apex Council colleagues that they did speak to the BCCI president, but outside the meeting, not in the meeting. Outside the meeting counts for nothing. Because it’s not in the agenda. It’s almost ten months, and nothing has been done so far.”Lots of cricketers are 70, 80, they are on the last leg (of their lives), how long can they wait? Anyway, the pension that is given to cricketers amounts to .54% of the overall BCCI expenditure for a year. Even if you double it, it’s 1.08%. We are not asking for much. Of the five [ICA members – Hitesh Majmudar, V Krishnaswamy, Yajurvindra Singh and Rajesh Nayyar are the others] at least listen to one, for god’s sake.”Malhotra made his grievance known to the wider world via the video, where he stressed that “unluckily”, the ICA has been dependent on the BCCI and the Apex Council, which hasn’t worked out too well for it. And that – the public expression of his disenchantment – ended up irking the four other members of the ICA, some of whom have since spoken to sections of the media asking for issues to be dealt with internally.In the video, Malhotra had said, “Last meeting of Apex Council was held long way back and because of coronavirus, yes, they are having difficulties – conference calls, Zoom, whatever – but the fact is that BCCI will have to take a call. It is not in the hands of ICA. ICA can only request and plead, and Apex Council is the one which will have to take the decision. Although there are two ICA members who are Apex Council members, they are in Apex Council because of ICA. And it little bit becomes their responsibility.”I know BCCI has a lot of things on their agenda, like Bihar Cricket Association, they are talking about domestic cricket, a whole lot of things. [But], I as ICA president, ICA as a whole, we are not really concerned about it. We are more concerned about what we are asked to do. And that is the duty of Apex Council, to deliver. I am saying again and again because we are getting a lot of questions, we are answerable to the stakeholders. We are really, really answerable. And ICA members, who are Apex Council members, are answerable to ICA. So it is a chain reaction. If nothing happens, they have every reason to be disappointed with the ICA. And ICA in turn might be disappointed with their Apex Council members. It’s a fact.”Shanta Rangaswamy and Aunshuman Gaekwad are the ICA members in the BCCI Apex Council•Getty Images

According to Malhotra, he has received messages from his four colleagues since then, and they have also sent him an email asking him to “follow the process”. Majmudar has also been quoted by the as saying, “We don’t want to take on anybody. We want to work for the benefit of cricketers, but we need to follow the process.””After the video, all hell broke loose. Four directors started writing… one of them wrote to me saying we can’t fight a big organisation like the BCCI, look at what happened to Lalit Modi. I said where is the question of fighting? Where is the comparison between us and Lalit Modi,” Malhotra said. “Then the four of them got together and fired an email to me. On top of that, one of the directors, I don’t know who, released the email to the press. I was being outvoted on everything, but I was keeping quiet. But now they are saying don’t go public, but they are leaking emails to the media.”Then they sent an apology to the BCCI without consulting me. For that video. I just wanted to know if you have sent an apology why didn’t you inform me? Am I not a board member? I am the president. If the four of you discuss and decide, it’s not done, it’s taking things too far. So I have now gone public too. It’s a democratic set-up, we are answerable to our stakeholders. What is the role of the president? Am I the president or the (servant)?”Malhotra said that he would next take his point of view to the stakeholders, the former cricketers who fall under the ICA’s umbrella. “The Supreme Court ordered the BCCI to have an ICA, it was compulsory, and it was compulsory for them to give us funds, which they have done – they have given Rs 2 crore,” he said. “We have Rs 1.35 crore in our account. No problem there. But it’s become very dirty. Once you go public, you open the Pandora’s Box. Hopefully we come to a compromise.””We have been shoved down the BCCI’s throat. But whether they love us or hate us, we are here to stay. Whether anybody likes it or not, whether we can do our work or not, whether I am there or someone else, we are not under BCCI, we are not in conflict with BCCI. We are an independent entity.”

A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy Group A matches on October 15, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Krishna Das followed up his 10-wicket haul against Rajasthan with 4 for 5 against Odisha•PTI

Fifteen wickets tumbled in Cuttack, as neither Assam nor Odisha managed to take control on the first day of their Ranji clash at the Barabati Stadium. Assam, after being inserted, were bundled out for 92 inside 53 overs, but Odisha failed to capitalise, falling to 52 for 5 by stumps in their reply. Medium-pacer Basant Mohanty was the pick of Odisha’s bowlers, taking 5 for 24 to wreck Assam’s innings, where only four batsmen managed double-digit scores. Assam’s Krishna Das, who picked up 10 wickets in the previous round against Rajasthan, was the team’s chief wicket taker again, removing four Odisha batsmen before the day drew to a close.
ScorecardPersistent showers in Kolkata meant that only 43.2 overs of play were possible in the match between Bengal and Rajasthan. The visitors, opting to bat, lost two early wickets, but recovered through a 55-run partnership for the third wicket between Ashok Menaria (40) and Vineet Saxena (31 not out). The pair took Rajasthan past the 100-run mark, but the stand came to an soon after as Menaria was bowled by Pragyan Ojha towards the end of the day.Karnataka v Vidarbha – Karnataka stumble after Pandey hundredDelhi v Haryana – Sehwag flatters to deceive as Delhi zoom ahead

The broadcaster has been told it can get back just over A$5 million

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2021Cricket Australia has emerged strongly in the latest stage of its battle with Seven West Media with the broadcaster awarded just a small reduction in its rights fee by an independent arbitrator.However, the two parties are still due in court on Monday and Seven has indicated they may not accept the finding.In a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) on Friday evening, Seven said they had been given an A$5.3 million deduction from its fee – which should be taken off the next payment due on Monday – but the broadcaster had been seeking up A$70 million from their A$82million per year share of the A$1.18 billion deal struck in April 2018.Related

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The deduction, which is the figure reported in a draft document last month, would rise by another A$3million if the Test against Afghanistan, which was postponed from this season, does not get played in the 2021-22 season.CA managed to deliver the majority of the season amid navigating Covid-19 restrictions and border closures with full WBBL and BBL tournaments alongside the tour by India which all delivered strong ratings for Seven and Fox Sports.Seven has made a range of arguments since the major disagreements with CA emerged last year including that the switching of the India tour to begin with the white-ball matches – which were exclusive to Fox Sports – had a negative impact on their schedule and that the quality of the BBL was reduced.”Seven West Media has to date reserved and continues to reserve all rights concerning the expert not having met fundamental contractual conditions of independence under the media rights agreement,” the statement, authorised by CEO James Warburton, said.”Seven West Media’s preliminary discovery action in the Federal Court relating to what it believes may be actionable Test Match and BBL quality failures by Cricket Australia is set down for 15 March 2021.”

Dhawan, who was first-choice opener prior to a grade two injury to his shoulder, will report to Bangalore for rehabilitation

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2020Prithvi Shaw could be in line for an ODI debut in New Zealand having replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan for the three-match series set to begin on February 5. Both teams play a five-match T20I series prior to that, for which Sanju Samson has been picked as the BCCI confirmed Dhawan, who was first-choice opener before a grade two injury to his shoulder, will report to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for rehabilitation.Shaw, who made a Test century on debut in 2018, is already in New Zealand with the India A team and has been in excellent form. The 20-year old opener struck a compelling 150 against New Zealand A in a warm-up game on Sunday to follow a double-hundred for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. He did suffer a minor injury scare a few weeks ago, having fallen on his shoulder while fielding, but judging by that hundred in Lincoln, which included 22 fours and two sixes, there appears to be little discomfort.Prithvi Shaw has been called up to India’s ODI squad for the first time•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Shaw has been on an upward track since his return from doping violation in November 2019. His first innings back was a half-century which he celebrated by pointing at his back and then making a talking gesture. The BCCI, while imposing a back-dated sanction, said Shaw had accidentally taken a forbidden substance commonly found in cough syrups. Should he make it to the XI during this three-match series against New Zealand, he will make his ODI debut in the same place where he led India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2017. Outside of his inclusion, India kept faith in the same squad that beat Australia 2-1 at home.Samson, meanwhile, has been on the fringes of national selection for several years. The wicketkeeper batsman played his first international in July 2015 and that had been his only game for India until earlier this month when he made the squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Both Samson and Shaw may yet be confined to the reserves considering India still have Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to open the batting and Rishabh Pant to keep wicket.Sanju Samson has replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan in India’s T20I squad•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mohammed Shami is the only other addition to the T20I squad that beat Sri Lanka 2-0. He has shown great improvement in his limited-overs skills, some of which were display on his last tour of New Zealand when he picked up nine wickets from four ODIs. He joined a fast-bowling line-up which includes Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur. India were spoiled for choice in the spin department as well with Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar all part of the squad for the five-match T20I series.

Allrounder is recovering from an injured ankle in CSA’s care as they “assess her eligibility for the [T20] World Cup”

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2023Dane van Niekerk has been left out of South Africa’s 17-member squad, led by legspinning allrounder Sune Luus, for the women’s T20I tri-series featuring India and West Indies. Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Trisha Chetty is also absent from the squad that has two uncapped players in Annerie Dercksen and Tebogo Macheke.Van Niekerk, who last played for South Africa in September 2021, was not considered after failing to meet fitness requirements as she makes her comeback from a broken ankle. She suffered the injury in January last year and has intermittently played in the Women’s BBL, the Hundred, the Women’s Super League, and for the South African Emerging Women’s side but has not met the standards to qualify for national selection. She has two weeks to change that, with South Africa due to announce their Women’s T20 World Cup squad on January 31. Chetty is sidelined with a long-standing back injury.”Dané has progressed very well and it’s a step in the right direction,” Clinton du Preez, Convenor of Selectors, said. “Unfortunately, she did not meet the minimum national standards and therefore is ineligible for selection and we will continue working on her fitness as we continue through the tri-series, to assess her eligibility for the [T20] World Cup.”Mignon du Preez, who announced her retirement late last year, and Chetty are the only two missing from the team that played the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022, with top order batter Tazmin Brits and offspinning allrounder Delmi Tucker – who made her T20I debut against England in July last year – coming in apart from the two uncapped players.Dercksen, who bats in the top order and bowls right-arm seam, impressed in the CSA Women’s Provincial T20 competition with her fast starts. She also picked up wickets while being economical. Macheke is the back-up wicketkeeper in the squad behind Sinalo Jafta.”The uncapped players included have been part of the recent camps and have grown immensely,” Clinton du Preez said. “Annerie as an allrounder, she will bring much depth to the squad and versatility within the team. Tebogo has been working hard and will add an additional option as a wicketkeeper and it’s great for them to be a part of it.”They’ve shown a lot of improvement and I am looking forward to their involvement and how we can maximise the opportunity of them being in the squad. It’s a great occasion for them to come up against two strongholds in India and the West Indies, which will really test the resilience of the two players.South Africa open the tri-series with a match against India on January 19. While they haven’t played an international since August last year, van Niekerk, allrounder Marizanne Kapp and fast bowler Shabnim Ismail were part of the Oval Invincibles side that won their second successive Women’s Hundred title in September. Ismail, Kapp, batter Laura Wolvaardt and allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon played in the Women’s Big Bash League. Luus and seamer Ayabonga Khaka were in action at the inaugural Women’s Caribbean Premier League.Squad: Suné Luus (capt), Chloé Tryon (vice-capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Tebogo Macheke, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Delmi Tucker, Laura Wolvaardt

Australia are huge favourites for the series, but Sri Lanka hope to be able to push them in Sydney

Andrew McGlashan28-Sep-2019Sri Lanka T20I captain Chamari Atapattu will encourage her team to take a positive approach against Australia and not be overawed by the challenge of facing such a powerful side on their home turf.The three-match series begins at North Sydney Oval on Sunday with the form book suggesting that the matches will be one-sided affairs with Australia pulling away at the top of tree in the women’s game after a 12-month period that has seen them win the T20 World Cup, beat New Zealand, retain the Ashes convincingly and, most recently, go unbeaten in the Caribbean.But Atapattu has a simple message for her players: “I always told my girls, play freely, play positive.””We all know Australia are the best team in the world, they’ve beaten England in the Ashes and West Indies in their home,” she pointed out. “We will try to play to our potential and play our normal game. Our preparation has been really good in Sri Lanka, we have good players, some experience and some new players. If we play our normal, free game we have a chance.”There is a bigger picture, too, for Sri Lanka with this tour offering valuable preparation ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Sri Lanka are in a tough group for that tournament alongside the hosts, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh.”This tour is very important for us because of the T20 World Cup in February so it’s good preparation, playing the best team in the world in their home conditions,” Atapattu said. “We have brought a couple of players to try before the T20 World Cup so it’s a good opportunity for us.”Atapattu, along with the experienced Shashikala Siriwardene, who takes over the captaincy for the ODIs which follow in Brisbane, will be key in the batting with Atapattu also picking out 21-year-old Harshitha Madavi as a batsman to watch. “The T20 format is very open. We have a good batting unit. I’ve played KSL, Big Bash and IPL overseas in this format so have good experience so I share my knowledge with our batters,” Atapattu added.The last time these two sides met was during the 2017 World Cup in England when Atapattu scored a brilliant 178 – an innings which she said “changed my life” – and this is only the second bilateral series between the teams following Australia’s 2016 tour.Australia’s vice-captain Rachael Haynes, doing pre-series duties in place of Meg Lanning who was attending the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, admitted that there is an element of the unknown that they have to deal with. “We don’t play a lot of cricket against Sri Lanka so to have a standalone series is unique in its own respect,” she said. “The last time we played them was a couple of years ago at the World Cup where Atapattu got a pretty decent hundred against us, so we won’t be underestimating them at all.”There is a strong chance that every player in Australia’s squad will be given an outing during the three matches with an eye on next year’s T20 World Cup. That would mean a debut for Heather Graham, who took 3 for 17 for the Cricket Australia XI in Sri Lanka’s warm-up match on Friday which the Sri Lankans won in a Super Over.”The team showed their hand a little with that in series gone by [against West Indies] and it’s good to see players like Erin Burns get an opportunity,” Haynes said. “Heather Graham was unlucky to miss out in the Caribbean. Given there is a World Cup coming up, without getting too far ahead of ourselves potentially there will be opportunities for players to play different roles at different stages. That’s exciting for our team.”

The debate was reopened once again after the team wrapped up a 3-0 lead in the five-match series against New Zealand, with Kohli saying there are enough contenders to consider a more flexible approach

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-20196:22

‘Pandya makes our bowling and batting more balanced’ – Kohli

India keep racking up ODI trophies – they’ll collect their tenth in the last 11 series – but through it all there has remained one major area of concern: the No. 4 spot.Nine men have been tried since the end of the Champions Trophy in June 2017 with Ambati Rayudu the incumbent, having scored 341 runs in nine innings at an average of 56 and a strike-rate of 93. Dinesh Karthik has been decent as well with his ability to score runs through unorthodox shots. MS Dhoni is an option when there have been too many early wickets, and Hardik Pandya too has had spells up the order, often when the team needed quick runs.India don’t quite know who the best out of that lot is. Virat Kohli backed Rayudu at No. 4 in October but, earlier this month, his vice-captain Rohit Sharma suggested that Dhoni was better suited for the role. The debate was reopened once again after the team wrapped up a 3-0 lead in the five-match series against New Zealand, with Kohli saying there are enough contenders to consider a more flexible approach.”I think the last five games if you see, two in Australia and three here, I said No. 4 is still something we’re looking to solidify. But when Rayudu starts playing like that, you start feeling more confident about the batting line-up,” he said. “Dinesh is in great form as well so he can step in at any time in case we need to shuffle the middle order at any stage. MS has been hitting the ball really well. So everyone’s in a good zone. I don’t feel after looking at the first three games we have a lot of things to worry about.”Dinesh Karthik (left) and Ambati Rayudu bump fists during their partnership•Getty Images

Firepower in the middle order is all the more important in modern-day limited-overs cricket – especially with a World Cup coming up – because it helps teams think of pushing a 300 total up to 350 and more. England have built their success around a heavyweight middle order, rising up to the No. 1 ranking in ODIs, and breaking the record for the highest total twice in the last three years.And Kohli felt having batsmen who accelerate through overs 30 to 40, especially while setting a total, could be a major point of difference in a one-day contest.”When you’re chasing, you’re anyway going after a target that’s big,” Kohli said. “But when batting first, you don’t know how much to set. So that is up to the two people batting in the middle. Who is the guy who wants to take that initiative and who is the guy who wants to or has to bat till the end. I think it will boil down to communication but that’s definitely going to be a team goal not just for us but all around the world. You see the patterns of teams that are getting big scores, that is the window they’re targeting and get those 20-30 extra runs.”Kohli has been rested from the final two ODIs of the series and he said he was happy with what he had seen from his players. “The thing that stands out for me is the relentless intensity with which the guys have played all these three games, not relaxing after 2-0 up as well, which I think is very very important. Now they’ve started to realise how to close series and how to capitalise when we have advantage in a series.”The bowlers were as hungry as the first two games. (Mohammed) Shami running in. Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) bowling good areas. Hardik was really, really good today as well and those two spinners [Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal] are quality anyway. Overall I’m really very pleased with how the games have gone.”

Close to 20 millimeters of rain fell on the fourth morning prior to the start of play which left a large chunk of the MCG outfield under water

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2018Torrential rain in Melbourne has ruined hopes of an entertaining finish between the Victoria and South Australia at the MCG.Close to 20 millimeters of rain fell in Melbourne on the fourth morning prior to the start of play which left a large chunk of the MCG outfield under water.The ground staff did an outstanding job in the middle of the day to dry the outfield and prepare the ground for a start at 4pm with Victoria needing just 102 runs from a potential 40 overs with eight wickets in hand for a third-straight victory to start the season.But another downpour just before the restart soaked the outfield again forcing the match to be called off.

ECB Reporters Network04-May-2019Lancashire missed out on a chance to secure qualification from the Royal London Cup group stage following a five-wicket Duckworth-Lewis-Stern defeat to Warwickshire. The Red Rose, having finished their campaign, need other results to go their way on Monday after the home side chased down a DLS target of 255 in 45 overs with two balls to spare.Lancashire amassed 277 for 7 thanks to skipper Dane Vilas’s 83 from 79 ball, supported by a series of small contributions. Alex Thomson continued his fine tournament with List A-best figures of 10-1-27-3, including a burst of three wickets in 12 balls.The home side then recovered from a superb opening spell of 8-2-15-3 from James Anderson to time their pursuit to perfection to the delight of a bumper Community Fun Day crowd at Edgbaston. Liam Banks struck 61 before Sam Hain saw the job through with consummate skill, his unbeaten 84, raising further his remarkable List A career-average of 58.Put in, Lancashire lost Haseeb Hameed to the eighth ball of the innings, lbw to an Olly Hannon-Dalby inswinger. But after a slow start, just six runs from the first five overs, they accelerated through a succession of solid partnerships.Keaton Jennings and Steven Croft added 56 in 12 overs and, after Jennings was bowled by Jeetan Patel, Croft and Vilas added 40 in seven before Croft played on to George Panayi.Vilas and Jake Lehmann kept the scoreboard ticking over with 80 in 15 overs but Thomson applied a brake with two wickets in three balls. Lehmann drove to mid-off and Rob Jones reverse-swept his second ball to gully. When Vilas missed a cut at Thomson and was bowled, Lancashire were 192 for 6 and in danger of coming in short, but Josh Bohannon and Saqib Mahmood added 83 in 12 overs to get the total up around par.Warwickshire’s reply started briskly but was pegged back by a high-class spell from Anderson. He bowled Dominic Sibley off an inside edge then produced perfect offcutters to force fatal edges to wicketkeeper Vilas from Ed Pollock and Will Rhodes.Hain and Banks retrenched with a stand, twice interrupted by rain, of 111 in 22 overs. They posted their half-centuries from successive deliveries, from 73 and 59 balls respectively, Hain achieving the unusual feat of reaching 50 without hitting a four.After another rain break altered the target again, Warwickshire resumed needing 96 from 11 overs and soon lost Banks who lifted Graham Onions to deep extra cover. But Hain, now batting with a runner after hurting a knee scrambling for a single, added 40 in five overs with Woakes and then Alex Mellor arrived to inject the required impetus with two sixes in a Matt Parkinson over.