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Junaid Khan, the Pakistan fast bowler, who sustained a knee injury during the recently-concluded England series, will not be available for the Asia Cup when the new selection committee chaired by Iqbal Qasim sits tomorrow to pick the squad

Umar Farooq02-Mar-2012Junaid Khan, the Pakistan fast bowler, who sustained a knee injury during the recently-concluded England series, will not be available for the Asia Cup when the new selection committee chaired by Iqbal Qasim sits tomorrow to pick the squad. PCB sources have indicated that Junaid is likely to be out of action for three weeks.ESPNcricinfo understands that Junaid picked up the injury during training ahead of the second Twenty20 in Dubai. MRI scans revealed a fracture of the patella. Junaid had played a total of three matches on the tour – one Test, one ODI and one Twenty20 – and accounted for just one wicket.Junaid, 21, who graduated from the same Under-19 batch that Mohammad Amir came from, is also a left-arm fast bowler but his fledgling career has been hurt by injuries in the last few months. Incidentally Junaid was picked for the England series after he had freshly recovered from the abdominal tear he picked during the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year, which ruled him out for six weeks.

England were put through a tough two-hour fielding session the day after arriving in Chennai ahead of their crucial World Cup match against South Africa on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2011England were put through a tough two-hour fielding session the day after arriving in Chennai ahead of their crucial World Cup match against South Africa on Sunday. Their catching has been poor during the tournament with three further drops proving costly against Ireland as Kevin O’Brien ambushed them with the fastest World Cup century.Andrew Strauss had a chance to end O’Brien’s innings on 91, a steepling chance running round from mid-off, and while that was tougher than some England have dropped it continued the slip in standards since the end of the Ashes. Earlier in the innings Matt Prior dropped a sitter when Paul Stirling top-edged a pull and Michael Yardy spilled a firmly-struck caught-and-bowled opportunity.The three-wicket defeat against Ireland now means England probably need to win two of their final three matches to make the quarter-finals and that will need a significant improvement in the fielding, bowling and late-order batting. Although Jonathon Trott and Ian Bell added 167 for the third wicket there was no flourish at the death as the final five overs brought 33 runs.Still, a Test-class bowling attack should have been able to defend 327, especially with Ireland 111 for 5, even though the Bangalore surface was a beautiful batting strip. England set themselves very high standards in the field – Richard Halsall, the fielding coach, is rightly credited with doing superb work – and their World Cup campaign will only survive if they return to that level.However, despite the humbling experience of Wednesday evening Trott, who top-scored with 92 and equalled the record for the least number of innings to reach 1000 ODIs run alongside Viv Richards and Kevin Pietersen, insisted the response in the dressing room had been measured rather than panicked.”Obviously we would have liked to have won the game, being in the position we were – and we were very disappointed. But we have three very winnable games ahead of us, and a huge chance to qualify for the quarters and to peak at the right time and towards the important time.”Obviously the Test-playing nations you are expected to have good battles against, and win all the others,” he said. “So to lose against a team like Ireland, who played really well towards the end of their batting innings, was very unexpected but a good wake-up call for the team. We now know what lies ahead of us and the job in hand and what we have to do to be able to progress.”Ireland’s successful chase from a poor position – and, to a lesser extent, England’s tie against India last weekend – showed how no total is safe on a flat batting surface. But having removed half the Ireland side it was alarming how quickly the bowling fell apart and Trott knows it’s vital that the team don’t lose focus at any point during their next three matches.”We have got to play 100 overs of good cricket – especially in today’s climate and how quickly games can change, how quickly people can take the game away from you on these flat wickets. We have got to be on the ball all the time,” he added. “I think we can’t look too much at the game we have just lost. I think it would be foolish if we looked backwards. We want to go forwards in this competition – and it starts on Sunday with South Africa.”Playing against South Africa will bring the usual references to Trott’s past. They didn’t see the best of him on the 2009-10 tour, his first overseas trip with England, but can expect to confront a far more rounded player on Sunday. Trott, meanwhile, respects Graeme Smith’s team but only sees them as another opponent.”They are obviously a well-drilled side,” he said. With Imran Tahir now in the team, they have a few more options in the spin department – and they seem to have a few powerful batters as well. They are a good all-round team but definitely on the day of the week we hit our straps we can compete – and they are very beatable.”Pietersen, Graeme Swann and Paul Collingwood sat out England’s extended fielding session on Friday with various niggles picked up in Bangalore but all are expected to be available for the South Africa match. However, Collingwood’s position will come under scrutiny because the middle order is lacking power which could mean a return for Ravi Bopara.

West Indies’ two-run defeat to Zimbabwe in the one-day series opener has left the captain shaking his head at the mode of dismissal for some of his main batsmen

Cricinfo staff05-Mar-2010West Indies’ two-run defeat to Zimbabwe in the one-day series opener, after the tourists won the one-off Twenty20, has left the captain Chris Gayle shaking his head at the dismissals of three key batsmen. West Indies, chasing 255, came up short by two runs after they lost Kieron Pollard and Dinesh Ramdin to loose shots and then Dwayne Smith in a double-wicket final over, and that left Gayle a frustrated leader.”In the Australia series, I saw improvements in the likes of [Kieron] Pollard and Smith. To come here … and the way they went about it, I must say I am very disappointed in those two guys and Ramdin,’ Gayle said after the match. “Those guys were key for us and the way they went about it was a terrible display. It is very disappointing and sad to see how they went about it.”Smith was bowled by the debutant Shingirai Masakadza with four runs needed off the last three balls, while Pollard and Denesh Ramdin had succumbed to loose shots as Zimbabwe turned up the heat on West Indies. “When you do crap, it’s definitely crap and there is no excuse,” said Gayle. “Guys have to take responsibility out there in the middle. It is just sad and disappointing.”Gayle handed credit where it was due, aware that rankings – Zimbabwe sit below West Indies on the ICC’s table – mattered little. “Zimbabwe are here to win. There is no way we can under estimate them. We saw what they have to offer in the Twenty20,” he said. “Zimbabwe have beaten Australia. It is not a team that we are taking for granted. They are here to win just like us and credit must go to them. The way they pushed and ran hard between the wickets showed how hungry and determined they are.”Prosper Utseya, the Zimbabwe captain, was delighted with the result, but hoped that his side could sustain the form for the rest of the tour. “I’m very proud of the guys. It was a very good team effort, and it was important that we keep the momentum going.”I said after we won the toss it was the average score when West Indies played here last year against England, so we just believed in ourselves that we could get 250, and with the way we’re bowling at the moment it would be enough,” Utseya said.Despite inflicting two shock defeats on the hosts, Utseya was guarded against complacency. “West Indies are still a good side. We still respect them. For us to beat them, we need to make sure that we play hard, remain focussed, pay attention to the small things, and remain disciplined.”Zimbabwe found an unlikely hero in debutant Shingirai Masakadza who came back after going for ten runs off the first two balls of the final over to finish off in style, striking twice and conceding just one off the last three. Utseya was all praise for the youngster’s composure in the tight finish.”He managed to remain calm under pressure, and that was key, so he can learn from that going into the next game. Of course, he will have many more moments like this in his career,” Utseya said.

Nissanka’s ton got Sri Lanka within sight of victory but the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

India won the Super OverIn regular play, Pathum Nissanka’s 107 off 58 balls and Kusal Perera’s 58 off 32, cancelled out a rapid 61 from Abhishek Sharma, and a 49 not out off 34 from Tilak Varma. India hit 202 for 5. So did Sri Lanka.In the Super Over though, Sri Lanka were very clearly out of steam on all fronts. First, they didn’t send Nissanka out to bat, choosing Kusal Perera (who sliced one to deep backward point first ball), Dasun Shanaka (who struggled with Arshdeep Singh’s wide yorkers), and Kamindu Mendis (who has never been an explosive T20I batter) out instead.Between these three, they managed a total of two runs. Suryakumar Yadav would almost laughingly put the first ball of their Super Over – bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga – through cover, to claim three first ball. This meant India went through to the Asia Cup final undefeated, and were really only tested in this match, in which they rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube.Perhaps their aura had lost a little of its shine, but India pushing through to a victory even when Sri Lanka’s top order was batting beautifully, will be something India will take heart from ahead of the final against Pakistan.India’s innings, meanwhile, had gone smoothly. Abhishek produced another spectacular start, striking up a 59-run partnership with Suryakumar who contributed only 12 off 13 to that stand. Later, Tilak and Sanju Samson would put on 66 together.Pathum Nissanka celebrates his maiden T20I century•AFP/Getty Images

Nissanka’s 127-run partnership off 70 balls, however, was the biggest of the tournament. It got Sri Lanka within sight of victory. But the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line.What happened in the Super Over

• Sri Lanka are required to bat first in this Super Over, but Nissanka, their best batter of the tournament, is not picked to come out straight away. (We’re sure, at this stage, that he will come in if a wicket falls, though.)
• Perera and Shanaka are sent in instead, with Arshdeep tasked with bowling this over, in the absence of Bumrah.
• Perera slices the first ball, a wide yorker, to deep point, where substitute fielder Rinku Singh takes a good running catch.
• Kamindu Mendis, who does not have a track record of scoring quickly against high-quality opposition comes out next, even though Nissanka is just sitting there in the dugout. Predictably Kamindu struggles to get more than an edge to the next Arshdeep ball, and they scramble a single.
• Shanaka can’t really hit Arshdeep’s wide yorkers either, and attempts a bye off the fourth ball.
• Arshdeep appeals for the caught behind while wicketkeeper Sanju Samson runs Dasun Shanaka out at the striker’s end.
• But because Arshdeep has appealed for the catch, the umpire gives Shanaka out. (The umpire’s finger is raised only after the run out is completed, but according to the rules, the out decision effectively overturns the run out.) Shanaka awake to this loophole, immediately asks the umpire: “It’s a dead ball, right?”, just after he reviews the caught behind decision.
• It turns out Shanaka is correct as per the laws. Because he had been wrongly been given out caught behind, he is exonerated from the run out, even though the stumps were broken before the umpire’s finger was raised.
• Shanaka gets to live another ball and perhaps propel Sri Lanka to a competitive Super Over score.
• Shanaka top edges one to deep third very next ball, ending Sri Lanka’s Super Over.
• India score three first ball and win.

Abhishek Sharma rocks the powerplayAlthough opening partner Shubman Gill was dismissed off the ninth ball of the innings, the tournament’s best batter still scythed his way through the powerplay. His best powerplay over came against Dushmantha Chamera. Abhishek came down the track and crashed him over long off off thifd ball, before raising the fifth ball over short fine leg’s head, then slicing the next one over short third.Abhishek Sharma brought up his third successive fifty•Getty Images

It only took Abhishek 22 balls to get to fifty. By the end of the powerplay, India were 71 for 1. Abhishek eventually miscued a Charith Asalanka half-tracker to deep midwicket, in the ninth over. His 61 came off 31 balls.Nissanka’s sublime inningsNissanka had scored heavily in the group stage, but had been quiet in the first two Super Four games. In this match, he exploded. He hit Hardik Pandya through point for four first ball, lifted other seamers over deep midwicket, and hooked others over backward square leg. He hit his fifty off 25 balls, and just continued to attack through the middle overs, as Perera also scored rapidly.Nissanka became Sri Lanka’s fourth T20I centurion (among men) at the end of the 17th over, when he thumped Arshdeep into the sightscreen. He got there of 52 balls. His eventual 108 off 58 is Sri Lanka’s highest individual T20I score.

Having missed the second half of IPL 2023 with injury, Rahul was happy to start the new season with a half-century

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-20242:37

Did RR get their Impact Sub tactic right? Should Rahul have batted faster?

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul didn’t want to read too much into his team’s 20-run defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in their opening game of IPL 2024, but has said that none of the teams have been able to crack the powerplay code in the first week of the season so far.The two-bouncer-per-over rule has been introduced in IPL from this season and LSG were bounced out in the first six overs of their chase of 194, falling to 47 for 3. In comparison, Rajasthan Royals had scored 54 for 2 in their first six overs.Both Devdutt Padikkal and Rahul needed to undergo concussion protocols after being hit on the helmet by Trent Boult.Related

• Powerplay swinger to death-overs specialist: the reinvention of Sandeep Sharma

• Report – Samson, Boult star as Royals overpower LSG

“It is just the first game and I am not going to make too much out of it or over-analyse,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation.”[The] Powerplay is crucial for every team, and I don’t think any team has cracked it yet. Mohsin [Khan] was our powerplay bowler in the first season, but he wasn’t fully fit last season. Good to see him back. Naveen [ul-Haq] has been crucial for us since he has come in.”Rahul felt that 194 was a chaseable target in Jaipur. “I don’t think the target was a lot. It was just 10 over-par,” he said. “We bowled well in patches. Just made a few mistakes.”We will learn from the small mistakes we made. When we are three [down] for nothing, and we gave ourselves a chance of chasing 194 speaks of our line-up. But we need to find ways to win games of cricket. We’ll try to build from here, and see where we can get stronger.”Having missed the better part of the last season with a hamstring injury, Rahul was happy to start the current edition of the IPL with a half-century.”When you get runs, you always feel good,” he said. “But it’s important for us to end up on the winning side. That gives more satisfaction.”Super Giants’ vice-captain Nicholas Pooran felt that the bowlers squandered the early advantage after making inroads in the powerplay. Royals captain Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, who batted at No.4, forged a 93-run partnership off only 59 balls for the third wicket to propel their side to 193. In response, Super Giants managed 173.”I felt like with the ball we were a bit undisciplined,” Pooran said at his post-match press conference. “We got off to a really nice start in the powerplay, and the game was in the balance there. I felt that from overs seven to 12 we bowled poorly, we gave away some easy boundaries there. I felt they scored 15-20 runs too many on that wicket. But in saying that it’s only the first game of the tournament and obviously we fell short but we got an opportunity to understand what we have to do from a bowling perspective.”

It took India just 11.2 overs on the fifth morning to take the final four Bangladesh wickets and go 1-0 up

Hemant Brar18-Dec-20221:20

Jaffer: Bangladesh batters need to be consistent if they are to win against good teams

It took India only 11.2 overs on the final morning of the Chattogram Test to pick up the last four Bangladesh wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Their 188-run win and South Africa’s six-wicket loss to Australia shortly afterwards meant India are now second on the World Test Championship points table. They have another five Tests in this cycle, and if they win four of those, they will guarantee themselves another appearance in the final.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bangladesh were bowled out for a mere 150 in their first innings. But, set a target of 513 in a bit over two days, they showed great resistance the second time around and finished the fourth day on 272 for 6.Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the two overnight batters, started positively on the fifth morning, with Mehidy driving Mohammed Siraj on the up through covers in the first over of the day. From the other end, Shakib slog-swept Axar Patel for a six.India struck back when Mehidy, once again trying to hit Siraj on the up, sliced one to backward point.With India into the tail now, Shakib started farming the strike. He either skipped down the track against Axar or used the slog sweep to pick up the boundaries. Against Siraj, he opened up his stance and used the pull and flat-bat shots to keep going. Along with Taijul Islam, he added 37 for the eighth wicket; all 37 runs came from Shakib’s bat.Shakib hit six fours and as many sixes in his entertaining 84 before being bowled by Kuldeep Yadav. The Bangladesh innings didn’t last long after that, with Axar finishing with four wickets in the innings and Kuldeep three.

Josh Sullivan take 4 for 11 in rain-reduced encounter at Chesterfield

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2021Yorkshire 109 for 2 (Fraine 69*) beat Derbyshire 108 for 6 (Sullivan 4-11) by eight wicketsWill Fraine scored the fastest List A fifty in Yorkshire’s history to take his side to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Derbyshire in a Royal London Cup match reduced to 10 overs a side at Chesterfield.Fraine smashed 50 off only 19 balls and his unbeaten 69, which contained five fours and four sixes, from 32 deliveries took Yorkshire to their target of 109 with eight balls to spare.Derbyshire had set a challenging total of 108 for 6 after rain delayed the start by six hours with Fynn Hudson-Prentice hammering four sixes in an unbeaten 38 from 17 balls.Josh Sullivan took 4 for 11, including three in four balls, with his leg spin before Fraine’s assault carried Yorkshire home at a canter and keeps alive their chances of making the knock-out stages.Mitch Wagstaff and Harry Came got Derbyshire off to a good start when the rain finally cleared, adding 40 before Wagstaff was bowled trying to ramp George Hill in the fifth over.Tom Wood drove Hill for consecutive fours but then became Sullivan’s first victim when he pulled the leg-spinner’s first ball to deep midwicket.Brooke Guest was stumped coming down the pitch and Alex Hughes clipped his first ball to square leg as Derbyshire slipped to 50 for 4.Hudson-Prentice pulled Mathews Pillans for six and Came repeated the treatment as 21 came off the seventh over.Sullivan was driven over the long on fence by Hudson-Prentice but Came’s attempt to dispatch the spinner into the crowd ended in a sliced catch to cover.Derbyshire needed another big over and Hudson-Prentice delivered when he straight-drove and pulled Ben Coad for sixes with 17 coming from the 9th.It lifted Derbyshire to a competitive total but Fraine got Yorkshire off to a flyer, driving Hudson-Prentice for successive fours before lifting him over long off for six.Matthew Revis miscued a pull at Ravi Rampaul to mid on but Fraine drove Mattie McKiernan for another six to take his side to 43 for 1 after three overs.McKiernan bore the brunt of Fraine’s onslaught, conceding 21 from his second over, as the opener drove him onto the pavilion roof before his fourth six took him to a 19-ball 50.William Luxton pulled George Scrimshaw for six and although he holed out to deep midwicket in the same over, Yorkshire needed only eight off the last two overs.Gary Ballance removed any lingering hopes Derbyshire might have entertained of pulling off a dramatic heist by driving Hudson-Prentice for six as Yorkshire cruised to victory in the evening sunshine.

UK government gives green light for resumption of professional sport as West Indies finalise plans

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2020CWI has approved West Indies’ scheduled tour of England in principle following a meeting via teleconference on Thursday. The Test series, part of the World Test Championship, was originally slated to start on June 4 but was pushed back because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The boards are now looking at an early July start, with the West Indies team arriving in June and isolating prior to the series, which, if it goes ahead, will be played behind closed doors.The board’s formal approval came days after CWI chief executive Johnny Grave told ESPNcricinfo that he was “increasingly confident” that the tour would take place. A CWI statement said the decision was made after detailed discussions between its medical representatives and those of the ECB, including plans around logistics and creating a bio-secure environment during the tour.With the UK government on Saturday* releasing stage three guidance for the resumption of elite sport, which permits the return of competition from June 1, the tour now awaits approvals from the various national governments in the Caribbean region for player and staff movement via chartered planes. Players and staff would be screened regularly through the tour as part of comprehensive ECB “bio-security” planning.The decision follows weeks of discussions between the two boards, including a phase where CWI wasn’t as confident as they have been this past week, given the marked difference in Covid-19 cases between the two regions. But the ECB’s safety plans have changed the CWI’s mind.The proposed schedule for West Indies’ tour of England•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“What has changed is the ECB have got more confident that they’ve got a robust and safe plan to deal with cricket in a biosecure environment behind closed doors,” Grave had said during the interview. “Our medical team are getting more confident and comfortable with those plans. Our players and support staff who we have met with [on conference calls] are beginning to understand what a seven-week tour behind closed doors might look like.”Subject to a negative Covid-19 test result, the squad is expected to be chartered to Antigua from various parts of the Caribbean, following which they will fly together to the UK. Upon getting there, the team will spend three weeks in their quarantine and training facility.The CWI statement said that the board “is now in the process of seeking to put all of the approvals and logistics in place within the Caribbean, including seeking permission from the various National Governments to facilitate the movement of players and support staff, using private charter planes and conducting medical screenings and individual COVID-19 testing for all members of the touring party”.”If someone tests positive at any stage in the tour they would be removed from the main squad and will be placed into isolation within the biosecure environment and will be treated by the team doctor along with the other on-site medical support staff,” Grave said. “Should any player have more serious symptoms, they will be treated in hospital at pre-arranged facilities.”It is also expected that player replacement during a match, along the lines of a concussion substitute, will be mulled by the ICC cricket committee when it meets in June.*1900 BST – This story was updated following the UK government announcement

A close contest wasn’t really expected when the ODI series kicked off, but it’s played out beautifully so far, and can only get more interesting

The Preview by Sidharth Monga09-Mar-20193:37

Agarkar: Rayudu on thin ice with Vijay batting well

Big Picture

The much-maligned bilateral ODI series doesn’t have much going for it on paper, but it invariably ends up capturing the imagination. Take this one between India and Australia, for example. The format itself seems too formulaic or too long to some. Then it was possible overkill, coming as it did just after a long tour of Australia. It continued to feature a depleted Australian side. Experimentation just before the World Cup was possibly going to dilute the contest a little. Team combinations, selection trials, MS Dhoni going back to Ranchi, all sorts of things were used to build anticipation, but a close versatile contest was the last thing of the mind.And yet again, ODI cricket has surprised us. Australia have run the supreme Indian side close in all three matches, finally winning one in Ranchi to keep the series alive. Aaron Finch has struggled out in the open, and has possibly turned a corner. Usman Khawaja has presented his credentials. Dhoni has shown his temperament for some of his lost hitting powers is a trade-off worth the consideration. The best bowler and batsman in the world, Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli, have found ways to be even less believable at what they do. The length of the contest has allowed for a variety of facets of the sport to come into play.The final leg is set up beautifully now as it goes to north India. If Australia can bat well, they have the bowling to challenge India. India will be frustrated at not stamping their authority yet. Not only will they want to seal the series in Mohali, they will want to do so with a big win in which they control the game throughout. New narratives are set to emerge: India have promised change in personnel, Dhoni has been rested, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul could get chances. If we can get the same level of competition in Mohali, we will have had a memorable series when that was the last thing expected ten days ago.With Dhoni rested, Pant has a chance to make a statement•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches)
India LWWWL
Australia WLLLL

In the spotlight

Vijay Shankar has made a late start but he is making all sorts of claims to be in the World Cup squad, especially with Hardik Pandya’s fitness not a given. India have been putting him in difficult situations to test what he is made of: use him as a fifth bowler and not sixth, bat him in tough situations. He has two more chances to show more of what he’s got, and possibly close one game from the kind of situation he batted in in Ranchi.Adam Zampa is not as spectacular with the dip and drift and turn as India’s world-beating wristspinners, but he has made crucial strikes in the middle overs, which is the edge every ODI side is looking for. Twice he has beaten Kohli clean on the inside edge. He now has seven wickets in the series, only one behind Kuldeep Yadav, the leading wicket-taker.

Team news

It must have been a last-minute decision to play Mohammed Shami ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar after Bhuvneshwar attended the pre-match press conference and said he was going to get his chances now. Kohli gave further indications that there would be changes, which could mean the return of Bhuvneshwar, whose batting down the order should allow for India to use both their wristspinners. It remains to be seen which of the quicks – Shami or Bumrah – India rest. With Dhoni rested, Pant is sure to get two games. Rahul might get a look-in too, but in whose place: Shikhar Dhawan or Ambati Rayudu?India (possible) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Vijay Shankar, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Mohammed Shami/Jasprit BumrahAdam Zampa is mobbed by his team-mates•Getty Images

After getting a rare win under their belt, Australia will be tempted to retain the XI.Australia (possible) 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch (capt.), 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Peter Handscomb, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Lyon, 10 Jhye Richardson, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

A pleasant day, no rain and a flat track are expected in Mohali. Dew could play a big part.

Stats and Trivia

• Kedar Jadhav has Kane Williamson, Steven Smith and David Warner among his victims, but Aaron Finch showed him scant respect, eliminating him as a bowler and putting pressure on the others in the pack. Finch has now taken 36 runs off 21 balls he has faced from Jadhav, without being dismissed.
• It was only in October that Kohli reached 10,000 runs. Only 12 matches later, he has reached 10,816. The mind boggles.

Quotes

“The guys who have got out, I’m sure they want to make the most of those opportunities. We don’t want to see any more collapses. We want to see mini-partnerships to get us going and then get a strong total in the middle or chase totals like we had to today.”
“There’s nothing like winning, especially against a really good Indian side. But with Virat batting well, you can never count your chickens.”

“There’s no point wasting two days, scoring quick fifties and coming out. We’d rather have them do two sessions, get into Test match zone and prepare the wickets the way we want to,” India’s captain said

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-20172:15

Prepared to face balls that may surprise us – Kohli

The search for high-quality practice time in order to acclimatise to South African conditions was behind India’s decision to cancel their warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series. Instead of facing a South African Invitation side, which may have comprised players with scant franchise experience, as was the case against Zimbabwe 10 ten days ago on a flat, slow deck in Paarl, India have opted for two high-intensity training sessions at the Western Province Cricket Club, where they will try to replicate Test-match conditions.”If you look at the wicket that we are playing on right now, it’s not even 15% of what we are going to get in the game,” Virat Kohli said, at the team’s first media engagement since arriving in the country two days ago. “We understand that. There’s no point wasting two days, guys going in, scoring quick fifties and coming out. We’d rather have them do two sessions like today, get into Test match zone, test ourselves, try and prepare the wickets the way we want to.”If you’re playing a two-day game, there’s no room to change the wicket at different times of the day. Here we have the freedom to put more water on the wicket, roll it, make it harder, come tomorrow’s practice session and then we have conditions that we want. You are never sure of whether you are going to get quality practice games or not. We would rather have practice sessions that are in our control, done the way we want to run them.”India’s reasoning only confirms what is expected: that surfaces will be sporting, with plenty of pace, bounce and seam movement, maybe even a little more than usual given that the last time South Africa were in India, at the end of 2015, they were outspun on rank turners. “We come to South Africa knowing the wickets will be different from back home. The last time that we played, there was a lot of talk about us getting bounced out and struggling against the short ball,” he said.”The most important thing is not to get surprised by the pace and bounce. We have convinced ourselves that it’s going to be much quicker and much bouncier than back home and you are going to get balls that may surprise you every now and then. The most important thing is to put it in the past, put it behind you and focus on the next ball. That’s something that we did last time as well. You can’t afford to think there is too much pace and bounce. You rather take it on, believe in your abilities and take it head on. That’s key to playing conditions that are different from your own.”BCCI

The age-old issue of adapting to foreign conditions is an obvious starting point for the build-up to this series, but the narrative is slightly different because India believe they can do better than they have before. To date, their best result in South Africa is a drawn series in 2010-11. “This team is up for the challenge, If you asked me four years ago, I would have said no but this team has gained in experience,” Ravi Shastri, India’s head coach, said. “For us, every game is a home game. Even this is a home game at Newlands. You see the pitch and you adapt. No excuses, no complaints. Two teams have to play on that surface. If you want to be rated as a side, you adapt to those conditions. It’s as simple as that. Leave all the other crap aside. Just get out there and go and compete.”That may seem like big talk considering India have not played outside the subcontinent or West Indies since 2015, when they toured Australia. Their home series against Sri Lanka ended on December 24, which meant they could not play a Boxing Day Test in South Africa. They only arrived in South Africa on December 28, so they were also not able to start the New Year’s Test on its usual first day, January 2.Instead, the match begins three days later on January 5. With many still in holiday mode, and the second and third days falling on a weekend, Cricket South Africa don’t have too much reason to worry because big crowds are still expected. They can prepare for what Shastri predicts will be a “good contest” against an Indian side that want to start bossing opposition away from home, having done it so confidently in their own backyard for the last nine series.”We are looking forward to this period of playing away from home. We feel we have the skill set to do well in any place in the world. Now is our opportunity because of the average age of the group and the amount of cricket we are going to play together,” Kohli said. “We know exactly what we need to do, if we need to bounce back, how we need to do it or if we want to create chances, how we need to create them.”There is sense of intelligence and awareness that has crept in in the last four years and that provides the excitement we are talking about. We know exactly what we need to do come game time. It’s not like we are going to go out there and explore. We are not in that frame of mind. We know how to win Test matches now. I think that’s very good knowledge to have.”