Pakistan will want to cap off tour with a T20I series win on Friday to add to their ODI trophy

Firdose Moonda15-Apr-2021

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The end of South Africa’s summer is approaching and they have everything to play for. Although victory in the fourth and final T20I against Pakistan won’t give them a second trophy this season, it will mean they will share the spoils in a series where they were without seven first-choice players, and could be a reason to go into the winter with at least some satisfaction after another tough period.South Africa started the season with defeat against England in their first bio-secure fixtures, then beat a depleted Sri Lanka, before losing to Pakistan, away and at home. Their rebuilding phase has settled into a semi-permanence of sorts, with continued experimentation in personnel and combinations. One thing they seem to have discovered is that teams they put onto the field regularly compete, even if they don’t win.Related

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For Pakistan, that’s an interesting consideration because they have brought their best and they have been challenged. They will take comfort from knowing they have come out on top and will want to seal the deal with a T20I series win to add to their ODI trophy. It’s no small accomplishment to win in South Africa, and to do it across formats is something they will be aiming for.To achieve that, they will want to tighten up on their bowling in the early part of the innings against an opening pair with little to lose. Aiden Markram was not even supposed to play in this series but then captain Temba Bavuma got injured, while Janneman Malan found himself warming in the bench until the five IPL-bound players had left. In the third match, Pakistan conceded 65 runs against these two in the powerplay, the most they have leaked in that period since 2007.Though they have routinely pulled South Africa back, twice in this series Pakistan have had to chase record targets. A more disciplined bowling effort upfront will avoid that becoming three times. South Africa have the opposite problem. They are trying to perfect their death bowling to avoid letting Pakistan get completely away from them.Both sides will want more from their middle orders, if needs be, with Pakistan heavily reliant on their top three and South Africa carrying a long tail. In that sense, they have some similarities across their squads, which is what has made for such an entertaining and engaging contest, which is perfectly poised for a grand finale in the fourth T20I.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWLLW
Pakistan WLWWL

In the spotlight

Instead of marking his run-up with his initials, Lizaad Williams writes the words “thank you” on the grass in a show of gratitude to a game which has given him a career. Now, he has the chance to ensure it’s an international career he continues to have. He is the series’ leading wicket-taker and although his economy of 9.12 might read a tad high, among seamers only Hasan Ali has been less expensive. Williams has been identified as a death-bowling prospect and although South Africa also have Sisanda Magala in that role, with Andile Phehlukwayo not being used, Williams could make a big statement in the final game.Lizaad Williams is pumped after picking up a wicket•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa probably can’t wait to see the back of Mohammad Rizwan, who has been a nemesis to them all summer, at home and away, and the Pakistan opener probably wishes he could play against them forever. Rizwan has scored a Test and a T20I century, and three T20I fifties against South Africa since February. His T20I average against them is 74.60, almost double his overall average of 38.64. Although he played a supporting role to his captain Babar Azam in the third T20I, his contribution was crucial to ensuring Pakistan cannot lose the series and he has the chance for a last hurrah against his favourite opponents.

Team news

If South Africa make any changes, they are most likely to be in the bowling department after Boucher confirmed that Kyle Verreynne was included as a back-up wicketkeeper. Lutho Sipamla could come into contention, most likely at the expense of Beuran Hendricks, who has been expensive.South Africa (possible): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Pite van Biljon, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 George Linde, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Sisanda Magala, 9 Beuran Hendricks/Lutho Sipamla, 10 Lizaad Williams, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiBarring any more allergic reactions, Pakistan should remain unchanged with Azam and Mohammad Rizwan opening the batting and Fakhar Zaman to come in at No.3. Usman Qadir may not be able to find his way back in just yet with Mohammad Nawaz doing the spin duties among four quicks.Pakistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Haider Ali, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf

Pitch and conditions

After the run-fest of the third T20I and Heinrich Klaasen’s admission that defending a score is difficult in Centurion, it’s safe to say we can expect more runs. South Africa’s Indian summer continues with mid-April temperatures in the upper 20s and and the thunderstorms put on pause until the spring.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have not lost a T20I match at SuperSport Park, winning on all three occasions they’ve played there.
• Aiden Markram has joined Hashim Amla as the only two South African batters to score three fifties in consecutive men’s T20I games. If he repeats the feat in this game, he will equal Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle’s record of four successive fifties.

Quotes

“We went from an absolute high three days ago to last night. The realisation that it’s T20 cricket and when things go bad, it can look really bad. And I’m not making any excuses. As quickly as it can happen, it can turn around again. If we arrive with the right attitude and control what we can control – which is attitude, intensity, the energy we bring – things can turn around very quickly.

Andersson claims four as hosts are bowled out for 136 in reply to 295 built on Simpson’s 95*

Jon Culley28-May-2021Middlesex’s faith in their young bowling attack looked fully justified as Leicestershire were dismissed for 136 in this shoot-out between the fifth and sixth placed teams in Group Two, although it was the seamers rather than the two rookie spinners among them who inflicted 90 per cent of the damage.Martin Andersson, the 24-year-old, was the most successful, his 4 for 27 representing his best bowling for Middlesex and including a burst of three in six balls as Leicestershire, having been 17 for 3, reeled again at 42 for 6.Ethan Bamber, 22, followed with 3 for 36 and head coach Stuart Law’s smile broadened further when Luke Hollman, the tall 20-year-old leg spinner, turned one past the bat to dismiss last man Ed Barnes, his second first-class wicket in his third match.He and Thilan Walallawita, the 22-year-old left-arm finger spinner who bowled eight occasionally threatening but wicketless overs, may play a bigger part in the fourth innings after Middlesex, 159 ahead on first innings on the back of John Simpson’s unbeaten 95, declined to enforce the follow-on. By the close, they had stretched the lead to 216 for the solitary loss of opener Sam Robson, leg before to a full ball from Chris Wright.Related

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The swing towards the visiting team that had begun in the final session on Thursday was momentarily checked but then accelerated again on the second morning as Leicestershire’s response to Middlesex’s 295 took some early hits, leaving them three down for 21 at lunch.Simpson, 73 overnight, had missed out on what would have been a first century since September 2019 and Middlesex missed out on a third batting point, but those regrets were soon forgotten as Bamber removed Hassan Azad and Tom Helm saw off Leicestershire’s two best batting hands in consecutive overs, following his dismissal of Australian Test opener Marcus Harris with that of the Leicestershire captain, Colin Ackermann.Middlesex have left themselves a seamer light by going with two spinners here but Bamber and Helm made their presence count emphatically as Leicestershire unwittingly exposed themselves to 40 minutes at the crease just before lunch in which neither bowler held back.Azad, who took a painful blow on his bottom hand while fielding at short leg on day one, was deemed in good enough shape to open as usual but had barely time to work out how comfortable or otherwise he was when Bamber produced a ball that squared him up slightly and took the edge, Stevie Eskinazi pouching a routine catch at third slip.Ackermann likewise found himself dealt an unplayable delivery, Helm finding some bounce off a pitch that looked to have quickened up a little, the ball taking the shoulder of the bat and caught brilliantly at second slip by Sam Robson, leaning back to make the grab with both hands above his head.By contrast, there were no extenuating circumstances for Harris, who made a complete misjudgement of a ball in Helm’s previous over that bounced much less, the left-hander taking a shuffle-step forward in his crease but deciding he’d leave it alone, which is not a wise policy when it is going to hit middle and off.John Simpson scored an unbeaten 95•Getty Images

Sam Evans and Lewis Hill sought to repair the damage after lunch, but the introduction of Andersson as Helm took a breather simply inflicted more, the change seamer drawing the benefit of batsman error as Evans got himself caught behind down the leg side before dismissing Harry Swindells and Ben Mike, both leg before to consecutive balls, the former playing round one, Mike pinned in his crease by a full inswinger.If anyone was likely to mount anything resembling a fightback, on this season’s form, it would be Hill, and for an hour he and Callum Parkinson stemmed the bleeding, Peter Handscomb turning to spin for the first time with Walallawita, who was not afraid to give the ball some air.Yet it was Andersson, switching to the Bennett End, who broke the seventh-wicket resistance after 44 had been added, finding just enough movement to pass the outside edge as Hill offered a defensive push, the ball clipping off stump.Parkinson battled gamely, he and Wright adding 39, but Bamber removed both in consecutive overs before Handscomb offered Hollman the chance to take the last wicket and he duly obliged with the first ball of his second spellEarlier, Helm and Barber had been the two wickets claimed in an impressive seven-over spell from Mike, who did not bowl at all on Thursday, having missed Leicestershire’s trip to Southampton last week with what was described as a side niggle.Walallawita played a couple of nice shots against Wright, picking up four from the second of them, to which Wright responded by uprooting his off stump, leaving Simpson stranded on 95 for what had been a composed and chanceless innings of 15 fours.

Four wickets and handy cameo with the bat put Birmingham Bears to the sword

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2021Durham 164 for 8 (Bancroft 60, Stokes 35, Brathwaite 3-32) beat Birmingham Bears 130 (Rhodes 45. Stokes 4-27) by 34 runsBen Stokes starred with bat and ball as Durham returned to winning ways in the Vitality Blast with a 34-run victory over Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston.Both sides went into action on the back of successive defeats and it was the visitors who ended their lean streak after they defended a total of 164 for 8, with Cameron Bancroft top-scoring with 60 from 45 balls, and Stokes chipping in with 35 from 20.

Carlos Brathwaite led the Bears’ bowling with 3 for 32, Tim Bresnan adding 2 for 25 and Will Rhodes 2 for 11.Durham then regularly took wickets at important times to bowl the Bears out for 130 in 18.3 overs. Rhodes’s perky 45 (27 balls) was ended by a run-out and Matt Lamb’s worthy 39 (33 balls, three fours, two sixes) was without support as Stokes, assisted by brilliant catching, added 4 for 27 to his cameo with the bat.Put in, Durham started slowly, losing openers Graham Clark and David Bedingham, caught in the deep off Craig Miles and Bresnan respectively, on the way to 25 for 2 from five overs.Stokes launched the counter-attack with two sixes off Brathwaite. The England star looked dangerous but perished in pursuit of another maximum off his old West Indian foe, superbly caught by Sam Hain running around the mid-wicket boundary.Related

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While Bancroft improvised impressively on the way to a 38-ball half-century, others flailed briefly around him. Scott Borthwick bashed a quickfire 18 before Bancroft sought his third six, over cover off Rhodes, and was held by Adam Hose on the rope. Late impetus arrived when Ned Eckersley and Liam Trevaskis took 20 from the final over.Trevaskis then opened the bowling and soon trapped Hose lbw, sweeping. Brydon Carss removed Ed Pollock, caught at mid off, to leave the Bears 18 for two and then Stokes took the big wicket of Hain, caught behind, in his first over.Rhodes moved sweetly to 45 but departed after a mix-up with Lamb which saw him easily run out by Bedingham’s throw.The Bears needed 86 from the last ten overs but the next two, tightly delivered by and Trevaskis and Matty Potts, yielded just eight runs. As the pressure increased, Michael Burgess hoisted Stokes to fine leg.Lamb launched a blow or two in anger but Borthwick bowled Brathwaite through an attempted sweep, and after Lamb fell to a stunning one-handed catch by Raine on the long leg boundary, the equation quickly spiralled beyond the Bears’ reach.

Fawad Alam hit 56, and added 85 for the sixth wicket with Faheem Ashraf

Danyal Rasool12-Aug-2021Stumps It is difficult to take issue with a day of Test match cricket when you win the toss, field first and bowl the opposition out within the day for 217, but West Indies will realise they might have easily have had a much firmer grasp on this Test match by now. It was an 85-run partnership between Fawad Alam, who top scored with 56, and Faheem Ashraf – two men who have spent varying periods of time out of this Test side for similarly unsatisfactory reasons – that appeared to have pulled Pakistan back to parity.But a self-destructive run-out with an hour to play allowed West Indies back in, and their quartet of quicks flicked the switch back, romping through the lower order to skittle Pakistan. They might, however, have done their job a bit too well at the end, because it forced the hosts into batting for an awkward four-over period. During that time, Mohammad Abbas prised out Kieran Powell and Nkrumah Bonner for ducks with characteristically glorious seam bowling, leaving West Indies wobbling at 2 for 2 overnight.The first two sessions set up the day for a grand finale, and much of the moving happened in those final two and a half hours. Alam and Ashraf were still getting their feet under the table in a budding little partnership of 23 as they walked out after tea, but a counterattacking knock from the allrounder saw Pakistan hurtle past 150. On a day when the run rate barely tiptoed past 2.25, 52 runs came off the first ten overs in that last session.Ashraf might be at pains to insist he is a bowling allrounder, but he averages over 50 with the bat since his return to the side in December last year. The belligerent pull in front of square and the elegant drive in front of cover were both in full flow, and when West Indies turned to their spinners to give the pacers a break, the runs flowed even more steadily. It appeared Ashraf had helped bail Pakistan out of a tight spot once more, but as the 100-run stand approached, the visitors offered West Indies a gift all wrapped up with a bow on it.Alam and Ashraf set off for an unnecessary single, chancing the arm of Roston Chase, whose shy caught Ashraf short of his crease. The wicket gave West Indies a second wind, and despite a brief cameo from Hasan Ali, the fast bowlers found the quality that had subdued Pakistan for much of the first two sessions, and blew through Alam and the tail. The last three fell without a run being scored after Jayden Seales had Hasan hole out on the onside, while Jason Holder broke through Alam’s defences and had Abbas edge one for a golden duck.Once Pakistan were put in to bat on a morning when showers were forecast, they began stodgily as a potent new ball pairing of Kemar Roach and Seales prowled. Abid Ali and Imran Butt were viewed as the Achilles heel of the visiting side’s batting line-up, and both fell cheaply, leaving the rebuild to Pakistan’s two best batters: Azhar Ali and Babar Azam.Fawad Alam and Faheem Ashraf shared a half-century stand•AFP/Getty Images

Roach and Seales – who now have two wickets each – found prodigious movement with the new ball, which they were careful not to waste. Captain Brathwaite had said yesterday his side had plans against each Pakistan player, and the way they went about dismantling the openers’ techniques suggested he had a point. Both were discomfited by deliveries that kept seaming back in of a length, and when the change-up from Roach targeted Butt’s stumps on the full, he was never in position to play the expansive drive he attempted. He found his off stump uprooted, and it had been coming.Abid had come off the back of an unbeaten double hundred against Zimbabwe, but against sterner opposition previously, his record remains remarkably mediocre. He got off to a streaky start with a thick outside edge that evaded the slips bringing him his first runs, but ever since, scoring opportunities were rarer than a dry day this series. Seales set him up with short deliveries through the over before pitching one up, and the Pakistan opener obliged by nicking it through to Joshua da Silva.Pakistan might have been content to lose just the two openers in the shortened first session, but in an extended second session in hot, humid conditions, West Indies ripped the spine out of the middle order. Their quartet of fast bowlers rose to the occasion, bowling expertly in partnerships – much more so than Pakistan batted in them.Azhar and Azam were removed within five deliveries of each other. Azhar in particular struggled dismally throughout an uncomfortable sojourn out in the middle, surviving no fewer than four reviews before finally nicking off to Holder. The next delivery Azam faced, he found Roach had beaten him on the inside edge, and when West Indies reviewed for a possible feather through to the keeper, Hawkeye supported their claim. All of a sudden, what had been a “nearly” session for Brathwaite’s side was transforming into a dominant one.It wasn’t ill-deserved, either. For the first 45 overs, the hosts stuck with the four pace bowlers, allowing them limited rest in oppressively humid conditions. Not for any extended period, though, was there a discernible let-up in intensity, a dropping of the shoulders or the pernicious creep-in of bad body language. The balls kept landing in the right areas, the pace didn’t fall away and Pakistan continued to be asked questions.Mohammad Rizwan would be the man to answer them, because Rizwan, apparently, does every job Pakistan require nowadays. His first ball was clipped away to midwicket for a boundary, and it soon became evident that that was how the wicketkeeper-batter would play. Seales was pulled away for four the first ball he bowled, and two further boundaries off the same bowler saw the run rate trend upwards.Rizwan fell shortly after, but it was during the Alam-Ashraf partnership, and the manic final hour which saw seven wickets fall that swung the game this way and that before leaving it finely poised overnight.

England’s 2005 Ashes-winning bowling coach links up with squad ahead of first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2021Stuart Broad hopes that the appointment of Troy Cooley as a consultant fast-bowling coach ahead of next month’s first Test at Brisbane will help provide England’s bowlers with vital “one-percenters” in their quest to regain the Ashes on Australian soil.Cooley, who helped to mould England’s four-pronged pace attack that won the Ashes in 2005, has been heavily involved with Cricket Australia since then, including a stint as caretaker coach in South Africa in 2011, and assistant to Justin Langer in the last Ashes campaign in England in 2019.His involvement with the England set-up got underway this week during the rain-affected three-day intra-squad match at Redlands, Brisbane, and he will continue to work under Jon Lewis, the ECB’s Elite Pace Bowling Coach until the first Test, when he will then assist the England Lions seamers in their four-day match against Australia A, starting on December 9.And Broad, who is embarking on his fourth Ashes series in Australia, says the opportunity to glean some vital insight on Australia’s batters from Cooley will be invaluable.”[Cooley] arrived when we got out of quarantine [on] Saturday, but he’s with us for a decent period of time,” Broad told cricket.com.au. “Really looking forward to picking his brain on Australian conditions, and Australian players, to be honest.””He’s been in their setup for a long period of time, through development and at the top level. He can give us great insight into Australian batters’ mentality; what they’re looking to do, where they’re looking to score, where they don’t like the ball, how (we should) be around them – whether you talk to them, whether you ignore them, whether you sledge them … can you annoy them enough to make a mistake?Related

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“All this sort of detail, we’ll be picking Troy’s brain, because anything you can get – even a one-percenter on someone – will be really useful for us. You need all that sort of stuff to win in Australia. You need to be at the top of your game at all times, and find little chinks in the opposition’s armoury.”Broad and James Anderson, who first played an Ashes Test on the 2006-07 tour, are the only two England players with prior experience of a series victory in Australia – although Broad himself played a limited role in the 3-1 win in 2010-11 after sustaining a side strain during the second Test.”It’s great to have someone with Troy’s expertise and experience supporting our Ashes prep and also working closely with our Lions pace bowlers,” said Mo Bobat, the ECB Performance Director. “Troy’s understanding of what it takes to be successful in Australian conditions is second to none, and the players are sure to benefit hugely.”No play was possible on the second day of England’s warm-up match against England Lions. The senior squad will resume on 98 for 0 on day three, with Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed unbeaten on 39 and 53 respectively.

South Africa captain also heaps praise on Keegan Petersen who, he says, has “gone into a ‘great player’ mould now”

Vishal Dikshit14-Jan-20223:41

Cullinan: ‘Jansen a great find, Rabada No. 1 pacer in the world’

South Africa Test captain Dean Elgar is “extremely proud” of his team for “responding brilliantly” after being down 1-0 in the series to fight back and claim the trophy against the No. 1 Test side in the world. After clinching the series 2-1 with a seven-wicket win in Cape Town, Elgar said his team was “thrown under the sword” a few times in the series, and he had a few “tough chats” with his players, which they responded to “and grew massively in the last two Tests.””Pretty elated, I think it will obviously sink in in a day or two, maybe this evening,” Elgar told the host broadcaster at the presentation. “Couldn’t be prouder of the group, of players I have underneath me. We were thrown under the sword quite a few times in the series and the guys responded brilliantly. After the first loss, the boys had a lot of hope going into the second and third [Tests] knowing we can still win this. We obviously had to follow our ways and processes going into those games. [I] asked the players to respond in a better nature, better way and they responded brilliantly. Extremely happy.Related

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When asked how the hosts turned things around despite not being as experienced as India, Elgar said: “Challenging your players within the group, characters as well. You need immense characters to stand up in these kinds of tough situations. The way our bowling unit came in and operated throughout the last two Tests has been brilliant; throughout the series they’ve been brilliant. Sixty wickets in a Test series is quite a tough challenge for them but I threw down the challenge after the first game and the guys responded brilliantly. We’ve got a young, talented group but the experience they’ve been gaining…in this environment every day we’re gaining this experience, which is brilliant for us. It was unreal to see how a group that doesn’t have the repertoire or names, how they could gel together and play as one. This is a proper unit that we’ve operated in and it’s a proper team, by no means I can single-handedly pick out players because everyone has played a big part in vital situations throughout the series. Extremely, extremely proud of this group.”Like Elgar said, South Africa’s bowling outshone their Indian counterparts throughout the series. Three of South Africa’s four fast bowlers – Kagiso Rabada (20), Marco Jansen (19) and Lungi Ngidi (15) – topped the wicket charts while no India bowler could get to 15 wickets in the series.India captain Virat Kohli also admitted at the presentation that South Africa’s bowlers “were better at applying pressure in long periods of time.” Elgar further said once he had laid down the challenge for his players, it was down to the XI to perform.”Ultimately, if you want to operate at a high performance level, you need to have tough chats,” Elgar said. “If guys don’t like it, that’s up for them to deal with. I’ve got an old-school mentality with bit of a new-school twist. I laid down some proper challenges to the senior players as well, to obviously stand up and respond and it was brilliant to see the guys take the message and follow it. It’s one of the bigger challenges to get everyone on your side and buy in from a captain’s point of view. The guys responded brilliantly. I’ve got absolutely no regrets going into the three-match series that we’ve played. I’d like to think I gave us the best message going forward in order to pull off a series win.”Elgar also extolled the determination Keegan Petersen showed in the series, to emerge as their biggest highlight and a prospect for the future. Petersen, 28, struck three half-centuries in the last two Tests, including 72 and 82 in the third game, to lead the scoring charts with a tally of 276, which earned him the Player-of-the-Match and Series awards in only his fifth Test.”Brilliant. He’s the one who responded since the first game,” Elgar said of Petersen. “He’s been immense. I’ve known Keegan for quite some time now, I’ve played a lot of domestic cricket against him. Always known he’s a good player. He’s gone into a ‘great player’ mould now which is obviously a lot to say for guys who’ve only played a few or handful of Tests. He’s only into his fifth Test now. I’ve always known he had this ability; he has dominated domestic cricket leagues from a run-scoring point of view and it’s awesome to see him have a great series in the second and third Tests obviously. And long may he grow.Keegan Petersen acknowledges the ovation as he walks back•AFP/Getty Images

“I think there’s still a lot of scope for improvement from his point of view. I think the world’s his oyster at the moment. Even though he’s a little bit older but he’s somebody who’s willing to learn, and you need characters like that. He’s a proper character in the change room as well. He’s got a bit of a light-hearted manner to him as well which is something you take for granted when you’re playing serious cricket. Extremely proud of what KP has achieved.”Elgar said his responsibility as captain was to pull the team together after the first loss in Centurion “hurt” them when they went down by 113 runs.”Us as a group, we’ve been hurting a little bit which is something for us to feed off,” he said. “We played as a unit, and the bottom of the line is if you’re playing as a unit, you can go a lot quicker.”I think as a unit, we’ve grown massively within the last two Tests. The first Test loss hurt us, and we know from a South African point of view, if you want to compete in Test cricket and you want to be world No. 1 one day, you have to compete and beat the best in the world. I’m extremely happy that things worked out for us after that. It could have gone wrong, and I could have had egg on my face but massive respect for the players for following my message.”Elgar also hinted the series win could be a sign of things to come for the future of South Africa’s Test cricket. After the ODIs against India, South Africa will fly to New Zealand for two Tests in February before they host Bangladesh for two Tests in March-April.”By no means we’re a finished article, I can tell you that,” Elgar said with a smile. “I’m already thinking about the next series, which is something I need to manage and control because I’m going to blow my brain out. It’s a lot of positives going into that next series, there’s a lot of negatives that we also have to work on. We have hit it on the head and in order to grow we need to curb those challenges that we have.”

Century stand between Joe Root and Dawid Malan raised English hopes, only for hosts to end up 237 ahead in first innings

Alan Gardner18-Dec-2021Australia opted to turn the screw on England after taking a huge first-innings lead in the second Test of the series in Adelaide. Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon shared seven wickets as the tourists were unceremoniously bundled out following a century stand between Joe Root and Dawid Malan that had briefly raised English hopes, with Australia extending their lead to 282 after braving a half-session of batting against the pink ball under lights.Steven Smith’s decision not to enforce the follow-on meant the Test continued to follow the template set in the day-night game at the same ground in 2017-18 – on that occasion, England had been dismissed for 227 in response to 8 for 442 declared. But at this point the course diverged, as England’s seamers were unable to make any inroads with the new ball. Their only success came via a run-out, and that after David Warner and Marcus Harris had put on 41, Australia’s highest Ashes opening stand since the 2017 Boxing Day Test.With two full days left in the game, the potential to put England’s beleaguered batters through further floodlit examinations and the likelihood that Lyon’s spin will carry even greater threat in the fourth innings, Australia were already in prime position to press for a 2-0 lead in the series.It marked a remarkable – though not totally unexpected – turnaround, with the performances of Root and Malan during a third-wicket association that eventually realised 138 suggesting that Australia would not have it all their own way. But after Cameron Green provided the breakthrough, taking the key wicket of Root for the second week in succession, Lyon and Starc seized the moment. From 150 for 2, England lost their last eight wickets for 86 runs – a painful echo of shipping 8 for 74 after a similar stand between Root and Malan in Brisbane last week.Starc struck twice in a seven-over spell with the old ball, and at 6 for 169 there seemed a very real possibility that England would be batting again later in the night. Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes steadied the innings through to tea but there was very little batting to come; Lyon ended the stand at 41, finding appreciable turn to bowl Woakes off an inside edge, and although Stokes briefly threatened a counterattack, he dragged Green on to his stumps to be the ninth man out.Joe Root and Dawid Malan put on 138 before England lost 8 for 86•AFP/Getty Images

There may have been a degree of relish as Australia took the fresh pink pill with the lights beginning to take effect, ready to dole out some medicine to the last-wicket pair of Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Starc finished the innings with 4 for 37, the wicket of Broad his 50th in day-night Tests – at a cool average of 18.10 – while Lyon reinforced his status a week after becoming the third Australian to reach 400 Test wickets, his 3 for 58 leaving him two shy of equalling Shane Warne’s aggregate of 56 as the most prolific bowler at Adelaide Oval.The workloads of his bowlers was probably the key concern for Smith, even though the control provided by Lyon – who wheeled away through a spell of 19-10-30-3 – meant he did not have to ask much of Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser, the two enforced replacements to the attack from Brisbane.After a wicketless afternoon session – the first time a visiting team had achieved that in a day-night Test in Australia, when facing a minimum of 15 overs – the reversal in fortunes following the dinner break was swift. Root took his tally of half-centuries without converting in Australia to eight, his departure precipitating a slide of 4 for 19 during what was supposedly the most benign time of the day for batting.Green, held back by Smith until the 38th over, was the man to disturb England’s tranquility, luring Root into playing needlessly outside off stump once again. Root punched his bat before walking off, fully aware that this was the sort of day on which England needed someone to go big. Australia immediately cranked up the pressure, with Green and Lyon stringing together four maidens before the return of Starc brought about Malan’s downfall for 80, slashing profligately for another catch in the slips to Smith.With Lyon finding his groove having switched ends, England entered a familiar spiral. Ollie Pope’s struggles against spin continued as he was caught twice at short leg in the space of three balls from Lyon. He successfully reviewed the first, Rod Tucker’s decision overturned after replays showed the ball had deflected off Pope’s forearm, but then fell trying to use his feet as a thickish inside edge squirted to the lurking Marnus Labuschagne, waiting eagerly for another chance.Stokes took a dogged approach to starting his innings, waiting until his 24th delivery to get off the mark, but there was little support forthcoming, Jos Buttler’s miserable Test continuing as he threw the hands through an ambitious drive at Starc to be caught in the slips for a 15-ball duck. Out of a clear blue sky, Australia had grabbed the game by its scruff.

With the T20 World Cup later this year, every match and series is an opportunity to finetune preparations

Saurabh Somani15-Feb-20222:53

Who should open with Rohit? Can either team afford to experiment?

Big picture

India outclassed West Indies in each of the three ODIs, but the T20I series is expected to be more competitive, given that the shortest format is arguably the one West Indies are at their strongest in. However, while West Indies did have a stirring 3-2 win against England in their most recent T20I outing, it bears remembering that India are right now on a six-match winning streak in the format. It began in the T20 World Cup, with wins against Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia, and if those can be discounted as coming against relatively weaker teams, India also blanked New Zealand 3-0 at home after the World Cup.The age-old maxim of India being tough to beat at home still holds true, and West Indies will need to be a much more consistently firing unit to leave India with something to show. India have some regulars missing, but there is enough depth in the squad to make them a daunting proposition. The most pressing question for India is: who will Rohit Sharma’s opening partner be? KL Rahul is absent, after all.Just about a year ago, when Virat Kohli was still leading the side, he had indicated that Rohit and he could form a long-term opening partnership. Ishan Kishan has had a fair bit of success in the role in the IPL, as have Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer. In the ODIs, India threw a curve-ball with Rishabh Pant walking out in one game. So, there are options aplenty. Kohli and Pant are certainties in the XI, and very comfortable in the middle-order, so by that logic, Kishan could be the front-runner for the position.West Indies, meanwhile, have a curious mix of new-age T20 big-hitters alongside the accumulators in Shai Hope, Darren Bravo and the like, and they will have to deploy that mix judiciously to maximise the full impact of their power-hitters.

Form guide

India WWWWW
West Indies WLWLW

In the spotlight

Rishabh Pant has curiously underwhelming T20I numbers, with a strike rate of only 122.87. That is more to do perhaps with a lack of role clarity in the set-up. Now, he’s been installed as the vice-captain to Rohit for this series, and will be part of the leadership group. That should give him the freedom to define his own role, and play in the manner that he is most comfortable with. Elevation to the vice-captaincy also comes with the intangible greater security of a spot in the XI, which could free him up mentally.Jason Holder‘s stocks have risen dramatically of late. He was always one of West Indies’ lynchpins in Test cricket and ODIs, but from not being part of the main squad at the T20 World Cup to having IPL franchises compete fiercely for him four months later, it’s been a steep rise. Holder’s versatility with bat and ball is remarkable. He can bowl across phases in T20 cricket, he can also bat at different spots. He can bowl a heavy ball, using his height to good effect, and he has the power to clear the ropes.Kieron Pollard didn’t play the last two ODIs with a niggle•Associated Press

Team news

If Kishan is locked in as Rohit’s opening partner, it still leaves the question of numbers five and six for India. Suryakumar Yadav should get one of those spots. The other depends on whether the team wants the insurance of a sixth bowling option, in which case there’s Venkatesh and Deepak Hooda to choose from. Or they might want someone like Shreyas Iyer, who could offer more with the bat.Among the bowlers, an injured Washington Sundar has been replaced by Kuldeep Yadav, and the left-arm wristspinner could get a game because the other two spinners in the squad are both leggies – albeit of different types: Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi. There’s six pacers to choose from, of whom only three are likely to play. If, as Rohit has said, India want to make plans keeping the T20 World Cup in Australia in mind, they could lean more towards a hit-the-deck Avesh Khan than someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Deepak Chahar. Given his ability to bowl at the death, Harshal Patel could win out ahead of Shardul Thakur.India (possible) 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Shreyas Iyer, 7 Harshal Patel, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Avesh KhanThe big question for West Indies was to do with captain Kieron Pollard’s fitness. He missed the last two ODIs with a niggle, and West Indies missed his presence with the bat and in the field. He is now fit, he confirmed on the eve of the match, and that lends the batting a lot of heft. If they still want to add more stolid batters, West Indies might have to turn to Bravo or Roston Chase. The plethora of allrounders they have ensures that the bowling will have options and the batting will have depth.West Indies (possible) 1 Kyle Mayers, 2 Brandon King, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Kieron Pollard (capt), 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Odean Smith, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Sheldon Cottrell

Pitch and conditions

It’s expected to be a pitch with good pace, bounce and carry. However, the dew factor could be significant. There was heavy dew on the outfield two days out from the game, and the eve of the match had a very foggy morning. That makes the toss crucial.

Stats and trivia

• India and West Indies have played 17 T20Is so far, of which India have won ten and West Indies six.
• Only 30 runs separate Kohli (3227) and Rohit (3197) on the overall runs tally in T20Is, with Kohli in second place right now and Rohit third. They could both overtake Martin Guptill, who has the most T20I runs in the world with 3299, in this series.

This preview was updated at 3.00pm GMT with Kieron Pollard’s fitness status.

He was part of Lahore Qalandars’ squad at the recently concluded PSL

Danyal Rasool02-Mar-2022Australia’s spin-bowling consultant Fawad Ahmed has tested positive for Covid-19 and started his five-day isolation period. A media release from Cricket Australia stated he was experiencing mild symptoms and would leave isolation only after returning two negative results.Fawad, who was born in Pakistan and played three ODIs and two T20Is for Australia, was part of Lahore Qalandars’ squad at the recently concluded Pakistan Super League. He arrived at the Australia team hotel on Monday, where he was due to start his role as the spin-bowling consultant.Fawad was tested immediately upon arrival, and returned a positive result. It is believed he did not interact with anyone from the Australian travelling party before testing positive. ESPNcricinfo understands all of Australia’s squad and touring party underwent Covid tests today, returning negative results.Fawad, who had also tested positive for Covid-19 at the PSL last year, is the second person to be impacted by Covid-19 on this tour. Earlier this week, Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf – also part of Qalandars’ setup – tested positive and was ruled out of the first Test.The first Test begins on Friday in Rawalpindi, which will be the first international match for Australia in Pakistan in 24 years.

Australia are hopeful Marsh will return to play later in the series, Inglis isolates for five days, while Matt Renshaw is flown in as cover

Tristan Lavalette28-Mar-2022Australia’s already depleted white-ball squad suffered two more blows when Mitchell Marsh was ruled out of the opening ODI with a hip flexor injury and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis tested positive for Covid on Monday*. Australia are hopeful Marsh will return to play later in the series, and Inglis will isolate for five days before returning to the squad, which will make him miss the second ODI as well.All other members of the squad returned negative results following routine daily testing. Australia has flown in Queensland batter Matt Renshaw as cover and will join the group after completing three days of isolation in Lahore. Renshaw has played 11 Tests for Australia, the last of which was in 2018, but has yet to play an ODI or T20I.Emerging star Cameron Green is set to be Marsh’s replacement for the opening ODI on Tuesday in Lahore.Marsh’s scans in Lahore on Monday revealed his left-hip injury, which he had sustained during fielding drills on Sunday. “Scans confirmed the injury was a low-grade hip flexor strain. Marsh will be managed clinically with a view to potentially returning to play later in the series,” a Cricket Australia statement said later on Monday.The T20 World Cup hero’s likely absence will challenge an inexperienced Australia’s depth with a number of key players unavailable after a gruelling triumph in the recently concluded historic Test series, the first played between the teams in Pakistan since 1998.Marsh, who has played 63 ODIs since debuting in 2011, was tipped to bat in the top order while also providing useful seam bowling for a team missing spearheads Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. His Player-of-the-Match performance in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand was the last time Marsh played for Australia after being a reserve squad member during the Pakistan Test series and the Ashes.Related

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“He’s injured his hip-flexor, we think, at training. We are going to have to wait and see what that looks like but I don’t think he’ll be available for the series based on how he was feeling yesterday,” Finch told reporters on Monday morning.”He sustained that in a fielding drill, it was a high intensity, lateral movement drill and he bent down to pick it up one-handed and went to throw and felt a twinge.”Green, who has played just one ODI on his fledgling career, is set to take his Western Australia team-mate’s place on the back of an encouraging Test series where he averaged 51.67 batting at No. 6 and took three wickets with his probing seam bowling.The 22-year-old played a particularly important role in Australia’s series-deciding third Test victory with a vital 79 in the first innings and he claimed the big wicket of in-form opener Abdullah Shafique early on day five.”Cam will play and probably bat in that middle-order role,” Finch said. “We’ve seen he’s a super talented cricketer. He’s someone who has been quite consistent in his Test career, his impact with the bat and ball can’t be understated. Really excited for Cam to get that opportunity.”Even though they are undermanned, Finch said it was a welcome opportunity for Australia to test their depth with an eye towards next year’s ODI World Cup in India. It’s been a barren run for Australia, who last played an ODI in July 2021 against West Indies and they have only played four since December 2020.”It’s about trying to build the depth of the squad and build experience in players,” he said. “It’s a really good opportunity. With every decision we make there is one eye towards the 50-over World Cup and to tie everything back to that is really important.”Having memorably claimed the Test series, Australia are hoping to complete a momentous tour with success in the white-ball leg which involves three ODIs and a one-off T20I to be played entirely in Lahore.”Our goal 100% is to win this series,” Finch said. “We still feel like we have a squad to do that even though it is inexperienced at times that can be a blessing because you have guys who can play freely and express themselves.”*1205 GMT: The story was updated after Cricket Australia issued a statement.