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The Pakistan allrounder pulled out of a contract with Australian domestic side for the Twenty20 Big Bash after doctors advised him to rest an injured knee

Cricinfo staff25-Dec-2009Pakistan allrounder Sohail Tanvir has pulled out of a contract with Australian domestic side Victoria after doctors advised him to rest an injured knee. Tanvir, 25, was due to play in the Twenty20 Big Bash, but made himself unavailable with the healing process requiring two to three weeks.”Tanvir had to pull out of his contract with Cricket Victoria, as he has been further advised by doctors to make sure his knee injury is properly healed,” a statement from his agents said.Tanvir, who last year turned out for South Australia in the event, taking only two wickets in 14 overs at an impressive 6.50, has recently recovered from back trouble and a knee injury which forced him out of the national team. His ambitions to play for Surrey in the county season also failed to materialise earlier this year over immigration issues.”As much as I feel really good on my fitness, I have to listen to the advice of my doctors at the PCB,” Tanvir was quoted in the statement. “This is a huge loss for me and my cricket, but it is important that I have the go ahead from my doctors who have been working on my knee injury for a few months, as I have been recovering.”I would like to thank Cricket Victoria for giving me the opportunity, and wish them best of luck in the T20 competition.”He said he hoped to recover in time to regain his place in Pakistan’s one-day squad for next month’s five-match series against Australia. He has featured in two Tests, 31 one-dayers and 15 Twenty20 internationals for Pakistan since making his debut in 2007.Tanvir, who was dropped for the series in Sri Lanka after a poor 2009 World Twenty20, also finished as the leading wicket-taker in the inaugural IPL with the champions Rajasthan Royals.Shahid Afridi, flew to Australia early on Friday to play for South Australia in the Big Bash.

The left-arm spinner remains hopeful of playing the first Test less than two weeks after suffering the injury in the BBL

AAP27-Jan-20251:01

Clarke: Kuhnemann should tell everyone he’s fully fit

Matt Kuhnemann admitted he briefly feared his thumb injury could have ended his hopes of touring Sri Lanka but both he and Steven Smith completed full training sessions on the squad’s arrival in Galle for the Test series.Australia’s premier left-arm spinner Kuhnemann is now pain-free after wearing a ball on his non-bowling hand playing for Brisbane Heat earlier this month. He reunited with the squad in Sri Lanka at the weekend and completed Sunday afternoon’s first full session since arriving on the island for the two-match series.Related

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Stand-in captain Smith, who suffered a minor elbow injury in the BBL, spent as much time batting in the nets as anyone else and did not appear hampered.Every team member attended the optional session, with conditions so humid that top-order option Sam Konstas removed his helmet to finish batting in the nets.Apparently in preparation for the turning conditions, allrounder Beau Webster bowled the right-arm offspin of earlier in his career rather than the medium pace trotted out on Test debut at the SCG earlier this month.Kuhnemann is continuing to wear a brace on his right thumb and medical staff will monitor him. His injury appeared more serious than Smith’s, but Kuhnemann feels fit ahead of the first Test that begins on January 29.Matt Kuhnemann bowls at training with a protection on his injured thumb•Getty Images

“I had a couple of sessions back home and I was obviously cautious batting and fielding and everything but bowling, I haven’t had a problem whatsoever,” Kuhnemann said prior to the first training session. “I did this same thumb a couple of years ago and it was real painful but this one has been fine from the get-go.”As he awaited surgery, Kuhnemann said he was unsure whether he would have the chance to add to his three Test caps in Sri Lanka. The 28-year-old was a late call-up when Australia toured India in 2023, and the lack of subcontinent visits since had robbed him of further chances.”Definitely there were times when I was disappointed. It’s not great timing,” Kuhnemann said when asked whether he feared for his ability to tour. “There was a couple of hours. But I believe everything happens for a reason and you sort of move on. Obviously you do everything you can because these tours don’t come around very often as a spinner.”Kuhnemann could not attend the squad’s preparatory camp at the ICC Academy in Dubai but managed a hit-out with a Cricket Australia XI against England Lions at Allan Border Field last week.”The boys said I didn’t miss out on too much and what I was bowling on back in Brisbane was an eight-day old wicket so it worked out pretty good,” Kuhnemann said. “If it was the off-season then maybe it would be a blow to miss Dubai but we’re in the middle of summer and the workloads and confidence are high. Everything is all good.”

Stubbs’ blazing fifty not enough as Coetzee picks up four wickets to consign Capitals to a fourth loss in five games

Hemant Brar07-Apr-20242:47

Shepherd: ‘I keep a clear mind and try to hit every ball’

Having lost the first three games, Mumbai Indians finally opened their account in IPL 2024 as they beat Delhi Capitals by 29 runs at the Wankhede Stadium.After being sent in, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan gave Mumbai a start of 80 in seven overs. Capitals staged a comeback in the middle overs but Tim David (45* off 21) and Romario Shepherd (39* off 10) muscled 96 in the last five overs – Shepherd hit Anrich Nortje for 32 in the 20th – to lift Mumbai to a daunting 234 for 5.Prithvi Shaw kept Capitals in the contest with 66 off 40 balls. After he got out, Tristan Stubbs took over and ransacked an unbeaten 71 off 25 balls. But that Nortje over proved to be the difference in the end as Capitals fell short by 29 runs.Related

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• Shepherd blasts 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 off Anrich Nortje in the 20th over

Rohit gives Mumbai a blazing start

Given a flat pitch and small boundaries at the Wankhede, Mumbai knew they needed to score big, and Rohit and Kishan laid the perfect foundation.Kishan started by hitting Khaleel Ahmed for three fours in the seamer’s first two overs. From the other end, Rohit hit Ishant Sharma for two successive fours. He took it a notch higher against Jhye Richardson by launching him for two back-to-back sixes.Seeing the fast bowlers leaking runs, Rishabh Pant turned to his spinners. But Rohit was into overdrive by now. In the next nine balls, he hit four fours and a six against Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav. At the end of six overs, he had moved to 49 off 23 balls and Mumbai to 75 for no loss.

Capitals pull it back

Once the field restrictions were relaxed, Capitals staged a comeback with Axar dismissing Rohit. On the last ball of the seventh over, Rohit stepped out of his crease but Axar bowled it short and fast to beat the batter and rattle his stumps.In the next over, Nortje spoiled Suryakumar Yadav’s return. Nortje welcomed him to the crease with a searing yorker before having him caught at mid-on for a two-ball duck.Thanks to their quick start, Mumbai reached 100 in the tenth over before Axar hurt them again. Having hit a six off the previous ball, Ishan Kishan smashed the next to the left of Axar who stretched out his hand to pull off a stunning return catch.With Hardik Pandya taking his time – he was on 19 off 20 balls at one point – Mumbai could manage only 63 runs in the nine overs after the powerplay.Romario Shepherd muscled away a 10-ball 39 to lift Mumbai Indians•BCCI

The David-Shepherd show

Mumbai were 138 for 4 after 15 overs. At that stage, Capitals must have harboured hopes of restricting them under 200. David and Shepherd, though, had other plans.David started the 16th over by smashing Richardson for a six. In the next two overs, he hit two more sixes and Hardik also chipped in with one but it was Shepherd who made the bigger dent. In the 20th over, he bludgeoned Nortje for 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 to crush Capitals’ morale.

Shaw keeps Capitals’ hopes alive

Shepherd was not done hurting Capitals. In the fourth over, he had David Warner holing out to mid-on with a wide slower ball.Shaw was slow to start. After four overs, he was on 13 off 15 but soon found his range. In the eighth over, he hit Piyush Chawla for 6, 4, 4 off successive deliveries. With a pulled four off Gerald Coetzee, he brought up his half-century, off 31 balls.Along with Abishek Porel, Shaw took Capitals past 100 in the 11th over but Bumrah ended his innings on 66 by uprooting the leg stump with a searing yorker.

Stubbs’ blitz goes in vain

Stubbs wasted no time to get going. Facing his third ball, he heaved Chawla over deep midwicket for a six and repeated the dose three balls later. Bumrah dismissed Porel for 41 off 31, and Pant fell cheaply, but Stubbs kept going.He hit Akash Madhwal for two fours and a six on the first three balls of the 17th over and brought up his half-century – his second in two games – off just 19 balls.His hitting meant Capitals reached 172 for 4 after 17 overs, five runs ahead of Mumbai at the same stage. But Bumrah conceded only eight in the next to make it 55 needed from two overs.Stubbs hit two sixes off Shepherd at the start of the 19th and ended it with another six. But with little support from the other end, Capitals were left needing 34 from six balls. Coetzee conceded only four and also picked up three wickets as Stubbs got stuck at the non-striker’s end.

“People forget I’m still only 21, so hopefully got plenty of cricket to come and the way I see it, I’m just getting started”

Andrew McGlashan10-Oct-2023When you knock AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle off their perch life can become a bit of a blur, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that for Jake Fraser-McGurk his feat in Adelaide a few days ago, where he scorched a 29-ball hundred, was still sinking in.Fraser-McGurk’s astonishing display at Karen Rolton Oval shaved two deliveries off de Villiers’ 31-ball hundred against West Indies in 2015 as the fastest List A century, and also bettered by one Gayle’s 30-ball T20 effort against Pune Warriors in IPL 2015 meaning Fraser-McGurk holds the fastest hundred in the professional game.”I had no idea [about the record]. I was just trying to hit the ball to the boundary,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I came off and a few of the boys said you’ve broken a few records and the one that sticks out is AB against West Indies, I remember watching that innings, it was incredible.”Related

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The onslaught began when Fraser-McGurk took 32 off Sam Rainbird’s second over. He passed fifty off 18 deliveries and needed just 11 more to reach the century. In all, he struck 13 sixes, and 23 off the 38 balls he faced before finding deep midwicket went to the boundary.”I was seeing the ball so clearly and everything felt a lot slower than usual, I was in that zone, that mental state, which is something as a batter you try and be in every single time but it’s rare,” he said. “To finally have that happen is very pleasing.”The mind-boggling display has come early in a new phase of Fraser-McGurk’s career following a winter move from Victoria to South Australia, although he will remain with Melbourne Renegades for the BBL. After making headlines as a 17-year-old when he scored half-centuries on both his List A and first-class debuts, it has been a tricky journey in the early years of his career.”It’s tough leaving your home and all your friends,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of cricket with the Victorian boys throughout my junior career. I’ve got lifelong friendships with those blokes but just felt I needed to be a bit selfish and do what’s best for me, get some more opportunity elsewhere, and South Australia came calling and took that with open arms. They’ve been absolutely brilliant.”He was particularly full of praise for batting coach Steve Stubbings – “up there with one of the best I’ve had, everything is so clear with him” – but he continues to lean heavily on his long-time coach Shannon Young back in Victoria.While the innings against Tasmania took things to a different level, Fraser-McGurk had given a hint at his batting mindset this season with a combined tally of 66 off 43 balls in the Sheffield Shield match against the same opposition, which followed two brisk 2nd XI scores against Queensland.”Every time you go out you have to adapt to conditions, but I usually do go out there and bat with some positive intent and try to get the game on my terms,” he said. “It’s a new process I’m working on, still learning and trusting, watching the ball incredibly hard, being calm and having full confidence in myself that I can play the shot I want to each delivery.”Having struggled to kick on from his promising debuts as a 17-year-old, Fraser-McGurk admitted to having doubted himself at various stages but believes that having started so young can make it easy to forget his game is still developing.”You have that thought in the back of your head when you think you aren’t really up to it when you’re not doing well,” he said. “I started pretty well in both debuts and was thinking it could only really go up from there being a naive young kid. I’ve been around for a while, but some people forget I’m still only 21, so hopefully got plenty of cricket to come and the way I see it, I’m just getting started.”I’ve caught myself a few times thinking this is so hard, but then I realise where some other greats of the game were at my age. Steve Smith was a bowler at my age and now he’s one of the best batsmen in the world, so things like that, you have to realise you’ve got plenty of time.”But it never means taking a backward step or stop working as hard, just means you have time to figure out your craft and now hopefully getting that score away, it can be a bit clearer for me.”

Aiden Markram returns to the squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies; Rassie van der Dussen left out

Firdose Moonda17-Feb-2023Temba Bavuma will captain South Africa’s Test team amid sweeping changes to the set-up in the post Mark Boucher era. Bavuma’s first assignment will be to lead the side in the two-match Test series against West Indies, starting on February 28, which will be part of the WTC.Bavuma takes over from Dean Elgar, who was named Test captain in mid-2021 and won his first four series, including a home series win over India, but lost in England and Australia. Bavuma will also continue as ODI captain but has relinquished the T20I job, following South Africa’s group-stage exits at the last two T20 World Cups.In Tests, Bavuma will team up with coach Shukri Conrad, whom he credited with helping him revive his ODI game. He scored a match-winning century against England in a series victory in January, which kept South Africa’s hopes of direct qualification for this year’s ODI World Cup alive.”We trust he [Bavuma] will deliver on all our expectations and help carry the team forward after some excellent work by his predecessor Dean during the same period,” Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said. “At the same time, I would like to sincerely thank Dean for all his commitment to the role over the past two years. He helped the team navigate through some stormy waters and put them in good position on the ICC World Test Championship table.”Both men have made us proud with the work they have done within the wider Proteas group and look forward to the next step in what is a new era for the Proteas under the leadership of dual coaches Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter.”Speaking at the SA20 debrief, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who is the league’s commissioner, said any new captain would have a daunting task ahead. “The important part is for them to understand the strategy of how they’re going to get our team playing well again and dominating the world again,” he said. “That is going to be the most important part. All people in these types of leadership positions are going to have a strong buy-in with the key administrators who can help them grow the game and get better: from the selectors to the director of cricket to the CEO to some of the board members. That support, and that structure and the alignment of the strategy, is so important. They need to invest in that and take things on.”

Van der Dussen dropped, Markram recalled

South Africa’s Test squad saw several changes from the one that lost their last two series. Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lungi Ngidi were left out of the squad, while opener Sarel Erwee was informed that he was no longer part of the red-ball plans after scoring one century but averaging 26.61 in his ten Tests. That opened the door for Aiden Markram’s return after he was dropped in England. Theunis de Bruyn was also told he was no longer required, which prompted his international retirement on Thursday.Rassie van der Dussen last played a Test in December in Australia•AFP/Getty Images

Markram will face competition from Western Province opener Tony de Zorzi, who earned his maiden call-up. De Zorzi is currently the leading run-scorer in CSA’s four-day division 1 series tallying 489 runs with a best of 304 not out.Keegan Petersen returned after recovering from a hamstring injury, and Ryan Rickelton was also included despite carrying a severe ankle injury that required surgery. He too has had a good run in the four-day tournament, scoring 240 runs in four innings with the help of two centuries.The squad will assemble in Centurion on February 24 and the first Test will start on February 28 in Centurion.South Africa squad for West Indies Tests: Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton

JP Duminy is set to be appointed batting coach

There are also changes to South Africa’s coaching set-up. JP Duminy is in discussions to take over as batting coach and will replace Justin Sammons, who was in the role under former coach Boucher. Duminy is currently the head coach of Boland, who are sixth in Division One of the four-day competition and finished in the same position in the One-Day Cup, and he also coached Paarl Royals, who lost in the semi-finals of the SA20.The selection panel, too, has been restructured. Victor Mpitsang and Patrick Moroney, who were in the jobs of selection convener and selector respectively, have been released. Among their more controversial decisions was the inclusion of Simon Harmer in the Manchester Test, which changed a winning attack from Lord’s and forced South Africa to bat first on a seamer-friendly pitch.CSA is reviewing the selection committee procedures. In the interim, the head coaches of the respective teams will play a leading role in squad selections.

India coach has “absolutely no doubt about who’s going to open”, and says Rahul is well-aware of the support he has from the team management

Sidharth Monga01-Nov-20228:32

Dravid: Rahul knows he has our support – both in words and action

KL Rahul has unequivocal support from captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid after three single-digit scores in the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup. In 13 matches since the start of the Asia Cup in August year, Rahul has averaged 27.33 at a strike rate of 121.03. In the same period, his two top-order colleagues, Virat Kohli and Rohit have scored at strike rates of 142.49 and 138.79, which has raised questions over Rahul’s place in the side. India themselves have no such doubts.”No, not at all,” Dravid said when asked if Rahul’s form has become a headache for the leadership. “I think he’s a fantastic player, and he’s got a proven track record. He’s done really well. I thought he’s been batting superbly. These things can happen in a T20 game sometimes. It’s not been that easy for top-order batsmen, this tournament has been pretty challenging.Related

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“I thought he was superb in the practice game against Australia with Mitchell Starc and Patrick Cummins. It was a pretty good attack, and I thought he batted superbly that day [for his 57 off 33]. So he’s actually playing really well. Just hoping it all clicks together over the next three or four games.”We know his quality, we know his ability, and he’s really well suited for these kind of conditions, these kind of pitches. He’s got a good all-around game. He’s got a very good strong back-foot game, which is obviously very much required in these conditions.”It is the conditions that have earned Rahul elbow room. In the 35 balls he has faced this tournament, Rahul has attempted to hit three boundaries, getting out on one of those. His other two dismissals came to defensive shots. That brings into sharp focus Rahul’s intent, which can sometimes be at odds with his exceptional ability with the bat. Dravid was asked if India can afford to give Rahul the time to play himself back into form in such a short format.”In these conditions, maybe we are able to afford him that time,” Dravid said. “We completely back him. We have no concerns about him. We know that when he gets going, and I’ve seen it against Australia, against a top-class attack just a couple of weeks ago, I know the impact this guy can make. In Rohit’s and my mind, there’s absolutely no doubt about who’s going to open for us.”I think [there] is a unique nature to playing this tournament in this country, that almost game-to-game you’re having to adapt your tactics, your strategies to different conditions. I think that’s the uniqueness of that. If the conditions so dictate that the ball is nipping around doing a bit, then we can afford our batsmen to maybe be a little bit more conservative, keep wickets in hand and then target.KL Rahul has had fitness and form issues to contend with over the past six months•PTI

“It’s about adapting and being smart. I don’t think there’s just one way to play T20 cricket on all conditions. Yes, there is a general template in which we understand you have to be positive; you have to take the game on. That would be 80% of most T20 games, but there is another 20%, and that can come in big tournaments like this, wherein you’ve got to have the players – and we discussed that in our dressing room – who have to be able to adapt and understand and read a situation.”If it’s not a 200-run wicket or it’s not a 180-run wicket and 160 is going to get the job done for you, then let’s figure out a way to get to 160. Last night [in Perth against South Africa], 150 might have done the job for us. I mean, 133 nearly did; 150 might have. We might be able to afford people a little bit more time [in such conditions].”We may not [here, in Adelaide]. Might be really flat when we come out here tomorrow, and it might become a 180 wicket and we might need to go harder. But I think the key word for me is adaptability and reading these conditions, these boundaries really well, and the teams that do that best will probably be the ones that will end up in the top four and certainly in the top two.”Rahul has not been left on his own to figure his way out. There have been conversations and support has been communicated to him. “Rest assured, both in words and in action, over the last year, he knows he has our support. He has known that. There has been a lot of clarity about what our side is going to be, what our squad is going to be coming into this tournament, and we haven’t wavered from that for a very long time.”Yes, because we play a lot of cricket, you might see a lot of different people playing in different situations, in different games. There have been a lot of injuries, including him. He’s had phases where he’s unfortunately been injured. But in word and in action, with all of our players – that’s the great thing about Rohit, that he’s really shown them that confidence and that belief.”There has been a school of thought that Rishabh Pant can bring in the much-needed left-hand option if he opens in place of Rahul, but the only way Pant might get in is if Dinesh Karthik is not fully fit after he had a back spasm while keeping against South Africa in Perth. Dravid said Karthik had shaped up well on the morning before the Bangladesh match, and that he would be assessed after training. A final decision will be made on the day of the match.

Super Kings lose their way after 54-run opening stand to leave their playoffs hopes hanging by a thread

Matt Roller04-May-2022Royal Challengers Bangalore halted a run of three consecutive defeats to boost their play-offs hope thanks to a scrappy win against Chennai Super Kings in Pune, iced by a death-bowling masterclass from Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel.Super Kings needed 56 runs off 30 balls with six wickets in hand when the final strategic timeout was taken in their run chase but then lost their way, losing three wickets for 25 runs across the next five overs. Harshal was hit for two sixes in the final over to close the margin of defeat but in dismissing Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja, he had already won the game for them.Royal Challengers had scrapped their way to 173 for 8 after being asked to bat first, as five batters passed 20 but Mahipal Lomror top-scored with 42 off 27 balls. They had started brightly, with their highest opening stand and highest powerplay total of the season, but floundered against spin in the middle overs.Lomror’s 44-run stand with Rajat Patidar kept them ticking before Maheesh Theekshana struck three times in the 19th over, but Dinesh Karthik took 16 runs from the final over to take them to a defendable total.Super Kings are mathematically still in contention for the play-offs but will need a miracle after seven defeats in their first ten games, while this result sees Royal Challengers return to the play-off positions for the time being – though with a poor net run-rate and having played a game more than their nearest contenders, they will need to finish the group stages strongly.Royal Challengers lose their wayFaf du Plessis and Virat Kohli made a nervy start, both picking up streaky boundaries via the edge of the bat as MS Dhoni used his seamers with the new ball, but then pushed on: Kohli launched Simarjeet Singh for six over the covers, while du Plessis cashed in against Mukesh Choudhary, taking 18 runs from his third over.But as has often been the case this season, they struggled against spin with the fingerspinners finding some grip from a good length: du Plessis holed out to deep midwicket off Moeen, while Kohli’s own struggles with the bat continued.After calling Glenn Maxwell through for a single that was never there and seeing him run out by Robin Uthappa, he was bowled through the gate by a sharply-spun offbreak from Moeen for a scratchy 30 off 33 balls. From 51 for 0 after five overs, Royal Challengers had stuttered to 79 for 3 after 10.Lomror, Karthik lead rebuildLomror was promoted to No. 4 after a cameo finishing the innings at No. 7 against Gujarat Titans and started brightly, hitting Moeen back over his head for four and slog-sweeping Theekshana for six after knocking the ball around alongside Patidar. Choudhary’s brilliant catch at deep square leg brought in Karthik with 4.5 overs remaining, but Dhoni had planned accordingly.Clearly conscious of Karthik’s strength against pace and relative weakness against spin – as well as his seamers’ inexperience at the death – Dhoni held Theekshana’s final two overs back for the 17th and 19th. He conceded only eight runs – six of them scored by Karthik, off seven balls – and struck three times in his final over, removing Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed.But Lomror had hit Pretorius for four and six – and been dropped by Jadeja – in the 18th to keep the scoreboard moving and after surviving an incredibly tight review for lbw off the first ball of the final over, Karthik whacked him over deep midwicket twice to take Royal Challengers to 173.Devon Conway raises his bat to celebrate his half-century against RCB•BCCI

Conway’s cruiseDropped one innings into his IPL career, Devon Conway marked his return to the side with 85 not out against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday and made it back-to-back half-centuries on Wednesday night with a fluent 56. He started brightly, reverse-sweeping then sweeping Shahbaz for fours in the first over of the chase, and put on 51 for the first wicket alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad.As Royal Challengers had done, Super Kings lost their way through the middle overs against spin, and Maxwell in particular who bowled four tight overs and removed both Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu, cramping them for room from around the wicket. But with Conway there and the required rate intact, Super Kings were always in the game.Hazlewood, Harshal finish the jobdu Plessis held Harshal back until the 13th over, then ensured he would bowl three of the last five by throwing the ball to Hasaranga for the 15th. He had been expensive, hit for three sixes in his first two overs, but du Plessis’ gamble paid off: Hasaranga went full, but Conway could not clear Shahbaz at deep backward square leg.Moeen looked as though he had found his rhythm when he lofted Hasaranga’s final ball down the ground for six, but Super Kings capitulated after the time-out. Bowling his variations from around the wicket, Harshal had Jadeja well caught by Kohli off a skier and Moeen pouched at extra cover, the ball after swiping him for six over the leg side.When Hazlewood had Dhoni caught at deep midwicket with the first ball of the 19th over, the game was effectively over and his four overs had been crucial: he went for only 19 runs, bowling his hard lengths in the powerplay and at the death; Pretorius’ top-edged pull off his penultimate ball was the only boundary he conceded.

Pandey and Shankar resurrected Sunrisers’ innings after Warner and Bairstow were sent back early by Archer

Hemant Brar22-Oct-20201:01

Dasgupta: Batting at No. 3 gives Pandey time to build his innings

Manish Pandey’s counter-attacking 83 not out off 47 balls, studded with four fours and eight sixes, nullified Jofra Archer’s opening burst in the second innings as the Sunrisers Hyderabad beat the Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets in Dubai. The win – their first in five attempts while chasing in IPL 2020 – lifted them to the fifth spot on the points table. While the Royals too have eight points, they have played 11 games to the Sunrisers’ ten, with their negative net run rate further reducing their playoff chances.After being put in, the Royals struggled to get going and could manage only 154 for 6, the lowest first-innings total by any team in Dubai this season. A big reason for that was Jason Holder, who came in for the injured Kane Williamson and picked up a three-wicket haul.The Sunrisers didn’t have a great start to their chase either. Archer sent back David Warner and Jonny Bairstow by the third over but those turned out to be the only two wickets the Royals managed in the whole game as Pandey and Vijay Shankar – who struck an unbeaten 51-ball 52 – added an unbeaten 140 for the third wicket and took the side home with 11 balls to spare.Uthappa run-out breaks Royals’ momentumAfter managing only nine in the first two overs, the Royals looked to step up with Robin Uthappa hitting Sandeep Sharma for a six and a four in the third over, but his innings was cut short by a brilliant piece of fielding. Ben Stokes looked to dab Jason Holder on the off side but the ball hardly went off the square. Uthappa was keen for a quick single and charged towards the other end with Stokes barely moving. Holder was quick to the ball and nailed the direct hit at the bowler’s end to find Uthappa short.Sanju Samson though hit Sandeep Sharma for successive cover-driven fours to keep the Royals ticking. It looked like it was going to be his night, especially when he pulled Holder over deep midwicket for a six in 12th over but Holder cleaned him up next ball with an offcutter for a 26-ball 36.Stokes fails to cash in on early luckStokes was 13 off 11 balls at the end of the fifth over and was trying to break free. One such attempt against Shankar fell just short of the deep-backward square leg. Two overs later, he tried a reverse sweep against Rashid Khan that bounced in front of deep backward point. On the last ball of the same over, Shankar put him down while running to his right from deep square leg. Stokes, though, failed to utilise those chances and was finally bowled for a 32-ball 30 by Khan.Jason Holder celebrates after foxing Sanju Samson with a slower one•BCCI

Holder’s strikes keep Royals in checkRoyals were looking at Jos Buttler to provide impetus to the innings but once he fell for 9 off 12, Steven Smith looked to take charge. But he soon holed out to long-on off Holder, while trying to dig out a full delivery. Riyan Parag, who had hit T Natarajan for 4, 6, 4 in the previous over, then mistimed a slower short ball to a back-pedalling Warner at mid-off to give Holder his first three-wicket haul in T20s since 2015. It took a four and a six from Archer in the 20th over pushed the Royals past 150.Archer gets Warner and BairstowBefore this game, Archer had dismissed Warner five times in six innings across formats in 2020 while leaking only 28 runs off 41 balls. On Thursday, Warner lasted only four balls against the pacer. After beating him on the first two balls of the innings, Archer drew an outside edge that flew over Rahul Tewatia at first slip. Next ball Archer found the outside edge once again. This time the ball flew knee high to the left of Stokes at second slip, who dived full length to complete the catch.Bairstow too had no answer to Archer’s pace as a 149kph length ball found its way through the gap between bat and pad to leave the Sunrisers 16 for 2 at the end of three overs.Pandey’s counter-attack nullifies early impactWith no Williamson in the side and doubts over the Sunrisers’ middle order, there was a case for Archer to bowl a third over in the powerplay but the Royals decided against this. That allowed Pandey to counter-attack to pull the Sunrisers out of the trouble. He was one off five balls before he hit Kartik Tyagi for consecutive fours. Stokes replaced Archer from the other end but he too wasn’t spared. A half-volley on the leg stump was whipped over deep square leg. When Stokes tried a bouncer, Pandey pulled him over deep midwicket off the front foot.Tyagi came in for more punishment in the next over as Pandey struck a four and two sixes to take the Sunrisers to 58 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. By the end of the ninth over, Pandey had brought up his fifty, off just 28 balls.Shankar proves to be the perfect foilEarlier in the day, Shankar had registered figures of 1 for 15 from his three overs. With the bat, his 10 off 18 at the halfway stage in the chase looked unattractive, but with Pandey striking at a much higher rate at the other end, his job was to just stay with him.Back-to-back inside-out fours over cover off Shreyas Gopal helped Shankar turn things around. So much so that when Smith brought Archer on for his fourth over – the 16th of the innings – Shankar hit his first three balls over mid-off, over mid-on and over the bowler’s head for a hat-trick of fours. Pandey collected two more sixes in the next two overs before Shankar sealed the game with a pulled four off Tyagi in the 19th over.

The former Australia captain retires from his role as CA’s national talent manager on Monday, having been involved in the game for more than 50 years

Andrew McGlashan30-Sep-2019Greg Chappell walks from the field at Lord’s during the 1972 Ashes Test where he made 131•PA Photos

Batsman
One of Australia’s greats. Chappell started and ended his Test career with centuries, against England and Pakistan respectively, in all amassing 7110 runs at 53.86 – which remains the sixth-highest average for a batsman with at least 80 Tests – with 24 hundreds in a career that spanned 1970-1984. It won’t show in official records, but some of his most dominant batting came during World Series Cricket when he scored 621 runs in five “SuperTests” against a West Indies side that had an attack of Holding, Garner, Croft and Roberts.By the 1977 Ashes, Greg Chappell was Australia’s captain, a role he continued after World Series Cricket•PA Photos

Captain
His captaincy stint came either side of World Series Cricket, in which he was a key figure, and in total it encompassed 48 matches with Ashes series in 1977 (a defeat) and 1982-83 (a victory). He scored centuries in each innings in his first match as captain against West Indies in Brisbane. However, his captaincy career is most famously remembered for when he instructed his brother, Trevor, to bowl underarm against New Zealand at the MCG in 1981.Greg Chappell’s time as India coach was not always a happy one•Getty Images

Coach
Chappell had a five-year spell as South Australia coach from 1998-99 to 2002-03, and in 2008 headed up CA’s centre of excellence, which included being involved with Australia’s Under-19 team. He has also worked with the Australia A side and U-19s in his latter role as national talent manager. But his headline stint as a coach came when he was in charge of India between 2005-2007. It became a controversial spell, which included crashing out in the first round of the 2007 World Cup and falling out with captain Sourav Ganguly.Greg Chappell talks to coach Justin Langer and captain Tim Paine•Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Selector
His first spell as an Australian selector came straight after he finished playing and lasted from 1984-1988. It was a time when the team struggled in Tests – although it included the 1987 World Cup victory – but during that spell names who would lead an era of great success, including David Boon and Steve Waugh, made their debuts. He was again appointed a selector in 2010, although it was a brief stay; he was part of the Argus Review clear out and in 2011 moved into his role as national talent manager. In 2016, following the upheaval created by the crushing defeat by South Africa in Hobart, Chappell returned to a selection role alongside Trevor Hohns.As national talent manager, Greg Chappell kept watch over the next generation•Getty Images

Administrator
After finishing his playing career, Chappell became a member of the Australia Cricket Board alongside his first selection role. During his most recent stint as national talent manager, Cricket Australia’s methods have not always been met with approval, particularly around the fast-tracking of young talent and the formation of a CA XI to play in the one-day competition, but Chappell remained a voice of experience at a time of considerable change. In an interview with last year to mark his 70th birthday, he was asked what he would like his legacy to be. “Someone who cared for the game,” he said.

A round-up of the latest Ranji Trophy news ahead of the fourth round of matches

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2017Irfan axed as Baroda captainIrfan Pathan has been stripped of the Baroda captaincy following the team’s lackluster showing in the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy, from which they have a solitary point. Deepak Hooda, the allrounder, has been promoted to lead Baroda, who are currently languishing at the bottom of Group C.Irfan, who has picked up just two wickets in the tournament so far, has also been dropped from the 15-man squad for their third game, against Tripura. Irfan told media outlets he was unsure of the reasons for his exclusion. “I am as fit as ever and there is no issue with my performances and commitment to serve Team Baroda,” he told . “I felt very proud when I was made the captain and was told that I would be the perfect mentor to the youngsters. I have worked hard with the boys for the last couple of months and they are very happy with whatever we have been doing. I really don’t know what has gone wrong after just two games. Had I been told that my services won’t be required before the domestic season started, I would have happily stepped aside. Although I love Baroda and take a lot of pride in representing the team, I might have gone and played for another team.”Snehal Parikh, the Baroda Cricket Association secretary, said the captaincy switch was a collective decision taken by the selectors. “The selectors have categorically said that this team is only for one game,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “They have dropped around four-five players.”Among those dropped is Pinal Shah, the experienced wicketkeeper. Yusuf Pathan will miss the game due to an illness. Kedar Devdhar has been named vice-captain.Rahane, Shardul boost for MumbaiMumbai will be strengthened by the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, who were on national duty during the ODI series against New Zealand, for their game against Odisha in Bhubaneshwar. Seamer Tushar Deshpande, who picked up 21 wickets last season, has been added to the 16-member squad in place of Minad Manjrekar.Rahane notched up fifty-plus scores in each of his last four ODI innings against Australia, while Thakur has played A-team cricket over the last month.Rahane’s inclusion will be a boost to the batting department in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who has been called up to the national side for the T20I series against New Zealand. Iyer has been in tremendous form recently, and smashed a 57 and 138 in Mumbai’s last game against Tamil Nadu.Mumbai’s form, however, has been patchy. While they secured the first-innings lead against Madhya Pradesh in the opening game, they dropped points against Tamil Nadu at home. With four points from two games, they are currently fourth in the Group C standings.