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There are huge milestones to look forward to for Ashwin, Anderson and Stokes as India take on England’s Bazball once again

Alagappan Muthu14-Feb-20242:00

Manjrekar: Rank turners may not be a good idea for India

Big picture: India’s young batters vs England’s young spinners

It feels like we’ve been here before. Scores are level. Expectation is high. An England player had visa issues. India’s No. 4 couldn’t make it. It’s late January 2024 all over again. What a time to be alive.Ben Stokes is about to play his 100th Test match. R Ashwin will likely be taking his 500th Test wicket. James Anderson is in sight of 700. India’s dominance at home is under threat. Bazball is not just hype. The Apple Vision Pro is out making reality redundant. There are continuing advancements to make mind control possible. The Deadpool 3 trailer has dropped. What more could anyone ask for?If you’re Sarfaraz Khan, then maybe a first ever India cap. The 26-year-old has worked all his life to become an international cricketer, collecting mind-boggling numbers over the course of recent domestic seasons, and is set to finally take that most coveted step up. As a middle-order batter in subcontinent conditions, he offers a lot of potential, which is the least that can be said about someone averaging and striking at 70 in first-class cricket.Related

• How Bazball alters one of the fundamental truths of Test cricket

• Kuldeep: 'Bazball has made bowlers plan how to restrict runs'

• England's unlikely Mr Consistent seeks series-defining moment

• Can India's batters restore the balance of power?

• Stokes' aggression is England's new mantra for success

It does, however, mean that India will be relying on a group of batters still only learning what life as a Test cricketer is like. Seriously, the only thing greener is on lunch menus or is 6’4″ tall and leading England’s spin attack. This battle between up-and-coming members of the hosts and up-and-coming members of their guests has been one of the more fascinating and unexpected subplots of this whole tour. Although in Rajkot, a couple of established stars might take back centre stage. India’s inexperience puts them on the back foot against the guile of James Anderson and the pace of Mark Wood.Especially considering how they have been leaving runs on the board. Rahul Dravid has been telling India that they need to be more pragmatic. Stokes, though, doesn’t really look like he sets a lot of store in such things. He kept tossing the ball to Tom Hartley even as he was smashed all over the park, telling him everything was fine, keep at it. Both methods worked. Yashasvi Jaiswal benefited from a little restraint, scoring a double-century in an innings where no one else made more than 34. Hartley recovered from being hit for six first ball to become his team’s leading wicket-taker after two Tests.A series that was supposed to be headlined by the likes of Virat Kohli and Joe Root and Ravindra Jadeja and Stokes himself is now following a very different narrative.

Form guide

India WLWLD
England LWWDWMark Wood has replaced Shoaib Bashir in England’s XI•Gareth Copley / Getty

In the spotlight: Rohit Sharma and Joe Root

The 2021 series between these two teams offered a massive challenge to batters on both sides. Of 156 innings played, there were only 19 that went past fifty, and of those 19, there was one that stood out. Rohit Sharma walked out onto a dust bowl in Chennai and produced a knock that has become something of a blueprint for his opposition this time around, a hundred that was an ode to attacking instinct. He hasn’t been able to summon the same kind of otherworldly strokeplay this time – even though the pitches are much more amenable for batting – but there are three games still left and his spirits remain quite high. India will be relying on his strengths to guide them towards the kind of first-innings totals that can help them dictate terms.Another high performer from 2021 – the top-scorer in fact – has more overs under his belt (64) than runs on the board (52). Joe Root swept India to the extremes that they had to go to in order to win that series three years ago, but right now, he isn’t even getting those starts that the experts would pick up on so often that it became sort of a personality trait. “You look up and all of a sudden Joe Root’s on 30 not out.” Jasprit Bumrah is a significant factor for things turning out this way. The head-to-head after two matches reads 1 run off 10 balls and two dismissals. Both men will be refreshed after a mid-series break, meaning this thing is just getting started.

Team news: Jadeja set to return, Jurel in line for debut

With Kohli unavailable, Shreyas Iyer left out and KL Rahul injured, India’s middle-order is a bit threadbare in terms of experience. Jadeja’s return should help there – he has a fine record in Rajkot, his home ground, and looks all but certain to play. The rest of the slack falls on a bunch of rookies who have shown a lot of promise at domestic level but now have to prove that they can cut it here too. There has also been a bit of focus on wicketkeeper KS Bharat’s output in front of the stumps, which brings Dhruv Jurel quite firmly into the picture.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Sarfaraz Khan, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dhruv Jurel/KS Bharat (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajEngland, who played the first two Tests with just one fast bowler, will go into this one with both Anderson and Wood. Their batting remains unchanged.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Rehan Ahmed, 9 Tom Hartley, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonRajkot is where Ravindra Jadeja has played most of his domestic cricket for Saurashtra•Gareth Copley / Getty

Pitch and conditions: It’s cool and it’s flat

There are runs expected in Rajkot. The local boy Jadeja said the surface will start out flat and then take a little turn as natural wear and tear sets in. The weather has been quite cool in the lead-up to the Test – early 20C in the mornings, rising to low 30C in the afternoons – and is expected to be so for the duration of it as well, so that’s another good sign for the batters. Without a lot of sun, the pitch might not break up as quickly.

Stats and trivia

• There are 210 people with Test double-centuries and 752 with Test five-fors. But only 34 have ever done both. Stokes is among this incredible group of allrounders, peppered with some fun outliers (Kraigg Brathwaite, Virender Sehwag and Jason Gillespie).
• Since his debut back in January 2018, Bumrah has the best bowling average in Test cricket (20.19) of all bowlers with at least 100 wickets in this time.
• England’s spinners have more wickets (33 vs 23) and a better average (34 vs 38) than India’s spinners at this point in the series, but that’s not entirely new. Ashwin and Jadeja have shown previously that they are capable of picking up their performances while other visiting teams have fallen away after bright starts.
• Anderson is five wickets away from 700 in Tests and, from there, he will be eyeing Shane Warne’s tally of 708.
• There is indication that India’s XI in Rajkot will include as many as two debutants, which doesn’t happen very often. They’ve had to dip that far into their bench only four times since 2013 and two of those were during another injury-hit series against Australia in 2020-21.

Quotes

“Obviously I’m very excited because I’ve been playing with him for 12-13 years. To achieve this milestone is a really, really big thing, to complete 500 Test wickets. I’m very happy for him. I thought he would complete his 500 wickets in the first match, but it’s okay, whatever is written in destiny. He will complete it in Rajkot, in my hometown.”

Their key players are out of form and that’s not good when they have to face the tournament’s most in-form batting unit

Sreshth Shah30-Mar-20242:46

McClenaghan: Titans rely too much on Gill, may be a batter short

Match details

Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Ahmedabad, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)

Big picture

A plethora of subplots from outside the cricket field may have helped Gujarat Titans lift themselves to a come-from-behind win against Mumbai Indians in their season opener, but a 63-run defeat away against Chennai Super Kings begs the question: are the Titans of 2024 championship material?David Miller, for example, has crossed 30 only three times in 15 innings this year and averages 29. His strike rate of 119 this year is also his worst in 13 years, a steep drop from 2023 (135.2) and 2022 (147.2).Another barometer of the Titans’ performance is Rashid Khan. In their wins – they’ve had 12 of those since 2023 – he comes away with an economy rate of 7.35. But in their losses – seven in the same period – Rashid’s economy rate skyrockets to 10.03. It shows that when he struggles, they struggle too. This used to be rare but since last year’s tournament, he has leaked nine runs an over roughly once every three matches (6 out of 19; 5 of those 6 were losses)And that’s where the challenge lies as a rampaging Sunrisers Hyderabad arrive fresh off a performance that rewrote IPL record books. Travis Head has his own love story with Ahmedabad since the ODI World Cup final, Abhishek Sharma has carried his form from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy well and Heinrich Klaasen is the only man to hit 50 T20 sixes this year. With the Narendra Modi Stadium one of the country’s best surfaces for batters, the Titans will need someone to fill the shoes of Mohammed Shami at both ends of their innings.The Titans, though, can hit back. Barring Pat Cummins, the Sunrisers pacers have gone at 11.93 runs per over in IPL 2024 and it is an area the hosts can exploit, especially their captain Shubman Gill. Ahmedabad is Gill’s favourite venue – 700 runs in 13 innings at an average of nearly 64 and a strike-rate of almost 160 – and with only 37 runs in two innings this season, he will be itching for a sizeable contribution.2:18

McClenaghan on Miller’s poor form: ‘Tough role being a finisher’

Team news and impact player strategy

Gujarat TitansThe Titans are usually predictable with their impact substitutions, so expect fast bowler Mohit Sharma and left-hand batter Sai Sudharsan to swap places. Matthew Wade is also available after missing the first two games playing the Sheffield Shield final. Shahrukh Khan or Abhinav Manohar could be tempting options in the middle order.Probable XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Sai Sudharsan, 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 David Miller, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Spencer Johnson, 11 Umesh Yadav, 12 Mohit SharmaTitans will have their task cut out bowling to Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen•BCCI

Sunrisers HyderabadAfter excelling in their season opener, T Natarajan missed Sunrisers’ second game with an unspecified niggle and his availability is unknown. Jaydev Unadkat, his replacement against Mumbai Indians, impressed with his change-ups and could keep his place in the XI. Wanindu Hasaranga has also not yet arrived in India.As for Impact Player options, Sunrisers could start with medium-pacer Nitish Reddy or fast bowler Umran Malik if bowling first, with Travis Head replacing them in the second innings. Washington Sundar could also be a realistic option against left-hand heavy Titans.Probable XII: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Travis Head, 3 Abhishek Sharma, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Jaydev Unadkat / T Natarajan, 12 Umran MalikBhuvneshwar Kumar has gone for 104 runs in eight overs in IPL 2024•Associated Press

In the spotlight

In two innings, Vijay Shankar has scored 18 runs in 17 balls. He has not bowled either. Against a high-scoring side like Sunrisers, the Titans could be tempted to play Shahrukh Khan instead to add power to the middle order, especially since he follows a consolidator like Sudharsan at No. 3. Shankar, though, enjoys facing Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16 off 5, strike rate 320) and Jaydev Unadkat (15 off 7, strike rate 214) in T20 cricket.Bhuvneshwar Kumar is yet to take a wicket in his two IPL 2024 outings and has conceded 104 runs in eight overs. Against both Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, Bhuvneshwar made promising starts to his spell but ended up leaking big runs in the death overs. As the senior-most bowler in a franchise where he has played since 2014, Bhuvneshwar needs to either find wickets or get his runs down. Ideally, he’d want to do both.

Stats that matter

Gill has historically struggled putting Bhuvneshwar away at the IPL, scoring only 50 runs in 48 balls while being dismissed three times in nine innings. He also has a strike-rate of only 94.4 against Unadkat.In 23 balls, Abhishek has hit Rashid for three fours and three sixes, averaging a boundary every 3.6 deliveries. His strike-rate against Rashid is 204 overall and this IPL, he is scoring at 226.Klaasen is hitting a six every 5.4 balls in 2024, behind only Andre Russell’s ball-per-six ratio of 4.6. Fifty of his 53 sixes have come between long-off and deep backward square leg.Since the start of IPL 2023, the team batting first has won six of the ten IPL games played in Ahmedabad.

Pitch and conditions

Ahmedabad usually offers a true batting surface with enough on offer to keep pacers and spinners interested. Spinners can also use the long square boundaries to good effect. The average first-innings winning score here since 2021 in the IPL is 188. In the last outing at the venue, the Titans defended 168 successfully. Expect a hot afternoon with a peak of 35 degrees during toss time.

Callum Parkinson collects maiden five-wicket haul for Durham

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2024Durham 358 (Ackermann 112, Robinson 90, Bedingham 52) and 131 for 2 (Lees 48*) drew with Essex 488 (Browne 184, Khushi 107, Parkinson 5-131)Essex’s Nick Browne scored his first Championship century for over a year and Callum Parkinson collected his maiden five-wicket haul for Durham, but the Vitality County Championship at the Seat Unique Riverside ended in a draw.Such an outcome had always appeared probable once the third day’s play had been lost. However, having made 488 and taken a 130-run lead on first innings, Essex did their best to force a victory on the final afternoon, only for their efforts to founder on the broad bat of Alex Lees, who made 48 not out in 128 minutes and had steered his side to 131 for 2 when bad light stopped play at 4.40pm.The teams shook hands shortly afterwards, at which point David Bedingham, Lees’ third-wicket partner, was unbeaten on 33.The most notable event of the morning session came in the fifth over of the day when Browne back cut Ben Raine to the boundary to reach his first hundred in 22 Championship innings, a bleak run stretching back to the game against Kent in April 2023.Browne’s century was also a tribute to his patience in this match. He had batted 286 minutes and faced 238 balls to reach the landmark. Five overs later, another boundary from Browne brought Essex their third batting point but that achievement was swiftly followed by the dismissal of Jordan Cox, who was bowled by Parkinson for 36 when he played outside a ball that was deflected via the back pad to the leg stump.Parkinson soon collected his second wicket of the morning when he clean bowled Matt Critchley for 3 with a fine ball that turned past the outside edge and hit off stump. Noah Thain then helped Browne add 55 in 11 overs before being caught at midwicket by Scott Borthwick off Colin Ackermann for 23, but Essex reached lunch on 450 for 6 with Browne unbeaten on 169.The visitors looked to score quick runs in the afternoon session and lost four wickets in doing so, including two run outs in three balls. Browne departed for 184 when attempting a third run and failing to beat Lees’ throw from fine leg and then Harry Duke was sent back by Simon Harmer but Borthwick’s return from midwicket was too sharp.Parkinson then dismissed Harmer and Jamie Porter in the same over to finish with 5 for 131 from 31 overs in Essex’s 488 all out.The visitors’ hopes of causing a collapse were boosted when Borthwick played across a ball from Porter and was lbw for 4 in the third over of Durham’s second innings. However, Lees and Ackermann put on 75 for the second wicket before Ackermann was caught at slip by Cox off Critchley for 32, a fate that had appeared to befall him on 20, only for the umpires to rule that the ball hadn’t carried.Durham took 12 points from the game and Essex received 14, a return which leaves the visitors equal on points with Surrey at the top of the First Division. The champions lead the table purely by virtue of having taken one wicket more than Essex this season.

The visitors took a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series

Srinidhi Ramanujam30-Apr-2024Radha Yadav’s three wickets and D Hemalatha’s breezy 41 not out on comeback helped India beat Bangladesh by 19 runs in the rain-hit second T20I in Sylhet. India lead the five-match series 2-0.After India’s spin trio of Radha, Shreyanka Patil, and Deepti Sharma dismissed Bangladesh for 119, Hemalatha – returning to India’s XI after one and half years in place of the injured Yastika Bhatia – took the visitors to 47 for 1 in 5.2 overs before the second rain break ended the game. India were 19 runs ahead of the DLS par score of 28 when the match was officially called off, and Hemalatha was adjudged the Player of the Match.India lost Shafali Verma for a golden duck in the small chase, but Hemalatha’s fluency against the new ball and crisp stroke-play yielded five fours and two sixes in her 24-ball innings. Smriti Mandhana was unbeaten on 5 off seven deliveries at the other end as Hemalatha made most of the opportunity at No.3.Bangladesh had shown intent after choosing to bat, following a dismal performance in the first T20I when they were restricted to 101 for 8. But their intent didn’t result in runs. Opener Murshida Khatun scored a 49-ball 46 with five boundaries but none of her team-mates got going.Despite losing Dilara Akter and Sobhana Mostary in the second and sixth overs, Bangladesh got to 43 for 2 in the powerplay. India’s spinners, however, began to exert pressure after the field restrictions were lifted. Left-arm spinner Radha trapped Nigar Sultana and Fahima Khatun lbw off successive deliveries in the 10th over, and Patil and Deepti also picked up two wickets each.Bangladesh were 70 for 5 after 11 overs when rain halted play for an hour. Once the match resumed and the pitch became sluggish, India spinners found more turn and drift to trouble the batters.Ritu Moni, who replaced Shorna Akther in the XI, scored a 18-ball 20 and added 32 off 31 with Murshida for the sixth wicket. They took Bangladesh past 100 before Deepti returned to bowl Moni in the 16th over. Bangaldesh slumped after that from 101 for 5 to 119 all out.Radha, in the penultimate over, picked up her third wicket by drawing Rabeya Khan out of her crease with flight and having her stumped to finish with figures of 3 for 19 in four overs. Pooja Vastrakar then bowled Fariha Trisna in the final over to dismiss Bangladesh for a below-par total.

The season will start on September 19 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2024India will host Bangladesh, New Zealand and England during their 2024-25 home season, in which they will play five Tests, three ODIs and eight T20Is.The season will kick off on September 19 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Chennai will host the first Test and Kanpur will host the second Test from September 27. This will be Bangladesh’s third Test tour to India. They played a one-off Test in 2017 and a two-match series in 2019.After the Test series, Bangladesh will play three T20Is as well, in Dharamsala, Delhi and Hyderabad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New Zealand will be the next to visit, for a three-match Test series starting on October 16 in Bengaluru. Pune and Mumbai will host the second and third Tests, respectively.Just before Champions Trophy 2025, England will tour for five T20Is and three ODIs. They had visited India earlier this year for a five-match Test series, which the hosts won 4-1.The Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand will count towards India’s push to qualify for their third successive World Test Championship final. They currently lead the WTC 2023-25 standings with six wins in nine Tests and a points total of 74, or 68.51% of their points contested. Other than these two home series, India’s remaining WTC assignment in this cycle is a five-Test tour of second-placed Australia in 2024-25.

West Indies’ top-three batters controlled the chase of 142, easily securing the win despite the margin showing them earning victory with one ball left

Madushka Balasuriya28-Jun-2024The West Indian top three of Stafanie Taylor, Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle ensured a triumphant end to a challenging tour of Sri Lanka, as they anchored a six-wicket win in the third and final T20I in Hambantota to complete a come-from-behind 2-1 series win.Campbelle remained unbeaten at the end on a 30-ball 41 as West Indies chased down a target of 142 with just one ball to spare. The margin of victory however belies the control the visitors exuded in the chase.Taylor and Mathews put on a 60-run opening stand in just 48 deliveries, after which Matthews paired up with Campbelle for a 44-ball 51-run stand. When Matthews fell, trapped leg before attempting to swipe one from Kawya Kavindi across the line, the West Indies were on 111 for 2.With the requirement at roughly run-a-ball, Campbelle navigated the remainder of the chase expertly. The late wickets of Chedean Nation and Aaliyah Alleyne in the 18th and 19th overs conjured some late drama – both dismissed trying to hit out – but some smart running in the final over when just six runs were required ensured there were no further blips.Earlier, having put Sri Lanka in to bat, West Indies got off to the ideal start dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne off just the second ball of the innings, the aggressive 18-year-old top-edging an attempted pull of Chinelle Henry.Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama however responded well to the early setback with a partnership of 55 off 54, before Samarawickrama chipped one back to Afy Fletcher. This was followed by a 25-ball stand of 34 between Athapaththu and Kavisha Dilhari, but then Athapaththu would also fall, caught excellently in the deep by Shamilia Connell – making up for her drop of the same batter a short while earlier.Athapaththu’s wicket in the 14th over and Dilhari’s (26 off 22) in the 16th – caught brilliantly by a leaping Henry at mid-off – fell at inopportune moments for the hosts, just as they might have been looking to accelerate.Some late blows from Ama Kanchana and Nilakshi de Silva pushed the total to 141, but Player of the Series Matthews and co eventually made light work of what could have been a tricky chase.

Chasing 146, Sri Lanka romped home with 20 balls remaining

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2024Harshitha Samarawickrama’s 86 off 45 balls sent Sri Lanka galloping to a 17th-over win in the first T20I of their series against Ireland in Dublin.Ireland had put together what had seemed a competitive 145 for 6 after being sent in, with contributions from opener Gaby Lewis (39 off 33), Oria Prendergast (29 off 27), captain Laura Delany (25 off 21), and Rebecca Stokell (21 not out off 16). Prendergast and Lewis had supplied the innings a foundation with a 59-run second-wicket stand.Related

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But the total was no match for a Sri Lanka side flying high on confidence following their Asia Cup win. Samarawickrama, who top-scored in their chase in that final too, combined with Vishmi Gunaratne (30 off 34) in an opening stand worth 83.Samarawickrama then largely took control of the remainder of the chase, hitting 15 fours and one six in all, as the remainder of the top order produced small innings in support. Sri Lanka will be especially buoyed by pulling off this chase without their best player, Chamari Athapaththu, who is with her Hundred team. Samarawickrama’s 86 not out is the fourth-highest T20I score by a Sri Lanka batter, and the highest by anyone other than Athapaththu.On the bowling front, the left-arm seam of Udeshika Prabhodani and the left-arm spin of Sugandika Kumari were effective at keeping a lid on Ireland’s scoring. Offspinner Inoshi Priyadharshani collected the game’s best figures, however, taking 2 for 35.Freya Sargent, Arlene Kelly and Delany struck for Ireland, but they were unable as a unit to contain Samarawickrama.

Wareham was player of the match and Gardner player of the series as both took important wickets and made crucial runs in the third T20I in Brisbane

Alex Malcolm24-Sep-2024Skillful all-round displays from Georgia Wareham and Ashleigh Gardner helped Australia secure a 3-0 series sweep over New Zealand following a six-wicket win in the final T20I in Brisbane. It was also the visitors’ 10th loss in a row in T20I cricket.Wareham took 2 for 21 with her legspin to help restrict New Zealand to 146 for 6 after Georgia Plimmer’s maiden T20I half-century had put the visitors in a position to post something a bit more imposing.Wareham was then promoted to No.3, in move that could be replicated at the T20 World Cup, and thumped 26 off 16 balls to ease any run-rate pressure in the chase before Ellyse Perry and Gardner compiled a 61-run stand to put Australia on the brink of victory with Perry making 36 and Gardner 33. Two late mistakes from the duo, that cost their wickets respectively, were the only blemishes in an otherwise controlled partnership. Tahlia McGrath and Phoebe Litchfield finished the job but did get some help from Fran Jonas who spilled a sitter off Litchfield.Gardner, like the Player of the Match Wareham, also bowled beautifully to put the brakes on New Zealand, taking 1 for 27 to follow up her 3 for 16 in the second T20I and was named player of the series. New Zealand had reached 118 for 1 in the 17th over after Plimmer reached 50 off 47 balls while Amelia Kerr had also made 40 off 36 in a 73-run stand for the second wicket. But their dismissals, to Wareham and Gardner sparked a collapse. They lost 5 for 28 off the final 22 balls with Annabel Sutherland picking up two in an over. Maddy Green, playing her 100th T20I, made 12 not out off five balls to ensure they at least posted in excess of 140 but it was never enough.Georgia Plimmer launches over midwicket•Getty Images

Plimmer delivers on the promise

The pressure was mounting on Plimmer ahead of the World Cup. Her 23 T20I innings prior to this game had yielded a highest score of 28. She finally broke through with a hard-fought half-century. It wasn’t fluent. She took six balls to get off the mark and was striking at well under a run-a-ball through her first 27 deliveries. She was also dropped twice having offered sharp return catches to Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck. But she finally broke free in the 11th over with two crisp strikes off Sutherland, one a powerful blow over midwicket and another over long-on. The longer her innings went, the more balanced she was at the crease and her striking became crisper as a result. She shared a 45-run powerplay with Suzie Bates, which was New Zealand’s best of the series before Bates was bowled trying to sweep Wareham off the first ball of the seventh over. Plimmer then added 73 with Kerr for the second wicket which appeared to lay an excellent platform for a final overs assault. There was palpable relief on her face when she reached her first half-century in international cricket off 47 balls. New Zealand were 118 for 1 with 22 balls left. Kerr was 35 from 33 and although the scoring rate was just over seven an over, there were enough wickets in hand to post a score of 160 with some good late hitting.

Late overs slump shakes the foundation

New Zealand’s hopes of 160 disappeared in the blink of an eye as they lost 5 for 28 from the final 22 balls of the innings. Plimmer fell the very next ball after reaching her half-century. Wareham picking up her second victim in an outstanding spell. Gardner accounted for Kerr in the next over, clattering her stumps as she tried to cut. The bottom then fell out of New Zealand’s order. Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday both holed out in the penultimate over from Sutherland who was rewarded for some excellent death bowling have earlier been dispatched by Plimmer. There was a moment when New Zealand looked like they might not post 140. But Green proved again she is potentially batting too low in the order, cracking a six and a four off Molineux in the final over to finish with 12 not out off 5 and post 146 for 6.Georgia Wareham was promoted to No.3•Getty Images

Wareham at No.3 offers options

Healy said pre-series that Australia would not experiment ahead of the World Cup. So when Beth Mooney’s lean series continued as she was clean bowled by a brilliant arm ball from Eden Carson for 6, it was a shock to see Wareham walk out at No.3. Wareham had done it once before, in Australia’s most recent series in Bangladesh in April when she made 57 off 30. It proved another masterstroke and looks a genuine option for the World Cup. Wareham struck the ball as powerfully as anyone had in the series and looked very comfortable against pace and spin, scoring at a rate well above everyone else in the game bar those who faced five balls or less. While Healy battled for timing during a tortured 27 from 29, Wareham stood still and smashed four boundaries in 16 balls. She raced to 26 to remove any run-rate pressure from the chase. But she threw away a golden chance at another half-century when he miscued a low full toss off Hannah Rowe to deep midwicket. Her assault allowed Perry and Gardner to settle into a rhythm and the pair played with typical composure to close out the game with a 61-run stand. Perry shook off the rust she showed in the first two games to produce a classy 36 from 29 with five boundaries. She was frustrated not to finish the job when she sliced Jonas to cover. Gardner was scratchy by comparison but still found the rope consistently. She too was frustrated not to finish unbeaten after she failed to execute a paddle scoop attempt and was pinned lbw by Carson, who was the pick of New Zealand’s bowlers finishing with 2 for 29.

Rapid rise continues for former allrounder as he takes charge of England’s second tier

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Sep-2024Andrew Flintoff’s rise through the coaching ranks continues after he was announced as the new England men’s Lions head coach.Flintoff, who played 79 Tests for England, will begin his new role in October, leading the Lions to South Africa before Christmas, then to Australia in January for a red-ball tour that will act as a fact-finding mission ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes. Next summer, the Lions will also host India A and Zimbabwe. Flintoff will be involved in performance planning, player development reviews with counties, team selection and player appraisals, and will combine this with his existing role as head coach of Northern Superchargers in the Men’s Hundred.The role will be Flintoff’s most demanding since returning to cricket in 2023, when he re-emerged to public life following a horrific car crash while filming an episode ofin December 2022. The 46-year-old talked openly about this challenging period of his life in the second series of his BBC documentary, , which aired its final episode on Tuesday.With the help of close friend and men’s managing director Rob Key, Flintoff has assumed several consultancy roles with the national team and went on to work as an assistant coach during the 2023 tour of the Caribbean and the T20 World Cup. He is currently on the staff for the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval and presented Josh Hull with his maiden Test cap on Friday morning.Related

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This summer, Flintoff was appointed head coach of Northern Superchargers, who narrowly missed out on a top-three finish in the men’s Hundred on Net Run Rate. The fact that he had been fast-tracked for a high-profile job that had not been publicly advertised, however, raised awkward questions about the ECB’s recruitment processes. In a statement released on Saturday regarding the Lions head coach role, which was advertised, the ECB stated: “Flintoff emerged as the standout candidate from a pool of high-calibre applicants.””I’m incredibly excited to take on this role with the England Lions,” Flintoff said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to work with some of the best up-and-coming talent in the country and to help shape the future of the men’s game. The Lions programme has always been a vital stepping stone for players pushing for international success, and I’m honoured to be part of that journey.”The future of the game in England is in excellent health. There is a wealth of talent emerging, and I’m looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential. Whether these players are pushing for England selection or finding their feet in Lions cricket, I have no doubt that the Lions programme will offer a real point of difference in their development. It’s an exciting time for English cricket, and I’m passionate about inspiring the next generation to take the sport forward. We’ve got a strong foundation, and I believe we can create something truly special.”ECB men’s performance director Ed Barney said: “We are thrilled to welcome Andrew Flintoff into this key role. Andrew stood out thanks to his inspirational leadership, coaching expertise, and deep understanding of the game. His vision aligns very closely with the playing style and identity that has been fostered with England Men under Brendon McCullum and this appointment contributes to a truly exciting outlook for the future of English cricket.”The England Lions programme is a cornerstone of our cricketing structure, playing a critical role in nurturing the next generation of talent. With Andrew’s guidance, the highest potential players will continue to develop, thrive and take their game to new levels. I’m confident his influence will resonate across English cricket, helping drive the game forward.”

New Zealand captain is glad youngsters in the side stepped up to set up a historic win for the side

Ashish Pant20-Oct-20242:01

Manjrekar: Rachin looking like one of the best overseas batters in India

Fast bowlers asking “questions after question” and Rachin Ravindra’s calmness were the major factors behind New Zealand claiming their first Test win in India after 36 years, captain Tom Latham has said.”We’re blessed with a couple of guys on our side, a couple of young guys that have stepped up in this match,” Latham said after the win in the first Test in Bengaluru. “I think the way Will [O’Rourke] bowled was outstanding, but I think I also look at the other two seamers, Tim Southee and Matt Henry, the pressure they were able to apply with that new ball on day one was outstanding. Matt got the rewards and Will got the rewards in that first innings.”It was a combination of everything. [It is] a really special feeling to be in this position. I think the work we did in the first and second innings with the ball and then obviously with the bat, really set the game up for us. It’s obviously a proud moment for this group and the one we will celebrate.”Related

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Latham was effusive in his praise for Ravindra, who played a key hand in stretching New Zealand’s lead past the 350 mark in the first innings followed by a 39 not out in the second when New Zealand were two down early in the chase with the ball doing a fair bit on the final morning.Ravindra, who is just ten Tests old, showed his composure while forging an eighth-wicket partnership of 137 with Southee in the first innings after the visitors had slipped to 233 for 7.”The way he [Ravindra] played the situation of the game was really important for us,” Latham said. “A 137-run partnership with a No. 9 batter is awesome. I think the way he played leading up to that [second] new ball was really important.”Even this morning, the way he came out with the game in the balance where another couple of wickets there and it could have been a nervy 50-60 runs, but I think the way he calmed the dressing room with his composure out there for a young guy in his ninth or tenth Test to play in that fashion is obviously exciting.”We’ve seen the talent that he has got over the last 12 months and certainly happy he is on our side.”Despite bowling India out for 46 in the first innings and then amassing 402 when they batted, New Zealand had to work hard for the win. India replied strongly in their second innings, erasing the deficit losing just three wickets with Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant looking set for more.Rachin Ravindra celebrates his second Test hundred•BCCI

The second new ball, however, brought about a change of fortunes as India collapsed from 433 for 4 to 462 all out and New Zealand had to chase only 107.”From our perspective, we knew India were going to come back,” Latham said. “From the wicket point of view, it’s probably at its best over those couple of days [three and four] for a bit to bat, so we certainly knew it was going to be a challenge against India, who obviously have a lot of firepower in that line-up. They certainly keep challenging us, they keep asking good questions and obviously to get a lead from the position that they were in was obviously a quality effort.”But the work we did with the new ball yesterday evening was outstanding. I think Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke with that new ball, just asked lots of questions and obviously managed to get the rewards.”At that point we certainly knew India were going to get themselves right back in the game and certainly [we were] just happy we weren’t chasing too many more than 100.”While Latham had led New Zealand in nine Tests previously, this was his first since being appointed full-time captain after Southee stepped down after the Sri Lanka series last month. He cheekily admitted that he was “very happy” to lose the toss on the second morning as he too would have opted to bat first. The opening day was washed out due to rain and with the pitch under covers for the better part of two days, New Zealand ran the Indian batting unit ragged.”I guess it’s just one of those times where you fall on the wrong or right side, whatever way you look at it, it’s always hard,” he said. “I guess the time that the wicket was under the covers, they obviously didn’t have the preparation time that they probably would have liked and [I am] happy that it fell the right way for us.”I think you try to look at what’s going to be harder. Is it going to be harder on day one or is it going to be harder on day five? We expect the match to go the duration of the game and I think we even saw it this morning when [Ravindra] Jadeja got that one out of the foot marks that hit Rachin in the head.”Obviously, the pitch was deteriorating. The cracks were starting to open a little bit more and we certainly saw that from a seamer’s point of view when the ball did hit those cracks that went up and down a little bit. I guess that’s a fine balance when you come over here and there’s not many times that you win the toss and bowl. So yeah, happy it fell on the right side.”It could end up being a red-letter day for New Zealand cricket. The men’s team won a Test in India after 36 years, and the women’s team now have the chance to claim their maiden ICC title when they face South Africa in the T20 World Cup final later in the evening in Dubai.”Yeah, it’s obviously been a great morning for New Zealand cricket from our point of view, but hopefully it can be an even better day for New Zealand cricket,” Latham said. “Obviously, the guys have been following the tournament a little bit and we’re obviously excited when they won that semi-final and I think for them to be in the position now with a chance of winning a T20 World Cup is obviously really special. Good luck to them.”