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Late blows from Steve O’Keefe and Ben Dwarshuis left Sydney Sixers needing eight off three balls, but Michael Neser sealed Adelaide Strikers’ second win with three yorkers

The Report by Alex Malcolm28-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAdelaide Strikers belied expectations after holding their nerve against Sydney Sixers at the SCG.The Strikers were in control after high-quality innings from Alex Carey and Jonathan Wells and excellent Power-play bowling upfront left the Sixers needing 61 from 30 balls will no recognised batsmen left. But Steve O’Keefe, Johan Botha and Ben Dwarshuis found a way to reduce the equation to 22 off seven before O’Keefe and Dwarshuis hit consecutive sixes off Ben Laughlin and Michael Neser. Another well-run two made it eight runs off three balls but Neser responded with three pinpoint yorkers to secure the Strikers second straight win.Conversely, the talent-laden Sixers slumped to their third straight loss after their batting line-up failed to fire again.Lefties galore
The Strikers’ new-look top four is made up exclusively of left-handers. It allowed the Sixers to set up their attack specifically to counter them. The Sixers made several changes to the side that lost their first two matches. Moises Henriques was ill, with Botha standing-in as captain. Dwarshuis came in for Doug Bollinger as a like-for-like but the Sixers picked the extra right-arm off-spinner in Will Somerville specifically to counter the left-handers. Jake Weatherald has a poor record against left-arm quicks in the BBL and the trend continued after he skied a Dwarshuis short ball in the first over. Botha and Somerville were able to bowl six of the first 12 overs at Carey and Travis Head, conceding 40 runs between them and picking up Head. By the time Colin Ingram fell to Dwarshuis for a run-a-ball 15 the Strikers had only managed to score 7.23 per over through 13 overs and were headed towards a below-par total at the SCG.O’Keefe not used, Carey and Wells cash in
According to , Steve O’Keefe has the third-best economy rate at the SCG in the last three BBL seasons. Botha, understandably, did not use the left-arm spinner in the first 13 overs against the four left-handers. But when the right-handed Wells walked out, with one boundary significantly larger than the other, it seemed a perfect time to bring O’Keefe on. Instead, Botha opted for Somerville again. Wells nailed a sweep, with the turn, for four to get himself going. Wells and Carey put together an unbroken 74-run stand in the last seven overs to get the total up to 167 without facing a single delivery from O’Keefe.Carey displayed power and placement early to get to his maiden BBL half-century. But despite losing his timing late in the innings, his supreme fitness saw him sprint four twos and one three. He finished with an unbeaten 83 from 59 balls. Wells’ cameo was outstanding too. He hit two fours and a massive 104m six onto the roof of the Bill O’Reilly stand in the last four balls of the innings to finish with 33 not out from 19 balls.Strikers strike early again
Taking early wickets in the Powerplay has been Perth Scorchers’ modus operandi for years when defending totals. The Strikers look to have copied the blueprint, attacking with their seamers upfront. Billy Stanlake conceded just two runs in the first over. Jason Roy flicked him for a huge six in the third over, but Stanlake set the trap for Daniel Hughes tucking him up with two men back and Hughes picked out one of them on the boundary. Neser had Nic Maddinson nicking off with Carey completing an outstanding one-handed catch. Roy, who looked to be fighting his way out of a form slump, did not do his homework on Ben Laughlin, lofting a predictable slower ball first-up high to mid-off. The Sixers were 3 for 42 at the end of the Powerplay before spin was needed.Silk road too long
Jordan Silk did his best to make the chase interesting. In his first appearance for the season as a replacement for Henriques, he struck ball as sweetly as any batsman all night. He raced to 50 off 31 balls with seven classy boundaries. But when he chopped Rashid Khan onto his stumps all hope seemed lost.Rashid had earlier bowled the Sixers’ last recognised batsman in Sam Billings. Botha and O’Keefe kept hopes alive with a 17-run over off Neser. O’Keefe and Dwarshuis then raised heart-rates with two massive blows inside the last seven deliveries after Laughlin and Neser missed their lengths. But Neser found the mark with his last three to wrap up the Strikers’ win.

The Bangladesh team management have made Sabbir Rahman aware of the danger he faces of getting suspended after he accrued three demerit points under the ICC’s updated code of conduct

Mohammad Isam11-Oct-20161:07

Disappointed with Bangladesh’s celebrations – Buttler

The Bangladesh team management have made Sabbir Rahman aware of the danger he faces of getting suspended after he accrued three demerit points under the ICC’s updated code of conduct.He has been punished twice in the space of two weeks since the new system was introduced on September 22, and along with India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, who is also on three points, will be on a good behaviour watch list for the next two years.This is because if they accrue one more point during this period (totalling four points), it will be converted into suspension points which will determine how many matches a player will then miss. The number of demerit points range from one to eight depending on the level of offence the player is charged with. Four points would equate to two suspension points which means they would miss one Test or a combination of ODIs and T20s.Bangladesh manager Khaled Mahmud said they have told Sabbir to be careful of his behaviour, especially with his celebration that brought him the second punishment.”We have already spoken to him about the risk that he is facing regarding the suspensions,” Mahmud said. “He is aware where he stands. After what happened in the last game, I think he has to tone down his celebrations, avoid doing what he did in that incident. He can obviously celebrate but within the appropriate limits.”Sabbir’s first incident was during the first ODI against Afghanistan on September 25 when he argued with umpire Sharfuddoula over a leg-before decision. The next offence was when he and Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza were penalised for “overstepping their celebration” against England.In another change from the old regulations, after serving a ban the player’s disciplinary slate will not be automatically rubbed clean in terms of the demerit points. The points under the 2016 regulations would hold for the next 24 months, and in case of further penalties, add up and will move onto five and above, reaching the next level of suspension – eight and above demerit points – which then make a player liable to be banned for two Tests. The demerit points would only be wiped clean after 24 months.Mahmud however said that the new system is easier for players to understand where they stand in terms of breaching the code of conduct.”I think the new system is quite helpful to the players,” Mahmud said. “They now know where they stand in terms of the demerit points. Previously he may have been suspended after the second incident but now he has another chance.”

South Africa won their first-ever bilateral series in India after Faf du Plessis’ first, Quinton de Kock’s second and AB de Villiers’ third centuries of the series, which helped the visitors soar to 438

The Report by Firdose Moonda25-Oct-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:51

Agarkar: AB the best batsman in the world in all formats

South Africa won their first-ever bilateral series in India after Faf du Plessis’ first, Quinton de Kock’s second and AB de Villiers’ third centuries of the series helped the visitors soar to the highest total in the five matches, the highest at the Wankhede and the highest against India. They did not subject India to their biggest margin of defeat, but they did bowl them out more than 200 runs short of the target, no mean feat in batsmen-friendly conditions.South Africa’s line-up enjoyed the track, which offered almost no bounce or turn, and applied aggression in waves reminiscent of the day nine years ago when they scored this exact number of runs against Australia at the Wanderers. Then, South Africa were chasing, this time they were making India’s bowlers do that. India have never conceded more runs in an ODI; South Africa have scored more but only by one. This was their sixth score over 400 and fourth in 2015 alone, and it underlined their ability to dominate opposition on their own turf.India will be disappointed by the way their challenge died in both departments. Their bowlers began with an over-reliance on the short ball and then just ran out of ideas while their batsmen showed the right intent upfront but lost wickets trying to sustain the scoring rate. In the end, they conceded a second series to South Africa on the tour with the main event, the Tests, still to come.The signs of South African authority were evident from the start. They raced to fifty inside six overs during which Hashim Amla became the fastest batsmen to 6,000 ODI runs. Amla was dismissed cheaply for a fifth time in the series but that did not have an impact on South Africa’s morale.De Kock owned the pull shot and with the seamers failing to generate anything, MS Dhoni introduced spin in the seventh over. Harbhajan Singh kept things tight at first but the tension was routinely broken at the other end. South Africa grew in confidence, brought up 100 in the 15th over and appeared unstoppable until de Kock hit Amit Mishra in the air to mid-off and presented a chance. Mohit Sharma got fingertips to the ball but could not hold on. De Kock was on 58 at the time and Mohit’s mistake would prove costly.He was seeing the ball well and found the rope so regularly, there was barely a need for singles. More than two-thirds of his runs came in boundaries but he reached his century, his fifth against India and eighth overall, with a single.Du Plessis had almost been a spectator in the proceedings and allowed de Kock most of the strike but when de Kock was caught on the long-off boundary, he knew he had to take over. With de Villiers egging him on, du Plessis upped the ante, assisted by Dhoni using part-timers Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli against South Africa’s two most destructive batsmen. They pierced the gaps and hit with power as the intensity increased.De Villiers injected impetus into the innings with his scoring rate – his fifty came off 34 balls – and du Plessis followed suit. After taking 61 balls to score fifty, he needed just 44 more deliveries to get a century, even as he battled cramps to get there.South Africa entered the last ten overs on 294 for 2 but would have been wary of the squeeze that can strike with the new playing conditions. This time, they were not strangled. Du Plessis plundered 24 runs off the 43rd over, bowled by Axar Patel, even though he could barely stand up and had to retire hurt on 133.Then, it was de Villiers’ turn. His century came off the 57th ball he faced to chants of “ABD” from the Wankhede crowd. South Africa were on the brink of 400 when de Villiers edged an attempted pull and was caught behind and India had finally got through the senior batsmen. Farhaan Behardien and David Miller had free reign to slog as hard as they wanted and they made the most of what time they had. South Africa scored 144 runs in the last ten overs. By the time India had that many, it looked as though a thriller might just play out.India lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first eight overs of the reply but Shikhar Dhawan, who had been middling until this match, and Ajinkya Rahane kept them in it. Rahane was particularly severe on Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir but neither of them targeted South Africa’s fifth bowler, Behardien, as much as they should have. Still, they applied pressure, forced mistakes from South Africa in the field and were on track despite the length of the journey.Then it all changed when Kagiso Rabada proved there is no substitute for pure pace. He was brought back on in the 23nd over, angled a fuller ball across Dhawan and drew the leading edge. Hashim Amla fell face first taking the catch and India were faltering. In Rabada’s next over, he dished up a leg-stump yorker than snuck past Suresh Raina and broke the back of the Indian chase.Rahane, who batted with composure and class and scored 50 off 41 balls, was feeling the heat. He holed out to midwicket off Dale Steyn, whose veins popped. In South Africa, the corks would have been doing the same as the series was all but sealed. India lost their last five wickets for 29 runs and South Africa secured a second limited-overs series on their longest-ever visit to India.

David Hussey waited until the last Sheffield Shield round to make his first century of the season but Victoria still finished a rain-interrupted day trailing Tasmania

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2013
ScorecardDavid Hussey waited until the last Sheffield Shield round to make his first century of the season but Victoria still finished a rain-interrupted day trailing Tasmania.Victoria fell 11 runs short of Tasmania’s first innings total despite Hussey’s innings, and the hosts’ reply was again underpinned by a strong opening stand between Jordan Silk and Mark Cosgrove.Cosgrove perished to Fawad Ahmed for 50, but Silk continued in the company of Alex Doolan, leaving Tasmania in a position to set a target on the final day, provided the weather is kind. Both sides require an outright result, the Bushrangers to host the final and the Tigers to have a chance of reaching it.

Durham will participate in the Emirates Twenty20 competition, in Dubai at the end of March, for the second year running as part of their preparations for the new county season

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2012Durham will participate in the Emirates Twenty20 competition, in Dubai at the end of March, for the second year running as part of their preparations for the new county season. The club will also send groups of players to India and South Africa for specialised coaching sessions.Durham’s second XI coach Jon Lewis will accompany Gareth Breese, Mark Stoneman, Tim Raglan, Ryan Buckley and James Weighall to the Global Cricket School in India in February; while Mitchell Claydon, Stephen Harmison, Liam Plunkett, Chris Rushworth, Ben Stokes, Josh Bousefield and Usman Arshad will go to South Africa for outdoor practice with bowling coach Alan Walker and limited-overs captain Dale Benkenstein.”Our tours to Dubai have been really successful in previous years and have proved to be an effective way to continue our pre-season preparation in outdoor conditions,” Durham’s head coach Geoff Cook said. “It’s important for the bowlers to get as much outdoor practice as possible before the start of the season which is why we’ve also taken the opportunity to send groups to India and South Africa.”

Cameron Mirza entered the record books by becoming the first USA Under-19 batsman to score a century

Peter Della Penna10-Feb-2011Cameron Mirza, a 17-year-old born and raised in the suburbs of northern New Jersey, created history on Monday by getting the highest score by a USA Under-19 player. Mirza carried his bat in USA’s 285-run win against Argentina on the first day of the ICC Americas U-19 Division One in Florida. He went on to score 118, only the second ton by a USA U-19 player, after Amer Afzaluddin’s ton against Argentina U-19 in 2001. The third highest score by a USA U-19 player is Andy Mohammed’s 90 against Afghanistan in the 2009 Youth World Cup qualifier, in Toronto.”It felt great, it was a relief,” Mirza said. “I was really excited when the coach told me I was going to open and I just couldn’t wait.” Mirza scored his century in 125 balls with 10 boundaries before finishing with 12 fours in his knock. It was his first game playing for USA at the U-19 level after previously playing in the U-15 squad at an ICC regional event in Bermuda in 2008.”I think he [Mirza] fits the bill,” Robin Singh, USA’s U-19 coach, said. “He’s somebody who takes his time and in 50 overs you have a lot of time to play and he fits that role pretty well.”Mirza’s mother, who travelled to Florida for the game, is Irish-American while his father immigrated to America from Pakistan. Mirza only started playing cricket four years ago after he saw his father watching a game on TV. Two years later, he became one of the first junior players in America to secure a bat sponsorship deal. He is one of only six American-born players in the current USA U-19 squad.Mirza is highly rated by current Bangladesh bowling coach Ian Pont. In the last few years, he has travelled to Potchefstroom in South Africa and Mumbai to take part in camps run by Pont.”[The camps in] India really helped with batting for long periods of time,” Mirza said. “[The camps in] South Africa helped me a lot with playing quick bowlers and India was great for spin. They all just chipped in little parts that came together.” Mirza has also spent extensive time training in New Jersey at DreamCricket Academy and Indoor Cricket USA, two places that have a fast growing reputation for producing USA U-19 representative players over the last three years.Mirza had set a personal goal before the start of the tournament to be the highest run-scorer at the end of the week. After the first day, he’s in the driver’s seat on the leaderboard and could very well achieve that goal. “I’d like to do that every game and I feel like because I did that in the first game, there’s expectations now for me to do it again,” Mirza said. “I’m confident but I realize its cricket. Anything can happen.”

Northamptonshire have secured Virender Sehwag to head their Twenty20 challenge this summer

Cricinfo staff12-Mar-2010Northamptonshire have secured Virender Sehwag to head their Twenty20 challenge during the coming season. It’s a major coup for the county who were beaten in the semi-finals in last year’s competition.Sehwag, 31, is currently ranked as the world’s leading Test batsman. He has established himself as one of the most destructive players in the game but curiously, given his reputation, Sehwag’s Twenty20 international record is a relatively modest average of 24.07 although his strike-rate is 153.43.Having played county cricket for Leicestershire in 2003, Sehwag has experience of English conditions and Mark Tagg, the Northamptonshire chief executive, believes Sehwag’s signing could lift Northamptonshire to the top of the domestic game.”This is absolutely fantastic news for the club and shows everyone that we want to continue our year on year improvement,” he said. “Hopefully this shows our fans we are serious in our ambitions to become the best club in the country.”Sehwag is still awaiting clearance from the BCCI but said: “I am looking forward to the T20 campaign and I am delighted to have joined the county.”He is the latest big-name signing for the Twenty20 tournament with counties going around the world for star attractions. Tillakaratne Dilshan has joined Sussex, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq are with Hampshire, Herschelle Gibbs is heading to Yorkshire and Cameron White is due with Somerset.

“If you start complaining about these things, it affects your performance on the field,” Rashid Khan says

Shashank Kishore09-Sep-20251:59

Rashid: Not ideal to stay in Dubai and play in Abu Dhabi

“Right now, I’m feeling very sleepy,” Charith Asalanka announced, to peals of laughter around the room. It was a brutally honest opening quip from Sri Lanka’s captain, who had flown into Dubai from Harare via South Africa just hours earlier for the men’s T20 Asia Cup.Asalanka had just played back-to-back T20Is in Zimbabwe on September 6 and 7, wrapped up the series, packed his bags, boarded a long-haul flight, and landed straight into the Dubai heat, only to be whisked off to a pre-tournament photoshoot and a captains’ press conference.”I should answer this question tomorrow, I think,” Asalanka said with a wry smile. “It’s really hard to play back-to-back games and then travel straightaway. I think we actually need a couple of days off. I hope the coach will give us [that].Related

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• Kaushal Silva on coaching Hong Kong: 'No one is going to hand us anything'

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• Asia Cup 2025: Politics, passion and a stage for new rivalries

• Cooked in India, reborn in Hong Kong: Anshuman Rath battles his way from tears to triumph

“It’s important to take care of our fitness. And we all know it’s really hot out there. For me, it’s really important to stay fresh and give 100% in the first game.”Luckily for Sri Lanka, they have been given four days off before their tournament opener against Bangladesh. It’s a rare luxury in a competition where Sri Lanka are in the “group of death” with Afghanistan and Hong Kong completing the pool.Afghanistan, meanwhile, had also wrapped up a series but in the same part of the world. And their captain Rashid Khan wasn’t complaining.They finished a hectic tri-series campaign against Pakistan and UAE in Sharjah on Sunday night, and were scheduled to play Hong Kong in their Asia Cup opener in Abu Dhabi in less than 48 hours. Then Rashid and his opposite number Yasim Murtaza were at the Dubai International Stadium six hours before the toss for the same media event where Asalanka was nearly dozing off, and Salman Agha, who also played in Sunday’s final, looking fresh.”Well, I don’t think it’s ideal – that’s what we were discussing [with the other captains] before as well,” Rashid said. “To play in Abu Dhabi and stay here in Dubai for all three games… it’s different. But as professional cricketers, we have to accept these things.Rashid Khan is determined to keep the focus on what he and Afghanistan could control•Emirates Cricket Board

“Once you enter the ground, you tend to forget everything else. In other countries, we often fly two-three hours and go straight to the game. I remember flying from Bangladesh to the US once and playing straightaway.”Throw in the match-day road trips, later-than-usual finishes – thanks to a deferred start time – and post-match recovery in heat that has constantly hovered over 40 degrees Celsius well into the evening, and the task becomes even trickier. But Rashid was determined to keep the focus on what he and his team could control.”You have to be well-prepared and mentally very strong, that’s why we are professionals,” he said. “If you start complaining about these things, about traveling a lot, it affects your performance on the field. For us, the focus is to put in the effort once we step inside. Wherever we go, we try to forget whatever happens outside and adapt. The most important thing is to give 100% and win the game.”So, while the Asia Cup’s “group of death” promises high-intensity cricket, how fresh the players manage to keep themselves could be a crucial factor, too.

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

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• 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.”

WI coach says their fortunes could have been different with some “breaks”

Tristan Lavalette30-Nov-2022West Indies coach Phil Simmons has defended his bowlers and believed luck didn’t go their way on a grassy Optus Stadium surface after an increasingly ragged attack claimed just two Australian wickets on the opening day of the first Test.”We bowled well, especially in the first two sessions, but the luck didn’t go our way,” Simmons said. “It was just one of those days. We bowled well in spurts.”West Indies sensed an opportunity when Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch with 10mm of grass left on it.Related

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• Labuschagne's big hundred puts Australia in command

• Cummins does not want to lose Australia's realistic chance at WTC final

But after a promising start from their highly-rated attack, with opener David Warner falling in the fourth over, West Indies struggled to penetrate and faded as the day wore on, in their first Test match against Australia since January 2016.Capitalising on wayward bowling and sloppy fielding, Marnus Labuschagne grabbed a stranglehold of the contest with an unbeaten 154 as Australia reached stumps at 293 for 2.West Indies’ confidence might already be shaken in their bid to end a 25-year Test drought in Australia, but Simmons believed their fortunes could have been different with some “breaks”.Simmons also said West Indies could take heart from a disciplined effort in the earlier part of the day, where line-and-length bowling from their quicks was backed up by aggressive captaincy from Kraigg Brathwaite, who implemented attacking fields complete with five slips.”The first two sessions were good because we didn’t let them get away,” said Simmons, who will depart as coach at the end of the tour after resigning following West Indies’ early exit at the T20 World Cup.”I think the last session a few too many runs leaked…makes the day look bad but I think the first two sessions were good.”Brathwaite has copped criticism over his use of offspinner Roston Chase, who released the pressure late in the opening session when he came into the attack. He also struggled later in the day to finish with 0-63 from 15 overs.”We will discuss [Chase] in the morning,” Simmons said. “Maybe, the captain sees things out there. He runs the show and I think he’s been doing a very good job with his bowlers.”Simmons said West Indies’ batters could take heed of the performance from Labuschagne, who weathered an early storm to share century partnerships with Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith.”I think that’s the way you have to bat, especially with the new ball swinging around,” he said. “As we saw in the last session, it belonged to Marnus because he had fought out the hard times before that.”Before West Indies front up with the bat, they need to restrict Australia on a pitch Simmons tipped to quicken up. “We need to get a couple of wickets early tomorrow,” he said. “Realistically, looking at maybe 400…even 450 you’re still in [the game] because I think the wicket looks like it can get better.”