Hogan, Neser make early inroads to keep momentum going Glamorgan’s way

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2022Durham 311 and 39 for 2 (Lees 12*, Potts 2*) trail Glamorgan 365 (Root 88, Neser 62, Carlson 53, Northeast 51, Potts 4-61, Raine 4-61) by 15 runsBilly Root orchestrated a Glamorgan fightback on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match against Durham at the Riverside.Root dragged his team out of trouble at 163 for 7 with a fine innings of 88 to defy the Durham bowlers. Sam Northeast, Kiran Carlson and Michael Neser also scored half-centuries, but it was the visitors’ lower order that frustrated the hosts, adding 202 runs for the final three wickets.Matthew Potts and Ben Raine took four wickets apiece, but Durham’s bowling in the afternoon outside of the duo was below-par, allowing the Welsh outfit to accumulate a healthy lead of 54. Michael Hogan and Neser nipped out Sean Dickson and Keegan Petersen to leave the hosts in trouble in their second innings still 15 runs behind.Resuming on 31 for 2, Glamorgan looked to make headway into Durham’s first-innings total, but were pegged back from the seventh ball of the day as Scott Borthwick took a diving catch at second slip to dismiss David Lloyd after Chris Rushworth found his outside edge. Marnus Labuschagne took 19 deliveries to get off the mark, and did not seem comfortable at the crease. His stay lasted a further three balls before he played across the line and was pinned lbw by Raine.Northeast provided the early resistance and marched towards his fifty at a good rate, striking Rushworth for three-straight boundaries. The 32-year-old notched his fourth half-century of the campaign, but failed to kick on for his first ton of 2022, edging behind to Ned Eckersley for 51 as Rushworth had his revenge. Carlson followed the mantra of Northeast to put the pressure back on the Durham bowlers. Ben Stokes’ first three overs consequently went for 29, with Carlson racing towards his half-century from 42 balls.The lunch break came at the right time for the hosts, and Potts returned with a spring in his step to bowl Carlson with the first ball after the interval. The Durham seamer claimed his fourth of the innings as Cooke was caught down the leg-side, leaving Glamorgan reeling at 163 for 7.However, Root and Neser stabilised the Glamorgan ranks, and the Australia international led the way with an aggressive approach. Neser capitalised on loose bowling from the home side to score a brisk fifty, his first in the County Championship, reaching the mark with a firm strike down the ground against Borthwick.The stand between Neser and Root surpassed 100 before Raine removed Neser for 62 to give the home side hope of earning a slender lead. Root ensured that Glamorgan secured a third batting point and then advanced beyond Durham’s first-innings total.He and Timm van der Gugten, with runner Labuschagne due to his ailing hamstring, frustrated Stokes, Carse and company in a defiant partnership of 83 for the ninth wicket. Root was on the precipice of a deserved hundred, but gave away his wicket for 88 with a loose drive off Raine, who then claimed his fourth scalp to end the Glamorgan innings.Hogan and Neser made early inroads to remove Dickson and Petersen, handing Lloyd and his team momentum to take into day three.

Captain praises McCullum’s influence as England seek repeat performance at Trent Bridge

Andrew Miller09-Jun-2022Ben Stokes, England’s captain, expects the feelgood factor from last week’s victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s to carry over to Trent Bridge this week, as he reminded his players to keep having “as much fun as you possibly can” in an England shirt.Stokes himself made an important half-century in England’s run-chase at Lord’s, before Joe Root’s unbeaten century sealed a gripping match by five wickets. But even if England had lost, the team’s new positive vibe was notable through the four days of the game, from the returning veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad right through to the debutant seamer Matt Potts.And for Stokes, to secure a victory for England in the first Test of his new partnership with head coach Brendon McCullum was a major boost, especially after a bleak run in which the side had won just one match out of 17 over the previous 15 months.”It’s fantastic,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “To come into the second game here with the win under our belts straightaway, with me being captain and Brendon as coach, it’s obviously better than losing.”But one of the great things that I found out is just how much fun it’s been,” he added. “Sometimes with the pressures of being an international cricketer, and going out and delivering performances on a weekly basis, [things] can get challenging, but we’re playing for England, we’re doing a job that we all grew up just playing as a hobby.”And I think everyone’s just really enjoyed themselves, because at the end of the day, when you’re playing for your country, the first and foremost thing is just to make sure you have as much fun as you possibly can.”It’s a far cry from the careworn approach that England took to their cricket over the previous year, most particularly during the Ashes when the side was still having to deal with the restrictions of Covid bubbles, not to mention a run of sapping defeats.For Stokes himself, however, the upbeat attitude is particularly encouraging to see, given his well-publicised struggles in 2021, when a badly broken finger caused him to take an indefinite break from the game and led him to fear whether he would ever be fit enough to play at the highest level again.”You don’t get many greater honours than to represent your country, and if it’s not fun and enjoyable, then it’s probably time to call it a day,” he said.The lighthearted approach was visible during an intra-squad football match during training, with McCullum and James Foster, England’s wicketkeeping coach, taking up residence between the posts for a penalty shoot-out.”I shouted out to [McCullum] I can see why he gave up,” Stokes joked. “It was a bit harder to get past [Foster] than Baz. But that energy that Baz has brought has just been a lift for everyone. It’s just been great having his enthusiasm and his energy around the group.”With no Trent Bridge Test in the schedule for next year’s Ashes, this week’s contest could yet turn out to be a home-ground swansong for one of Nottinghamshire’s finest, Broad. Stokes, however, doesn’t expect Broad to need any extra motivation to give his all to the cause, especially after his critical intervention on the third morning at Lord’s, when three wickets including a run-out fell in the space of three balls in his third over of the day.Related

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“I don’t think he needs much inspiration,” Stokes said. “Every time he wears the three lions, he goes out there and tries to give it his all. He and James [Anderson] set the example last week. It was great to see two guys, who have accomplished amazing things on the field for England, charging in like they did last week. It was inspiring for even myself, as well as all the younger lads, so I hope they can do the same again this week.”[Broad] loves playing at Trent Bridge,” he added. “It’s where he’s played all his cricket since he moved from Leicester, and he’s got some great memories here, probably the best one is his 8 for 15 against Australia. But every time you walk onto the field playing for England at your home county is very special.”Stokes himself had caused some concern about his fitness with an uncomfortable stint during England’s nets session on Wednesday, but confirmed he will be fit to play a full part as an allrounder.”It’s just body stiffness, wear and tear,” he said. “It’s just about being more sensible in our training, because when you get out there and cross that line, you obviously want to do everything that you can to help win a game for England.”Despite England’s victory at Lord’s – their first in eight Tests against New Zealand – Stokes acknowledged that their opponents were perfectly capable of battling back in the remainder of the series, both this week and at Headingley in the third Test.”We’re very evenly matched with New Zealand, especially in English conditions,” he said. “Any overheads suit both our bowling attacks so we know that every time we go up against New Zealand it’s never an easy ride. The game pretty much went to the wire until day four. And we don’t expect anything less [this time].”

The two Midlands counties have punched above their weight in the Vitality Blast this season and will be keen to carry the form into warm-ups

Matt Roller30-Jun-2022While one Indian men’s team is playing England at Edgbaston in the rescheduled fifth Test, another will be involved in two warm-up matches ahead of July’s T20I series against the same opponents, on the back of their 2-0 series win against Ireland in Malahide.For the England series, Rohit Sharma is back as India captain, with the first match starting at the Ageas Bowl on July 7.Related

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Fourteen of the 17-man squad that travelled to Ireland made an appearance in one of the two T20Is, with Rahul Tripathi, Venkatesh Iyer and Arshdeep Singh the three men to miss out. Hardik Pandya captained the side, with Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson putting in stand-out performances in the second T20I.Their opponents this week will be Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, two Midlands counties who have punched above their weight in the Vitality Blast this season. Heading into the final rounds of games, they sit third and fifth respectively in the nine-team North Group, with the top four qualifying for the quarter-finals.Derbyshire’s historic T20 record is poor: they have reached the knockout stages three times in 19 previous seasons and have only once reached Finals Day, back in 2019 when they lost to eventual champions Essex in the semi-finals. But they have been transformed this season since Mickey Arthur’s arrival as a coach, and a win against Durham on Sunday would guarantee a quarter-final place.They have used a core of 13 players in the Blast this season, with Shan Masood, one of their overseas players, leading from the front with 516 runs as captain, averaging 46.90 with a strike rate of 142.14. Wayne Madsen and Leus du Plooy, both local players despite their South African heritage, have contributed heavily in the middle order.With the ball, Scotland’s Mark Watt and the legspinner Mattie McKiernan have been the keys in the middle overs, while Hayden Kerr – the Australian allrounder who was a net bowler for Lucknow Super Giants at IPL 2022 – and the tall seamer George Scrimshaw have been prolific, if occasionally expensive.Derbyshire have named three overseas players in their 16-man squad for Friday night’s fixture, with Hilton Cartwright, the Australian batter, arriving as cover for Masood, but they are only expected to field three in their playing XI. Ticket sales have been strong, with fewer than 1000 remaining on Thursday evening.”They’re the benchmark of international cricket in pretty much all formats,” Cartwright told Derbyshire’s YouTube channel. “If you can perform well against them, your game is in a good place. It’s a real challenge to see how far you can test them.”For Northants, the atmosphere around Sunday’s game will depend heavily on their result against Leicestershire on Friday night. A defeat will see them eliminated but if they win, they will be relying on results elsewhere on Sunday to help them into the quarter-finals. They have a proud T20 history, lifting the trophy in 2013 and 2016, but have struggled in the last five seasons.Chris Lynn and James Neesham, their overseas players, have been their main stars this year but are not expected to take part in Sunday’s fixture, which has been sold out for the last week. Josh Cobb, their captain, has had an excellent Blast season with bat and ball while young players Saif Zaib, Ben Curran – the middle brother, between Tom and Sam – and left-arm wristspinner Freddie Heldreich have all shown glimpses of their talent.Fixtures: July 1 – Derbyshire vs India, The Incora County Ground (7pm), July 3 – Northamptonshire vs India, Wantage Road (2.30pm)

Stephen Eskinazi’s 65* gives his side a chance but hosts win thriller in Bristol with one ball to spare

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2022Glenn Phillips went out on a high, scoring a brilliant 52 from 39 balls as Gloucestershire successfully chased a victory target of 164 with one ball to spare to defeat Middlesex by five wickets in a dramatic finish to their final Vitality Blast match of the season at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.Overseas star Phillips and Jack Taylor added 81 for the fifth wicket in nine overs as the home side recovered from 73 for 4 in the 11th over to set-up a grandstand finish. And Benny Howell finished things off in fine style, hitting Tom Helm for six off the penultimate ball to snatch a victory that sees Gloucestershire finish fifth in the South Group.Middlesex earlier won the toss and raised 163 for 4, Matt Holden contributing a quickfire 37 and Stephen Eskinazi posting a useful 65 not out. But Howell and Tom Smith returned tidy figures to keep the visitors within sight, both taking a wicket and conceding just 45 runs in eight overs between them.Holden provided Middlesex with a turbo-charged start to their innings, crashing 37 from 19 balls and dominating an opening stand of 57 in 4.3 overs with Eskinazi. The left-hander combined clean hitting with clever improvisation to accrue half a dozen fours and a six, taking advantage of some loose bowling to help the visitors raise 50 from 23 balls.Gloucestershire held their nerve, weathered the early storm and breathed a collective sigh of relief when Holden miss-timed a drive off Phillips and holed out to Tom Price at long-off. Smith had Joe Cracknell held at backward square leg on his way to figures of 1 for 22 from four overs, while Howell bowled John Simpson to reduce Middlesex to 74 for 3 in the ninth, at which point three wickets had fallen for the addition of 18 runs in four overs.Playing a captain’s innings, Eskinazi set his sights on carrying his bat, sharing a stand of 64 in 8.5 overs with Josh De Caires to repair the damage and at least ensure Middlesex posted a competitive total. It may not have been spectacular fare – his 50 occupied 46 balls – but his innings exerted a steadying influence upon a team that has struggled to find a winning formula in the short format this summer.Attempting to force the issue in the closing overs, De Caires skied Jack Taylor to Howell at short extra cover for 24 as Gloucestershire’s bowlers kept a lid on things, Howell returning impressive figures of 1 for 23 from four overs. Eskinazi finished unbeaten on 65 from 55 balls, managing just two fours and two of sixes in a pragmatic knock which proved effective rather than memorable.Gloucestershire’s reply made a stuttering start, openers George Scott and Chris Dent departing cheaply in a six-over powerplay that saw the hosts limp to 38 for 2 in the face of nagging accuracy from Max Harris and Tom Helm. Harris then accounted for James Bracey, the Bristolian holing out to deep mid-wicket in pursuit of a second successive maximum as the hosts slipped to 52 for 3 in the eighth over.Phillips and Miles Hammond advanced the score to 72 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire required a further 92 runs to win at 9.2 an over. Under pressure to accelerate, Hammond promptly pulled Thilan Walallawita to deep mid-wicket as Middlesex further turned the screw. Chris Green, Luke Hollman and Walallawita took the pace off to good effect during the middle part of the innings as the required rate climbed to above ten an over for the first time.In his last appearance for Gloucestershire before teaming up with the New Zealand tourists, Phillips responded by driving Walallawita for six over long-on and then plundering another leg-side maximum off Jason Behrendorff, while Taylor played second fiddle and rotated the strike expertly to keep the home side in the hunt.With 31 needed off three overs and the fifth wicket pair well-established, Gloucestershire must have fancied their chances of completing the job. Pacing his innings to perfection, Phillips smashed Helm back over his head for a straight six as the target came down to 21 off two overs.Phillips went to 50 via 37 balls, but Green conceded just eight runs off the penultimate over, leaving Gloucestershire to score 13 off the last to win. Helm responded magnificently under pressure, having Phillips caught at deep mid-wicket to put the outcome in doubt. But Howell remained cool, crashing the penultimate delivery for an almighty six over long-on to win the day.

Young England off-spinner leads side boasting plenty of international experience

Valkerie Baynes10-Aug-2022Charlie Dean will replace injured England captain Heather Knight as skipper of London Spirit for the Women’s Hundred.Dean, the 21-year-old off-spinner, takes over from the vastly experienced Knight, who missed England’s entire Commonwealth Games campaign – they lost the bronze-medal play-off to New Zealand – with a hip injury that has left her needing to use crutches and is expected to keep her on the sidelines for a period of months.”It’s a great opportunity for me, I’m really looking forward to leading this team,” Dean said. “Obviously, we are gutted that Heather can’t join us this year, but we have an exciting squad filled with experience and young talent and we can’t wait to get started on Friday.”Related

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A relative newcomer to the England set-up, Dean earned her only T20I cap for England during the washed-out second match in that leg of the Ashes series in January. She didn’t take the field as play was abandoned in the fifth over with England 25 without loss. Dean was not part of England’s squad for the Commonwealth Games, which was played as a T20 competition.She has played 16 ODIs, making her debut against New Zealand last September, most recently in the series with South Africa, which she finished as leading wicket-taker.Dean was key to Southern Vipers’ Charlotte Edwards Cup triumph in June, taking two wickets and sharing a match-winning partnership with Ella McCaughan to help defeat Central Sparks by six wickets in the final. She was also the competition’s second-highest wicket-taker.In 2021, she took six wickets for London Spirit, who finished their inaugural campaign in fourth place on the eight-team table, at an average of 28.00 and an economy rate of 7.09. During that time, she impressed Knight and made her international debut a short time later.Dean will lead an impressive international contingent at London Spirit, including two Australian Commonwealth Games gold medallists in Beth Mooney – the Games’ leading run-scorer – and fast bowler Megan Schutt, as well as talented New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr.London Spirit open their 2022 season against Southern Brave, last year’s runners up, in Southampton on Friday.

Afghanistan wore a dazed look playing less than 24 hours after the heartbreak against Pakistan

Sidharth Monga08-Sep-2022Even Virat Kohli was shocked it came in this format. One-thousand-twenty days and 83 international innings since he last scored a hundred, Kohli got his elusive No. 71 in a T20 international against Afghanistan in India’s final match of the Asia Cup. Given the opportunity to open the innings in the absence of the resting captain, Rohit Sharma, Kohli played a vintage innings, going from 10 off 10 to 50 off 32 and then scoring 63 off the last 21 balls he played. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then returned figures of 4-1-4-5 with each-way swing to leave Afghanistan reeling.Playing less than 24 hours after the heartbreak against Pakistan, Afghanistan wore a dazed look. They dropped three relatively easy catches, and looked like they had no response when Kohli went on the offensive. And Bhuvneshwar didn’t need to set batters up. Outswingers took edges, inswingers smashed the stumps, and slower balls were chipped to fielders.New opening pair takes time and then goes bang

The match started with the energy of a dead rubber. India made three changes, and it would have been tough for Afghanistan to get up and dust themselves in a match they didn’t have anything to play for. The first two overs went quietly by, but in the third KL Rahul began to push India’s intent. Kohli took apart Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the sixth, coming down the wicket and reaching the pitch of the ball to negate his mystery, and also employing the rare sweep. Soon he had overtaken Rahul.In the eighth over came a pivotal moment of the match: Kohli mis-hit a pull of Mohammad Nabi, but Ibrahim Zadran misjudged the space behind him, ending up going one-handed and tapping the ball over the boundary.Rahul falls but Kohli keeps accelerating
Rahul tried to push the scoring rate up, followed in Kohli’s steps with a fifty and just when he was looking dangerous and poised for his typical steep acceleration, he mistimed a pull down the ground for a catch to long-on. Suryakumar Yadav began with a six first ball but played on the second ball. Rishabh Pant then struggled to get going.Bhuvneshwar Kumar celebrates Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s wicket•AFP/Getty Images

At the other end, Kohli was now into the death overs, still fresh and his eye in. This is where he gets dangerous in T20 cricket. This is a phase he has been trying to get into in T20 cricket for a while, but he has not been able to.Kohli then unleashed punishment on Afghanistan. He gave Rashid Khan the charge and hit a six, which is not easy to do. Then the left-arm quicks Fareed Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi were taken apart. The hundred came with a flat six via a pull to a short-of-a-length delivery. He then kissed his wedding ring to acknowledge the support and love of the person who showed him perspective during this century drought, his wife Anushka.In the final over, it looked like Kohli was just showing off. There was a charge and a flick for a six, a no-look pull for a six, and then the extra-cover drive along the ground for four.Bhuvneshwar runs through the batting

Things were only about to go worse for Afghanistan. Bhuvneshwar’s fourth ball was the perfect delivery: pitching on leg stump, swinging against the angle, hitting Hazratullah Zazai in front of leg stumps and would have gone on to hit leg stump. Two balls later, he swung the ball the other way and went through the gate Rahmanullah Gurbaz presented.In his second over, Bhuvneshwar produced the outswinger-inswinger trick again. Karim Janat edged to slip, and Najibullah Zadran was late on an inswinger, trapped right in front.Bowling four on the trot, Bhuvneshwar had Azmatullah Omarzai chip a slower ball straight to short cover. The five-for reduced Afghanistan to 21 for 6.Ibrahim then scored a fifty but that was only delaying the inevitable.

The squad contains two players who won the Hundred with Oval Invincibles this year in Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Sophia Smale

Matt Roller18-Oct-2022England have left Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp out of their squad for January’s inaugural Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa.Capsey, 18, and Kemp, 17, broke into England’s full international set-up earlier this year and have both established themselves in the T20I side. They are both likely to be named in the squad for the T20 World Cup which takes place in February, also in South Africa, and England’s selectors have opted against picking them in both tournaments, with England also due to play West Indies in the Caribbean in December.The squad contains two players who won the Hundred with Oval Invincibles this year in Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Sophia Smale, while Hannah Baker (Welsh Fire) and Grace Scrivens (London Spirit) also featured in the tournament.Richard Bedbrook, the head of England’s women’s pathways, chaired the selection panel. “It’s hugely exciting to name this squad and to think ahead to the opportunity that awaits the players,” he said.”They’re a tremendous group of young cricketers with great potential at the beginning of their journeys in the game. They’ll all benefit hugely from this experience – on and off the field. It’s important to compete at this age-group and it’s equally important to continue the process of learning what it takes to progress to the next level. I’m sure we’ll take a lot away from the tournament.”We have the ambition for the next few months to be a significant life moment for all the players and ensure they use it as a springboard towards making an impact in senior regional cricket, and hopefully beyond in years to come.”The ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup will provide an exciting platform for the best young players around the world and it will be really exciting to see our players compete against their peers in a global event.”Chris Guest, the Lightning head coach, will lead the squad in South Africa and throughout the preparation period before the tournament, with former England offspinner Laura Marsh (Sunrisers) and Darren Franklin (Central Sparks) acting as assistants.England will play group games against Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Rwanda from January 15-19, with the top three teams then qualifying for the Super Six stage.England U19 T20 World Cup squad: Ellie Anderson, Hannah Baker, Josie Groves, Liberty Heap, Niamh Holland, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Emma Marlow, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Lizzie Scott, Grace Scrivens Sophia Smale, Seren Smale, Alexa Stonehouse, Maddie Ward.Non-travelling reserves: Emily Churms, Charlotte Lambert, Bethan Miles, Jemima Spence, Mary Taylor.

Nida Dar’s fifty in vain as Ireland secure just their third win over Pakistan in 16 T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2022An all-round show from Orla Prendergast backed up by a measured half-century from Gaby Lewis helped Ireland get past Pakistan by six wickets in the first T20I in Lahore.The hosts, choosing to bat, started their innings on the wrong foot as Prendergast cut a swathe through the Pakistan top order, striking three times in the first seven overs. Muneeba Ali fell off the third ball of the innings, caught behind for a duck, while captain Bismah Maroof departed for 17. Javeria Khan fell just after the powerplay, for a labourious 4 off 16 balls.It needed the experience of Nida Dar, who struck a 43-ball 61, to dig Pakistan out of their hole. She got good support from Aliya Riaz with the duo adding 57 runs for the fifth wicket. Riaz and Ayesha Naseem then provided the finish, helping Pakistan post 135 for 5.Ireland’s chase too did not have the best of starts with Dar doing the damage with the ball too to send back Amy Hunter in the second over but Lewis kept the visitors chugging along. The opener struck an unbeaten 69 off 54 balls to steer her side home.She added 55 for the second wicket with Prendergast, who made 39 off just 25 balls, and then 44 runs for the fourth wicket with Eimear Richardson. Ireland lost a couple of quick wickets in the middle phase, but Lewis held her end up all through. She ensured the required rate never got out of hand and found the boundary at regular intervals.Lewis hit the winning runs in the 19th over, as Ireland finished the job with eight balls to spare. Prendergast was named Player of the Match for her all-round efforts. This was just the third win for Ireland over Pakistan in T20Is, in 16 attempts.

Paceman Joel Paris and spinner Todd Murphy have claimed three wickets each for the PM’s XI to reduce the West Indies to 234 for 7 in the four-day tour match

AAP24-Nov-2022Son of a gun Tagenarine Chanderpaul has boosted his chances of a Test debut against Australia by producing a hard-fought century against the Prime Minister’s XI.Chanderpaul, the son of West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, scored 119 off 293 balls on Thursday to lift his side to 234 for 7 at stumps on day two of the pink-ball match in Canberra.Victoria offspinner Todd Murphy also pushed his case for a spot on Australia’s tour of India next year claiming 3 for 27 in an impressive display, while Western Australia left-arm paceman Joel Paris also claimed three scalps.The PM’s XI made 322 in their first innings, leaving the four-day clash delicately balanced.Chanderpaul was the second-highest run-scorer in West Indies first-class cricket this year, averaging 73.16 while also starring for the country’s A team.The 26-year-old’s knock against the PM’s XI has put his name up in lights ahead of the first Test against Australia at Perth’s Optus Stadium, starting November 30. Even before the tour match began, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite backed Chanderpaul to succeed at Test level.Chanderpaul’s dad carved out a decorated 164-Test career in which he averaged 51.4 and scored 30 centuries. His son now wants to make a name for himself.”I try and be myself,” Tagenarine said. “I can’t be him, so I can only be myself. Fingers crossed [I get picked for the first Test]. I’ll try to get some runs if I’m selected.”The PM’s XI added a further 25 runs to their overnight score of 297 for 9 before Mark Steketee was last man out for 15. Paceman Alzarri Joseph was the pick of the touring bowlers with 4 for 65, while spinner Roston Chase finished with 2 for 72.The tourists made a bright start to their innings, moving to 94 without loss following strong efforts from Chanderpaul and Brathwaite. But when Brathwaite chopped on a Steketee delivery, it sparked a collapse of 4 for 44 as West Indies began to wobble.WA paceman Joel Paris found the edge of Nkrumah Bonner’s bat to send him packing for a duck before spinner Todd Murphy bowled Devon Thomas and then trapped Kyle Mayers eight overs later. Chanderpaul held the innings together, striking 13 fours and one six on the way to posting triple figures.

Former batter doesn’t pick KL Rahul in first-choice ODI XI: “Probably he’ll be a back-up wicketkeeper and a back-up batter”

Shashank Kishore30-Dec-20223:49

Gautam Gambhir: Can’t look beyond Ishan Kishan as opener in ODIs

Gautam Gambhir, the former India batter, is clear Ishan Kishan, and no one else, should be India’s first-choice opener alongside Rohit Sharma in ODIs for the foreseeable future.Kishan converted his maiden ODI century into a career-best 210 in his most recent outing in Bangladesh earlier this month. Now, with Shikhar Dhawan out of the ODI squad, Gambhir believes Kishan should be persisted with.”I’m amazed we’re discussing this, because someone’s got a double-hundred in the previous innings,” Gambhir said when asked who he would like to see as Rohit’s opening partner. “The discussion is over. It has to be Ishan Kishan. Someone who can get a double-hundred in those conditions against a reasonable attack – especially at [their] home – should play.Related

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“He got what 200 by the 35th over mark? You can’t look at anyone beyond Ishan Kishan. He has to be given a longer run. He can also keep wickets as well, so he can do two jobs for you. So for me, that discussion shouldn’t be there. If someone else had got a double-hundred, I think we would’ve gone gung-ho over that individual, but it’s not the case with Ishan Kishan. Because we still continue to talk about other players. For me, that debate is over.”Gambhir also believes Suryakumar Yadav can be an asset at No. 4, despite his 50-overs record so far not having been as prolific as his T20 numbers. In 16 ODIs, Suryakumar has made 384 runs with just two half-centuries. In his most recent outing in New Zealand, two of his three knocks ended up being scores of 4 and 6.His Mumbai compatriot Shreyas Iyer has all along been superb in the 50-overs format. In 15 innings this year, Iyer has scored 724 runs at an average of 55.69 and a strike rate of 91.52. His strike rotation and maneuvering spin in the middle overs have been a standout feature of his batting.”It’s very difficult to look beyond Rohit and Ishan Kishan to open the batting, Virat at three, Surya at four, [and] Shreyas at five, because he’s been incredible in the last one-and-a-half years,” Gambhir said of his ideal India XI. “Yes, he’s had issues against the short ball, but he’s been able to manage it. You can’t be the best against everything but if you’re able to manage it and got the numbers going for you, you can’t look beyond Shreyas at No. 5 and Hardik [Pandya] at 6.”Gambhir sees no place for KL Rahul in India’s first XI: “Probably he’ll be a back-up wicketkeeper and a back-up batter”•AFP via Getty Images

Does this mean he won’t pick KL Rahul in his first XI?”Probably he’ll be a back-up wicketkeeper and a back-up batter,” Gambhir said. “See, if you haven’t been able to grab the opportunity and someone else has, you have to wait for your turn. I don’t think you can look beyond Surya at No. 4.”Yes, he hasn’t got the same numbers what he has in T20Is, but we all know how destructive he can be; especially when you have five fielders inside the ring, he can win you games at No. 4. Shreyas [with] the kind of form he’s in and Hardik at six, I think this will be my core. Shubman Gill will have to wait for his opportunity.”“Prithvi Shaw needs to be looked after”
Gambhir was also unequivocal in his support for Mumbai batter Prithvi Shaw, who finds himself in the cold yet again. Shaw hasn’t played for India since July last year.Over the course of his short career, Shaw has had to cope with more than just a loss of form. Ever since he was suspended for a doping violation in 2019, his fitness and lifestyle issues have been under scrutiny.In March this year, Shaw was reported to have failed a yo-yo test. His score of less than 15 was far from BCCI’s prescribed minimum score of 16.5 for men. So far this season, he has largely remained injury-free, and has been a constant presence in the Mumbai line-up.He was the second-highest run-getter at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, with 336 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 181.42. His 50-overs numbers were less impactful in comparison. He has begun the ongoing Ranji Trophy slowly, with scores of 13, 6 and 19 in his first two matches.Asked if the perception that Shaw was hard to manage may have gone against him, Gambhir put the onus on the coaches and selectors to give him guidance and keep him in their plans.”Someone like a Prithvi Shaw, we all know the kind of talent he has. Probably the coaches should get him on the right track”•PTI

“What are coaches there for? What are selectors there for?” Gambhir asked. “Not to just select the squad or probably to do those throw downs or make them ready for the game. Ultimately it’s the selectors and coaches and management who should try and help these guys. Someone like a Prithvi Shaw, we all know the kind of talent he has. Probably they should get him on the right track and that is what one of the jobs of the management is.”I feel that if that’s the case [fitness and lifestyle issues], someone – whether it’s Rahul Dravid or the chairman of selectors – should actually have a word with him, give him clarity and keep him around the group. People who should be on the right path should be around the group, so that they are monitored better. Because the moment you leave them apart, they can go all over the place.”Someone like a Prithvi Shaw, the kind of start he had to his international career and the kind of talent he has, you back a player on talent. Yes, you have to look at the upbringing as well – where he comes from and the challenges he’s had as well. It makes even more sense for the management and the selectors to keep him around the mix, and help him get on the right track.”Shouldn’t there be onus on the player too?”One-hundred percent,” Gambhir said. “If you’re dedicated and passionate enough to play for the country, you’ve got to be able to get all the parameters right, whether it’s the fitness or discipline as well. It’s got to be both ways. You’ve got to give a young boy at least one chance or a couple of chances, and if he still doesn’t do that, then he’s not passionate enough to play for the country and probably you can look beyond him.”But if he’s willing to put in the hard yards – and I know how destructive he can be; if he can go on to win games for you, whether it’s trainers, management, head coach or chairman of selectors, all these guys should take the onus to try and get these young boys walk on the right path.”