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The pitch is expected to offer quality bounce and carry, with the reverse swing also coming into the picture

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Sep-20243:07

Akash Deep or Yash Dayal: Who could be India’s third seamer?

Play three fast bowlers or three spinners? Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir will have to make that call when they sit down to finalise India’s XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting on September 19 in Chennai.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Chepauk pitch will be a red-soil one, with quality bounce and carry. The burning hot temperatures in Chennai, though, are bound to ensure spin will play the dominant hand as the Test grows old. However, the fast bowlers, it is understood, are expected to pose danger throughout the game as the pitch and the conditions are expected to facilitate reverse swing, too.India are likely to play five bowlers, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being certain starters. The contenders for the fifth spot are Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep and Yash Dayal, the only left-arm seamer in the squad.Related

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Incidentally, the last time India played three fast bowlers in a home Test was also against Bangladesh, in Kolkata in 2019. In fact, it is also the only home series since the launch of the World Test Championship where India loaded their XI with three fast bowlers. With the focus on getting a positive result and securing one of the top two positions on the WTC points table, thus ensuring a berth in the final, host teams have relied on their strengths. In India’s case, it has meant playing two seamers and three spinners.The thought of playing a third fast bowler also emerges from India keeping an eye on the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which starts in Perth on November 22. While Mohammed Shami, who is on the cusp of regaining match fitness, is expected to join Bumrah and Siraj for that, the selectors are keen to identify at least three more fast bowlers for the squad.There has been some chatter about whether India would use the Bangladesh series, and even the New Zealand series that follows, as a preparation ground for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. And whether the BCCI would instruct the curators to prepare seamer-friendly pitches. However, it is learned no such message has been sent by the board or the team management.The nature of the pitches at Chepauk has completely changed since the last time India played a Test here – the first two Tests of the England series in 2021. England won the first Test on the fifth day on a pitch that the curator had promised would be a “typical Chepauk pitch with an English look”.R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja are certain starters•PTI

The Indian spinners were disgruntled by what turned out to be a flat surface. By the second Test, the default setting was restored and England failed to cross 200 in either innings as local hero Ashwin scored a century and picked a five-for and Rohit scored a majestic 161 to help India level the series.The key difference between the two surfaces in 2021 was the nature of the soil. The pitch for the first Test comprised purely red soil and did not break until late in the match. The pitch for the second Test, though, had a base layer comprising red soil and a top layer of black cotton soil, which started to crumble under the sun, allowing Ashwin, Jadeja and debutant Axar to dominate.Three years later, though, the surface at Chepauk is different. Of the nine pitches on the square, three are made of red soil brought from Mumbai. The Mumbai variant, used at the Wankhede stadium, is known for aiding true bounce for both fast and spin bowlers. India started their training on both red- and black-soil pitches available on the square at the MA Chidambaram stadium, but on Monday, they practised exclusively on a red-soil pitch. Bangladesh, who arrived in the city yesterday, have so far trained on a black-soil pitch.The chances of India playing a third fast bowler are higher in Chennai than in Kanpur, the venue for the second Test. The Green Park pitch, which is made of black soil, has generally been a turning track.

Georgia Voll could make a Test debut while Beth Mooney will take the keeping gloves

Andrew McGlashan23-Jan-2025Australia remain hopeful that Alyssa Healy will be fit to feature in the day-night Ashes Test at the MCG, and have named her in a 13-player squad, but it will be as a batter only if she does recover in time.Healy was ruled out of the first T20I at the SCG with a stress reaction in the same foot that she injured at the T20 World Cup. With Healy not keeping Beth Mooney will take the gloves for the Test, which may result in her moving down the order, which would increase the chances of a debut for Georgia Voll.If Healy ultimately did not make the Test, then Tahlia McGrath would again stand in as captain.Related

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Allrounder Ashleigh Gardner is expected to recover from her calf strain in time for the Test but is doubtful for the final T20I in Adelaide. Heather Graham has been added to that squad as cover.”We’re pleased with the form of the 13 players that have taken part in the series to date and feel it’s a squad that offers a variety of options when it comes to selecting the makeup of the Test side,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “Alyssa has been named in the squad as a batter only and we’ll give her as much time as we can to prove her fitness ahead of the match. Ash will continue to be assessed daily… at this stage, she is on track to be available for the Test match.”Mooney’s experience wicketkeeping in longer-form cricket is limited and she is aware it will be a new physical challenge.”I don’t think I’ll be able to walk after if I have to keep but we’re pretty lucky in the Australian team where we’ve got lots of players that can step into different roles,” she said after the first T20I. “But when [Healy’s] been out, I’ve been able to step into that role and got some good feedback along the way, so just happy to do what’s required of the team.”If Voll did debut at the MCG, it would complete a full set across the three formats in less than two months following the start of her ODI career against India and then a T20I debut at the SCG.Beth Mooney on keeping in a Test match: “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk after”•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

“I’m more than happy to try and do a job up the top of the order,” Voll told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday. “I love batting there and batting up the top with Beth Mooney was pretty cool [in Sydney]. I’m more than happy to fit in wherever the team needs.”Megan Schutt has again been named in a Test squad despite often saying her days in the format are over, but the pink-ball day-night element to this game may see her come into consideration for the final XI.The other decision that will need to be made is whether to play both Alana King and Georgia Wareham, who have caused England huge problems in the limited-overs matches.The match will be the first day-night Test at the MCG and the first women’s Test match at the venue since 1948-49.

Australia squad for Ashes Test

Alyssa Healy (capt), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney (wk), Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Moeen set to deputise, but captain expected to travel to World Cup as planned on Friday

Matt Roller27-May-2024Jos Buttler is set to miss England’s third T20I against Pakistan on paternity leave.Buttler travelled home to London after captaining England to a 23-run victory at Edgbaston on Saturday, giving them a 1-0 lead in the four-match series after the opening match at Leeds was washed out. He and his wife Louise are expecting their third child imminently.He missed Monday afternoon’s training session in Cardiff and is considered unlikely to feature in Tuesday evening’s match. It is not yet clear whether he will return in time to play in the final match of the series, at The Oval on Thursday night, but at this stage it appears that he will travel to the Caribbean for the T20 World Cup with the rest of the squad on Friday.While the news is disruptive to England in the short term, Buttler’s absence should ensure that he is with the team throughout their World Cup campaign, which begins next Tuesday (June 4) in Barbados against Scotland. He had previously confirmed he would be at the birth regardless, raising the prospect that he could miss a group-stage match.Related

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Moeen Ali is England’s vice-captain, and last week played down the significance of a leadership change. “Obviously if it happens, then it’s a great honour – as it always is,” Moeen said. “I’ll be fine. Nothing will change too much: it’s just taking over from what he’s doing and then when he comes back, he takes over.”Hopefully, the baby comes at the right time where he doesn’t miss too many games. For me, it’s just whatever will happen, will happen. [Deputising] is not really difficult, to be honest with you, because we speak often, me and Jos. We talk about other things, the team, and all that. We’re on the same page anyway.”Buttler underpinned England’s innings at Edgbaston on Saturday, hitting 84 off 51 balls while opening the batting. In his absence, the most likely change to their side would see Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow moving up a spot each and Ben Duckett batting at No. 4, though they could instead add another bowling allrounder to their side in Sam Curran.There is also a case for Duckett to replace Buttler at the top of the order, which would give England’s first-choice batting line-up the chance to bat in their likely roles for the World Cup. Jacks looked in fine touch on Saturday, hitting 37 off 23 balls from No. 3, but admitted on Monday that he is still “learning on the job” having opened for most of his T20 career.”It’s no lie that I’m new to batting at No. 3,” he said. “The biggest thing I’ve found is just the uncertainty of not knowing when I’m going in: obviously if I’m opening, it’s 0 for 0 every time, bowling first or second. I know exactly what’s going to happen: I’m facing the swinging ball or, if it’s a spinner opening, I know what the field is going to be.”[Batting at No. 3] is just a different scenario each time, which is more of a mental thing. I know I’ve got the game and the technique. It’s just adjusting to coming in outside the Powerplay, coming in the fifth over: when do I put my foot on the pedal? It’s about figuring out what I need to do at the right time… it’s all about the team, not about yourself.”Mark Wood had a long bowl before Saturday’s match with his knee heavily strapped, and could come into contention in Cardiff if England opt to take a cautious approach to Jofra Archer’s fitness following his international comeback. Despite England being keen to give Tom Hartley his T20I debut before the World Cup, ESPNcricinfo understands he won’t be involved in this contest.In any case, Tuesday night’s match is under threat from the weather, though Jacks suggested that playing a shortened match could serve as useful preparation for the World Cup. “Preparation is not always ideal, but we have to be adaptable and T20 is all about thinking fast on your feet, and assessing the situation as quickly as possible,” he said. “We’ll be ready for anything.”

Shubman Gill departed for 8 on the fourth morning as Brydon Carse took his second wicket

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2025

KL Rahul reached his fifty on the fourth morning•AFP/Getty Images

Lunch A slow session for India but a successful one. Though they only managed to add 63 runs during day four’s morning session at Headingley, they survived 24.1 overs for the loss of just a single wicket. Even though it was their captain Shubman Gill who fell, a score of 153 for 3 and a lead of 159 has them in good shakes in the midst of a second-innings shootout in this first Test against England.KL Rahul’s dogged 72 not out, his 26th fifty-plus score in Tests, came amid a wave of outstanding bowling from England’s quicks, and a few pings on the top hand administered by Ben Stokes, as this pitch shows further signs of irregular bounce.Brydon Carse set the tone and the standard early with a six-over morning spell (1 for 12) from the Kirkstall Lane End that accounted for Gill. India’s No. 4 skewed on to the base of his off stump after deviation from a length delivery found an inside edge as he attempted to play through gully.That, however, was England’s only success in a session littered with beaten outside edges. It should not have been, of course. Harry Brook, the beneficary of three lives in his innings of 99, repaid the favour with a drop at gully when Rahul, on 55, attempted a second consecutive guide to the deep-third boundary off Josh Tongue.The strike was out of character from Rahul, who had shown great restraint with overcast, cooler conditions stacking the odds against the batters. By contrast, Rishabh Pant was his usual ball of chaos, charging Chris Woakes and skewing over the cordon from his second ball. He had done exactly the same in his first innings – charging Stokes second ball – but had made far better contact then.It was truly a comical start from Pant, who had to be calmed down by Rahul after moving to 15 with a mow across the line for a fortuitous boundary off Carse, with Shoaib Bashir at fine leg, and Joe Root running back from the cordon, desperate to meet it before it hit the ground. Three deliveries later, Pant was subject to a voracious lbw appeal as he fell away to the off side attempting his patented fall-away ramp.Umpire Paul Reiffel gave it not out and England’s review proved him right, with an inside edge. But it was enough of a warning for Pant to control himself a little more. His next 16 runs came from 36 deliveries, as he and Rahul managed to get to the break with their stand intact on 61.

Joyce will oversee team at World Cup Qualifier before moving on after six years in job

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2025Ed Joyce will step down as Ireland Women’s head coach following the World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan in April. Joyce has been in the role for almost six years but opted against extending his contract, whether or not Ireland secure a Women’s 50-over World Cup spot for the first time since 2005.Joyce, who represented both Ireland and England during his playing career, was appointed on a permanent basis in September 2019, having spent three months as interim head coach after the departure of Aaron Hamilton. Ireland have enjoyed some notable successes on Joyce’s watch, including T20I series wins in Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as beating Sri Lanka 2-1 in ODIs last summer.They followed that series triumph by winning an ODI against England for the first time since 2001, then securing a maiden T20I success to draw the series 1-1.Joyce’s time in charge was interrupted by Covid-19, during which time Ireland went 20 months without a competitive fixture; the pandemic also denied his side a chance of qualifying for the 2022 50-over World Cup. Although they reached the T20 World Cup in 2023, they missed out on last year’s edition after being pipped by Scotland at the qualifier.Related

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“It has been a privilege to lead Cricket Ireland’s women’s performance programme and to work with this group of dedicated cricketers and support staff,” Joyce said. “The last six years have been an incredible journey – not just for me personally, but for the players, coaches and, indeed, the entire performance programme.”When I came on board we had just announced first-ever part-time contracts for women cricketers in Ireland. Those six part-time contracts have grown over subsequent years to now 23 players under some form of contract – a number of these being full-time. This process of professionalisation alone has been rewarding yet challenging. Throw the Covid pandemic into the mix, the constant need to juggle the availability of players who are still studying – all while meeting the demands of international cricket – the role has been all-encompassing.”Just as in my professional playing career, I recognise the natural cycle of coaching. There comes a time when a system benefits from fresh perspectives and new voices, allowing players to explore and develop their skills in diverse ways.”Cricket Ireland’s director of high performance, Graeme West, said the board had wanted to keep Joyce on but that they would now work to ensure a smooth handover for the team’s next head coach.”While it’s a sad day to see such a respected figure step down, Ed’s impact on the senior women’s programme will be felt for years to come,” West said. “He has been instrumental in transforming the senior women’s set-up during his tenure, instilling in the players a sense that they belong at the sport’s top table.”While we tried to convince Ed to extend his time in the role, he felt that this was an appropriate time to refresh the leadership. He’ll lead the team one last time at the qualifier in Pakistan this April, then handover what is a strong foundation for the next head coach to build upon. We’re immensely grateful for Ed’s contributions in this latest incarnation of his wonderful service to Irish cricket – and as he says, we hope to see him back in some capacity in the future. It’s also important to send our thanks to Ed’s family – Fran, Georgiou and Sebastian – for their unwavering support over the last six years.”

IPL founder dismisses projected value of competition and eight teams in post on X/Twitter

Andrew Miller26-Sep-2024Lalit Modi, the founder and architect of the Indian Premier League, has accused the ECB of being “disconnected from reality” in their ambitions for the Hundred, after leaking the board’s confidential financial projections for the tournament, and its valuations of each of the eight teams.In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Modi published details from the prospectus that the ECB’s financial advisors, Raine Group and Deloitte, has sent out (under NDA) to its potential investors, alongside a lengthy post in which he dismissed their calculations as “dangerously overambitious and unsustainable”.Modi’s intervention is an awkward setback in the ECB’s bid to secure private investment for their tournament, and comes after Vikram Banerjee, the board’s director of business operations, admitted earlier this week that they could be forced to delay the Hundred’s equity sale beyond 2025 if the right investors cannot be secured in time for next summer’s competition.As recently as February, Modi himself was reportedly an interested party, telling The Telegraph that he had valued the Hundred at US$1 billion over a ten-year period, and that he had private investors ready to get behind an expanded ten-team tournament. However, his informal offer is believed to have been turned down by the ECB who did not want to sell the competition outright.Now, however, Modi has poured scorn on the tournament’s viability. Though he accepts it is “plausible” that the ECB’s domestic TV rights will rise in value as projected, from £54 million to £85 million annually, he issued a withering assessment of the Hundred’s place in the international market, where it faces particular competition from rival Northern Hemisphere tournaments such as the Caribbean Premier League and Major League Cricket in the USA.Related

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“The ECB’s financial projections for The Hundred, particularly beyond 2026, appear overly optimistic and disconnected from reality,” he wrote. “The International TV rights figures make little sense, given the global competition from other cricket leagues like the IPL. It’s unlikely The Hundred will attract the necessary international audience to justify these inflated numbers.”The ECB is understood to have anticipated some pushback against its figures, with potential investors inevitably seeking a favourable deal, and point to Modi’s prior interest in the tournament as proof of concept.Nevertheless, his criticism is significant, because it was Modi’s establishment of the IPL in 2008 that unleashed the full potential of T20 cricket in the first place, a format that the ECB themselves devised in 2002, but failed to adequately market – an oversight that played a role in the board settling on 100-ball cricket as its new point of difference.Fifteen years later, the IPL’s media rights for 2023 to 2027 were secured for a record US$6.2 billion, cementing it as the world’s second-most valuable sports league on a per-game basis, behind only NFL. And, as Modi wrote in his post on X, each of the teams involved “are valued at US$1 billion based on 16 years of performance”.”By contrast, as per my analysis, The Hundred’s teams are projected to be worth a mere £5 million to £25 million in the best-case scenario in my MOST CONSIDERED #VIEW, with Manchester maxing out at £8.5 million,” he added.”Worse still, The Hundred struggles to match even the Caribbean Premier League’s profitability, a sobering indication of its financial frailty. The Hundred appears to be on shaky financial ground, with projections that fail to inspire confidence in its long-term viability as these look dangerously overambitious and unsustainable.”

The team which qualifies in second place in this group will take on South Africa, the Group 2 toppers

S Rajesh24-Jun-2024Australia’s 24-run defeat against India in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 means their semi-final chances now depend on the result of the last group game, between Bangladesh and Afghanistan. For Australia to qualify, Bangladesh need to beat Afghanistan, but by a margin of under 62 runs if they bat first (assuming a total of 140). If Bangladesh chase, they’ll need to get to 141 in at least 12.4 overs for Australia to finish with a higher run rate.That means Bangladesh, whose net run rate is currently languishing at -2.489, need a huge win on Monday night to surpass Australia’s -0.331. A win by 62 or more runs, and a chase of 141 in 12.3 overs or earlier, will push them to second place on the points table. (If they level the scores and then win with a six, they can push the chase to 13.1 overs.) If Afghanistan score 160, Bangladesh can stay ahead of Australia by chasing it down in 12.5 overs or sooner (if they score 161), or in 13.3 overs if they level scores and win with a six.For Afghanistan, the equation is much easier: a win will ensure second place in the group and a place in the semi-finals, while a defeat will knock them out. That’s because even with a Super Over defeat, their NRR will only improve to -0.433, which is still below Australia’s -0.331.The team which qualifies in second place in this group will take on South Africa, the Group 2 toppers, in Tarouba in a night game on Wednesday, while India will take on England in the second semi-finals in a day game on Thursday in Providence.

Batting at No. 3, Nafay hit a 31-ball 60 not out as Gladiators romped home with five wickets and five balls to spare

Associated Press20-Feb-2024Quetta Gladiators clinched a second win from two matches in the PSL 2024 by defeating scrappy defending champions Lahore Qalandars by five wickets.Unheralded Khawaja Nafay showed plenty of confidence against the star-studded pace attack of Qalandars. Nafay defied the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf by hitting three sixes and four boundaries. He flicked Zaman Khan to the fine leg boundary for the winning runs to finish unbeaten on 60 off 31 balls.Gladiators romped to 188 for 5 with five balls to spare after Qalandars’ 187 for 7. Qalandars lost a second successive home home after dropping three catches.Qalandars opening batter Sahibzada Farhan, dropped on 44, made 62 off 43 balls but it was a breezy unbeaten 45 off 17 balls by Jahandad Khan, who was promoted at No. 5, which propelled them.Jahandad claimed the momentum in the death overs by hitting four sixes and three boundaries. He upped the ante when he smacked Abrar Ahmed for three sixes in the leg-spinner’s last over which went for 23. Despite the onslaught, Akeal Hosein, opening the bowling for Gladiators, conceded only 17 and picked up two wickets in his four-over spell.Gladiators made a brisk start to their chase thanks to Jason Roy (24 runs) and Saud Shakeel (40). Roy was dropped twice as they combined for 69, another scintillating opening stand after their century partnership against Zalmi.Both batters fell in successive overs after dominating the powerplay. Zaman clean-bowled Shakeel with a yorker and Roy swiped wildly at spinner Raza’s short ball that hit the middle stump.Qalandars’ part-time wicketkeeper Farhan had another lapse in the field when he dropped former Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed off the first ball he faced from Rauf.