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South Africa’s coach has had a fair amount of success in Asia. He offers England ten tips for success in their Tests in India

Mickey Arthur07-Dec-2008

Stay leg, play off: the likes of Ian Bell would be well advised to tweak their games for Indian conditions© Getty Images
1 Deal with pressure
Playing cricket in the subcontinent is all about absorbing and applying pressure. You have to be able to endure dead periods where not much happens. Be prepared to play boring cricket if it’s in the team’s best interests. You will need to close the game down, maybe scoring only 50 or 60 runs in a session, especially when the ball gets older and starts turning. And you need to stop the Indian batsmen scoring. They’re not happy if the ball’s not going to the boundary. Stop that and you have control of the game.2 Adjust to the game’s pace
When you play in South Africa, Australia and England, the game starts off quickly and then slows up. You would generally give the first session to the bowlers because the wicket is fresh and there’s normally something happening. Once you get through that first session the game takes shape and the pitch flattens out. In India the game is very slow to start off with and the first innings is crucial. Say 450 plays 420 and everybody thinks it’ll be a draw. But then the game really quickens up, the ball turns square, the wicket breaks up and you could be rolled for 150 in the second innings. It’s the opposite of how you expect games to go in our part of the world.3 Make first innings count
Win the toss, bat first, but that’s only the start of it. Facing the new ball can be the best time to bat in India because of the attacking fields and the SG ball, which is harder than others and doesn’t swing much. But you absolutely have to make your first innings count. Then the opposition is playing catch-up.4 Stay leg side of the ball
The way our batsmen did well in India was to stay leg side of the ball and score through the off side. Most Test batsmen in England or South Africa are back-and-across guys who look to get in line with off stump before each ball. In our part of the world you need to do that to counter the bounce and sideways movement. In the subcontinent if you do this, you’ll line yourself up for lbw as well as missing out on scoring through the off side. If you stay leg side – and we’re talking about the difference between taking a guard of two legs as opposed to middle – then your foot can go straight down the wicket as opposed to across. If you’re hit on the pad, the chances are it will have pitched outside leg or will be missing leg. And most importantly it leaves you free to score more readily on the off. The balls that you nick to third slip and gully in England fly behind point for four in the subcontinent because there isn’t the pace and bounce.Of England’s batsmen, I think Ian Bell might have to change his technique because he’s very much a back-and-across player. It will be a challenge for KP as well, because he’s not a big scorer in that area. He likes to get right across to the off and play through leg. To do that you need bounce and pace off the wicket. He’s not a huge driver, and unless the ball is short enough to pull, flicking through the leg side is high risk.”Don’t be scared to bowl bouncers. It’s the seamers’ one weapon in India” 5 Plan against spin
You need to have two key scoring options against India’s spinners. Firstly you need an accumulating shot like the sweep, which helps rotate the strike and relieve pressure. But you must also have an attacking option, because if you allow Harbhajan and Co to dominate, you will go nowhere. Equally, Harbhajan in particular doesn’t respond well to being put under pressure. Neil McKenzie slog-swept well while Graeme Smith waited until Harbhajan dropped short and cut or dabbed him through the off side.To prepare for batting against spin we waited until the end of a net session, when the bowler’s end was roughed up. We’d turn the nets around, rake the wicket and then throw balls into the rough. Our batters had to manufacture their strokes in those exaggerated conditions.6 Handling reverse swing
All Indian seamers bowl decent reverse swing, so your batters have to deal with that. One method we’ve used is to stay a bit deeper in the crease and try to hit the ball to mid-on all the time. Jacques Kallis is brilliant at that because he’s such a technically correct player. Hashim Amla is also good because he plays later than others. Whenever bowlers got it wrong he would punish them through the leg side.There are three phases to batting in India: the new-ball period, when there are good opportunities to score; the spin period, often with two slow bowlers operating within the first hour, when you need to accumulate; and finally the reverse-swing period.7 Use your bouncer
Don’t be scared to bowl bouncers. It’s the seamers’ one weapon in India to stop their batters lunging forward all day long. You need to have the ability to hit them on the head, and that is why Steve Harmison is crucial. None of the Indian batsmen pulls; they much prefer to cut. You bowl your bouncer to keep the batsman in his crease for your next delivery. Your bowlers have to bowl more attacking lines in India than you would in England or elsewhere. If you bowl outside off stump, you will simply get flayed. You must bring the ball back into the right-handers and cramp the batters for room. Andrew Flintoff could have bowled more attacking lines to South Africa during our recent Test series. He allowed us to leave too many balls, which someone like Virender Sehwag would get stuck into in India.

Stock and shock: Panesar needs to be a foil to the fast bowlers in the first innings and attack in the second© AFP
8 Role definition
You have to be able to take 20 wickets, so you need to allow certain bowlers freedom to attack. We allowed Dale Steyn to run in hard and go after the Indian batsmen, knowing he would go for four an over. But then you need other guys who can hold down the other end for you. Monty Panesar will be a major strike bowler in the second innings but in the first he must be prepared to hold the game for the seamers. Indian batsmen like scoring, and if you can dry them up for periods, you’re in control. Be prepared to be boring to get a positive result.9 Bowling reverse swing
There’s so little going for the seamers in India that you have to be able to bowl reverse swing. The SG balls lose their shine quickly and they’re also harder, which means they ping off the bat quicker. But they do reverse. In the first innings you should have Panesar at one end with your quicks rotating from the other, hopefully reversing it.10 Play with field settings
We always say that in India “caught cover” is as good as “caught second slip” in our part of the world. Seam bowlers don’t like getting wickets caught at cover but they need to change their mindset. If you do get a batsman caught at cover in India, the chances are you’ve deceived him with a slower ball – it is just as good as bowling the perfect away-swinger in England. Having catchers in front of the wicket is the Indian equivalent of second and third slips elsewhere.There is a lot more scope to play with your fields. Try a short midwicket because your bowling lines will be straighter than normal.Any visiting team should be able to out-field India. Whereas Steyn might dive to stop a boundary at fine leg, Ishant Sharma will stick a boot out and it’ll go for four. India’s fielding has improved but they’re still a way off most other teams. If you take your chances in India, you will have a 20- to 25-run advantage. And in the second innings of a Test over there it will take you an hour to score those runs, so that is how valuable good fielding can be.

England began their first innings in the Rajkot Test on 5 for 0 after India were hit with a five-run penalty because R Ashwin ran on the protected area of the pitch while batting during the first session of day two.India had already received their first and final warning when Ravindra Jadeja was warned for running on the protected area on the first day of the third Test.The law defines the protected area as “that area of the pitch contained within a rectangle bounded at each end by imaginary lines parallel to the popping creases and 5 ft/1.52 m in front of each, and on the sides by imaginary lines, one each side of the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps, each parallel to it and 1 ft/30.48 cm from it”.The penalty runs were awarded to England during the 102nd over of India’s first innings, when Ashwin pushed the ball towards cover and ran down the pitch before being sent back by Dhruv Jurel. Umpire Joel Wilson had a word with Ashwin, who was upset at being penalised, before signalling the penalty runs.Ashwin later said at the press conference that he was aware of the umpires’ previous warnings but his “poor motor skills” came in the way while he was trying to get off the pitch.”They clearly warned some of our batters yesterday for running on the pitch,” Ashwin said. “I was aware of it, but my poor motor skills didn’t allow me to get off the pitch in time. If if the English media and players think it was on purpose, it wasn’t, if that’s how you want to read it. I don’t think that pitch is breaking because I ran on some… those spikes are really, really thin, like wafer-thin. I went to Joel and Kumar [Dharmasena, umpire], and I said it’s pure, poor motor skills. If I was any better, I would have been in the Olympics. Why play cricket?”Alastair Cook, the former England captain, was of the opinion that it could have been a deliberate, tactical ploy from Ashwin. “Is it deliberate? Yes, it is,” Cook said on TNT Sports. “It’s a tactical ploy that you can disturb the middle of the wicket because Ashwin wants as much help [as possible] when he can bowl. Normally, it happens in the third innings. You’re 150-200 runs ahead and you think, ‘just make sure you get up and down the wicket’… that was gamesmanship there, wasn’t it?”Related

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Law 41.14, which concerns batters damaging the pitch, states: “It is unfair to cause deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch. If the striker enters the protected area in playing or playing at the ball, he/she must move from it immediately thereafter. A batter will be deemed to be causing avoidable damage if either umpire considers that his/her presence on the pitch is without reasonable cause.”If either batter causes deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch, other than as in 41.15, at the first instance the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler’s end umpire shall then warn both batters that the practice is unfair and indicate that this is a first and final warning. This warning shall apply throughout the innings. The umpire shall so inform each incoming batter, inform the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred.”If there is any further instance of deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch by any batter in that innings, the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence.”The bowler’s end umpire shall disallow all runs to the batting side, return any not out batter to his/her original end, signal no-ball or wide to the scorers if applicable, and award 5 penalty runs to the fielding side.”India were 358 for 7 at the time of the incident, having lost both overnight batters Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja within the first hour of play on the second morning. The five-Test series is tied at 1-1 after England won the first match in Hyderabad and India drew level in Visakhapatnam.

Dewald Brevis was not part of the 16-man group, with the selectors saying they would look to introduce him via T20 cricket

Firdose Moonda18-Jan-2023Fast bowler Sisanda Magala has made a comeback to South Africa’s ODI team after a year when he was named in the 16-man squad for the upcoming three-match series against England at home in January.There was no room in the squad for the hard-hitting 19-year old Dewald Brevis, who is currently third on the SA20 run-scorers’ list. Earlier in the week, Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket, said Brevis would likely enjoy a David-Warner-like introduction to international cricket by moving from the T20I squad upwards and selection convenor Victor Mpitsang confirmed he would be considered for the series against West Indies in March.At the time of the squad announcement, Brevis and Magala were in action in the SA20 game with the latter accounting for the former’s wicket for six. Magala is the joint third-highest wicket-taker at the SA20 and was the leading wicket-taker in this season’s domestic one-day cup. Despite his form, Magala was left out most of last year, because he struggled to pass CSA’s two-kilometre time trial in the fitness test. He has now made the 8:30 mark and is therefore eligible for selection.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Sisanda has been a good performer in the last few years. We have had some fitness issues with him in the past and that’s the only reason he was left out,” Mpitsang said. “His consistency has been the reason why he has been selected.”The squad will be coached by Shukri Conrad, who was named as South Africa’s Test coach on Monday, will take charge of the ODI squad in this series while new white-ball coach, Rob Walter, finishes his commitments with the Central Stags in New Zealand. Walter will be in consultation with Conrad throughout. Malibongwe Maketa, the interim coach who took South Africa’s Test squad to Australia, has not been retained.Temba Bavuma keeps his place as captain, although it is understood that the leadership in red and white-ball cricket will be up for discussion under the new coaching set-up. Bavuma is not part of the SA20 and had a disastrous run as T20I captain at the World Cup in Australia but is understood to have enjoyed a break and is ready for action. “He is in a good space. In the one-day format, he has a good record. We are quite happy with where he is at the moment,” Mpitsang said.The rest of the squad includes familiar names such as Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, SA20 leading run-scorer Heinrich Klaaasen and David Miller, as well as the first-choice bowling attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and allrounders Marco Jansen and Wayne Parnell. But a notable absentee is domestic one-day cup leading-run-scorer Ryan Rickelton.Rickelton missed the Test tour to Australia because he requires ankle surgery. Rickelton has opted to delay going under the knife in order to play this summer but could not travel for the Australia series because of the risk of worsening the injury and the travel time required to secure a replacement. Mpitsang confirmed he is available for selection in home internationals and could come into contention when South Africa play West Indies in February-March.”Ryan has performed really well in the last summer,” Mpitsang said. “It’s about where does he fit in at the moment. He is an opening batter. He has got good numbers. In a squad of 16, we just couldn’t get him in. We have had a conversation before we pick the squad and the medical team made it clear that the risk is not as high as when we travel abroad.”The series is the penultimate World Cup Super League encounter for South Africa and is crucial to their chances of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. South Africa are out of the automatic qualification zone and lie 11th on the points table. They must win at least three of their remaining five matches (three vs England, two vs Netherlands) if they are to leapfrog Sri Lanka and West Indies and avoid the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June.The three-match series will be played over six days, with the first match in Bloemfontein starting on January 27.All of the squad, except Bavuma, are involved in the SA20, which takes a break from January 25 to February 2 to accommodate for the white-ball series. South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.

The Argentine star trained separately from his teammates all week but was ruled out just hours before the match

• The Herons advanced with a Luis Suárez brace.
• Morales gave no further details on Messi’s fitness
• Jordi Alba also picked up an injury

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano was sent off in the Herons' 2-1 Leagues Cup win over Tigres. As a result, his assistant, Javier Morales, handled the post-match press conference and addressed Lionel Messi’s absence.

  "Everyone talked with Leo, we’re always present. We rely on how Leo feels, and it wasn’t the best. We preferred not to take risks, not to go backward in his recovery, and to play it safe by not having him in the match," Morales said.

  Messi had just returned from injury, featuring for 45 minutes in Inter Miami’s win over the LA Galaxy the previous weekend.

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  WHAT JAVIER MORALES SAID

  The assistant coach also reflected on Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Tigres, which secured their spot in the Leagues Cup semifinals. 

  "We played a good first half, the way that we wanted to," Morales said. "We scored, created chances. In the second half, they adjusted, but we found a way to keep fighting and win the game."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Inter Miami extended their unbeaten run at home to nine matches, with seven wins and two draws. Meanwhile, Luis Suárez is now up to 13 overall goals in 2025 for the Herons, marking his second brace of the year.

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Both captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald want the team to be more ruthless in the third innings

Alex Malcolm04-Mar-20242:12

Cummins: Green as sharp as I have seen him

Pat Cummins is adamant that Marnus Labuschagne is under no pressure for his place despite a lean run of form, but Australia’s batting order is facing increasing scrutiny after letting an opportunity slip to bury New Zealand at the Basin Reserve.Australia started their second innings 204 runs in front and even with the double failures of Labuschagne and Steven Smith on the second evening they led by 319 at one stage on day three with six wickets in hand.But a collapse saw them bowled out for just 164 and gave New Zealand a chance to chase 369. It was still 172 too many with Nathan Lyon taking six wickets, but the win does not paper over the disappointing batting display. Cameron Green’s first-innings 174 stood alone.Related

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Labuschagne’s form has become a point of focus. In his last three Tests, he has posted 10, 1*, 3, 5, 1 and 2. His career Test average has dropped below 50, having been above 60 in December 2022. But Cummins insisted there was no pressure on Labuschagne’s place at No.3.”Absolutely not,” Cummins said. “I think he’d be the first to admit he’d like to score some more runs. And it’s not through lack of trying in the nets. I think particularly that second innings was just one of those ones down leg. We’re very clear that these six guys are the six best batters in Australia and although at times they might not have clicked altogether at once the story of our team has been someone’s being able to stand up when they need to.”Australia only have one spare batter with the squad in New Zealand, Matt Renshaw, and were never likely to make a change unless there was an injury, regardless of the result in Wellington.Marnus Labuschagne’s thin pickings continued when he was caught down the leg side in the second innings•Getty Images

Australia coach Andrew McDonald also said there was no major alarm with Labuschagne’s form but he wanted to see more of the positive intent he showed in the second innings rather than what he produced in his 1 off 27 balls in the first.”I don’t think there’s any great concern from our point of view,” McDonald said. “We want the top six, seven batters to be performing as a collective. So I think while the rest are performing around that and you’re winning games of cricket, I think the concern levels are fractionally lower.”Can he perform better? No doubt about that. Does he know that? He knows that. Is he working on it? Yes.”Over time there’s going to be some ebbs and flows in your career. And I thought in the second innings, and this is really hard to sort of quantify, but I thought the intent and the energy he brought to the crease, and that was only two runs so I don’t want to get carried away with two runs, but that’s what we see when he’s at his best.”We saw that at Sydney [against Pakistan] in the second innings as well. We saw that in Manchester as well where he came out there and he had the intent to score and put it back onto the bowlers. So that’s when we think he’s at his best.”There is also growing pressure on Alex Carey. His Test average has dipped below 30 after twin failures in Wellington, although he did make an excellent half-century in his last Test against West Indies. McDonald admitted the manner of Carey’s dismissals at the Basin Reserve, where he holed out to cover twice, would be discussed.”They’re going on at the moment,” McDonald said. “He’s disappointed with that as a method to Glenn Phillips. He’s encouraged himself to play off the back foot. It’s an error in judgement. I think we’re not going to hang him on one innings or two innings. Over a period of time, we’ll see how that plays out.”Overall, McDonald noted that the batting group could improve as a collective, particularly when they were in front in the game.”We feel like we can be better,” McDonald said. “We feel as though at times we have underachieved with the bat which has left games open and it’s probably more particularly in the third innings of games.Alex Carey’s decision-making with the bat has been called into question•Getty Images

“I think if you go back across the last 12 months, we’ve had some chances in the third innings to really shut out the opponent and we’ve left the door ajar at times and potentially we’ve probably been in a hurry to get to the total that we think we should get to and then get the game moving forward.”In this game, we played some shots that were probably up tempo for what the surface was going to allow. But we encourage our players to expand and apply their own method. And then it’s just about reviewing that at the end of the game. So we left the door slightly open but as we saw there in the context of this game, the surface was offering plenty and it was difficult to bat.”Australia lost Tests in Delhi and Headingley last year with third-innings collapses when they were in front in the game. They also had third innings collapses at Lord’s and Melbourne but were able to steady and win the game as they did in Wellington. Cummins wanted his batters to be more ruthless.”I think it’s something we can get better at, the whole 11 batters, particularly around that third innings where the game seems to speed up a little bit,” he said. “I think when we’re at our best, especially at home, it’s [being] ruthless, setting them 600, 650. I think it’s something we can look at.”

Daniel Hughes and Moises Henriques inspired Sydney Sixers to an extraordinary run chase at Optus Stadium to stun defending champions Perth Scorchers and lift into the coveted second place on the ladder.Sixers appeared to be cruising to victory at 181 for 3 with two overs left, but then collapsed until skipper Henriques kept his cool in a nerve-jangling final over.Needing 13 runs off the final over, Henriques blasted a six off opposite number Aaron Hardie on the fourth ball and then hit a boundary off the last ball – with one required – to get Sixers over the line in dramatic fashion.Sixers will face table-toppers Brisbane Heat in Friday’s Qualifier on the Gold Coast with both teams having the safety net of a double chance. It was a costly defeat for Scorchers, who will host an elimination final against surging Adelaide Strikers on Saturday.Laurie Evans had signed off from his BBL stint in style with 72 off 34 balls to ignite Scorchers in the high stakes blockbuster between the competition’s powerhouse teams. Scorchers’ total of 197 for 4 seemed enough on their favoured ground, but Hughes blasted 74 off 43 balls to leave the match on a knife’s edge.Hughes holed out to Hardie in the 15th over with Sixers still needing 52 runs for victory. The momentum changed when Henriques blasted 10 runs in two deliveries off seamer Andrew Tye in the 17th over as Sixers edged ahead.In another late twist, with Sixers needing 17 off 12 balls, wicketkeeper Josh Inglis held onto a spectacular catch running back to the boundary to dismiss Jordan Silk and ignite a collapse where the visitors lost four wickets in the span of eight balls.But Henriques stepped up and Sixers had the added satisfaction of ending a poor recent record to Scorchers, who had won six of the past seven matches between the teams.Scorchers’ bid for a historic three-peat now has to go through the long way and they face the tough task of replacing the dynamic middle-order batter Evans, who departs Perth tomorrow for the UAE’s ILT20.Scorchers had elected to bat in warm conditions with players undoubtedly grateful of a later start time compared to the last match at the ground between Scorchers-Heat played in the early afternoon amid oppressive heat.Scorchers will need to address their top-order woes which again reared. Opener Sam Whiteman has not got going this season, but hit a first-ball boundary and looked fluent playing traditional shots down the ground.Laurie Evans played another superb innings•Getty Images

He became bogged down attempting cavalier strokes, as disaster struck for opening partner Steve Eskinazi who was forced to retire hurt due to a finger injury.Eskinazi sought medical attention at the end of the third over before having a life after resumption when Moises Henriques dropped a chance at midwicket. But Eskinazi immediately trudged off the field with Whiteman dismissed on the next delivery after being strangled down the leg side from recalled seamer Jackson Bird.It brought together Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie, who have been used to rescuing Scorchers and they enjoy batting together. Inglis made a statement by smashing offspinner Todd Murphy for a first ball boundary in the eighth over, but he fell later in the over after a faint edge was well juggled by wicketkeeper Josh Philippe.But it brought to the crease in-form Evans, who started cautiously before electing to take the power surge in the 12th over. Evans has stated his liking for taking the power surge early in his innings and he proved why by pummelling left-arm seamer Hayden Kerr for 28 runs in the 13th over.Evans was all over Kerr’s rather innocuous pace as he peppered the boundaries and feasted on deliveries whether pitched up or short. Along the way he motored past his half-century off just 22 balls to earn strong applause from the 33, 412 crowd.Evans and Hardie smashed 41 runs in the most profitable power surge this season by any team. Evans continued on his merry way until holing out in the penultimate over where he walked waving his bat to a standing ovation from his ever-growing legion of fans.The jubilant Scorchers faithful were in a mood for celebration, but the night ended in despair and unfamiliar heartbreak for them.

Glenn Maxwell’s form and fitness shows promising signs for Australia as the real deal approaches

Andrew McGlashan04-Oct-20232:22

What role will Travis Head play at World Cup for Australia?

Like a number of teams over the last few weeks, Australia have been trying to reach the start line of the World Cup without any further major setbacks. They have had to manage a lengthy injury list but have just about got there.If a reminder was needed of how seriously to take the last couple of warm-up matches, the sight of David Warner sending down two overs of long hops and full tosses against Pakistan (albeit nearly conjuring a wicket which would have given him plenty of social media content) reinforced that it’s dangerous to read too much into the final stretch of preparation.There was a grain of truth when George Bailey, the national selector, joked before the match against Netherlands that if there were any Australians around Kerala they should pop down for game – for some players there has been a risk of too much cricket and it’s been all about getting to Chennai where they face India on October 8.Related

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But while the scoreline against Pakistan was largely irrelevant, there were a few aspects that may not be insignificant over the coming weeks.Form and fitness coming together for Glenn MaxwellGlenn Maxwell is a pivotal player in Australia’s hopes of another title, even more so now that he is effectively the second frontline spinner alongside Adam Zampa. He struck a breezy 77 off 71 balls in Hyderabad, a significant stint in the middle to test the durability of his previously broken leg, then backed that up with a tidy eight overs.”There’s always that weariness I suppose mentally – ‘how’s it gonna go tonight?’ But once I get moving I’m absolutely fine,” Maxwell told reporters.”My warm-up’s probably a little bit more structured these days. Have to do all those little things that I negated early in my career – I used to just run out here and go 100 percent and I was fine. But probably [now] just a little bit more thought around how much time I spend out there in the warm up and certain little drills I have to do.”Then there was the timely half-century for Cameron Green, who has struggled with the bat for much of the year since the IPL. It was his first fifty since the 47-ball hundred he struck for Mumbai Indians in May.The concussion he suffered in South Africa disrupted preparations, but he would appear inked in ahead of Marcus Stoinis who has not appeared in either of the warm-up matches or the last two ODIs against India.Cameron Green spent valuable time in the middle•Getty ImagesThe fact fellow allrounder Mitchell Marsh has bowled in consecutive matches having not been used at all against South Africa and India is another plus when it comes to balancing the side.Josh Inglis vs Alex Carey?Alex Carey could have done with a substantial innings ahead of the tournament, but he was run out for 11. Aside from the 99 he flayed in a heavy defeat at Centurion, he has been unconvincing with the bat with only one other score over 20 against South Africa, India and in these two warm-ups.It is unlikely Australia will move away from him, at least early in the tournament, partly because he adds a left-handed option in a right-hand dominated batting order. However, Josh Inglis gave a reminder of his versatility with a lively 48 off 30 balls in the closing stages.With preparations now almost complete, and Australia working with 14 fit players for now until Travis Head recovers from his broken hand, it would appear that their XI to face India is taking shape. Marnus Labuschagne has surely done enough to lock himself in at No. 4 behind Warner, Marsh and Steven Smith.Having been heavy on allrounders in the lead-up, there has been shift back towards the big three quicks – captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – lining up together, although Sean Abbott could still be in the frame if they want to lengthen the batting at No. 8. But with nine round-robin matches plus a heavy travel schedule, it’s likely the entire squad will be needed at some point.

The pair helped take New Zealand to 166, and UAE fell 32 runs short

Ashish Pant20-Aug-2023 • Updated on 22-Aug-2023

New Zealand put up a complete show as they roared back in style following the loss on Saturday, to win the third T20I by 32 runs and seal the three-match series 2-1.The win was set up by fifties from Will Young, playing his first game of the series, and Mark Chapman, who continued from where he left in the second game, as the visitors racked up 166 for 5 in their 20 overs. Junaid Siddique was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, picking up 3 for 26.Siddique handed two demerit points

UAE’s Junaid Siddique was handed two demerit points and fined 25% of his match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct twice. The first incident took place in the fifth over of New Zealand’s innings when Siddique moved close to the dismissed batter, Tim Seifert, and shouted aggressively at him. For this, Siddique was handed an official reprimand and one demerit point.

Then, in the 17th over, Siddique showed dissent by using inappropriate language towards the umpire after an appeal was turned down. For this, he was handed one more demerit point and fined 25% of his match fee.

In reply, UAE’s top half was blown away by some restrictive New Zealand bowling. Basil Hameed and Aayan Afzal Khan added 68 off 57 for the sixth wicket, but it came a bit too late for the hosts as they could only muster 134 for 7.The coin goes Waseem’s way, againMuhammad Waseem made it three out of three at the toss and stuck to fielding first as he has all series. The UAE bowlers then backed their captain’s decision by restricting New Zealand to 38 in the powerplay while also removing the openers. Tim Seifert got off the mark with a fierce cut while Chad Bowes also got going with a slash through covers. But Bowes’ joy was short-lived with Muhammad Jawadullah sending him back with a skiddy short-of-a-length ball that he could only top-edge to short third where Zahoor completed the catch on the second attempt.Siddique then removed Seifert, who hacked his pull to the right of Hameed at deep backward square leg, the fielder sprinting low to his right and pulling off a screamer. New Zealand were more proactive in the powerplay but were only going at a run rate of just a tick over six.Young, Chapman sizzle in the middle oversWhile the start followed a similar pattern to the previous game, Young and Chapman ensured they dealt with the middle overs differently this time. Young got off the mark with a finely edged four off his second ball before planting Siddique over the long leg fence. Young did slow down a touch when Seifert fell but three successive fours off Hameed got him going again, and he reached his fifty off 40 balls.Young found an ally in Chapman, with the duo adding 84 off just 60 balls for the third wicket to tilt the scales back in New Zealand’s favour. Chapman was circumspect initially but took 17 runs off a Mohammed Faraazuddin over to get into the flow. The surface seemed to be better for shot-making than the first two games and both batters capitalised on it as New Zealand moved from 55 for 2 after nine overs to 132 for 3 after 16. Chapman reached his fifty off 30 balls with five fours and two sixes as New Zealand looked set for a tall total.Kyle Jamieson is congratulated after picking up a wicket•Emirates Cricket Board

Siddique three halts New Zealand’s chargeSiddique came back in style, having been rested from the second T20I, by picking three key wickets to keep his side in the game. He got rid of Seifert in the powerplay and then removed both Young and Chapman in the space of two overs. Young was foxed by a shortish slower ball that he could only spoon to extra cover while Chapman swished one straight to deep backward square leg.Siddique’s spell halted New Zealand’s momentum at the back end. They could only score 24 runs in the last three overs which included a six off the final ball of the innings from Mitchell Santner.New Zealand keep mistakes to a minimumAfter a maiden over by Tim Southee, Ben Lister was carved away for two successive fours by Waseem. But Lister struck back immediately to catch Waseem’s outside edge. Vriitya Aravind scored a couple of cracking boundaries but he was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson as the hosts reached 40 for 2 after the powerplay.While that was still more than what New Zealand managed in theirs, UAE could not capitalise in the middle overs. Aryansh Sharma was stumped off Santner for 16 before Adithya Ashok claimed his maiden international wicket sending back Asif Khan. Two balls later Ansh Tandon committed a near-impossible run and UAE lost 3 for 9 in 11 balls.At 56 for 5 after 10 overs, the asking rate was always going against UAE. Hameed and Aayan did manage to keep UAE ticking along but the big hits never arrived. There were a few boundaries from time to time but New Zealand bowled with discipline. Lister then picked up two wickets in the 19th over to finish with 3 for 35 as New Zealand sealed a comfortable win.

Spinner ready for return in Hundred, with focus on creating more history in India this winter

Andrew Miller25-Jul-2023Adil Rashid believes that England’s double-World-Cup-winning white-ball team already deserves to be remembered as “the best England squad that’s ever been”, but says they are not done with creating history as attention begins to turn to the defence of their 50-over title in India this winter.Rashid, 35, is one of the core members of a squad that came together in the wake of England’s humiliation at the 2015 World Cup in Australia, in which they were eliminated at the group stage of the competition. Since then, England have gone on to reach three finals and two semi-finals in five subsequent ICC global events, including memorable victories in the 2019 50-over World Cup, and most recently, the T20 version in 2022.Speaking at an event in Tottenham ahead of this year’s Hundred competition, Rashid – who has been struggling with a back injury and has not played since a two-match IPL stint for Sunrisers Hyderabad in April – insisted he was approaching full fitness once again, and was ready to get back to action with his eyes firmly locked on the prize.”I came back from the IPL with a bit of an injury, so I took that month off during the T20 Blast to get fully fit, and hopefully now I’m good to go,” Rashid said at the launch of the KP Snacks community cricket pitches initiative in Broadwater Farm.”It’s not just myself. I’m sure everybody going there, the whole squad will be ready and raring to go,” he added. “As defending champions, we’ll definitely go there with that mindset. It’d be very exciting times, but it will not be an easy challenge, especially in India in their backyard, where they are very strong.”We’ll definitely have to be our best as a unit, as a squad, but it’s something that we know we can achieve if we put our mind to it, and it’s something we’ll definitely be looking forward to.”The revival of England’s white-ball fortunes took a major step during their last World Cup campaign in India, in 2016, when – under the leadership of Eoin Morgan – the team reached the World T20 final against West Indies in Kolkata, only to come unstuck against Carlos Brathwaite’s volley of four sixes in Ben Stokes’ final over.Adil Rashid shows his legbreak to Kimberley Walsh of Girls Aloud fame during a Hundred sponsor’s event•CSMLast winter, however, Stokes and England made amends for that heartache with victory over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final in Melbourne. Rashid also excelled at the sharp end of that tournament, claiming the best figures in the final of 2 for 22 in his four overs, to go alongside similarly frugal displays in a must-win group game against Sri Lanka, and a ten-wicket rout of India in the semi-final.”It’s something that, as a youngster, you dream of playing World Cups for your country, and winning,” Rashid said. “For a lot of us, that’s become reality as well, so that’s a moment you cherish with your team-mates, with your squad, your family members, your wife, your kids, your mum and dad … so that’s something that I’m sure we’ll all keep very close to us.”And we also know that there’s more to come as well,” he added. “We also believe that this is not the end of it. We have that mindset of, yes, let’s go beyond. Yes, we’ve created some kind of history, but we definitely want to push further on. Defending it and winning it again, that’s the mentality.”However, Rashid insisted that the greatness of this England team would not be determined by their success or failure in India this winter, because their legacy has already been cemented.”It already has, I reckon, has it not?” he said. “I mean, two World Cup wins, back to back, holding both. In terms of World Cup squads, from 2015 to this day, I don’t know if any England team has ever been any better in terms of winning series, in terms of going from No. 7 or 8 in the world, to No. 1.”So as a squad, from 2015 until now, that era, I think we’ve definitely got the best England squad that’s ever been.”Many of the lessons that the white-ball team learned from 2015 onwards have now bled into England’s Test squad, with the so-called “Bazball” era being defined by an aggressive mindset with bat and ball, and a focus on enjoyment. Such were the reasons why Moeen Ali – Rashid’s long-term England team-mate and close personal friend – was tempted out of red-ball retirement to answer the call for this summer’s Ashes, despite having played his last Test in September 2021.Related

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Though Moeen’s decision came as a surprise to many, Rashid said he had not been taken aback by the news, especially after the pair had discussed the pros and cons of a recall. “Me and him, we talked over the phone, just having a chitchat, just that thing of ‘what do you reckon?’,” Rashid said.”You can imagine it, because Mo is a world-class cricketer, in that format and in all formats as well. He’s done it in the past, and when Leachy [Jack Leach] got injured, they wanted to have somebody who’s experienced, who’s been there before, who’s done it. For them to ring Mo, it wasn’t much of a massive surprise from my side.”Obviously the way they’ve been playing for the past year now, with that positive new brand of cricket with people going out there play with freedom, it’s very similar to the white-ball set-up. The skills are now very similar, that’s been shown over the past year, and the opposition has had to find a different way of countering that, which has been a real positive and a real good thing.”KP Snacks are funding 100 new community cricket pitches over the next three years. To find out more and search for a pitch visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

Just a week on from having opted not to bring in any new attacking recruits in the January transfer window, Manchester United were dealt a cruel and untimely blow in mid-February, with man of the moment, Amad Diallo, having been struck down by injury.

The diminutive Ivorian had emerged as the shining light in an otherwise grim campaign for the Red Devils prior to that, impressing, in particular, following Ruben Amorim’s arrival at the club, with 11 goals and assists chalked up in just 20 games under the Portuguese coach.

It was Amorim then who had to break the news that his wing wizard would likely be out for the rest of the campaign, albeit while having since offered a flicker of hope that the 22-year-old could actually return before the season is over.

Whatever does occur with regard to the former Atalanta man in the remainder of 2024/25, it does appear that he will be a central part of Amorim’s side next term, be it as a wing-back or in a more advanced number ten berth.

That said, if recent reports are to be believed, INEOS could actually be looking at acquiring an upgrade on the £19m signing, ahead of next season.

Latest on Man Utd's search for a forward

As noted above, the decision was made in the winter window not to add to Amorim’s forward ranks, with that coming despite the ‘loss’ of two somewhat exiled figures from the 40-year-old’s first-team squad, in the form of Antony and Marcus Rashford.

With the pair looking unlikely to be welcomed back into the fold next term – with Jadon Sancho also still in line to join Chelsea on a permanent basis – the Red Devils’ attacking ranks remain rather depleted, with Alejandro Garnacho, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund currently the only fit, senior forwards available to the former Sporting CP boss.

It is no surprise then that adding a new attacker is likely to be a priority this summer, with reports in Spain indicating that INEOS are already pressing ahead with their market moves, having reportedly lodged a bid to sign Barcelona sensation, Raphinha.

Transfer Focus

The claim is that the Old Trafford side have made an offer worth in the region of €70m (£59m), with Amorim keen to bring the former Leeds United man back to England, amid his fine form of late in Catalonia.

As per the reports, it remains to be seen whether the LaLiga giants would be willing to accept what is described as a ‘generous’ offer for the player, with the Red Devils having taken the ‘firmest step so far’ toward landing the 28-year-old this summer.

Should that marquee move be made, it could see Raphinha cement a place for himself as the attacking figurehead in Amorim’s forward line.

How Raphinha compares to Amad

There may be a hint of controversy of signing a man with Elland Road connections, but make no mistake, if INEOS can get Raphinha in the door this summer, it would be a real coup for the club.

The one-time Sporting star – who played alongside Bruno Fernandes during his solitary season in Lisbon – has elevated his talents since shining in Yorkshire a few years ago, having chipped in with 29 goals and assists in 67 games during his prior spell in English football.

Now, however, it could be said he is arguably “Europe’s best player in 2024/25”, in the words of Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, having been simply electric under Hansi Flick, both domestically and in the Champions League.

In all, the 31-cap Brazil international – who can operate on either flank or in a central attacking midfield berth – has racked up a mammoth total of 48 goal involvements in just 41 games this season, forming a devastating partnership with teen superstar, Lamine Yamal, under Flick’s watch.

Amad, of course, had delighted in the early months of the campaign, although the one-time Sunderland loanee doesn’t come close to those kinds of numbers, having recorded ‘just’ 16 goals and assists prior to his injury blow.

Stat (*per game)

Amad (PL)

Raphinha (LaLiga)

Games

22

27

Goals

6

13

Assists

6

8

Big chances missed

1

17

Big chances created

5

23

Key passes*

1.8

2.8

Pass accuracy*

85%

78%

Successful dribbles*

1.6

1.5

Possession lost*

11x

17x

Both men appear to be at their best when operating off the right flank, with the ability to cut in onto their favoured left foot, although unsurprisingly, it is the more experienced Barca man who is currently at the peak of his powers, as evidenced further by his club total of 93 goals and assists in just 129 games.

Amad, by contrast, has just 21 goals and assists in 52 games for the Red Devils, having endured a slow rise since initially joining the club under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in January 2021.

The United man certainly has time to progress and reach loftier heights, yet if Amorim is looking for a Premier League-proven, ready-made upgrade, then Raphinha would surely be the perfect solution.

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