Tag Futebol

Two captains and a 44-year-old are among the players who could make an impact in the qualifying stages of the World T20

Peter Della Penna07-Mar-2016Group AMahmudullah – BangladeshUntil the 2015 World Cup, most opposition resources would’ve been focused on shutting down Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mahmudullah’s progress since making Bangladesh’s first World Cup century against England last March hasn’t slowed down. Most recently, he has reeled off 114 runs in his last four T20I innings without being dismissed, scoring off 76% of his deliveries in that stretch to prevent any pressure from building, and has the most sixes in T20s for Bangladesh, with 25.William Porterfield – IrelandThough never a headline grabber in the Ireland side, the captain has been one of his country’s most valuable assets, particularly in T20 cricket. Porterfield is the only player to score a T20 century for Ireland, with his 127 not out coming against USA at the 2013 World T20 Qualifier. In almost anonymous fashion, he sits atop Ireland’s run charts in T20 cricket, with 1497 runs at 25.81, more than 200 clear of Paul Stirling. Including Ireland’s two unofficial warm-up matches ahead of this tournament, Porterfield has scored 421 runs at 42.10 in his last 13 T20 innings at a time when Ireland’s overall batting unit his struggled.Stephan Myburgh – NetherlandsNames like Ryan ten Doeschate, Dirk Nannes and Tom Cooper might be more prominent in the annals of recent Netherlands cricket history, but Myburgh has been a force at the top of the order since making his T20 debut for them in 2012. He is Netherlands’ all-time leader in T20 runs with 1199, half-centuries with 11, and sixes with 50. He’ll play a central role if Netherlands are to repeat their qualifying heroics from 2014.Aamir Kaleem – OmanThis left-arm spinner could become the tournament’s biggest hero … or villain. It all depends on which side of the mankad debate you are on. Kaleem set off a firestorm during the qualifying round of the Asia Cup when he ran out Hong Kong star batsman Mark Chapman for creeping out of the non-striker’s crease. Scotland’s Rob Taylor tweeted about an unnamed Oman bowler attempting it against them in a warm-up match on Friday. Don’t look away, or leave your crease early, when Kaleem comes on to bowl.Group BNajibullah Zadran – AfghanistanFormer coach Andy Moles famously characterized this middle-order batsman as someone who “can’t block the ball to save his life”. That isn’t so much of a concern in T20 cricket. The 23-year-old’s kamikaze-style batting is a left-handed mashup of Shahid Afridi and Glenn Maxwell. Never one to play for his average, Najibullah still claims a robust mark of 27.21 in 20 T20Is, nearly eight runs higher than his mark in ODIs. Fans may want to get the hard hats out in the stands if he gets going.Ryan Campbell – Hong KongThe oldest player in the tournament at 44, former Australian international Campbell has been playing on the Hong Kong domestic scene for the past several years. In his second warm-up match for Hong Kong in India, he top-scored with 46 and took 2 for 10 in three overs of offspin. It’s been 10 years since he played his last professional match for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield, but Campbell might just have a few gallons left in the tank.Matt Machan – ScotlandThe left-hander has only played 16 T20s for Scotland, but his eye-popping average of 39.69 is seven runs better than his nearest team-mate. Already, he is fifth on Scotland’s run list with 516 and reaches fifty once every four innings. In their last T20I before the tournament, Machan top-scored with 43 in a win over Netherlands in Dubai. His part-time offspin may be vital as well at this tournament in support of newly-minted lead spinner Mark Watt.Hamilton Masakadza – ZimbabweThe captain’s 1425 T20 runs for Zimbabwe are more than twice as many as the next-closest active player, Elton Chigumbura. He also holds the marks for highest individual innings for Zimbabwe, set two months ago with an unbeaten 93 off 58 balls in Khulna against Bangladesh, and most career sixes with 47. Heading into this tournament, his bat is smoking hot. Last month he struck 162 not out off 71 balls for Mountaineers in a domestic T20, and an unbeaten 68 off 49 in a warm-up win over Ireland on March 7, including six sixes.

Stats highlights from the third day of the second Test between Australia and Pakistan, in Abu Dhabi

Bishen Jeswant01-Nov-2014369 The highest successful fourth-innings chase against Pakistan. This was by Australia at Hobart in 1999. Pakistan already have a lead of 370 at the end of the third day.26 Number of years since Pakistan have achieved a first-innings lead of 300 runs or more against Australia. The last time was in Karachi in 1988. Pakistan have achieved such a lead on three occasions against Australia, and all three after batting first.87 Number of runs scored by Mitchell Marsh, the highest by a No. 7 batsman, who is not a keeper, in the UAE. This is also the fourth-highest score by an Australia No. 7 against Pakistan.15 Number of instances of Australia batsmen being dismissed on 87, considered an unlucky number by Australians. However, one country, England, has had more instances (21) of their batsmen being dismissed on 87. The number 111 is considered unlucky by the English, but only nine English batsmen have been dismissed on 111, while 13 Australian batsmen have been dismissed on this score.100 Number of 50-plus ninth-wicket partnerships for Australia. The 62-run stand between Marsh and Peter Siddle was the 100th. No other country apart from England (84), has more than 51.62 Number of runs posted by Marsh and Siddle for the ninth wicket, during Australia’s first innings. This is the third-highest ninth-wicket stand in the UAE, and the fourth-highest for Australia against Pakistan.12 Number of times that Pakistan have won a Test after setting their opposition a 400-plus target. They have drawn three such games, totaling 15 instances in all of Pakistan setting a 400-plus target. With a current lead of 370, this is all set to be the 16th such instance.5 Number of times that Nathan Lyon has been used as a nightwatchman in Tests, including twice in this series. While this match is still in progress, Australia lost on the previous four occasions.14 Number of runs that Pakistan scored in the first over of their second innings. This is the most that Pakistan have scored in the first over of a Test innings since 2001. This is also the most runs scored off the first over by any team in this period, when a wicket has fallen.34 Number of runs that Pakistan scored in the first five overs of their second innings, at a run rate of 6.8. In the remaining 16 overs on the third day, they scored 27 runs, at a run rate of 1.7.

From Tim Wigmore, United Kingdom

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Will South Africa miss “the next Klusener’s” hitting down the order?© Getty Images
Hershelle GibbsHis autobiography may have been a gripping read, but its vivid depiction of the cliques in the South African dressing room helped end his international career. Which is a great shame, because, even at 36, Gibbs’s panache and audacity at the crease, best illustrated in his 111-ball 175 against Australia, have the capacity to thrill – as does his fielding.Marcus TrescothickFor a man often described as ‘stand and deliver’ in his style, Trescothick is remarkably nimble on his feet. Of all the examples of his clean striking in the opening overs of ODI innings, perhaps the best was against Glenn McGrath in the Champions Trophy in 2004: Trescothick, happy to charge virtually any quick, drove McGrath for four consecutive boundaries. If he made himself available, there is no doubt Trescothick would have been opening for England: Andrew Strauss’s forays down the wicket look almost apologetic in comparison.VVS LaxmanToo orthodox for ODIs? Perhaps, but tell Australia, against who he’s scored four centuries at an average of 46. If Hashim Amla can become the top-ranked one-day batsman in the world, it seems strange that there is no place for Laxman in India’s side. His classical style looks incongruous in Twenty20, certainly, but a man with his range of shots and ability to accelerate could be invaluable in ODIs.Brad HodgeDespite seven centuries in his past 20 Australian domestic one-day games and a limited-overs know-how few batsmen can match, there’s no place for Hodge at the World Cup. Labelled the “hard-luck story of the century” by Matthew Hayden, it’s pretty hard to argue – rumours that he never fitted into the Australian dressing room are one potential explanation.Owais ShahOverly intense and a shoddy fielder he may be, but Shah has a six-hitting ability England appear to lack in their middle-order. That much was epitomised by an 89-ball 98, with six maximums, against South Africa in the 2009 Champions Trophy. And his ease against spin helped him average 59 in England’s last one-day series in India. In the absence of Eoin Morgan, could Shah have been England’s finisher?Zulqarnain HaiderRemembered for fleeing mid-series against South Africa last year, promising to blow the whistle on match-fixers, Haider retired from cricket aged just 24. Those who saw his superbly gritty 88 on Test debut last summer will know he should be in South Asia now, rather than England.Albie MorkelThe ‘next Klusener’ will not be appearing in the World Cup. For a fifth bowler, he was always too liable to be expensive with the ball. Nevertheless, South Africa may long for him when chasing eight-an-over: Morkel can exploit the batting Powerplay like few others, most notably when looting Australia for 40* (off 18) and 40 (off 22) in two match-winning innings down under in 2009.Mohammad NabiAfghanistan’s skipper will rue the change in the format from 2007: if 16 teams were permitted as they were then, he would be appearing in the World Cup. An off-spinning allrounder who also has a first-class hundred to his name, Nabi is a useful cricketer who, with 13 wickets at 10 in the World Twenty20 qualifiers last year, did more than anyone to secure Afghanistan’s place in that tournament.Mohammad AmirYes, yes, we know why he won’t be playing, and that is right. But there’s no denying the sight of Amir’s mastery of the left-arm craft would have added to the tournament. Facing him under lights is not a prospect any opener would relish.Simon JonesThe notion of a fit Jones may seem ridiculous, but his performances in the Caribbean Twenty20 competition, including claiming 4-10 in four overs, served as a reminder of his reverse swing mastery of ’05, as well as his oft-ignored subtleties. Still capable of touching 90mph, could he yet play for England again, if used in a manner akin to Australia with Shaun Tait?Shane BondA slight cheat of a selection in that he’s retired, but what a shame it is. His last series – nine wickets at 21 against Australia last year – suggested Bond still possessed a genuine threat at international level. With express pace and canny use of bouncers, yorkers, cutters and slower balls alike Bond, even at 35, would have provided New Zealand’s attack with the cutting edge they are conspicuously lacking.

He may not be able to play for his Ranji side often, but follows them closely even when on tour and is encouraged by the upturn after they hit rock bottom

Sidharth Monga01-Dec-2011″Yes, yes I follow them very closely. I follow them so closely I exchange messages with one of the coaches every half an hour and check how they are doing. Even now I know we are around 260 for 6, and we bowled them out for 147.” VVS Laxman is aware of events in Goa, even as he works on his fitness at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Laxman is already preparing for the Australia tour, slowly starting to visualise the challenge, the Australia bowlers, the crowds that adore him there. An eye, though, always remains on how Hyderabad are doing in the Ranji Trophy. “I follow Hyderabad cricket, and I am very passionate about it,” he says. “It’s unfortunate I don’t play for them that often but I really think a lot about Hyderabad cricket.”Laxman owes Hyderabad cricket a lot, and vice versa. It is not just the supple wrists he has inherited. He says he learned to play well under pressure because of his early days in Hyderabad. He was their main batsman when Mohammad Azharuddin was away on India duty, and he says he learned to be responsible for the team. Hyderabad, in turn, gave him seniors he could look up to, and local competition he could relish.Because of the Australia tour and the BCCI’s decision to send the Test specialists there early, Laxman can’t play for his home side this year, but the phone rarely stops buzzing when Ranji matches are on. The past few years have not been an easy time to be a Hyderabad supporter. Last November, Laxman helped save a Test with a second-innings 92 after India had been 15 for 5; three days before that Test began, Hyderabad were bowled out for 21, the lowest-ever Ranji Trophy score. This November he helped India win the Delhi Test against West Indies with 58 not out in the second innings, only to watch Hyderabad fold for 54 against Maharashtra the next day.Laxman is positive while talking about Hyderabad’s match against Goa, which they eventually won on the third day. But Goa is cricketing backwaters well and proper, and that succeeding against Goa, and Assam before that, makes Laxman feel the state is doing “much better”, says all that needs to be said of the depths Hyderabad cricket has plumbed. Two years ago they were relegated to the Plate League for the first time, and they seemed to have built themselves a home there with the dismal performance last year.The Indian Cricket League had caused disruption – Hyderabad were one of the most-affected sides in terms of the number and quality of players lost to the rebel Twenty20 tournament – but Laxman sees deeper problems with Hyderabad cricket. “Even after the ICL players came back, we have been doing well only in patches,” he says. “I feel that the quality of cricket while I was growing up was very high in Hyderabad. This is something that has to be addressed. The quality of league cricket has deteriorated to an extent where a lot of teams give walkovers, and they don’t even turn up for matches.”The administration dropped the ball too, failing to retain the talented Ambati Rayudu, who went to play for Baroda after the 2009-10 season, something Laxman dubs “a huge loss; [Rayudu is] one of the most promising and talented cricketers in our country”.However, Laxman, ever the optimist, sees some positives this year, at least at the top level, despite the 54 all out. The two big reasons for that, he says, are the new coach – Sunil Joshi, the former India spinner – and the identification of a group of young fast bowlers.”It’s much better than two years ago,” Laxman says. “The cricketers playing now are all young and eager to learn. Potentially, they could be very good players in the years to come. I am very impressed with the way Sunil Joshi has been coaching the side. He has done a fabulous job in terms of developing a bond within the team, and creating a positive atmosphere and environment for the players to excel in.”That’s very important. When the team is going through a tough period, it is very good to create an environment in which everyone can relax and concentrate on doing well instead of adding excessive pressure. If you do that, they will go into their shell. I am sure things will only improve.”A day after Laxman said that, Hyderabad made their second step towards recovery. They had followed up their innings defeat against Maharashtra with an innings win against Assam, and topped it up with one against Goa. “I was very impressed with how he [Joshi] reacted after we were bowled out for 54 against Maharashtra,” Laxman says. “Still he maintained the positive attitude within the team. It was very critical for the team to bounce back, which they did against Assam. After being beaten by an innings and getting bowled out for 54, going into the next match and winning by an innings was a huge improvement. That showed a lot of character within the team. There are a lot of positive signs for Hyderabad cricket.”The young bowling unit has caught Laxman’s eye. “[Earlier] we didn’t have enough talent as far as the bowling is concerned,” he says. “Even though our batting is strong on paper, we haven’t been able to convert that into strong performances. Now we have a young group of fast bowlers who have been identified and also some young spinners. All these guys are performing. It’s just a matter of time before we come back to the position we were in three or four years ago.”With one league match to go, Hyderabad are in the top two in their group in the Plate League. Almost assured of a spot in the Plate semi-finals, they are now one good match short of making it back to the Elite League. More importantly, if they can win the Plate semi-final, they will get to play the main knockouts too. In that case, Joshi, or one of the other coaches, will run a high ISD bill. Someone in Australia will be pretty interested in half-hourly updates.

That action, that guile: just 14, Usman Qadir is a chip off the old block and looks set to go far

Shahid Hashmi09-Mar-2008

	His father’s action: Usman Qadir © PCB

Fourteen-year-old Usman Qadir makes the expression “like father, like son” seem an understatement. In his bowling he is the spitting image of his father, the legendary legspinner Abdul Qadir. Amazing it is for one so young to bowl six accurate deliveries across 22 yards; more so for him to not just bowl an immaculate length but also have all the tricks a leggie can boast of.Usman was one of the star attractions in the recently-concluded PCB Under-16 regional competition. He took 5 for 37 against Karachi to anchor Lahore’s win in the semi-final, and then two wickets in the win over Islamabad in the final, finishing with 13 wickets – second-best in the competition.More than his figures, it was the unmistakable Qadir action that caught the eye. It is not strange for little boys to want to grow up to be like their fathers. And in this case, a whole generation grew up on Qadir’s legendary bowling in the 1980s. But with his peculiar action, Abdul has always been tough to imitate. Usman, though, has the bloodlines. At eight he began to copy, frame by frame, his father’s bowling action from videos. He now possesses the sharp look Abdul used to give batsmen, and the same sharp disguise in his bowling.”People say that I have taken a leaf out of my father’s book, and they are right,” says Usman, who would sit in front of the television for hours, watching his father’s matches, etching the pictures into his memory. He would even dream of his father bowling.”The basic lesson I got was to bowl an off-stump line so that I could perfect the googly, which is always dangerous if a legspinner maintains the off-stump line,” he says, giving an imaginary ball a rip.Abdul was a hard taskmaster. “I invited his wrath whenever I bowled the wrong length,” says Usman, who is in the seventh grade at the Cathedral School in Lahore. “My father helped me develop a bowling action, but he always told me that education came first.”Before he took the youngest of his four sons under his wing, Abdul initially tried to dissuade him. “Yes, I did try to stop him from playing cricket,” he says. “I would call it my bad luck that all my sons took to cricket despite my advice, because cricketers’ sons have never been treated properly in Pakistan.”Rehman the eldest, was a better batsman than he was a legspinner. He played for National Bank but failed to make it to the top. Imran then followed in his father’s footsteps, and almost filled his shoes as a legspinner, before a dust allergy impeded his career. Both Rehman and Imran feature in league cricket in England regularly and earn their livings there.Next came Sulaman Qadir. He was different in style and better in achievement. An offspinner and combative batsman, Sulaman was the vice-captain of the team that won the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004. He didn’t get a chance at national level, though, which irks his father no end. “Sulaman hit a hundred on first-class debut, and despite Shaharyar Khan promising to give him a side match, he was overlooked.”

	I don’t exaggerate, but in his early days Shane Warne didn’t bowl a googly as perfect as Usman does Abdul Qadir

More than his sons’ talent or lack of it, it was perhaps Qadir’s propensity for calling a spade a spade and rubbing the establishment up the wrong way that damaged the boys’ prospects. Usman is yet to reach the stage where his career could be halted in similar fashion, but he is aware of what befell his brothers. “Dad told me that he would only help me master the art and would never go to anyone to beg for a place for me,” he says.Abdul for his part is full of praise for his youngest. “It is not that he was dearer than other sons, but his devotion and ability to pick up a lesson amazed me,” he says. “In a short time Usman has learned all the three frames [according to Qadir senior, every batsman has three frames of motion which bowlers identify and exploit] of a right-hand and a left-hand batsman. I don’t exaggerate: in his early days Shane Warne didn’t bowl a googly as perfect as Usman does.”The boy has progressed in leaps and bounds. His father had him play three games for the family club, Dharampur Gymkhana, where, bowling to batsmen twice his age, Usman bagged five wickets in each match. “Everyone was amazed at his bowling,” Abdul says. “Without my permission, Usman took the LCCA [Lahore City Cricket Association] trials and was picked for inter-district Under-19 matches. He took five wickets in each of the two zone matches. Then he shone in the Under-16 competition, and I felt so proud when some of my Habib Bank colleagues phoned to tell me that they saw the Qadir of the 1970s in Usman.”Unlike Abdul, who never paid much attention to his batting, Usman is determined to contribute in both departments. Already he is a bit of a dasher who can slog to good effect, and his batting idol is Adam Gilchrist. Bowling remains his top priority, though.Usman’s sights are set on making it to international cricket first. After that, the first target is to go past Warne’s tally of wickets and then Muttiah Muralitharan’s world record. His other dream is to bowl at Sachin Tendulkar. That would be a sight to behold: memories of a 16-year-old Tendulkar launching Qadir for sixes during his 18-ball 53 on the 1989 tour still remain fresh in the mind. How would the son fare?

Australia’s frontline bowlers have been unchanged throughout the season which has meant no action for the reserves

Alex Malcolm07-Mar-2024

Scott Boland has not been needed for Test duty this season•Associated Press

Australia are set to field an unchanged side for the fourth Test in a row and an unchanged bowling quartet for the seventh match of the summer with back-up quick Scott Boland likely to be sent home to play Sheffield Shield cricket for Victoria on Monday.Captain Pat Cummins confirmed Australia’s expected line-up for the second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval starting on Friday as they look to secure the series 2-0 following the victory in Wellington.The final round of Shield matches begins on Monday and Victoria have a chance to qualify for a third straight final as they host Western Australia at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Related

Hazlewood's mastery floors NZ at Hadlee's hometown

Wade to miss start of IPL in order to play Sheffield Shield final

'Harden the f*** up' – Stern words that led to Starc's durability

Southee's endurance and adaptability to the fore in unique landmark

Can New Zealand celebrate their centurions with a bounce back victory?

Boland and Michael Neser are the two back-up quicks on tour, with Matt Renshaw the only spare batter in the 14-man touring party. Australia will need to keep at least one spare batter and one spare bowler with the squad in case of a concussion but could release one of the quicks to play in the Shield. Queensland are out of contention for the final and would not need Neser to return to try and qualify.Boland looks likely to be released after the toss on Friday to return home to prepare to face Western Australia.”There was talk of maybe sending Scotty back for Victoria but holding Nes back from Queensland just to annoy Marnus [Labuschagne] and Usman [Khawaja],” Cummins said. “I did hear the back end of that conversation the other day.”It has been a frustrating summer for Boland. He was the star of the World Test Championship final for Australia in June last year and kept Mitchell Starc out of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. But England attacked him in the two Tests he played in the Ashes and Australia returned to their big three for three for the final two Tests.Boland was rested for specific Shield matches at the start of the summer at the request of Australia’s selectors to be fresh for the Tests with a genuine concern that one of Cummins, Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc would not be fit after a gruelling ODI World Cup campaign. But the trio have got through unscathed, and Boland has played just five first-class matches for the season as a result.Michael Neser is Australia’s other spare pace bowler on the tour•Getty Images

“I think I said at the start of the summer I’d be surprised we played all seven just because it’s rare that something doesn’t pop up,” Cummins said. “But thankfully we’ve all kind of managed all the little niggles that pop up pretty well. I think even the schedule this summer seems to be just when you need a week’s break, there was a week’s break in between Test matches.”Obviously it’s been a long summer but we all still feel like we’ve got a fair bit of freshness about us. We’re not limping over the line. I still feel like we’re in a great position. I wouldn’t have thought we’d be here a couple of months ago.”While Australia are settled, there is a wariness heading into the second Test. In 2022 against Sri Lanka, and just last month at home against the West Indies, Australia gave up 1-0 leads with poor performances in the second match of each series.There are concerns around the batting group with some frank discussions held internally during the week about being more ruthless and accountable to individual plans.”I think it’s just decision-making around plans, and having really clear plans,” Cummins said. “It doesn’t mean you need to have 12 shot options. It might only be two or three. But you’re building innings around that. I think Greeny was a great example. For all his big shots last week, he also showed a lot of restraint at times.”So just managing that tempo, having a really clear game plan and just living and dying by that. There have been a lot of conversations. A lot of guys working in the nets just to have a think about that.”

Axar avoided it while making 74 crucial runs for India; Jadeja benefited from Australia’s overuse of it to finish with a match haul of ten wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-20233:43

Chappell on the sweep shots: Australia panicked and did something not natural

Australia’s collapse – precipitated by an overuse of the sweep shot – and India’s subsequent romp to victory in the Delhi Test has raised a lot of questions about shot selection on spin-friendly pitches.Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, India’s two left-arm spin-bowling allrounders, said the sweep was the wrong option on pitches with low bounce and that the better strategy was to play with a straight bat in front of the pad as often as possible.Both men used that philosophy to help India get to within one run of Australia’s first-innings of 263 on the second day’s play. Jadeja scored 26, Axar top-scored with 74, and then when it looked like India were on the back foot at the start of the third day, Jadeja ran through the Australian batting order to finish with career-best bowling figures of 7 for 42.”Sweep and reverse sweep are difficult here, so I didn’t try them (laughs),” Axar – who hit nine fours and three sixes in his innings – told Jadeja in a chat for the BCCI website. “Instead I bring the bat in front of the pad and play the ball on its merit.””The last time I batted with you [Jadeja], you had told me that they were trying to aim at my pads, so I was protecting it. My thought was to hit what’s in the slot and respect the good deliveries. That is what I do. This time there was a left-arm spinner [Matthew Kuhnemann] too. ” Jadeja interjected at that point with a good-natured, “and you robbed him for runs.” Axar just laughed and continued. “No I didn’t rob him, but with a left-arm spinner operating instead of an offspinner, you get to play at a delivery turning into you.”Jadeja’s innings of 26 might not look like much but in partnership with Virat Kohli, who scored 44, they produced some of the best batting of the Test match and it was all based on being prepared for the grubber.Only Anil Kumble is in front of Ravindra Jadeja for most POTM awards in India•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“On this pitch, the mindset [with the bat] was that a good ball can come anytime,” Jadeja said. “However the idea was to believe in the defense and play with the bat in front of the pad. Me and Virat were talking about playing straight as much as possible with less bounce on offer.”Then when he had the ball in hand, and saw Australia trying to sweep everything away, he knew all he had to do was bowl straight at the stumps.”In India, if the wickets are like this, then it feels good that a spinner’s role and responsibility increases. The way they were batting, they preferred the sweep and reverse sweep, so I wanted to bowl stump to stump. That would mean if they missed and the ball stayed low then it would hit the stumps.”Related

Points to ponder – what Australia need to do to revive a flagging campaign

It's all in the geometry – how Shami and Siraj put the skids under Australia

India get the better of Australia, one flick at a time

Cummins on collapse: Australia batters 'overplayed' their shots

Stats – Jadeja topples records galore

Jadeja’s seven wickets included five bowleds. Australia collapsed from 65 for 1 to 113 all out. And India cruised to a six-wicket victory before tea on day three.Jadeja, who has returned to the international fold for the first series since his knee injury last August that had needed surgical intervention, said that all three spinners in the XI have been contributing, be it big or small.”I missed a lot of cricket…the World Cup, and many other series, but once I’m back, I want to continue this way in the future, and make team India win with you [Axar] and Ashwin. This is a team game and everyone has contributed in different ways. If this happens, India’s victory march will only continue.”India play the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which they have now retained having gone 2-0 ahead, on March 1. They are also in pole position for a spot in the World Test Championship final later in June.

Max O’Dowd showed the patience required to get the job done in the chase, even as Nepal’s bowlers applied significant pressure of their own

Ashish Pant04-Jun-20245:43

Moody: The depth of Netherlands’ seam-bowling challenged Nepal

Tim Pringle and Logan van Beek’s three-wicket hauls backed up by Max O’Dowd’s patient half-century got Netherlands over the line in a nervy chase in their opening game of the T20 World Cup 2024, against a spirited Nepal in Dallas.It was a rude welcome for Nepal in their first T20 World Cup in a decade, with the Netherlands bowlers putting up a fine show and bowling them out for a mere 106 in 19.2 overs. But Nepal weren’t done yet. They squeezed the Netherlands batters in the middle overs and took the chase into the 19th over. O’Dowd, however, held his own with an unbeaten 54. He rode his luck and made sure to take his side over the line by six wickets and eight balls to spare.Early-morning rain and overcast conditions delayed the toss by 30 minutes and Netherlands captain Scott Edwards had no hesitations in bowling after winning the toss. The bowlers backed up their captain’s decision with Pringle, van Beek, Paul van Meekeren and Bas de Leede all getting among the wickets.In reply, Nepal put up a fight but dropped a couple of crucial chances at key intervals.Dallas turns blue and red, but Orange holds swayThe Grand Prairie Stadium can seat 7000 but the vocal Nepal fans made it feel a lot bigger, flocking in nice and early getting behind their team. But the overcast conditions assisted the Netherlands seamers and they got their first wicket through left-arm spinner Pringle, whose decision to keep giving the ball flight paid off as Aasif Sheikh’s thick outside edge found short third in the second over. Pacer van Beek then struck with his first ball, angling a length ball sharply back into Kushal Bhurtel and catching him plumb in front.Nepal’s players appreciated the lively support they got in Dallas•ICC/Getty ImagesFast bowler Vivian Kingma also found big movement as the Nepal batters found putting bat to ball an arduous task. In the first six overs, Nepal played and missed 17 of the 36 balls (47.22%), which is the highest for any team in a men’s T20I (for which ESPNcricinfo has ball-by-ball data available). They hit five fours but could only manage three singles and a two in the first six overs, as Nepal managed only 29 runs in the powerplay for the loss of two wickets.A stranglehold in the middle and at the deathRohit Paudel, the youngest captain at a T20 World Cup at 21, kept his composure but lost partners at a steady rate. He pumped Kingma for a four over covers in the seventh over, but Pringle came back in his second over to remove Anil Sah, his attempted sweep only going as far as deep backward square leg. Kushal Malla hammered van Meekeren for a four over mid-off but fell three balls later trying a repeat of that shot, deceived by the slower offcutter and spooning the ball straight up.Bas de Leede then got rid of Dipendra Singh Airee caught at slip as Nepal slipped to 53 for 5 after 11 overs. Paudel was busy during his 35 off 37 but ultimately perished giving Pringle his third wicket. Karan KC and Gulsan Jha added 22 off 17 balls for the eighth wicket – the second-highest stand of the innings – to push the score past 100. Van Beek ended the innings with a two-in-two.Rohit Paudel was resilient but fell right before the death overs started•AFP/Getty ImagesNepal apply the chokeEarly wickets was the need of the hour, and Nepal managed that with Sompal Kami getting rid of Michael Levitt with his second ball, caught by the cover fielder. Both Kami and Karan kept the bowling tight conceding only four runs in the first 15 balls. Vikramjit Singh broke the shackles with two back-to-back fours but run-scoring remained slow. Nepal bowled 19 dot balls in the powerplay as Netherlands reached 36 for 1 after the first six.It was going to get tougher for Netherlands in the middle overs, with the spinners coming into the equation. Airee conceded just a single in his first over after the powerplay, before taking out Vikramjit with a length ball that beat the batter’s attempted slog sweep and caught him in front. An over earlier Vikramjit was dropped at deep backward square leg by Kami, but he couldn’t cash in.O’Dowd and Sybrand Engelbrecht tried to steady to ship in a 28-run stand before a run out brought about the latter’s end. O’Dowd struck a straight drive back at Kami, who expertly deflected the ball back onto the non-striker’s stumps and caught Engelbrecht short. Nepal conceded just 48 runs in the middle overs (6 to 15) making Netherlands fight for every run.Max O’Dowd took Netherlands home with an unbeaten 54•AFP/Getty ImagesComposed O’Dowd steers Netherlands homeWhen Edwards fell cheaply, it felt Netherlands’ chase could go astray, but O’Dowd brought all his experience into play. He curbed his natural aggressive instincts and made sure he kept his end secure even when Netherlands went 40 balls without a boundary between the 12th and 18th overs. O’Dowd had a huge slice of luck when Paudel spilled a straightforward chance in the 18th over at long-off. He was on 40 at the time and Netherlands still needed 18 off 17, but the dropped chance seemed to ease his nerves. In the penultimate over, with Netherlands requiring 13 off 12, he smashed Abinash Bohara for a four and six to reach his 13th T20I fifty. De Leede then finished the chase with a four through covers, triggering a sigh of relief in the Netherlands camp and securing two crucial points.

Justin Langer has arrived in the IPL. It took just one game of tired old T20 cricket, and the consequent heavy defeat of course, for Lucknow Super Giants to burn that book of conservative T20 cricket and play with much higher intent. As a result they didn’t have the ideal players operating in the death overs of each innings, but they had done enough damage in the middle overs on both occasions to win by 21 runs.The 103 that LSG scored in the middle overs is the second-highest in their history; both the efforts featured Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis batting a higher number of balls unlike in the first match when they were held back for the death overs. With the ball, LSG unleashed Mayank Yadav’s extreme pace – highest being 155.8kmph – and awkward bounce to take five wickets for 84. As it turned out, they lost out on some runs in the final few overs and had to bowl Krunal Pandya in the 19th, but the game was over by then.The first step – either made easier by a quad strain or a huge tactical move considering how it is near-impossible to remove Indian captains – was to give the captaincy to Pooran, leaving KL Rahul with just batting responsibilities.

The enterprising start

It would be indulging in pop psychology to say if that meant Rahul batted with more intent because he had only one field to make an impact in, but the change was there for all to see. Having taken the dew on by batting first, LSG needed all the intent from everyone. Rahul began attacking from the fourth ball he faced, didn’t stop after hitting a six and a four in the next over, and Quinton de Kock batted the way he usually does.The intent might have resulted in two wickets but LSG managed 54 runs in the powerplay.

Pooran, and best-laid plans

The first two overs after the powerplay suggested it might be difficult to take down spin, but in the third, Stoinis, batting much earlier than in the last game, punished Rahul Chahar’s errors in length brutally with two sixes, and got out trying for a third six in the same over.The introduction of Pooran as early as in the ninth over meant Kings took off both their spinners despite Harpreet Brar’s four-run first over and a decent record against left-hand batters this IPL.Two overs in, it was plain why spin was taken off. Pooran slogged a wrong’un from Chahar over the longer boundary for a six followed by a cut for four in front of square and then just a nonchalant loft back over his head for another six.

The slightly slower finish

This kind of batting can, at times, result in wickets. LSG had played only three overseas players in the first XI so their choice of the fourth would be between Ashton Turner and Naveen-ul-Haq. When de Kock fell in the 14th over for 53, or when Pooran did in the 16th for 42, LSG didn’t make any panicked move, trusting Naveen over the limited marginal impact a batter could make over Krunal and Ayush Badoni.Krunal did his part of the job well by scoring 43 off 22. The last nine balls got LSG only 10 runs, but they had effectively decided the extra runs they could have got off such deliveries was not worth giving up middle-overs runs for.Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan put on a 102-run opening partnership•BCCI

Kings set off running

Under the lights, a bit of dew, and nice medium pace to work with, Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow made a quick start to their chase, taking 61 in the first six overs. Dhawan got to a fifty off just 30 balls, the exact required rate to win the match. Like Stoinis did after the spin slowdown in the first innings, Bairstow broke the shackles with two sixes off Bishnoi in the ninth over.

Enter Mayank Yadav

Langer is not the only who “arrived” on Saturday night. Mayank is a 21-year-old fast bowler from Delhi who has had to struggle with injuries. LSG scouted him and looked after him while he was injured during the Ranji Trophy season. When they unleashed Mayank, Kings needed to go at pretty much the same asking rate as at the start of the innings and had all their wickets in hand.They weren’t quite prepared for the unerring pace of Mayank, though. He kept bowling uncomfortable lengths, went past 155kmph, and took out three batters, all three with the short ball, all three late on the shot. Bishnoi did his job at the other end, bowling the 11th over for just three. Mohsin Khan kept the pressure up. An injury to Liam Livingstone, which reduced him to hobbling between the wicket, didn’t help Kings.Dhawan went from 50 off 30 to caught on 70 off 50. He later acknowledged how he tried to use Mayank’s pace by moving around, and Mayank immediately started bowling yorkers at the stumps.LSG kept going for wickets, which is acknowledgement that even the best can get hit at the death so they are probably better off bowling in phases that have more correlation between quality and outcomes. By the time that they went to that one “weak” over, LSG had 48 to defend in the last two. Krunal conceded only seven.

The MLS club reportedly parted ways with Lesesne Wednesday night, and will bring in Weiler, who has a wealth of experience in Swiss and Belgian football

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• D.C. United set to hire Rene Weiler
• Parted ways with former boss Troy Lesesne Wednesday evening
• Currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference after 22 matches

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  D.C. United have reportedly made a head coaching change, parting ways with Troy Lesesne and replacing the boss with veteran manager and sporting director Rene Weiler, according to . The change comes on the back of another poor start to a season for the MLS club. They have just 19 points after 22 matches, and the worst goal difference in MLS. The front office had been planning a head coaching change "for a while," according to reports.

  Lesesne joined United after a promising stint as the New York Red Bulls' interim manager in 2023, winning 43.8 percent of his games. However, that success didn't follow him to the nation's capital, as his win percentage was 26.2 percent.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Weiler comes into the D.C. United with a wealth of experience in the European game and abroad. The former Swiss international has managed Anderlecht, Egyptian side Al Ahly, and Swiss League stalwarts Servette FC – where he currently serves as sporting director.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  D.C. United are enduring one of their worst fallow periods in recent memory. They haven't appeared in the playoffs since 2019, and last advanced past the first round in 2015.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR D.C. UNITED?

  D.C.'s next fixture is an MLS clash with fellow strugglers LA Galaxy. The reigning MLS Cup champs are dead last in the Western Conference.