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Afghanistan’s bowlers shot Zimbabwe out for 54 in a rain-curtailed final ODI to help the visitors seal the series 3-2

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2017
Scorecard
Rahmat Shah top scored with 50•Zimbabwe Cricket

Afghanistan’s bowlers combined to roll Zimbabwe over for 54, helping the visitors seal a 3-2 series win with a 106-run D/L victory in the final ODI in Harare.Afghanistan elected to bat and were provided a brisk start thanks to opener Noor Ali Zadran’s 49-ball 46, even as Zimbabwe got regular breakthroughs early on. Noor Ali eventually fell at the end of the 15th over, a wicket that put the brakes on Afghanistan’s momentum as captain Asghar Stanikzai and Rahmat Shah tried to steady the innings from 85 for 3. The pair put on 39 off 64 balls, which was followed by a fifth-wicket stand of 35 between Shah and Samiullah Shenwari. After Rahmat reached his fifty, both he and Shenwari were run-out as Afghanistan found themselves at 172 for 6 at the 40-over mark.Allrounder Mohammad Nabi then batted with the lower order, hitting four fours and a six in his 48 off 40 balls. Dawlat Zadran hit 14 off 6 balls to lift them to 253 for 9. Medium-pacer Chris Mpofu finished with figures of 3 for 46 while the spin duo of Graeme Cremer and Sean Williams kept things tight and conceded a combined 74 in 20 overs.Zimbabwe’s response was delayed by rain and a wet outfield, leaving them with a revised target of 161 off 22 overs. They suffered an early blow, losing Peter Moor in the second over. Three balls later, left-arm spinner Amir Hamza removed Solomon Mire, before returning two more wickets off four balls in his next over to reduce Zimbabwe to 13 for 4.There was to be no recovery, with only two batsmen getting into double-figures, as Nabi and Rashid Khan – who were both picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL auction earlier this week – took combined figures of 5 for 22. Rahmat was named Man of the Match for his fifty.

Meg Lanning’s 127 off 135 overshadowed Suzie Bates’ ton to help Australia Women clinch the series 2-1, after a convincing six-wicket victory against New Zealand Women in Mount Maunganui

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2016
ScorecardMeg Lanning’s second consecutive century helped Australia home•Annette Johnston from Heddfan Photography

Meg Lanning’s 127 off 135 overshadowed Suzie Bates’ ton to help Australia Women clinch the series 2-1 and maintain their 17-year grip on the Rose Bowl, after a convincing six-wicket victory against New Zealand Women in Mount Maunganui. Bates and Lanning became the first set of captains to score centuries in the same Women’s ODI.Lanning, coming off an unbeaten century in the previous game, came in early after Morna Nielsen dismissed Nicole Bolton in the last ball of the second over. Her knock formed the backbone of Australia’s run chase, taking the side to the brink of victory, but was dismissed in the penultimate over. Alyssa Healy hit a four off her first ball to seal the chase of 244 with eight balls to spare.New Zealand used seven bowlers in their attempt to defend their total. Nielsen and Sophie Devine were economical and picked up a wicket apiece, while Leigh Kasperek claimed two scalps. However, the 129-run fourth-wicket stand between Lanning and Alex Blackwell powered Australia towards the target.Earlier in the day, Lanning’s counterpart, Suzie Bates, led New Zealand’s effort with 110 off 133 balls. She was supported by Amy Satterthwaite and Sara McGlashan, adding stands of 87 and 101 for the second and third wickets respectively.New Zealand, though, did not quite get the lower-order thrust to push them past 250. After the fall of the third wicket at 201, they added only 42 runs off the last 41 balls.Rene Farrell was the pick of the bowlers for Australia. Her figures of 1 for 38 in 10 overs helped Australia contain New Zealand to 243.

South Africa dictated proceedings for the first time in the series as they beat Sri Lanka by 56 runs

The Report by Firdose Moonda26-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa were in control for the first time in the series•AFP

What a difference two overs can make. That was all it took for South Africa to stay alive in the series, have their confidence restored and beat Sri Lanka at home for the first time in close to 20 years.The 49th and 50th over of their innings produced 38 runs and took their total from middling to challenging. David Miller scored 35 of them himself – prior to this match no South African batsman had managed a score greater than 29 in the series – hitting Thisara Perera and Lasith Malinga straight down the ground. He proved South Africa could be competitive and could come back after being under pressure in the first two matches, and even large sections of the third.And what a difference an over can almost make. Perera hit Robin Peterson for the second-most expensive over in ODI cricket to throw Sri Lanka back into contention after they slumped to 93 for 7. The 35 runs included five sixes and a four, Perera displaying his prowess, especially over the leg-side.Like Miller, he showed the temperament required to succeed in conditions where the surfaces are sluggish – survive first, thrive later. Unlike the South African, Perera was asked to do too much at the end.Because Miller did not have a target to chase, he had less pressure on him. His strike rate hovered between 70 and 80 for most of his stay at the crease as he settled in. He needed AB de Villiers to usher him through the period where even singles were hard to come by and soon realised patience would pay off.Only at the very end, when Perera and Malinga seemed to have dinner rather than death bowling on their minds, did Miller pounce on anything too full and one which was too short. Miller registered the first South African half-century on the tour after their top order failed – Hashim Amla’s absence is growing glaring as each match goes by.South Africa tried a third opening pair in as many matches with Lions’ team-mates Alviro Petersen and Quinton de Kock fronting up first. Both were watchful but de Kock was unable to contain his attacking instincts and was vulnerable outside the offstump.He offered a chance in the fourth over when he swung at a wide one without any foot movement but Tillakaratne Dilshan at slip could not hold on. Sri Lanka hit back two balls later when Malinga bowled his first short ball and Petersen tried to hook too early, only to glove it to Kumar Sangakkara.Sri Lanka’s attack continued to find the edge of de Kock’s bat and the youngster fell on his sword to open South Africa’s middle up to a familiar state of panic. Both JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis posted insubstantial scores, with Duminy looking good again but unable to kick on and du Plessis uneasy at the crease and almost run out twice before actually being found short of his ground.De Villiers looked closer to breaking the lean run but Sri Lanka’s spinners and Ajanthan Mendis in particular did not let him get away. Mendis was difficult to pick while Rangana Herath and Dilshan kept things tight. It was only when Miller decided to hit out that the complexion of South Africa’s tour became a little rosier.Things got better for them from there as the fit-again Lonwabo Tsotsobe did the bulk of the damage upfront. He plucked three wickets in a six-over spell in which he extracted bounce, produced seam movement and partnered Morne Morkel to perfection.Morkel created pressure at his end with pace and steep lift, while Tsotsobe’s accuracy ensured eight dot balls were produced before the first run was scored. Sri Lanka’s were troubled by anything back of a length and Dilshan was the first to succumb. He spooned a catch to de Villiers at cover before Kumar Sangakkara went in the same over, chasing one that moved away.Upul Tharanga was also undone by bounce and edged Tsotsobe to Petersen at slip. With Sri Lanka at 16 for 3, South Africa were in control for the first time in the series.They held the match in their grip even as Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal combined for a 55-run stand. Robin Peterson reviewed an lbw shout against Jayawardene, which was going down leg and Jayawardene survived a stumping chance when Peterson was bowling but the left-arm spinner had the last laugh. Peterson bowled Jayawardene with one that skidded on, but that was the end of his involvement in the night.Peterson’s figures were ruined by Perera, who hit his first four sixes over the mid-wicket boundary. Then, he sent Peterson back over his head for four and he finished with the biggest hit of the night, over square leg.That over brought Sri Lanka’s required run-rate below six but, it would take more than one over to change the course of the match. Perera had a few more meaty hits, but he didn’t have a second over to match his first and when he was dismissed, Sri Lanka’s hopes went with him.

Steve Harmison took three wickets on his Yorkshire debut as the visitors fought back late in the day at Chesterfield

Nigel Gardner at Chesterfield18-Jul-2012
ScorecardPhil Jaques made 61 for Yorkshire but no other batsman reached fifty•PA Photos

Although this has been a summer most will want to forget, it has been a decent one for Derbyshire and their followers. The sun has been obscured by rain clouds but this “unfashionable” county have basked in the warm glow of County Championship success.It has been 13 seasons since Derbyshire sat down at domestic cricket’s top table but they showed why they went into this contest with a 25 point lead in Division Two. Until that is, Yorkshire and Steve Harmison came roaring back in the final sessionHarmison had endured another chastening day on his second appearance for Yorkshire who had collapsed in startling fashion on a pitch that is a decent one to bat. Harmison swung the bat breezily to help his new team-mates to a batting point but when he ran in from the Lake End with the ball in his hand, the radar was clearly not functioning.His fourth ball was a wide and there was one more before his opening over ended. There was another in his next as the ball shot away down to the leg side to the boundary and when Jaques took him out of the firing line, he had bowled five wides and two no balls in three overs which cost 27. The fact that Derbyshire’s bowlers did not concede a wide or a no ball between them made it even worse.But how quickly the tide of fortune can turn in this game and he responded in the best possible fashion when Phil Jaques brought him back in the 27th over. It proved an inspired piece of captaincy as he took 3 for 0 in 11 balls although it has to be said, Derbyshire gave Harmison generous assistance.First Jon Clare was tempted into a rash drive at a ball he should have left alone and then in his next over, Wes Durston chased one he should have ignored and edged to second slip. It was hardly vintage stuff but after all his recent problems, Harmison will not mind how the wickets come.As Yorkshire opener Joe Root said: “They might not have been the most pleasing-on-the-eye balls that got the wickets but the pace he was bowling at obviously put a lot of doubt in the batsmen’s minds. You could see they weren’t comfortable so you’ve got to give him a bit of credit.”At least his third victim was the result of a decent bouncer which former Yorkshire batsman David Wainwright helped on its way into the hands of Moin Ashraf who did well to take the catch and stay inside the ropes.By the time stumps were drawn at 7pm, 17 wickets had fallen but rather than convene a pitch panel, the ECB should summon a batting inspector to delve into what unfolded on the opening day of this top of the table clash.Yorkshire’s position after lunch matched the unusual sight of blue skies over picturesque Queen’s Park as Jaques and former Derbyshire batsman Gary Ballance proceeded in untroubled fashion and appeared to be setting the visitors up for a score of around 350. But all that changed in the 40th over as Mark Turner tore in from the Lake End to instigate a startling collapse that saw the visitors crash from 175 for 3 to 219 all out on the stroke of tea.Turner took the first three of those seven wickets to fall to fully justify the decision to give him his first Championship appearance of the season in place of a batsman, Chesney Hughes, who was originally down on the scorecard to play.Yorkshire appeared to be in even more trouble as Derbyshire replied by moving to 43 without loss but then they also hit the self-destruct button to leave the visitors holding a slight advantage at the end of a remarkable day.

The world’s No.1 allrounder and bowler, Australia’s Shelley Nitschke, has announced her retirement from international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2011The world’s No.1 allrounder and bowler, Australia’s Shelley Nitschke, has announced her retirement from international cricket. Nitschke, 34, will bow out after the quadrangular series final against England in Wormsley, and she will leave at the peak of her game, having won the past three Australian Women’s International Player of the Year awards.Her value to Australia’s team cannot be underestimated; as well as being the highest-ranked bowled and allrounder in the world, she is third on the international batting rankings table. A win in the decider against England would be the perfect way to cap off the career of Nitschke, who made her international debut seven years ago.”There are a couple of highlights that really stand out, those being the 2005 World Cup win in India and the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup victory in the West Indies which were are very memorable experiences and were great to be part of,” Nitschke said. “My plan has always been to go out when I was still playing well and on my terms. I’m happy with my career and achievements and the time feels right. I’m certainly not getting any younger.”I have had a tremendous amount of support throughout my career from friends outside the game, coaches, team-mates, my parents and my partner have always been really supportive and I thank them all for their help and advice along the way. I have thoroughly enjoyed representing my country and cherish every moment that I’ve had around the team and I wish them all the best.”I’m now looking forward to getting back into full-time work, perhaps having some time to play other sports as well and having more time to spend with my family and friends.”An opening batsman and left-arm spinner, Nitschke was named the ICC International Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2010. Michael Brown, the acting CEO of Cricket Australia, said Nitschke had been a wonderful ambassador for women’s cricket in Australia and would be sorely missed from the national side.”Shelley Nitschke has been a standout allrounder at world level for quite a few years now and her abilities with both bat and ball have greatly contributed to the success of the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars,” Brown said. “Her service for women’s cricket in Australia has been outstanding both as a player and an advocate for the game.”She has dedicated herself to cricket in the most professional way and her record at international level speaks for itself. She will certainly be sorely missed.”In 79 ODIs prior to the quadrangular final, Nitschke has scored 2032 runs at 34.44 and has taken 97 wickets at 21.88, making her Australia’s all-time third leading wicket taker behind Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Lisa Sthalekar. She has also played six Tests and 36 Twenty20 internationals, and is the world’s leading T20I wicket-taker and Australia’s top run-scorer.

Cricket Kenya has been forced to cancel a short tour to England after a contractual dispute arose between the board and the players on the eve of the trip

Martin Williamson18-Jun-2010Cricket Kenya has been forced to cancel a short tour to England after a contractual dispute arose between the board and the players on the eve of the trip. The players are refusing to travel unless the board agree to their contract demands, and Kenya’s preparations for the World Cricket League Division One tournament in Netherlands have been thrown into turmoil.The trip to Rochdale, Lancashire was meant to have been a warm-up for the competition in Netherlands, and the players’ decision was only relayed to the board hours before they were due to leave. It is believed that the boycott will leave CK around $50,000 out of pocket.The contracts for the 16-man national squad expired at the end of May and had been expected to be renewed without difficulty, CK offering a 10% pay rise despite continuing poor on-field performances from the team.However, last week a four-man deputation claiming to represent the squad met with CK officials and set out new terms which were deemed unacceptable. They included reverting to a number of old terms and conditions which had been set aside a few years ago after the ICC, African Cricket Association and CK decided they stifled new players.Surprisingly, the deputation did not contain any of the current squad but did include Maurice Odumbe, Steve Tikolo and Kennedy Otieno as well as Isaiah Odhiambo. Various demands were made by these “representatives” involving radical changes to the structure of the contract – including huge increases to players’ remuneration. Various other complaints unrelated to the contract – including a complaint against the behaviour of the chairman of selectors – were deferred. They also refused to allow any board member to approach the team directly.On Wednesday, the quartet appeared on television and launched a vicious attack on the board, demanding among other things that several key officials stand down. CK attempted to broker a solution, offering interim contracts with assurances that the issues would be addressed on the team’s return but this was declined.”It’s the same old story,” an insider said. “They are trying to use a tour as blackmail.” The role of the seemingly self-appointed gang of four was also heavily criticised. “We will not be put against a wall to deal with people like this.”An official statement said: “Cricket Kenya regards this conduct by these ‘players’ representatives’ as outrageous and disgraceful. Having regard to the gratuitously offensive nature of the allegations made and the questionable agenda of the former players involved, the Cricket Kenya Board unanimously resolved not to engage with these ‘player representatives’ any further.”The player representatives concerned had no authority whatsoever to go public in this way. They are neither accredited formally by the players nor are they part of a properly registered players association. Their sole function was to negotiate terms with Cricket Kenya on behalf of the players. The players’ contracts specifically forbid any player from engaging with the press and to criticize the national board. It is plain that their real motive was intended solely to undermine and embarrass Cricket Kenya.”Kenya’s cricketers are already highly paid, with senior players earning around $1500 a month, almost ten times the national average, and juniors around $800.Aside from the considerable loss of goodwill among those in England who have bent over backwards to accommodate the Kenyan tour, there is also concern over preparations for the World Cricket League Division One tournament which starts early next month. The squad has already been submitted to the ICC, although CK is believed to be prepared to send a weakened side if the stand-off continues.”Cricket Kenya stands by its decision and is determined not to be held to ransom by the national team – or by its so-called ‘representatives’- in this way,” the statement concluded.The position of Maurice Ouma as captain also appears untenable. He accompanied the four delegates to the original meeting and by refusing to even allow the board to talk to the team it seems likely he will be replaced.

England suffer a 68-run loss in Guyana as India avenge 2022 defeat, also at the semi-final stage

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2024Jos Buttler, England’s captain, admitted his team had been comprehensively outplayed in their 68-run defeat to India in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final in Guyana, but insisted his decision to bowl first after winning the toss had not been a significant factor in the result.After handing over first use of a spin-friendly surface that was liable to get slower and lower as the day went by, Buttler conceded that India’s total of 171 for 7 – thanks to 57 from 39 balls from his counterpart Rohit Sharma, ably backed up by Suryakumar Yadav’s 47 from 36 – was “20-25 runs too many”.In reply, England were rattled out for 103 in exactly 100 deliveries, with Axar Patel striking the key blow with his first ball of the match, in the fourth over of the powerplay, as Buttler top-edged a reverse-sweep to the keeper to depart for 23 from 15.Related

• Manjrekar: India had a 'clear advantage' in knowing their semi-final venue in advance

• Rohit, Axar and Kuldeep lead India's dismantling of England in semi-final

Thereafter, Axar struck with the first ball of each of his next two overs to remove Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali on his way to Player-of-the-Match-winning figures of 3 for 23, before Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wristspin ripped through an exposed middle-order to finish with 3 for 19.”They certainly outplayed us,” Buttler said at the post-match presentation. “I think maybe we let them get 20-25 runs too many. That was a challenging surface that they played well on. But they outplayed us and fully deserved the win.”Morning rain delayed the start of play by more than an hour, and returned to cause a further lengthy interlude midway through India’s innings, and England opted to stick to the same seam-heavy line-up that had carried them through the Super Eight, with Reece Topley and Chris Jordan both retained ahead of an extra spinner in Tom Hartley, as well as Ben Duckett’s prowess against the turning ball.In the final analysis, however, it was England’s chosen spinners, Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid who proved the most potent weapons, as they conceded a combined total of 49 runs in their eight overs (6.13 rpo), compared to 12 overs for 120 (10 rpo) from the four quicks.Moeen Ali, however, was overlooked, possibly as a consequence of the damp conditions early in India’s innings. Not only did Buttler admit he had erred in ignoring Moeen, he also admitted that the eventual impact of Rashid and Livingstone had caused him to fear what India’s potent spin attack could achieve on the same surface.”Obviously, they’ve got some fantastic spinners,” Buttler said. “Our two guys bowled well, but in hindsight, I should have brought Moeen [on] in that innings, with the way that the spin was playing.”Obviously with the rain around in those conditions, I probably didn’t think it was going to change that much,” he added. “And I actually don’t think it really did. I thought they out-bowled us. They had an above-par score. So I don’t think necessarily the toss was the difference between the teams.”The result was every bit as comprehensive as England’s ten-wicket victory had been at the same stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Adelaide, after which Buttler’s men went on to become the first men’s team to hold both 50- and 20-over world titles at the same time.1:33

Dasgupta: Axar a standout performer from game one

Both those trophies have now been prised from England’s grasp, and while a semi-final exit is a significantly better defence than the team managed in the 50-over World Cup last year, England still exit the tournament after losing three of their four matches against major opponents.Their early loss to Australia left them needing favours to progress from the group stage, while their narrow defeat to South Africa in St Lucia condemned them to the tougher semi-final draw, where India were waiting to avenge that Adelaide result with what Rohit pointedly described as a “satisfying” performance.”Two years on, in different conditions, it’s very different,” Buttler said, when asked to reflect on his team’s changed fortunes. “Credit to India, they played a really good game of cricket and they deserve the win.”With everything that’s happened throughout the whole tournament, we’re really proud of everyone’s efforts to be here,” he added, recalling their fraught progression from Group 2, when only a late break in the clouds in Antigua had allowed them to take the field in a must-win match against Namibia.”You can only play who’s put in front of you. We’ve had lots of adversity throughout the competition. We’ve stuck together well as a group, and played some really good cricket in patches but came up short when we needed it most.”

Half-centuries for Dent, Bracey leave Worcestershire facing tricky final day

ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2023Gloucestershire 231 (T Price 109, Leach 4-49) and 172 for 3 (Dent 66*, Bracey 51) lead Worcestershire 157 (Dale 6-41, T Price 4-58) by 246 runsAjeet Singh Dale’s career-best bowling performance and half centuries from Chris Dent and James Bracey steered Gloucestershire into a powerful position heading into the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Worcestershire at New Road.Dale bowled with considerable pace to picked up the final three Worcestershire wickets on the third morning to finish with 6 for 41 from 17.1 overs as Gloucestershire established a first-innings lead of 74.It was his first ever five-for in first class cricket and then Dent fought his way through a testing time with the new ball before he and Bracey cemented Gloucestershire’s position of strength and extended their advantage to 220 before bad light intervened.For Worcestershire, there was the encouragement of Josh Tongue working up a good head of pace which brought him three wickets. But they can still expect to face a daunting target on the final day in what are still bowler-friendly conditions.After the wash-out of the second day, mobile heating apparatus was needed to dry out the bowlers run-ups at both ends before play was able to get underway at 12 noon with a minimum of 88 overs remaining.Seventeen wickets had fallen on the first day to a mixture of fine seam bowling and poor shot selection. Worcestershire resumed on 118 for 7 under cloudy skies and Dale polished off the innings after a morning spell of 7.1-2-18-3.He made his senior debut for Hampshire in 2020, playing two Championship games, before moving to Gloucestershire at the end of 2021 season.Dale made eight Championship appearances last summer and signed a two-year contract extension in January until the end of the 2025 campaign.He did not take a wicket in the opening game of the campaign against Glamorgan but was a constant threat to the Worcestershire batters.Matthew Waite, a century-maker in the opening game against Derbyshire, added only seven to his overnight 44 before he pushed at a delivery and edged to second slip.Tongue survived 52 balls for 11 before he lost his leg stump to Dale to complete his first five-for in first class cricket. Dale then wrapped up proceedings when Dillon Pennington drove at a delivery and gave keeper James Bracey his fifth catch of the innings.Price finished with 4 for 58 from 16 overs to add to his maiden first class century on day one.When Gloucestershire batted, Dent had a let off on six when Ed Pollock failed to hold onto a head high chance at first slip off Joe Leach.Dent and Marcus Harris were given a searching examination against the new ball and there was much playing and missing but they fought their way through to raise the half-century stand in 18 overs.Tongue bowled an impressive initial spell and eventually made a breakthrough when Harris (26) deliberately tried to uppercut over the slips and was caught behind.There continued to be enough in the pitch to encourage the bowlers.But Dent began to grow in authority and confidence and greeted Brett D’Oliveira’s introduction into the attack with a straight six.He completed a 106 ball half century, his second of the season after his 78 versus Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.Tongue returned to have Bracey, 51, caught behind and, after a short break for bad light, accounted for Miles Hammond who attempted a pull but lobbed a catch to mid on.

Pair expected to be fit for the second Test; Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim jnr called up as cover

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2022Pakistan have suffered a massive blow ahead of their historic first Test against Australia with the loss of both Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf through injuries. Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim jnr have been called up to replace the pair, but the holes left by the injured pair will not be easily filled.Both Hasan and Ashraf were part of Islamabad United’s injury-hit PSL campaign that ended on Friday evening with their narrow loss to finalists Lahore Qalandar.Ashraf missed the game with a hamstring strain while Hasan played, but limped off towards the end of Lahore’s innings with what has now been confirmed as an abductor strain.The pair have been key to Pakistan’s Test side over the last year. Ashraf has been the seam-bowling allrounder Pakistan haven’t had for years and though he’s taken only 10 wickets in the eight Tests he played in 2021, he was essential in providing shape and discipline to the attack, as well as relief for the other bowlers – something successive Pakistan attacks over the years have lacked. With the bat he’s averaged nearly 40 through 2021.Related

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Hasan, meanwhile, was the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests last year, behind his team-mate Shaheen Shah Afridi and R Ashwin with 41 wickets at an average of just 16.The pair is expected to be fit for second Test, which starts in Karachi on March 12.”Faheem and Hasan will rejoin the squad in the coming week and, after completing their three-day mandatory isolation, integrate with the rest of the squad during the first Test. Both are expected to regain full fitness before the second Test that will be played in Karachi 12-16 March,” the PCB said.”Both Iftikhar and Wasim (chosen due to their all-round ability) will reach Islamabad tonight and start their three-day isolation at the team hotel, after which they will join the rest of the squad after clearing Covid tests.”The first Test begins in Rawalpindi on March 4, the first international game Australia have played in Pakistan in over 23 years.

Both teams will still need other results to go their way, but they themselves need to win first

Alagappan Muthu31-Oct-20206:34

Time for KKR to recall Kuldeep Yadav?

Big picture

Ben Stokes is firing, with bat and ball. Sanju Samson seems to have rediscovered his early season form. Jos Buttler is prepared to play finisher. And Jofra Archer – bubble fatigue or not – is almost unplayable. Talk about peaking at the almost-too-late-but-not-quite time.The Rajasthan Royals are still in IPL 2020. They will stay there with a victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday but they will need help from elsewhere if they are to qualify for the playoffs. Both teams will be keeping an especially watchful eye on the evening game because if the Kings XI Punjab win that, things get dicey.The Knight Riders are in a similar position. But the problem is their net run-rate (-0.467) is so low that they will not only have to win their last match, they have to hope no other team ties with them on 14 points.

In the news

If ever there was a time for Andre Russell, it is now. But the allrounder hasn’t played a game in two weeks and in the absence of any update from the Knight Riders, it is likely that he won’t be fit for this one either.

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Nitish Rana, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Sunil Narine, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Rinku Singh/Prasidh Krishna, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 11 Varun ChakravarthyRajasthan Royals: 1 Ben Stokes, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Jos Buttler, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Shreyas Gopal, 10 Varun Aaron/Ankit Rajpoot, 11 Kartik TyagiIntense, focused – Ben Stokes warms up•BCCI

Previous meeting

Defending 174, the Knight Riders’ fast bowlers Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti ripped through the Royals – four of the top five fell for single digits – to seal a 37-run win.

Strategy punt

• Sunil Narine is the Knight Riders’ best asset right now. And with their campaign hanging by a thread, they have to start the game well. Only, they aren’t taking any wickets in the powerplay. Well, they have eight across the whole season, which is the worst by any team. So maybe they should unleash their trump card in the first six overs. Plus, here are Narine’s T20 head-to-heads with the Royals’ top order: Stokes (17 balls, 17 runs, one dismissal), Samson (45 balls, 39 runs, three dismissals), Steven Smith (42 balls, 47 runs, two dismissals), Buttler (41 balls, 43 runs, two dismissals).
• The Royals have struggled to find a good bowling partner for Archer at the top of the innings. Perhaps they could try Shreyas Gopal. The legspinner is at his best in the powerplay (eight IPL wickets at an average of 13 and economy rate of 7), and he isn’t half bad at bowling to left-handers – the Knight Riders have a lot of those – with 13 IPL wickets at an average of 24.46 and economy rate of 7.45.

Stats that matter

• Stokes has shown dramatic improvement over the past two matches. Where he could only go at a strike rate of 110 in the powerplay during his first five matches of the season, he is now whacking it with a strike rate of 195.
• Varun Chakravarthy is the only fingerspinner with more than ten wickets this IPL. The only spinners with more than his tally (15) are Yuzvendra Chahal (18) and Rashid Khan (17).
• Samson has recorded the most 30-plus scores (five) for the Royals this year. He has recorded the most single-digit scores (six) for them as well.
• Fourteen of Archer’s 19 wickets this season have been of top-order batsmen. The next (and slightly distant) best is Chahal with ten top-order wickets.