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Vidarbha are chasing their third title, while this is the first time Kerala have qualified for the Ranji Trophy final

Shashank Kishore25-Feb-2025

Big picture: Kerala’s time under the sun

Have film stars and politicians ever been this excited about the Ranji Trophy? Kerala’s entry into their maiden final has ticked that box. And the manner of their getting there has been nothing less than a Lalettan blockbuster.It’s the biggest moment in the careers of many who come from a part of the country where there’s a culture of hero worship, but also where there have been only a few cricket heroes – like S Sreesanth and, more recently, Sanju Samson. But dig a little deeper and you find others with an impeccable body of work.Like KN Ananthapadmanabhan, now a recognised umpire who led Kerala to their biggest result in the mid-1990s, when they made the pre-quarter-finals in 1994-95. Or Feroze Rashid, who helped them qualify for the Ranji Trophy Super League after they emerged South Zone winners in 1996-97. Or VA Jagadeesh, a probationary bank officer who was one of the classical old-school openers of the early 2000s. The list is long, but they have usually flown under the radar.So, when the Sachin Baby-led squad takes the field in Nagpur on Wednesday, a state of 35 million known mainly for its football, will have their time under the sun. Their previous shot at a final in 2018-19 ended in heartbreak, but the current squad has a number of players from that game who are not only better off from the experience, but perhaps better equipped, a direct consequence of a more streamlined system.They are up against Vidarbha, two-time Ranji winners who are now beginning to regularly dominate the domestic scene. A state that for long wasn’t known for producing players by the truckloads for India, but is now a feeder line of talent. Like Jitesh Sharma, who took over the mantle from Umesh Yadav and has gone on to play for India in T20Is. Or Harsh Dubey, the season’s leading wicket-taker who R Ashwin has taken under his wing.Vidarbha’s growing investment in the age-group set-up, has helped churn out seasoned players like Atharva Taide, Yash Rathod and Yash Thakur. Led astutely by Akshay Wadkar, a rookie when they first won a title in 2017-18, there’s a strong core group that now includes senior professionals like Karun Nair and Dhruv Shorey.
Vidarbha are favourites, but Kerala have played like a team without baggage and will fight until the end, like they have time and again this season.Karun Nair has been in sparkling form this season•PTI

Form guide: Vidarbha on a roll

Vidarbha WWWWD
Kerala DDWDD

Run to the final: Two contrasting journeys

Vidarbha’s six wins in seven games were the most by a team in the group stage. Kerala got there on the back of just three wins, having pipped Karnataka and Bengal.Kerala made the final on the back of two first-innings leads in dramatic circumstances against Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat, while Vidarbha got here having ousted Tamil Nadu and defending champions Mumbai in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

In the spotlight: Aditya Sarwate and Karun Nair

Aditya Sarwate bowled 11 wicketless overs combined out of the 194.5 Vidarbha bowled across two innings in last year’s Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai, back spasms holding him back. He ended the season with 40 wickets, the most by a Vidarbha bowler, but soon found himself under scrutiny when his fitness and work ethic were questioned within the team. Sarwate is now Kerala’s second-highest wicket-taker this season and is coming off a sensational semi-final performance on the final day against Gujarat. Kerala will bank on Sarwate for plenty of intel on his former team at his home ground.Karun Nair was in his first season when he hit three centuries during a memorable Ranji Trophy triumph with Karnataka in 2013-14. In the final that followed next year, Nair hit a triple-century as Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu to win back-to-back titles. A decade later, he’s back among the runs in a big way. Having topped the charts with a record-breaking 779 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has the opportunity to trigger talks of an India comeback for the England Tests should he score big in the final.Aditya Thakare will be back for the final•PTI

Team news: Thakare and Nizar fit

Seamer Aditya Thakare, who picked up a five-for in the quarter-final against Tamil Nadu, missed the semi-final owing to a hamstring niggle. Thakare is fit and available for the final. That could mean Vidarbha leave out one of Darshan Nalkande and Nachiket Bhute.Vidarbha (likely XI): 1 Atharva Taide, 2 Dhruv Shorey, 3 Danish Malewar, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Yash Rathod, 6 Akshay Wadkar (capt, wk), 7 Harsh Dubey, 8 Parth Rekhade, 9 Nachiket Bhute/Darshan Nalkande, 10 Yash Thakur, 11 Aditya ThakareThe blow to his helmet in what was a tournament-defining moment for Kerala last week had left Salman Nizar concussed, but he has since recovered and is set to play. Kerala have no other injury concerns. They could bring back medium pacer Nedumankuzhy Basil in place of allrounder Ahammed Imran for better balance.Kerala (likely XI): 1 Akshay Chandran, 2 Rohan Kunnummal, 3 Varun Nayanar, 4 Sachin Baby (capt), 5 Jalaj Saxena, 6 Salman Nizar, 7 Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), 8 Aditya Sarwate, 9 MD Nidheesh, 10 Basil Thampi, 11 Nedumankuzhy Basil

Pitch and conditions

Nagpur is hot and dry already, with day temperatures touching the mid-30s (Celsius). The fresh surface in use for the final is believed to have a decent grass cover, to begin with, but the dryness will ensure cracks open up, allowing spin to come into the game from days three to five.

Stats and trivia

• Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey is three short of the all-time Ranji record for most wickets in a season. Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman currently holds the record with the 68 wickets that he picked up in 2018-19.
• Nizar is Kerala’s highest run-getter this season, with 607. Nearly 60% of those runs have come in the last three games.
• Vidarbha won the only Ranji final in Jamtha, Nagpur previously, when they beat Saurashtra in 2018-19.
• Sarwate, Vidarbha’s highest wicket-taker during that winning campaign (55 at 19.57), will be looking to win his third Ranji title, this time with Kerala.
• Rathod is 105 runs away from eclipsing Wasim Jaffer’s record for most runs in a single Ranji season by a Vidarbha batter. Jaffer aggregated 1037 during their winning campaign in 2018-19, with four hundreds and two fifties. Rathod has already hit five hundreds and three fifties this season.
  

  Quotes

  “He’s a sound leader – a performer who has shown the tenacity to withstand pressure and lead from the front. The entire team has resonated his fighting spirit through the season”
  .”In my first meeting with Amay [Khurasiya, head coach] sir in August, I told him we needed just two things: discipline and strengthening of our lower-order batting. I think so far we’ve delivered on both counts. Now, the talk within the group is we don’t have one game left, but two. Final and Irani Cup [between the Ranji winners and a rest of India team]. We are going in with that mindset”
  .

The India allrounder has ambitions of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-20259:02

Chopra on Iyer vice-captain, Axar over Jadeja and more

Ravindra Jadeja has said that he isn’t surprised by his non-selection for India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia and that the communication from the team management has been smooth. Jadeja, who will turn 37 this December, had retired from T20Is after winning the World Cup last year, but has ambitions of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup.”[Selection] is not in my hands. I want to play, for sure,” Jadeja said at his press conference after the second day’s play against West Indies in the Delhi Test. “[At the] end of the day, team management, selectors, coach and captain have their thoughts and they will have their reasons for not selecting me for this series. They have talked to me, it was not a surprise for me after the squad was announced.Related

• Kohli and Rohit selected in India's ODI squad for Australia

“It is a good thing that they communicated the reason behind my omission. I am happy about that. But whenever I get a chance next, I will try and do what I have done all these years. If I get a chance in the World Cup and there are many ODIs before and if I do well there, it will be a good thing for Indian cricket. Winning a World Cup is everyone’s dream. We had narrowly missed out the last time, the next time we will try and make up for it.2:56

Jadeja: ‘I don’t think about captaincy and vice-captaincy anymore’

Jadeja’s omission was among five changes from the ODI squad that had won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March. After announcing the squads, Ajit Agarkar, India’s chief selector, however, suggested that Jadeja is still part of their future plans in ODI cricket.”With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said at the time. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE].”At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washy [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Jadeja has played 204 ODIs so far, taking 231 wickets to go with 2806 runs. In his most recent ODI assignment, the Champions Trophy, he came away with five wickets in five innings at an economy rate of 4.35.India will play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.

Rasooli’s maiden international half-century took Afghanistan to what was a match-winning 153

Abhimanyu Bose13-Dec-2024Darwish Rasooli’s maiden international half-century propelled Afghanistan to 153 for 6 before their bowlers delivered to help Afghanistan comfortably win the second T20I against Zimbabwe and draw level in the series with one to play.Zimbabwe won a last-ball thriller to post their first T20I victory over Afghanistan on Wednesday, but the visitors ensured there was no drama this time around, routing the home side by 50 runs with 14 balls to spare.Rasooli found support from Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib to prop up Afghanistan. Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan then picked up three wickets each, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman dealt a crucial double-blow in the middle overs.

Afghanistan stutter in the powerplay again

Afghanistan’s top order failed to fire for the second game in a row; they lost three wickets in the space of nine balls to finish the powerplay on 41 for 3 – a minor improvement on their 34 for 4 in the first T20I.Rahmanullah Gurbaz got going with a boundary punched through square in the first over, while Sediqullah Atal hit Blessing Muzarabani for two fours through the off side in the second.But Trevor Gwandu made an instant impact, striking with his first ball, Gurbaz spooning a catch to mid-off. Two balls later Zubaid Akbari was run out trying to pinch a single to backward point that was never there.Trevor Gwandu struck with his first ball of the match•AFP/Getty Images

Atal tried to keep Afghanistan’s momentum going, pulling Muzarabani in front of square for his third boundary off the seamer, but Muzarabani had the last laugh as he had Atal caught at cover point next ball.Afghanistan could have lost a fourth wicket in the powerplay thanks to another mix-up, but Azmatullah Omarzai survived. Rasooli got going with a pickup shot behind square off Gwandu, and then lofted Wellington Masakadza over extra cover in the first over without fielding restrictions.

Burl pegs Afghanistan back with a double-strike

Omarzai, who took some time to settle, pulled a Sikandar Raza half-tracker over midwicket for the first six of the match in the tenth over.He followed that up with another six down the ground in the next over but holed out trying to hit Ryan Burl in the same areas. Brian Bennett took an excellent catch running across to his left from long-on, catching it high and throwing it up before taking one step outside the boundary rope and coming back in to complete the catch.In his next over, Burl dropped one short and Nabi miscued a pull to deep midwicket’s left and Wessly Madhevere held on to a screamer at full stretch. Now Afghanistan had half their side back in the hut.

Naib fined for breaching ICC code of conduct

Gulbadin Naib has been fined 15% of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the second T20I. He breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.”

Rasooli gives Afghanistan late surge

Rasooli slapped Gwandu over mid-off in the next over before going downtown again when Burl almost pulled off yet another fantastic parried-grab on the boundary, but replays showed he had made contact with the ground outside the boundary rope at the wrong moment.Naib then edged a four off Raza, as Afghanistan collected 22 runs from the two overs after Nabi’s wicket.The best was yet to come. In the penultimate over, Rasooli hit Ngarava for three fours on the trot, bringing up his maiden T20I fifty in the process. That was 17 for the over, and Afghanistan were in sight of 150. Gwandu got him in the final over and conceded just the six runs though, to keep Zimbabwe’s target down to 154.

Omarzai, Naveen deal early blows

Zimbabwe started to build momentum from the second over of their chase, with both openers hitting Mujeeb for a four each before Bennett dispatched Naveen over deep midwicket for six.But soon enough Naveen spotted Tadiwanashe Marumani coming down the track and pulled his length back and the batter ended up slashing it to deep backward point.Omarzai struck with another short ball, having Dion Myers caught at deep backward square.Brian Bennett could not carry on after getting a good start•AFP/Getty Images

Mujeeb derails Zimbabwe’s chase

Mujeeb came back in the attack immediately after the powerplay and had Madhevere hitting a drive straight to short cover.In his next over, he bamboozled Bennett as he got one to turn past his outside edge and just clip the off bail.Rashid then joined in the fun when he trapped Burl in front trying to sweep and at 57 for 5, Zimbabwe were on the ropes.

Naveen, Rashid close the game out

Tashinga Musekiwa, who hit the winning runs off the final ball of the first T20I, took Mujeeb on in his final over, driving him through extra cover and launching him over long-on off consecutive deliveries.But Musekiwa’s counterattack was short-lived; Naveen rushed him with pace in the next over and he miscued a simple catch to cover.Rashid then struck twice in an over and the game was all but done.Naveen had Raza caught at deep midwicket in the 17th, and Fareed Malik finished things off castling Muzarabani next over.

Rutherford and Motie put on a WI record ninth-wicket stand but it was in vain

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Oct-2024Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie put on a record-breaking 119-run ninth-wicket stand, before Motie and Alzarri Joseph struck once apiece inside the powerplay. Aside from these stretches of dominance though, Sri Lanka ran away with the game.Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Asitha Fernando had sent West Indies crashing to 58 for 8, before that ninth-wicket resistance came. Then, after the loss of two early wickets, Sri Lanka recovered through a 62-run partnership between Sadeera Samarawickrama and Nishan Madushka, before the in-form Charith Asalanka came in to produce a fluent half-century, and take Sri Lanka to a substantial victory, and another series victory under his fledgling captaincy.Though the pitch for this 44-over match – drizzle had delayed the start by two hours – was exceedingly spin friendly (it was the same track used for Sunday’s game), 190 was always going to be a challenge to defend. Where Sri Lanka’s spinners were able to be consistently menacing, often getting significant turn even off faster deliveries, West Indies’ slow bowlers did not quite have the same impact.Motie was their best slow bowler, conceding only 18 from his nine overs, and taking the wicket of Kusal Mendis. But legspinner Hayden Walsh was underwhelming, guilty of pitching far too short and being picked off – he went for 41 runs off his five overs. Roston Chase was also only moderately effective. In fact it was seamer Alzarri Joseph who collected the innings’ best figures of 2 for 30.Although Hasaranga would go on to get more wickets, it was Theekshana who was the best of Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers, and Theekshana who set the collapse in motion with a gorgeous offbreak that beat the outside of left-hander Alick Athanaze’s bat and clip off stump. The offbreak turned big on this surface, and he threatened both right-handers and left-handers with it, going to the carrom ball only occasionally. The lines Theekshana bowled were mostly impeccable.Later, a big offbreak would sneak between Keacy Carty’s bat and pad and rattle his stumps as well, before a slider beat the wild reverse-swipe that Walsh attempted off Theekshana in the 15th over. He collected figures of 3 for 25 off nine overs.Hasaranga’s googlies were doing their usual damage, with Chase suckered in by one that was flighted beautifully. Hasaranga had to work less hard for the wickets of Romario Shepherd, and Alzarri Joseph, who didn’t fancy picking him. He’d take the final wicket of the innings too, getting Jayden Seales caught and bowled, and took home the game’s best figures of 4 for 40.Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie put on a record 119 runs for the ninth wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Fernando’s 3 for 35 was especially impressive on a track that did not favour him. He dismissed Brandon King with a surprise bouncer that King played at too early, before bowling Shai Hope with a slightly back of a length delivery that the batter dragged on to his stumps. That he broke the big Rutherford-Motie stand was also significant, even if the wicket of Rutherford came off a low full toss.In fact, Rutherford had been struggling terribly before Motie joined him at the crease in the 16th over and provided the early impetus for their partnership. The No. 10 struck important boundaries, off Hasaranga especially, and by the end of the 25th over had 35 runs to Rutherford’s 33, though Rutherford had been there longer and faced more balls.This is the point at which Rutherford began to attack however, having earlier seemed bewildered by every spinner Sri Lanka employed against him. There were suddenly sixes down the ground and on the legside from Rutherford – one hoick over deep square leg off Asalanka’s bowling taking him to his half century, off 57 balls. He continued to hit out until he was caught on the deep square leg boundary in the 35th over, having hit four sixes and seven fours. His 80 off 82 was the highest score in the game.Later, after Samarawickrama and Madushka – both of whom made 38 – had lifted Sri Lanka out of immediate danger, Asalanka’s entry into the game sent them smoothly off towards the five-wicket victory that would eventuate with 34 balls remaining.The hallmark of a good Asalanka innings is his early boundary-striking ability, and so it was here – spotting a full delivery outside off from the opposition’s best seamer second ball, Asalanka creamed it through point for four. In Joseph’s next over, Asalanka crashed him through square leg and drilled him through cover for two more fours, having also slog-swept Roston Chase for a boundary in between. In a flash he was on 20 off 14.Though the tempo slowed, he got to his half century off the 48th ball he faced, and went on to shepherd Sri Lanka home, remaining not out on 62 off 61 balls.

The Strikers’ slim playoff chances take further beating while the Sixers moved to the top of the ladder

Tristan Lavalette15-Jan-2025Steven Smith produced another blistering BBL innings before Hayden Kerr and Sean Abbott kept their cool at the death as Sydney Sixers completed a nerve-jangling chase that has almost ended Adelaide Strikers’ slim finals prospects.Chasing 183 at the Adelaide Oval, Smith’s red-hot form continued with a rapid half-century but his dismissal sparked a collapse. Sixers slumped to 92 for 5, but they rallied through their batting depth.They still needed 16 off the last seven deliveries before Kerr smashed a tossed up delivery from legspinner Lloyd Pope over the rope. He then hit quick Henry Thornton for a boundary off the second ball of the final over before Abbott hit the winning run off the penultimate delivery.Sixers moved to the top of the ladder, while Strikers need a miracle to progress into the finals.

Smith dominates early, Kerr steps up late

All eyes were on Smith after his blistering ton against Perth Scorchers in his BBL return. With three centuries in his last seven BBL matches, he clearly enjoys letting his hair down for Sixers, who he captained to the title in the competition’s first season.Smith’s unbelievable BBL record continued with 52 off 31 balls and he started with a third ball six after launching quick Brendan Doggett over the legside. He smashed four sixes with the loud whack coming off the bat music to the ears of the Sixers.Smith’s best shot might have been a back-foot smoke off Thornton that sped to the boundary like a tracer bullet. He scored 34 of the 47 runs in the powerplay before shifting gears with the field spread around.But Smith’s dismissal to Jamie Overton just before drinks triggered a collapse with Jordan Silk falling later in the 10th over lbw after an unsuccessful review. Skipper Moises Henriques, who had called for the review, then was adjudged lbw to spinner Lloyd Pope, but he was livid with the decision having inside edged onto his pads.Sixers slumped to 92 for 5 before Ben Dwarshuis and Lachlan Shaw produced a brisk half-century partnership. They were unable to see Sixers home but Kerr stepped against Strikers, once again, having memorably lifted them home in the Challenger final of BBL 11.His six off Pope – who was brought on in a gamble by skipper Matthew Short – was perhaps the game-changing moment.
Overton finishes season on a highStrikers’ season appeared in ruins under an avalanche from Smith, who reached his half-century off just 27 balls. But Overton had other ideas in his last BBL match before linking up with his England teammates for the white-ball tour of India,He entered the attack just before drinks and produced a thick edge off Smith that flew to short third. Overton then trapped Silk lbw later in a game-changing over.Strikers were not able to get over the line, but Overton can be well pleased with his season. The firebrand has become a fan favourite for Strikers but a villain for opposition supporters to be of the characters of this BBL season.Lloyd Pope celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Chohan unleashed, Shaw sparkles in field

Sixers, in trademark style, were a well oiled machine in the first 10 overs after electing to bowl. Henriques brilliantly rang the changes as he rotated his four quicks during the powerplay.He then threw the ball to offspinner Todd Murphy, who claimed D’Arcy Short and Alex Carey in – curiously – his only over of the innings.Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner, finally made his BBL debut after being a surprise selection in the draft. He varied his speeds nicely and finished with 0-30 from 4 overs.Sixers weren’t quite as slick after drinks, with their quicks unable to execute. For the second straight game, Abbott struggled badly at the death to cap a forgettable performance.But 22-year-old Shaw did provide some cheer in the field. In just his fourth BBL game, Shaw produced an outstanding piece of fielding on the legside rope where he acrobatically flicked the ball back into play to prevent a boundary.Shaw, who is normally a wicketkeeper, produced another spectacular effort in the outfield after a diving catch – having misjudged initially – amid very windy conditions to dismiss Alex Ross.

Strikers recover well after top-order collapse

In Strikers’ last match, they flayed Brisbane Heat and racked up the second highest score in BBL history. Matthew Short starred with a belligerent century, but he was confronted by a surface that wasn’t as rock hard and he walked to the crease without opening partner Chris Lynn, who suffered a hamstring injury in that match.Short looked to continue where he left off with a boundary straight down the ground off Jack Edwards, who earlier in the day was named the new Australia A captain.But Short could not replicate the shot, merely hitting Edwards straight up in the air in the first of three reckless dismissals.Carey missed out on the run glut against Heat and he appeared keen to make up for it with three early boundaries. But Carey fell tamely after the powerplay, picking out deep midwicket two balls after D’Arcy Short was clean bowled by Murphy having failed to execute a reverse sweep.It was left to Ross and Ollie Pope, who made their move after taking the power surge in the 12th over.Ross nailed several drives through the offside, but Pope was more fluent and reached his half-century off 35 balls before Overton provided a late flurry in the death overs.Harry Manenti hit a six in his debut to complete an impressive Strikers recovery. Manenti, who has represented Italy in international cricket, was presented his cap by his brother Ben – a Sixers squad member.

Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will return to the side for the opening match in Barbados

Andrew McGlashan19-Jun-20252:14

Cummins: The new WTC cycle feels like a reset

Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped for the first Test against West Indies and Steven Smith ruled out through injury with Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis named as their replacements.The two changes were confirmed five days before the opening Test in Barbados on June 25, meaning Australia will have a significantly different batting line-up to the World Test Championship final against South Africa.Related

• Australia's new-look batting order 'prepared for anything'

• 'Emotions got to me' – Konstas keen to settle into Test cricket

• 'Good enough to play that role' – Voges backs Inglis as top-four Test batter

• Smith avoids surgery, faces race to be fit for West Indies Tests

• Australia's batting issues: questions surround Khawaja, Labuschagne, Konstas and Green

Konstas will earn his third cap having not featured since the two outings against India which began with his 60 off 65 balls on debut at the MCG. Inglis scored a century on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier this year.Labuschagne had been moved to up to open in the WTC final, with the selectors opting for a last show of faith, but came away with scores of 17 and 22 to continue a two-year lean run in Test cricket.Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the Test side for the first time since 2019•Getty Images

“Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “He understands his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively.”Smith, meanwhile, suffered a compound dislocation to the little finger on his right hand when dropping a chance offered by Temba Bavuma on the third day at Lord’s. He avoided surgery but has to wear a splint for eight weeks. However, there is hope he will be able to play later in the West Indies series.”Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we’ll give him another week’s rest and assess his functionality after that,” Bailey said. “We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers.”In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition.”The final XI and the batting order will be confirmed closer to the Test, although Konstas will likely open with Usman Khawaja. Depending on conditions there is a chance Australia could go opt for two frontline spinners with Matt Kuhnemann partnering Nathan Lyon.

Opener shared a 209-run stand with Australia A skipper Jason Sangha who also made an unbeaten 121

AAP22-Jul-2025Darwin-born Jake Weatherald sealed a happy homecoming and put his name in the conversation surrounding Australia’s opening batter conundrum for the Ashes with an imperious century for Australia A against Sri Lanka A.Starting day three of the second four-day game on 45, Tasmania’s Weatherald powered to 183 in a magnificent 275-ball innings punctuated by 16 fours and two sixes.Australia A captain Jason Sangha made an unbeaten 121, his third first-class century in his last five innings dating back to the end of the Sheffield Shield season. The pair’s 209-run third-wicket stand, after Kurtis Patterson made 59 in a 134-run second-wicket stand with Weatherald, took Australia A from 76 for 1 on resumption to a strong 379 for 3 by stumps on Tuesday, in reply to Sri Lanka A’s 485 for 6 declared.With the Darwin pitch ideal for batting, the chance of a result looks slim, with the series poised to end 0-0 after game one finished in a stalemate.Most discussion out of the match, then, may centre on Weatherald after the 30-year-old made hay on the Marrara Cricket Ground pitch to score his 13th first-class century.Coming after his 54 in his only innings in game one, the knock was a timely reminder to national selectors as they weigh top-order options for this summer’s home Ashes after a bleak tour of the West Indies for openers. Usman Khawaja has averaged 15.37 in his last eight Test innings and will turn 39 during the Ashes. The 19-year-old Sam Konstas fared even worse when recalled to partner Khawaja in the recent 3-0 Test series romp in the Caribbean, averaging 8.33 and looking well short of the finished article. Nathan McSweeney – dropped after averaging 14.40 through his first three Tests last summer against India – made 94 for Australia A last week to push his case for a possible recall, but failed on Monday in the second match, making 12.Jason Sangha brought up a century from No. 4•Cricket Australia

Into calculations for a top-of-the-order Test debut in the Ashes comes Weatherald, who opened for Australia A and raised his century on Tuesday off 146 deliveries, scoring in virtually every part of the ground.The left-hand batter is coming off the finest summer of his career, in which he topped the Sheffield Shield competition with 905 runs.His three Shield centuries – as with his effort on Tuesday – showed his capacity to push on to make a big hundred, scoring 186 against Queensland, 155 against Victoria, and 145 against New South Wales.On Tuesday, he and Patterson progressed their second-wicket partnership to 134 before Patterson was caught at point for 59 reaching for a wide delivery from paceman Asanka Manoj.Weatherald and Sangha piled on 209 for the third wicket before Weatherald was bowled by offspinner Nuwanidu Fernando.

“When, as a batsman, you start taking pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, that’s when you know you’re playing good cricket”

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2025Virat Kohli cut through the tension in yet another crucial chase to confirm India’s spot in the final of the Champions Trophy. His 84 off 98 in Dubai helped them chase down 265 against ODI World Cup holders, Australia, on a tricky pitch.”This game is all about pressure, especially big games like semis and finals, and if you go deep into the innings, and you have enough wickets in hand, the opposition usually gives in, and the game becomes easier,” Kohli said after picking up the Player-of-the-Match award. “It’s very important to control your impulses while the game is going on.”For me, what’s important is to know the number of overs and the number of runs left, even if the gap’s 25-30 and it comes to six an over, I’m not bothered if we have seven or six wickets in hand, because then you know, two set batters and we can turn the game around. The opposition can only come into the game with wickets. That was the plan out there.”Related

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• Kohli's 84 sends India into Champions Trophy final

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Kohli went out to bat in the fifth over with India on 30 for 1. His 91-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer, followed by 44 and 47 with Axar Patel and KL Rahul respectively, took India close, before Rahul and Hardik Pandya applied the finishing touches.Fifty-six of Kohli’s 84 runs came in singles, and his 98-ball knock included just five fours and no sixes. Kohli, who had steered the chase against Pakistan at the same venue earlier in the tournament, said that the conditions dictated his approach.”It was pretty similar to the other day against Pakistan. That was about seven fours when I got to the hundred. For me, it’s about understanding the conditions, preparing my game accordingly, just rotating strike because partnerships – on this pitch – are the most important thing,” he said. “My only effort that day and today was to string in enough partnerships. It’s all dependent on the conditions; the pitch tells me how the cricket needs to be played and I just switch on and play accordingly.”And so Kohli didn’t go chasing the boundaries, up until the 43rd over, when he backed himself to deposit Adam Zampa’s wrong’un beyond long-on but found the fielder.”My timing, the composure at the crease, I wasn’t feeling desperate,” Kohli said. “I was happy knocking ones around. When, as a batsman, you start taking pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, that’s when you know you’re playing good cricket, and you know you’re in for a big partnership, settle the nerves down a little bit, and head towards chasing the total down. That, for me, in the game against Pakistan and today, was the most pleasing thing for me.”Now India will wait on the winner of the New Zealand-South Africa semi-final, which will take place in Lahore on Wednesday. On Sunday, they will meet the winner of that bout in the final in Dubai.

Khurram Shahzad has not fully recovered from the side injury he picked up during the Bangladesh series

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2024Pakistan have retained Shan Masood as their captain for the first match of their three-Test series against England, which begins in Multan on October 7. Aamer Jamal has found a place in their 15-member squad following his return from a back issue, while Khurram Shahzad, who took a six-wicket haul in the second Test against Bangladesh, misses out having failed to fully recover from an injury to his left side.Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who didn’t feature in the Bangladesh series, returns to the side as a second frontline spin option alongside Abrar Ahmed.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There was some scrutiny around Masood’s position in the aftermath of the 2-0 home Test series defeat to Bangladesh earlier this month, but he retains the role for now, with Pakistan looking to overturn a run of poor results in the longest format. They have lost each of their last five Test matches, all with Masood in charge, and they are on a 10-match winless streak in home Tests.One piece of positive news for Pakistan is the return of the fast-bowling allrounder Jamal, their most impressive performer on their 2023-24 tour of Australia. Jamal has been dealing with lower-back issues over recent months, and didn’t take part in the series against Bangladesh. He has since returned to 50-overs action in the Champions Cup.This is counterbalanced, however, by the absence of Shahzad. He picked up the side injury during the second Test against Bangladesh, and was expected to be fit in time for the England series when a fracture was ruled out, but he hasn’t yet staged a complete recovery.Top-order batter Kamran Ghulam and fast bowler Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh series, have been left out. A PCB release said both “remain firmly in the selectors’ plans. However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket.”The players selected in the Test squad have been withdrawn from the Champions Cup playoffs to enable them to rest before the start of the England series. The squad will assemble in Multan on September 30, with their pre-series training camp starting on October 1.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England

Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Seam-bowling allrounder Johann Layne has replaced him in the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2025West Indies seamer Matthew Forde has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan that starts in Tarouba from Friday. Forde suffered a shoulder dislocation earlier on Wednesday while attempting a catch during a training session.Johann Layne, the West Indies academy seam-bowling allrounder, has replaced Forde in the squad. Layne is among the seamers that impressed Ian Bishop, who called him “rangy, tall and intelligent”.Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd and Jediah Blades are the quicks in their ODI squad with Gudakesh Motie as their frontline wristspinner. Alzarri Joseph has been rested. West Indies would also miss Forde’s talent with the bat lower down the order; he holds the ODI record for fastest fifty (16 balls), achieved in May against Ireland.Related

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West Indies lost the T20I series against Pakistan 2-1 in Lauderhill, but are looking to claim a fourth-straight ODI series with the tour moving to Trinidad & Tobago. It is only their fifth ODI series since the start of 2023, but come into the contest having beaten England twice (2-1, on both occasions) and Bangladesh once (3-0).The 50-over game has been a difficult format for West Indies in recent history, missing out on the last two ICC tournaments for ODIs. Their qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup is also far from guaranteed as they are ranked tenth in the rankings. West Indies realistically need to finish within the top nine – one place higher than they are – to secure automatic passage at the cut-off date. A series win against Pakistan, ranked six places above them, would help them significantly.