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Forty-eight hours from the start of the day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide, India know what their batting order is going to look like, particularly who their openers are going to be.”I’ve been told [my position],” KL Rahul, who began the Border-Gavaskar series as opener, said on Wednesday. “But I’ve also been told not to share it. We’ll have to wait for day one or maybe when the captain [Rohit Sharma] comes here tomorrow.”So it seems Rohit, who has been a regular for India at the top of the order for the last five years, has made his decision. He batted at No. 4 in Canberra, where Virat Kohli didn’t take part in the practice game against a Prime Minister’s XI. That was the only opportunity India had to face the pink ball in a match situation and it feels telling that they were happy with Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top.Related

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India have since moved to Adelaide and spent two sessions at the nets, getting used to the rhythms of day-night cricket, and they have found it quite enlightening. Rahul said it hasn’t always been straightforward to see the ball out of the hand. Mohammed Siraj said holding it in the hand can feel a bit weird at the start. Those are steps one and two of batting and bowling and they are almost having to re-learn it. Only eight members of this squad have ever played day-night Test cricket and of those only three – Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin – have experienced the quirks of this format in Australia.These quirks rise out of the pink ball having a few extra layers of lacquer to protect it from wearing and tearing too quickly and that seems to have a significant impact in the way it behaves. “[It] seems a bit harder than the red ball,” Rahul said. “While fielding as well, you can feel it hitting your hand a lot. A lot quicker and a lot harder. Same with batting. It just seems to get to you much quicker than the red ball.”It does seam around a little bit more than the red ball [too]. So that’s the challenge we’re looking forward to. For me it’s exciting because it’s my first pink-ball game. So I’m going in with a clean state. I’ll go there and see what really happens. And try and face up to whatever comes my way.”These few days have only been about understanding how the ball reacts. And how easy or hard it is to play against the pink ball. If you look at all the games that have been played with the pink ball, it hasn’t really lasted a long time.”So that tells you that there will be a lot of help for the fast bowlers. And there will be a lot of seam movement. That’s something that we faced even in the nets. But that happened even in Perth on day one. There was a lot of seam movement. And I’m sure that will be the same [in Adelaide].”There are strategies unique to day-night Test cricket as well. Australia, who have won every day-night match in Adelaide, typically try to bat first, bat big, and set themselves up to bowl at twilight on day two. The 15-20 minutes leading into sunset – which will be around 8pm local time – and the 15-20 minutes after that are the times teams pay particular attention to.”It’s just getting used to seeing the ball off someone’s hand and just getting used to that,” Rahul said. “And I feel like that’s step one of a batter. If you can pick that, then you give yourself the best chance to react and be in good positions. So yeah, that’s been something that all batters have been speaking about and trying to play a lot more balls so that you get used to it.”The curator Damian Hough will be leaving 6mm of grass on the Adelaide pitch – same as the 36 all out game and same as a few nail-biting games in the Sheffield Shield this season. South Australia hung on for a nervy draw against Western Australia in the closing stages of day four, helped a little bit by some rain. There are thundershowers forecast for Friday, the first day of the Test match, but from there on the weather should be clear and conducive for cricket.”Everything seems to stay the same,” Hough said about the pitch he is preparing. “So it’s, of course, matted grass, even grass cover, good, deep moisture, but dry and hard. So, something where quicks will get a bit out of it, spinners will be able to get some height and bounce, but also important for [batters] to get some partnerships in at the most, and be able to play their shots.”Both teams have, like, elite bowlers, world-class bowlers. I mean, we’ve seen enough day-nighters to know that if you get the new rock under lights with two new batters in, that it can be very tricky. So, you know, the teams obviously play that game and adapt and are quite tactical when they do that. If there’s an opportunity to get the new ball under lights, it’ll be tricky. So if they don’t, which the Shield pitch showed, that if you didn’t get the new ball under lights and you had a couple of set batters in, you’re able to see through some night-time cricket.”

When Liverpool renewed Virgil van Dijk’s contract, they did more than just tie their star defender down to a new two-year deal.

Van Dijk is more than a world-class centre-back; he’s more, even, than a peerless skipper. The Netherlands icon has transcended his post as one of Liverpool’s star players, immortalising his name in Liverpool lore, right up there alongside Alan Hansen.

Yes, yes, he turns 34 next month. And, well, yes, Liverpool will need to be more careful in managing their captain’s minutes as he reaches the autumn days of his illustrious Premier League career.

But Van Dijk leads by example, and that’s on and off the field. He’s more than a defender; he’s a leader and rousing force. Tune in to Liverpool on the television, and you’ll hear the 6 foot 4 star baying at his teammates before heading out of the tunnel, switching them into gear.

Let’s enjoy him while we can, because FSG’s transfer chief, Richard Hughes, is already hard at work trying to secure a long-term heir.

Liverpool's efforts to sign the next Van Dijk

Dean Huijsen was written in the stars to succeed Van Dijk at Anfield. After a stunning breakout campaign at Bournemouth last year, the 20-year-old became one of the most sought-after young players in Europe, hailed for his incredible potential.

Van Dijk left Southampton to sign for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, and Huijsen could have followed a similar path, each proving a cut above. Moreover, Huijsen, while a Spanish international, was born and reared in Amsterdam to Dutch parents before relocating to Spain when he was five.

It felt like the perfect move for the player, moving to Liverpool, emulating one of the greatest defenders of his generation – and technically a countryman at that.

Well, Real Madrid clearly turned a blind eye to such a poetic story, for they brushed Premier League competition aside to activate the prodigy’s £50m release clause and bring him home.

Arne Slot still needs a new central defender, and while Huijsen is a one-of-a-kind talent, there might just be an alternative option waiting across the continent, having been of a vested interest to Liverpool in the past.

Liverpool enter race for new centre-back

Huijsen’s off the cards, yada yada, but he’s not the only talented centre-back looking to take the next step in his career.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Liverpool are interested in Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio, 23, once again, having been routinely linked with the dynamic defender across the past couple of years.

The left-footed defender has a €60m (£50m) release clause in his contract, but suitors are optimistic that they can engineer a more agreeable figure.

However, with Manchester United and Newcastle United thought to be interested too, FSG will need to up the ante if they wish to find a fitting long-term Van Dijk heir.

What Goncalo Inacio would bring to Liverpool

Inacio has yet to compete away from his Portuguese homeland, but he hasn’t exactly done that badly in Portugal, appearing 213 times for Sporting after graduating from their academy.

Journalist Antonio Mango has drawn attention to Inacio’s “insane” range of passing, and that’s corroborated by the data, for Inacio has completed an average of 89% of his passes across his senior career, as recorded by WhoScored.

Moreover, Inacio’s aerial ability suggests he could offer a similar level of ability in that regard as Huijsen, whose rangy frame and composure, leading to expert timing, is something that would have seen him exceed expectations when stepping into Van Dijk’s boots at Liverpool.

His modern-tailored style is exactly what Liverpool are looking for, and he’s a left-sided centre-back besides. To add further substance to the argument, this is a player who has been tracked by Liverpool for a number of years, and he’s only got better and better.

Having been an influential member of a two-time Liga Portugal-winning backline in recent years, Inacio has fostered the perfect mentality for a place in Liverpool’s first team, and he’s also blessed with a technical level that most other central defenders across Europe can only dream of.

Most, but not all. Huijsen can certainly throw down with the Portuguese ace on that front, and when racking up the respective players’ skills against each other, you can see that both offer similar qualities.

Goals + assists

0.20

0.19

Touches

91.48

74.94

Pass completion

89.7%

83.4%

Passes attempted

83.61

60.26

Progressive passes

7.34

4.89

Progressive carries

1.28

1.52

Shot-creating actions

1.72

1.59

Ball recoveries

4.67

3.89

Tackles + interceptions

2.75

3.23

Clearances

2.91

7.34

Blocks

1.08

1.48

Aeriel duels won

2.04

2.52

Huijsen is a strong defender, but his range of passing and creativity, his ability to play through the lines, are the facets which define him as a future superstar.

Inacio perhaps outperforms him in that regard, and if placed in Slot’s high-flying Liverpool system, you can only imagine the progress he could make, following the likes of Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch in making remarkable progress under the Dutchman’s wing.

Further to the point, Inacio made only one defensive error across his 28 top-flight appearances last term, whereas Huijsen made four playing for Bournemouth in the Premier League, albeit playing at what is considered a higher level, in more intense and rigorous conditions.

He’s not perfect, but the Portugal international has the making of an elite-level defender, and he could prove the dream Huijsen alternative if signed this summer, learning from Van Dijk over the next couple of years before breaking away from the Reds legend’s shadow and becoming a sensation in his own right down the line.

The dream XI Liverpool could build: Wirtz signs & "the next Mbappe" arrives

Liverpool are making sweeping changes in the transfer market as Slot prepares to defend his PL title.

3 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 3, 2025

England captain says line has been drawn under “blackface” issue ahead of Bangladesh challenge

Andrew Miller04-Oct-2024

Heather Knight will lead England’s World Cup challenge in the UAE•Getty Images

Heather Knight, England’s captain, says that the challenge of leading her team into the Women’s T20 World Cup has her full focus, and insists that “the line has already been drawn” on the disciplinary measures taken against her for a historic “blackface” photograph that appeared on social media recently.Knight, 33, was last week reprimanded and given a suspended £1000 fine by the Cricket Discipline Commission, after a compromising fancy-dress photograph surfaced on Facebook, dating back to a party in 2012, when she was 21. While it was accepted by the Cricket Regulator that there was “no racist intent in her conduct”, Knight said in a statement that she was “truly sorry” and had “long regretted it”.Now, speaking on the eve of England’s T20 World Cup opener, against Bangladesh in Sharjah on Saturday, Knight turned the focus squarely to the task at hand for her team, as they seek to improve on their semi-final finish at the last event in South Africa two years ago, and land their first ICC global title since 2017.Related

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“It was obviously something that has been ongoing the last couple of months and it is something, as far as I am concerned, that has been addressed, and something that was a long time ago, so it hasn’t been in my mind at all,” Knight said.”The line has already been drawn, in my opinion, so I am really excited, obviously, for what is to come. We have got super supportive group, there is no doubt about that, so yeah, I’m pretty happy to get cracking with the cricket.”England came through an unbeaten home summer, winning 13 out of 14 matches against New Zealand and Pakistan, with only a washout at Taunton denying them a clean sweep. In addition to Bangladesh, they will play against Scotland, West Indies and South Africa in the World Cup group stage, with their two likeliest rivals for the title, Australia and India, awaiting them in the other half of the draw.”Australia are going to be favourites, for sure,” Knight said of the defending champions, who have won six of the last seven stagings of the T20 World Cup, dating back to 2010. “Obviously, their success in this event has been huge, but we feel in a really good place. We’ve been playing some brilliant cricket, and while the first goal is to get out of the group stages, we’re pretty confident in what we bring. We believe we can beat anyone on our best day.”Much of England’s summer was spent honing a side that could compete in spinning conditions, with Bangladesh having been the World Cup’s original host country. The event has since moved to the UAE for security reasons, but Knight is confident that England’s spin contingent – led by the ICC’s No.1-ranked bowler in white-ball cricket, Sophie Ecclestone – will thrive at a tournament that, to judge by the tournament’s opening fixtures, already appears to favour slow bowling.”We feel very prepared for what we’ve got to come, and now it’s just about executing it and being really smart about how we do things in-game,” Knight said. “We’ve obviously got the quality spin attack. It’s been our big strength, particularly through those middle overs, how we really squeeze teams and try and rush them in that middle period.”England opted to overlook the extra pace of Lauren Filer for this tournament, instead relying on Lauren Bell as a sole specialist seamer, backed up by a trio of seam-bowling allrounders in Nat Sciver-Brunt, Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson. Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn also offer batting depth as spinning allrounders, meaning that England – on paper, at least – have an enviably versatile squad.”We’ve got really good options, which is the nice thing,” Knight said. “The depth that we’ve got allows us to play based on the conditions that we face, and the team that we’re playing against.”It’s not going to be easy picking the team, but we’re pretty set on the little tweaks that we might need to make to get the most out of the conditions and teams that we’re playing against.”There are going to be times where we are going to have to graft a little bit, the boundaries are big and there might be times when we get on slow wickets where we are going to have to adapt to what is in front of us and be really smart with how we go about things.”Both Kemp and Sciver-Brunt were managed back to bowling fitness during the summer, after coming through back and knee issues respectively. But Knight was adamant that each was in the right place to deliver a full all-round role for the cause.”The allrounders are the fittest in the team, because of the role they have to do,” she said. “Freya, in particular, she’s super impressive with how she’s come back from that [second] stress fracture, and the work that she’s put in to be in a place to perform, it’s been brilliant.”

Perry hits 65 in chase but can’t prevent Phoenix’s 12th consecutive women’s Hundred defeat

ECB Media27-Jul-2024Meg Lanning won the battle of the Australians at Lord’s, scoring her first half-century in the Hundred as London Spirit overcame Birmingham Phoenix, despite Ellyse Perry’s innings of 65 in reply.The 16,641 crowd – the fifth-highest in the history of the women’s Hundred – were treated to a competitive affair in the sunshine, momentum shifting this way and that as the big names on both sides took it in turns to stand up and be counted.Phoenix – off the back of 11 consecutive defeats in the Hundred – looked set to spring a surprise and take it deep, and perhaps even pull off a memorable upset, but the required run-rate got away from them and three late wickets for Sarah Glenn sealed the deal for Heather Knight’s side, who have now won two from two this season.”It felt like it got a bit more tricky as it went on,” Lanning said. “Birmingham Phoenix took the pace off a little bit, and the wicket was pretty conducive to that, so it felt like it was a bit more difficult than we had thought but it ended up a competitive total.”With the ball it was about bowling pretty straight at the stumps and taking pace off the ball. We thought Phoenix used that really well so we wanted to do that right from the start, and we were able to hold our nerve when Devine and Perry were going. We just had to hold our nerve and we knew a chance would come.”Earlier, Spirit – wearing a special shirt to mark their partnership with Transport for London – set off like a train. Lanning, Georgia Redmayne and Cordelia Griffith all found the boundary with regularity. Griffith’s consecutive sixes off Emily Arlott, one whipped into the Mound Stand with no shortage of flair, a particular highlight.Off the back of her winning half-century at Utilita Bowl on Wednesday, England captain Knight added to her side’s momentum and ultimately Phoenix would have been happy to restrict Spirit to 147 for 9, with a bigger total looking likely earlier in the innings.The smart money would likely have been on Spirit to defend their total with relative ease but Perry and New Zealand captain Sophie Devine jangled a few nerves with their partnership of 89, especially when Devine dispatched Sarah Glenn for two sixes over the leg-side.The equation with 20 balls left was 40 runs required for Phoenix, but the boundaries dried up and Glenn’s last set of five ensured London Spirit ended day five of the Hundred top of the table with a 100% win record.

Bangladesh have Test series against Pakistan, India, South Africa and West Indies left in their 2023-25 WTC cycle

Mohammad Isam23-Jun-2024The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has lined up seven red-ball games for Bangladesh as the focus shifts from T20Is to the World Test Championship for the rest of the year. Bangladesh have Test series against Pakistan, India, South Africa and West Indies left in their 2023-25 WTC cycle.The Test cricketers will play three four-day matches in Chattogram next month. The home matches will be followed by two four-day matches against Pakistan A in Darwin from July 19 to 29. The Bangladesh A team will then travel to Pakistan in August to play two four-day matches against the same opponents. Additionally, New Zealand A are also scheduled to tour Bangladesh in August or September.Bangladesh players have also been involved in training camps since May in Chattogram and Sylhet. BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus said that the Test players are “progressing well” in the camps, adding that the four-day games against strong opponents will help them in the WTC matches.”We can give them the best preparation ahead of the grueling Test schedule in the coming months,” Yunus said. “The rest is up to the players. I have been following the Bangladesh Tigers camp, which is going well.”The Bangladesh’s senior men’s team is likely to travel to Pakistan on August 17 for two Tests, venues and dates for which are yet to be announced. After Pakistan, they will play two Tests against India in Chennai and Kanpur, followed by three T20Is.Bangladesh could tour India twice in three months if the BCB agree with the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s revised schedule for two white-ball series in late July. The ACB have proposed to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Greater Noida in their new itenerary. The tour was initially postponed in March keeping in mind Bangladesh’s workload in 2024, but now with the Champions Trophy also in their agenda, the BCB is considering this tour since they only have three ODIs scheduled between now and next February.ESPNcricinfo understands that the series is still in the “discussion” phase as the BCB is not too keen on playing in Noida during July due to the weather conditions.After the bilateral series in India in September, Bangladesh will host South Africa for two home Tests in October, and then tour West Indies for a full series in November and December.

Sunil Gavaskar recounts hugs, tax exemptions and is pretty sure he cost Chauhan two centuries

Sunil Gavaskar16-Aug-20201:18

Chetan Chauhan: Gavaskar’s longtime opening partner

” [come here and give me a hug], after all we are in the mandatory overs of life,” was the usual greeting of my opening partner Chetan Chauhan whenever we met over the last two or three years. The meetings were invariably at his beloved Feroze Shah Kotla ground, where he was in charge of the pitch preparation. As we hugged, I would say to him, “No, no. We must have another century partnership,” and he would laugh and say, “Arre baba, you are the century maker, not me.” Never in my wildest nightmares could I believe that his words about being in the mandatory overs of life would come true so soon. It’s so hard to believe that his laughter and cheerful banter won’t be there the next time I go to Delhi.Talking of centuries, I firmly believe that I was responsible for him missing out on two occasions, both in Australia in the 1980-81 series down under. In the second Test in Adelaide he was on 97 when my teammates pulled me out of my chair in front of the TV and dragged me to the players balcony, saying I must get there to cheer my partner. I was a bit superstitious about watching from the players enclosure as then the batsman would get out. So I would always watch on the dressing room TV. Once the landmark was reached, then I would rush to the players balcony and join in the cheers.A magazine page about the tenth century stand for the first wicket between Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan, achieved against New Zealand in Christchurch during the 1980-81 series•Clayton Murzello Magazine CollectionHowever, here I was in the Adelaide balcony when Dennis Lille came in to bowl and – would you believe – Chetan was caught behind first ball. I was livid and told the players off for having got me to the balcony but that wasn’t going to change what had happened. A few years later, I didn’t make the same mistake when Mohammad Azharuddin was approaching his third consecutive hundred in Kanpur, and as soon as he got to the coveted mark, I was out of the change room and applauding him from next to the sightscreen. Some of my friends in the media, who had the knives out for me then, made a big story of my so-called absence. Amazingly, they had had nothing to say about the absence of some when a year earlier I got my 29th century to be level with Sir Don Bradman in Delhi.The second occasion that I believe I was responsible for Chetan missing a hundred, was when I lost my head after being abused by the Australians as I was leaving the pitch after a terrible decision. Trying to drag Chetan off the field with me must have disrupted his concentration and he was again out short of a century a little later.There’s one thing that few players of my generation and the one immediately after don’t know – his contribution in getting tax exemptions for them. Both of us first met up with the late Shri R Venkataraman, who was the Finance minister of the country then, and requested him to consider a tax exemption for fees received for playing for India. I must add that it wasn’t just for cricket but for all sportspersons who played for India. We explained how, when we were junior cricketers, we had to spend a lot of money on equipment, travel, coaches, etc. when we had no income at all.

“Chetan always said that if we are asked what was our best contribution to Indian cricket, we should say that it was getting [tax] exemptions for the cricketing fraternity”

Shri Venkatramanji was most considerate and in a notification, he passed a ruling that gave us 75% standard deduction for a Test match fee, then an exemption on 50% of the tour fees which we received before leaving for a tour. The cherry on the cake though was the total exemption on the one-day match fees of INR 750 which we received those days. Mind you, we barely played a game or two of one-day internationals then. That notification was in place till about 1998, by which time the number of one-day internationals had increased dramatically as also as the fees which were around INR 1 lakh or so. So around the mid-90s, players were getting about INR 25 lakhs or more free of tax. Even after my retirement, I would give a copy of the notification to the newcomers in the Indian team for them to give to their accountants.Chetan always said that if we are asked what was our best contribution to Indian cricket, we should say that it was getting the exemptions for the cricketing fraternity. His desire to help others manifested in him joining politics, and right till the end he was a giver, not a taker.He had a wicked sense of humour too. His favourite song as we walked out to face some of the most hostile bowlers in the game was [smile little boy, smile]. That was his way of easing the nerves while confronting challenges.Now that my partner is no more how can I ? May your soul have everlasting peace, partner.

Prabhsimran Singh and Atharva Taide put on 97 for the first wicket off 55 balls, Rilee Rossouw hit 49 at a strike rate above 200, and Jitesh Sharma provided the closing fireworks, with 32 not out off 15. They set Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) 215 to win.And still it wasn’t enough for Punjab Kings (PBKS). Not nearly enough to halt the batting juggernaut that SRH have been in IPL 2024. They lost their best batter Travis Head first ball, but raced through the powerplay thanks to Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi, who hit 66 off 28 and 33 off 18 respectively, propelling the team to 84 for 2 at the end of their first six overs.From then, the scoring didn’t really slow until the target was within sight. Heinrich Klaasen led SRH to the brink of victory with 42 off 26. The winning runs were hit with five balls to spare.Dare we say something about the bowlers? Only SRH’s T Natarajan escaped with decent figures, taking 2 for 33.SRH now move into second on the points table. That they would finish their and play the Qualifier 1 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was confirmed after Rajasthan Royals’ last league match against KKR in Guwahati was washed out.1:55

Should Rahul Tripathi play the playoffs for SRH?

Abhishek lights up Hyderabad one last time in IPL 2024

In what was their last home game this season, Abhishek gave the SRH faithful a show to remember a batting-powered season by. He smashed his first two sixes over fine leg, when bowlers delivered short-of-a-length balls into the body, and went on to hit six sixes in all, in addition to five fours. Most of these relied on excellent timing, but there was luck there too – one of the sixes came off the outside edge.He sped past 50 off 21 balls, but this was only his third-fastest half-century this season – he had hit fifties off 16 and 19 balls in the weeks gone by.Abhishek’s 72-run partnership with Tripathi, which came off 29 balls, was the foundation of SRH’s chase. Even after they were parted, the required rate seemed tame.

Klaasen plays a measured innings

As good as Abhishek’s fireworks were, SRH still needed 86 off the last 59 balls after he was out, and Klaasen delivered one of his more chilled-out innings. He still hit sixes when it felt good, of course, the most spectacular being the back-foot six down the ground off the bowling of Harpreet Brar, who had just delivered a standard length ball outside off stump.But as wickets fell around him, it needed someone to take responsibility and massage the chase home. Klaasen was bowled by Brar with SRH needing seven to win off 11 balls. But he had got them close enough.3:03

‘Punjab should hold on to their Indian players’

Prabhsimran and Taide’s opening mayhem

PBKS had reason to hope they would get a closing win for this season, though, and finish outside the bottom two, mainly because of the start they had in the game. Prabhsimran was outstanding on the leg side, hitting all his four sixes there in his 71 off 45. Taide made 46 off 27.

A match-defining four overs

There was something of a slowdown after Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, the young legspinner from Jaffna, took Prabhsimran’s wicket in the 15th over. Although Jitesh finished strong, perhaps overs 15 to 18 (both inclusive) was when PBKS lost their way. They had been 151 for 1 at the start of that passage, looking poised to push 250. By the end of the 18th over, they were 186 for 5.

Holes appeared in the Sunrisers attack in the latter part of their league campaign while CSK have suddenly discovered a potent new-ball pairing

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai21-May-2018If you stopped following Sunrisers Hyderabad or Chennai Super Kings after they secured their playoffs berths, you will probably think nothing has changed. Sunrisers still top the table, CSK are right behind them, and they will face off in the first Qualifier on Tuesday. So it’s still all about CSK’s batting against Sunrisers’ bowling, right? Not really.The last stretch of their journeys have been fairly contrasting. At the start, CSK were seen as a deep batting unit with a spin-heavy attack, so they may have wanted to play on turning pitches in Pune, their adopted home. Instead, they had surfaces with pace and bounce. Now, at the end of the league phase, their top four wicket-takers are all pace bowlers.Sunrisers, meanwhile, had the bowling arsenal to defend low totals and bowl oppositions out. However, in their last three matches, each of which they lost, they managed only two wickets against CSK, conceded more than 200 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, and could not defend 172 at home against Kolkata Knight Riders. The tides have clearly turned.Shardul Thakur leads CSK’s wicket charts (14), but is now being used as first- or second-change because their top swing bowler Deepak Chahar is back from injury and Lungi Ngidi’s wicket-taking ability has only improved with each match.Their combined bowling show on Sunday night against Kings XI Punjab summed up their last few matches – banana outswing with precision from one end and raw pace and bounce from the other to strangle batsmen upfront. They also hardly concede runs; Ngidi’s economy rate stands at a stingy 6.11 from five matches and Chahar’s at 7.35 from 10. CSK’s attack has been so disciplined that Chahar’s no-ball on Sunday was their first such indiscretion this season.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”It’s been nothing short of amazing,” Ngidi told of his first taste of the IPL. “Having come here initially, it was going to be a learning experience for me. I didn’t expect to play as much as I have so it’s been great to get out on the field, see how different players think in different situations.”Originally getting here, I was a bit down on myself and went through a bit of trouble with my family (he went home early in the tournament after his father died), but the environment here has really uplifted me and the fan support has really made me enjoy my IPL here.”The turnaround has lent balance to CSK, with their pace battery outperforming Sunrisers’ in recent matches despite dealing with several 30-plus players and a few niggles. Sunrisers lost Billy Stanlake to injury early in the tournament, but Sandeep Sharma filled that void pretty well. Their attack looked a little shaky without Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience when he was injured, but they haven’t recovered properly even after his return.He has picked up only two wickets in five matches since returning to the XI, going wicketless three times and leaking at least 33 runs on four occasions. Against Delhi Daredevils, he was taken apart by Rishabh Pant (43 runs of 11 balls). When Sunrisers had to defend 179 against CSK, openers Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu treated Bhuvneshwar with disdain in his first two spells as he finished with figures of 4-0-38-0.While all this has happened, opponents have found a way to not lose the plot against Rashid Khan. He has gone wicketless in three of his last four games and when he took 3 for 27 in the other, RCB targeted the remaining bowlers to amass 218. CSK decided to see him off while chasing 180, collecting 10 dots against him even as Rayudu scored a century when these sides last met.There’s also the added concern now over Siddarth Kaul. When the other Sunrisers bowlers would be carted for runs earlier, he would invariably deliver breakthroughs. Not anymore. Could it be fatigue? Rashid (56 overs) has bowled more than anyone else in the tournament – joint with Andrew Tye – and Kaul (55) is third. In nine matches, Bhuvneshwar has bowled only one over less than his maximum possible 36 overs.BCCIThe batting too has had its fair share of challenges. Sunrisers have not been able to find support for Kane Williamson in the middle order, relying almost completely on him for big scores, especially in David Warner’s absence. A small positive for them is Shikhar Dhawan’s form, but that also means the bulk of their scoring comes from the top order. If Ngidi and Chahar can make early breakthroughs as they did against Kings XI on Sunday night, Sunrisers will need some serious repair work from Manish Pandey and co.To add to their woes, Sunrisers have dropped more catches than any other team until now, and CSK’s conversion rate has been the best. Out of 77 attempts, Sunrisers have held on to only 72.7% of the chances whereas CSK’s number stands at 82.7% out of 75 attempts. Even though Sunrisers have saved more runs in the field with a side younger than CSK’s, Dhoni’s team has shown better nerves when the ball has taken the aerial route.Come Tuesday night, Sunrisers will have more kinks to straighten out than CSK. How they fared in their last league games is also reflective of their moods. The Sunrisers middle order managed only four fours and a six in all against KKR, and Bhuvneshwar and Rashid went wicketless.CSK, on the other hand, played as if they were on the beach with their feet up. They dismantled the Kings XI top order before Dhoni infused some chaos while watching the fun from afar, not too different from what Heath Ledger’s character The Joker did in . Dhoni could very well use his dialogue too, in the presentation, with his trademark smile: “Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos.”

Dan Lawrence, Ben Foakes raise tempo in final session during stand of 131 in 35 overs

ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2024Surrey 340 for 5 (Lawrence 91*, Smith 86, Sibley 76, Foakes 52) vs Worcestershire It was normal service resumed for leaders and champions Surrey on day one of the Vitality County Championship match with Worcestershire at ‘Visit Worcestershire New Road.’Surrey had suffered an innings-and-278-runs defeat against Hampshire in their previous Championship fixture at the Utilita Bowl ahead of the Blast in contrast to their previous four-day form.But fifties from Dom Sibley and Jamie Smith laid the foundations before Dan Lawrence and Ben Foakes increased the tempo during the final session during a stand of 131 in 35 overs.Foakes fell just before the close – to a fourth catch for Adam Hose – but Lawrence remained undefeated on 91 from 126 balls.It was Surrey’s first visit to New Road since they lifted the 2018 title on the ground and they are well placed to post a formidable total on the second day.Worcestershire captain, Brett D’Oliveira, was side-lined with a shoulder problem and Jake Libby skippered the side.Pace trio Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and Yadvinder Singh, who all played in last month’s encounter at the Kia Oval, were ruled out through injury.Ethan Brookes, Tom Taylor and on loan Somerset spinner, Shoaib Bashir, all made their Championship debut for the home side.Taylor’s younger brother, James Taylor, made his first Championship appearance for Surrey since April 2022.Surrey were put in on a rock hard looking pitch and quickly lost skipper Rory Burns.Tom Taylor took the new ball and struck with the third ball of the morning as Burns turned a delivery straight to Bashir at mid wicket.Ollie Pope looked in good form and cover drove Taylor for four and used his feet to turn on loan Essex seamer Ben Allison to the midwicket boundary. But he then gave Allison the charge and nicked through to Adam Hose at first slip.Allison, signed because of injuries to Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and Yadvinder Singh, bowled an excellent opening spell of 7-3-10-1.But Sibley was in excellent touch, straight driving and cover-driving Adam Finch for boundaries, and coming down the wicket to hit Bashir down the ground for four after he came into the attack.Smith also took advantage of over-pitched deliveries from Finch to collective successive boundaries and the 100 came up in just 27.2 overs.Allison bowled another probing post-lunch spell and Sibley edged just short of second slip.Waite again also asked questions of both batters but Sibley and Smith were determined and reached their respective fifties off 108 and 103 balls respectively. The stand was worth 149 in 40 overs when Bashir broke it as Sibley picked out Hose at short midwicket.Smith departed in a similar manner with again Hose the catcher after Finch came into the attack.Lawrence and Foakes upped the tempo during the final session after playing themselves in up until tea.Foakes pulled Bashir for a maximum over wide long-on before having a let off on 31 when dropped at deep midwicket off Finch.Lawrence cut Brookes for four to reach a 66-ball fifty and Foakes went to the same landmark from 104 deliveries.But Finch broke the stand after the second new ball had been taken when Foakes (52) fell to a low catch diving to his right at first slip by Hose.

Fewer Tests but more context, fewer ODIs and more T20Is, and an increase in Bangladesh’s Test workload are some of the takeaways from the ICC’s proposed FTP for the 2019-2023 cycle

Osman Samiuddin and Nagraj Gollapudi12-Dec-201715:20

Bal: New FTP step in the right direction for Test cricket

Cricket is close to getting a long-awaited new calendar, one that will be based around a nine-team Test and 13-team ODI league. Full Members have been working on the details of this new Future Tours Programme (FTP) over the last year or so; earlier this month representatives from various member boards met in Singapore to ink in the virtually final details, barring some minor tweaks, in a scheduling workshop that chalks out the calendar from May 2019 to May 2023.This schedule will now be looked at during the next chief executives’ meeting of the ICC in February, which will finalise the plan before it is refined further and presented to the ICC board for ratification at the annual conference in June.ESPNcricinfo has obtained a copy of the FTP that emerged from Singapore workshop and brings you ten takeaways from the new calendar (suggested reading alongside it is this explainer for the league structure). It is important to note that this is not yet the final, approved FTP but is close to the one that will be signed off on eventually in February.ESPNcricinfo LtdFewer Tests, more qualityTalks all through the negotiations to get to this point have centred on reducing the quantity of Tests played and have banked on the context – the Test league system – adding quality. At first glance, the quantity doesn’t seem to have been greatly reduced.In the current FTP (from May 2014 – May 2019) 238 Tests will be played in total. In the new one (May 2019- May 2023) 175 Tests will be played. As an average figure of Tests per year, the new calendar represents a reduction of approximately four Tests (47.6 to 43.75). But the new FTP has two new teams playing Tests: Afghanistan and Ireland.Together with Zimbabwe, who are also not part of the Test league, the three teams will play 33 Tests. This means there will be 35.5 Tests per year on average that are part of the Test league.The majority of Full Members (barring Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) will play, on average, fewer Tests per year than before: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies will play approximately two fewer Tests per year. Australia and England’s figures will also drop (11.2 Tests per year in the current FTP for Australia to 10 in the new one; 13 Tests per year for England to 11.5 in the new FTP).The difference in number of Tests each side will play means that devising a points system to feed into the Test Championship final – in June 2021 – will be especially tricky.The other AshesThe India-England Test rivalry is cricket’s current marquee contest, standing alongside the Ashes in quantity if not quite the heft of cricket tradition. Over the four years the two sides will play two five-Test series against each other, in India and England. It is the only contest other than the Ashes that will be played across five Tests.Additionally, there are only three four-Test series, two between India and Australia and one between England and South Africa.Bangladesh step upAt a time when most Test sides are playing fewer Tests, Bangladesh will be playing approximately two Tests more per year in the new FTP, compared to the current one. In the current FTP they will play 33 Tests over five years, whereas in the new one they play 35 over four.In fact, after the Big Three – England, Australia and India – Bangladesh will be playing the most Tests in the next FTP.Missing contestsIndia versus Pakistan, naturally, is not part of this new FTP, it’s not in either of the leagues or outside of them, in the bilateral window towards the end of the four-year cycle. The PCB is in an official dispute with the BCCI, which has said it can manoeuvre a series into the schedule the political situation get better.The other contest we will not see in Tests is England versus Bangladesh. The structure of the Test league requires each side to play six opponents over two years, so it is not incumbent upon sides to play every opponent. Nevertheless it is curious that this is the only other contest entirely missing from the four-year calendar and, given the engrossing series they played out in Bangladesh last year, a bit of a shame.The Trans-Tasman rivalry, more surprisingly, seems to have petered out. There is only a solitary two-Test series between Australia and New Zealand in the four-year calendar.One contest fans will not mind less of is between India and Sri Lanka: the two sides are scheduled to play just one Test series in the new calendar.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Big Three…or Four?The Big Three will play 28 Tests between themselves over four years; throw South Africa into the mix and the quartet will play 47 Tests between themselves over this period.India will play 24 out of 37 Tests – or nearly 65% – against England, Australia or South Africa. Australia will play 24 out of 40 Tests – or 60% – against the other three, while England play 27 out of their 46 – around 59% – against the three. South Africa do not play many Tests in this next cycle, but 59% (19 out of 32) are against the Big Three.The full tour is goneThe days of a full, long tour, comprising all three formats, are over. In the new calendar only a handful of tours between the nine teams in the Test league will include all three formats. Indeed, a number of tours will be Tests only, or Tests combined with one of the two limited-overs formats, or limited-overs only.The ODI league takes shapeEach side in the 13-team ODI league will play eight series over two years, between May 2020 and May 2022, which will decide qualification for the 2023 World Cup. Each series will consist of three matches, meaning that unlike the Test league, every side in the ODI league will play 24 matches.Because one side has to play only eight opponents out of a possible 12, a number of bilateral contests are missing: England v West Indies, New Zealand v England, India v Pakistan, India v Bangladesh, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, South Africa v New Zealand, Australia v Sri Lanka, and more.The result is a noticeable drop in the number of ODIs. The current (five-year) FTP will see 414 bilateral ODIs played by the end of its cycle, whereas the new calendar will see 291 in four years. That is nearly ten fewer ODIs per year (82.8 to 72.75).Almost all sides will see a fairly drastic reduction in the number of bilateral ODIs they will play every year. England will nearly halve their average yearly ODI schedule (from 103 in five years to 43 in four; Sri Lanka go from 113 in five years to 48 in four.The only side that will play more ODIs in the new, shorter FTP is West Indies – 62 compared to 55 in the previous FTP. They are scheduled to play the most ODIs in the new calendar, in fact, ahead of India who play 61.The (near) death of the five-match ODI seriesRejoice if you’ve ever wondered why somewhere at the edge of your consciousness two sides are playing a five-match ODI series. In the new FTP there are only five such series, and all of them are outside the league structure. Don’t celebrate too hard, though, because one of those is between India and Sri Lanka (not until December 2022).The bilateral windowA window between May 2022 and January 2023 is available in which members have inked in bilateral engagements that are not part of the ODI league. In all, there are over 70 ODIs scheduled in that period, including a few five-match ODI series, allowing for contests such as Pakistan v Sri Lanka, and Australia v Sri Lanka (neither in the ODI league) to take place. There is also one tri-series in Sri Lanka involving South Africa and Ireland at the end of the cycle: the days of the pointless tri-series are also nearly over.Meet the new ODI: the T20IIn the current FTP, a total of 162 T20Is will be played (outside the World T20s). In the new one a whopping 260 T20Is will be played in four years (doubling to 65 per year from roughly 32).Between January and August 2021, there will be a regional qualification event in each of the five ICC regions, from which sides will eventually qualify through to the World T20. But we will be seeing more five-match T20 bilateral series in the new calendar.