Recent Match Report - Zimbabwe vs Australia 1st ODI 2022

Australia 201 for 5 (Warner 57, Smith 48*, Burl 3-60) beat Zimbabwe 200 (Madhevere 72, Green 5-33, Zampa 3-57) by five wickets

The first five-wicket haul of Cameron Green's international career set Australia up for a comfortable victory over Zimbabwe in the first ODI in Townsville to mark the early start to their season, although they needed to work hard to break the back of the visitors' batting.

Wessly Madhevere's career-best 72 held Zimbabwe together, though they were never able to really cut loose, as the innings fell away rapidly in the closing stages, losing 6 for 15 as Green's wicket tally quickly swelled after he had earlier claimed the key wicket of the in-form Sikandar Raza.

A target of 201 was always unlikely to cause too many concerns, and it was duly knocked off with more than 16 overs to spare amid a flurry of boundaries by Glenn Maxwell. David Warner lived a charmed life in making a half-century, but Steven Smith played a controlled innings to ensure the loss of three wickets to Ryan Burl from some casual strokeplay did not become a problem.

On a day where tributes were paid to former Australia allrounder Andrew Symonds, who died in a car accident in May, one of this generation's finest all-round prospects added another milestone to the early stages of his career.

Green had one wicket from seven ODIs before this outing, but he is being viewed as a key figure as Australia build towards the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, having been entrusted as the third frontline quick to allow a very long batting order. He caused problems throughout with his extra bounce, with two batters being caught at fine leg while unable to control short deliveries.

Unsurprisingly, Aaron Finch had put Zimbabwe in with the early start, as Australia kept the scoring rate on a tight leash during the first ten overs. But the visiting openers did well to withstand the opening spells. Mitchell Marsh made the breakthrough shortly after the powerplay when Innocent Kaia offered a return catch, but Zimbabwe steadily increased the tempo with Tadiwanashe Marumani getting the benefit of his early hard work.

However, with a maiden half-century in sight, Marumani advanced at Adam Zampa and was beaten which led to a few overs of caution. Madhevere and Tony Munyonga then produced a boundary apiece against Zampa in the 25th over, only for Smith to pull off a spectacular running catch from mid-off to remove Munyonga as he aimed down the ground again.

The in-form Raza, who has enjoyed a stunning run against Bangladesh and India in recent weeks, was tied down by Australia's quicks before falling to a short delivery from Green which he top-edged to fine leg removing a major threat with nearly 20 overs to go.

David Warner top-scored for Australia with 57•AFP/Getty Images

Madhevere, who would not have played but for an elbow injury suffered by Sean Williams in nets on Saturday, continued to anchor the innings and brought up his half-century from 67 balls while captain Regis Chakabva provided some extra momentum heading into the final ten overs with a spritely display. However, Madhevere's stay came to a rather soft end, when he prodded a return catch to Zampa off his final delivery.

The innings quickly lost its way after that as Green struck four times in two overs, making good use of the short ball, although he looked somewhat sheepish as his fourth and fifth wickets were snaffled by Maxwell at deep midwicket.

Australia made a steady start to the chase before left-armer Richard Ngarava, who caused a few problems, forced Finch to drag into his stumps via an inside edge.

The 17th over, bowled by Raza, brought a lot of action involving Warner, who was firstly dropped at point when Marumani spilled a simple chance. Then there were bizarre scenes when Zimbabwe reviewed for a caught behind that was given not out, and Warner was so sure he had edged it that he was almost off the field when the third umpire decided there was no conclusive evidence to overturn.

When Warner faced Raza's next over, he pulled the first six of the match over deep square leg and then went to hit a 57-ball fifty, but did not go much further when he swung across the line. Raza's celebration certainly had some feeling about it, and perhaps a few words.

Smith had looked in good touch from the moment he arrived in the middle, and unfurled some well-timed drives between ticking the scoreboard over. He lost a flurry of partners as Australia's middle order tried to attack Burl's legspin, with Alex Carey well caught at long-on then Marcus Stoinis and Marsh falling in the same over.

However, Maxwell crunched his first ball for four - and thrice cleared the fence later on - as his 32 off nine balls hastened the finish which came with consecutive sixes.

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

#Match #Report #Zimbabwe #Australia #1st #ODI https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-zimbabwe-vs-australia-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=16903&_unique_id=630b34fa08b98

New York reports 1st known case of monkeypox in a child

(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 17, 2022 people wait in line to recieve the Monkeypox vaccine before the opening of a new mass vaccination site at the Bushwick Education Campus in Brooklyn in New York City. - The United States on August 4, 2022 declared monkeypox a public health emergency, a move that should free up funds, assist in data gathering and deploy additional personnel in the fight against the disease. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/new-york-reports-1st-known-case-of-monkeypox-in-a-child/?feed_id=13961&_unique_id=6302a9c8e1533

Eng v SA, 1st Test

Dean Elgar praised his South Africa team for the "positivity" that they brought to their crushing innings victory over England in the first LV= Insurance Test, as they cemented their status at the top of the World Test Championship table in barely six sessions of high-octane cricket at Lord's.

After coming into the contest off the back of their own innings defeat against England A at Canterbury last week, Elgar's South Africa showed it had processed the lessons of that contest quickly. However, it was the two key absentees from that contest, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, who combined to devastating effect as England were routed for 165 and 149 across just 82.4 overs all told.

Rabada was duly named Player of the Match for his seven wickets, including 5 for 52 in England's first innings, but Nortje was the game-breaker on day three, as he steamed in with speeds touching 95mph to rout England's middle order with three for none in ten balls in the mid-afternoon, including England's star batter of the summer, Jonny Bairstow, for the second time in the match.

"I definitely didn't think that waking up this morning," Elgar said during the post-match presentations, when asked if he had envisaged such a swift denouement, given his side had come into the day with an overnight lead of 124 and three first-innings wickets remaining. "I was thinking the guys have got to bat long and hard and try and extend that lead, and when it's our turn to come and bowl, we've got to put the ball in the right area thinking it might flatten out.

"But Nortje's spell was something that just broke the back," he added. "He ran in with a lot of intent and a lot of anger, and it was great to watch from where I was fielding, I'm sure it wasn't nice to face."

The build-up to the series had been dominated by Elgar's responses in the media to England's so-called "Bazball" style of play, and while he did not double down on his previous suggestion that their ultra-positive methods could leave them with "egg on their faces", he did quietly talk up South Africa's own emerging brand of cricket - one which has already secured them an impressive 2-1 home series win against India this year, as well as a come-from-behind 1-1 drawn series in New Zealand.

"My [captaincy] decisions come with a lot of positivity into the camp," he said. "We want the guys to go out and express themselves. Even though we play in a South African way, it's our way, it's a unique way, and slowly but surely we're building on that. For me, the toss is just a decision that one guy has to make and the rest have to follow, and the guys are doing a great job with that. I'm very grateful with the young squad that I have."

Elgar also joked that he had come into the game with pressure to perform from his coach, Mark Boucher, who won two of his three Tests at Lord's between 1998 and 2003. "The coach gave me a bit of a summons, he was like, 'I've got a very good record as a player here'," he said. "But this is a brilliant day for us.

"I've got a very good think-tank behind the scenes," he added. "We've got good coaches with a lot of advice, and I process the advice as well. Sometimes you just go with gut and a bit of luck. Things worked out today, with Kesh [Maharaj] obviously getting a few wickets and then bringing on Anrich who bowls with the speed of light when he gets it right. But I never settle for what I have, I'm always trying to get better with my job."

Ben Stokes grimaces after holing out to deep midwicket•ECB/Getty Images

For his opposite number, Ben Stokes, it was a chastening setback after the highs of England's early-season performances, in which they won four Tests in a row with a series of 240-plus run-chases. This time around, they were asked to bat first and floundered against both a high-octane bowling attack, and also the uncertainty of having to set the agenda rather than react to it.

"Obviously, we're disappointed to lose. It'd be silly for me to say anything different," Stokes said. "But if we dive into this too much, about one result in a three-match series, then we're not looking forward to what's coming ahead. Now we've got two more games to bounce back from this. And then hopefully, take the series 2-1."

The crushing manner of the defeat, Stokes added, would not deflect the team from continuing in their recent proactive manner.

"Absolutely not," he said. "I look at captains before me, captains after me. They're always going to get criticised at certain times about the way that they want to play. That's just part and parcel with life, I guess.

"We know that, when we perform to the capabilities that we're capable of, then we can go out and put some incredible performances like everybody's been able to see in the four games before this. This isn't a wake-up call or anything like that. It's just, unfortunately, we were unable to execute in the way that we wanted to play this week against South Africa."

Stokes did, however, hint that the ECB's white-ball focus had been a factor in his team losing some momentum from the highs they had achieved against New Zealand and India six weeks earlier. Unlike South Africa, England's players did not have the benefit of a red-ball warm-up match to reacquaint themselves with the longer game's rhythms, and he suggested that would be an issue worth considering for the future.

"I don't want to use that situation as an excuse whatsoever. Maybe there could be an opportunity to put a first-class game in there for the lads to go off and just get out there in the field, whether it be a bowler or a batter, but I think if I'm looking at that and using that as an excuse, it's not really what I want to be saying."

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/eng-v-sa-1st-test/?feed_id=13198&_unique_id=630013e3ea434

Recent Match Report - Zimbabwe vs India 1st ODI 2022

India 192 for 0 (Gill 82*, Dhawan 81*) beat Zimbabwe 189 (Chakabva 35, Ngarava 34, Axar 3-24, Chahar 3-27, Prasidh 3-50) by 10 wickets

Deepak Chahar's probing new-ball spell on his impressive return after six months followed by a century stand between in-form openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill hurtled Zimbabwe to their 13th straight ODI loss to India. Chahar's swing, Prasidh Krishna's bounce and Axar Patel's accuracy helped them bag three wickets apiece to bowl the hosts out for 189 before Dhawan and Gill hunted the target down with nearly 20 overs to spare.

India's pace bowlers utilised the early moisture and swing to trouble Zimbabwe's top order, which had hardly scored against Bangladesh too. Chahar and Co. reduced Zimbabwe to 31 for 4 and then 110 for 8 before a counter-attacking ninth-wicket stand of 70 off 65 balls between Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava lifted them to a somewhat respectable total.

Chahar started gingerly before he sent back the hosts' top order in an opening burst of 7-0-27-3, in which he swung the ball both ways and had Innocent Kaia and Tadiwanashe Marumani caught behind by the ninth over. Seven balls after Marumani fell in the ninth over, the returning Sean Williams lasted just three balls when he edged Mohammed Siraj to first slip. Five balls later, Chahar's late outswing beat Wessley Madhevere to trap him lbw for 5, and Zimbabwe were four down in 10.1 overs.

It was down to Chakabva and Raza again. Chakabva instilled some confidence when he bashed three fours in the space of eight balls, and both batters used the DRS to get on-field lbw decisions overturned off Chahar and Kuldeep Yadav, respectively. But Prasidh's double-strike dented Zimbabwe further when he had Raza caught at slip and Ryan Burl threw his wicket away by holing out on the leg side to leave the hosts reeling on 83 for 6.

When Axar struck in successive overs by removing Chakabva and Luke Jongwe, it looked like Zimbabwe would be skittled for under 150, but Ngarava and Evans fought back with a flurry of boundaries off both pace and spin as conditions improved for batting. They started by rotating the strike and then switched to clean hitting to force bowling changes on India. Evans was more attacking of the two whereas Ngarava started slowly but picked up pace as the stand neared the 50-mark and even swung Axar for a massive six over long-on before he was bowled by Prasidh in the 40th over. Axar took the last wicket, which was also his 50th in ODIs.

An asking rate of under four an over in favourable batting conditions was hardly going to trouble an Indian batting line-up. Dhawan and Gill were cautious against the moving ball and hardly took any risk early on. Dhawan started the chase with two fours and hogged the strike in the first powerplay in which he scored 24 out of India's 43 and Zimbabwe had already gifted 13 extras by then.

Dhawan was beaten a few times by Victor Nyauchi's outswingers early on, but he also attacked with pulls and cuts whenever the bowlers pitched it short. He also got a life on 32 in the 13th over when he was dropped at square leg off Williams. He soon reached his 38th ODI fifty, his third in four innings, by when Gill had also opened up with three fours in the square region on the off side in one Evans over.

Gill started attacking more when he neared his fifty and brought up the landmark by dispatching two full tosses from Burl through the covers in the 25th over. He started the next over with a four and a six through and over midwicket that took India to 150, and he even overtook Dhawan in the next over. As boundaries came more easily, Dhawan hit the winning runs by pulling Evans behind square to remain unbeaten on 81 with Gill on 82 not out.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-zimbabwe-vs-india-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=12743&_unique_id=62fec0c4cdcc4

Recent Match Report - New Zealand vs West Indies 1st ODI 2022

West Indies 193 for 5 (Brooks 79) beat New Zealand 190 (Hosein 3-29, Joseph 3-36) by five wickets

Shamarh Brooks scored 79 and shared a 75-run partnership with captain Nicholas Pooran which guided the West Indies to a five-wicket win over top-ranked New Zealand on Wednesday in the series-opening ODI in Barbados.

Brooks reached his fourth ODI half century from 58 balls and had faced 91 deliveries when he was out in the 34th over with the West Indies closing on New Zealand's inadequate total of 190.

Jason Holder and Jermaine Blackwood were at the crease when the home team reached its target with 11 overs to spare.

Earlier, Akeal Hosein took 3 for 28 and Alzarri Joseph returned 3 for 36 as West Indies bowled out New Zealand in 45.2 overs after choosing to field.

"Watching the Kiwis bat I realized it was a bit tough going early for them," Brooks said in a television interview. "I guess credit must go to our bowlers for reducing them to a score of 190. I was just focused on going out there, getting some partnerships and getting that total off."

Rain breaks punctuated the West Indies innings but couldn't disturb the steady momentum set by Brooks. The first came in the opening over of the innings and the second in the 29th when West Indies were only 42 runs from victory. At that point they were well ahead of a winning total under the DLS system.

Pooran was out for 28 immediately after the second rain break but Brooks retained a strong guiding hand on the run chase.

Hosein, Joseph and debuting spinners Kevin Sinclair and Yannic Cariah turned the tide of the New Zealand innings with accurate bowling in the middle overs on a pitch which rewarded spinners with bounce.

Shamarh Brooks got off to a good start after West Indies lost early wickets•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand made a solid start with a 41-run partnership between Martin Guptill and Finn Allen, who struck two sixes and a four from Holder's bowling in the seventh over.

A short rain break followed at the end of the eighth over and Allen was out for 25 four balls after the resumption. From then on New Zealand lost wickets regularly and struggled to build the partnerships that were necessary to reach a more challenging total.

Allen was Hosein's first wicket, caught by Pooran who had to run back and hold onto the ball as it came across his shoulder. Guptill fell in Hosein's next over, caught by Kyle Mayers at slip for 24 when New Zealand were 53 for 2.

Captain Kane Williamson attempted to lead a recovery with an innings of 34 from 50 balls. But he lacked support with Devon Conway and Tom Latham out cheaply as New Zealand slumped to 88 for 4.

Williamson's partnership with Daryl Mitchell held promise and the pair had added 28 for the fifth wicket before both were out to Joseph in the 30th over. Mitchell had made 20 from 32 balls when he was trapped lbw and Williamson followed when he edged behind.

Allrounders Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner added 40 for the seventh wicket but weren't able to tip the match back in New Zealand's favour. Bracewell was trapped lbw to give Cariah for his first international wicket as the Trinidadian wristspinner finished with 1 for 49 from nine overs.

The New Zealand lower order often comes to the rescue of the team but on this occasion there was no fightback. Santner was out for 25 with the total 189 for 8 and the last two wickets fell quickly.

"Obviously it was challenging out there to get some rhythm and some momentum," Williamson said. "Credit to the way the West Indies bowled. They got a lot out of that surface and executed their plans well and ultimately played a very good game of cricket."

The second game will be played Friday at the same venue.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-new-zealand-vs-west-indies-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=12435&_unique_id=62fddee27d2c7

Match Preview - Zimbabwe vs India, India in Zimbabwe 2022, 1st ODI

Big picture

The last time India toured Zimbabwe, they went with a captain who had won a T20 World Cup, a 50-over World Cup and a Champions Trophy title. That wasn't a full-strength Indian side. This isn't one either. But this Indian team is led by one of their seven captains from recent times.

KL Rahul is back in action after a long layoff, which included a surgery for sports hernia, and a positive Covid-19 test. What could make Rahul comfortable is that Zimbabwe is where he struck a century on ODI debut, and finished as the leading scorer when India blanked Zimbabwe 3-0 in 2016.

India are without some of their top players , and it might be Zimbabwe's best chance in a while to topple a team ten places above them in the ICC rankings. Though Zimbabwe themselves are also depleted - because of injuries - they are coming in on the back of fantastic series wins in both white-ball formats against Bangladesh. They would be itching to build on that form to grab some World Cup Super League points, where they are currently placed 12th, to gain in confidence before they fly to Australia for ODIs and the T20 World Cup.

Against Bangladesh, they chased down totals of 304 and 291 in successive games, Sikandar Raza scored centuries in both games, Innocent Kaia in the first, and captain Regis Chakabva in the second. But Zimbabwe's top order - which slipped to scores of 62 for 3, 27 for 3 and 18 for 3 in those three games - will have to find better answers against India's bowling. Against the Indian bowlers, the "fearless brand of cricket" will be tested more than it was when they played Bangladesh.

Form guide

Zimbabwe LWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWL

KL Rahul was last in action during the 2022 IPL•BCCI

In the spotlight

Along with keeping an eye on Rahul, the team management will follow the progress of Deepak Chahar closely. Once India's prime new-ball bowler in T20Is, Chahar returns to the field after a long [since February] layoff because of injury. He has dropped back in the pecking order for the T20 World Cup, at least going by the selections for the Asia Cup, in which he is among the reserves. A different format, but these games will be an audition for Chahar ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Raza took the Player-of-the-Series award for the ODIs against Bangladesh, but the "unsung hero", according to him, was Luke Jongwe. He didn't take too many wickets but came on to bowl in tough situations once the morning moisture had dried up in batting-friendly conditions, and dry up the runs for Bangladesh in the middle and death overs. How he comes up against India's middle-order batters and finishers could be key for Zimbabwe.

Team news

Rahul batted in the middle order the last time he played ODIs but he is among India's frontrunners for an opening slot at the T20 World Cup. Will the management open with him to get him some practice at the top or will they continue to bat him in the middle? Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill opened for India in the ODIs in the Caribbean and they could continue there if Rahul is slotted lower down. With no Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer in the squad, Rahul will come in, of course, and Ruturaj Gaikwad could make his ODI debut at some point in the series.

India: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 4 KL Rahul (capt), 5 Sanju Samson/Ishan Kishan (wk), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna/Avesh Khan

Sikandar Raza played like a man possessed in the ODIs against Bangladesh•Associated Press

Zimbabwe will continue to be without some of their key players, who are injured, like Craig Ervine (hamstring), Wellington Masakadza (shoulder), Blessing Muzarabani (thigh muscle tear) and Tendai Chatara (collarbone fracture). But, in a boost for them, Sean Williams is back after missing the preceding Bangladesh series to "attend to some personal matters".* The question for Zimbabwe is whether to break up the out of form opening combination of Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Tadiwanashe Marumani or give them another chance.

Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 2 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 3 Innocent Kaia, 4 Wessly Madhevere/Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Regis Chakabva (capt, wk), 7 Ryan Burl/Tony Munyonga, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Brad Evans, 10 Victor Nyauchi, 11 Tanaka Chivanga

Pitch and conditions

The Harare Sports Club had batting-friendly pitches in all three games against Bangladesh, but with something for the quick bowlers in the morning because of the early starts. Thursday is expected to be sunny and pleasant with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Stats and trivia

From the current India squad, Rahul made his ODI debut in Zimbabwe. Apart from him, Sanju Samson and Axar Patel also made their T20I debuts in Zimbabwe.

Quotes

"It is a beautiful format. It is a balanced format where you should know when to attack and when to defence. It is not a rushed format, it is about understanding when to attack and when to defence, for both batters and bowlers. I really enjoy playing this format."
India vice-captain Shikhar Dhawan isn't hiding his love for ODIs

*2.30pm GMT, August 17: The preview was updated after news came in of Sean Williams being available to play.

Vishal Dikshit is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/match-preview-zimbabwe-vs-india-india-in-zimbabwe-2022-1st-odi/?feed_id=12232&_unique_id=62fd356a63fcd

Match Preview - England vs South Africa, South Africa in England 2022, 1st Test

Big Picture

Amidst the tumult, a return to more familiar rhythms - albeit with the expectation of a modernist twist here and there. For five days this week, it might even be possible to pretend it is Situation Normal in the febrile world of international cricket, where a packed house at Lord's will burble and murmur in that inimitably disinterested fashion as England and South Africa do battle once again in the grandest old format.

It is rare, but hardly unique, for the Lord's Test - the traditional centrepiece of the English summer - to begin this late in the season. Last year's India Test got underway on August 12, an early indicator of the sport's direction of travel given the onset of the maiden season of the Hundred, while in 2017, West Indies became the first visiting team to play a Test at the ground in September.

But with the provisional dates for next summer's Ashes suggesting no August Tests at all for the first time in 139 years - thereby clearing the players' decks for full participation in the ECB's new centrepiece event - the challenge to an inherently insecure format seems especially real this year. Just as the County Championship has been condemned in recent years to the margins of the summer, so it seems the parent format is to be shunted the same way. The forecast week of rain, amid the hottest, driest summer on record, feels like an apt comment on such prioritisation.

All of which seems deeply ironic given the narrative of the summer so far. England's world-beating white-ball team has failed to win a home series for the first time since 2013, and while the Hundred has had its moments (where there's a Will, there's a way, as Messrs Smeed and Jacks can attest) it would take a well-remunerated cheerleading commentator to pretend that the contests we've so far witnessed have been the apogee of sporting endeavour.

No, the most visceral thrills and spills of the English summer so far have been invested in the red-ball game - specifically, four humdinging Tests against New Zealand and India, each of them capped by an eye-popping run-chase from an England side that has shed the reticence that condemned it to one win in 17 Tests in the preceding 18 months, and under the thrilling new management of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, has resolved to play like "rockstars".

Captain and coach aside, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have been the pivotal figures of the renaissance - the former by taking McCullum's "see ball, hit ball" mantra as a personal call to arms, to blaze four centuries and an unbeaten 71 in his last five innings; the latter by embodying the true ethos of "Bazball" (to revert to the phrase that dare not be uttered within earshot of any participant), and seeing the art of Test-match batting as one of possibility and positivity, rather than a game of safety-first reticence.

"The Yorkshireman inside me is still saying 'dig in, play straight and get behind it'," Root said after his matchwinning 142 not out against India. "Then there's the captain on the other shoulder saying 'be a rockstar'. So you're fighting between the two of them, sometimes."

Quite apart from the entertainment that England's new attitude has offered, the imperative for such fireworks is equally plain to see. It's not simply the Hundred that is putting the squeeze on Test cricket - the explosion of franchise tournaments is turning the screw like never before, with Cricket South Africa's IPL satellite event and the oil-rich pickings of the UAE-based International League chief among them, meaning that the five-day game needs to adapt to survive.

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum prepare for the first Test against South Africa•Getty Images

The format needs to be entertaining, both to encourage the best players to keep putting themselves forward to play it, but also to be recognisable to the coming generation that might not have the defensive techniques to dig out for a 180-over draw, but possess the range and power of strokes that might even make a 500-run chase seem attainable.

Such are the genre-busting issues that England's new approach has brought bubbling to the surface. Not that South Africa yet seems fully sold on such nonsense, of course. Dean Elgar, their hard-bitten captain whose nuggetty technique so resembles that of his forebear Graeme Smith, has spoken in withering terms about the "Bazball" phenomenon, and having played an integral part in two hugely impressive, albeit old-school, run-chases against India earlier in the year, he's well within his rights to point out that traditional Test values still have their place.

"I don't see that there's longevity in brave cricket," he told Wisden Cricket Monthly. "I see things evening out over time in Test cricket. Had New Zealand taken their opportunities, England would have come away with egg on their faces."

South Africa have every right to be ebullient. They are top of the World Test Championship table, and are full of confidence after a fine display in the preceding white-ball leg of the summer - not least from Rassie van der Dussen whose matchwinning 134 at Chester-le-Street epitomised the sort of measured aggression that this team are capable of bringing to all formats.

And yet, they come into this game off the back of a full-frontal Bazballing against England Lions at Canterbury - defeat by an innings after conceding 672 at close to a run a ball. As the Lions skipper Sam Billings put it afterwards: "You'd be pretty stupid to ignore that, if I'm honest. If that's not a wake-up call…. because we're not even the best XI."

Still, you'd back South Africa to take that indignity on the chin and process it - much as England themselves did in a similarly comprehensive A-team battering on their victorious 2004-05 tour, which the then-captain Michael Vaughan succinctly described as a "kick up the arse". That is what practice matches are for, after all. Dress rehearsals for the real thing. And, irrespective of the hype and drama flying around elsewhere in the world game, things don't get much more real than a Lord's Test at the height of the summer.

Dean Elgar trains with his South Africa team at Lord's•Getty Images

Form guide

England: WWWWL (last five completed matches; most recent first)
South Africa: WLWWL

In the spotlight

Forty and still fabulous, James Anderson will once again lead the line for England, as he takes the Test field for the 173rd time, including an incredible 27 matches at Lord's, which is more games on a single ground than many mighty players managed in their entire careers. Speaking on the eve of the match, Anderson struck a mildly lugubrious note as he reflected on the reality that he is the last of a breed - with the growth of T20 leagues, no-one else "will be stupid enough" to play until they are 40, he said (although he admitted his similarly one-formatted team-mate Stuart Broad would have a shot at it). But, having set up England's fourth victory of the summer with his 32nd Test five-for against India at Edgbaston last month, Anderson remains unchallenged as the kingpin of the attack, and moreover, he has bought into the new team ethos with unflinching enthusiasm. Incredibly, it is 20 seasons since his first Test encounter with South Africa.

Of all of the returnees to South Africa's Test fold post-Kolpak, none comes back with a reputation more enhanced than Simon Harmer's, at least in the eyes of his English opponents. Harmer's arrival at Essex in 2017 coincided with an exponential run of success for the then-newly promoted county - he has harvested a total of 354 wickets at 20.65 in the past six seasons, 28 five-fors, nine ten-wicket hauls, two County Championships titles and the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020. Oh, and he hit the winning runs in the T20 Blast final too. South Africa does not have a great reputation for spin bowling, but Harmer's attributes include height, aggression, a fierce ability to tweak the ball on any surface and a competitive edge that captains adore. His first-class record at Lord's, as it happens, is some way shy of his overall impact in England - just eight wickets at 40.12 in two visits. But he'll be itching to improve on that this week.

Team news

England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Alex Lees, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt.), 7 Ben Foakes, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Matthew Potts, 11 James Anderson

England's solitary change from the Edgbaston Test is the return of Ben Foakes behind the stumps, in place of Sam Billings, the Lions captain, who had initially stepped into the wicketkeeper's role as a Covid substitute during the New Zealand series before keeping his place during Foakes' recuperation. "Everyone in the starting XI, the shirt is theirs at the moment," Stokes explained while announcing the team.

South Africa (probable): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Sarel Erwee, 3 Keegan Petersen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 Kyle Verreynne, 7 Keshav Maharaj, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Anrich Nortje

Kagiso Rabada underwent a fitness test on Tuesday and is due another check-up after straining the medial ligament on his right ankle. With Duanne Olivier already ruled out of the series with a torn hip flexor muscle, South Africa will be particularly keen for their attack leader to come through fit and firing, and signs were promising on match eve. Beyond that assessment, the main decision could come down to the selection of an extra batter if they choose to overlook the up-and-coming allrounder Marco Jansen. Ryan Rickelton has been in fine form in the Championship for Northamptonshire, although there's the outside chance that Khaya Zondo could be called up for his second cap, having not batted on debut against Bangladesh in April.

Pitch and conditions

Rain is in the offing after weeks of drought in London, with the contest set to traverse the downpours over the coming five days. That may, in turn, play a part in the conditions, with Lord's traditionally a venue where you look up, not down, at the toss. To date, the pitch looks fairly green, although a lot of that grass is likely to be removed before the first ball is bowled.

Stats and Trivia

Jonny Bairstow needs just six more runs to reach 1000 in Tests for the calendar year, having already scored six centuries in his haul of 994 at 76.46 in eight matches since the start of 2022.

Joe Root isn't far behind that tally himself. He has 927 at 61.80 in nine matches so far this year, including five centuries. With six Tests to come this year, against South Africa and Pakistan, he could yet surpass the six hundreds he made in 2021, although matching his England-record tally of 1708 could be a long-shot.

Dean Elgar needs 136 runs to become the eighth South African to reach 5000 in Tests.

Elgar is the only specialist batter in South Africa's ranks to have played a Test at Lord's, while Rabada and Keshav Maharaj are the only other survivors from their last appearance at the ground in 2017.

Tickets for the fifth day of the Test will be available for a donation of £5, via the Lord's website from 2pm on Wednesday. Proceeds will be split between two charities, the MCC Foundation and the Ruth Strauss Foundation.

The second day of the Test will once again be "Red for Ruth Day", when the ground will turn red in memory of Ruth Strauss, the wife of the former England captain, Andrew, who died of a rare form of lung cancer in 2018.

Quotes

"The opposition seem to be doing a lot of talking about it. We don't really speak about it that much. They've got a style of play, we've got a style of play." Stokes on Elgar's criticism of the term "Bazball"

"With all due respect, I am really not going to entertain that anymore. We've chatted about it long and hard. I just want to crack on with the cricket. I think the game deserves that respect. Mudslinging is a thing of the past for me and we are not going to go back and forth on that." Elgar's last word on the B-word

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/match-preview-england-vs-south-africa-south-africa-in-england-2022-1st-test/?feed_id=11917&_unique_id=62fc532f747f4

Recent Match Report - New Zealand vs West Indies 1st T20I 2022

New Zealand 185 for 5 (Williamson 47, Conway 43, Smith 3-32) beat West Indies 172 for 7 (Brooks 42, Santner 3-19) by 13 runs

A solid innings of 47 by returning captain Kane Williamson and a dashing 33 from 15 balls by Jimmy Neesham propelled New Zealand to a 13-run win over the West Indies in the first of three T20Is in Jamaica.

Neesham struck three fours from the last three balls and 23 runs from the last over of the innings as New Zealand made 185 for 5 after being sent in to bat at Sabina Park. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner took 3 for 19 as New Zealand restricted the West Indies to 172 for 7.

"There was a lot of spin which was a big surprise," said Santner, who was voted player of the match. "I think the lengths are key against these guys. They can hit you pretty far, so back of a length worked today and as a unit we were able to pick up wickets which was pretty key."

New Zealand's innings had two parts, separated by a lengthy rain break. Openers Martin Guptill and Devon Conway gave the tourists a strong start, putting on 62 for the first wicket. But the pair fell to consecutive deliveries from Odean Smith, who went on to take career-best T20I figures of 3 for 32.

Guptill fell to a brilliant one-handed catch by Shimron Hetmyer, who was backed up against the boundary at deep point, while Conway's innings of 43 from 29 ended when he top-edged a catch to wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.

The rain came in the 12th over with New Zealand on 95 for 2 and Williamson at the crease with Glenn Phillips. Players were off the field for almost two hours and when play resumed New Zealand immediately lost Phillips for 17.

The New Zealand innings briefly lost momentum but Williamson re-established the impetus of the innings by taking 33 runs from his next 18 deliveries. He finally was out to another brilliant catch on the boundary, this time from Hayden Walsh who dashed from midwicket to pocket a comfortable catch at speed.

Neesham struck a six from the second ball of an over in which he also was dropped by Romario Shepherd from the bowling of Jason Holder. West Indies paid the price with Neesham's three fours from the last three balls.

"We want to get better as a group but in saying that I was happy with the performances," West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran said. "Santner bowled very well and Ish [Sodhi] got away with a few. Scores above 175-180 are tricky for us. Unfortunately losing is contagious and we're a losing side at the moment."

Shamarh Brooks anchored the top of the West Indies innings with 42 at almost a run a ball. But there was a lack of consistent momentum afterward. Pooran with 15 from eight balls, Holder with 25 from 19 and Rovman Powell with 18 from 12 all threatened to take control of the game but couldn't carry on.

Finally, Shepherd and Odean Smith shared a 50 partnership from 23 balls for the eighth wicket to fan West Indies' hopes. Shepherd struck an unbeaten 31 from 16 balls and Smith 27 from 12. But West Indies came to the last over needing 26 runs and the task proved too much.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-new-zealand-vs-west-indies-1st-t20i-2022/?feed_id=9285&_unique_id=62f45fbe7a3de

Zim vs Ban, 1st ODI, 2022 - Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza spent his formative years preparing to become a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). An eye condition prevented him from becoming one, but the time he spent in his childhood dreaming to be a fighter pilot, and the training he went through in the PAF college, have shaped his outlook in life and cricket to become a fighter, he says.

Raza went on to become a software engineer, and then a cricketer after starting quite late in the sport. After nine years in the international circuit, Raza is in red-hot form. In the last few weeks, he has been the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup Qualifiers, the Player of the Series against Bangladesh in the T20I series, and the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 135 against Bangladesh in the first ODI on Friday.

Chasing 304, Zimbabwe were 62 for 3 in the 14th over. They hadn't beaten Bangladesh in 19 ODIs across nine years. The way Raza rescued Zimbabwe from there with his knock of 135 off 109 and took them across the line, it showed he wasn't too fazed by the pressure.

"There's pressure to do well and win the game, there's pressure. I won't lie," Raza told ESPNcricinfo on Friday. "Of course, it helps that I am from an Air Force background. We don't give up. I get hit, I get hurt, broken fingers, toes, etc. I don't care. I personally feel it helps spending the three-and-a-half years in PAF college. I will always be a fighter within myself. I couldn't become a fighter pilot. But I think as a person, I will always be a fighter. The training mentally and physically is paying dividends now."

Zimbabwe were chasing with the knowledge that the hard-hitting Ryan Burl, who suffered a side strain while bowling, may not bat. Raza was batting with the newcomer Innocent Kaia, and against a Bangladesh bowling attack hungry for wickets. He was also fighting pain after an inside edge slammed into his inner thigh earlier.

"I usually go out with a blank mind," Raza said. "I want to watch the ball. It is an ODI so I want to leave well if I can. Just play a couple of shots that will give me my boundary options. Otherwise, I make sure my shape is good. Make sure I am picking the length early enough.

"The innings was starting to flow. Innocent was playing magnificently, so the pressure was off me. We hit a few boundaries and then it was just momentum. The plan was to win the game but we broke it down to small parts. We wanted to achieve those small targets, and take it from there."

Raza was going well until the 25th over when the Zimbabwe pair seemed to have hit a wall. They batted quietly for about five overs but when Raza blasted Mustafizur Rahman down the ground for a six to bring up his half-century, Zimbabwe had turned a crucial corner.

"I think the secret to my six-hitting is my cricket bats," he explained. "I don't do anything different than what the other guys do. I just have good enough bats.

"I look for one or two balls that gives me the boundary. I make sure I time the ball well. Once I start timing the ball well, Allah has blessed me with the fact that if I hit it well, I can clear the big boundaries. Once you have the confidence, and you get the ball that you wanted, it is what it is after that. There's no real secret, basically."

Raza was also full of praise for Kaia, who struck his maiden hundred in only his fourth ODI. "He played a proper quality and class knock. It was a special innings. We play franchise cricket together. We spend a lot of time with him. I always told him that when the opportunity comes, I know that he will shine. His century was very satisfying to watch from the other end."

This was a big win for Zimbabwe, particularly in a format they have struggled in lately. "It was great to break that shackle. We didn't beat Bangladesh in nine years," Raza said. "They were 19-0 up on us. The wins are coming at the right time. India is coming. We are going to Australia. We have the World Cup to look forward to. It is a good time for Zimbabwe."

Raza, however, remained wary about Bangladesh's quality as an ODI side with two games still left in the series. "We can't take away the fact that Bangladesh is a big cricket country. They are sitting No. 1 or 2 in the [World Cup Super League] table. They won 2-1 [3-0] in West Indies. I refuse to disrespect Bangladesh. They are a powerhouse. Zimbabwe would love to win the series on Sunday. We want to turn up with the right attitude."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/zim-vs-ban-1st-odi-2022-sikandar-raza/?feed_id=7605&_unique_id=62ef13a5638a9

Recent Match Report - Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 1st ODI 2022

Zimbabwe 307 for 5 (Raza 135*, Kaia 110, Mustafizur 1-57) beat Bangladesh 303 for 2 (Litton 81, Anamul 73, Raza 1-48) by five wickets

The pair added 192 runs for the fourth wicket - breaking a 25-year old partnership record and becoming the new best for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh. Raza and Kaia also became only the second Zimbabwean duo to score centuries in the same ODI innings. To think they actually came together when the score was 62 for 3 and the game was almost slipping away from them.

Kaia displayed a refreshing batting approach, concentrating on keeping the ball all along the ground. Still he picked up 11 fours and maintained a strike rate of 90.16 by running himself ragged for those ones and twos. He hit two two sixes over midwicket, but he never tried to out-hit the man of the moment.

Raza, recently named Player of the Series at the T20 World Cup qualifier, grabbed the game with both hands and struck 14 boundaries including six sixes, the last of which was the winning hit. He had earlier been their best bowler too, taking 1-48.

Fifties from Litton Das (81), Anamul Haque (73), Tamim Iqbal (62) and Mushfiqur Rahim (52*) had them sitting pretty, but scoring just 39 runs in the last five overs hurt them. It is only the third time that Bangladesh have lost a game scoring in excess of 300, and the fourth time for Zimbabwe have won one chasing 300-plus.

Bangladesh join a forgettable list•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Things had been so different at the start of the chase. Regis Chakabva barely had any time to soak in the fact that he was the first Zimbabwean to captain, keep wicket and open the batting since Andy Flower in 1996. He chopped a Mustafizur Rahman delivery on to his leg-stump for 2. Tarisai Musakanda skied Shoriful Islam to cover in the next over, and Zimbabwe were suddenly 6 for 2.

Wessly Madhevere fended Bangladesh off, with Kaia, adding 56 runs for the third wicket. But the partnership ended disastrously when miscommunication between the two, having seen a fumble out in the deep, resulted in an entirely avoidable run-out.

That brought Zimbabwe's match-winners together and though there were a few iffy moments - substitute Taijul Islam dropped Raza on 43, a simple chance at cover. Kaia was dropped twice in the same Shoriful over on 68 and 74 respectively - they soon settled into rhythm.

And when they brought up their 162nd run in tandem, they broke the record for Zimbabwe's biggest ODI partnership against Bangladesh, eclipsing the Flower brothers, Andy and Grant, effort from October 1997.

Raza was the dominant one in the partnership, starting his six-hitting in the 21st over when he hammered Shoriful down the ground. He pulled Taskin over midwicket, took a five-over break between the 25th and the 30th, then smashed Mustafizur straight back over his head to reach his fifty. He thrashed his next six off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, pulled Shoriful over midwicket for good measure and finally sealed the match with 10 balls to spare by carting Mosaddek Hossain over the ropes as well.

Luke Jongwe played an important hand (24 off 19) after Kaia got out for 110 in the 42nd over.

Tamim couldn't find a wicket-taker among his bowlers. To make matters worse, Shoriful looked to have hurt his knee. Their gamble to go without a left-arm spinner for the first time against Zimbabwe also hurt them.

Bangladesh's score of 303 for 2 was built around four half-centuries but it was the big partnerships that really helped them. Tamim and Litton added 119 runs, their fourth 100-plus stand as an opening pair. Tamim was the first to fifty, and shortly afterwards when he reached 57 runs, he became the first from Bangladesh to reach 8,000 ODI runs.

After Tamim's departure, Litton got to his seventh fifty, and suddenly got into a groove to hit a cluster of fours and a six to get to 81. But while taking a quick first run, he pulled his hamstring, and had to stretchered off after the second drinks break.

Anamul followed the openers with his first fifty for Bangladesh in almost eight years. This was also the innings in which he struck the ball the sweetest since making his comeback this year. Anamul got into the Bangladesh side with a world record 1,138 runs in the domestic List-A tournament, the Dhaka Premier League. He continued on the same vein against Zimbabwe, hitting his tenth one-day fifty in 2022, and this was his sixth in a row in this format.

Anamul added 96 runs for the second wicket with Mushfiqur, as the pair got into the last ten overs with a gung-ho approach. But after taking 51 runs between the 41st and 45th, they got only 39 runs in the last five. The Zimbabwe bowlers pulling back the scoring rate was their only success in an innings in which they took just two wickets.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-bangladesh-vs-zimbabwe-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=7206&_unique_id=62edc00799f8a

Recent Match Report - Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh 1st T20I 2022

Zimbabwe 205 for 3 (Madhevere 67, Raza 65*, Mustafizur 2-50) beat Bangladesh 188 for 6 (Nurul 42*, Shanto 37, Jongwe 2-34) by 17 runs

A late flourish by Bangladesh captain Nurul Hasan could not defy Zimbabwe, who kept their nerves to clinch a 17-run win in the first T20I and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The win was fashioned by fifties from Wessly Madhevere and Sikandar Raza, followed by some efficient death bowling by Richard Ngarava and Luke Jongwe. This is Zimbabwe's sixth successive T20I win, their best streak in the format.

Chasing 206, Bangladesh were never really in the chase until Nurul started hitting sixes in the last few overs, but an already struggling side looked out of their depth all through.

This is the second time in the space of six T20Is that Zimbabwe have breached the 200-run mark. It is also the first time in eight years that Zimbabwe have taken a 1-0 lead in a bilateral series against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh still had an outside chance in the last two overs when they needed 32 runs, but Ngarava and Jongwe did just about enough to close out the win.

Ngarava nails his wide yorkers
As often happens in T20s, the match came down to a critical penultimate over. Ngarava, drafted into this squad to make up for an injury-hit pace bowling attack, more than made up for the absentees Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani. He conceded just four runs in the 19th over, kept the rampant Nurul quiet and picked up a wicket for good measure to leave Bangladesh needing 28 runs in the last over.

Nurul had struck three sixes until that point, including two off Wellington Masakadza in the 15th over. He then struck Jongwe over long-on, but Ngarava bowled his wide yorkers very well, not allowing any room to Nurul and Mosaddek Hossain. Nurul collected a four - off a leg bye - and a six in the last over after a dot ball, but Tanaka Chivanga came back superbly to shut down the visitors with three consecutive dot balls.

Williams helps Zimbabwe pick up pace
After Zimbabwe opted to bat, they cruised to 80 for 2 in 11 overs before Sean Williams laid into Nasum Ahmed. He struck the left-arm spinner for two fours and a six in the 18-run 12th over to give some impetus to the innings. He went after Nasum's down the leg-side deliveries and dispatched them over deep square leg, steered one fine with a paddle sweep, and pulled one to the long-leg boundary.

The boundaries propelled Zimbabwe after their powerplay of 43 for 1 in which they struck only four fours. Williams exited shortly afterwards, bottom-edging a Mustafizur Rahman slower ball onto his stumps for 33 off 19 balls.

Raza raises the roof
Zimbabwe scored 91 runs in the last six overs of their innings, thanks mainly to Raza who was in a punishing mood for his unbeaten 65 off 26. The first of Raza's four sixes was a pull off Taskin Ahmed in the 15th over, before he struck Shoriful Islam for two more in the 19th over and one off Mustafizur in the last over.

Raza also struck two straight fours, and a beautiful cover drive to finish the innings. Madhevere supported Raza very well despite appearing to suffer from a hamstring pull. Before he was joined by Raza, he was more focused on using the pace of the ball to hit boundaries behind square. His innings was cut short in the last over when he had to retire hurt for 67.

Litton exits in confusion
After giving Bangladesh their best powerplay score - 60 for 1 - in nearly four years, Litton attempted a scoop against Wiliams in the seventh over. Ngarava, at short fine leg, dropped a sitter in haste to celebrate the big wicket but made up for it by quickly throwing the ball to the bowler, who ran back to break the stumps at the non-striker's end, where Litton was well short. Litton did not even try to make it to the crease as he took a bit of time to realise the catch had been shelled. The on-field umpire, who seemed confused with the proceedings, asked Litton to wait and signalled for the TV umpire, signalling not out as the soft signal. This added to the confusion, but the TV umpire adjudged that Litton was actually run out.

In a slightly similar incident four years ago, Law 27.7 of the ICC handbook (now 31.7) had to be invoked, but in that case, Hardik Pandya was caught in the first instance. Here, Litton was dropped, and then run out. The 31.7 law states that "an umpire shall intervene if satisfied that a batsman, not having been given out, has left the wicket under a misapprehension of being out. The umpire intervening shall call and signal Dead ball to prevent any further action by the fielding side and shall recall the batsman".

Zimbabwe win the middle overs too
Bangladesh never quite got a big partnership going after Litton fell for 32. Anamul Haque got out the ball after hitting his second six in the tenth over, while Afif Hossain pulled a half-tracker down deep midwicket's throat in the 13th. Najmul Hossain Shanto, a surprise inclusion in the T20I squad, struck a six and three fours in his 25-ball 37 but he was unable to cope with the rising asking rate and was caught behind in the 16th over. It was left to the new captain Nurul, who, eventually, couldn't quite get Bangladesh to the target.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-zimbabwe-vs-bangladesh-1st-t20i-2022/?feed_id=4495&_unique_id=62e5c58369127

Recent Match Report - India vs West Indies 1st T20I 2022

India 190 for 6 (Rohit 64, Karthik 41*, Joseph 2-46) beat West Indies 122 for 8 (Brooks 20, Ashwin 2-22, Arshdeep 2-24, Bishnoi 2-26) by 68 runs

In the first international game at Brian Lara Stadium, India's move to go in with three spinners - as opposed to West Indies' one - reaped rich dividends as Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi combined to pick five of the eight wickets to fall, helping them to a 68-run win in the first T20I of the five match series.

In T20s before Friday at this ground, spinners had an economy rate of 6.31, which is the fourth-lowest among all the venues in West Indies. They averaged 20.91 - again the fourth-lowest at any Caribbean venue where spinners have bowled in more than ten innings.

India managed to post a tall 190 for 6 on a seemingly slowish surface, thanks to captain Rohit Sharma's half century and Dinesh Karthik's perfect finishing act of an unbeaten 41 off just 19 balls before the West Indies' batting was entangled in the web of spin.

Another partner for Rohit

After being put to bat, Rohit walked out with a new partner, Suryakumar Yadav, who was the seventh opener for India in T20Is this year. Suryakumar got going quickly with a four off Obed McCoy in the first over and then another off Jason Holder in the next. His trademark wristily-flick for six over fine leg also made an appearance - debutant Alzarri Joseph bearing the ignominy.

However Akeal Hosein's introduction had Suryakumar stalling. He was dropped off the first ball from the spinner before a top edge on the very next ball saw it evade the bowler running back. However, Hosein had the last laugh in the next over after Suryakumar's attempted whip resulted in a thick leading edge to short third.

Change in pace leads to change of momentum

India had raced to 44 inside five overs but Suryakumar's wicket slowed down the proceedings. Despite finding a couple of boundaries early on, Rohit struggled to get the ball away. With the odd ball gripping the surface, Hosein and McCoy used that to their advantage with the latter dismissing Shreyas Iyer for a four-ball duck.

While Rohit got his eye in, Rishabh Pant threw his hands around to get a couple of fours. Their partnership of 43 off just 25 balls helped Rohit free himself up. But then India lost Pant and Hardik Pandya - who ramped a Joseph short ball straight to deep third for his maiden T20I wicket - in quick succession to find themselves at 102 for 4 with over eight overs left.

Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin added an unbeaten 52-run stand to take India to 190•Associated Press

The perfect finish

In the interim Rohit got to his 27th half-century in T20Is off 35 balls. Just when he started accelerating, he slapped Holder straight to sweeper cover. At 131 for 5 in 15 overs on a track slowing down, India looked on course to finish around the 170-run mark.

But Karthik once again aced in his designated finisher's role to help India get close to 200. He used the crease well to put the bowlers off their lines and lengths. In the company of Ashwin, he took a toll on the erring Holder and McCoy to help India amass 36 off the last two overs.

Spin to win

In their pursuit of 191, Kyle Mayers got West Indies off to a rapid start, helping them score 11 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first over and as many in the first three balls of Arshdeep Singh's over. However, Arshdeep managed to deceive Mayers with an off-pace short ball to crash-land the chase.

Holder, sent in at No. 3 couldn't see off Ravindra Jadeja's spin while Ashwin managed to see the back of the left-handers in Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. Ravi Bishnoi then dismissed Rovman Powell and Odean Smith in successive overs to pretty much seal the game.

S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-india-vs-west-indies-1st-t20i-2022/?feed_id=4117&_unique_id=62e4ab3d409fa

Recent Match Report - IND Women vs AUS Women 1st Match, Group A 2022

Australia Women 157 for 7 (Gardner 52*, Harris 37, Renuka 4-18) beat India Women 154 for 8 (Harmanpreet 52, Shafali 48, Jonassen 4-22) by three wickets

Women's cricket got off to a spectacular start in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with Australia giving India a reminder that you can never write them off, even in near-impossible situations. Chasing 155, Australia were reduced to 49 for 5 after an incisive burst of 4 for 18 from seamer Renuka Singh, but Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris pulled off an incredible rescue act to win with an over to spare.

A skyrocketing asking-rate that had Australia needing 89 off the last 10 overs eventually turned into a cruise. Harris, who was batting in a T20I for the first time since 2016, smashed 37 off 20 balls, while Gardner stayed unbeaten on 52 off 35 to give Australia a winning start in pursuit of their maiden gold medal.

India's spinners prove ineffective

Apart from Deepti Sharma, every other India spinner was extremely expensive. Left-armer Radha Yadav, in particular, struggled on a pitch that did not offer the kind of bite that she thrives on. When she pitched short, Harris targeted the square boundaries on both sides of the wicket, and when she went full, Harris stepped out and powered the ball straight down the ground. The other left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad also suffered, going for 24 runs in two overs. Thriving against spin, Harris and Gardner raised their 50-run partnership off 31 balls and put the pressure right back on India.

Australia just keep coming
India broke that damaging partnership off the last ball of the 13th over, when Harmanpreet Kaur ran sideways to catch Harris, leaving Australia with 55 to get off 42 balls with only four wickets in hand. The moment should have galvanised India; instead it spurred Australia on. The No. 8 Alana King demonstrated their batting depth, smacking three boundaries in her unbeaten 18 off 16 balls. When Gardner brought up her half-century, Australia were just three away from victory, and King clattered the winning boundary through midwicket off the final ball of the 19th over.

Renuka Singh bowled a ripper to dismiss Tahlia McGrath•Getty Images

Renuka's dream spell
Renuka doesn't have much pace; she relies on accuracy, swing and subtle variations off the pitch. With her second ball, she had the formidable Alyssa Healy poking to slip. Renuka then had Meg Lanning caught at point for 8; the batter's indecision between playing a full-blooded cut or a gentle push proving to be her undoing. After Beth Mooney chopped on for 10 and Tahlia McGrath lost her leg stump to one that cut back in, Renuka had taken four wickets in her first 13 balls. At that stage, India were favourites to win, despite not scoring as much as they should have.

Smriti shines, briefly
India had made a promising start before their innings unravelled. Let off in the second over by Haynes, Smriti Mandhana stepped out of her crease repeatedly to negate any swing at Edgbaston. She drove through the covers, lofted the spinners, and pulled in front of square to race to 24 off 16 balls, but eventually nicked Darcie Brown to the wicketkeeper in the fourth over.

Lucky Shafali tees off
After a small role-reversal, in which she played second fiddle to Mandhana, Shafali Verma displayed her destructive powers by lofting Megan Schutt down the ground, and showed she has a delicate game too by glancing the legspin of King to the boundary. Australia let Shafali off three times - once when Healy broke the stumps with her empty right hand while the ball was in her left glove. The India opener went on to score 48 off 33 balls before she was out to a leg-side strangle against left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen, who finished with figures of 4 for 22.

Harmanpreet's leg-side range
Harmanpreet's love for the leg side is no secret, but that doesn't make it easy to stop her. Australia placed multiple fielders on the leg-side boundary, but Harmanpreet still found the gaps to top score for India with 52 off 34 balls. But her momentum was stalled by Jonassen cutting through the middle order at the other end, and India could only score 39 runs in the last five overs of their innings.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-ind-women-vs-aus-women-1st-match-group-a-2022/?feed_id=3998&_unique_id=62e43a0f4e1fb

Match Preview - West Indies vs India, India in West Indies 2022, 1st T20I

Big picture

Move over ODI cricket, the new dying format of the game. Welcome, T20Is, the koolest kid on the block, more so in a T20 World Cup year.

With the global tournament in Australia less than three months away, this five-match T20I series presents a big opportunity for West Indies and India to firm up their plans.

After failing to qualify for the knockouts of the 2021 edition, India changed their batting template. This year, they have scored at a rate of 9.45 per over. If you leave aside 2013, when they played just one T20I, this is their best scoring rate in any calendar year. In fact, no other team has scored at a faster rate than India this year.

With Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya returning after being rested for the ODI series, India will look to further fine-tune their approach. They have also brought back Paddy Upton as a mental conditioning coach to keep the players in the best frame of mind.

In recent years, T20I cricket has been West Indies' strongest suit. But, not for the first time, they will be without many of their stars who lit up various T20 leagues around the world. Kieron Pollard has retired, while Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are not part of the squad.

The team, though, will carry the confidence from their 2-0 win against Bangladesh in the format, as well as from a much-improved performance in the ODI series against India. Nicholas Pooran will once again be the key to West Indies' fortunes. He will have the support of Shimron Hetmyer, who is back in the squad after proving his fitness. The question is, can others - especially the bowlers - lift their game as well?

Form guide

West Indies WWLLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India LWWWW

In the spotlight

Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant were not supposed to compete for the same spot. But if India play Karthik as a specialist finisher, that means there is one fewer middle-order slot available. If we consider Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya as the certainties for the World Cup, Pant's place could possibly be in danger. In 50 T20Is, Pant has a strike rate of just 124.27, which pales in comparison to his overall T20 strike rate of 145.44. Is being a left-hander enough to warrant a place in the side? But then has Karthik done enough to secure his place in the XI? He is supposed to be the enforcer in the last five overs, but his first-ten-balls strike rate in T20Is this year is a mere 81.36 (48 runs off 59 balls). For comparison, his corresponding strike rate in IPL 2022 was 166.67 (190 runs off 114 balls). This series should give India a clearer picture for this conundrum.

Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik or both - who will India choose?•PTI

Shimron Hetmyer has proved his fitness, but is he carrying his form as well with him? At IPL 2022, he excelled in the role of a finisher for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 314 in 15 innings at a strike rate of 153.92. But in the two months since then, he hasn't played any cricket. And just like Pant, he too has contrasting strike rates in T20Is and T20s. Overall, he has struck at 133.45 but at the international level, that number plummets to 118.71.

Team news

Hetmyer is back in the West Indies T20I squad after clearing a fitness test. Evin Lewis continues to miss out, so West Indies are likely to persist with the opening combination of Kyle Mayers and Brandon King.

West Indies (probable): 1 Kyle Mayers, 2 Brandon King, 3 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Odean Smith/Dominic Drakes/Romario Shepherd, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Hayden Walsh Jr

India seem to have found all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. It's now about putting them in their right places. With KL Rahul not available, will they continue to open with Pant? Has Deepak Hooda, with his all-round game with the bat and handy offspin, pipped Shreyas Iyer for a slot in the middle order? Who will lead the spin attack in the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal? It seems we will have to wait for the match day to find the answers.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Rishabh Pant (wk), 3 Deepak Hooda/Shreyas Iyer, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 R Ashwin/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Avesh Khan/Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first international match to be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. The venue has hosted 31 CPL games, the last of which was in 2020. The scoring rate in those games was 7.40. The weather, though, could play a spoilsport as there is an 80% chance of rain on Friday morning.

Stats and trivia

• Both Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja are two strikes away from 50 T20I wickets. Only Yuzvendra Chahal (79), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (70), Jasprit Bumrah (69) and R Ashwin (61) have taken 50 or more wickets for India in T20Is.
• On Wednesday, Martin Guptill (3399) overtook Rohit (3379) as the leading run-scorer in T20Is. Both players will be in action on Friday.
• Eleven bowlers have bowled ten or more powerplay overs in T20Is this year. Among those, Akeal Hosein's economy rate of 9.20 is the worst in that phase.

Quotes

"We have been playing good T20 cricket. We had good games with India in India. We know the quality that they have. Let's wait and see how we come up on Friday."
West Indies coach Phil Simmons looks ahead to the T20I series

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/match-preview-west-indies-vs-india-india-in-west-indies-2022-1st-t20i/?feed_id=3641&_unique_id=62e35822894d7