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

Recent Match Report - West Indies vs New Zealand 3rd ODI 2022

New Zealand 307 for 5 (Latham 69, Mitchell 63, Guptill 57, Conway 56, Holder 2-37) beat West Indies 301 for 8 (Mayers 105, Pooran 91, Hope 51, Boult 3-53) by five wickets

Four batters posted half centuries as New Zealand overhauled the West Indies' total of 301 for 8 to win the third ODI on Sunday by five wickets and clinch the series 2-1.

Tom Latham scored 69 and put on 120 for the fourth wicket with Daryl Mitchell (63) in a stand which paced the run chase and carried New Zealand in sight of victory.

Martin Guptill (57) and Devon Conway (56) had earlier combined to add 82 runs for the second wicket to give New Zealand a platform for a demanding chase.

Mitchell was out with the score on 248 in the 42nd over and Latham at 259 in the 44th, with New Zealand still requiring 43 runs. Jimmy Neesham settled the issue with a decisive innings of 34 from 11 deliveries, taking 18 runs from the 45th over bowled by Yannic Cariah.

Neesham hit a six from the bowling of West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran to end the chase with 17 balls remaining.

"It was obviously nice to make a contribution," Latham said. "I think the partnership that Daryl and I were able to make put them under pressure. We set a target of getting to that 40-over mark where we needed a run a ball."

Latham appeared to have erred when he chose to bowl first and as the West Indies flourished in good batting conditions. Kyle Mayers made 105 in a 173-run opening partnership with Shai Hope, and Pooran smashed nine sixes in a rapid 91 for the West Indies.

The pitch proved much better for batting than those on which the West Indies won the first match by five wickets and New Zealand won the second by 50 runs. The highest previous total in the series was New Zealand's 212 in the second match.

Mayers and Hope stayed together for almost 35 overs to shape the West Indies innings. Their partnership ended when Hope was out for 51 off 100 balls and, as often happens with large partnerships, Mayers was out two balls later and without addition to the total. Brandon King fell soon afterwards with the score at 181 for 3 in a sudden reversal for the West Indies.

But Pooran picked up the pace again, posting a half-century from 33 balls. He had hit nine sixes and and four fours from 55 balls when he was out in the 49th over.

Mayers and Hope made a cautious start to the innings as they found the pace of the new pitch, crawling to 24 after 10 overs, negotiating a short rain break in the seventh over.

"I took my time in the powerplay and it gave me the chance to get in. The last two games I got out in the powerplay," Mayers said in a television interview. "It's not every day you bat the powerplay for 20 runs but it worked out well in the end."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-west-indies-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-2022/?feed_id=14432&_unique_id=63040caf13e2d

Recent Match Report - Pakistan vs Netherlands 3rd ODI 2022

Pakistan 206 (Babar 91, Nawaz 27, de Leede 3-50, Kingma 2-15) beat Netherlands 197 (Cooper 62, Vikramjit 50, Naseem 5-33, Wasim 4-36) by nine runs

Pakistan nearly paid the price for extreme caution with the bat, but standout bowling performances from Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim spared their blushes as they eked out a nine-run win in the third and final ODI in Rotterdam and sealed the series 3-0.

For a large part of the chase, it seemed that Netherlands would topple Pakistan, particularly during a 71-run fourth-wicket partnership between Vikramjit Singh and Tom Cooper. But with the pressure at its most intense, Naseem and Wasim bowled with a composure that belied their inexperience, taking nine wickets between them to close out the game. Naseem's career-best figures of 5 for 33, backed up by Wasim's 4 for 36, made all the difference in the end as the Netherlands batters failed to close out the game.

Earlier, a miserly bowling performance from Netherlands saw Pakistan bowled out for 206 in 49.4 overs, handing the home side a golden opportunity to nab a win. Pakistan were exceptionally conservative with the bat for much of the innings; by the end of 30 overs, they were 105 for 3. Bas de Leede, Netherlands' best player of the series, was once again exceptional with the ball as he ran through the middle order, striking thrice to prevent Pakistan ever really breaking away. Only Babar Azam, who scored a steady, if sedate, 125-ball 91, was able to keep the innings together, but in the absence of a supporting cast or an injection of impetus, a modest total was all that Pakistan could muster.

Netherlands sniffed an opportunity, but they were abundantly cautious early on, and Naseem, as he had done all series, continued to punch holes in their batters' defences. Max O'Dowd played at one that nipped away to cap an indifferent series before Naseem cleaned up Musa Ahmad with a ball that held its line from around the wicket. Wasim, who replaced the somewhat less potent Shahnawaz Dahani, took up the mantle from the other end, sending de Leede back after he nicked one through to Mohammad Haris.

But with the target relatively low, the hosts were never out of the game, and one big partnership was enough to give Pakistan a real fright. Vikramjit and Cooper began to rebuild after the early blows, the former's three successive boundaries off Wasim a clear signal of intent. The duo looked comfortable against most Pakistan bowlers.

Pakistan needed a breakthrough fast, and for that, Babar turned to Wasim once more. In the second over of his new spell, he sent Vikramjit packing. Naseem, of course, was not to be outdone, removing Scott Edwards in his first over back with a dream delivery that beat the outside edge of the bat and crunched into off stump.

But Netherlands rebuilt with Cooper and Teja Nidamanuru, a 56-run stand taking them to within 35 of the target. At that stage, the asking rate was under seven, and Netherlands were turning the screws once more.

Aryan Dutt had Babar Azam caught and bowled on 91•KNCB/Gerhard van der Laarse

But the Naseem-Wasim duo refused to give up, combining in a scintillating death-overs display to remove the pair in the space of six balls and burrow into the tail. From thereon, it was an uphill task for Netherlands against two bowlers in top form and, while Pakistan were made to sweat, victory always seemed a touch out of their reach. Wasim rattled Aryan Dutt's stumps to finish off the game, and Pakistan just about got away with one.

In the morning, Pakistan made four changes to their side, bringing in Abdullah Shafique as opener for his ODI debut, as well as Haris in place of Mohammad Rizwan. After they opted to bat, Shafique had the opportunity to impress straightaway, but Vivian Kingma struck early once again.

Kingma and Dutt kept things tighter than a taxman's purse, never allowing Pakistan any freedom to accelerate. The fielding was lively, and with the batters finding the fielders with most shots, Pakistan began to feel suffocated. Neither Fakhar Zaman nor Babar could truly break away, and even when there were changes in the bowling, a change in fortunes for Pakistan did not accompany them.

The pressure finally got to Fakhar, who went for a huge heave against Logan van Beek, only to be beaten by the pace and have his off stump rattled. Netherlands only squeezed harder, with the run rate continuing to snail along well under four.

Babar was curiously passive through the innings, and the failure of the inexperienced middle order to capitalise made his wicket even more valuable. It didn't come until fairly late in the innings, but his failure to break free meant he couldn't inflict much damage anyway. It was Dutt, the pick of the bowlers, who got rid of him for the second time this series, taking a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling. Dutt had deserved it more than perhaps any other bowler, his figures of 10-1-34-1 just rewards for a sensational showing.

The final few overs saw Pakistan trying to accelerate, only for Netherlands to shackle them further. The odd four or six gave hopes of a change in momentum, but it was swiftly followed by wickets. No. 10 Zahid Mahmood struck a six in the penultimate over, but Kingma returned to help Netherlands get the final two wickets.

At that stage, Netherlands looked on track for their first home win of the summer. They might well have reached there but for two young Pakistani fast bowlers.

Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-pakistan-vs-netherlands-3rd-odi-2022/?feed_id=13933&_unique_id=6302813e05126

Recent Match Report - New Zealand vs West Indies 2nd ODI 2022

New Zealand 212 (Allen 96, Mitchell 41, Sinclair 4-41) beat West Indies 161 (Cariah 51, Joseph 49, Southee 4-22) by 50 runs (DLS method)

Finn Allen made 96 and Tim Southee took 4 for 22 as New Zealand beat West Indies by 50 runs in a rain-affected encounter in the second ODI to level the three-match series.

New Zealand made 212 batting first and the West Indies were in dire straits at 27 for 6, potentially facing their lowest-ever total in an ODI, until a long rain break and bold late-order batting changed the course of the match.

When the rain stopped late in the evening at Kensington Oval, West Indies, who were 63 for 7 at the break, were left to chase 212 from only 51 overs.

They found an unusual hero in Yannic Cariah who posted his first half-century in an ODI and shared an 85-run partnership with Alzarri Joseph (49) which raised the hopes for the home team.

Joseph fell with the total at 157 for 9 and Cariah was the last man out for 52 with the total at 161 to make Sunday's third ODI the series decider.

Trent Boult and Southee combined to crash through the West Indies top and middle order, leaving the home team six wickets down in the 10th over. Southee finished with 4 for 22 and Boult 3 for 18.

Earlier, Allen fell four runs short of a maiden century as New Zealand overcame the loss of its captain and a stuttering start to post 212 in 48.2 overs.

Finn Allen swings for the leg side•Associated Press

Skipper Kane Williamson was ruled out with a quad muscle strain suffered in the first match of the three-match series which the West Indies won by five wickets.

Stand-in captain Tom Latham was among three batters to fall early as New Zealand struggled to 31 for 3 in the 10th over. He was out for a three-ball duck while Martin Guptill fell for 3 and Devon Conway for 6.

Allen revived the innings with an 84-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell (41) for the fourth wicket. The pair stayed together for 20 overs to steer New Zealand into a stronger position at 115-4 when Mitchell top-edged an attempted slog over midwicket and was caught at square leg.

New Zealand failed to build from the promising position. Allrounder Michael Bracewell (6) and the power hitters Phillips (9) and Neesham (1) came and went quickly.

Allen finally was out for 96 on the first ball of the 41st over when New Zealand were 165 for 7. He had faced 117 balls and hit three sixes and seven fours.

"It was nice to get the team off to what we thought was a competitive total," Allen said after the match. "I was disappointed to leave us about 10 overs short. I thought there were stills a few runs out there which we could have put on the seal the deal a bit more."

The New Zealand innings again lost direction in his absence, though Mitchell Santner made an effort to rally the tail. He found an able partner in Boult who stayed with him for five overs during which the pair added a valuable 31 for the last wicket, guiding New Zealand past their total of 190 which proved inadequate in the first match.

Boult finally was out for 16, giving offspinner Sinclair his fourth wicket of the innings. Sinclair finished with 4 for 41 as spinners shared six wickets.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-new-zealand-vs-west-indies-2nd-odi-2022/?feed_id=13366&_unique_id=630084adf2ff4

India in Eng 2022 - Jhulan Goswami returns for ODI series

Goswami, 39, had missed the tour of Sri Lanka in July amid speculation about her international future. Rodrigues, meanwhile, was ruled out of the Hundred on the same day that the squad was named because of a wrist injury she sustained during the Commonwealth Games.

Kiran Prabhu Navgire, the batter from Maharashtra who plays for Nagaland, received her maiden call-up to India's T20I squad for the series that starts on September 10. Navgire, 27, grabbed eyeballs with her unbeaten 162 against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy earlier this year. Hailing from Maharashtra, she represented Nagaland as a guest player and scored a chart-topping 525 runs, with 54 fours and 35 sixes. She also hit the fastest fifty in the Women's T20 Challenge in May while playing for Velocity.

Allrounder Dayalan Hemalatha, who played an ODI last year for the first time since February 2019, also found a place in both white-ball squads. She scored 272 runs for Railways in the 2021-22 domestic T20 tournament - the most for her side - and showed her all-round skills in the Senior Women's One-Day Trophy - taking eight wickets and making 67 runs in three innings at a strike-rate of 117.54 while batting in the lower-middle order.

While batter Harleen Deol was picked only in the ODI squad, legspinner Poonam Yadav, who was among the standbys for the Commonwealth Games, was not selected in either squad.

Meanwhile, the musical chairs for India's wicketkeeper slot continues with Richa Ghosh replacing Yastika Bhatia in the T20I setup. Taniya Bhatia continues to keep her spot across both white-ball formats.

India play three T20Is in England on September 10, 13 and 15, followed by three ODIs - part of the ICC Women's Championship - on September 18, 21 and 24.

T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Jemimah Rodrigues, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Meghna Singh, Radha Yadav, S Meghana, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Dayalan Hemalatha, Simran Dil Bahadur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kiran Prabhu Navgire

ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, S Meghana, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Harleen Deol, Dayalan Hemalatha, Simran Dil Bahadur, Jhulan Goswami, Jemimah Rodrigues

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/india-in-eng-2022-jhulan-goswami-returns-for-odi-series/?feed_id=13275&_unique_id=63004c32564e5

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

Recent Match Report - Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 3rd ODI 2022

Sikandar Raza stood in as Zimbabwe captain for the third ODI against Bangladesh, with regular skipper Regis Chakabva ruled out due to a sprained hand*. Zimbabwe won the toss for the third time in a row and decided to field in their hunt for a series sweep.

With Chakabva - also the wicketkeeper - missing, Zimbabwe gave an ODI debut to 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Clive Madande, while Richard Ngarava returned in place of Tanaka Chivanga in the bowling attack.

Bangladesh, who have already lost the series, dropped fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam and replaced them with Mustafizur Rahman and Ebadot Hossain, who is making his ODI debut.

Zimbabwe had chased down totals of 304 and 291 in the first two ODIs of the series, and thus have an unassailable 2-0 lead already. They now have the chance to sweep an ODI series 3-0 for the first time against a Full Member side since their 3-0 win over Bangladesh in 2001-02.

Zimbabwe: 1 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 2 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 3 Innocent Kaia, 4 Wessly Madhevere, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Clive Madande (wk), 7 Tony Munyonga, 8 Brand Evans, 9 Luke Jongwe, 10 Victor Nyauchi, 11 Richard Ngarava

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Anamul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ebadot Hossain

*This story was updated at 8.07 GMT after Zimbabwe Cricket provided the injury update about Regis Chakabva

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-bangladesh-vs-zimbabwe-3rd-odi-2022/?feed_id=8984&_unique_id=62f37d904a572

Zim vs Ban 2022 - 2nd ODI - Russell Domingo

Bangladesh's bowlers were out of sync with the plans that had been discussed, and repeated mistakes, according to head coach Russell Domingo, and that was the reason they failed to defend two decent totals in a row in the ODI series against Zimbabwe. Both matches were lost by five wickets, as 304 and 291 were chased down with enough to spare; this, after Zimbabwe won the T20I series too.

This was Bangladesh's poorest bowling performance in an ODI series in the last 18 months. And it came after their best performance, when they beat West Indies 3-0 last month.

"[Zimbabwe] were 60 [62] for 3 and 49 for 4 [in the first and second ODIs, respectively], but the boys didn't deal with the pressure well enough," Domingo said. "Too many knock-ons in the field, too many soft balls, too many balls bowled to the wrong field, wrong options taken. The boys are trying but they are not learning quickly enough. They are making those same mistakes over and over again. That's the most disappointing thing. Good teams will punish you in these conditions, where it is difficult to defend the scores. They got punished by four really good hundreds [two from Sikandar Raza, and one each from Innocent Kaia and Regis Chakabva] in the last two games.

"Bottom line is that you need hundreds to get match-winning scores. Some great lessons learned for us"

Russell Domingo

"You have got to give credit to Zimbabwe, particularly Sikandar, he has played fantastically well. Two of the better one-day hundreds you will find under pressure. We left 20 runs out [in both the ODIs]. It is very difficult to defend in the afternoon. Zimbabwe thoroughly deserved the win in both those matches."

Domingo pointed out Bangladesh could have been in a better position had one or more of their batters played long innings. In the first, Bangladesh's top four got fifties, but Litton Das' 81, before he retired hurt, was the best. In the second, Mahmudullah's 80 not out was the best effort.

"It is very difficult to criticise the one-day team, based on their performance of the last year-and-a-half," Domingo said. "They have had some amazing results and fantastic wins. Batting second here is a bit of a factor but there's a lot of work to be done. Zimbabwe has four hundreds, we have got none. Bottom line is that you need hundreds to get match-winning scores. Some great lessons learned for us.

"The World Cup is still a year-and-a-half away. Fortunately, these games don't count for [World Cup qualifying] points. We have got to see it as a great learning experience."

"We didn't have couple of important players in both formats. We didn't have Shakib [Al Hasan, for the T20Is], Mustafizur and Litton didn't play today. Hopefully they are back and fit," Domingo said. "The confidence is not high in T20s at the moment. Although we have made some improvements in our batting in the last couple of games, we have some way to go. It takes one or two wins in that format to get a bit of momentum."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/zim-vs-ban-2022-2nd-odi-russell-domingo/?feed_id=8123&_unique_id=62f0d7f48b112

Recent Match Report - Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI 2022

Toss Zimbabwe chose to bowl vs Bangladesh

Zimbabwe captain Regis Chakabva decided to field after winning the toss against Bangladesh in the second ODI in Harare. While the home side's good luck continues with the coin, having won all five tosses during this white-ball tour, opposition captain Tamim Iqbal said that he was happy to bat first on a used pitch, as it may slow down in the second half.

Bangladesh have made three changes by bringing in fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, opener Najmul Hossain Shanto and fingerspinner Taijul Islam, in place of the injured Mustafizur Rahman (soft tissue edema) and Litton Das (hamstring strain) and Mosaddek Hossain.

Among them, Chivanga was not in the original ODI squad named before the first game.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Shoriful Islam were passed fit despite suffering knocks in the first game. Bangladesh had already flown in Mohammad Naim and Ebadot Hossain as additions to the ODI side after Litton was ruled out of the tour.

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

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Anamul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahamudullah, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Shoriful Islam

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-bangladesh-vs-zimbabwe-2nd-odi-2022/?feed_id=7731&_unique_id=62ef848b80193

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

Hasan Ali dropped from Pakistan squads for Asia Cup and Netherlands ODI series

Hasan Ali has been dropped from both Pakistan's squad for the ODI series in the Netherlands as well for the Asia Cup T20Is later this month. Naseem Shah has been named in both squads. Shaheen Shah Afridi, who missed the second Test in Sri Lanka last month because of a knee injury, has been included in both squads, with a PCB statement saying, "his rehabilitation programme will be overseen by the team trainer and physiotherapist, who will also decide on his return to international cricket".

Babar Azam continues to be in charge of both the set-ups, with Shadab Khan as his deputy.

Hasan's form across formats in the last year has been middling at best, with his T20I bowling strike rate moving to 23.2; he has picked up eight wickets in nine games in this period. In the three ODIs he has played in the last 12 months - all at home between March and June this year - he averaged 76.50 with the ball, picking up two wickets overall. Earlier this year, in the PSL, he had a bowling average of 40.55 and had an economy rate of 10.84 as he got nine wickets in nine games for Islamabad United.

"We have done our homework, especially for the players who have served Pakistan well and have won so many games for the country," Mohammad Wasim, the men's chief selector, said when asked about Hasan. "To give them a longer run is a part of the plan, but then there is the stage when you realise that now is the time we think he needs a break for his own and the team's betterment.

"So we had a similar thought process with Hasan Ali, to give him an extended run, but now we think he needs to regather himself and return as a match-winner. We hope going forward we will find the same old Hasan Ali."

It has been a downward spiral for Hasan since last year's T20 World Cup, where he dropped a catch that could, potentially, have won Pakistan the semi-final against Australia. He ended the tournament with five wicket in six bowling innings, at an average of 41.40 and an economy rate of 9.00.

Naseem, who has never played ODIs or T20Is, has taken Hasan's place after a good performance in the two Tests in Sri Lanka last month, when he picked up seven wickets on not-very-helpful pitches. Naseem had struggled with fitness issues till recently, but has come back stronger.

"Naseem Shah is a quality bowler, and we have seen him in domestic white-ball cricket," Wasim said. "He has got express pace and we wanted to include an attacking option; it is important to take wickets in white0ball cricket. He has that ability. He can swing the ball, he has got pace, and if we talk about his temperament, we have seen the evidence in Tests.

"He was a good replacement for Hasan Ali, and we hope he can take his success from red-ball to white-ball cricket."

Agha Salman, the middle-order batter who made his international debut in the Test series against Sri Lanka last month, now has a chance of making his ODI debut in the Netherlands.

The selectors have also kept faith in PSL sensational Mohammad Haris, the wicketkeeper-batter, for the ODIs. He made his debut in the home series against West Indies in June, but failed both the times he got a chance to bat, scoring 6 and 0 from the middle order.

He has, however, been identified as the back-up to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps, which will likely ensure more opportunities, at least in the short term. Haris shot to prominence at PSL 7, scoring 166 runs in five innings at a strike rate of over 185 for Peshawar Zalmi. At the 50-over Pakistan Cup last year, he scored 289 runs in eight innings at an average of 41.28 and strike rate of over 100 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The selected players will assemble in Lahore on August 6 for a six-day training camp. The ODI side will leave for Amsterdam in the wee hours of August 12 for the three-ODI series - the matches are on August 16, 18 and 21, all in Rotterdam - and the T20I specialists will reach Dubai on August 22, where they will be joined by the T20I members of the ODI squad.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/hasan-ali-dropped-from-pakistan-squads-for-asia-cup-and-netherlands-odi-series/?feed_id=6350&_unique_id=62eb52a9169ba

Recent Match Report - Scotland vs New Zealand Only ODI 2022

New Zealand 307 for 3 (Chapman 101*, Mitchell 74*, Allen 50 Leask 2-46) beat Scotland 306 (Leask 85, Cross 53, Bracewell 3-43, Duffy 3-52) by 7 wickets

The last time Mark Chapman scored an ODI century was 2449 days ago. It came on his Hong Kong debut, having just completed both his exams and a 20-hour flight.

A second came in the late-Sunday Edinburgh sunshine. Chapman's century was his first in New Zealand colours, adding to the 83 he made in Friday's T20I. It was an attractive, brutal knock, and as he reached the landmark off his 74th ball to point for a single, off came the helmet, and the bat swooshed through the air. Two balls later, a seven-wicket victory was sealed in the one-off ODI against Scotland.

"I managed to score a few a couple of days ago, and I was happy to contribute again today," he said after the match. "When Daryl (Mitchell) and I came together we had a lot of work to do. We talked about taking it deep, putting a partnership together and having wickets in hand come the end.

"Daryl was encouraging me to go for it, and I just put my head down and tried to make contact. I'm stoked. Thankfully it came off today."

The problem, for the opposition at least, is that New Zealand are just so difficult to beat. Even when you think you've got them, they fight back. Chapman's unbroken fourth-wicket partnership with Daryl Mitchell was worth 175 runs. The pair negotiated a potentially sticky situation with ease.

Chapman took a particular shine to Hamza Tahir, who was peppered straight. Three sixes in an over towards the conclusion eased him through the 70s. He was dropped by Michael Leask in the middle of those, mind.

Mitchell's knock, on the other hand, contained a share of luck. Luck that largely evaded the Scots. But he is having a golden European tour, and there were touches of quality aplenty. It meant a tenth consecutive ODI victory for the Black Caps. And this, remember, is a line-up without Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham.

The win did not come without wobbly moments, though. Scotland will take much from the game, if not victory. Dreich is a popular Scottish adjective meaning grey and dreary. It was apt for the early morning weather. And when Scotland slipped to 107 for 5 having elected to bat first in this one-off match, it looked apt for their day.

But then out came Leask. By mid-afternoon, the sun shone, Leask had walloped a rapid 85 - his highest score in this format - and his quickfire dismissals of Martin Guptill and Dane Cleaver had New Zealand up against it. For a while at least, it seemed game on.

Michael Leask scored a rapid 85 off just 55 balls•SNS Group/Getty Images

"It's a week of missed opportunities," Scotland head coach Shane Burger said. "We lost the big moments in the game, but ultimately, they go your way if you play more cricket. That one big partnership was the difference in the game.

"I can't fault the effort; the guys ran in and did the best we could. Our skill levels need to keep improving. It's still building blocks but to see the resilience and the character shine out speaks 1,000 words."

Scotland had made a sprightly start with Kyle Coetzer racing to 20 from just 12 balls. But a miscued pull off Jacob Duffy brought about his downfall. Then came the New Zealand pressure. Michael Bracewell reeled off ten uninterrupted overs. Six overs between him and Blair Tickner cost just 11 runs, with Michael Jones falling to Bracewell, and Calum MacLeod to the latter. Bracewell then removed both Richie Berrington and Chris Greaves to leave Scotland reeling.

Then came the counter punch. Finally, some home batting that mirrored the aggression of the in-house DJ's excessive use of musical interludes. Matthew Cross reached 50 first with an emphatic pull off Lockie Ferguson that fizzed onto a neighbouring road.

But Leask's knock was the standout. Pure aggression. Bracewell was bludgeoned straight, before Ferguson - from around the wicket - dropped short and was swatted away. A later flat bat down the ground had Duffy sprinting. 'You'll nay catch that big lad' came the cry from the hospitality tents. It was spot on. Leask then lifted Duffy over deep square and long on before falling 15 short of a century. Later, Mark Watt and Safyaan Sharif cameos took Scotland to 306.

The hosts needed early luck but did not get it. Chris Sole was almost celebrating an immediate wicket, with Finn Allen edging just out of Cross' reach. Shariff then thudded into Guptill's pads, the ball struck the stumps, but the bails remained intact.

Allen fell for exactly 50, Guptill 47 and then Cleaver soon after. But Chapman and Mitchell steadied before accelerating. Chapman boshed Tahir for a pair of maximums, Mitchell took ten off a Sharif over, and between them, they found 14 off Watt. Suddenly a run-a-ball was required. In the end, 25 balls were left spare.

Quite what long-term value these games have for Scotland, when played in such isolation, is difficult to measure. This was their first ODI against a full-member nation since Sri Lanka visited in 2019. There is nothing currently in the fixture list. With the schedule packed, quite where additional games come from is difficult to see. In which case, it is 'survive' rather than 'thrive.'

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-scotland-vs-new-zealand-only-odi-2022/?feed_id=5293&_unique_id=62e83a49cedfd

Recent Match Report - India vs West Indies 3rd ODI 2022

India 225 for 3 (Gill 98*, Dhawan 58, Iyer 44, Walsh 2-57) beat West Indies 137 (Pooran 42, King 42, Chahal 4-17) by 119 runs via DLS method

The first two matches of the series were tight contests where both teams remained in contention until the final ball was bowled. But India had it much easier during the third ODI in Port-of-Spain, as the visitors completed a 3-0 sweep of West Indies following contributions from Shubman Gill, who hit a career-best 98 not out, Shikhar Dhawan, who got 58, and Shreyas Iyer, who contributed a quickfire 44. All their bowlers chipped in too, as West Indies fell away quickly during the chase.

The hosts were asked to chase a DLS-revised target of 257 in 35 overs after India posted 225 in 36, their innings ending prematurely after a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay had already trimmed it down to 40 overs.

Mohammed Siraj put West Indies on the back foot in the second over of the chase, when he cleaned Kyle Mayers up with a good length delivery before trapping Shamarh Brooks in front with one that angled in. West Indies were 0 for 2 at that stage, with nine deliveries gone.

Brandon King and Shai Hope briefly brought them back on track with a 47-run stand before Yuzvendra Chahal had Hope stumped for 22. King was then joined by Nicholas Pooran in another partnership that gave West Indies hope, before Axar Patel's arm ball in the 14th over bowled King for 42.

But immediately after, Pooran fired a six and four off Deepak Hooda, keeping his side afloat as the required rate hovered around eight an over. However, Keacy Carty's struggle to get going at the other end seemed to put pressure back on Pooran; when Carty finally decided to try something different, he skipped down to Shardul Thakur in the 19th over only to bottom-edge on to his stumps for 5 off 17 balls.

By then, West Indies needed nearly 10 an over, and although Pooran hit two more fours off Axar, he fell for 42 in the 22nd over to all but end the game, which had been set up by India's opening batters Gill and Dhawan.

In their third successful partnership in a row - following stands of 119 and 48 and now 113 - the right-left pair started sedately in what was an innings of two halves from India: the first 24 overs produced 115 runs; the next 12 fetched 110.

Gill missed out on what would have been his maiden ODI hundred, as a second rain interruption meant India's innings was announced closed with a scheduled four overs left at that stage. When play resumed after the first rain delay, India had 16 overs remaining, as Gill and Iyer switched gears to accelerate the innings.

Both batters threw everything at the bowling after having to adjust for the loss of overs: they came down the pitch to the spinners, tried the reverse sweep, played aerial shots while pulling and driving, and kept lofting over the in-field.

Gill and Iyer added 86 for the second wicket in less than ten overs, making up for the sedate beginning after Dhawan opted to bat on winning the toss. Dhawan was quiet to start the innings, his 58 coming off 74 balls on a slow pitch where he did try attacking, but often failed to time and place the ball.

Dhawan hit seven fours, while Gill also hit as many along with two sixes. The first two overs after the rain break saw 31 runs being plundered - including four fours and two sixes - as Gill and Iyer pulled, cut and drove for fun. Their partnership had only just started before rain broke through.

But Hayden Walsh Jr's second ball after the break was swung for six over deep square leg by Iyer, signalling India's intent early, as quick runs were the need of the hour. The next ball was bisected for four between point and short third, before Gill skipped down off the final delivery and swung over the bowler's head for six.

West Indies brought some pace from the other end, only for Iyer to hit one four off Jayden Seales, and Gill to slam consecutive fours - the first of which was supreme timing to place the ball past mid-off - as India raced along.

Both batters continued finding the boundary when the hosts switched to Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein, before Iyer swatted the latter to long-on for 44 off 34 balls. But Gill kept ticking the scoreboard at the other end, as Suryakumar Yadav joined him in pursuit of rapid runs.

Suryakumar fell for 8 after carving one four behind point just two overs before play came to a halt, with Gill having skipped from 51 off 65 balls at one stage, to an unbeaten, run-a-ball 98. He might rue missing out on a century, as he got only 13 off his last 14 balls - perhaps just one more ball would have been enough to get to triple figures. In the end, though, it didn't make too much difference to India's fortunes.

Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-india-vs-west-indies-3rd-odi-2022/?feed_id=3150&_unique_id=62e20523844a4

Recent Match Report - West Indies vs India 2nd ODI 2022

India 312 for 8 (Axar 64*, Iyer 63, Samson 54, Joseph 2-46, Mayers 2-48) beat West Indies 311 for 6 (Hope 115, Pooran 74, Thakur 3-54) by two wickets

Axar Patel smashed India's second-fastest ODI fifty against West Indies, leading the way in a collective batting effort in a big chase as India overhauled West Indies' 311 in the second ODI in Port of Spain. Shai Hope's hundred in his 100th ODI and Nicholas Pooran's attacking 74 went in vain, as West Indies lost the match - and with it, the series - despite dominating the majority of their defence.

Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) also hit half-centuries, but Axar's unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls turned the tables in the last ten overs.

India needed 100 to win from 60 balls with five wickets in hand, and Axar and Hooda were at the crease. Hooda fell for 33 with 56 to get off 36, leaving Axar and Shardul Thakur to complete the job. By then, Axar had already clobbered three sixes. More were on the way.

The turning point arrived when 48 was required off the last five overs. Though he dismissed Thakur, Alzarri Joseph conceded 16 - including two above-waist full-toss no-balls - in the 46th, and West Indies missed running No. 10 Avesh Khan out off the last ball. Next over, Axar slammed two fours and Avesh added one more off Romario Shepherd. Suddenly the equation was 19 off 18.

Avesh wouldn't go without collecting his share of runs even though he had earlier leaked 54 in six overs on ODI debut. He hit ten off 12 balls, asking Axar to wipe out the last eight runs in the company of Mohammed Siraj. Axar, in red-hot touch, got a full toss from Kyle Mayers, which he sent flying over the bowler's head to finish things off with two balls to go.

Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson put up a 99-run stand•AFP/Getty Images

The chase was set up by a firm start from Shubman Gill, and then a 99-run stand between Iyer and Samson. Gill made up for his partner Shikhar Dhawan's struggles with a serene 43 off 49 balls. But when he and Suryakumar Yadav fell in the space of 11 balls, India were 79 for 3 in the 18th over.

Samson got to his maiden ODI fifty - his knock of 54 off 51 balls included three fours and three sixes - and was at his best when clearing the long-off boundary by lofting the spinners, high elbows and all in full display. Iyer, on the other hand, had had a sedate start, managing only 19 off his first 33 deliveries. That is when he broke free to finish with 63 off 71 balls, cutting, pulling and lifting for boundaries.

The fact that India had as many as 312 to chase was down to Hope and Pooran's fourth-wicket stand of 117, 74 of which came off Pooran's bat. Hope got 115 - his third triple-figure score in 11 ODI innings.

Having taken 124 balls to get to 94, Hope swung back-to-back sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 45th over to get to his landmark and cap an expensive day for Chahal, of whom he took all three of his sixes. Chahal finished with 1 for 69 in nine overs.

But it was not just Hope who took a liking to Chahal; Pooran too bashed three sixes - including two in the 39th over - off him. Their partnership, just short of a-run-a-ball, gradually took the momentum away from India, who had struck twice in quick succession after an aggressive start by West Indies.

Shai Hope hit a century in his 100th ODI•Associated Press

Through Hope and his opening partner Mayers, the hosts had put on 71 in the first ten overs - their joint-highest score in the period in ODIs since 2020. By the time Hooda broke through, pouching a simple return-catch from Mayers off the first ball of the tenth over, the pair had already smashed ten fours and a six. Mayers led the way in that stand, hitting 39 off 23 balls, as Avesh took the biggest beating.

Mayers timed and placed the ball equally well, and thrashed it around too. Once West Indies lost two wickets for three runs, Pooran took over the attacking role.

On 11 off his first 26 balls, he hit the first of his six sixes when he went hard and flat over long-off in the 32nd over; three overs later, he skipped down to send Chahal sailing back over his head. While sixes were hit off Axar and Avesh as well, Hope kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end.

Hope's innings was one of three parts: he started with 22 off 21 balls, then got 73 from his next 103 deliveries, and hit 20 off his next 11 balls. It all added up to carry West Indies firmly towards the 300-run mark. He produced impressive drives and punches - and a poke through deep third for four - to start the day with Mayers, accumulated singles and ran well along with Pooran, and went for the slogs in the end after Pooran fell in the 44th over.

Cameos from Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell and Shepherd helped West Indies' cause. Brooks got going the moment Mayers fell, and scored 35 off 36; Powell and Shepherd provided the finishing touches.

But eventually, the day belonged to Axar and Co despite the heroics of Pooran and Hope, especially the latter, who got to both his fifty and hundred with a six, in Virender Sehwag fashion, even as he played a more anchor-ish role.

Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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