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Mir Hamza and Faheem Ashraf have made comebacks to the squad, which will be led for the first time by Shan Masood

Danyal Rasool20-Nov-2023Opening batter Saim Ayub and fast bowler Khurram Shahzad are in line for Test debuts after being included in Pakistan’s squad for their upcoming tour of Australia.Pakistan, under newly-appointed red-ball captain Shan Masood, will play three Tests on the tour, in Perth (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7).The 21-year-old Ayub has already played eight T20Is for Pakistan, and comes into the Test team with 1069 first-class runs at an average of 46.47, including scores of 203 and 109 in his most recent game in October, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final. Shahzad has also been picked on form, having ended the 2023-24 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as its top wicket-taker with 36 at an average 20.30.Left-arm quick Mir Hamza was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament (32 at 20.87), and this has earned him a recall. The last of his three Tests was against New Zealand in January. Also back in the squad is the seam-bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, the last of whose 16 Tests was in December 2022.Pakistan Test squad for the tour of Australia•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Apart from Naseem Shah, who continues his recovery from the shoulder injury that kept him out of the recently concluded World Cup in India, Pakistan’s pace attack will also be without Haris Rauf, who has made himself unavailable for selection. Newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz made his disappointment clear while announcing the squad: “Haris pulled out at the last moment, and I feel this will hurt Pakistan cricket.”Both wicketkeepers Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan were part of the squad, with Sarfaraz understood to be first choice. He replaced Rizwan in the Test side last year, and has retained his place in the last four Tests across two series.Abrar Ahmed’s selection further cements his place as Pakistan’s premier red-ball spinner, with Noman Ali chosen as his back-up option. Spin options across formats have been a matter of intense scrutiny in Pakistan, with legspinners Shadab Khan and Usama Mir turning in disappointing performances through the World Cup. Abrar went to the World Cup as a reserve player, but was not called up to the main squad.Pakistan have an unenviable record in Australia, having lost their last 14 Test matches on the bounce there.Pakistan squad for Australia Test series: Shan Masood (capt), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi

“We should appreciate the players for throwing themselves in the den without being exposed to these conditions,” Pakistan’s Test captain said

Danyal Rasool27-Jan-2025Pakistan captain Shan Masood said he expected the team to continue their recent experiment of heavily turning tracks at home, and that they would be replicated across domestic cricket as well. After falling to a 120-run defeat at home against West Indies that levelled the series 1-1 and confirmed Pakistan’s position at the bottom of the current World Test Championship cycle, Masood maintained there were “encouraging signs” that Pakistan would seek to build on.”Domestic cricket will be played like this,” he said. “We’ve already talked about this. The more we’ll play the better we’ll get at it. We’ve shown encouraging signs. After the four matches, we’ve won three in these conditions. We dominated the first hour of the first day which could have swung the match in our favour. It’s just about winning those key moments and ensuring we’re consistent with these conditions domestically and internationally.”Since Pakistan lost the first Test against England on a flat wicket in Multan, they have reverted to producing tracks that break up and spin from the first day, rendering fast bowling almost redundant. The last four home Tests have seen Pakistan take 80 wickets, with just one falling to a seam bowler. Fingerspinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali have dominated the bowling attack, taking 70 of the 80 wickets, and frequently opening the bowling attack in each innings. It has turned around Pakistan’s straggling home form, allowing them to beat England 2-1 at home and easing to a victory in the first Test against West Indies. This Test, however, the visiting spinners turned the script around on them, with left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican of West Indies walking away with both the Player-of-the-Match and Series awards.Related

• Shan Masood to continue as Pakistan Test captain for 2025-27 WTC cycle

• Warrican bags five as West Indies win in Pakistan after 34 years

• Warrican dominates a series made for spinners in Multan

• Brathwaite: West Indies had to be 'brave' on pitch where 'you are going to get out'

“It’s a game of all stakeholders. We should appreciate the players for throwing themselves in the den without being exposed to these conditions. We know we haven’t played domestic cricket in these conditions. In some ways, it’s a kind of bravery to expose ourselves to these conditions. We practiced, but this is new for us. But we need to replicate this in domestic cricket, give our batters exposure so we play in these conditions and get runs in them. In the fourth innings, anything over 150 is a competitive score, where spinners will always have the edge.”An unavoidable outcome of such surfaces is the outsized role the toss plays. All four times, the side winning the toss has batted first, walking away with victory three times. While Pakistan were able to flip that script against England in the series-decider, West Indies’ win once more demonstrated the way these pitches can slant a game in favour of the side bowling last.Mohammad Rizwan was bowled by Jomel Warrican, who took the match and series honours•AFP/Getty Images

However, it didn’t appear that way when Pakistan bowled in the first hour, having reduced West Indies to 54 for 8, and letting that situation slip through their fingers frustrated Masood most of all. “We didn’t get the result we wanted. The positive thing was when you field first and you know the fourth innings will be difficult. So you try to restrict the opposition in the first innings. We bowled brilliantly for the first eight wickets. But we’ve talked about the first innings batting and bowling combining to do well, so you have the advantage in the third and fourth innings. If you look at our batting and bowling, and the mistakes we made collectively, that was a crucial time because their last two wickets cost us dear.”Then, with the bat, we went from 119 for 4 to 154 all out. When these collapses happen and the other side puts on partnerships, they can set you back. If we’d got them out early and got a 100-run lead, the Test match would be completely different. With Test matches on these pitches, you can’t wait to make a move, because things are decided on day one, and that is where you can win or lose matches.”This is the end of a cycle, an unhappy one for Pakistan, and for its leader. Pakistan have lost nine of their last 12 matches, all five away from home and four of seven at home. Despite starting off with a crushing away win in Sri Lanka, they have finished bottom of the WTC table, and do not play another Test for nearly nine months.Masood acknowledged Pakistan had fallen short of expectations, but did not believe the side required a complete overhaul, pointing out fine margins made the difference in this Test, and could be worked on.”The tail not getting wickets is an area of concern, and we need to finish off sides quicker,” Masood said, echoing his frustrations in South Africa, where the last two wickets adding too many runs cost them dear in the first Test at Centurion. “Against Australia, who have the best tail in the world, we got them out cheaply, but not here, or against Bangladesh or South Africa.”Batters have been proactive, but we need more contributions. You may not get hundreds here but 30s and 40s contribute to the winning conditions. Kraigg Brathwaite was an ideal example. He took the game on. One batter will need to step up in these conditions especially when the ball is new.”It’s not about holding someone responsible. This isn’t an accountability bureau. This is a team effort. Our mistake as a team was the first two innings. That was what set us back, and gave the opposition a degree of freedom. If we had a 100-run lead, I do not think they’d have been able to play in the way they did. We need to understand the direction of matches will be decided very quickly, as early as day one.”

Bangladesh women were bowled out for 136 in 49 overs but went on to defend the total by dismissing South Africa women for 126 in the third ODI in Cox’s Bazar

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Khadija Tul Kubra took her second consecutive four-for and her career-best ODI figures•ICC/ Mainoor Islam Manik

Bangladesh women kept the five-match series against South Africa women alive, defending 136 by 10 runs in the third ODI in Cox’s Bazar. The result leaves the series scoreline at 2-1, with two more ODIs still to be played.At the centre of Bangladesh’s win was offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra, who finished with a career-best 4 for 33, her second four-for in as many matches. Introduced into the attack in the ninth over, after South Africa had already lost two early wickets, Tul Kubra dismissed the in-form Lizelle Lee for 46 off 31 balls. Then, with South Africa reeling at 64 for 5, Tul Kubra dismissed Suné Luus and Sinalo Jafta off consecutive deliveries in the 15th over. South Africa rapidly slid to 96 for 9 in the 23rd over but Dane van Niekerk kept Bangladesh at bay. Eventually, however, the South Africa captain was left stranded on 42 not out as their innings ended in 31.2 overs. Apart from Tul Kubra, Panna Ghosh and Jahanara Alam took two wickets apiece, while Salma Khatun claimed the last wicket to fall. Between them, Lee and van Niekerk contributed 88 runs in the side’s total of 126, with extras accounting for the next best score, 9.Earlier, having won the toss, Bangladesh had laid a platform that promised a total higher than 136. Their innings came undone, however, after a batting implosion, as they lost their last seven wickets for 32 runs, stumbling from 104 for 3 to 136 all out. Every bowler in South Africa’s attack took wickets, with Marizanne Kapp, Luus and van Niekerk taking two apiece. The fourth ODI will be played on January 18.

He says India are favourites “if they get the right balance of youth and experience”

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-20232:07

Can Samson cement his place in India’s ODI middle-order?

Is India’s ODI top six loaded with too many right-handers at the moment? Former head coach Ravi Shastri seems to think so and would like to see at least two left-handers in India’s top six for the ODI World Cup later this year.”You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” Shastri told .With Rishabh Pant not playing any competitive cricket this year due to injuries suffered in a car accident, India have lost a key left-hander in one-day cricket. They have gone with Ishan Kishan for a few games this year. Ravindra Jadeja is another option but he doesn’t have a lot of experience batting in the top six. Yashasvi Jaiswal made it to India’s Test squad for the West Indies series, but his name remained absent from the ODI list.Related

• Gavaskar defends 'loyal servant' Pujara: 'Why make him the scapegoat for our batting failures?'

• Jaiswal a far cry from Dravid and Pujara, but can make No. 3 his own

• Kishan to head to NCA for strength and conditioning ahead of WI tour

• Rishabh Pant's recovery progressing faster than expected

• Samson, Gaikwad and Mukesh called up to India ODI squad for West Indies tour

The World Cup is set to start on October 5. Pant, if he gets fit in time, will likely get his place back, but what are the other left-handed options?”You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju [Samson]. But the left-handers, you have [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment.”Shastri was also adamant that India needed to form a pool of youngsters and get them in the mix ahead of the World Cup. While he voiced concerns about India’s red-ball depth, he was pretty happy with talent coming through in white-ball cricket.”There are so many youngsters. There is Jaiswal and, I might miss out a few here, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera. There is [Sai] Sudharsan, who played so well in the [IPL] final. There is Jitesh Sharma,” he said.”Among the bowlers, there is a crop of young fast bowlers. Quite a few, there is Mukesh [Kumar], names do not come to my mind now. But, there are at least four or five who can be groomed around that 135kmph-140kmph mark. So I am not worried about the talent in white-ball.”You have a lot of injuries these days. I always like a pool of 15-20. You should always be prepared, you should have a plan B, plan C.”Shastri: Sanju Samson is a “match-winner”•BCCI

Another name that Shastri was quite vocal about was Sanju Samson. The Kerala batter has been in and out of the India side but has been included in the squad for the ODIs in the West Indies next month. Shastri likened Samson to a young Rohit Sharma and felt the wicketkeeper-batter could be the “match-winner” India are looking for.”There is Sanju [Samson], who I believe is yet to realise his potential. He is a match-winner. There is something that is missing. I will be disappointed if he does not finish his career all guns blazing. It is like when I was the coach, I would have been disappointed if Rohit Sharma had not played in my side as a regular Test player. Hence, his opening the batting. I feel similar with Sanju,” he said.Shastri felt that with a number of youngsters ready to knock the door down, India should get started on succession planning. “There are seniors ready to be phased out and there are youngsters ready. No question about it when it comes to T20 cricket. Lesser in 50-over cricket and even fewer in Tests,” he said.”Because of the IPL, you see an abundance of high-quality, young, white-ball players. But, one should not get carried away by that and think they should be automatic red-ball choices. No, I would rather see the red-ball record. I would sit with the selectors and find out more about who the [red-ball performances] were against, in what conditions, what are their strengths, what is the temperament of the bloke like.”For me, temperament is key. It is paramount. Does the guy have the stomach for a fight? When it gets hot in the kitchen, is he is ready to bite the bullet? These are qualities I look for in a [Test] player. When I use the word fearless as a coach, these are the qualities that make a fearless cricketer. Backing his own ability and his strengths, and not wavering.”Luckily for India, the volume of players that play the game, compared with other countries, [is high]. I think you should always have a strong bench across formats.”Shastri was confident that India go into the ODI World Cup at home as favourites, and could “win this one” if they got the balance of the side right. “They are playing at home. I think they are one of the favourites. I am telling you now; I think they can win this one. Provided they get the right balance of experience and youth. And there is enough time to identify the squad that you want. And if you get your full-strength side, I think India are favourites, with England and Australia.”

New Zealand have named big-hitter Tom Bruce and allrounder Ben Wheeler in their 14-player squad for the upcoming T20s against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2016

New Zealand squad

Kane Williamson (capt), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ben Wheeler
In:* Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, James Neesham, Ben Wheeler
Out: Grant Elliott, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor
*

New Zealand have named Central Districts batsman Tom Bruce and allrounder Ben Wheeler in their 14-man squad for the upcoming T20Is against Bangladesh. Allrounder Corey Anderson, who has been plagued by a back injury for the major part of 2016, has been picked as a batsman.Fast bowler Trent Boult was selected but will be rested for the first of the three T20Is. Fellow quick Tim Southee was rested for the entire series in preparation for the two Tests that follow.Batsman Ross Taylor, who had had surgery to remove a benign growth in his left eye after the Hamilton Test against Pakistan in late November, was not picked for this series, but will return to domestic T20 cricket “within the next few days”, according to selector Gavin Larsen.Anderson had played in the World T20 in March, before the back injury ruled him out of the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa. He then returned for the five-ODI series in India in October, where he was also picked as just a batsman. Anderson scored only 31 runs in four games and tried his hand at bowling in the final match – four overs, 27 runs, no wicket. Subsequently he was left out of the Chappell-Hadlee ODIs in Australia, which Taylor had also missed due to his surgery.Larsen said the uncapped batsman Bruce would boost the squad’s hitting power. “Tom has been one of the leading players in the Super Smash [the domestic T20 competition] the past two years and is one of the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball in the country. He has averaged 76 at a strike-rate of 174 so far this season, so Tom has proven himself to be a very dangerous player,” Larsen said. “Power is a critical element to Twenty20 cricket, so to have him alongside the likes of Martin [Guptill], Corey and the two Colins [Munro and de Grandhomme] is an exciting prospect.”Left arm pace-bowling allrounder Wheeler, also from Central Districts, had played six ODIs between June and August 2015, but is yet to play a T20 international. He has not contributed much with the bat in the Super Smash so far this season, but has six wickets from five games at 27.16.”Ben has put in a lot of hard work to get to this point again, so we’re looking forward to having him back in the mix,” Larsen said. “His ability to swing the ball at a decent clip can trouble any batsman, as he has shown in domestic cricket this season.”We’ve got some really exciting players coming through and it’s important to give them opportunities and introduce them to the international stage. There are a number of players who just missed out – the likes of Mark Chapman, Neil Wagner, George Worker and Seth Rance were all seriously considered.”The three T20s against Bangladesh will be played from January 3 in Napier. This series is New Zealand’s first T20I assignment since the World T20.

Group B round-up: Ishan Kishan’s rearguard effort, Karnataka’s last-wicket stand between K Gowtham and S Aravind highlight opening day of fifth round

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2016Ishan Kishan’s second century this season, an unbeaten 162, helped Jharkhand recover from 80 for 4 to end up with 359 for 6 at stumps on the opening day of their fifth-round Group B fixture against Delhi at the St Xaviers College ground in Thumba. Unmukt Chand, leading in Gautam Gambhir’s absence owing to national duties, went in with three seamers, and the decision seemed justified until Kishan walked in to bat at No. 6. He first forged a 116-run stand with Ishank Jaggi (55) and followed that up with a 120-run stand with Kaushal Singh (39). Kishan’s runs came at a strike rate of 76.06; he hit 14 fours and six sixes.Karnataka recovered from 120 for 7 to post 267 against Vidarbha in Baroda. Their No. 10 K Gowtham, also the side’s leading wicket-taker so far with 18 scalps, top-scored with an unbeaten 60 to somewhat negate the damage inflicted by medium pacer Lalit Yadav, who scythed through the middle order. He finished with 5 for 67. Vidarbha failed to strengthen their grip as the last-wicket pair of Gowtham and S Aravind added 78, before Yadav returned to complete his maiden five-wicket haul. Vidarbha were 10 without loss at stumps.Four of Rajasthan’s top five failed to capitalise on strong starts on an attritional day against Odisha in Patiala. They went into stumps on 249 for 5 in 78 overs, with SF Khan, on first-class debut, unbeaten on 65. The fifth-wicket stand of 76 between Mahipal Lomror, the 16-year old who represented India at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, and Khan was the highest of the innings so far. Five Odisha bowlers shared the spoils, with Dhiraj Singh being the most economical among the frontline bowlers.Intermittent showers meant no play was possible between bottom-placed sides Assam and Saurashtra at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Play will start 30 minutes early on each of the remaining three days, weather permitting.

Total of 26 players picked up in open market ahead of August competition

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2023Grace Scrivens, England Under-19 captain, has been retained by London Spirit for this year’s Women’s Hundred, with several of the Under-19 team that recently reached the World Cup final in South Africa also signed for their maiden campaigns.A total of 26 players have been picked up in the open market, following the inaugural Women’s Draft, which took place in March.And Scrivens – who was one of the stand-out players in South Africa with 293 runs and nine wickets across England’s seven games – will once again be heading for Lord’s, where she’ll be captained by her senior counterpart, Heather Knight, when this year’s Hundred begins in August.”I’m delighted to be back,” Scrivens said. “Playing at Lord’s in front of such a big crowd was so exciting last season and I can’t wait to do it again.”Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Oval Invincibles), Liberty Heap (Manchester Originals), Josie Groves and Alexa Stonehouse (both Trent Rockets) are among the other Under-19 players to be picked up for the tournament.”I’m happy to see a lot of the Under-19 team being announced,” Scrivens added. “We really enjoyed the World Cup campaign and it’s great to see everyone continuing their professional progression in a world class competition like The Hundred.”Birmingham Phoenix have picked up a trio of non-England players, in Abtaha Maqsood (Scotland), Sterre Kalis (Netherlands) and Erin Burns (Australia).Other notable signings include the USA’s Tara Norris, a breakout star of the inaugural WPL, who has also joined London Spirit, while Georgia Adams Southern Vipers’ captain, returns to her original team, Southern Brave.

Full list of signings

Birmingham Phoenix: Abtaha Maqsood, Erin Burns, Chloe Brewer, Sterre Kalis

London Spirit: Grace Scrivens, Tara Norris, Niamh Holland

Manchester Originals: Liberty Heap, Phoebe Graham, Fi Morris
Northern Superchargers: Marie Kelly, Aylish Cranstone, Phoebe Franklin

Oval Invincibles: Eva Gray, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Kira Chathli

Southern Brave: Georgia Adams, Rhianna Southby, Danielle Gregory

Trent Rockets: Josie Groves, Emma Jones, Naomi Dattani, Alexa Stonehouse

Welsh Fire: Alex Griffiths, Claire Nicholas, Sarah Bryce

Derbyshire set Durham an unlikely target of 361 to win after half-centuries from Tom Lace, Harvey Hosein and Matt Critchley

ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2019Durham’s openers stood firm to halt Derbyshire’s victory charge on day three of the Division Two match at the County Ground. Alex Lees and Gareth Harte battled through a testing last session to reach 10 without loss at the close in pursuit of an unlikely victory target of 361.Derbyshire had taken control with Tom Lace making his maiden first-class half-century before Harvey Hosein and Matt Critchley also scored fifties as Derbyshire reached 334, with Matt Salisbury taking 3 for 65. That left Durham an awkward 17 overs to survive and Lees and Harte dug in to deny Derbyshire before bad light ended play early.Although Derbyshire went into the day with an advantage of 133, Durham still had a chance if they could take early wickets but they managed only one in the morning as Lace and Alex Hughes wore down the bowlers.The ball moved around in murky conditions but although the bat was beaten numerous times, Durham had to wait 18 overs for the breakthrough. Lace and Hughes played with discipline and restraint until Lace fenced at a wide one from Harte and was caught at second slip.Hosein provided some acceleration to take the lead past 220 at lunch and after Hughes had been caught behind off Harte for a three-hour 39, Critchley took the game away with some punishing strokes. He reached 50 off 60 balls and Durham’s frustration grew as both Hosein and Critchley survived dropped catches that should have been taken.Both fell before tea but by then, Derbyshire were 320 ahead and they batted on with Ravi Rampaul striking Liam Trevaskis for two big sixes before he was last out pulling Salisbury to midwicket.Durham were set what would be the second-highest successful fourth-innings chase at Derby and although the pitch had flattened out, they faced a tricky period before the close.At least conditions were better for batting but there was some swing with the new ball and Tony Palladino almost found the edge of skipper Lees’ bat in the second over. Lees responded by punching an overpitched delivery down the ground but generally the batsmen were content to leave as many balls as possible with survival until stumps the prime objective.Only nine runs came from the first 11 overs as Lees and Harte concentrated on defence and their application was rewarded when the umpires took the players off the field two balls into the 15th over.

Peshwar Zalmi lose a second straight game after posting 240 or more on the board

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2023Rilee Rossouw brought jaws – and PSL records – down with an unbridled display of power-hitting, turning a chase of 243 into a cakewalk. Along the way, he made the joint-fastest fifty of the tournament, converted it into its fastest ever hundred – going past himself – and pushed the Multan Sultans into the PSL playoffs.Peshawar Zalmi – still not sure of their place in those playoffs – have now lost two straight matches despite posting 240 and more on the board. They were ambushed by Jason Roy a few nights ago and now it was Rossouw’s turn as the South African powerhouse clattered eight sixes and 12 fours to mastermind the second-highest chase in all of T20 history, with five balls to spare.The longest Rossouw went between boundaries in his innings was six balls. His first five scoring shots were all fours or sixes. And he kept going. By 17 deliveries faced, he had a fifty to his name. He only ran two of those runs. T-w-o. That detour into English county cricket via Kolpak had taken one of the biggest and brightest stars in South Africa away from the spotlight. But he’s back now and he’s got numbers that are scarcely believable. Over 297 T20s, he’s maintained an average over 30 and a strike rate over 140. Some of the other people who’ve managed to do that are Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, David Warner and AB de Villiers.Rossouw had a strong support cast helping him. Pollard chipped in with 52 off just 24 balls. Their third-wicket partnership – 99 off 43 balls – formed the bedrock of this chase. A little while earlier, when Sultans were bowling, 21-year old seamer Abbas Afridi, picked up 4 for 39. Three of those wickets came in the space of nine deliveries where he gave away only eight runs. In a game where where they were scored at the rate of two a ball, that was noteworthy.So too were Babar Azam (73 off 39) and Saim Ayub’s (58 off 33) fifties. Zalmi’s two openers were incredibly fluent at the start of the game, setting up such a strong platform that they could keep hitting despite the speed bumps that Afridi’s spell had put in front of them. At the halfway point, they would’ve felt fairly pleased with their work. The rest is now history.

Following his side’s seven-wicket win over South Africa in Adelaide, Steven Smith acknowledged contributions from the new players in the team

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide27-Nov-2016Australia’s captain Steven Smith believes his dramatically changed team have found a way forward in their first Test since coming together, a rousing seven-wicket victory over South Africa in which the Queensland left-handers Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw played key roles.As well as Australia bowled, first-innings runs are going to be what defines the success or otherwise of Smith’s side. To that end, Renshaw’s effort to see through a tough period on the first evening followed by Khawaja’s subsequent masterclass in dogged batting dictated much about how the match panned out. Tellingly, Smith said it helped that three new batsmen were free of the “scars” of the preceding five Tests. Not surprisingly, Smith wants to see more of the same.”I thought we responded really well,” Smith said of the challenges posed by the pink ball and floodlit conditions. “We had three batters in the top six who had no scars or anything like that so they were able to come in and play their natural game, which was nice. I thought we adapted really well.”I thought Usman was outstanding to come in under a pretty tricky situation on that night, opening the batting and get through that difficult period in the night and then bat the whole next day. It shows a lot about his character and what he’s willing to do. I thought he played beautifully out there for seven hours to wear them down and score a big hundred. I guess that’s the sort of template we’re looking for in our top six batters.”Renshaw’s place will be a matter for some conjecture whenever Shaun Marsh returns to full fitness, but there was much to like about the way he played his game, tested the patience of the bowlers and put the highest premium on his wicket. Smith was enthused by what he saw.Matt Renshaw’s temperament was praised by his state captain, Usman Khawaja, and Australia captain Steven Smith•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

“I thought he played quite well. He knows his game very well,” Smith said. “Obviously he got beaten a lot, but he wasn’t chasing the ball. He was keeping his line. South African had some quality bowlers that nip the ball quite a bit so you can’t afford to follow them. Something I thought Usman did particularly well in the first innings.”He [Renshaw] played the line and let the ball that nips go past the bat and he didn’t seem fazed by it at all. He just got on with the job and made them bowl to him. When they got a bit straighter he picked them off and that’s the way he goes about his game and it was nice for him and Petey [Handscomb] – two guys on debut – to be there at the end.”Khawaja is Renshaw’s state captain, and spoke with a similar level of warmth for someone who has set himself up with a Test match method in mind. “He’s got a really good temperament, he’s got a really good head on him,” Khawaja said. “What you saw today or during this Test match was one bit of Matt Renshaw’s game. He does have a very good temperament, he’s got a good defence he plays the ball well and plays it late.”But I think hopefully you’ll also be able to see the other part of him because I’ve seen him take down some attacks. I’ve seen him come up against a few spinners and really heave them for some big sixes and really change gears. He’s 20 years old, playing Test cricket for Australia. I think he’s doing great for a 20-year-old. I’d think he was doing great even he was 25 years old. He’s doing pretty well.”Added to the way Australia batted was the team’s best fielding display for some time. In this, Smith singled out another debutant in Peter Handscomb for snaffling Faf du Plessis in the gully on the third evening. “I felt a bit of a switch straight away in energy and presence around the group in our first training session out here at Adelaide Oval,” Smith said.”Everything felt like it was running smoothly and when we got our chance to get out into the field we had good energy and presence about ourselves. That helps in the field as well, we were able to take some pretty good catches in this Test match, a part of our game that has probably been a bit disappointing for a while now.”It works hand in hand, when you have that sort of presence and energy you’re able to take chances like the one Petey took to open the game up. It’s been great to have these guys come in, create that energy and have that hunger and character about them to want to win and fight.”Looking at the wider picture, Smith was understandably delighted to have snapped a five-match losing run ahead of the next home series against Pakistan. After two weeks of fire and brimstone, there are now some green shoots of new growth to be optimistic about.”I’m very happy, it’s much better to be on this side of the fence,” he said. “A little bit bittersweet, it was a disappointing series, we were outplayed in the first two Test matches by South Africa, but I’m really proud of the way that the team came back in this game. There were some new players who came in, they stood up and we showed some fight and character. That’s what I want us to do and I’m really proud of the way we stood up.”I think we can grow from what we’ve done in this Test match. It’s been a great start for a young group that have come together so we’re going to have to continue to work hard as a group to get to where we want to. Obviously they [Pakistan] are going to be another tough opposition. I think they have been playing some very good cricket. They’ve got some quality players so we’re going to have to be at our best if we want to get on top of them this summer as well.”