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The three ODIs will be played on February 22, 25 and 28 while the three-T20I series is set to begin on March 4

Annesha Ghosh14-Jan-2019England women are set to tour India for the second time in less than a year for three ODIs and three T20Is. The ODIs will contribute points towards the ICC Women’s Championship in the second cycle.

England tour of India

• 50-over warm-up v Board President’s XI: February 18

• Three ODIs: February 22, 25 and 28

• Three T20Is: March 4, 7 and 9

ESPNcricinfo understands the T20I series, which is set to begin on March 4*, will played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. The venue has hosted ever only one ODI and one T20I – both men’s matches. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, will host the three ODIs, which will be played on February 22, 25 and 28. While the ODIs will begin at 9am IST, the three T20Is will start at 10am.ALSO READ: ‘We have moved on’ – Raj on row with KaurBarsapara hosting the three T20Is will also mark the return of women’s international cricket to Assam after more than 13 years. England were the visitors then, too, although it wasn’t a happy one, bowled out for 50 in a 10-wicket defeat. The first women’s international to be held in Assam also featured an England side that lost to India by seven runs in a low-scoring game in 1995.England, the reigning 50-over World Cup champions and currently the No. 2-ranked ODI side behind Australia, last toured India in March 2018 for a T20I tri-series in Mumbai, where they finished runners-up to Australia. In the three subsequent ODIs that took place in Nagpur, India came up trumps 2-1.The teams last met each other in the World T20 semi-final, in the Caribbean last November. India were knocked out in a one-sided affair but England came up short against Australia in the final.The ODI series against England will follow India’s first tour of New Zealand in nearly 13 years – and the first under new coach WV Raman – where they will contest three ODIs and three T20Is.*1pm GMT – The dates for the T20I series were updated after BCCI’s announcement on January 17

Meanwhile, Kedar Jadhav is set to play for Maharashtra for the first time since December 2016, in their match against Baroda in Vadodara

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2018No Ashwin, Vijay for Tamil NaduRain affected Tamil Nadu’s prospects in the first round when they were at full-strength. They’ll have to do without R Ashwin, M Vijay and Vijay Shankar for their second-round match against Hyderabad in Tirunelveli. While both Vijay and Shankar will be travelling with the India A squad to New Zealand, Ashwin will be preparing for the Test series against Australia.K Vignesh, CV Varun and Shahrukh Khan have been named in the squad to replace the missing trio.Saha sets tentative comeback dateWriddhiman Saha, who has been battling injury issues since the start of the year, has set a tentative return date. “I am feeling much better now. I hope to be back in action by mid-December. I am preparing and training accordingly. Hope my body recovers in time and I’m fit to play (Ranji Trophy). I’ve started net sessions but I am yet to get match-fit,” Saha said at an event in Kolkata.While Saha may have missed the bus for the Test series against Australia, he could still play a significant role for Bengal if his return goes as per schedule.Jadhav to turn out for MaharashtraKedar Jadhav will turn out for Maharashtra in their match against Baroda at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara. He hasn’t represented Maharashtra since December 2016 due to national commitments and injury issues.It is worth remembering that Jadhav first came into the national reckoning due to a blockbuster Ranji season, when his 1224 runs in 2013-14 took Maharashtra from Group C all the way to the final. The last time he played for his state though, Jadhav was only a batsman. He’s now become someone who can chip in with a few overs of spin too. Playing a four-day match while batting and bowling, and crucially coming through unscathed and without injury, will perhaps be an important step in Jadhav proving his fitness.CM Gautam droppedThe Karnataka side that is taking on defending champions Vidarbha in Nagpur will be without a familiar face. CM Gautam, veteran of 94 first-class matches, is not part of the team. Gautam had a middling 2017-18 season, scoring 285 runs in eight games at 31.66 average. The squad is only for the first game, so there is still a chance for him to come back.Gambhir steps down as Delhi captainNitish Rana has been named Delhi captain for the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, after Gautam Gambhir, who led them in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, stepped down from the role a week before the start of the season. Rana will begin his captaincy stint on November 12, when Delhi kick off their season against Himachal Pradesh, in a match that will also feature Ishant Sharma, who is returning from rehab for ankle complaints suffered since the Oval Test against England.Gambhir, who led Delhi to the Hazare final last month, made the announcement via Twitter. “Time to pass the captaincy baton to youngsters, hence have requested the DDCA selectors not to consider me for that role,” he wrote. “I will be in the background helping the new leader to win games.”At the start of this season, Gambhir had been asked by the Delhi selectors to lead the team in the limited-overs tournaments in the absence of Rishabh Pant and Ishant Sharma, who had both led the side in last year’s Ranji Trophy. But when offered the opportunity to continue in the role for this season, Gambhir told the selectors that it would be good to groom a young leader.”Gautam has intimated the state team’s chief selector Amit Bhandari that he would like to opt out of captaincy,” Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma told . “He suggested that someone younger be groomed for the job. Nitish Rana will lead the side and Dhruv Shorey will be his deputy.”Earlier this year, the 37-year-old Gambhir had also stepped down as Delhi Daredevils’ captain during the IPL season, after the franchise managed only one win in their first six games.Rana, the new state team captain, was the second-highest scorer for Delhi, behind Gambhir, in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy, with 613 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.72. Shorey, Rana’s deputy, also had a productive tournament, scoring 593 runs in 12 innings, including a hundred in the final.Delhi squad: Nitish Rana (capt), Dhruv Shorey (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Hitel Dalal, Himmat Singh, Anuj Rawat, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya, Vikas Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Simarjit Singh, Vaibhav Rawal, Varun Sood, Sarthak Rajan, Shivank Vashisth

Moeen is the only man from the Test team defeated in Adelaide to play in the two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park this weekend

George Dobell07-Dec-2017Moeen Ali has been named captain of the England XI that will play a two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park in Perth this weekend.Moeen is the only man from the Test team defeated in Adelaide to play in the game. While the England camp insist he has recovered from a cut finger that compromised his effectiveness in Brisbane, they feel he failed to gain sufficient bowling ahead of the Test series due to a side strain that limited his involvement in the warm-up matches. Partially as a result, he has been comprehensively out-bowled by Nathan Lyon in the series to date. Moeen has taken two wickets at a cost of 98 apiece from 63 overs; Lyon has taken 11 at a cost of 22.72 from 109.1 overs.The variation in performance between Moeen and Lyon has been one of the key differences in the series to date. While Australia have been able to rest and rotate their seamers to maintain an attacking edge to their game (Lyon has conceded just 2.29 runs per over and taken a wicket every 59.50 balls), Moeen has failed to pose much threat (he has taken a wicket every 189 deliveries) or control the run-rate as much as England would have liked (he is conceding 3.11 runs per over). England hope he will gain some rhythm and confidence form the two-day match with both the coach, Trevor Bayliss, and the captain, Joe Root, suggesting he will retain his place for the Perth Test.Moeen will be joined in the side by the five members of the England squad who did not feature in Adelaide (Gary Ballance, Ben Foakes, Mason Crane, Jake Ball and Tom Curran) while six members of the England Lions squad (Ben Duckett, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood), who are now based in Perth at a training camp, have also been included to make-up the rest of the team. Foakes will keep wicket.Perhaps the most intriguing of those inclusions from the Lions is Wood. If he is able to prove his fitness and bowl at his full pace, he could be added to the squad and could yet play a part in the Ashes. Leach, the left-arm spinner, is also included alongside other spinners Crane and Moeen.England 12-man squad: Moeen Ali (capt), Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wk), Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood.

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli summed up his side’s performance as reckless after they were bowled out for an IPL record low of 49 chasing a target of 132

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-20174:23

Agarkar: Disgraceful batting performance from RCB

Virat Kohli has been part of many historic feats, but all those have given him a lot of joy. The latest one, registered on Sunday evening, was one he said he wants to forget quickly. Four years to the day after registering the highest total in IPL history, Royal Challengers Bangalore embarrassed themselves by hitting the opposite end of the spectrum as they posted an IPL record low total, 49 all out against Kolkata Knight Riders.”Our worst batting performance,” Kohli said summing up the defeat. “It really hurts. After the kind of half that we had, we thought we could capitalise and chase it down. Reckless batting, I can’t say anything at the moment. It was that bad. This is just not acceptable.”Nobody reached double-figures and there were three ducks recorded in the Royal Challengers’ batting. One of them was Kohli, the first wicket to fall when he edged to second slip just three balls into the chase. Kohli was visibly disgruntled walking back as he gestured to show he had been distracted by some movement above the sight screen. “The sightscreen is very small here. One guy got up as the bowler was loading up, that distracted me. Still it wasn’t a big deal. That was just one down. Nine guys could have done the job.”When asked if he would dwell on the nature of the defeat, Kohli said that the best thing for Royal Challengers is to focus on the next match rather than spend any significant time analysing how his side lost.”There’s nothing to review anything about the second half, it was that bad,” Kohli said. “We need to forget it and move forward. We’re a much better team. We got 200 plus in the last game. I’m sure everyone realizes what they’ve done wrong. You have to come out, show intent and back yourselves. I’m sure we won’t bat like that again in the tournament.”This was Royal Challengers’ fifth defeat as last year’s runner-up slipped to the bottom of the points table with half their games complete. After losing to Rising Pune Supergiant at home on April 16, their third straight defeat, Kohli had said the franchise could not be expected to repeat last season’s feat of winning their last four league matches to make the playoffs. However, they may require another hot run to end the season to have any chance of reaching the knockout stage based on the history of previous standings at the end of the league stage.No team has reached the IPL playoffs with fewer than seven wins, though the fourth playoff spot in each of the past two seasons went to teams finishing on 16 points. With just four points from two victories, Kohli’s team realistically needs to win at least five if not six of their remaining seven matches to make the playoffs this season but they haven’t given up hope yet.”We’re going back home for a couple of games,” Kohli said. “We’ve got back-to-back games, need to try and win those to get some momentum.”

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.

Half-centuries from Jim Allenby and Craig Overton helped Somerset to a total of 312 on the first day at Trent Bridge.

ECB/PA17-May-2015
ScorecardJim Allenby, seen here for Glamorgan last year, made his highest score for his new county Somerset•PA Photos

Half-centuries from Jim Allenby and Craig Overton helped Somerset to a total of 312 on the first day at Trent Bridge. The experienced Allenby, short of runs so far this season, made 64, his highest score since moving from Glamorgan in the winter.His efforts laid the foundation for Overton to replace him at the crease and plunder 55 runs from only 31 balls as Somerset collected three batting points. Nottinghamshire replied with 57 for 2 from the closing 24 overs of the day.Vernon Philander enjoyed his best day with the ball for the home side, returning 4 for 56 against the side that he made a handful of appearances for in 2012. The South African pace bowler seemed to relish the opportunity of playing against former team-mates, under cloudy skies, after Chris Read had won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first.Marcus Trescothick has seldom enjoyed his previous visits to this famous old ground, having failed to register a century in 20 first-class matches. His 33rd innings on the ground was typically brief, castled for 0 by a wonderful swinging delivery from Philander.Somerset also lost Tom Abell during the early exchanges but approached lunch in better order before losing three wickets to the final 11 balls of the opening session. Two of those were taken by Steven Mullaney, including Johannes Myburgh for 49, as the bowler enhanced his reputation as a partnership-breaker.That reputation, real or imaginary, prompted Read to turn to him again in mid-afternoon and again the allrounder delivered, bowling Peter Trego to end a stand of 85 in only 15 overs with Allenby. Overton made the most of some wayward bowling to plunder 11 boundaries in a quickfire 50 before being cleaned up by Harry Gurney.Seven of Somerset’s batsmen were bowled as Luke Wood collected two late scalps. The 19-year-old left-arm quick dumped Lewis Gregory on his backside with a well-directed bouncer before bowling him next ball, then wrapped up the innings by yorking Tim Groenewald.When Nottinghamshire batted they lost the wickets of Mullaney, to Gregory for 19, and Greg Smith, on his county debut, who failed to make the most of his opportunity to step in for the absent Alex Hales by falling lbw to Groenewald for 8. Hales’ weekend dash to join the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League went unrewarded when he was left out of their final qualifying match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.Somerset’s Allenby, who scored 64 was pleased with his side’s performance, saying: “Having got 300-odd, we felt that was over par – especially after we’d had a bit of a wobble in our last few games, so it was nice to get it right today in difficult conditions.”While – on his stand of 85 with Trego – he added: “Peter has been done it for years and I’ve found myself in similar situations so we just used our experience to make sure we kept scoring and we kept trying to capitalise whenever Philander wasn’t bowling because it was a bit tricky out there. We dragged it back and obviously to finish up with Craig Overton getting 60 off just 30 balls finished our innings really well.”While Philander was delighted with his four wickets for the hosts, he said: “It’s obviously started pretty well for me this morning but we’d have liked to roll them out for cheaper than that but bowling them out for 300 on day one, we’d have taken that.”On his swinging delivery to bowl Trescothick out, he added: “It’s always good when you’ve played with guys like that to be able to get them out. Myself and Marcus have a good relationship, so it’s always good to get your mates out.”After lunch we bowled a little bit too short and Treego, Allenby and Overton played nicely but getting full bowling points we’d have taken that. We just need to bat well tomorrow.”

James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, has been called up for the second Test against South Africa after Ravi Bopara was ruled out for what the ECB said were ‘personal issues’.

Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-2012James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, has been called up for the second Test against South Africa at Headingley after Ravi Bopara was ruled out because of what the ECB said were ‘personal issues’.The first match at The Oval marked Bopara’s return to the Test line-up after nearly a year out of the team but he struggled, making 0 and 22. He was due to play in Essex’s CB40 match against Worcestershire on Sunday but also withdrew from that that and this latest development brings a halt to another attempt to establish himself in the Test line up.Taylor, who played one ODI against Ireland last year, will enter the match in good form after making a century against Sussex in the current round of Championship matches, although before that innings he had a lean season in four-day cricket with one half-century in nine matches. However, he had scored a century for England Lions against the West Indians earlier this season.Taylor was preferred ahead of Jonny Bairstow, who played the three Tests against West Indies in place of an injured Bopara, and Somerset’s Nick Compton, the lead run-scorer in the Championship.Speaking after the second day against Sussex, before news of his call up, he said: “My ultimate ambition has always been to play Test cricket and my plan at the start of the season was to try to establish myself here and win games for Nottinghamshire, to keep knocking at the door and hope that when an opportunity did arise with England I would have enough runs behind me that they couldn’t not pick me.”I always expected to score runs because I know I can but it has been good to play against first division bowling attacks and on difficult wickets. I feel good about the way things are going at the moment.”Taylor is the only change to the 13-man squad after the innings-and-12-run defeat in the opening Test at The Oval, although question marks remain over the make up of the bowling attack after England took just two wickets in 189 overs. Steven Finn and Graham Onions, who both played Championship cricket this week, are the other options should the selectors decide on a change.The most vulnerable of the pace bowlers appears to be Tim Bresnan, although he would bring local knowledge on his home ground and can bowl long spells. Stuart Broad was below his best at The Oval but it is unlikely that England will considering leaving him out, after showing faith in him during previous slips in form.Finn took six wickets against Durham at Chester-le-Street while, by the start of the third day, Onions had four. Both played against West Indies at Edgbaston when England rotated their pace attack and Finn showed excellent form against Australia in the one-day series.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “We were outplayed during the first Test last week but it is important that this squad regroups and focuses on preparing for the second Test. This is a talented squad with plenty of international experience and they will be determined to improve on the performance during the first Test.”We have made one change to the squad with James Taylor replacing Ravi Bopara, who is unavailable for selection due to personal reasons. James has been part of the England Performance Programme for a number of years and has performed consistently for England Lions and now has an opportunity to step up and experience the Test environment.”Squad Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions

Doug Bollinger insists he and Michael Hussey will be prepared for the first Test against India starting on Friday, despite having only just joined the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2010Doug Bollinger insists he and Michael Hussey will be prepared for the first Test against India starting on Friday, despite having only just joined the squad. The pair flew in to Chandigarh on Tuesday, having helped Chennai Super Kings to a Champions League triumph on Sunday in Johannesburg.Their Australian team-mates have adjusted to the conditions with a warm-up game but Bollinger and Hussey have only two days of net sessions to get themselves up to speed. However, India are in a similar situation, with MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and M Vijay also having made the last-minute dash to Chandigarh from South Africa.”We’ll be right to go, we’ve got a good couple of days of training coming up and we’ll look after ourselves and we’ll be fine,” Bollinger told AAP. “We’re a little bit tired, it’s been a long flight, but we’re good and we’ll just chill out for a couple of days and make sure we’re right to go.”Australia’s vice-captain Michael Clarke spoke of players putting their country before other competitions, but said it was a positive that the two men had been playing tough cricket in South Africa. Hussey is a well-travelled cricketer and he believes it is possible for him and Bollinger to be in good shape for the Test.”It’s not ideal, but it’s the best we can do, we’ll just make sure we’re really smart the next couple of days and get ourselves prepared as best we can,” Hussey said. “I’m sure we’ve got good background staff and they’ll get us in the best possible shape to get going for Friday.”We’ve been playing cricket and training every other day, so it’s not like we’re coming in underdone or anything like that, we’ve got plenty of cricket behind us, obviously it’s a totally different format but it’s a mental adjustment as much as anything. The next couple of days we’ve got to get the head right and get thinking more Test match cricket.”Bollinger is likely to form part of a three-man pace attack with Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus for the first Test. Hussey will slot back into the No. 5 position he occupied during the Test series against Pakistan in July, when Clarke was promoted to No. 4.

India have won the last 10 ODI series against Sri Lanka, but that record is in danger of falling on Wednesday

Alagappan Muthu06-Aug-20243:17

What changes should India make in the decider?

Big picture – The ODI learning curve

And they said the middle overs in an ODI are dull. India and Sri Lanka are playing a series where all of the action is contained in the exact period where the 50-over format tends to be dull. And that’s largely because they have been playing these games – the first of which ended in a tie – on pitches that challenge a batter, in ways that extend far beyond technique.The Khettarama is asking people to play cricket thinking two overs ahead; to avoid the expansive drive just even if the ball seems to be tossed up, because that juicy half-volley is actually going to dip and turn to go past the middle of the bat and take the edge through to slip.Restraint is the very thing that India have spent the better part of two years beating out of themselves, but now it is the very thing that stands between them and a bit of a black mark on a very proud record. They have lost only five out of 22 bilateral ODI series. They have won the last 10 rubbers against Sri Lanka – a streak that will come to an end regardless of the result on Wednesday – and that is tribute to the way this Sri Lanka side has performed even though it is missing several first-teamers. They are certainly shading the middle-overs battle, averaging 24.7 and losing only 10 wickets to India’s 17.8 and 14 wickets.Related

• Washington: 'We need to find a way to get the job done in crunch situations'

• Big-innings accumulator to powerplay aggressor: Rohit finds ways to be extraordinary

• Vandersay brings the vibes back for Sri Lanka

• Vandersay six-for gives SL first ODI win over India in three years

• India, Sri Lanka throw it back to the '90s in Colombo classic

Throughout the series, the aggression of Rohit Sharma at the top of the order has made Sri Lankan fans wax nostalgic about the days when their line-up was littered with all-time greats too. In the same way perhaps, India fans might be looking at Dunith Wellalage, all of 21 years old, shepherding Sri Lanka through back-to-back collapses like someone who used to do it for them. He is one of two men in this series to strike at better than run a ball and the other one has been playing this format for almost as long as he has been alive.Whether India win and level the series or Sri Lanka win and claim it 2-0, these three games are likely to be an important learning curve for both teams and that is a check in the box next to why bilateral ODI cricket is still worth it (just, does it to be eight hours long?).

Form guide

Sri Lanka WTLWL
India LTWLW

In the spotlight – Virat Kohli and Avishka Fernando

Virat Kohli has only one fifty in his last 15 innings for India across formats. But here’s the thing. He doesn’t look out of form. And this is ODI cricket as well. He could probably write five different books about it – and star in their movie adaptations – and still not be done explaining how well he knows it. So a big score is probably on the horizon, and even if it isn’t, he isn’t the sort to be fussed about his numbers, not as long as he feels good in training and doesn’t have to force himself to be involved. That’s when there will be cause for worry.Avishka Fernando is the best of both worlds. He can finesse the ball to the boundary, or if the mood strikes him, inflict that same ball to a whole lot worse. He puts attacking shots together like the rest of us put two and two together. It’s just that natural to him. Except sometimes he might get carried away, which is why 26 of his 40 innings have ended at or before the 30-run mark and 17 of those innings have been single-digits. He’ll be pushing himself to justify the talent he has and take his place as one of Sri Lanka’s mainstays.Sri Lanka have edged the middle-overs battle so far in the series•AFP/Getty Images

Team news – Does Parag have a chance?

Sri Lanka hit a sweet combination packing their side with spinners for the last game, which helped them drag India down from 97 for 0 to 147 for 6.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 8 Kamindu Mendis, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Asitha FernandoIndia might weigh up the pros and cons of Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag. Dube is a proven spin-hitter, which is sure to come in handy, but Parag offers them a bowling option that is better suited to the conditions. Or if they’re feeling really funky, they might drop a quick bowler to bring in Parag and hand Dube the new ball.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube/Riyan Parag, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions: Bit of rain around

There are chances of showers in Colombo both leading up to and during the game, but it is unlikely that the whole thing will be washed off. Spinners have bowled twice as many balls (812 vs 351) as the quicks and picked up almost four times as many wickets (29 vs 8). Consider yourself warned.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka last beat India in a bilateral ODI series in August 1997.
• Rohit has hit 90 of his 122 runs in this series in fours and sixes.
• Charith Asalanka has 11 ODI wickets from 61 matches; 10 of them have come against India, six in this series.

Quotes

“We have very good batters. When it comes to their attack they’ve got great variety in legspin, offspin and left-arm spin. We need to find a way to put them under pressure. That’s why a left-hander is in the middle in the middle overs.”
Washington Sundar breaks down the importance of a left-hand batter against a quality attack

Leeds the scene for Jofra Archer, Haris Rauf comebacks – so long as the weather plays ball

Danyal Rasool21-May-20241:29

Can Kirsten get the best out of Babar?

Big picture

The last time England played Pakistan in this format, nearly 90,000 people turned up to watch, with a global audience potentially in the hundreds of millions. It came at the MCG in the 2022 T20 World Cup final, and as the Pakistani tears and wild English celebrations demonstrated, what was on the line mattered.That won’t quite be the case at Headingley on Wednesday, and not only because the Yorkshire weather might put paid to the possibility of a game altogether. A lot has happened in the following year and a half, and little of it has served to bolster these sides’ credentials as World Cup champions and runners-up. The two have won a combined two T20I series out of a possible nine, each boasting sizeable losing records since they played at the MCG. They were both eliminated from the following ODI World Cup at the first hurdle. England’s match-winner from that warm Melbourne night isn’t currently a part of the T20I setup, while Pakistan’s captain was briefly dethroned before inexplicably having the crown handed back to him a few months later.It’s risky to judge a team solely on T20I results in bilateral games; even this series, after all, serves almost entirely as a warm-up to the T20 World Cup less than a fortnight away. But given their struggles in T20I cricket, both teams would benefit from a series win and are duly taking the series extremely seriously.Related

• Babar: 'Rauf is positive about his involvement in 2024 T20 World Cup'

• Archer claims wicket in lively display on Sussex second XI comeback

• England hope Livingstone can roll out the big hits on Headingley return

• Buttler backs ECB's decision to pull players out of IPL early

England haven’t played a T20I all year, though they did take on upcoming World Cup co-hosts West Indies in a five-match T20I series in December. What Jos Buttler’s side want to avoid is a repeat of their calamitous ODI World Cup with a similarly disjointed T20 World Cup defence. England were so keen to get their full squad together they risked the ire of the IPL by recalling them well in time, and Jofra Archer has been managed in a way to allow him to return for his first T20 game in over a year just in time for the lead-up to the World Cup.Pakistan’s frenetic administrative setup and impassioned fanbase mean they never quite have the luxury of not taking any international seriously, but with the World Cup around the corner, a bilateral T20I series could scarcely matter more. Pakistan, after all, remain the only one of 20 teams not to have announced their World Cup squad yet; they will wait as long as possible – until after the first game of this series – to make it official, ensuring they make decisions based on maximum information.And that World Cup, ultimately, is the direction every aspect of this series will be slanted towards. That night at the MCG assures both teams they have what it takes to stand atop the mountain, and though Leeds isn’t close to that peak, it may well be an important stepping stone.Jos Buttler is set to take the gloves against Pakistan•Getty Images

Form guide

England LWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLWL

In the spotlight

A year since his last T20, and four since his last international game on English soil. Jofra Archer will be the unquestionable star attraction at Leeds after captain Jos Buttler confirmed he would make a much-anticipated return in the first game. After a prolonged injury nightmare, it appears England have finally managed to nurse Archer back to full fitness, and the way his team-mates talk about him, he’s as formidable a prospect as he ever was. Sam Curran mentioned the value of the “fear factor” his extra pace instills in the opposition, and an overcast Headingley may well be the ideal occasion to ease him in.Pakistan, too, have an express pace bowler returning from injury who is expected to start in this game after an extended layoff. Haris Rauf has had a tumultuous last six months, beginning with a board dispute that saw him lose his central contract, followed by a shoulder injury during the PSL, and ultimately the reinstatement of aforementioned central contract. He was part of the group that travelled to Ireland but wasn’t fit enough to get a game. By all accounts, his injury has healed faster than the initial prognosis, and a pace-off between two of cricket’s most fear-inducing bowlers is worth tuning in for.

Team news

England will not rush Liam Livingstone back as he recovers from a minor knee issue. Mark Wood has not played since March and will be managed through the series due to a knee niggle of his own, which is not considered serious. Buttler has confirmed that he will keep wicket.England: 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece TopleyHaving eschewed the opportunity to include Mohammad Haris in the squad, Saim Ayub’s return to form cannot come soon enough with this game the last Pakistan play before the official squad announcement. Rauf is expected to return, making this potentially the first time since the Asia Cup that he has featured alongside Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Rizwan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Fakhar Zaman, 5 Azam Khan (wk), 6 Iftikhar Ahmed/Shadab Khan, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shaheen Afridi, 9 Haris Rauf, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Naseem Shah

Pitch and conditions

The biggest question mark concerns the weather. It was overcast in Leeds on Tuesday, and the forecast suggests rain through much of Wednesday.

Stats and trivia

• England won more T20I games at the 2022 World Cup (5) than they have in the 18 months since (4).
• Babar Azam has 46 wins as T20I captain, more than any other international captain.
• Both captains are close to approaching personal batting milestones. Babar is 45 runs away from becoming the second player to 4000 T20I runs, while 73 more would see Buttler become the first Englishman to 3000.

Quotes

“That pride was obviously dented and it was a really disappointing competition. But life moves on: it’s a chapter in the book and there’s lessons you learn but we’re presented with a new opportunity, a different format. We go to the West Indies and want to give a better account of ourselves.”
“We’re looking forward to facing him. He’s coming back after about a year. As a team we are excited to play against him. We’ve played well against him in the past and I’m sure it’ll be a good contest in the coming games. We have that pace of bowlers in Haris Rauf and Shaheen, so I wouldn’t say we’re fearful, but we are excited.”