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A review of the fourth round of games in the 2009-10 Plunket Shield

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009Central Districts beat Canterbury with a day to spare to get their first success of the Plunket Shield in Rangiora. Having enforced the follow-on, CD bowled Canterbury out for 180, a lead of 26, and knocked off the runs without fuss. The openers Peter Ingram and Jamie How needed just 3.5 overs to chase down the required 27.The win was put in motion by a first-innings score of 325, aided by How’s 90 and 50 from Mathew Sinclair. Sinclair followed that fine innings by taking a career-best 3 for 29 in Canterbury’s first innings and added another on the final day of the match. Michael Mason wrecked Canterbury in their second innings, taking 5 for 42 to make it seven for the game. Ewen Thompson and Seth Rance took five and four wickets in the match respectively. Canterbury’s failure to notch up significant partnerships in either innings hurt them.Dermot Reeve, CD’s coach, was very pleased after the win. “We did well to get over 300 runs and we took all our catches. It was pleasing to see the fielders backing up the bowlers,” he told NZPA. “Mathew’s under-rated with the ball, he bowls a nagging line and length and hits the seam and on certain pitches he can do a good job with the ball.”Otago surged to their first win of the tournament with a nine-wicket win over Wellington in Queenstown. Wellington took early control of the match by declaring at 391 for 6, thanks largely to Stewart Rhodes’ unbeaten 142 on debut, but centuries from Neil Broom and Sam Wells carried the hosts to 471 for 9. After that dominant batting force, Otago’s bowlers bowled Wellington out for 203 in 62.2 overs. Only the opener Josh Brodie, who followed his first-innings 76 with 70, and Lance Woodcock (47) did much in the second innings. Set a target of 124, Otago eased home by nine wickets. The captain Craig Cumming hit an unbeaten 53 and was partnered to victory by Shaun Haig, who made 52 from 65 balls. With this win, Otago took maximum points and joined Central Districts on 10 points in fourth place.A rain-affected affair at Colin Maiden Park went Northern Districts’ way after they beat hosts Auckland by 55 runs. Two and a half days of play were lost to rain and the two captains, James Marshall and Gareth Hopkins, tried force a result. Resuming their first innings at 82 for 0 on the fourth morning, ND quickly posted 290 for 3 before declaring. Hopkins forfeited Auckland’s first innings and Marshall reciprocated by forfeiting his side’s second innings, leaving Auckland 291 to achieve their first win. It was not to be, with Graeme Aldridge (4 for 67) and Brent Arnel (3 for 52) running through the line-up. Hopkins’ 22nd first-class half-century was snapped when he went lbw to Arnel, and with that went Auckland’s chances at winning.ND’s attempt at racking up quick runs were aided by BJ Watling’s 136 off 169 balls. He and Brad Wilson (47) put on 101 runs for the first wicket, after which Marshall came to the middle and helped add 50 in 51 balls. This was ND’s third of the season and kept them on top of the standings with 26 points, 12 ahead of Wellington in second with six rounds to go.

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

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• 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

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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.”

His Test cap number, 350, will be painted square of the wicket for the duration of the match

AAP19-Dec-2022Australia and South Africa players will all wear floppy hats during the national anthems at the Boxing Day Test in tribute to cricket icon Shane Warne.The first MCG Test since Warne’s tragic death in March, aged 52, was always going to be an emotional affair and Cricket Australia have revealed the tributes that will be rolled out for the legendary spin king.Warne made the Boxing Day Test his own during his glittering career, highlighted by his MCG Ashes hat-trick in 1994 and taking his 700th wicket at the ground 12 years later, and he will once again take centre stage.His Test cap number, 350, will be painted square of the wicket for the duration of the match.At 3.50pm on Boxing Day, a graphic of Warne will be displayed on the MCG screens while highlights packages of the famous Victorian will roll out across the match.Fans are being encouraged to wear a floppy hat and don Warne’s trademark zinc cream when attending the second Test of the series.”Shane is an icon to cricket fans globally for the greatness of his cricketing achievements, his charisma and his infectious enthusiasm for the game,” CA chief executive Nick Hockley said. “His place as a legend of Australian and world sport is assured.”Whilst we continue to mourn his passing, it is fitting that we honour Shane at his beloved Boxing Day Test at the MCG.”I know I speak for the whole cricket community in saying that our thoughts continue to be with Shane’s family and friends and particularly his children Brooke, Jackson and Summer.”Warne was last week honoured by his former Big Bash League team, the Melbourne Stars, during a match at the MCG.A memorial service to farewell Warne held at the ground in March was attended by more than 50,000 people.

Fast bowling coach will have his work cut out this week as he prepares one of Bangladesh’s least experienced pace attacks

Mohammad Isam12-May-2022Allan Donald will have his work cut out this week as he prepares one of Bangladesh’s least experienced pace attacks for the Chattogram Test against Sri Lanka. The home side are missing their important spin duo in Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, apart from Taskin Ahmed, their most in-form fast bowler.The South African great, who joined Bangladesh’s coaching staff as the fast bowling coach in March, is focused on what is in front of him in his first home series. Ebadot Hossain is his most experienced fast bowler with 14 Tests, while Khaled Ahmed and Shoriful Islam have played eight between them. Rejaur Rahman Raja and Shohidul Islam are uncapped.Bangladesh have been training at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium since May 8. As a result, Donald knows about the resources he has got and is banking on the young pace attack’s ability to bowl reverse swing. Shorfiul, Khaled and Ebadot have already displayed their ability to work with the old ball in New Zealand and South Africa, so with a bit of time in hand, Donald expects things to fall into place.”The biggest thing here is old-ball bowling,” Donald said. “Today (May 12) was all about the old ball. Every training session, I have emphasised a lot on getting the ball to reverse, and be really patient and creative with the old ball. I don’t have to tell these lads about bowling on their conditions. They know what to expect. But the overall patience, and persistence, and creativity that we bring is going to be testing.”Donald is also mindful of an early impact, so he wants the bowlers to understand what they will be expected to do with the new ball. Regardless of the attack for the first Test, the gradual build-up of the fast bowlers’ spells will ultimately dictate how Bangladesh attacks Sri Lanka.”I have realised this week that your length needs to be a bit fuller with the new ball,” he said. “We have to get the best out of it in the first 30 overs. Getting Sri Lanka 40 for 3. The other thing is ball-conditioning. It is very sweaty and humid. Typical sub-continental conditions.”After 30 overs, how much patience and discipline we can show by building that pressure (will be crucial). When the ball gets old, the reverse swing issue needs to come in. So it is a step by step process. It is going to be testing. Discipline, mental and creativity is going to be huge.”Shoriful Islam has impressed Bangladesh fast bowling coach Allan Donald•Getty Images

Donald said that he is already impressed with the hunger of the Bangladesh fast bowling unit, particularly how they have stepped up in the last five months.”These kids want it, that’s the great thing. My way of coaching is mindset, mental, attitude and creativity. At this level, these things run (parallel). Every single training session is to buy into creating pressure.”Taskin has a heart of gold, he has a massive heart. Once he is back to lead the attack, we will see a lot more of the hunger. I am excited with what I have seen.”Donald remains confident that the likes of Shoriful, Ebadot and Khaled can repeat their impressive showing in overseas Tests,”I was really impressed with Shoriful especially in the one-dayers. I saw him in the U19 World Cup in South Africa. He was very impressive. He was already highly rated then when Bangladesh won the World Cup.I think the bigger surprise for me were Ebadot and Khaled. I was surprised by their engine capacity. Fast bowling is about huge guts and determination. I have never seen two spinners and two seamers in a Test match before, but the way they conducted themselves, especially in Durban where they were magnificent. Apart from one mad half hour that knocked us back, I thought by bowling South Africa out in both Tests was a fantastic effort.”I am delighted with what I have seen. I think the discussions that we had in every single training session, and the learning we get out of it, is substantial. I am pleased with where we are going,” he said.

Former Yorkshire and Australia batter cites uncertainty around Covid-19 restrictions for decision

Matt Roller12-Jan-2022Darren Lehmann has resigned from his role as men’s head coach of Northern Superchargers, the Hundred team based at Headingley.Lehmann, the former Yorkshire and Australia batter, has started to step back from his coaching commitments since suffering a heart attack on his 50th birthday in early 2020. He stepped down as head coach of Brisbane Heat ahead of the ongoing BBL season, moving to a role as assistant, and has now left the Superchargers ahead of the 2022 edition of the Hundred.”It’s with a heavy heart that I have taken the decision to step down as men’s head coach at the Superchargers,” Lehmann said in a statement. “As for many people, the continuing uncertainty around Covid-19, quarantining and restrictions begins to play a part in your decisions.”I loved my time with the Superchargers. Last season, despite all the challenges of Covid, was up there with one of my coaching highlights.”The UK public got behind the new competition and I see it going from strength to strength. I thank the Northern Superchargers supporters, my coaching staff and the players and wish them all well.”Related

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Heather Jackson, the Superchargers’ chair, confirmed that Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, would be “taking on lead cricket responsibilities” and that he would be responsible for recruiting a new head coach, along with Andy Dawson, their general manager.Andrew Gale, Lehmann’s assistant coach, has not had his contract renewed with the Superchargers after he was sacked by Yorkshire following racism allegations made by Azeem Rafiq.Lehmann’s own appointment as Superchargers coach came under scrutiny after Rafiq first made his allegations of institutional racism in late 2020. Lehmann was banned for five ODIs in 2003 after using racially abusive language following his dismissal in a game against Sri Lanka.A statement from the ECB made no mention of Lehmann’s previous comments. The ECB’s decision in November to suspend Headingley’s right to host international and major matches extends to knockout fixtures in the Hundred, but it remains the Superchargers’ home ground for regular-season games.The 2022 edition of the Hundred is due to start in early August. The window for player retentions opened on December 1, and teams have been negotiating with players and their representatives over the last six weeks.

Fast bowler hopes for more opportunities with seamer-friendly ball after five-wicket haul

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-2021Lungi Ngidi hopes to have more opportunity to bowl with the Dukes ball after it helped him earn his second Test five-for in St Lucia. Ngidi, who took 6 for 39 against India on debut in January 2018, rated the Dukes ball as more seamer-friendly than the Kookaburra, used in South Africa, or India’s SG, because of the way it behaves.”I prefer the Dukes ball. It stays harder and moves around a lot more,” Ngidi said after the first day’s play. “The Kookaburra ball tends to get a bit soft and once it gets soft, it doesn’t really swing and you try to look for reverse swing. The SG gets scuffed up really quick and it’s a really hard ball to maintain. But the Dukes ball is really a test of skill. Once you can get the wrist position right and hone in on your area, you can be very successful with this ball. Having bowled with it now, I hope I bowl with it for many, many years.”Ngidi had never used the Dukes ball in a Test match before, having not played any Tests in England or in the Caribbean before this tour. He did have access to it when practising in South Africa and said the training group was “trying everything to control that ball,” and showed off the results of their persistence inside two sessions on the first day.South Africa dismissed West Indies for 97, for their second sub-100 total since 2004, through a combination of aggression and discipline that Ngidi explained could be difficult to get right in favourable conditions. “You can get carried away, especially when it’s nipping around and swinging like that,” he said.In the morning session, South Africa were anything but over-excited by conditions. While Kagiso Rabada and Ngidi kept the brakes on West Indies, Anrich Nortje tore through the top order. “My role definition has been very clear – it’s been to make sure I keep one end quiet. We do have some really quick bowlers and a lot of batsmen were struggling with them so for me to give them nothing was part of the plan,” Ngidi said.Related

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His morning’s work was seven overs for 10 runs and he returned after lunch to take five wickets for nine runs, having changed ends in between whiles. “I felt more comfortable from the other end and my rhythm clicked,” he said. “It’s been a work in progress. I had to work very hard in the gym, on fitness, and the most important thing was the skill side of things and being able to swing the ball away from batters.”Ngidi celebrated his second five-for with an emotional gesture to the heavens and then settled in to watch West Indies’ enjoy some, albeit not the same, success. Teenage debutant Jayden Seales, playing in just his second first-class match, took 3 for 34 and Ngidi was particularly impressed with his performance. “I was keeping a close eye on him. His seam presentation is what I tried to do when we were bowling,” Ngidi said. “He has got a great wrist behind the ball, a very clean action and it seems like he can run in all day, so he is a danger. It’s a very exciting future for the West Indies with him in the line-up.”South Africa will hope it’s not too exciting, just yet. Their lead of 31 is still some way behind what Ngidi thinks could be match-winning, especially on a surface that will continue to suit the quicks. “On this wicket you are never really in. Maybe a lead of 150-200, we’ll take that,” he said. “But it’s still moving around a bit so any lead we can get, we will take as bowlers.”

Ollie Pope has been dropped while Chris Woakes is out with a thigh strain. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has confirmed that R Ashwin is fully fit

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan29-Aug-20185:46

Compton: England top-order lacks backbone

Big Picture

This series feels very alive. India are coming off one of their finest wins outside Asia while England have previously shown that when stung by defeat, and criticism, they have it in them to bounce back on home soil. The next few days at the Ageas Bowl promise much.There has already been talk about whether Virat Kohli’s team can emulate Don Bradman’s 1936-37 Australian side in coming back from 2-0 down to take the series 3-2. That is better left for next week and the build-up to The Oval should India manage to square the series here. And what a conclusion that would set up.First they need to back up Trent Bridge with a performance of similar fortitude and skill. Having twice got their selection wrong in the opening two Tests, there is now a well-balanced feel to the line-up: the return of Jasprit Bumrah made a significant difference to the pace attack and though the openers didn’t score heavily in Nottingham they played their part. It all means there is a good chance of Kohli naming an unchanged XI for the first time in his captaincy.For England most of the attention is centered around the misfiring top order. Jonny Bairstow has been cleared to play as a batsman, but time is running short for some of them to deliver a match-shaping innings. Joe Root needs to define a contest like his opposite number – it is more than a year since his last Test century.In the wake of the defeat at Trent Bridge, it was easy to lose sight of the fact it is England who remain 2-1 up. Last year they responded to a thrashing against South Africa, also at Trent Bridge, to clean up in the next two matches. A similar response this week and, regardless of the persistent issues, it will be a notable feather in Root’s cap to have beaten the No. 1 Test side. However, victory for India and that dip at a very special comeback will be a step closer.

Form guide

England LWWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
India WLLWW

In the spotlight

Four years ago Alastair Cook came to the Ageas Bowl at one of his lowest ebbs. He was horribly out of form and India had inflicted a heavy defeat at Lord’s to go 1-0 up. In one of those sliding-doors moments, Cook was dropped at slip on 15 and went on to make a gusty 95 in what became a handsome England win. What Cook, now back in the ranks, would give for a little bit of that luck and a similar score this time. He will have the last two Tests of the series regardless of what happens at the Ageas Bowl, but further low scores would create huge pressure on him at The Oval.India didn’t need R Ashwin to play a massive role at Trent Bridge because of the impact of the seamers and it’s probably a good job given the problem he had with his hip. But India can’t bank on Hardik Pandya taking five wickets all the time so Ashwin may be needed in both an attacking and defensive role. At the beginning of the series he bowled beautifully at Edgbaston – perhaps as well as he ever has overseas – but the conditions at Lord’s then his injury have given him a bit-part role since. There is still time for him to have a major say in the series.Getty Images

Team news

Root again confirmed his team a day out. Bairstow’s finger has healed enough for him to retain a place as a batsman, moving up to No.4, but the gloves go to Jos Buttler. Sam Curran has replaced Chris Woakes, who has a thigh strain, while Moeen Ali comes in for Ollie Pope whose two Test matches came batting at No. 4 – a position he had never occupied in first-class cricket.England: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Joe Root (capt), 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonKohli confirmed that Ashwin has fully recovered from his hip niggle. This means there’s a chance of India naming an unchanged XI. However, Kohli has also predicted plenty of help for the spinners as the match wears on, which opens up the possibility of Ravindra Jadeja coming in as second spinner, perhaps in place of Mohammed Shami.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Rishabh Pant (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Mohammed Shami/Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

The pitch had a tinge of green but is expected to be a bat-first surface albeit with a challenging first session for the batsmen. Spin can come into play at the ground – Moeen took a six-wicket haul in the fourth innings in 2014 – but the pitch is not expected to change character quickly. The forecast is for a dry and mild five days, if the match lasts that long.

Stats and Trivia

• James Anderson needs seven wickets to overtake Glenn McGrath as the most prolific pace bowler in Test history. Anderson has 11 wickets at an average of 19.45 in two Tests at the Ageas Bowl.
• Virat Kohli is six runs away from 6000 Test runs. Only nine Indian players have scored more than 6000 Test runs. And he is 104 away from 4000 runs as captain, with only nine players having scored that many as captain.
• Ishant Sharma needs one wicket to reach 250 in Tests

Quotes

“We’ve bounced back from difficult defeats before and that’s the challenge for us to do it again here.”
“England would want to come back strongly. We understand that and we will have to be even better with what we did in Nottingham to be able to get results our way.”

At the end of the second day, Yorkshire were 233 runs in arrears with nine wickets standing and facing a battle to save the match

Paul Edwards at Headingley11-Apr-2013
ScorecardSussex captain Ed Joyce led by example•Getty Images

This was a day when Sussex viewed the loss of wickets as necessary tariffs to be paid on the pathway to greater prosperity. Like TE Lawrence’s dreamers of the day, they sought to make their wishes reality by bold strategem and admirable risk-taking. It worked, too.Beginning the morning on 104 for 3, a lead of eight, Joyce’s men added 252 runs in 51.5 overs to be bowled out for 356. They then removed Alex Lees, caught at slip by Chris Jordan off Steve Magoffin for 4, before bad light and rain ended play 34 overs early. Already, just two days into the County Championship season, Yorkshire’s batsmen are 233 runs in arrears and face an interesting test of their technique and resolve in the top tier of English cricket. The forecast for tomorrow may predict dull weather but the sport on view at Headingley should be gripping.There was scarcely a moment in Thursday’s play when Sussex did not try to seize the game by its very throat. Rory Hamilton-Brown set the tone in the first hour by spanking five boundaries in a breezy 26 and Joe Gatting made 20 off 23 balls before he skied Azeem Rafiq’s first ball to wide mid-off where Jack Brooks ran round to take a good catch.Sussex’s tactics were plain. With bad weather predicted – it didn’t arrive until 3.45pm – the batsmen were intent on taking every chance to force the pace and establish a large lead. This approach was best expressed by the batting of Ed Joyce and Ben Brown, who added 120 in 23 overs either side of lunch as the Yorkshire attack was eviscerated. Joyce, who insofar as the innings needed an anchor had done the job, made 92 off 140 balls before he edged Brooks to slip. He deserved a century but not as much as Brown, whose batting was something of a revelation.The Sussex wicketkeeper hit 14 fours, some of them sublime, on his way to 93 and three figures seemed his for the taking when a full delivery from Brooks rattled the ash. Yorkshire were encouraged by these successes and Brooks celebrated by having Jordan lbw next ball. But by then the lead was over 200; Sussex were over the hills and far away as far as the match was concerned. The loss of the last five wickets for 38 runs still left Joyce’s bold adventurers with a first-innings lead of 260.It was an interesting day for Rafiq, who conceded 70 runs in his 15 overs, and even more so for Yorkshire’s Championship debutant Brooks. The ex-Northamptonshire seamer’s first 9.4 overs in the innings cost 60 runs; he then took four wickets in 15 balls at a cost of 15 runs and finished with 4 for 76 off 13 overs. At least he stuck at it but it was interesting to compare his figures to those of the admirable Ryan Sidebottom, who took 4 for 72 in 21.5 overs.At the end of the day Brooks was talking with conviction about Yorkshire chances of winning the game if they “bat long”. “Really?” the sceptical Leeds crowd might reply in unison. Most White Rose diehards would be very happy with a draw on Saturday evening. Unless a lot of weather intervenes, even that would be a significant achievement. But this is Headingley after all and perhaps Brooks will be celebrating his four wickets with a bottle of the ’81 this evening.

Australia’s captain and selector Michael Clarke has flatly denied reports that Brad Haddin’s Test career has been terminated, opening the way for his younger rival Matthew Wade to take the gloves for the first Test of the summer

Daniel Brettig15-Oct-2012Australia’s captain and selector Michael Clarke has flatly denied reports that Brad Haddin’s Test career has been terminated, opening the way for his younger rival Matthew Wade to take the gloves for the first Test of the summer against South Africa in Brisbane.Clarke and the rest of the selection panel, comprising the national selector John Inverarity, the coach Mickey Arthur, Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel, met in Sydney on Monday afternoon following Cricket Australia’s season launch for a planning meeting. However Clarke was adamant that no decision had been made on whether Haddin would reclaim the Test place he gave up for personal reasons in the West Indies earlier this year.”I’m one of five selectors and if you’re asking me as a selector that’s completely false, it hasn’t been discussed,” Clarke said. “It obviously is a topic for discussion and will be spoken about over the next couple of weeks that’s for sure. It’s probably one of the most important decisions that needs to be made leading up to the first Test match, and whoever gets left out it is going to be tough on them.”Not only have they both performed at the highest level, Hadds has a lot of experience and has been successful over a long period of time, Wadey’s done every single thing in his power to make the most of his opportunity – he got a hundred in his last Test match. So it’s going to be a tough decision. I know the selectors and I will be discussing that over the next couple of weeks.”We need to talk about it, the selection panel need to talk about it. We need to see both sides, and we’ll pick the best XI for that game, that opposition, those conditions. That’s the only way you can do it. It’s not personal, it’s about what we think is the best team for that first Test.”It has been a tough time for Hadds – any single one of us would’ve made the exact same decision that Brad did in regards to going home and making sure he was there to support his family. He certainly knows how I feel about that and I have openly supported him on that.”The other side is Matthew Wade cannot do anything more to be selected for that first Test. He has performed as well as any player, he has made the most of his opportunities, he’s an amazing talent, and he’s going to be a big player for Australian cricket over a long period of time.”Since his early exit from the Caribbean, Haddin has undergone a full pre-season with New South Wales and made a century for the Blues in their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at Bankstown Oval before flying to South Africa to lead the Sydney Sixers in the Twenty20 Champions League. Wade, meanwhile, had his struggles on the ODI tour of England and had limited batting opportunities in the UAE and Sri Lanka, though he kept soundly throughout.However a match-turning innings of 89 for Victoria against Queensland on a lively Gabba pitch last week may prove pivotal in the duel for the keeping spot, as Wade demonstrated his capacity for making runs in the sort of pace-friendly environment likely to be relished by South Africa’s vaunted trio of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander next month.Ricky Ponting, having watched Haddin’s entire Test career from up close, said the 35-year-old still had plenty to offer, but acknowledged the difficulty of the decision. “There are arguments for both at the moment, Hadds is a great mate of mine and we’ve got lots of off-field memories,” Ponting said. “I saw him up close and personal a couple of weeks ago in the Shield game in Bankstown and he played beautifully, hit the ball really well and kept very, very well.”So I know his game’s in really good shape. Then you look at Matty Wade, he has really grabbed his opportunity, made a brilliant hundred in the Caribbean, he has had a great game up in Brisbane last week, so there are two great arguments to be put there as far as selection is concerned. Every Australian side that’s picked, there are always a few guys who think they’re unlucky or hard done by, and one of those two guys is going to miss selection for Brisbane.”I’ve got no doubt in my mind that Hadds has a lot to offer, and I saw it up close in that Shield game. I don’t think anyone will be writing Brad off, he’s a great character to have around the team, and he’s an unbelievable talent with bat and gloves.”The most influential voice at the selection table may well be that of Marsh, the former gloveman who has worked extensively with Haddin in the past. More recently Marsh was a tour mentor for Wade, spending plenty of time with the younger man on the West Indies tour as he fought an ultimately successful battle to adapt to extremely unfamiliar and challenging conditions for both wicketkeeping and batting.