Tag Futebol

Jadeja marshalled India’s lower order before they fell 23 short of the target in the final session

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2025

Mohammed Siraj was inconsolable after he was the last man dismissed in the final session•Getty Images

India captain Shubman Gill took pride in his team’s resilience during the gripping final day of the Lord’s Test.After India were reduced to 82 for 7 just before lunch, their lower order fought valiantly to drag the game into the final session. India eventually fell short by 22 runs as England took a 2-1 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.”I’m extremely proud, this is as close as a Test match can get,” Gill said at the post-match presentation. “Five days of hard-fought cricket, comes down to the last session, last wicket. I’m extremely proud.”Related

• India ponder the what-ifs after Lord's heartbreak

• Jadeja, and the curse of being so good

• Sledging, swearing, send-offs – Lord's needling promises explosive series ahead

When Shoaib Bashir dismissed Mohammed Siraj to seal victory, Ravindra Jadeja was left stranded on 61, a heroic vigil that lasted 181 deliveries, with the standout aspect being his marshalling of the lower order. He put on 30 with Nitish Kumar Reddy, 35 with Jasprit Bumrah, and 23 with Siraj.”He’s very experienced,” Gill said of Jadeja. “We didn’t want to give him any message. He was batting brilliantly with the tail. Wanted him and the tail to bat as long as possible.”Gill said India had let themselves down late on the fourth day when they lost three quick wickets – Karun Nair, Gill himself and nightwatcher Akash Deep – in a dramatic last half-hour, slipping from 42 for 1 to 58 for 4. Gill felt that one “50-run partnership” from the top order could have helped them knock off the target.3:47

Gill: Pant’s run-out was the turning point in the Test

“The last one hour that we played [on day four], I think we could have applied ourselves a bit better, especially the last two wickets that fell,” Gill said. “Even this morning, the way they came up with a plan, we were hoping for one 50-run partnership, if we got it from the top order, it would’ve been easy for us.”Did they have any hope after Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Washington Sundar all fell in the first half-hour on Monday? “There was always hope, as long as there’s batting,” he said. “[Needed] one 50-run partnership. The target wasn’t massive, one 50-60-run partnership and we were right back into the game.”Gill also identified Pant’s run out in the first innings, by a direct hit from Ben Stokes, as a pivotal moment in the game. Pant and Rahul had added a century partnership, putting India on track for a sizeable lead. However, in a bid to get Rahul on strike so he could reach his century before lunch, Pant attempted a quick single only to be run out for 74.”Definitely,” Gill said when asked if the run out proved crucial. “At one point, I thought if we get a lead of 80-100, it might be crucial. We knew on the fifth day on this wicket, it won’t be easy to chase 150-200. Thought if we can get a lead of 80-100, we would be in a good position.”

“They need a little more time, little more freedom as well”, India captain says the youngsters will learn with time

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-20242:48

Have India got their tactics right against Bazball?

India drew level in the five-match series with a 107-run win over England in Visakhapatnam, but the batting performance remains an area of concern. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a double-century in the first innings and Shubman Gill hit a hundred under pressure in the second, but no other batter could get a big score. Captain Rohit Sharma said that is something the team needs to look at, while also pointing out that it is a young squad that will learn with experience.”The wicket was really good to bat on. That’s where, if I have to point anything, a lot of the batters got the start, but didn’t convert into a big score, and [that’s] something that we really need to look into,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation.”But, again, having said that, I do understand they’re very young, [and] they’re very new to this form of the game. So obviously, it will take some time for us. It’s important from our side to give them confidence, and this win, obviously, will give them a lot of confidence, and [tell them] just to go out there and play freely.”Related

• Stats – Jaiswal and Lara in a club of their own

• A Gill century that showed his struggle and growth

• Gill: 'Very important and satisfying to be able to score runs at No. 3'

Rohit emphasised on winning against an in-form England side with a relatively inexperienced squad.”Very, very proud of such a young squad in terms of the Test matches that they’ve played. To come up against a team like that, [who] won the first Test match, and then to come out and play like that for us, [it’s] very, very positive,” he said.”Like I said, a lot of the guys are quite young in terms of playing this form of the game for us. So it’ll take some time, obviously, to be absolutely spot on, but you’ve got to give it to them. [They need] a little more time, little more freedom as well. And that is something that we are constantly talking in the changing room that we want these guys to have some time in the middle, go and play freely without any pressure.”Among the Indian players with limited Test experience is Rohit’s opening partner Jaiswal. In just his sixth Test, the 22-year-old followed up his 80-run knock in the first Test with his second Test century, and went on to convert it into a double. Rohit hailed the innings of 209 as “an exceptional knock”, and said Jaiswal is looking to make the most of every opportunity.”Looks like a very good player, understands his game really well,” Rohit said about Jaiswal. “He’s got a long way to go, of course. He’s just coming to the side now, and every opportunity he’s trying to make the most of it.”That was an exceptional knock, what he did in the first day. Long way to go, like I said. He’s got a lot to offer to our team, and I hope he stays quite humble and focuses on what is needed for the team.”

It was a seesaw battle for the longest time, but Thailand tore ahead in the last few overs to pull off one of their biggest wins ever

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2022Thailand pulled off one of the biggest wins in their still-young cricket history, beating Pakistan by four wickets in their Women’s Asia Cup match in Sylhet this morning. The stars of the win in a low-scoring game were Natthakan Chantham, who led their chase of 117 with a 51-ball 61, Sornnarin Tippoch, who returned 2 for 20 in a strong Thailand bowling performance, and, right at the close, Rosenan Kanoh, who held her nerve against Diana Baig in a nerve-wracking final over to take them over the line.Prior to this, Thailand’s biggest win had come in the 2018 T20 Asia Cup, when they beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in Kuala Lumpur. Against Pakistan, they would have fancied their chances after putting up 150 for 3 at a 2020 T20 World Cup match in Sydney, but the chase had been washed out. This time, Chantham ensured the result did go her team’s way, even though she couldn’t hang around to finish the job.The game appeared even at the midway stage of the Thailand chase. Thailand had lost a couple of early wickets to Tuba Hassan, but had then settled down, though there was no urgency in their run-scoring.After ten overs, they were 45 for 2, with 72 needed. Naruemol Chaiwai hit Tuba for four in the 13th, and then Chantham lifted Omaima Sohail down the ground for a six in the 14th, and suddenly, the equation was down to 44 from 36, and the momentum had clearly shifted.There had to be a hiccup, and it came in the form of Chaiwai and Tippoch falling in consecutive overs, to Kainat Imtiaz and Nida Dar respectively, but at the other end, Chantham went down the ground and over the fielder at long-on to get to a 45-ball half-century. It could have ended for her there, but Dar dropped a sitter in the deep off Nashra Sandhu’s bowling to give Chantham the break she needed.The Thailand players celebrate after pulling off the win over Pakistan•ACC

It became a bit of a scrap after that. Sandhu got rid of Phannita Maya, there was a lot of frenetic running, peppered by the occasional attempted big hit that didn’t go anywhere, and Chantham was lucky to avoid being run-out when Dar fumbled with the throw from the deep at the bowler’s end. Dar got her own back not long after, though, getting Chantham caught at deep midwicket, leaving Thailand with 11 to get from eight balls.That became ten from the last over, bowled by Baig. Wide. Single. And then the game-changer: a slog straight down the ground for four by Kanoh off a juicy full-toss. An inside edge to fine leg for two came next, then a scrambled single, and then the winning hit, a slog from Nattaya Boochatham over midwicket for a single.Earlier, after Pakistan chose to bat, they were kept in check by a disciplined Thailand bowling show.As such, with Sidra Ameen holding the innings together from the top with a 64-ball 56, Pakistan did put runs on the board, but the going was slow all along. Tippoch picked up the big wickets of Dar and Ayesha Naseem at a crucial juncture in the last quarter of the innings, while all the bowlers on view conceded runs at 6.50 or under.Despite the loss, Pakistan are placed second, behind India, with Thailand fifth in the seven-team table after registering their first win.

The Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings will run till July 23, with 58 submissions to be heard

Firdose Moonda05-Jul-2021Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings on racial discrimination in the game began on Monday and will run until July 23, with 58 submissions set to be heard. In his opening address, SJN ombudsman Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza confirmed he had received 11 submissions from what he termed “scene-setters,” including administrators and officials, 23 from players past and present, and 24 from cricket unions and other interested parties. Ntsebeza will submit a report to CSA before September 30 with recommendations to prevent future instances of prejudice.Related

• Mark Boucher to respond to SJN allegations

• 'Are the other guys worth any less? No' – Aaron Phangiso frustrated with non-selection and non-payment

• CSA's social justice committee to hold public hearings on racial discrimination in cricket

• Racial justice is a 'process, not an event', says CSA in response to BLM criticism

• CSA appoints new majority independent board, reports Rand 250 million loss

The hearings were initially due to be held in May but were postponed after concerns about the process were raised by, among others, David Becker, who acts as counsel for CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith and anti-corruption chief Louis Cole, and because Ntzebeza was otherwise engaged at the African Human Rights Court in Tanzania. The SJN Project was initiated by CSA’s former board, who resigned in October last year, but has been picked up by the new board which was appointed last month, and hope to use the SJN as a springboard for introspection and change.”CSA fully supports the SJN initiative. We regard it as one of the most important and significant projects to be undertaken in the 30 years of our existence as a unified cricket body,” Lawson Naidoo, CSA board chair, said in his address at the opening of the hearings on Tuesday morning. “The start of these hearing provides a key reset moment for CSA and cricket in general, an opportunity to address the past failures.”Ntsebeza acknowledged that his task is to guide the process of “truth and truth-telling, healing and reconciliation in cricket,” and quoted James Baldwin in explaining the pressing need for South Africa, a country governed by legalised racial segregation until 1994, to address the social issues of the past. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it’s faced,” Ntsebeza said. “This is a quote from James Baldwin, which speaks to the purpose the SJN Project.”The hearings will include testimonies from those who have suffered racial discrimination, either by written statement on affidavit or oral statement under oath and any implicated person or party will be given notice and afforded an opportunity to respond. The terms of reference of the SJN allow for Ntsebeza to ask for cross-examination at his own discretion and do not require him to resolve any disputes of fact. “The SJN proceedings are not a criminal enquiry and as a result, I will use the civil standard of proof in making my findings. I will make findings based on a balance of probabilities, provided that where a factual dispute cannot be resolved without cross-examination, I may either allow cross-examination, limited cross-examination, or record the factual dispute without resolving it,” Ntzebeza said.CSA will not be involved at any stage of the proceedings, apart from providing administrative and technical assistance.”Our role as the board is to be good listeners, with an open mind and without preconceived ideas. We have much to learn from this, which will inform our future strategy and interventions,” Naidoo said. “It is not the intention of the board of CSA to comment publicly during the ongoing process of these hearings, on the evidence that will emerge. Instead, we will allow the process to take its course without our comment and then consider the ombudsman’s report when it is provided to the board at the end of September. This approach will protect the independence, autonomy and integrity of this project.”No former players are scheduled to appear this week but cricket historian and former Western Province CEO Andre Odendaal, former sports minister Ngconde Balfour and researcher Dr Mary Ann Dove, who completed doctoral work into socio-ecological factors in talent development, are all on the list to testify. All hearings will be available to the public, via a YouTube channel.

The semi-finals and the final will be rescheduled, the PCB says

Umar Farooq17-Mar-20202:21

We took all measures we possibly could – PCB CEO

The PSL, which had tweaked its original schedule to shorten it by four days with an eye on the worsening COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) situation, has been “suspended” following the revelation that an overseas cricketer, who has now left Pakistan, had shown symptoms of the virus.”One overseas player has been potentially suspected (of having contracted COVID-19). However, we cannot reveal the identity of that player. But it’s true that there is one suspected case and the player has left Pakistan already,” Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, told mediapersons in Lahore.According to a tweet by the official PSL handle, the semi-final games [Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars], which were scheduled to be played on Tuesday, and the final, slotted for Wednesday, would be rescheduled.”We took the responsibility and were engaged with the government all the time and taking their minute-by-minute advice,” Khan said. “We were continuing with their consent. We first made our decision to play in empty stadiums, gave players option to leave, reduced the number of days as well and all decisions we had taken were for the greater good.”But this new development came after a player who left Pakistan told us that (he has) symptoms and this (decision to suspend PSL) isn’t in light of being panicked, but it’s a sensible response and we made our decision after thorough deliberation. But before this there was no suspected case at all, which is why the decision wasn’t made before.”Representatives of the management teams of the various franchises accepted the decision, saying it was the right thing to do in the circumstances. Salman Iqbal, the owner of Karachi Kings, told ESPNcricinfo, “I have been asking for it to be postponed for the past two days, as we [PSL] was the only cricket going on. But, anyway, it’s a very good decision by the franchise owners and the PCB management.”We also caught up with Sameen Rana, owner of Lahore Qalandars, who said, “We respect the PCB decision. The health and safety of players and officials is of utmost importance. It’s unfortunate, but considering the situation, we understand the rationale.””As important as the PSL is for all of us, it was clear that the right thing to do at this time was to call off the remaining games,” Alamgir Tareen of Multan Sultans told ESPNcricinfo. “Where there are concerns about health there can be no other priority.” Meanwhile, it has also emerged that all the players and other officials of the four teams to have qualified for the semi-finals, as well as broadcast employees and others involved with the games, are being tested.As such, the organisers had taken a decision on March 13 to tweak the schedule of the tournament following the premature departure of a number of overseas players and the increased risk in Pakistan, cancelling the four-match playoff stage (March 17 to 22) and introducing two semi-finals (as a double-header) and the final on March 17 and 18. More players have left Pakistan since then.There are 184 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan according to the latest update, with two in Punjab (of which Lahore is a part), and the number has been going up with each passing day.The Punjab province is under Section 144, a law that bans all private and public sports activity as well as other public gatherings. The PCB had taken special permission to have the remaining games behind closed doors, but Gaddafi Stadium still had a large presence of mediapersons during the last few games, and post-match presentation ceremonies and press conferences have been fairly crowded with representatives of the PCB and other stakeholders in attendance.

Diamonds and former Essex head coach to mentor Yorkshire batsmen 

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2019Paul Grayson has been appointed as Yorkshire’s batting coach.The Yorkshire Diamonds head coach will relinquish his duties with the women’s side to take over as fulltime batting mentor to the club’s first team, second XI and academy from March 1.Grayson, who was head coach at Essex from 2007-15, said his latest role was not a step towards returning to a lead coaching position.”This is the perfect role for me,” Grayson said. “I have no intention of going back into a club to become head coach, I made that pretty clear in my interview.”I feel that I specialise in batting along with a bit of spin bowling as well. I just want to support the other coaches, pass on my experience and my knowledge, and also work with the players.”Grayson, 47, played at Headingley between 1990 and 1995. He retired from first-class cricket at the end of 2005, having scored 8,655 runs at 31.70, and taken 136 wickets at 44.39.He was one of seven candidates interviewed for the position and will head to South Africa for warm-weather pre-season training a week after starting his new role, supporting head coach Andrew Gale and bowling coach Richard Pyrah.”I hope to play that father figure around the dressing room,” Grayson said. “I will give the players options and then it is down to them to perform.”I think that white-ball cricket has been a success at Yorkshire over the last couple of years, but it is pretty evident that some of the lads need to improve their numbers in red ball and enjoy playing four-day cricket again.”Gale said he had felt for a while that the club needed a batting coach.”The bowling group has been quite close and Richard Pyrah treats them as his own, I felt the batters needed that also,” Gale said.

Like governments, Jason Behrendroff lured India with freebies up front before taxing them with four top-order wickets, a spell of play India never recovered from

The Report by Sidharth Monga10-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:59

Agarkar: Game was Australia’s after Behrendorff spell

Like governments, Jason Behrendorff lured India with freebies up front before taxing them with four top-order wickets, a spell of play India never recovered from. Adam Zampa, who has not had the best of times on this trip, had his own back with two big middle-overs wickets to make sure Australia finally snapped their seven-match losing streak in T20Is against India. On a tacky pitch, with spin, seam and early swing on offer, India’s batting seemed to fail to reassess what a good total was and fell 22 short of the 140-mark that might well have made for a tight chase.The way the match started, though, you might have thought of a score much higher than 140. The first ball was a gentle full toss that Rohit Sharma caressed to the point boundary; the third was a long half-volley that was crashed straight of mid-off. Then came the swing against the angle from left-arm over. Like Mohammad Amir has done previously, Behrendorff trapped Rohit in front with the fourth ball. The late swing two balls later was slightly less perfect, but the inside edge lobbed off Virat Kohli’s pad for a return catch. Behrendorff had knocked over two of the most destructive limited-overs batsmen in the world in his first over.David Warner chose to bowl out Behrendorff, who has the best average and third-best strike rate in all T20 Powerplays since 2014. Behrendorff responded with the wickets of Manish Pandey and Shikhar Dhawan inside the Powerplay. With the threat of swing, Pandey fell poking at one, while Dhawan was victim of a sensational catch by Warner running back from mid-off. At 27 for 4, India were forced into rebuild mode, which has of late been the perfect situation for MS Dhoni.Kedar Jadhav kept playing the odd shot while Dhoni seemed to settle into a typical innings in such situations. But against the legspin of Zampa, Dhoni began to play uncharacteristically. Usually, Dhoni prefers to make sure he bats through the overs when India are in strife, but here, he started to look for the big hits as early as the 10th over. A full toss was put away, a wide earned as Dhoni mocked a charge down the pitch, but in the same over he was stumped as the ball kicked away after falling short of his reach. A couple of overs later, Jadhav failed to pick a wrong’un when looking for a boundary over extra cover, making for an ungainly sight as he was bowled.These wickets came at an unfortunate time for India because the dew made an appearance soon, but India didn’t have the muscle to make use of it as there was hardly any acceleration in an innings with little deviation off the six-runs-an-over mark. The value of those extra 20 runs became apparent as soon as Australia began the chase. The ball continued to misbehave for the quicks: both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah found seam movement and inconsistent bounce, which resulted in the early wickets of big guns Warner and Aaron Finch.The asking rate, though, didn’t climb, and Australia could afford to play a couple of calm overs. Australia chose a calm head to do so, promoting Moises Henriques to No. 3, a role Warner used him in at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL too. Henriques and Travis Head took their time before opening up against the spinners, who struggled with the slippery ball. Kuldeep Yadav, in particular, dished up a few long hops, which provided Australia with enough momentum in a small chase.Once the shots started coming off, the rest of the match was played in near silence as the capacity crowd on Barsapara Stadium’s international debut agonised over India’s defeat. A measure of the crowd’s enthusiasm was seen in how even Dhoni failed to appeal for a faint nick lost to all barring Kohli in the loud stadium. The ground, though, had its task cut out with a lot of rain leading into the game, which might have resulted in the damp pitch.

All of India’s bowlers combined together perfectly at Eden Gardens to deliver the hosts a 178-run victory over New Zealand

The Report by Alagappan Muthu03-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:49

Agarkar: New Zealand going backwards instead of getting better

At the historic Eden Gardens, in front of 12,068 people, India became the No. 1 team in the world with a 178-run victory over New Zealand and captured their fourth series trophy on the trot.It isn’t groundbreaking for a team to dominate in their own conditions. And granted, the heat and the pitches left New Zealand feeling out of place – picture Mr Bean in an MI6 facility – but when you watch R Ashwin conjuring wickets, or Mohammed Shami demolishing stumps; when you watch M Vijay leaving the ball or Cheteshwar Pujara attacking the spinners; when you watch Virat Kohli raising his game, it is difficult not to wonder whether India have found themselves an XI capable of becoming something special.New Zealand did the best they could in the absence of their regular captain and best batsman Kane Williamson. He had finally recovered from a fever to come out of his hotel room and watch the match from the ground. He would have felt proud of Tom Latham’s polished 74. He would have enjoyed Matt Henry’s big-hearted performance. He would have wanted to run out to the field when the ninth wicket fell and do his little bit for his men. But 376 was too big a target in the final innings.The coin was in love with Kohli, doing as he bid for a sixth time in a row, in Kolkata. The weather too wanted to be on his good side, giving him the perfect conditions to ambush New Zealand late on the second day. In Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he also had the ideal weapon to exploit a pitch that offered seam, swing and variable bounce. On the fourth day, when conditions had become better for batting, India remained tenacious. They remained patient. They were a little petulant too, putting the umpire under needless pressure every time the ball hit pad or beat bat. India often get on rolls like these. But it isn’t often that they make it last. Someone gives it away. A ball down leg. A wicket thrown away. This XI, though, may just be learning to shed those bad habits.Take Ashwin for example. He had seen that Latham had changed his technique; that he was taking a shorter front stride so that he could be in a better position to play the ball that doesn’t turn and avoid being lbw. It paid off beautifully. He survived the first few minutes. His footwork grew assured. A good cover drive off a half-volley got him going. A delectable flick shot later in the innings exemplified that he was reading the length early and well. He went to tea unbeaten on 74.Ashwin got him in his first over after tea. The ball was looped up. It was bowled wide. It was a tease. Like the smell of chocolate to a man who has never eaten anything other than salad. Latham went for that sinful cover drive and the outside edge was taken by Wriddhiman Saha, moving smoothly to his left.Henry Nicholls nicked a catch to Ajinkya Rahane•BCCI

And then there was Shami and his sexy reverse swing. BJ Watling read that a fuller delivery was tailing into him. Appropriately, he brought his front pad down the line and made sure the bat came down close to it. A second later, he was watching his off stump cartwheeling all over the place. The ball had moved one way in the air and then promptly the other way off the pitch to beat the outside edge. Shami can’t possibly have intended for that to happen; it would just be scary if he did.Twelve out of the 20 wickets India took in Kolkata went to the seamers. Admittedly, the pitch suited them better in the early stages, but not often have India made use of that advantage. On the fourth day, when conventional swing went AWOL along with the uneven pace and bounce, they used what was given to them – scoreboard pressure and reverse swing – brilliantly. This is why India should feel upbeat about their chances. Their fast bowlers aren’t place-holders for the spinners anymore.But it is India, it was a spinner who got things going. Ashwin mystifies batsmen with his flight and Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor were the latest scratching their heads all the way to the pavilion. One was lbw because the ball dipped, the other was lbw again because it drifted away and as a result the Kolkata Test claimed the record for the most lbws in a Test in India. The count finished at 15.Ravindra Jadeja went around the wicket to the left-handed Henry Nicholls in the 36th over. From the amount of work he puts into his action, a batsman expects the ball to turn. He often plays for that turn, or at the very least, worries about it so much that it brings uncertainty into his game. Nicholls was put through this harrowing sequence of events and sent on his way to the pavilion as a good length ball, holding its line just outside off stump, took the edge and was taken superbly by Ajinkya Rahane at slip.Only six times has a team ever made 376 or more to win a Test. Never has it been done at Eden Gardens, where the highest successful chase took place more than a decade ago and finished at 120 for 2. The contribution from Saha to put his team in such a strong position should not be underestimated. He became only the fourth Indian wicketkeeper to hit two fifities in a Test.On the West Indies tour, Saha was demoted one spot from No. 6 with the team management saying they wanted to reduce the pressure on him when they went in a batsman short. India have not opted for that combination at home against New Zealand but Saha stayed in the lower order. On his home ground, he produced an innings that may well become something of a signature. He was happy to take blows to his body from the fast bowlers. He used their pace, nudging them behind point or towards backward square leg. And having blunted them, he gorged on spin. Five of his six fours and 28 of his unbeaten 58 came off the bowling of Mitchell Santner. It was only the fifth time in Test history that a batsman from No. 8 had made two fifties in a Test.There were two Indian wickets standing on the fourth morning, when the pitch showed signs that it had slowed down. Neil Wagner picked up one of them to move his career tally to 99. Playing his 25th Test, he could have tied with Richard Hadlee’s record for the fastest New Zealander to 100 Test wickets but the final wicket went to Trent Boult.

Fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood could be rested from Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh next month in an effort to ensure they are fresh for the upcoming home summer

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2015Fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood could be rested from Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh next month in an effort to ensure they are fresh for the upcoming home summer. Australia are scheduled to play two Tests in Bangladesh starting on October 9, before returning home for six Tests against New Zealand and West Indies, and a two-Test tour of New Zealand.Hazlewood was left out of the fifth Ashes Test as he began to show the effects of a long series, and Johnson sent down 140 overs across the five Tests. Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance, hinted that both men would need to be managed carefully with such a busy season coming up.”The selectors won’t meet to discuss the tour of Bangladesh for a couple of weeks,” Howard told the . “There’s some important consideration that needs to be given to managing our fast bowlers, not just in Bangladesh, but the full 10-Test season, and that will be part of the discussion.”Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood are two players that have had heavy workloads and need to be managed carefully if we are to give them the best chance of success throughout that entire period. Neither player has had a pre-season to prepare for the Australian summer and we think that’s particularly important.”Entering the Bangladesh series without Johnson could be seen as tempting fate, for he was the only Australian bowler to average under 40 during last year’s series against Pakistan in the UAE, and Bangladesh might provide similar conditions. If Johnson and Hazlewood are rested, it could mean the pace attack will be led by Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle.

A five-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Hamza Hotak helped Afghanistan A to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Hyderabad and Karachi at the Niaz Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2013
ScorecardA five-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Hamza Hotak helped Afghanistan A clinch a commanding nine-wicket victory over Hyderabad and Karachi at the Niaz Stadium. Hotak destroyed Hyderabad’s middle order as they were bowled out for 112. In reply, wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad smashed a 35-ball 58 to help achieve the target in 18.4 overs.After being put in to bat, Hyderabad lost their first wicket without a run being scored. A 29-run stand was then followed by a 30-run stand, which was the highest in the innings. But from 59 for 2 they slipped to 77 for 7, from which they couldn’t recover. Seamers Dawlat Ahmedzai, Izatullah Dawlatzai and spinner Karim Sadiq were the other wicket-takers. For Hyderabad, No. 3 Mohtashim Ali top-scored with 21.Sadiq followed his spell of 1 for 15 with an unbeaten 36, as Afghanistan made light work of the small target.