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Preview of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle

The Preview by Andrew Fernando and Mohammad Isam07-Mar-2013

Match facts

March 8-12, Galle
Start time 1000 (0430 GMT)
Angelo Mathews (left) faces his first challenge as full-time Sri Lanka captain•AFP

Big Picture

A Test match in Galle against Bangladesh might usually comprise a straightforward challenge for Sri Lanka, but with the contracts crisis less than a week behind them and a fresh-faced top order set to take guard, the potential for an upset has shot up. Sri Lanka’s selectors have approached the tour as an opportunity to blood young players, tilting the squad balance heavily towards raw talent, and if an improving Bangladesh side score a shock victory, Angelo Mathews’ Test captaincy will have had as poor a start as he could have imagined.On paper, Sri Lanka are by some distance the favourites in Galle – a venue from which they have customarily taken a 1-0 lead into the remainder of the series, having lost only three times in 21 matches there. The pitch, which usually takes turn from day one, shapes as a paradise for all spinners, but even men as gifted as Saeed Ajmal and Graeme Swann have not managed to imitate the success Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers achieve there as a matter of routine.It will help too for Sri Lanka that several batsmen in the likely top seven have scored heavily in first-class engagements since the tour of Australia. Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan both made big hundreds in their last match, while Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne have also strung together solid scores in the past few weeks. Either Jeevan Mendis or Kithuruwan Vithanage are likely to debut, and both men are also coming off big scores – in Vithanage’s case, against the very attack the visitors will probably field in the first Test.Bangladesh are also with several key players, but the ones on tour are a different breed than the cricketers who have visited Sri Lanka in the last four full tours. Bangladesh now gives their youngsters time on the domestic circuit before drafting them into the senior side. Anamul Haque and Mominul Haque are the latest talents to roll out of age-group and domestic cricket, with Jahurul Islam and Marshall Ayub being picked on their recent form.Captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal will have to do most of the running, but the likes of Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain have soaked up pressure in the recent past. Bangladesh’s bowling attack however is thin, and the gap left by the injured Shakib Al Hasan will take some filling. Someone has to fill his role as the wicket-taker and then run-controller, but none of these bowlers have done so on the big stage for an extended period.Sri Lanka’s off field problems may have closed the gap between the teams somewhat, at least psychologically, but those who have seen Bangladesh capitulate in a matter of overs in Test cricket would still be wary of a one-sided contest. But this is a young team with several cricketers who seek the limelight; their desire would have to be translated on to the field for this to be a good Test match.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: LLLLW (Completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLLL

Players to watch

Angelo Mathews was by no means an automatic choice for Test captain, despite having been groomed for the role for the better part of two years, and he has plenty to prove in this Test and the series. He has a passable average of 39.71 for a No.6, but he’s made only one hundred in 50 innings, and his bowling figures in the longest format are far worse than Dilshan’s, who himself would not be termed an allrounder. Mathews has also rarely been seen offering tactical counsel for past captains, and in addition to his ability to re-energise the side after the weekend’s disruptive events, his strategic nous will also be on trial.Sohag Gazi is going to be Mushfiqur Rahim’s go-to bowler in spinning conditions, particularly in Shakib’s absence. The offspinner has greatly improved, going from playing first-class cricket for Barisal Division to becoming the leading spinner in his first away Test. A self-made cricketer, Gazi’s breed of offspin isn’t different from the orthodox lot but since making the senior team earlier this season, he has added a few more variations to his armoury.

Team news

With Mahela Jayawardene out through injury and Thilan Samaraweera not picked – and subsequently retired – Sri Lanka will have to pick at least four batsmen with fewer than ten Tests’ experience, as it is unlikely they will play five bowlers. Kithuruwan Vithanage, who scored an unbeaten 168 in the tour match could be in line for a debut, but Jeevan Mendis has an equally good chance, as he can provide an extra bowling option.The second spinner’s spot is also up for grabs, and uncapped 19-year-old Tharindu Kaushal may also be looking at a debut, though he will have to fight off Ajantha Mendis, who is the more likely candidate. With so much inexperience elsewhere, Sri Lanka may choose the more seasoned hand of Nuwan Kulasekara over Shaminda Eranga.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Kithuruwan Vithanage, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 8 Nuwan Kulasekara/Shaminda Eranga 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Ajantha Mendis/Tharindu Kaushal, 11 Chanaka WelegedaraTo fill the four vacant slots in the batting line-up, Bangladesh are likely to give Mominul a Test debut at No. 6. Mohammad Ashraful will come in too, but there is still uncertainty about Jahurul Islam and Anamul Haque to open with Tamim Iqbal, who could play through pain in his right hand. Rubel Hossain has pain in his back so he too could be replaced by Shahadat Hossain. Or as a safety-first option, they could go with Elias Sunny, making it a completely spin-based attack.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Jahurul Islam/Anamul Haque, 3 Mohammad Ashraful, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mominul Haque, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Sohag Gazi, 9 Elias Sunny, 10 Abul Hasan, 11 Rubel Hossain/Shahadat Hossain

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh have lost all eight Tests they played in Sri Lanka, and have never taken a match into the fifth day
• Kumar Sangakkara scored back-to-back double hundreds on Bangladesh’s last tour to Sri Lanka, and averaged 428 in the series
• In three Tests in Galle last year, Rangana Herath took 28 wickets at 14.28
• This is the first Test Mahela Jayawardene will miss since July 2002
• Mohammad Ashraful is by far Bangladesh’s most successful Test batsman in Sri Lanka, scoring two hundreds including the one on debut that set the world record for the youngest batsman to score a century on debut

Quotes

“I think there is no added pressure as such. We have played without Shakib for parts of the series against West Indies, so nothing much has changed. I think a bit of pressure can be a good thing, and I am confident we, as a team, can handle it.”
“Mahela and Thilan are two of our most experience players, so we will miss them. Bangladesh is a very good team, and they’ve played well in the recent past, so this is an opportunity for all of us to [prove ourselves and] come through with a win. I’m sure we can be successful.”

Richard Levi’s half-century gave a powerful start to the South Africans’ batting before Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s early hat-trick helped set up a 20-run win

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
By the end of Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s spell, Canterbury were 24 for 4•Getty Images

Richard Levi’s half-century gave a powerful start to the South Africans’ batting, before Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s early hat-trick helped set up a 20-run win against Canterbury in Christchurch. The South Africans’ tour opener wasn’t all one-sided though, as their middle order stumbled and their bowlers were given a scare by a late cameo by Matt Henry.After Canterbury chose to field, Levi gave the visitors a blazing start. He outscored Hashim Amla in an explosive opening stand as the South Africans raced to 80 for 0 in eight overs. The most productive over of the match was the fifth – 21 runs came off it as Levi started by slamming medium-pacer Logan van Beek for fours fours. He reached his fifty in the next over with a big six over midwicket but Levi’s dismissal in the ninth over led to the visitors losing their way.The next six overs yielded only 27 runs for the loss of Amla, Colin Ingram and captain AB de Villiers. The South Africans had looked set for at least 180 when Levi was in the middle, but they ended up with a relatively modest 150.If Canterbury were buoyed by their efforts in the second half of the visitors’ batting, their hopes were punctured by Tsotsobe’s hat-trick. He ended the second over of the chase by dismissing the openers George Worker and Peter Fulton before returning to trap Shanan Stewart lbw with an incutter. In his third over, he took out highly rated youngster Tom Latham and by the end of his spell, Canterbury were at 24 for 4.The match meandered along and the South Africans seemed headed for a huge victory before the No. 9, Henry, swung five sixes in a 17-ball 42 to briefly raise Canterbury’s spirits. The fight was virtually over in the 18th over, though, as he edged a Morne Morkel yorker through to the keeper and Canterbury were bowled out with an over to spare.de Villiers was thrilled with the successful start to the tour. “This was exactly what we needed,” he said. “We needed a competitive challenge and all the credit to Canterbury’s batsmen for fighting the way they did towards the end.”He was also pleased with the form of Levi and Tsotsobe. “Richard is a phenomenal batsman, he is an impact player and it is very exciting for us to have a player of his calibre at the top of the order.”Lopsy has just been outstanding. I don’t know how he does it so consistently, he just keeps taking wickets.”

The 2011 season of the IPL will begin with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai

Cricinfo staff16-Feb-2011The 2011 season of the IPL will begin with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The preliminary schedule released by the BCCI has the ten franchises playing at 13 venues over 51 days. The schedule may undergo changes keeping in view the state assembly elections to be held in a number of the host venues.The Indian board has also said that the four play-off games after the league stage – as per the revised format announced last year – will be split evenly between the Wankhede Stadium and the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with Chennai hosting the final on May 28.The finalists and the losing team from the third play-off match will qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 2011.Meanwhile, the new Kochi franchise has announced that the side will be called “Indi Commandos.”

Alan Butcher, the former England batsman and father of former England international Mark Butcher, has been appointed Zimbabwe coach

Martin Williamson20-Feb-2010Alan Butcher, the former England batsman and father of former international Mark Butcher, has been appointed the new national coach of Zimbabwe, replacing Walter Chawaguta, who had been in the post since August 2008.Butcher, 56, will be helped by Zimbabwe’s coaching assistant Stephen Mangongo, batting coach Grant Flower and bowling coach Heath Streak. His first assignment will be the tour of the Caribbean next month. “In the past we have relied on one coach, but this time we have four individuals and are confident they will deliver,” Ozias Bvute, Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director, said in Harare.Streak has been with the side as bowling coach since August last year, while Flower, 39, will only take up his position at the end of the coming English domestic season after seeing out his contract with Essex.”At the end of this season it will probably signal the end of my playing career and I do not want to have any regrets,” said Flower. “I start my new role with Zimbabwe in October and have the main objective of helping them reach Test status once again. At the end of this season I aim to complete my Level 4 coaching course”.Although Chawaguta had been in situ for 18 months he never appeared to have the full backing of the board. At the beginning of 2009 Zimbabwe Cricket announced it was readvertising the post but a lack of credible alternatives led to him keeping his job. When the role was again put up for grabs at the end of the year the writing was on the wall. With a raised sense of normality surrounding Zimbabwe cricket, the board had a greater choice.It was widely reported at the tail end of last year that Streak was the preferred candidate, but the board has opted to bring in someone from overseas. That it went for Butcher will raise more than a few eyebrows. His last position was at Surrey where he left after a wretched season in 2008 when they failed to win one Championship match and were relegated from the top flight. He has little international experience having played a single Test and ODI for England as a left-hand opening batsman in 1980.

There could be, however, big changes in their squad’s make-up, with the auction scheduled for September 9

Firdose Moonda15-Jul-2025Lance Klusener will remain in charge of Durban’s Super Giants in the fourth season of the SA20, despite the team finishing last on the points table in the previous one. Klusener has been with the franchise since the tournament’s inception and was in charge when they reached the final in 2024, when they lost to Sunrisers Eastern Cape.”It’s a privilege to continue this journey with the Durban’s Super Giants and the RPSG Group. The support and belief shown in me is deeply appreciated. I look forward to building something even more special this season,” Klusener said in a statement. “We’ve laid the foundation over the past three years. Now, it’s time to build a team that can consistently challenge for the title and make Durban proud. Durban is my home. Coaching this franchise is more than a job–it’s a mission to build something enduring with our fans and players.”As Super Giants coach, he has worked with two different captains: Quinton de Kock in season one and Keshav Maharaj in the next two. While it is expected that Maharaj will continue, there is a player auction on September 9, and Klusener indicated there will be big shifts in their squad’s make-up. “We’ve done a deep review of our past season and have identified key areas for improvement. This auction gives us a crucial opportunity to strengthen our squad and return to our best,” he said.It is not known whether Klusener will keep his support staff, which consists of Jonty Rhodes and Morne Morkel. The latter is now India’s bowling coach.

After just three matches together in 2-1 defeat to West Indies, head coach is encouraged by his charges’ fight

Cameron Ponsonby10-Dec-2023Matthew Mott has called for patience with England’s new-era white-ball team as a work in progress, stressing that they’ve only had three opportunities to play together.England succumbed to a four-wicket defeat in Barbados to lose their first series following a difficult World Cup campaign 2-1.A group which featured just four players to have played more than 10 ODIs, found themselves in strong positions in all three matches against a West Indies side going through a similar reboot having failed to qualify for the World Cup.However, a late-innings onslaught from Shai Hope and Romario Shepherd in the opening match saw England slip to a four-wicket defeat in Antigua, before losing by the same margin at the Kensington Oval after a top-order collapse gave England a total of just 188 to defend in a rain-reduced game.Related

• Flintoff to coach Northern Superchargers in Men's Hundred

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“We haven’t put a complete game together and that’s the frustration,” Mott, England’s head coach, said immediately after the defeat. “We put ourselves in a chance to win all three games and come away with a series loss, so that’s not ideal.”But there are definitely some really good signs there that there’s a group of players who love playing with each other. They’re some really good mates in there and I think it’ll really take the game forward.”In line for particular praise were Rehan Ahmed and Sam Curran. Rehan, described by Mott as a “revelation”, has been tasked with filling the almighty shoes of Adil Rashid and took five wickets across the series at an average of 23.40 and an economy of 4.33. On the other hand, Curran had a mixed series. In the opening ODI, he showed his class with the bat to save England’s innings from the perilous position of 239 for 7, before conceding the worst ever figures of an England player in ODIs as he was taken for 0 for 98.”Sam’s definitely a player that we really want to invest in,” Mott said, with Curran proving his qualities with the ball in the second match where his triple-strike in the powerplay put England ahead of the game. “He’s got a lot of qualities that we like and he’s got the game to really play well.”A point of pride for Mott was the fight England showed to almost steal an unlikely victory from the final ODI. Suffering from the natural disadvantage of bowling second in a rain-affected match, England were faced with greasy conditions that made it harder for their spinners to grip the ball and easier for the West Indies batters to play seam. But thanks to a Will Jacks-inspired performance with the ball, England reduced West Indies to 135 for 6, with 53 runs still required for victory.”I thought today we showed a lot of character and spirit to fight all day,” Mott said. “You don’t want to make excuses, but to hang in there as a team and show the fight that they did, throwing themselves around and nearly snatching one was something that we’re looking for.”After three months of almost exclusive ODI focus, England’s attention now turns to T20s, with the five-match series against West Indies starting on Tuesday in Barbados.”We’ve played really good T20 cricket over a period of time. It’s always good when you lose a series to change the format,” Mott said, also confirming that Jos Buttler will return to opening the batting after spending the New Zealand series in September lower down the order. “You move on pretty quickly. It’s only a couple of days, it won’t be that different. Obviously you’ve got a few new players coming in with experience. But it’s much of a muchness really.”There are five changes to England’s personnel in the Caribbean, with Chris Woakes, Rashid, Moeen Ali, Reece Topley and Tymal Mills joining the squad for the T20 leg. Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Matthew Potts, Tom Hartley and Brydon Carse will head home.”It’s probably easier transitioning back,” Mott said. “T20 is, particularly for the batting group, pretty clear, you go out and take the game on, there’s not a lot of dead balls. And from the bowling group, you’re trying to hit your variations as much as you can and deny them hitting opportunities. So I think we’ll be fine. We’ve got a couple of days to work on it and looking forward to it.”Also joining the England set-up is Andrew Flintoff, who will continue the first team mentoring role he took up in the summer as part of his first steps back into the public eye following his serious car crash whilst filming Top Gear.Flintoff, whose role is now paid, was part of the backroom staff for both the New Zealand white-ball series and the home ODIs against Ireland before he flew to Abu Dhabi along with Graeme Swann as part of the England Lions’ red-ball training camp. It has been a high-profile return to coaching for Flintoff, who has also been hired as Northern Superchargers head coach for the 2024 edition of The Hundred.

Freya Kemp becomes youngest woman to make T20I fifty for England but total proves under par

Valkerie Baynes13-Sep-2022A glorious unbeaten half-century from Smriti Mandhana saw India to victory by eight wickets over England with 20 balls to spare in their second of three T20Is to level the series 1-1.If this evening was anything to go by, the damp and dreary onset of autumn has so far been restricted to either end of the country. Durham had offered a soggy opening to the series on Saturday as England eased to a nine-wicket win in conditions that weren’t to India’s liking. Then London was enveloped in steady rain for a good part of Tuesday. The midlands, however, were clinging on to summer as England’s innings progressed in bright evening sunshine at Derby’s Incora County Ground.That was arguably the most pleasant thing about it from the hosts’ perspective after they lurched from 16 for 3 to 54 for 5… until 17-year-old left-hander – or left-arm seamer to be more precise – Freya Kemp produced an innings-saving unbeaten half-century of her own. In the end, though it was the vastly more experienced Mandhana who countered Kemp’s effort with a brilliant 79 not out to set up a series decider in Bristol on Thursday.Mandhana all classSet a below-par target, thanks to England’s early collapse and a vastly improved performance in the field by India, Mandhana played the key role in reeling it in, facing 53 balls and finding the boundary 13 times.She put on an opening stand worth 55 with Shafali Verma, who fell for 20 to a sharp return catch by Sophie Ecclestone and an unbroken partnership of 69 with Harmanpreet Kaur, who should have been out on 19 had Danni Wyatt not spilled a straightforward chance at deep midwicket.Dayalan Hemalatha lost her off stump to a Freya Davies ball that beat the outside edge as the only other India batter to fall, and Mandhana brought up the winning runs with back-to-back fours off Davies, powered through midwicket and lofted over the bowler’s head towards long-off.England stumble, India hold onEngland started brightly enough when Sophia Dunkley clipped the third ball of match, from Renuka Singh, for four through midwicket and Wyatt nudged the fifth between backward point and short third. In the next over, however, Dunkley charged at Deepti Sharma’s first ball and was stumped by Richa Ghosh and Wyatt followed a short time later, edging Renuka to Sneh Rana at first slip.A combination of excellent fielding – an area in which India were ragged in the opening match – and a blunder by Alice Capsey made it 16 for 3. Capsey had smashed Renuka through the covers and started coming back for a third run, seemingly unaware of Radha Yadav’s brilliant effort running round to her right in the deep and sprawling at full stretch to stop the ball short of the rope and fire it fluidly into Harmanpreet inside the ring. As Bryony Smith stood her ground at the non-striker’s end, so too did Capsey, flat-footed halfway back down the pitch, watching as Harmanpreet threw to the keeper, who fumbled but broke the stumps with Capsey still nowhere near.India hadn’t completely eradicated their fielding errors with Pooja Vastrakar parrying what should have been a catch to remove Smith on 12 as she ran in from deep midwicket. But Smith fell next ball to a brilliant diving effort from Radha as she ran in from long-on off the bowling of Rana, who then had Amy Jones out attempting a reverse sweep to one that slid under the bat and clattered into off stump. Maia Bouchier, who shared a 65-run stand with Kemp, was also dropped on 25 by Kiran Navgire inside the ring, before Rana had her stumped to claim her third wicket.Kemp shinesPlaying her eighth T20I but batting for only the second time, Kemp came in at No. 7 and proceeded to resurrect the England innings with her 37-ball knock. She unleashed three sixes, twice lofting Radha down the ground to bookend her heave over deep midwicket off Renuka. She brought up her maiden international fifty with a straight-driven four off the penultimate ball of the innings and ended unbeaten on 51.Kemp made her international debut at this ground against South Africa less than two months ago as England looked to revamp their T20 side ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Primarily picked for her bowling as England look beyond veteran seamers Anya Shrubsole, who has retired from international cricket, and Katherine Brunt, rested for India’s tour, she became the youngest Englishwomen to reach fifty in T20Is at 17 years and 145 days. She is also the second-youngest for England Women in international cricket after Sarah Taylor, who scored 61 in an ODI against India in 2006 aged 17 years and 96 days.

The BCCI on Monday asked the players to raise invoices to get their share

Annesha Ghosh and Shashank Kishore24-May-2021Nearly 15 months after they finished runners-up in the T20 World Cup, the India Women squad will finally receive its share of the prize money amounting to USD 500,000 (INR 3.5 crore approximately). ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI on Monday asked the players to raise invoices to get their shares.The development comes a day after the UK publication revealed that the squad had not yet been paid its prize money despite other teams including Australia, who won the World Cup, receiving theirs soon after the tournament was over.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the ICC disbursed the prize money to the BCCI last March, around a week after the World Cup final, which was played in front of a record 86,174 spectators on International Women’s Day (March 8) at the MCG.When asked for a comment, BCCI officials told ESPNcricinfo they have no knowledge of the reason behind the delay. ESPNcricinfo confirmed the delay with more than one player and support staff member who were part of the India squad led by Harmanpreet Kaur.The delay raised eyebrows because the BCCI is learned to have disbursed all other payments owed to the players since March 2020. This includes three instalments of their central contracts fee for 2019-20, match fees, and appearance fees for the Women’s T20 Challenge in Sharjah last November. Recently the players are understood to have submitted their invoices for match fees for the limited-overs home series against South Africa in March 2021. The payments are still awaited, though.Incidentally the BCCI is learned to have distributed the prize money allocated by the ICC to the India team that finished runners-up in the 2020 Men’s Under-19 World Cup, which was won by Bangladesh last February in South Africa. The Women’s T20 World Cup took place only a few weeks later. According to , the victorious Australia Women players received their share of the prize money amounting to USD 1.6 million soon after the tournament.

Lloyd to take charge of 50-over side while Cooke leads in Championship and T20 Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2020Glamorgan will be led by Chris Cooke and David Lloyd next season after a captaincy reshuffles. Cooke continues as Championship captain while also taking charge of the T20 side, while Lloyd will step up for the Royal London Cup, when Cooke will be absent at the Hundred.Cooke, 33, oversaw Glamorgan’s best Championship campaign since 2015, as the club kept alive promotion hopes until the final weeks before finishing fourth. He adds the Blast captaincy for 2020, with Colin Ingram relinquishing the position.”It was an honour to lead the club last year and I’m delighted to continue in the role,” Cooke said. “We saw a lot of improvement in our County Championship performances last season and it’s something we want to take into the Vitality Blast.”It’s going to be an exciting season and we can’t wait to get started and hit the ground running in April.”Allrounder Lloyd, 27, has been a regular member of the List A side since 2014 and took charge in one Royal London Cup game last season when Cooke was injured.”I thoroughly enjoyed stepping in as captain and it’s a really proud moment to be asked to lead the side in the Royal London Cup,” Lloyd said. “We have a great bunch of lads at the club and a lot of talent in the squad, so there is no reason why we can’t build on last season’s improvement and reach the knockout stages of the competition.”Cooke will be absent with Birmingham Phoenix during the Hundred, which will also feature Ingram, who was signed as a ‘local icon’ by Welsh Fire.Glamorgan’s director of cricket, Mark Wallace, said: “Chris did a fantastic job in his first season in charge and led the side with a great deal of enthusiasm and skill. He commands a lot of respect in the dressing room and deserves the opportunity to carry on his good work from last year and take the club forward.”It’s also great news for Glamorgan that David is taking over the 50-over captaincy. He showed many leadership qualities last year and did a good job under tough circumstances when he deputised for Chris.”

It is understood that the session on Tuesday was not yet the official fitness test, and a final decision could also be made only on the morning of the match

Sidharth Monga in Sydney01-Jan-2019On a day when Australia went through an optional training session and India gave it a complete miss, one man resumed his race against time to make it to the Sydney Test. India would have given training a miss on the first day of the year, irrespective of the happy scoreline of 2-1, but they might have a happier headache if R Ashwin, who turned up at the SCG indoor nets on the team’s day off, is fit and ready for selection. Ashwin was accompanied by physio Patrick Farhart and trainer Shankar Basu to the SCG even as Australia wound up their optional training session.Ashwin injured himself on the fourth evening of the Adelaide Test, and he further aggravated the injury as Australia kept India on the field for almost the whole fifth day, before the visitors sealed their first win of the series. Ashwin went on to miss both the Perth and Melbourne Tests with the “left-sided abdominal strain”.It is understood that the session on Tuesday, where the trio spent more than an hour in the nets, was not yet the official fitness test. A final decision might not be made even on Wednesday when the team reconvenes to train for the series decider that begins on Thursday. The latest update on Ashwin’s fitness was given by captain Virat Kohli on Sunday, moments after the Melbourne Test, which India won, making sure they can’t lose the series now.”I think Ashwin’s very close to being match-fit,” Kohli had said. “He’s been bowling a lot of overs, and I’m sure these next four days will make him even stronger. So regardless of it being the last Test match, he will be willing to push himself and start for the team but again it depends on what kind of pitch we get in Sydney.”The last few words might be crucial to Ashwin’s chances even if he is fully fit. If Ashwin’s selection depends on the pitch, India might possibly have made their minds up to go with Ravindra Jadeja should they deem only one spinner is required.Sydney has been through a warm week, Tim Paine said he expected a dry pitch, and given that Australia need a result and they have added another spinner-batsman [Marnus Labuschagne] to their squad, don’t be surprised if India feel the need to play two spinners themselves. If India do play the extra spinner, they might consider including Hardik Pandya as the seam-bowling insurance. Pandya could take the place of Rohit Sharma, who has gone back to India for the birth of his daughter. If they want to play to preserve the lead, India might choose differently. All that depends on how they read the pitch on Wednesday and Thursday morning.