New Zealand stumble into trouble after Joe Root’s 153 not out cements England position

Alan Gardner24-Feb-2023Aggressive batting, funky declarations, ruthless wicket-taking intent. England ticked the boxes of their new brand of Test cricket to take a firm grip of the second Test after another rain-affected day in Wellington.While there was no double-hundred for Harry Brook, his early dismissal could not knock the tourists off their stride. Joe Root’s serene, unbeaten 153 guided England past 400 and Ben Stokes was able to declare in the first innings for the second Test in succession. James Anderson and Jack Leach then shared six wickets between them to leave New Zealand battling to save the follow-on before squally showers again brought about an early close.A still-green surface continued to offer something for the bowlers, with wickets falling at regular intervals – serving only to emphasise how much of an outlier the extraordinary first-day stand between Brook and Root had been. Their partnership, which ended in the third over of the second morning, was eventually worth 302; the next-best on either side was 39.New Zealand’s successes on day two were largely limited to seeing off Brook for the addition of just two runs to his overnight 184. Matt Henry was the man to finally get the better of Brook, on the way to figures of 4 for 100, but the home attack continued to take plenty of tap in the face of more gung-ho batting.With time already lost from the second Test and further interruptions forecast, Stokes opted to move the game along. He was immediately rewarded with a double-wicket burst from Anderson in the passage before lunch, and Leach then came to the fore as England whittled their way through a demoralised home line-up to leave them 103 for 7 shortly after the tea interval.Jack Leach plucked out three wickets during the afternoon•Getty Images

New Zealand’s hopes of a fightback again rested with Tom Blundell, although Tim Southee swatted a couple of mighty sixes – his 77th and 78th, drawing him level with MS Dhoni on the all-time list – to push England back before the rain arrived 40 minutes into the evening session.After Root’s strokeplay set the early tone, England were soon in the ascendency with the ball. Anderson bent his fifth delivery past the outside edge of Conway; the initial appeal was muted but convictions quickly hardened and England’s review revealed the presence of a thin outside edge. Kane Williamson was then guilty of an impetuous swipe in Anderson’s third over, the former New Zealand captain nicking through to Ben Foakes to leave the home side 7 for 2.Their position became 21 for 3 after the interval when Will Young was confounded by a scintilla of away movement and some extra bounce, the ball brushing his bottom glove to give Anderson a third. England had been on exactly the same score on the first morning, but although New Zealand also managed a recovery stand it was nowhere near the same magnitude.Latham and Nicholls played in compact fashion, picking off boundaries whenever possible, and moved the score on to 60 before the former was given out caught off the wristband of the glove after aiming a reverse-sweep at Leach. Latham reviewed and was visibly disgruntled when Aleem Dar upheld Chris Gaffaney’s on-field decision but replays were at best inconclusive.A few overs later, Nicholls was gone playing the same stroke, no doubt this time as a top-edge deflected off his arm to be snapped up by Ollie Pope at short leg. Pope then produced a fine reflex catch at silly mid-off to account for Daryl Mitchell and give Leach his third on the stroke of tea, and Stuart Broad chipped in after the resumption when Michael Bracewell prodded a limp return catch.England’s platform had been set by the exploits of Brook and Root on day one, the fourth-wicket pair resuming a stand worth 294. Root rolled out his reverse-ramp in the second over of the day, depositing Southee for six over deep third, but Brook’s fun was cut short in sight of a maiden double-century when he drilled a return catch to Henry, the bowler holding on at the second attempt.Joe Root takes the applause after walking off unbeaten on 153•AFP/Getty Images

Their association was already England’s highest for any wicket in New Zealand, and contributed more than two-thirds of the eventual total as the innings threatened to fall away.Stokes played to recent type with another frenetic innings, repeatedly looking to make room and slap the seamers over the off side. There were a couple of nicely timed boundaries to go with several miscues before he was dismissed for 27 off 28 balls, hacking Neil Wagner limply to mid-off.Foakes might perhaps have been relied upon to bring a more sober approach to proceedings, but he was stumped in bizarre fashion in the following over, falling out of his crease against the offspin of Bracewell. Broad was lbw to Bracewell soon after, meaning England had lost 4 for 66 with the second new ball looming.Root, having played second fiddle to Brook on Friday, was keen to unfurl his full range, and slog-swept Bracewell into the crowd before taking Southee for six and four with the new ball. Ollie Robinson played as many shots with only a fraction of the timing, but was badly dropped Blundell off Henry before plinking to mid-off next ball. Root then passed 150 with his sixth boundary of the session, before England walked off in order to get busy with the ball.

Three members of the management committee – Tanvir Ahmed, Gul Zada and Shakil Sheikh – are at the centre of the conflict worry

Umar Farooq25-Apr-2023The PCB has played down concerns of conflict of interest in the ongoing regional electoral process, at the end of which the board’s directors will be appointed. The concerns are about officials from the interim setup, who are currently tasked with overseeing the PCB’s restructuring but are also taking part in the elections.A 12-member management committee, headed by Najam Sethi, was handed interim charge of the board last December and given 120 days to bring back the 2014 PCB constitution in place of the version from 2019 it had been operating under. That timeline was this week formally extended by two months to the end of June. One of the key processes in that is conducting elections in over 100 districts, from which 16 regions will be formed. Four of the heads of those 16 regional associations will eventually sit on the PCB’s board of governors (BoG).Three members of the management committee – Tanvir Ahmed, who has been elected president of Larkana region; Gul Zada, from Peshawar region; and Shakil Sheikh, who is in the running in the Islamabad region election – working from PCB headquarters currently are at the centre of the conflict concern. As members of the committee, they were given executive powers when they took charge to restore the departmental cricket structure, the formation of a BoG, and election of a board chairman.Responding to a query from ESPNcricinfo, the PCB explained that its constitution stipulates that no employee of the board shall be eligible to contest any election of the board or any election under the aegis of the board. But when asked if there was a potential conflict of interest in a member of the management committee overseeing the electoral process as well as running in it, the PCB said, “As far as members of the MC [management committee] are concerned they are not employees of the Board, hence, there is no bar in the PCB Constitution or any Election Bylaws refraining them from contesting elections of RCAs/DCAs.””The elections of Regional Cricket Associations and District Cricket Associations are being held in line with the PCB Constitution and applicable PCB Election Bylaws,” the PCB added. “The Election Regulations under which the District and Regional elections have been/are being conducted have not been modified or amended by the MC, therefore, there is also no risk of a potential conflict of interest.”Related

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To restore the 2014 constitution, the PCB needs to form a BoG comprising ten members: four regional representatives (top teams from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy), four representatives of services organisations (top departmental teams), and the two members directly nominated by the PCB patron, which is the country’s prime minister. The federal secretary of the inter-provincial coordination ministry (or an officer nominated by them) shall be an ex-officio, non-voting 11th member. The term of each member of the BoG is three years – equivalent to one term of the chairman.There are over 100 districts in the country across all provinces and a cluster of districts are represented by one region. For example, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal and Gujarat fall under Sialkot region. Similarly, every region has several districts to represent the larger portion of the area.”The elections themselves have been conducted/supervised by the Election Commissioner appointed by the Patron,” the PCB said. “It is the PCB election commissioner who has the power and responsibility for holding and monitoring fair, free and transparent elections under the PCB Constitution including those of Chairman, Regional, District, and other Cricket Associations as well as Service Organizations or Departments, whether Full or Associate Members. It is important to note that EC and electoral processes are independent of the Board.”Some time ago, to avoid a potential conflict of interest, Haroon Rasheed had resigned from the management committee to take up the role of chief selector. PCB announced it at a press conference but clarified that it was determined there “existed no cavil” in Rasheed carrying on as chief selector as well as a management committee member, so ultimately he didn’t step down.”It was agreed that when matters pertaining to the performance of the selection committee are discussed and debated at an MC meeting, Haroon Rasheed will recuse himself and leave the room till such time that the agenda point has not been conclusively addressed,” PCB said.

Pakistan are No. 2, followed by India, New Zealand and England

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2023Australia have retained their No. 1 spot in the ICC men’s ODI team rankings following the annual update that dropped results from the 2019-20 season and reflects all matches completed since May 2020.With 118 rating points, Australia are two points clear of second-placed Pakistan after the update, which weights matches completed before May 2022 at 50% and subsequent matches at 100%. Earlier this month, after a similar update for Test rankings, Australia had lost their No. 1 position in red-ball cricket to India.Pakistan had grabbed the top ODI spot last week, after taking a 4-0 lead during their five-match home series against New Zealand. But their stay proved to be a short one as they lost the final match and slipped back behind Australia. Had Pakistan won the series 5-0, they would have remained at the top of the table even after the annual update.

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India, who are No. 1 in both Tests and T20Is, are at No. 3 in ODIs, with just one rating point separating them and Pakistan.India are followed by New Zealand and England who lost four and ten points, respectively, after the update.Afghanistan were the biggest beneficiaries. They are now eighth, having overtaken Sri Lanka and West Indies. South Africa and Bangladesh are at No. 6 and 7, respectively. The top eight happen to be the teams that have qualified directly for this year’s ODI World Cup, to be held in India.The women’s annual team rankings updates will be carried out at the beginning of October.

Bangladesh sped at nearly six runs an over after deciding against enforcing the follow-on

Mohammad Isam15-Jun-2023Bangladesh overcame an early morning hiccup to sit on a 370-run lead at the end of the second day of the Dhaka Test against Afghanistan. On a 16-wicket day, the home side sped to 134 for 1 in 23 overs at stumps, having bowled out the visitors for 146. Bangladesh had earlier been bowled out for 382, losing their last five wickets for nine runs.The day’s honours would go to two fast bowlers. Nijat Masood took 5-79 in Bangladesh’s first innings. He became the second Afghanistan bowler to take a five-for on Test debut. Ebadot Hossain’s 4-47 was his best figures at home, but he missed out on a five-for after the Bangladesh spinners took the last three Afghanistan wickets.Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir Hasan were the unbeaten batters at stumps, having both made 54 off 64 balls each. Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who made a half-century in the first innings, fell for 17, after which Shanto and Zakir added 116 runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand. Both reached their fifties with boundaries off successive balls.Shanto took off in the second innings from where he left off in the first dig. Masood dropped him off his own bowling when the left-hander was on nine. Shanto shook it off to drive freely, while Zakir used the pull shot to good effect.Ebadot Hossain finished with a four-for•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh batters were able to play this freely mainly because of how their bowlers fared in the afternoon. Ebadot used the extra bounce on the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch to pick up four wickets. He had the short delivery rearing at Abdul Malik’s gloves, who handed a catch to Zakir at third slip. Rahmat Shah was caught in two minds, switching between the pull and the flick, before miscuing the ball to Taskin Ahmed at mid-on.Ebadot used his bounce again to get rid of Afsar Zazai, who top-edged a pull and got caught at deep square leg for 36. It was the short ball again that served Ebadot well when he had Amir Hamza caught at short leg.Shoriful Islam had a good outing too, taking the wickets of Ibrahim Zadran and captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, either side of the lunch break. Zadran was caught behind, while Shahidi edged to Mehidy Hasan Miraz at fourth slip.Nijat Masood bagged a five-for on Test debut•BCB

Mehidy and Taijul Islam also took two wickets each, mopping up Afghanistan’s lower half. Mehidy broke the 65-run stand between Zazai and Nasir Jamal by trapping the latter lbw for 35. Mehidy completed his 150th wicket in Tests when he had Karim Janat stumped for 23. The innings ended with Bangladesh gaining a 236-run lead and they chose to bat again.Earlier in the morning, the home side were bowled out for 382 runs within 45 minutes of the start of play. They collapsed from 373 for 5 in just 4.5 overs and added 20 runs to their overnight total.Mehidy and Mushfiqur Rahim, who had added 83 runs for the sixth wicket, fell within six balls of each other. Yamin Ahmadzai had Mehidy caught at gully while Masood had Mushfiqur fending a short ball to third slip. Both got out in the forties. Masood removed Taijul who popped a catch to short leg before completing his five-for by uprooting Shoriful’s off-stump.

Going forward, the PCB is likely to strike a more conciliatory tone with players whose national duties clash with franchise leagues

Danyal Rasool14-Jun-2023There might be a potential clash brewing between international commitments and T20 franchise agreements for some Pakistan players following the Global T20 Canada’s draft announcement on Wednesday. The GT20’s third edition will be played from July 20 to August 6, and though the precise dates of Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka are yet to be announced, there is expected to be a significant overlap as the FTP has the second half of July marked for the Test series.There is a sizeable chunk of Pakistan players in the GT20 draft; as many as 14 players have been named. While most of those drafted have either retired (Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik were picked as marquee and icon players) or aren’t part of Pakistan’s current red-ball plans, the drafted squads do include Pakistan vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan as well as first-choice opener Abdullah Shafique.Even for players who aren’t selected for that Test series, a No-Objection Certificate from the PCB will be necessary to participate in the GT20. Ten of the players drafted, including Zaman Khan, Azam Khan and Saim Ayub, have played white-ball cricket recently for Pakistan. While the PCB does not have an official cap on the number of leagues a player can play, a PCB official told ESPNcricinfo that the decision on NOCs would still be made keeping in mind a player’s fitness and need for rest.The PCB has made clear that any player picked for the Test series against Sri Lanka will not go to the GT20, though it is understood the board will be broadly permissive from now on. This would be something of a departure from the PCB policy over the years when it would preemptively deny NOCs for leagues before drafts or auctions. Going forward, there is likely to be less rigidity when dealing with players who have overseas franchise T20 commitments, with the board looking to strike a healthier balance between player welfare and national duty.Rizwan, an icon player with Vancouver Knights, was dropped in favour of Sarfaraz Ahmed for Pakistan’s most recent Tests against New Zealand, and with Sarfaraz having distinguished himself with the bat in that series, he is likely to retain his place. Whether that means Rizwan will drop out of the squad entirely remains to be seen, but the PCB believes common ground will be found.The GT20 returns after a four-year hiatus. The first two seasons took place in 2018 and 2019, but following payment disputes and the Covid pandemic that followed, a third edition wasn’t held in the next three years. Toronto Nationals boast four Pakistan players, the heaviest contingent. Mississauga Panthers and Brampton Wolves have three each, while Surrey Jaguars have two. Vancouver Knights and Montreal Tigers each have one, Rizwan and Abbas Afridi, respectively.

Wicketkeeper effects four dismissals to keep Superchargers to 100 before batters clean up the total with 13 balls to spare

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2023Rhianna Southby put on a sensational wicketkeeping clinic as Southern Brave returned to winning ways with a thumping five-wicket victory over Northern Superchargers.Southby affected a record four dismissals – two catches and two stumpings – in her second Hundred game in front of a strong Ageas Bowl crowd of 9813.The retiring Anya Shrubsole starred with two wickets while Georgia Adams picked 3 for 21 as Superchargers were stifled to just 100.Maia Bouchier took control of the chase with 31 as Brave eased to the total to make it two wins from three, while Superchargers’ away day blues continued.Shrubsole won the toss, chose to bowl, and continued her farewell tour with her greatest hits to dismiss the overseas duo of Jemimah Rodrigues and Pheobe Litchfield. The former with a textbook extravagant inswinger, the latter brilliantly caught on the rise by Southby.Marie Kelly and Hollie Armitage collaborated with a 43-run stand before Southby stooped to affect a stumping off a low bouncing ball to see off Armitage before taking an under edge from Alice Davidson-Richards on review.Southby, who didn’t play in the Southern Vipers’ successful T20 Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign, continued her good work behind the stumps to stump Kelly – who top-scored with an anchoring 39.A sticky pitch assisted turn for Adams, Kalea Moore and Chloe Tryon, who bowled the bulk of the middle balls, but it was Lauren Bell and Shrubsole who went at under a run-a-ball at either end of the innings.Bess Heath chipped to mid-off, Leah Dobson was caught and bowled by Adams and Kate Cross was deceived by a cunning Bell slower ball.In reply, Danni Wyatt initially looked the freest flowing batter on display with five sweetly-struck boundaries but came unstuck when she drilled Cross to point. Smriti Mandhana ticked through the runs with a l’aise au fait style, while Bouchier accelerated after a slow start.Bouchier had been 8 off her first 14 balls but exploded with a pair of boundaries and a six in three successive balls. Mandhana and Adams swung to deep midwicket, while Bouchier rolled on with a stylish cut shot before she was caught and bowled by Linsey Smith’s full toss with 14 still required.Smith and Georgia Wareham had both taken two wickets for 11 and 15 respectively to scare the Brave, with Freya Kemp bowled by Wareham to put the hosts five down. But Tryon pulled a boundary and sent Brave to the top with 13 balls to spare, with Superchargers still only winning two games away from Headingley in their third season.

Northeast county return to top tier of County Championship after seven-season absence

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2023Durham have secured promotion back to Division One of the County Championship, seven years after they were relegated as punishment for financial mismanagement.The runaway Division Two leaders are not in action in the ongoing round of the Championship, but such is their lead over the teams below them, promotion as champions is all but a mathematical certainty with two games remaining.Leicestershire’s dismissal for just 108 in their first innings at Hove, giving them zero batting points, means they cannot catch Durham. Worcestershire, who also don’t have a game this week, are 44 points behind in second, with Durham needing just five more points to be assured of the title.The goal of returning to Division One has been achieved in head coach Ryan Campbell’s first season in charge – he said in April that his target for Durham was “to be the best team in England” – and ends a run of disappointment for the county system’s most-northerly side.Durham were demoted to the second tier in 2016, despite finishing fourth in Division One, with the ECB imposing a 48-point penalty in return for a £3.8 million bailout.This season, they have won six out of 12 games, losing just once, to go clear at the top of Division Two. They currently have the leading run-scorer in either division in Alex Lees (1281), as well as Division Two’s joint-leading wicket-takers, Matthew Potts and Ben Raine (51 each).

The pair’s 227-run opening stand got the team to within 2 runs of Tasmania’s 439, with the match headed towards a draw

Tristan Lavalette17-Oct-2023Western Australia opener Cameron Bancroft fell short of consecutive Sheffield Shield centuries, but captain Sam Whiteman made Tasmania toil on a flat WACA pitch as the match appears headed for a draw.Whiteman batted the bulk of day three as WA almost reached parity by stumps. Facing 383 balls, Whiteman was agonisingly short of his highest first-class score of 193.WA’s strong reply was built on a 227-run opening partnership between Whiteman and Bancroft as Tasmania’s attack struggled to penetrate in batting friendly conditions.Some long-time WACA observers had wondered whether it was the dullest pitch at the famous ground since the 2015 New Zealand Test, which seemingly hastened Australia quick Mitchell Johnson’s retirement.But Bancroft missed a golden opportunity of making another century after his 122 in WA’s big opening victory over Victoria. He is in a race among several contenders to replace veteran opener David Warner, who is expected to retire from Test cricket this summer.Tasmania had some respite with temperatures significantly cooler than the oppressive heat over the first two days. As cloud covered the ground late in the day, their quicks finally enjoyed belated assistance with seamer Gabe Bell conjuring reverse swing.Resuming on 63 not out, Bancroft survived a big lbw appeal from Bell early before he blunted the attack much like during the latter part of day two.With WA still facing a large deficit, Bancroft and Whiteman batted cautiously with the occasional boundary a welcome sight from the continual stout defending.With Tasmania’s bid for a wicket appearing forlorn, the main interest was centred on who would score a century first with Bancroft and Whiteman neck and neck for much of the innings.But with Bancroft intent on stonewalling, Whiteman inched away and notched his first century of the season with a pull shot to the boundary off seamer Mitchell Owen.All eyes after lunch were on Bancroft, whose inevitable march to another ton was denied when spinner Jarrod Freeman trapped him lbw seemingly out of nowhere.Bancroft, along with those at the ground, could not believe he missed a sweep shot, but his dismissal triggered a succession of wickets not seen since the opening session of the match.After starting the season strong with 94 against Victoria, teenager Teague Wyllie was plumb lbw to hard-working Bell for 4. Wyllie can sometimes seem glued to the crease, especially early in his innings, and that was again the case here.Bell was further rewarded when an impatient Hilton Cartwright holed out as WA inexplicably lost three wickets in seven overs. Cartwright, who played two Tests as an allrounder for Australia, made his return from a knee injury but is playing as a specialist batter.In a rare recent sight, clouds started to form overhead to further improve Tasmania’s mood but normal resumption resumed with Whiteman and Aaron Hardie making it look rather easy.Perched on 149 at tea, Whiteman quickly reached another milestone after resumption while Hardie played aggressively to score an attractive half-century.Hardie, who recently made his international debut, performed well against Victoria with 48 and five wickets for the match. He eyed a big score, but on 56 hit Freeman straight to short extra cover.Bell welcomed the increasingly gloomy conditions, but wickets remained few and far between to further underline this uncharacteristic WACA pitch.

Sri Lanka were restricted to a sub-par total and a trio of fifties from Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai then powered an ice-cool chase

Madushka Balasuriya30-Oct-20232:55

Maharoof: SL lost the game between the 11th and 40th overs

For the second game running Afghanistan showcased exemplary calm in the chase, whittling down a sub-par target of 242 with ice-cold composure. A trio of fifties from Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai led the way, as Afghanistan leapfrogged Sri Lanka into fifth place on the points table with six points now on the board.Sri Lanka meanwhile are virtually out of the running for a semi-final berth, needing to essentially win all of their next three games – against India, Bangladesh and New Zealand – to stand any chance.For Afghanistan this was a win set up by their bowlers, who had stifled Sri Lanka’s batters on a deck that was for all intents and purposes tailor-made for batting, before their batters ran down the target with minimal fuss.Related

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Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the bunch ending with figures of 4 for 34, but the most intriguing quirk of this game was that despite being afforded a true surface with a lack of lateral movement and minimal turn, both sides rarely scored at more than five an over.Their reasons however differed. While Sri Lanka could be criticised for a criminal lack of intent, Afghanistan were simply following the breakdown devised for them by head coach Jonathan Trott. Several times over the course of the innings the broadcast camera would pan over his giant whiteboard with 10-over markers clearly laid out – “50 after 10”, “100 after 20”, etc. But despite it being offered up in as easy-to-digest a manner as possible, such was the efficiency with which Afghanistan went about their work, Sri Lanka were powerless to do anything about it.Sure Dilshan Madushanka tailed one in on Rahmanullah Gurbaz off just the fourth ball of the chase to dislodge middle stump, but Afghanistan had their playbook and they followed it to a tee. Even when the wickets did fall, Afghanistan were quick to snuff out any momentum Sri Lanka might have been looking to derive.Partnerships of 73, 58 and 111 – between Ibrahim Zadran and Shah, Shah and Shahidi, and then Shahidi and Omarzai – formed the spine of their chase. Throughout that effort, boundaries were never sought after but only accepted when offered, as they were content to wait for loose balls, rarely willing – or needing – to take a risk.Sri Lanka for their part began to look more and more broken as the innings wore on, running out of ideas and steam on a surface that offered them nothing and against a team that were equally unforgiving.Fazalhaq Farooqi finished with a four-wicket haul•Associated Press

But the tone for this game had been set from the very beginning, as having been asked to bat first – a decision Kusal Mendis said he would have taken even had he won the toss – Sri Lanka would proceed with an uncertainty conspicuously absent in their first five matches.Perhaps this was borne by this being Sri Lanka’s first real game of the tournament where a chance of a semi-final spot – however unlikely – was tangibly within grasp. Inhibitions had been shed in an improbable chase against South Africa, and that aggressive intent had cascaded through to their next game against Pakistan. Then against Australia, the confidence continued to flow before an unprecedented collapse stopped them dead.Maybe it was this that pushed Sri Lanka into a more conservative approach, but evidence of any shift didn’t prove forthcoming in games against Netherlands and England, where their intent, or lack thereof, wasn’t scrutinised to any great degree with a pair of middling chases calling more for caution than aggression.Against Afghanistan though, on a surface which had been described as a “batter’s paradise” during the pitch report, the inclusion of Dimuth Karunaratne betrayed the fear that had been driving Sri Lanka’s thinking.Rashid Khan leads Afghanistan’s lap of honour in what was his 100th ODI•ICC/Getty Images

Yes, Kusal Perera hadn’t made an impact aside from his 78 against Australia, but a surface such as this might have proved precisely the panacea for his batting troubles. Instead Sri Lanka were left frustrated as his replacement Karunaratne would play and miss a handful of shortish, wide deliveries on either side of the wicket – rare loose balls in otherwise tight opening spells from Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Sri Lanka would end up striking just four boundaries in the first 10 overs.That powerplay would also see Sri Lanka end on 41 for 1, their lowest score after 10 overs in the entirety of the tournament. This pronounced lack of ambition would afflict them throughout an innings that only sporadically scratched the five an over mark, let alone the sixes and sevens that have been more prevalent across this tournament.The deference showed to the Afghanistan bowlers through the middle overs was incongruous to say the least when compared to how Sri Lanka had approached those first two games against South Africa and Pakistan.What this meant was that when the quality deliveries that Afghanistan’s bowlers are capable of inevitably arrived, Sri Lanka’s batters would fall having failed to effectively capitalise on the opportunities afforded elsewhere.Karunaratne would be the first to go, trapped lbw by one darting in from Farooqi, the on-field not out call overturned on review. A 62-run stand between Nissanka and Mendis would follow, before Omarzai would jag one in from a back of a length outside off and coax Nissanka to feather an edge through to Gurbaz behind the stumps – thus ending his streak of fifty-plus scores at four. Gurbaz was deputising for Ikram Alikhil, who was off the field receiving treatment after having dislocated a finger on his right hand while keeping.Dhananjaya de Silva was mostly clueless against Rashid Khan•ICC via Getty Images

Kusal Mendis was next to fall while going for his favoured slog sweep for a fourth time in four games. He would have been disappointed to find the man stationed for just such a stroke, but what was more jarring for onlookers might have been the reticent version of Mendis that had knocked around 49 deliveries prior to that for a modest 39; despite the lack of demons in the wicket, much like the rest of his team-mates, Mendis was shackled by a demure approach in an innings that saw just the three boundaries.Mendis’ dismissal, which followed a 50-run stand with Sadeera Samarawickrama, would prove the catalyst for a mini collapse that would see Sri Lanka tumble from 134 for 2 to 185 for 7.Samarawickrama, who had looked his usual industrious self in his 40-ball 36, was caught in the crease by a quicker one from Mujeeb that tailed in. Dhananjaya de Silva, who had put on 28 with Charith Asalanka, was then worked over beautifully by a Rashid googly through the gate, one that had been setup over the course of a nagging over in what was Rashid’s 100th ODI. Asalanka would miscue a pull to mid-off shortly after off Farooqi, while a chaotic and unnecessary run-out – Angelo Mathews calling for a run that would have kept him off strike for the start of the next over – would send Dushmantha Chameera packing.Only a rearguard stand of 45 from 42 between Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana, where the latter showed off his batting chops with some expansive stroke-play through the offside, took Sri Lanka to a total of any respectability. But on a true surface, and against a commanding Afghanistan side, it was never going to be enough.

New Zealand have a stellar record against India in ICC events having lost just one game since 1992

Ashish Pant21-Oct-2023

Big picture: Here comes India’s bogey team

Ask any ardent Indian fan which is their second-favourite cricket team, and New Zealand will remain a common answer. Ask the same set of fans which team spooks them the most when it comes to ICC events: New Zealand will once again be the unanimous reply. Why you ask.Southampton 2021. Nagpur 2016 and Dubai 2021. Manchester 2019.It’s probably the memories of the last one here that has most Indian fans flinch. And as much as India would like to deny it, New Zealand have been their bogey team over the years. There are numbers to back this up. In all ICC events since 1992 (considering only the final from the WTC 2019-21 and 2021-23 cycles), India have beaten New Zealand just once in nine attempts.Which is why when these two teams meet in Dharamsala on Sunday, it won’t be group stage game: there will be a bit of history riding on it. Also the fact that at the end of the clash, one team will no longer remain unbeaten in the competition.Both New Zealand and India have been clinical in their approach and come into the game having won four out of four games. Who continues their winning streak? The answer might well depend on how the fast bowlers go.Related

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• How will India fill the Hardik Pandya hole against New Zealand?

• Matt Henry among the best, and has got better – the numbers show it

As much as the Dharamsala stadium is about the stunning snow-capped mountains of the Dhauladhar range in the backdrop, it is also about the altitude. And with that altitude comes the help for the quicks. Of all the venues that have so far hosted more than one game at the World Cup, Dharamsala – alongside Lucknow – has offered the fast bowlers the most amount of swing in the first ten overs of each innings.Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj become a key component in the Indian attack. They will miss Hardik Pandya, but if Mohammed Shami comes in, he is one bowler, who is certain to extract early movement with that upright seam.While India’s attack seems more well-rounded, the New Zealand unit has been equally good. Their class of 2019 is very much intact with all of Matt Henry, Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson having started the tournament well. On the spin front, Mitchell Santner leads the wicket-taking charts with 11 strikes at 15.09.The batters across both sides have been in impeccable form. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Devon Conway are No. 2, 3 and 4 on the run charts, while the middle order also has been firing. Can they find a way to score big with the ball hooping around?Mohammed Siraj has been up and down at this World Cup•Pankaj Nangia/Getty

Form guide: Whose winning streak ends?

India: WWWWL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
New Zealand: WWWWW

In the spotlight: Mohammed Siraj and Matt Henry

Mohammed Siraj hasn’t looked at his best so far in the World Cup. In four games, Siraj has managed only five wickets at 42.40. He’s also leaked runs at 6.32 an over. But if there is one venue that will give him a chance to improve on those numbers, it is Dharamsala. Siraj is one of the few bowlers going around who can get the ball to deck both ways. In Dharamsala, though, his wobble-seam deliveries might be the ones New Zealand will have to be most careful against. Siraj has had a dream 2023 in ODIs and will hope India’s next game is where he turns his World Cup around.The Boults and the Southees often hog the limelight when the New Zealand fast bowling battery is spoken of but in the last two years, it has been Matt Henry, who has really been their shining light. No other New Zealand bowler has more wickets than Henry’s 41 in 24 ODIs since the start of 2022. But, it’s the way he has led the attack in the World Cup, which has been impressive. He’s outshone Boult and Lockie Ferguson, kept Tim Southee out of the team and picked up wickets when it’s mattered all while maintaining an economy of 4.83. He is currently fourth on the wicket-takers list with nine in four games at 18.00. A good game and he could zoom right to the top.

Team news: Who comes in for Pandya?

Pandya has been ruled out of the Dharamsala game after hurting his right ankle against Bangladesh on Thursday. The million-dollar question is who replaces him. Rahul Dravid wasn’t forthcoming about the changes, but talked about a few options they considered. There is a chance that India bring in Suryakumar Yadav or Ishan Kishan in place of Hardik and have Shardul Thakur tussle with Shami for the No. 8 spot.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Suryakumar Yadav/Ishan Kishan, 8 Shardul Thakur/Mohammed Shami, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajMatt Henry has been excellent across all phases of the innings for New Zealand•AFP/Getty Images

With the New Zealand attack firing like they have, Southee might have to spend some more in the sheds. Kane Williamson is still out with a thumb injury, so it is unlikely New Zealand will make any changes to the team.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions: Beware the quicks

The surface looked very green on the eve of the game but a lot of that grass is likely to be shaved off before the start. Even then expect pace and carry for the fast bowlers. It was bright and sunny on the eve of the match, but it is expected to be cloudy and cooler on Sunday with the temperature likely to hover around the 18-degree mark on the Celsius scale at the start of the game.

Stats and trivia: All eyes on Gill

• The captain winning the toss has elected to bowl in each of the seven ODIs played in Dharamsala.
• Shubman Gill needs 14 runs to reach the 2000 mark in ODIs. If he gets there tomorrow, in his 38th innings, he will be the quickest to 2000 runs in ODI cricket. beating Hashim Amla’s (40) record.
• Rohit has fallen to Boult four times in 13 ODI innings and averages just 22.25 against him.
• Tom Latham has five fifties and two centuries in 20 ODI innings against India

Quotes

“It’s nice to have Ishan [Kishan] playing well, being a left hander. But Surya’s [Suryakumar Yadav] also come into some form against Australia. He played a couple of fantastic innings. Absolutely fantastic player against spin – left-arm spin, right-arm spin, any kind of spin for that matter. And the role maybe for a middle-overs role. We’re pretty clear about the kinds of roles we want to play. If we’re looking for someone who looks to be a bit of an enforcer for us in the lower-middle order, and Surya’s certainly someone who can do it. If we’re looking for someone higher up the order, we might go with Ishan.”
“India’s top order has been fantastic this tournament and again, our bowling attack has done a really good job upfront as well. That’s going to be a great contest with bat and ball and obviously vice-versa with Indian seamers and our top order. Obviously, you look at the match-ups throughout a game against both sides and there is some pretty good match-ups there.”