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The batter has been with RCB since 2021, and has grown into one of their key players

Ashish Pant13-Feb-202511:44

Will RCB captaincy affect Patidar’s batting?

Rajat Patidar has been appointed captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for IPL 2025, which begins around March 21. The development was contrary to wide speculation that Virat Kohli would lead RCB again after they did not retain Faf du Plessis, their captain from 2022 to 2024, before the mega auction.RCB made the announcement in Bengaluru on Thursday at an event attended by team director Mo Bobat, head coach Andy Flower, and Patidar. He is the eighth captain for RCB and has played three seasons for the franchise since joining them in 2021 and has grown into one of their key batters, scoring 799 runs in 28 matches at a strike rate of 158.85.”I could speak for quite a long time about Rajat, but I’ve settled on three main things that I thought might be interesting to share,” Flower said. “The first one is there’s a calmness and a simplicity to Rajat that I think will stand him in really good stead as a leader and a captain, particularly in the IPL. As we know, the IPL is one of the premier competitions in the world and there’s pressures involved in that, and I think the calm, simple demeanour that inherently lives within Rajat is going to serve him really well in the hurly-burly of that tournament.Related

• For RCB, Rajat Patidar might be just what the doctor ordered

• Mo Bobat: 'Virat doesn't need a captaincy title to lead'

• Samson expected to be fit in time for IPL 2025

• Pant unveiled as LSG captain, says he will give '200%'

• IPL begins March 21 weekend; WPL to start from February 7

“And his decision-making will be tested like all of ours is. But I think these qualities will stand him in really good stead. We watched Rajat very closely as he captained Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament and we really liked what we saw around those qualities.”The second thing I’d say about him, he’s inherently quite a quiet guy, but observing him, he cares about the people around him, he cares about the people that he plays with, that he shares a dressing room with. And I think that’s a quality that means that he will instantly have the respect and care from other people. As a leader, those qualities are important. In that people will follow you and get behind you.”And then the third thing that stands out for me about him is that he’s got a stubbornness and a strength and a steeliness about him. I’ve seen it myself when I’m trying to coach him in the nets and he won’t listen to me, but you see it in the way that he plays. You see the bravery with which he takes on the game and I think that quality within him will be really important for him through the ups and downs, the inevitable ups and downs that come along with playing in the IPL, and now stepping up another gear into leading a big franchise in the IPL.”Bobat confirmed that Kohli was an option the team management had thought about.”With our retentions, it’s probably worth noting that we obviously retained three players, three Indians, and of those three, it’s worth saying that both Virat and Rajat were obviously credible captaincy options for us going into the auction,” he said. “And then at the auction itself, we spent quite a lot of time thinking about leadership characteristics. We didn’t necessarily want to go into the auction and have our heart set on a captain because we felt that was quite a dangerous approach and then you end up probably overvaluing somebody potentially.”Rajat Patidar has been a part of RCB for the past three IPL seasons•AFP/Getty Images

In a video released by RCB, Kohli congratulated Patidar on the appointment, emphasising that he has earned the right to be in this position.”The way you have grown in this franchise and the way you have performed, you have really made a place in the hearts of all the fans of RCB all over India and they get really excited to watch you play,” Kohli said. “I’ve seen Rajat evolve in the last couple of years as a player. He has got the chance to play for India. His game has improved many levels in the last couple of years.”The way he has led his state team as well and the responsibility that he’s taken and has shown everyone that he has what it takes to lead this amazing franchise and I just wish him all the very best and I would request all the fans to show him absolute support, get right behind him and know that he will always and always do what’s best for the team, what’s best for this franchise.”Discussions within the group confirmed to the coaches that Patidar was the right choice, Bobat said.”We spent some time discussing things with the likes of DK [Dinesh Karthik, the batting coach], who’s obviously a really important part of our management team now. [We] had multiple conversations with Virat, even had some discussions with Rajat and I say discussions, they probably felt a little bit more like interviews for Rajat. But Andy and I spent some time talking to Rajat about his captaincy aspirations and what struck us was that he was very determined and ambitious about leadership and captaincy and he really wanted to do this and that was really important for us to understand and feel.”Bobat also said that they wanted an Indian captain to lead RCB this time around.”Andy and I felt quite blessed that we had quite a few to choose from,” he said. “Whether we went Indian or overseas was an important discussion point for us. We felt quite strongly that an Indian captain was preferable.”That’s nothing against any overseas options, but we were really keen on an Indian option primarily because it’s an Indian competition on Indian pitches against predominantly Indian players. So somebody who’s got that local knowledge and insight is really, really helpful for us.”While this will be 31-year-old Patidar’s first captaincy stint in the IPL, he has captained MP in the 2024-25 season of the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (where they finished runners-up) and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. Those tournaments were his first full-time assignments as captain in domestic cricket.”I had a conversation with Mo last year,” Patidar said. “I told him before getting the captaincy of RCB, I want to captain a state team. When they told me about this, that it could be between Virat and Rajat, I was happy. I can’t express my reaction.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“I really feel good right now. If I talk about my way of captaincy, I’m not that much expressive, but at the same time, I’m aware of the situation of the matches. So I think for me it’s important to back my players and stand with them and give the sort of involvement where they feel relaxed and confident. So yeah, I’m lucky that I am surrounded by one of the best people in the team and we have a group of leaders as well where their experience and ideas will definitely help in my new leadership role and growth as an individual also.”Patidar was the second-highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 428 runs in nine innings at an average of 61.14 and strike rate of 186.08. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made 226 runs at an average of 56.50 and strike rate of 107.10.RCB have not won the IPL title yet, though they have been finalists three times, the last of which was in 2016. They have made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, including in 2024, when they won their last six league matches to get into the top four but then lost the Eliminator.With RCB appointing Patidar, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are the only teams yet to name their captains for the upcoming season. Shreyas Iyer, KKR’s captain last year, will lead Punjab Kings (PBKS) this year, while the former DC captain Rishabh Pant is now leading Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

However, the rule will be in effect for the next three season in the IPL

PTI14-Oct-20243:35

Should the Impact Player rule stay or go?

The BCCI has decided to scrap the Impact Player rule for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT). The rule was introduced in SMAT couple of years ago and was later extended to the Indian Premier League (IPL).”Kindly note that the BCCI has decided to do away with the provision of the ‘Impact Player’ for the ongoing season,” the BCCI informed the state associations on Monday.The BCCI’s decision to do away with the Impact Player comes shortly after they decided to retain it in the IPL for the next three seasons, up to 2027. Since its introduction in the 2023 season, the rule has stirred debate over whether it is indeed beneficial to Indian cricket, which was the original motive, or whether it could be hurting the development of allrounders. Several high-profile players such as Rohit Sharma had expressed concerns over the rule saying it could be detrimental to the development of allrounders.Related

• IPL mega auction: Six retentions, RTM back, Impact Player to stay

• Shah on Impact Player rule: 'Not permanent, but not saying that it will go'

“I generally feel that it is going to hold back (development of allrounders) because eventually cricket is played by 11 players, not 12 players. I’m not a big fan of impact player. You are taking out so much from the game just to make it little entertainment for the people around,” Rohit had said on the podcast.In May this year, the BCCI secretary Jay Shah had referred the rule as “a test case” in the IPL and that this “is not permanent [but] I am not saying that it will go.”Saurashtra head coach Niraj Odedra welcomed the BCCI’s decision. “It is nice change. Also the ICC doesn’t have this rule in major tournaments So it would be good for cricketers who want to play for India as they graduate from domestic season,” he said.

He admitted that becoming a three-format player may have contributed to the injury issues

Alex Malcolm18-Dec-2022Injured Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is hoping to make himself available for selection for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa while admitting his repeated side injuries could be the cost of trying to be a three-format fast bowler.Hazlewood has missed Australia’s last two Test matches, including the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane, due to a side strain he suffered during the first Test against West Indies in Perth three weeks ago.Related

• Boland 'trying to push' to get a spot in Boxing Day XI as selection dilemma continues

• Dean Elgar applauds his pacers for firing warning shots in short Gabba burst

• Cummins, Head, Starc lead Australia to victory inside two days

• Hazlewood ruled out of opening Test against South Africa

The 31-year-old had a solid bowl in the nets on Sunday and said his chances of being available for Boxing Day were improving by the day.”[My chances are] much better after today’s session,” Hazlewood told . “Went very much according to plan and pushed upwards of 90% for a couple of deliveries. It’s all about the next three or four sessions before that [session on December] 24th and I can really tick it off. Everything is feeling really nice and I’m not noticing the side at all so fingers crossed.”I had a little bowl on Friday back in Sydney and started up off a few steps and pushed back to a half-run on Friday and today went really well. I pushed back to pretty much full run-up and around 85-90% intensity. Everything is ticking along nicely and going according to plan.”The Perth Test was Hazlewood’s first since March and just his third since January 2021. During last summer’s home Ashes series against England. Hazlewood suffered another side strain in the first Test in Brisbane, which was understood to be different from this current injury and missed the final four Tests of the series. He then played the first Test of the Pakistan tour but was left out of the final two Tests and Australia’s next two Tests in Sri Lanka in June and July when Australia selected two spinners.While not playing much Test cricket, Hazlewood has reached No.1 in the world in the T20I bowling rankings this year and become a highly sought-after player in the IPL.He admitted that becoming a three-format player, having dropped out of Australia’s white-ball calculations in 2019-20 before his re-emergence, may have contributed to the injury issues that have seen him play so little Test cricket in the last two years.”It’s been a bit of a frustrating period,” Hazlewood said. “Especially red ball. White ball has been going great. Maybe that’s the cost of playing all three formats and putting all your energy into every game you play. You don’t have that time to build your strength up or workloads up and get ready for a Test match. I might have to look at that and find a way around it somehow.”If he passes his fitness test at Australia’s main training session on December 24, Hazlewood’s availability creates a selection headache for Australia. Scott Boland has continued his outstanding form at Test level as Hazlewood’s replacement in Adelaide and Brisbane picking up seven wickets across the two games to maintain his staggering Test average at just 10.36. Boland will also be returning to his home ground at the MCG on Boxing Day where he has an extraordinary record in first-class cricket and took stunning figures 6 for 7 on Test debut last year against England.Hazlewood was chosen ahead of Boland for the first Test of the summer against West Indies when both men were fit and available and is seen by the selectors as a first-choice Test bowler when fit, given his career record.

It was the first game in T20I cricket history that was left as a tie in the record books

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2018Safyaan Sharif after claiming the final wicket•Getty Images

Paul Stirling made the most of a let-off on the second ball of the Ireland chase to break his own Ireland record for his side’s highest score in T20 internationals in a dramatic tie with Scotland at Deventer. It’s just the 10th tied result ever in the format, including tournament-matches decided later by a super over, and first since England tied Pakistan at Sharjah in November 2015. Interestingly, it was also the first game in T20I cricket that was left as a tie, and not decided by a super over or bowl out.Ireland needed seven off the final over with five wickets in hand and Kevin O’Brien well-set on 28, but Safyaan Sharif denied an Irish win against the odds by dismissing O’Brien off the first ball. Just four runs came off the next four balls to leave Ireland three to win off the final ball, but Stuart Thompson was able to scamper a two to long-on to level the scores.Stirling had yet to score in Ireland’s pursuit of Scotland’s 185 when he was spilled over the rope at deep square leg for six off the bowling of Sharif but went on to make a 27-ball half-century, his eighth in T20Is. The second life was reminiscent of his bruising half-century against Scotland in last year’s semi-final at the Desert T20 Challenge when Stirling was dropped in the first over of the match off Mark Watt.Just like in Dubai, Stirling punished Scotland for the error, bashing 81 off 41 balls. In the process, Stirling eclipsed the previous best for Ireland made by himself in the final of the 2012 World T20 Qualifier when he cracked 79 off 38 balls in a championship winning performance over Afghanistan. His innings ended 19 short of what would have been Ireland’s first T20I ton when he slashed left-arm spinner Hamza Tahir to short third man for Tahir’s maiden T20I wicket.By that stage, Ireland needed 60 off the final 6.2 overs with six wickets in hand. O’Brien replaced Stirling and kept the required run rate in check with three sixes in his knock to steer Ireland into the final over before falling with victory in sight.Scotland had raced to an impressive start behind captain Kyle Coetzer and George Munsey, who added 93 in eight overs. However, Ireland’s bowling unit did a spectacular job reeling them in over the final 12 overs during which Scotland scored at less than eight per over.Coetzer eventually fell at the end of the 14th over for a top-score of 54, but Scotland struggled to press on despite plenty of wickets in hand. Thompson produced a superb containing spell of 0 for 16 in three overs while Stirling also kept Scotland’s middle order from breaking away with 0 for 22 in three as Scotland failed to score a boundary in a six-over stretch from the 11th through the 16th.Scotland had a brief surge in the 19th when Barry McCarthy conceded 21 in a nine-ball over that began with a no-ball. Both the overstep and the ensuing free hit went for four as Scotland pressed on toward their second highest T20I total. But they stuttered once more at the finish as medium pacer Peter Chase conceded just six singles in the 20th over to a well-set Calum MacLeod (46 not out off 39 balls) and Richie Berrington. Chase’s death spell proved vital in the final result.Despite ICC playing conditions implemented in September 2017 calling for a super over to decide all ties in T20Is, no super over was played.

The calm demeanour that Angelo Mathews brings to the Sri Lankan side is what the team – that is going through a major transition – exactly needs

Andrew McGlashan11-Jun-2017Amid Danushka Gunathilaka’s blazing recall, Kusal Mendis’ elegance, Kusal Perera’s hamstring injury and Asela Gunaratne’s match-clinching cameo, his went a little unnoticed. Angelo Mathews was steadfast in Sri Lanka’s superbly-paced chase against India, a reassuring presence for an innings that could still have gone wrong despite the excellence around him.Without their captain, Sri Lanka are a shadow of a team. Most sides have a player whose absence alters their dynamic significantly, but few to the extent of Mathews with this rebuilding Sri Lanka side. It often feels as though his hamstrings, and various other parts of his body, are held together by medical tape, painkillers and sheer bloody-mindedness. All available means need to be taken to keep him on the field; if the bowling has to go by the wayside as a consequence, that would be a small price to pay.The match against India was his first ODI for 10 months, leg injuries of various descriptions keeping him sidelined since the series against Australia. Prior to that he had tried to keep a brittle side afloat against the emerging power of England, and earlier in 2016 he had almost hauled Sri Lanka over the line on one leg in the World T20 group match against the same opposition.In Sri Lanka’s opening game of the Champions Trophy against South Africa, they made a thundering start to the run chase through Niroshan Dickwella and Upul Tharanga, but there was a callowness – and often headlessness – about what followed. Against India there was a chance that the chase could have been knocked off course after the back-to-back run outs of Gunathilaka and Mendis. But Mathews strode in, calmed any tensions and, by and large, allowed his partners to do the fun stuff – an audacious flick over fine leg against Umesh Yadav being an exception.The last three years have taken Mathews’ one-day batting to new heights. Since the start of 2014, his average from 61 matches is 50.08; in the 91 games before that it had been 34.17. He became captain in early 2013 and though there was never a period that could be classed as a slump, it took a little time to marry the two roles together.”Even though I’m the captain of the team, I’ve always tried to contribute as a batter, a bowler and on the field because I’m another player when I get onto the field,” Mathews said. “So my contribution is also very important to the team. I try my very best to try and concentrate on what I have to do rather than thinking about the captaincy and too many other things happening. So I’ve always focused on what I have to do and the job at hand.”I’ve worked extremely hard, just like the others. It’s just, I think through my experience I’m learning the game a bit more now. I’m slowly understanding the game a little bit better than what I used to. I’m learning every day.”Mathews has had to make up for a gaping hole in Sri Lanka’s middle order after the retirement of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene•AFP

He is also having to nurse the side through a period of era-defining change. One-by-one the trio of batting heavyweights – Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan – have moved aside. Of the players that made Sri Lanka one of the powerhouse one-day sides, only Lasith Malinga from the original troop remains and he is a slower, lumbering, creaking version who may not have many more miles in the legs.It is a long-term process to fill those positions. In Kusal Mendis they have one who, with a fair wind, can have a superb career and Gunathilaka appears to have something worth persevering with (you wonder if there was no space in the original squad for him) but consistency could still be some way away.”As I always say, it’s very easy to captain a side when you have the Sangakkaras, Mahelas, Malingas, all these guys, and the challenge began really after they retired. Lasith is obviously still with us, but Sangakkara and Mahela, when they retired, it created a lot of vacuum in the team, and we had to sort of pursue with the younger players and give them confidence,” Mathews said.”It’s not easy – when you lose a few games here and there, it’s never easy. The pressure is on. It’s just that you’ve got to try and deal with the pressures or try and stick with them, give them a lot of confidence. Yes, we know the talent that we have in the dressing room. It’s just that we need to try and stay positive with them and give them a lot of opportunities and give them a longer run being consistent with them. We obviously will see more results in the future.”The run chase against India offered some encouragement for the rebuilding process this Sri Lanka side are going through. But there remains one man who holds it all together, and will need to do so for some time to come.

Defending champions Australia moved within one more victory of retaining the Under-19 World Cup by beating South Africa in the first semi-final

The Report by George Binoy in Townsville21-Aug-2012
Scorecard and ball by ball detailsMark Steketee was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 3 for 35•Getty Images

Defending champions Australia moved within one more victory of retaining the Under-19 World Cup by beating South Africa in the first semi-final at Tony Ireland Stadium. Their bowlers made best use of winning the toss, keeping South Africa on a leash by striking regularly on an overcast morning, and their batsmen overcame a difficult start to complete the chase in the 49th over.The decisive period in the game was the batting Powerplay in South Africa’s innings, taken in the 36th over soon after the drinks break. They had reached 124 for 3, after Chad Bowes and Murray Coetzee had repaired the damage caused by three early wickets. With the field up, Bowes went down on one knee and tried to paddle Mark Steketee past short fine leg. He was smashed on the grille of his helmet and needed it changed. The next ball, he edged to the wicketkeeper. In the last over of the Powerplay, Shaylin Pillay spooned a catch to mid-off, also off Steketee, and two balls later Coetzee dropped his bat while trying to ground it and was run out. South Africa had lost 3 for 10 in five overs and were able to make only 191.Australia also took their batting Powerplay in the 36th over and they too were 124 for 3, having repaired the damage of two early wickets. Cameron Bancroft and William Bosisto scored only 27 runs off those five overs but Australia lost no wickets and they didn’t need too many more runs. There was a stumble in the 44th over, when Bancroft was run out and Travis Head bowled off the inside edge, but the immoveable object Bosisto and Ashton Turner took Australia very close, like they had in the quarterfinal against Bangladesh. Bosisto was run out for 40, minutes before the winning runs were hit, the first time he’s been dismissed in five innings during this World Cup.The South Africans had several chances in the field but didn’t take them. Kurtis Patterson, who took the attack to South Africa and hit in the air a lot, was on 28 when he cut the ball high in the air towards deep cover point. Prenelan Subrayen covered good ground and dived but only got fingertips to it. Patterson was on 37 when he cut again, but a flatter, relatively easier chance was put down by Pillay at point. Both were tough chances, though, and Patterson eventually fell for 49. The chance Bancroft gave on 23 was much easier, an edge to slips that Theunis de Bruyn put down. Calvin Savage was the angry bowler all three times and he wore his disappointment on his sleeve.Amid those chances, Patterson and Bancroft batted in contrasting styles. Patterson was counterattacking, successfully wresting the advantage from South Africa after Jimmy Peirson and Meyrick Buchanan made ducks, by lofting the ball over the infield. Bancroft was steady and happy to turn over the strike. Their 95-run partnership pushed South Africa to the brink of elimination, and Bosisto nudged them over it.South Africa, however, were unlucky to lose the toss for the second time in two knockout matches and had to bat when the conditions were toughest. And for the second time, Quinton de Kock didn’t last long, hooking a short ball from Steketee straight to Joel Paris at fine leg. Gihahn Cloete went edging a full ball from Paris that seamed away to second slip, where Turner caught it on the second attempt. South Africa were 4 for 2 after 2.2 overs and never really recovered.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third Test between West Indies and Australia in Dominica

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale22-Apr-2012

Match facts

April 23-27, Windsor Park
Start time 1000 (1400 GMT)

Big Picture

Darren Sammy’s contributed this whole tour, but can he deliver a match-winning performance in Dominica?•AFP

Australia have retained the Frank Worrell Trophy but a drizzly draw is far from enough to satisfy Michael Clarke. He wants his first West Indies tour as captain to end in victory, and the Australians have that chance over the next five days in Dominica. The second-least populous nation that makes up the West Indies cricket team (after St Kitts and Nevis), Dominica is an unfamiliar venue for the Australia players, none of whom have played at Windsor Park before.Not that it’s that familiar to some of the West Indians either: the veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul has played only one first-class game there. West Indies do have a Dominican player in their side, the spinner Shane Shillingford, and he should play a key role having been preferred to Devendra Bishoo, who has been released from the squad.West Indies might have lost the chance to regain the trophy but they can take encouragement from the Test in Trinidad, where they looked like making a real go of their chase of 215 on the final day until the weather intervened. They also dominated the first three days of the series in Barbados, so while Australia will enter the match as favourites, a 1-1 series draw is far from out of the question.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
West Indies DLDLL
Australia DWWWW

In the spotlight

Darren Sammy has made contributions throughout the Test series – in fact, throughout Australia’s entire tour – but this would be the perfect time for him to play a match-winning role. In Barbados, he removed Australia’s openers and made a handy 41 himself in the first innings and in Trinidad he showed a willingness to promote himself up the order when the situation demanded it. If he can combine a fast-paced innings of substance with a few wickets, he will be one step closer to ending his first Frank Worrell Trophy series as captain on a high.Australia’s Test-only players have a six-month break after this match and as one of the few in that category, Ed Cowan would feel much better over the winter if he was coming off a big Test innings. Cowan has now walked out to bat ten times for Australia and has two half-centuries to show for it, but no hundreds. His contributions in this series – 14, 34, 28 and 20 – have not been failures but nor have they cemented his place in the side. The same could be said of his partner David Warner on this trip, but Warner already has two Test centuries to his name. At some stage, Cowan will need to take that next step as well.

Team news

Fidel Edwards finished the Trinidad Test with what the captain Sammy described as “a slight niggle” and he could be replaced by Ravi Rampaul. Bishoo has been released from the squad, so there is no chance of West Indies picking two spinners. The Guyana batsman Assad Fudadin has joined the squad but is unlikely to find a place in the starting line-up.West Indies (possible) : 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Narsingh Deonarine, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Shane Shillingford, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Ravi Rampaul.Injuries have forced Peter Siddle and James Pattinson to head home, which will mean a return for Ryan Harris after he was rested following his Man-of-the-Match performance in the first Test in Barbados. Michael Beer bowled well in Trinidad but is expected only to hold his position if the Windsor Park pitch looks especially spin-friendly. It appears more likely that the left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc will come in for his fourth Test.Australia (possible): 1 Ed Cowan, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Ryan Harris, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Pitch and conditions

Windsor Park is still in its international infancy. In its first Test, between West Indies and India last year, only a third of the wickets fell to spin. In the two four-day matches played at the venue during the domestic competition that has just finished, no team managed 300 in an innings. The forecast suggests there could be showers throughout the Test.

Stats and trivia

• Shivnarine Chanderpaul needs 82 runs to reach 10,000 in Tests
• Should West Indies win, it will be the first time since 1999 a Test series between the two sides has not been won by Australia
• Kemar Roach’s ten-wicket haul in Trinidad was the first time a West Indies bowler had achieved the feat in a Test since Corey Collymore claimed 11 against Pakistan in Jamaica in 2005

Quotes

“I’m pretty sure all the boys will want to make this Test a good one for themselves personally and for the team because we’ve had a really good summer, we want to finish on a high before we get stuck into one-day cricket and the Twenty20 World Cup.”

“When Australia came here everybody didn’t give us a chance, but we’ve played a brand of cricket that we want to get used to. That said we’ve still got to get the victories and that’s what we’re looking for. To level a series against Australia would be another stepping stone for us.”
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Tasmania had begun a pursuit of 318 for victory over Victoria after a fluctuating and tempestuous third day on which 14 wickets fell in the Sheffield Shield match in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2011
ScorecardGeorge Bailey was angered when an appeal against David Hussey was turned down•Getty Images

Tasmania had begun a pursuit of 318 for victory over Victoria after a fluctuating and tempestuous third day on which 14 wickets fell in the Sheffield Shield match in Hobart.Having bowled the Tigers out for 235 in the morning, the Bushrangers soon slid to 3 for 10 as Ben Hilfenhaus and Luke Butterworth made the new ball count.However David Hussey was reprieved in the 11th over of the innings when the umpires declined an appeal for caught behind from Hilfenhaus, judging a low edge had not carried to the wicketkeeper Brady Jones.Tasmania’s captain George Bailey remonstrated over the decision at some length, and the incident may have affected the hosts’ composure as Hussey and Matthew Wade added 150 critical runs, the Bushrangers’ gloveman completing a fine double following his first innings 108.Hussey’s eventual departure, lofting the part-time spin of Nick Kruger to long off, heralded another twist to the day, as the final seven wickets went down for 30 runs. Hilfenhaus claimed five wickets, his first such haul since 2008.The Tigers openers Ed Cowan and Steven Cazzulino reached 0 for 23 by the close, leaving Tasmania with some chance of claiming the outright points they require to build momentum after a poor start to the Shield campaign.

Peter Drinnen, the Netherlands coach, has warned his players not to read too much into their shock World Twenty20 victory against England

Nagraj Gollapudi in Nagpur20-Feb-2011Peter Drinnen, the Netherlands coach, has warned his players not to read too much into their shock World Twenty20 victory against England when they launch their World Cup campaign against the same opponents in Nagpur. Netherlands won that famous match at Lord’s off the last ball by four wickets and six members of the team are still part of the squad, but Drinnen has stressed to his players the difference between 20- and 50-over cricket.”The big thing is at times we can get ahead of ourselves,” Drinnen said “We lack the knowledge of batting in the 50-over cricket. We need to special attention to that.” Not that Drinnen wants the Dutch to forget their maiden triumph against a full member nation. He said they can take plenty of pointers from their victory at Lord’s.”Certainly half the squad were there on that evening and they are fully aware of what is possible on any given day. I know it was a shorter version but they are going to take quite a bit of confidence out of that victory into this. I have got no doubt their confidence will spread through the group and rub off all the players.”Netherlands have been preparing for the World Cup for three weeks including a preparatory camp in Dubai followed by three warm-up matches in Sri Lanka. They won the last n against Kenya having lost the first two to Canada and Sri Lanka respectively and Drinnen believes he has a balanced squad at his disposal.”We have got a good top order. Our bowling attack is not youthful in age and probably is and inexperienced attack,” he said. “The way they have progressed in the last six months is significant. The challenge is going to be great as the wickets are flat. Bowlers know they really have to be disciplined.”If Netherlands want to improve their World Cup record, where they have managed just two victories out of 14 matches spread across the three editions, much would depend on the performances of the senior players like Bas Zuiderent, Tim de Grooth, Peter Borren and Essex allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate. “If we put up a performance we know we are capable of, we know we can cause some problems,” Drinnen said.Drinnen also cleared up doubts over the availability of Borren, the captain, who had been sidelined in the warm-up matches and could not attend the opening ceremony after suffering from a side strain but today he had his first complete workout. “He is fit but still carrying side strain. He has trained very well, had a full hit out in the field and full hit out with the bat today. We are happy with his progress. I’m confident looking at how he has performed today and he will be fine for the match.”

Tuesday’s contest, a dress rehearsal for the final, despite the monotony of what began in January last year, will be one that India will welcome

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya21-Jun-2010

Match Facts

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Start time 1430 (0900 GMT)
Upul Tharanga will play his 100th ODI•Associated Press

The Big Picture

The neighbourly affection between India and Sri Lanka knows no bounds. What was meant to be a ceaseless flow of riveting action between the two teams was rudely interrupted by an inspired Zimbabwe, who deprived India of a place in the tri-series final in Harare. But India bounced back in the Asia Cup, upstaging Pakistan to seal another meeting with their favoured rivals and restore the trend. Tuesday’s contest, a dress rehearsal for the final, despite the monotony of what began in January last year, will be one that India will welcome. They are without Virender Sehwag, ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, and will want to achieve some stability at the top of the order leading into the final.Sri Lanka have won their games with greater comfort, with their bowlers restraining Pakistan in the opening match and the batsmen, led by Tillakaratne Dilshan, dominating Bangladesh to prepare themselves well for the remaining two games. Both teams, however, have untested players and could try out their bench strength ahead of the final.

Form guide (most recent first)

India: WWLLW
Sri Lanka: WWWLW

Watch out for…

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli: Though relatively inexperienced, they have acquired a strong reputation in India’s middle order and their responsibility has grown in the absence of Sehwag at the top. Both batsmen have had a quiet Asia Cup, following impressive performances in Zimbabwe, and now have the match they need to shape up for the big game.Upul Tharanga: He has filled in admirably at the position vacated by Sanath Jayasuriya. Tharanga’s scores in his previous six innings read 40, 27, 69, 72, 11 and 54, complementing the belligerence of Dilshan with an assured solidity.

Team news

Dinesh Karthik is Sehwag’s replacement for the remainder of the tournament and is likely to open on Tuesday with Gautam Gambhir. India may be tempted to rest one of their seamers, possibly Ashish Nehra who has just recovered from back spasms. They have Ashok Dinda in the reserves as well as the spinner R Ashwin. Saurabh Tiwary is a candidate for the middle order, but the rest will be keen to spend some time in the middle ahead of the final.India (possible) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Dinesh Karthik, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh/R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra/ Ashok Dinda.If Sri Lanka choose to try out their bench strength, they may consider resting Lasith Malinga and play allrounder Farveez Maharoof. Another possible change is the inclusion of Suraj Randiv for Muttiah Muralitharan, who may be given a break ahead of the final.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera/ Thilina Kandamby, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Farveez Maharoof, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Suraj Randiv, 11 Chanaka Welegedera.

Stats and trivia

• India and Sri Lanka are meeting for the 18th time since the start of 2009 in an ODI.
• The game is the 2999th ODI. The 3000th will be held on the same day, between England and Australia. Incidentally the same two teams played the very first ODI in 1971.
• Upul Tharanga is set to play his 100th ODI
  

  Quotes

  “This is an important game for us. We don’t take any game lightly. Obviously, if we win the match, we can go to the final with a better frame of mind.”
  values the momentum India stand to gain if they win on Tuesday.