All posts by h716a5.icu

Kuldeep Yadav, the Kolkata Knight Riders chinaman bowler, has revealed in an interview that he began his life in cricket as a seam bowler, and that he cried when his coach first asked him to switch to spin

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2014Kuldeep Yadav, the Kolkata Knight Riders chinaman bowler, has revealed in an interview that he began his life in cricket as a seam bowler, and that he cried when his coach first asked him to switch to spin.Kuldeep was one of India’s best performers at the Under-19 World Cup in the UAE, and has made an immediate impact since breaking through to Knight Riders’ first team. Having made his debut for the side during the Champions League T20, Kuldeep has taken four wickets in two matches, and conceded his runs at an economy rate of 5.63 an over.”I started off as a fast bowler but one day my coach, Kapil Pandey, called me said that speed is not my forte and I should bowl spin,” Kuldeep told . “And that really changed my future course of action and I became a chinaman bowler.”Though I did not like bowling spin and I even cried after the change, of course now I look back and feel it was for my good. I would not have gone the distance as a fast bowler.”Kuldeep said he enjoys the atmosphere in the Knight Riders dressing room.”It’s great to be part of the KKR squad,” he said. “Nobody has airs about themselves and are very down to earth. They never make me feel like a junior player. Everybody respects and supports each other and we all gel like a family.”

Misbah-ul-Haq is very keen to add to Pakistan’s list of home-venue Test series victories against Australia, when the second match in Abu Dhabi gets underway

Umar Farooq in Abu Dhabi29-Oct-2014In 58 years, Pakistan has won only four series and a one-off Test at home venues against Australia. The last time Pakistan won a home series against Australia was in 1994. Having taken the lead with a comprehensive win in the ongoing series, played in Pakistan’s makeshift home, Misbah-ul-Haq is very keen to add to that list.”It’s very important to win as it has been a long time since we won,” Misbah said in Abu Dhabi. “We have a big chance, as a team, to win back our confidence, and especially with the way the boys have performed recently, they are very confident. So I think we have a chance and if we remain focused we can do it.”The second and final Test of the series begins in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, and also provides Misbah with the chance to become Pakistan’s most successful Test captain – he has 13 wins from 30 games, while Imran Khan and Javed Miandad have 14 victories apiece, but from 48 and 34 matches respectively. He said he will not be playing for the record, though. “I am not aware about the records, the only intention at the moment is to play good cricket and maintain our performance level and get it improved. There is always a complaint that Pakistan doesn’t perform with consistency, so our entire focus is to make ourselves consistent.”In the first Test, in Dubai, Pakistan had dominated Australia all through, having arguably held the edge in all but one session across five days to win by 221 runs. However, Misbah was wary of the possible backlash from Australia. “Every time we play our mindset is basically is to win, but it’s a Test cricket and sometimes there is a possibility to carve out another way, which is a draw. But when two teams are good, you always have to go with a positive mind set so we will try to win this one,” he said. “Australia aren’t a minor team, they are the best team in world.”What we are aiming is to do is repeat the good things we had done in the previous game in Dubai, and perform in the same way. I think if we fill the basic roles well, then good results will come. The most important will be to do the basics of Tests in the best manner. Let’s hope for the best.”Important part is the hunger to perform, which is there. As the way we lost the two-match series earlier [against Sri Lanka in August] the boys were hurt, but they were determined and focused. All had the spirit to perform well, hence it came our way in the end. All the individual efforts played a combined role, so we will strive to do the same things again.”In the five Tests played in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan have never been beaten – they’ve won twice, and drawn three times. The Abu Dhabi pitch, according to Misbah, is different from the Dubai track where the spinners had dominated. “This pitch looks a bit different, and normally it is different from Dubai because it is harder and sometimes has little bit more pace and bounce. But given the strength of our team, it looks good as we have a good record at the pitch, as we haven’t lost here.”Pakistan had played in Dubai with a new-look bowling unit, without the suspended Saeed Ajmal, and Misbah said he was comfortable with the current attack. “I think credit must be given to the bowlers that they did not make us feel Ajmal’s absence. The way they contributed it was wonderful,” he said. “Ajmal is a great bowler and we had relied on him for so long, and on Abdur Rehman, but these bowlers being new played their roles.”You feel Ajmal’s absence when you play here [in the UAE] and the Australians had not played him much and he could have played a major role. But I think these bowlers filled in for Ajmal in a good way. It’s great that they fulfilled their roles and played a key role in the win.”

A preview of the prospects of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh ahead of the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2014PunjabBy Devashish FuloriaHarbhajan Singh would want to lead Punjab with a few more wickets this season•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhere they finished last season
Semi-finalists. Lost to Karnataka, the eventual winners.Big picture
With a young and well-rounded team, Punjab are one of the stronger units in the domestic circuit. Yet their wait for a big finish in the Ranji Trophy is now in its 22nd year. However, the signs, leading up to the current season, are encouraging: Punjab were the semi-finalists last season and recently finished as runners-up in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. They also haven’t lost any big player to the national side.One of Punjab’s strengths is the clutch of young batsmen at the top who all have enhanced their reputations over the last few years. Jiwanjot Singh and Mandeep Singh have been regulars at the India-A level while Manan Vohra was a breakthrough performer during the last season of the IPL. With Manpreet Gony likely to be unavailable for the first two rounds and VRV Singh yet to be declared fit, the bowling will be led by two young seamers – Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma – both of whom rely on swing, which comes in handy in the north Indian venues.If there is one area that could be tested, it is Punjab’s spin attack. Harbhajan Singh is not the same bowler he used to be; he has just one five-wicket haul in 15 first-class matches over last two seasons. Sarabjit Ladda and Rajwinder Singh add variety but both of them are yet to prove themselves over an extended period.There is also Yuvraj Singh, well past his prime. Punjab though would hope for some inspiration from the batsman to break their big-match jinx.Players to watch
Amitoze Singh, who scored 422 runs from nine Vijay Hazare Trophy matches this season, has been primed by coach Bhupinder Singh Sr as a batsman to watch out for. “He has been our mainstay and is batting really well,” Bhupinder said. “I hope he performs well in the longer version too.”Baltej Singh, the medium pacer, had a forgettable Ranji debut in 2011 and played only three more first-class matches, the last one of which was two years ago. For two years, he did not play a senior domestic match but made a fruitful return to cricket this year with 14 wickets in seven Vijay Hazare matches. He has been pipped as the “dark horse” for his return season by Bhupinder.Teamspeak
“Punjab is always a good team but I tell the boys that until you lift the trophy no body will label you as a good team,” coach Bhupinder Singh said. “You have to achieve something.””I have been losing to Karnataka, I have lost three games in a row. I really want to amend my record. Karnataka is definitely playing good cricket but we want to be the answer to them.”Madhya PradeshBy Abhishek PurohitWhere they finished last season
Second from the bottom in Group B, with two losses and six draws from eight gamesThe Big Picture
Madhya Pradesh were the only non-relegated side that failed to win a single game last season, despite making Railways and Bengal follow-on. Mukesh Sahni has been replaced as coach by Harvinder Sodhi and the experienced fast bowler Anand Rajan has been dropped, even as the core of the batting remains intact.Ishwar Pandey will lead the pace attack again, and he will be supported by a raw bunch in Puneet Datey, Yogesh Rawat and Avesh Khan, who played for India in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. Devendra Bundela, the 37-year old captain, hopes the “fresh legs” can translate into plenty of wickets, something MP’s fast bowlers, barring Pandey, could not take last season. MP haven’t had a reliable spinner apart from allrounder Jalaj Saxena’s steady offbreaks, making them more dependent on the quicks.MP also missed big runs from their key batsmen in 2013-14 as only Naman Ojha clicked consistently. With Ojha in Australia with the Indian team and set to miss at least the first round, the likes of Bundela, Mohnish Mishra and Saxena will have to fire. MP’s season looks daunting with heavyweight opponents such as Karnataka, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh.Player to watchJalaj Saxena was MP’s most successful bowler last season with 35 wickets at 19.68 and his 545 runs were next only to Ojha’s 835. The allrounder has found consistency with both bat and ball of late. He will have to take the lead again at the top of the order with his positive batting, and provide breakthroughs along with Pandey in case the inexperienced seam attack flags.Teamspeak”We bowled well in patches last season. Some individuals performed at times, but we could not do so collectively as a bowling unit. We want to change that this time.” MP captain Devendra BundelaDelhiBy Nagraj GollapudiWhere they finished last seasonFifth in Group A, with just two victories from eight matches.Big PictureLast season, Virender Sehwag managed just 234 runs from seven matches. He pushed himself to the middle order, batting at numbers 3, 4 and 5. Still, in thirteen innings Sehwag had just one fifty. A man that haunted bowlers once was now being hunted down with ease.Sehwag, along with Gautam Gambhir, is the biggest pillar of strength in Delhi’s weak batting order. But last year, Gambhir, already overburdened with various responsibilities, found no support from Sehwag who failed to get started or worse, convert the few starts he had. Delhi need Sewhag to pack the impact punch in the top order. It does not even have to be a knockout punch all the time. A few jabs, cuts, hooks to send the opponent astray, could make Delhi’s job easier. Sehwag has only Delhi to resurrect his career. Delhi need Sehwag to resurrect their fortunes. It is mutual.Another man who could alleviate Delhi’s pains is Vijay Dahiya, who is back as head coach, a position he was forced to leave last season. He was at the helm when Delhi last made the knockouts, in 2010, when they lost to Mumbai in the semi-finals. The motivation for men like Sehwag, Gambhir, Chand, Dahiya and a senior fast bowler like Ashish Nehra to succeed both for the self and the team cannot be higher.Player to watchUnmukt Chand proudly enjoyed the limelight after leading India to the Under 19 World Cup. He even wrote a book, an unknown for a young Indian cricketer, recording his journey towards the title. He might be fluent in the spoken word, but Chand is yet to express himself in first-class cricket. He did get a century last year, but managed just 268 runs across eleven innings in the six matches he played with an average of 26.80. Chand needs to provide stability atop, opening in the company of Gambhir.Teamspeak”I have opened the batting, one down, two down, three down, four down also. I am hoping I can score runs, it doesn’t matter where I bat. It is important for me to score runs that I watch the ball till the end and if it is in my zone then try to hit it rather than play cautiously. This year, I am hoping to bat at No. 3 and No. 4 for Delhi.” Virender Sehwag outlines his plan to get back among runs for the forthcoming seasonRajasthanBy Amol KarhadkarPankaj Singh: “Our main challenge this season would be to cope with the absence of professionals”•AFPWhere they finished last seasonSixth in Group B, with 22 points from the league stage. Had it not been for their victory against Baroda in the penultimate round – their second of the season – Rajasthan would have finished at the bottom of the table.Big PictureRajasthan’s off season is a clear example of how off-the-field matters trickle down on the field. The mess in the Rajasthan Cricket Association – first its suspension by the BCCI following Lalit Modi’s election as RCA chief, and then a revolt against Modi – put Rajasthan cricketers in danger of missing out on a full season. It was eventually the High Court that stepped in and ensured Rajasthan teams could participate in the domestic season.By the time the decision was made, all the pre-season tournaments in the country were over and the Rajasthan players hardly had any game time before they entered the zonal one-dayers. And the rustiness was evident, as the team could win just one of the four league games and suffered the ignominy of being bowled out for 35 against Railways.To add to their woes, Modi’s RCA had decided before the season that they would not hire the services of professionals this season. Had it not been for domestic stalwarts like Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Rashmi Parida and Aakash Chopra, Rajasthan would not have won successive titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12. This has left Pankaj Singh and Robin Bist with far too much responsibility. Not only do they have to keep performing consistently, but also be on the ball when it comes to grooming youngsters and getting their strategies right.Player to WatchAshok Menaria had a fairytale start to his first-class career. Soon after leading India in the Under-19 World Cup in 2010, Menaria scored a century each in the quarter-final, semi-final and the final to star in Rajasthan’s maiden Ranji triumph. Menaria, however, has failed to replicate the same consistency since then. It reflected in his tally of 302 runs from 14 innings last season, with just one fifty. He will be desperate to better his numbers and help his side to a better season.Teamspeak”Our main challenge this season would be to cope with the absence of professionals. We haven’t had the most ideal preparations and with no veteran in the dressing room, we will need to gel as a unit as soon as we can. If we can get our act together early on in the season, I am sure we will be in a position to make it to the knockouts.” Pankaj SinghHaryanaBy Amol KarhadkarWhere they finished last seasonHaryana managed to avoid relegation for the second time in succession. They tallied 10 points from eight games, finishing eighth in Group A.Big PictureHaryana have one of the most balanced bowling units. But they have one of the weakest batting line-ups in the tournament. As a result, their recent Ranji Trophy campaigns have been focused on keeping their place in the top division.To revive their fortunes with the bat, Haryana have brought in Surendra Bhave as the coach ahead of the season. Bhave guided Maharashtra to their first Ranji final in over two decades last season. The former national selector has been working hard with the Haryana batsmen, none of whom could tally 600 runs in 2013-14. If the batting unit can complement the bowlers, Haryana can emerge as one of the strong units this year.Their strength lies in the bowling department. In Joginder Sharma and Amit Mishra, they have seasoned campaigners who have proven their worth time and again. While Joginder will be sharing the new ball with Mohit Sharma, Haryana have a problem of plenty in the spin department. Legspinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Rahul Tewatia have given a glimpse of their talent during the limited opportunities they have got during the IPL. If they can pair up with Mishra, Haryana can restrict any opposition irrespective of the conditions.Player to WatchMohit Sharma’s wicket tally may have dipped from 37 in eight in 2012-13 to 21 from six matches last season, but the exposure of international cricket has made Mohit a mature bowler. He will be charged up to lead the Haryana bowling attack and make a case for an India comeback.TeamspeakThe Haryana Cricket Association feels it is premature for anyone in the set-up to have an interaction with the media right now.

Mark Cosgrove was unbeaten on 60 at stumps on the second day in Hobart, but he needed more batting support in order for South Australia to get close to Tasmania’s first-innings score of 362

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2014
ScorecardMark Cosgrove was unbeaten on 60 at stumps on the second day in Hobart, but he needed more batting support in order for South Australia to get close to Tasmania’s first-innings score of 362. Earlier, Trent Lawford completed the first five-wicket haul of his first-class career as the Tigers added 55 to their overnight total for the loss of their last four wickets.On a rain-affected day, South Australia lost Sam Raphael for 6, Callum Ferguson for 19 and Tom Cooper for 20, and at stumps Cosgrove had been joined by Travis Head and the score was 3 for 114. Tasmania had made 362 in their first innings and having resumed at 6 for 307 they lost Ben Hilfenhaus early in the day, a fourth wicket for Joe Mennie.Lawford then finished off the tail with the final three wickets, including Ben Dunk for 23 and Xavier Doherty for 20, and ended up with 5 for 82. Mennie picked up 4 for 68.

MS Dhoni returns for India while Steven Smith makes his captaincy debut in Brisbane

Daniel Brettig16-Dec-20144:02

Monga: Conditions will only get tougher for India’s batsmen

Match factsDecember 17-21, 2014, Brisbane
Start time 1000 local (0000 GMT)Big PictureThrilling as Adelaide’s Test match turned out to be, its rhythms and conditions were more subcontinental than sub-tropical. Brisbane’s reshuffled status as the second match of the series means India’s players have had a little more time to get used to playing down under, but the conditions they are to face at the Gabba will be a world away from Adelaide’s modest pace and sharp spin.So it is that Australia’s new captain Steven Smith, all of 25 years and 23 Tests behind him, can take comfort in the fact that he is beginning his tenure on a venue where the hosts are seldom threatened, let alone beaten. Smith has stated that Australia’s brand of cricket will not change under his stewardship, and in Brisbane last year that meant a shirt-front of a performance that stunned England and dictated the outcome of the Ashes series.Starting a Test in Brisbane a mere four days after the opener has cost Australia their most reliable paceman in Ryan Harris, and while the inclusion of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will freshen up the attack considerably, the older man’s precision and swing will be missed. There was a time when Peter Siddle could claim to provide almost as great a threat as Harris’, but his fading star has been emphasised by omission. Mitchell Johnson was also somewhat off-key in Adelaide, but he can be expected to be livened up by the Brisbane environs.MS Dhoni’s return for India will likely mark a change in approach for the visitors, more pragmatic than the death or glory surge authored by Virat Kohli on Adelaide’s entrancing final day. Nonetheless, Dhoni may have learned a thing or two from how Kohli attacked, and by doing so brought India closer to competing with Australia than at almost any stage of the 2011-12 tour. If Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma can find the right lengths on the sort of surface they are seldom fortunate enough to bowl on, India may have a chance.Form guideAustralia WLLWL
India LLLLWPeter Siddle and Ryan Harris will be missing from Australia’s XI for the Gabba•Getty ImagesIn the spotlightFor a few weeks, Brad Haddin has pondered the thought of captaining Australia. It was likely to have been at the Gabba before Michael Clarke regained fitness in time for Adelaide. But then Phillip Hughes was struck, the Tests were swapped, and Clarke tweaked back and tore hamstring in his efforts to honour Hughes in Adelaide. The moment has passed, and Haddin’s role as both mentor and lieutenant to Steven Smith will be critical to Australian success. To do his best, he will need to put those earlier thoughts of leadership to one side.As well as Virat Kohli and M Vijay played in Adelaide, they will need some support from Cheteshwar Pujara in order to make the sorts of scores required to win at the Gabba. Neither as flashy nor outwardly combative as Kohli, Pujara is the sort of diligent, studious player who will have thought long and hard about how he can adapt his technique for Brisbane. India would want nothing more than a stolid, sheet-anchor hundred from their No. 3 here.Team newsRyan Harris (injured quad) and Peter Siddle (dropped) are out of the team that played in Adelaide, while Shaun Marsh will replace Michael Clarke. The new captain Smith has shuffled himself up to No. 4 in a batting order now at his disposal.Australia 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Shaun Marsh, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.MS Dhoni comes back into the team, while R Ashwin is a likely inclusion ahead of Karn Sharma – India’s pace attack is set to be unchanged.India (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 MS Dhoni (capt,wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mohammad Shami.Pitch and conditionsThe Gabba surface is well grassed and appears likely to offer up near identical conditions to last summer’s Test strip, which afforded plenty of pace and bounce to Mitchell Johnson and company.Stats and trivia Steven Smith will be Australia’s 45th Test captain, and youngest since Kim Hughes in 1979 Shaun and Mitchell Marsh are the first Australian brothers to play together in a Test since Mark and Steve Waugh played their last together against Pakistan in the UAE in 2002 India have never won a Test at the Gabba, but had the better of a draw on their visit in 2003. The last time Australia lost at the Gabba was 26 years ago, against West Indies.Quotes”Hopefully after the wickets we’ve played on recently in Test cricket, the Adelaide Oval and the two in the UAE, it’s exciting for our fast bowlers to finally have something that’s going to have a bit of liveliness to it.”

“The last couple of tours we haven’t played here. We have won at some of the fastest Test wickets – Johannesburg and Perth. There will be something extra for the bowlers, especially the fast bowlers.”

Defending champions Dhaka Division will take on Barisal Division at the Shere Bangla National Stadium from January 25 in one of four opening day National Cricket League four-day matches

Mohammad Isam18-Jan-2015Defending champions Dhaka Division will take on Barisal Division at the Shere Bangla National Stadium from January 25 in one of four opening day National Cricket League four-day matches. The tournament will be Bangladesh’s second domestic competition of the 2014-15 season after the Dhaka Premier League ended earlier this month.As earlier announced, the top four teams of this year’s NCL will play in the first tier next season, while the bottom four will contest in the second tier. For the first time since the inception of the NCL in 1999, one team from each tier will be promoted and relegated.Rajshahi Division will take on Dhaka Metropolis while Khulna Division play Sylhet Division. The other first round match will be between Rangpur Division and Chittagong Division, in Fatullah. The second round begins on February 1, but the BCB did not announce the rest of the schedule.

As good as Sri Lanka feel following comprehensive victories against Bangladesh and England, Australia have appeared the more cohesive unit through the tournament

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Mar-2015Match factsSunday March 8, 2015
Start time 1430 local (0330 GMT)Big PictureAustralia’s quicks are fast and fit. Their batsmen are explosive. They might not quite be New Zealand in the field, but they take their catches, make crucial saves. All this might daunt Sri Lanka, who are once again outgunned. But it hasn’t. Sri Lanka are still speaking of “peaking at the right time” and making incremental advances. They have three wins on the trot. Even if they have lost more players to injury in the past 10 days, than they have lost wickets in matches, they feel their campaign is picking up traction.As good as Sri Lanka feel following comprehensive victories against Bangladesh and England, Australia have appeared the more cohesive unit through the tournament. Importantly, their key players have form too. Mitchell Johnson took four wickets against Afghanistan. Mitchell Starc turned the New Zealand match almost on his own, in Auckland. David Warner has recent runs, as does Glenn Maxwell. The class of Michael Clarke and Steven Smith do not take much to rouse.Both teams now have enough victories under their belt to make quarter-final progress somewhat straightforward. Whichever team wins on Sunday will secure a quarter-final berth, and the other will be left to beat Scotland in the coming week to place themselves in the knockouts. An Australia defeat also means they are likely to face a semi-final against New Zealand in Auckland rather than a home game Sydney.Victory on Sunday will also raise chances of finishing higher up in the group, which appears likely to be an advantage, the way the other group is unfolding. Both captains say they are not thinking of whom they would prefer to face in the quarter-final, but it is likely they will want to avoid India and South Africa for as long as possible.Lahiru Thirimanne has a hundred and two fifites in the World Cup, and Kumar Sangakkara has scored two centuries•Getty ImagesForm guide(last five matches, most recent first)

Australia: WLWWW
Sri Lanka: WWWLW
In the spotlightWherever he is in the batting order, wherever he plays in the world, Lahiru Thirimanne has found ways to contribute while other young batsmen have failed to string together significant scores. He had not been at his best during the tour of New Zealand, but in four World Cup innings so far, he has two fifties and a career-high 139. The big tournaments appear to draw the best from him, but his form will be tested by a high-quality attack in Sydney. If he can sustain his good run, easing pressure on Sri Lanka’s seniors, the top order will likely continue to prosper.Aaron Finch was the primary architect of Australia’s mammoth score against England, on the World Cup’s first day, but since then, he has been short of time in the middle –  due to poor weather, as much as poor strokes. Finch has generally preferred faster tracks and quicker bowlers, as the statistical breakdown of his career lays out. He will be desperate to resume run-making after two scores below 15, but the Sri Lanka attack may prove a challenge for him on a dry deck.Teams newsThere are inklings Australia were caught off guard by the dryness of the Sydney deck, leading to suggestions Shane Watson may return to the XI for this match, while Xavier Doherty looks likely to play his first match in this World Cup. Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood are the men most likely to make way.Australia (probable): 1 Aaron Finch, 2 David Warner, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Shane Watson/Mitchell Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Josh Hazlewood/Xavier DohertySri Lanka are without Dimuth Karunaratne, who is out of the tournament, and Rangana Herath, who is out of the match, and will necessarily have to make two changes. They may consider playing two spinners, and four specialist bowlers in all, but since Tillakaratne Dilshan has been bowling effectively over the past two weeks, Angelo Mathews may push for another 8-3 combination, banking on Dilshan, himself and Thisara Perera to get through 20 overs. With a number of right-handers in the Australia top order, new-entrant Seekkuge Prasanna has a greater chance of playing than Sachithra Senanayake, if only one frontline spinner gets to feature.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Lahiru Thirimanne, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 7 Upul Tharanga/Sachithra Senanayake, 8 Thisara Perara, 9 Seekkuge Prasanna, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Suranga LakmalPitch and conditionsThere is a small chance of rain on Sunday afternoon, but the forecast is largely encouraging. The pitch, as Michael Clarke has said, appears to be slow and spin-friendly. The captain that wins the toss will likely want to avoid batting second on the surface.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have not defeated Australia in World Cups since the 1996 final. There have been four wins to Australia and a washout in that time. Sri Lanka have, however, won six of their last eight completed ODIs at the SCG.  
 Kumar Sangakkara is the only batsman with two hundreds in the tournament. Sri Lanka are also the only side to have hit five centuries between them. Mitchell Starc has 10 wickets at an average of 9.30 this tournamentQuotes”The players know where we stand, we don’t need to talk about it. We have to be focused on tomorrow.”
”I don’t think the toss will be that crucial because the wickets are very good, and we’ve seen teams getting 300 or 300 plus. Those targets have been chased.”



Opener Marcus Harris scored his third first-class century to give Western Australia a strong lead at stumps on day four of the Sheffield Shield final in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2015
ScorecardMarcus Harris finished the fourth day unbeaten on 129•Getty ImagesOpener Marcus Harris scored his third first-class century to give Western Australia a strong lead at stumps on day four of the Sheffield Shield final in Hobart. It was a difficult day for Victoria, who lost 7 for 93 in the first part of the day and then lost James Pattinson to a hamstring injury. At the close of play, the Warriors had a lead of 280, with Harris on 129, Adam Voges on 15 and the total at 2 for 240.A draw would be sufficient for Victoria to claim the title, so Western Australia might be inclined to declare overnight or early on the final morning. They had Harris to thank for giving them such a healthy lead in a short space of time; he scored at nearly a run a ball during his 134-ball innings, which featured 15 fours.Cameron Bancroft (38) and Michael Klinger (45) both made contributions at the top of the Western Australia order after Victoria were bowled out for 381. It was an excellent morning’s work for the Warriors, who began the day having claimed only three wickets. But a double strike from Ashton Agar – Marcus Stoinis bowled and Matthew Wade lbw next ball – changed things.Nathan Rimmington picked up three wickets, including the key breakthrough when he had Peter Handscomb caught and bowled for 48. The Victorians were dismissed with a deficit of 40 but their day went from bad to worse when Pattinson left the field while bowling the second over of his second spell, with what Victoria confirmed as “a slight hamstring injury”.Pattinson’s international career has been impressive but very stop-start due to a series of injuries, and this left hamstring injury comes after he hurt the same hamstring while playing in Victoria’s Shield match against Queensland in Alice Springs earlier this month. This is his first state match since then.

Alastair Cook has claimed that the ECB’s decision to relieve him of the England captaincy a matter of weeks before the World Cup has been proved wrong in hindsight and described the players as looking “shellshocked” during a disastrous campaign that ended

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2015Alastair Cook has claimed that the ECB’s decision to relieve him of the England captaincy a matter of weeks before the World Cup has been proved wrong in hindsight and described the players as looking “shellshocked” during a disastrous campaign that ended at the group stage.Cook was sacked in December, amid worsening results and after going more than two years without an ODI hundred. Speaking in Dubai for the launch of the Emirates T20 – Cook is in the UAE to take part in the Champion County match between MCC against Yorkshire – he said that England appeared to lack for leadership after heavy defeats against Australia and New Zealand in their first two World Cup games set them on the road to an early exit.”I’m always going to have a slightly biased view on that. I was there for three-and-a-half years trying to do a job,” he said. “We got to number one in the world with a full strength side and got to the final of the Champions Trophy. There were things I can be very proud of. As any captain will tell you, leading your country in a World Cup is a huge honour and one that can never be taken lightly. I was very much looking forward to that.”I understand the pressure I was under. I wasn’t scoring the runs I should, or could, have been scoring, so I understand that my position was in jeopardy. I said at the end of Sri Lanka that if there was a change, I couldn’t complain because I hadn’t scored the runs.”But I think you saw in Australia the dangers of making such a big decision so close to the tournament. I don’t know what’s gone on on that tour, and I can only speak from watching a little bit from afar, but it did look like the lads were shellshocked from the first two games. That’s when you need real leadership to help steer you through that. Whether I would have made a difference, I don’t know. But I was fully confident we would get out of our group, and from there, you’ve got to win three games in a row – that’s how this World Cup has worked.”I can’t speak about what’s gone on there in depth, but you always back yourself, and I would have loved to have had the opportunity that was taken away from me. The selectors made that decision because they thought it was the best for English cricket. Hindsight has probably proved them wrong, but now it’s very easy to say that.”Cook has been training with Essex since his removal, preparing for England’s Test tour of the West Indies, the squad for which was announced on Wednesday. The dismal World Cup showing has increased the pressure on head coach Peter Moores – who, as one of the selectors, was involved in the ODI captaincy decision – but Cook reiterated his support.”As always in this day and age – we talk about football managers and it’s coming into cricket now, it’s a results-driven business,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it, there’s pressure on him. There’s pressure on all of us. All I can say is that I’ve really, really enjoyed working with Peter. In my eyes, he’s a fantastic coach who needs a bit of luck for that to come out. I enjoy working with him and the lads do. I hope he stays and gets the opportunity to turn it round. I’ve only got good things to say about him.”England’s success in coming from 1-0 down to beat India 3-1 in the Test series last summer was one of the reasons the management persisted with Cook in charge of the one-day side. The encouragement of three successive Test victories has long since dissipated, however, as England lurched through six months of ODI cricket in preparation for the World Cup, which included heavy reverses against India and Sri Lanka.Cook conceded that, a year after England’s post-Ashes rebuilding job began, they would have to start the job of changing perceptions once again.”What’s happened this winter, the fans will be feeling disappointed, and there’s a bit of doom and gloom about English cricket,” he said. “We’ve got the responsibility as a Test side, a different format, to go out and try and change that and start turning it around again. That is the challenge we’ve got.”We built that momentum a little bit after the Ashes with a slightly younger side, including the likes of Gary Ballance and Joe Root. There was a feel-good factor about the English game in the middle of August after the Test matches. Since then, it’s been tough going. We’ve got to rebuild again.”Asked whether the Test team’s momentum had been lost, Cook replied: “I wouldn’t say all of it has been, but a hell of a lot of it has been. You have to remember that it is a different format and you get a change, but all teams are grouped under the same English cricket umbrella, and we can’t be naive enough to think that it’s not. We have a repairing job to do, and the only way of doing that is by playing some good cricket and to start winning.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore are still looking for their first home win of the season against a confident Kolkata Knight Riders side, who toppled Chennai Super Kings in their last outing

The Preview by Nagraj Gollapudi01-May-2015Match factsSaturday, May 2, 2015
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)1:54

O’Brien: Toss in Bangalore crucial

Big pictureA power-hitting top order in one corner, and an aggressive fast-bowling pack at the other. It is no Floyd Mayweather Jr v Manny Pacquiao boxing fight, billed as the ‘Fight of the Century’, but Royal Challengers Bangalore versus Kolkata Knight Riders has the making of an action-packed afternoon on Saturday if it lives up to expectations.Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, the backbone of their team’s batting, have all been among the runs and have each played a match-winning innings in Royal Challengers’ resurgence that has seen them string together dominant performances in their last three matches, after three successive home defeats. Another important contributing factor has been the cutting edge to the attack provided by World Cup hero Mitchell Starc, who has effortlessly slipped into the role of the leader of the group.These factors make Royal Challengers a slight favourite against defending champions Knight Riders, who endured a painful defeat at home the last time these two teams met. Royal Challengers were staring at defeat at one stage in that match, after their top and middle order had failed, but ultimately finished winners due to Gayle’s patience and calculated assault in the second half of the chase.India fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who did not play that match, will be the key on Saturday along with South African quick Morne Morkel who sat out Knight Riders’ last two matches. The Bangalore pitch has been one of the most responsive wickets for fast bowlers but the Knight Riders would do well to combine aggression with good bowling strategy to stop the reinvigorated Royal Challengers.Form guideRoyal Challengers Bangalore WWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders WLLWWWatch out forGautam Gambhir has hit three fifties this season and remains the lynchpin for Knight Riders. But in the last three matches, he has not had an impact with the bat. But if Gambhir can last beyond the Powerplay, he becomes a dangerous player, especially against the slow bowlers with his ability to pierce gaps and use his feet.Mandeep Singh, the Punjab batsman, has played just one innings of significance this season – the 27 against Rajasthan Royals. But it was a very important innings considering Mandeep’s 74-run partnership for the third wicket with de Villiers set up the platform through which the lower order encashed. But Mandeep has been a disappointment otherwise, scoring just six runs in the two other innings he has played. On Friday afternoon, he had an additional solo session after the team left, getting throwdowns from bowling coach Allan Donald. It will be a test of his character next time he walks in to bat.Stats and trivia Gambhir has made five 50-plus scores against Royal Challengers in the IPL, more than any other player. Chinnaswamy stadium is the only venue where fast bowlers have taken two four-wicket hauls this IPL. The seamers have taken taken 29 wickets here, second-most for any venue, just one behind the Wankhede Stadium and Chepauk.