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Kuldeep Yadav’s 5 for 55, the bowler’s maiden first-class five-for, spliced through the heart of India Green’s line-up on the third day of the Duleep Trophy match to render an already tough chase of 497 all but impossible

Arun Venugopal25-Aug-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Kuldeep Yadav combated dew to claim his maiden first-class five-for against India Green on Thursday•ICC

After seam bowlers and batsmen aced the pink-ball test on the first two days, it was the spinners’ turn to join the party. Kuldeep Yadav not only turned up, but did a merry jig too, as he spliced through the heart of India Green’s line-up to render an already tough chase of 497 all but impossible. His maiden first-class five-for reduced India Green to 217 for 7, still 280 runs adrift of the target, after India Red had galloped to 486 in the afternoon.India Green were in a reasonable position at 184 for 4 before Kuldeep struck twice in the space of five overs to dismiss Saurabh Tiwary and Sandeep Sharma, leaving captain Suresh Raina as the sole recognised batsman going into day four. Kuldeep did not have everything going his way as he had to combat the dew – he admitted to finding it “very difficult” to grip the wet ball – and two ball changes which, according to Robin Uthappa, helped the batsmen as the ball came on to the bat quicker.Kuldeep also played a useful hand with the bat, as his 49-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Anureet Singh supplemented Gurkeerat Singh’s robust 82 off 96 balls. His performance also overshadowed fellow wristspinner Shreyas Gopal’s skillful show, which had earned the latter five wickets.While the eventual score might bear little trace of it, India Green’s pursuit initially acquired a sturdy set of wheels as they soared to 52 for 0 in six overs. With Nathu Singh and Anureet unable to find swing or lateral movement, Uthappa and Jalaj Saxena made the right noises. While Uthappa scorched drives down the ground, Saxena got away with whips that saw his bat descending in a risky, angular arc.India Red wrested some control through Ishwar Pandey, who operated on a run-drying line, and bowled Saxena as he attempted to guide a straight ball. It wasn’t until the 15th over that Kuldeep was introduced, but all seemed well at that stage for India Green with Uthappa sustaining the initiative. Kuldeep, however, deceived Uthappa with a ball that went with the angle and the batsman edged it to first slip. Two balls later, Rajat Paliwal was lbw after he pre-empted a googly only to get a chinaman.While Uthappa handled Kuldeep relatively easily, what was less noticeable was Parthiv Patel’s struggles against the chinaman bowler – he managed only two runs off the 47 balls he faced from Kuldeep in both innings, and fell to the bowler on both occasions. In the 27th over, Parthiv hung back to a fast-ish googly that skidded on to catch him in front of the stumps; the previous ball, he had thrust out a diffident prod to another googly.Suresh Raina also started off nervously against Kuldeep. At one point he was harried into swishing across the line with no foot movement. But, along with Tiwary, who had scored a fifty on the second day, Raina cobbled up a 54-run stand for the fifth wicket, only for Kuldeep to wreck the innings with his late blows.That the pink ball retained its shine helped Kuldeep get the ball to skid on, although the fact that there were two instances of the ball losing shape – in the 19th and 32nd overs – might be a worrisome aspect.In the afternoon, India Green might have reconciled to copping another round of brisk pummelling had rain not made its now-customary appearance. In a little over an hour, India Red had jogged along to 67 runs in 14.4 overs, although India Green had mitigated things somewhat by removing Abhinav Mukund and KB Arun Karthik.It was after the early, rain-enforced tea break, however, that India Green, aided by Shreyas, looked like they were in control for the first time in the innings. With Sandeep Sharma and Ashok Dinda doing little to curb Gurkeerat’s scoring-rate, Raina turned to Shreyas, who showed his variations while cutting through the India Red middle order.Gurkeerat had a jolly good run up to that point, camping in his crease, and either guiding or slashing the seamers behind square. Four overs into the second session, Shreyas sent down a delivery that would also define Kuldeep’s performance later in the night: the ball veered in, dipped and turned away from Gurkeerat, who had lumbered forward and lost his balance as Parthiv quickly swiped the bails off. Not long after, Shreyas had Akshay Wakhare lbw, but Anureet and Kuldeep frustrated India Green before the side was bowled for 486.

Ben Stokes roared in the nick of time as Durham survived a Surrey run chase and saved their Division One status in the process

ECB Reporters Network15-Sep-2016
ScorecardBen Stokes made a decisive late impact•Getty Images

Ben Stokes finally came to the party for Durham, ending their relegation worries by taking four Surrey wickets in a gripping finish at Chester-le-Street.After scoring 24 and nought, and remaining wicketless until the final session, Stokes took 4 for 54 as Surrey were dismissed for 259 to lose by 21 runs.Jason Roy fell four short of his second century of the match, but Surrey were kept in the hunt by a fearless unbeaten 50 from 18-year-old Sam Curran to go with his 7 for 58 in Durham’s second innings.Surrey could have slight concerns over Roy and Zafar Ansari ahead of Saturday’s Royal London Cup final after both needed treatment for hand injuries.Following their first innings stand of 164 the pair put on 143 after coming together at 11 for three in pursuit of 281.
After the persistent murk of the previous day, play again began with the floodlights on, but the sun was starting to emerge as Roy went to the crease and batting became more comfortable after lunch.On nine Durham were convinced Roy had edged Brydon Carse’s first ball to wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter, then he edged the next ball where third slip had been prior to becoming a second gully.He played with calm authority afterwards, but was struck on the hand by Carse on 44. After a lengthy delay he hooked the paceman to fine leg for one of the nine fours in his 79-ball half-century.Ansari was on 32 when he needed treatment following a ball from Mark Wood. Two on-driven fours off Graham Onions provided the highlight as he progressed to 51.Durham had to turn to Scott Borthwick and in his second over he turned one sharply into the left-hander to have him lbw on the back foot.Roy’s 132-ball innings was ended by the first ball after tea when he gloved an attempted pull off Stokes to the wicketkeeper.Sam Curran cracked Stokes to the cover boundary three times off the back foot before the England all-rounder tightened up with three successive maidens, the last of which included two wickets.A stand of 54 ended when Ben Foakes pushed firmly and edged to Borthwick at second slip.Two balls later Tom Curran edged to Poynter, bringing in Gareth Batty with 59 needed. He helped to add 30 before falling to a stunning catch by Keaton Jennings, diving to his left at third slip.Onions took the last two, Stuart Meaker edging a drive to first slip before Mark Footitt had his stumps splattered.In the morning murk Durham’s two remaining wickets added 33.
Curran took his seventh when Onions drove a full toss to mid-off and Durham were all out for 246.Wood quickly took two wickets when Surrey batted, producing a snorter to have Kumar Sangakkara well caught by Poynter second ball.It didn’t look good for Surrey, but Roy, Ansari and the younger Curran ensured a thrilling climax.

Afghanistan would want to keep their bowling plans intact, after being successful in their two-wicket win as they face Bangladesh in the series-decider on October 1

The Preview by Mohammad Isam30-Sep-2016

Match facts

October 1, Mirpur
Start time 1430 local (0830 GMT)1:46

Isam: Will be tough for Bangladesh to decide playing XI

Big Picture

If it wasn’t during the first game, the second ODI made sure Afghanistan grabbed the undivided attention of Bangladesh – the cricket team and nation alike. There will be a lot of eyeballs on the Shere Bangla National Stadium for the series decider, which will have a large bearing on the home team’s mindset ahead of the England series.Bangladesh would like their batsmen to not throw away their wickets after getting a start, as the top five did in the second game. Soumya Sarkar, in need of runs after a barren 12 months, was the biggest culprit when he charged at Mirwais Ashraf unnecessarily after Tamim Iqbal had got out attempting the same shot.Imrul Kayes returning to the XI would be a must, given how comfortably he dealt with the Afghanistan attack, albeit for 50-odd deliveries. But his form is going to be important in the third ODI. So would be longer knocks from Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan.Bangladesh also have a reshaped bowling attack after Rubel Hossain was dropped from the squad for the third ODI, making way for left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain, the domestic stalwart making a comeback after eight years. Mashrafe Mortaza would have a lot in his mind with the bowling attack, and that could mean picking three left-arm spinners, himself and Taskin Ahmed.Afghanistan have to keep their bowling plans intact, after being successful in their two-wicket win. Mohammad Nabi’s accurate offbreaks have been the perfect foil for Rashid Khan’s quick legspin but the rest of the Afghanistan attack must put its act together.And so should their batting line-up. A big one is due from Mohammad Shahzad, and there would not be any better time than to let one of his whirlwind innings hit Mirpur. It could knock the wind out of Bangladesh.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan WLLWL

In the spotlight

It was a dream ODI debut for Mosaddek Hossain with some runs and wickets. There wasn’t enough opportunity for the newcomer in the first ODI but he made the best of what he got, forging a 43-run tenth-wicket stand with No. 11 Rubel Hossain. He was a revelation with the ball and might get more overs in the third ODI.Asghar Stanikzai reached his first ODI fifty in 19 months, in the second ODI, as he mixed caution with six-hitting quite effectively. But he suffered from cramps twice during the innings. He would now want to continue with the flow, and make sure the humidity doesn’t get to him.

Team news

Bangladesh brought in Mosharraf Hossain to replace Rubel Hossain in the 14-man squad, but it is still uncertain whether he will replace Taijul Islam or Bangladesh will go with three specialist left-arm spinners. Imrul Kayes could return to the playing XI at the expense of the out-of-form Soumya Sarkar.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes/Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt.), 9 Mosharraf Hossain, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Taskin AhmedAfghanistan brought in the experienced Nawroz Mangal to open with Mohammad Shahzad. Although Mangal didn’t make a worthy contribution, the winning combination may not be altered with the chance to win the series.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Nawroz Mangal, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5 Asghar Stanikzai (capt.), 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Najibullah Zadran, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mirwais Ashraf, 10 Dawlat Zadran, 11 Naveen-ul-Haque

Pitch and conditions

The Mirpur pitch was sluggish in the first ODI and then a rank turner in the second. Curator Gamini Silva could revert to the one he put out for the first game, which could assist Bangladesh’s spinners who bowl slower than the Afghanistan counterparts. For a change, there is very little rain forecast for Saturday.

Stats and trivia

• Shakib Al Hasan is only the third bowler after Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to take 100 or more wickets at a single venue. Akram and Younis took 122 and 114 wickets each at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium while Shakib has exactly 100 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
• Afghanistan seem to be specialist in winning by two wickets, having now done it five times.
• If Afghanistan win, it will be their first series win against any team ranked higher than Zimbabwe in ODIs.

Quotes

“Pressure is obviously on both sides, this being an international match. Fact that they are an Associate nation doesn’t come to our mind. They are a strong team.”

ESPNcricinfo looks ahead to the prospects of Dhaka Dynamites, Rajshahi Kings and Khulna Titans and Rangpur Riders in the 2016-17 Bangladesh Premier League season

Mohammad Isam02-Nov-2016

Dhaka Dynamites

Big pictureDhaka will bank on the experience of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Shakib Al Hasan in their bid for the BPL title for the first time as the Dynamites franchise. They have a good mix of allrounders and big-hitters in the side including Evin Lewis, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Ravi Bopara while among the local players, Nasir Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain and Sanjamul Islam will be be crucial.The likes of Mehedi Maruf, Irfan Sukkur and Mohammad Shahid would ultimately have to balance out the side, and their contribution could end up being the difference between a champion side and one that doesn’t go through to the last four.Position in BPL 3FourthKey playerDhaka has an experienced squad with Jayawardene and Sangakkara in the mix, but it will be Shakib Al Hasan whose T20 skills and experience will be vital to their title push.CoachKhaled Mahmud will once again have to juggle his many roles in Bangladesh cricket, after being appointed head coach of the Dynamites. He has had recent success, domestically, leading Abahani Limited to their 18th Dhaka Premier League title last season.One that got awayThe absence of Mustafizur Rahman could be hard to fill. Mustafizur was an important part of Dhaka’s progress last season, but is out injured this time. It will be up to Wayne Parnell and Mohammad Shahid to fill his shoes. It won’t be easy.Below the radarTanveer Haider is an experienced first-class cricketer but this will be a chance for him to showcase his batting and leg-spinning abilities on a bigger stage. He impressed in the practice match against England last month, and it is known that Bangladesh team management is quite keen on his development.

Rajshahi Kings

Big pictureThe Rajshahi team returns after missing the 2015 tournament, this time with a new owner and a new monicker – the Kings. They have picked some experienced overseas players like Darren Sammy, Mohammad Sami and Samit Patel, while Upul Tharanga and Milinda Siriwardana will also be important contributors when they eventually join the team.There will be a lot of interest in Mehedi Hasan, who won the man-of-the-series award in his debut Test series against England. He will have to contribute with the bat too for Rajshahi, while the likes of Mominul Haque, Sabbir Rahman, Farhad Reza and Rony Talukdar would also have to step up to get them into the last four.The Rajshahi Kings have picked up experienced foreigners, but all eyes will be on wonderkid Mehedi Hasan•AFP

Key playerSabbir Rahman will once again be the most important player for his franchise, and Rajshahi would like him to come to the party, like he did for Barisal last season. Sabbir’s effervescence in the field would also be important for the new franchise as they look for momentum from the get-go.CoachVeteran Sarwar Imran will be in charge of the Rajshahi franchise this year. He was with the Barisal and Sylhet teams in previous BPL editions and delivered mixed results. But he is regarded as a quality coach in the Bangladesh scene, having also worked with the senior team on a number of occasions.Below the radarEbadot Hossain has been attracting attention since he emerged out of the Pacer Hunt programme earlier this year. A Bangladesh Air Force employee, Ebadot has pace to burn and impressed in the practice match against England, and the High Performance programme.

Khulna Titans

Big pictureMahmudullah’s new role as aggressor and finisher will be at the forefront for the returning Khulna Titans•Getty Images

Khulna is another BPL returnee franchise, having missed the previous edition. They return as the Titans, and have put together a balanced squad with Mahmudullah leading some BPL veterans like Kevon Cooper and Lendl Simmons, and a few talented first-timers like the big-hitting Hasanuzzaman and fast bowler Abdul Halim.Benny Howell, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Asghar and Ben Laughlin are interesting picks in the bowling department while among the local players, Alok Kapali would provide some meat in the middle-order.Key player
Khulna would be keen to see Mahmudullah bring the same verve into their franchise as he did for Barisal Bulls last season. His changed batting approach and recent transformation as Bangladesh’s finisher in the shortest format will fit into his team’s plans.CoachStuart Law returns to Bangladesh cricket after helping the Under-19 team to their first semifinal at the World Cup, earlier this year. This will be his second BPL stint as head coach, having been in charge of the (now defunct) Sylhet Royals in 2012. Law’s knowledge of Bangladeshi players will go well with his own experience as an ex-international.Below the radarYoungster Hasanuzzaman played only a few matches for Kalabagan Krira Chakra in the Dhaka Premier League last season but he did enough to impress Mashrafe Mortaza. Now he will be playing for Khulna after also performing well for ULAB in a T20 university-level tournament in Sri Lanka recently.

Rangpur Riders

Big pictureIt is an exciting squad, particularly in the top order with Mohammad Shahzad, Sharjeel Khan, Soumya Sarkar, Nasir Jamshed and Gidron Pope in the mix. The likes of Babar Azam, Shahid Afridi, Dasun Shanaka and Rubel Hossain will also be heavily relied upon, though fitting in so many big-hitters may become a selection issue.Local players like Sohag Gazi and Ziaur Rahman would remain in contention though Elias Sunny and Muktar Ali also have decent experience playing T20s.Position in BPL 3ThirdKey playerIf Mohammad Shahzad gets in his groove, the BPL could become entertaining. The Afghanistan opener is a big hitter, and will be itching to give a good performance in his first BPL. His wicketkeeping will also be handy.CoachIt raised a few eyebrows when Rangpur announced former Bangladesh batsman Javed Omar as their head coach, particularly given his lack of experience at this level. But Javed is a character who has served Bangladesh cricket for a very long time, and his inclusion in the BPL is welcome.One that got awayShakib Al Hasan will certainly be their biggest missing star this season, and they will have to make up for it with the combination of their overseas and local players. Shahid Afridi’s involvement will be key.Below the radarThere might be a case for Pinak Ghosh to get a few games, given his immense talent as an opener, but a top-order place could be hard to find for this youngster. He will be well-served by the experience of mingling with some of the most experienced players in the world.

England ended the second day in Visakhapatnam tottering on 103 for 5 in reply to India’s 455 after falling prey to India’s trio of spinners

The Report by Andrew Miller18-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:52

Compton: It’s a shame for England that Root isn’t unbeaten overnight

At every critical juncture of this typically subcontinental Test match, England’s cricketers have inadvertently been telegraphing their sense of impending doom. It was visible in Alastair Cook’s body language after losing a vital toss; it resurfaced on the first afternoon when Virat Kohli was dropped at fine leg by Adil Rashid, and there were tremors again this morning, when Moeen Ali’s offbreaks began to find the purchase necessary to check India’s innings before it could run away.But it wasn’t until the second afternoon at Visakhapatnam that their deep-seated pessimism began gushing to the surface like an Andhra Pradesh oil strike. By the close of a gripping and debilitating third session, with India’s trio of spinners tormenting both sides of a succession of stick-or-twist blades, the destiny of this contest was all but pre-ordained.England limped to the close on 103 for 5, in reply to India’s 455, having contributed massively to their own downfall with a succession of hare-brained departures, but equally, having had their minds and techniques scrambled by the dripping-tap accuracy of, in particular, the offspinners R Ashwin and debutant Jayant Yadav.Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin played its part as well, darting the ball in flat and fast to challenge the front pad and leave England’s batsmen no time to gather their thoughts between deliveries. But it was Ashwin who applied the surgical strikes, his 12 overs yielding 15 runs and two wickets, including the crowning scalp of Joe Root for 53 and the hapless Ben Duckett for 5.Meanwhile Jayant, shrewdly handed a debut in response to England’s selection of a record seven left-handers, showcased a tall and tidy technique, and accounted of one of that number as his maiden Test wicket. Moeen Ali, one of England’s four centurions at Rajkot, was struck on the shin as he pressed forward to another wicket-to-wicket delivery, and sent on his way lbw for 1 after Virat Kohli made a correct call for the DRS.Soon afterwards, Jayant should have had a second when he bounced an offbreak off the top of Ben Stokes’ off stump and into the keeper’s gloves without dislodging it. It was a memorably bizarre footnote to a fine first day of Test action from the new boy, that had earlier included a key role – once again in tandem with Ashwin – in a 64-run stand for India’s eighth wicket, but was perhaps most notable for the athletic slide and throw from deep square leg that ran out Haseeb Hameed for 13 and wrecked what little poise England’s innings had managed to generate.It hadn’t looked too promising in the early moments of England’s innings either, and Cook in particular had lived dangerously in his 11-ball stay. He all but popped a leading edge back to the bowler in Mohammad Shami’s opening over, but could do nothing about the beauty that bowled him in his second. After being lined up by two deliveries that curled away to the slips, Cook was beaten by a sensational nipbacker that smashed the off stump in two as it nipped back through the gate.R Ashwin is stoked after taking a wicket•AFP

But despite such a seismic shock to England’s system, there had been a glimmer of hope, in the form of a 47-run stand for the second wicket between Hameed and Root, that England might somehow extract enough runs from a still serviceable wicket to haul themselves close to first-innings parity. Root, in particular, had been responding impressively to the challenge of a skiddy low surface, and at one stage during a probing new-ball spell from India’s seamers had advanced on Shami to clip him aggressively through midwicket for four.But he was entirely culpable in the moment of madness that sold his younger partner down the river. Chivvying for the second run as he clipped Jadeja off the pads, he hurtled halfway down the track only to turn abruptly on his heels as Jayant’s throw fizzed in from the deep. Wriddhiman Saha did brilliantly in front of the stumps to gather and flick backwards in one moment, clipping the bails as Hameed tumbled for the crease in vain.At 51 for 2, the door was ajar and India’s spinners did not require a second invitation to bring out the battering ram. Duckett, whose stroke-laden technique had been an asset when counterattacking against Bangladesh, proved as a leaky as a fisherman’s net when facing the best spin bowler in the world, and having consistently exposed his stumps in a bid to attack Ashwin out of the rough, it was to nobody’s great surprise when they duly were splattered for 5.Two overs later, and Ashwin had the big one. Root had been playing a blinder in the circumstances, galvanised by his own supreme form and the knowledge of his role in Hameed’s demise. But, against Ashwin, even his free-scoring methods had been tempered, until Kohli tempted him fatally by removing his long-on and inviting a hoick over the top. He took the bait but failed to get to the pitch, and Umesh was on hand at long-off to cue India’s delirium.The familiar failings with the bat made England’s determined efforts with the ball earlier in the day somewhat redundant. Moeen, who had been underused on the opening day of the match, claimed three quick wickets in the second hour of the morning before Rashid and Stokes mopped up the resistance after lunch.Ashwin, India’s main source of runs on the day, was lucky to benefit from a drop at slip by Stokes when he had made 17, but the unlikely let-off had a spin-off benefit for England. India ran a single as the ball ricocheted off Stokes’ knee at slip, and one ball later, Stokes made amends by snaffling a faster, lower edge to his right to see off India’s main man, Kohli, for 167 instead.Kohli’s early dismissal enabled England to keep India’s innings closer to 450 than 550, but by the close, in spite of a spirited 15-overs of resistance from Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, it was looking like more than enough.

The duo put on their seventh century stand in Test cricket as the hosts finished the second day 254 runs behind in the Mumbai Test

The Report by Alagappan Muthu09-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:39