Australia vs South Africa 1st Test

JP Duminy completes a half century now and South Africa have scored 36 from the opening burst from Starc and Hazlewood. Runs are flowing here and Smith realises he's in trouble. Peter Siddle and Mitchell Marsh are in to the attack now. Straight away Marsh beats Duminy up. They'll need to build pressure. Drying up the runs will help a bit


A good little start for South Africa. The runs are flowing at a healthy rate and more importantly both Elgar and Duminy are still around and batting confidently. A lot of this positive start on Day 3 has been down to bowling indiscipline. Mitchell Starc is finding a bit of reverse but is bowling far too full, almost overpitching, to cause any damage here.

Duminy set the tone with an on-drive and a cover drive off Starc. While Hazlewood has generally hit his lengths, Starc has sprayed a bit around - there's even been a short ball that's gone for four over the keeper's head. Elgar has completed his fifty and Duminy nears his own as the lead is past 130 now.

While Vernon Philaneder with his four-fer spearheaded the bowling admirably in Steyn's absence, debutant Keshav Maharaj impressed with his control and clever changes of pace. And of course, there's Kagiso Rabada and in these two there's hope of a bright future for South Africa.

David Warner, who got out in the nineties for the first time in his Test career yesterday, was understandably concerned about the middle-order collapse. He's asked his players to step it up in the second innings. You can read the details of that press conference here

Dean Elgar and JP Duminy looked untroubled during their half-century stand last evening. But it's the morning session which has produced all the drama so far in this game. The lead is 102. Important for South Africa to get as many as possible considering they are a bowler short for the second innings.

It's the third day of the Perth Test or as it is more popularly known - moving day. Nothing to worry on that front as the game has moved significantly. We're nicely into the middle of the third innings of this Test and after a topsy-turvy ride it's South Africa who find themselves on top after a dramatic turnaround on Day 2. Australia will wonder how they find themselves 102 behind at the start of Day 3 after bowling out the visitors for 242 in the first innings and being 158/0 in their own essay at one stage.

But such is the way of Test cricket. All an opponent needs is a small opening and a position of strength can quickly wither away. South Africa are pumped up, they want to extend their unbeaten run at WACA and they would like to do it for Dale Steyn, whose body is now showing signs of giving up on him. The pacer of this generation faces another lengthy period on the sidelines after sustaining a stress fracture to his right shoulder.
Here's wishing the champion the very best as we build up to what should be another tantalising first session in Perth

At the start of the day's play, South Africa's chances of a comeback on what is still a good batting surface hinged on a dramatic turnaround in fortunes. David Warner and Shaun Marsh had eaten into a good chunk of their first innings total and when they'd taken Australia's score to 158 just after Drinks in the first session, the visitors' chances looked bleak. Then a dramatic collapse ensued. Philander and Maharaj picked up seven wickets among themselves, restricting Australia to a paltry two-run lead. And now this partnership between Duminy and Elgar has pushed their lead to 104.

Perhaps the only thing that'll sully their mood is the fact that Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the series with a fractured shoulder bone.



Match Summery  

AUS 244

RSA 242, 161/2 (56.3 Ovs)

First ODI India Vs New Zealand

After being put through their paces in a demanding net session, New Zealand's players, stationed just beyond the boundary fences, soaked in the surroundings. Mobile phones were whipped out in attempts to compress the scenic landscape of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium into mere megabytes of information.


Perhaps it was the setting - closest to that back in New Zealand - or the beautiful promise of not having to contend with Ravichandran Ashwin and his spin subtleties anymore on the tour, Kane Williamson and Co. seemed at ease with themselves ahead of the five-match One-Day International series. Right there in that moment, it would have been easy to overlook the fact that New Zealand were just coming out of a 3-0 drubbing in the Test series. Or that the two key senior members of the side, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, had averaged 27 and 15 respectively in an insipid show of technique and temperament against spin.

However, with the liberty of selective memory, New Zealand would appear to start on an even footing in an ODI series against India, despite their unsightly bilateral record against their hosts in these shores - 0-4. Their ODI stocks have been on a rise since Brendon McCullum impressed upon his teammates his own brand of devil-may-care attitude to the format so much so that Guptill, who broke into cold sweat at the sight of spin in the Tests, walks into this ODI series with four scores of 50 or more in his last six ODI innings.


Having achieved their best result in a World Cup last year where they lost to co-hosts Australia in the final, New Zealand have won four of their last six bilateral competitions, including a series win over Australia at the Chappell-Hadlee series in their most recent assignment. By their own admission, they are a 'very good ODI side.'

By contrast, their hosts have won only 10 of their last 19 ODIs - a statistic that lends more inference material after accounting for the fact that six of those wins have come against Zimbabwe. Despite the individual brilliance of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, post-2015, India is yet to crack the middle-order code for ODI success that was once the crowning jewel in MS Dhoni's strategy CV. The absence of an assured fifth bowler, capable of doubling up as a finisher, has also reduced the Indian skipper's efficacy with the bat.


And so, amidst a season that merited an unwavering focus on Test cricket, India's ODI team has thrown open the doors to new talent in the the hope of revitalising its fortunes ahead of bigger Tests just around the corner. It is not to say that they're playing a second-string side like some of the teams they sent out to Zimbabwe. In Axar Patel and Amit Mishra, they still have bowlers capable of reminding New Zealand that their spin trial is far from over. India begin the first of their eight ODIs before the Champions Trophy with a silent prayer and a hope that somewhere along the way, this invesment leads to the discovery of the missing pieces to their ODI jigsaw.
      India vs New Zealand, 1st ODI, October 16, 13.30 IST; 08:00 GMT

       Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala

A pleasant October's day with a high of 22 degree Celsius, dipping into the low sub-twenties in the late evening. On the eve of the match, the grass cover on the pitch looked like a shave gone bad. Expect the unevenness to be scrubbed off.


Ajinkya Rahane, in all likelihood, will be pushed up to the top of the order in Shikhar Dhawan's absence. This series could be the making of Rahane, the ODI cricketer. With Dhoni expressing reservations about Rahane's utility in the middle order, the series provides the mild-mannered batsman an opportunity to cash in from a position he is likely to be more at home. With Suresh Raina missing the series opener with a viral fever, India will look to bolster their middle order. Kedar Jadhav, who enjoyed a lengthy stint in the nets could play as a pure batsman. There's also the theory of playing three all-rounders in their top eight, thus handing both Hardik Pandya and Jayant Yadav their ODI debuts. With the MS Dhoni indicating his preferrence for control over pace, Dhawal Kulkarni, with his good domestic form, could find himself ahead of Umesh Yadav in the pecking order.

The visitors are likely to persist with their opening combination from the Tests, with the in-form Tom Latham partnering the limited-overs specialist Guptill. Despite Corey Anderson playing as a specialist batsman, the presence of all-rounders James Neesham and Mitchell Santner gives New Zealand a strong top eight. The returning Tim Southee adds a potent seam bowling option alongside the No.1 ODI bowler Trent Boult in conditions that could assist swing bowling. The team management is likely to toss up between Ish Sodhi, who did exceeding well in the World T20 in similar conditions, and Matt Henry for a place in the playing eleven. 

Pakistan Vs Westindies Test

In January, 1958, Pakistan found themselves in a hole in Bridgetown. Following on against West Indies, what ensued was one of the most significant, and perhaps most revered, innings in the country's cricket history. Hanif Muhammad's 337 remains the highest score for Pakistan; but its greatness lies in everything around it - the context in which it was scored, and the legends that have surrounded it since.

Nearly seven decades on, another Pakistani joined Hanif, in far different circumstances. From the pitch to the match situation to the bowling attack to even the time of the day - in every regard Azhar Ali's triple century was in complete contrast to what Hanif did. The only commonality might be that here again was a Pakistani top order batsman famed for his defense who willed the opposition bowlers into submission just by the longevity of his innings. Beyond that, you might be able to find more similarities between the two candidates for the 2016 US Presidential Elections than these two innings.

The listlessness of West Indies' performance deserves some recognition though. Over the last two years they've won just one Test, but there have been regular glimpses of them having a plan and putting up a fight. Neither of those things were apparent over the first two days in Dubai though. When the conversation around a match regularly turns to having a two-tier system for Test cricket, or to the solutions behind the malaise that one of the teams finds itself in, then you know that the match isn't exactly a contest. Of course the players will get the pelters but their preparation for this tour - or rather everything that has happened since the World Twenty20 - shows that the majority of the blame lies with the suits at West Indies Cricket Board.

There will also be questions raised about a pitch where such a scorecard became a reality. Dubai, maybe even more so than the other two grounds in the Emirates, has always helped bowlers, particularly the spinners. Until today there had only been one double hundred (by Graeme Smith) in nine Tests here, and even that happened after South Africa - then the undisputed best team in the world - had skittled Pakistan out in double figures. The key to Dubai has been how quickly it begins to break, almost like what the pitches in India were for the South Africa series last year - but with this Test being a day-night affair it'd seem that this pitch will take longer to break than usual. And Pakistan took full advantage of that.

Having said all that, having applied all the caveats, one still has to remember that there have been worse bowling attacks, on less helpful pitches, which haven't conceded a triple hundred. And that truly is the story of this Test. Azhar became only the 25th player in the game's history to achieve that landmark. Considering it came within twenty fours hours of him suffering from cramps as his body began to give way towards the end of day 1, shows both the mental and physical fortitude that he has developed. The fact that he would then return for Pakistan's bowling effort and stand at his customary short leg position only magnified how willing to sacrifice some players in this dressing room are for the larger cause.

This, of course, was never supposed to happen. A leg spinner turned obdurate batsman the early years of Azhar's career were defined by his inability to convert. At one stage of his career he had a single Test century from the fourteen occasions that he had crossed fifty. But much like the man he would describe as his "role model", Azhar's learnt the art of going big. Younis Khan, perhaps the foremost exponent of that art in Pakistan's history, was missing for this match. Thus, as per Azhar, he took over Younis's corner in the dressing room, and kept it as Younis does - a tribute that Younis is bound to appreciate. And he admitted that maybe that helped him play like Younis - unsatisfied by a mere hundred overnight - as the thirst for runs remained unquenched, even with every milestone he passed.

Azhar also pointed out how he has expanded his game due to his presence in the One-Day International team. The results of that are obvious - his strike-rate since the 2015 World Cup is ten runs higher than it was prior to it. Much like this Test team Azhar isn't obviously talented, but his continuous desire to improve incrementally has brought him where even he didn't think he would be. Three of his partners fell short of their hundreds; each falling victim to a loss of concentration. Their efforts only highlighted how extraordinary Azhar's achievements were. Only three men before him have achieved this feat for Pakistan - each of them have come to define Pakistan's batting in their respective eras. To even be in the same conversation Azhar has overachieved beyond what his biggest fans would have thought possible in 2010.

But even in his greatest moment he admitted to being bittersweet: if only this was in front of a packed stadium in Pakistan. If only.

Of course in years to come the number of witnesses for his efforts will far outweigh the couple of thousands that actually turned up. History has a habit of doing such things.

Halfway through his innings Azhar crossed the total runs tally that Hanif Mohammad had achieved in his career. Much like that innings in Bridgetown the tomes for Hanif will forever outweigh Azhar's emulations. But when all is said and done, when all that remains are hazy memories and mere numbers, Azhar's name will be in the record books.

Kabaddi World Cup 2016: India top force in Kabaddi but can we stay there

Amidst all the headlines that are being grabbed the Line of Control and the assorted chest thumping and head banging that goes along, it’s nice to shift to stuff that is little more innocent and even funny.

For those participating in the Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad, it may be serious business, but truth be told, it will take long time before staged tournaments in front of even more staged crowds really grab the attention of the world. That being said, it’s still quite fascinating to see who all is playing a game we thought was restricted to rural games at its basic form, to demonstration game in India.

It did qualify as almost a guaranteed gold medal for India at the Asian Games. But the final at Incheon Asiad in the October of 2014 showed us that it was no longer a given. Iran ran India ragged and it was sheer inexperience and youthful exuberance that cost them the gold medal.

The world was changing on the kabaddi court, and the World Cup being played now shows the signs. This won’t be the first sport where national ascendancy has been sacrificed at the altar of broadcasters’ need for making money.
So we had the Pro Kabaddi Premier League (can someone at least be original about naming these tournament?) and players from all corners began coming into the fold. We had Koreans, we had Iranians, and soon it was quite the League of Nations. The results were there for all to see.

India lost to Korea in the very first match and it no longer was the cakewalk it was predicted to be. Quite fascinating, the spread of teams. Apart from the hosts, Korea and Iran, we have sides from countries like Kenya, the US, Poland, England, Australia, Thailand and even Argentina!

One really wonders where and how this sport got to those distant lands. Would be quite fascinating to find out how they play these games there.

This is quite like hockey actually. For decades, no one could touch India. Then, for a decade almost, India couldn’t touch anyone. Incidentally, there was a Hockey Premier League too.

So is kabaddi headed that way? Will we soon see India succumb to the patriarchal and complacent culture of the sport in India being overtaken by the world? Will the rules change? Will the raiders soon have to chant “buddy, buddy, buddy” because the Big Three (the moneyed class) can’t pronounce “kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi”?

You think that’s funny? Have you seen how the rules have changed in hockey? All because the money folk can’t dribble!

Make no mistake, India’s domination of the kabaddi courts is a limited offer deal. We will soon be giving ground to some countries. And once they become successful, things may change. That would be interesting to watch.

The numbers game: Much hue and cry going on nowadays about India becoming the No. 1 Test side in the world. As things go in terms of being the top team, that’s all good. If there is a list, never mind how insignificant of short, it’s still nice to be on top. What else is there celebrate?

The ICC mace, the sign of supremacy in Test cricket, was handed over to Virat Kohli, quite dramatically on Dussehra day, as good overcame evil with an assortment of weapons, including the mace. India have vanquished all, but most of those defeated really didn’t have the ammunition to be a realistic challenge.

If the West Indies series was a calculation point, or even the just-concluded New Zealand series, then the mace isn’t as potent as it looks. Simply because the opposition barely passed muster. The real challenge is still to come. England will be way tougher, as will Australia, though the Aussies are really facing the heat in South Africa.

England have shown in Bangladesh that they are pretty well equipped for the limited-overs format. Not quite the Test format, but with Alastair Cook coming back to head things, it will be quite the show.

As of now, the Indian bowling is having a field day, especially since Kohli just refuses to lose any tosses. But there will be such days. There will be days when batsmen like Cook will big in and just not get out. There will be days when the powerhouses of our bowling attack – Ravichandran Ashwin and the surprising Ravindra Jadeja – will be attacked an punished.

There will be days when we will have to chase 300-plus with a day and bit left. Those will be the days when we will know what the thing is about being No. 1.

Who hasn’t been on top of the ICC rankings? As far as my recollection goes, six of the nine Test-playing countries have at some time or the other been top guns. The only thing about being on top of any list is the devilishly difficult job of staying there. So let’s focus on staying on the ground and winning stuff, shall we? That tops every chart.

Pakistan vs West Indies, 1st Test, Day 1 at Dubai

End of first Day

It's been Pakistan through and through! What a way to start a landmark Test! Woeful from West Indies as they just couldn't find ways to pick wickets. The only one to fall in the last session, when Sami Aslam fell 10 short of a maiden Test century. His partner, however, didn't miss the opportunity to become the first centurion in a Day-Night Test. He didn't stop at that and finished unbeaten on 146. Once Aslam fell, Asad Shafiq arrived and put on an unbeaten stand with Azhar. It was a long day in the field for West Indies, who will hope for a better outing on Friday.

Sami Aslam falls 10 short of a maiden Test century! He has been bowled by Ronston Chase. The left-hander attempted a sweep shot, but the ball dips and makes him stretch further ahead. The result is an underedge that guides the balls onto the stumps. Pakistan 215 for 1

100 for Azhar Ali! He becomes the first centurion in a Day-Night Test. He gets there off 184 balls and has 10 fours to his name. He's down on his knees in celebration. The Pakistan domination on Day 1 continues as they reach 191 for no wicket in 62 overs

There was a bit of excitement in the middle as West Indies took a review against Aslam after an appeal for LBW was turned down. The HawkEye, though, rather surprisingly suggested that the ball would miss the leg-stump. Maybe the angle from round the wicket didn't help Bishoo's cause.


Other than that close shout, Aslam and Azhar were hardly troubled. Both of them are also nearing their respective hundreds. At Dinner on Day 1, Pakistan held all the aces

There is a little bit of grip for the spinners, but West Indies' slow bowlers have struggled to find the right length. Meanwhile, Gabriel, the sturdy pacer, was introduced into the attack. The 28-year-old bowled with a fair amount of pace, but offered enough width for Azhar to crack impressive shots through the offside.

Sami Aslam completed a well-measured fifty. He mixed caution with aggression in equal measure to frustrate the West Indies' bowling line-up. The left-handed batsman also used the depth of the crease to handle the spinners well.

Azhar too compiled his fifty as the duo shared a century stand for the opening wicket. West Indies need inspiration from somewhere in the field to make a comeback. Maybe a great catch or a direct-hit?

Jason Holder took a review for an LBW against Azhar Ali immediately after the first session. However, replays clearly indicated that the ball would miss the leg-stump. Hence, the original decision stayed. Holder is getting a few to nip back off the seam.

Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam teamed up to share an unbeaten stand of 81 for the opening wicket to steer Pakistan to Tea in the day-night Test played in Dubai. The duo gauged the conditions before unfurling a volley shots against the spinners.


Cummins was the best bowler on show for West Indies and also created a chance by inducing Azhar Ali to play a half-hearted cut shot, but Leon Johnson in the slip cordon couldn't hold onto the catch.


West Indies need a slew of wickets to chart a comeback in this match. However, their bowling has been below-par so far and to make matters worse, the pitch isn't offering any assistance for either the pacers or spinners.

The pink ball has held up well, but the dew factor might come into play later on in the day.

Pakistan already seem to be in the ascendancy. Holder introduced Kraigg Brathwaite and Bishoo into the attack, but both of them were below-par. Aslam took advantage of it by lifting Brathwaite down the ground for a couple of fours, while Azhar rocked back to cut Bishoo behind the square on the off-side. West Indies need wickets. If not, this could turn out to be a long day in the field.

 Eventually, West Indies created a chance with Azhar Ali playing a half-hearted cut shot off Miguel Cummins, but Leon Johnson stationed in the slip cordon was perhaps not anticipating it. As a result, the ball burst through his hands. Hands on head moment for the Barbados pacer.

Sami Aslam, in particular, looked in fine fettle as he used a good stride to defend the pacers and rotated the strike. The left-handed batsman also showed pluck and determination in England to keep out the duo of Anderson and Broad and notch up fifties at Edgbaston. He has a bright future ahead of him. Meanwhile, Jason Holder introduced himself into the attack and bowled with good discipline.

Both Miguel Cummins and Shannon Gabriel extracted movement off the seam to trouble the openers. Cummins even had a leg-before shout against Aslam turned down. On replays, it was clear that the ball had pitched outside the line of leg-stump. The seam of the pink Kookaburra ball is harder and both the pacers are extracting a bit of bounce with the new ball.

Toss:  Pakistan win crucial toss

"The pitch in Dubai is as usual. Pakistan love to bat. It is so dry and so perfect for batting. It usually spins," reckoned Bajid Khan
 
Pakistan won a crucial toss and opted to bat. The hosts handed out Test debuts to Mohammad Nawaz and Babar Azam, while West Indies picked Davandra Bishoo as the lone spinner.

Teams:

Pakistan (Playing XI): Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Misbah-ul-Haq(c), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Mohammad Nawaz, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan

West Indies (Playing XI): Kraigg Brathwaite, Leon Johnson, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich(w), Jason Holder(c), Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Shannon Gabriel

Pakistan 391/2 (120.0 Ovs)

South Africa vs Australia, 5th ODI at Cape Town

South Africa have completed the whitewash as Scott Boland becomes the third Australian batsman to be run-out. Australia have been bowled out for 298, falling short by 31 runs. It was Warner and Warner alone who had kept Australia in the hunt. But in the end, the hosts were far better as a team and righfully triumphed. They won the series 5-0, registering their fourth clean sweep in a five-match ODI series.

Warner has been awarded the Man of the Match, while Rilee Rossouw has been handed the Man of the Series award.

Ah, it's Imran Tahir who has the last laugh. Coming in from deep point, the legspinner makes a sharp throw to the wicketkeeper and finds David Warner short of the crease in an attempt to take an unlikely two. The Australian opener has walked back to the pavilion holding his bat high to a crowd that is standing up in applause. But this should be it for Australia's challenge of avoiding a whitewash.

Joe Mennie is the number eight batsman to fall after Faf du Plessis gets him run out, but David Warner is single-handedly keeping Australia in chase. The Australian opener has brought up his 150. Even as Australia are seeing this game slip out of their hands with each passing over, the team has stood up in the dressing room to applaud a fine innings by their vice-captain.

Kyle Abbott, it's that man again. He strikes his second blow as South Africa are slowly pushing Australia away from challenging their total. Matthew Wade departs edging the ball to Quinton de Kock.

Kyle Abbott, the star of South AFrica's win in the last match has struck at the right moment. Travis Head goes for a pull, but ends up skiing the ball high to allow Quinton de Kock to take an easy catch. Will this wicket help South Africa claw back into the contest?

David Warner and Travis Head have put on a crucial partnership and kept Australia in this chase. The partnership is flourishing well and has got the match well poised for an exciting finish. Meanwhile, there are some heated words being exchanged between Imran Tahir and David Warner in the middle.

Almost unnoticed alongside the struggle of the other batsmen, David Warner has moved on to score yet another century. The left-handed opener has almost single-handedly kept Australia on course of this record chase.


Kagiso Rabada has had a rough day. After Warner was dropped by Quinton de Kock, Mitchell Marsh too got a life when Kyle Abbott failed to hold on to a catch at fine leg. Nonetheless, Rabada finally had the better of Marsh as he managed to uproot his stumps. Fourth wicket down for Australia and all four are bowled. The pacer is getting some much nedded hugs from his teammates.

Australia are tottering in the chase after losing their third wicket in quick succession. George Bailey chops Andil phehlukwayo's delivery back on to the stumps and reduce the tourists to 75 for 3. The scoring rate has come down and even David Warner is struggling to middle the ball after reaching his fifty. The left-hander remains the key if Australia are to avoid the embarrassment of a whitewash.

It's the second breakthrough of the over. Imran Tahir castles skipper Steve Smith with a quicker one and goes on a celebratory sprint. The legspinner doesn't leave an opportunity to celebrate. No 2 for South Africa and they are right back in the game.

Aaron Finch's troubled stay at the crease comes to an end after he is undone by Imran Tahir's slider. Even as the right-hander wasn't causing much trouble, the hosts were in desperate need of a breakthrough. Maybe, this wicket should help them claw their way back in the game.

After a bit of a tentative start, David Warner has taken the attack on Dale, who has been brought in as the first change bowler. The pacer is smashed for three boundaries by Warner off his first four deliveries. Warner was dropped in the previous over by Quinton de Kock behind the wicket. It may have been a tough catch attempted by the keeper. But had he let it go, it would gone straight in the hands of Hashim Amla at first slip.

A six by Kagiso Rabada and a boundary by Dale Steyn helped South Africa reach 327 for 8 at the end of their 50 overs. It will be a difficult chase for Australia. But they have the firepower in their batting to overhaul the total. If they do so, it will be the highest successful chase at Newlands, Cape Town.

Australia are hitting with some wickets late in the innings. Andile Phehlukwayo, David Miller and Kyle Abbott have made their way to the dressing room in quick succession. Nonetheless, that shouldn't hurt them much. With less than two overs remaining, they would be looking for some additional runs to put pressure on Australia. Maybe a few edges running down for boundaries. Anything that can frutrate the opposition going into the innings break.

Rilee Rossouw has departed after a fine knock. He holed out to Mitchell Marsh at long on. The left-hander raises his bat to the crowd on the way to the dressing room. Meanwhile, David Miller is going along well even as the pitch has become a little difficult for batting

While JP Duminy, in his attempt to push the accelerator, departed after putting on a superb 178-run stand for the fourth wicket, Rilee Rossouw has reached his century faster than run a ball. David Miller has come in. And if he manages to play on for the next 10 overs, Australians are in for a leather hunt.

JP Duminy and Rilee Rossouw have continued the kind of form they have displayed throughout the series. Both the left-handers have played an attacking innings and helped the hosts cross the 100-run mark with ease, in the 18th over.

It's turning out to be a good day for Joe Mennie. Brought into this match in place of John Hastings the pacer has struck for the second time in the match. Faf du Plessis goes for a expansive drive and is clean bowled. After having conceded 82 runs in his first match, this is turning out to quite a pleasant outing on the field. Meanwhile, South Africa have lost their third wicket. Not the kind of starts they have used to in the series so far.

Faf du Plessis, South Africa skipper, won the toss and elected to field in the fifth One-Day International against Australia at Newlands in Cape Town. The hosts have brought Imran Tahir and David Miller back into the side. Left-armer Tabraiz Shamsi, who had an impressive outing in the last match, has been left out.
Australia have made only one change to their side. Joe Mennie has come in for John Hastings.

South Africa 327/8
Australia 296/10 (48.2 Ovs)

Bangladesh vs England 3rd ODI

Oh! This young England team plays with spunk and spirit. In the 3rd ODI, the visitors yet again showed that they are now a force to reckon with in the limited-overs format as they overcame an energetic Bangladesh team to win the hard-fought series 2-1.

Vince, Duckett and Billings laid the platform with enterprising knocks. However, Duckett's wicket triggered a mini collapse, only for Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes to steer them home.

Stokes played with calmness and when needed, crunched a few lusty blows in the slog overs, while Woakes kept the ball mostly along the ground. It was a partnership that broke Bangladesh's fans hopes.
Bangladesh still would be proud of the way they fought throughout the match. In fact, they have performed creditably at home in the last few years, having won six ODI series in a row.

The duo of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler calmed down the nerves in the England camp by combining eye-catching shots and pinching quick singles. However, Mortaza castled Buttler with a slower one to keep Bangladesh in the hunt. Buttler, arguably England's best batsman, aimed to slog a slower one from the Bangladesh captain but could only chop it onto the stumps.

The topsy-turvy third ODI has thrown up quite a few surprises. Moeen Ali, the England allrounder, spooned an easy catch to the mid-on fielder off Mortaza. The Bangladesh captain has been superb for the hosts in this series and might just help them to sneak in home.

Duckett, in his short career, has shown a penchant to essay cheeky scoops. However, this around, the shot turned out to be his undoing. The credit has to go to Mushfiqur, the wicket-keeper, for anticipating wonderfully well. As soon as Duckett shuffled across the stumps, Rahim moved to his right and then gobbled up the catch inches above the ground. The match is tantalizingly poised and it could turn out to be another of those humdingers.

Ben Duckett continued to impress. The Northamptonshire youngster crunched his second half-century of his fledgling career. It has been another sure-footed innings from the left-hander. He rotated the strike with singles and twos and when needed thumped the big shot.


Just in the nick of though, Shafiul castled Bairstow, with the right-handed batsman paying the price for attempting an ugly hoick.

After composing an entertaining fifty, Billings was dislodged by Mosaddek Hossain. It felt as if the aggressive batsman was getting frustrated. Eventually, he tried one shot too many and top-edged a sweep off Mosaddek Hossain to deep backward square leg. Bangladesh needed that wicket.

Sam Billings is certainly a batsman to watch out for. The right-hander from Kent blends orthodox shots with innovation in equal measure. In this innings, too, he cracked some powerful strokes, sprinkled with reverse sweeps to net in his maiden ODI fifty. He seems to have the required skills and temperament to make it big at the highest level.

Nasir Hossain eventually picked up the first scalp for Bangladesh. Vince aimed to nudge the offspinner into the on-side and missed it. The loud appeal for LBW was answered in the affirmative. It was clear that the batsman was hit in front of the stumps.


Billings, however, continued to play with bravado. He even swept Mortaza for a six over backward square leg.

Vince and Billings gave a good account of themselves in the early overs. Vince, in particular, checked in some fine drives. The ball is skidding onto the bat and that might help out England.


There was also a bit of drama in the middle as Billings bumped into Mortaza as he looked to steal the second run. The Bangladesh captain didn't back away either. Vince, at the other end, would have been dismissed, if there was a better throw from Shafiul. This is turning into a feisty contest.

Mushfiqur Rahim bailed Bangladesh out of a slightly tricky situation with a well-paced fifty to ensure they would end up with more than just a competitive total. The wicket-keeper-batsman allied some powerful hits with cheeky shots to up the ante. He also got a reprieve as Ben Stokes dropped a tough chance at long-off.


At the other end, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat used the depth of the crease to crunch crucial blows square on the off-side. The track is aiding the spinners and a target of 278 could very well turn out to be an uphill task for the visitors.

Another ordinary delivery has helped Rashid to bag his fourth wicket. It was a full toss and begging to be dispatched, but Nasir Hossain crunched it straight to the man positioned at mid-wicket. James Vince gleefully accepted the chance. Rashid perhaps could buy a lottery today.

Shakib walks back to the pavilion as he has been stumped by Jos Buttler. It was a slightly freakish dismissal as Moeen Ali beat the left-hander with the one that turned away from him. As Shakib also lunged forward, his back-heel was dragged out of the crease.

Buttler couldn't collect it cleanly, but it deflected off his gloves and onto the stumps. Nice piece of bowling though from Moeen as he dragged the batsman out of the crease.

It looks like rain has relented for the time being and the match will start on time. England won the toss and opted to bowl. The hosts have picked an unchanged XI, while Billings and Plunkett replace Roy and Willey for England.

BAN 277/6 (50.0 Ovs)

ENG 278/6 (47.5 Ovs)

ICC All Teams Ranking ,Test, ODI,T20

ICC Test Ranking

ICC ODI Ranking

 ICC T20 Ranking

 

India climb to top of the Test rankings, presented with ICC Test Championship mace

India regained the ICC Test rankings officially after winning the Indore Test against New Zealand by a massive 321 run margin.

India captain Virat Kohli was on Tuesday presented with the ICC Test Championship mace for leading his team to the top of the Test Team Rankings. The mace was presented by former India captain and ICC
Cricket Hall of Famer Sunil Gavaskar at a ceremony following the team’s sublime 321 run win against New Zealand in Indore that also ensured a 3-0 whitewash – first for Virat Kohli-led side.

India were already assured of finishing at the top of the MRF Tyres rankings after winning the second Test at Eden Gardens thus regaining the position from Pakistan who had climbed up post a 2-2 draw with England.

Since the rankings are only updated at the end of the series, India formally replaced Pakistan at the top of the table at the end of the Indore Test. “It’s an honour and a moment of great pride to receive the ICC Test Championship mace. To be recognised as the best in the traditional form of the game is as good as it gets for any team and stuff that dreams are made of,” Kohli said.

Kohli became only the second India captain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni and 10th overall to receive the mace, even though it is for the third time since Kohli took over as captain that India have led the rankings table.
India had topped the rankings very briefly in January-February this year as well as in August. India’s
longest stint at the number-one position was from November 2009 to August 2011 under Dhoni.

The other captains to have received the mace are Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith (all Australia), Andrew Strauss (England), Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla (both South Africa) and Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan).

Kohli credited his players for performing consistently to take the team to the top. “Individual performances are important, but in the end it is what those performances do for the team that matter. If we have been able to become the best in the world, it is because there is a lot of bonding among team members and there is always someone to raise his hand in a difficult situation. I think that is what makes a top side.


“I would like to thank all players and support staff, who have all been part of our team because I feel such an achievement is only possible with contribution from all quarters. To reach the top of the Test rankings takes a lot of hard work and perseverance,” the India captain said.


Kohli said playing Test cricket is an ambition for any cricketer and to be part of such a team is to be treasured. “We all grow up playing cricket, hoping to represent our country in Test cricket. But to be part of a team that does well continuously in Tests is something altogether different. I am confident we will continue to win matches at home as well as abroad in the coming seasons. I want this team to be
remembered as one of the finest Test teams ever,” Kohli said.


Gavaskar said such an accomplishment will be cherished for years to come. “I have always believed that Test cricket tests you in every way. To come out on top over a period of time and be acknowledged as the best in this format is a big achievement. It is a result of sustained efforts in different conditions.


“I have some fine memories of Test cricket from my playing days. Taking on a top team in Test cricket was what pumped us up and certainly something that I always looked forward to,” said Gavaskar.


“There may be three formats of the game now but every cricketer knows that the challenge that Test cricket presents is much more and calls for a different set of skills, grit and character. I congratulate Virat and his team for this fine achievement and wish them all success in the coming years.”


ICC Chief Executive David Richardson praised India for regaining the top spot within weeks of losing it to Pakistan. “I congratulate India for some fine performances which have helped it win the ICC Test

Championship mace during a great period for Test cricket. The number-one ranking has changed hands three times in as many months, indicative of the current competitiveness of Test cricket at the highest level, which is great for players and fans.


“With other sides in touching distance of the top, the MRF ICC Test rankings continue to provide great context for the traditional format of the game. I wish India the very best in their efforts to stay at number one,” Richardson said.


Only seven points separate the top four teams with second-ranked Pakistan (111), third-placed Australia (108) and fourth-placed England (108) all featuring in upcoming Test series.


Pakistan, which is playing the West Indies in a three-Test series in the UAE this month, is also due to tour New Zealand and Australia over the next few months. Other upcoming series include England and Australia’s tour of India and tours by South Africa and New Zealand to Australia.

Ranking List 

 

India Vs New Zeland 3rd Test India win by 321 runs

 India win by 321 runs

The fourth day started with all eyes on India's batting. There was only one way they were going to go and that was to push for quick runs and a declaration. They managed to do that through Cheteshwar Pujara's ton but the momentum was taken forward by Ravichandran Ashwin, yet again, as wickets fell in quick succession and New Zealand were bowled out in less than forty five overs, rather embarrassingly. In what is seemingly becoming a ritual these days, Ashwin bagged a ten-wicket haul to hasten the end and capped off a perfect day for India.

India started the day waiting for the track to wear out further and in the process look to score as many runs as possible. The bid was started by Pujara and Murali Vijay, but the latter didn't last too long, run out while being a trifle lazy in getting back to his crease. New Zealand were on the money with their fielding and tried to keep the intensity up with a string of dives and throws at the stumps which didn't allow the batsmen to relax.

But Gambhir and Pujara were prepared to counter it. The former, in particular, was a lot more attacking and got to a quick fifty, hitting six boundaries. He was good at working the spinners around and kept turning the strike over with ease. However, he found the man at extra cover while trying to get on top of Jeetan Patel. He had done his job though on comeback. Fighting past a shoulder injury, he kick-started the process of getting quick runs and also ensured that his return to the side didn't go unnoticed.

Pujara was not able to go at the same pace. He tried driving hard but regularly found the fielders. He was still good enough to get to his fifty just before Lunch as India went in with an overall lead of 385 runs.

The second session was where India were looking to switch gears. Virat Kohli was potentially the man to do the job but he was given out LBW for 17. Replays showed that the umpire had made a definite mistake in judgement. Kohli was struck outside off while missing a sweep against Patel. That didn't deter India too long.
Often criticised in recent times for having a poor strike-rate, Pujara showed that he had another gear at his disposal and took it upon himself to get the quick runs. His strike-rate moved close to 70 as he scored the second half of his century at close to run-a-ball. His running between the wickets along with a busy Rahane was excellent and New Zealand's run-saving plans weren't too successful with Pujara bringing out paddle sweeps and cut shots to get regular boundaries. India's lead swelled past 450 and they waited on for Pujara to get to his ton. The lead was already enough for them to declare and and soon after Pujara got to his eighth Test ton, India had enough of batting.

Pujara's 101 off 148 balls was clearly the highlight of the innings and India were now ready to have a go at New Zealand for a short while before the Tea break. The target of 475 was probably a little too high for the visitors to take an attempt at, but they had 135 overs to bat out to save the Test.

For that they would have wanted Tom Latham, their most consistent batsman of the series to bat long. Those hopes were scuttled when Umesh Yadav angled one in from around the wicket to trap him plumb in front. This was a plan that the seamers had been working on all series against Latham and it worked perfectly this time. The crowd was getting into the act by now, cheering louder than they had done all day. New Zealand went into Tea at 38 for one, with a mountain to climb.

To make matters worse, Kane Williamson was out in the second over after Tea to Ashwin (for the fourth time in the series) again for 27. He was looking to play Ashwin on the onside through this innings after being out three times in the series trying to jam him on the offside. This time though he was out off a very similar delivery that got him the previous three times - pitching on a good length wide outside off and spinning in sharply. Williamson looked to work it away on the onside but missed and was caught plumb in front. At 42 for two, New Zealand's hopes were dying a quick death. Martin Guptill gave a chance in the very next over, edging one from Jadeja but Rahane at slip was late to react to it.

By now, New Zealand and Ross Taylor in particular were aiming to reverse the pressure. The spinners were getting in on a roll and on a wearing pitch, it would have been impossible to keep defending. Taylor launched a counter-attack scoring a boundary-filled 32 but India and Ashwin weren't going to relent from attacking. Soon enough, Ashwin caught him missing a sweep and got him bowled. New Zealand were now 80 for three.

There was a change in approach with the bat but it wasn't working as well as they would have wanted to. The spin twins were in their elements now. The crowd was behind them, the batsmen were unsure of how the pitch was going to direct the ball, the fielders around the bat were ready to pounce on any mistake. Luke Ronchi got one that stayed low while turning in, becoming Ashwin's third victim. James Neesham chipped on gently to short mid wicket. At 103 for 5 in just 24 overs and with 21 more to go, New Zealand were in danger of not even lasting the day.

Jadeja ended Guptill's stay with a trademark delivery that went straight on. The end looked inevitable and could have come sooner had Santner not survived two close LBW calls against Mohammed Shami. But, he went for 14 as the seventh wicket with a slightly bemused look.

An Ashwin off-break went off the inside edge onto his pads before rolling onto the stumps. Ashwin had his sixth ten-wicket haul in Tests. He soon got his 21st five-fer as well and ended with a haul of 7 for 59, his best in a Test innings, as India completed a 3-0 sweep

Ashwin
What a machine India have at their disposal. He's just gobbling up wickets at will! He's gone three more, cleaning up Santner with a straighter one, dismissing Patel who tried to sweep a full ball and missed and then Matt Henry lobbed one to Mohammed Shami at mid-off. India are one wicket away from a series sweep.  

 

India Vs New Zeland 3Rd Test End of 3rd Day

India lead by 276

Apart from the first session this morning, India dominated New Zealand with ease. Martin Guptill and Tom Latham started off well, but once the latter departed, it was a downward spiral as New Zealand slipped from 118/0 to 148/5. James Neesham, who came in for Neil Wagner, shared half-century stands with BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner. A couple of lucky dismissals aided India's cause as New Zealand were bowled out for 299.

All that, thanks to a brilliant R Ashwin, who picked up his 20th five-wicket haul in Tests, who finished with 6 for 81.

India decided not to enforce the follow on and ended the day on 18 for 0. Gautam Gambhir retiring hurt in what could potentially be his last Test innings was a killjoy, but Vijay and Pujara saw the remainder of the overs through. India will resume day four looking to score quick runs and make the declaration. New Zealand will have to bat out of their skins to save this game, with the series already gone.

All over

New Zealand have been bowled out for 299 in the final session as R Ashwin finished with a six-wicket haul. It was a brilliant performance once again from the crafty spinner who set the ball rolling this morning. Jimmy Neesham offered resistance, but was undone on 71.

India have decided NOT to enforce the follow on and will bat. Looks like Pujara and Vijay will open for India given Gambhir's injury with a lead of 258.
Ashwin returns after the drinks break and strikes immediately. James Neesham adjudged leg before. Replays suggest that the ball would miss the offstump. Neesham watches replays on the big screen and is livid. Can consider himself pretty unlucky to be given out. Anyway, Ashwin has five wickets in the innings - the 20th time he has a fifer in Tests. India will not complain as New Zealand are nearing the end.

Run out

Another unlucky dismissal for New Zealand. What was a caught and bowled turned into a run out. Matt Henry hit one back to Ashwin, who dropped it, but the ball went on to crash into the stumps at the non-striker's end. Patel took a tad too long to get back. His bat was in the air when the bails came off. India are one wicket away from wrapping up the innings. Ashwin can't seem to put a foot wrong today.

Neesham fifty

James Neesham made a spectacular return to New Zealand's Test squad scoring a half-century, stabilising things after a mini collapse. Neesham, however, was dropped by Cheteshwar Pujara in the deep immediately after.

Partmership

The New Zealand openers are still going steady as they reach their 50-run stand. This is their second fifty-run stand in the series after Kolkata.
Just as I was typing that, Latham hits one that falls JUST short of Jadeja at short midwicket. Lucky escape.

NZ 299/10

IND 557/5 decl, 18/0 (6.0 Ovs)

Bangladesh vs England, 2nd ODI -Bangladesh won by 34 runs

Toss: England opt to bowl

England won the toss and opted to bowl. As Bairstow is fit to play, the visitors picked an unchanged XI. On the other hand, Nasir Hossain replaced Mosharraf Hossain. The pitch was under covers for a while, but the weather has cleared up for now.

End of Match: Bangladesh level series

Bangladesh finally wrapped up the match with hero of the day, Mortaza, providing the finishing touches by dismissing the last man - Jake Ball. For a while, Rashid and Ball gave the hosts a scare by cracking a volley of shots. However, it has to be said that they had too much to do.

Most of the damage was done early on in the innings when Mortaza ripped through the top-order. Buttler raised England's hopes with a buccaneering innings of 57. However, once he was dismissed, it was always going to be a tall order. Mortaza took four wickets while Taskin Ahmed chipped in with three.

Earlier, Mahmdullah resurrected Bangladesh's innings after they found themselves in some trouble. Mortaza then landed the decisive blows in the slog overs to pilot them to a useful total on a track that was taking turn.The final game of the series will be played on October 12 in Chittagong.

Wicket: Taskin gets prized scalp

Now, that could turn out to be the decisive blow as Jos Buttler has been prised out by Taskin Ahmed. The England captain moved across the stumps to flick, but missed. The young seamer burst out a vociferous appeal and initially the on-field umpire adjudged him not out. However, on replays it was clear that the impact was in line and the HawkEye projected the ball would hit middle and off-stump.
There was more drama in the middle as Mahmdullah had a heated exchange with Buttler. The umpires then pacified the duo.

Wicket: England lose another

The second ODI has turned out to be a game full of twists and turns. Nasir Hossain dismissed Moeen Ali to put the hosts back in the front. The left-handed batsman attempted a slog across the line, but could only get a top-edge and Shakib grabbed a fine tumbling catch at cover. He had to backtrack, but kept his eyes on the ball all the way through.

Wicket: Taskin picks up crucial scalp

Just in the nick of time, Taskin Ahmed winkled out Bairstow. The right-handed batsman tried a half-hearted cut shot, but could only eke out an outside edge to the 'keeper. The hosts needed that wicket as the duo of Buttler and Bairstow had stitched a useful stand of 80.
For England, Buttler compiled a robust fifty.

Update: Buttler, Bairstow rebuild

In the recent past, Jos Buttler has come to England's rescue. Just a few months ago, he piloted England to a memorable tie against Sri Lanka after they found themselves precariously-placed at 82 for 6. Today, too, he is looking in ominous touch.


He moved around the crease to upset the bowlers' length. When Bangladesh's seamers banged it short, he pulled it to the fence. The point can be capuslised by how the redoubtable cricketer cracked three fours off Taskin in the 17th over. It included a cross-batted swipe that just zooted away to the fence. It seemed more like a tennis forehand. Bairsatow, his partner at the other end, worked the ball into gaps to rotate the strike.

Wicket: Mortaza on fire

Geez! Mortaza is in the form of life as he now cleans up Ben Stokes. The left-handed batsman played all over a straight ball and his stumps took a beating. Bangladesh will fancy their chances of winning the match from here.
Mortaza also got the boisterous crowd up on its feet.

Wicket: Bangladesh gain upper hand

Now, this is turning into a calamitous collapse as Roy, too, walks back to the pavilion with a forlorn look on his face. The aggressive opener tried the short-arm jab to a delivery that kept low and was rapped on the pads. Not surprisingly, Mortaza dished out a loud appeal and the on-field umpire answered it in the affirmative. Mortaza is churning out a game-changing performance.

Wickets: England in early trouble

Bangladesh made a roaring comeback by sending the duo of Vince and Duckett back to the pavilion. Vince played an uppish drive off Mortaza straight into the hands of the backward point fielder, while the left-handed batsman attempted an airy fairy drive to a delivery that turned considerably from Shakib, but could only hear the death rattle.

On expected lines, Roy and Jonny Bairstow have been surrounded by a slew of close-in fielders.

Innings break: Mortaza's pyrotechnics powers Bangladesh to 238

Bangladesh would be grateful to Mortaza, the captain, for playing with spunk and spirit to power the home side to a handy total. He crunched two boundaries and three sixes during his vital innings of 44. Nasir Hossain supported him well with a sprightly unbeaten knock of 27.

Earlier, Mahmdullah was the only batsman who handled England's barrage of short deliveries to essay a well-constructed innings of 75. Most of the batsmen succumbed to some well-directed short-pitched bowling by Woakes and Ball. The track is offering assistance to the spinners, but the dew factor might help out the visitors.

Build Up: England look to seal series

England showed immense self belief and resilience to chart a sterling comeback and pip the hosts in the first One-Day International in Dhaka. Bangladesh were cruising to their third successive victory against the visitors in the 50-over format, but they lost six wickets for a mere 17 runs to hurtle towards a heartbreaking 21-run loss.

As the tension reached breaking points, nerves were taut and fingernails chomped, but the passionate Bangladeshi fans just had to return home disappointed. In fact, with Shakib Al Hasan at the crease, the tourists held all the aces. The ace allrounder, however, was nipped out by Jake Ball and that triggered the collapse as the home team was eventually cleaned up for 288. Imrul Kayes, too, impressed and notched up his first ODI hundred since 2010, but his knock went in vain.

England, on the other hand, would be buoyed by their incredible fightback. Ball, on his ODI debut, bowled with a lot of pluck and was rewarded with a five-fer. It was the Nottinghamshire seamer who lifted England's spirits by dismissing Shakib and Mosaddek Hossain off successive deliveries. Incidentally, he became the first Englishman to pick up a five-fer on debut in ODIs.

Ben Stokes showed his class and quality to crunch his maiden ODI hundred, while Ben Duckett played with maturity for a debutant to compose a fifty. Adil Rashid, the legspinner, also made an impact by bagging a four-fer. The tourists will look to win the second ODI and clinch the series.

Bangladesh need to put up a better performance in the second game, especially in the field. The visitors would be fretting over injuries to Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy. Bairstow is struggling with a hip problem, while in an attempt to prevent a boundary, Roy injured his shoulder. Bairstow is expected to go through a fitness test before the match.

BAN 238/8 (50.0 Ovs)

ENG 204-all out (44.4 Ovs)

 

 

 

South Africa vs Australia, 4th ODI

4-0: That is as easy as they come. A thoroughly professional performance from South Africa. The bowlers dominated, and after an early stutter the batsmen fought their way through. South Africa win by six wickets and more than 14 overs to spare.

Remember this was a South African team without most of its regular names. No AB de Villiers, No David Miller, No Dale Steyn, No Imran Tahir, No Morne Morkel, No Kagiso Rabada. And yet to win so comfortably against the number one side in the world shows how confident a unit they are.

4-0 to South Africa now, and one last chance for Australia in the next game to get something out of this series.

Twist in the tale: Mitchell Marsh might just have given the Aussies some late hope. Du Plessis falls in a attempt to take him on, and holes out in the deep for 69.

Update: Du Plessis fifty lifts South AfricaThe captain is leading from the front.
He brings up a nicely-compiled fifty to help his side close in on the win. He is given out caught behind immediately after getting to his fifty, but the review saves the South Africa captain. South Africa need less than fifty to win now.

SPOTLIGHT: Good time to read about an Australian great, too.

Wicket: So my jinxes work, as it turns out.

Duminy departs. Hits a rather innocuous delivery straight to Mitchell Marsh at mid-on. Brings to an end a promising partnership and gives Australia a glimmer of hope

Partnership: Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy are neatly taking the game away from the Australians. The pair brings up its fifty-run stand as South Africa brings the runs needed to double digits. 

Zampa drop: The Aussies all have their hands on their heads. Except Adam Zampa that is. He hangs his head in shame. Faf du Plessis plopped up a front foot shot straight to Zampa, but the leg-spinner puts down a catch most people, non cricketers included, would latch on to. South Africa are slowly inching forward.

Early wickets: 

Australia have made a great start to their defence of a low score. Scott Boland and Chris Tremain pick up one wicket each to send back the openers cheaply and leave South Africa in a spot of bother at 32/2.

Update: Wade goes big, and he brings up a fifty, too. A much needed one from Australia's perspective, but can he carry on and get a much bigger one?

Well, apparently not. He falls immediately after, just like Mitchell Marsh. Phangiso wraps the innings soon after. Australia are bowled out for 167, and need a miracle if they're to stop South Africa from making this 4-0

Nelson strikes: Marsh gets fifty, but it's not nearly enoughMitchell Marsh looked set to ease Australian nerves as he brought up a fifty and stitched together a vital 50+ run stand with Matthew Wade. If his fifty seemed like a harbinger of better things for Australia, it turned out to be false hope as he immediately departed edging Kyle Abbott, who was brought into the attack, behind the wicket.

And as is the norm, one brings two. Shamsi doesn't want to fall behind Abbott. So he evens things by trapping John Hastings LBW for four. Australia reeling at 116/7. Abbott adds a fourth wicket to his tally, uprooting Adam Zampa's off-stump after he made five.

Australia are unravelling quickly here. Wade needs to go big soon.

Fightback: Marsh and Wade counter-attack as Australia try to claw backMitchell Marsh and Watthew Wade are taking the Australian way out of this mess. The duo has switched in to attack mode and as quickly as that South Africa are in a slight spot of bother. Faf is ringing in the changes, with the partnership goes past 50

Wickets: Shamsi strikes dent Australia further

Just when Australia looked to be regrouping after the early setbacks with the Smith-Marsh stand, they slip further. Tabraiz Shamsi takes two in three balls to leave the visitors reeling at 49 for 5. The credit for Smith's wicket though, must go to keeper Quinton de Kock. The keeper coaxed the bowler and his captain into taking a review for what on first impression looked like an uninspiring LBW shout. What do you know... It's three reds and the skipper has to back.

Two balls later, the left-arm spinner had a befuddled Travis Head play inside the line and pinged him plumb in front of the stumps. Half the side down inside 15 overs!

Dwayne Pretorius is in to the action now. George Bailey is felled by a scrambled seam delivery from the youngster. Comes in with the angle to thud into the pads. As plumb as you can get. Australia are tottering rather early. Here's Mitchell Marsh joining skipper Steven Smith.

AUS 167 (36.4 Ovs)

RSA 168/4 (35.3 Ovs)

 

South Africa won by 6 wkts.

 

India vs New Zealand, 3rd Test

Soft dismissal: 

 Tom Latham departs after a fantastic half-century. Ashwin strikes just 15 minutes before lunch. Soft dismissal for Latham who had played so well until now. The leading edge goes straight to Ashwin who takes an easy peasy return catch. Latham gone for 53.

Another fifty: 

Latham now brings up his third half-century of the series with a beautifully controlled sweep. It is his tenth in Tests.

Fifty: 

Martin Guptill gets to him seventh half-century after seven innings of not having one. This will give him the required confidence that he was apparently lacking heading into the tour, It comprised of seven fours and two sixes.

Partmership: 

The New Zealand openers are still going steady as they reach their 50-run stand. This is their second fifty-run stand in the series after Kolkata.

Just as I was typing that, Latham hits one that falls JUST short of Jadeja at short midwicket. Lucky escape.

Dropped: 

Rahane drops a chance offered by Gulptill at Gully when on 21, The ball went straight to him as it went in and out. Will that cost India? Guptill has looked out of sorts all series. Is this the luck he needs?

Build-up: 

Good morning and thank you for joining us on Day 3.

Day 2 was all about the Indian pair of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. They scored respective centuries, before Kohli got to his second double hundred, being the only Indian captain to get to two of those. When New Zealand take the field this morning, they will have to carry on from where they left off last evening. They looked solid. The Indian spinners will be licking their lips given that the pitch assists them, but that wicket also has runs. The visitors will need to show some patience and bat on. A fight from New Zealand will be nice to watch.

Stumps: New Zealand start strong

Day two of the third Test in Indore was studdded with centuries from Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. The pair added 365 for the fourth wicket and en route broke a series of record, both personal and partnership ones. It was indeed a day to remember for the pair as India went through two sessions without losing a wicket.

The tiring New Zealand bowlers were punished as the duo kept collecting runs before Kohli fell in the first over after Tea for 211 while Rahane departed after for 188. Rohit Sharma then carted the bowlers away for a quick-fire half-century after which India soon declared for 557/5.

Martin Guptill and Tom Latham have started their innings strongly, seeing out the nine overs unscathed. New Zealand end with 28/0, with Guptill on 17 and Latham on 6.

Please join us on Day 3 when New Zealand resume batting. Thank you for your company today. Goodbye!

New Zealand innings: 

As a result of the penalty levied, New Zealand begin the innings with 5/0. Guptill gets going with a boundary in the opening over.

Declaration: 

 And it has come. India declare for 557/5 and New Zealand will have nine overs to see through today. What an innings this has been for India. After sensational tons from Rahane and Kohli, Rohit Sharma came out all guns blazing with the intent of scoring quick runs. With Jadeja, he added 53 runs in 59 balls before reaching his fifty in the bargain. India have done enough to last them across both innings.

It would do the contest a world of good of New Zealand can at least put up a decent fight against India's bowlers. Momentum and confidence is clearly with India, but a surprise would be nice from the New Zealand batsmen.

Penalty: 

Ravindra Jadeja runs straight down the wicket. That, after a prior warning. A five-run penalty has been levied.

India, however, cross the 550-run mark now. Rohit Sharma gets to his half-century with a six. When will India declare?

Rahane goes: 

Boult, however, makes up for that inducing an edge off Rahane's bat when on 188. Wicketkeeper dives to his right and pouches it safely. Rahane has to go just 12 short of what would have been his first double hundred.

India - 504/5. Ravindra Jadeja is the next man in. He was rapped on the pads off the first ball, but umpire turns down the appeal.

Dropped: 

Trent Boult puts down a tough chance off Rohit. Skied towards long on, Boult chases it and almost pulls off a screamer but can't. India 504/4.

IND 557/5 decl

NZ 125/1 (39.0 Ovs) Lunch

Ravindra Jadeja fined 50% of match fee for causing avoidable damage to the pitch

ndia cricket team all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was fined 50 percent of his match fee and also received three demerit points after he was found guilty of running on the danger area of the pitch despite several warnings.
The incident happened during the final session on Day 2 of the ongoing third Test between India and New Zealand in Indore.

 Jadeja kept infringing the protected area of the pitch and had even received two informal warnings and one official one. A fourth such offence meant that he had to face the charges levelled by the match officials, which he accepted. Jadeja's offence also meant that India were docked five runs as a penalty.
 
"Jadeja was found to have breached Article 2.2.11 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to 'causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match'," an ICC release stated.
 
"In accordance with Article 7.3 of the revised Code, which came into effect on 22 September, in addition to the sanction imposed for his breach of Article 2.2.11, three demerit points have been added to Jadeja's disciplinary record," the release added.

The demerit points, which came into effect from September 22, will remain with a player for two years. In Jadeja's case, one more demerit point within a 24-month period would be converted into two suspension points, which then would force him to miss one or more matches.

 The ICC rule states that two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.
 
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, following the end of the second day's play, urged the umpires to be extra careful when it comes to running on danger areas, especially on subcontinent pitches which tend to crumble sooner.
 
"In countries where the wickets deteriorate like this, the umpires have to be very decisive around how they look after the middle of the wicket. There are rules in place and they need to stick to those," Hesson said.

India vs New Zealand 3rd Test Day 1 at Indore

Virat Kohli was asked in yesterday's pre-match press conference as to why there were no centuries this series. He responded by scoring one himsef on Saturday (October 8). Leading from the front with a stellar knock of an unbeaten 103, he, along with Ajinkya Rahane, shared a 167-run stand as India ended the opening day of the final Test between India and New Zealand on 267 for 3.

Winning his seventh consecutive toss as captain at home, Kohli opted to bat and Gautam Gambhir was on the attack since the onset while M Vijay missed out. New Zealand's bowlers kept things tight as Cheteshwar Pujara and Gambhir were steady. Gambhir was trapped leg before wicket just before lunch in his return Test and Pujara was castled in the second session by a beauty from Santner.

Kohli got together with Rahane for a match-altering stand and the duo ensured there were no more casualties for the day.

The pair dominated the final session to the extend of upping the run rate considerably, in comparison to the first two sessions. The run rate which was languising at a little over 2.50 was under 3 at close of play. After a period of hard work where Rahane was seen struggling against the short ball off Matt Henry, he recovered well to go on to score his half-century. He remained unbeaten at stumps on 79, while Kohli on the other hand, was as solid as ever.

India managed to score 119 runs in 34 overs in that final session to ensure India finished on a high

Centurion Kohli: 

Virat Kohli comes into his own ans scores a stellar century, and a timely one, coming to the party just when the team needed it. He came in at a crucial time when Gambhir departed, leaving him with the task of steadying the Indian ship.

Fifty for Rahane: 

After his fair share of struggles against the short ball and a tricky period, Rahane saw it through in fine fashion and got to his 10th fifty in Tests with a six off Jeetan Patel.

2000 runs: 

With that single, Ajinkya Rahane crossed the 2000-run landmark in Test cricket. He has been quite cautious since his arrival, but is keeping captain Kohli company in the middle.

Fewest innings to 2000 Test runs for India:
40 - Dravid/Sehwag
43 - Hazare/Gambhir
44 - Gavaskar/Sachin
45 - Ganguly
46 - Pujara
48 - Azhar
49 - Rahane

Pujara departs: 

It has not been easy going after lunch for India, yet, the pair of Kohli and Pujara bring up the 100-run mark for India. The rough pitch that has little grass has aided the New Zealand spinners keep the Indian batsmen in check. They got some turn and the speeds were brought down because of the conditions.

However, Pujara was stuck on the crease off Santner once the 100 was up for India. The batsman was caught too much inside the crease and not being using his feet cost him dearly. The ball went on to rattle the stumps as Pujara departed on 41 after lunch.

Gambhir departs: 

Trent Boult cut short Gambhir's comeback as he was trapped on the crease leg before for 29. The ball kept low and hit the back pad. A disappointed Gambhir has to take the long walk back.

The batter got off to a brilliant start upfront but as New Zealand's bowlers' line tightened, he was pushed into a shell. India 60 for 2 with Virat Kohli coming in just on the brink of lunch.

Wicket:

And, guess what! The move works immediately! Tom Latham takes a sharp catch at short leg as a shell-shocked Vijay stands his ground. He can't believe what just happened! Vijay came forward to flick one that was tossed up and hit it in the air to Latham who held onto it, albeit with his midriff, unflinchingly. Lucky break for New Zealand as Jeetan starts with a maiden wicket.

India - 26 for 1. Cheteshwar Pujara the next man in.

Spin in the fifth over: 

The first over of spin... and we are only in the fifth over of the day!
After India milked 26 runs in the first four overs, Williamson brings in Jeetan Patel to a strong leg-side field.

Successive sixes: 

Gambhir is making a statement now. Dispatches Matt Henry for successive sixes off short balls. The first one was hit over the deep square leg boundary, while the other was hit over the fine leg one.

Vijay is away: 

Vijay off to a positive start now, already two boundaries in that Boult over. New Zealand brings in a sweeper cover now.

Gambhir off the mark: 

Gautam Gambhir makes his return to Test cricket in style, confidently punching a short and wide delivery from Matt Henry to the point boundary. First runs for him.

First Day Summary: 

 India Lost Of Three Wickets - Murali Vijay,  Gautam Gambhir,  Cheteshwar Pujara
Runs -India 267/3 (90.0 Ovs)


    

England vs Bangladesh ODI -Jake Ball gets rolling with fifer on debut

It was a brilliant 'Bens' act at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday (October 7) as Ben Stokes and debutant Ben Duckett rose to the challenge of the subcontinent in fine fashion in the first One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series against Bangladesh. England kept their unbeaten record in Bangladesh intact with a 21-run win in a game that swung between the sides like a pendulum in what was a day to remember for both debutants - Duckett and Jake Ball, who was named Man of the Match.
 
If Duckett put in the hard yards to resurrect England's innings up front with a brilliant 153-run stand with centurion Stokes, scoring a fifty on debut himself, Ball struck in his opening over in one-day cricket to send back Tamim Iqbal. He then returned in the 42nd over to spark a collapse from which Bangladesh couldn't recover from - becoming the first England bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul on debut with record figures of 5 for 51.
 
Imrul Kayes and Shakib-al-Hasan came to Bangladesh's rescue with a heroic 118-run stand in 15.2 overs at a rate of 7.69, which turned the game on its head, leaving the hosts within sniffing distance of an improbable victory. In a chase of 310, cruising at one stage with 39 needed off 57 balls, Bangladesh slipped to being bowled out for 288 in 47.5 overs, losing 6 for 17 in 39 balls. 
 
Stokes, with his maiden ODI century, and Duckett rescued England from a spot of bother at 63 for 3, counter-attacking to put them in pole position. If stability results in consistency, Stokes's outings at No. 5 come as little surprise. In eight innings this year so far, the left-handed all-rounder has two half-centuries and a century, averaging over 50. His 101 today, that came off 100 balls, was not just a reflection of his skill but also his developed maturity, given the circumstance that he found himself in.
 
Coming in after set-batsman Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow departed in successive overs after a steady start, Stokes joined Duckett in the middle and started cautiously. Filling the rather large boots of Joe Root could have been intimidating for the young 21-year-old Duckett. With lucid apprehension, he found his feet and began taking on the Bangladesh spinners. Stokes took cue as the youngster settled in and adopted the role of the aggressor, using his feet impeccably to get under the spin and dispatch the ball over the ropes repeatedly.
 
Duckett, on the other hand, grew in confidence in the shadow of his partner and played the support role to perfection with runs trickling in steadily, striking the odd boundaries, before teeing off. After a period of lull - overs 20 to 25 fetched England 38 runs - they took the spinners to all parts of the park. If Bangladesh thought they would trap England in a spin web, Stokes and Duckett had the perfect antidote with sweeps and reverse-sweeps on display.
 
After sharp fielding at the start, Bangladesh faltered, and to the extent of dropping as many as three catches: two off Stokes and one off Duckett. Stokes was handed reprieves on 69 and 71, while Duckett was dropped on 59. Stokes, however, lasted one ball after his century, with the set pair departing in the space of 16 deliveries.
 
England seemed like they were losing their way after Moeen Ali departed soon after. However, carrying off from his unbeaten 64-ball 80 in the tour game, Jos Buttler's 63-run cameo off just 38 balls helped England finish strongly, picking up 60 runs in the last five overs.

Kayes started aggressively in the chase - as should have been the approach given the target set - dispatching Chris Woakes into the stands off the third ball of the innings. He took forward the confidence and momentum from his 91-ball 121 in the tour game, to strike another century despite wickets falling at the other end.
Tamim and Sabbir Rahman fell within five overs of each other, which left Kayes with much to do and assume the anchor role in the chase if Bangladesh had to stand a chance of pulling it off. David Willey gave Ball his second wicket after clasping a screamer at the deep midwicket boundary. He timed his jump to perfection to prevent the ball from crossing over, but on realisation of him going to cross the rope himself, he chucked the ball back in and made it back in time to complete the catch. The debutant was ecstatic to have two wickets to his name, denting Bangladesh's chase further.
 
Mahmadullah came into the middle and attacked, and together with Kayes added fifty runs at a run a ball before trying to go after Adil Rashid, but perishing in the process. Mushfiqur Rahim made the same mistake and Rashid had Bangladesh on the mat at 160 for 4 in 27 overs, with the possibility of a win slowly fading away.
 
Enter Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib and Kayes shared a century stand that not only rattled England, but did so to the point of no recovery. At the end of 30 overs, Bangladesh needed 136 off 120 balls. After 40, they needed just 54, as the pair stole 82 runs in that ten-over period.
 
While Shakib brought forth all his experience of 160 ODIs, Kayes attacked after a period around his half-century where he looked scratchy. He took on the English spinners and reached his one-day century after a whole six years, off 105 balls.
 
While Kayes was struggling with cramps, Shakib took over the role of the aggressor and punished the English bowlers, bringing Bangladesh back into the game after it didn't look likely after 25 overs. Kayes was dropped by Buttler on 106, but he only managed to add six more runs before making the long way back as the barrage of wickets continued.
 
Rashid gave Ball company towards the end and proved his worth, finishing with 4 for 49 as Bangladesh were left wanting - with the crowd of thousands in Mirpur silenced by a plucky debutant.
 
Brief scores: England 309/8 in 50 overs (Ben Stokes 101, Jos Buttler 63, Ben Duckett 60; Mashrafe Mortaza 2-52) beat Bangladesh 288 in 47.5 overs (Imrul Kayes 112, Shakib Al Hasan 79; Jake Ball 5-51, Adil Rashid 4-49) by 21 runs.