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Abahani Limited took another step towards the Dhaka Premier League title, beating Legends of Rupganj by 60 runs at the BKSP-3 ground in Savar.After being put in, Abahani’s batsmen made solid contributions to lift them to 290 for 8 in 50 overs. Rupganj were bowled out for 230 in 44.4 overs, with Mosaddek Hossain, the offspinner, taking 5 for 43.Both teams are now level on points – 20 each – but Abahani are on top on account of more wins.Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das, the Abahani openers, added 76 runs for the first wicket before left-arm spinner Taijul Islam had Tamim caught at long-on in the 17th over. Then Liton, having made 51 off 69 balls, was caught at short midwicket as Rupganj fought back to reduce Abahani to 112 for 4 in the 28th over.Shakib Al Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain regained the advantage with a 140-run fifth-wicket stand. Shakib, who made 66 off 57 balls, was severe on everything short. The best of his six fours and two sixes came via cuts and pulls. Mosaddek preferred the cover drive and chips over midwicket. He made 73 off only 55 balls, with eight fours and two straight sixes. Both batsmen fell in the space of nine balls between the 45th and 46th overs which prevented Abahani from making 300.Taijul finished with 3 for 45. Asif Ahmed claimed 3 for 57 in nine overs and Alauddin Babu took 2 for 35. Jahurul Islam took four catches, the most by an outfielder in a DPL List-A match, joining Tushar Imran, Hasibul Hossain, Raqibul Hasan and Naeem Islam.The Rupganj chase began horribly. They lost their top three in 8.3 overs. Jahurul and Junaid Siddique were bowled by Shakib and Mosaddek respectively when the batsmen tried to slog across the line. Soumya Sarkar’s stumps sustained damage as well after he was beaten by Taskin Ahmed’s pace.A 59-run fourth wicket stand fanned hopes of a recovery but Nahidul Islam was stumped off Shakib for 36 and his partner Mohammad Mithun was caught at long-on for 55.Asif Ahmed hammered 70 off 54 balls with five sixes and three fours, but with no one else contributing Abahani’s total was never under threat. Asif was the last man out, but he seemed to suggest he wasn’t ready for the Taskin full toss that bowled him in the 44th over.Mosaddek was adjudged Player of the Match for the third time in the DPL having taken a five-for to go with his half-century.In Fatullah, Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club beat Victoria Sporting Club by 91 runs. Despite that, both teams are out of contention for the titlePrime Doleshwar amassed 333 for 5 in their 50 overs thanks to a 96-ball 100 from opener Raqibul Hasan. Victoria were in and excellent position to chase the target down with the openers Abdul Mazid (50) and Jubair Ahmed (56) and their No. 3 Mominul Haque (61) making fifties each. But they collapsed from 201 for 3 to 242 all out. Left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam took 3 for 44, while Al-Amin Hossain and Rahatul Ferdous took two each to secure the victory.Prime Doleshwar were able to post a strong total despite losing an early wicket – Imtiaz Hossain was dismissed for 8 in the first over – thanks to Raqibul and the partnerships he led – 70 runs for the second wicket with Rony Talukdar, then 124 for the third wicket with Sachin Baby, who made 64 off 92 balls. Raqibul raised his first hundred of the season off 94 balls, but was dismissed soon after.With 14 overs left and a foundation of 202 for 3 to work with, Nasir Hossain plundered an unbeaten 74 off 42 balls to push the score well beyond Victoria’s reach.In Mirpur, Ariful Haque’s unbeaten century sealed a thrilling one-wicket win for Mohammedan Sporting Club against Prime Bank Cricket Club.Fast bowler Rubel Hossain, who had his national contract reinstated yesterday, was given the final over with six runs to defend. Mohammedan took singles off the first two balls, but lost three wickets in the next three due to run-outs. The last of those came about in unsavoury fashion.Off the penultimate ball, an appeal was made for lbw that was turned down by the umpire, even as Ariful and Subhasis Roy tried to take two. Prime Bank appealed for a run out on both ends, but the batsmen were ruled not out, prompting the Prime Bank players to go off the field for 15 minutes as protest. They were persuaded to return by the match referee, and Subhashis was declared run out.Ariful took strike for the final ball on 99. With two runs required, he struck a four through third man to seal the win.Prime Bank’s total of 244 had seemed more than enough when Ariful had come to the crease at 76 for 4. But he didn’t give up. He added 61 runs for the fifth wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim (50), added 59 more for the seventh wicket with the Faisal Hossain and finally shepherded the team across the line amid intense pressure.In a game of small margins, Prime back would rue the disappointing returns in the latter overs of their batting innings. Sabbir Rahman’s 77 off 66 balls and opener Unmukt Chand’s 40 off 62 balls had helped them to 196 for 5 in the 41st over, but it ended with Shuvagata Hom’s wicket, and thereafter, Prime Bank lost their way and were bowled out before facing their full quota. Shahidul Islam, Faisal, Enamul Haque jnr and Naeem Islam took two wickets each; Habibur Rahman and Roy took a wicket apiece.

Changes in Zimbabwe squads

Ins in ODIs: Vusi Sibanda, Tawanda Mupariwa, Sean Williams, Donald Tiripano, Timycen Maruma, Tendai Chatara
Outs:Tinashe Panyangara, Luke Jongwe, Malcolm Waller
Ins in T20Is: Graeme Cremer, Taurai Muzarabani, Brian Chari, Luke Jongwe, Neville Madziva, Timycen Maruma
Outs: Tinashe Panyangara, Chamu Chibhabha, Tawanda Mupariwa

Tinashe Panyangara will not be part of the three ODIs and three T20Is that Zimbabwe play against India in June due to a back injury.Panyangara had participated in a training camp in Bulawayo to prepare for the India series, where he complained of lower back pain on his right side. Since Panyangara has been troubled by back issues repeatedly, Zimbabwe physio Anesu Mupotaringa has advised a meeting with a neurologist to ascertain the source of the problem. Taurai Muzarabani, who has played six ODIs and seven T20Is, was picked in Panyangara’s place.Though he was sacked as captain, Hamilton Masakadza retained his place in both sides. Graeme Cremer, who missed the 2016 World T20 with injury, returned and will lead both squads of 18 men each.In addition to Cremer’s legspin, Zimbabwe can rely on left-arm spinners Wellington Masakzadza and Tendai Chisoro and another legspinner Timken Maruma to take the pace off the ball. Tendai Charata, Donald Tiripano and Neville Madziva, meanwhile, will be putting pace on it. Fast-bowling allrounder Luke Jongwe, who also missed the World T20 with an injury, was picked for the T20s, but not for the ODIs.Elton Chigumbura, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams and Craig Ervine add strength to the middle order, though Ervine was not picked for the T20s. Similarly, Chamu Chibhabha was only selected for the ODIs whereas Malcolm Waller, who struck the fastest fifty by a Zimbabwean in T20Is, was called up only for T20 leg of the tour.The ODIs will be played from June 11 to 15 and the T20s will be played from June 18 to 22. All six matches will be played in Harare.ODI squad: Graeme Cremer (capt), Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Taurai Muzarabani, Chamu Chibhabha, Peter Moor, Elton Chigumbura, Vusi Sibanda, Tawanda Mupariwa, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Neville Madziva, Donald Tiripano, Timycen Maruma, Wellington Masakadza, Tendai Chisoro, Hamilton Masakadza, Tendai Chatara, Craig ErvineT20I squad: Graeme Cremer (capt), Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Taurai Muzarabani, Brian Chari, Peter Moor, Elton Chigumbura, Vusi Sibanda, Luke Jongwe, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Neville Madziva, Donald Tiripano, Timycen Maruma, Wellington Masakadza, Tendai Chisoro, Hamilton Masakadza, Tendai Chatara, Malcolm Waller

Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett will debut for Australia in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, with Beau Webster losing his place in the XI.Cameron Green’s successful return to bowling had been a key final piece to the jigsaw. There had been a thought that the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood could still make the selectors consider additional bowling resources, but they have backed four frontline options supported by Green who got through 16 overs in the last Sheffield Shield round.The latest batting reshuffle sees Green drop back down to No. 6 where he began his Test career, having batted No. 3 in West Indies and at No. 4 before the back injury that ruled him out of last season.Related

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“I think we’re pretty versatile with our order and the way we can go about it,” Smith told reporters. “And Greeny obviously played exceptionally well at three in some tough conditions in the West Indies.”But with him bowling and taking that load, we feel that six is a good position for him right now. It doesn’t mean in the future that he’s not going to slide up the order but, for right now, number six suits this team.”Marnus Labuschagne will return to the side in his favoured No. 3 position after a prolific start to the season with Queensland while Nathan Lyon is also recalled having been left out in Jamaica when Australia fielded an all-pace attack in the day-night Test.”Marnus, when he’s batting at his best at No. 3, makes us a very, very good cricket side,” Smith said of Labuschagne, who has hit five hundreds for Queensland across formats so far this domestic season.Jake Weatherald prepares himself for his Test debut•Getty Images

“We couldn’t really leave him out after he came back and did exactly what was told of him. The way he’s batted in Shield and one-day cricket for Queensland in the last couple of weeks has been amazing.”When he’s batting well it’s tough to leave him out and hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena now.”It will mark the first time since 2019, when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson made their debuts against Sri Lanka at the Gabba, that Australia will hand out two new caps in the same Test and the first time in an Ashes encounter since Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer debuted at the SCG in the 2010-11 series.Doggett’s debut, as a replacement for the injured Hazlewood, means that Australia will field two Indigenous players in a Test XI for the first time. Doggett, 31, has been in excellent form for South Australia since returning from a hamstring injury earlier in the season with 13 wickets at 14.69Smith vaguely recalled batting against Doggett in a Shield match some time ago, but has faced him in the fast and bouncy Perth Stadium nets in recent days. He did not reveal whether Doggett or Scott Boland would share the new ball with Mitchell Starc.”He gets the ball down at nice pace, stands the seam up,” Smith said. “His lengths are really good, everything you need for a surface like that out there. Hopefully he can get the ball in the areas we know that he can and if he does that then I’m sure he’s going to create plenty of chances.”Weatherald, meanwhile, becomes Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since the retirement of David Warner in early 2024. On Thursday morning, Weatherald did some visualisation and shadow batting in the middle of Perth Stadium then had another hit during Australia’s final optional training session.”I watched him batting in the nets pretty closely the last few days,” Smith said of Weatherald. “They were pretty tricky nets, fast, bouncy and a lot of seam. He’s got a lot of courage, he just goes in there. I don’t think he faces any of the sidearms or anything. He wants to face bowlers the entire time.Cameron Green slips back down to No. 6 as the allrounder•Getty Images

“The guys were charging in bowling fast, he took it on. He was getting in really good positions and he goes about it a certain way. He’s been selected for his performances over the last 18 months, hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena. I think he’s going to compliment Uzi [Khawaja] pretty well up top.”Weatherald has never played international cricket in any format before, ensuring plenty of scouting for England’s hierarchy. “When you’ve not played against someone before, you’ve got a vague idea of strengths, maybe potential areas you can expose them,” captain Ben Stokes said.”We’ve got all the info on Weatherald so we’ll just have to see how it goes and hopefully he’s another Australian batter we can keep quiet throughout the tour.”Webster, a team-mate of Weatherald with Tasmania, can count himself unlucky to lose his spot after making four half-centuries in seven Tests since his debut against India at the SCG earlier this year, all coming in tricky batting conditions. He had two lean outings in the Sheffield Shield but claimed eight wickets against South Australia last week.”Very tricky,” Smith said of the decision to leave out Webster. “I think he’s come into international cricket and lit it up immediately. It’s a really tough one on him.”Josh Inglis, will play for the CA XI against England Lions while the first Test is taking place, and Michael Neser are the other two players left out from Australia’s 14-player squad.

Australia XI for first Ashes Test

Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (capt), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett

Hardik Pandya has been named in India’s 15-member squad for the T20Is against South Africa after an injury layoff kept him out of action for over two months.India’s T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill, who has been recovering from a neck injury he sustained in the first Test in Kolkata, was also named in the squad, but his participation will depend on his fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE). Suryakumar Yadav will lead the squad for the five-match series starting on December 9.There was no place in the side for Rinku Singh and allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who had toured Australia recently for the T20I series. Those were the only two omissions from India’s last T20I assignment.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Hardik returned to action on Tuesday in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India’s domestic T20s, for Baroda. He opened the bowling for figures of 1 for 52 and then batted at No. 4 to smash an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls with four sixes and seven fours for a seven-wicket win over Punjab. That was his first match since the Asia Cup Super Fours match against Sri Lanka on September 26.Rinku didn’t bat at all on the Australia tour and was picked in the XI only for the last T20I of the series, in Brisbane, which was washed out after 4.5 overs. That was his only international outing since hitting the winning runs in the Asia Cup final and he is currently playing in the SMAT for Uttar Pradesh.Reddy also didn’t get any chances in the T20Is in Australia but his exclusion was expected once Hardik was fit again.If Gill doesn’t regain his fitness in time, Sanju Samson could open along with Abhishek Sharma, which he has been doing while leading Kerala in the ongoing domestic T20s. In Australia, Samson batted at No. 3 in the only chance he got, in the second T20I in Melbourne. He was also in the XI for the opening game but Suryakumar batted at No. 3 and the match was washed out after 9.4 overs.Jitesh Sharma is the second wicketkeeper in the side. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the fast-bowling attack along with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Hardik, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are the allrounders while Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are the frontline spinners.The five matches will be played on December 9, 11, 14, 17 and 19 in Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad respectively. South Africa won the two-Test series 2-0 and India led the ODI series 1-0 when the T20I squad was announced during the second ODI in Raipur on Wednesday.

India’s T20I squad for South Africa series

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar
*Subject to fitness clearance from BCCI CoE.

Jordan Cox and Emma Lamb have been named PCA Players of the Year, capping stellar summers in which both players earned England recalls after consistent seasons in domestic cricket.Cox missed out on a Test debut for England last November due to an ill-timed injury and was left out of their white-ball squads at the start of the summer. However, he earned a T20I recall after scoring his maiden T20 hundred for Essex and finishing the Hundred as the leading run-scorer. He saw off competition from Joe Root, Ed Barnard and Dom Sibley to win the award.”My favourite moment of the year was taking my chance and scoring an international half-century [against Ireland],” Cox said. “It’s probably why I got selected to go to New Zealand, which means a lot. On the Lions trip [to Australia] I want to show the selectors I’m capable of playing Test cricket.”Lamb missed the PCA awards ceremony in west London on Thursday night – which are sponsored by Toyota – as she is currently in Colombo, preparing for England’s World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka. She was the leading run-scorer in Lancashire’s Metro Bank Cup triumph, and pipped Nat Sciver-Brunt, Kathryn Bryce and Georgia Elwiss to the award.Lamb said she was “very surprised” to find out she had won after England’s tense win over Bangladesh on Tuesday. “I wasn’t expecting it, but obviously I’m very happy,” she said. “It’s really lovely that my peers have taken the time to recognise my performances this year. It’s such an honour to receive this award… It’s been a very enjoyable 12 months.”Emma Lamb in action for England•ECB/Getty Images

Rehan Ahmed was named men’s Young Player of the Year after scoring five centuries for Leicestershire as they won promotion in the County Championship, while he also impressed for Trent Rockets in the Hundred. Davina Perrin, who scored a stunning 42-ball century in the Hundred’s eliminator, won the women’s award, having also impressed for Birmingham Bears.”I was a bit shocked to be honest,” Perrin said. “There’s been some great performances from young players, especially Ailsa [Lister] and Ella [McCaughan] who have had unbelievable seasons… The biggest thing for me is that I’m maximising my potential and hopefully the England honours will come.”Rehan said that the award “topped off a great season” for him. “My red-ball season was great,” he said. “I want to be a regular in the England [Test] team – it’s more important to me than the white-ball stuff – so being given the opportunity to perform and then repaying the coaches with my form for Leicestershire has been great.”The Outstanding Contribution Award went to Graham Gooch, for his “incredible support of the game” including his donations to the Cricketers’ Trust, while Adil Rashid and Nat Sciver-Brunt won Rado Recognition Awards for their England careers. The ECB’s Special Merit award went to Andrew Flintoff’s BBC series , while the players voted for Ian Blackwell and Gabi Brown as Umpires of the Year.Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s chief executive, said: “The most prestigious awards ceremony in cricket is always a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our fantastic players who have worked so hard throughout the season. Another enjoyable year… culminated in everybody coming together to congratulate our four main winners at the PCA Awards in partnership with Toyota.”

2025 PCA Awards in partnership with Toyota:

Men’s Player of the Year: Jordan Cox (Shortlisted: Ed Barnard, Joe Root, Dom Sibley)
Women’s Player of the Year: Emma Lamb (Shortlisted: Kathryn Bryce, Georgia Elwiss, Nat Sciver-Brunt)
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Rehan Ahmed (Shortlisted: James Coles, Asa Tribe)
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Davina Perrin (Shortlisted: Alisa Lister, Ella McCaughan)
Outstanding Contribution Award: Graham Gooch
Rado Recognition Awards: Adil Rashid, Nat Sciver-Brunt
ECB Special Merit: Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams
Men’s Umpire of the Year: Ian Blackwell
Women’s Umpire of the Year: Gabi Brown

Australia

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If Australia win the Sydney Test against India, they are through to the WTC final regardless of results in Sri Lanka – if Australia were to win in Sydney but lose both Tests in their upcoming series in Sri Lanka, they would finish on 57.02 percentage points to India’s 50 and Sri Lanka’s 53.85.A draw in Sydney will keep them ahead of India, but it would leave the door open for Sri Lanka to sneak through; if Australia were to draw in Sydney but lose both Tests in Sri Lanka, they would finish on 53.51, while Sri Lanka would climb up to 53.85.If Australia were to lose in Sydney, they would need one win in Sri Lanka to qualify. A 1-1 verdict in Sri Lanka after losing in Sydney would leave Australia on 57.02 to India’s 55.26. If Australia draw both Tests in Sri Lanka after losing in Sydney, India and Australia will be level on 55.26, but India will qualify on the basis of having won more series in this WTC cycle.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India

India need to win in Sydney to stay in contention for the WTC final. A win would take India to 55.26, which would be enough for them to finish second if Australia were to achieve no more than two draws in Sri Lanka. As mentioned above, if Australia draw both Tests, they will finish level with India on percentage, but India will qualify with more series wins in this cycle. If Australia lose 1-0, they will drop to 53.51, and Sri Lanka will finish with 48.72 (with a 1-0 win).However, if India only manage a draw, they will drop to 51.75 and will be out of the WTC final race. That is because even if Australia were to lose both Tests in Sri Lanka after drawing in Sydney, they would finish on 53.51, while Sri Lanka would climb up to 53.85.

Sri Lanka

The only way Sri Lanka can qualify is if the Sydney Test ends in a draw and they then beat Australia 2-0. In that case, Sri Lanka, on 53.85, would finish above Australia (53.51) and India (51.75).If India win in Sydney, they will knock Sri Lanka out. Australia, also, will certainly finish ahead of Sri Lanka if they go to 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It looked like it would be a run fest, but then it evolved into a low-scoring thriller. In a shapeshifting T20I in Sydney, Australia adapted better than Pakistan, holding their nerve to defend a modest total of 147 and edging to a 13-run victory, which gave them the T20I series.Spencer Johnson was the star of the show with 5 for 26, taking wickets at the top and the end and keeping Pakistan penned in, but he had plenty of support from his mates in a disciplined bowling effort. It was matched by a first innings where six batters reached double-figures, the clump of cameos ensuring the batters gave their bowlers enough to work with.Pakistan looked like they were on track for a hammering when Australia reached 50 in 3.1 overs – the fastest they have ever got to the mark in a T20I. But Pakistan, led inevitably by Haris Rauf, hit back through the middle overs. However, their fielding lapses proved costly, and in a game of fine margins, that proved to be one of the points of difference between the sides.They will also rue their lack of intent early on with the bat. Pakistan limped along for the first half of the innings and left themselves too much to do at the back end. Usman Khan – who scored his first T20I half-century – and Irfan Khan made a fist of it to get within 13 runs of victory, but just couldn’t do enough to undo the damage of the first part of the innings.Australia made sure they did just enough things better than Pakistan, and on that count, ended up worthy winners.Matthew Short played his part in giving Australia a rollicking start•Getty Images

The flight, and the uncontrolled descent

Australia began the game as if they had drawn inspiration from India’s batting show against South Africa on Friday. Shaheen Afridi was bowling into the arc as if feeding a slot machine, and Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk were only too happy to oblige. Naseem Shah similarly failed to keep it out of the arc, and 15 balls into the game, Australia had sped along to 47, having hit five fours and three sixes already.As Pakistan have learnt over the white-ball tour, when in doubt, give Rauf the ball, and that worked the charm again. He was the only man who could arrest the slide, and it didn’t take him long. A pacy bouncer that Fraser-McGurk couldn’t get on top off and slogged to the cover fielder punctured Australia, before a leading edge sent Josh Inglis on his way.Abbas Afridi – who bowled beautifully all innings – struck with the slower ball to dispatch Short, and suddenly, it turned into an even contest. After the first 15 balls of the powerplay had leaked 47 wicketless runs, the last 21 balls saw just 14 scored, with Australia’s top three back.Haris Rauf struck twice in an over to check Australia’s rapid start•Getty Images

Pakistan sloppy in the field, again

Pakistan tend to take one of their most famous characteristics each game, and turn the dial up to 11. Sometimes it’s the unpredictability, at other times it’s the fast bowling. Today, they went for the comic ineptitude in the field they have picked up a reputation for.The warning signs were there from the first over, which was when Naseem made a mess of a Fraser-McGurk top edge, and it only got worse from there.Salman Agha put Marcus Stoinis down off Rauf, while Shaheen reprieved Glenn Maxwell off Sufiyan Muqeem in the eighth over. Rauf made a mess of an effort in the field off Naseem that went for four, while Babar Azam put Tim David down before the batter went on to get ten runs off the next three balls. Those were just the highlights and, in a low-scoring game, it all counted.Mohammad Rizwan struggled during his 26-ball 16•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Pakistan’s no-power play

Pakistan looked at the way Australia had been dragged back and perhaps thought “this won’t happen to us”. It didn’t, because they never got going at the front end of the innings in the first place. They did lose Babar (pick-up flick to deep square leg) and Sahibzada Farhan (pull straight to deep midwicket) to careless shots, but for much of the first nine overs, there were scarcely any attempts to hit a boundary.Mohammad Rizwan struggled through an especially curious innings where he was either happy with dot balls or poked the ball away for singles. It wasn’t until the tenth over that a boundary off the bat was finally struck as Rizwan cleared his front leg and slog swept Johnson over cow corner to pick up four.But Rizwan attempted the same shot off the next ball, only to miscue it for David to take a superb catch diving forward. By this time, the asking rate was approaching ten, and Pakistan’s top order had written cheques they unfairly expected their lower order to honour.Usman Khan battled hard to give Pakistan a chance•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Johnson brilliance

When Johnson began the innings with a wide down leg side that went for five, and followed it up with a wide outside off that would have done the same had first slip not done brilliantly, any comparisons with the other Johnson, Mitchell, would have only pertained to the phase in his career that spawned the unfortunate “he bowls to the left, he bowls to the right” chant. But it took the South Australian no time to turn his fortunes around, controlling his high pace and exploiting sideways movement beautifully to rip through Pakistan.Farhan’s soft dismissal was only the beginning, and Pakistan were dented during the middle overs, and that proved telling.Rizwan fell in Johnson’s return spell before Salman fell the very next ball, leaving Pakistan’s ultra-long tail one wicket away from being exposed. When Usman and Irfan put up a 58-run stand, it was once again Johnson who struck, taking two more in an over when his extra pace saw Usman smear a pull into the air before Abbas was dispatched in similar fashion. It allowed Adam Zampa’s double-wicket over effectively seal the game despite Irfan’s presence.

Bangladesh’s batters were under the scanner after South Africa completed a seven-wicket win on the fourth morning of the Dhaka Test. The top four contributed 105 runs in the match, their worst showing this year. Bangladesh’s collapse on the first day of the match haunted them for the rest of it, with only the lower order, led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, ensuring that there wasn’t an innings defeat.Mehidy, whose 97 in the second innings forced South Africa to bat again, said that the pitch and the conditions were to their liking and even the toss went their way but the top-order’s failure on the first day took them out of the contest too early and there was no coming back.”Everything was in our favour as we won the toss and decided to bat first,” Mehidy said. “It is hard to bat on the fourth day on this wicket so we prepared ourselves in that way. We couldn’t score runs, unfortunately. If we could have scored our second innings runs in the first… We were in the back foot in the first innings. We were bowled out before the second session on the first day. 106 all out. First innings runs are very important in Test cricket.”Related

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Mehidy said that Bangladesh’s batters must improve their decision-making out in the middle. Mahmudul Hasan Joy was the only member from the top four to make any kind of contribution (30 and 40). Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto failed in both innings. However, each of those three players still have at least one recent innings of note under their belt. Shadman scored a crucial 93 in the first Test against Pakistan, while Mominul scored a century in Bangladesh’s previous Test in Kanpur. Shanto made 82 in the Chennai Test.”I think decision-making is an important aspect [of batting],” Mehidy said. “We would do better as a team if the top order starts contributing again. We did it in Pakistan where the top four were contributing to the total. When the openers start well, it makes life easier for the rest of the batters. When the No. 5 and 6 batters are playing against the new ball, life becomes hard. We are working on how to improve the top order. I am hopeful that we will figure out where to improve in the coming matches.”Batters have to take more responsibility. Lack of runs on the board makes life difficult for the bowlers. We bowled well despite all the pressure. Taijul [Islam] bowled really well. We discussed that not all the batters will score every day. But at least three or four batters should turn their starts into big ones.”Mehidy is leading Bangladesh’s batting charts in this World Test Championship cycle.”I always try to enjoy pressure situations,” he said while trying to explain his success. “I see it as an opportunity to become a hero. I am happy to be making use of opportunities. I bat in a difficult position. I know that if I bat well from my position, the team may do well. If I don’t do well, the team won’t get a result. I am mentally trying to prepare myself to score runs. I am always trying to get better. I started with a 1.5 batting average. I have improved quite a bit now.”I have worked at batting against the new ball because sometimes I have to bat against the second new ball. I have worked on surviving as a batter, how to score runs and then how to dominate the bowlers. I have shared my thoughts with those who are less experienced in the dressing room, just like my seniors shared ideas with me.”Mehidy, however, isn’t keen on the comparison with Shakib Al Hasan, who was supposed to play his farewell Test in Dhaka. He said that he is trying to get a few years of consistency going before accepting such lofty accolades.”Everyone says I will take Shakib ‘s place. He is a legend who has achieved a lot over 17 years. He batted higher up the order. He has been scoring runs since early in his career. I have started scoring runs consistently in the last one or two years. I bat at No. 7 or 8. Shakib is in his place, I am in my place. I think it’s best not to compare us,” Mehidy said.Bangladesh have four days’ time to do some soul searching ahead of the Chattogram Test. The batters haven’t contributed much this year, but they have one last opportunity to get a score in familiar conditions before they hit the road for assignments in the UAE and the West Indies in the next couple of months.

India fast bowler Mohammed Shami is now “100%” pain-free and wants to play one or two Ranji Trophy games to try and be fit for the tour of Australia that will start at the end of November. Shami is on the road to recovery after sustaining an ankle injury that has kept him out of action since the ODI World Cup final last year, and was seen bowling full tilt at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday after the first Test between India and New Zealand.Shami said that was the first time he had bowled with a full run-up since his recovery.”It felt great yesterday because I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can’t put too much stress on my body,” he said during an event organised by Eugenix Hair Sciences in Gurugram. “Yesterday, we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%. It felt great, [and] the results are good. Hopefully, I’ll be back on track soon.”Related

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When asked if he was pain-free now, having undergone surgery in February, Shami said, “100%”. Shami has exactly a month to try and be fit for the first Test against Australia beginning on November 22.”The Australia series is still far away,” he said. “The only thing I want to focus on is how to keep myself fit, and how strong I can be before going there. I know what kind of an attack we want for that Test series, so it’s better I spend some more time on the ground before going. If I get fit and I get a gap of eight to ten days, then it’s better I play one or two domestic matches before going to Australia.”I don’t know when I can play next, but the day I feel comfortable about bowling 20-30 overs and I get the nod from the doctors, I’ll run to play a match. I want to spend as much time as I can on the ground before going for the Australia series.”I don’t want such a thing that I clear my fitness here and something happens to me there. That’s not what I want. I want to be strong while leaving from here so that there are no issues there.”Shami represents Bengal in domestic cricket and their next Ranji Trophy fixture might be too soon for him to play, beginning October 26 at home. Their two subsequent games after that are from November 6 against Karnataka in Bengaluru and from November 13 in Indore against Madhya Pradesh, which will mark the end of the first leg of the red-ball tournament. If Shami does regain match fitness next month, he could also aim to play the three-day warm-up game slotted between India and India A in Perth before the first Test starts in the same city.Shami had similarly spent months off the field immediately after the 2015 World Cup when an ankle injury troubled him and he had missed the IPL that year too, like in 2024. Having not played a single game in nearly a year, Shami said the one thing such injuries had taught him was patience.”Don’t get frustrated and focus as much as you can on fitness and game,” he said about spending months off the field. “It’s very difficult to come back on track after an injury so patience is the biggest thing. Injuries teach you patience and that makes your skill purer.”Fitness is the main thing [you have to focus on in recovery]. You shouldn’t doubt your skill and talent when you’re away because certain things are built in you. I agree you need something like rhythm but your skill will never leave you. It’s your fitness you have to fight for.”Shami had played a crucial role in India’s first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018-19, when he bagged 16 wickets in four matches at 26.18, finishing behind only Jasprit Bumrah’s tally of 21 wickets among fast bowlers in that series. He played just the first Test, in Adelaide, when India toured next in 2020-21 before he returned home with an injury. India went on to win that series with several other players also injured, and fielded a nearly second-string side in Brisbane to take home the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Shami said India’s pace attack, which also features Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, instils fear in the opposition because of the pace and variety the three bowlers offer.”We have worked as a unit since 2014,” Shami said. “India never had three bowlers at a time who could bowl over 140kph. Maybe two at max. Now we even have some on the bench who can bowl 145kph. Every opponent waits for one easy kind of bowler, but that’s how you create fear that all our bowlers are 145kph and have different kind of skills. And we showed how to fight when we toured overseas. Earlier we used to be on the safe side or our pace attack wasn’t that aggressive. This generation knows how to pay it back.”To pick India’s pace attack for the five Tests, India could also choose from the pool of Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini and Khaleel Ahmed who have all been picked for an India A side that will play two four-day games starting October 31 (Mackay) and November 7 (Melbourne) before the three-day game against India in Perth.Whether he is able to make it to Australia or not, Shami said if there is “bounce on some wickets, there’s nothing better for our pace attack. We just need some runs on the board which our bowlers can defend.”

Brydon Carse has thanked the England management for keeping their faith in him, after he returned to the international game following a three-month gambling ban.Earlier this year, Carse was given a 16-month suspension from cricket, with 13 of those suspended, after it was discovered that he had placed over 300 bets on matches between 2017 and 2019.There was no indication nor accusation that Carse was involved in fixing, but the bets – which included Durham matches he was not playing in – were a significant breach of regulations.At the start of the summer, Carse had been on the brink of becoming an England regular and was one of 15 players to be awarded a two-year central contract. That he has been immediately recalled to the set-up after his ban is over is a further sign of the belief that England have in the 29-year-old.”They’ve been incredibly supportive over the last period of time,” Carse said. “It’s been brilliant [to be back playing]. The last three weeks have been very pleasing for me to be back playing. A couple of weeks ago I was back with Durham and now I’ve joined the England set-up and all I’ve had from everyone is full backing and full support. I’m just looking forward to playing as much cricket in an England shirt as possible going forward.”Rob Key’s been very communicative with me and everyone around the support structure has given me everything that I’ve needed to, to get back playing.”The current England regime are big fans of Carse. Despite his relatively modest domestic numbers, the management believe Carse has many of the attributes that are key to finding success at the international level. As a result, he recently received a maiden Test call-up for the tour of Pakistan, to go along with his presence in both white-ball squads.”I’m making sure I bowl enough overs in training to keep my loads up,” Carse said of his preparations for the upcoming Test tour. “But the way the schedule is now, I’m fully focused on white-ball and the adjustments will be done in Pakistan when I land on October 2.”The mantra that England are trying to play their Test cricket is probably shifting, and they’re trying to play a couple of bowlers that can bowl with extra pace. So if you’re asking what my role is going to be in Pakistan, it’s going be short, sharp bursts and to get the ball to reverse.”Brydon Carse was banned for three months for betting irregularities•Getty Images

Carse’s role has been the source of much debate during his short England career, with comparisons to his Durham predecessor and white-ball middle-overs specialist Liam Plunkett made regularly.”The only time I hear about that role is in the media,” Carse said of the comparisons. “I’m not getting told that by the coaches or fellow team-mates. It’s not something I’ve really thought about.”Carse, who made the first of his 16 ODI appearances back in 2021, is yet to take the new ball for England and has exclusively bowled as first change. But while the message to Carse of what is required from him has been consistent, the messenger hasn’t. Despite playing only 16 ODIs for England, he has played under five captains: Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley and Harry Brook.”I’m not going to rule out bowling in the powerplay,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of good spells in the powerplay in these 50-over games so far. And if I can come back [later in the innings] and take wickets for the team – you know, [Saturday] I was probably a little bit expensive to what I would’ve liked – but ultimately I’m going to try and take wickets because that’s my role.”Related

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At Headingley, Carse claimed the wicket of Travis Head before picking up Aaron Hardie and Mitchell Starc in consecutive deliveries to leave Australia at that stage 216 for 8. Despite the wickets, however, Carse was otherwise expensive, conceding 75 runs from his ten overs. It was a marked improvement, however, as his final four overs went for just 12 runs, his figures at one stage reading 6-0-63-1.”I probably struggled with a little bit of rhythm in my first spell. But coming back and picking up those two crucial wickets to stem the flow of the game at the time. I just kept trucking in and ultimately I think it’s a day where I can take a few positives from the outcome, some good, some not so good.”There’s no hiding the fact that a lot of the players in that group don’t play a lot of 50-over cricket and that’s just the structure around English cricket now with the Hundred.”But I think there’s players in that group that have had very good T20 careers up to date and there’s some up-and-coming players where it’s just about adapting to the certain situations quicker. I think that’s probably what we haven’t done in these first two games, adapting to situations. But there’s three games now to really try and turn that around quickly.”