Another high-scorer on cards for series decider

Match facts

Saturday, November 2, 2013
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)

Big Picture

The series couldn't have meant more differently to the two sides. It is tied 2-2, is headed into a decider in Bangalore, and what do Australia do? They take, Mitchell Johnson, self-admittedly their Man of the Series, and put him on a flight to Australia so he can present a case and prepare for the Ashes. India, on the other hand, have rested their important Test allrounder - on Indian turning tracks, that is - for the West Indies Tests because he has a shoulder strain, but they have every intention to play the man, Ravindra Jadeja, in this decider.

So down we go into one last run-fest between a desperate home side who last won a proper ODI series against these visitors back in 1986, and the tourists whose minds are already thinking of the Ashes. The captains and the bowlers have come to Bangalore fearing the worst because of the short boundaries there, the batsmen are not gloating about the runs they have amassed, and yet another 350-plays-350 - entirely possible here - could be the definitive message to the legislators of the game that they have badly skewed the balance between bat and ball.

Form guide

Australia LWLWW (most recent games first, completed matches)
India WLWLW

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli comes back to his third home for this ODI. His second home is Delhi, and his first is when he is batting in a chase. Within 13 days he has scored India's fastest and third-fastest centuries to make them the only side in the world to have successfully chased down 350 or more twice. India will need more of the same.

George Bailey has been to Australia what Kohli has been to India. He will be fighting Johnson for the Man-of-the-Series award. Bailey has done enough to make a case for himself: he now has the most runs in a bilateral series by anyone. He is also the leading ODI run-getter in 2013.

Team news

Amit Mishra's first home ODI began well with the ball turning and the batsmen not picking his wrong 'uns, but it went wrong pretty soon, and long hops made regular appearances as he was put under pressure. He could lose out to Jaydev Unadkat in the only likely change in the Indian XI.

India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Mohammed Shami

Nathan Coulter-Nile is expected to take Johnson's place.

Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Shane Watson, 4 George Bailey (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty

Stats and trivia

  • Kohli needs 81 runs to reach 5000 in ODIs. If he does it in this game, he will be the fastest to the landmark. If he takes two innings to get there, he will be the joint-fastest, alongside Viv Richards
  • Kohli is the only player to have scored five successive scores of 50-plus on two separate occasions
  • Only Hashim Amla has reached 1500 career ODI runs faster than Bailey, who did so in his 32nd innings

Quotes

" It has turned out to be a great series for our team in many ways; the way we've fought back from different situations. Personally, I've been pleased with my batting and hopefully I can do it again in the last game."
Virat kohli

"It's a very exciting way to end this series. I think it's just reward that it's two-all now, leading into the final, because it has been an outstanding series so far."
Brad Haddin


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Botham, Jayawardene open Murali Cup

Ian Botham and Mahela Jayawardene opened the 2013 Murali Cup in Kilinochchi on Friday, as the five-day tournament began in five venues across Sri Lanka's northern province. The Murali Cup aims to promote unity and reconciliation as well as the development of cricket, in the post-war regions of the country, by bringing men's and women's teams from the south to play sides from the north and east.



Jayawardene, who had been one of the first public figures to visit the north after the war ended in 2009, said his belief that cricket could facilitate role in social reconciliation in Sri Lanka had only been heightened by his experience of the inaugural Murali Cup, last year.

"It's all about these kids getting together, and having fun. They have open minds, and you can see the love that the people in the north have for the game, and we should be there to foster that," Jayawardene said.

"Last year, the team from St. Peters stayed with the boys from Kilinochchi, instead of staying in the separate accommodation that they had been assigned. They made friendships and exchanged Facebook and numbers, and when St. Peters got into the final against Jaffna, the boys from Kilinochchi got into a bus and went to watch that game, specially. That's the kind of thing that needs to happen."

Botham also began his charity walk through Sri Lanka after inaugurating the tournament, the first leg of which finished in Mankulam, 29 kilometres to the south of Kilinochchi. Sourav Ganguly, Steve Waugh and Allan Border are scheduled to join Botham on later legs. 



"It's a terrific tournament - one which shows cricket's capacity to bring people together, and be a common point of interest," Botham said. "It fits in really well with the idea behind the walk, which is to use sport to improve people's lives."


Kumar Sangakkara will visit the tournament venues on Saturday and Sunday, before Muttiah Muralitharan arrives for the finals on Tuesday. Twelve Under-19 teams and eight women's teams will compete in 34 Twenty20 matches.


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Forrest ton earns Queensland points

Queensland 7 for 400 (Forrest 129, Hartley 89, Botha 4-103) lead South Australia 387 by 13 runs
Scorecard

Peter Forrest made the ideal start to putting behind him the difficulties of his previous Sheffield Shield season with a hundred to earn Queensland first-innings points against South Australia on a friendly batting surface at Glenelg.

Forrest and Chris Hartley, the captain who was laid low by a stomach bug on the opening day, added 194 for the second wicket after the innings had been in the balance at 4 for 183 when Nathan Reardon became Johan Botha's fourth wicket.

Forrest, who made just 395 runs at 19 in first-class cricket, struck 17 boundaries and three sixes during his eighth century before cutting legspinner Adam Zampa to slip. Hartley fell four overs later, but by then had taken Queensland into the lead.

There was plenty of toil for the Redbacks attack with Botha sending down 47 overs while the opening bowlers, Chadd Sayers and Joe Mennie, closed with 31 apiece.


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Kohli says proper technique behind his quickfire tons

Virat Kohli has said his two manic centuries within 13 days of each other - off 52 and 61 balls - were a result not of brute force but his solid technique. The two innings were instrumental in India's completing successful chases of 350-plus scores. India are the only team to have done so twice.

"That's the main thing when you want to take on bowlers who're bowling at 150kph," Kolhi said. "If you have worked on your technique properly, you can back yourself to hold your position and hit where you want to. More often than not, against very quick bowlers, you're not in a good position to hit a big shot or two-three boundaries an over. But if you have a strong base and have worked on your technique, you're much more confident about hitting the ball where you want.

"That plays a major role; you need to have a strong technique to play the big shots as well. I keep working on that in practice sessions. I'm not a great fan of batting in the nets. All I do is some throw-downs before the game; I just hold my position, just middle the ball and time it properly in the practice sessions."

Another technique that came in for praise from Kohli was Shikhar Dhawan's. Kohli is pleased Dhawan has sorted his thinking out to go with his game, which he - as a youngster - used to go to the grounds to watch. "Well, it's funny because Shikhar was, when he played the Under-19 World Cup, a superstar straight away. He was the highest run-scorer. He came back to Delhi, and I remember we used to go watch his games. I used to be a small kid and we used to watch Shikhar bat.

"It's funny, because he never got a chance to play for India before because of the two greats of Indian cricket [Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir] who were so strong at the top of the Indian batting that he didn't get a chance. But I think his batting was tremendous right from the Under-19 days. He was a standout performer all the time. But I think his thinking has evolved a lot in the last year and a half. He's so sure about his game now, he knows where he'll score his runs, he's sure of his own batting, his own strengths. I think that's the most important thing in international cricket, if you're sure about what you want to do out in the middle. And he's mentally very strong now."

Kohli, like others who followed Dhawan in domestic cricket, was also disappointed at his loose shots in otherwise attractive innings. "He doesn't [do that] now… I think he was a little dicey about his thinking before," Kohli said. "He'd play a rash shot at the wrong time and get out, and [only] he would himself know why he did that. Now he has become much more intelligent, he has become much more aware of his own strengths. That's working beautifully for him. But he has always been a special talent and you can see it for India now. He's a match-winner, you'll see him winning more games for India in the future. I'm glad he's doing so well at the top."

'Strong technique helps me play the big shots' - Kohli

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Chetty fifty guides SA to win

South Africa Women 123 for 3 (Chetty 51*) beat Sri Lanka Women 119 for 4 (Madushani 63*, Kapp 1-15) by seven wickets
Scorecard

Trisha Chetty compiled an unbeaten 54-ball 51 to set up South Africa Women's seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka Women in the first T20.

Set a target of 120, South Africa made a brisk start as openers Lizelle Lee and Chetty added 42 in nearly six overs, before Lee was dismissed. Mignon du Preez, the South Africa captain, was run-out for just two, Chetty steadied South Africa, adding 37 and 31 runs for the third and fourth wicket with Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk. Chetty brought up her second T20 fifty off 52 balls as South Africa reached their target with three balls to spare.

Earlier, opener Lasanthi Madushani's maiden T20 fifty anchored the Sri Lanka innings after they were put in to bat. Madushani stitched useful partnerships with Chamari Atapattu and Shashikala Siriwardene. However, South Africa's bowlers struck regularly and the middle order failed to contribute once Siriwardene was dismissed and Sri Lanka posted 119 in their 20 overs.

Chetty was pleased with her knock in this game but has already set her sights on preparing for the Women's World T20 in March next year.

"I'm really happy with the way that I played today," she said. "It's always nice to score runs and to be able to bat through an innings, which is something I have been working on. I still have a long way to go, though, if I want to be a better player. I think the team did a really good job, but we all still have a few things to work on before we can call ourselves World Cup ready."

Siriwardena, meanwhile, admitted that the side was 20 runs short. "Considering that we could have made another 40 runs after the 15-over mark, I'm disappointed we didn't get there," she said. "I thought we could have got 140 plus if we had started hitting bigger shots, but unfortunately for us we didn't. I think we have adjusted well enough to the South African conditions now and we will do our best to win one match before we go home."


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NZ uneasy but focused on bigger goals, says Mills

Kyle Mills, the New Zealand fast bowler, has conceded that the series defeat to Bangladesh has made the team uneasy, but said the side is also focused on a long-term goal of the 2015 World Cup. New Zealand lost the second ODI in Mirpur by 40 runs to concede the three-match series to Bangladesh. The loss was also their sixth successive defeat against Bangladesh in completed matches, dating back to the last bilateral series between the two sides in 2010.

"We are trying to build a team towards the 2015 World Cup," Mills said. "It is in 15 months' time and that's the most important thing right now. The conditions in Australia and New Zealand are going to be a lot different from here. Corey Anderson and James Neesham are going to be prepared for the pressure-cooker environment in that tournament. But we have learned a lot in the past few weeks.

"Every loss puts pressure on players and management. We have been a good one-day side in the last 12 months, winning series overseas but we lost here. Everyone is going to be on edge, naturally."

It's an interesting way to view the events in Mirpur over the last three days. The composition of the New Zealand ODI squad suggests they are planning for the 50-over World Cup more than a year away, particularly with their choice of medium-paced allrounders. However, it would be silly to think they weren't adequately prepared to win in Bangladesh. New Zealand's last series loss to Bangladesh was a blow to the country's cricket and New Zealand Cricket intervened after the loss, conducting a review of the tour.

In spite of focusing on the big picture, New Zealand went down on Thursday night by 40 runs, a big defeat for a team ranked above Bangladesh. Early wickets didn't allow the visitors momentum and they failed to put together a decent partnership that would threaten the home side. The batsmen let down the bowlers, who kept things tight on a good batting wicket and bowled Bangladesh out for 247, a below-par score batting first at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

"We didn't get off to the greatest starts, we lost early wickets. Every time we tried to build a partnership, we lost a wicket," Mills said. "Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson, and then Brendon McCullum and Taylor, got a partnership going but we lost wickets there. It let us down a little bit.

"We did well with the ball. Corey Anderson and James Neesham really stepped up. That's definitely a total we could have chased down. The conditions were difficult, but the partnerships let us down."

Brendon McCullum has not scored too many runs on this tour and the side would have missed Kane Williamson, out due to injury. But Mills was adamant about the team's improvement, mainly due to New Zealand's series victories against South Africa and England earlier this year.

"I don't think it [Bangladesh's winning streak] is a mental block whatsoever," he said. "We beat South Africa and England recently on their shores. Bangladesh are a good cricket side in their own conditions. Everyone's building towards the 2015 World Cup. Conditions will be lot different for them there."

New Zealand's biggest target now would be to ensure they don't go down 3-0, which will be a repeat of the whitewash they endured in 2010. The third and final ODI of the series is at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, a ground on which they have never played a game.

"I think we can [avoid the whitewash]. We were not too far in the first game but Rubel got three wickets from three balls. It was obviously disappointing tonight," he said. "It is a tough challenge here to play in these conditions. We want to end ODI series on a high. Everyone will be up no doubt."


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PCB without chairman until next court ruling

The PCB's ongoing legal existential crisis took another twist on Thursday when it emerged that Najam Sethi and the five-member Interim Management Committee (IMC) remain effectively suspended, until at least after the weekend. That meant, after a bizarre couple of days, that there was no current board chairman or any kind of body running board affairs.

The confusion over the status of Sethi and the board first appeared on October 28, when Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court suspended Sethi at 9am for not complying with an earlier legal order issued by Justice Siddiqui to elect a permanent chairman for the PCB by October 18. However at 12.30pm on the same day, the board's lawyers argued successfully to a different two-judge bench at the same court on the same case to maintain the status quo - that is, Sethi and the IMC - at least temporarily. The judges agreed in court to do so until November 4, this Monday. It was widely reported, that Sethi and the current administration were operational until Monday at least.

But the written order of this judgement, released today, refers to no such conclusion, leaving those officials in the board who received it, baffled. Various PCB officials confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, as a result, that the chairman and the IMC stood suspended based on Justice Siddiqui's morning order of October 28 and that the chairman had not handled office matters over the last couple of days.

In his order Justice Siddiqui also said that a former Supreme Court judge, Justice Munir Shaikh, would be the chairman of a committee that was ordered to hold an election for a board chairman by the last week of November. He ordered that the day-to-day affairs of the board, in the meantime, be handled by the PCB secretary he imposed on the board in yet another earlier ruling, a high-ranking official from the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC).

Sethi was appointed interim chairman of the PCB in June 2013 - for a 90-day period - after the IHC suspended former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf over questions about the legality of the elections conducted to appoint him. In July, the court set a deadline of October 18 for the PCB to hold fresh elections for the chairman.

Sethi failed to hold those elections and instead, on October 15 just before the deadline, the prime minister of Pakistan - the new patron of the PCB according to the court - Nawaz Sharif, dissolved the governing board of the PCB, and formed a five-member IMC to administer cricket. Sethi along with former chairman Shahryar Khan, former players Zaheer Abbas and Haroon Rasheed and former team manager Naved Cheema were named to the committee.

A final resolution of this long-running drama, one that has left the board in an administrative limbo, is now expected on Monday when the next appeal hearing is scheduled.


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Bangladesh discover new match-winners

Bangladesh have moved on from a one-man show to a team that has a new performer on a daily basis. That they won yet another home series without Shakib Al Hasan shows their progress

Bangladesh won another home ODI series against a higher-ranked team by believing in their abilities. They batted first after winning the toss in Mirpur where, in late October, dew is already a major factor, particularly for the finger spinners. They used four of those in their chosen conditions, the most effective of whom opened the bowling at one end. Their injury prone fast bowler also came through. They won the second match with unconventional, yet useful methods.

Mushfiqur Rahim showed a lot of confidence in his main spinners, Sohag Gazi and Abdur Razzak, in deciding to bat first. Both bowled accurately, didn't let the wet ball be too much of a distraction and ensured they remained calm after every big hit. The wicket of Ross Taylor was a good example of how much Gazi has progressed as an international cricketer, and how quickly he learns.

Taylor had smashed him for a six, and like the first game on Tuesday, it would have been easy for Gazi to continue firing them in as a defensive ploy, hoping to restrict the batsman to ground strokes. This time he tossed it up outside the off stump, and Taylor chipped it down long-on's throat. He was lucky to pick up James Neesham's wicket with a short ball, but it was the build-up that often gets bowlers wickets. He also ended Anton Devcich's misery (he scored 19 off 44 balls) with an easy caught and bowled chance and a few words.

Razzak dismissed Grant Elliott, the highest-scorer from the first match, with a flattish delivery that went straight, the batsman caught plumb in front. Razzak may have contributed only one wicket, but his discipline and leadership skills have been recently praised by the Bangladesh management.

Mushfiqur's gamble with Mominul Haque also paid off, his two wickets a bonus for the team. These series wins are important for Bangladesh's growth as they have done it without their main allrounder, Shakib Al Hasan. He was also out of the squad with injury when they won 3-2 last year against West Indies in the ODI series.

The team should be most pleased with Mashrafe Mortaza's performance over the two games. He is known for missing more international matches than playing during his 12-year career but this latest comeback has begun very well.

He was the quiet performer in the first game, making sure his transition from injury to rehabilitation to match fitness was smooth. His three-wicket haul on Thursday was his first since April 2011, and his best bowling figures since July 2010. His first spell kept the two left-handed New Zealand openers on tenterhooks, and he soon accounted for the miserably out of form Hamish Rutherford. He continued to be accurate, but when he gave width to Corey Anderson in his second spell, the edge was snapped up by a diving Mushfiqur.

When you have a player with a history of major injuries and one who has to resettle almost every year, exiting suddenly after a comeback, it has two different effects in a team. Mortaza and his team-mates have experienced both, like when he felt unwelcome more three years ago when he made a comeback. But Mushfiqur's catch said that the team wanted to do something for their rickety warrior.

Bangladesh have their concerns too. Like their counterparts, the Bangladesh batsmen struggled to convert good starts into big scores, were poor in the batting Powerplay and didn't have the flourish in the end overs. They took a chance by handing Shamsur Rahman a debut in such a crucial match. The right-handed batsman didn't have the best of starts but it was progressive thinking to break a winning combination, knowing fully well how the public and media would react if Shamsur failed like Anamul Haque.

Mominul, Tamim Iqbal and the rest of the batsmen all flattered to deceive, as they didn't bat for long or put together a big stand. Even during their problematic phase, at 173 for 6 in the 39th over, two batsmen stood up. Gazi and Mahmudullah added 48 precious runs that got them past the 200-run mark.

Bangladesh have moved on from a one-man show to a team that has a new performer on a daily basis. Someone or the other stands up. Mominul and Gazi did so in the Chittagong Test while in Mirpur, Tamim batted out of his comfort zone to guide his team to safety. Rubel Hossain did it on Tuesday with his best performance in international cricket. Today it was Mortaza, Gazi, Tamim and Mominul.

There was a lap of honour at the end of the game, with the players' families converging in the field, and a majority of the crowd that stayed back. The word out was that the Bangladesh players don't celebrate in the dressing-room as much these days. But one can imagine that the players nowadays toast each other's success, rather than one man's.


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Venue allocation short on cricketing reasons

"Centralising venues" is a limp explanation for the curious fixture list for India's tour of South Africa

During South Africa's sporting isolation, the marquee fixture of the cricketing summer was a north-south derby: a first-class match between Western Province and Transvaal played in Cape Town over New Year's. There were times in the last few months when those fixtures were reminisced about with more gusto than usual.

The joke was, that if India's tour to South Africa was cancelled altogether, something along those lines would need to happen again. The people at Newlands won't find that so funny anymore.

Cape Town, which was this week unveiled as third of Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit in 2014, has been snubbed for the India series. It was originally due to host a Twenty20, an ODI and the traditional New Year's Test but has been left with nothing.

It's a lot less than Cape Town expected, even when the customary January 2 fixture was ruled out because of the window offered by India which ended on December 31, because there was still enough to go around. Not so, Cricket South Africa said.

They cited "centralising venues" as the reason for leaving Newlands off an itinerary which has given the Wanderers and Kingsmead an ODI and Test each while allowing Centurion's SuperSport Park to keep the one game it was initially promised. Had Benoni's Willowmoore Park or Potchefstroom's Senwes Park been given the Durban games, "centralising venues" may be believable.

South Africa is not a big enough country to have travel times so great they need to be minimised, unless one is driving. Durban is an hour's flight from Johannesburg, Cape Town is two. Simplifying logistics is nothing more than spin. Cape Town, it seems, was deliberately overlooked.

A cynic would assume it was a political decision. The New Year's Test was forced to be cancelled because India could only spend from December 1 to 31 in South Africa. Officially, they gave three reasons for that. Firstly, the players needed rest before New Zealand; secondly, their players needed to be home to play in the Ranji trophy quarter-finals; and thirdly, their Sahara sponsorship ends on the last day of 2013, so they cannot have a tour which overlaps a period between sponsors.

CSA's president Chris Nenzani repeated the third reason on radio when asked why the New Year's Test could not happen. When it was first revealed there would be no match in the first week of 2014, whispers began that the BCCI did not want to play in Cape Town to further marginalise CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat. Although not born in Cape Town - Port Elizabeth was where he spent his formative years - Lorgat played there later in his career and it was where his administrative career began.

Lorgat has already been sidelined from the tour and cannot deal with the BCCI for as long as he is under investigation from the ICC for his role in David Becker's statement, and it seems the place where he made his name is being treated in the same way.

Whether this kind of isolation will have an effect on the already fractured relationship between the boards is questionable. South African cricket politics, unlike India's, is not overly geographically polarised, although they have been whispers of a "Cape cabal" on the board, so the decision to leave Newlands off the fixture list cannot impact Lorgat specifically. Rather, it will hurt everyone in South African cricket.

No New Year's Test robs the country of the only opportunity it has to fill a stadium for a Test match. Last summer, the first two days were sold out and there were similar high numbers in past seasons. Western Province CEO Andre Odendaal pointed out that that fixture draws the "highest income from gate takings" for the entire home summer. The players regard it as the highlight of the summer and expressed their dissatisfaction with it being removed even before it was officially announced. At a press conference in the UAE, Graeme Smith said it was a match all the players got "excited about" and they would be gutted if it was not happening.

Now they have reason to be even more upset because Cape Town is not getting a game at all and, in a Test sense at least, that seems to be in the interests of fairness. Cape Town has hosted two Tests a summer for the last two seasons and with only five Tests to spread around the same number of venues this season, it seems logical for Newlands to have to relinquish one of its games.

But why India, at a peak time when the match could attract large numbers of spectators, rather than an Australia one later in the year, when even Cape Town, as was evident by last February's fixture against Pakistan, does not have big crowds? Some say it's because South Africa's superior record at Newlands - where they have not lost a Test since March 2006 and have only been defeated three times since readmission - makes it a place for opposition to avoid. But if India were concerned about a wicket they would have preferred not to play on the fast, bouncy Wanderers track.

 
 
Cape Town had to be sacrificed and it can console itself with the knowledge it will host Australia even as it questions why it did not get an ODI against India, for which there is little sensible explanation.
 

Cricketing reasons do not seem to be behind this decision. Rather, it's about keeping people happy. Durban had the Boxing Day Test taken away last year, and did not host a Test at all last summer. It had big plans when told the fixture was reinstated and was allowed to keep the India game, bringing great "relief" to the administrators there.

Johannesburg did not host a Test at all the previous time India toured South Africa because the stadium temporarily had its international status revoked by CSA after it was put into administration. It was also allowed to keep its Test this time. The myth about the city being a ghost town over December because its inhabitants flock to the coast is exactly that. Since the 2008 recession many stay in the city and are on the lookout for something to do.

So Cape Town had to be sacrificed and it can console itself with the knowledge it will host Australia even as it questions why it did not get an ODI against India, for which there is little sensible explanation. What the Newlands faithful should remember is that they are better off than some smaller venues, because they have not lost everything.

Bloemfontein and East London are the venues which were originally scheduled to host matches that will not have any international cricket as per the current schedule. Two of the smaller venues, both said they were disappointed at the outcome but remain hopeful they will be considered should CSA manage to organise a replacement tour.

Pakistan, who visited South Africa last summer for three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s and are currently engaged in a series against them in the UAE, have been approached by CSA to play some limited-overs matches in late November. The aim would be to make up for lost revenue from the India series, which has been cut from seven ODIs to three and no longer includes any T20s.

The grounds who will not host India will likely be the beneficiaries if Pakistan agree to fill the void and Newlands are first in the queue. "We are encouraged by CSA's statement that they are working on plans," Odendaal said. "It was going to be a very special summer and we hope to still have something." If all else fails, there's always the big north-south derby to keep in mind.


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Tighter ship could balance IPL's post-Sahara losses

The loss of the Pune Warriors franchise will hurt the BCCI financially. But in a volatile market, an eight-team IPL may work in the board's favour

The BCCI's decision to pull the plug on Pune Warriors, the IPL's most expensive franchise, after its protracted stand-off with Sahara India Pariwar will doubtless affect the board's revenues but an eight-team tournament could also have some positives for it.

At the moment, the BCCI is "highly unlikely" to replace Sahara with a new owner for the Pune franchise, as they did with the Hyderabad franchise ahead of IPL 2013. Officials believe the eight-team concept, which was the original plan for the IPL, would work better given the current volatile market. Those in the BCCI who have been involved with the IPL since its inception feel the fewer matches in an eight-team league - 60 matches as against 74 last season - will mean fewer afternoon games. This, in turn, will mean more evening games, with their higher eyeball quotient, and will also allow players more time to recover between matches.

There's no getting away, though, from the fact that the BCCI's revenues - and surplus, as a result - will dip with the reduction in number of teams. The BCCI's revenues from the IPL had already dipped from Rs 9.56 billion in 2011-12 to Rs 8.92 billion in 2012-13, according to its 2012-13 annual report. Ravi Savant, the board treasurer when the report was finalised, had attributed the dip primarily to the dip in annual franchise fees - from Rs 6.13 billion to Rs 4.6 billion.

Deduct Rs 1.7 billion, Sahara's annual franchise fees, and the BCCI's revenues for 2013-14 will reduce substantially. In fact, Sahara's annual fee was more than the combined fees of five existing teams - Delhi Daredevils (Rs 336 million, approx), Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 300 million, approx), Chennai Super Kings (Rs 364 million, approx), Kings XI Punjab (Rs 304 million, approx) and Rajasthan Royals (Rs 268 million, approx).

The IPL sponsorship revenue, which had fallen from Rs 1.92 billion in 2011-12 to Rs 1.8 billion in 2012-13, will come down further with 14 fewer matches next season. Income from media rights - primarily from the broadcaster Multi Screen Media - is linked to the number of matches played every year and that too is expected to fall. All of this will affect the board, and there is no doubt the BCCI's actual surplus for 2013-14 will be much lesser than the budgeted Rs 3.89 billion in the annual report.

The BCCI taking a hit will filter down to its affiliated units, since 70% of the IPL's surplus is distributed among the board's 27 full members. The franchises, on the other hand, will not be as affected by Sahara's termination. The revised number of matches means MSM's annual broadcaster fees, which form a major chunk of the central income pool for IPL, will also be reduced on a pro-rata basis. According to the IPL rules, 60% of central income is distributed equally among all the IPL teams. And with only eight teams sharing the total income instead of nine, each team will get that bit more. In addition, franchises' operating costs will be reduced to some extent because of fewer matches.

Industry experts feel that the loss in revenue from Sahara's exit will not affect the IPL's brand value. "It's a simplistic calculation. The loss is not a bigger multiple than the value," says Harish Bijoor, a Bangalore-based brand strategy consultant. "Pune had not established itself as a brand. It was essentially a start-up, so I don't think the reduction in revenue will actually be more than what the actual value is. Had Royal Challengers Bangalore or Kolkata Knight Riders been removed, the actual loss would have been much more than the current figure; not so with Pune."

Hiren Pandit, a veteran of the media planning and buying industry, feels the BCCI will be prepared to take a financial hit for now. "They don't need to add a team this year since the full auction that is slated to be held before the 2014 IPL will create enough hype about the event. However, the BCCI has to make up for the losses at some point and the only option to do that is by adding teams, which I think they will do two years down the line."

Pandit also believes that the market will welcome the reduction in afternoon games: "From the TV's perspective, it will be healthier since there will be higher viewership. Anyone paying money (to the broadcaster) for catching more eyeballs will be happy. So except for the BCCI losing money, I don't think it (Sahara's exit) will have any significant impact."

Bijoor sums up the whole issue quite well. "I don't think the market will be really bothered about the BCCI's loss in revenue or profits. And anyway, for the BCCI, it's a small amount," he says.


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Read drops one-day captaincy

Chris Read has committed his future to Nottinghamshire with a new two-year deal, but will hand over the limited-overs captaincy while retaining leadership of the Championship team.

Towards the end of the 2013 season, when Nottinghamshire secured the Yorkshire Bank 40 title at Lord's and battled to avoid Championship relegation, Read had put talks about his future on hold. His batting form slumped during the campaign with just two half-centuries in the Championship.

"My focus at the end of last season was on winning a one-day trophy and avoiding relegation so I felt the need to take a couple of weeks to reflect before considering a way forward for myself and the team," Read said.

"I demand a lot from myself and I wasn't happy with my batting in the Championship last season although I felt that I kept wicket to a high standard. I always thought that captaincy was something that I would take on for a few years before handing over the reins. Stepping away from it in limited overs cricket is the start of me doing that.

"Stephen Fleming was incredibly helpful when I began to take on the role here and I will be similarly supportive to the new limited-overs captain."

The club have yet to decide who will take over from Read in the 50-over and 20-over competitions although James Taylor and Michael Lumb are at the head of the queue.

Nottinghamshire are also closing in on securing two key signings: an overseas bowler and a senior top-order batsman. Alongside Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, who the club rarely see, Taylor, Lumb, Samit Patel and Alex Hales are often part of the England set-up either at full or Lions level.

Read said: "It's important to look forward to next season and to make plans for improvement and we felt that we needed some experienced additions, particularly when we're missing the likes of Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Samit Patel and James Taylor.

"We've targeted some players with excellent track records and I'm confident that they can improve us."

The other looming issue that Nottinghamshire still need to clear up is their position over Hales, Lumb and any other players who are keen to put their name forward for the IPL. Mick Newell, the head coach, barred any of his squad from going to the tournament this year because he did not want his team weakened but Newell's stance has softened and the club are working to accommodate the IPL.


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Time to 'think about' new ODI rules - Dhoni

Until a couple of weeks ago, India had never chased down a target over 350. Now, they've done it twice in three completed matches. While India's chase of 351 against Australia in Nagpur on Wednesday featured more success for Shikhar Dhawan, another Virat Kohli special and helped the team draw level in the series with one to play, it left captain MS Dhoni questioning the new ODI rules once again.

"I think [the rules are] something that we need to sit and think about if 350 is the new 280 or 290 or 300," Dhoni said after the match. "With the rule changes and everything, most of the bowlers are getting smashed with the extra fielder inside. Even the best of the bowlers, the fast bowlers, are bowling with third man and fine leg up."

Dhoni was referring to the new rule that came into play from October 30, 2012, which allows only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle in non-Powerplay overs. Dhoni had earlier voiced his doubts over the new rules, which have visibly been limiting his already-thin bowling resources in this series. Before the Champions Trophy in England in June, which India had won, he had said the rules would pose one of the biggest challenges for his side. At the toss in Mohali during this series, Dhoni said something to the tune of "I don't know what they want us to do [with all the new rules]". Then, his team-mate Suresh Raina had spoken out against the rules in Ranchi.

In all, three times in four completed games in this series targets of over 300 have been chased down successfully - and in India's case, with relative ease. Dhoni said such pedestrian run scoring could hurt the one-day game. "I don't know where it is going. Is it good in the long run that we are seeing - for seven hours - only fours and sixes?"

While there was some smart batting from his team-mates in Nagpur, Dhoni said the dew and the rules meant the chase was "slightly easy". "Shikhar of course got a century, but with Rohit [Sharma] it was one of the days when he wasn't getting the gaps and it would have been easy to get frustrated when you are looking to chase 350. But he absorbed the pressure, and then converted the start and by the time he got out he had a decent strike rate.

"We knew a bit of dew will come later. And now it is slightly easy. You can break it into Twenty20 games. At 30 overs, if we need even 170-odd runs with wickets in hand, and with one more Powerplay and the extra fielder inside [the circle] … 180 is something every team will look to achieve in the last 20 overs."

Dhawan and Rohit set up the chase with their fifth century stand in ODIs this year, before Kohli once again showed how lethal he is in the chase - he scored his 11th century in 69 chases, and India have won all 11 of those matches. He made batting look simple, Dhoni said. "Virat was brilliant. As the ball got old, with the kind of fast bowlers they have and a bit of reverse swing, they were attacking almost all the batsmen. But he counterattacked. He was maintaining a good position when going for the big shots. He made it look easy.

"When I went in to bat, it was difficult for the new batsman. But the way he took the pressure off the new batsman, it was amazing."


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Rain helped, but Rubel made the difference - Anderson

New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson has said that the rain interruption in the first ODI worked in their favour but Rubel Hossain's hat-trick made the difference once play resumed. Rubel's six-wicket haul got Bangladesh off to a good start, and made sure they defeated New Zealand for the fifth time in as many completed games.

"The rain actually brought it back to where we would have liked it," Anderson said. "It became a shortened game with the big hitters down the order. You cannot take anything away from Rubel, he bowled very well. Hat-tricks don't come around often. A cluster like that will always make a difference in the game. The hat-trick didn't do us any favours at all."

In his short career, Anderson has become the first victim of two hat-tricks. Sohag Gazi trapped him lbw in the first Test, before taking the wickets of BJ Watling and Doug Bracewell. This time it was Rubel who clean bowled Anderson in the 24th over to soon complete his hat-trick and changed the complexion of the game.

"We made the run rate come down a little bit," Anderson said. "I probably didn't need to play the shot I did. We thought we were going well, but that hat-trick put us a long way behind the eight-ball. He bowled smartly. We bowled cross-seamed and slower balls. He did the exact same thing [and a] couple popped off the gloves."

Before the rain or the hat-trick, New Zealand had other problems. Tim Southee gave them a good start but they let Mushfiqur Rahim and Naeem Islam off the hook, the pair adding 154 runs for the fourth wicket. The visitors pulled back the run rate considerably but still had to chase 265 runs in 50 overs.

Their frontline spinner Nathan McCullum was not very effective, giving 28 runs in four wicketless overs. Part-timers Anton Devcich and Kane Williamson too bowled nine unsuccessful overs between them.

"I don't know if it was Bangladesh's tactic to attack Nathan, but I think they got on top of us in the middle period," Anderson said. "We started standing up in the last 15 overs. We got them 30-40 runs short of what they would have liked."

But Anderson doesn't think alarm bells are ringing despite the loss. They have one day in between to turn it around, and they have chosen to rest on Wednesday, on the eve of the second ODI.

"I don't think we have to get worried about anything," he said. "Someone got a hat-trick, and fingers crossed he doesn't get it in the next one. I think we have to come back firing in the next game."


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Andy Pick resigns as USACA High Performance Manager

Andy Pick has resigned as USACA High Performance Manager after just two months on the job. The abrupt end to Pick's tenure comes in the wake of a USA men's national team training camp in Florida from October 18-20, during which a series of incidents occurred that Pick says were not in line with how a professional organisation should operate.

At the top of the list of his reasons for stepping down was the unhappiness with the squad selection process for the USA team that will be traveling to the UAE next month for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. This included a petition from the USACA to the ICC to change two players in the squad after the final list of 15 players had already been submitted by the original tournament deadline of October 15.

"Following the camp and a number of other issues before and after, culminating with the changing of the final squad after its submission, I felt unable to continue working for USACA," Pick wrote in the letter, a copy of which has been obtained by ESPNcricinfo. "In my brief time there, it became obvious that certain people are not ready for change and structure and are determined to maintain control even if it holds back cricket in the USA and I was not prepared to sacrifice my personal and professional reputation working for these people."

Prior to his role with the USACA, Pick had been working full-time as the ICC Americas Regional High Performance Manager out of Toronto. In taking on the role with the USACA, Pick was to split his duties part-time working out of USACA's Florida headquarters and part-time working for the ICC Americas but he will now resume full-time duties back in Toronto with the ICC Americas office. When contacted by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, Pick said he had accepted the position with the USACA because he believed the organisation was ready to become professional but that his brief experiences after being hired indicated otherwise.

"I think earlier on in the summer, there was a feeling around USA Cricket that people were ready for the change," Pick told ESPNcricinfo. "This external review was going on and I think people thought that with its recommendations they hoped things would move forward and that this would be agreed or voted on at the AGM, and it still might be. Who knows, I don't know how the vote is going to go."

"One thing is for certain. There was more confidence earlier in the year when this project was started. There was an air of confidence that things were going to move forward and with the right support Darren [Beazley, USACA chief executive] would be able to get things moving and that's not been the case. There are still people holding things back and affecting the way that things need to be done."

The tipping point for Pick were the events that took place in Fort Lauderdale just over a week ago at a USA player preparation camp ahead of the tour to the UAE. The USACA had submitted its final 15-man roster for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier to the ICC and had already informed those players who were going on tour. After the weekend camp though, a request was made to make two changes to the squad.

According to team sources, those changes were to take Fahad Babar and Ritesh Kadu out of the team in favour of Imran Awan and Barrington Bartley, neither of whom were originally invited to the camp. However, Awan paid for his own plane ticket to come down to the camp. Despite not playing in any of the three trial games against Bermuda, he impressed USA coach Robin Singh enough with his bowling in the nets that Singh, according to team sources, requested for the changes to be made. USACA applied to the ICC for a special exemption to make the two changes, which were accepted.

"After having decided on 15 and having brought them down to Fort Lauderdale, to then decide on the Sunday night after the camp that they wanted to make two changes and leave two people out, that was it," Pick said. "That's just no way of going and you can't treat players like that ultimately, not players who you want to go out and give their all, take time off work, leave their families behind. You treat them like that but then expect them to be fully committed to the cause. That's just not right.

"I've worked with some of the best players in the world. I know how you go and how you treat players and how selection is done. There has to be some sort of a process. I feel I failed because I was hoping we could get some sort of a process in place and things would be better and it's not happened ultimately. That was probably the final straw really, when they wanted to tell people who were going [to the UAE] and had been told they were going and had kits ordered that now they weren't going."

Awan was not the only player to show up to the camp without his travel being arranged and paid for by the USACA. According to sources, as many as six other players, mostly from the Washington, D.C., area where USA team manager Shoaib Ahmed and USACA president Gladstone Dainty reside, were encouraged to come to the camp despite not being part of the official 15-man USA roster that was submitted to the ICC for next month's tour to the UAE. Pick was never informed that these players would be showing up in Florida and does not know who invited them.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Pick said. "That was another one of the issues. When people come and introduce themselves to me in the hotel and I'm not expecting them to be here…. There's no process. There's people off on their own doing their own thing. I'm trying to organise food and transport and all these different things for certain numbers. USACA doesn't have a lot of money. If we've paid for 17 meals, then I want 17 meals, I don't want 20 people sitting down and eating because that's another $50 a day that we've got to find from somewhere. There has to be some sort of structure and there isn't."


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Rubel gets his confidence back

Injuries and several underwhelming performances stood in Rubel's way in the past. Against New Zealand, the 'introvert' showed a different side to himself

Rubel Hossain's international career of nearly five years has been one of constant ups and downs, the likes of which not many of his team-mates can relate to so early in their careers. The six-wicket haul and hat-trick which triggered the 43-run win over New Zealand in Mirpur was a performance that should give him a lot more confidence on and off the field.

He became the first Bangladeshi bowler to take four wickets or more on ODI debut, his 4 for 33 setting up a win against Sri Lanka in early 2009. In the next match however, he was the villain, getting hit for four fours and two sixes by, of all people, Muttiah Muralitharan. Bangladesh lost a nailbiting tri-series final, and Rubel drew the ire of the nation. He started off his Test career with a three-wicket haul, but has been expensive in this format. His first and only five-for cost him 166 runs in 29 overs, in early 2010. He was hardly picking up wickets until the four-wicket haul against New Zealand in October that year, a performance that sealed one of the most famous wins in the country's history.

He fell into another lull thereafter, only picking up a four-wicket haul against Zimbabwe in a dead rubber in mid-2011. He continued to be expensive and bereft of wickets before being injured in the BPL's inaugural edition. It put him out for nearly a year, but even after returning against West Indies, his fortunes didn't change, giving away 63 in four overs of a T20 game.

He had another shoulder niggle, then fared poorly against Sri Lanka and was ordinary compared to Man of the Series Robiul Islam in the Test series in Zimbabwe. He was again out of the team, this time due to a bout of chicken pox which prevented him from playing the ODI series against Zimbabwe in May. He regained his fitness, took 19 wickets in six Dhaka Premier Division matches, after which the coach Shane Jurgensen saw a "different Rubel".

An introvert, even listening to him from close quarters can be a task at times. But on Tuesday evening, his confidence imposed itself on New Zealand. His was the loudest whoop at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

 
 
It is fun bowling against New Zealand Rubel Hossain
 

He was actually Mushfiqur Rahim's last resort after three spinners were smashed for 38 runs in three overs after the rain break after 20 overs. The Bangladesh captain had one over of Mashrafe Mortaza after the New Zealand innings was reduced to 33 overs, so when he turned to Rubel, and given the bowler's recent performances in the slog overs, he was taking a major risk.

The visitors too had started to get the run-rate within their grasp quickly with that early impetus after the rain break. When they got back at 9:00pm, they needed to score at 9.53 runs per over, but by the time Rubel was handed the ball, they required 86 to win from 60 balls.

His first two balls yielded one run before Corey Anderson, Bangladesh's biggest threat with a rapid 46, swung high and hard but only at air. It was a fuller length delivery on the stumps, something that Jurgensen had asked him to bowl repeatedly for the last two years. Anderson's wicket was key to Bangladesh staying in the game but what happened next swung the game further Bangladesh's way. Rubel didn't give Brendon McCullum much room to move, and a ball that took off on the batsman took a leading edge and was caught at point.

The pitch was perhaps spiced up a little with the 35-minute spell of rain, and it was evident in the McCullum dismissal. James Neesham became the hat-trick victim, caught down the leg side by a diving Mushfiqur.

Rubel had earlier dismissed Ross Taylor with a delivery that cut back in after pitching and took the edge as he tried to play it through backward point. He added two more after the hat-trick, those of Nathan McCullum and Grant Elliott, equaling the best figures for a Bangladesh bowler in ODI cricket - Mortaza too had taken 6 for 26 seven years ago against Kenya.

And it was appropriate that Mortaza took both catches to give him his fifth and sixth wickets, because it was Mortaza who inspired Rubel in his childhood in Bagerhat. It was Mortaza whose image he carried when he came to Dhaka after being one of the top-finishers in a nationwide pace-bowling hunt.

Rubel, in his own soft-spoken manner, said that Mortaza had been an inspiration in the field today as well.

"Mashrafe bhai kept running towards me, telling me that I was bowling the right way," Rubel said. "He told me that the cutters and slower balls I was using were perfect.

"Every bowler wants to bowl such a spell. It was in my fate, it happened. I was out due to a shoulder injury for a long time. I worked hard, went through rehab. I wasn't in the ODI squad for a bit. I bowled well in the Dhaka Premier League recently. I feel confident these days."

He added, "It is fun bowling against New Zealand."

To those who know Rubel or have followed him over the last few years, this was an off-the-cuff comment and not one in jest. A few wickets under his belt has given him much-needed confidence.

On Tuesday evening, he soared, and there is hope among those who are going to persist with him, he keeps soaring on and off the field.


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Uncapped Babar replaces Steve Massiah

Steve Massiah, the former USA captain, will not be traveling with the team to UAE for the ICC World T20 Qualifiers, as he was unable to get time off work. Massiah, 34, was officially announced as part of USA's squad when the ICC unveiled the tournament rosters last week , but a USACA spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that he had been replaced by the uncapped 21-year-old batsman Fahad Babar.

Babar was originally in USA's 15-man squad to tour the UAE next month, but USACA had made a request to the ICC after the October 15 submission deadline to have both Babar and wicketkeeper Ritesh Kadu replaced by Imran Awan and Barrington Bartley. The squad shuffling has, in part, spurred Andy Pick to resign as USACA High Performance Manager.

"It was hard. I was kind of disappointed," Babar told ESPNcricinfo, describing his emotions after he was told last week that he would no longer be traveling to the UAE. "It was a little depressing but then I got a call yesterday saying I was going so now I'm really happy."

Babar scored an unbeaten 45-ball 58 in the first of three T20 trial matches against Bermuda on October 18, before getting out first ball in the third match two days later. He formerly represented the USA Under-19 team in 2011 at the ICC Americas U-19 Division One tournament in Florida.

USA are scheduled to depart for the UAE on November 9. They have been placed in Group A, and their first match of the World T20 qualifiers is against Canada in Abu Dhabi on November 15.


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Venkatapathy Raju to work with UAE spinners

Venkatapathy Raju, the former India left-arm spinner, is currently on a 10-day visit to the UAE to help in the development of spinners in the country. Raju, now the Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) development officer for UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Thailand, is working with spinners at the Under-19 and senior level.

"It is always a nice feeling to work with the younger cricketers," Raju told the National. "I am available whenever any of the four countries are in need of my services. Most of the spinners know what they do at this level and my task is fine-tune them and work on the variations."

The U-19 side's next major assignment is the World Cup in the UAE in February 2014. The country will also host the upcoming World T20 Qualifiers in November, and Raju will be involved in training spinners for both events.

"The U-19 concept is the best thing to happen for the development of cricket at the grassroots level," Raju said. "It provides the young cricketers with the opportunity to play against different countries at an early age."

Raju, 44, played 28 Tests and 53 ODIs for India, taking 93 and 63 wickets respectively. Following his retirement from first-class cricket in 2004, he has coached Orissa and Hyderabad and also served as a national selector.


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South Africa win 2-0 after rain abandons third ODI

Match abandoned Sri Lanka Women 164 (Atapattu 58, Kapp 3-38) v South Africa Women 2 for 0 in 1 over
Scorecard

South Africa women won the three-match ODI series 2-0 as rain washed out the third match in Potchefstroom after the hosts's pacers reduced Sri Lanka to 164.

Sri Lanka were asked to bat and got off to a slow and precarious start as they lost Yasoda Mendis for a duck in the second over to Marizanne Kapp and two more wickets, of Sripali Weerakkody and captain Shashikala Siriwardene, before reaching 50 in the 18th over. Opener Chamari Atapattu kept going at the other end and scored her sixth ODI fifty.

Once she fell in the 35th over for 58 at the score of 105, Sri Lanka could add only 59 more runs. No. 5 Chamani Seneviratna scored a patient 32 off 71 and Dilani Manodara and Maduri Samuddika also scored in double figures before they were all out on the last ball of the 50th over. Kapp picked up two more wickets to finish with 3 for 38 and Shabnim Ismal ended with figures of 2 for 20.

South Africa batted for only one over before lightening in the surrounding area halted play and rain soon interrupted to not allow further play.

The two teams will now play three T20s in the same city starting October 31.


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No Glamorgan T20 deal for Jones

Simon Jones's prospects of extending his career in Twenty20 have been dealt a blow after he was not offered a contract for next season's NatWest T20 by Glamorgan.

Jones, the 34-year-old former England fast bowler, retired from first-class and List A cricket at the end of last season but hoped to play on in the shortest format. But in domestic cricket, his future will not be in Cardiff as new chief executive Hugh Morris revealed Jones would not be offered a deal for 2014.

Jones has now played his final game for his home county, which was the Yorkshire Bank 40 final in September, where Glamorgan lost to Nottinghamshire.

"I am bitterly disappointed that nothing has been offered," Jones said. "I am a local boy and I thought when I came back from Hampshire I would finish my career here. I felt I could have offered a lot more but it was not to be."

His cause was not helped by missing most of the 2013 T20 campaign with a shoulder injury but Jones hoped his form in the YB40, plus his potential in an ambassadorial or mentor role, would work in his favour.

"I have to take it on the chin and get on with my life and look to play over the Bridge," Jones said. "I am a strong character and wherever I go I will do my best.

"We have had quite a lot of interest and we will just have to see what offers come in and where that takes me. I still feel as if I have a couple of years left in me so wherever that might be I am willing to travel and relocate to continue playing the game I love.

"I just want to play because I have spent too many years rehabbing and being off the park. I still feel as if the body is ready for a couple of years and if I didn't I would hang up my boots. But compared to other 34-year-olds on the circuit my body is relatively young."

Jones, who has taken 43 T20 wickets at 21.46 with an economy rate of 7.43, also hopes to explore opportunities in global T20 leagues. Jones said he was "desperate" to be involved in the auction for the Bangladesh Premier League in December.


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Khawaja, Marsh, Doolan in Australia A squad

Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Alex Doolan will contend for Australia's Ashes No. 6 spot among the batsmen given an early sight of England through selection for Australia A in the tour match against the visitors at Bellerive Oval from November 6.

The trio are part of a team that mixes potential Test aspirants with cricketers further back in the queue, after the selectors weighed up the merit of their playing against the Englishmen or for their own states in the concurrent Sheffield Shield round.

Marsh and Khawaja will be particularly keen to show their worth following strong form in the domestic limited overs competition, while Doolan and Callum Ferguson are among others who have the opportunity to push themselves up a changeable batting order of preference by making runs against the tourists.

"We have struck a balance in what we think is the appropriate Australia A team to face England, while ensuring individuals have a solid preparation and chance to impress," the national selector John Inverarity said.

"There were clearly a number of players under consideration to play for Australia A in this match, however we have long been aware that 77 cricketers would be playing across these four days and due to various circumstances we have balanced our interests with what we feel is in the best interests for each player, their preparation and chance to push for higher honours.

"While these next couple of rounds of Shield cricket are important, the NSP is well advanced in its planning around the squad for the first Test.

"Players returning from one-day duties in India and not named for Australia A may play in the Bupa Sheffield Shield fixtures played concurrently with the Australia A fixture if it is considered that it is in their interests and the interest of their States' to be included."

As was the case against South Africa a year ago, the team is stronger on batting than bowling, the Queenslander Ben Cutting and the Victoria left-arm spinner Jon Holland providing the greatest threat to England's batsmen in an attack that also features Trent Copeland and the captain Moises Henriques.

Australia A squad Moises Henriques (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Trent Copeland, Ben Cutting, Alex Doolan, Callum Ferguson, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Michael Klinger, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine.

More to come...


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Mohnish Mishra returns in style after suspension

As the Madhya Pradesh team was going through its warm-up drills at Holkar Stadium on Sunday morning, ahead of its Ranji Trophy season-opener against Railways, MP coach Mukesh Sahani noticed that Mohnish Mishra, the vice-captain, was stiffer than usual. Sahani wasn't surprised, since Mishra was marking a return to top-flight cricket after serving a one-year suspension imposed by the BCCI for having indulged in "loose talk" and brought disrepute to Indian cricket, following a sting operation into alleged corruption in domestic cricket by India TV in May 2012.

"He just walked up to me and told me, 'You are thinking much more than what you should be,'" Mishra told ESPNcricinfo. "He asked me to set all other thoughts aside and concentrate only on the ball that would be coming at me. That is precisely what I did, and I am kind of relieved it worked."

The result was a near-perfect return to domestic cricket for Mishra, who threw his wicket away just three runs shy of what would have been his sixth first-class century. Still, his knock of 97, played in his trademark attacking style and helping MP cruise to 282 for 3 at stumps on day one, could be enough to silence those who raised eyebrows over his appointment as captain Devendra Bundela's deputy. And it was enough to reassure Mishra that he still belonged at this level.

"When you cannot play at this level for one full season, somewhere down the line you start asking yourself whether you belong here. Once I survived the initial anxiety, I knew that I was back to where I belonged and was keen to justify it," Mishra said. "Besides, the competition is so fierce nowadays that despite the MP Cricket Association, coaches, captain and selectors giving me full assurance, I knew I had to make their confidence count at the earliest."

Sahani agreed that it was crucial from both Mishra's and the team's perspective for him to come good at the earliest. "Having known him well since his Under-19 days, I knew that the sooner he got a decent score the better it would for everyone, to get the monkey off his back. And I am glad that he has managed to deliver in the first innings."

For more than half a decade before his suspension, Mishra was a vital cog in MP's line-up. In fact, in the 2011-12 season, he had led MP in the domestic one-day and Twenty20 competitions. As a result, for Sahani and the selectors, led by Narendra Hirwani, it was a "no-brainer" for him to be appointed vice-captain once he was available.

Even though Mishra couldn't play competitive cricket last year, he didn't give up training "even for a single day" all through the year. He was practising hard at his club in Bhopal and keeping in touch with his MP coaches and team-mates. "Not once did anyone make me feel I was unwanted, because they knew I hadn't done anything that would have shamed anyone. That helped me keep myself on my toes."

Mishra said the biggest change the forced one-year break brought was "maturity". "I started to know myself better - both as a person and a cricketer," Mishra said. "I had so much time to think about myself and my cricket that would help me in revitalising my dream of playing for India. That's why I am as disappointed with myself as I am happy today. Delighted, obviously, for coming good on my return. And disappointed for having missed out on a century and remaining unbeaten at the end of the day's play by playing a rash shot."


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Sylhet wins, Cox's Bazaar misses out

The ICC has retained Sylhet as one of the venues for next year's World Twenty20, after being convinced by the BCB that the stadium will be ready in time. There is still some development work left at the stadium, but the extended deadline of November 30 is being seen as adequate time to complete the work.

Sylhet has been given 28 matches, the most for one venue in this tournament, which includes 22 women's matches and six from the men's first round, which were to be played in Cox's Bazaar. But the coastal town was shelved as a venue as its playing surface is brand new and untested.

With 16 men's and 10 women's teams, this is the biggest tournament in its history. But the dropping of the Cox's Bazaar venue means that the 60 matches of both the tournaments will be crammed into just three grounds, one of which is still incomplete.

But there has been significant progress at the Sylhet venue since work started belatedly in June. The main pavilion building and the media centre on opposite sides of the ground have been completed structurally, but there is interior work still to be done. The floodlights have been installed while the green gallery, a small hill on the east of the pavilion, needs its seating arrangement to be made more spectator-friendly.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he is confident that they can complete the pending work well before time, but cautioned that the board cannot prevent the ICC from deciding on alternative venues if the work isn't completed on time.

"The basic structures [in Sylhet] are completed," BCB president Nazmul Hassan said. "The finishing touches are going on. We still have lot of work to do. It is a huge stadium and we also have some landscaping left to do. We are confident of doing it in time.

"[But] there is always a possibility to move matches from one country to another or from one stadium to another. Everything depends on whether we can get the stadiums prepared by the time we committed to. If we don't do it, it will go to the alternate venues. Our advantage is that we have alternate venues. But I won't negotiate for this with the ICC anymore. I have promised them that we will finish it by November 20 [the official deadline is November 30], I can assure you we can do it by November 10."

Hassan said that work in Sylhet should have begun long time ago but it was stalled because the National Sports Council (NSC) took extra time to complete the tendering process. "The Sylhet stadium was not directly done by the BCB but by the NSC. The tender should have started at least nine months back.

"You can't ask us to finish a nine-month task in two months, and we couldn't. So we asked the ICC for another one month. A lot of work has been done. The entire process started too late."

The ICC will use all three venues - Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet - for the 35 men's matches, including the first round that will be held from March 16 to 21. Dhaka's Shere Bangla National Stadium will host 17 matches in all, and the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong will host 14 games.

But what should have been one of the tournament's biggest attractions, the Cox's Bazaar Stadium by the world's longest beach, will now only host practice matches. The land was acquired quite late and only happened after the country's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina intervened earlier this year. There was never going to be enough time to build a stadium from scratch in such a short timeframe, and although it was almost achieved, there was not enough time to test the pitches.

Hassan, though, said the warm-up games needed venues too. "It is not only the World Twenty20 matches but there will be a lot of practice matches for both tournaments. We cannot [overuse] the three [main] venues, so these practice matches will be spread around.

"We initially thought that the women's matches will be held in Cox's Bazaar. It is fully ready but the pitches have not been tested. There has never been a cricket match played on those wickets. To start a World Cup on completely unused pitches is a big risk."


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Ontong blitz leads Cobras to victory

Cape Cobras 286 for 6 (Ontong 97) beat Titans 285 for 7 (Behardien 89, Davids 80, Williams 3-41) by four wickets
Scorecard

Titans pushed past a wobbly start to set up a competitive target, but Justin Ontong proved the difference, as his whirlwind 97 took Cape Cobras to a thrilling victory, their third in the Momentum One Day Cup.

Set 286 to win, Cobras began solidly with Andrew Puttick and Dave Vilas putting on 75 runs, but Titans regained the advantage when both players fell in successive overs. Stiaan van Zyl continued to resist but, with the required rate on an upward trend, things were getting dicey.

Titans would have hoped Ontong, coming off a stretch of poor form in domestic limited-overs matches, would succumb to the pressure, but the Cobras captain was unfazed. A century partnership for the fifth wicket between him and Justin Kemp helped overhaul the required 95 in the final 10 overs. Ontong himself scored 55 off 33 balls in that period, capping it off by smashing 19 runs off the penultimate over. He was dismissed three short of a century, but by then, Cobras already had sneaked ahead.

Earlier, Titans were nursing a poor start - 67 for 3 in the 19th over - when Henry Davids, with 80 and Farhaan Behardien, who top-scored with 89, pulled off a rescue act. The duo added 96 runs, but it was the fifth wicket partnership that took Titans into a commanding position. Behardien and Mangaliso Mosehle looted 108 runs in 71 balls hoisting their side to 286 by the end of 50 overs. Mosehle was the driving force of the stand, scoring 62 off 43 balls, with 10 fours. Cobras' 20-year-old seamer Lizaad Williams, with 3 for 41, was the pick of the bowlers.

Dolphins 227 for 7 (Van Wyk 61, Delport 56, Morris 3-59) v Lions
No result
Scorecard

Only 43.3 overs were possible in Pietermaritzburg, as the match between Dolphins and Lions was abandoned due to rain.

Dolphins were losing momentum after a 119-run stand for the second wicket between Morne van Wyk and Cameron Delport when rain put paid to any further play. Van Wyk top-scored with 61 off just 38 balls, slamming seven fours and three sixes while Delport hit eight fours and a six as he made 56.

After their departure, seamer Chris Morris and legspinner Eddie Leie picked up four wickets between them to slow the scoring but it was to no avail with weather having final say.

Prospects were even worse at East London where the match between Warriors and Knights was called off without a ball bowled.


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Cricketer dies after blow to head

A 32-year-old former South African first-class cricketer has been killed after being struck on the side of the head during a Border Cricket Board Premier League match at Alice in the Eastern Cape.

Darryn Randall was taking part in a match between Old Selbornians and Fore Hare University when he took the blow while attempting a pull shot and collapsed at the crease. He was rushed to Alice Hospital but medical staff were unable to revive him. A Cricket South Africa spokesman confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he had been wearing a helmet as all players are required to do.

Mark Boucher, the former South Africa wicketkeeper, tweeted: "Thoughts and prayers go out to the Randalls! Such sad news! Darren was a special boy! Life is short guys! Live it like there's no tomorrow!"

Haroon Lorgat, the CSA chief executive, said: "This is a very sad day, indeed. I would like to convey CSA's deepest condolences on behalf of the South African cricketing family not just to his family and friends but also to all the players, umpires, clubs and everybody else who was present at this match. CSA will be offering counselling to all those involved."

Randall represented Border, as a wicketkeeper-batsman, in four first-class matches and four List A games during 2009 as well as the various provincial youth teams while a pupil at Stirling Primary and Selborne College in East London. He had established himself as a coach where he was running a highly regarded cricket academy at Stirling Primary School. He is survived by his mother and his fiancée.

In 1998 the former India Test player Raman Lamba died after being struck on the head while fielding at short leg during a domestic match in Bangladesh.


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Du Preez, Ismail seal series for South Africa

South Africa Women 274 for 3 (Du Preez 79*, Kapp 72) beat Sri Lanka Women 207 for 8 (Siriwardene 68, Ismail 3-34)
Scorecard

South Africa Women took an unassailable 2-0 lead courtesy of three top-order half-centuries, as they beat Sri Lanka Women by 67 runs in the second ODI in Potchefstroom.

Sri Lanka elected to field, but early breakthroughs were a difficult commodity as 21-year old Lizelle Lee and Trisha Chetty strung together an opening partnership of 72 runs. Chetty was the more dominant partner and departed first, caught in front by Shashikala Siriwardene. Lee held firm, reaching her third ODI half-century and when she fell in the 29th over, South Africa had already built a strong foundation at 141 for 2. Captain Mignon du Preez, with an unbeaten 79 and allrounder Marizanne Kapp, with 72, constructed an excellent charge, with the final 10 overs yielding 82 runs.

Sri Lanka's chase was hampered early when seamer Shabnim Ismail had the openers bowled inside the first five overs. Siriwardene offered resistance, with good support from No. 6 Chamani Seneviratna. Their 95-run partnership ensured Sri Lanka remained in the hunt, but when Ismail returned and had Siriwardene out for 68 in the 37th over, the chase began to slip away. An equation that read 120 runs off 78, proved enough cushion for offspinner Sunette Loubser to run through the lower order and limit the visitors well below their target.

"The top order did really well to get us to a good position so I'm happy with the first innings," said du Preez. "There were a few extra runs that we didn't need to give away but I'm happy with the way the bowlers recovered. It was definitely a team effort today."

Du Preez wanted to take the momentum from this win into the third and final ODI on Monday and whitewash Sri Lanka. "It would be really good to finish with a three-nil series victory, we look forward to going out there and giving it our all."


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Ranji pitches and points system in focus

With another Ranji Trophy season set to begin, the familiar complaints about the quality of pitches and the points system are in the spotlight again. Too many sides are happy to roll out flat tracks and convert matches into first-innings batting shootouts. There were a few exceptions like Rohtak and Mohali, where bowlers enjoyed themselves last season, but in many other venues centuries came easily.

At the start of the 2012-13 season, under the supervision of Sanjay Jagdale, the former BCCI secretary, the board had asked the pitch and grounds committee to prepare true pitches. At the BCCI's captains and coaches meeting held at the end of the previous season, Jagdale had pointed out that the percentage of outright victories had actually increased overall across the country, though only marginally. Last year, in 115 Ranji matches, there were 45 outright results (39.1%), while in 2011-12 there were 34 outright results in 88 matches (38.6%).

Still, the bland nature of the surfaces has forced teams to target the three points on offer for taking a first-innings lead in a draw. "The standard of the wickets has to be improved a lot," Mumbai's coach, Sulakshan Kulkarni, said. Mumbai, traditionally the powerhouses of Indian domestic cricket, had only one outright victory in the league phase last season, but still accumulated enough points to sneak into the quarter-finals.

Tamil Nadu coach, WV Raman, remains positive that pitches will improve with time. "The directive to not have the tracks that were really flat or facilitate a run-fest has changed the dynamics somewhat," he said. "Teams will have to be patient before every venue implements the right measures."

More than the pitches, Raman said the grey area is the awarding of points to teams. Last year, the number of points awarded for a victory was increased from five to six, while the points for taking the first-innings lead in a draw was retained at three.

Raman felt teams needed to be given even more motivation to not settle for draws. "I still stick to my guns that the points system has to be changed," he said. "You still need to give some incentive to force the issue and go for outright victory, then it becomes a habit. We should also help teams learn to play under pressure and play to win."

One change both Kulkarni and Raman are happy with is the BCCI technical committee's move to give an additional day's break between group matches starting from the fourth round. The coaches felt the extra rest would help keep the best players fit throughout the campaign.

"The main reason is to give a break to fast bowlers," Kulkarni said. "Because injuries to them has become the biggest worry not only for the domestic teams but also for players who are on the fringes of selection into the Indian team."

Plenty of quick bowlers including Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Varun Aaron and Zaheer Khan have spent lot of time recovering from injuries at the NCA in recent years. A coach of a prominent team chirps that the NCA was becoming renowned as a National Rehabilitation Centre, instead of an academy that grooms and readies a pool of match-fit players. The extra day's break will hopefully help the quicks maintain their fitness and make more of an impact on India's premier first-class tournament.


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Haryana not overawed by Tendulkar factor - Jadeja

Ajay Jadeja, the former India allrounder, finds himself playing a part in what is likely to be Sachin Tendulkar's final domestic match and, while relishing the prospect of an unexpected encounter, says his team won't be overawed by the occasion.

Jadeja, who came out of retirement to lead Haryana in the Buchi Babu tournament, and will now do the same against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, says he isn't quite sure of the role he'll be able to play on the field at his age - bordering 43 - apart from mentoring the side.

He denied there was any pressure on his players to push themselves more because of the hype surrounding the game. Instead he felt it was a rare chance for them to test themselves against someone like Tendulkar. "The match is going to be played on the ground. Whether there is hype or no hype there is no player who turns up not wanting to do his best. This is a player's career, his life.

"It's wonderful to have people watching because if there's interest in the game and people talking about it, it can only inspire you. That encourages our team to go out there and do what needs to be done. It's not as though you can do something extra just because of the hype.

"The coach needs to tell people not to get overawed all the time. We are looking at this as an opportunity to play against the best in the world. You always have a shot when you walk on to the park. This is not an under-15 team. Sachin Tendulkar will have an effect, but the squad is full of professional first-class cricketers, so they'll be looking at it as a chance to play against the greatest ever."

He paid tribute to Tendulkar's longevity. "I've been watching him for 30 years," Jadeja said. "He is enjoying the game today as he did when he started off. For a player any match, whether it is his first or last, is about enjoying the game. I have never seen him do anything different in any match. he always gives it everything.

"Some of us were fortunate to spend time with him. He is considered the god of cricket, so to have been able to spend that time with him, on the field and travelling, I consider myself lucky, at least I can tell my kids about the times I spent with him. The last memory is of beating them in Mumbai. That's the last memory I carry of a Ranji encounter against Sachin."

Jadeja remarked that there was no need for people to go to France - a reference to Zaheer Khan's trip to meet with fitness expert Tim Exeter - when they had facilities in the country such as the ground in Lahli. "It's wonderful for us at Haryana. We've been here a few weeks, we live at the ground. There are nets available all day. The facilities at the ground are terrific. We have indoor nets. If someone wants to be away from the crowd, play cricket and get fit, you don't necessarily have to go all the way to France."

The playing square had a a liberal covering of grass and Jadeja said it would help the quick bowlers. "This is my first game here. The pitch has been helpful to seamers but there have been occasions of 500-plus scores. Walking in, my first thought was wondering where they were going to mark the crease, because it all looks green at the moment on the square. So that probably gives you a little hint. Let me put it this way, I think it will help Zaheer for sure."


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All eyes on Delhi's Sehwag and Gambhir

Delhi: The Sehwag and Gambhir show?

By Vishal Dikshit

Where they finished last season
After losing (3) more matches than they won (2), Delhi finished fourth in group B behind Uttar Pradesh, Baroda and Karnataka. Despite enforcing a follow-on against Vidarbha in their last match of the season, Delhi fell three wickets short of a quarter-final berth.

Big Picture
Since winning the title in 2007-08, Delhi have qualified for the knockouts only once - in 2009-10. The 2011-12 season was particularly poor for them, when they won only one match and finished second from bottom in Group B. Last season, none of their batsmen or bowlers were among the top 15 run-scorers or wicket-takers: Mithun Manhas was their highest run scorer and Sumit Narwal got them the most wickets, and both players are aged over 30. This season, they will be without Shikhar Dhawan for the beginning of the season, if not for most of it.

However, that's not to say they'll be short on star openers - unless they make unexpected comebacks to the Indian Test team, starting with the West Indies series, they should be available for Delhi through the season. And with both likely to be trying their hardest to work their way back into top form and earn a national recall, that augurs well for Delhi.

Delhi have a new coach in Sanjeev Sharma, who was promoted from assistant coach to coach because Vijay Dahiya wasn't available due to his IPL commitments. They also have a more-than-decent pace attack led by Ashish Nehra and comprising Parvinder Awana, Pawan Suyal, Rajat Bhatia and Sumit Narwal, who will have to make up for an inexperienced spin attack. Questions remain however, over how much the 34-year-old Nehra will play; he has said he may not be able to play back-to-back matches.

Coach Sharma is of the view that the conditions in Delhi will make the seamers and fast bowlers critical to the team's chances. "In the conditions we have, especially in the months of November and December, fast bowlers perform very well," he told ESPNcricinfo. "Seventy per cent of the bowling will happen after 10-15 November, so with the wickets and the moisture in the pitches here and in other parts of north India, like Punjab, we depend on our fast bowlers."

Key players
Still a part of the India squad at the beginning of the domestic season last year, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will begin this season in hopes of making it to the national team once again. Even though Gambhir has two recent first-class hundreds, one against West Indies A and the other against Gloucestershire, his record for Essex during his short county stint, with 239 runs from seven innings at 34.14, wasn't exhilarating.

Sehwag, on the other hand, has hardly played any first-class matches since his last Test, against Australia, in February. In two innings against West Indies A he produced scores of 7 and 38 in the middle order before rain in the Duleep Trophy final didn't give him a chance to bat. He did not opt for a county stint and neither did he go to France to work on his fitness like India's other senior discards. A new season might be their last chance to make it back to the national team, whether in the top order or middle. There's no saying whether, by some luck, they'd make it to the home Tests against West Indies when the team is picked on October 29. If they don't, the runs will have to flow this Ranji season for them to state their case.

Click here for the full squad.

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Gujarat: Can they find consistency this year?

By Rachna Shetty

Where they finished
Fourth in Group A, behind Punjab, Saurashtra and Mumbai.

Big Picture
All through the group stage in Ranji Trophy last year, Gujarat were in with a chance of making it to the knockouts from Group A. At crucial junctures, however, their campaign seemed to run out of steam. It's a weakness that their new coach, Vijay Patel, is well aware of and one that he says the team has worked hard on addressing in the off-season.

"Our major problem was that we lost our bowlers towards the end of the season last year," Patel said. "But we have addressed that this year. We started preparations for this season after August, in spite of the weather in Ahmedabad, and recently played a four-day game against Baroda as part of our preparations."

Among the bowlers to watch out for, Patel pointed out pacer Bhargav Merai and spinners Samit Gohel, Chirag Gandhi and Jesal Karia. Gujarat have had some of their players - Bhavin Thaker and Avi Barot - choosing to play for other teams in the lead-up to the season. Patel, who returns to the team as a coach, replacing Mukund Parmar, brushed away the transfers, saying the side was a settled unit. "There was a lot of competition to finalise this squad," Patel said. "Last season, whenever youngsters, like Smit Patel, were given a chance, they performed and that has only been good for us."

Players to watch
Gujarat's batting has a good mix of seniors like captain Parthiv Patel - their leading run-getter in last year's tournament - and Venugopal Rao, but the focus will also be on youngsters like Smit Patel and Manpreet Juneja. Juneja, in particular, hit some form in recent games for India A, scoring 193 against New Zealand A in a four-day game, followed by half-centuries against West Indies A in the four-day game in Mysore.

Another key player for Gujarat is Rakesh Dhurv. The left-arm spinner was the leading wicket-taker for Gujarat last year - 36 wickets in eight games at an average of 25.55. His experience will be important in leading a young Gujarat attack.

Click here for the full squad.

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Odisha: Underdogs seek to upset

By Kanishkaa Balachandran

Where they finished last season
Sixth place in Group B.

Big Picture
One of the more low-profile teams on the Ranji circuit, Odisha struggled last season to push for a position in the playoffs. A team lacking star players won just two games, though it was a marginal improvement from the 2011-12 season in which they failed to win a single game and finished at the bottom of the table. They began last season with a rained-out draw against Tamil Nadu, lost by ten wickets to Delhi but their campaign gained mileage with two consecutive wins against Haryana and Karnataka and at the end of that round, Odisha were on top of the table in Group B.

That was followed by a draw against Maharashtra, and they failed to consolidate their position. Their batting struggled in the three following games as the side failed to pass 200 in six innings. Even a target of 145 against Uttar Pradesh was out of reach as they ended their Ranji season folding for 101. Debashis Mohanty, the former India fast bowler who is the Odisha coach, acknowledged that the batting was biggest problem but added that the team played "positive cricket" in order to push for results.

The team now has a new captain in Biplab Samantray, who takes over from Natraj Behera. The squad's practice in the lead-up to their first game against Punjab was interrupted by heavy rains in the state but Mohanty said the players had begun preparations well in advance and was confident the team would be well prepared.

Key players
Odisha has produced less than a handful of players who have been selected for India, but from this squad, one of the more recognisable names who could put himself on the selectors' radar is Biplab Samantray. The middle-order batsman and medium-pacer has been a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in the IPL. Samantray was among only two centurions for Odisha in the previous Ranji season and he ended the season with 18 wickets. Samantray has featured in the East Zone team and this season is a chance to push for higher honours, such as the India A squad.

After Debashis Mohanty, the other Mohanty making waves is Basant Mohanty, the right-arm seamer. Basant was the team's leading wicket-taker last season with 33 wickets at an average of 16.27 and a miserly economy rate of 1.91. His only five-wicket haul sent Haryana crashing to 66 in Rohtak to bring up the team's first win of the season. More will be expected of him this season.

Click here for the full squad.

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Vidarbha: Developing side aiming for glory

By Amol Karhadkar

Where they finished
Fifth in Group B, one point behind the third qualifier from the group, with two outrights wins and six draws.

Big Picture
Vidarbha started the previous season with an outright victory against Haryana, and added another six points to their kitty in the penultimate round against Odisha. Still, the most low-profile of the three teams that hail from Maharashtra, Vidarbha was never really in contention for a spot in the knockouts. Besides the two victories, their only notable performance was against Tamil Nadu, when they grabbed three points for the first-innings lead.

A look at the batting and bowling charts reveals it was a sort of miracle that Vidarbha ended up in the middle of points chart. Neither a batsman nor a bowler from Sairaj Bahutule's team featured in the top-25 run-getters and wicket-takers. While Faiz Fazal was the only batsman to aggregate more than 500 runs, Sandeep Singh was the most successful bowler with 27 scalps.

Perhaps, the numbers are enough to justify Bahutule's claim that "playing as a unit" is Vidarbha's biggest strength. At the same, Bahutule, who has taken over as coach after retiring from first-class cricket at the end of last year's Ranji Trophy, realises the team needs to perform more consistently. In order to strengthen the batting unit, Vidarbha have replaced Shiv Sundar Das with his former Orissa team-mate Rashmi Parida, who is renowned for holding the innings together.

Even though the Ranji league stage will only end in the new year, Vidarbha's fortunes will be clear midway through the round robin stage, as they play all four of their home games early in the campaign. If the team doesn't impress in its home outings, they may well be fighting to avoid relegation as they go on the road against the likes of Mumbai, Punjab and Delhi.

Players to watch
Umesh Yadav will be keen to cement his place in the Test side and regain his place in ODIs with a strong showing for his home team. The more he is available for Vidarbha, the better it would be for the team since he can work in tandem with left-arm seamer Shrikant Wagh, who had been rewarded with an India A place during off-season. And Rashmi Parida's presence might spur on not only the young home-grown batsmen but also the other import, former India batsman Hemang Badani who had a mediocre last season with Vidarbha.

Team speak
"We are a developing side. The boys are getting a taste of the elite division. Hopefully this year, we won't just be competitive but we will be contenders as well."
Sairaj Bahutle, the Vidarbha coach

Click here for the full squad.


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