Tag Futebol

Steve O’Keefe picked up his second five-for in the match as Sri Lankan XI were bowled out for 82 to give the Australians victory by an innings and 162 runs on the third day of their tour fixture at P Sara Oval

Andrew Fidel Fernando at P Sara Oval20-Jul-2016
ScorecardSteve O’Keefe’s performance raised Australia’s likelihood of fielding a dual-spin attack for the first Test•AFP

Australia’s spinners will move into the Test series well-heeled and confident, after setting in motion a dramatic collapse that yielded seven wickets for 33 runs on the third and final day of their tour fixture, at the P Sara Oval. On a surface that had begun to take fast turn, Steve O’Keefe collected his second five-wicket haul of the match, in only 6.5 overs. At the other end, Nathan Lyon tuned up with 2 for 14 from five overs; Sri Lankan XI were dismissed for 83 as Australians completed an innings-and-162-run victory.”We’ll definitely take a lot of confidence out of the victory,” Lyon said after the match. “Steve Smith came in today and said: ‘Let’s really make a statement.’ Taking nine wickets in a session to close out a first-class win is a pretty big statement.”Having become Australia’s highest scorer as well, in a morning session in which he shared a 58-run stand for the tenth wicket with Jackson Bird, O’Keefe was especially effective against the right-handers in the Sri Lankan side. He pitched on middle and leg, then spun the ball past the defence of Asela Gunaratne to rattle off stump and claim his first wicket. Later in that over, Shehan Jayasuriya was out sweeping to Bird at deep square leg.Dasun Shanaka was caught behind off O’Keefe and the tailenders fell lbw or bowled to his straighter, quicker deliveries. In addition to the 78 not out with the bat, O’Keefe collected match figures of 10 for 64, raising Australia’s likelihood of fielding a dual-spin attack for the first Test.Lyon was more subdued in the match, and had actually been expensive on the first day, when he was reported to have fallen ill. Despite his figures, he said he was bowling well, and felt well-prepared for his second Test tour of Sri Lanka, which he begins now as a senior player.”I’m the only one to have played Test-match cricket over here out of the bowlers,” Lyon said. “It was good for all our bowlers to get out here and adapt to conditions. A lot of us are coming off white-ball cricket. It’s good to spend some time out there and get some long overs under our belt. I’ve felt I’ve grown a lot on and off the field since that 2011 tour to Sri Lanka. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”The Sri Lankan XI will be disappointed at the abject collapse, and Milinda Siriwardana will perhaps reflect most on the missed opportunity. He was caught for 2 off Lyon, but will have wanted at least a half-century to firm up a place in the Sri Lanka Test squad. Shanaka has not made a strong case for inclusion either, collecting middling returns with both bat and ball.Before the slow bowlers closed out the match, Mitchell Starc had taken two early wickets with full deliveries. He bowled wicketkeeper-batsman Manoj Sarathchandra, and had Oshada Fernando caught at slip.Madawa Warnapura did not bat for the Sri Lankan XI, having sustained an injury to his hand while fielding on the previous day.

Adelaide Oval will host the first-ever day-night Test against New Zealand in November and a T20 against India on Australia Day next year, with Cricket Australia announcing its international and domestic schedule for the 2015-16 season

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2015Adelaide Oval will host the first-ever day-night Test against New Zealand in November and a T20 against India on Australia Day next year, with Cricket Australia announcing its international and domestic schedule for the 2015-16 season.

Australia 2015-16 at home

v NEW ZEALAND
Nov 5-9 1st Test, Brisbane
Nov 13-17 2nd Test, Perth
Nov 27-Dec 1 3rd Test, Adelaide

v WEST INDIES
Dec 10-14 1st Test, Hobart
Dec 26-30 2nd Test, Melbourne
Jan 3-7 3rd Test, Sydney

v INDIA
Jan 12 1st ODI, Perth
Jan 15 2nd ODI, Brisbane
Jan 17 3rd ODI, Melbourne
Jan 20 4th ODI, Canberra
Jan 23 5th ODI, Sydney
Jan 26 1st T20, Adelaide
Jan 29 2nd T20, Melbourne
Jan 31 3rd T20, Sydney

New Zealand will kick off the international summer with the first Test in Brisbane and the second in Perth before the day-night encounter in Adelaide. That will be followed by another three-Test series, with Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney hosting West Indies in December and January.India will then travel to Australia for a series of five ODIs in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. India will also play three T20s in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, where the SCG will host its first T20 international since February 2010, as part of a new seven-year agreement between CA, Cricket New South Wales and the SCG Trust that will see the SCG play host to all international cricket in the state from this summer.Australia Women will also take on India Women in three ODIs and three T20s during the same period as the men. The T20s will be played as double-headers prior to the men’s matches and will be broadcast live.The Sheffield Shield will be taken outside Australia for the first time with a match between New South Wales and Western Australia to be played in Lincoln, New Zealand. The match will be used as preparation by the Test side for the return series in New Zealand in February.The first round of the Shield will involve day-night matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart in the last week of October ahead of the day-night Test.Also in February, New South Wales and South Australia will play a Shield match in Coffs Harbour as a tribute to the late Phillip Hughes.The Matador BBQs One-Day Cup will kickstart the domestic season in October and will be played at five grounds in Sydney.The schedules for the Big Bash League, starting on December 17, and the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League, beginning on December 5, will be announced later this week.”The ICC Cricket World Cup was the biggest sporting event in our country since the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000,” said Mike McKenna, the CA executive general manager of operations.”Many Australians come from non-cricketing cultures and the World Cup was a great chance for the game to showcase itself and earn new fans from all parts of our increasingly diverse community.”We want to build on this great momentum. Following the World Cup, we are determined that local Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Afghan, Sri Lankan and other overseas-born fans who packed Australia’s grounds with good-humoured noise and colour are able to maintain their passion for cricket as part of their adopted Australian lifestyles.”This summer promises to be another history-making season for cricket in Australia. Test cricket will be played in every state including an inaugural day-night Test match between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide, a step designed to make following the cricket much easier for fans to attend the game or watch on television.”

Shahriar Nafees’ century, the first by a Bangladeshi batsman in Twenty20s, provided a boost to his team, and the tournament

Mohammad Isam24-Jan-2013Shahriar Nafees had a stunned look in his eyes after he had completed his hundred, the first by a Bangladeshi batsman in Twenty20s. Ordinary performances in the format by him made this innings a bit surprising, but according to his opening partner Lou Vincent, who has scored two centuries in Twenty20s, Nafees looked good for a big one this evening.Vincent and Nafees put together an unbroken 197-run opening stand, a world record for the first innings in a Twenty20 game, and pumped some much needed life into a dull tournament. They hugged each other at the press conference, after hearing it was the first time a team hadn’t lost a wicket in the first innings of a Twenty20 match.”I have never played such an innings, at least not in T20s,” Nafees said. “I didn’t think about reaching a hundred until I had crossed fifty. I just wanted to bat till the end.”Nafees smiled broadly while explaining the final moments of his innings, as he reached his century off 67 balls. “It is a bit unbelievable that I have scored a T20 hundred,” he said.His opening partner Vincent played a major hand in his innings by freeing him up to let him play his own game. Vincent, in his unbeaten 51-ball 89, struck eight sixes, hit long and hard, and he said that batsmen with more strength are far more likely to hit Twenty20 hundreds. “You have to set the tone by utilising the field by hitting boundaries over the top in the first six overs,” Vincent said.”Then you have to build from that. It is always good to get a Twenty20 century. Chris Gayle has nine but that’s pure strength and class. Little guys like us, we have to run real fast.”Nafees, for his part, was resourceful at the crease. He used its depth and placed the ball in gaps in several parts of the ground. He lofted the ball quite a few times too, especially against the spinners, and had three of his boundaries dropping just short of the rope. Nafees has the ability to play all around the wicket, which showed in this innings. His repeated use of the scoop is, however, a new addition.The knock also injected some motivation into his team-mates after they went down in the first three games. Khulna Royal Bengals have finally given their hometown something to cheer about, and Nafees’ century could improve attendances at the ground, a factor that has been a worry for the BPL this year.

A round-up of the second day of the tenth round of matches in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Division One 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2011Twelve wickets fell on the second day at the Gohati Cricket Stadium in Swabi, after 17 had fallen on the first. At the end of it, Abbottabad were 166 for 9 in their second innings, leading by 159 against Sialkot. The day began with Sialkot on 77 for 7, fighting for a first-innings lead. They inched past Abbottabad’s total of 97 and were dismissed for 104. Ahmed Jamal and Ikramullah Khan took 5 for 42 and 5 for 35 for Abbottabad. Given that so many wickets had fallen, Abbottabad made a steady start in their second innings, with Mohammad Naeem leading them to 67 for 1. Mohammad Abbas, however, then took 5 for 55 and was supported by Prince Abbas and Mohammad Imran, who took two wickets each. Abbottabad slumped to 120 for 8. The captain Khalid Usman remained unbeaten on 50 off 70 balls to give his team a fighting chance by leading them to 166 for 9.Habib Bank Limited and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) fought for the upper hand at the Gaddafi Stadium but, at the end of the second day, neither team had it. Habib Bank had collapsed from a position of strength on the opening day and they lost their last two wickets for the addition of only four runs this morning to finish on 245 in the first innings. Imran Khan took 5 for 57 and Zulfiqar Babar took 4 for 92. Habib Ban, however, ended the day on level terms by reducing WAPDA to 203 for 6 by stumps. The captain Aamer Sajjad made 58 before he was run out but none of his team-mates converted starts.Faisalabad were batting their first innings at the start of the second day against Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground, and they were batting in their second, chasing 255, at the end of it. Resuming on their overnight score of 92 for 8, Faisalabad were dismissed for 106, conceding a first-innings lead of 63. Only three batsman made it into double figures, while Nasrullah Khan took 4 for 41 for Islamabad. After a second-wicket partnership of 67 in their second innings, however, Islamabad also collapsed and were dismissed for 191. Naseer Akram took 4 for 39 for Faisalabad, who then had to make the highest total of the match to win. They ended the day on 32 for 1, needed another 223.Sohail Khan’s 5 for 30 wrecked Rawalpindi for 107 in their first-innings and helped Karachi Blues take a lead of 192 at the National Stadium. Opening batsman Haseeb Asam remained unbeaten on 59, carrying his bat as nine of his ten team-mates were dismissed in single figures. The No. 11 Sadaf Hussain contributed 11. Sohail was supported by Atif Maqbool, who took 3 for 32, and Mohammad Sami, who claimed 2 for 22. Earlier in the day, Karachi Blues had resumed their first innings on 211 for 5. Ahmed Iqbal made 71 as they were dismissed for 299, with Rawalpindi’s Nasir Malik taking 5 for 70.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited ended the second day against National Bank of Pakistan at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground leading by 89 runs in the second innings with nine wickets in hand. They began on 239 for 7 in their first innings but were soon out for 255. NBP’s Wahab Riaz finished with 7 for 74. Wahab then made 36 in the lower order to lift NBP after they had collapsed to 123 for 6. He wasn’t able to take them very far though and NBP were shot out for 201, conceding a lead of 54. ZTBL lost their captain Imran Nazir to finish the day on 35 for 1 in the second innings.Half-centuries from Kashif Siddiq, Adnan Raees and Rameez Aziz helped State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) take a strong lead against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the National Ground. SBP began the day on 77 for 2 and made a strong start. Siddiq made 62, Raees 54 and Aziz 76 to lead SBP to 217 for 3. The rest of the batsmen, however, barely contributed anything and SBP collapsed to 269 all out, with PIA’s Anwar Ali taking 5 for 69. They still managed a 132-run lead, though. Saad Altaf struck twice in PIA’s second innings, reducing them to 30 for 2, before a partnership worth 52 between Sheharyar Ghani Faisal Iqbal steered them further further loss to stumps.

Merv Hughes was a selector until two months ago, but even he was caught off guard by Michael Beer’s call-up for this week’s Perth Test

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2010Merv Hughes was a selector until two months ago, but even he was caught off guard by Michael Beer’s call-up for this week’s Perth Test. The inclusion of the left-arm spinner Beer, who played the first of his five first-class games in October, was a major surprise given the delicate state of the series, which England leads 1-0.”I must admit I was a little bit blown away by it,” Hughes told the . “Having been in the selection system for the last five years you know the process that they watch the games and obviously he’s impressed the selectors at the games he’s played this year. I actually didn’t hear the team. Someone said a left-armer from WA had been picked, I actually thought it might have been Aaron Heal.”The chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, said of the decision that having a left-arm orthodox spinner would be a good option for Australia in the future. The first one they tried, Xavier Doherty, was axed after two Tests, and Steve O’Keefe, who played in the Australia A match against England in November was surprisingly overlooked.”Three weeks ago when he wasn’t picked for the Australian A team they couldn’t have been thinking about him then because they played [Steve] Smith and O’Keefe in that game,” Hughes said. “Michael Beer’s a huge surprise. I would have thought there would have been a couple of players in front of him, but I haven’t seen games this year.”Beer moved to Western Australia from Melbourne during the 2010 off-season and Hughes said during his time as a selector he had not seen him play. However, despite being surprised by the call-up, Hughes said he had no reason to think Beer would not be up to the task if he plays at the WACA.”Since Adelaide everyone’s been crying out for change and when they make a change everyone sits back and asks why,” Hughes said. “We can’t cry out for change then question why it’s been done. Give the kid a chance, I hope he goes really well. I’m surprised but I’m also excited for him.”

USA have announced the squad for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled for January 15-31, 2010 in New Zealand

Cricinfo staff24-Dec-2009USA have announced their squad for the Under-19 World Cup scheduled for January 15-31, 2010 in New Zealand. The squad prepare for the tournament with an intensive four-day weekend training camp in Florida, under the watchful eyes of USA coaches and former New Zealand player Dipak Patel.The squad is made up from the same group of players who participated in the World Cup Qualifier in Toronto, earlier in September. However Steven Taylor has been added as wicketkeeper-batsman. The team will assemble in San Francisco on January 1, 2010 for departure to New Zealand.On arrival in New Zealand, they will train as guests of New Zealand Cricket at the national training facility until January 9th when they will transfer to the tournament hotel. The squad will play two warm-up matches against India on January 11, and Papua New Guinea on January 12. A recent collaborative agreement between the USA Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket, was instrumental in the latter facilitating such a welcoming host arrangement for the USA players. New Zealand Cricket coaches will continue to play an integral role in the preparation of the USA squad while in New Zealand.The squad was very focused during the recent training camp and all of the players are eager for the action to begin. According to assistant coach Reginald Benjamin, “For the many years that I have been involved in cricket in America both as a player and a coach this weekend has been the most productive and successful ever.”Squad 1 Shiva Vashishat (Captain), 2 Salman Ahmad, 3 Regis Burton, 4 Ryan Corns, 5 Muhammad Ghous, 6 Naseer Jamali, 7 Abhijit Joshi, 8 Azurdeen Mohammed, 9 Saqib Saleem, 10 Gregory Sewdial, 11 Yash Shah, 12 Hammad Shahid, 13 Sammi Siddiqui, 14 Steven Taylor, 15 Henry Wardley

Parunika Sisodia and Nuzhat Parween will replace them at MI and RCB respectively

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2025Mumbai Indians (MI) seam-bowling allrounder Pooja Vastrakar and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) legspinner Asha Sobhana have been sidelined from the entire WPL 2025 with injuries. Parunika Sisodia, fresh off winning the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, and Railways wicketkeeper-batter Nuzhat Parween, will replace them at MI and RCB respectively.Vastrakar has been a “big player” for MI, as their head coach Charlotte Edwards alluded to during the pre-season press-conference, so filling the void created by her absence could be a challenge. Sisodia, the left-arm fingerspinner isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Vastrakar, but her recent form is encouraging for MI: she took five wickets across the semi-final and the final of the Under-19 World Cup, helping India become back-to-back champions.Related

• Harmanpreet's rhythm in spotlight as MI chase 2023 repeat

• RCB's title defence hit by player unavailability and injury concerns

• From home-schooling, to attacking mindsets: how the WPL is changing life for young Indian women

Akshita Maheshwari, the Rajasthan seam-bowling allrounder, is more of a like-for-like replacement for Vastrakar. In the Under-23 Women’s One Day Trophy last season, Maheshwari had finished with 23 wickets, the second-most in the competition, and picked up two hat-tricks: against Mizoram and Odisha.Asha’s unavailability, meanwhile, compounds RCB’s troubles. They are also sweating on the fitness of Shreyanka Patil and Ellyse Perry. Asha’s 12 wickets in 10 games at an economy rate of 7.11 were vital to RCB winning their maiden WPL title last season.Parween, who has played five T20Is for India, will be a back-up wicketkeeper to Richa Ghosh. She had scored 134 runs at a strike rate of 101.51 for Railways in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy earlier this season.WPL 2025 will kick off on February 14, with defending champions RCB taking on Gujarat Giants in Vadodara.

At one stage, South Australia needed two wickets with 33 runs to get, but Goodwin and Rocchiccioli kept their composure to finish the job for their team

Tristan Lavalette17-Nov-2023Jayden Goodwin and Corey Rocchiccioli produced a stirring ninth-wicket partnership late on day three as Western Australia overcame South Australia by two wickets in a nerve-jangling Sheffield Shield match in Perth.Chasing 201 for victory on a grassy WACA surface, WA were on the cusp of a second straight defeat at 168 for 8. But Goodwin and Rocchiccioli defied the Redbacks’ bid of a boilover with a calm, unbroken 33-run stand.Rocchiccioli hit the running runs to spark jubilation in the terraces as WA bounced back from a horror trip to Sydney where they suffered big defeats to NSW in the Shield and the Marsh Cup.”We discussed at tea that we were going to be positive and get it done today,” said 21-year-old Goodwin, who finished unbeaten on 47 off 72 balls on his return to the side after replacing the injured Ashton Turner.It was heartbreak for South Australia, who in their last match had beaten Queensland by three runs in a similarly tense finish.After a dull draw between WA and Tasmania last month, the WACA surface was particularly spicy and just three half-centuries were struck in the low-scoring contest.The Redbacks needed to strike with the new ball, which had accounted for clumps of wickets earlier in the match. But skipper Sam Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft looked unruffled as they chipped away at the target with a 39-run opening stand.The match turned when Whiteman fell to a short delivery from Brendan Doggett, who shortly after banged a brutal delivery that thundered into Teague Wyllie’s elbow.After receiving medical attention, Wyllie retired hurt and a pumped-up Doggett was on a roll with the key wicket of Bancroft for 27. A visibly annoyed Bancroft trudged off having endured a rare sub-par match, having fallen for 20 to a rash cut shot in the first innings.Doggett continued his spectacular spell when he had Hilton Cartwright caught behind to leave WA shakily placed at 58 for 3 at tea. Goodwin and Aaron Hardie decided to counter-attack after the break as they compiled 37 runs in quick time.A desperate South Australia captain Jake Lehmann reverted to offspinner Ben Manenti for the first time in the innings, and the gamble worked with Manenti getting through Hardie’s defences before Josh Philippe fell to Doggett in a rash stroke to extra cover.When Manenti had Joel Paris chopping on to his stumps, the Redbacks could sense a famous victory with WA slumping to 105 for 6 and still 96 short with Wyllie’s status uncertain.But Charlie Stobo, who bats in the top four for his local grade club, hit a breezy 26 to swing the momentum WA’s way before falling to Nathan McAndrew. In another twist, Wyllie returned to the crease having undergone a couple of rigorous net sessions in between.He was peppered by short deliveries but showed no ill effects, and inched WA closer. Manenti again provided a pivotal breakthrough after Wyllie was trapped lbw failing to connect on a sweep shot.WA’s hopes would have sunk at that stage, but Goodwin and Rocchiccioli, who showed maturity in his 25 off 42 balls, came together as the shadows creeped on to the ground.The gripping finale seemed unlikely when South Australia struggled to build a lead. But Harry Nielsen led a lower-order fight-back with a half-century and he was well supported by Manenti, who top-scored with 66 to lift the Redbacks to a lead of 200.Manenti took the long handle to offspinning counterpart Rocchiccioli and smashed him for two sixes which landed in rubble amid the ground’s redevelopment.His cavalier 88-ball knock was ended by Lance Morris, who finished with 3 for 44 from 14.4 overs. Steadily building his bowling loads this season after a back injury, Morris was venomous on a hard surface and hit speeds of around 145 kph.Paris shrugged off a groin niggle, which forced him off the ground late on day two. The injury-plagued Paris dismissed any possible concerns by dismissing McAndrew after coming into the attack an hour into the day’s play.The topsy-turvy contest continued until Rocchiccioli’s winning boundary powered WA over the line and into top spot on the ladder.

Fast-bowler friendly conditions are likely to persist in Harare in the second ODI of the three-match rubber

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Aug-2022

Big picture

We may continue to wonder whether ODIs are still relevant but Shikhar Dhawan clearly loves the format. He said so before the series. He reaffirmed his love by scoring an unbeaten 81 in the first ODI on Thursday, his third half-century in four matches over last month. “It is a balanced format where you should know when to attack and when to defend, for both batters and bowlers,” he had said. On the day, Dhawan and his opening partner Shubman Gill started off cautiously against the moving ball and later turned on attacking mode as they took on the chase. Of course, it wasn’t a tall total (189) but it was a clinical performance from India nonetheless.It was not just India’s batting that stood out. Deepak Chahar produced a superb spell of swing bowling to decimate the Zimbabwe top order on his comeback, while Prasidh Krishna and Axar Patel also chipped in with three apiece to dismantle the rest of the line-up. Gill opening the batting meant we couldn’t see much of the other returnee, captain KL Rahul. The win only further showcased India’s resources and depth in the format.Zimbabwe, however, were expected to perform a lot better. They came into the match with a resounding series win against Bangladesh and they were facing an opposition that wasn’t at full strength. Yet they still went down without putting up a fight. The only positive, apart from the decent opening spell by the quicks, was a brief counterattack from their ninth-wicket pair of Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava. This is also the fifth straight loss for them in a match that has Super League status.They will want more from their batting department, especially the likes of captain Regis Chakabva and Sikandar Raza – who was in splendid form in the series against Bangladesh. A comeback in this series will only give Zimbabwe confidence ahead of their ODI tour to Australia starting August 28.

Form guide

Zimbabwe LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight

Sean Williams, who has been Zimbabwe’s backbone in the batting order for many years, hasn’t been in form of late. His most recent scores read 1, 2, 8, 33 and 28. On Thursday, he played his first ODI since January this year, after missing the games against Afghanistan and Bangladesh for personal reasons. With regular captain Craig Ervine out of this series with injury, Zimbabwe will want Williams to go back to playing more patiently and anchor the innings to help them to competitive totals.Shubman Gill has been making a strong case to be India’s back-up opener for the foreseeable future, and possibly even at the 2023 ODI World Cup. His 82 off 72 balls against Zimbabwe followed scores of 64, 43 and 98 not out against West Indies and the fact that he continued to open even when Rahul was in the XI suggests that perhaps, when the time comes, India see him taking over the role on a more permanent basis.

Likely XIs

Zimbabwe need a better performance from their top-order, but they are short of options. Even those on the bench right now – Milton Shumba and Takudzwanashe Kaitano – have struggled to make an impact.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 2 Innocent Kaia, 3 Sean Williams, 4 Wessly Madhevere, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Regis Chakabva (capt & wk), 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Bradley Evans, 10 Victor Nyauchi, 11 Richard NgaravaIndia are likely to go with the same XI, unless they want to give Ruturaj Gaikwad or Rahul Tripathi a chance.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 KL Rahul (capt), 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Sanju Samson (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Pitch and conditions

The conditions in the first ODI helped the fast bowlers, who found movement in the air and off the pitch with the new ball. Expect more of the same on Saturday. The weather is set fair, with a maximum temperature of 28°C.

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe have lost their first wicket at an average of 8.42 runs across the seven ODIs in the current home season. The partnership of 25 in the first ODI against India was their highest opening stand in those seven matches.
• India’s bowling average in ODIs during the first ten overs this year is 24.32, their best in a calendar year since 2003 (23.68). This is a marked improvement from 2020 (169.33) and 2021 (95.00) when their first ten-overs average actually hit their lowest point since 2001.

Quotes

“I am enjoying batting with the youngster [Shubman Gill] and I feel like a youngster too. My rhythm with Gill has settled nicely. The way he bats and times the ball is lovely to watch. He has shown the consistency in converting fifties into bigger fifties”

One-two barrage was shelved in South Africa but has returned with great effect in India

Matt Roller17-Mar-2021England’s new-ball attack had been as toothless as a pangolin heading into their T20I series in India. Across the previous 18 months, they had taken 18 wickets at an eye-watering average of 48.05 in the powerplay, all while leaking 9.30 runs per over. T20 bowling is a trade-off between attack (taking wickets) and defence (keeping scoring rates down) but England were doing neither.But one match was the exception that proved the rule. Only once in that period had they taken three powerplay wickets, and the secret on that occasion was quite simple: pace. England paired their two fastest bowlers together and let them off the leash, with Jofra Archer passing 95mph/154kph and Mark Wood close behind in a four-over burst that had Australia’s top order ducking for cover at the Ageas Bowl as they banged the ball into the pitch at blistering speed.Related

• England's bowlers ensure the plan comes together

• Buttler, Wood deliver another win while chasing for 2-1 England lead

• Stick or twist for England, India with series at stake

• Whom should India open with in the fourth T20I?

It was curious, then, that the Archer-Wood combination which had worked so effectively – not only that day, but in the ODI World Cup in 2019, too – was shelved without much comment. England rotated their bowlers for the final game of the Australia series (powerplay score: 61 for 1) and then overlooked Wood throughout the three matches in South Africa at the end of last year. Across that series, England managed only four wickets in the first six overs, conceding 8.38 runs per over.Against an Indian side packed with top-order options, this was a problem that Eoin Morgan needed to solve. He had previously tried to cover the weakness by using Tom Curran and Chris Jordan – both specialist death bowlers by trade – in the first six, but has opted to front-load with his best bowlers in this series.He used Adil Rashid, his legspinner, to bowl the first over in the first and third T20Is supplementing his skill with Archer and Wood’s aggressive lines and hard lengths. Sam Curran, seen as the long-term replacement for David Willey, has only been entrusted with two overs in the first six, but used intelligent variation in his seam position to bowl a wicket-maiden to KL Rahul in the second T20I.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The results have been clear throughout the series. While Ishan Kishan was able to get hold of Tom Curran and Jordan in Wood’s absence in the second T20I, India have managed only 22 for 3 and 24 for 3 after six overs in the two games that he has played in. It is a truism that taking three wickets in the powerplay tends to win you a T20 (after all, nobody has invented a format where early wickets are not helpful just yet) but doing so while conceding only four runs per over puts the opposition in a chokehold.”We’ve played together so much now we just play each other’s roles,” Wood said of his partnership with Archer on Wednesday. “We enjoy playing together. It brings the best out of me as I’m sure it does out of him.”Jofra starts a lot of the time and because he keeps the pressure on, it allows the other team to try and take risks against other bowlers. When they did try and take a risk, if we were on our game, then we got the wicket. It’s just about bowling well in tandem and trying to back each other up – keeping the pressure on for each other.”For Wood in particular, England’s early dominance has proved beneficial during the second half of his spell in the middle overs. Generally bowling to middle-order batsmen, who tend to be stronger against spin but more vulnerable against back-of-a-length bowling at high pace, Wood has conceded only 7.12 runs per over in that phase of the game across his last five T20Is.Mark Wood produced a hair-raising display of pure pace•BCCI

It is a tactic that England may employ frequently as they build towards the T20 World Cup later this year, particularly if Rashid continues to excel in the powerplay. Morgan has highlighted the trend of genuine fast bowlers coming back in vogue in white-ball cricket since the 2019 World Cup, and the prospect of having his own version of Lockie Ferguson as a ‘shock’ bowler in the middle overs is a tantalising one.One ball he bowled on Tuesday night – a bouncer to Rohit Sharma – was clocked at 96.4mph/155.2kph, which Wood believes to be the fastest he has been clocked at in a televised game, and it has been noticeable that he is yet to change things up with a slower ball in the eight overs he has bowled. While his final over was taken apart, that owed more to Virat Kohli’s genius than to any fault on Wood’s part.There remains one lingering doubt: Wood’s fitness. He missed the second T20I with a bruised heel – he explained it was a minor injury caused by some supporting tape sliding off and choking his feet – but his mixed injury record means that in a year which will see him in demand across formats, he will need careful management. It is a small mercy for England that he has turned down the IPL in consecutive years, rebuffing Mumbai Indians’ attempts to sign him as a replacement for Lasith Malinga before last year’s tournament and opting out of this year’s auction at the 11th hour.”There will be a conversation at the end of this tour about what I do in the build-up to the Tests in England, obviously playing games for Durham and getting my fitness right,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of work behind the scenes on my own fitness with a strength coach.”I’m getting myself in a good place… [but] I’d rather me charging in and bowling as quick as I can to keep my performance level up rather than being at 50-60% and not doing myself or the team justice.”