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Alex Hales has been added to the England squad and looks set to return to the side for the final ODI against West Indies

George Dobell07-Mar-2017Alex Hales has been added to the England squad and looks set to return to the side for the final ODI against West Indies. Hales, who was not selected originally due to a hand injury sustained during the series in India, joined the tour party to continue his rehab in Antigua.He has now been officially added to the squad, which means he will come into contention for Thursday’s match in Barbados. England lead the three-match series 2-0.”Hales has now been passed fit by the medics and he’s practised well over the last few days,” Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, told the BBC. “So he’s officially in the squad now for Thursday’s game, which is good news.”We always knew that Hales would join us. Even if he wasn’t available to play, we were always going to bring him here so we had him as part of the group.”Hales’ availability is not good news for Sam Billings. While Billings made a half-century in the first ODI – his second half-century in three ODI innings at that stage – he was unable to convert his start into the formidable contribution that might have kept Hales out of the side. Billings was out first ball in the second ODI.There is little doubt that Hales remains England’s first choice opening partner for Jason Roy. He made 171 against Pakistan in August – England’s highest individual ODI score and his fourth century within 12 months.Jake Ball may also come back into contention for the final game. Ball injured his knee during the warm-up games in St Kitts and was not considered for selection for the first two ODIs. He will train on Wednesday, although it may well be that Steven Finn retains his place.The England squad, many of whom have their families with them now, enjoyed a rest day in Barbados on Tuesday.

Rising Pune Supergiants have lost two games since their win in the tournament opener, and require a victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore to get their campaign back on track

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro21-Apr-2016

Match facts

Friday, April 22, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big picture

Rising Pune Supergiants’ inaugural IPL season got off to the perfect start with a thumping win over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener. Supergiants have lost two games since, and require a victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore to revive their campaign.Royal Challengers, who also won their first game before losing two consecutively, have depended on a strong top order to mask their bowling fragility. Chris Gayle, who did not feature against Mumbai Indians, having flown to Jamaica to be with his partner for the birth of their first child, will miss this game too. Till Gayle returns, Royal Challengers could persist with KL Rahul opening and Travis Head at No. 5.Royal Challengers have failed to find a settled bowling combination. Barring Harshal Patel, no other specialist bowler has played all three games. West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree has been ruled out of the tournament after failing to recover from an injured shoulder, and has been replaced by the South African chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi.Supergiants haven’t found their best combination either. It isn’t often that MS Dhoni makes wholesale changes after two matches – Supergiants made three against Kings XI Punjab, including drafting in Thisara Perera and Irfan Pathan for Mitchell Marsh and Rajat Bhatia as like-for-like replacements. The batting has been held together by Faf du Plessis’ consistency (170 runs in three matches), but a misfiring middle order has been shown up. Supergiants have the personnel, but need to perform consistently to bid for a playoffs spot.

Form guide

Rising Pune Supergiants: LLW (most recent matches first)
Royal Challengers Bangalore: LLW

In the spotlight

Ajinkya Rahane is a vital cog in Supergiants’ batting order. He started the season with an unbeaten 66 against Mumbai, but has scored only 30 runs over his next two games. A solid start could help an unsettled middle order come into its own.Shane Watson was the most expensive purchase at the IPL auction (INR 9.5 crores), and his all-round abilities have made a telling difference to the Royal Challengers line-up. He has bowled four overs in all games, taken four wickets, and scored 57 runs at a strike rate of 154.05. With his experience, he will be asked to bowl at crunch times and provide Royal Challengers with impetus towards the end with the bat.

Team news

Supergiants brought in Perera and Pathan against Kings XI, but neither enjoyed a productive game. Dhoni may be forced to make changes again.Rising Pune Supergiants (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Steven Smith, 5 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 6 Mitchell Marsh/Albie Morkel/Thisara Perera, 7 Rajat Bhatia/Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Ankit Sharma, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 M AshwinRoyal Challengers made six changes for the match against Mumbai. Head and Rahul’s cameos mean they are likely to retain their place. Iqbal Abdullah picked up three wickets, but conceded 40 off his four overs. Will Yuzvendra Chahal return?Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable) 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Shane Watson, 5 Travis Head, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal/Iqbal Abdullah, 11 Varun Aaron/S Aravind

Pitch and conditions

In the last T20 that Pune hosted, India were bowled out for 101 on a seaming deck against Sri Lanka. The pitch may not be as green as that night, but could retain its seam-friendly nature. There is no rain forecast.

Stats and trivia

• In 15 innings since the start of 2016, MS Dhoni has scored 190 runs at an average of 47.30, with a highest score of 30. He has only been dismissed four times.
• In the same period, Virat Kohli has scored 812 runs in 15 innings with an average of 101.50.

Sri Lanka have named legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay as Lasith Malinga’s replacement, after a knee injury ruled the fast bowler out of the tournament on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-20161:49

Match Day: SA’s class should show against Afghanistan

Sri Lanka have named legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay as Lasith Malinga’s replacement, after a knee injury ruled the fast bowler out of the tournament on Friday. Vandersay had been one of the two players who were withdrawn from the squad, 24 hours before the team left to India.His inclusion now strengthens Sri Lanka’s spin-bowling stocks, with Rangana Herath and Sachithra Senanayake already in the squad. There are only three specialist seam-bowling options following Malinga’s departure, however, with Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Kulasekara and Suranga Lakmal the only frontline quicks on tour.Vandersay made his T20I debut last July against Pakistan and has picked up one wicket in four T20Is so far. He was included for the Asia Cup recently but was unused, thanks partly to the the seamer-friendly nature of the pitches in that tournament..

Usman Khawaja made his Test debut 1768 days ago. Since then he has been dreaming of scoring a Test ton for Australia. Now he has it

Brydon Coverdale at the Gabba05-Nov-2015Usman Khawaja wondered if this moment would ever arrive. When he made his Test debut 1768 days ago, Ricky Ponting was still officially captain (though he did not play that match), Tim Nielsen was coach and Julia Gillard was prime minister. Michael Clarke came and went, then Steven Smith took over. Mickey Arthur came and went, now it’s Darren Lehmann. The prime ministers since then are too numerous to list.Through it all Khawaja kept dreaming, and hoping, and finally his first Test century arrived, late in the afternoon on the first day of the 2015-16 home summer, on his adopted home ground. The release of emotion was obvious in his celebration, a running leap and wave of his bat, before his batting partner and captain, Smith, gave him a hug.”It was just elation, the biggest amount of emotional relief,” Khawaja said. “I’ve wanted to get a Test hundred for Australia my whole life. There were times over the last three or four years I thought it might not happen. When it did happen the build-up of a lot of emotions came out because it’s what I always dreamt about.”The first one is always the hardest, I’ve said, so it’s massive for me. I scored my first first-class century here and now my first Test century. I’m just really excited about the day we’ve had as a team, that’s as good a day as you get. We’ve got a lot of hard work coming up but I’m very excited at the moment. And I like to live in the now, so I’m just enjoying this at the moment.”Khawaja’s hundred came with a swivelled pull for four, and it came from 123 deliveries, an innings in which he showed the kind of positive intent that had sometimes been lacking in his earlier stints as a Test batsman. He lifted the spinner Mark Craig for two classy sixes and never looked like getting bogged down, which had been a problem earlier in his career.”The hard work was done at the top by Davey and Burnsy, they batted beautifully,” Khawaja said of the 161-run opening stand between David Warner and Joe Burns. “It allows us at No. 3 and No. 4 to come out and play a few more shots because the ball is a bit older and the bowlers are a bit tired… It’s a real nice wicket out there and it was easy to play positive for that reason.”I just kept looking to score runs. It makes it easier when you have Davey at the other end, it takes a bit of pressure off you when he’s going, you don’t feel like you have to score very fast. I kept looking for runs, as you do when you’re playing well. Fortunately I got a few in my area and I got off to a flyer, which doesn’t always happen, and kept the momentum going.”There was a moment of concern for Khawaja when he collided with a New Zealand fieldsman while completing a run, and immediately hobbled around in discomfort. Khawaja had surgery on his left knee after suffering a serious injury last summer, but he was able to bat on and complete his hundred without any further problems.”I got a little jar on my left knee, the one I had surgery on,” he said. “It hurt like crap. I was making sure I was all right. It was sore for 10 overs but by the end of it, it was pretty good.”

A flamboyant knock of 77 from 18-year-old Babar Azam and a stable 37 from Hussain Talat helped Zarai Taraqiati Bank chase 156 with two balls to spare against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2013
ScorecardBabar Azam struck an unbeaten 77 to guide his side to victory•Pakistan Cricket Board

A flamboyant knock of 77 from 18-year-old Babar Azam and a stable 37 from Hussain Talat helped Zarai Taraqiati Bank chase 156 with two balls to spare against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Karachi. Azam and Talat put on 112 for the third wicket in just 13.3 overs after they lost their first two wickets for 44. They needed 94 off the last ten overs and 56 from the last five, and Azam’s six fours and three sixes, along with four boundaries from Talat made the chase possible.Earlier, SNGPL were put in to bat and all their top-order batsmen got starts but couldn’t convert them into big scores as they were 68 for 3 after 10 overs. However, a run-a-ball innings of 41 from Ali Waqas and quick contributions from Khurram Shehzad (20 off 16) and Imran Khalid (26 off 12) ensured they reached a competitive 155 for 6, which eventually did not prove enough.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies batsman, has rated his unbeaten 116 against India in Dominica as one of his finest Test innings

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2011Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies batsman, has rated his unbeaten 116 against India in Dominica as one of his finest Test innings. In a match in which he became West Indies’ most-capped player, and in a new-look line-up where the other five specialist batsmen had a combined experience of 49 Tests, Chanderpaul battled for more than eight hours to help secure a draw.Coming in with the team struggling at 40 for 3 in the second innings soon after lunch on the fourth day, and still trailing by more than a 100 runs, Chanderpaul defied India almost till tea on the final day.”I would say this was one my best because of the situation of the team when I went in to bat and the way the game was going,” Chanderpaul said. “To be batting on a fifth day pitch and the way the ball was bouncing and turning – some would grip and bounce and you weren’t always sure which way the ball would go. You had to be very patient and very watchful and careful.”You couldn’t play as freely as you would have liked to so I had to use all my skills, and it took a lot of mental effort as well. Also, [MS] Dhoni blocked up all the areas where you had scoring opportunities and it was a lot of hard work. It was really tough out there.”It was Chanderpaul’s first Test century in more than a year, during which he had made starts in most innings without converting them to a big score. His partner in the resistance was debutant Kirk Edwards, who also made a hundred during a 161-run stand for the fourth wicket.”He [Kirk Edwards] was positive and had the right mindset. He was not afraid. He played it his way and did what he knows and what he does best.”It was a great effort for someone to come in under so much pressure and play the way he did. I had a discussion with Kirk and we were talking about the 20s and the 30s. He told me to put that behind and we worked towards the team goals which was building big partnerships and pulling the team out of the trouble we were in.”During his innings, Chanderpaul was also awarded Dominican citizenship recognising his contribution to cricket and for playing his record-breaking 133rd Test. “I’m extremely pleased to reach this milestone. I believe it is a really big occasion,” he said. “High point? I’m still looking for it. There is still more to come. Whatever knowledge and experience I have gained I would like to pass it on and help the other members of the team with their game.”

Phillip Hughes’ final-day blast allowed Australia to finish off New Zealand and gain a 1-0 lead heading into the final Test in Hamilton

The Bulletin by Peter English22-Mar-2010Australia 459 for 5 dec & 106 for 0 (Hughes 86*) beat New Zealand 157 & 407 (McCullum 104, McIntosh 83, Vettori 77) by 10 wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Phillip Hughes raced Australia to victory with 86 not out, but he will probably have to make way for Shane Watson in the second Test•Getty Images

It took Australia longer than they expected, but Phillip Hughes’ final-day blast allowed them to finish off New Zealand and gain a 1-0 lead heading into the final Test in Hamilton on Saturday. Brendon McCullum’s inspired 104 forced the visitors to chase 106, a target they achieved without loss before lunch thanks to Hughes’ aggressive 86 off 75 balls.After spending time in the field over four days, Ryan Harris, the debutant, sealed a quick finish of New Zealand’s second innings, taking 4 for 77 as the hosts were dismissed for 407. Hughes, who grabbed 12 fours and a six, was then in a hurry to end the game and sped to the 10-wicket victory in 23 overs. It was left to Simon Katich, who played the anchor with 18, to take the winning single on the final ball before lunch.The upbeat display will give Hughes confidence for the next Test he plays, but he will probably have to wait as he is seat-warming for the injured Shane Watson in this game. Daniel Vettori came on and his first delivery was hit by Hughes through cover for four and his fourth effort went for six to midwicket. Hughes charged down the wicket, wasn’t put off by not being near the pitch of the ball, and swiped it flat and so hard that it came back damaged after hitting the bitumen in the car park.Hughes had collected 10 from the opening over of the innings from Chris Martin and added another 10 from Vettori’s first six offerings. He followed that with a trio of boundaries off Martin – an on-drive, a glide through the cordon and a straight drive – and was dropped at second slip by Tim McIntosh off Brent Arnel.The chance didn’t concern Hughes, who was playing his seventh Test, and in the same over he brought up his half-century from 43 balls. Cut boundaries continued to come easily in his best five-day performance since his debut tour of South Africa last year.New Zealand used up both their umpiring reviews in two overs early in the innings, but neither Martin’s appeal against Hughes nor Arnel’s shout against Katich were overturned by the third umpire. Katich’s was closer, with the ball tracking showing it hitting the top of the bails, but it was not decisive enough to change Asad Rauf’s not-out call.Following their courageous fight on the fourth day, New Zealand were unable to repeat their resistance. McCullum, the main obstacle, was removed in the fourth over after bringing up his fifth Test century almost instantly. He sliced behind point from the second ball of the morning to go to 98 and gained a thick edge to third man from Bollinger’s next effort for another boundary.The celebration included ripping off his helmet and raising his arms to the dressing room, but it wasn’t long before he pushed on to the back foot and edged Harris to Michael Clarke. There weren’t many people at the ground but they were all appreciative of McCullum’s performance, which included 13 fours and one six from his 187 balls. The innings showed McCullum’s ability to mix long periods of defence with bouts of attacking brilliance and gave his side some short-lived hopeNew Zealand began on 369 for 6, holding a lead of 67, and after losing their last specialist batsman the job was left to Daryl Tuffey and his bowling team-mates. Tim Southee gave Harris his third wicket when nicking to Clarke without scoring and Brent Arnel (3) was lbw in Harris’ next over.Harris had a chance for a five-wicket haul when Tuffey drove hard back at him but the ball went down in his follow-through. Mitchell Johnson ended the innings by bowling Martin, leaving Tuffey stranded after contributing a valuable 47, as the hosts lost 4 for 38 in less than an hour. Tuffey’s effort was even more admirable considering he was carrying a fractured hand – he was hit by Johnson – that is likely to keep him out for at least a month.Harris collected six wickets for the game while Nathan Hauritz had 3 for 119 from 49 overs in the second innings after spending most of yesterday bowling into the gale-force wind. After the awful weather on Sunday, the conditions were clear and sunny, which was a shame for the hosts who wanted some more rain. New Zealand were forced to follow-on after scoring 157 on Saturday and produced a strong performance to get so far ahead, but they will need two solid innings if they are to trouble the tourists in Hamilton.

Dhruv Jurel, meanwhile, is likely to take the keeping gloves from Ishan Kishan

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2024KL Rahul is likely to open alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran in India A’s second unofficial Test against Australia A, which begins on Thursday in Melbourne. With India likely to be without Rohit Sharma at the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rahul and Easwaran seem set for a direct face-off to be selected as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s opening partner for the first Test in Perth, which starts on November 22.ESPNcricinfo understands that Rahul and Dhruv Jurel, who departed for Australia before the rest of the Test squad to gain game-time playing for India A, will both feature in the Melbourne four-day game. With Rahul partnering Abhimanyu at the top, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who opened in the first unofficial Test in Mackay, is set to drop down into the middle order, with Jurel taking the wicketkeeping gloves from Ishan Kishan.Related

• Rahul, Jurel to leave early for Australia and play second A game

• Rohit: 'More comfortable' with match simulation than practice match

• Abhimanyu, Harshit Rana, Reddy picked for India's tour of Australia

• Rohit Sharma in doubt for India's first Test against Australia in Perth

India captain Rohit’s participation in the early part of the Australia tour is in doubt for personal reasons. There is still some uncertainty around this, and on Sunday, at the end of the 3-0 home-series defeat to New Zealand, he said he “wasn’t too sure if I’ll be going to [Perth]”.If Rohit is unavailable, India’s team management will have an interesting choice to make at the top of the order. Abhimanyu was called up to the Test squad for the Australia tour as the designated third opener, and at the time of selection had scored centuries in each of his four most recent first-class games. In all first-class cricket, Abhimanyu has 27 centuries in 100 matches, and averages 49.40.Rahul, meanwhile, was originally a candidate for the middle order. Since the 2023-24 South Africa tour, Rahul has batted exclusively in the middle order in Test cricket, scoring 339 runs in 10 innings at an average of 37.66 – higher than his career figure of 33.87 over 53 Tests – including a century at Centurion and two fifties.Rahul, however, has plenty of experience of facing the new ball overseas, and is one of only two Asian openers to have scored Test centuries in England, South Africa and Australia. Those high points, however, have come against the backdrop of a less-than-spectacular overall record as opener: 2551 runs in 75 innings at 34.94.Dhruv Jurel could put pressure on Sarfaraz Khan if he scores runs in the second unofficial Test•AFP/Getty Images

If Rahul does return to the top of the order, it will be something of a reprise of the 2021 England tour, which he began having stated his intention to bat in the middle order. Injuries to Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal, however, created a vacancy at the top, which Rahul filled on the course of a successful tour that included a century in a memorable win at Lord’s.By the start of the 2024-25 home season, Rahul’s career had gone through several further twists, and he was now established as India’s first-choice No. 6. He was left out of the first XI after the first Test against New Zealand, however, with Sarfaraz Khan – who had replaced the injured Gill in India’s XI – moving above him in the pecking order with a second-innings 150. Five visits to the crease during India’s home season brought Rahul scores of 16, 22*, 68, 0 and 12.Sarfaraz, for his part, does not start the Australia tour as a certainty in the XI. After that 150, he failed to get past 19 in four innings against New Zealand, and has never previously played Test cricket outside India. Given the pacy, bouncy conditions expected in Perth, India may yet be undecided on whether to pick Sarfaraz at No. 6, or play Rahul there – in which case Abhimanyu opens if Rohit is absent – or, in a left-field move, pick both Jurel and Rishabh Pant and play one of them as a specialist batter.With Pant unavailable while recovering from knee injuries sustained in his December 2022 car crash, Jurel made his Test debut in the home series against England earlier this year, and impressed both behind and in front of the stumps. He scored 190 runs in four innings at an average of 63.33, and his innings of 90 and 39* in a tense victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi won him the Player-of-the-Match award.Jurel has not played any Tests since Pant’s return, but has cemented his spot as India’s reserve keeper and an exciting future prospect.Given all the possible permutations in Perth, the selectors and team management will likely pay as much attention to Jurel’s displays in Melbourne with both bat and gloves as they do to those of Rahul and Abhimanyu against the new ball.

Opener slams 66 off 32 and then picks up 2 for 25 to put home side top of North Group

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2024Lancashire 176 for 8 (Wells 66, Hasan 3-47) beat Birmingham Bears 168 for 6 (Hain 59, Wells 2-25) by eight runsEarly pacesetters Lancashire Lightning beat Birmingham Bears at fortress Emirates Old Trafford to stay top of the embryonic Vitality Blast North Group table, with Luke Wells to the fore.Lightning just defended a 177 target to win by eight runs, sealing their third victory in four games as Wells opened with a career best-equalling 66 off 32 balls, then returned 2 for 25 with his legspinners and added two catches.Bears missed the chance to leapfrog their hosts to the group’s summit, losing for the first time in three matches as they replied to 176 for 8 with 168 for 6 despite Sam Hain’s 59 off 44.Lancashire are now unbeaten in 23 group fixtures at Emirates Old Trafford since the end of summer 2020, excluding matches where not a ball was bowled. Surrey did, however, win here in last summer’s quarter-final.Wells clattered five early sixes before bowling Chris Benjamin to put the skids under Birmingham at 56 for 3 in the seventh over of their chase.The tall left-hander, playing his 48th T20 match, lit up the first half of Lancashire’s innings with his flurry of sixes, including three successively over midwicket off Pakistan pacer Hassan Ali at the start of fourth over, which went for 27.That gave Lightning, invited to bat on a used pitch, valuable momentum at 47 for 1 having only taken eight runs from the first two overs.Wells only scored one off his first six balls yet reached his fifty off 22, taking Lancashire to 73 for 1 after six.He dominated an 80-run stand inside six overs with captain Keaton Jennings from 18 for 1 in the third over. But Bears fought back superbly with four wickets for 30, starting with Jennings stumped off a leg-side wide from left-arm wristspinner Jake Lintott.As spin put the squeeze on, Lintott also had Wells stumped by captain Alex Davies to finish with 2 for 29, while Danny Briggs got Tom Bruce and a brilliant George Garton throw running in from deep midwicket ran out Matty Hurst – Lancashire 128 for 5 in the 14th.Hasan returned to get three wickets in the final over – Steven Croft, Chris Green and Luke Wood caught in the deep – as the hosts lost momentum.But their score was still very competitive courtesy of Wells’ early fireworks, which felt like the exception rather than the norm on this sluggish surface.Lightning quicks Mitchell Stanley and Luke Wood removed openers Davies and Rob Yates caught at third and deep square-leg respectively in the space of three balls to leave Bears 23 for 2 in the third over. Benjamin was then bowled trying to slog sweep Wells, and Bears were struggling.They reached 76 for 3 after 10 overs, needing 101 more. England fringe quick Saqib Mahmood, playing his first T20 match in just over a year following injury, then had Dan Mousley caught at long-leg by action-man Wells – 76 for 4 in the 11th.Bears then hit back, as they had done with the ball. Hain and Jacob Bethell shared 62 inside seven overs, the latter contributing 33 before falling caught behind off Wells.At 138 for 5 in the 17th, Bears needed 39. But Hain, with a season’s best score in all formats to his name, then drilled Wood to Wells at mid-off – 147 for 6 with 11 balls left. That proved decisive, leaving Mahmood defending 24 off the last.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-20232:53

Have England failed to plan well for this World Cup?

—Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament Index

Top Story: England’s title defence suffers another crushing blow as Sri Lanka coast to victory

England’s World Cup defence is not dead yet. And more’s the pity, to judge by this latest hollow-eyed display from Jos Buttler’s ex-worldbeaters. The humiliations are coming so thick and fast that they are losing their shock factor but, suffice to say, this latest crushing loss – by eight wickets and in just 59 overs of the match’s 100 – was neither the largest nor the most shocking of an abject campaign.It was, however, the one that confirmed beyond any lingering doubt that this team of genuine England greats no longer has any miracles left within its dressing-room. The match-up was nominally eighth versus ninth in the tournament standings, but by the time Pathum Nissanka had slammed Sri Lanka’s winning six over long-on with a massive 148 balls remaining, you were left to wonder whether this England team, in this miserable mood, could even have matched their conquerors’ achievement of making out of the qualifying tournament in July that did for the likes of West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland.Click here to read the full report

Match analysis: England’s lurching between attack and defence leaves them in no man’s land

There was more gloom heading Jos Buttler’s way who once again fell for a low score•Associated Press

The light at the end of the tunnel was a train. England have spent the last four weeks travelling around India talking about responding to setbacks and awaiting the statement performance that has never arrived. If their defeats to New Zealand, Afghanistan and South Africa were bad, this might have been the worst of the lot.The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was a venue that should have suited England perfectly. In the first of five effective must-win games, they chose to bat first on a flat pitch with short boundaries, rattled along to 44 for 0 after six overs and could finally afford to dream big: would 350 be enough to flatten Sri Lanka, or should they eye 400?Click here to read the full analysis from Matt Roller in Bengaluru

Must Watch: Shane Bond on England’s unwillingness to adapt

2:23

Bond: England showing no willingness to adapt

News headlines

• Jos Buttler said that England’s performance at the World Cup has been “a huge disappointment” and “a shock to everyone” within their set-up, after an eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in Bengaluru left them on the brink of elimination with four group games remaining.
• Shakib Al Hasan returned to Bangladesh’s World Cup camp in Kolkata on Thursday evening, cutting short his three-day Dhaka trip to two days. Shakib had gone to Dhaka on October 25 to have a nets session with his childhood mentor Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.

Match preview

Pakistan vs South Africa, Chennai (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEDT2:59

Bavuma: There is a temptation to chase in Chennai

As one campaign unravels, another gathers full steam. It’s a familiar theme for Pakistan and South Africa across much of ICC tournament history. While South Africa have often looked among the most formidable sides in the early stages of these tournaments, Pakistan stutter and stall until they’ve left themselves with no margin for error, and then they roar into life. This fixture, timed to coincide with that point of crossroads in the World Cup group stages, gives that narrative the extra thrust for South Africa to be that little bit warier, and Pakistan slightly more optimistic.But South Africa are looking to make history at this World Cup, while Pakistan are in danger of being consigned to it. The ferocious brilliance of South Africa has combined with clinical effectiveness, lending that side a steel and ruthlessness they have often been accused of lacking. The team might always look a batter light with Marco Jansen in at seven, but with nearly all of the top six in such glistening form, no side bar Netherlands have been able to burrow their way deeper into that line-up until explosive damage has already been done.Click here for the full previewTeam newsPakistan: (likely) 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq/Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Usama Mir, 9 Mohammad Wasim Jnr, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris RaufSouth Africa: (likely) 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Tabraiz Shamsi, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi/Lizaad Williams

Analysis: How Heinrich Klaasen bosses spin with a destructive quasi-pull

A rendition of the pull that has brought Heinrich Klaasen so much success against spin•ICC/Getty Images

When is a pull no longer a pull? If you’re the kind of person who spends an unhealthy amount of time dwelling on the precise meanings of cricketing terms, you might find yourself pondering this when you watch Heinrich Klaasen play the pull.Defined most simply, the pull is a horizontal-bat shot hit across the line of a short-pitched ball. Klaasen’s pull, particularly against spin bowling, routinely fails to check all three of those boxes.Read the full analysis from Karthik Krishnaswamy