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The group stage of the Vitality Blast has been completed (with some Covid-19 disruption) and here’s a round-up of how the Australian contingent went

Andrew McGlashan19-Jul-2021

Josh Inglis (Leicestershire)

A magnificent tournament for Inglis who finished as the leading run-scorer in the group stage and struck two centuries – 103 off 62 balls against Northamptonshire and 118 off 61 against Worcestershire. At a time when the Australia T20 side has continued to struggle it was another strong nudge towards the selectors who have already taken notice of him, although he played as an opener throughout this campaign which isn’t where the vacancies really lie.

Marnus Labuschagne (Glamorgan)

One of the main reasons Labuschagne was not taken to West Indies was so he could have a sustained period of T20 cricket. A forced spell of isolation after being a Covid close contact interrupted things, but either side of that he made full use of his opportunities although as a team Glamorgan had a pretty miserable tournament with just three wins in 14 matches. Labuschagne struck four half-centuries in his eight innings having had none in the format before the competition started and was also Glamorgan’s second-highest wicket-taker.

D’Arcy Short (Hampshire)

A slightly underwhelming group stage for Short who made a lot of starts without quite converting although he was part of a Hampshire side that squeezed into the quarter-finals when a whole range of scenarios played out in their favour. Short saved his best for last as well with his one half-century coming in the final match against Glamorgan with 69 off 30 balls as they surged to a target of 186 in 13 overs.Related

• Labuschagne out of isolation with 2nd XI double century

• Could Smith's potential absence open T20 World Cup door for Labuschagne?

• Sussex seal quarter-final spot as Jofra Archer makes low-key return

• Inglis' second Blast ton sends Worcestershire crashing out

Cameron Bancroft (Durham)

Bancroft’s form faded towards the end of the group stage, with a top score of 20 in his last five innings, after a productive period in the middle of the competition where he made two half-centuries in five innings, both against Birmingham Bears at healthy strike-rates. They contributed to two of the five victories Durham managed as they missed a quarter-final berth. The majority of Bancroft’s innings were at No. 4.

Travis Head (Sussex)

It has not been the season Head would have hoped for with a lean T20 Blast following on from his County Championship struggles. He passed 20 in half of his innings but could not go beyond 27 and did not play the final two group matches although Sussex were able to secure a quarter-final slot.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ben Dwarshuis (Worcestershire)

A solid haul for Dwarshuis, the Sydney Sixers left-armer, as he finished as Worcestershire’s second-highest wicket-taker. They probably came at a slightly higher cost than he would have liked but as is the case in the BBL he bowled a lot in tough periods – he sent down the third-most deliveries in the death overs (16-20) for the group stage behind Naveen-ul-Haq and Matty Potts. His overall numbers were also dented by the final two games where he went for 90 in seven overs.

Chris Green (Middlesex)

Sydney Thunder allrounder Green was a late call-up after Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s arrival at Middlesex was delayed. He had a memorable personal day against Kent where he claimed a career-best 5 for 32 which included a final-over hat-trick but it came in one of Middlesex’s nine defeats. Made some handy contributions with the bat including an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls in a successful chase of 217 against Hampshire.

Daniel Worrall (Gloucestershire)

Not much for Worrall to remember fondly from the tournament as he went wicketless in six consecutive innings and finished with an eye-watering average close to 100.

Tim David (Surrey)

A hurried late call-up for the Singaporean batter, who is a BBL regular and eligible for Australia, when Surrey were hit by an injury and illness crisis late in the competition. Only had two matches but gave another example of his finishing skills with 25 off 13 balls against Gloucestershire.

The opener will make his return in the one-day match against South Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2021David Warner will make his Sheffield Shield comeback against South Australia after returning to New South Wales colours in the Marsh Cup match in Adelaide on Thursday.Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are also back for the four-day match but Pat Cummins, who will captain the one-day side, has been rested.Warner played the last two Tests against India while still significantly hampered by the groin injury he sustained in the ODIs at the end of November which ruled him out of the rest of the white-ball matches and first two Tests.Speaking on commentary of the New Zealand-Australia T20I series last week, Warner said how he expected to feel the effects of the injury for up to nine months but he is hopeful that it can be managed.Related

• \Smith's century helps set up victory for new captain Cummins

• \Warner expects to live with pain of groin injury for most of the year

• Swepson set to miss the rest of season with stress fracture

Warner comes into the New South Wales one-day squad as a replacement for Daniel Hughes who has a shoulder injury although the opener is available for the Shield. Steven Smith remains sidelined by the elbow problem which he first felt at the end of the series against India and has since flared up during his return to domestic cricket.”We all know Davey’s quality as a player in all formats and it’s great to see him back for the Blues for this game,” New South Wales coach Phil Jaques said.”He has worked really hard on his rehab and has been great around the group when he’s been at training. It will be fantastic to have his experience around the team over the coming weeks.”Starc missed the last Sheffield Shield match against Victoria following the death if his father while Hazlewood was rotated as part of the management of New South Wales’ fast bowlers.New South Wales one-day squad Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Liam Hatcher, Matthew Gilkes, Moises Henriques, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, David WarnerNew South Wales Sheffield Shield squad Peter Nevill (capt), Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, Daniel Solway, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

“I get to 20 and I think I’m like Bradman, that’s the problem,” the fast bowler joked after he staged a significant fightback for England along with Jonny Bairstow on the opening day in Christchurch

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch30-Mar-2018Mark Wood praised the role played by Jonny Bairstow in making batting “fun” as the pair staged a significant fightback for England on the opening day in Christchurch.Wood, recalled for this match in place of Craig Overton, joined Bairstow with England tottering on 164 for 7 with seemingly a longer tail having also dropped Chris Woakes. He proceeded to make his maiden Test fifty, dominating an eighth-wicket stand of 95 in 18 overs which, at the very least, have given England a foothold in a match that appeared to be slipping away.”I had loads of fun but the worrying thing is I’ve got a fifty before a five-for, so I’ve done that the wrong way round,” he said. “I loved batting with Jonny, a lad I’ve played with and against since I was about 11 years old. So nice to do it with him at the other end.”When I went out to bat we were in a bit of trouble. Jonny knows I like to have a bit of fun out there, so it made it easier – just having a laugh and seeing how it goes. It just put my mind at ease and you forget the situation you are in.”Wood’s first-class average of 21.10 shows he has some ability and he has previously given glimpses in his short Test career, but after this innings, he has made a strong case to be No. 8 ahead of Stuart Broad. However, Wood believes he should already have scored more runs than he has managed and has to remember not to get carried away.”I worked hard in the nets this week thinking I might play this game. I get to 20 and I think I’m like Bradman, that’s the problem, I try too many shots. It was nice having Jonny there, he kept it fun, kept it calm whereas sometimes I think I get a bit ahead of myself and try too much. [Neil] Wagner was bowling a lot of bouncers more often than not I knew where the ball was going to be. Me and Jonny talked about a plan and we could set up. When I first got in, [Tim] Southee had done a lot of the damage and was nipping it around so it was harder.”Wood defended England’s top order after another poor display, saying there was significantly more help for the bowlers in the first part of the day.”Maybe there was panic stations at one point but New Zealand bowled really well this morning…maybe it felt like we just changed the momentum a little bit and brought it back in our favour. We rotated the strike well, that’s one of things Jonny does – he runs well between the wickets.”Southee, who finished the day with 5 for 60 to move level with Chris Cairns at No. 4 in New Zealand’s all-time list on 218 scalps, conceded the day had taken a different turn after the post-lunch spell of 3 for 1 in nine balls by him and Trent Boult.”That little burst after lunch was good for us with three quick wickets then England dug deep and that partnership was a crucial one for then,” he said.”One thing to come out of it, it shows that once you get in and the ball gets a bit older the wicket is reasonably good. I think it’s pretty even, it would have been nice to finish them off this evening but credit has to go to the way the lower [order] of England stuck in. The way that Jonny has played all summer so we know he’s a big wicket and a dangerous player which he showed at the end.”

Opening batsman Heino Kuhn will likely be named in South Africa’s Test squad to play in England next month

Firdose Moonda23-Jun-20170:44

Quick Facts: Heino Kuhn

Opening batsman Heino Kuhn will be named in South Africa’s Test squad to play in England next month, ESPNcricinfo has learnt.Kuhn, who scored a century in the ongoing unofficial Test against the England Lions on the back of an unbeaten 200 against Hampshire last week, will be joined by his A squad team-mates Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma and Duanne Olivier but it remains to be seen if Stephen Cook will keep his place.Cook was dropped for South Africa’s last Test, against New Zealand in Hamilton, and was replaced by de Bruyn, a regular No. 3. Selection convener Linda Zondi confirmed in the aftermath that de Bruyn would not be considered for a permanent place the top two, which suggests his inclusion in the squad is as back-up, especially as South Africa are unsure if Faf du Plessis will play in the opening Test as he awaits the birth of his first child. That means Kuhn and Cook will be competing for the same spot.Kuhn was 13th on the first-class run-charts last season with 527 runs at 43.91 with one hundred and three fifties but topped the list last summer. He scored 1126 runs at 62.55 with four hundreds and four fifties and missed out on selection after Cook, who had been the leading batsman the season before and in the top 10 for seven seasons prior to that, was preferred. Cook scored a century on debut and has two other hundreds to his name but has gone through lengthy lean patches, especially on away tours. He had scored just 75 runs in four innings before his hundred in Adelaide and 17 runs in four innings before being benched in New Zealand.In preparation for the England series, Cook has been playing county cricket for Durham and has scored 348 runs in seven matches at 26.76 with two fifties. In contrast, his Test opening partner Dean Elgar has is the fifth-highest run-scorer overall in Division 1 and has notched up 517 runs at 47.00 for Somerset in six matches with two hundreds and two fifties.This month, Heino Kuhn has hit 200* against Hampshire and 105 against England Lions•Getty Images

In addition to his ability to open the batting, Kuhn will also more than likely serve as the back-up gloveman to Quinton de Kock. Though Kuhn no longer regularly keeps wicket for his franchise, the Titans, he has done the job for several of his 12 years as first-class cricketer and most recently donned the gloves for the entire domestic one-day cup when Heinrich Klaasen was called up for national duty in New Zealand. Kuhn’s move from wicket-keeper batsman to specialist opener came last summer under Mark Boucher’s guidance after Boucher identified the opener’s spot as the only possible gap in the South African side.Kuhn’s selection suggests that South Africa will remain unsettled when it comes to their top two for a while yet. Neither Kuhn, who is 33, nor Cook, who is 34, can be considered a long-term solution but they may be placeholders for another member of the A side, who is expected to miss out this time. Aiden Markram captained the four-day side and scored a century against Hampshire and 71 in the first innings against the Lions but it appears he will have to wait his turn for a national call-up.South Africa’s Test squad will be announced at the conclusion of the A match against the Lions. The A team are headed towards a hefty defeat and after losing to Sussex and in the fifty-over series, there will be questions about the depth of South African cricket following a spate of Kolpak signings last summer.

Batsman Shreyas Iyer and pace bowler Chama Milind return to India Under-19s limited-overs squad for the quadrangular series in Visakhapatnam later this month

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2013

India U-19 squad for the quadrangular

Vijay Zol (capt), Akhil Herwadkar, Ricky Bhui, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Shubham Khajuria, Ankush Bains, Atul Singh, Chama Milind, Atit Seth, Abhimanyu Lamba, Kuldeep Yadav, Aamir Gani, Jagdish Jope

Batsman Shreyas Iyer and pace bowler Chama Milind return to India Under-19s’ limited-overs squad for the quadrangular series in Visakhapatnam later this month. Iyer, who also bowls part-time offspin, and new-ball bowler Milind had missed the one-day series against Sri Lanka in August – they had played the unofficial Tests though.Batsman Vijay Zol will continue to lead the side. Zol has been enjoying a fine season as captain and batsman – he led the team to victory in a tri-series in Australia in July, then a drawn Test series in Sri Lanka where India enjoyed several periods of dominance and a 2-0 win in the three-match ODI series that followed. His previous seven innings across formats include three centuries and two fifties, including a hundred on first-class debut, for India A against New Zealand A, last month. The only new face in the team is Zol’s fellow Maharashtrian Jagdish Jope.Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe comprise the other teams in the quadrangular, which kicks off on September 23.

ESPNcricinfo previews the South Africa and Pakistan Super Eights World T20 match, in Colombo

The Preview by Firdose Moonda27-Sep-2012

Match facts

September 28, 2012
Start time 1530 local (1000 GMT)Imran Nazir was ruthless in Pakistan’s previous game•AFP

Big Picture

What appears to be the tougher of the two Super Eight groups gets underway with a repeat of the 2009 World T20 semi-final, a match that is remembered as one the most thrilling, in a format where almost anything can be labelled so. Historically, these two make good opponents: the unpredictability of Pakistan against the sometimes uber-predictability of South Africa. But things have changed.Pakistan still implode at times but tend to bring some of their best games to major tournaments. They have also tempered their fiery side with reason and both have been on display in equal measure in the group stage and even before that, in series against Australia and Sri Lanka. Combined, those two contrasting styles could result in a Pakistan side that consistently performs as well as they have done of late.They defended a decent total against a determined New Zealand line-up and then turned on the heat when they hunted down Bangladesh’s score ruthlessly. Importantly, their top three all have runs to their name and each of the bowlers, particularly Saeed Ajmal, have seen success.South Africa also take confidence into this round. They have had one all-too-easy encounter (against Zimbabwe) and one severely reduced match (a seven-over-a-side shootout against Sri Lanka) and managed not to get carried away by the former or spooked by the latter. Their philosophy when playing major tournaments appears to have changed. AB de Villiers spoke about not needing to win every game but building to a crescendo but South Africa have so far won and built at the same time.Having been on tour since the beginning of July, Gary Kirsten has stressed the importance of being fresh to his men. They had two days off in Bentota before they resumed training, which was describe as “lengthy and intensive” by the coaching staff. Surprisingly, they do not have a certain starting line-up as they try to keep an aura of mystery about them in their bid for ICC silverware.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWLWW
Pakistan WWLTW

Watch out for

South Africa will not have fond memories of playing against Shahid Afridi after he was solely responsible for stopping their march at the 2009 event. Afridi was a one-man act as he destroyed a Graeme Smith-led side that had not lost a single match in the lead-up to the semi-finals with both bat and ball. He is a man for a big occasion and even though the contest is not a knockout, to make a statement of intent against one of the favourites may be just the stage for Afridi to perform as he did on that day.Power is the quality that most batsmen want to be able to use to score runs in the shortest format, but Hashim Amla has chosen a different route. Small adaptations to his game have allowed him to keep the class and still become the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman. Flanked by the strength of the Richard Levi and the experience of Jacques Kallis, Amla is the calm in the South African batting line-up, something they will need as the tournament goes on.

Team news

Pakistan played the same XI in both their group matches and with two good results should keep the same team.Pakistan : 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Nasir Jamshed, 4 Kamran Akmal (wk), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Yasir Arafat, 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Saeed AjmalSouth Africa also won both their matches, although they fielded different XIs, with the change being in the batting line-up. Faf du Plessis was given an opportunity to bat at No. 3 against Sri Lanka and scored 13 in a reduced game. He is the likeliest to be left out as South Africa opt for two spinners on a pitch that should take more turn than was on offer in Hambantota.South Africa (probable): 1 Richard Levi, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Albie Morkel 8 Johan Botha 9 Robin Peterson 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Dale Steyn

Pitch and conditions

Albie Morkel expects a more typically sub-continental surface in Colombo compared with what he called “home conditions,” in Hambantota. The pitch is said to be much slower, with little in it for the quicks. A 60% chance of rain should lessen as the afternoon grows longer but the chance of another shortened match remains.

Stats and trivia

• Three of the top four wicket-takers in World T20 are all from Pakistan. Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul are on 29, 27 and 27 wickets respectively.
• South Africa and Pakistan have played against each other in five T20s, twice in World T20s. South Africa have a better head-to-head record, winning three of the five played overall.

Quotes

“The beauty of our batting line-up is that we have a lot of variety and different sets of batting skills in our line-up. Guys can use their feet, guys can sweep, guys can reverse sweep; so we have some very good options in our line-up.”

“We are blessed with some of the greats in T20s, especially Ajmal and Afridi. This is our main strength even though we also rely on our fast bowlers.”

Durham allrounder Ben Stokes will be out of action for six to eight weeks after badly dislocating a finger during his team’s innings-and-125-run thrashing of Lancashire on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2011Durham allrounder Ben Stokes will be out of action for six to eight weeks after dislocating a finger on Tuesday during his team’s innings-and-125-run thrashing of Lancashire at Chester-le-Street.Stokes, who turns 20 on Saturday, damaged his right index finger while attempting to take a catch that would have dismissed Paul Horton in Lancashire’s second innings. X-rays revealed joint damage and a piece of bone fragment, and will require surgery to be pinned.The injury brings an end to a season in which Stokes has blossomed as a cricketer. He made four hundreds, including a career-best 185 during a 331-run stand with Dale Benkenstein in the win over Lancashire. It bettered the 315 for the seventh wicket between Benkenstein and Ottis Gibson, against Yorkshire at Headingley in 2006, as Durham’s highest partnership in the Championship.In April, Stokes took 6 for 68 and scored a hundred that included five sixes in an over against Hampshire, and just over a month later, he registered his maiden limited-overs ton, cracking 150 not out against Warwickshire in the Clydesdale Bank 40. There had even been talk of Stokes being added to England’s one-day squad this summer, but he now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

In another world, Blast matchwinner would be lining up for Oval Test; instead he’s off to Finals Day

Matt Roller04-Sep-2024It is not hard to imagine a world in which Ollie Robinson spent Wednesday preparing to lead England’s attack against Sri Lanka at The Oval. Instead, with weeks left to run on his central contract, he spearheaded Sussex’s charge into T20 Blast Finals Day at a sold-out Hove – first with the ball, and then in the field with a bullseye run-out of Liam Livingstone.It was a performance that left Sussex’s captain, Tymal Mills, pushing Robinson’s credentials on the franchise circuit. “Hopefully, he picks up some more T20 gigs off the back of it,” Mills said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with him England-wise in red-ball cricket, but he’s shown he’s a very skilful new-ball bowler.”Even with Jos Buttler missing, Lancashire fielded seven internationals to Sussex’s five but were totally outplayed, with Robinson instrumental. On a fresh, grassy pitch, he struck with the first ball of the match, bowling Phil Salt – returning to his old club – via his pad with an in-ducker, then yorked Keaton Jennings in the seventh over after being swung over mid-on for a pair of sixes.Jennings’ dismissal for 37 sparked a slow-motion collapse of 5 for 14 in four overs, before Livingstone took charge of the game: he twice crunched Mills over square leg, and launched Jofra Archer over long-off. But on 43, after steering to short third, he was sent back by Luke Wood, sprawled at full stretch to make his ground, and was beaten by Robinson’s direct hit.When Archer, playing his first game in the Blast since 2021, rearranged Saqib Mahmood’s stumps, Lancashire had been bowled out for just 114, the lowest first-innings score at Hove in eight years. Brad Currie struck twice with his inswingers, while spinners James Coles and Jack Carson kept the brakes on through the middle – but Robinson was the star.”I didn’t expect to have him much at all in the Blast,” Mills said. “But once it looked like he was getting left out of the England team, he was with us from the start and has been fantastic. He’s been thinking about the game, helping me out in the field, and I can’t speak highly enough of him. It’s been a huge boost to have him.”Robinson is not renowned as the most athletic fielder but was quick to point out on Sky Sports that his direct hit was his second of the season. “He’s in excellent shape,” Mills said. “He’s clearly enjoying his cricket. He’s really committed down here — he’s signed a contract extension for next year — and is in a really good place at the moment.”When Stuart Broad retired at the end of last summer’s Ashes series, Robinson looked like the obvious replacement. Instead, he has played a single Test since, bowling 13 wicketless overs in Ranchi while struggling with a back issue. Even with James Anderson following Broad into retirement and Mark Wood injured, Robinson is nowhere to be seen.There is little doubt about Robinson’s ability – he still has an exceptional Test record, with 76 wickets at 22.92 – but he has often faced questions about his fitness and his desire. It was only last week that Luke Wright, England’s national selector, challenged him to “show that he’s robust enough to be able to stand up to the rigours of Test cricket.”Jofra Archer and Tymal Mills were also in action for Sussex•Getty Images

It remains to be seen if Robinson can shake the perception that he has blown one chance too many at Test level. Brendon McCullum, England’s new supremo, has often been informed by his mantra: ‘If you can’t change a man, change the man.’ The implication of Robinson’s non-selection throughout the summer is that the change has been made for good.Either way, this was a promising showing: on an admittedly helpful pitch, Robinson bowled with decent pace, nipped the new ball around and showed his skills to york Jennings. He has 18 Blast wickets at 20.38 this season to supplement 30 at 28.16 in the Championship, and will relish the chance to perform on the big stage at Finals Day next Saturday.This was an exceptional night for Sussex, and the mood at Hove has changed considerably. Only two years ago, they finished second-last in the County Championship with a single win in the season, and won four T20 games out of 14. Now, they are three games away from clinching promotion in the Championship and two away from the Blast title.The County Ground was sold out, and the crowd welcomed Salt and Luke Wells back with pantomime boos as their names were announced on the tannoy. Sussex will not have Archer available at Edgbaston on account of England’s T20I series against Australia – but after this 10th T20 win of the season, they have reason to believe they can break a 15-year wait for this trophy.

Trio will interview the candidates in line for a place in the new selection panel for men’s cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2022The BCCI has set up a Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising former India players Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape and Sulakshana Naik to interview the candidates in line for a place in the new selection panel for men’s cricket.The old one remains in place but only as a temporary measure. All of its members were effectively sacked by the BCCI in the aftermath of India’s T20 World Cup exit. However, it is learnt that the chief Chetan Sharma has once again put his name up for consideration.Related

• Lots of contenders but little opportunity as India ring in the changes

• Monga: An Indian selector has a crucial role, but few want to do it

• Mongia, Maninder, Ratra, Das apply for India selector post

• BCCI sacks senior men's selection committee

The CAC was last in action to appoint Rahul Dravid as the India head coach a year ago. Madan Lal (chief), Naik and RP Singh had been appointed in that CAC in January 2020 for an initial one year term. Their work began with the appointment of a selection committee as well. But Lal turned 70 last year and had to leave his position because as per the BCCI constitution those over 70 cannot be part of any committee. RP Singh then left the committee because he joined the Mumbai Indians set-up as a talent scout.Malhotra, who will turn 66 in January, was the president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association until October 2022 and was succeeded by Aunshuman Gaekwad. Malhotra, a former middle-order batter, played seven Tests and 20 ODIs from 1982 to 1986 and had coached the Bengal team in domestic cricket from 2013 to 2015.Paranjape, 50, played four ODIs for India in 1998 and was himself in the selection panel which he now has to pick, until early 2017.Naik, 44, was a wicketkeeper-batter who played two Tests, 46 ODIs, and 31 T20Is from 2002 to 2013.The first CAC was appointed in 2015 and had three high-profile names in Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. They were to be consulted on all major decisions in Indian cricket, such as appointing the head coach and team director. In 2019, they were all served notices for alleged conflict of interest for for serving as IPL franchises’ support staff members as well as being on the CAC.Once they quit, Kapil Dev became the next high-profile name to take over the CAC, along with Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy. But those three also stepped down after being served notices for alleged conflict of interest by the BCCI ethics officer.

The hosts will have to make tough selection calls for the second Test in Mumbai

Shashank Kishore02-Dec-20219:39

Kimber: How Ashwin devours the souls of left-handers

Big picture

Mumbai returns to host Tests for the first time since 2016. But you will have to rewind as far back as 1988 for the last time these two sides met in the city. Just for context: Virat Kohli was just three weeks old then; Kane Williamson wasn’t even born; Richard Hadlee was Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker and West Indies the team to beat.

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New Zealand’s Test tours of India over the years have been rather one-sided; the closest the visitors came to a series win was in 1969. However, they’ve always shown signs of competing well, even if they haven’t gone on to win. Having fought their way through to eke out a draw in fading light in Kanpur, a series win isn’t beyond them, even if history may be against them.Unseasonal rains have hampered much of the lead-up to this Test. While India trained at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s indoor facility at the Bandra Kurla Complex, New Zealand opted for some much-needed rest for the two days they’ve been in the city.Related

• Kohli: Training during the break was 'to stay in the rhythm of playing red-ball cricket'

• Rachin Ravindra – the cricketer you want, and the friend you need

• Mhambrey backs Ishant to regain his rhythm with 'a couple of games under his belt'

• Ajaz Patel rides the nostalgia wave in Mumbai

Kohli returns to take over the India captaincy from Ajinkya Rahane, whose prolonged bad patch has raised question marks over his place in the side from several quarters, not as much from within the team management though.Kohli may have not played any competitive cricket during his three weeks away, but he was spotted at the CCI nets, working with former batting coach Sanjay Bangar.One thriller in, you can’t help but think why this India-New Zealand series, a contest between the top two Test sides, is a two-match series. But in these Covid times, short tours are perhaps a blessing for the players as most of them have been on the road for the better part of the last five months. One final bout then for these two sides, whose rivalry is fast becoming an intriguing one.3:32

What should teams do after winning the toss in Mumbai?

Recent form

India DWLWD
New Zealand DWWDW

In the spotlight

Wriddhiman Saha has had to make peace with being India’s second wicketkeeper, behind Rishabh Pant. But at 37, he isn’t getting younger. A stiff neck in Kanpur allowed his replacement KS Bharat to make a case for himself, and he did an outstanding job. Saha the batter has also struggled lately, but his fighting second-innings fifty in Kanpur may have given him some breathing space even as the case for a younger understudy to Pant grows by the day. If he gets another crack, Saha would want to show why he’s still the best gloveman in the country.Ajaz Patel will be playing in front of his parents and extended family for the first time, in an away Test at “home”. How’s that for a setting? The left-arm spinner batted out of his skin, along with Rachin Ravindra, to save New Zealand the Kanpur Test but it’s his primary skill with which he’ll want to make a statement.

Team news

Kohli’s return leaves India with a selection headache. How do they leave out Shreyas Iyer after his Kanpur efforts? Do they drop Rahane? Or do they try to find a stop-gap solution by leaving out Mayank Agarwal, as harsh as it may be on him? Also, do they bring in a fitter and faster Mohammed Siraj for Ishant Sharma? Decisions, decisions. There’s no way we’re finding the answers until the toss.India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Axar Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Umesh YadavIndia and New Zealand played out a gripping Test in Kanpur•Associated Press

New Zealand may consider playing an extra seamer on a red-soil surface that aids bounce and carry. If so, it could potentially come down to Neil Wagner, the workhorse, replacing offspinner William Somerville.New Zealand (probable): 1 Will Young, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Rachin Ravindra, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Ajaz Patel

Pitch and conditions

Kohli believes it’s a typical “Wankhede wicket” that will have bounce and carry thanks to a red-soil base. Rain in the build-up could mean it may not be as dry as you’d expect an Indian pitch to be.

Stats and trivia

• Last time India failed to win at least one match in a home Test series was back in 2003 against New Zealand. Both matches in that series ended in draws.
• Since the start of 2020, Rahane has only three fifty-plus scores in 29 Test innings. All three of those knocks came in the second Test match of the series (MCG 2020, Chennai 2021, Lord’s 2021).

Quotes

“We have explained it to the individuals, and they have understood the mindset behind going in with a certain combination. It is not a difficult thing to do when there is collective trust and belief in the group that we are working towards the same vision.”
“I have got a lot of flashbacks – leaving Mumbai for the first time and coming back to Mumbai for the first time, coming to Mumbai for a wedding and stuff like that. For me, it’s going to be a very, very special moment.”