Bhuvneshwar Kumar backs youngsters to use IPL experience in international cricket

ENG vs PAK | 3rd ODI Preview: Hosts look to test bench strength; visitors eye consolation

England might have suffered a huge blow after their key players were ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan following a Covid-19 outbreak within the side. While seven members were tested positive, others were considered to be in close proximity and as a result the whole team was isolated which forced the selectors to name a new squad for the bilateral tie against Pakistan. But necessity is the mother of invention. England’s new 18-man squad led by all-rounder Ben Stokes showed the mettle and thumped Pakistan in the first two ODIs of the series to take an unassailable lead. The bowlers especially Saqib Mahmood, Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton have thoroughly dominated the Pakistan batting line up in both the games. The visitors were bundled out for 141 in the first match to lose the match by 9 wickets while were bowled out for 195 in the second to suffer a 52-run lead in a match that was reduced to 47 overs per side due to rain. The only issue that hosts have faced is getting a steady start. The Ben Stokes-led side has early wickets on both the occasions and is probably the thing for now that the team management needs to work on. On the other side, Pakistan have been in a spot of bother especially because of the way their two of the most important batsmen, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have fared. Both the players haven’t been able to leave a mark in the series and are struggling to be among the runs. Moreover, Babar Azam’s struggle to score runs while chasing is persistent in the series. In the last match where the visiting team was handed a target of 248 runs, Babar could only manage to score 19 off 15 before getting trapped in front of the stumps by Mahmood. Another cause of concern for Pakistan is the form of opener Imam ul Haq. The left-handed batsman has only scored 1 run and faced a total of three balls in the series so far. Imam’s disappointing patch with the bat has prevented Pakistan from getting a steady start in both the matches. But there are positives for them as well. Fast bowler Hasan Ali scalped a fifer in the second encounter and later chipped in with 31 off 17 that included three maximums. But overall, the Pakistan side has a lot of concerns to negotiate before they take the field in Birmingham. Match Details England vs Pakistan, 3rd ODI Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham Date & Time: July 13th, at 5:30 PM IST and 1:00 PM Local Time Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network Pitch and Weather Report There is a chance of some rainfall in the afternoon in Birmingham. The overcast conditions in the initial phase of the game might help the quick bowlers. There is a chance of swing and seam movement in the early part of the match but as the match progresses, the track might have something on offer to the batsmen. So, if you win the toss bowl first. Team News England The home side is looking in some fine form at the moment. The only cause of concern is the fall of early wickets that needs to be taken care of by the team management. Nevertheless, the new recruits have done incredible work to help the side take an advantageous 2-0 lead in the series. England might make few changes in this last encounter to test the bench strength. Pakistan Pakistan, at the moment, is probably struggling in every department. Fakhar Zaman has scored some runs while Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali have picked few wickets for the team but the two players haven’t got any support. Moreover, the failure of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan with the bat has proven to be a curse for the team in this series. Pakistan now have nothing to lose in this match and would probably look to make few changes in the playing XI for this game. Probable Playing XI England Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, Zak Crawley, James Vince, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, David Payne, Saqib Mahmood, Danny Briggs Pakistan Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf Fantasy XI Philip Salt, Babar Azam, Sohaib Maqsood, Dawid Malan (c), Fakhar Zaman, Ben Stokes, Lewis Gregory (vc), Shadab Khan, Craig Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Hasan Ali

Derbyshire's county fixture against Essex called off after player tests positive

Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc in England cricket as a fresh case in the Derbyshire camp led to the abandonment of their home fixture against Essex. The name of the player has not been made public yet but he has been isolated and considering the constraint in the Derbyshire camp, umpires decided to call off the game. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said that both teams will get the points and the announcement will be made soon. "The ECB has worked closely with Public Health England and both Derbyshire and Essex County Cricket Clubs with the health and safety of players, staff and officials the first priority. Confirmation on the awarding of points from the match will be announced in due course,” the ECB said in a statement. Earlier, Kent county side had to field a completely new side from their preferred XI after a player tested positive for Covid-19. Covid-19 has started to hurt England cricket as the ECB is willing to walk away from the biosecure bubbles they have had to employ since the outbreak of the pandemic. The senior Men side had to field a new side against Pakistan after seven members of the squad that played against Sri Lanka tested positive for covid-19.

India focus on big shots to get into 'groove' for Sri Lanka series

The Indian team were seen coming in the ‘groove’ in lead up to the ODI series against Sri Lanka that was scheduled to begin on July 13. However, they now have got more time in their hands to prepare as the series has been postponed to July 18. In the video shared by the BCCI on its Twitter timeline, batsmen can be seen perfecting their big shots in the nets. From skipper Shikhar Dhawan and Prithivi Shaw, who is most likely to be his partner to the middle order batsmen in Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Sanju Samson, all have been shown practising hitting long shots in the nets. Among bowlers, vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar were seen honing their ability to swing the ball and finetuning the length of the attack. At the same time, spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, and Rahul Chahar bowled to skipper Dhawan in search of finding their perfect flight ahead of the ODI series. After practising their individual skillsets, players were also seen busy warming their hands by participating in fielding drills where they caught high balls. The ODI series will commence on July 18 and the remaining two ODIs will be played on July 20 and 23 while the T20 series will start on July 25 and conclude on July 29.

Peter Handscomb tests positive for Covid-19

Australia batsman Peter Handscomb has tested positive for Covid-19. Handscomb who is leading Middlesex this County season was forced into isolation after testing positive and missed the match against Leicestershire in England. “Irishman Tim Murtagh stepped up to fill in for Handscomb as skipper as Middlesex ended day one of the clash with Leicestershire at 3-280,” A report in ‘The West Australian’ said. The right-handed batsman didn’t really have a great run in the County Championship so far and only managed to score one half-century in seven matches that he has played. Handscomb last played a Test for Australia back in January 2019 while last donned an Australia jersey in July 2019. He has been capped 16 times in Tests for Australia and has scored 934 runs at an average of over 38 during the course while has played 22 ODIs for the national side, scoring 632 runs at an average of 33.26. Batting first against Leicestershire, Middlesex rode on Sam Robson’s unbeaten ton to put 280/3 on the board on Day 1 of the game before the stumps were called. Middlesex who are a part of Group 2 in the County Championship are presently placed at the bottom of the points table with 63 points and one win to their name. They have suffered defeats in 7 matches out of the nine that they have played.