Ellyse Perry opts out of The Hundred

India pacer Pankaj Singh retires from all forms of cricket

India pacer Pankaj Singh, who made his Test debut on the tour of England in 2014 has announced his retirement from all forms of the game on July 10. Pankaj Singh debuted in the third Test of the series against England in place of Ishant Sharma in Southampton and went on to play a total of three matches at the international level. He thanked the BCCI, Rajasthan Cricket Association, IPL and CAP for hemlping him grow in a 15-year long career. “It’s not an easy decision to make, however, there comes a time in every sportsperson’s life where one has to call it a day. With a heavy heart and mixed emotions, I officially announce my retirement from all forms of cricket,” he said in a statement. “Today is the most difficult day for me but it is also a day of reflection and gratitude. Playing for RCA, BCCI, IPL, and CAP has been a tremendous honour for me. I have been part of RCA for close to 15 years and reached many milestones and gained incredible experience under the roof RCA. My journey with RCA has always been memorable and will always remain first priority for me,” he said. Pankaj Singh could muster two wickets in two Test matches while the lone appearance in the ODI did not yield any result for one of the most successful bowler in the Indian domestic circuit.

ENGW vs INDW | 2nd T20I Preview: Staring at another series loss, India seek redemption

India women’s team’s woes in limited-overs fixtures on this tour of England have continued after they suffered another defeat against the hosts in the first T20I of the three-match series in Northampton after rain played spoilsport. Barring Shikha Pandey, none of the bowlers really got into the groove and were taken on by the English batters. While the home side looked set to put up a huge total on the board, it was Pandey’s brilliant bowling and some magnificent fielding efforts from captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol and wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh that restricted England to a lesser total. The right-arm bowler scalped three wickets in the penultimate over which included a couple of important scalps of Sciver and Jones who were looking dangerous at one stage. Apart from this, skipper Kaur’s form with the bat on this tour is also a cause of concern for the team management. On the other side, England are riding high on confidence especially after the way the hosts’ batting unit has fared in this last match. Sciver and Jones' brisk batting provided England with some crucial runs at a quick scoring rate. While they have a balanced batting line up, England’s bowling attack is also looking in some good form. They picked up wickets at crucial junctures and didn’t allow the Indian batters to take an upper hand. Match Details Match: ENGW vs INDW, 2nd T20I, India Women tour of England, 2021 Date: Sunday, July 11, 2021 Time: 7:00 PM Venue: County Ground, Hove Pitch Report The only international fixture that took place back in 1999 World Cup between India and South Africa saw some decent amount of runs being scored from both ends. Both the teams went past the 250-run mark while South Africa eventually won the match after chasing down 254 runs in 47.4 overs. The track seems to have something on offer to both the batters and the bowlers while the runs scored in the middle overs can play a vital role in deciding the result. So, if you win the toss, bowl first. Team News India: The Indian team is presently facing quite few problems within the line up. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s run drought on this tour and the way the bowlers gave away runs in the last encounter is surely a cause of concern for the team management. But there are a couple of positives as well for the visitors. The Indian bowling attack especially Shikha Pandey negotiated the England batters well in the death overs and didn’t let them post a huge total while the fielding was exceptional as far as the last game is concerned. India would try to get back on track and level the series in the second match as a defeat in this one would cost them another series on the tour. England: The home side at the moment is looking pretty balanced and stable. The batters have been chipping in with some valuable runs while the bowlers too have been dominant. England for now just need to stick to the basics. Probable XI England Women: Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Danielle Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Fran Wilson, Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Glenn India Women: Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Harmanpreet Kaur, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Pooja Vastrakar Fantasy XI Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma (VC), Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver (C), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Anya Shrubsole, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav

Ollie Pope injures thigh muscle, races against time to be fit for India Test series

England middle-order batsman Ollie Pope has injured his left thigh muscle and been ruled out of any action until the upcoming Test series against India starting next month. Pope suffered the injury while batting Surrey's Vitality Blast match against Kent Spitfires on July 2. "The ECB and Surrey fitness teams will work together to deliver Pope's rehabilitation with a focus for him to be available to return for the first Test against India," read an ECB statement. Pope has struggled for runs in the longest format for England and could not muster big scores against India and New Zealand leading up to the Test series against New Zealand. In case Pope fails to recover from his injury, it would open a selection door for Daniel Lawrence to cement a place in the lower-middle order. Pope had made his Test debut against India in the second Test of India’s last tour of England in 2018.

BCCI, SLC postpone Sri Lanka- India ODI series to July 18

The ODI series between India and Sri Lanka which was scheduled to take off from July 13 will now begin on July 18 in Colombo, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has been quoted as saying by ANI. The second and the third ODI of the series will be played 20 and 23 this month. The postponement of the series came in the backdrop of a number of Covid-19 cases in the Sri Lanka camp after their arrival in the country from England. As per reports from local reporters, Sri Lankan squad members have been shifted out of the Taj hotel, where the Indian team is also staying put, to Cinnamon where they will undergo a second round of Covid-19 testing. As per Rex Clementine, Cricket writer at The Island, if more cases emerge from the hosts camp, Sri Lanka cricket will select players from the pool of 24 players being ready in Dambulla. Covid-19 crisis in Sri Lanka camp began with the batting coach Grant Flower testing positive for the novel coronavirus and it was followed by the video analyst GT Niroshan also contracting the virus. India will remain in Taj where they have been since their arrival in the island nation for a tour comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.