IND vs NZ | 1st Test, Day 3: Axar Patel's five-wicket haul puts a check on New Zealand's surge

Ben McDermott's hundred anchors Tasmania to 5-wicket win over Western Australia

Tasmania’s Ben McDermott anchored his side to a 5-wicket win against Western Australia in Hobart while chasing a stiff target of 295 in 50 overs. McDermott scored a brilliant hundred during the course of the innings. Tasmania lost an early wicket in the form of Caleb Jewell when the team score read 13 but McDermott along with Charlie Wakim then steadied the ship for the side as the two batters put 75 runs for the second wicket. But Tasmania were then pushed onto the backfoot as WA scalped a couple of quick wickets to reduce the side to 88/3. McDermott was then joined by Macalister Wright in the middle and provided the resistance that the side required. Both the players chipped in with a stand of 136 runs that certainly brought the team back on track. While Wright was eventually undone for 55, McDermott went on to score a ton. Before getting out for 133. But his dismissal didn’t really have much impact as Tim David and Bradley Hope made sure that there were no more fall of wickets and the two batsmen took the team over the line. Earlier, in the day, WA rode on fifties from Whiteman and Cartwright to put 294/9 in 50 overs on the board.

BAN vs PAK | Liton Das redeems himself with splendid Test century against Pakistan

Breaking the string of low scores that earned him a lot of critics in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, Liton Das came back to form in a grand fashion with a Test century against Pakistan in the first Test of the series at Chaotgram. He walked out to bat at the number six position when Bangladesh found themselves in a precarious position having lost the top order without too many runs on the board. He joined Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle when the score was just 49 runs and he went back to the pavilion only after scoring a splendid century and laying a partnership worth more than 200 runs with Mushfiqur. It was his century and 91 from Mushfiqur that Bangladesh reached a competitive score of 330 runs in the first innings after their skipper Mominul Haque won the toss and decided to bat first. For Pakistan, Hasan Ali, who has had the same fate as Liton Das in the T20 World Cup, was the pick of the bowlers as he took a brilliant five-wicket haul. He was on the top of his game and was well supported by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf.

BAN vs PAK | 1st Test: Hasan Ali silences critics, picks fifer in first innings

Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali certainly gave a perfect answer to his critics after he scalped a fifer in the first innings of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Hasan had faced a lot of criticism in the recent past for his dismal show in the T20 World Cup after failing to make impact in all of the matches that he played for his team. He faced flak severely for his semi-final outing of the tournament for a crucial dropped catch in the final overs of the game which eventually knocked Pakistan out of the tournament. But the right-arm bowler turned the table for himself in this Test match after picking up five wickets including the prized scalp of Liton Das who struck a valuable ton. Ali provided Pakistan the first breakthrough after he trapped Shadman Islam in front of the stumps for 14 runs. The home side lost a few more wickets and were in a spot of bother after getting reduced to 49/4 before Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das joined hands for a 206-run stand for the fifth wicket. Hasan then came into the act and provided his side with the much-needed breakthrough after removing Liton for 114 runs. He was also trapped in front of the stumps. The Pakistan bowler then followed it with another quick dismissal after he cleaned up Yasir Ali for 4 and completed his five-wicket haul later on. The right-hander removed Abu Jayed (8 off 19) and Ebadot Hossain (0 off 1) on consecutive deliveries as Bangladesh were bundled out for 330. Hasan Ali returned with figures of 5/51 in 20.4 overs.

Smash 2021-22: Finn Allen scores fifty as Wellington clinch easy win against Canterbury

Wellington’s Finn Allen began the Super Smash 2021-22 competition with a fine half-century against Canterbury on Friday in Christchurch. Batting first, Wellington began the proceedings well with Allen and Luke Georgeson putting up 89 runs for the first wicket before the latter departed for a 22-ball 30. Allen then followed his opening partner within a span of two balls for 57 off 30 deliveries, a knock that involved four maximums and as many fours during the course of the innings. While the openers had laid the foundation for a good total, Bracewell, Jamie Gibson and van Beek chipped in with individual contributions to help the side put 177/7 in 20 overs. Bracewell struck 27 off 17 while Gibson remained unbeaten at 22 off 19. Van Beek chipped in with an 11-ball 17. Ed Nuttall was the pick of the bowlers for Canterbury as he scalped a three-for at the cost of 31 runs in 4 overs. Later, Canterbury didn’t really have a great start to the chase and kept losing wickets at regular intervals to get reduced to 94/6 and eventually get restricted to 150/9 in 20 overs. Bracewell returned with figures of 3/22 in 4 overs while Peter Younghusband had one wicket to his name for 8 runs in two overs. Wellington will now play Central Districts on Sunday (December 5, 2021) while Canterbury will be up against the same opposition on December 10, 2021.