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India to play one Test in next England summer, likely to be decider of abandoned series: Report

Mayank Kumar

India and England have agreed to play a Test match next summer which was initially supposed to be a tour of white-ball games, ESPNCricinfo reported. 

Although there were no hints from either BCCI or ECB on whether the only Test between the side next summer will be a standalone game or a decider of the series that was left incomplete earlier this year. The report suggested that it will be a continuation of the series that India are leading 2-1.

Notably, the Indian players had refused to play the final Test of the series scheduled to start on September 10 in Manchester after multiple Covid-19 cases in the camp.

There was confusion on the fate of the Manchester Test and subsequently around the result of the series as the ECB flip-flopped between forfeiture and abandonment by India.

Earlier, the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had suggested that if India were to play a Test next summer, it will be a standalone game and not the series decider before making a U-turn on his words.

Irrespective of what value the game will bring to the teams in terms of winning or levelling the series, a Test match at Old Trafford will help the ECB and Lancashire county to recover some of the financial losses they incurred after the cancellation of the final Test.

 

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AUSW vs INDW | 3rd ODI: India seek consolation win, Australia eye clean sweep

It was a sheer lack of concentration in the field from the Indian women’s team after they let go off a win that could have helped them equalise the three-match ODI series against Australia in Mackay. Australia needed three on the last ball of the match where Jhulan Goswami bowled a full toss to Nicola Carey who just swung the bat but only managed to give a catch to the fielder stationed around the square leg. But to India’s misfortune, it was later called a no-ball for waist height and the equation now came down to 2 off 1. Carey eventually completed a couple of runs on the last ball. But it wasn’t just the last-ball drama that led India to a defeat but it was also about some bad fielding efforts in the middle. The fielder let the Australian batters steal away runs with sloppy fielding. The home side now has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series while the Indian team would be looking for a consolation win. Match Details Match: Australia Women vs India Women, 3rd ODI Date: 26th September 2021 Time: 05:35 AM IST Venue: Harrup Park, Mackay Pitch Report The batters would have something on offer on this track while the bowlers will face some problems in getting the breakthroughs. Though, the pacers have been a bit successful at this venue. So, if you win the toss, bat first and try to put a good total on the board. Team News India: The Indian team were off to a decent start in the match after they posted a good total on the board and picked up early wickets to reduce Australia 52/4 but let the match slip away from them eventually. The fielders have been sloppy in the field and have let the opposition take upper-hand. Another aspect that the team management needs to take a look at is Mithali Raj’s scoring-rate. The right-hander has been among runs barring the last encounter but has been scoring runs at a slow strike-rate. But there were some positives as well from the last clash. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave a steady start to the proceedings of which the team management has been striving for while the middle-order also chipped in with some valuable contributions. Australia: Beth Mooney played a match-winning knock in the second game against India after she struck an unbeaten 125 while Tahlia McGrath’s all-round performance was something to watch out for. Apart from these two Carey too played an important role after she steadied the ship for the hosts alongside Mooney and then took the team over the line. The Australian team is in some good form and would be looking to extend the winning streak. Probable XI Australia: Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (captain), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath, Hannah Darlington, Darcie Brown India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Mithali Raj (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Jhulan Goswami, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Meghna Singh, Poonam Yadav Fantasy XI Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Tahlia McGrath (C), Pooja Vastrakar, Sophie Molineux, Darcie Brown, Jhulan Goswami

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AUS W vs IND W | 2nd ODI: Beth Mooney and mayhem in 50th over keeps Aussie winning streak alive

It was one heck of a last over bowled by Jhulan Goswami. Although the match might go into the history books as Australia Women chasing down the third-highest total in Women’s ODI history to take an unassailable lead in the three-match ODI series played at Mackay, but it was much more than just that. It was self-destruction by Team India. However, with this five-wicket win, that came on the very last ball of the game, the Aussie Women have managed to keep their unbeaten in ODIs steak going which has now reached a mammoth 26 games. India seemed in total control of the game and with 13 required off the last over for an Aussie victory, the balance had already been titled towards the women from the subcontinent. With Jhulan Goswami, the highest wicket-taker in Women ODI history and one of the finest fast bowlers going around in the world being given the last over, it tilted some more. But what transpired in the last over was nothing less than self-destruction by India. On the very first ball, what could have just been a tight double, ended up being three runs as Richa Ghosh the wicket-keeper threw the ball at the stumps and the batters ran overthrow. This was not happening for the first time in the day that Australia were taking extra runs off overthrows, but India surely hoped it was the last time. However, if it wasn’t the overthrow, misfield was the next demon and it haunted India Women as a single was converted into two thanks to Yastika Bhatia’s fumbling effort at short mid-wicket. With five runs having come at the first two balls, there was still a chance for India to get the win, but what happens next? Goswami balls a beamer that hit Nicole Carey on her helmet. Not only there was a free hit and an extra run was given but it also amounted to an extra ball being bowled. With seven needed from four balls, the 38-year-old Indian bowled a cracking yorker on the free hit ball, the Aussie batters ran and Ghosh missed the runout opportunity as they skippered for a bye. A leg bye on the next ball meant that five were needed off the last two balls and as a fumble by Jemimah at deep midwicket resulted in a brace for the Aussie players, now Goswami had three runs to defend on the last ball. She could have gone for wide yorker with third man and sweeper cover out or for a yorker with midwicket out or could have outfoxed the batter with a short ball. But what did she bowl? A waist-high full toss which Carey hit straight to short square leg. The Indians thought that they had won the match, Crey in disbelief didn’t even complete the run. But then came the final twist, the ball was declared a no-ball for height by the third umpire and India now needed to defend two from the last ball. The field placement was weird as India went to save two and put all fielders on the boundary line. Carey hit it to deep midwicket and by the time Rodrigues returned and Jhulan failed to collect, the Aussies had completed the double and taken the unassailable 2-0 lead in the series having won the first ODI by nine wickets. While the end of the chase was incredibly dramatic and went Australia’s way, the start was equally opposite as Indian bowlers reduced the women in gold and green to 52 for four, defending 275. However, some callous approach by Indian fielders, a missed stumping opportunity by Ghosh behind the stumps and brilliant batting by Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney kept Aussies in the hunt. The duo added 124 for the fifth wicket before McGrath was caught by Bhatia off the bowling of Deepti Sharma to give Indians a window to seal the game. But that obviously did not happen as new arrival Carey and Mooney hit it off and developed a match-winning and unbeaten 97 runs stand for the sixth wicket. Mooney was adjudged player of the match for her brilliant 125 off 133 balls and for holding the inning together. Earlier in the afternoon, after India was sent in to bat by Meg Lanning, the Aussie captain, it made a cracking start as Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana added 74 for the first wicket in only 11.2 overs before Shafali was dismissed in a cruel manner, getting played on. However, Mandhana continued her onslaught and it was with the help of her 94 balls 86, Ghosh’s 44 runs and late order contributions by Goswami and Pooja Vastrakar that India reached 274 in its 50 overs. The two teams will now meet for the final clash in the ODI series on Sunday, September 26.

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IPL 2021 | RCB vs CSK: Hits and Flops as Virat Kohli’s men sent back to the drawing board by Super Kings

The Royal Challengers Bangalore seem to be getting back to their old self as they have started to lose games as the business end of the tournament is approaching. This is now their third consecutive loss and fourth in the last five games. Their UAE leg of the tournament started with a loss against the Kolkata Knight Riders and after this six-wicket loss, now they have lost two in two. On the contrary, Chennai super Kings seem to be moving in the upward direction having beaten Mumbai Indians in the first game, they are now two in two in the UAE leg of the tournament. In fact, with this victory at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the Men in Yellow climbed to the top spot in the points table as they have garnered 14 points from their nine games and have a better run rate than the Delhi Capitals, who too have 14 points from the same number of games. Much like every game, this game had its Hits and Flops and this is that section of the post-match piece which analyses such players who turned out to be either Hit or Flop in the entire game. Hits Dwayne Bravo When the RCB inning was rocking and there seemed no way to find a wicket, one man turned it around for the Super Kings and it was their West Indian champion Dwayne Bravo. The 37-year-old didn’t only get Virat Kohli out but also broke a huge 111 run stand for the opening wicket. It was courtesy of this breakthrough only that the MS Dhini team made a comeback into the match. Bravo however didn’t just stop there and alongside controlling the flow of runs, also got the wickets of Glenn Maxwell and Harshal Patel in the last over and gave away only two runs to curtain the RCB innings to only 156. In total, Bravo picked three wickets in this game going for just 24 runs in his four overs. Rightfully, the devoted Super Kings was awarded Man of the Match. Devdutt Padikkal RCB got off to a flying start and a huge part of the reason was Devdutt Padikkal’s batting. After getting out cheaply in the first game, the Karnatak man tried to make up for it in this game and did brilliantly to hit 70 off just 50 balls. He was part of the 111 runs opening stand with skipper Kohli. While in the powerplay he was just flawless, as the wicket slowed down, his elegant strokeplay didn’t sail him through and he became Shardul Thakur’s first scalp, but not before hitting five fours and three sixes. Shardul Thakur Not a great death bowler alright, might not be a great swing bowler either and not the best all-rounder for sure. But Shardil Thakur is someone who has time and again bailed Super Kings out in tough situations in the recent past. In this game too, just after Bravo opened the gates, Thakur made sure that it became wide open and Chennai enter right through it. The right-arm pacer two crucial wickets of Padikkal and de Villiers and that it too in the same overs to deal a heavy blow to the chances of the RCB getting past 180. Also, he gave away just 29 runs from his quota of four overs. Flops AB de Villiers When de Villers was most needed by his team, he failed at that very time. After getting a start of 111 runs in just 13.2 overs, the old BD would have butchered the CSK bowling lineup, but this ABD wasn’t really sure of how things were moving. Arriving at just the right time, the former Proteas player made just 12 runs off 11 balls when his misery was finally ended by Thakur. ABD is one player that RCB trust to take them out of any mess, but in the last two matches he hasn’t been able to do it and with yet another failure in this game, it has surely made de Villers look out of form, and inside a lot of problems in coming days. Wanindu Hasaranga When the Sri Lankan all-rounder and leg spinner was bought by the RCB as a replacement for Adam Zampa, it was expected that he would do great things with the ball. However, in the two matches that he has played, it hadn’t looked like he is the world number two T20I bowler. After going wicketless in his first IPL outing against the KKR, Hasaranga remained wicketless on a spin-friendly pitch in this game. In this very game, many spinners took a lot of wickets from both the side, but the Sri Lankan import was not good at all. He went for 40 runs in his four overs quota. The two teams will now move on to their second assignment, which is on September 26 on the double header’s day. While RCB would take on Mumbai Indians at Dubai International Stadium, CSK would play KKR on the same day and prior to the RCB- Mumbai game, but it will be played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.