It was a mixed feeling: Mithali Raj on featuring in first Day-night Test

IPL 2021 | RCB vs PBKS: Hits and Flops as Royal Challengers crush incompetent Kings to enter playoff

The failure to win an Indian Premier League trophy has always been a stinging reckoning for Virat Kohli’s long captaincy career and ironically his side has played their best cricket in the season that will be his last as the leader. Yes, they went all the way to the final in his captaincy in the year 2016 but they had more hits and misses in that season than the ongoing one where they are looking like a polished team that knows their weakness and strength upside down. The RCB unit looks to be a battle-hardened unit that is full of players who have taken it upon themselves to turn things around quickly in a game while the team also have not relied on personnel only to win games. Instead, there have been many match-winners in this season and their all-round consistency as the unit has helped them to become the third side to advance into the playoff of the IPL 2021. On the other hand, there was no end to the struggle for Punjab Kings and after a lot of games where they have messed up their batting from seamlessly commanding position, it could be fairly argued that a lot of their misery now are of their own making. Here, we’ll analyse the best and the worst performance of the day when the RCB quashed Punjab Kings’s aspirations to step onto the next stage of the tournament. Hits Glenn Maxwell When Glenn Maxwell was going all guns blazing at the crease to play the innings that eventually separated the Kings from the RCB, the Kings had an interesting meme to share on Twitter to showcase their frustrations. Remember, he was all at sea in the last season before the Kings decided to end their union with the right-hander, and hence the big innings against their estranged family would not have felt nice. Maxwell came out to bat when Moises Henriques removed Virat Kohli and Daniel Christian in a dream spell and his stay at the crease was imperative for RCB’s success in the game. However, Maxwell, the maverick that he is, also had his eyes on another big goal of setting up a big total on the board. The opening pair of Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal was firm but without fluency and the RCB needed some impetus in the middle phase of the game to push for a big score and Maxwell took the onus upon himself to be the man for his side. His options were limited for the next two overs before Harpreet Brar provided him with the opportunity to open up his shoulders and he was more than ready to cash in. Two big hits over the midwicket region and both the RCB and Maxwell were on their way to a dazzling phase of play. After taking on Harpreet, Maxwell was all set to unleash his might on Ravi Bishnoi, who has been one of the few trump cards that the Kings have had this season, and deposited him for two humungous sixes to announce that it was his day on the field. Maybe he was aware of Bishnoi’s tendency of bowling too many googlies from the outset and thumped him over his head and midwicket with unbelievable ease. His juggernaut could have been limited only by Henriques, who was going through an equally remarkable day with the ball as Maxwell was having with the bat. He had some more runs on offer against Bishnoi before getting caught by Mohammad Shami. What appeared to be a sluggish innings from the RCB till the 10th over, was transformed into a match-winning score by the time Maxwell left the ground after having scored a 33-ball 57 with the help of four brutal sixes. Yuzvendra Chahal Every time Yuzvendra Chahal comes to bowl in the second phase of the IPL 2021, commentators don’t forget to discuss his exclusion from India’s World T20 squad and appears that the leg spinner is also bowling like a man on a mission. He was excluded from the side based on “recent form” that dated back to some couple of years as he struggled to pick up wickets in the middle overs to give his captain control of the game. However, he has turned both his bowling and fortunes around quickly in the UAE leg of the tournament. His last five performances including the one against the Punjab Kings in the game read 29/3, 18/2, 11/3, 26/1 and 23/1 and if anything, it shows he is back to his best as a wicket-taking spinner for his side. On the day against the Kings, his three wickets included the big wicket of a well-set Mayank Agarwal, who wanted to set up a win for the Kings, Nicholas Pooran and Sarfaraz Khan that broke the backbone of Kings’ batting after yet another impressive start. He first dismissed Pooran with a dipping leg spinner that the left-hander could not place in the gap while playing in the air and then dismissed Mayank with another prefect leg break that took a lot more time to reach the right-hander than he anticipated and he could manage just a top edge. Although he struck two big nails in Kings’ hopes, his best wicket came in the form of Sarfaraz, who was beaten all ends up on a more than perfect leg spinner that turned past the outside edge of his bat after pitching on the line of the off-stump. The right-hander was in disbelief, but it would have been more on his bad luck that he got that peach of a delivery on the very first ball of his comeback than on the credentials of Chahal, who has stormed back in the wicket-taking form that had made him a compelling spinner of choice for the Indian team. Mayank Agarwal Before the last edition of the IPL, Mayank Agarwal set a target of making the tournament count and as great players do after setting a target, he has embarked on a different trajectory with the bat in the tournament. He has gone on to become a vital cog of an otherwise out of sync Kings’ vehicle since the last season. KL Rahul’s lack of aggression and plenty of runs divide opinions on social media, but if there has been one player who has been doing the job perfectly well without making any fuss, it’s Mayank Agarwal who has batted with supreme confidence and immaculate control. On the day against the RCB, he was not at his best at the start but quickly found his mojo to get going and support Rahul, who for a change was looking to take the attack to the opposition very early in the piece. The first ball 12 balls he faced produced just one boundary that came when he pulled George Garton over square leg in an emphatic fashion. He got on a roll from the fifth over when Kohli introduced left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed to play a match-up game against two right-handers. His plan was thrown up in the air by Agarwal as he tonked him over the top on the very first ball. Another boundary followed in the over and the Kings were up and running in their chase. He was also dismissive against Chahal in his first two overs and smashed him for two boundaries in an over but he was most ferocious against the left-arm spin of Shahbaz as he increased his six count off him to three to come closer to his well-earned fifty. He could not finish the job for the Kings and was eventually flummoxed by Chahal in the most crucial phase of the game, but his innings with a perfect mix of composure and aggression kept the Kings in the game for a majority of the game. Flops Nicholas Pooran Nicholas Pooran is deemed as one of the finest talents to come from West Indies in the current era but his performance in the competition which is built around the concept of providing a platform with the young talents from across the world is nothing short of inexplicable. He had a torrid run for form with the bat in the last edition and a lot of the blame went to the Kings management for not allowing him a good slot to bat where he could dictate the flow of the game. However, none of those calls is sticking in his favour any longer as his performances have not come up in line with the expectations and the game against the RCB was another such instance. The openers have had a fantastic start and Pooran was assigned the big role of setting up the chase of 166 runs with half the innings remaining. He was not asked of throwing all he had in his capability to turn the game in a span of few balls and instead his stay at the crease along with timely boundaries would have helped the Kings. However, he looked more eager to showcase his repertoire of shots than to bat with calculative risks and perished in the process that appeared bereft of ideas. He has struggled when the Kings have asked him to go for the big shots from the word go as the success rate can be assured in that method, but failure to bat when promoted up the order will not help his case as a reliable option considering the mega auction scheduled before the next edition of the league. Daniel Christian The RCB have played like a well-oiled unit in this edition of the IPL but if there is one component that has remained idle and is lucky at the first place to find himself in the team is Daniel Christian. He too, like Pooran, was promoted up the order in order of giving him the opportunity to dictate terms to the bowling attack. He too has not had a lot of opportunity with the bat when the number of overs remaining has been high and hence the RCB asked him to bat at number three to push the scoring rate after a rather sluggish opening partnership between Kohli and Padikkal. However, he was more rapid in coming back to the dugout than staying time in the middle and throwing the bowlers off their mark and got dismissed on the very first ball to bring the Kings back in the game. Christain would be happy on his countryman Glenn Maxwell, who masked his and top-order failure by playing a match-winning innings that deflated the Kings in the first half of the game itself. The RCB have qualified for the playoff after suffering a minor scare at the start of the UAE leg and Kohli’s celebration after seeing the win against the Kings was explanatory of how much it meant for him after having announced the decision of leaving captaincy after this edition. On the other hand, this was yet another infuriating loss for the Kings, who just can’t seem to find a perfect playing XI and those 11 players can’t just put their hands up in crunch situations to win them the game. They are not out of the tournament yet but they would be the first ones to admit to themselves that they don’t quite deserve to be in the top four sides of the tournament.

IPL 2021 | DC vs CSK: Hurting from its biggest defeat, Chennai look to bounce back against Capitals

Chennai Super Kings were handed a crushing defeat in their last match against Rajasthan Royals, it was their biggest this season in the sense that the opposition chased down 190 with 15 balls remaining. Simmering from that humiliation, they would look to get over that with a win against Delhi Capitals, who are also their competitors in the race for the top of the table finish at the end of the season. Capitals, on the other hand, are coming on the back of a great victory against their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and having won the first leg of their clash against CSK, the Rishabh Pant led side would be looking to make it two in two this season. Chennai looking to stabilise things In the last game, the team rested Dwayne Bravo and Deepak Chahar, their two best bowlers and as a result, got a hammering from Rajasthan openers. Now, with just two games to go before the probable Qualifier, MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming would look to get the settled XI in and try and win the last two games. Another thing that CSK would be looking to do is try and defend a total because it is not possible to win all tosses and thus defending a total is also a necessity given that in their last five games, they have won three while chasing. Delhi aim for better batting effort If Chennai are looking to defend a total, then Delhi on the other hand are looking to have a great game with the bat, which has been a rarity for them in the UAE leg of the tournament. In the four matches that they have played in the UAE leg, the Capitals have crossed the 150 mark just once and that too barely. Apart from Shreyas Iyer, nobody looks in great touch with the bat as Shikhar Dhawan is slowly fading away and Prithvi Shaw is injured. Pant himself has occupied good enough time in the middle but hasn’t been able to get going. Having played their last two games in Sharjah, Delhi would be looking to utilise the good batting conditions of UAE to get its players in form. Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings: Details Match number: 50 Date and Time: October 04, 2021, 07:30 pm IST (10:00 GMT), 06:00 pm Local, 02:00 pm GMT Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Broadcast and Livestream: Star Sports and Hotstar Pitch Report The pitches throughout UAE haven’t been supportive of batting, however, Dubai is an anomaly in the sense that it has given some pace and bounce to the wicket and hence run making has been easier as compared to Sharjah and Abiu Dhabi. Thus a better wicket is expected for this game too. Weather Forecast Due to the presence of Cyclone Shaheen in the Gulf of Oman, there are low chances of precipitation in Dubai on Monday, but it wouldn’t be able to affect the game that much. The temperatures would be in the mid-thirties and humidity would keep on increasing as the match progresses. Team News Chennai Super Kings Chennai would look to bring back Chahar and Bravo for this game while the remaining composition would sustain itself. However, with Raina failing in almost every game, either Narayan Jagadeesan or C Hari Nishanth could be tried, just to make the batting lineup full proof getting into the Knockout stage. Probable XI Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina/ C Hari Nishanth, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood Delhi Capitals There isn’t much of a change that Capitas could look to apply in their XI, considering that they like to play with their best team all the time. However, with Steve Smith not looking in top form, Sam Billings, who has been sitting in the dugout with the best form, might be tried. Probable XI Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Steven Smith/ Sam Billings, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje CE XI Fantasy Team Wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant Batters Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu All-rounders Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo Bowlers Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje, Shardul Thakur Vice-Captain Shreyas Iyer Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad

IPL 2021 | RCB vs PBKS: What Experts said after RCB march into playoffs riding on 'solid performance' vs Punjab

The Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for the playoffs after beating Punjab Kings by 6 runs on Sunday in Sharjah. Chasing a stiff target of 165 runs, the PBKS side once again failed to capitalise on the start they got and were restricted to 158/6 in 20 overs. Captain KL Rahul and his opening partner Mayank Agarwal provided a brisk start to the chase after the two batsmen compiled 91 runs for the first wicket before Rahul departed for 39 off 35. Mayank on the other side, went on to score a fifty during the course but Punjab kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 127/5. Later, Shahrukh Khan and Moises Henriques tried to provide some resistance but the increasing required rate pushed them on the back foot and Shahrukh was run out on the first delivery of the final over for 16 off 11. The KL Rahul-led side now needed 19 off the last 5 balls but they could only manage to get 12 runs and lost the match eventually. Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers for RCB after he returned with figures of 3/29 in 4 overs. Earlier, RCB too had a decent start to the innings as captain Virat Kohli and opener Devdutt Padikkal stitched a 60-run stand for the first wicket. Kohli was then cleaned up by Henriques for 25 off 24 and the skipper’s dismissal saw a couple of more wickets falling at a quick succession. But it was once again Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers who steadied the ship for the side and scored 73 runs for the fourth wicket. Maxwell struck another half-century for RCB in the tournament. Henriques scalped a three-for at the cost of 12 runs in 4 overs. Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul expressed disappointment after the defeat. “I wouldn't say I haven't enjoyed wearing it (the Orange Cap) but I would have been happier if we had qualified. It was a score that was par. Maybe 10-15 runs extra. When a guy like Maxwell comes in with that sort of form, it makes it difficult,” he said in the post-match presentation. RCB skipper Virat Kohli was delighted after making it through to the playoffs. “Feels amazing. After 2011, we haven't done it with games to spare. Eight wins out of 12 games is a great campaign. We have two more opportunities to finish in the top two. Should give us motivation to play even more fearlessly,” he said. Experts’ Opinion Journalist Ayaz Memon lavished praise on Yuzvendra Chahal and lauded him for getting back among the wickets. “Chahal has rediscovered his mojo. Back in the wicket taking form and looking easily the best among leg spinners in the IPL in the second phase. IMO, most crucial player for RCB to make headway from here,” he tweeted. Former India player Irfan Pathan praised RCB for their efforts. “Solid team this year and even solid performance RCB,” the former left-handed bowler wrote on Twitter. Former India opener Aakash Chopra also hailed RCB for making it through to the playoffs. “Second season in a row. RCB are through to the playoffs. And this year they’re looking much better than last year. Race is on for only the fourth place,” he tweeted. RCB will now play SRH on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi while PBKS will be up against CSK in Dubai on Thursday.

AUSW vs INDW | Day-night Test: Historic pink-ball Test ends in a draw

The Day-night Test match between India women’s team and Australia women’s side ended in a draw in Queenstown on Sunday. The hosts began the proceedings on the final day of the Test from the overnight score of 143/4 with Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner at the crease. Australia added 98 more runs to the tally in the first innings with both Perry and Gardner notching up individual fifties. Captain Meg Lanning declared the innings at 241/9, trailing India by 136 runs. Pooja Vastrakar picked up three wickets while Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh and Deepti Sharma scalped a couple of wickets each. Later, India were off to another decent start after Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana scored 70 runs for the first wicket before Mandhana was undone by Molineux for 31. India then lost Yastika Bhatia for three in quick succession before Verma was joined by Punam Raut in the middle. The two batters then put up a partnership of 48 runs for the third wicket. Verma struck a half-century before she was trapped in front of the stumps by Wareham while Raut remained unbeaten at 41 as India declared the innings at 135/3. The visitors set a target of 272 for the Australian side and the host had a disappointing start to the proceedings after they were reduced to 28/2 and were 36/2 when the stumps were called on the final day. India batter Smriti Mandhana was adjudged player of the match and the left-hander expressed her delight. “It's definitely in the top three (asked to rate this hundred). First time playing a day-night Test, really happy that I gave good pace (start) to the team. Most nervous night I have ever had - after the first day. Lucky with that no-ball on 80. That sort of cleared my mind after that,” she said in the post-match presentation. The rain had played a spoilsport on the first two days of the match and pointing out the same, India captain Mithali Raj said that some crucial overs were lost because of the same. “Had we got four more wickets we would have gone for a few more overs. Rain took a lot of time out of the game. We tried to do whatever we could in the time we got. Jhulan has always been my best bowler for so many years and she shares her experience with the young bowlers,” she said. Australia captain Meg Lanning echoed Mithali’s voice and said that the result was possible if the overs weren’t lost because of rain. “We would have got a result in four days if we didn't have the weather. I thought India played really well. We had to fight it out which I'm pretty proud of the group for doing,” she said. The two sides will now lock horns in a three-match T20I series beginning on Thursday.