SL vs IND | 3rd ODI: India field five debutants for the first time in 21st century

Team India has handed debut ODI caps to as many as five players today that includes Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sanju Samson, Rahul Chahar and Chetan Sakariya. The tourist made six changes in total from the second ODI of the series and bolstered the pace department by including Navdeep Saini.

The players rested for the game include the heroes of the last game Deepak Chahar, the vice-captain of the side Bhuvneshwar Kumar, along with Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

Rana, Sakariya and Gowtham would be having their first-ever outing in the Indian colours, the likes of Samson and Rahul Chahar have previously played T20Is for the Men in Blue.

This is also the first-ever occasion in the 21t century that India has made six changes in their playing XI from the previous game in a single series. The last time India had more than five changes in the squad was in 1980.

The 27-year-old Rana, who has captained the Delhi Ranji team domestically is not a new name whatsoever to the Indian and IPL fans having represented Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders in 67 matches ever since debuting in 2013. Sakariya and Gowtham are reasonably new to the circuit with the former making a name for himself only in the current season of the IPL after a great Ranji Trophy-winning season with Saurashtra.

Samson, who made his India debut in the T20Is way back in 2016, has so far played in only seven T20is and haven’t had a memorable outing in any of them. Chahar, the leg spinner debuted for India in 2019 against West Indies and has since played only three T20Is.

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Second ODI between West Indies and Australia called off after positive Covid-19 case

The second ODI between West Indies and Australia has been called off after a non-player non-coaching member of the West Indies squad has tested positive for Covid-19. All the players and staff members will be tested and further decision will be taken after that.

IRE vs SA: Proteas clinch series after Miller saves the day with the bat

In the end, it turned out to be an easy win for South Africa in a game that could have easily gone Ireland’s game with the start that South Africa got in their innings batting first. The Proteas had lost their first four wickets for 38 runs when in walked David Miller. All the top guns were in the hut including Quinton de Kock and soon most in form Proteas batter this year, Rassie van der Dussen too was caught behind the wicket. Forced to bat with the tail, Miller produced one of the best innings of his T20I career, as he rebuilt the whole South African innings. Firstly he added 58 off 43 balls with Wiaan Mulder where Mulder was the run-scoring partner (36 from 26) while the 33-year-old settled down. As soon as Mulder got out right when the death overs started in the 18th, the Miller show began. He faced 12 off the next 17 balls and scored 37 runs off them, 24 of which came from the last six balls of the inning. Courtesy of that heroic effort from the experienced campaigner like Miller, the Proteas bowlers came all charged up and removed the most experienced Irish batter Kevin O’Brien in the very first over. From there on, there were some beautiful and entertaining shots from Paul Stirling, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, Ireland hardly looked like winning the game. At 99-9 in the 17th over, the game was done and dusted and it took another 19 to complete the formalities. As always Tabraiz Shamsi was amongst the wickets as he removed three batters to take his wickets tally in this series to seven. Bjorn Fortuin took two wickets as well. With this South Africa bagged the series with one game to go which would also be played at Stormont in Belfast on Friday, July 23.

Watch: Deepak Chahar and Indian Physio Niranjan Pandit mesmerize with their medley of Bollywood classics

On very rare occasions some Indian player would tell about his teammates singing in the dressing rooms. Earlier, only the players had the pleasure of listening to the cricketing greats in their pure singing form. But thanks to Social Media and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, even the ordinary Indian fan had an opportunity to listen to the hero from the last match for India, Deepak Chahar being bass guitarist in a duet with Indian team physio for Sri Lanka tour, Niranjan Pandit. In a video uploaded by the BCCI, Chaharand Pandit can be heard singing a medley of Bollywood classics such as “Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche”, “Ek ajnabee haseena se mulaqat” and “Kya hua tera waada”. Chahar, a famous name among cricket fans suddenly became a household name after his unbeaten 69 from 82 balls to win India a thrilling second ODI encounter against hosts Sri Lanka by three wickets. On his way to 69, Chahar had an unbeaten 84 stand with fellow fast bowlers and India vice-captain Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. The two teams will now collide with each other on July 23 in the third and final ODI at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

ZIM vs BAN: Somya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim shine as Tigers thrash hosts in T20I series opener

At the start of their innings when Regis Chakabva and Wesley Madhevere were hitting all Bangladeshi bowlers all over the park, even a total of 200 was in sight for the Zuimababweasn. But as has been the case in this entire three format tour, as soon as the settled batsmen got out, it became exceedingly difficult for the men in Red and Gold to score runs and they eventually folded for 152 in the 19th over itself, unable to complete even their designated 20 overs. Bangladesh openers Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim then gave the Tigers an emphatic start, adding 102 runs for the opening wicket. The visitors seemed to be rolling across to the victory rope pretty fine unless two quick wickets and some tight overs by Luke Jongwe and Wellington Masakadza meant that Bangladesh suddenly required 27 from the last three overs. With options of Jongwe, himself and Madhevere to chose for, skipper Sikandar Raza went for an audacious choice for Richard Ngarava who had till then conceded 30 in his three overs. The choice didn’t work out well for him as the bowler conceded 16 in the 18th over and left only 11 runs to defend in the last two. Much like in the last ODI, Nurul Hasan Sohan, who joined Naim at the crease after Mahmudullah’s dismissal, seemed in a hurry to finish the game. He hit Blessing Muzarabni for a six on the second ball of the 19th over to bring the equation down to 4 from 10 balls. Naim then hit Muzarabani for a four on the fourth ball to finish the game. While 21-year-old Naim remained unbeaten 63 from 51 balls, Sohan hit 16 from 8 balls. Sarkar, who got run out after hitting his fifty from45 balls having already picked a wicket in the first innings in his two overs was adjudged Man of the Match. The two teams will meet again tomorrow on July 23 at the same venue and while Zimbabwe would look to save the series and stretch it to the finale on July 25, Bangladesh would look to make it 2-0 and win this series to win all formats on this tour.