WI vs PAK | 2nd Test: Shaheen Afridi, Nauman Ali break Windies' resistance to level series

CPL 2021: With fiery batters, lethal bowlers, experienced all-rounders, Barbados ready for battle

Can the change in name bring change in fortune for Barbados? The CPL franchise was renamed from Barbados Tridents to Barbados Royals after the owners of the IPL side Rajasthan Royals purchased the majority of the stakes. “The idea of creating a global network behind the Royals brand is something that we are keen to do for many years. It was an opportunity too good to miss. The IPL is only on our screen for a short period of the annual calendar. Secondly, it gives our fans an opportunity to follow Royals teams across the world and in different locations. Thirdly, from a cricketing perspective to trial new things,” owner of EM Sporting Holdings Ltd, Manoj Badale asserted as reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier. The Barbados team has lifted the CPL title twice in 2014 and 2019 respectively beating Guyana Amazon Warriors on the both the occasion but had a dismal show in the last edition where they ended the competition at the fifth spot in the points table. But as they say bygones be bygones. The only way is to move on and move forward and this is what the Barbados franchise needs to do especially with the kind of firepower it has in the kitty. From experienced campaigners like Jason Holder and Mohammad Amir to young guns such as Azam Khan and Glenn Phillips, the Royals do have a unit that can leave an impact. Barbados will be facing St Kitts And Nevis Patriots in their opening match of the competition which is also the second encounter of the opening day of the tournament. Team News First things first. Barbados will be without the services of all-rounder Chris Morris, who had opted out of the tournament citing personal reasons. The right-hander was earlier snapped by Rajasthan Royals for an amount of INR 16.25 crore that made him the costliest buy ever in the cash-rich league. The South African cricketer could have played an important role for Barbados as an all-rounder alongside Holder. Morris is an experienced customer and brings a lot to the table both with the bat and ball and the glimpse of which was visible during the first half of the IPL. While he is a dangerous bowler on his day as he produces good pace and bounce, the Proteas is pretty handy with the willow too. He is capable of chipping in with some valuable runs at the end of the innings at brisk pace. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, Barbados will have to move on and plan things accordingly. New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips joined the side as the replacement later on. Dependence on ‘BIG NAMES’ Jason Holder, Mohammad Amir and Thisara Perera. Who doesn’t know these names? No matter, if you follow the game or not, these are some prominent names in the tally which can’t be ignored. Holder’s major responsibility in this setup would be to work as a bridge in the line up between the middle, lower-middle order and tailenders. Everyone is well versed with his capability of taking on any bowling attack or ripping apart his opponents with the ball but the genre in this setup demands a bit of tweak. The right-hander would be fed with distinguished tasks at different situations. He might have to get some quick runs in a lesser number of balls at one instance while the side might need him to stay at the crease and hold one end in a steady manner. To add to this, Holder’s bowling experience would also play a crucial role in putting a halt at the batsmen’s scoring rate. Next is Mohammad Amir. There have been no questions on his ability and talent. Despite missing out on playing cricket for such a long time, Amir returned back in action and produced some brilliant performances for Pakistan. Though, he bid adieu to international cricket later on citing some differences with the team management. Despite hanging his boots from international cricket, the left-handed pacer is still considered as an asset to any team for which he plays for. Amir’s role is simple here. Don’t let the batsmen take advantage at any given stage of the game especially in the beginning (power play overs). The tracks at St. Kitts don’t really help the batsmen in the initial phase of the game and if Barbados bowl first, Amir can create huge problems for the batsmen. He can move the ball away while is equally efficient to deceive the batsman with the balls coming in. Bowling back of the hand deliveries and slower ones regularly might help the left-hander to scalp some good amount of wickets in the tournament. Next up we have Thisara Perera. Perera’s recent T20 form isn’t really an impressive one where he has scored a couple of ducks in the last three games that he played during the PSL and picked up 4 wickets but at a decent economical rate. He might not have left a major impact in the recent past but Perera’s experience especially in this format is immense. Having played over 290 matches, The right-hander has scored more than 3000 runs and has 247 wickets to his name. The stats speak volumes about his calibre and class. Armour with YOUNG GUNS Glenn Philips was in some brilliant touch recently while he was playing The Hundred tournament in England. The right-handed batsman scored some good runs in the competition and the Barbados side would be expecting him to continue his form in this CPL edition as well. Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Azam Khan has shown a glimpse of his ability as a good striker of the ball in the PSL. Following the PSL, Azam also made his Pakistan debut but didn’t really get much opportunity to perform. He is pretty good at finding the gaps. However, he now has a chance to show his capabilities with the bat if he gets the opportunity in the final XI. Oshane Thomas will be a vital cog in the wheel for the Barbados side’s bowling attack. The 24-year-old has already proven his worth in T20s after picking up 57 wickets in 44 matches at an average of under 24. The only issue with his bowling is that Thomas gives away a lot of runs at times. His overall economy rate in the T20s and in the T20Is is more than 9 which can prove costly for the side. Though he is among wickets, the economy rate is something on which Thomas needs to work on. Trump Cards Joshua Bishop and Hayden Walsh can prove to be the trump cards for the Royals. Bishop’s left-arm spin might extract something from the pitch if they are slow in nature. On the other hand, Walsh’s leg break can be useful to deceive the batsmen especially when he bowls a googly. The batsmen do have a tendency of going after the leg-spinners especially in the shorter format and this could come as a boon for the side in keeping the scoring-rate down and picking up wickets. Help from the pitch The track doesn’t really have much on offer for the teams batting first. The sides batting first don’t really win much at the venue and the kind of bowling attack Barbados poses, the team can be lethal if they bowl first. For now the team looks balanced and stable. The only thing that they need to do is “stick to basics” as they do have the players who can win matches single-handedly on their day. Probable XI Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Kyle Mayers, Glenn Philips, Justin Greaves, Thisara Perera, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh, Oshane Thomas, Mohammad Amir, Joshua Bishop

Virat Kohli promises India won't take ‘backward step when provoked’

India skipper Virat Kohli has been known for playing his game with all the passion and wearing his heart on his sleeves and all of that were on display in abundance in the second Test against England at Lord’s. There was no let-up from either him or his bowlers in the second innings of the hosts that did not last more than 52 overs on a fiercely intense final day. India were under pressure coming into the final day and were rescued only by a marathon partnership between Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. England players had not forgiven Bumrah for subjecting James Anderson to fierce over of fast bowling where he had asked the height and mental fortitude of the ace pacer. He had bowled short balls to Anderson on the third day and there were verbal altercations between the pacer and Indian players after they were walking off to the pavilion. England’s most rapid pacer in the game Mark Wood was tasked to rattle Bumrah as he came out to bat on the final day when India were under enormous pressure and he was on cue to hit the Indian pacer on his head. It was followed by the hosts, especially, Anderson himself and Jos Buttler choosing to engage in a verbal battle with him. Verbal attack charged Bumrah and he replied Wood with a four through the off side that attracted an animated signal from Kohli, who was grasping a heated moment his pacer was subjected to in the middle from the iconic Lord’s balcony. Kohli must have been aware of the need for runs before giving the hosts the taste of their own medicine and the partnership between Shami and Bumrah provided him with that luxury. Looking back on those moments from the Lord’s Test, Kohli reiterated that the win was “satisfying” as the team took on the challenge after the verbal duel on the final day. He said that India have shed those behaviours of letting their opposition treat them lightly and they will not “take a backward step when provoked” He said the Indian players have the “belief to beat any team in the world” while refusing to divulge the details of what turned out to be provoking for his side on the final day. The skipper said that those sort of on-field moments have always inspired his players and it will continue to do so in the future. "It was very satisfying after what transpired on the morning of day five. This team is not going to take a backward step when provoked. We play together and we play to win. We don’t let any opposition take us lightly and keep reminding them that we are always going to compete and find ways to win games. It is our belief that we can beat any team in the world,” Kohli said in the pre-match press conference. "I think I cannot give you the details of the words that were spoken. I think it is for the cameras and the stump mics to pick for both teams equally and then be analysed. What's said on the field, what's done in the moment, gives you extra motivation to get together as a team even more strongly. Then there is absolute clarity as to what you need to do.” India adopted a four pacer plus one spinner tactic while selecting playing XI in the first Test and as they were on the verge of success at Trent Bridge, Kohli had hinted of playing with the same “template”. However, the cohesive factor of that template—Shardul Thakur’s swing bowling and batting ability went missing in the next game as the pacer suffered an injury. The injury to Shardul would have forced Kohli to walk back from his template but he chose to go in at the Lord’s with a far more aggressive option of playing Ishant Sharma albeit it meant a thin batting lineup while the middle order was struggling for runs. The move paid dividends as India’s quartet of pacers kept running in and asked England batsmen a lot of tough questions throughout the end. He commended the bowling attack for delivering and hinting at no need to change the playing XI after the triumph of Lord’s. However, he was not left from the question of Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been warming the benches so far on the tour. He did not rule out the inclusion of Ashwin and instead increased that prospect by sharing his surprise over the lack of grass on the Headingley pitch and saying the playing XI will be decided based on the expected nature of the pitch from the third day onwards. What may also tilt the balance in favour of the off-spinner is the presence of four left-handers—Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, and Sam Curran, in the top seven batting position of the hosts. “We have no reason to change anything unless people have niggles, which we haven’t encountered since the last Test. You usually don’t want to disturb the winning combination. We don’t have any reason to change the winning combination especially when the team has achieved in the last match. The bowling department has delivered,” Kohli said. “As far as Ashwin playing is concerned, we were quite surprised to see the pitch at Headingley the way it was. I thought there would be more grass on the pitch. It would be more spicy and lively but that was not the case. Anything is possible, we always name a 12, and then on the day we have a look at the pitch and what it could become on Day 3 and 4, and accordingly, we will go in with the right combination.” India’s middle-order struggled for runs except for the last innings at Lord’s when Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane set up a perfect platform with a hundred run partnership. The hosts have been saved by impressive batting by both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul at the top of the order although they have batted on the first day of both Tests when conditions were heavily stacked in favour of bowlers. Kohli commended the “outstanding” partnership of Rohit and Rahul said that their batting has been a “big boost” for Team India so far. The duo has added one 100-run and one 97-run partnership so far in the two Tests of the series and if India are to win the five-match series for the first time since 2007 their dream run with the bat needs to continue for a bit longer. “When we play overseas, one of the most important factors is the opening combination. The way KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have played is outstanding. We hope that they continue in the same manner so that they set up the right platform. It’s a big boost for us,” Kohli said. India will have to be careful of not letting this advantage slip from their hands at Headingley. The hosts are under tremendous pressure after a debacle at Lord’s and if they can put more pressure on them in the third Test, the writing will be on the wall for the hosts in absence of Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and also Anderson, who will not play all the five Tests of the series.

India Women announce squads for Australia tour; Gayakwad returns, Veda Krishnamurthy misses out

Indian Women have announced the squads for the upcoming tour of Australia where they are scheduled to play three ODIs, three T20Is and one Test against the hosts. Veteran batter Mithali Raj has been continued as the leader of the ODI and Test side while her deputy in those formats—Harmanpreet Kaur has been retained as the skipper of the T20I side. Prominent faces such as Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues all have been retained in the squads but there was no return for Veda Krishnamurthy. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gaikwad, who missed the last tour of England earlier this year has returned to both squads while Ekta Bisht, who missed out from a BCCI central contract but toured England has been retained for the tour of Australia as well. India Women’s squad for Test & ODI series Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht. India Women’s T20I squad Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur.

CPL 2021 | Team Preview: Desperate for first title, Guyana Amazon Warriors put their money on youth

What should one call a team that have been able to reach the finals of a six-team tournament on five out of the eight seasons and could not go on to become the champions even for once? Should they be called ‘chokers’ as the fans of the game attribute to teams that wither away in high-stakes games or rather they should be called a top side that have an amazing consistency for as inconsistent a format as T20 cricket at franchise level? In an ideal world, the answer should be in the middle of both questions and there should lie the legacy of the side that have been known as the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League. The Warriors have made it into the finals of the league in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 but a CPL title remains elusive for the side. Of all the heartbreaks they have faced in the big games of those five editions, the last one against the St. Lucia Zoulks would have been haunting them, and they will be desperate to set up an undisputed legacy by stamping their name as champions of the competition this time. They are set to open their campaign in the very first game of the season against the Trinbago Tridents, who were the only side that got better of them on the points table last year. Here, we are deciphering the strengths and weaknesses of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Strengths Flamboyance of Pooran, Hetmyer The duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran are the two of the greatest young and dynamic players going around the world and especially the franchise T20 cricket. Both are known for taking the game by the scruff of their neck and also, neither of them have shown any signs of real weakness against specific types of bowling and on certain types of pitches. The Warriors will be putting all their money on the duo to deliver belligerent performances they have been promising for a long time now. Pooran has also been appointed as the skipper of the Warriors and it shows the complete trust he enjoys from the franchise and the team will be hoping for a fearless brand of cricket come the next edition of the competition from August 26. Experience of Hafeez, Malik and Tahir If there will be any trio of late boomers in the history of the game, the decorated trio of the Warriors such as Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, and Imran Tahir will find a special mention on the list. Hafeez has come back to the Warriors set up after an impressive run for form with the Lahore Qalandars and Pakistan national side in the recent past. He has gone one notch higher in his swashbuckling batting by adding the reliability and consistency factor to become one of the ‘beats’ going around. Shoaib Malik had moved on from the side last year but has come back to bolster the Warriors’ batting lineup. CPLs have been the most successful stage for Malik, both the batsman and the bowler. Malik has scored runs and taken wickets at staggering averages of 43.60 and 15.66 respectively and the Warriors will be banking on him to turn up once more and see them all the way through to the championship. Imran Tahir is fresh off a remarkable hat-trick in the inaugural edition of The Hundred and the trademark sprint he embarked on afterwards established nothing but that he is still enjoying the short form of the game. Tahir will find enough assistance from the pitches at the Warner Park in St. Kitts and the side will be hoping for his best this season. If the duo of Hetmyer and Pooran will be the heart and soul, the trio of Tahir, Malik and Hafeez will form the engine room for of the Warriors, and a lot of their fortunes will hinge on these five shoulders if they have to dare to go all the way in their sixth attempt. Weakness While the batting is more or less settled and fluid with a mixture of experienced pros and young and dashing batsmen, the bowling appears to be thin on paper. The trio of Chris Green, Keemo Paul and, who have steered the Warriors for a long time decided to part ways with the franchise. The bowling department does not lack in talent or value with the influx of Afghan Naveen-ul-Haq, who can be seen as a like for like replacement of Kemo Paul. The inclusion of rookie Ashmead Nedd will strengthen the spin bowling department along with Tahir, Kevin Sinclair, and Chanderpaul Hemraj. All in all, the fortunes of the Warriors will be dependent on this spin quarter and the nature of pitches at Warner Park. All the CPL matches this year will be played in St. Kitts and it is plausible that pitches will start getting slower and lower where spinners and pacers with control over lack of pace can come in handy. Best playing XI Brandon King, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shoaib Malik, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Mohammad Hafeez, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd, Imran Tahir, Naveen-ul-Haq