Zimbabwe spinner Roy Kaia reported for suspect bowling action

Zimbabwe all-rounder Roy Kaia has been reported for suspect bowling action by the on-field umpires during the one-off Test against Bangladesh which resulted in a comprehensive victory for the visiting Bangladesh side. Off-spinner Kaia bowled 23 overs during the course of two innings without any success. He had a torrid time with the bat failing to get off the mark in either of the innings as Bangladesh thrashed Zimbabwe by 220 runs. 

It won’t be possible for Kaia to get his assessment done at an ICC accredited testing centre due to the stringent rules in place owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, an expert panel will look into the available video footage of the spinner and take a decision. Kaia can continue bowling in international cricket until the panel gives their decision. 

His debut for Zimbabwe way back in 2015 in an ODI against Pakistan remains his only white-ball outing for the national team to date. He was included in the Test squad earlier this year which played Pakistan and has played three matches so far. Despite picking more than 100 wickets at the domestic level Kaia is yet to bag an international wicket. 

Riding on a brilliant knock from Mahmudullah, Bangladesh posted a huge score of 488 in their first innings. Despite a sensational start from the Zimbabwe top order, they failed to rest home the initiative and from a comfortable position of 224/2, they were skittled out for 276 and there was no way back for them. Shadman Islam and Nazmul Hossain Shanto scored centuries in the second innings to set Zimbabwe a daunting target. They were bowled out for 256 with Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan bagging four wickets each.

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We have a lot of work to do as a batting unit says Smriti Mandhana

Indian women’s team opener Smriti Mandhana heaped praises on her teammates hailing them for a sensational turnaround in the second T20I against England and showing character after going 0-1 down. It was a dramatic comeback from the Indian Women’s team in the final stretch of the second T20I against hosts England to level the three-match series 1-1. The Indian bowling cartel especially the spinners spun a web around the English batters especially in the final few overs of the match to hand India a 8 runs victory to force the series into a decider which is slated to be held on July 14 (Wednesday). "It was a very important win for the team, especially with the way we came back in the last five overs... to win that match," Mandhana said on Tuesday ahead of the final match of the multi-format tour. "That showed a lot of character from the bowlers and also the fielders... winning the second match - especially the way we came back in the last five overs - showed a lot of character. That was something which was needed. The way we played in the third one-day and again in the second T20, that is something which was much needed, that confidence is going to really help us. But we all know that it's going to be a new day tomorrow. So we won't have anything but the confidence is going to be high for our girls to go out there and give a hundred percent and probably win the match,” she added. After batting first, India posted a challenging 148/4 on the board in their allotted 20 overs courtesy a sensational start provided by openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. The duo shared a 70 runs stand in less than 9 overs to lay the foundation for the rest of the batters. Shafali Verma who was dismissed by Katherine Brunt in the series opener got her revenge by smashing Brunt for five consecutive boundaries. Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma chipped in with crucial knocks to get India near the 150 mark. England were well and truly coasting towards the victory target when the spin trio of Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav and Sneh Rana turned the match on it’s head with their skilful bowling. England could eventually muster just 24 runs in the final 6 overs thus surrendering the match by 8 runs. "Harry [Harmanpreet Kaur] coming back (to form) and hitting a few balls - that's a very good thing for the Indian team. The win was really important and it also puts us in a position to win the T20I series in the next match and draw the multi-format series, Mandhana said. "There are lots of things we need to work on as a team, especially in the batting department. Going forward, the next seven months are going to be really crucial. We have to start putting up good scores. If I talk about the one-day format, we have to start posting 250/260-plus scores when you are batting first consistently. Of course, our bowling and fielding can get consistent. We are probably having one good performance and probably one which is 'okay'. I think we can be consistent in that department. So the next seven months are going to be very crucial to get ourselves completely ready for the one-day World Cup. Of course, the Australia series is also going to be big in terms of preparations for the World Cup,” she further added.

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WI vs Aus | 4th T20I: Australia look to salvage some pride after surrendering series

The visiting Australian side will look to salvage some pride when they meet West Indies in the 4th encounter at St Lucia. Ever since making a dramatic comeback in the opening encounter, West Indies has been over Australia like a rash and there has been no way back for them. Ever since winning the 2016 T20 World Cup, West Indies did fall off the radar resulting in their decline in the latest T20I rankings. However, with the showpiece event around the horizon, the team seems to be gelling at the right moment. With another five-match series against Pakistan being lined up, the Caribbean outfit is looking in great shape to defend their world title. The majority of the opening encounter was dominated by the Aussies but they lost their plot in the final few overs of the match surrendering the advantage and allowing West Indies to claw their way back and clinch a sensational come-from-behind victory. Since then, it has been a thoroughly professional performance from the home team with the batting and the bowling unit performing as a unit. Chris Gayle’s return to form is a massive boost to the defending world champions while the middle order which failed to live up to their expectations in the series against the Proteas has finally found some much-needed form. Shimron Hetmyer scored a match-winning half-century in the second encounter but it has been Andre Russell’s firepower that has provided the much-needed slate impetus to the home team and resulted in their unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The bowling department has been bolstered with the return of leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr who has been the most successful bowler in the series so far. He has been at his deceptive best bagging 8 wickets in just 3 matches. Obed McCoy has continued his dream run in the series but has been pegged by an injury. With Dwayne Bravo leading the attack, the bowling department looks very settled but with the series already done and dusted, the home team might be looking at changing a few combinations going into the final two matches. On the other hand, Australia has struggled with their inexperienced batting line-up. The only experiment which has worked so far is sending Mitchell Marsh to bat at No 5. He smashed two back to back half-centuries in the first two matches but that wasn’t enough to get his side over the line. Australia has been nowhere close to their best but the reality is they are missing the services of some of their top players. While skipper Aaron Finch hinted at some harsh calls ahead of the showpiece event later this year, the below-par performance in the first three matches might force the Australian team management to bring back all their first-choice players for the World Cup slated to be played in October-November in UAE. The middle-order remains a serious concern for the Aussies but that might be solved once everybody is available for selection. The pace bowling cartel led by Mitchell Starc has shown their class but have lacked consistency. Josh Hazlewood had a wonderful time with the ball in the opening encounter but received some serious stick at the hands of Chris Gayle in the 3rd encounter. Match Details West Indies vs Australia, 4th T20I Venue: Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia Date & Time: July 15th, at 5:00 AM IST and July 14th, at 7:30 PM Local Time Live Streaming: Fan code Pitch Report and Toss The strip at St Lucia has always been a belter and it was no different in the second and the 3rd T20I in the ongoing series. While the pitch for the opening match was a bit two-paced with run-scoring becoming difficult as the game progressed. However, in the next two encounters, the pitch was pretty good to bat on. While the Aussies struggled, the home team made hay with commanding batting performances. Despite teams batting first winning the first two matches, chasing is always a better option on this ground. Weather forecast The temperature is expected to hover around 27 degrees during match time with very little chances of rain for the course of the day. In all likelihood, we should be in for a full 40 overs match. Team News West Indies Obed McCoy left the field after bowling just one over in the previous encounter and it is believed that he is nursing an injury. Veteran speedster Fidel Edwards who replaced McCoy in the 2nd match is also unavailable due to an injury that presents a chance to Oshane Thomas to have look in. Kieron Pollard is yet to recover and Nicholas Pooran will continue leading the side. The rest of the XI is expected to remain the same as the previous assignment. Meanwhile, if Evin Lewis is fit enough to play, Andre Fletcher might make way for him at the top of the order. Probable Playing XI Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran (c and wk), Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr, Oshane Thomas, Sheldon Cottrell. Australia With the series already done and dusted, the visiting side looks to tinker with their combination in the two inconsequential matches. Ben McDermott and Ashton Agar who missed the previous encounter owing to injuries might return to the XI subject to their fitness ahead of the encounter. Alex Carey who replaced Joshua Philippe in the middle order might retain his place for the 4th encounter. Probable Playing XI Aaron Finch (c), Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Moises Henriques, Ashton Turner/Ben McDermott, Dan Christian, Mitchell Starc, Riley Meredith/Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood. Fantasy/Dream11 team Wicket-keepers- Matthew Wade, Nicholas Pooran Batsmen- Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Moises Henriques All-rounders- Mitchell Marsh, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo Bowlers- Hayden Walsh Jr, Josh Hazlewood, Riley Meredith