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Ben Duckett had set things off with a 59-ball 71 as West Indies rue missed chances

Valkerie Baynes18-Jul-2024Ollie Pope’s century combined with fifties from Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes led England to a strong position on the opening day of the second Test as West Indies were left to regret squandered opportunities at Trent Bridge.Pope built on a blistering start by Duckett, who peppered the boundary on his way to 71 off just 59 balls. The duo shared a 105-run stand for the second wicket after Zak Crawley fell to the third ball of the match, lined up by Alzarri Joseph with a back-of-a-length delivery which drew a chunky edge and flew to Alick Athanaze at third slip.Pope went on to reach 121 off 167 balls, his sixth Test century and second this year after his 196 against India in January. Stokes made 69 before he sent Kavem Hodge’s 14th ball straight to deep midwicket with England 342 for 6. Left-arm spinner Hodge had entered the attack in the 68th over and ended up with 2 for 44 off 10 overs with a hand in two more dismissals, catching both Pope and Gus Atkinson in the slips.Stokes, Jamie Smith and Atkinson fell for 28 runs in the space of 7.2 overs but by the close, the hosts were all out for 416, soft dismissals taking some of the shine off their innings.West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite said upon winning the toss and sending England in on a welcoming batting surface under clear skies that he wanted more discipline from his bowlers following a heavy innings defeat in the first Test at Lord’s. At times, they put England’s batters under pressure but West Indies gave away too many chances with the ball and in the field.Pope rode his luck after being dropped on 46 in the final over before lunch when he struck a Jayden Seales delivery hard towards wide gully where Athanaze failed to hold on. The tourists gave him another life on 54 when he slashed Shamar Joseph to second slip, Jason Holder the culprit this time.West Indies’ day was marred by a succession of missed chances in the field•Getty Images

Harry Brook punished some wayward line and length from Alzarri Joseph with three consecutive fours before being dropped on 24 at gully.Brook had arrived at 142 for 3 when Joe Root fell shortly after lunch to a fluffed pull which flew straight to mid-on. Seales’ heart was in his mouth as Alzarri Joseph juggled the ball twice before grabbing it for good.Brook moved to 30 with an effortless six over deep point off Alzarri Joseph and up to then, he and Pope had added 10 further fours within the first hour of the afternoon session.But Brook fell attempting to paddle Kevin Sinclair – a late inclusion after Gudakesh Motie woke up feeling unwell – and succeeded only in sending a toe-end high towards midwicket, where Kirk McKenzie swallowed the catch.Pope brought up his century with four off Seales over square leg then, adding to West Indies woes, Shamar Joseph hobbled off the field midway through his 12th over – the last before tea – clutching a cramping left leg. The tourists could take some comfort from Pope’s dismissal, however, driving at Alzarri Joseph and the ball ballooning to Hodge.Smith had put on 61 runs with Stokes, smashing Hodge for six beyond deep midwicket in the process before thumping another down the ground, but Hodge responded next ball when Smith attempted a similar shot and picked out Holder in the deep, continuing the trend of soft dismissals for England.After surviving a missed stumping, Mark Wood was dropped by Mikyle Louis diving forwards at point off Sinclair, continuing that other unwanted theme for West Indies.The visitors took the second new ball after 86 overs and Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph used it to prise out the last two wickets, Chris Woakes for 37 and Shoaib Bashir for 5.Despite the imminent arrival of his first child, Duckett had been supremely focused in the middle. He found the boundary four times in a row off Seales in the second over, two glorious extra cover drives bookending a cut in front of point and a clip through midwicket. He helped himself to two more in Seales’ next over and another, off Alzarri Joseph, brought up England’s fifty in just 26 balls, the fastest for any team in Tests.Holder conceded just one run when he was brought on in the sixth over but was soon dispatched over extra cover by Duckett, who brought up his fifty off just 32 balls guiding Holder for four through deep third.It was Sinclair and Shamar Joseph who found some control for West Indies after the first drinks break, but Duckett threatened to break free when he lunged forward to sweep a full delivery from Sinclair for four to bring up England’s hundred and punished a wide one from Shamar Joseph through the covers. Shamar Joseph finally broke through when he drew an outside edge from Duckett and Holder held on at second slip.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed Netherlands’ international home summer with all sports banned in the country until September 1

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2020Pakistan’s tour to the Netherlands has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was taken in light of the Dutch government’s decision to ban all sports and cultural events in the country till September 1, with KNCB confirming the country will host no international cricket this summer.Pakistan were due to visit Netherlands for a three-match ODI series before a full tour of England, with the games slated to be played in Amstelveen on 4,7 and 9 July. Netherlands were also due to host New Zealand for a one-off T20I on 15 June, but that has also been pushed back indefinitely. A quadrangular series with Namibia, Oman and the USA has also fallen victim to the pandemic.,”It is sad that we have to postpone our July tour to the Netherlands, but in the prevailing circumstances, this is absolutely the right thing to do as human lives are far more precious and valuable than a cricket match or an event,” Wasim Khan, the PCB Chief Executive, said. “Netherlands has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and we offer our heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their lives. Like any other country, the PCB stands firmly with the KNCB and hope they will be able to overcome this crisis. The Pakistan national cricket teams have always enjoyed touring the Netherlands and as soon as things return to normal, the PCB will engage with the KNCB to reschedule the tour so that we can fulfil our obligation.”KNCB chair Betty Timmer echoed Khan’s sentiments. “It is extremely disappointing that we won’t be able to host any international cricket in the Netherlands this summer,” she said. “However, the health and safety of the players, staff and fans is our main priority, and in that light the ban on events by the Dutch government is understandable. We truly hope that by next season the situation is under control again, so we can host the Super League series against England, Ireland and the West Indies as planned. We would love to welcome back all cricket fans on our grounds in the summer of 2021.”The coronavirus pandemic has shut down all cricket across the world, along with nearly all sporting activities. England’s three-Test tour of Sri Lanka was among the first to be cancelled, with a slew of other series being called off as the virus began to take hold throughout the world. An ODI series between India and South Africa was pushed back indefinitely, and New Zealand’s ODI series in Australia was postponed part-way. While there has been guarded support from some players about the possibility of playing cricket behind closed doors when the time comes, it appears there is still plenty of time before even that becomes a realistic possibility.

Shadab Khan to lead 15-man side, which includes breakout PSL stars Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah

Umar Farooq13-Mar-2023Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf have all been rested from Pakistan’s squad for their upcoming series of three T20Is against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Imad Wasim has been recalled, while Shadab Khan has been named captain, and star PSL 2023 performers Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah have all received call-ups to the national team for the first time.The new PCB selection committee for the national senior men’s team, headed by Haroon Rasheed, has formed a new policy on managing workloads and player rotation. With the series against Afghanistan not a part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, it gave the selectors a chance to try out their new plan.”Afghanistan series is the training ground to test our youngsters,” Najam Sethi, the PCB chief, said in a press interaction on Monday. “I am not worried about winning or losing to Afghanistan – if we find few talented youngsters, it will serve the purpose. The series is largely about blooding our new talent and developing them.”Babar will remain our captain in all the three formats. I have taken all the senior players into confidence and they all will be part of the team in future, there’s no question about this. Shadab Khan has been the vice-captain and an automatic choice to take captaincy in Babar’s absence, so he will lead the side. He is a wonderful allrounder, scoring runs, taking wickets and showing great temperament leading Islamabad United [in the PSL]. So he is the right man to lead the young side.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

ESPNcricinfo had earlier reported that the workload management of top players was a major point of discussion at a recent selection committee meeting, as they looked ahead to a year that has both an ODI Asia Cup and an ODI World Cup. Each player’s workload was assessed in terms of matches played over the last two years, and Babar, Rizwan and Haris were highlighted as three players who had played a lot of cricket.Since January 2021, Rizwan has played 150 matches across formats (international and domestic cricket) – the most after Rashid Khan’s 157 – while Babar has played 127 and Rauf 125.”The selection committee has followed the standard rotation policy by resting the leading performers and providing high-performing domestic performers with opportunities to demonstrate their talent and potential at the international level,” Rasheed said after announcing the squad. “This will also allow us to test the temperament and abilities of these players and helping us to strengthen our pool of players as we look forward to building and preparing a formidable side for next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.”But we also have ensured that we select a side that is equally strong and capable of winning the series against a strong Afghanistan side for whom Sharjah is like a second home. And to achieve that, we have retained seven players from the last series, recalled four experienced cricketers and clubbed them with four uncapped players to make the 15-member side truly a mixture of youth and experience.”

Star PSL performers Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah rewarded

Among the new faces, Ayub has been the most impressive this PSL, scoring 309 runs in ten matches for Peshawar Zalmi at a strike rate of 167.02.Tayyab Tahir has shown glimpses of becoming an explosive T20 batter, hitting 137 runs at strike rate of 144.21 for Karachi Kings. This after scoring 413 runs at a strike rate of 138 at the National T20 Cup.Multan Sultans have brought out a fast-bowling sensation in Ihsanullah, who has 20 wickets in the ongoing PSL season, while Lahore Qalandars’ Zaman Khan has taken 12 wickets so far and has made a name as a specialist death bowler.Of the more familiar names, Abdullah Shafique has made an impression in the PSL too, with 193 runs at a strike rate of 144.02; Faheem Ashraf has returned after playing match-winning knocks for United this season, and has 210 runs at a strike rate of 147.88; Imad’s return follows his 404 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 170.46 (plus nine wickets) for Kings.Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan: Shadab Khan (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan

The allrounder says the team is struggle to find ways to switch off from the game

Andrew McGlashan09-Nov-2020Grace Harris has admitted that the challenges of the WBBL bubble are proving difficult for the defending champions Brisbane Heat, but she will take it upon herself to try and lift the team’s spirits after they gained just one win from their first seven matches.Harris made an unbeaten 81 against the Melbourne Stars on Sunday, but the Heat fell well short in their chase of 178 after a middle-order collapse left them 6 for 77.Throughout the tournament, which is being played entirely in Sydney, all the teams are staying in a hotel at Sydney’s Olympic Park which has been turned into a “WBBL village”. Though every effort has been made to provide entertainment and activities for players away from matches, Harris said that it has been difficult to switch off from the game.ALSO READ: WBBL mid-term report – Melbourne Stars flying high, Brisbane Heat hat-trick long way off“I just want the girls to stay really positive,” she said. “I think there’s a bit of frustration in our little bubble because the hub is a different kind of living environment but we’ve just got to try and refresh, put the loss to the back of our minds. Coming from Queensland we were already out and about, so for us, it’s a little bit more restrictive and a bit of a wake-up.”We are struggling a little just to switch off outside of cricket, you do miss your little routines from home, but the circumstances are this, so I think it’s simply the team that adapts best.”If you hit that wall, you have to accept the environment and what you are doing, stay focused and stay in the present. Hopefully, we can look on the brighter side of things because losing like this [against the Stars] is a little deflating and you get down sometimes about this kind of game, but I’m going to try and get around the girls this afternoon and tonight, we’ll chill out and then get ready to go.”The Heat came into the competition aiming for a hat-trick of titles but, after opening with victory against the Perth Scorchers, they have not clicked and have suffered four substantial defeats in a row to leave them seventh on the points table heading into the second half of the group stage.”The table is still pretty tight, we aren’t out of it yet,” Harris said. “I want the girls to look forward to the next challenge and be up and about because we are very close. It only takes one win and you can gain a little bit of momentum in this tournament, so rolling through the back end, if we get on the board next game, look out, because we could be on from there.”On her return to opening the batting, having started the tournament in the middle order, Harris revealed it was not a reaction to the tough target set by the Stars and had been decided before the game. She does not know if it will continue but is ready to take on any role.”I knew before we started the game that I’d be opening the batting. We are just trying to find our best combinations, see who works well together, and I guess if I didn’t run out JJ [Jess Jonassen], it might have been a different scenario. I’ve been training for all scenarios, so it doesn’t really bother me. Just trying to be adaptable and know what the team needs.”

London Spirit forced to look for late replacements as tournament struggles to attract top names

Matt Roller04-Jul-2023Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh have been withdrawn from the Hundred by Cricket Australia, in the latest blow to the competition’s standing.Maxwell and Marsh were both due to play under Trevor Bayliss at London Spirit on £125,000 (US$160,000) contracts but have been told to pull out in order to manage their workloads ahead of Australia’s build-up for the 50-over World Cup in India and next year’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US.”In discussions with both players it was agreed that with a long campaign ahead, including two World Cups, it’s in their best interests to be physically refreshed and at their best for the one-day World Cup and beyond,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “Both are also coming from recent injuries.”Related

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It leaves Spirit chasing two replacement overseas players in the month before the tournament starts, and several potential alternatives have already committed to other leagues – the Global T20 Canada, the Caribbean Premier League or the Lanka Premier League – during the Hundred’s window from August 1-27.The Hundred has struggled to secure leading overseas players for the full tournament across its first two seasons and teams have again prioritised availability over star quality ahead of the 2023 edition. The women’s competition has attracted a higher standard of overseas players.While the Hundred is relatively lucrative for men’s players, competition for talent is fierce. Top-earners in the Hundred earn £125,000 for four weeks’ work, while the majority of top overseas players in Major League Cricket – which finishes immediately before the Hundred starts – are earning comparable amounts for a two-week competition.Wanindu Hasaranga, another £125,000 signing, is also expected to withdraw from the competition due to the clash with the LPL. Usama Mir, who has impressed for Worcestershire this summer but is uncapped by Pakistan in T20Is, has been lined up as his replacement for Manchester Originals.Michael Bracewell, the New Zealand allrounder, was due to play for Northern Superchargers on a £75,000 deal but has withdrawn after rupturing his Achilles. Matthew Short, the leading run-scorer in the most recent BBL season, is understood to be a contender to replace him.The ‘wildcard’ draft for domestic signings was held remotely on Tuesday morning, delayed by an hour as at least one team attempted unsuccessfully to force through a replacement signing straight before the draft.John Turner, the 22-year-old seamer who has enjoyed a breakthrough season for Hampshire, was the first man picked, signed by defending champions Trent Rockets.Jafer Chohan, the 20-year-old Yorkshire legspinner, also earned a deal, signing with Southern Brave as back-up for their first choice wristspinner Rehan Ahmed.Notable omissions in the wildcard draft included Matt Parkinson, who took 11 wickets as Manchester Originals reached the final last year, when he was also in England’s T20I side.Ben Green, the Somerset allrounder who is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Blast this season, and Warwickshire’s left-arm wristspinner Jake Lintott were also overlooked.

Hundred wildcard draft signings

Trent Rockets: John Turner, Tom Moores
Manchester Originals: Max Holden, Fred Klaassen
Oval Invincibles: Tawanda Muyeye, Zak Chappell
London Spirit: Matt Critchley, Daniel Bell-Drummond
Welsh Fire: Luke Wells, Chris Cooke
Northern Superchargers: Ollie Robinson, Saif Zaib
Birmingham Phoenix: Jacob Bethell, Henry Brookes
Southern Brave: Jafer Chohan, Matthew Fisher

Australia have a successor lined up in Jake Fraser-McGurk but Warner will leave “really big shoes” to fill

Andrew McGlashan and Nagraj Gollapudi05-Jun-20240:32

Ponting: Australia play their best cricket at World Cups

Ricky Ponting believes David Warner will be missed for more than just the runs he scores when he brings the curtain down on his international career at the end of the T20 World Cup 2024.Warner’s stage-by-stage retirement from Australia duty will be complete when the team’s campaign ends in the West Indies – barring an unlikely comeback in next year’s Champions Trophy – following his final Test against Pakistan at the SCG earlier this year.Related

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He is coming into the World Cup on the back of a lean and injury-hit IPL for Delhi Capitals, where Ponting was the head coach, which coupled with Jake Fraser-McGurk’s blistering form was enough to have his spot talked about even though he was never going to be left out. Warner made a brisk half-century in the warm-up match against Namibia and has been backed to find form with another global trophy on the line.If Australia do end up holding trophies in all three formats at the same time, Warner could be one of just four players – alongside Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Travis Head – to have played in all three finals.”He’s the sort of character you want to have around your team, especially in big tournaments like World Cups,” Ponting told ESPNcricinfo from New York. “And he’s just one of those natural winners. Everything he does, he wants to win. You can see that with his attitude in the field and the way he goes about his cricket.”So there’s more than just the runs that we’ll be missing when Warner finally is gone. But hopefully the depth of Australian cricket is good enough to find someone to come in and fill that void.”In terms of replacing Warner, Ponting was confident that the “extreme talent” of Fraser-McGurk, who will be a traveling reserve during the World Cup, will soon slot in at the top of the order.”It’s going to be really big set of shoes to fill, there’s no doubt about that. They have got a lot of depth there. I’d be very surprised if he [Fraser-McGurk] doesn’t go straight into the T20 team when David’s finally done. And for that matter, we saw Jake debut for Australia in the one-day stuff in the last Australian summer. I was lucky enough to coach him at the Delhi Capitals this year as well. He’s got extreme talent.”In terms of the 15 players on duty for the T20 World Cup, where Australia’s campaign begins against Oman on Wednesday night, Ponting said they could achieve something “very special” by uniting three trophies across formats.”It’s a really good group of players and it’s starting to get spoken about a little bit more,” he said. “Certainly, even internally, you hear a lot of the players in these current teams [are] actually recognising and talking about how lucky they are and what a special team that they know that they are playing in.”When you are involved in a group like that, it’s really important that you make every post winner. So they have got an opportunity here in a T20 World Cup to do something really special. And I know they will leave no stone unturned to give themselves the best chance to do that. They have got some very experienced players on their side.”They have got a few leaders in the side as well. Mitchell Marsh being the captain of this team and Pat Cummins obviously being the one-day and Test captain, and Pat’s just come off a pretty successful captaincy campaign with Sunrisers [Hyderabad] as well in the IPL. So they have got a lot of bases covered and they won’t want to let this opportunity slip knowing that it could be the last World Cup that a few of these guys play as well.”

On the mend after an ankle surgery, the West Indies quick wants to lead the attack in England

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2020Even as Cricket West Indies continues to figure out whether the three-Test series in England – in a bio-secure environment – can take place or not, few people are more eager for a bit of on-field action than Shannon Gabriel. The 32-year-old quick underwent a surgery on his right ankle in November last year, and has just completed a six-month rehabilitation programme, and is now hoping to get on that flight to England.”It’s a good feeling always to represent West Indies. It’s good to be back out on the park,” he told . “The plan is right now to try to make it to the tour to England – hopefully that comes off. I’m just trying my best to stay positive and I hope everything goes well.”It has been a long journey since November when I did the surgery on my ankle. Everything is going well, it has been a long process in terms of getting back to running and bowling and stuff like that.”Gabriel’s last international appearance was in September 2019, against India, in a two-Test series in which he picked up just four wickets at an average of 56.90. Then his short county stint with Gloucestershire was unimpressive too, as he picked up two wickets in three innings. This was around the time the right ankle started troubling him.Now, having eased himself back in slowly, Gabriel hopes to be fully ready by July, when the tour is slated to happen. As things stand, the West Indies players are scheduled to leave the Caribbean in the first week of June for a preparatory camp.”I am trying my best to be as fit as possible so I’m really working hard in terms of my fitness and managing my weight, trying not to get too heavy to put too much strain on my ankle,” Gabriel said of his fitness sessions. “So I know once I put in the hard work everything will be ok in the end. I just want to stay positive.”There has been no high-intensity work, I’m just taking my body back into it easy, taking it one day at a time and not trying to push too hard but it’s still long while before the first Test in England and by that time I’m sure I’ll be fit and ready.”The process of becoming match ready has also involved reworking his action and run-up to ease pressure on his ankles. “My run-up has probably just tweaked a bit, in terms of my running technique and stuff like that, but I don’t think there are many changes,” he explained. “Obviously that ankle was getting most of the pressure and obviously I don’t want that type of injury to happen again, so I’m trying my best to stay fit so I can stay on the park [longer].”With the ICC having introduced guidelines with regards to shining the ball and several other physical-distancing measures, Gabriel also expects things to be “mentally taxing” when they return to cricket in the post-Covid-19 era.”It’s going to take a lot. It’s going to be mentally taxing on the brain but you have to stay positive. Keep your mind fresh,” he said. “I know they [England] are going to be coming at us all guns [blazing] at us, but I know the guys”Plus plenty of the guys haven’t been playing any cricket, so it is going to take us a while to get back there. On the positive side, you’re still getting the opportunity to play cricket and represent your country so that in itself should be enough motivation.”

The team management was wary about holding the camp, which went ahead on MS Dhoni’s insistence

Sidharth Monga28-Aug-20206:45

Newsroom: This will make people more careful going forward in the tournament

The Covid-19 crisis at the Chennai Super Kings has brought their five-day camp at the Chepauk stadium from August 16 in sharp focus. There has been no direct correlation established yet between the camp and the positive tests, but its location – in the Triplicane area of Chennai, a Covid-19 hotspot in one of the worst-affected cities of India – will raise questions about whether it was necessary at all.It is now evident that the Super Kings management was wary about holding the camp, which went ahead on captain MS Dhoni’s insistence. “When the tournament dates were announced, I had reservations about conducting the camp here because the bio-bubble had to be created,” Kasi Viswanathan, the Super Kings CEO, told in a video uploaded on their YouTube channel on August 26. “In fact I sent a message to him [Dhoni] whether it would be worthwhile having a camp for five days before going to Dubai. But the captain was crystal clear in his thoughts.ALSO READ: Chennai Super Kings extend quarantine, to train from September 1“He said, ‘Sir, we have not played for nearly four-five months. All of us need to get together in Chennai. We should be in a bio-bubble in Chennai so that we get used to that when we land in Dubai.'”In a way, the Super Kings have been unfortunate because the members of the party that have tested positive returned negative tests on at least six occasions before the eventual test that has sent them into this crisis. However, that only underlines the unpredictability around the spread of the disease.Chennai has 131,869 recorded Covid-19 cases, as of August 28, and 2690 related deaths. The neighbourhood of the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, especially Triplicane, is heavily congested and severely affected by Covid-19. In July, the area around the stadium was identified as a containment zone and all roads were sealed off. Quite a few of the ground staff at Chepauk come from neighbouring lanes in Triplicane.The incubation period for the virus can extend to up to a month, so an infection during the camp cannot be ruled out. Apart from Dhoni, who announced his international retirement at the start of the camp, those present included Suresh Raina, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ambati Rayudu, M Vijay and L Balaji, the bowling coach. Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja had opted out for personal reasons.Once they cleared the preliminary tests, the players moved around freely at the stadium; videos uploaded by the franchise’s various social media handles have shown the players not wearing masks or observing social distancing.No other IPL team organised an official camp before leaving for the UAE barring a couple of smaller exceptions. Kings XI Punjab’s five Bengaluru-based players trained with their coach Anil Kumble in Bengaluru, while Mumbai Indians held some practice sessions featuring Rohit Sharma, and Zaheer Khan working with Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya at the Reliance Corporate Park in the outskirts of Mumbai.

World Cup-winning captain to call time on era-defining seven-and-a-half-year reign

Matt Roller27-Jun-2022Eoin Morgan is expected to step down as England’s white-ball captain and retire from international cricket on Tuesday after seven-and-a-half years in charge.Morgan was appointed in 2014 and has spearheaded England’s revolution in limited-overs cricket, transforming the one-day sides and leading them to their first World Cup in 2019, but his form and fitness have left him considering his future.He has been unable to play games on back-to-back days this year due to regular muscle injuries in his right leg, and missed Wednesday’s third ODI against the Netherlands with a “groin niggle” after consecutive ducks in the first two games of the series.The reported on Sunday night that Morgan was considering his future and he looks set to announce his international retirement. Jos Buttler, who has regularly deputised as captain, is expected to replace him.”He obviously feels like he’s done with international cricket,” Moeen Ali told the BBC’s Test Match Special, “and the team for him still comes first, which just shows how unselfish he is. He’s done a remarkable job and he’s the best we’ve ever had, for sure.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“It is and it isn’t [a surprise] at the same time. It is because of the World Cup not being too far away at the end of the summer and he for us is our perfect leader. He’s done an amazing job, he knows what it takes to win. It’s a shame, it’s strange to comprehend the side without him at the moment. Obviously things move on and you kind of get used to it, but it is sad.”And I’m not surprised at the same time because he’s a very selfless person and he’s thinking about the team more than anything. We’ve been so strong over the years and he probably himself feels like his time is done and he’s given enough time for Jos or whoever the captain is going to be to embed his way.”Morgan enjoyed some of the best form of his career in 2019 and 2020 but his returns have nose-dived in the last 18 months. He has scored a single half-century in 48 innings across domestic and international white-ball cricket since the start of 2021 and failed to score a run in two innings against the Netherlands.It remains to be seen whether Morgan will remain involved with the set-up in some capacity under Matthew Mott, the new white-ball head coach, and whether he will retire from all cricket or continue to play in franchise leagues.Moeen has also deputised for Morgan on occasion, but threw his support behind Buttler. “The great thing is he has captained before,” he said. “Obviously when Morgs doesn’t play, Jos captains when he’s playing and he’s got extreme experience now. He’s been around the world playing franchise cricket and he’s been part of this whole journey. He knows what it takes and he’s tactically fantastic.”Reacting to the news ahead of the final day’s play of the Headingley Test, Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, told Sky Sports:
“Eoin Morgan has been the most influential white-ball cricketer England have ever had. He’s been our best white-ball captain, and he has been a fantastic player. And he gave us the best moment in English white-ball cricket that we’ve ever had, at Lord’s. It was an incredible day, an incredible finale, and a lot of it was down to the skipper.”

India’s captain made 74 before his run-out opened the door for the hosts

Andrew McGlashan17-Dec-2020It was eagerly anticipated and the opening day in Adelaide delivered. When the Test has played out to a conclusion, it may be that a 20-minute period either side of the new ball being taken under lights becomes key. During this phase, Virat Kohli was run out having produced a masterful 74 and then the man involved in the mix-up, Ajinkya Rahane, who will take over the captaincy, departed to Mitchell Starc.Kohli, who may have been given out on 16 had Australia opted to review a glove off Nathan Lyon, and Rahane added 88 to take India to 188 for 3 at the brink of the second new ball, following a stand of 68 between Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, Australia’s nemesis of the 2018-19 series, which repelled the attack until the ball become softer.Then, under the night sky, it became 206 for 6 through a mixture of India’s own mistakes, as Rahane sold out Kohli over a run to mid-off, and the expected threat of Australia’s quicks with a pink ball under lights. Starc and Josh Hazlewood made the incisions before Wriddhiman Saha, who was preferred over Rishabh Pant, and R Ashwin did well to remain intact, carrying India’s hopes of 300-plus with them.Australia’s frontline quicks were helped to be fresh for the second new ball by the nine overs sent down by debutant Cameron Green whose bowling restrictions were eased as he sent down a five-over spell in the afternoon – the first time he had bowled more than four in a burst this season. While he had a few issues with no-balls, there was plenty to be encouraged by with good pace, a challenging line and conceding under two runs an over.Both captains wanted to bat first and it was Kohli who had the choice, but Australia could not have wished for a better start when Starc, pre-empted by Ricky Ponting on commentary, found the sizeable gap between bat and pad into the stumps via an inside edge. One of India’s big pre-Test debates was Prithvi Shaw vs Shubman Gill and the second innings of this match may dictate how much that dominates the build-up to the second Test.The opening session (and most of the day) became the best of nip-and-tuck Test cricket as India managed just two boundaries in the first 25 overs. There were nervy moments along the way: Pujara edged just short of Tim Paine before he had scored, Mayank Agarwal might have been taken at short leg had Travis Head stayed lower, another Pujara edge didn’t reach third slip and he also clipped wide of leg gully.Australia’s pressure was rewarded when Pat Cummins produced a beauty that nipped back between bat and pad to remove Agarwal. After the first break, Cummins then hustled Kohli with the short delivery, India’s captain fending in front of short leg and then awkwardly playing a ball behind square. Cummins and Kohli. The best v the best. When Cummins was rested he had figures of 11-6-12-1.The contest with Lyon was no less compelling as Pujara, especially, was initially keen to try and attack the offspinner. It was in the 36th over when Hot Spot picked up the small flick of Kohli’s glove down the leg side through to Paine. Lyon barely appealed, Paine was interested but it was hardly a full-throated shout from the Australians.Nathan Lyon whips the bails off as Virat Kohli is left stranded mid-pitch•Getty Images

It was Lyon who did break through when Pujara, having started to rekindle memories of two years ago for the Australia bowlers, got a thick edge into his pad that looped to leg slip. It wasn’t given on-field but Pujara was almost walking and it was the simplest of reviews and decisions for the TV umpire.By the second break, India were still scoring at less than two an over but with the final session came the promise of things quickening and so it transpired. Firstly, that was Kohli and Rahane taking a little more advantage of an older ball even as the lights started to take over from day time. Kohli, who also took a painful blow on the glove from Starc, went to his fifty from 123 deliveries, the second slowest of his career, but there were a few crisp boundaries not least a pull off Starc through midwicket.Australia had managed to keep a hold of the run-rate throughout so the game never got away from them even during the two lengthy stands, but the gift they were handed when Rahane initially called his captain for a run before saying no could not have come at a better time.Rahane was then trapped plumb by Starc’s fourth delivery with the new ball – a bad period for him compounded by the wasted review – and India were no doubt left with a feeling of what might have been. However, there should be a few more twists and turns to come yet before we know if it really was decisive.