Birmingham defend 13 from last 10 balls to hand Welsh Fire third consecutive loss

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2022Brilliant bowling at the death by Kane Richardson and Tom Helm with Welsh Fire needing 13 to win off 10 balls allowed Birmingham Phoenix to snatch a four-run victory from the jaws of defeat at Sophia Gardens.Having only reached 130 in their 100 balls it seemed set up for Fire to notch their first win of the summer in front of a 10,901 crowd. David Miller, with 35 off 30, almost got the Welsh team over the line, but the final push wasn’t good enough.Phoenix now have two wins from three games and look set to challenge to go one better than last year. Aussie quick Richardson was named as the Hero of the Match as he took 2 for 15 in his 20 balls, including 11 dot balls.Fire skipper Josh Cobb was delighted to have won the toss and put the Phoenix into bat. Three days earlier, last season’s runners-up had notched 176 in a revenge win over the reigning champions Southern Brave, with 20-year-old opener Will Smeed hitting the Hundred’s first century.Thoughts of a repeat may have been on his mind, but David Payne had other ideas and sent him back after a mere four balls without scoring. The home pace attack kept a tight rein on the Phoenix batters and they limped to 50 off 50 balls, having lost four wickets.Moeen Ali and Chirs Benjamin steadied the ship with a stand of 22 for the second wicket before two wickets fell in a superb set of five from George Scrimshaw. Moeen was caught behind after striking a boundary and three balls later Liam Livingstone gave his much-prized wicket away trying to ramp the home paceman. That made it 27 for 3 at the end of the powerplay, Phoenix’s lowest in the format.Cobb then threw himself into the attack and managed to tighten the noose. Chris Benjamin was caught on the boundary by Dwaine Pretorius, although claimed the maximum as the South African fell over the boundary, but Cobb bowled him next ball.Phoenix were 37 for 4 after 40 and in need of a partnership. It came from Aussie star Matthew Wade and Miles Hammond, who put on 52 for the fifth wicket. Wade hit Scrimshaw, Pretorius and Adam Zampa for sixes, but then fell to Zampa as he went for a repeat. He scored 38 as the Phoenix slumped to 94 for 6 with 22 balls to go.They reached 130 for 7 in the end, Helm pulling the last ball for what was to prove an invaluable six.Fire, having lost their opening two games, desperately needed to hold their nerve in a moderate run chase. Their two totals this season in those defeats were only 119 and 107.Phoenix didn’t concede a run in the first set of five balls from Richardson and he also removed Joe Clarke. Sam Hain wasn’t going to hang around, ramping a six to get off the mark. He eventually chopped on to a slower ball from Helm having scored 23 off 15 balls to leave Fire 28 for 2.Tom Banton finished off the powerplay with a four and a six to take the home side to 34, but when Ben Duckett was bowled by Ben Howell, Fire were 53 for 3. They reached the 50-ball mark with 59, nine runs ahead of the Phoenix total, and it was anyone’s game.Banton and Miller put on 32 for the fourth wicket, including 11 runs from Imran Tahir’s only set of five. Successive sixes – 90 and then 96 metres – from Miller off Livingstone put Fire back in the driving seat, but Richardson conceded just two from the penultimate set and Helm defended 11 from the last to leave home supporters crestfallen.

Winning bid includes rights for both TV and digital for 2024 to 2027

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2022Disney Star* has bagged rights to broadcast all ICC men’s and women’s events on a four-year deal from 2024 to 2027. The rights, widely seen as cricket’s second-most lucrative, behind the IPL, are for the Indian market. Disney Star won both the TV and digital rights.The bids had been opened on Friday and a clear winner was evident then but the process required ratification by the ICC Board, which happened on Saturday. The ICC did not reveal how much Disney Star’s bid was worth, but it is expected to be higher than the $1.44 billion benchmark number set for four years by the ICC.Whatever the final figure, the rights will have generated a far greater value in this cycle than the last. The last set of ICC rights were also owned by Star and were worth approximately $2.1 billion. But that was for an eight-year cycle, and the market was substantially different when those rights were sold: that figure was for the global rights rather than just the India market – and for both TV and digital. There are more ICC events in this next cycle and one men’s event every year, and as witnessed in the recent bid for IPL rights, the digital streaming landscape in particular has evolved considerably since.”Disney Star won following a single round sealed bid process which has yielded a significant uplift to the rights fee from the previous cycle, continuing the impressive growth and reach of cricket,” an ICC release said.The rights for ICC events this time round had been unbundled into different packages – one for TV only, one for digital only, one for both, over four and eight years – and men’s and women’s events were treated separately. Disney Star’s plans for women’s cricket impressed the ICC, who had said before the process that it was important to find a broadcaster for women’s cricket not just with the highest bid but also with comprehensive plans in continuing to grow the women’s game.”We are delighted to continue to partner with Disney Star as the home of ICC cricket for the next four years, which has delivered an outstanding result for our Members and will support our ambitious growth plans,” ICC chairman Greg Barclay said in a statement. “They will play a crucial role in the future of our sport and connecting and engaging with more fans than ever before.”Having a broadcast and digital partner for women’s events in India is a significant step forward in our ambition to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Disney Star presented impressive plans for the promotion of women’s cricket and they clearly share our vision, so I’m incredibly excited by the size of the opportunity ahead.”K Madhavan, country manager and president, Disney Star, said, “The extension of the ICC rights adds to our strong portfolio of cricket properties, which also include the television rights for IPL (2023-27), digital rights to Cricket Australia (2024-31), BCCI broadcast rights through to 2024 and Cricket South Africa (end of 2023-24 season), and bolsters our status as the go-to destination for the best sporting events in the country.”Four broadcasters are believed to have put bids in ultimately – Sony, Viacom and Zee the other three – and though there was a process for a second round e-auction should bids in the first round – sealed bids – have been close, it was not needed.The ICC plans to go to the US and UK markets next, around the same time and before Christmas this year, with the rest of Asia to follow after that.*

Rohit Sharma’s team are clear favourites, although they will know not to underestimate a World Cup opposition

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Oct-20224:01

Kumble: ‘Not fair’ to leave Ashwin or Axar out against Netherlands

Big Picture

Thursday will be the first instance of India and Netherlands contesting in a T20 international. While India will enter as clear favourites, they will also be the first to point out the danger that Scott Edwards’ team poses. Netherlands are the only Associates in the Super 12s. They have worked hard to earn their place and now their players want to enjoy playing alongside the big boys, a long-cherished dream. India, Pakistan and South Africa are in their group, and the Dutch want to ensure they push themselves to create an upset.Exposure – that has been the catchphrase Associate coaches and players have holding up outside the gates of the ICC and bigger countries. Playing better teams will make them better has been the punch line. And Netherlands have proved that this season: in 2022 they have played ODI series against England, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies and Afghanistan along with the twin T20Is against New Zealand as well as the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe before arriving in Australia.Related

• Suryakumar Interview: 'I wanted to do things my way'

• Netherlands relishing challenge that 'dreams are made of'

• India not looking to rest players, says bowling coach Mhambrey

Equipped with that experience, Netherlands believed they could beat Bangladesh in their first Super 12 match on Monday and nearly achieved that aim, if not for a couple of unnecessary run-outs, the reason behind the eventual nine-run defeat. Netherlands know India are on a whole other level and on an almighty high after a dramatic win against Pakistan. While their bowlers have executed the plans every match, Netherlands’ batting has been a virtual one-man show named Max O’Dowd. He needs support from Vikramjit Singh, Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper and Edwards.The Netherlands captain could tell his players, ‘we have nothing to lose so let’s just enjoy’. Such an attitude, Paul van Meerkeren, Netherlands’ strike bowler, said, has the potential to help players raise the performance bar. And given their history of shocking big teams at T20 World Cups – England in 2009 and 2014 – India will want to be on high alert.Bas de Leede has been turning a lot of heads at the T20 World Cup•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

India WLWWW
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Netherlands LLWWL

In the spotlight

As a captain Rohit Sharma has been loud, clear and fearless. He is one of the best tacticians in the game and is more than capable of thinking on the fly too. But Rohit the batter has been flying low recently: in his last five T20Is, Rohit has scored just 64 runs including two ducks at a strike rate of 103. This dip in form is in contrast to the stroke-filled 46 he hit against Australia in the rain-shortened match in Nagpur which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award. His last fifty came in a losing cause, seven matches ago, against Sri Lanka, in the Asia Cup. Rohit knows he needs to dictate with the bat and show consistency.Multiple World Cup-winner Ricky Ponting likes to keep an eye on young talent and he thinks Netherlands allrounder Bas de Leede has something special about him. Ponting feels de Leede has the tools to grow bigger, and his local BBL team Hobart Hurricanes could be thinking about having him on their roster. Other T20 franchise scouts have also tracked de Leede, who was recently picked up by MI Emirates for the inaugural season of the International League T20, starting in the UAE from January 2023. De Leede, who is 22, was also Player of the Match in Netherlands’ two victories in the first round of this World Cup and their second-highest run-maker in the World Cup Qualifiers that preceded it.

Team news

With just one left-hander in the Netherlands’ top eight, India could be tempted to bring in Yuzvendra Chahal, but their bowling coach Paras Mhambrey pointed out on Wednesday that they prefer the balance R Ashwin brings to their batting and may continue playing with him.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 R Ashwin/ Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Arshdeep SinghIndia are coming off a massing emotional high from their last game•ICC via Getty Images

Netherlands, too, are unlikely to tinker but remain concerned by the injury to Roelof van der Merwe. Edwards said a final call on would be taken based on how the left-arm spinner holds up after the training on Wednesday.Netherlands (possible): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Vikramjit Singh. 3 Bas de Leede, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Tom Cooper, 6 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 7 Tim Pringle, 8 Timm van der Gugten, 9 Fred Klaassen 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Shariz Ahmed/Roelof van der Merwe

Pitch and conditions

New Zealand blasted 200 in the tournament opener at the SCG on Saturday. So it is fair to expect runs to flow once again. There was some threat of rain, but it looks pretty clear on match eve.

Stats and trivia

• Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is the only batter to have scored 1000-plus runs in T20 World Cups. Jayawardene scored 1016 runs in 31 innings across five World Cups. But that record is set to be surpassed by Kohli, who is 73 runs adrift of the 1000-run mark.
• Kohli, who is playing his fifth T20 World Cup, is currently the third-highest run-maker, but has the highest average 84.3 (min. seven innings played) alongside 11 half-centuries (a tournament record). Oh, and the SCG is his favourite venue when it comes to T20Is as no batter has scored more than his 236 runs which have been cracked at an average of nearly 79 and a strike rate of 146.
• Van Meekeren needs one more wicket to go past Pieter Seelaar to become Netherlands’ leading T20 wicket-taker. Currently, van Meekeren has 58 wickets in 52 innings with an average of 21.5 and economy rate of 6.9

Quotes

“The discussion we always had was every game in a tournament like this is important. Yes, the first game [was against Pakistan and] we knew the hype around it. We knew it’s always going to be a high intensity and big clash, but having such games done and dusted in the first phase itself, it’s good. Had this game been maybe the third or fourth game, it would really sometimes take that effect on the following games, but having this game out of our group, it’s good.”
“Yeah, it’s huge. You always dream of playing World Cups, and the SCG is one of the most famous grounds in the world. And then add in you’re playing against arguably one of the best teams in the world, yes, it’s pretty surreal. The boys are looking forward to it.”
on how keen his team is to face India.

Victoria’s openers added 104 on a surface that is proving tough work for bowlers

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2022Victoria openers Marcus Harris and Will Pucovski have shared a century stand in a robust reply to a D’Arcy Short propelled Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.The pair put on 104 for the first wicket before Pucovski, who struck four boundaries and a six from 117 balls, was caught behind when fending a short leg-side ball just before stumps. He had earlier looked to be trapped in front during Jhye Richardson’s second over but the umpire’s finger stayed down.Harris’ mini-milestone continues his solid early Shield form – he scored 85 and 42 in a draw against South Australia last week.The left-hander hit 11 fours and dominated his union with Pucovski, who was continuing his first-class comeback after ongoing concussion issues.Earlier, Western Australia’s batting tail wagged as Short whacked a career-best 87 and Hilton Cartwright made 70.WA resumed on Tuesday at 5 for 290 and Cartwright soon posted his 19th first-class half-century. He found support from Corey Rocchiccioli, who struck three fours and a six in his 27, and the pair put on a handy 56-run stand for the sixth wicket.Short, batting at No. 8, cashed in with a late flurry – his career-high knock included seven fours and three sixes as WA set an imposing total.Spinner Todd Murphy (3-104) led the wicket-takers for Victoria with Mitchell Perry taking 2 for 59 and legspinning debutant Ruwantha Kellapotha claiming 2 for 122.

“I guess the one person you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes”, says assistant coach

Andrew McGlashan31-Oct-20221:21

Collingwood: It’s been a little more difficult than usual for the batters

With England now virtually playing knockout cricket at the T20 World Cup, assistant coach Paul Collingwood has backed Ben Stokes to come the fore after an indifferent start to the tournament as questions linger about his position in the side.Stokes made 2 off 4 balls against Afghanistan in Perth, and then was cleaned up by a wonderful delivery from Ireland’s Fionn Hand at the MCG for 6 off 8 as England fell to a shock defeat which left their tournament on a knife-edge.Related

• England in must-win territory against New Zealand in replay of last year's semi-final

• T20 World Cup scenarios: England, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan cannot afford washouts

• Is Ben Stokes among the best seven T20I batters in England?

Stokes, who was rested from the seven-match series in Pakistan ahead of the World Cup, was unconvincing in the lead-in matches against Australia too, although he hit a quickfire 36 in the warm-up against Pakistan in Brisbane, the scene of their crunch game against New Zealand on Tuesday.Overall, Stokes’ T20I record is comfortably the least impressive of the three formats. In 33 innings, he averages 18.57 with the bat and a strike-rate of 132.02 although he has rarely had a settled position or role in the team, which is one of the reasons he was given certainty by being locked in for the No. 4 job before this tournament.Ben Stokes gears up to bowl at training•Getty Images

“I guess the one person that you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes,” Collingwood said. “We all know what he’s capable of, and not just match-winning innings, but match-winning innings under serious amounts of pressure. I know well that if it comes down to the crunch that you want a man like Ben Stokes walking out.”Stokes has been given a new role with the ball in this tournament, opening the attack to try and exploit early swing before returning later in the innings, and has claimed three wickets in the two games. He is also an asset in the field as he showed against Australia in Canberra with a stunning boundary-saving flick back.”Not just what he gives with the bat, [it’s] the options with the ball, and the skill level he brings into the field as well.” Collingwood said. “It’s not always just the runs that he makes, but it’s everything else that he gives. But I’m pretty confident there’s an innings just around the corner, and now we’re coming into the crucial part of the World Cup, and it’s almost a knockout stage for us, it’s must-win games, you always see Ben come to the fore in those situations.”For England to win, however, they need to get on the field and the forecast isn’t overly promising for Brisbane on Tuesday, although there is a chance that the worst of the rain could clear through earlier in the day. That won’t be much consolation for Afghanistan if they get their third washout in a row when they face Sri Lanka in the first game of the day. Shared points would not be curtains for England, but it would leave them needing favours elsewhere.”In World Cups you want to see sides competing against each other, the best sides competing against each other in an equal game,” Collingwood said. “Hopefully tomorrow night the rain stays away and we can manage to do that.”

Pakistan batter will retire with 97 Tests to his name – the sixth most for his country

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2022Azhar Ali will retire from Test cricket after the Karachi Test against England, bringing to an end one of modern Pakistani cricket’s more accomplished careers. If he does play – and captain Babar Azam was unwilling to confirm that he would – he will finish three Tests short of 100 Tests (becoming only the sixth Pakistan player to that landmark). But he will finish either way in fifth on their all-time runs-scoring charts, an immense achievement for a player who started out as a legspinner.Azhar made the announcement on the eve of the third and final Test of the series against England. “It has been a great honour and privilege for me to represent my country at the highest level,” he said. “Deciding on when to call it a day is always tough, but, after contemplating deeply, I realised that this is the right time for me to retire from Test cricket.”There are many people who I am grateful to in this strenuous, yet beautiful journey. I want to make a special mention of my family without whose sacrifices I would not have been where I am today. My parents, wife, siblings, and children have been my strength throughout.Related

• Harry Brook's third century secures slender lead after spinners turn screw

• Everything goes to plan for Pakistan, but not quite their day

• Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed limit Pakistan to 304, before Abrar Ahmed's first-over reply

• 'Remembering your two double-centuries and one triple-century'

• Ben Stokes on Rehan Ahmed: 'We're very impressed with what we've seen'

“I have been blessed to share a dressing room with some of the most outstanding cricketers with whom I share a strong bond. I feel much richer by calling these people my friends. I am also blessed to have played under some wonderful coaches to whom I will always remain grateful.”I retire from international cricket as a fulfilled cricketer who ticked most of the goals he had set for himself. Not many cricketers go on to lead their countries, and that I was able to captain Pakistan is a matter of great pride for me. From being a kid who started as a legspinner to becoming a mainstay in the Test batting line-up, I had the loveliest moments of my life that I will cherish forever.”Whether or not he plays will only be known on Saturday morning at the National Stadium. He was dropped after a failure in the high-scoring series opener on a flat pitch in Rawalpindi. Pakistan captain Babar Azam said later a decision had not yet been made. “We’ll decide tonight, so let’s see,” he said. “But I’d like to congratulate him on his career, and how much he inspired us. He gave Pakistan some great performances. When I came in he was a senior player and gave us a lot of confidence. He backed the players and was someone who brought positive vibes to the dressing room.”Azhar, 37, captained Pakistan in nine Tests, appointed full-time captain after Sarfaraz Ahmed was sacked in 2019. Pakistan won two home series under him, against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but a slump in personal form and growing criticism of his methods meant Babar took over less than a year later. He had also overseen Pakistan in ODIs from 2015 – taking over after the World Cup, from Misbah-ul-Haq – to 2017, a tumultuous period in the format for them, when they slipped to No. 9 in the ODI rankings.”Everything has an end just like it has a beginning,” Azhar said. “My heart and head told me this was the right time. It’s been an honour for me to represent Pakistan. Great memories. I’d like to thank all my coaches and colleagues. I haven’t seen a better bunch of players.”The writing appeared to be on the wall after the Rawalpindi Test. Azhar managed 67 runs across both innings and was the only member of the top three from either side not to score a hundred. And though he was dropped, Azhar said he had made the decision by himself.Azhar will finish with 97 Tests to his name•AFP/Getty Images

“It’s my own decision. Nobody coerced me into it. I’m very happy with the way youngsters are coming through. This was going to be my last season anyway. I wanted to play 100 Tests, and if I’d played every Test this season, that would have happened. That won’t happen, so it’s better to make way for youngsters. I’d also like to consider my own well-being and the life I have ahead of me. It was my own decision, not someone else’s.”I’d like to thank my parents. My dad, who believed in me more than I did. And my mother, who’s no longer around. Her sacrifices meant the world to me. I miss her.”Azhar ends his career as one of Pakistan’s most prolific Test batters, with over 7000 Test runs and 19 hundreds. His unbeaten 302 against the West Indies in Dubai makes him one of just four Pakistan cricketers to have scored a triple century, and the only cricketer to have scored one in day-night cricket – that came in the purplest of patches for him across 2016-17, when he also hit a double hundred at the MCG. Among Pakistanis, only Younis Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousaf have scored more Test runs.Azhar Ali made his debut in 2010 against Australia in the wake of the 2009 terror attack on Sri Lanka in Lahore that forced Pakistan to play home matches outside the country. He soon established himself as a mainstay, making the number three position his own for several years. In the second half of his career, Pakistan’s opening struggles meant he was deployed in that position too, scoring 1556 runs at 45.76 in 37 innings.But it wasn’t until 2019, nearly a decade after he made his international bow, that he played an international match in Pakistan. It finally came in 2019 against Sri Lanka, and in just his second Test at home proper, he scored 118. A dip in form soon after followed, though there remained flashes of the trademark grit that saw him squeeze so much out of his abilities. There was an unbeaten 141 in Southampton, 93 in Christchurch, as well as 185 at home against Australia in Rawalpindi.”It was massive to play at home,” he said. “I genuinely thought a few years back that I would not be able to play a Test at home because of the duration of the game and no one would come to play just one Test to give us home Test but credit to Pakistan Cricket Board and government to making that happen and making other teams believe that it was safe to play in Pakistan. To score a hundred on home ground was massive.”

Imad-Malik’s epic stand in vain as Kings go down by two runs in big chase

Danyal Rasool14-Feb-2023By the final delivery, Karachi Kings needed nine to win, but you still wouldn’t believe Peshawar Zalmi had triumphed until it was officially over. Not until a heroic Imad Wasim smashed a six over square leg that confirmed his side would finish two runs short despite an unbeaten 80 from their captain could Zalmi really celebrate. For, despite posting 199 and reducing the Karachi Kings to 46 for 4 and seemingly moving out of sight several times, Zalmi kept letting Karachi back in. There were dropped catches, no-balls and free hits, missed run-outs and a slow over rate that deprived Zalmi of a boundary fielder. A 131-run stand between Imad and Shoaib Malik ensured the Kings took it much deeper than expected, but they had left themselves a shade too much to do, and succumbed to an agonising defeat.For three-fourths of the game, it looked to be a hammering rather than a heartbreaker. Zalmi were inserted and began fluidly, but the early dismissal of their young stars Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub set them back. It would set the stage for the game’s other sensational partnership, one between Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Babar Azam. It saw Zalmi amass 139 in 81 balls, with Kohler-Cadmore taking the role of aggressor-in-chief. At no point was this more evident than the final powerplay over, when the English lofted Imad for three successive sixes in a momentum-shifting over that leaked 23.He blitzed along, but Babar was catching up, too. After a slash against Imad – who conceded 42 in his three overs – brought up Babar’s 50, he took the attack to Andrew Tye, plundering 16 off the 15th over before holding out against Imran Tahir.That this game went so deep was partially down to a resilient fightback with the ball from Kings, who dominated the final five overs with the ball. Zalmi could score just 43 in this period, punctuated by regular wickets, and even Kohler-Cadmore lost his touch slightly. Seemingly nailed on for three figures, he ultimately found the square leg fielder against Ben Cutting in the final over, finishing a breathtaking innings with 92 off 50.Wahab Riaz struck with his second ball, removing Sharjeel Khan for a golden duck, and despite sloppiness early on, the wickets continued to tumble. Jimmy Neesham removed Matthew Wade with his first delivery, with Salman Irshad putting paid to Haider Ali’s brief stay off his first. Qasim Akram also fell to Neesham, and when Malik and Imad linked up, they looked like Kings’ best hope.But what a resistance it was. Early on, they only appeared to inject respectability into the scoreline, but when Shakib Al Hasan was carted for 21 in an over, the chase suddenly felt plausible. What followed at the death wasn’t necessarily high quality, with unforced errors in the field largely keeping Kings alive, but what it lacked in class it made up for in drama. The final three overs each saw a no-ball, two dropped catches and a missed run-out. By now, Malik had fallen and Cutting couldn’t quite find his touch right away, leaving it all down to Imad. He would keep going valiantly until the bitter finish, but in a clash that was as much about Babar vs Imad as it was Zalmi vs Kings, it was the Pakistan captain who tasted the sweet elixir of victory.

Mumbai assured of a top place with a win; Delhi with a chance to draw level on points with Mumbai

S Sudarshanan19-Mar-2023

Batting in focus for Mumbai and Capitals

Both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals head into their penultimate group-stage fixture with a particular focus on their batting despite being two of the best sides in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).Related

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Capitals’ batting floundered in their previous game against Gujarat Giants in a 148-run chase. Their batting mantra has been to go hard and that has come off whenever either of Shafali Verma or Meg Lanning has stayed in the middle for long. Capitals have used allrounder Arundhati Reddy’s bowling services in only two out of the four games she has played and she batted only in their last game. A case perhaps then for getting in an extra batter?Mumbai, on the other hand, have two batters among the top five run-getters in the tournament so far, and both of them – Hayley Matthews and Harmanpreet Kaur – bat in the top order. They were hampered by a lack of firepower down the order on a slowish DY Patil track against UP Warriorz. Not a bad time for South Africa allrounder Chloe Tryon, who bowls left-arm spin, to get a game.Amelia Kerr is expected to play a role with the surfaces starting to take turn•BCCI

Players to watch

Spinning tracks would increasingly mean a larger role for Amelia Kerr. She managed to get the better of an on-song Tahlia McGrath with a googly in the last game. She has had the upper hand against Lanning in internationals and could yet again challenge the Capitals captain.Capitals have benefitted from Jess Jonassen‘s all-round efforts. She has played a few handy knocks and also picked up five wickets.

Playing XIs

Mumbai Indians (possible): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 Issy Wong/Chloe Tryon, 7 Amanjot Kaur, 8 Humaira Kazi 9 Dhara Gujjar, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Saika IshaqueDelhi Capitals (possible): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Alice Capsey/Laura Harris, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Arundhati Reddy/Jasia Akhter, 8 Taniya Bhatia (wk), 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Shikha Pandey, 11 Poonam Yadav/Tara Norris

Stats and Trivia

• Mumbai and Capitals’ bowlers have the best economy rates while bowling in powerplays – 5.61 and 6.27 respectively
• The two teams have also taken the most wickets in the powerplay. Mumbai’s bowlers have taken 16 wickets combined while Capitals’ bowlers have 11

Quotes

“I think our bowlers did a fantastic job. Anytime you get 127 or so, it is a hard job to defend but our bowlers did really well to take the game to the last over.”
“Something we are working hard on is improving the last five or six overs, when we are closing out as a bowling unit. We are also tinkering with our side and the [batting] order.”

Virat Kohli opens up about going three years without a Test century, and how he prepares to bat in a variety of conditions

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2023
Rahul Dravid: I have seen this young man [Kohli] score plenty of hundreds, seen him as a player when I was playing, seen a lot of hundreds of his on television, but I have taken over as coach about 15-16 months ago and was a bit desperate to actually to see him score a Test hundred and really enjoy it from the comfort of the dressing room … And it was a beauty. You made me wait a long time, but it was an absolute privilege and a pleasure to watch that innings and the way you constructed it. So really well played.Related

• 'Things we love to see' – Kohli ends hundred drought in Tests

• The Virat Kohli century that was a trip back in time

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• India, Australia brace for unknowns at WTC final

Dravid: We were in the field for two days and the wicket got a little bit more challenging as the day went on. They tested your patience, they challenged you skill-wise, and mentally as well. What is the mindset? How did you go about doing that?
Virat Kohli: Thanks for your kind words, Rahul . As far as approaching this innings was concerned, I knew that I was playing well even in the Test matches before we played this one (Ahmedabad). To be fair it was a really good wicked to bat on, but having said that, the Australians, whatever little help was there in the wicket, they utilised it really well. Their consistency to bowl in the little rough that was created through Mitchell Starc bowling for Nathan Lyon and the other off spinner (Todd Murphy) as well. They capitalised on it really well: the fact that they put a 7-2 field most of the time for me meant that I had to be patient. I had to trust my defence. And that’s the template I’ve always played with in Test cricket: my defence is my strongest point. Because when I defend well then I know that when the ball is loose and it’s there to hit, I can cash in and get the runs that I need. The boundaries were not easy to come by, the outfield was slow, the ball was soft, and they were pretty consistent.The one thing that really calmed me down was: I’m happy to just run ones and twos and score a hundred. I can bat four sessions. I can bat five sessions here. I go into the field relaxed because I know I can bat in many ways. I’m not desperate if I play three sessions and I feel like I’m breaking down here and I need to get fast runs, otherwise I won’t be able to stay out there for long.So for people who must have seen it, or, we have watched you guys back so many times in the past as well, the one thing that stood out was, batting fitness, which was to be able to bat five sessions, six sessions. For that you need to physically prepare yourself. I’m pretty happy scoring 30 runs in a session and not hit a boundary and absolutely not be desperate because I know that boundaries will come, but even if I have to play like this, I can bat six sessions and get 150. I have no issues doing that. So the preparation paid off. It’s not something that you can do for two months or three months. I’ve been doing it for seven, eight years non-stop every day of my life. So when I’m in these situations that naturally comes to the surface and it really helps me in challenging conditions.Virat Kohli: “The fact that they put a 7-2 field most of the time for me meant that I had to be patient. I had to trust my defence”•Getty Images

Dravid: Sometimes as a coach, there’s frustration (hearing a player say) – “oh, this is the only way I know how to play … You mentioned a line there that ‘I feel confident when I go in because I know I can bat in different ways.’ Maybe just elaborate on that a little bit and talk to us on some of the preparation of playing on a turner. You have got a hundred in Perth, you have got a hundred in English conditions. Can you always play the same way all the time?
Kohli: No, I don’t think you can play in the same way all the time. You need to adjust according to the conditions that are in front of you. This is one of the main reasons why I have been able to play all formats of the game for so long. The adaptability comes from knowing that physically I can do things in many different ways. Mentally, I can prepare to play a certain way or play in another way, but if my body won’t support it, then I’ll be found out. An example would be, even in this Test match, I would back myself to run six doubles an over for a span of six, seven overs if the scoring rate needs to be upped; it’s not necessarily that I look to clear deep midwicket, and that is my only option because that brings in the risk as well.So that’s why I have been able to bat in different situations and bat differently in different conditions because I was able to take ones and twos and I could do the power-hitting as well. For that you need to have all-round fitness, and that is something that you need to work on every day. You might have a great phase where you feel great, but then if the conditions are challenging and the run-scoring is not ideal, I wouldn’t want to play a bad shot and get out when the team needs me. So I always felt like, how can I prepare better. How can I find more ways to help my team win the game, but in a way that the situation demands me to, not in a way that I prefer to do it this way.Dravid: That’s exactly, for me, the essence of what a team player is: playing to the situation of the team and developing the skills, knowing that the team will be put in different situations and challenging yourself. I mean, we are talking to someone who’s one of the best six-hitters, he could’ve stepped out and hit a six anytime he wanted, but realised what the team needed and played according to that situation. That’s really for me is a sign of an absolute champion cricketer.Virat Kohli: “I’m just happy that it happened at the right time before the World Test Championship finals. I’ll definitely be going there very relaxed and a very excited man”•BCCI

You are someone who takes a lot of pride in your performances, who’s had that habit of scoring hundreds so regularly. I know that a lot of this period there has been Covid, there’s not been a lot of Test matches, but has it been hard? Has it been tough not scoring a hundred … ?
Kohli: I have let the complications grow on me a little bit because of my own shortcomings. The desperation to get that three-figure mark is something that can grow on you as a batsman and we have all experienced that at some stage or the other. I let that happen to me to a certain extent, but also the flip side to it is – I’m not a guy who’s happy with 40 and 45. I have always been someone who takes a lot of pride in performing for the team. It’s not like Virat Kohli should stand out. When I’m batting on 40, I know I can get a 150 here and that will help my team. So that was eating me up a lot – why am I not able to get that big score for the team? Because I always took pride in the fact that when the team needed me, I would step up and perform in different conditions in difficult situations. The fact that I wasn’t able to do that was bothering me.Not so much the milestones as such, because I never played for milestones. A lot of people ask me this question, how do you keep scoring hundreds? And I have always told them, a hundred is something that happens along the way within my goal, which is to bat as long as possible for the team and get as many runs as possible for the team. But, yeah, if I have to be brutally honest, it does become a little complicated and difficult because the moment you step out of the hotel room, right from the guy outside the room to the guy at the lift, to bus driver, whoever is saying: we want a hundred.So it does play on your mind all the time, but that’s the beauty of playing for so long as well – to have these complications come up and to overcome these small little challenges. And then when it comes together nicely, like it did in this game, then that gives you an extra gust of air to go beyond, go further and start enjoying the cricket a lot more and be more excited for what’s to come. I’m just happy that it happened at the right time before the World Test Championship finals. I’ll definitely be going there very relaxed and a very excited man.Dravid: Thanks Virat, thanks for your honesty. That’s really a great lesson for a lot of young kids as well to know that even great, champion players at times can feel a certain amount of pressure. The pressure of expectations is because of your own performance.