Khaled Mahmud to be taken to Singapore after stroke

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud is likely to be taken to Singapore for treatment after he suffered a stroke on Saturday morning. A family member confirmed on Monday that the BCB is arranging an ambulance to the airport this afternoon.Mahmud, the team’s manager and a board director, went into coma on Sunday evening when he was shifted to the intensive care unit of United Hospital in Dhaka. BCB president Nazmul Hassan and several directors visited him soon after an emergency meeting in Mirpur.Mahmud was Bangladesh’s third Test captain, having led them in nine games in 2003. He also led them in 15 ODIs the same year. He retired from international cricket in 2006 and went into coaching and administration soon afterwards.

CoA urges state associations to streamline Lodha objections

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) hopes that the state associations will distill their objections to the Lodha Committee recommendations to one or two points when they meet on Sunday (June 25) in Mumbai, a day before the BCCI’s SGM. This, the CoA believes, will be a significant step towards firming up the BCCI’s model constitution.The Vidarbha Cricket Association is the only one so far to draft a new constitution as per the Lodha recommendations, and it has subsequently been ratified by the BCCI. A number of state associations, however, have filed petitions in the Supreme Court objecting to different recommendations of the Lodha Committee. The CoA feels this is counter-productive to all parties concerned. “We are focused on making sure that the Lodha Committee report gets implemented, which requires the model constitution to be adopted,” a CoA official told ESPNcricinfo.”For this, the states need to be aligned. We told them even in the last meeting that going to the court with multiple petitions won’t work. We have asked them to narrow it down to two points that are absolutely critical from their standpoint. If they are going to withdraw all their petitions and ask the court to consider two points, it’s much easier for the court to deal with the matter rather than dealing with 15 different petitions with different permutations and combinations.”My hope is in that meeting we will be able to narrow it down and then consider and work with the court to see if it is possible to amend one or two these things and then move forward to get the constitution finalised. Then you can conduct elections and hold AGM in September.”The CoA is given to understand that a majority of state associations are opposed to four recommendations – one-state, one-vote; the age cap of 70 for office bearers; the cooling-off period of three years for office bearers between terms in office; and restriction on the number of selectors to three as opposed to the earlier five. A Cricket Association of Bengal official, for instance, told ESPNcricinfo that the age-restriction was a major stumbling block since “more than 60%” of the state body’s officials were over 70.While the Kerala Cricket Association objected to the cooling-off period, it also sought clarity on the role of the Apex Council. “We have 11 office-bearers as opposed to the nine-member Apex Council that has been prescribed by the Lodha Committee for the BCCI,” a KCA official said. “We want clarification on whether the formation of an Apex Council applies to us as well; that is should a state association like ours need to have an Apex Council like the BCCI.”The CoA official indicated that the Supreme Court might be inclined to reconsider one or two recommendations so long as they didn’t tinker with governance issues. “We have indicated to the state associations that if they try and dilute anything surrounding governance, it is unlikely to fly,” the official said. “So, within that context, let them decide what they want to take to the court but it is unlikely the court will dilute any governance-related clauses. One-state, one vote, and three selectors, I think, the court may be willing to consider.”The state associations might still want to take [governance-related clauses] to the court and the court might strike it down. They might want the court to specifically say that they are unwilling to make amendments. But, if they adopt all the recommendations except one or two points that they object to, the court will at least feel they have a genuine inclination towards reform. That’s what we have been telling them to do, so that it is in their interest as well that if the court wants to consider something, if the court feels that they are moving forward.”The CoA is also likely to discuss other issues such as the Deloitte report that has dealt with financial irregularities in certain member associations. “Even in our previous meetings, we tried to talk to them on various matters, including governance,” the official said. “In this case, there might be something to discuss on ICC-related matters, obviously on what is coming up for voting in the SGM on June 26. There are other things that we sent to them to respond to – the Deloitte report and appointment of Ombudsman and redressal officer.”

Injured Starc out of Bangladesh Tests, O'Keefe dropped

Mitchell Starc will miss Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh in August due to injury, while left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe has been axed despite bowling Australia to victory with a 12-wicket haul against India in Pune earlier this year. Ashton Agar has been included as the second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon, with Jon Holland overlooked after piling up 50 Sheffield Shield wickets at 20.78 last summer.Allrounder Hilton Cartwright has been named in the 13-man squad and has the chance to add to the one Test cap he earned during Australia’s home summer, while Usman Khawaja has been included after being overlooked for all four Tests in India. In the absence of Starc, Australia’s pace attack will be made up of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, although a fourth fast bowler is set to be added after Australia A’s tour of South Africa.

Australia’s 13-man squad

Steven Smith (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Matt Renshaw
In: Hilton Cartwright, James Pattinson
Out: Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Jackson Bird

“Mitchell was due to go for follow up scans after the Champions Trophy, as part of his recovery plan,” David Beakley, Australia’s team physio, said. “These scans have indicated his previous stress fracture has still not fully healed to the extent we would like.”He will now undertake a period of rest from bowling with the aim to have him return for the one-day series in India in late September as he begins his build up to the Ashes.”The omission of O’Keefe is a rapid fall for the left-arm spinner, who claimed 6 for 35 in each innings in Pune in February, and finished the series as Australia’s equal leading wicket-taker despite his impact diminishing as the tour wore on. Then in April, O’Keefe was fined and suspended by New South Wales for what were described as “highly inappropriate comments” at a Cricket NSW function.”Whilst Steve O’Keefe bowled well in Pune,” national selector Trevor Hohns said, “he did not maintain this level in the remaining matches of the series and we believe the timing is right for Ashton to enter the set-up and test his allrounder ability.”Ashton has continued to impress us with his form and we believe his bowling is at a level where he deserves to be playing on the highest stage. He will work nicely in tandem with Nathan Lyon and also brings a great all-round package to the team.”Hilton averages nearly 60 [52.07] runs in first-class cricket and was the second highest run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season with 861 runs. He is a quality player who we believe has a big future for Australia and we are very keen to see him carry on his good form in the sub-continent.”Although the tour schedule had not been officially announced, Cricket Australia said in releasing the squad details that the team would arrive in Bangladesh on August 18 and play a two-day tour game in Fatullah from August 22. The two Tests are set for August 27 in Dhaka and September 4 in Chittagong.Australia were supposed to tour Bangladesh in 2015 but after advice from the Federal Government, Cricket Australia announced the tour had been postponed due to security concerns. Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of team performance, said CA was currently satisfied with the security arrangements for the trip.”The Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Government have provided satisfactory levels of assurance and security for this tour to proceed at this stage, and we’re very grateful to them for this,” Howard said. “We will continue to work with them to finalise plans but also monitor advice from government agencies and our own security advisors about the security risk.”Our number one priority will always be the safety and security of our players and support staff when travelling to any country. Players selected for this tour will continue to receive regular security status updates prior to travelling.”

Dhoni, Sundar vault Pune into the final

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:59

‘Last two overs of Pune’s innings made the difference’

After being asked to bat on a favourable chasing ground, Rising Pune Supergiant lost the majority of the first innings. But it was an atypically slow surface at the Wankhede Stadium and Rising Pune utilised those conditions better than Mumbai Indians did to clear a path to their maiden IPL final.Rising Pune defended 162 comfortably in the end, by 20 runs, for their third win over Mumbai this season. Mumbai, despite having squandered the shootout for the final in front of a packed home crowd, will have a second chance in the second qualifier in Bengaluru on Friday.At the forefront of a sublime bowling performance was teenage offspinner Washington Sundar. His fuller-than-good length and straight lines meant the batsmen were not able to attack either side of the wicket with any conviction. His quick pace didn’t let them get under deliveries either. The 17-year old finished with 3 for 16 from four overs and the Man-of-the-Match award.The harder task on the night, though, was with the bat. Manoj Tiwary and Ajinkya Rahane struck patient fifties, setting a platform for MS Dhoni to use his wiles and hitting prowess at the end to help Rising Pune finish with a decent score and sufficient momentum.A strong start
In Mumbai’s last league game at this venue, Kings XI Punjab defended a total of 230 by just seven runs. Even with the possibility of dew and the short boundaries, Rising Pune may not have been aiming that high after losing the toss, but they knew they needed to get close.Planning, check. Execution, a big red cross. Rahul Tripathi fell over a flick and was bowled. Steven Smith’s leading edge was snaffled up at backward point. Rising Pune were 9 for 2 in two overs. The surface may have been slow, and Mumbai’s variations were effective, but after that start, a score of close to 170 was the best Rising Pune could hope for, which meant Mumbai were never out of the game.Different pitch, same Dhoni finish
Rising Pune had laboured to 121 for 3 after 18 overs. The five overs prior to that yielded just 32 without a wicket as Mumbai’s bowlers found the right length to Dhoni and Tiwary. Dhoni’s strike rate in his first 10 balls in the IPL, before this game, was 88.52. Against Mumbai, he could only muster 14 off his first 17 balls.But then Mitchell McClenaghan, not for the first time this season, missed his yorker. A high full-toss was hit for four and the resulting free-hit went for six over long-on. Dhoni anticipated McClenaghan’s good or short length in the second half of that over, and sat back to hit two sixes.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jasprit Bumrah hadn’t pitched anything in Dhoni’s half all through the match. But in the final over, he gifted two good length balls that were smashed for sixes as Rising Pune plundered 41 off the last 12 balls. Their score of 162 was below par at this ground, but the momentum and confidence – of having defended a similar score before on this ground earlier this season – was firmly with Rising Pune.Falling behind from the start
Rising Pune had only one way forward – exploiting a two-paced Wankhede surface. Even if they didn’t get early wickets, they had to keep Mumbai in check because batting was going to get harder. Jaydev Unadkat brought out his offcutters in the first over and conceded just one run. Mumbai were already behind the game.Parthiv Patel hit 33 off 16 in the Powerplay, but Mumbai lost three wickets. Lendl Simmons was run-out, backing up too far at the non-striker’s end. Rohit Sharma was undone by umpiring error, given out lbw despite a thick inside edge. Ambati Rayudu found midwicket with a pull; the second wicket in Sundar’s over. Mumbai were 42 for 3 inside the fielding restrictions and behind the asking rate.Undone by conditions
Timing shots and picking slower deliveries was getting tougher. Why? After a bowler releases his delivery, batsmen pick the speed through the air and then adjust accordingly. But with the ball gripping the surface, it came onto them slower than expected. Mumbai, having played seven league matches on an even, true Wankhede pitch, weren’t used to that pace. Unadkat used his slower balls, Shardul Thakur his knuckle balls and Sundar an effective change in pace, to thoroughly flummox Mumbai’s batsmen.

Knuckle ball my most powerful weapon in T20s – Tye

Making his IPL debut on Friday, Gujarat Lions fast bowler Andrew Tye gave ample evidence of why the knuckle ball is the most potent delivery in his repertoire. He came on to bowl the final over of the Powerplay, after Rising Pune Supergiant had raced to 60 for 1 in five overs, and stalled the opposition by conceding four runs and taking the wicket of a well-set Rahul Tripathi. He returned in the 13th over to pick up Ben Stokes’ wicket and, charged with bowling the 18th and 20th overs, Tye gave away only 10 runs and took a hat-trick in the final over.Over 60% of Tye’s deliveries were knuckle balls bowled at slower than 120 kph, and he got four of his five wickets off that delivery. The only bowler to take a hat-trick and five-for on IPL debut, Tye’s 5 for 17 was crucial in giving Lions the first win of the season. The hat-trick was his second of 2017, the first coming for the Perth Scorchers in a Big Bash League match against the Brisbane Heat.”It has probably taken me five-six years to get to the stage where it [the knuckle ball] is today,” Tye told “I have practised it hard and have practised with the right intent. Now, it is my most powerful weapon in T20 cricket.”Unlike the hat-trick I took in the Big Bash, I actually knew it was a hat-trick ball. It came out perfectly as sometimes you try too hard and it just doesn’t go right. You always go back to your run-up and think ‘What ball am I going to bowl?’ I had decided I’d bowl a slower ball before I ran in. I was able to get it on the stump and the batsman missed it.”Although his debut came only on Friday, Tye isn’t exactly new to the IPL scene, having spent two seasons on the sidelines of franchises. Bought by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2015 auction, and by Gujarat Lions a year later, Tye spent a considerable amount of time bowling to international batsmen in the nets and this, he believes, has allowed his game to develop quite well.”Even if you are not playing, India is a great place to develop your game and learn from the best players in the world. Playing with the international players and the Indian players, my cricket has really come on. It only leads to the development of your game.”This morning our Coach Hodgy (Brad Hodge) told me ‘Get set to play. You’re definitely playing’. To get a wicket in the first over settled me down. I came here with nothing to lose. When you’ve waited that long for a chance, you got to take it. I was happy the way I came out and performed tonight.”

Rashid rips through Ireland as Test cricket beckons for Afghanistan

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRashid Khan’s variations were too much for a floundering Ireland middle-order•Getty Images

In the world of the Chinese zodiac, 2017 is the year of the rooster. If the first three months of the Gregorian calendar are anything to go by, this is also shaping up to be the year of Rashid Khan. As if he hasn’t given Afghanistan team-mates and fans enough to crow about – a record IPL bid, series-winning efforts in T20s and ODIs – Rashid kicked off his Intercontinental Cup career with a five-wicket haul against Ireland on Wednesday to keep Afghanistan on course for a crack at Tests in 2018.On a pitch that rendered the Irish fingerspin duo of George Dockrell and Andy McBrine impotent for four and a half sessions, Rashid’s wristspin was a virile antidote to spice up the final three hours of play on day two. The smoothness with which he set up his dismissals might cause even the most confident Don Juan to sit up and take notes for future conquests.Rashid entered the Afghanistan attack in the sixth over with the score 10 for 1, Mohammad Nabi having dismissed William Porterfield leg before to a missed sweep in the third over, and spent four overs in the post-lunch session tangoing mainly with Ed Joyce. Rashid nearly plucked Andy Balbirnie with his first ball in the 14th but a bottom edge went through the legs of Mohammad Shahzad at slip. In the last over before the break, he continuously teased Joyce but couldn’t dislodge him as Ireland went to tea in a relatively strong position at 67 for 1, scoring at better than four an over.After play resumed, left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan was introduced and also began causing problems with his sharp turn and bounce, eventually nabbing Balbirnie for 62 in the 34th over with an inside-edged prod off the pad to Shabir Noori under the helmet at forward short leg. If Rashid has a type that he fancies, it’s certainly lefties and the arrival of Niall O’Brien meant he now had two to toy with.Sure enough, Rashid claimed Joyce in the following over. After defending the first two balls, Rashid sent down a googly that Joyce fanned on as it spun past his drive for four byes. Another attempted drive from the fourth ball resulted in an inside edge just past leg stump. Playing for another googly, Joyce plonked his front foot in forward defense to shield off stump only for a legbreak to strike him in line with middle and an appeal was upheld to send him off for 45.With the googly firmly entrenched in the minds of the entire Ireland dressing room, Gary Wilson entered and lasted a few overs before falling for 4 when he played for the googly and was defeated by the legbreak. Umpire Ahmed Shah Pakteen judged that an edge carried to Shahzad – who had taken over from a sloppy Afzar Zazai behind the stumps after the 36th over – rather than the ball clipping Wilson’s trousers.O’Brien, who was nearly bowled first ball by Zahir and survived a drop off the same bowler at forward short leg when he still had yet to score, began the 45th against Rashid by lunging forward four times in a row to googlies that beat the outside edge. Deciding to go onto the back foot to another ball pitching on a good length on the fifth delivery, O’Brien was deceived as Rashid went the other way with a legbreak, trapping him in front of the stumps for 17.In Rashid’s next over, Dockrell fell to the googly while playing for a legbreak, lbw for a duck. It forced Paul Stirling to come out to bat having spent the majority of the Afghanistan innings off the field with a left index finger injury that required a splint and prevented him from opening the Ireland innings. Stirling soon found himself jilted much like Rashid’s first three manipulative trysts: playing for the googly, done in by the legbreak, defending down the wrong line and bowled without scoring.The five notches in Rashid’s belt helped to redirect attention away from an incident that detracted from Afghanistan’s otherwise splendidly dominant performance over the first two days. Just as he had been in Belfast last summer, Nabi was at the centre of controversy in the 21st over for claiming a catch at second slip from Balbirnie off Dawlat Zadran’s bowling which replays clearly showed Nabi had grassed before flinging it into the air in celebration.Balbirnie, on 40 at the time, stood his ground and it took only a few seconds for the umpires to confer before confirming a not out signal. Nabi got into hot water for his actions in the fourth ODI against Ireland in July when photographic evidence showed his entire body was over the rope when attempting to save a boundary struck by Joyce, with the subsequent relay resulting in Joyce being runout. Nabi was reprimanded for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct as a result. On that occasion, the umpires did not catch Nabi whereas the on-field officials in Greater Noida nipped this incident in the bud.The speed with which Ireland hurtled to 170 for 7 was in stark contrast to Afghanistan’s leisurely stroll to a declaration earlier in the day. Captain Asghar Stanikzai ended with a first-class personal best of 145 after resuming overnight on 110. He gave his wicket away seemingly in an effort to hasten toward a declaration, stumped after charging Dockrell. Rashid replaced him at the crease but also fell quickly after a shimmy down the pitch to Dockrell went awry.Zazai, who had been unbeaten on 11 overnight, took a methodical approach after the two quick wickets and was mostly untroubled in his 154-ball knock. The only blemish on his maiden first-class century came in the 135th over when he edged Peter Chase behind to O’Brien, who took a clean catch diving to his right. Zazai stood his ground on 78 and with the umpires unsure of whether the ball had carried, and without the benefit of access to TV replays, erred on the side of caution.It only took Zazai four more overs to reach three figures. On 93, he stepped down the pitch to loft Chase’s medium pace over mid-off for six, then charged him again next ball and swatted a short delivery through the leg side to bring up his century.As Zazai took his helmet off to celebrate with Dawlat, who teamed with Zazai for Afghanistan’s best-ever ninth wicket stand in the I-Cup with an unbeaten 109-run partnership, Stanikzai waved them in. A few more days like today and Afghanistan may soon be waving goodbye to the Intercontinental Cup and hello to Test cricket.

Boult, Taylor break South Africa's unbeaten run

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRoss Taylor was the fourth New Zealand batsman to reach 6000 ODI runs•AFP

South Africa’s lower order threatened another heist, but Trent Boult gave a glimpse of why he went for big money in the IPL by holding his nerve to help New Zealand secure a series-levelling six-run victory in Christchurch. Dwaine Pretorius’ 26-ball fifty almost wrestled the game away from New Zealand until Boult got his yorkers on target in the penultimate over. He then cleaned up Pretorius to make amends for dropping him in the deep on 15.The win should have been much more comfortable for New Zealand when South Africa slipped to 214 for 8, but after Pretorius was shelled he kept finding the boundary. It came down to needing 20 off two overs when Boult, who had earlier claimed the key scalps of Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers but conceded 15 off his ninth over, only went for five runs of his last. Andile Phehlukwayo was unable to locate the boundary early in the last over bowled by Tim Southee – and did not trust Imran Tahir with the strike – as South Africa’s winning streak ended at 12.It meant that Ross Taylor’s record-breaking day did not come in vain. He became New Zealand’s leading ODI century-maker, and the country’s quickest batsman to reach 6000 runs in the process, while adding the innings-defining stand of 123 with Jimmy Neesham.While Boult earned a mega payday 48 hours ago, Taylor was not picked in the auction: his T20 cricket is not valued by country or franchise at the moment. His absence from New Zealand’s side has been a topic of much debate, but in the longer white-ball format he is playing as well as ever. He equalled Nathan Astle’s 16 centuries against Australia, at Hamilton, earlier this month and went one better off the final ball of the innings when he drilled Wayne Parnell through the covers.Taylor added 104 with Kane Williamson, their 11th century stand in ODIs, to set the base for the innings. Then, Neesham struck a timely 45-ball half-century which helped New Zealand add 89 in the final ten overs. The Hagley Oval pitch was slower than usual due to recent poor weather, so while five of the previous nine first-innings totals on the ground had been over 300, this one was more than workable.However with David Miller back after his finger injury and Phehlukwayo at No. 10 (Kagiso Rabada was ruled out with a knee niggle), South Africa’s batting order was even more imposing. But New Zealand kept chipping away. Southee produced an unplayable delivery to trap Hashim Amla lbw and Colin de Grandhomme nipped one back to defeat Faf du Plessis.JP Duminy was sent in at No. 4 ahead of de Villiers – for tactical purposes it was said – but having eased to 34 he was beaten in the flight by Mitchell Santner: a chance for a match-defining innings had slipped away. The same could be said of de Kock, for the second match running, after he had glided to his fifty from 59 balls before heaving Boult deep into the leg side.A hallmark of South Africa’s winning streak has been having someone in the top order take responsibility for an innings but that wasn’t the case in Christchurch. Miller, after his spell on sidelines, couldn’t quite find his timing before edging Ish Sodhi’s googly and de Villiers under-edged a pull against Boult in his first over back in the attack.Trent Boult and Tim Southee sealed the victory by executing their yorkers in the final overs•AFP

When Chris Morris was smartly run out by a back-handed flick from Dean Brownlie and Parnell lbw to Santner, there seemed very little chance for South Africa only for late drama. New Zealand would have struggled to recover if they had let this one slip away.It had not been easy going for them when they were put in. Tom Latham’s tricky run continued, softly clipping a leg-stump delivery from Parnell to square leg. It made his run in ODIs – since the 137 against Bangladesh on this ground – 2, 0, 0, 7, 4 and 22, potentially leaving him vulnerable when Martin Guptill returns from injury.There was caution from Williamson and Taylor at the start of their partnership, but Williamson broke the shackles when he bunted Phehlukwayo over wide mid-on at the end of the 19th over. The next 11 overs brought 73 runs – Williamson reaching his second fifty of the series off 59 deliveries – to leave New Zealand with a strong platform of 155 for 2 after 30 overs.The innings threatened to lose its way when Williamson picked out long-on against Imran Tahir and Neil Broom collected his second failure of the series to leave the onus very much on Taylor.The boundary that took him to fifty off 60 balls also brought up the 6000-run milestone and alongside Neesham, whose position had been coming under scrutiny, they ensured the wobble did not become a collapse. Neesham was the first to take on the bowling inside the final ten overs, which helped take the pressure off Taylor, as he took on Tahir’s last two overs and also played a blistering pull off Morris.Taylor began the final over on 95 but lost the strike off the first ball and only got it back with two deliveries remaining. A meaty swing at the penultimate ball sent it sailing towards long-on where Miller took a fabulous catch but, sliding round the boundary, thought he would touch the rope and flicked the ball back so it became two runs. The final ball of the innings was wide outside off and Taylor thumped it through the covers to wild applause from the sellout crowd. They were cheering again a few hours later.

Renshaw, Starc fifties guide Australia on a turner


Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:42

Ugra: Australia will take great satisfaction from their recovery

On a pitch so dry it resembled the surface of Mars to Shane Warne, which looked unlike any Ravi Shastri said he had seen in India, it was a fast bowler who came away with the richest haul. Umesh Yadav’s combination of pace and reverse swing fetched him four wickets as Australia managed 256 for 9 in Pune.A sizeable chunk of that total came off the blade of Matt Renshaw. The 20-year-old playing his first Test away from home made 68 off 156 balls either side of retiring ill with a stomach bug in the first session. Not many of his team-mates can match his composure or his patience. Both those attributes served him well in conditions where sharp spin and startling bounce were the norm instead of the exception.

Umesh’s top figures

  • 4/32 Umesh Yadav’s figures at end of the first day are his second-best in Tests. His only other 4-for in India was 4 for 80 against West Indies in Kolkata in 2011-12.

  • 0 Australia players younger than Matt Renshaw (20 years, 332 days) to have scored 50-plus in India. The previous youngest was Rick Darling (22 years, 154 days) in Kanpur in 1979-80.

  • 3 Number of fifties for Mitchell Starc in his last five Test innings, all at No.8. He averages 53.80 in seven innings against India with three fifties.

  • 5 Number of times Umesh has dismissed David Warner in Tests, in 10 innings – the joint most any batsman has been dismissed by the bowler. Umesh has also dismissed Shaun Marsh on five occasions.

If such was the case on the first day, imagine having to bat last, which India have to if the match goes that long. So putting up a big total in the first innings was vital after Australia won the toss and chose to bat. They might want to get closer to 300, but what they have already is nothing to scoff at, assuming the bowling does well.Mitchell Starc is a clear and present threat, especially with the expectation of variable bounce. He smashed 57 not out off 58 balls himself to make sure when he gets the ball in hand, he has enough of a cushion to go all out. Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe, too, might fancy their chances of exploiting a surface where footmarks were popping up by the 10th over of the opening day.Australia had done excellent work in the morning. Despite the alien conditions, they realised that on a strip prone to turn, the best way to survive is to not chase the ball. Protect middle stump, ensure you are behind the one that holds its line, play late and use soft hands, and when the ball deviates, it will only leave you beaten and red-faced, not red-faced and back in the hut.These virtues helped David Warner and Renshaw last 27.2 overs together. The 82 runs they made were the result of their ability to both tip and run, and thwack and stand back. Case in point was in the 25th over: R Ashwin harassed the outside edge and was smashed to the square leg boundary all in the space of minutes.Often India had to turn to their quickest bowler and Umesh was happy to oblige. His pace has worked against him in the past, making good balls stray down wrong lines and result in boundaries. Now, though, he has improved on his accuracy and by bowling wicket-to-wicket he makes sure the reverse swing he gets is always a threat.Umesh Yadav was menacing with his reverse swing•AFP

Umesh bowled Warner off the inside edge with his second ball of the match for 38 – after the batsman had been bowled off a no-ball on 20. Even as Australia tried to regroup Renshaw raced off the field, retiring ill for 36. Umesh was on a hat-trick in the final session having O’Keefe caught behind, with Wriddhiman Saha leaping several feet in the air, diving full-length to his right and snagging a one-hander for the ages, and then Lyon lbw next ball.Starc’s belligerence, however, reset the balance of the match. The slog sweep was his most profitable shot and he also took care to farm the strike. So effectively was he that Josh Hazlewood made only one run of the 51 that was put on by the tenth wicket.As well as looking for big hits, Australia were diligent in picking up singles whenever they were available and for a long time they were able to dilute the threat of India’s spinners. But, maintaining that level of performance over after over after over is the challenge of playing Test cricket in India. Making it tougher still were Ashwin and Jadeja with their remarkable accuracy. And eventually home advantage began to tell.Two wickets in two overs before tea – Jadeja pinning Peter Handscomb lbw with an arm ball and Ashwin trapping Smith at mid-on – brought India back into the contest. It was the result of a session’s worth of tight bowling enabled by clever captaincy.Virat Kohli had a midwicket and a mid-on for the offspinners against Smith and it seemed every time the batsman came down the track to hit with the turn, he found those men. With runs coming at a premium – 69 in 30 overs after lunch – Smith chose to take those fielders on and chipped the ball in the air. He couldn’t time it properly and found Kohli himself at mid-on. It was a transparent trap and the Australian captain, despite 94 balls of determined and purposeful batting, played right into it. Earlier, Kohli placing himself at leg slip proved equally profitable, as Jayant Yadav tempted Shaun Marsh to sweep at a flatter delivery, a risky ploy considering the extra bounce on offer, and was caught off the back of the bat.Not giving in to dot-ball pressure is hard work in the subcontinent. Renshaw, though, fitness issues notwithstanding, was up to the challenge. When set, he even felt confident enough to charge at Jadeja and loft him for six over long-on. That’s not an easy job considering the left-arm spinner is the ideal man, because of his ability to bowl quick through the air, to exploit a pitch affording rich turn.Minor miracles have followed Australia in the past 24 hours. They managed to be in two places almost at once. They batted remarkably well early on in conditions they historically struggle to deal with. A lower-order rally was probably par for the course.

Prasanna and Dickwella haul Sri Lanka to series victory

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNiroshan Dickwella brought up his maiden T20I fifty to anchor Sri Lanka’s chase•Associated Press

Sri Lanka spoiled AB de Villiers’ comeback by snatching the T20 series from South Africa to claim the first silverware in the country in their history. Niroshan Dickwella’s career-best 68 overshadowed de Villiers’ 63, in his first international outing in six months, as Sri Lanka chased down 170 with one ball remaining but it was Seekkuge Prasanna’s 16-ball 37 which completed the second highest successful chase at Newlands.South Africa were without their newest spearhead, 20-year-old Lungi Ngidi, for most of their time in the field after he bruised his hip, and he could not bowl his final two overs, but had a tardy fielding effort rather than lack of resources to blame for their inability to defend the total. They put down five catches in total and saw several more aerial chances go unclaimed to allow Sri Lanka some leeway in what was a tough task.Still, it took cool heads for Sri Lanka’s batsmen to cross the line, especially after Imran Tahir removed their stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal early on and then removed Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva in the same over. Sri Lanka had to rebuild their innings twice and eventually needed 26 runs off the last two overs. Against the inexperience of Andile Phehlulwayo and debutant Dane Paterson, Prasanna and Asela Gunaratne got there to seal a memorable win.By the time the 19th over began, Prasanna already had 23 off 10 balls – having brought the target down from a daunting 50 off 21 balls – but Gunaratne had yet to score a run and only faced one ball after Kusal Mendis was run-out in the previous over. The pair ran hard off the first and second deliveries before Prasanna advanced on a Phehlukwayo slower ball and sent it over long-on for six. He did not get hold of the next one, losing his bat as he swung, but finished the over with a ramp over the Mangaliso Mosehle’s head to leave Paterson with 11 to defend off the last over.Gunaratne took the pressure off the final passage of play with a scoop over fine leg for four and took quick singles before he swung across the line and top-edged over Mosehle to level scores. In his excitement, Gunaratne thought the match was over and grabbed a stump out of the ground in celebration only to be told he needed one run was still needed. He drove the penultimate ball through the covers and this time could keep the stump.Having threatened through the series, with 43 in Centurion and 22 in Johannesburg, Dickwella went one better and converted his start into his first T20 half-century. He had support from Upul Tharanga, who was playing in his first T20 since the World T20 in 2012, and was aggressive from the get-go. The pair punished width early on and took on the short ball and it took a change of pace to separate them.Tharanga lobbed a catch to mid-on off Wayne Parnell’s first ball, a slower delivery, to give South Africa a breakthrough but it was when stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal was bowled by Tahir’s first delivery that Sri Lanka were under real pressure. Tahir’s over went boundary-less and then a hat-trick of missed chances came off Parnell’s second over, including a return catch, with Dickwella surviving two of those chances. He made South Africa pay.He saw off Tahir and targeted Phehlukwayo at first, before switching gears and lapping Tahir but South Africa’s complications came when they needed a replacement for Ngidi after he injured his hip diving at cover. Jon-Jon Smuts had to fill in but his two overs cost 22 runs as Dickwella reached fifty off 34 balls.With five overs to go, Sri Lanka needed more than ten an over but would have been fairly comfortable with Dickwella well settled. Tahir had an over in hand, though, and appeared to have changed the game. He had Dickwella caught in the deep and de Silva stumped to turn things South Africa’s way but Sri Lanka had more muscle.In the end, South Africa might blame their middle-order problems for not posting a big enough total. They lost 4 for 28 runs in 25 balls between the 14th and 18th over, including de Villiers which may have been the difference.South Africa trialled a new opening partner for Smuts in Reeza Hendricks and it proved a good decision. While Smuts continued to show nothing more than glimpses of the potential that took him to the top of the domestic T20 competition run-charts, Hendricks had the composure for a longer stay and formed one half of the hosts’ major partnership on the nightAfter Smuts was given out lbw, Hendricks was joined by de Villiers and was happy to cede control to the senior man, but not before a third perfectly timed offside drive to the end the PowerPlay strongly.De Villiers initially played within himself before giving making room to drive through point for his first boundary. He did not focus on finding the rope too many more times early on, though, and strike-rotation with a partner who was as speedy as him formed the foundation of their scoring. Every single was cheered loudly, twos and a solitary three were even more appreciated but there was no doubt the crowd was expecting more. When de Villiers danced down the track to meet a Lakshan Sandakan delivery on the full and send it straight back over his head for six, Newlands erupted. Their superstar was back.A scoop off Gunaratne saw de Villiers overtake Hendricks before the latter was stumped. Hendricks will not be happy with his carelessness when he dragged his foot out against Sandakan after the ball spun across him and he failed to push his foot behind the line. Chandimal needed two attempts to complete the stumping and, still, Hendricks did not inch further back.Despite that wicket bringing South Africa’s most dangerous hitter, David Miller, to the crease, Sri Lanka had created an opening to claw their way back. Miller, Farhaan Behardien and de Villiers all departed and South Africa entered the final two overs on 141 for 5 without one of their regular finishers on hand. Nuwan Kulasekara did an exceptional job in his final two overs which only cost 11 and removed de Villiers.Mosehle took the opportunity to show what he could do with a stunning cameo. He plundered three sixes off the first four balls in the last over, which cost Isuru Udana 21, and took South Africa’s total over 160 but it was not enough.

Abbott expected to shelve South Africa for Hampshire deal

Hampshire believe they are on the verge of securing the services of Kyle Abbott on a long-term deal as a Kolpak registration, despite his recent success at international level with South Africa.Abbott, a member of South Africa’s Test team currently playing Sri Lanka in Cape Town and a key performer in the series victory over Australia, is understood by ESPNcricinfo to have agreed to a three or four-year deal with Hampshire that will realistically end his international career.While Abbott is believed to have agonised over the move for some time – Hampshire remain fearful he could change his mind over a deal agreed some weeks ago having belatedly enjoyed a run in the Test team – he is expected to announce his international retirement later this month. Cricket South Africa are not understood to be aware of the deal.With Simon Harmer and Hardus Viljoen also having agreed similar deals with Essex and Derbyshire respectively, Abbott’s decision might be interpreted as part of a new wave of Kolpak registrations. The UK’s decision to vote for Brexit threatens to close the loophole that permits such signings in the coming months though it is anticipated that all deals made ahead of that time will be honoured. Hampshire are also understood to be in talks with Rilee Rossouw.As recently as last week, during the first Test against Sri Lanka, Abbott spoke about finally earning a run in the South Africa Test team.”Being out of the side and sitting on the sidelines for so long and now getting the opportunity and doing well, is a great feeling. It’s a long period of hard work that is starting to pay off and now I am getting opportunity at this level to showcase my skills,” he said. “The team is in a great space and so am I, and it’s exciting to see what’s going to come. There’s only around 90 of us or so that have played so I count myself incredibly lucky.”The temptation for a player like Abbott is not hard to understand. Aged 29 and only recently established in the South Africa side – he is currently playing his 11th Test – his decision to embrace a long-term county deal offers something approaching financial security. He can expect to earn more than £100,000 a year from the deal, with insurance cover built into the deal, and should still be free to play in some of the T20 leagues around the world.It may be relevant, too, that Abbott was the man to make way for Vernon Philander in the World Cup semi-final a year ago. Whatever the merits and reasons for that decision, it has left some South African cricketers uncertain of their futures.The news will not be entirely welcome in England, either. The ECB has been trying to crack down on Kolpak loopholes for several years in an attempt to provide more opportunities for home-grown players and is understood to have prevented at least one such signing in recent months. The player involved agreed a deal as an overseas registration instead.But the attraction for Hampshire is obvious. They avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth last season (having finished in the bottom two of Division One, they won a reprieve when Durham were punished for their financial problems by relegation) with a key problem their lack of potency with the ball.Ryan McLaren, who has subsequently left for Lancashire, was their top wicket-taker in the Championship with 32 at a cost of 38.81. The addition of Abbott, a bowler of pace, skill and persistence, with recent international experience in all three formats of the game, should be quite an asset. He first played for the county in 2014, helping them win promotion by claiming 36 Championship wickets at a cost of 20.33.