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It is not an exaggeration to say that Marcus North’s century at the Basin Reserve was a career saver

Brydon Coverdale at the Basin Reserve20-Mar-2010Marcus North is a smart man. He knows words can suffice only so long before they must be backed by actions. Even the Australian selectors, so reluctant to change a winning team, have their limits. It is not an exaggeration to say that his century at the Basin Reserve was a career saver. How long it will extend his stay in the Test team remains to be seen, but expect to see him at least for the Ashes later this year.North kept saying he was the man for the job but a slight worry was the presence on tour of Steven Smith, the dazzling allrounder who is everything North is not: young, exhilarating and in wonderful first-class form. Not that it means Smith would be a better Test No.6 than North, but failures in Wellington might have encouraged the selectors to find out next week in Hamilton. Being axed at age 30 is usually permanent.As North strode to the middle in his languid, lopey style, he realised the seriousness of his situation. This was a man who scraped through the home summer with an average of 23 and then went on to struggle in the Sheffield Shield. From his second ball, which was driven confidently straight down the ground for four, he looked like a different batsman. There was no tentative prodding outside off, nor streaky edges that flew past stumps or slips.In truth, some of the Sheffield Shield attacks he has faced over the past month might have tested him more than this New Zealand group, which fed him with half-volleys and moved the ball only a little. But an out-of-form North would still have found ways to hit catches or get caught on the crease. Instead, his driving was wonderful, gaps were found regularly and his timing was perfect – in more ways than one.The innings will ensure that he retains his Cricket Australia contract when the new list is decided in the next couple of months. Had he lost his place in the team, North’s deal would have gone south. It remains a concern that North is a fail-or-fire batsman, for whom middling scores are rare. But he was one of Australia’s best in the Ashes loss and he is desperate to be there for the next battle for the urn.”It was a great experience playing in England but there’s certainly that motivation to play another Ashes series and make things right,” North said. “I guess you never want to be part of a losing Ashes series. Unfortunately my first experience was. But I’ll be doing everything I can over the next three Tests to make sure I’m there for the first Test next summer.”Ricky Ponting wants North in his Ashes line-up as well, and has been one of his staunchest supporters. Ponting and Justin Langer have worked hard in the nets with North this week to overcome a slight technical flaw. North found his eyes weren’t as level as he thought and fixed the glitch, which he believes has helped him hit straight down the ground. Finding the problem is half the battle, and it significantly boosted his confidence after a tough few months.”Without doubt the pressure was there and when you haven’t made a lot of runs in the last couple of months, there is a lot of speculation about your position,” North said. “It’s not a great feeling but you have to try and use the experience to motivate and focus on the job at hand. The three days preparation was ideal, it gave me the background to back myself and where my game is and to keep my mindset simple.”When North reached his century with a lucky top-edged boundary from an attempted hook, he jumped and raised the bat, but it was a mostly subdued celebration. There was a casual kiss of the helmet and a slow stroll to his partner Brad Haddin for a handshake, but less of the raw emotion that Michael Clarke had displayed upon scoring his ton.North can be a hard man to read and rarely looks troubled, but the pressure boiled over earlier in the summer when he swung his bat angrily over his broken stumps after being bowled by Mohammad Aamer at the MCG. This time, the only sign of frustration came when Ponting declared.North had reached 112, had slog-swept a couple of sixes off Daniel Vettori and wanted to capitalise on his opportunity. Haddin hared off the field to get ready for his keeping duties, while North hung back at the pitch, wishing for a few more overs. At least he ensured he will get a few more matches.

Dropped in West Indies, Australia’s long-time No. 3 has switched his focus on what he can do to be playing the Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-20251:01

Super-sub Labuschagne produced direct hit run-out

Marnus Labuschagne is feeling primed to start his push for a Test recall in time for the Ashes amid the ongoing debate about how Australia’s top three will shape up come Perth in late November.Labuschagne was dropped from the Test side for the first time since 2019 at the start of the recent series in West Indies having averaged 27.82 with one century over the previous two years.There had been some consideration given to him leaving that tour early in order to play either county cricket or for Australia A, but he ended up staying throughout, training extensively with the coaching staff, something he has continued since getting home to Brisbane.Related

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“This [being left out] has given me an opportunity to reflect and not having the pressure of the media saying, ‘Marnus has got to go’,” Labuschagne told in his first interview since losing his spot.”I mean that’s part of the game. There is a tipping point but it’s something I thrive on… proving the doubters wrong and being able to find a way. Missing those West Indies Tests gave me the chance to back and think, ‘This is where I want to be and this is how I’m going to get there’.”After the West Indies Tests, head coach Andrew McDonald said Labuschagne’s absence from the side “wasn’t going to be a huge gap.” He could make a return to Australia colours in the ODI series against South Africa later this month having been retained in that squad then will have three Sheffield Shield matches for Queensland before the Ashes side is named in mid-November.Should he make a compelling case for a recall, there remains the question of where he would return in the order with Cameron Green finishing strongly at No. 3 against West Indies in tough batting conditions although there is a scenario where Green drops back down the order should he be available to bowl.Labuschagne’s last Test before his omission saw him pushed up to open in the World Test Championship final against South Africa where he made 17 and 22 and he would gladly take on the role again should that provide his route back.”I would be happy to do that – I would love to,” he said. “If opener is where I need to bat to be playing in the Test team, that’s fine. If you had asked me where I prefer to bat obviously I have batted at three my whole career, but at this stage you don’t get a choice.”I opened in the World Test Championship final and felt I batted quite well. I got in but did not go on with it.”

Titans were bundled out for 89 following which Capitals finished the chase in 53 balls

Alagappan Muthu17-Apr-2024At the start of the fourth over, Gujarat Titans were projected to reach 169. By the start of the sixth over, they were trending much lower, to 120. In the end, they were bowled out for double-digits, 89. It was their lowest-ever IPL total, having been brought into the tournament in 2022.Four of the six bowlers Delhi Capitals used returned economy rates of 4.5 or less, setting up the batters to go out there and do their thing. The chase was done in 53 balls, with six wickets to spare, and that mattered. Capitals are now in sixth place, above Titans on the points table, because their net run-rate rose from -0.975 to -0.074.

How the Titans fell

A slow, low, and turning pitch had the home team spiralling all through their innings. Shubman Gill tried to get ahead of it by going hard at everything. He hit two cuh-risp fours in five balls and in going for another he got caught at cover. Eventually it became clear why he was so desperate for early boundaries.The ball began holding in the pitch. Wriddhiman Saha went after it but was too early into the pull and dragged it onto his stumps. It began spinning. Tristan Stubbs, who had bowled only 177 balls in his 79-match T20 career, helped himself to two wickets in an over with his offbreaks.Four of the top six with single-digit scores. Rahul Tewatia batting in the powerplay. Sacrificing the option of R Sai Kishore as an Impact Player against the right-hander-heavy Capitals line-up to send in Shahrukh Khan. He was meant to firefight. He was the in-case-of-emergency-break-glass option. He returned with a duck. Out stumped even though the wicketkeeper didn’t collect the ball cleanly. It was that kind of day.Tristan Stubbs is thrilled after Rishabh Pant completes a second stumping – albeit a bit fortuitously – in his over•BCCI

Pant is a joy

Right at the start, a giggle was caught on the mic. It sounded very Rishabh Pant-y. He and Gill were just staring at each other and everybody else was stuck waiting as the Capitals skipper tried to remember what the plan was after winning the toss. “I think we’re going to bowl,” he said.Pant took two catches, one requiring a little more effort than normal, from how he needed to dive low and quickly to his left to take it and then call on DRS to confirm suspicions that David Miller had indeed nicked it.There were a couple of stumpings as well, one that almost didn’t happen. Pant had seen that Shahrukh’s back foot was nowhere near where it needed to be. He was beyond excited. That might have played a part in how he grabbed for the ball, hard-handed, and therefore couldn’t collect it cleanly. But it didn’t matter because the ball just bounced off his gloves and straight onto the wicket, prompting child-like glee at how a mistake he’d made actually turned out okay.This is why the world needs Rishabh Pant. A lot of his fans – and India fans – must be thrilled that he’s back playing cricket again because he is a game-changer. But really, he’s so much more than that. He reminds people to smile. To enjoy themselves. To have fun. Just by smiling and having fun himself.After the eighth over, when Kuldeep Yadav was upset with a wayward throw, acting like he had suffered a mortal wound, Pant ran down to the bowler, put one hand around his shoulders and used the other one to stroke his chest. There, there. Don’t worry. Be happy.He had a good game as captain too, bringing back Khaleel Ahmed for a third over inside the powerplay to see if he could sneak a fifth Titans wicket. That wasn’t possible but a maiden was. For some reason he bowled Stubbs ahead of Axar Patel which turned a score of 47 for 4 to 48 for 6. Pant spent the rest of the innings chirping away behind the stumps. It was like he was never even away.

“We haven’t played Test cricket in a while, so there was some worry coming into the Test match about how the bodies would react”

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-20223:34

KL Rahul: You’ll never get an easy win in Test cricket

After five days of hard-fought Test cricket in Chattogram, when India have a nice evening watching the football World Cup final and having a team dinner, the one thing they will experience for the first time since July is the oddly-satisfying soreness from five days of cricket.While the scorecard will show a comprehensive win – and it was one – it took India hard work to achieve. They had to revive their first innings with the bat, and then had to toil for 46 overs for their first wicket in the second. It is just the kind of test you want – stern but not threatening a defeat – as you get back to Test mode. A sterner series against Australia awaits at home, with World Test Championship final qualification implications involved.”That’s Test cricket: you are never going to get a victory that’s going to be easy,” India’s stand-in captain KL Rahul said. “We know that. We have played enough Test cricket to understand that there will be phases where the opposition also plays well. We need to respect that, and keep doing our job. I am very proud of that.Related

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“Throughout the Test match our energy and intensity has been really high, and we have maintained it throughout the day. Throughout the last five days we have shown great commitment towards the team. We haven’t played Test cricket in a while, so there was some worry coming into the Test match about how the bodies would react and how we would be able to manage being on the park for so long, and maintain our focus and intensity. We did that really well, and that is pleasing.”As has been the case with Indian Test cricket in recent years, players who are not regulars grabbed their opportunities. Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav was the Player of the Match, Shubman Gill registered his first Test century, and Mohammed Siraj did well too. Rahul was asked how the team keeps these players in good spirits because they don’t get regular chances.Kuldeep Yadav was the Player of the Match despite not getting regular chances•AFP/Getty Images

“At this level players are naturally very motivated,” he said. “We are playing for our country; we have worked really hard since we were kids to get here. Yes sometimes when you are in and out of the team and you don’t get too many opportunities. It is natural to feel down and feel not confident enough. But as a group, as a team, we always try to make everyone feel comfortable in the group. The talk is always about what the team needs, and not about individuals.”Whether you have played 50 Test matches or whether it is your first or second, it doesn’t matter. We always try to see what the team needs and what we need to win a game of cricket. They play enough cricket. I know they may not have played enough international cricket, but back home, first-class cricket, IPL and India A – there is a lot of cricket happening. So everybody is playing enough cricket.”When they come into Indian team, they come in with enough games behind them. That helps them perform really well. You give them the platform, give them a bit of confidence. They have the quality, and that is why they are here. And they perform really well.”India will have selection headaches now if Rohit Sharma makes it for the second Test in Mirpur, or when Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami return. Rohit has not yet reached Bangladesh, and the status on his availability for the second Test is still awaited. The difference Rohit’s return makes will be nominal because India know well that it was their bowling that set up the win in Chattogram.”The first-innings bowling gave us a lot of time in the Test,” Rahul said. “If Bangladesh had gone on to get 300-350, this game was headed towards a draw. We would have tried to make a game out of it, we would have tried to give ourselves a chance, but it would have been really hard.”Once you bundle a team out for 150, it gives you a lot of time. We could bat another 50-60 overs, score some quick runs, put them into bat again for two days and a bit. That gave us the time to get them out.”

The 36-year old qualifies to play for them immediately, by first descent, since his father was born in Namibia

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2021Former South Africa allrounder David Wiese is aiming to play in a second T20 World Cup, five years after his first, and for a different country. Wiese is in line to represent Namibia, and qualifies to play for them immediately, by first descent, since his father was born there. Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Wiese has made himself available, though the squad has not yet been finalised.The ICC’s deadline for the submitting squads for the tournament is September 10.If Wiese is named in the Namibia squad, he will also make his debut for the country, having not played in any of their matches so far. His last international was in March 2016, before he signed a Kolpak deal with Sussex in 2017. Wiese has remained with the county as an overseas player and has also turned out for London Spirit in the Hundred. He could join a strong South African contingent in Nambia, who are coached by former Titans player Pierre de Bruyn and also have Albie Morkel as part of the backroom staff.As for the 36-year-old Wiese, he was an in-demand T20 cricketer at his peak, playing in leagues such as the CPL, the BPL, the PSL, and the IPL. Between August 2013 and March 2016, he also turned out in six ODIs and 20 T20Is – for South Africa – but with limited success.Nambia join South Africa as the only two countries from the African continent who will compete at this year’s T20 World Cup, after Zimbabwe failed to qualify because their board was temporarily banned by the ICC at the time. This will be Namibia’s first T20 World Cup appearance after they qualified by beating Oman in the playoffs of the qualifiers in Dubai in October 2019. Since then, Namibia have only played three T20I matches, against Uganda in April this year, and are currently hosting a Zimbabwe Emerging squad in preparation for the tournament.

Still no movement on club cricket, in wake of Prime Minister’s comments in Commons

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2020The ECB has confirmed that the delayed 2020 county season will get underway on August 1. However, there is still no update on the status of the recreational game in England and Wales, despite reports that the government was preparing to give the sport the go-ahead for a return in early July.As yet, there is no confirmation of which formats will be played in the truncated county season. With the Vitality Blast sure to be restored as the most financially important form of domestic cricket, the first-class counties were recently split 14-4 as to whether to play Championship or 50-over cricket as well, and a revised fixture list will be released following a meeting in early July.”It is a significant step for our game that we are able to approve the start of the men’s domestic season for 1 August and one which will be welcomed by everyone connected with County Cricket,” said Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive.”It follows extensive consultation between the 18 First-Class Counties, the Professionals Cricketers’ Association and ECB and has only been achievable thanks to the significant hard work that continues to occur as we prepare for a domestic season unlike any the game has faced before.”Harrison added that the first priority throughout the discussions had been the “safety of our players, staff and officials”, and that government guidance would “continue to shape our planning and preparation”.In preparation for the official start of the season, Durham and Yorkshire have announced they will contest a two-day red-ball warm-up at Emerald Headingley on July 27 and 28, behind closed doors, and with a live stream for club members. Last week, Surrey and Middlesex confirmed their own plans for a similar fixture at the Kia Oval.The ECB have also committed to ensuring that some form of women’s domestic cricket is able to take place this summer in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, but added that it “may differ from the planned rollout of the new women’s elite domestic structure”.ALSO READ: ‘Clubs are desperate for cricket, just to stay alive’ – Mark WoodLast week, 25 domestic retainers were announced across the eight regions that comprise the new-look women’s domestic scene.The first season of the Women’s Hundred has already been postponed until 2021, but subject to a final decision on recreational cricket from the UK Government, the Vitality Women’s T20 County Cup could still form part of the 2020 calendar.”Planning for the return of the women’s domestic game remains ongoing, but our commitment to women’s domestic cricket is unwavering and we look forward to sharing further news shortly,” said Harrison.”Our strong preference is that the women’s new elite domestic structure starts this summer and we will work hard to ensure that happens. For this to be achieved, brand new infrastructure still needs to be rolled-out, alongside imperatives we need in place when playing competitive cricket during a pandemic.”Our first choice remains to do everything we can to start this year and build on the fantastic momentum in the women’s game. In the event that proves impossible, we will explore other options for play to enable our women’s players to enjoy competitive domestic cricket in 2020.”We will continue to work closely with both the men’s and women’s domestic game to ensure necessary safety measures are in place to protect the wellbeing of everyone involved.”The ECB remain optimistic of confirming the return of recreational cricket in the near future, in the wake of comments from the prime minister, Boris Johnson, that a cricket ball is a “natural vector of disease”, but in the meantime Ben Stokes has echoed Mark Wood’s call last week for an immediate reinstatement.”For club cricket to be put back but pubs back open on Saturday is a bit strange to comprehend,” Stokes said. “I know that people are absolutely desperate. I have friends who play in the leagues in the north East and Cumbria who are just dying to get back out on the field.”Everybody needs something and for people who love cricket they are just desperate to get back on the field and start playing. The quicker that happens the better. I just don’t really see why it can’t happen, especially when you see the other things that are allowed to happen.”

Mayank Agarwal and Rohan Kadam make blazing half-centuries as Karnataka equal Kolkata Knight Riders’ streak of 14 consecutive wins

Shashank Kishore14-Mar-2019Karnataka trounced Maharashtra to clinch their maiden domestic T20 title in Indore. In doing so, they extended their T20 winning streak to 14 matches, the joint-highest winning streak for an India-based side along with Kolkata Knight Riders.The IPL franchise, incidentally won their second IPL title in 2014 during this run after Manish Pandey struck a match-winning 94 then. Incidentally, it was Pandey at the forefront for Karnataka, leading them to their first domestic title since they won the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2017-18.While this was in no way a balm to sooth their disappointment of crashing out of the Ranji Trophy in the semi-finals stage for two seasons back-to-back, the emergence of a young batting group would please the team management, headed by former Karnataka and Railways strongman Yere Goud and former fast bowler S Aravind.While it was Mayank Agarwal, who capped off a relatively lean tournament with a sparkling unbeaten 85 in the final to make a mockery of a 156 chase – Karnataka won by eight wickets and nine balls to spare -it was rookie Rohan Kadam who led their batting charts all through.PTI

Kadam, a 24-year old left-hander whose batting style elicits comparison with Mumbai stalwart Abhishek Nayar, set the tempo at the top to make a destructive 39-ball 60 in a 92-run second-wicket stand with Agarwal off just 61 deliveries. Kadam finished the competition as the highest run-getter: 536 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 129.78. In all, he stuck five fifties and a century in his first full tournament for Karnataka.It was a comeback of sorts for him, given he was nowhere in the state reckoning after making 17 in his only List-A appearance two years ago. In KL Rahul and R Samarth’s absence, he played the role of an enforcer at the top, providing momentum for the middle order. Pandey, handed Karnataka’s captaincy full-time, aggregated 331 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 171.5.It wasn’t just their batting that clicked. The bowling, with the presence of experienced R Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun – who have missed the IPL bus after being unsold at the auction – provided early breakthroughs time and again. In a relatively high-scoring final on a tired surface that has hosted two weeks of cricket, Mithun’s contribution of 2 for 24 was invaluable.The scalp of Ankeet Bawne in particular, to break an 81-run stand with Naushad Shaikh, after Maharashtra were wobbling at 55 for 3, prevented a final kick. Mystery spinner KC Cariappa too, bowling with the new ball, didn’t do his credentials too much harm, finishing with a frugal 1 for 26 off his four overs.Karnataka were immensely benefited by the presence of a third pacer to back their experienced duo. With Prasidh Krishna, who made a name for himself with Kolkata Knight Riders last season, playing a sporadic role, V Koushik made use of his opportunities to finish as Karnataka’s highest run-getter: 17 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 13.13 and economy of 6.36. While his figures in the final were a modest none for 31 off his quota, he’d left a considerable impression on the team, with Pandey singling out his efforts during the tournament at different times.For Maharashtra, this was a game of what-ifs. Shaikh, their only batsman in the top 10 run-getters in the tournament, impressed with his six-hitting prowess, as did Nikhil Naik, fast becoming a T20 only player for them.In fact it was Naik, who brought them into the title clash on the back of a destructive 95 not out in the semi-finals against Railways, single-handedly converting a sub-140 score into a match-winning 177. His 58-ball knock had four fours and eight towering sixes, two of which were sent over the roof. Incidentally, it was these big-hitting qualities that earned him a bid from Knight Riders for IPL 2019. In Naik and Shaikh, Maharashtra may have found some consolation as they were made to reflect on another tale of being ‘so near but yet so far.’

The U-19 coach is happy to have a squad that features some first-class experience heading into the showpiece junior event in New Zealand

PTI27-Dec-20171:58

‘Great to have players with first-class experience’- Dravid

India Under-19 coach Rahul Dravid’s aim is to see a few of the World Cup-bound players included in the A team within the next six to eight months.”The World Cup is an exciting challenge and provides a good opportunity for all these guys. There is a process now in place in Indian cricket: U-19 cricket to first-class cricket and then to India A and then the India national team, when the opportunity arrives,” Dravid said before the U-19 team left for New Zealand.”I have been talking to these players about other formats as well. If they can make it to the India A team in six-eight months, it will be great. We see this [World Cup] as a stepping stone.”The current India U-19 captain, Prithvi Shaw, has already played for the India A team during warm-up games against touring New Zealanders in October this year.Dravid refused to predict who among the current batch has the potential to make it big at the senior level. “I have learnt a lot in these years as coach of the U-19 and A teams. These boys are from a different generation and their thinking is different. They have to adapt to all three formats. It’s a huge challenge. The game has changed a lot.”I can’t say who can go on and make it or who cannot. All of them have the potential to play for their state and India in future.”On India’s chances in the upcoming global event in New Zealand, which starts on January 13, Dravid exuded confidence. The key would be adjusting to the conditions quickly, he said. “The conditions would provide a unique challenge in that no one in the team has played in New Zealand before. The key would be in adapting to the conditions well. We have tried to replicate the conditions in the Bangalore camp to the extent possible but it’s not possible to do it completely.”The squad is set to leave for New Zealand on Thursday morning. Three-time previous champions India, who finished runners-up in the previous edition, are in Group B alongside Australia, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea.The squad has a few players – like captain Shaw of Mumbai, Shubman Gill of Punjab, Himanshu Rana of Haryana, Ishan Porel of Bengal – who have been playing first-class cricket, which the coach termed as a plus for the side.”It’s always good to have players in team with some first-class cricket experience. This team too has a few. The team is similar to the one we had the last time, with only one major difference – that in the previous team there were people with more experience of having played the U-19 World Cup.”This team too has a good pace attack, good spin bowlers and a good batting unit like the last one.”Shaw was happy to have practice games to help the team get into the groove. “We are going to play a few practice games before the World Cup. That will help us. Playing first-class cricket will be of help to me in the World Cup,” Shaw, who already has five first-class hundreds to his credit, said.”It’s a great opportunity and as captain I want to take the whole team with me. Everyone in the team knows his role. I want to win the World Cup.”

A round-up of the fourth day’s play from the third round of Group B matches in Ranji Trophy 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2016Jharkhand overcame a stubborn 87-run partnership for the ninth wicket from Rajasthan batsmen Chetan Bist and Aniket Choudhary to complete a 42-run victory in Vadodara. Their second win in three matches hauled Jharkhand to the top of Group B, after they bowled Rajasthan out for 237.Rajasthan resumed their chase of 280 from an overnight score of 67 for 3 but soon slumped to 137 for 8, losing wickets to left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and offspinner Sunny Gupta. Bist and Choudhary then resisted for 27.3 overs, hauling the score past 200 before the stand was broken. Eight overs after Choudhary was dismissed for 32, Jharkhand broke Bist’s defiance, with the batsman falling for a 136-ball 77 which included six fours and a six. Nadeem, who had taken two wickets on the third day, completed his five-for, taking his match haul to 12 for 168.Assam salvaged a draw, reaching 73 for 2 in their second innings after Vidarbha enforced the follow-on on the final day in Thumba. Resuming on 98 for 3 on Sunday, Assam were bowled out for 227 as left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate ran through the middle and lower order, taking 5 for 72. Assam’s batsmen got off to starts but the top score, of 44 not out, came from Swarupam Purkayastha at No. 9. Having taken a 189-run lead, Vidarbha asked Assam to bat again and the pair of Rahul Hazarika and Amit Verma saw the side through after they lost two wickets.Saurashtra required eight wickets on the last day to register an innings win against Maharashtra, but a debut century from Murtaza Trunkwala and a stubborn lower order ended the match in a draw in Vizianagaram. Left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja took four wickets, but Saurashtra could only take six of the eight wickets they needed as Maharashtra ended on 345 for 8.Resuming their second innings on 114 for 2, after following-on, they were led by Trunkwala’s 117 before he fell in the 33rd over of the day. Further contributions from the middle order, led by No. 4 Ankit Bawne’s 60, helped them hang on and salvage one point compared to Saurashtra’s three. Maharashtra were 230 for 5 when Bawne was bowled by Jadeja, with over 50 overs left in the day, but Chirag Khurana (44), Vishant More (39) and Shrikant Mundhe (24) led them to the draw even as Jadeja ended with a match haul of 9 for 105.

A sparkling all-round performance from Nasir Hossain proved match-winning as he led Bangladesh A to a 65-run win against India A in the second one-dayer to level the series 1-1

The Report by Vishal Dikshit in Bangalore18-Sep-2015
ScorecardNasir Hossain’s five-for included the wickets of Suresh Raina and Unmukt Chand•PTI

A sparkling all-round performance from Nasir Hossain led Bangladesh A to a 65-run win against India A in the second one-dayer, helping them level the series 1-1. Coming in at 82 for 5 in the 19th over, Nasir pulled Bangladesh A out of troubled waters with an unbeaten hundred, his third in List A matches, to lead them to a competitive 252 for 8 and then took five wickets, including those of Unmukt Chand and Suresh Raina, to make the win comfortable in the end.The India A chase looked on course when they were 119 for 1 in the 28th over, with Chand on 56, and even when Raina smacked Rubel Hossain for a six three overs later with the hosts needing 116 runs from 19 overs. But Nasir had Chand caught behind down the leg side, and had Raina and Karun Nair stumped within four balls to leave India A struggling at 146 for 5.Bangladesh A captain Mominul Haque brought Rubel back into the attack immediately from the other end, and the bowler did the needful by removing Sanju Samson for a golden duck and Karn Sharma for 2. Nasir then knocked over Rishi Dhawan’s off stump, also for a duck, thwarting India’s chance of a win.

India A captain Unmukt Chand on…

Squandering the start after Bangladesh A were 82 for 5
“We could not capitalise on the early wickets between the 20th and the 40th overs, we probably could have had more intensity on the ground.”
If complacency crept in while batting
“If there was any scope of complacency, it was in this match and we were a bit complacent, to be honest. We’ll probably come back stronger in the next match.”
Reasons for losing the match
“On wickets like these, it is important to hang in in there. It’s just a matter of staying there and letting the partnership flourish. I got out, then Manish got out, then all of us got out in quick succession. We didn’t have partnerships and that was the reason we lost this match.”
If 253 was chaseable
“Of course it was achievable on this wicket and with this outfield. In the last match also we saw runs are possible here and we were 120 for 1. But there were soft dismissals and this shows you what cricket is all about.”

Mayank Agarwal had given the chase an attacking start with three fours within the first four overs but fell to Rubel’s pace while going for a drive, for 24. Chand then took charge, alongside a circumspect Manish Pandey, and hit three fours in the ninth over off Shafiul Islam to push the run rate towards five. He was dropped on 21 by Liton Das off Rubel, and cashed in to cross 50 and take his team past 100. With things not going Bangladesh A’s way, Mominul used seven bowlers by the 27th over in a bid to break a partnership that grew to 88.It worked when Chand edged one off Nasir and Pandey made room against Rubel three overs later only to find his middle stump scattered. Rubel and Nasir combined to take six wickets for 20 runs and Gurkeerat Singh was the only batsman to hang on, scoring a 30-ball 34, before he ran out of partners.Earlier, put in to bat, Bangladesh A were thrown off track by double blows from Dhawan and legspinner Karn after they lost Rony Talukdar early. Soumya Sarkar and Anamul Haque had just started to push the throttle after a watchful and edgy fifty-run stand for the second wicket when Dhawan struck. Sarkar, who had been dropped twice, dragged one onto his stumps for 24 and Dhawan got Mominul’s edge in his next over. Three overs later Karn took a return catch off Anamul for 34 and struck Sabbir Rahman’s middle stump, after the batsman stepped out and missed, to leave the side at 82 for 5.The innings was resurrected by two crucial stands – the sixth-wicket partnership between Liton and Nasir for 70 runs, and seventh-wicket one between Nasir and Arafat Sunny for 50. Liton led the first partnership, collecting four fours between the 18th and 21st overs, and the two batsmen had just settled down when Dhawan came back for his second spell and Liton pulled him straight to the deep square leg fielder for 45.It was a Nasir Hossain show from there. The pitch seemed better for batting and he farmed the strike in the company of Sunny, Shafiul and Rubel. Soon after he brought up his fifty with a sweep in the 37th over, he smashed Karn over long-off like a confident top-order batsman for six. After Sunny and Shafiul fell within 16 balls, Nasir provided a strong finish by smacking Raina for three fours in an over – a slog sweep and two cover drives – to race from 76 to 88. With three overs still to go, he reached the three-figure mark off 94 balls and took his team single-handedly past 250, collecting 41 runs in the last five overs with the tail-enders