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Limited play enhances Middlesex’s hopes against promotion rival

Paul Edwards13-Sep-2022
The floodlights were on at the start of play today but only meteorologists would have called the morning autumnal. Although leaves on trees close to traffic lights or busy junctions have been exhausted to crisp death, most of the others remain green in the suburbs this September. It was shirt-sleeve order in MCC’s pavilion yesterday and London retains the lingering sense of summer that Clarissa Dalloway recognised nearly a century ago: “The King and Queen were at the palace. And everywhere, though it was still so early, there was a beating, a stirring of galloping ponies, tapping of cricket bats; Lord’s, Ascot, Ranelagh and all the rest of it; wrapped in the soft mesh of the grey-blue morning air…”By noon, though, we were taking an early luncheon and the light rain may have come as a relief to Glamorgan who had neither taken a wicket nor looked like doing so. The obstacles blocking their path towards bowling bonus points and parity in the game were all too predictable. Mark Stoneman and John Simpson had scored 1501 first-class runs this season before this match began and their 134-run stand for the fifth wicket earned Middlesex a first-innings lead whose final size has yet to be determined. And after that early lunch, the umpires also opted for an early tea when bad light and then rain returned just before four o’clock.So it was Stoneman’s day and certainly the first session had reminded us how well-organised a player he is and how many productive strokes he possesses without having recourse to his muscly thumps to leg or his iron-wristed cuts past point. By contrast, there was something damagingly soporific about the opener’s batting this morning; he didn’t destroy David Lloyd’s attack or smack boundaries to all parts. He merely went about his professional business so efficiently that by at lunchtime he was on 96 and Middlesex’s deficit was 30.This pattern changed a little in the afternoon session, although Stoneman would insist that he was simply responding to the balls he’d received. Soon after reaching his third century of the season he took three fours in an over off James Harris: a squeeze past the slips, a pull and a cut. Simpson took up the theme with a couple of boundaries off Michael Hogan before reaching his own fifty off 109 balls. Then two overs later, Stoneman was gone for 128 when fishing limply at a ball outside off stump from Ajaz Patel.Nevertheless, as he stomped off unhappily – another good sign – one was reminded that he might be one of the ex-England openers in the county game with a chance of returning to the Test team. There is, of course, so much competition that one wouldn’t be astonished to hear that the group hold self-help meetings in which they share their experiences and their woes: “My name is Haseeb and I opened for England.”As it stands, Rory Burns, Ben Duckett, Haseeb Hameed, Keaton Jennings, Adam Lyth, Jason Roy, Sam Robson and Dom Sibley are all playing county cricket and each of them probably nurtures hopes of receiving that call from Brendon McCullum. So long is the list that Chris Dent is entitled to wonder who he’s upset. There have been summers in which he would have let no-one down.After much umming and ahing and standing about, we got back on at 4.45 with a fond hope – it was more statistical calculation really – that we would play another 25 overs. It turned out to be as realistic as an NHS target. Simpson and Higgins tucked into some loose stuff from the spinners before Lloyd took the new ball and the rain returned just after five. Before long, the umpires had given the day up as a bad job.Not for Simpson, of course. His fidgets have become mannerisms and they are barely separable from his cover-drives, his firm persuasions through midwicket or his extraordinary value to Middlesex’s cricket for a dozen summers. He is unbeaten on 72 and he will resume his 60-run partnership with Higgins, secure in the plain assurance that his team is winning a game that should go far towards deciding the second promotion place.They are not winning by much, though, and not irrecoverably, but a lead of 72 and five wickets to fall still suggests a match-shaping advantage. And suddenly one was beguiled by the simple prospect of watching 104 overs tomorrow; 624 tiny segments of action that should make up a full day’s cricket. That is an end-of-season reflection, of course; every defensive prod, every smart stop is suddenly precious. Maybe it is autumn, after all.

Chasing 191, West Indies’ batting struggled against the spin of Ashwin, Jadeja and Bishnoi

S Sudarshanan29-Jul-2022In the first international game at the Brian Lara Stadium, India’s move to play three spinners – as opposed to West Indies’ one – reaped rich dividends as Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi combined to pick up five wickets, helping the visitors to a 68-run win in the first T20I of the five-match series.In T20s before Friday at this ground, spinners had an economy rate of 6.31, which is the fourth-lowest at any venue in the West Indies, and they had averaged 20.91 – the fourth-lowest at any Caribbean venue where spinners have bowled in more than ten innings.Related

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India managed to post 190 for 6 on a seemingly slowish surface, thanks to captain Rohit Sharma’s half century and Dinesh Karthik’s unbeaten 41 off just 19 balls at the finish, before West Indies’ batting was entangled in the web of spin.Another partner for Rohit
After India were put in to bat, Rohit walked out with a new partner, Suryakumar Yadav, the seventh opener for India in T20Is this year. Suryakumar got going quickly with a four off Obed McCoy in the first over and then another off Jason Holder in the next. His trademark wristy flick for six over fine leg also made an appearance against debutant Alzarri Joseph.Akeal Hosein’s introduction, however, stalled Suryakumar’s progress. He was dropped off the first ball from the spinner before a top edge off the next ball evaded the bowler running back. Hosein had the last laugh in his next over when Suryakumar’s attempted whip resulted in a thick leading edge to short third.Change in pace leads to change of momentum
India had raced to 44 inside five overs but Suryakumar’s wicket slowed them down. Despite finding a couple of boundaries early on, Rohit struggled to get the ball away. With the odd ball gripping the surface, Hosein and McCoy thrived, the latter dismissing Shreyas Iyer for a four-ball duck.Rohit and Rishabh Pant then added 43 off 25 balls before West Indies struck again, dismissing Pant and Hardik Pandya – who ramped Joseph straight to deep third for his maiden T20I wicket – in quick succession to leave India 102 for 4 with over eight overs remaining.Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin added an unbeaten 52-run stand to take India to 190•Associated Press

The perfect finish

In the interim Rohit got to his 27th half-century in T20Is off 35 balls. Just when he had begun accelerating, he slapped Holder straight to sweeper cover. At 131 for 5 in 15 overs on a track that was slowing down, India looked on course to finish at around 170.But Karthik once again aced the finisher’s role to move India well past that score. He used the crease well to put the bowlers off their lines and lengths, and, in the company of Ashwin, took a toll on Holder and McCoy to help India amass 36 off the last two overs.Spin to win
In their pursuit of 191, Kyle Mayers got West Indies off to a rapid start, helping them score 11 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first over and as many off the first two legal balls of the next over, bowled by Arshdeep Singh. However, Arshdeep deceived Mayers with an off-pace short ball immediately afterwards, and India’s bowlers had landed their first blow.Holder, sent in at No. 3, couldn’t see off Ravindra Jadeja’s spin, while Ashwin sent back the left-hand batters Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. Ravi Bishnoi then dismissed Rovman Powell and Odean Smith in successive overs to pretty much seal the game.

In Sylhet, North Zone and East Zone played out a low-scoring draw with only Mominul Haque hitting triple digits in the match

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2018Tushar Imran passed 10,000 first-class runs while Abdur Razzak took his 500th first-class wicket as South Zone drew with Central Zone in a high-scoring fixture in Savar.After being sent in to bat, South Zone racked up 448 on the back of wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan’s 133 off 129 balls. Opener Shahriar Nafees, Imran, and Al-Amin hit fifties to help swell the total. Seamer Abu Hider and Ebadot Hossain picked up three wickets each for Central Zone.Central Zone then mounted a strong reply with five of their top seven passing fifties. Though none moved to a hundred, it was enough to secure a 57-run first-innings lead. Razzak was the pick of the bowlers for Central Zone, finishing with 4 for 152 in 52.4 overs.In their second innings, South Zone scored 120 for 3 before the match ended in a draw.In Sylhet, North Zone and East Zone played out a low-scoring draw with Mominul Haque the only one to hit triple digits in the match. The East Zone captain hit 107 off 147 balls around a middle-order wobble in a chase of 261. Alok Kapali then played out an hour for eight runs to ensure a draw.Mominul, though, had bagged a duck in East Zone’s first innings after Abu Jayed’s 5 for 71 dismissed North Zone for 187 in 49.5 overs. Yasir Ali (45) and Mehedi Hasan Rana (46*) were the only East Zone batsmen to pass 30. No. 11 Khaled Ahmed also pitched in with 26 to hand his side a 24-run lead. North Zone then produced a better batting performance in their second innings, making 284 on the back of Farhad Hossain’s 85 to set East Zone 261.

The result ended a run of 12 successive T20I defeats to India

S Sudarshanan27-Jun-20221:15

Powar: ‘We are on right track as far as batting is concerned’

Sri Lanka had lost their last 12 T20Is against India, and had never beaten them in a home game. But all that was put to rest as their captain Chamari Athapaththu led them to a seven-wicket win in the final match of the three-match T20I series in Dambulla. The hosts managed to salvage pride after conceding the series with back-to-back defeats.Athapaththu averages 22.57 in T20Is, but when she’s captained Sri Lanka to victory, she averages 42.61 and strikes at 142.41. Her best version was on show on Monday.The Athapaththu show, the beginning
Sri Lanka’s pursuit of 139 began in an attacking fashion with young Vishmi Gunaratne whipping Renuka Singh for a four over midwicket in the first over. However, she fell two balls later, and Athapaththu took over. Her first boundary was a streaky slice in the fourth over, but she was more authoritative next ball when she danced down and smote the offspinner down the ground. The assault continued when she welcomed Radha Yadav with a fiercely cut four and followed it with a sweep through backward square leg.The marauding left-hander then hit the only six of the chase when she slinked down the track to smash Deepti over long-off in the final over of the powerplay. Just like that, she had 28 off 15 as Sri Lanka ended that phase at 47 for 2.The deciding alliance
In the experienced Nilakshi de Silva, Athapaththu found a reliable partner and the pair killed the chase, mixing caution with aggression. De Silva was happy to play her strokes as well, hitting Pooja Vastrakar down the ground before swiping Simran Dil Bahadur over the on side.India’s shoddy fielding also contributed to Sri Lanka’s cause. Athapaththu’s mistimed slog to deep midwicket off Bahadur was spilled by Jemimah Rodrigues running to her right, and off the very next ball she found the gap between backward point and short third man to bring up her fifth half-century.Athapaththu and de Silva added 77 in just 57 balls – the highest third-wicket stand for Sri Lanka in the format – before de Silva was run out. Athapaththu remained in the middle to ensure Sri Lanka ended their run of losses against India. She was aided by more fielding mishaps towards the close and finished unbeaten on 80 off just 48 balls.India’s batting misfires
On a surface that seemed good to bat on, India’s batters failed to find their footing and were restricted to 138, which eventually was not enough. Smriti Mandhana found the going tough in scoring 22 off 21, and fell to Oshadi Ranasinghe for the second time in three games.Sabbhineni Meghana hit three crisp fours but couldn’t rotate the strike constantly against Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers. It was once again down to Harmanpreet Kaur and Rodrigues to keep India on course. The pair added 64 for the fourth wicket but consumed 56 balls, leaving India devoid of momentum heading into the death overs.Rodrigues fell for 30 while trying to scoop Ama Kanchana over short fine leg in the 19th over. Vastrakar’s 13 off six balls helped India get closer to the 140 mark – which had proved enough in the first T20I – while Harmanpreet stayed unbeaten on 39 off 33 balls at the other end.

The PCB has said that its signing off on the new Test and ODI leagues will depend on the BCCI honouring a bilateral commitment signed over three years ago.

Osman Samiuddin and Nagraj Gollapudi23-Oct-2017Pakistan will continue applying pressure on the BCCI and, indirectly, the ICC, in the hopes of securing 24 matches with India in the new international calendar. At the ICC board meeting in Auckland earlier this month, the PCB, along with all Full Members, approved in principle a fresh league structure to be implemented after the 2019 World Cup. But the PCB maintained that its final decision will depend on the BCCI honouring a bilateral commitment signed over three years ago.That is a stance the PCB first revealed last month, and it means not only will the Test and ODI leagues remain tied to Pakistan’s pursuit of India games, but also to their efforts to seek legal redress for two bilateral series against India that never took place. That case came into the spotlight over the weekend, after comments made by former chairman Shaharyar Khan and the leak of the bilateral agreement the two boards signed in April 2014.In Auckland, the Full Members unanimously agreed on a two-year, nine-team Test league as well as a 13-team ODI league. But the real business of what the actual schedule will look like – with details of who plays whom and how often – has not been finalised. Board chief executives have been working on that at scheduling conferences, and will continue to do so at another tentatively scheduled for November. The plan is for a schedule to be completed by January and presented at the next ICC board meeting in February.The PCB is resigned to not playing India in the leagues – that is something the BCCI has insisted upon – but want matches outside the structure, in an eight-month window when sides are free to play whoever they choose.At the joint session in Auckland between board directors and chief executives (in which the plan for the leagues was approved), the PCB said it was happy with the new structure on the provision it contained the 24 international matches Pakistan were guaranteed to host against India, by the terms of a previously signed MoU. Though there was no reaction, the stance was noted.A page from a letter from former BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel to Najam Sethi on the bilateral series between India and Pakistan•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The agreement, and the legal case, has been the subject of renewed scrutiny over the last few days. Over the weekend, speaking to a local TV channel, Shaharyar suggested that the PCB’s case against the BCCI at the ICC’s dispute resolution committee was not especially strong.”To an extent, it is a weakness [in our case],” he said, having been involved in these discussions until he stepped down as chairman in August. “The weakness is that it is written in there that both sides need government permission [before playing each other]. We have our government’s permission. They haven’t got permission yet, so they could say that it is written that until they haven’t got permission they cannot come and play. These are problems but it’s okay to bring them under some pressure as well.”However, Shaharyar went on, almost immediately, to disown those words. In a signed statement distributed to the media on Saturday, he said: “I strongly deny a statement attributed to me in the media in which I am supposed to have said that the PCB’s case against the BCCI is weak. How could I say such a thing when, in fact, as Chairman and with the approval of the PCB’s Board of Governors, I authorised preparation of a case on the advice of PCB’s lawyers and a prominent QC in the UK who agreed that PCB had a strong case against India.”Not long after, the letter that spells out details of the 2014 agreement was leaked on social media. Officials from both boards have confirmed the authenticity of the letter. Printed on plain paper, without a letterhead and dated April 9th, the letter [see pic] is written by Sanjay Patel, the former BCCI secretary, and addressed to Najam Sethi, the current chairman of the PCB who was, at that time, the interim head of the board. It makes no mention of either side needing government approval.The basis of the agreement is well known: six bilateral series between December 2015 and November-December 2022, with the BCCI making “all efforts” for a short, limited-overs-only tour to Pakistan in November 2014 as well. As categorically stated in the letter, the agreement applied only if the Big Three resolutions for the revamp of international cricket were signed off in June that year, which they duly were.But the November 2014 and December 2015 tours did not materialise and are the subject of the PCB’s legal case. The BCCI argued it did not have government permission to play Pakistan. The 24 international matches the PCB want incorporated in the new calendar are the three remaining tours to Pakistan as part of this MoU: nine games in December 2019, 10 in August 2020 and five in November-December 2022.A page from a letter from former BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel to Najam Sethi on the bilateral series between India and Pakistan•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The legal case has not, strictly speaking, yet begun. Though the PCB intends to file the official notice of dispute that will start the process at the ICC’s dispute resolution committee, it has yet to do so. In fact that process has been delayed slightly because there was a change in the Terms of Reference of the committee at the Auckland meeting. Once they do send in the notice, a panel of adjudicators will be constituted, who will then ask the BCCI to reply. The way of these things suggests that any resolution is still some time away, and what impact that may have on the implementation of a new calendar is uncertain.In Auckland, the PCB also asked that a new Future Tours Programme (FTP) Terms and Conditions document be created to govern the administration of the new calendar. Such a document is likely to detail how older FTP commitments fit into a new calendar, which could determine the status of this agreement.The prospect of India-Pakistan games will also come up for discussion at the next scheduling conference. If the PCB recognises the adversarial nature of a legal case works against that, there is also a suggestion it is using the case as a pressure tactic of sorts, to push the BCCI into agreeing to some bilateral contests.The Pakistan board is confident it has a strong case and that, in particular, their 2014 agreement with the BCCI has all the ingredients that would constitute the basis of a legally binding contract in a court of law. Its argument rests on whether the Indian government has explicitly, and in writing, denied the BCCI permission to play against Pakistan.The BCCI seems unperturbed by the public appearance of this agreement and believes it stands on firm ground whenever the time to defend itself comes. “It is a plain piece of paper,” one official said. “Even if you take this as a letter of intent there was never a formal agreement that happened.”The BCCI official reiterated that the Indian board did not have the authority to commit to a bilateral series with Pakistan without permission from their government.

Auckland’s bowlers overcame a solid resistance from Canterbury’s middle order to pick up a 24-run win in a chase of 316 in Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2017Auckland‘s bowlers overcame a solid resistance from Canterbury‘s middle order in a chase of 316 to pick up a 24-run win in a well-fought Plunket Shield match at the Eden Park Outer Oval. Canterbury were 5 for 2 in the face of an opening burst from Auckland’s new-ball duo of Benjamin Lister and Matt McEwan. They recovered well through substantial partnerships, starting with a third-wicket stand of 85 between opener Chad Bowes (42) and Leo Carter (63). But Auckland’s trio of Danru Ferns, Michael Barry and Glenn Phillips struck at timely intervals to take seven wickets among them and send Canterbury packing for 291.Carter, Cole McConchie (42), Cam Fletcher (53) and Daniel Sams (33) made solid contributions in the middle order, but none could stay on to haul Canterbury to the finish. Andrew Ellis, their captain, kept Canterbury’s fight alive with 19, but Lister had him caught to seal 16 points for Auckland.With their third successive win of the competition, Auckland are now on third position with 59 points. Canterbury are one place behind but are stuck with one win after five games and have lost their last three matches.That Canterbury were set a stiff target was down to an electric second-innings century from Phillips – his second in first-class cricket, with Michael Guptill-Bunce (51), Robert O’Donnell (67) and Ben Horne (75) making for a capable support cast. Their efforts helped Auckland bounce back from a first-innings deficit of 30 and pile on 345 at 4.80 an over. Medium-pacer Fraser Sheat dismissed Phillips and finished with 3 for 45 while Daniel Sams, Will Williams and Andrew Ellis struck twice each.Both teams fared a lot worse in their respective first innings as 18 wickets tumbled on the opening day. Canterbury reduced Auckland to 39 for 4 after electing to bowl on a green pitch, before Mark Chapman’s arrival pushed them past 150. He was the ninth man dismissed, for 76 off 72 balls, as Auckland folded for 181. Medium-pacer Sams wrecked Auckland with career-best returns of 4 for 55, while Ellis took 3 for 50.Like Auckland, Canterbury were struggling, at 81 for 5, and were lifted by a late contribution. And it was Sams who again came to the fore, as he blasted five fours and three sixes on his way to a 51-ball 57. He fell with Canterbury 15 short of Auckland’s total, but contributions of 31 from the wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher and 21 from Tim Johnston gave them the lead. Despite the flurry of wickets, 375 runs were scored on the day and Canterbury went to stumps at 194 for 8.They folded in the ninth over of the second morning for 211 after Matt McEwan cleaned up Johnston for 21, leading a collective effort from Auckland’s bowlers with 3 for 49.

“He has taken his role as the senior pro very seriously and it shows on the field”

Mohammad Isam28-Jun-2022The fast bowlers showing the ability to take wickets from slow pitches was the biggest gain for West Indies from their 2-0 win over Bangladesh, according to head coach Phil Simmons.Alzarri Joseph was the series’ top wicket-taker while Kemar Roach became only the sixth West Indies bowler to take 250 wickets during the series. Kyle Mayers and Jayden Seales contributed with regular wickets while Anderson Phillip made an impressive debut in St Lucia.Related

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It had a big impact on Bangladesh, who got bowled out for less than 250 in all four innings in the Test series, losing both games by big margins.”The first (Test) wicket wasn’t conducive to fast bowling but we got them out for low scores,” Simmons said. “In this Test match, to get them bowled out on the first day on a comparatively slow wicket, gave us the driver’s seat. The fast bowlers deserve a lot of credit. We have worked hard in the two series, and come out victorious. This one maybe wasn’t as hard as the first one, the important thing is that at the end of the day, the W is behind the two Tests. We won 2-0 in Bangladesh in 2021 as well. You have to take all those things, and sit back and enjoy it.”Simmons was happy with Roach in particular helping out the young pace attack. Roach, who debuted in 2009, had a series to remember for reaching the 250-wicket milestone. He was lauded by West Indies greats Curtly Ambrose and Michael Holding, whose tally he crossed during the St Lucia Test.”(Roach) is helping the fast bowlers to mature quicker. I think he has an exceptional influence on all the young fast bowlers. He has taken his role as the senior pro very seriously. It shows on the field. You can see him talking to them, who are trying to do the right things all the time. I think his influence has been massive to these young fast bowlers.”Mayers, too, emerged as an all-round factor for the first time in his short Test career. He contributed mainly with the ball in Antigua, before hitting his second Test century in St Lucia, a backs-to-the-wall counterattack.”He brings in the wicket-taking factor. He is not express, but he puts the ball in the right areas. If he bats normally, he scores quickly in all three formats. I have to get him to understand that he needs to bat normally. Once we get that, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with.”Phillip also had a good first outing but Simmons felt that nerves got the better of him at times. “I think he had a good debut. Two wickets earlier on, but he got a bit of cramps. It comes with all the nervousness that comes with your first Test match. If you are not nervous, something is wrong.”He was nervous, and it didn’t help him. He bowled well in both the innings. He did what the captain wanted him to do.”

Teams agree on draw after Jharkhand extend lead to 1008, the biggest in the history of first-class cricket

Himanshu Agrawal in Kolkata16-Mar-2022Their first-innings lead – a mammoth 591-run lead at that – over Nagaland took Jharkhand into the quarter-final of this season’s Ranji Trophy. Nagaland’s struggle finally ended just after halfway on the fifth day, as the two teams shook hands at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, with Jharkhand having taken a lead of 1008, the highest in the history of first-class cricket, when they finished on 417 for 6 in their second innings.When the final day’s play started, Jharkhand were 132 for 2 in their second innings, already 723 ahead, and could have pushed for a win, as they might have when they bowled Nagaland out for 289 after putting up 880 in their first innings. But they chose to bat on, taking a result out of the contest. As a result, opener Utkarsh Singh and middle-order batters Anukul Roy and Kumar Kushagra, who had scored 266 in the first innings, added to their numbers.Jharkhand added 285 runs in just over 53 overs of play on the day. Roy followed his first-innings 59 with an entertaining 159 off 164 balls, smashing 14 fours and seven sixes in his knock. He added 163 with Kushagra, who scored 89 in 104 balls. Utkarsh was the first wicket to fall on the day, caught off Shrikant Mundhe for 73 after resuming on 50.Kushagra joined Roy at the start of the 51st over, and after the 58th, the two started to up the scoring rate. They took 41 off four overs as Roy edged closer to a century, and he got to the landmark, his second in first-class cricket, in the 66th over by hitting a six off left-arm spinner Imliwati Lemtur.He continued to have fun against the spinners, taking four and six off consecutive balls from Rongsen Jonathan in the 77th over, before cracking two successive sixes off Lemtur in the next. Though Roy fell to Jonathan for a career-best 153, Kushagra continued to go big, launching Jonathan for two sixes before being dismissed off the third ball of the 91st over, which turned out to be the final delivery of the match.The Ranji Trophy quarter-finals begin after the IPL concludes on May 29, the tournament having been split into two chunks this season. The fixtures for the knockouts have not been released yet.

A battle between the two teams used to be uneven before 2015, but Bangladesh have realised it is not an impossible task to beat South Africa at home

Mohammad Isam27-Sep-20171:27

Moonda: Batting selection dilemma for SA

Big Picture

Aiden Markram’s Test debut, Ottis Gibson’s first match as South Africa coach, Bangladesh’s first Test in South Africa in nine years and the first at Senwes Park since 2002. All of these milestones will fade quickly on Thursday when arguably the best team in home conditions take on talented yet unpredictable visitors.Markram and Gibson are at the start of a busy home season. Gibson, of course, will look to renew his understanding of South Africa cricket, having played for Border, Gauteng and Griqualand West when he used to be a more-than-capable medium-pacer. He has the reliable Faf du Plessis at his side, who has his hands full as captain and one of the batting mainstays.Du Plessis will have to handle a bowling attack that has two high-class performers – Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada – but also a number of youngsters and newcomers who have to be given confidence. He also has a chance to define his captaincy and set the tone for the home season, either by bolstering the batting with the selection of Theunis de Bruyn or selecting pace-bowling allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo.Some may feel that Bangladesh are the ideal visitors to try new strategies against, but they are far from pushovers. Mentally, this team is different from the ones that traveled to South Africa in 2002 and 2008. Where previous Bangladesh teams wanted to avoid heavy defeats, the current set of players are thinking of ways to beat their opponents. Bangladesh know how different that mental switch can be.The task at hand for seniors Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and coach Chandika Hathurusingha is immense. Bangladesh are without their lynchpin Shakib Al Hasan who was granted rest by the Bangladesh board earlier this month, which means two players have to replace him.Luckily for Bangladesh, their younger players, like Sabbir Rahman and Mustafizur Rahman, are hungry performers. There is also competition for the second opener’s slot: Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes will be aware that Liton Das is breathing down their neck, so a slip-up in South Africa could be critical for their future.A battle between the two teams used to be uneven until the 2015 ODI series but since then, Bangladesh have realised that beating South Africa, even in their home conditions, is not an impossible task.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWWLL (completed matches, most recent first)South Africa LLWLD

In the spotlight

Of the five pace bowlers in the Bangladesh squad, Mustafizur Rahman is the only automatic choice in the XI. The mystery around him has worn off but even on home pitches, that serve the spinners heavily, his short bursts have become crucial. He will enjoy conditions in South Africa if he can be accurate.Dean Elgar needs another 85 runs to topple Cheteshwar Pujara as the leading run-getter in Tests in 2017. A good start from the experienced opener would immediately put Bangladesh’s young pace attack on the back foot.

Team news

With Shakib rested, Bangladesh will have to pick four specialist bowlers. Taskin Ahmed’s extra pace and Subashis Roy’s relatively accurate seam-bowling could be preferred ahead of Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain. Soumya Sarkar’s shoulder niggle means he is not certain to play – a decision on his inclusion will be taken on the morning of the game.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Subashis Roy, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.South Africa’s choice is between an extra batsman in Theunis de Bruyn or a seam-bowling option in Andile Phehlukwayo. Aiden Markram will make his international debut, replacing Heino Kuhn. Despite being passed fit, Wayne Parnell is unlikely to play.South Africa (probable): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Temba Bavuma, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Theunis de Bruyn/ Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Duanne Olivier

Pitch and conditions

The pitch looks a bit dry but the home side are hoping for good carry off the track, something Bangladesh are also expecting. While there is a forecast for rain on the last two days of the Test, the weather should mostly be dry.

Stats and trivia

• This is only the second Test to be held at Senwes Park after it hosted the South Africa-Bangladesh game in 2002.
• Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Imrul Kayes are the only Bangladesh players in the current squad to have played a Test in South Africa, having toured in 2008.

Quotes

“The last two years, their cricket has really improved. They are as tough as any team to play in their own conditions so their standard is on the up. This will be a real opportunity for them to show they can perform outside of their own country.”
“We have brought five fast bowlers and three of them will play in the first Test. I think they know all too well that if they don’t perform, there are others to take their place so that should be motivation enough.”

Shaheen Shah Afridi was rested again by the visitors

Hemant Brar03-Aug-2021Rain allowed only three overs to be bowled in the fourth and final T20I in Guyana, which meant Pakistan, courtesy of their win in the second game, won the four-match rain-marred series 1-0.After winning the toss on Tuesday, Babar Azam put West Indies in on a damp pitch on an overcast morning. With both sides unchanged from the last washout, Andre Fletcher and Chris Gayle once again opened the innings. Fletcher kicked off the innings by hitting two sixes off Mohammad Hafeez in the opening over and Gayle followed it up with two fours off Mohammad Wasim Jr in the next.

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West Indies were 30 for no loss after three overs when rain halted play. That was around 11.15am local time. When the rain eventually relented, the umpires had an inspection at 1.25pm and decided to resume at 2.00pm. The match was reduced to nine overs per side but just when play was about to restart, the rain returned to have the final say.At the toss, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard had said that this would be the last international game for Dwayne Bravo in the Caribbean and that his side wanted to give him a win. The weather though had other plans.