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Both India and West Indies have had on- and off-field issues of late. The visitors are still favourites, provided their batsmen adjust to the slow, low Caribbean tracks

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro22-Jun-2017

Match Facts

June 23, 2017
Start time 0900 local (1300 GMT)

Big Picture

Take out India’s 20-7 win-loss record since the start of their home season last year, and you have a team on very shaky ground. Misunderstandings between captain and coach which led to the coach quitting even as the squad was mid-flight to the Caribbean, a thumping in a very high-profile global final just last weekend, and two middle-order superstars on the wane.West Indies, in the past few years, have seen coaches sacked and players banned. Successes have been scarce – they have won two of nine ODIs this year, and slumped to ninth on the ICC ODI rankings. Both teams’ mindset off the field must be rather similar. Except, they aren’t.The negative forces currently surrounding India are strong enough to destabilise any team, but winning is the most impactful nullifying factor in sports. Despite their issues, in terms of personnel, skills, confidence and form, India have the edge, no doubt. They just made the final of the Champions Trophy; West Indies did not qualify for the Champions Trophy, and while it was in progress they lost an ODI to Afghanistan at home.In the five-match series against West Indies, India’s biggest stumbling block could be the slow nature of the Caribbean pitches. Apart from the occasional turner, India have played their ODI cricket on predominantly high run-scoring surfaces. They last played an ODI in the West Indies four years ago. Here, hitting through the ball or swinging across the line may not be viable options. Instead, opening the face of the bat late and nudging accurate bowling into gaps could be the best alternatives. How effectively will India adapt?West Indies have honed their ODI cricket on such surfaces in the recent past. The lower the scores, the higher are West Indies’ chances. A series win against India is a must as they aim to climb the rankings and get direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup.

Form guide

West Indies WLLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
India LWWLW

In the spotlight

Spinning allrounders may be the most productive asset on low, slow pitches. West Indies picked Roston Chase for the series against Afghanistan, albeit on Test form. He didn’t quite deliver, but still has the best resume for the job. A quick, flat and accurate modus operandi with the ball is well supplemented by his boundary-hitting ability.Virat Kohli will be pleased to get back on the field, given the distractions off it. Fingers have been pointed and focus was temporarily shifted away from the game. All eyes will be on how Kohli leads his team in the wake of the biggest controversy of his captaincy tenure. He is also India’s best and most capable batsman in challenging conditions. A determined Kohli is not what West Indies will want to come up against.

Team news

With Shannon Gabriel unavailable due to injury, West Indies named an unchanged 13-man squad for the first two ODIs. Fast bowler Kesrick Williams and legspinner Devendra Bishoo may miss out.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jonathan Carter, 5 Jason Mohammed, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Miguel CumminsRohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah are the two exclusions from India’s squad from the Champions Trophy. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav were picked in their place, but they may not make the XI initially. Ajinkya Rahane is likely to take Rohit’s opening spot, and Umesh Yadav could be brought in for Bumrah.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umesh Yadav

Pitch and conditions

In the three T20s played between West Indies and Pakistan at the Queen’s Park Oval – the venue for the first two ODIs – earlier this year, the highest score was 138 for 3 in a successful chase. Run-making is unlikely to get any easier, which could mean both teams’ batsmen face a trial of slow bowling. There is no rain forecast.

Stats and trivia

• The previous ODI played at Queen’s Park Oval was between India and Sri Lanka in 2013
• India have lost three of their last four away ODIs against West Indies

Quotes

“We see [Rahane] more powerful at the opening slot and that’s where he can play his game the best, so during the course of all these five games, Ajinkya will definitely open with Shikhar.”
Virat Kohli

Tim Southee won New Zealand a thriller the last time they met Australia in a T20I six years ago, but now, the stakes are almost as high as the altitude as they face off in a crucial encounter in Dharamsala

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale17-Mar-2016

Match facts

Friday, March 18, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)

Big picture

Six years ago, Australia and New Zealand played a highly entertaining T20 match at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. Brendon McCullum blasted a 56-ball 116 and scooped audaciously off Shaun Tait, New Zealand racked up 214, Australia matched them in the chase, and Tim Southee kept things tight in the Super Over to seal a memorable win for the home team. And they haven’t met in a T20 match since.Strange as it seems, February 28, 2010 was the last time these Trans-Tasman neighbours played each other in T20 cricket. Now they finally reconnect in the shortest format and the stakes are almost as high as the altitude. Dharamsala is the venue for Australia’s opening match of this World T20, but New Zealand already have a win on the board against hosts India. Another one here and they will be in prime position to progress to a World T20 semi-final for the first time since 2007.New Zealand’s spin success against India in Nagpur augurs well for their hopes in this tournament. Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum between them picked up nine out of ten wickets against India, and given that Australia can struggle against the turning ball in the short form it may just be advantage New Zealand. A few more runs from the top order would be handy, though – New Zealand were wobbling at 13 for 2 in the second over against India before recovering adequately.Quite what to expect from Australia remains a mystery. Punished at home by India in three T20s, they moved on to South Africa and found some form, but then were outdone by West Indies in a warm-up in Kolkata. They too have three spinners available, including the allrounder Glenn Maxwell, but neither Ashton Agar nor Adam Zampa had played a T20 international three weeks ago. This is a big step up. Australia are preaching “flexibility”, which is admirable, but there is something to be said for stability as well.

Form guide

Australia: WWLLL (last five completed matches)
New Zealand: WWWLW

Watch out for

David Warner has made his name as an opener but suddenly has become a floater in Australia’s T20 middle order. The switch worked well in South Africa, where he scored 20, 77 and 33, and although it is possible he could open again in this tournament, with other options such as Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and Usman Khawaja, that seems unlikely.Mitchell Santner‘s 4 for 11 against India was the best analysis by a New Zealand spinner in T20 internationals, and there is no reason to think he won’t cause problems for Australia’s batsmen as well. Santner has a certain about him – he just seems like a man for any occasion. And the big occasion hasn’t worried him yet.

Team news

There are so many possible combinations Australia could go with that choosing their final XI feels like something of a lottery, which their selection process has more or less been over the past six games. One question is whether to choose all three spinners, another is whether Usman Khawaja can squeeze into the top order, and another is how many fast men are required with a heavy complement of seaming allrounders.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 David Warner, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Peter Nevill (wk), 9 Ashton Agar/John Hastings/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood.New Zealand may well be tempted to stick with their winning combination.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Luke Ronchi (wk), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

A new pitch has been prepared, which may not turn as much as that used by the Associates recently, but spin is still expected to play more of a role than pace and bounce. There is some rain expected on Friday as well, which could lead to an abbreviated game.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and New Zealand have met five times in T20s for four wins to Australia; New Zealand’s only victory was in the Super Over in Christchurch in 2010
• Australia have played only six T20s in 2016 but have used a remarkable 25 players

Quotes

“Yeah, I think you have to have something in mind [for a shortened game]. I don’t think a lot of the game-plans or the way each individual plays changes too much but I think you do have to have a few different game-plans if the game is a bit shorter.”
.”It was definitely a lot of happy team-mates after the game [against India]. But we don’t want to get too carried away. It’s just one game in what is a short and condensed tournament. Lot of games to be played.”

Essex find themselves in a commanding position at Chelmsford, having bowled Worcestershire out for 102, their lowest score of the season, thanks to a career-best 6 for 29 from Reece Topley

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford03-Sep-2013
ScorecardReece Topley’s career-best return fired out Worcestershire•PA Photos

Essex find themselves in a commanding position at Chelmsford, having bowled Worcestershire out for 102 – their lowest score of the season, to date. That was thanks to 6 for 29 from Reece Topley, who responded to criticisms of his red-ball prowess with his career best figures.He was boisterous at stumps, talking up Essex’s promotion challenge after a first day that already sees them on the cusp of a first innings lead of 100. Trailing second-placed Northamptonshire by 44 points with a game in hand, they must feel that victory is essential here.Topley is certainly capable of spells faster than he produced today – not that he did not hurry those unlucky enough to face him – but he displayed impeccable control, as Essex systematically worked their way through Worcestershire’s consistent left-right combinations: a combination that occurred through circumstance rather than design, it must be said.His natural arc of the ball, starting from all of eight feet, cut naturally in to the right-hander and away from the left. But it was his variation of length that allowed him to reap the benefits of pushing the batsmen back as he enjoyed success with some superb full balls. Five of his six wickets came from pitched up, swinging deliveries that either found the outside edge, the pad – both in Jack Shantry’s case – or off-stump.He was gifted a wicket by Joe Leach, who failed to get on top of the bounce when he attempted to hook immediately after lunch, with Ryan ten Doeschate taking a routine catch at mid-wicket.His best delivery of the day brought only misfortune. Having removed Tom Fell the ball before, he produced the perfect outswinger to Ross Whiteley who couldn’t help but follow it. Owais Shah had to dive to his left at first slip, but it really should have been taken.Topley eventually got Whiteley for his sixth, as five Worcestershire wickets fell for just 13 runs. Alan Richardson and Dan Lucas combined to take the score into triple figures, before the innings was closed by a stupendous catch from Graham Napier at deep mid-on, Lucas slapping what looked to be a flat-six over his head, only for Napier to time a dive backwards to perfection, sticking his right-hand out to clutch the ball safely.In reply, Essex were one wicket down in the third over, as Nick Browne was bowled after defending a ball from Richardson which then spun back and hit off stump hard enough to dislodge the bail.But the Worcestershire attack could not build on that early good fortune, as Greg Smith came to the middle and quelled any potential resistance with an innings of high quality.He has played some fine knocks this year, in both the long and short forms of the game, and this must match any of them for fluency and clarity of shots. From a perfectly stable base, his drives echoed around Chelmsford, as a sizeable crowd enjoyed an evening session littered with boundaries.His approach eventually rubbed off on opener Jaik Mickelburgh, who went through the last 26 runs of his fifty with six fours, as they put on 158 in 33.2 overs together. And yet, it could have all been so much better for Essex had they not conspired to give away three wickets before the day was up.Mickelburgh top-edged to slip after trying to paddle Moeen Ali’s off spin around the corner, before Smith could not resist trying to clear Richardson at a three-quarters mid-on, to the same bowler.Shah can be forgiven for his demise; leaving a delivery from Richardson on a fifth stump line that jagged back in nastily and hitting him in front, having offered no shot. It was one of the few balls to do anything out of the ordinary.Ten Doeschate gave us a taster for what to expect tomorrow when he planted Ali down the ground for six and the smeared him to midwicket for four – in the last over of the day, no less. A convincing win with full batting and bowling points is well within reach, and is a necessity if Essex are to catch Northants for that second promotion spot.

Cheteshwar Pujara, returning to the Indian side after a year and a half, says he is treating his comeback as a ‘second debut’

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Aug-2012Cheteshwar Pujara, recalled into the Test squad for the New Zealand series, is treating his comeback as his “second debut”. One of the impressive young batsmen to have come out in the last five years on the domestic circuit, Pujara was a popular choice to take a place in the Indian middle order once the top guns walked out of the game. And with two berths opening up after the retirements of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, Pujara feels he is “motivated and passionate” while not being fussy about his position in the batting order.Pujara, who made a match-winning debut in Bangalore against Australia in 2010, played just two further Tests before a knee injury in IPL 2011 sidelined him for six months. Recovering from the surgery, he missed out on the home series against West Indies late last year, but was eager to get a ticket for the Australia tour. However, the selectors did not have enough confidence since Pujara, who plays for Saurashtra, had not had quality match practice.Pujara made just 200 runs during last season’s Ranji Trophy, but stronger performances on the recent India A tour of the West Indies, where he topped the run-charts, put him back in the reckoning. “I have been working hard on making a comeback. It has been delayed because there were not many games but I did whatever I could in domestic format and with India A. But I do not want to rush. I’m going to be calm and play my natural game,” Pujara told ESPNcricinfo immediately after being picked for the Tests.Making a comeback was never going to be easy. Pujara was hurt by some pundits questioning his fitness levels. But, working alongside his father Arvind, his driving force and mentor, Pujara made the finer adjustments to his batting. “When you come back after a six-month lay-off it is difficult to straightaway catch the rhythm. You need to start from the scratch. But once you cross those hurdles then you get mentally tough,” Pujara said. He knew he could not throw away a lifetime of hard work. “I am fully motivated. This is the moment I have always worked hard for. There is hunger and passion about playing at the highest level. It is once again a debut game for me.”Mentally adept and patient, Pujara, who is only 24, has blended those qualities with his batting skills which have remained sound and fluent from his age-group cricket days. Though the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have made more headlines in the last year, Pujara has remained a favourite to take the important No. 3 slot vacated by Dravid. It was the same position he batted in the nets today in Hyderabad during the Indian training session, with Kohli at No. 5; the other two contenders – Rahane and S Badrinath – batted late down the order.However, Pujara does not want to be picky about his position in the batting order. “It is a team game so most of the time you have to see the comfort of the team, not your own. As a batsman I need to be flexible. I am a youngster who is making a comeback and not someone who is settled in the batting order so I should not be demanding. Yes, once I prove myself at a particular position then I can say I would like to bat at this number.”

England Lions pair James Taylor and James Harris were the stars of the third day of Glamorgan’s County Championship Division Two clash against Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay

19-Aug-2011
Scorecard
England Lions pair James Taylor and James Harris were the stars of the third day of Glamorgan’s County Championship Division Two clash against Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay.Taylor scored 127 not out, his first Championship century of the season, while Harris claimed 5 wickets for 45 runs from 27 overs – this third five-wicket haul of the summer. Leicestershire declared their first innings on 309 for 7 in a bid to force a positive result. And with an 83-run first innings advantage Glamorgan finished their second innings on 146 for 4 – an overall lead of 229.Glamorgan will probably leave Leicestershire a chase of something in the region of 320-330 runs from 60-70 overs. Leicestershire had resumed the third morning on 140 for 4 requiring a further 103 to avoid the follow-on.In a morning session relatively free of incident, Glamorgan managed to take just the one wicket when Harris claimed his fourth wicket accounting for Wayne White – who had reached his 50 from 80 balls. When Paul Dixey joined Taylor the east Midlands county still wanted 82 to save the the follow-on.Taylor had been very watchful throughout his innings until on 72 he played his first shot in anger –
driving Robert Croft for six over long-on, a shot which should have been caught by Will Owen on the boundary but it went through his hands. Dixey went to his 50 from 95 balls, but in the next over he edged Harris into Wallace’s gloves to give the seamer his fifth victim – his third five-wicket haul of the summer.Taylor went to his first Championship century of the season. It was a marathon effort taking six hours 21 minutes. He faced 255 balls. Just before the declaration Nick James took his first Championship scalp with his second ball, bowling Jigar Naik.After Taylor saw Leicestershire to their third batting point Hoggard declared. Either side of tea Glamorgan lost a wicket – Petersen edged an attempted cut behind off Buck. From 25 for one the home side slumped to 29 for two when Rees was caught down the leg-side in the first over after tea off White.Will Bragg and Stewart Walters steadied the Glamorgan ship in a third wicket partnership of 76 to take the overall lead to 159 before Walters chipped off spinner Naik to midwicket. James became Naik’s second wicket, trapped lbw, before Bragg reached his half-century from 98 balls just before the close.

Somerset limped to their seventh Clydesdale Bank 40 win in seven games by beating the Unicorns by three wickets at Exmouth

08-Aug-2010

ScorecardSomerset limped to their seventh Clydesdale Bank 40 win in seven games by beating the Unicorns by three wickets at Exmouth.Marcus Trescothick’s side shook off the loss of their skipper to a second ball duck to chase down their target of 167 with two overs to spare. A second-wicket stand of 67 in 14 overs between Nick Compton (64) and Craig Kieswetter (30) broke the back of the semi-professional team’s resistance. The result was rarely in doubt after the Unicorns made just 166 for 9.Trescothick was bowled by an inswinger from Neil Saker for a duck, but the ex-Surrey seamer’s opening partner Jonathan Miles then received some punishment from Kieswetter and Compton as they took advantage of the powerplay.Kieswetter eventually pulled medium-pacer Glenn Querl to deep backward square-leg and Devon star Neil Hancock forced Zander de Bruyn to play on in the next over. Compton reached his 50 from 66 balls with four fours and one six, a lofted cover drive off Miles. And Compton and James Hildreth took the game away from the Unicorns with a stand of 58 in 13 overs before the latter was adjudged lbw to Tom Sharp for 29.Jos Buttler has developed a reputation as a one-day finisher in his first full season at senior level and he and Compton took the powerplay in the 34th over. Buttler smashed Querl straight for six but Compton attempted the same shot and picked out long-on. Pete Trego and Ben Phillips then both popped up catches off Querl but by then the game was already over as a contest.De Bruyn had been the pick of Somerset’s bowlers with 3 for 27 from his eight overs. Alfonso Thomas had Jackson Thompson caught behind in the third over before Josh Knappett pulled Trego to square-leg. Chris Murtagh cut de Bruyn to Compton at point before home captain Keith Parsons edged Murali Kartik to Trescothick at first slip for 20.Sean Park flayed de Bruyn high to Trego at third man before top-scorer Michael O’Shea’s 40 came to an end when he skied leg-spinner Max Waller to deep mid-off. Waller had a second wicket in as many balls when Hancock went back and missed a cut to be bowled for 19.De Bruyn’s third wicket saw Sharp edge him behind and Kieswetter also caught Saker to give Phillips a third wicket before Querl (28 not out) helped reach respectability.

Former captain predicts a tightly fought series as two teams in transition go head to head

Andrew Miller30-Oct-2024Jason Holder, West Indies’ former captain, says that England’s third white-ball tour of the Caribbean in as many years is a “massive boost to their survival as an international team”, and goes a long way towards repaying the ECB’s debt to his team after they helped to save the finances of English cricket during the Covid summer of 2020.Holder, 32, led the West Indies squad that played three Tests behind closed doors in Manchester and Southampton at the height of the Covid outbreak in July 2020, enduring weeks of lockdown in bio-secure surroundings to help “keep the lights on”, in the words of the former ECB chief executive, Tom Harrison.It was a tour that helped to mitigate the ECB’s losses during the pandemic, which could have been upwards of £380 million had their entire summer schedule been cancelled. Each of those three Tests was worth approximately £20 million as they helped to fulfil the board’s £1.1 billion rights deal with Sky Sports.Speaking at the end of that tour, Holder had warned that the ECB would be obliged to reciprocate the favour to help out cricket’s “smaller countries” who lacked the financial clout to stage matches during a global lockdown. Now, four years on, he believes that England have been fulfilling their side of the bargain.Related

• Pooran, Russell, Hosein and Hetmyer back for England T20Is

• Jason Holder calls on ECB to show gratitude with reciprocal tour

• Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph rested for South Africa T20Is

• England add Jordan Cox and Rehan Ahmed to Caribbean tour

• 'Unknown' Jafer Chohan grateful to SACA after England's leap of faith

“I think it’s a fair way of putting it,” Holder told ESPNcricinfo, ahead of an eight-match tour that will be shown on TNT Sports in the UK. “We’ve obviously had the English coming over for the last three years consecutively. And that has definitely boosted, not only our economy within the Caribbean, but it adds a massive boost to our survival in international cricket.”We rely heavily on series between England and India, our revenues tend to come from those two teams. It’s our biggest series within any calendar year, and, yeah, it’s one that really brings the fans down to the Caribbean and creates a really fun atmosphere.”So, it’s great to have them and to see the fans packing the stadiums as well. There’s always a good banter between the West Indian public and English public. So we’re thankful that we’ve been able to have them so many times in as many years. And long may it continue.”Despite the financial disparities between the two boards, the Caribbean has been a particularly tough destination for England teams in recent years. The Test team, famously, hasn’t won a series in the region since 2004, while the white-ball squads have lost each of their last three series: 3-2 in the T20Is in both 2022 and 2023, and 2-1 in their last ODI campaign in December last year.Jason Holder has been recuperating in the UK after injury and will be a studio pundit for England’s tour of the West Indies•Getty Images

“I’m looking forward to the contest,” Holder said. “Both teams are in a transitionary phase, so it’s going to be keenly contested. England have obviously got a point to prove, and they’ll be trying a few different combinations to see what works. And likewise, with West Indies, we’ve got a lot of youngsters within our cohort, and it is important for them to just gain experience, gain confidence and gain knowledge. I think these series will go a long way to developing our base at a rapid rate.”The youngest player of the lot will be Jewel Andrew, West Indies’ 17-year-old rising star, who made his ODI debut in their most recent match against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Saturday. He has played only a handful of professional fixtures, but having impressed at the Under-19 World Cup, he has been fast-tracked into the international set-up on the back of a breakout first season in the Caribbean Premier League.”The first time I saw him was when I played against him, quite recently, in the CPL,” Holder said. “He definitely stood up. He looks a very easy-going player. He’s got time, and any top-order batter who shows signs of having time is promising.”It’s important for him to learn and work hard, but the sky’s the limit for him. He’s scored runs at the levels below, and he’s coming in with some confidence. We all remember when we first came into international cricket, when we had that freedom to express yourself. And the more he expresses himself and gains knowledge and confidence, that will put us in good stead in years to come.”We’ve never been short of talent,” Holder added. “It’s just a matter of harnessing the talent and making sure that we make full use of it. There’s no doubt that he’s one for the future, and I hope that West Indies put things in place to keep him in and around the system, and make sure he develops a steady rate so that we can utilise him in years to come.”Holder himself hasn’t been involved in West Indies’ white-ball set-up since pulling out of their T20 World Cup plans through injury in June, and will instead be a studio pundit for TNT in the UK throughout the eight-match tour.”I haven’t retired, that is still a long way off,” he said, with an eye on the next 50-over World Cup in 2027. “We’ve still got a few more series to play before then. So I’m just working myself back to full fitness, to get back on the field and be able to play at full capacity.”Looking back on the T20 World Cup, in which England’s Super Eights victory in St Lucia proved critical to West Indies’ hopes of reaching the last four, Holder acknowledged it had been a missed opportunity for a strong squad to do something special in front of their home fans. But, with players such as Evin Lewis – fresh from a comeback century in Sri Lanka – and Shimron Hetmyer set to face England in the coming campaign, he’s confident there will be other chances for this team to compete for global trophies in the coming years.Jewel Andrew, 17, could feature in the series after his ODI debut last week•CPL T20 via Getty Images

“When you look at our overall performance, we probably feel a little bit disappointed that we fell short. But the beauty of this squad is it’s not too old. We’ve still got a quite young-ish side that can stay together for the next two years, to fight for another trophy in 2026. So I don’t think is all is lost. We need to understand our strengths and weaknesses, and just keep improving.”In the meantime, he anticipates another high-scoring showdown between two aggressive white-ball outfits, one in which the Caribbean’s notoriously fickle winds could once again play a big part in the tactical battle that unfolds.”It’s a really crucial point,” he said. “The wind factor has always been a massive contributing factor to whether teams bat or bowl in the Caribbean, because it plays a massive part in the actual game. It tends to sway your tactics a little bit, in the sense where you feel more comfortable chasing because by then you know you’ve got a big side and a small side, for hitting with and against the wind.”It’s always 50/50 in the Caribbean when it comes to that wind factor, because you can set up a team with left- and right-handers, and just continuously use your power throughout the entire innings.”Obviously, in one-day cricket, it’s a bit longer so it’s more strategic, where you have to actually build an innings. But when it comes to going hell for leather, it’s a matter of being as spot on as possible with the tactics, because the ball can travel in the Caribbean.”England, clearly, will be no strangers to the conditions after three bilateral tours plus the T20 World Cup in recent times, and Holder acknowledged that Antigua in particular will be something of a home from home, after four matches there in the past 12 months alone.”The English have been frequenting the Caribbean as much they possibly can. They’ve got a young side, but the majority of their senior players have been to the Caribbean multiple times, and they’ll be able to guide the younger players within this squad as to how to how to get around the conditions in the Caribbean.”Tune in to England’s tour of the West Indies, starting with the first ODI live on TNT Sports 1 from 5.30pm on 31st October. Sign up to TNT Sports and discovery+

Harry Brook stars with 85, but Australia respond in composed fashion in final session

Andrew McGlashan27-Jul-2023Australia 61 for 1 (Khawaja 26*, Labuschagne 2*) trail England 283 (Brook 85, Starc 4-82) by 222 runsThe final match of the Ashes began in similar fashion to the first, with England hurtling along on the opening day with the bat. Harry Brook led the way with a sparkling 85, but this time they could only reach 283 in overcast, bowler-friendly conditions despite Australia shelling five catches along the way.Mitchell Starc, who hurt his shoulder at Emirates Old Trafford but gave another display of his resilience, finished with 4 for 82 to take his series tally to 19 – the best of his four overseas Ashes series – while the rest of the wickets were shared around. Pat Cummins bowled much better than 1 for 66 would suggest while there was a brace for the recalled Todd Murphy, although he was again used sparingly.By stumps, Australia could say they’d had the better of day as they negotiated 25 overs for the loss of David Warner. He and Usman Khawaja added 49 for the first wicket before Warner fell to Chris Woakes for the third time in a row, edging to second slip, having earlier survived a review by England when Stuart Broad thought he found the glove, but it was only arm.Although the destination of the Ashes had been rubberstamped at Old Trafford there was plenty left riding on this final Test – 3-1 or 2-2 makes very different reading. That is especially true for Australia, having held a 2-0 advantage before defeat at Headingley and all-but certainly being saved from another by the Manchester rain.Cummins is not one to worry about what has happened in the past and he showed that by following Tim Paine’s erroneous route from 2019 of asking England to bat when, for the first time on this tour, the coin fell in his favour.For a while it appeared Australia might, again, fluff their lines with the ball; firstly when England’s openers reached 62 for 0 inside the opening hour and then at 184 for 3 as Brook and an injured Moeen Ali forged a rapid century partnership. But, though they again conceded runs at an eye-watering rate, enough chances were created to compensate for the missed ones.The initial drop had come from Warner when he gave Ben Duckett a life at slip on 30 against Cummins’ first ball of the match. It was Duckett who dominated the early scoring, including a thumping drive down the ground against Josh Hazlewood as he leapt out of his crease. His spritely stay was ended with a glove down the leg side against Mitchell Marsh, although Australia needed DRS (having already burned a review for lbw against Zak Crawley) to overturn Kumar Dharmasena’s not out decision.Straight after drinks Cummins, who was under some scrutiny after his struggles at Old Trafford, was rewarded for an excellent opening spell when he had Crawley edging into the slips having previously beaten him three times in a row as he found good bounce from the Pavilion End. When Joe Root dragged on against Hazlewood, England were 73 for 3 and in danger of losing their way.It should have been 78 for 4 a few moments later when Brook edged Cummins but Alex Carey couldn’t hold on, going one-handed to his right in front of first slip. Brook counterattacked while Moeen held firm. There was no playing for lunch by Brook as he swiped Marsh over the leg side for six then hammered Starc for two fours and a six in consecutive deliveries moments before the interval.Brook’s half-century came from 44 balls, but he could have fallen without addition had Cummins managed a hit direct at the non-striker’s end after collecting the ball in his follow through, turning on his heels and throwing.It was shortly after that when Moeen pulled up lame with a groin injury after running a single. Following treatment he continued his innings but was barely able to walk, let alone run, and a frenetic period of cricket ensued which included a huge mowed six over deep midwicket off Cummins and another top-edged to fine leg, as well as a ramp over the keeper, while using his bat as a crutch to limp between the wickets when he had to.The century stand came up in 17 overs. Murphy, who had been recalled in place of Cameron Green, was introduced for the first time in the day for the 34th over. His second ball was dragged down and pulled away by Moeen, but then the next was more of a heave across the line which he missed. How much a role he could play for the rest of Test was uncertain.There was momentary calm as Brook and Ben Stokes tried to set up another partnership, but the England captain received one of Starc’s crackerjack deliveries which straightened late and ripped back off stump as Stokes looked to play to the leg side.Neither did Jonny Bairstow last long as he dragged on against Hazlewood and, four balls later, after another crisp straight drive brought Brook’s 11th four, his dreams of an Ashes hundred vanished when a booming edge was snaffled by Smith at second slip.England had lost 4 for 28 in 55 balls and there were visions of Australia batting before tea. However, Woakes and Mark Wood, the heroes of Headingley, added 49 with more freewheeling strokeplay. Woakes had been given lbw to the first ball of the final session but DRS, asked for almost apologetically, showed a thin edge which even Woakes had not felt. Two balls later, Australia dropped another catch when Marsh spilled Woakes in the gully.Murphy claimed his second of the day when he cleaned up Wood but Woakes, who was also dropped by Murphy off his own bowling, kept swinging including a towering blow for six straight down the ground off Starc before the innings ended with a top edge to deep square leg.

Selectors may ponder batting Ashton Agar batting at No. 7 if conditions dictate a different balance of team

Alex Malcolm04-May-2022Australia could consider playing five specialist bowlers plus an allrounder in Sri Lanka as a way of sneaking three spinners into the side for back-to-back Tests in Galle.They picked three specialist spinners, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson and Ashton Agar, in their Test squad last week along with three further specialist spinners – Todd Murphy, Matt Kuhnemann and Tanveer Sangha – for the Australia A tour to take place just prior to the Test series.Chair of selectors George Bailey confirmed that the prospect of playing three spinners in the one Australian line-up was possible, something they did in Bangladesh in 2017 when Agar last played a Test match.Speaking to on Tuesday, head coach Andrew McDonald expanded on the selection conundrum of picking three spinners in the XI with particular reference to both Tests being played in Galle.Related

• Australia keen to expose 'scarcity' of spin stocks in Sri Lanka

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“It’s always there,” McDonald said. “You pick three spinners in your squad for that exact reason. We challenged ourselves on it in Pakistan but the information we had leading into the games there was probably two spinners at best.”Galle creates another conversation. It’s how you fit them in. Mitchell Starc has an unbelievable record in the subcontinent and Sri Lanka in particular. I think the last tour there he was the leading wicket-taker. So you’re going to be a brave man to leave out either the captain [Pat Cummins] or Mitch Starc to pick a third spinner. So it’s really how it fits.”Can Ashton Agar potentially bat one spot higher to create a bit of space? I think what we’ve done is we’ve given ourselves the options through what we’ve picked and that’s the important part.”We feel as though we’ve got the balance to play multiple ways depending on the conditions. Two Test matches in the one venue back-to-back is an uncommon thing as well. There’s a few variables on the ground. But we’ll hope to make some good decisions when we get there.”Mitchell Starc holds the ball up after taking his second five-wicket haul of the match in Galle•AFP

Starc took 24 wickets for the series on the 2016 three-Test tour of Sri Lanka including 11 wickets in the match in the last Test Australia played in Galle. But Australia were thumped by 229 runs with offspinner Dilruwan Perera bagging 10 wickets as Sri Lanka played three spinners and one fast bowler in the Test, with Vishwa Fernando bowling just two overs for the match. Australia played two spinners and two fast bowlers, with Mitchell Marsh as the allrounder. Lyon played as the sole spinner on debut in Galle in 2011 taking 5 for 34 in the first innings but Australia’s quicks did the damage in the second innings.Sri Lanka hosted four Tests at Galle last year, with left-arm orthodox Lasith Embuldeniya taking 28 wickets while offspinner Ramesh Mendis took 20 in three matches. England won two Tests with a five-man attack picking two quicks and two spinners with Sam Curran playing as the bowling allrounder. Spin duo Dom Bess and Jack Leach took 22 wickets between in the two victories.A five-strong Australian attack of Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Swepson and Agar would require the wicketkeeper Alex Carey to bat at No. 6 and would leave Travis Head vulnerable given Cameron Green’s value as the additional bowling option. It also means there is still no room for Josh Hazlewood who was left out of the last two Tests in Pakistan while Scott Boland has not played since his remarkable debut in the Ashes.However, the need for six bowlers in Galle might be surplus to requirements given there has not been a drawn Test there since 2013, with the last 15 Tests ending with a result.Australia’s ability to bat long and bat big, particularly in the first innings, was pivotal to their victory in Pakistan. Although batting conditions may be more difficult in Sri Lanka, the same blueprint will be used to pave the way for success there as it was in the victorious tours of 2004 and 2011 when Australia had to bat their way out of trouble on several occasions. The inability to counter spin in 2016 led to a 3-0 defeat.McDonald did confirm that Glenn Maxwell’s name had briefly entered selection discussions ahead of the tour given his skill and experience on the subcontinent, but ultimately it was decided to stick with the group that succeeded in Pakistan.”He’s got a great record in the subcontinent, India in particular with that hundred at Ranchi,” McDonald said. “He can give us offspin. Yeah, there was a small discussion around what it would potentially look like but I think the reward for the team that went to Pakistan as well, that squad, the way it went about it’s work, it was always going to be very difficult to change that way of playing.”

Test pair took three wickets each as NSW completed their finest ever Sheffield Shield comeback after being bowled out for 64

Alex Malcolm11-Nov-2020New South Wales produced one of the greatest comeback victories in Sheffield Shield history with Test duoNathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc claiming three wickets each to bowl Tasmania out on a dramatic final day.The Blues’ win by 146 runs ranks as the state’s finest ever fightback after being bowled out for just 64 and trailing by 175 runs on the first innings.Tasmania began the final day at 2 for 26 but an excellent partnership between Matthew Wade and Peter Siddle took them through to lunch unscathed and had Tasmania in a comfortable position at 2 for 101 needing 247 in the final two sessions for victory.However, Lyon struck with the first ball after lunch, extracting sharp turn and bounce to have Siddle caught brilliantly at short leg by Nick Larkin who needed two bites to pouch the reflex catch.Wade and Ben McDermott then settled into a 52-run stand. McDermott survived some nervous moments but Wade looked in control against Lyon and Starc to bring up his third half-century of the season. But Lyon changed the game again when Wade tickled a leg glace to a well-placed leg slip, on 59, with Larkin snapping up another sharp chance.The Test spinner knocked over Jake Doran cheaply with a classical off-break that scratched the edge of the left-hander’s groping blade. McDermott reached his fourth half-century of the season but ran out of luck against Starc to give the Blues two wickets in two overs and when, just before tea, Beau Webster inexplicably carved Starc straight to point and the end was nigh for Tasmania.Starc and Harry Conway wrapped things up shortly after the final break, with Starc claiming the last wicket, pinning Test captain Tim Paine lbw to complete the remarkable result.