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Bangladesh held their collective nerve against Pakistan, as Mahmudullah’s cameo secured a five-wicket win and a place in the Asia Cup final

The Report by Mohammad Isam02-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:29

Bazid Khan: Sharjeel, Hafeez never deliver when it matters

Those who watch cricket regularly will tell you that in a tight contest, the winning side will always show some signs of their impending triumph. Mahmudullah’s upright blast over extra cover at the start of the 17th over can only be described as the shot of the tournament so far. In a tight chase of 130 against Pakistan, it was only fair that Mahmudullah struck the blow that took Bangladesh to the Asia Cup final.Despite Shakib Al Hasan’s brain freeze to Mohammad Amir in the 18th over, Mashrafe Mortaza struck two heroic fours immediately after to ease Bangladesh’s nerves. Then, in a manic 19th over bowled by Mohammad Sami which included two no balls, Mahmudullah’s squeezed boundary past point all but sealed victory for the hosts. Once Mahmudullah duly knocked off the winning runs with a slog past midwicket, he and Mashrafe wheeled away in wild celebration, nearly ramming into their on-rushing team-mates.Mahmudullah’s unbeaten 15-ball 22 was perhaps the most important innings of his career, particularly because he was at the crease in the last over of the 2012 Asia Cup final, when Bangladesh fell short by two runs against Pakistan. This game went into the last over too, but mostly because Bangladesh lost wickets at crucial stages and were trying their best not to crumble to Amir. The other Pakistan bowlers were all shoddy, and they were not helped by the team’s very poor effort in the field.Still, it was Bangladesh who were pegged back early in their 130-run chase. Tamim Iqbal was the first to go as a rare leg-before victim of Mohammad Irfan, who brought the ball into the batsman and hit the striding front pad half-way up. Luckily, Soumya Sarkar found Sabbir Rahman willing to stick around to weather the initial Amir storm. After the pair had safely negotiated those two overs, they looked for runs off the other bowlers. Soumya managed to hit Amir for an elegant four through midwicket, while Sabbir’s only boundary in his 15-ball 14 also came through a roll of the wrist, through fine-leg.Sabbir fell to Shahid Afridi in the ninth over, missing a charge completely to be bowled. Soumya survived a few close calls with miscued hits dropping short on a number of occasions, but he was generally hitting them well on the leg-side. Mushfiqur Rahim was also lucky to survive a close leg-before appeal to Afridi before Amir and Malik brought Pakistan into the game in the space of eight deliveries in the 13th and 14th overs.Having been brought back for a single over as his second spell, Amir yorked Soumya by clattering into his leg-stump. Soumya had made a run-a-ball 48 that had five fours and the pumped six into the midwicket stands, but when he got out, Bangladesh needed 47 off 40 balls.There was much expected from the experienced duo of Mushfiqur and Shakib at that stage, but Mushfiqur was given out leg-before trying to reverse-sweep Malik in the over after Soumya got out.Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain were Bangladesh’s best bowlers, stepping up in the absence of Mustafizur Rahman, who was ruled out through a right side strain. Taskin bowled his first maiden over in his T20I career in a first-spell that saw him give away just one run. His second spell produced the wicket of Umar Akmal; he finished with figures of 4-1-14-1. Al-Amin bowled two tight overs at the top, giving away just nine runs before returning in the last four overs to give away four and 12, as Bangladesh decently closed out the Pakistan innings for 129 for 7.Pakistan’s innings followed the same pattern of their previous games, losing three early wickets. Khurram Manzoor sent to open the batting, played out the first over and then got out for one off the first ball of the second, an Al-Amin delivery that jumped on him outside off-stump. It was the third time in the four Asia Cup matches that Al-Amin had taken a wicket in his first spell. Sharjeel Khan was bowled after missing a slog off Arafat Sunny in the fourth over, after he had faced just eight balls till that point, hitting a four and six.Mohammad Hafeez was unlucky when he was given out leg-before by umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge when even on the first view, it looked as if the Mashrafe Mortaza delivery was climbing. Replays confirmed that it was yet another erroneous decision by an umpire in the Asia Cup. When Taskin removed Akmal in his second spell, Pakistan ended with the lowest score – 34 for 4 – in the first ten overs against Bangladesh.Sarfraz Ahmed and Malik then joined hands for a fifth-wicket partnership. Malik struck Shakib for a six that was as straight as an arrow, and also found three fours on the off-side as well as one that was tickled past long-leg. Sarfraz got both his sixes with swings to midwicket, and tucked into fours through covers, midwicket, and mid-on.Malik was in the groove when he mistimed Sunny to the deep midwicket boundary for 41 off 30 balls. Soon, Sarfraz reached his second T20I fifty with an inside-out blast over cover in the penultimate over.But it was Mahmudullah’s inside-out blast over the covers that would be the most memorable moment of the game, as Bangladesh got themselves to the final of a tournament that they were fearing a bit more than the World T20 itself.

With most English cricket followers absorbed in another engrossing Test match, albeit briefly diverted by Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 151 in the Natwest T20 Blast, there was little attention on Pietersen’s return. Perhaps that was just as well.

Tim Wigmore at The Oval31-May-2015
ScorecardSteven Davies steadied Surrey after Kevin Pietersen’s failure•PA PhotosWhen Kevin Pietersen began his last innings for Surrey three weeks ago, he did so convinced that an England recall was in his hands if only he would score enough runs. He certainly did that, plundering an unbeaten 355 against Leicestershire, but to no avail. When he had advanced to 326 after the second day, he was informed by Tom Harrison and Andrew Strauss that he should consider himself a former England cricketer.Most assumed that would be that in first-class cricket – and perhaps all English cricket. Few had Pietersen marked down as the sort content to play in front of a sparse crowd at The Oval on a gloomy day when floodlights were needed to make cricket possible. Yet, after missing the final stages of the Indian Premier League with calf and Achilles problems, Pietersen told Surrey that he would be available – just as he had originally intended – for Lancashire’s visit in the Championship. Given Pietersen’s first-class average of 99.50 for Surrey, the club were in no mood to resist, especially as Lancashire arrived as the Division Two leaders.With most English cricket followers absorbed in another engrossing Test match, albeit briefly diverted by Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 151 in the Natwest T20 Blast, there was little attention on Pietersen’s return. Perhaps that was just as well.After getting off the mark with a classic Red Bull run first ball, Pietersen lasted just two more deliveries. Few players would have survived the ball that snared him, a Kyle Jarvis delivery that seamed and bounced late, beseeching an edge from Pietersen’s bat en route to Paul Horton at first slip. Pietersen was left to trudge off at an anaemic pace, perhaps wondering how many times he will do so again. After Surrey’s next Championship game – against poor Leicestershire again – he is scheduled to go to the Caribbean Premier League. Do that, and Pietersen risks being out of sight and out of mind to English cricket.He was not the only player in exile from international cricket at The Oval. The nature of Jarvis’s absence is very different: self-imposed rather than enforced. It is a source of great regret to Zimbabwean cricket that Jarvis, who moves the ball at considerable pace and, as Pietersen would testify, can generate surprising bounce, no longer represents the country of his birth. Zimbabwe could rather have done with Jarvis in Pakistan, and Alistair Campbell, the managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, has made overtures to Jarvis to return, but to no avail. “No, no I’m here in county cricket,” Jarvis said when asked if there was any chance he could yet play for Zimbabwe again.So eight Tests by the age of 24 are likely to remain the extent of his international career. Two years ago, Jarvis showcased his qualities by taking 5 for 54 in a Test in the Caribbean. It should have proved the prelude to a fulfilling international career. Instead a few months later Jarvis retired after a player dispute over salaries with the Zimbabwean board, and signed as a Kolpak player for Lancashire.Finding fulfillment in county cricket has not been easy. After arriving at Lancashire late in the 2013 season, Jarvis spent 2014 failing to make use of his talent, instead alternating between the treatment table and second XI cricket. “There were big expectations when I arrived. I felt the pressure,” Jarvis said. He credits Glen Chapple’s appointment as bowling coach with adding discipline and consistency to his game. If Jarvis can still bowl too full, here inviting himself to be driven through the covers by Steven Davies, the occasional profligacy is well worth it. This season has brought 36 Championship wickets at 22.05 apiece, with Zafar Ansari following Pietersen in nicking to Horton at slip.While Jarvis has shaped up as Lancashire’s attack leader in 2015, Tom Bailey, who has a solid, dependable action, is a fine foil. After Lancashire had inserted Surrey to bat at an overcast Oval, Bailey helped to justify the decision by delivering four consecutive maidens and then inducing Rory Burns to flash behind.If Jarvis’s dismissal of Pietersen was to the best ball of the day, Jordan Clark’s dismissal of Kumar Sangakkara might just have been the most satisfying. With a man at fine leg, Clark delivered a well-directed bouncer, locating a little extra pace that induced Sangakkara to pick out James Faulkner. So there was plenty to justify Alec Stewart’s assertion that Lancashire were “the best bowling attack” Surrey had encountered so far in 2015, even as Davies and Jason Roy combined stylishly while the sun emerged in the final hour of the day.

GOAL predicts how the Lions of Teranga could line up in the semi-final clash against the Stallions at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Wednesday

Senegal will come up against Burkina Faso in the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Wednesday.

The Lions of Teranga are seeking their first-ever Afcon title at the 33rd edition in Cameroon despite making 16 appearances. Below GOAL predicts how coach Aliou Cisse could line up his players.

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper – Edouard Mendy

Despite conceding against Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals, the Chelsea shot-stopper has been in great form since recovering from Covid-19 as he managed to keep clean sheets against Malawi in their final group phase fixture and against Cape Verde in the Round of 16.

He will likely keep his spot as the Lions of Teranga target to reach a second successive final.

AdvertisementBackpagepix.Defender – Bouna Sarr

The 30-year-old, who features for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich has been instrumental for the Lions of Teranga in the right position, where he also overlaps from the wing and he will definitely remain Aliou Cisse's preferred player in that position.

（C）Getty ImagesDefender – Saliou Ciss

Despite being booked in the quarter-final game against Nzalang Nacional, Ciss, who turns out for French Ligue 2 club Nancy, has played a key role for Senegal in the Afcon campaign and will likely keep his position against the Stallions.

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Getty Defender – Kalidou Koulibaly

The 30-year-old Napoli defender missed the first two group matches owing to Covid-19 but has kept his position since making a comeback in the game against Malawi.

Being the captain of the side, Koulibaly will be expected to lead by example and help Seegal reach the final.

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are battling for prestigious titles in North Wales, with the pair referring to themselves as Sir and Dr Wrexham.

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Hollywood stars completed takeover in 2021Made important impact on and off the fieldNever take themselves too seriouslyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Hollywood actors are now fully integrated into life on and off the field at SToK Racecourse, with their presence helping to raise the Red Dragons’ profile around the world. They have also become ambassadors for Wales as a nation, with another tongue-in-cheek promotional video produced to help entice visitors to the country.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT MCELHENNEY & REYNOLDS SAID

Within said video, Rob McElhenney opens up by referring to himself as “Mr Wrexham”. Reynolds questions who bestowed that title upon his fellow co-chairman, leading to him adopting the moniker “Dr Wrexham”. Eager to ensure that he gets the final word and the best title, McElhenney wraps things up by inviting tourists to enjoy Wales with him, “Sir Wrexham”.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Reynolds and McElhenney have used comedy to help promote their adventures in the United Kingdom on a regular basis, with the Deadpool and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars forever happy to poke fun at themselves while never taking life too seriously.

The Red Devils had the exciting Sweden winger on their books but decided to make an expensive and wild bet on the Brazilian instead

The date is February 23, 2022, the city is Madrid and Manchester United fans have a new favourite player as well as a new favourite chant. Their teenage idol has silenced the usually deafening Atletico Madrid supporters at the Metropolitano and all that can be heard is a new version of a 1990s smash hit.

"Rhythm is a dancer, Anthony Elanga, come and stop him if you dare," sing the visiting fans. "Comes from Scandinavia, he's United's saviour, scoring goals from everywhere." Elanga has just equalised for United in the Spanish capital and, four days previously, he had scored in a 4-2 win against rivals Leeds.

It helps that he has been with the club since he was 12 and is a pacey winger with tricky feet, following in a fine tradition of United favourites from George Best to Ryan Giggs to Cristiano Ronaldo. There is a sense that he is saving United, too, not just from defeat to Atletico, but also from a gloomy season in which they have already sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and suffered a series of humiliating defeats.

Elanga is also an exciting new figure for United fans to believe in less than a month after that shocking audio of Mason Greenwood emerged, leading to his arrest and his banishment from the squad. The future looks bright for Elanga at Old Trafford.

But fast forward two years and Elanga has left the club, joining Nottingham Forest last summer for a paltry free of £15 million ($19m), having made just five Premier League starts under Erik ten Hag compared to 14 the previous campaign under Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

Meanwhile, Antony, the player who was signed for a whopping £85m ($107m) and took Elanga's place in the team, cannot even get in the starting line-up amid an injury crisis. As United head to Nottingham Forest in the fifth round of the FA Cup, the last chance to save their season, it is tempting to conclude that they put their faith in the wrong winger called Ant(h)ony…

Getty ImagesNot quite justifying the hype

It is worth pointing out that the initial hype about Elanga generated was slightly wide of the mark and the Swede was not yet ready to be United's saviour. He was still only 19 and struggled to sparkle in the second-leg defeat against Atletico Madrid and in the numerous other matches he started in the final stretch of that dismal campaign, in which United recorded their lowest ever points total in the Premier League.

But he had shown enough promise not to be completely written off either, yet that is what Erik ten Hag seemed to do when he took over later that summer. The manager did give Elanga three consecutive starts early on in the season against Liverpool, Southampton and Leicester and he did not quite deliver, but he can't have been playing too badly as United won all three. By that point, however, Ten Hag had effectively undermined the Swede by urging the club to sign Antony from Ajax and at an extortionately high cost.

The manager had naturally wanted extra reinforcements after the opening defeats to Brighton and Brentford but if there was one area of the squad that definitely did not need addressing, it was wide forwards. Antony's arrival took the number of wingers to four, joining Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Elanga. It was five if you counted Alejandro Garnacho, who had come on the pre-season tour and soon began knocking on the first team's door.

Garnacho's stunning performances deservedly saw him get more and more opportunities and Elanga continued to be marginalised. And this was despite the fact that Antony's promising start (three goals in his first three games, a club record) had quickly given way to a barren period in which the Brazilian contributed zero goals and zero assists in the league in the space of six months.

Elanga ended the campaign with just seven starts in all competitions. His last appearance was hardly a nice memory, being introduced for the final five minutes of the humiliating 7-0 demolition by Liverpool at Anfield, when United were already six goals down.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTwelve goal contributions

Elanga was one of many players the club had decided to sell last summer but one of the few there was legitimate interest in. Forest, who love a transfer nearly as much as Chelsea, were glad to take Elanga off United's hands and the forward knew he had to make the move to get his stalling career back on track.

"It is the right time now for the perfect next step in my career. I'm someone who lives for football and I need to be on the pitch every week doing what I love," Elanga wrote in an emotional farewell statement. "We'll always have 'Rhythm is a dancer'. It meant the world to me and my family every time that we heard that chant."

Elanga has been superb for Forest, lighting up an otherwise tricky season for the Tricky Trees. He needed less than two minutes of action off the bench away to Arsenal to get his first assist for Forest and did not take long to get his first goal, the only strike in a historic win at Chelsea.

In 18 starts and seven appearances as a sub, Elanga has five goals and seven assists in the Premier League. That's more goal contributions than any other Forest player and indeed any United player. And it's a darn sight better than Antony, who has no goals and no assists in the league despite making 20 appearances.

Getty'I wanted a fresh start'

United might well be looking back at the decision to get rid of Elanga as one of many recruitment errors they have made in the last few years and which Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS experts will be seeking to put right now they have taken control of the club's football operation.

Looking at how well Elanga has done at the City Ground, Forest got a real bargain while United badly sold themselves short in accepting just £15m for a player who has out-scored every United player bar Scott McTominay and Hojlund. Elanga, however, does not appear to be looking back.

“Sometimes football is like that, it might not always work somewhere,” Elanga told The Times. “I had seen what he [Ten Hag] did at Ajax so I was looking forward to it but I just didn’t get the opportunities.

“It was difficult but it was needed because I wanted to play and I didn’t want to spend another season just playing 10 minutes or not playing for 10 games. I wanted a fresh start but I knew it wouldn’t be easy leaving a club that I had been at for nine years."

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Getty ImagesAntony still struggling

While Elanga has thrived away from United, Antony has continued to flop while remaining with the Red Devils. And the City Ground has mixed memories for the Brazilian. Last year he broke his six-month goal drought by scoring for United and got a rare assist by setting up Diogo Dalot in a sweeping move.

But in December he had one of his worst ever games for United in a grim 2-1 defeat. To make matters worse, he was outshone by Elanga. Former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel did not hold back in his criticism: "He doesn't give much to the team. He frustrates his team-mates. It's really frustrating. He's had an opportunity for a long time, this is a player that hasn't scored this season, he's not made an assist and he's not scored, it's like he's not really understanding the game."

Antony has not started a league match since that drab performance at the City Ground. He has, at least, managed to get off the mark for the season, getting his only goal and assist in the 4-2 win over fourth division Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round.

After that match he gave a defiant interview in which he vowed to put things right. "I fought hard to reach the levels of playing for this club, I know I can build on yesterday’s performance and continue to show my qualities," he said. "I pushed myself day after day for better performances.

"I will continue to completely close myself off to improve and play the football that United hired me to do. The whole club, every fan, deserves the best from each one of us. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, where everyone wants to be and it's where I want to build my story."

Mithali Raj’s fourth ODI century, which came one match too late, helped India maintain their unbeaten record against Pakistan and end their World Cup campaign with a consolation victory

The Report by Amol Karhadkar in Cuttack07-Feb-2013
ScorecardMithali Raj’s fourth ODI century, which came one match too late, helped India maintain their unbeaten record against Pakistan and end their World Cup campaign with a consolation victory. The six-wicket win helped India end the tournament at seventh place.No team had chased more than 105 at the Barabati Stadium during the tournament. However, once the Pakistan batting eventually clicked, the sizeable crowd – expectedly the biggest turnout so far – knew that India had to bat very well in order to chase down a respectable target of 193.India lost Poonam Raut cheaply for the second time in as many games, falling over while attempting an on drive, trapped in front of the wicket. Mithali walked in at No.3 and looked in sound touch and though she had started off on a similar note against Sri Lanka, she made sure she stayed till the end.When Raj and the left-handed opener Thirush Kamini were looking set for a big partnership, the opener perished, holing out to Sana Mir at mid-off off Bismah Maroof with the score on 51. Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur were untroubled by the Pakistan bowlers. Raj did the bulk of the scoring, charging down the wicket and lofting the offspinner Mir straight and following it up with a square cut through point off the next ball.Four balls after the halfway mark, Kaur perished, thanks to a run out. Shortly after, the offspinner Nida Dar sneaked through Sulakshana Naik’s defence to leave India at 108 for 4. Raj found an able partner in Reema Malhotra. While Malhotra focused on rotating the strike, Raj went after the Pakistan bowlers at will.Once India crossed the 150 mark, Raj cut loose and eventually reached her century to robust cheers from the crowd after pulling Dar for a one-bounce boundary through midwicket. India thus overhauled the target with four overs to spare.Pakistan’s decision to bat first appeared surprising, considering they came into this game on the back of totals of 84, 104 and 81. However, fifties by Nain Abidi and Nida Dar, and the duo’s 80-run stand for the fifth wicket helped Pakistan post a better total.The pair not only resurrected Pakistan’s innings but also helped them register their highest ever total in World Cup matches, also their fifth-highest total overall. Despite losing Abidi while attempting to push the scoring, Dar remained unbeaten, raising the third-highest individual score for a Pakistani in international women’s cricket.

Somerset’s Friends Life t20 game against Hampshire Royals at Taunton was called off an hour before the scheduled start on Sunday after torrential morning rain left the outfield saturated

12-Jun-2011
Somerset’s Friends Life t20 game against Hampshire Royals at Taunton was called off an hour before the scheduled start on Sunday after torrential morning rain left the outfield saturated. The umpires inspected at 1.30pm, shortly after the Hampshire team had arrived, and decided no play would be possible. It was the second t20 game at Taunton to be abandoned without a ball being bowled in the space of three days after Friday night’s match between Somerset and Kent suffered the same fate.

Brad Haddin, the Australian opener, has rubbished reports that the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit were looking into Australia’s slow start in their Group A match against Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2011Brad Haddin, the Australian opener, has rubbished reports that the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) were looking into Australia’s slow start in their Group A match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad.”It’s quite a laughable story. It’s a joke,” Haddin told reporters during a net session at the SSC in Colombo. “We just got off the mark a bit slowly.”Haddin and Shane Watson, the Australian openers, scored five runs in the first two overs and only 28 in the first ten. Australia eventually went on to score 262 for 6, after which their bowlers secured a 91-run victory.The story, which was reported by , was also criticised by Australian team manager Steve Bernard, who said that “it was the silliest thing I’ve heard this week – and I’ve heard a lot of silly things since I’ve been here”.”I’ve just heard the story a moment ago and I’m not sure how to respond, except to say it would make a cat laugh. It’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard in my life that a side can be 0-5 after two overs and that that’s suspicious.”The ICC said it did not comment on any ACSU matter, including whether or not a match had been investigated. In the last few years however, with the advent of spread betting, the ACSU has been on high alert to keep an eye on unusual scoring patterns. Since the spot-fixing scandal, they have been keeping tabs by monitoring a large number of matches.

On the first day of the series Rangana Herath and Suranga Lakmal put Sri Lanka on top, but by stumps the Australians had found a stabilising ingredient, Michael Hussey, whose 95 kept them in the game

The Report by Brydon Coverdale31-Aug-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Hussey swept with the spin and kept Australia in the contest•AFPSmart stats

Michael Hussey’a 95 is his fourth score in the nineties and his 25th half-century in Tests. In matches since his debut (November 2005), Hussey’s aggregate is second only to that of Ricky Ponting among Australia batsmen.

Australia were dismissed for less than 300 for the eighth time in Tests in Sri Lanka. On the previous tour, they were bowled out for 220 in the first innings in Galle but went on to win the Test by 197 runs.

Ponting once again failed to convert a good start into a substantial score. In Tests since the start of 2008, his conversion rate of fifties to centuries is just 0.33 whereas in the period from the beginning of 2002 to the end of 2007, the conversion rate was over one (24 centuries and 23 fifties).

The 55-run stand for the third wicket between Ponting and Michael Clarke is the sixth half-century stand between the two batsmen in Tests. They have shared three century stands in 24 innings with a highest of 352 against Pakistan in 2010.

Rangana Herath’s 3 for 54 is his third-best bowling performance against Australia in Tests. His top two performances against Australia came in Colombo (2004) and Galle (1999).

Playing in his 40th Test, Prasanna Jayawardene became the third Sri Lanka wicketkeeper after Kumar Sangakkara and Romesh Kaluwitharana to reach the 100-dismissal mark in Tests.

There is a recipe for success against Australia’s batsmen. As England have discovered, it involves a generous portion of quality spin bowling and a dollop of reverse swing, while a pinch of variable bounce doesn’t hurt. On the first day of the series Rangana Herath and Suranga Lakmal followed the proven formula to put Sri Lanka on top, but by stumps the visitors had found a stabilising ingredient, Michael Hussey, whose 95 kept them in the game.Australia could have finished the day with a very nasty taste in their mouth were it not for Hussey, who missed out on his 14th Test century when he was lbw to Tillakaratne Dilshan as the sun set on Galle. The Sri Lanka openers walked out to face one over but the umpires decided the light was insufficient, and the hosts headed back inside to prepare for the second day, knowing that batting wouldn’t be easy on a pitch offering plenty of turn.Hussey handled the conditions better than any of his team-mates, sweeping with the spin, watching the ball closely out of the bowler’s hand, and getting to the pitch whenever possible. He had come to the crease at 91 for 3, with rebuilding required, and he did just that in a watchful start; at one point Australia faced 83 balls between boundaries.Gradually he allowed himself some more expansive shots, and brought up his half-century from his 115th delivery with an off-drive for four off Suraj Randiv. He struck three sixes off Randiv, two convincing and one off which he was fortunate to survive. Chanaka Welegedara at long-off stepped back to take the catch, but touched the boundary with his foot after he completed the take, which would otherwise have ended Hussey’s innings on 76.By pushing Australia up to 273 after they had been 157 for 5, Hussey gave them hope. The good news for Australia is that the batting conditions won’t get any easier and Sri Lanka, unless they post a monstrous first-innings score, will have to bat last. The bad news is that Australia will be relying on an attack featuring two debutants, one of whom, their only frontline spinner Nathan Lyon, has just five first-class matches to his name.Lyon can learn a lot from the way Herath bowled on this surface. Sri Lanka left out their mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis – a mystery in itself, given how he bamboozled Australia at times in the limited-overs games – but Herath proved a difficult enough opponent in favourable conditions. That much was obvious from the moment he was introduced, in the seventh over of the match.Shane Watson had come out hard against the seamers, but he was flummoxed by Herath’s first delivery. From around the wicket, the left-armer got the ball to drift in, grip and turn sharply on a pitch devoid of grass, and Watson’s outside edge was wonderfully taken by one of the best pure gloveman in world cricket at the moment, Prasanna Jayawardene.From that point on, Australia knew they had a tough day ahead of them. Herath didn’t run through the batting order – he finished with 3 for 54 – but nor did he let the batsmen settle. Clarke had used his feet well against the slow men, but on 23 he was done in by a Herath delivery that skidded on, straightening just a fraction, and Clarke was lbw after Sri Lanka reviewed the not-out decision.And while the big turner got Watson and the straight ball baffled Clarke, Ricky Ponting went to a delivery that fell somewhere in between. Freed from the burden of captaincy, Ponting had played a couple of cracking shots, including a square drive for four off Welegedara and a fleet-footed loft back over the head of Herath.Soon after that shot, Ponting, on 44, tried the same again but Herath imparted just enough extra spin to deceive Ponting, whose lofted shot ended up going straight to the man at long-off. It was a disappointing end for Ponting, who seemed bent on rebuilding Australia’s innings and had put on a 55-run stand with Clarke.They had come together after Phillip Hughes was surprised by extra bounce from Suranga Lakmal, who caught the shoulder of the bat and had his man caught at slip. It wasn’t the only time the Australia batsmen were caught out by fine pace bowling; on the stroke of tea, Usman Khawaja failed to pick the late swing from Welegedara and he was bowled for 21.Brad Haddin struck a couple of fierce blows in his 24 before he was well taken at leg slip by Angelo Mathews off Randiv, and Lakmal helped finish off the tail. Australia contributed to their own demise, Ryan Harris declining to ask for a review of his lbw, although replays showed Lakmal’s delivery would clearly have missed off stump.Trent Copeland made 12 on debut, but his main task will come on the second day. Wet weather delayed the start by an hour on the opening morning, and more rain is forecast for the next few days. Whether Australia can find a winning recipe remains to be seen. At least the groundstaff have served up a result pitch.

ESPNcricinfo previews the one-off Twenty20 international between India and England in Kolkata

The Preview by Dustin Silgardo28-Oct-2011Match FactsIndia v England, October 29, Kolkata
Start time 1830 (1300 GMT)Graeme Swann takes over as England captain for the Twenty20 game•AFPBig PictureEngland have not won a match against India in India since 2006, and this Twenty20, strangely scheduled after the one-day series, is probably their best opportunity. The India players would have enjoyed the festivities over the three-day Diwali break. MS Dhoni visited his home in Jharkhand for the first time in four months after the fifth ODI, and his tweet on arriving at Eden Gardens on Thursday – “Kolkata, back on national duty” – did not reveal a great deal of enthusiasm at the prospect of this one-off game.England’s biggest weakness over the five one-dayers was that their batsmen struggled against India’s spinners, and will hope that the reduced number of overs will make R Ashwin and co less effective. They will also have a new captain, and will need Graeme Swann’s famed wit to lighten the spirits of some visibly frustrated players. Swann reckons England should just enjoy the match, after a testing series so far, and that may be their best bet against an India side that may struggle to find meaning in the match after having already battered England over the one-dayers.The big test during this Twenty20 could well be for neither team, but for the Bengal Cricket Association. The sparse crowds that marred the ODI series were typified by the half-empty Eden Gardens stadium for the final one-dayer. The Diwali season may have been an excuse for that poor turnout, but with the festival now over, the number of people the organisers can bring through the gates on Saturday could be an indicator of where cricket in India is headed.One thing that will not work in their favour is the odd scheduling of the match. The significance of a one-off Twenty20 games is debatable in any case, but at least when scheduled before an ODI series they may act as something of a preview to the series. Now, with India fans already high on the euphoria of the 5-0 drubbing and Diwali, it is questionable how many people remember England are even still here.There are a few points of interest in the match, though. This is the first Twenty20 international since the ICC announced the official Twenty20 rankings. England are currently ranked first, but a loss will take them down to third, while India will want to improve their No. 5 ranking.Form guideIndia: LWWWW (completed games, most recent first)
England: LWWLLSpotlight Robin Uthappa has not played for India since 2008 but has been dominating domestic attacks in recent times. Innings of 92 off 36 balls and 64 off 20 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy suggest he belongs at a higher level. Parthiv Patel’s failures in the one-day series mean this is a good time for Uthappa to make a case for himself as a reserve opener in the limited-over formats.Less than a year ago, Yusuf Pathan hit a couple of one-day centuries that seemed like they would cement his place in the India side for some time to come. A mediocre World Cup and a poor West Indies tour later, Yusuf found himself out of not just the playing XI but the squad. He too has been bludgeoning attacks in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and will have a real point to prove if he plays in Kolkata.Since bursting onto the scene with 41 off 21 balls against India in Cardiff, Jonny Bairstow has had a poor run in internationals, and managed just 49 runs in four innings in the one-dayers in India. With a few other young dynamic batsmen coming into contention for the Twenty20s, Bairstow will want to ensure he is still head of the pack.Team newsBoth Yusuf and Uthappa should make it to the XI, in place of Ravindra Jadeja and Parthiv Patel, who is not in the Twenty20 squad. Gautam Gambhir is also missing the game to get married, and Manoj Tiwary should play in his place. Rahul Sharma was included in the squad on the back of his performances in the IPL so it would make sense to try him out in the Twenty20 format.India (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Manoj Tiwary, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt and wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 R Ashwin/ Rahul Sharma, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 R Vinay Kumar, 11 Varun AaronAlex Hales and Jos Buttler are in India specifically for the Twenty20 and should play. Jade Dernbach was replaced by Stuart Meaker for the final ODI, but has a decent Twenty20 record and could return to the side. If Kevin Pietersen doesn’t recover from his thumb injury Ian Bell could slot in having previously been dropped for Twenty20 cricket.England (probable): 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ian Bell/Kevin Pietersen, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Jade Dernbach, 11 Steven FinnPitch and conditionsThe pitch at Eden Gardens for the fifth one-dayer was slow and started to offer considerable turn as the match wore on. There will not be as much deterioration over 40 overs, but if the matches here during the IPL were any indication, the Twenty20 may not be as high-scoring as some might hope.Stats and trivia This will be the first Twenty20 international England will play on Indian soil. The two have played each other three times in T20s, with England leading the head-to-head 2-1 This will be the first Twenty20 international played in India since 2009. There have been just three completed T20Is in India before, and the home side have a 2-1 record With 1011 runs, Kevin Pietersen has the second-most runs in Twenty20 internationals among all batsmen. Only Brendon McCullum has moreQuotes”We don’t play enough Twenty20 internationals in a tour. I would look forward to the time when every tour would have at least a three-match Twenty20 series.”
Graeme Swann is not pleased that England will play just one Twenty20