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Tamil Nadu trump Gujarat in thriller, Khaleel Ahmed’s first T20 five-for goes in vain as Rajasthan lose to Vidarbha

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2019Uttarakhand keep winning streak aliveUttarakhand continued their remarkable run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2018-19, clocking their fourth victory on the trot by beating Tripura by a handy 37 runs. Uttarakhand are yet to lose a match in the competition, and are currently sitting on top of the Group E table with 16 points.Put in to bat, Uttarakhand were well served once again by Karn Veer Kaushal, who hit 58 off 44 balls opening the innings. Vaibhav Panwar also made 46 as Uttarakhand put up a reasonable 147 for five.ALSO READ: Uttarakhand’s rise from Big Bang chaosTripura’s reply ran into early trouble and never recovered, as they were bowled out for 110 in 19 overs, Rohit Dangwal taking 3 for 16. Captain Rajat Bhatia took 3 for 29, and outside of a 56-run stand for the fifth wicket in which Manisankar Murasingh contributed 33 in 18 balls, Tripura didn’t have any substantial partnerships.Tamil Nadu sneak past Gujarat in low-scoring contestA combined effort from Tamil Nadu’s bowlers stopped Gujarat at 124, giving TN a one-run win after they had put up 125 for 6 after being put in to bat.TN were in early trouble at 21 for three, having lost M Vijay and B Indrajith, but steady contributions from the middle order averted a collapse. NS Chaturved (34) and Washington Sundar (33) both scored at less than a run a ball, and N Jagadeesan’s 29 boosted TN towards the end.For Gujarat, Arzan Nagwaswalla had a successful T20 debut with 3 for 11 in four overs, building on the good form he had shown with both white ball and red earlier in the season.CHECK OUT: All the Syed Mushtaq Ali scorecardsGujarat’s reply was helmed by Chirag Gandhi, who remained not out on 68 off 66 balls from No. 4, but the next highest score was Nagwaswalla’s 12 from No. 10. Gandhi ended with his highest T20 score, but could only watch in frustration as Hardik Patel, the last man, was run out at the bowler’s end after a mix up.Gujarat had slipped to 96 for nine in 16.5 overs with Nagwaswalla’s wicket, and Gandhi ensured he farmed the strike as much as possible, facing almost every delivery thereafter. He hit four sixes and an equal number of fours, single-handedly adding 28 runs for the last wicket – 25 off his bat and three extras. With Gujarat 123 for nine and one ball left, Abhishek Tanwar bowled one well wide. The umpire signalled it, but Hardik had run almost down the length of the pitch even as Gandhi stayed put. Before Hardik could scramble back, the ball had been relayed to the bowler, who broke the stumps.Khaleel Ahmed is thrilled after picking up a wicket•Associated Press

Karnewar’s four trumps Khaleel’s fiveKhaleel Ahmed continued his good form with a first-ever five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, but despite his 5 for 18, Rajasthan lost a low-scoring match against Vidarbha by 44 runs.Choosing to bat first, Vidarbha were shot out for 117 in 16.5 overs, with Khaleel doing the damage in just 2.5 overs. Vidarbha had started well, but collapsed after being 61 for two in 5.2 overs. Atharva Taide made 23 off 16 at the top of the order while wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma hit 49 off 29, but the rest couldn’t contribute too much, with Khaleel taking the last three wickets in five balls.Rajasthan began steadily, with opener Manender Singh and No. 3 Robin Bist putting on 45 runs off 41 balls for the second wicket, but went from 47 for one to 73 all out. The wrecker in chief was Akshay Karnewar, who took 4 for 7 in 3.5 overs, his best-ever T20 figures. Rajasthan’s innings also lasted exactly 16.5 overs, and Karnewar replicated Khaleel’s feat in finishing things off with three wickets in the last five balls.Shaw returns to formPrithvi Shaw, who had made a tepid comeback from injury in the tournament, returned to form with a blazing 71 off 47, taking Mumbai to a six-wicket win against Goa. Shaw had scored ten, eight and a duck in Mumbai’s three previous games, but smashed seven sixes and five fours as Mumbai chased down their target of 141 in just 18.2 overs.Goa were restricted to 140 for four after choosing to bat. Each of the top four made more than 25, but only captain Amogh Desai (38 off 24) scored at a strike rate better than 120.In Mumbai’s reply, Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane put on 95 in 11.1 overs to set them well on course. Rahane (31 off 25) played second fiddle in the stand, but even though Shaw fell and Shreyas Iyer had a rare failure, Mumbai’s fast start meant they completed the chase comfortably.

England have retained Jake Ball with the T20 squad for their triangular series with Australia and New Zealand as cover for fellow fast bowlers Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2018England have retained Jake Ball with the T20 squad for their triangular series with Australia and New Zealand as cover for fellow fast bowlers Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan.Plunkett suffered a hamstring strain during the third ODI against Australia, missing the last two games as England won the series 4-1. Jordan had been playing T20 in New Zealand’s Burger King Super Smash competition but is also carrying a hamstring problem, and neither is expected to play in Friday’s warm-up game against the Prime Miniter’s XI in Canberra.Ball has been on tour with England since the start, playing the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. He was then unused until the final ODI, when he had figures of 0 for 58 to help England win in Perth, despite having to go off the field during the closing overs after suffering a dizzy spell.He will stay on as cover and could play at Manuka Oval if England want to rest one of their remaining seamers, Mark Wood, Tom Curran or David Willey. Ball was Nottinghamshire’s leading wicket-taker in their 2017 NatWest Blast success, although has yet to be capped in T20 internationals.Alex Hales is also set to miss the warm-up match after injuring his hand while attempting to take a catch in the Perth ODI. England hope all three players will be fit for their opening tri-series match against Australia next Wednesday.Hales’ absence could give James Vince a chance at the top of the order. Vince remained in Australia to play in the Big Bash League after enduring a difficult Ashes, but he has a better record in white-ball cricket and enjoyed watching on as England recorded a comprehensive victory in the ODIs.”To beat Australia in Australia, especially after an Ashes defeat, is a great response,” Vince said. “There are a few new faces in this squad but we’ll try to take the momentum into this series.”

Following his early success with the ODI team, South Africa have included chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi in their squad for the Tests in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-20160:51

Quick facts: Keshav Maharaj

SA squad for Australia Tests

Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Dane Vilas
IN: Morne Morkel, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rilee Rossouw, Dane Vilas
OUT: Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Dane Piedt, Stiaan van Zyl

Two uncapped spinners will form part of South Africa’s attack on their three Test tour to Australia in November. Chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, who has enjoyed early success in ODIs, and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj have been included in the 16-man squad. They come in at the expense of offspinner Dane Piedt, who had played both home Tests against New Zealand and three of the four Tests against England last summer, and seemed to be establishing himself as first choice.The pace pack has fewer surprises with Morne Morkel returning, subject to coming through a first-class match starting on Tuesday. Morkel sat out the New Zealand Tests and Australia ODIs with a back problem and has since made a come back in club cricket. He forms part of a five-man seam attack with Kyle Abbott, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander.Faf du Plessis will captain in place of the injured AB de Villiers while in-form Rilee Rossouw – who is yet to win a Test cap – has been added as batting cover in place of Stiaan van Zyl. Dane Vilas will travel as the reserve gloveman. Dean Elgar, who sustained an ankle injury ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, has been in action for the Titans and will take his place at the top of the order. With allrounders Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell nursing knee and rib injuries respectively, South Africa are without an allrounder apart from JP Duminy, who has been earmarked to play a role with the ball as well.”Basically, we are following a horses for courses policy as we feel that spinners who turn the ball away from the right-hander are going to be particularly useful in Australian conditions and against the Test batsmen we are likely to face,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors, said. “I am excited about the cover we have in this area with a wrist spinner and a left-arm orthodox spinner, with JP Duminy able to offer the right-arm variety as well.”Still, the inclusion of two rookie spinners is a bold move from South Africa, and seems to come as a consequence of Piedt’s wickets costing too much. He was South Africa’s third-highest wicket-taker in the England series, with 10 scalps at 45.50, and he was South Africa A’s joint-highest wicket-taker in their two unofficial Tests against Australia A but his six wickets came at an average of 43.66. Piedt had a good first-class run last summer, finishing third on the overall wicket-takers’ list, behind Shamsi and in front of Maharaj.Shamsi was joint-second with 41 wickets at 16.07 while Maharaj was joint-fifth, with 36 wickets at 32.00. While Shamsi has not played a first-class match since April, and his time with the South African ODI squad means he will not feature for the Titans before the Australia tour, Maharaj has started this season with great success. He took a career-best 13 for 157 to bowl the Dolphins to victory over the Warriors in the opening round of the first-class competition.Half of South Africa’s Test squad will not have had long-format game time ahead of the tour as they finish the ODI series but Cook, Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Vernon Philander, Vilas, Dean Elgar, Morkel and Maharaj will all have at least one domestic match under their belts before the squad travels. Cook and Bavuma scored an unbeaten 97 and 76 respectively for the Lions in their win over the Cobras. Vilas and Philander played in the same match, without much success. Elgar scored 33 and 1 for the Titans against the Knights and Morkel will play for the Titans in their fixture this week.South Africa will also have two warm-up matches in Australia – one ahead of the series and another between the second and third Tests. The final fixture is a day-night match at the Adelaide Oval, in which de Villiers is holding out faint hope of being able to participate in.

Thanks to a disciplined pace-bowling attack, aided by mediocre batting from Punjab, Mumbai bundled the visitors out for 154 inside the first two sessions

The Report by Amol Karhadkar08-Oct-2015
ScorecardShardul Thakur carved out Punjab’s middle order to limit the side to 154•PTI

Attitude and discipline. For Mumbai captain Aditya Tare, these were the biggest lessons learnt from a topsy-turvy Ranji Trophy campaign last season and he wanted his team to improve on both aspects this time around. The Mumbai team delivered on both counts on the opening day of their Group B tie against Punjab to take a firm grip on the game at the Wankhede Stadium.Thanks to a disciplined pace-bowling attack, aided by mediocre batting from Punjab, Mumbai bundled the visitors out in a little over two session. And Shreyas Iyer’s blitzkrieg, an unbeaten 61 off 43 balls, then ensured that despite losing both the openers, the hosts were only 51 runs behind Punjab’s tally of 154.If Mumbai can bat through the second day, they will be set to make up for their disappointing start to the season, after they conceded the first-innings lead to Andhra last week.Tare’s decision to field on a typical Wankhede pitch that didn’t look threatening for batsmen was a calculated risk. But the decision also reflected that he had more confidence in his bowling unit than the batting pack. And the pace attack delivered when they were given an opportunity to excel.Manan Vohra and Jiwanjot Singh looked in little trouble for the first half hour, with the former driving the ball elegantly. Once Shardul Thakur couldn’t extract any movement off the pitch or in the air, Tare brought in Balwinder Sandhu. And the seamer’s introduction, aided by Abhishek Nayar’s accurate bowling, dried the run flow.It eventually resulted in Jiwanjot mis-timing an attempted drive and Sandhu latched on to a one-handed return catch in his follow-through. Half an hour and seven runs later, the change of ends worked for Thakur. The fast bowler bowled a short one and although the ball didn’t rise much, Vohra couldn’t take his gloves away in time while trying to duck under it. The ball kissed his right glove and offered Tare a simple catch.Mandeep Singh played a superb cut shot off the first ball he faced but in Thakur’s next over, fell into a short-ball trap. With Thakur bowling with a deep fine leg and deepish square leg, it was obvious that he would pester Mandeep with short balls. And the batsman walked into the trap by top-edging a pull for Harmeet Singh to run in a few yards from square leg and complete the catch.In walked Yuvraj Singh, who had the additional responsibility to take Punjab to safety in the absence of Gurkeerat Singh, who has been called up to the India ODI squad. The Punjab captain played a stylish upper-cut just before the lunch break and in the first over after lunch, he played a trademark straight punch off Sandhu’s fuller ball.While Kulkarni continued to bowl short to Yuvraj in the next over, Sandhu was soon rewarded for his fuller length. In the bowler’s next over, Yuvraj played a tentative drive only to edge it to Tare. At 75 for 4, Punjab were in trouble of folding early. Soon after Punjab went past the 100 mark, Uday Kaul, who had held one end together, and Himanshu Chawla, who replaced Gurkeerat in the XI, perished in the space of six balls and that opened the floodgates for Mumbai. Sandhu and Thakur didn’t take long to wipe off the tail.The Punjab seamers took a cue from their Mumbai counterparts and accounted for both the Mumbai openers in the first ten overs. But Iyer took the game away, displaying his wide range of strokes. He drove when the seamers pitched it full or wide, flicked off his pads with ease. He crossed 50 with a six, a straight hit into the sightscreen, off the 33rd ball he faced. He was lucky to have been given a reprieve soon after at short midwicket but his knock gave an early indication that he was unlikely to suffer any second-season blues.

A round-up of the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on February 20, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2013

West Zone

File photo: Yusuf Pathan scored 86 off 55 balls to give Baroda their second win in the competition•Fotocorp

Gujarat were able to chase Saurashtra’s 269 through a collective batting performance from their top-order. Saurashtra were put in to bat and their wicketkeeper opener Sheldon Jackson scored 109. Contributions from Rahul Dave (36), Chirag Jani (31) and Kuldeep Raval’s quick fire 30 off 18 balls, helped them put up a sizable score, as they finished 269 for 6.Gujarat started assuredly, with openers Priyank Panchal and wicketkeeper captain Parthiv Patel putting up 136 runs for the first wicket. From there a platform was set and Manprit Juneja chipped in with a vital 66. Abdulahad Malik and Juneja steered the team within a few runs of the target before Juneja fell to Saurya Sanandiya. Gujarat won the match with six wickets in hand, in the 47th over.A belligerent 86 not out by Yusuf Pathan, with a combined effort by the bowlers, helped Baroda to a four-wicket win against Maharashtra at the Poona Club Ground. Chasing 178, Baroda were in trouble at 34 for 3 in the 11th over, when Pathan came in to bat. Within the next 61 balls, Baroda added 70 runs via Pathan and Ambati Rayudu, who scored 40. Pathan stuck till the end, hitting six sixes in his 55-ball knock, to see his side home in the 29th over.Maharashtra’s innings was based on short but significant knocks by their middle-order batsmen. After being put in to bat, they lost wickets regularly to struggle to 113 for 7 in the 36th over, before Shrikant Mundhe and Akshay Darekar rescued them by adding 58 runs. But this contribution wasn’t enough as they were bundled out for 177.

South Zone

Half-centuries from Rohan Prem and Sanju Samson helped Kerala to a six-wicket victory against Goa in Porvorim. Kerala were comfortable in their chase of 223, through a strong top-order batting performance. After opener VA Jagadeesh fell in the seventh over, Karimuttathu Rakesh and Prem added 54 runs, before Samson and Prem put on a century stand that virtually sealed the contest.Goa steadily lost wickets after choosing to bat. Their captain and opener Sagun Kamat attempted to anchor the innings, but departed after scoring 71. Towards the latter stages of the innings, Robin d’Souza scored 50 off 42 deliveries to push them beyond 200.Karnataka squeezed home by one wicket against Andhra, with only two balls remaining in the match. After Andhra were put into bat, AG Pradeep (55), Amol Muzumdar (39) and B Sumanth (39) led them to 228 before they were dismissed in 48 overs. Vinay Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 38.Robin Uthappa continued his good form with another fifty, with fellow opener Lokesh Rahul contributing 75. Despite the rest of the Karnataka middle order getting starts, no one was able to push on, with Bodavarapu Sudhakar taking some vital wickets to temper the chase. Ultimately Raju Bhatkal and KP Appanna held their nerve, taking Karnataka to yet another win as they continued their unbeaten streak in the competition.A responsible knock from Dinesh Karthik helped Tamil Nadu beat Hyderabad by 26 runs. Karthik scored a run-a-ball 119, as he put on 108 runs for the third wicket with B Aparajith, who scored 51. Tamil Nadu looked set for a big total before Chama Milind struck twice to help stop the run flow towards the end of the innings. Tamil Nadu ended up with 262 for 9 after fifty overs.Hyderabad started their chase strongly before opener Kolla Sumanth was run out, to leave them at 82 for 1. This was the first of three run-outs in the innings, which hampered Hyderabad’s chase. Dwaraka Ravi Teja (43), Bavanaka Sandeep (42) and Sundeep Rajan (52) all got starts, but couldn’t continue on to take their team home. P Amarnath took three wickets at the end to help dismiss Hyderabad for 236.

Central Zone

An attacking century from opener Puneet Yadav propelled Rajasthan to a commanding victory over Railways, by seven wickets, in Indore. Yadav, with a 117-ball 123 – his highest List A score – put on 112 runs with fellow opener Siddharth Saraf, and 98 runs with captain Robin Bist, to help them reach their target of 232 in the 44th over.Railways’ top order was also productive, but at 215 for 6, they couldn’t accelerate towards the end of the innings, as their last six wickets fell for just 18 runs added. Mahesh Rawat, their captain, top-scored with 81. Seamer Raman Chahar and spinner Madhur Khatri took three wickets each.A five-wicket haul from Jatin Saxena gave Madhya Pradesh a 68-run victory against Vidarbha. After MP chose to bat, seamer Shrikant Wagh, who finished with six wickets, struck early to dismiss both their openers with just 37 on the board. Saxena (61) and Naman Ojha then put together a 136-run partnership for the third wicket to help stabilise the innings. Ojha would finish on 83, with Harpreet Singh contributing an aggressive 39. Wagh returned to pick off three more wickets near the end to leave MP on 263 for 8.In Vidarbha’s chase, legspinner Saxena was instrumental in keeping Vidarbha’s chase under control. Akshay Kolhar (45), Shalabh Shrivastava (33) and Akshay Wadkar (35) were unable to build on their respective starts as Vidarbha were ultimately dismissed for 195 in 47.1 overs.The win gave them top spot in the points table.

The rest of the Plunket Shield will be covered via an internet live stream in addition to the regular updates provided on Radio Sport

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2012The rest of the Plunket Shield will be covered via an internet live stream in addition to the regular updates provided on Radio Sport. New Zealand Cricket and Radio Sport announced there would be a live stream on and that would alternate between the three games played simultaneously in each round. Four rounds of matches in the Plunket Shield have been completed; another six remain.Radio Sport’s decision to replace live commentary of Plunket Shield matches with intermittent updates caused a stir among fans in New Zealand, and an online petition was started to change the network’s mind. The live internet stream will appease the fans, according to David White, the CEO of NZC. “Cricket fans have a strong emotional attachment to the Plunket Shield and they want to be able to remain connected to the matches throughout each day’s play,” he said. “We believe this will provide fans with choice and it will certainly increase the channels by which fans can follow their teams.”Dallas Gurney, general manager of talk programming for The Radio Network, said the response from fans to the decision to scrap live commentary had influence the move to provide a live stream. “There was a strong amount of passion and we are delighted to be working with NZC to respond to that passion with this initiative,” Gurney said.

Corrie van Zyl believes that the heartbreak at Wanderers on Saturday can be turned around into a positive if taken in the right way

Sidharth Monga in Cape Town17-Jan-2011South Africa have a big correction to make. There are trends emerging from their contests with India that will bother them. In each of their previous three Test series against India, they have taken a 1-0 lead with innings wins, but have given it up in the next match. In their last three ODI series against India, they have given up the 1-0 lead twice, and have lost two of their last five matches against India by one run.India, though, are not letting the Wanderers win fool themselves. They know they need huge improvements. “Okay we have won the last game, but it was not like we played to our potential,” MS Dhoni said on the eve of the third match of the series that now stands at 1-1. “We are still playing below our potential. It is important to perform up to our potential in every department, batting, bowling and fielding. We are quite a bit worried about all those things rather than concentrating on the other side.”You need runs on the board, that’s one thing the bowlers can defend. But it’s not only the batting department. There are other areas too that we need to work on. Fielding is, of course, big. Whatever runs you save, whatever way you see it, it either mounts your total or gets deducted from the opposition total. If you can get one run-out per match, that can really change the course of the game. In the last two games, maybe we haven’t seen too much of death bowling, but that’s a very crucial aspect. There are quite a few areas we are working on.”India will try to capitalise on whatever mental edge they might have through that one-run win, but South Africa will believe this is a good time to regroup. Corrie van Zyl believes that the heartbreak at Wanderers on Saturday, where they needed 39 runs in 18 overs with six wickets in hand and still found a way to lose, can be turned around into a positive if taken in the right way.”I believe that you must turn around every bad experience and make it work positively for you,” van Zyl said. “That [Wanderers] is just one of them [experiences]. I know this team feels really bad and really hurt about the way we lost on Saturday, but you know what, if you work through that and you really analyse what has happened, it can only make you a stronger person and a stronger team.”In the absence of Jacques Kallis, South Africa had a fairly young middle order to see that chase through, and van Zyl believes that for their sake, it was good that happened in a comparatively lower-profile game than the bigger matches to come. “I think that rather it happened now and let’s go through that than later. I think one day when you have achieved something – I won’t say what – but when you have achieved something, you can look back and say, ‘Remember that day and how we felt on that day. Or the next two days after that.’ That will make it even sweeter if you are successful after that.”The choke in Johannesburg notwithstanding, South Africa are still up against a depleted Indian side, against batsmen who don’t prefer the bouncing ball much, against bowlers who are fighting niggles and struggling for consistency. The biggest challenge for them remains to pick themselves after what can be a demoralising defeat.”India have shown that they can do it,” he said. “There is no reason why we can’t do it. It’s all a question of picking yourself up, where you understand we batted poorly in that innings. We know what we have done wrong, we have to go and rectify it. It’s not difficult to pick yourself up.”

Craig Kieswetter hit 77 off 52 balls as England Lions completed a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against Pakistan A

Cricinfo staff12-Feb-2010
ScorecardCraig Kieswetter underlined his potential with an unbeaten 77 off 52 balls as England Lions completed a comprehensive seven-wicket victory in their first Twenty20 match against Pakistan A. Ian Bell made 48 as he added 115 for the third wicket with Kieswetter as the Lions made light work of their chase and won with 14 balls to spare.Kieswetter launched the pursuit in style as he pulled Tanveer Ahmed for six and added three further maximums in his innings including one that landed in the stands above the changing rooms. His effort ensured the Lions comfortably overcame the loss of two wickets in two balls after Wahab Riaz bowled Steven Davies and Michael Lumb.Kieswetter qualifies for England next week having completed his four-year qualification period after moving from South Africa and is tipped to challenge for a place in the full Twenty20 and one-day line-up in the near future. Bell, meanwhile, is trying to earn a one-day recall and his 44-ball innings provided calm support, allowing Kieswetter to play his shots, before he fell with eight runs needed for victory.The Lions spinners had earlier played a key role in restricting Pakistan A as James Tredwell and Adil Rashid bowled their combined eight overs for 38 after the pacemen had found the going tougher. Steve Kirby bowled a single over that cost 13 and Sajid Mahmood’s four overs went for more than 10 an over.Shahzaib Hasan, who has played four Twenty20 internationals, top-scored for Pakistan A with 57 off 55 balls but no one could stay with him for very long as the innings stuttered along. Rashid impressed with his control as he had Umair Khan caught at deep midwicket and bowled Aamir Sajjad round his legs.Hasan’s innings was ended by a sharp piece of fielding from Kieswetter, who was playing as a specialist batsman, when he swooped from mid-off to complete a run out. Pakistan A were given a late boost as Ahmed and Naeem Anjum crashed 42 off the final 14 deliveries, but it still wasn’t enough to seriously challenge the Lions.”It was a good win – the boys played well. Its always good to get off to a good start and I’m pleased with the way it went,” Andrew Gale, the Lions captain, said. “We didn’t bowl that well up front but Chris Woakes pulled it back nicely and then the spinners tied them down. They bowled with great control and variation. I was pleased with them both. I thought they were 20 or 30 short.”Craig Kieswetter and Steve Davies set the tone which was important. Both Bell and Kieswetter timed their innings really well. Craig was exceptional is deciding when to take their bowlers down. He played good cricket shots and showed how mature he is. We can improve. We haven’t nailed it up front with the ball or at the death so we will sit down and review that and look where to improve. “

The Australia A tour of India will mark the start of Konstas’ season before a defining month of Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales

AAP09-Sep-20250:27

Konstas gone for duck as tough Caribbean tour ends

Sam Konstas doesn’t care for regrets or critics. And by putting himself on a self-imposed social media ban, the teenager hunting an opening spot in a home Ashes series has ensured he will hear as little of the latter as possible.The 19-year-old is set to play two four-day matches in India for Australia A before targeting four Sheffield Shield games for New South Wales with a goal of finding the red-ball form that eluded him on a tough tour of the West Indies.Whatever happens in the next two months, you can be sure the charismatic young gun won’t be giving two hoots over what outsiders say about his approach.Related

• Australia's Ashes questions: Open season, two allrounders, four quicks?

• Konstas trusting advice of his 'inner circle' ahead of Ashes push

• 'Unbelievable' Archer primed for Ashes impact, says McCullum

Konstas dazzled the cricket world on Boxing Day last year against India on Test debut with a flamboyant and audacious 60 off 65 balls. Critics said he would not be able to play that way on a regular basis and succeed.Runs have since proven elusive and Konstas did not pass 25 in his next nine Test innings.  He is competing with a plethora of candidates to partner Usman Khawaja for the opening Ashes Test in Perth but has no regrets about his approach on debut against Jasprit Bumrah and company.”I wouldn’t change it,” Konstas told AAP. “I don’t have any regrets in my life to be honest. I thought that was the right method at the time and it paid off. I don’t get too fixated about what others say. Whatever I feel is right I totally commit to.”My method is someone who is an aggressive batsman that likes to take on the game, while understanding the game situation when I do play well. It is about trying to score runs and win games.”The more experiences I have in different conditions the more I will adapt. I have to find my method and what works best in each situation.”What also works best for Konstas is not having social media. He went from a relative unknown to a global attraction overnight with 281,000 followers on Instagram. Watching the ball and not his phone screen is now the focus.”I never had social media until I was 18. I had it for a year and now I have taken a break from it to be more present and try and get back in the Ashes squad,” Konstas said. “It is just about focusing on myself and trying to give it a good crack.”Everyone uses social media differently but I feel now is the right time to get off it. I don’t read my comments on Instagram. I don’t care what other people say to be honest but everyone has their opinion.”Konstas heads to India with confidence and valuable lessons already under his belt.”I’ve had a few experiences in the subcontinent,” Konstas said prior to taking centre stage at Tuesday’s ASICS kit launch at the SCG. “I was lucky enough to be in the MRF Academy last year and to tour Sri Lanka as well with the Aussie boys. Hopefully I can score plenty of runs and adapt to those conditions.”It is about trying to be in the present moment with any game I play whether it be my club team, NSW or Australia A ahead of the Ashes.”I got so much out of my first time in the Caribbean and facing a quality fast attack. The wickets were tough to bat on.For me it was about trying to find methods for scoring runs in those conditions and understanding the bounce is variable and trying to find another method, if I do go again.”

Gujarat Titans are in sixth place with eight points, while Delhi Capitals are in eighth place with six points

Shashank Kishore23-Apr-20241:29

Should Titans go with Williamson or Omarzai?

Match Details

Delhi Capitals (eighth) vs Gujarat Titans (sixth)

New Delhi, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – Axar, Kuldeep vs Rashid, Noor

There’s only so much wriggle room in the mid-table, with Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans desperately needing winning momentum in the second half of the league phase.The Capitals have swung from sublime to ridiculous. They have four of the best powerplay performances by a bowling team this season, but they also have the second highest economy rate in the first six overs, after conceding 125 and 88 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.The Capitals had nearly taken their net run rate positive after dismissing Gujarat Titans for the season’s lowest total last week in Ahmedabad, but that high was short lived as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma fired Sunrisers to 266 for 7 at the Kotla.While they lost that chase against SRH, the Capitals provided a peek into what their future could look like, with Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel batting like daredevils. But the youngsters are likely to be tested by the Titans, who have a spin attack comprising Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and R Sai Kishore.Capitals also have the spinners to match the Titans. Axar Patel had dream figures of 4-0-29-1 in a game where over 450 runs were scored, while Kuldeep Yadav bounced back after a first-over shellacking from Abhishek to take four wickets. They could capitalise against one of the slowest top orders this season and a middle order that has lacked the role-clarity that was so crucial to their success in the previous two years. The spinners on both sides, however, will have to contend with a venue that has traditionally been a nightmare to bowl on with its short square boundaries.Related

• Axar, Mukesh speak out against Impact Player rule: 'It only works for a batter's convenience'

• Head starts, a Dhoni finish, and Narine's maiden ton

• An extra over for one bowler – would it help counter the battering in T20s?

Form Guide

Capitals LWWLL (last five matches, most recent first)

Titans WLWLL

Previous meeting

Titans were bowled out for 89, a total that the Capitals chased down in 8.5 overs. The fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed made the difference for DC that evening in Ahmedabad.

Team news and impact player strategy – A game for Kushagra?

Delhi Capitals

Mitchell Marsh is unavailable for the remainder of their campaign due to a hamstring strain. Ishant is also a doubtful starter as he continues to manage back spasms.Prithvi Shaw is likely to be subbed in or out for one of Khaleel Ahmed or Mukesh Kumar depending on whether Capitals bat or bowl first. If they are in trouble batting first and need an extra batter as an impact player, they could consider bringing in Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra.Probable XII: 1 David Warner, 2 , 3 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Abishek Porel, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sumit Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Mukesh Kumar, 12 Gujarat Titans
Titans are likely to swap Sai Sudharsan and Mohit Sharma as the Impact Player, depending on whether they bat or bowl first. While Sudharsan’s performances have been middling, Mohit has the fifth-best economy rate in the death overs among those who have bowled at least 10 overs since IPL 2023.Probable XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha, 3 , 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 David Miller, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 David Warner has scored 37 runs in his last four innings•BCCI

In the Spotlight – Warner and Gill

David Warner has scores of 1, 8, 10 and 18 in his last four innings. He has played the last two games with a finger injury he picked up while attempting a lap sweep on April 12. Jake Fraser-McGurk is making heads turn with his powerplay hitting – a strike rate of 236 off his first 10 deliveries – and presenting a case to be considered for the opening slot. While there’s no imminent threat to Warner’s place, another low score could give Capitals something to think about.Shubman Gill was outstanding in IPL 2023, where he had a strike rate of more than 160 in six of his seven fifty-plus scores. This season, he has managed only one half-century in eight games, with his total tally at 289 runs. His form has somewhat mirrored his team’s batting fortunes and a big second half for Gill could be the boost Titans need to make a pitch for the playoffs for the third successive season.

Stats that matter

• The head-to-head between Anrich Nortje and Shubman Gill reads: three dismissals in six innings at an average of 11.30.
• The Capitals’ powerplay economy of 10.37 is the second highest among all teams this season.
• Umesh Yadav has a favourable match-up against Warner, with five dismissals in 11 innings.
• Rishabh Pant has fallen three times to legspin this season.

Pitch and conditions – Rain on the radar?

Last year, the re-laid pitches at the Kotla offered lateral movement and bounce for the seamers. This season, the Capitals played their first few home games in Vishakapatnam to give the pitches in Delhi time to recover after hosting the WPL. On their return to Delhi last week, records tumbled when Sunrisers smashed 266, and the curator expects another run-fest. There was a thunderstorm that forced both teams to abort their training sessions on match-eve.

Quotes

“There are still a lot of things to learn for Jake Fraser-McGurk. He isn’t a finished product and there is no better place to learn than the IPL. He needs to make it big like [Yashasvi] Jaiswal last night. He is a terrific kid; I like the way he is learning. We aren’t stopping him from doing the things he wants to do but we are also trying to make him learn a few things on the run.”