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Australia’s bowlers conceded their highest total in World Cup cricket and their batsmen were unable to bail them out

Alagappan Muthu09-Jun-20191:28

Shikhar Dhawan walks the talk at ICC events

As it happenedThere was a masterclass in batting at The Oval. Shikhar Dhawan overcame a weakness to score 117. Steven Smith showed none as he made 69. Hardik Pandya was pure unfettered power. David Warner fought demons. And Virat Kohli, as always, was method over madness.That the Oval pitch offered nothing to the bowlers dulled the contest a little bit, but India showed immense awareness with the way they paced their innings and for that alone they deserved victory.There was no inkling at the start of the day that Australia would concede 352 – a new low for them in the World Cup.Shikhar Dhawan raises his bat to the crowd as he walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal.•Getty Images

Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins understood that there wasn’t any help for them and so were quick to pull their lengths back and keep a tight line around the off stump, and occasionally resorted to cross-seamers, bouncers and yorkers to surprise the batsmen.For the first seven overs, Dhawan and Rohit Sharma sauntered along at 3.14 per over. Then came Nathan Coulter-Nile. And three boundaries in six balls. India’s victory is owed entirely to their batsmen recognising moments like these. They were like the muscle car revving up in front of the stop light.Dhawan, especially. He had a big bulls-eye on him. A weakness against left-arm pace. And he’d have to deal with one of the best exponents of it in recent times. He’d been lbw to Trent Boult and Mustafizur Rahman in the warm-up games because of his front foot going too far across, but here a simple change – batting on leg stump, and even occasionally outside – helped him stay beside the ball and survive Starc’s menace.There were other obstacles in his way. Namely Cummins. The right-arm quick hurt Dhawan’s left thumb with a bouncer and the batsman kept yanking his bottom hand off his bat every time he was forced to drive. The physio’s magic spray helped but to play through pain for nearly three hours – he didn’t come out to field in the second innings – was a monumental effort. And it came with a fitting reward. A sixth century in ICC tournaments. Of all batsmen from anywhere, only Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar have more.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India did a great many good things in this game. They identified Australia’s fifth bowler (Marcus Stoinis) and their lead spinner (Adam Zampa) as weaknesses and carted them for 112 runs in 13 overs. A lot of that was Hardik’s doing. The score read 220 for 2 when he walked out in the 37th over and the fifth ball he faced went to the boundary. Later, he hit a straight drive so hard that the bowler Coulter-Nile just ducked. It came back to him in the air and cricketers are supposed to catch those but human beings tend not to want their heads knocked off by a piece of leather.ESPNcriinfo’s Forecaster had India reaching 332 at the halfway stage of their innings. Hardik’s 48 off 27 balls straight up lol-ed at data analytics.Amid all this, Kohli scored 82 off 77 balls, his 50th ODI fifty. It was actually a bit of a scratchy innings. His most eye-catching moment was actually when he went up to the Indian fans in the crowd and told them off for calling Smith a “cheater”.The former Australia captain wasn’t around when they won the ODI series in India three months ago and kickstarted a 10-match winning streak, and he was in the mood to make up for lost time. His footwork, especially against spin, was both instinctive and precise. And even when he found himself in a tangle, like when Chahal surprised him with a dipping yorker or Hardik with an lbw-written-all-over-it low full toss – his hands somehow placed the bat at exactly the place it needed to be.Smith made 69, looking in perfect control. Warner, though, looked every bit a batsman still getting used to the rigours of international cricket again. He could have been bowled by Bumrah’s first ball if the zing bails had worked, and went on to play as many as 48 dots. The man’s capable of scoring Test centuries in that time but here he just couldn’t line up India’s bowlers.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the one responsible for that. His control – bowling back of a length but never giving the left-hander room to cut or pull – meant Australia couldn’t get the kind of rapid start that might have made this more of a contest. And when it was threatening to be one as Smith and Glenn Maxwell put on a rip-roaring partnership, he came back to pick up two wickets in two balls in the 40th over to essentially kill the game. Alex Carey whacked the fastest fifty by an Australian in World Cup cricket, but even that couldn’t make up for the early damage.There was debate before the World Cup about Bhuvneshwar’s place in the XI because he doesn’t always bowl upwards of 140 kph and because the white ball doesn’t swing very much. But his value as a death bowler should not be underestimated. Not only does he have the variations necessary – yorkers, bouncers, slower balls – he knows exactly when to use what. To go at five an over and pick up three wickets in a game that yielded 668 runs was sublime work.

Squad seeking clean sweep in T20s to salvage share of series, after surrendering Ashes in drawn Test

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2019Essex’s Mady Villiers has earned her first call-up to the England Women’s squad for the T20Is against Australia, as they look to save face after surrendering the Ashes in last week’s drawn Test in Taunton.Villiers, 20, made an unbeaten half-century for England’s Academy in the Australians’ Test warm-up match, and impressed with her resolve after coming in at No.9 to a scoreline of 89 for 8 at Marlborough.She is the only new face in a 15-player squad, as England – currently 8-2 down in the multi-format Ashes – seek the 3-0 clean sweep in the T20s that would allow them to claim a share of the series.Captain Heather Knight said: “It’s almost like a one-off IT20 series and we need to give it everything across these last three matches.”We came back strongly in Australia in 2017 and it would feel very different if we ended up at 8-8. That has to be our aim now and we want to finish strongly.”The first of the three T20Is takes place in Chelmsford on Friday.England squad Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Amy Jones, Laura Marsh, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt

Bairstow follows Michael Vaughan spat with century as England defeat India

Melinda Farrell at Edgbaston30-Jun-20190:40

Vettori: Rohit, Kohli need a complementary batsman

Jonny Bairstow admitted it had been a difficult week leading into England’s crucial match against India and said his comments about the public’s attitude towards the England team were misinterpreted. Bairstow was embroiled in a public spat with former England captain, Michael Vaughan, who branded the opener’s comments as a sign of a “pathetic and negative mindset” on Twitter.”Yes it has been a difficult week,” said Bairstow. “In the week it was a fantastic day with Yorkshire Tea representing National Cricket Week. It was a brilliant morning at a school. We had a really good round-table interview, then quotes get sent out and misinterpreted in so many ways. At no point have I said the public is not behind us. The interview had taken place with 6-8-10 journos around in a very jovial, relaxed manner. To read how it was taken was very disappointing. There’s nothing you can change about the past… yesterday’s news is today’s fish and chip paper, that’s the saying isn’t it?”Bairstow responded to the imbroglio with a Player-of-the-Match performance against India, his century and 160-run partnership with Jason Roy paving the way for England’s 31-run victory. There is a theory that criticism brings out the best in Bairstow but when asked if the brouhaha had spurred him on, he demurred.Watch on Hotstar (India only): Bairstow’s century“I’m not saying I want everyone to come out and abuse me!” said Bairstow with good humour. “There are different ways you can look at it. Along the way people question things so it’s important to recognise different scenarios where you are trying your best. You always go out trying to make a hundred and sometimes it comes off and sometimes you nick one or it doesn’t work out. I was pleased with my performance today.”As the Bairstow and Vaughan story drew heat, both Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan poured cool water over any suggestions that the England camp felt unsupported. Buttler spoke about the forces of “external pressures”. At Edgbaston those pressures resulted in a diamond of an innings from Bairstow and after the match Morgan added weight to the theory that Bairstow punches hardest in the face of adversity.”He does tend to get fired up a lot, and that suits him regardless of what’s happened during the week, any week, injuries or not,” said Morgan. “He likes a bit of fire in his belly, and I don’t mind that when he comes out and plays like that and feels like the way he did. I think it’s outstanding. It’s definitely a match-winning knock. So we’re delighted for him.”This was Bairstow’s first century of the World Cup and he rated it as one of his most important innings.Jonny Bairstow celebrates his hundred•Getty Images

“I was pleased to get over the line in a World Cup,” said Bairstow. “There’s only so many times you get the chance to make a century in a World Cup and I was very disappointed when I got 90 a couple of weeks ago. It was definitely up there, with the speculation and everything and the position we found ourselves in. It was great to go out there and contribute to what was a very big win today.”‘It’s a game that keeps us in the World Cup and keeps our fate in our own hands rather than rely on others around the country. The way the guys went about it was truly outstanding.”

Farhart, whose four-year stint with India ended with the World Cup, has previously worked with Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2019Patrick Farhart, the India men’s team physiotherapist till recently, has been roped in by IPL team Delhi Capitals for the 2020-2022 period. Farhart, whose four-year stint with India ended with the World Cup, has previously worked with Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.”I am delighted to be working in the Indian Premier League again,” Farhart said. “Delhi Capitals is a team that has made some very positive changes in its setup over the last couple of years, and the result is there to see in the side’s third-place finish in the 2019 season.”It is certainly a team that is on its way up, and I am excited to be working with the players and support staff members in the upcoming seasons of the tournament.”Farhart, and fitness coach Shankar Basu, joined the Indian team in 2015 and stepped down following India’s exit from the World Cup recently. They were reportedly offered fresh contracts with the Indian team but chose to move on.Farhart has also previously worked with Australia, New South Wales, Sydney Sixers and Hampshire, besides working with major rugby and football teams in Australia.”There is no doubt that he is among the best in the business,” Delhi Capitals CEO Dhiraj Malhotra said. “Patrick not only has an enviable body of work, but he also commands tremendous amount of respect among cricketers. I am absolutely confident that our players will benefit hugely from Patrick’s presence.”

The fast bowler also looks ahead to the upcoming India tour, and how the experience of having played there before will help some of his team-mates

Annesha Ghosh07-Sep-2019Kagiso Rabada hasn’t had a quiet 2019 by any measure, being the fourth-highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers – 44 at an average of 28.65 – across the three formats. But with Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer the toast of the season, Rabada is no longer at the forefront of public memory.Part of it is also down to South Africa’s underwhelming showing at the World Cup, where they were knocked out in the group stage. But while the 24-year-old fast bowler is not fussed about not being the talk of the town as far as the chatter around young fast bowlers goes, the collective underperformance of the South African side has left him “disappointed”, if not “angry”.”It’s never easy maintaining a career; I’ve learned that there are a lot of ups and downs. I want to be the best in the world, everybody does,” Rabada told . “You are naturally going to compete in that fashion, I’m not too worried, I’m feeling nice and easy.”I’m disappointed, not angry [about the World Cup]. What do I do with anger? When a setback comes you want to be determined, you don’t want to change a lot of things. It’s about seeing where you went wrong and then putting in extra work.”Two months shy of completing five years in international cricket, Rabada has collected 176 Test wickets at an average of 21.77 and strike rate of 38.8. The corresponding numbers in the limited-overs formats are as impressive: 117 ODI wickets at 27.34, and 25 wickets in 19 T20Is.However, Rabada’s average and strike rate in Tests this year have been somewhat overshadowed by those of Bumrah and Archer. While the South African has picked 19 wickets at an average of 23.57, striking every 36.8 balls in Tests, Bumrah and Archer have collected 14 and 13 Tests wickets respectively, at averages of 13.14 and 21, and strike rates of 30.9 and 47.1 respectively.”I admire those bowlers, they are good bowlers,” Rabada, who will have an opportunity to better his figures in the upcoming T20I and Test series in India, said when asked about Bumrah and Archer. “However, the media hypes certain players, and that’s OK; I know I have been playing very well. Archer is such a natural talent; Bumrah is doing wonders and that can force you to lift your game. You are not always at the top, that’s one thing I can tell you.”Associated Press

On the tour of India, Rabada will be spearheading a pace attack in Tests that will be without the recently retired Dale Steyn. Given South Africa lost their last Test series in India 3-0, in 2015, having won both the limited-overs legs of the tour, Rabada hopes for an improved performance from the Test side with the knowledge of “terrible” tracks holding them in good stead.”You need to figure out what you need to do to give the team a better chance to win that is what I try to focus on,” Rabada, who made his Test debut on that tour in 2015, told . “When you have played there before you will have an idea of what to do in certain tough situations.”The previous tour we were successful because we won the T20 and ODI series but the Test series was a bit of a shambles because those wickets were just terrible. If I could give an example the first Test match it was 200 v 200 in first innings. If we batted first it was going to be a different ball game because we ended up having to chase the game. We lost 3-0 and we were truly hammered.”In what will be the team’s first assignment since their World Cup exit, South Africa will play three T20Is starting September 15 followed by as many Tests in Visakhapatnam, Pune and Ranchi, starting October 2. Their last Test series win in India came way back in 2000, and their most recent outings in the longest format on Asian soil, too, ended in despair, with Sri Lanka crushing them 2-0 in 2018.With spin likely to be a key factor again, Rabada underlined that the prior experience of playing in India could help the majority of the South Africa players fashion better individual results than what the Sri Lanka Tests yielded.”On our recent tour to Sri Lanka it was tricky conditions,” Rabada said. “There is a whole lot of talk about how to approach spin but we will see how it goes. What helps is that there are guys who have played there in the past and I guess what you can do is to use what worked and what did not work during the Sri Lanka tour to have a base.”When you go there for the first time it’s weird and you don’t know what to do. If you look at how Faf [du Plessis] batted in Sri Lanka, he got good starts which showed that he had played there and knew the conditions.”

Recently retired Hashim Amla advised the entire South African team to buy into the idea of batting out 98 overs

Firdose Moonda05-Oct-2019Whatever happens on the final day of the Vizag Test, there is one thing South Africa will not be complaining about. The pitch.

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After the raging turners of 2015, which saw only one of the three non-rain affected Tests go into a fourth day, the visitors have been pleasantly surprised with the surface so far and as a result, are hopeful they can add to their history of hard-fought draws.”The last time we came here, the wickets were a lot worse,” Vernon Philander said at the press conference. “But you can still bat on there. Their batters showed it today. Guys have to get in. Hopefully two guys can get in and can get big hundreds for us.”While there is ample evidence of uneven bounce and further deterioration, which will bring India’s spinners into play, Philander’s optimism is not entirely deluded (or it may be PR nonsense). South Africa, and in particular their captain Faf du Plessis, thrive in this kind of scrap. They batted out 148 overs to draw the 2012 Test in Adelaide, 136 overs to share spoils with India at the Wanderers in 2013 and 111 to deny Sri Lanka victory in Colombo in 2014. At Vizag, they ‘only’ need to last 98 overs.Recently retired Hashim Amla, who is now an analyst for the broadcaster , said he had “strong belief” that South Africa could hold out, provided they approach it in the right way. Amla’s broad-brush advice was to have the common goal of surviving 98 overs but to leave it up to individual batsmen to decide how they would go about it.ALSO READ: Dean Elgar to Keshav Maharaj, 10 seriously underrated cricketersWhen asked what he would do personally, Amla said, “I would try and block every ball dead.” He did just that five years ago at the SSC, absorbing 171 balls for 25 runs to ensure a 1-0 series victory. Amla said strike rotation did not even come into consideration because all he sought to do was “minimise the risk of getting out”. He added that even someone like AB de Villiers, who has “every shot in the book,” went into a super-defensive bubble when trying to play for the draw but also acknowledged that not all players would be able to maintain such stoicism.Though Dean Elgar has been dismissed, Amla used the opener as an example for how South Africa’s batsmen should approach the final day’s play tomorrow. “He might hit one or two over the top, to get a man sent back and then there are not so many fielders in his space,” Amla said, indicating how the score could still tick over even when accumulating runs was not the primary objective.Quinton de Kock is a player who may look to be more aggressive than Amla may like but that could work to his, and South Africa’s advantage. So too, could the team composition. South Africa bat competently all the way to No.11, where Kagiso Rabada has proven he is no bunny. That, however, may be the only benefit of leaving wicket-takers like Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje on the bench and South Africa will still have to address whether they went into this Test with their best XI, considering how Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy have struggled to make an impact.Philander defended his team-mates, saying South Africa were simply outplayed by quality batsmen. “The seamers have only taken four wickets for both teams. You can say it this way or that way but I think three spinners was the right call to have made. They have played our spinners really well and credit to them.”

Test captain says promoting Mushfiqur Rahim in the batting order is an option

Mohammad Isam in Indore16-Nov-2019Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque is pleased that his side is getting to play more Test matches courtesy the World Test Championship (WTC).Bangladesh are slated to play Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand next year as part of the 2019-2021 cycle, and a Test each against Zimbabwe and Ireland outside of it.It is a jump from the number of Test matches that they were previously playing, which had prompted many complaints from administrators, players and coaches about the long gaps between fixtures. Mominul, who is treated as a Test specialist and therefore has to deal with long breaks between international games, said that the gulf between Bangladesh and India in the longest format was mainly a result of the difference in the number of matches the two teams play.”We are happy,” Mominul said after Bangladesh’s innings defeat in Indore. “The WTC is a huge opportunity for those who play Tests. It is a huge competition. If the ICC didn’t arrange this competition, we wouldn’t get many Tests. It will be better for everyone.”We have to play a lot of Test matches. If you see in the last seven months, we have played only two Tests. We don’t play Tests like other teams. I think it is the main difference [between the two sides].”Pressed for answers about Bangladesh’s defeat in Indore, where their batsmen wilted under the pressure exerted by the “No. 1 bowling attack in the world”, Mominul said that the opening batsmen could have made life a little easier for the rest of the line-up had they played out the first hour.”The bowling attack was challenging. It would be easier for the rest of the batting line-up if the openers played out the first 15 to 20 overs,” he said. “India have a threatening attack, but we also failed as a batting unit. They are the No. 1 bowling attack in the world. We couldn’t latch on to our chances also.”Mominul also said that they were considering promoting Mushfiqur Rahim in the batting order, after his scores of 43 and 64 in this game. “Promoting Mushfiqur would be a positive sign, if the team management decides to. I think we can have that line of thinking.”

The veteran wants to inspire the next generation of Sri Lankan bowlers before his final bow in international cricket

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide26-Oct-2019A coach not quite sacked, a raft of player withdrawals, a typically chaotic nexus between cricket administration and government: all scenarios not uncommon when it comes to the endlessly fascinating story of Sri Lankan cricket. And yet amid all these 2019 misadventures there have been remarkable, even transcendent moments: A Test series win in South Africa, a stunning World Cup match win over England at Headingley, and then an even more stupefying Twenty20 clean sweep of Pakistan in Pakistan even after the aforementioned pull out of senior players.Now, with their resilience so vividly demonstrated, the Sri Lankans have arrived in Australia and linked back with their captain. Lasith Malinga added his own personal contribution to a year of memorable moments by not only defending a mere eight runs in the IPL final, but going on to take four wickets in four balls as against New Zealand in Kandy, the second such achievement of his dizzying international career.Malinga’s experience, drawn from well over a decade in the game, will be a more than useful addition to the group, alongside the strong credentials of Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Niroshan Dickwella, to name three. “It’s a good opportunity for me to share my knowledge and experience with the young players,” Malinga said.”I can’t play much more cricket, the next few months and maybe in the World Cup. I want to give my best for the young players because they don’t have much experience like me, playing franchise cricket, IPL, Big Bash, everything else. Sri Lanka also are regenerating our cricket team, the young players need experience, they need guidance so that’s why it is important to play this tournament.Recalling his successful shut out of Chennai Super Kings for Mumbai Indians in the IPL final, Malinga said a sequence of five balls slung down at better than 140kph, followed by a closing slower ball to nail an lbw and seal a one-run win, was a good example of the sorts of stratagems he can either deliver himself or advise his team about.”Any bowler who has played 10-15 years they have experience,” he said. “According to that we can use our variation and tactical part, that’s more important than the power. These days I try to use my tactical and variations according to the game situation. In pressure situations we have to get the correct decision and decide what we want to do. That’s the thing with gaining experience over my career.”Asked about Steve Smith and David Warner, returning to international cricket on home soil for the first time since their Newlands bans, Malinga suggested contrasting approaches – patience against Smith, but a more aggressive search for Warner’s wicket. “No particular plan but we know how good he is. I’ve played with him in the IPL and against him,” Malinga said of Smith. “We want to stick with our basics, not think much about the opposition, stick to our basic cricket and that’s very important I feel in the T20 game.”In the IPL, [Warner] was the highest run-getter in thus tournament. We know how good the T20 format is for him and we know in the last couple of months he didn’t get much runs, but still we know he can damage the opposition in any situation. That’s why we are looking forward to him – if we can bowl one good ball for him, that’s the challenge for all our bowlers to get him.”Having been on the losing end of a Sri Lankan steal of a T20I against Australia at Geelong in 2017, Australia’s captain Aaron Finch was wary. “They’ve got some seriously dangerous players. I think when you look at Kusal Perera, Dickwella, these guys, they hit all around the ground and they’re aggressive, they take the game on, so you have to be at your best,” he said. “When you set out you have your really clear plans, but that can change so quick.”Because they’re so inventive, they move around the crease a lot, you have to really think on your feet as a bowler and as a captain. That’s going to be really important in this series to hopefully get some wickets in the Power Play and try to put some pressure on the middle order that probably isn’t as experienced as their top couple. they’re a very dangerous side and they’ve shown they can beat anyone in any conditions when they get it right.”They’re a world class side, and led by Malinga as well, who’s played so much T20 cricket. He’s really structured in the way he wants his bowlers to bowl and brings all his experience and all his guidance to their young tearaway quick attack as well. So it’s going to be an exciting series. Their spinners posed problems to us in the past, particularly in the subcontinent, so hopefully we can start the series off really well.”

India vice-captain says the team will stick to its strengths and won’t try to replicate West Indies’ strategy of hitting big

Deivarayan Muthu in Mumbai10-Dec-20196:47

West Indies’ unpredictability a challenge – Rohit

West Indies v India, Wankhede Stadium: here we go again. In the T20 World Cup semi-final at this venue more than three years ago, India managed only four sixes on their way to a total of 192 for 2. West Indies’ power-hitters, led by Lendl Simmons, then made that look a whole lot smaller by smashing 11 sixes. West Indies eventually sealed the chase with seven wickets and two balls to spare.Under a new management, West Indies are slowly getting their band back together for their T20 World Cup defence and are also easing some bright, young talents from the CPL into their international mix. However, their strength continues to be six-hitting. Case in point: even in this series, West Indies have cracked 27 sixes in comparison to India’s 17.While India have veered from their safety-first approach and are open to experimenting more with their T20 line-up these days, their white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma said that they are comfortable in their own skins and that they aren’t looking to emulate West Indies’ six-hitting template.”This format is such that you have to take risks to get on the top,” Rohit said on the eve of the third T20I. “Again, for us, it will be important what we as a team can do. Not to try and replicate what the other team is doing or what the other team is trying to do. They back their strength, which is to play a few balls and then go after a big shot. But for us, it’s totally different. We believe in taking singles and doubles and putting the pressure on the bowler by getting eight-nine an over without taking risks.”But again, we are prepared to take risks when it’s necessary. But, at the end of the day you want to play smart cricket. And that’s how we beat the opposition, by playing smart cricket. We believe in that. Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn’t. But we like to back what we do as a team well, which is to play smart cricket. Whether it’s taking singles, or doubles, or going after the bowlers – that the situation will tell you. But at the end of the day, the only way you can come on top of the opposition is by playing smart cricket whether with the ball or bat.”Three of West Indies’ top-five six-hitters in CPL 2019 are part of the national squad for the T20I series in India. Guyana Amazon Warriors opener Brandon King, who was the leading run-getter in CPL earlier this year, is now being used as a floater on this India tour. In Thiruvananthapuram, West Indies’ left-handers, in particular, upset the rhythm of India’s spinners.India were wary of the “unpredictability” that West Indies’ T20I side brings, according to Rohit, but the vice-captain also said that the hosts weren’t caught by surprise in the second match.”Yeah, they [West Indies] are very unpredictable as a team, you never know what they can come up with on that given day, like we saw the other day [Sunday],” he said. “Even the first game, they played very well and it was Virat [Kohli’s] brilliance that got us over. But with West Indies this is always expected and they play well as a team and now under the leadership of Kieron Pollard… I know Pollard really well and I know as a leader what he would be expecting from the team.”It is a different team that we are seeing now, so yes, we have to be at our best when we play them. Like I said they are very unpredictable, so we just got to stick to our plans and back it and believe in whatever ways [we find to] try and execute in the middle. Last game we made some mistakes on the field, whether it was with the bat, ball and also on the field. We know where we lacked as a team so we just need to tighten up in those areas and make sure that those mistakes are not repeated again and again.”Since the 2016 T20 World Cup, India have lost 11 of the 26 T20I games in which they’ve batted first, but Rohit downplayed those concerns and put that record down to various other factors.”Wankhede has always been a chasing ground as far as I know, I have played lot of games here. When you talk about setting targets, on that [Thiruvananthapuram] pitch 170-plus was a decent target when we started batting,” Rohit said. “The wicket was on the slower side, the shot-making was not that easy, although the West Indies made it look very easy. That’s them, like I said that’s I meant when I said they are very unpredictable. So, we just have to get everything together and make sure execute those plans – whether it is with the bat or ball.”Doesn’t matter if we bat first or ball first…yes of late our chasing has been good and not posting targets or defending it rather. It was a good target that we posted there [in Thiruvananthapuram] but again it’s a new set of guys, lot of inexperienced players along with experienced players, that’s what every T20 team now has, bit of inexperience, along with that some experience. Those two elements need to come together to form a very composite [sic] side.”

A statement from ZC said he sustained a soft tissue injury to skull, but a CT scan ruled out internal injury

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2020Zimbabwe’s debutant opening batsman Kevin Kasuza has passed an initial test for concussion after being struck on the side of his helmet while fielding at short leg during Sri Lanka’s innings in the ongoing Harare Test. He will continue to be monitored overnight for concussion.Typically, a player is assessed before the start of the next day’s play as well, as was the case recently when New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls was struck on the head by Jofra Archer and passed initial assessments.A statement from Zimbabwe Cricket’s official handle said Kasuza had sustained a soft tissue injury to the skull, but a concussion test was negative and that a CT scan had ruled out internal injury. The incident occured in the 44th over when Kusal Mendis played a firm pull shot against Sean Williams. As Mendis was shaping up for the shot, Kasuza took the widely-used evasive position of tucking the head downwards and between the legs. However, Kasuza wasn’t particularly low in his squat and the ball struck the back of the right side of his helmet before ricocheting towards the fine leg boundary.Kasuza was on his feet for a few seconds and only took his helmet off after the batsmen had completed two runs. It was at this point that he appeared to get dizzy, and was assisted by wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva to stay on his feet before gently going down to the ground. Shortly after, he walked off with the team doctor, pausing occasionally to regain his balance. He then went off for scans and took no further part on the day. Timycen Maruma replaced him in the field.The recently introduced concussion substitution protocols dictate that the team’s medical representative – usually the physio – must run standardised tests and submit a report to the match referee. Should Kasuza fail that test on the morning of the fourth day, the match referee will assess if the substitute named by Zimbabwe is a like-for-like swap. Zimbabwe have allrounders Maruma and Brian Mudzinganyama as batting options on the bench. Should either of them be called upon as substitutes, they will only be allowed to play as batsmen.