IPL 2016

Big picture: Pakistan’s year-long gap amid chaos Australia’s top-order bat-off in Tests is front and centre. But before India arrive for the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the men’s international season begins with a white-ball tour by Pakistan. That includes three ODIs and T20Is each, and starts in Melbourne on Monday. For the hosts, this provides the majority of their preparation for the Champions Trophy, with just a one-off game in Sri…

Melbourne Renegades 158 for 8 (Molineux 64) beat Adelaide Strikers 157 for 5 (McGrath 64*) Sophie Molineux‘s blistering half-century and Nicole Faltum’s cool head lifted the Melbourne Renegades to a thrilling two-wicket WBBL win over defending champions Adelaide Strikers. Tahlia McGrath’s unbeaten 64 guided the Strikers to 157 for 5 batting first in the second game of a double-header at Junction Oval on Sunday. And the reigning champions looked likely…

Lunch India 263 and 92 for 6 (Pant 53*, Washington 6*, Ajaz 4-43) need another 55 runs to beat New Zealand 235 and 174 (Young 51, Jadeja 5-55, Ashwin 3-63) The sublime genius of Rishabh Pant stood between New Zealand and what teams had stopped even fantasising about, leave alone think of: a whitewash of India in India. Chasing 147, India were reduced to 29 for 5 before Pant rescued…

Captain Pat Cummins has downplayed the so-called “bat off” for the final spot in Australia’s Test team but has noted that it does provide a “final piece of information” and help the player chosen prepare for the first Test given the public scrutiny around the contests against India A. Cummins spoke at the MCG on Sunday ahead of the first ODI of the summer against Pakistan, which will be his…

Australia 195 (Mukesh 6-46) and 226 for 3 (McSweeney 88*, Webster 61*) beat India A 107 (Doggett 6-15) and 312 (Sai Sudharsan 103, Padikkal 88, O’Neill 4-55) by seven wickets India A were at the centre of a ball-change controversy before the start of the final day against Australia A in Mackay with the umpire heard saying it had been replaced because of scratches. There was a heated discussion between…

A see-sawing Test match in difficult batting conditions in Mumbai is approaching a thrilling end. New Zealand have a lead of 143, which is already approaching the highest successful total chased down at the Wankhede Stadium. India have one more wicket to take and they are already conscious of getting it as quickly as possible because they realise they are in for a fight. “Any run saved in this innings…

England won the toss and chose to bowl first vs West Indies England have won the toss and will bowl first against West Indies in the second ODI at Antigua, looking to overturn a 1-0 scoreline in this three-match series. West Indies marched to an accomplished eight-wicket DLS win in the opening match at this ground on Thursday – today’s encounter will be on a central fresh pitch – and…

Western Australia 220 for 2 (Goodwin 73*, Fanning 68, Cartwright 48*) trail Tasmania 317 (Owen 83, Jewell 61, Paris 4-45) by 87 runs Hilton Cartwright was fortunate to survive a seemingly regulation caught-behind decision late on day two as Western Australia seized control of their Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania at Bellerive Oval. After Sam Fanning (68) laid a stoic early platform, Jayden Goodwin (73 not out) and Cartwright (48n…

Victoria 195 for 7 (Harper 68*, Manenti 4-66) trail South Australia 307 (Hunt 62, Scott 53, Siddle 3-57) by 112 runs Ben Manenti has masterminded a 4 for 7 collapse to spin South Australia into a strong position at the halfway stage of their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at Adelaide Oval. The offspinner was the central figure behind the visitors’ 45-delivery collapse from 59 for 0 to 66 for…

Australia A 195 and 139 for 3 (McSweeney 47*, Harris 36, Prasidh 1-17) need 86 more runs to beat India A 107 and 312 (Sudharsan 103, Padikkal 88, O’Neill 4-55) It may partly be a case of last-man standing, but Ricky Ponting has endorsed Nathan McSweeney to fill the vacancy at the top of Australia’s Test line-up on a day where he impressed again in Mackay, while the specialist opening…