Big picture: Can Bangladesh achieve another first? It is time for India to dust the cobwebs off their whites as a long Test season beckons. Having not played a Test match in more than six months, they will now play ten in the next three-and-a-half, starting with Bangladesh’s visit for a two-match series. It is no secret that India is one of the toughest destinations for any team, and Bangladesh…
Toss South Africa chose to bat against Afghanistan Aiden Markram, captaining in place of an ill Temba Bavuma, asked Afghanistan to chase in their first ODI against South Africa outside of World Cups. The teams will play three matches in Sharjah, which is hosting its 250th ODI. South Africa have identified Afghanistan’s bowling as their strongest suit and will have to negotiate the return of Rashid Khan, who has not…
Suryakumar Yadav has been cleared by the National Cricket Academy to play in the final round of 2024-25 Duleep Trophy, beginning in Anantapur on Thursday. He will replace Sarfaraz Khan in the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led India B, who take on the Shreyas Iyer-led India D. Sarfaraz is part of India’s Test squad, which takes on Bangladesh in a two-Test series starting in Chennai on Thursday. Suryakumar had been withdrawn from the…
India are in the middle of a fundamental change and it is partly because of Jasprit Bumrah. Ahead of his first Test series in charge, Gautam Gambhir touched on how he’s started to have an effect far beyond just his cricket. “It has not happened many times in India where we started talking about the bowler,” Gambhir said. “I think it has always been about batters, batters and batters. India…
ESPNcricinfo has learned that Ponting has signed a multi-year contract with Punjab, a franchise with multiple owners. Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff. There is no clarity yet on who remains on the books from the coaching unit from last year: Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langveldt (fast-bowling coach), Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach). Ponting…
Bangladesh have dropped experienced allrounder Rumana Ahmed for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in one of five changes to the squad that had played in the Asia Cup in July. But there was a first call-up for uncapped top-order batter Taj Nehar. Also among those selected, there was a recall for Sobhana Mostary, Shathi Rani, Fahima Khatun and Disha Biswas. Twenty-year-old allrounder Biswas, who had played in the Under-19…
Australia captain Alyssa Healy says there will be no experimentation with their side as they plan to put out their best XI in the upcoming three-match series against New Zealand who are hoping to bounce back from the nightmare tour of England as both sides prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Australia’s women have not played an international series since the start of April where they experimented quite a…
Toss Sri Lanka opt to bat vs New Zealand Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first in the first Test against New Zealand in Galle. The hosts had confirmed their playing XI in the lead-up to the game, and made two changes from the side that last played in the final Test against England, by bringing in left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and spin-bowling allrounder Ramesh Mendis for…
Lancashire 140 (Jennings 56, Overton 4-32, Gregory 4-50) and 16 for 1 lead Somerset 146 (Bailey 4-36, Balderson 4-50) by 10 runs Twenty-one wickets fell on the first day of the Vitality County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford where title-chasing Somerset earned just a six-run first-innings lead over Lancashire, who probably need to win this game to avoid relegation. Replying to Lancashire’s 140 on a seam-bowler’s pitch, Somerset made…
Surrey 52 for 0 trail Durham 262 (Ackermann 78*, Worrall 4-39) by 210 runs Durham battled hard to reach 262 all out at the Kia Oval but it was still Surrey who had the better of day one as they seek a third successive Vitality County Championship title. Colin Ackermann‘s unbeaten 78 was a particularly creditable effort but the 33-year-old was left stranded as Dan Worrall snatched two quick wickets…