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Toby Roland-Jones’ Ashes hopes are in severe doubt after being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the lower back

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-20174:34

Toby Roland-Jones on his Ashes hopes

Toby Roland-Jones’ Ashes hopes are in severe doubt after being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the lower back.Roland-Jones, who played no part in the latter stages of Middlesex’s victory over Lancashire at Lord’s, had been a near-certainty to be named in England’s squad for the tour of Australia that is due to be announced at The Oval next Wednesday.Instead, he has been left sweating on his role in this winter’s campaign, after Middlesex confirmed that he would be taking no part in next week’s final match of the County Championship, a potentially crucial relegation showdown against Somerset at Taunton.”Middlesex Cricket are extremely disappointed to announce that the result of the medical scan which Toby undertook yesterday has revealed that he has a stress fracture in his L5 vertebra [lower back], which will mean that he will take no further part in the domestic season for Middlesex.”It is a potentially bitter blow for Roland-Jones, who has impressed in his England career to date. He has claimed 17 wickets in four Tests, including a best of 5 for 57 on debut against South Africa at The Oval in August, and his combination of accuracy and bounce from a tall action would have made him a prime candidate for selection on Australia’s wickets.In Roland-Jones’ likely absence, therefore, and with Durham’s Mark Wood also struggling with injury, the biggest beneficiary could be the man who came to Middlesex’s rescue against Lancashire on Thursday. Steven Finn returned a season’s best 8 for 79 to secure a 36-run victory and, according to his Australian captain, Adam Voges, “bowled as well as I’ve ever seen him bowl”.”If he bowls like that, he should [be in the Ashes squad],” said Voges. “One-hundred percent. He had rhythm, his pace was up and his areas were good.”Finn, who has taken 125 Test wickets in a stop-start 36-match career, endured contrasting fortunes on England’s last Ashes tours. In 2010-11 he claimed 14 wickets in the first three Tests en route to England’s 3-1 series win, but in 2013-14 he was rendered “unselectable” after the collapse of his bowling action.”We’ll see what happens,” Finn said. “I’m pretty content with where my game’s at. I felt really good. I felt that my pace was there for most of the game. It’s up to the selectors and whoever picks the team to see who goes Down Under. It’s a really exciting opportunity and really exciting prospect to potentially – hopefully – be in the mix.”The out-and-out pace of Somerset’s Jamie Overton would have made him another prime contender for a seam-bowling berth in the Ashes squad, but for his own back problems. His twin brother, Craig, who was included in England’s T20 squad against South Africa but didn’t play a match, may also have moved up the pecking order.The typical recovery time for a stress fracture of the back is between six and 12 weeks. The first Test against Australia begins at Brisbane on November 23, in almost exactly two months.

After his fighting first-innings 80, Raza picked up his maiden Test five-for and said he was both proud and humbled by the achievement

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo31-Oct-2017Sikandar Raza was Zimbabwe’s unlikely bowling hero on the third day at Queens Sports Club. After his fighting first-innings 80, Raza picked up his maiden Test five-for and said he was both proud and humbled by the achievement.’We’ll put more miles on their legs’ – Powell

West Indies opener Kieran Powell believes it is “definitely advantage Windies” after they ended the third day with a lead of 48 runs in Bulawayo.
“If we could stretch this to a 100-150 run lead, that would be massive,” Powell said. “We’re only 48 runs ahead now, but we’ve put lots of miles on their legs. We’re going to come back tomorrow with two set guys as well, put some more miles on their legs and stretch out that lead as much as possible. Any lead is a good lead on this pitch. Tomorrow we don’t know if the pitch is going to start going up and down, so we’ve got to get as big a lead as possible that will help us push for a result.”
Powell played a significant role in pushing West Indies ahead. With Kraigg Brathwaite for company, he ground Zimbabwe down on Monday afternoon before upping the tempo on day three.
“It was just the flow of the day’s play,” Powell said. “Obviously, yesterday they bowled a bit tighter, and they bowled better lines. Today they gave us more scoring opportunities, and as the day progressed we had guys lower down the order to push the score along as well.”

“It’s quite a humbling and proud feeling, especially seeing your team do well as you take five,” Raza said. “It’s one of the roles you have as an allrounder. We always knew that missing [Kyle] Jarvis and Sean [Williams] would be tough. The way that [Graeme] Cremer bowled it could have been him as well.”I still like to think that I’m a batter who can bowl, but being an allrounder it becomes a responsibility that you need to step up whenever you are given an opportunity. We are spending a lot more time as a spinning unit working on our bowling compared to six months ago, so to see the rewards like this is certainly humbling.”Raza finished the day with 5 for 82 from 43 overs. He might easily have had a sixth wicket when he trapped Jason Holder in front of the stumps when he had scored just 11, but Umpire Kumar Dharmasena disagreed with the appeal and Zimbabwe had already used up all of their reviews. Indeed, it was Raza who had used their last review attempting to dislodge Kieran Powell.”It is what it is,” Raza said. “I said to the captain that I think I deserved it because we went for a review on Powell when we shouldn’t have. Kumar said he heard an inside edge. We didn’t. But a few go your way and a few don’t. The [Roston] Chase decision could have gone either way. You win some you lose some.”Holder went on to strike an unbeaten 71, putting on 144 for the eighth wicket with Shane Dowrich and extending West Indies lead to 48 at the close. “We wanted to be 48 ahead,” Raza said. “If the decision against Holder had gone our way then that could have happened. But we tried everything, we bowled well, we fielded well, our energies were up. Sometimes you’re going to have to raise your hand and say that we tried everything and it didn’t work because the opposition have batted well. Credit to them for batting that well.”A natural optimist, Raza reminded the press corp that Zimbabwe were just a few overs away from the new ball on Wednesday morning. Only half joking, he also said he would be willing to open the bowling in West Indies’ second innings.”The last hour was easier [for West Indies] because there wasn’t much turn and what turn there was, was slow,” Raza said. “But we’re 10 overs away from a third new ball, so that’s a positive. I think if Cremer refuses then I’ll pick up the ball and take the first over [in the second innings]. But the way the body is feeling right now, I might make sure he uses all the utilities before he comes to me.”With two more full days to go in the second Test, Raza suggested that Zimbabwe would be happy defending 270 to 300 runs on a pitch likely to break up in the next two days.”Hopefully, we come back fresh tomorrow with all three spinners and two seamers and have a plan how we’re going to go about our business,” he said. “First we have to look at how we get these three wickets and then how we bat second time around. Depending on the time, I think 270 to 300 would be a good total to defend.”

If Leeds United can complete the transfer of Coventry City star Gustavo Hamer, it would be the "signing of the window", according to fan and host of the One Leeds Fan Channel, Conor McGilligan.

Is Gustavo Hamer joining Leeds United this summer?

It hasn't been a good few months for the Leeds faithful recently. A miserable Premier League campaign was rounded off with a final-day relegation after a humbling defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road.

Following that, the club had to endure an exodus of first-team players who wanted to play top-flight football again next season despite failing to keep the club up.

And then, to top it all off, the club captain and standout defender Liam Cooper went down injured after scoring a goal against Cardiff City in the team's first game back in the Championship last weekend.

Read the latest Leeds United transfer news HERE…

However, there have been some genuinely positive developments regarding transfers for Daniel Farke and the team.

According to The Athletic's Phil Hay, the Peacocks are "keen" on Coventry star Harmer despite the deal not being "cheap or easy to do."

According to Football Insider, the West Midlands side have set a price tag of £12m plus an additional £2m of add-ons for any team that want to sign the 26-year-old, which while expensive, could be achievable for Leeds, especially should they get £20m for American international Tyler Adams.

If the 49ers group can get this deal over the line, it would be a great way to improve the side and win fans over, with prominent Leeds supporter McGilligan already describing it as potentially the "signing of the window."

He expressed his excitement at the potential signing on the One Leeds Fan Channel YouTube channel, saying:

"Gustavo Hamer would be, that would be the signing of the window. It would be the signing of the window.

"I think above Ampadu as well. I think Gus Hamer is such a good player."

How much does Gustavo Harmer earn?

The former Feyenoord man currently earns a relatively modest wage of £6,538-a-week in the West Midlands, which makes him the sixth-highest earner in the entire Sky Blues squad, per Capology.

Were he to make the move to the Whites this summer, he would likely earn a significant raise as the likes of Adams – who he could be replacing – earns £55,000-a-week in South Yorkshire.

And it would be a well-deserved raise as the Itajai-born machine had a brilliant season for Coventry last year, starting 42 games, scoring 11 goals, providing ten assists, winning nine Man-of-the-Match awards and averaging a seriously impressive match rating of 7.26 for the entire campaign, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers are just as impressive as you might imagine and suggest that were he to make a move, he would be able to slot right in and maintain his remarkable performances.

According to FBref, which compares players across the next best eight leagues, the 5 foot 7 dynamo sits in the top 1% for assists, the top 3% for total shots, the top 4% for expected assists and shot-creating actions, the top 5% for non-penalty goals and non-penalty expected goals, all per 90.

Described as the team's "main creative player" by journalist Josh Bunting, his potential arrival at Leeds would strengthen their promotion push while severely weakening Coverntry's, killing two birds with one stone for Farke's men.

Malaysia lose 10 wickets for 12 runs against Nepal, who join Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan in semi-finals

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2017Getty ImagesDefending champions India were knocked out of the Under-19 Asia Cup after suffering their second defeat in three days. After being upset by Nepal on Sunday, India were once again at the receiving end as Bangladesh chased down their target of 188 with eight wickets and four overs to spare.The defeat meant Bangladesh and Nepal, from Group A, will join Pakistan and Afghanistan respectively in the semi-finals.Rainy conditions had reduced the match at the Royal Selangor Club, India’s third venue in three games, to 32 overs a side. Bangladesh, who elected to field, dealt regular blows, reducing India to 85 for 4 at the halfway mark.India, without two of their key batsmen in Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill, couldn’t manage a single half-century, with Salman Khan’s unbeaten 39 from No. 7 being the highest. Two others – Harvik Desai (21) and Anuj Rawat (34) – wasted starts. The last four wickets added 71 to shore up the total in a must-win game.Bangladesh’s opening pair of Pinak Ghosh and Mohammad Naim Sheikh provided a solid 82-run partnership to dent India’s hopes. Ghosh then teamed up with Mohammad Tawhid Hridoy to accelerate towards victory with an unbroken 83-run stand for the fourth wicket.India coach Rahul Dravid is certain to be disappointed, but not totally dismayed. Dravid had opted to include a number of new faces in the Indian squad to identify a strong pool for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand early next year. Dravid has stressed that at this level results are not his focus – it is more about identifying and developing the player’s skills and mindset.Meanwhile, in Group B, Afghanistan joined Pakistan in the semi-finals by comprehensively beating UAE by 134 runs. This also ensured they had a better net run rate than Pakistan to claim the top spot in Group B.Nepal thrashed Malaysia by eight wickets set up a semi-final against Bangladesh. Due to rain, the match was reduced to a 24-overs game. Malaysia sensationally slipped from 33 without loss to 45 all out. Nepal then chased down the target in 5.2 overs.

Newcastle United's transfer activity might not be done yet, despite Eddie Howe's declaration that business has been concluded following the signing of talented youngster Lewis Hall from Chelsea.

Who could Newcastle sign?

According to Portuguese outlet Record – via Chronicle Live – the Magpies are closely monitoring the progress of Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United.

This follows the 21-year-old's contractual renewal with the Primeira Liga side, who have raised his release clause from €45m (£39m) to €60m (£51m).

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Having signed Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento and now Hall this summer, it's understandable that the St. James' Park side have depleted their war chest, but they consider the availability of Inacio regardless.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

The Newcastle ship is oiled, bolstered and ready to emulate last season's success and forge a bid for top-four once again, and having dismantled Aston Villa 5-1 in the Premier League season opener, there is certainly little sign of ring rust.

Howe's system is built on unity and togetherness; the Magpies have risen so emphatically up the divisional ladder after astute transfer work dovetailed with the actual implementation on the pitch.

The defence was one of the meanest around last year, with Newcastle in fact concluding the 2022/23 league term with the Premier League's joint-best defence (alongside champions Manchester City), with such defensive resilience merely a by-product of this immovable cohesion.

Adding Inacio to the ranks could prove to be a masterstroke; the 21-year-old defender is swiftly establishing himself as one of Europe's finest ball-playing centre-halves, having earned an average Sofascore rating of 7.01 in the league last term, completing 90% of his passes, hailed as "immense" and as a "dominator' at the back by analyst Raj Chohan.

In fact, Inacio ranks among the top 2% of central defenders across Men's 'Next Eight' divisions over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Simply superlative, and an illustration of just why this prodigious talent would be an absolute credit to Howe's burgeoning side, especially given the 46-year-old manager's preference for his players to utilise crisp passing to bide their time and pounce, weaving the ball through the thirds like a controlled, calculated pinball.

Taking such skills into account, Inacio could prove to be the instant answer to Manchester City's £78m acquisition of Croatian central defender Josko Gvardiol, who has been described as a "Rolls-Royce" by journalist Zach Lowy.

Gvardiol, also 21, ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for goals, the top 20% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

He has been instrumental for both club and country over the past several years and has played starring roles in both Croatia's third-place finish at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and in the gleaning of successive DFB Pokals with Leipzig.

Inacio looks to be every bit the technical whiz as his positional peer, and if Newcastle do manage to secure his services, be that during the current window, in winter, or even in one year, Howe would wield a defensive force capable of losing the gap on England's most imperious outfit.

Manchester City have added a new face to their portfolio of young talent in a move with historical context at the Etihad Stadium, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester City?

In typical fashion, Manchester City have started the campaign in flawless fashion, winning their first two league fixtures against Burnley and Newcastle United without conceding a goal and triumphing in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, as per Sky Sports.

Preferring a quality over quantity approach in the market has benefited Pep Guardiola so far and he has managed to secure the additions of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, respectively.

Veering into the latter stages of the window, Manchester City have started to liven up as they look to bolster their squad to challenge for both domestic and European glory once again in 2023/24.

Rennes winger Jeremy Doku is putting the 'finishing touches' to his £55 million move to the Etihad and is expected to be announced imminently following the collapse of advances to acquire Crystal Palace playmaker Michael Olise, as per The Daily Mail.

Next in line looks to be Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes and Manchester City have submitted an opening bid worth over €50 million (£42.7 million) to try and sign the Portugal international, according to The Guardian.

Telegraph Sport indicate that Manchester City actually proposed a fee of around £47 million for Nunes, which Wolves have since rejected; however, Guardiola is expected to return with another offer for the 24-year-old.

Kevin De Bruyne has been sidelined with a hamstring problem and could be set to miss the next four months of action, prompting Manchester City to enter the market for an extra option in the engine room.

Personal terms have been agreed between Nunes and Manchester City and Bernardo Silva has signed a new contract at the Premier League champions until the summer of 2026.

Who have Manchester City signed?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that RB Salzburg youngster Leon Lalic has joined Manchester City's conglomerate, the City Football Group, and will be loaned out to satellite club Lommel SK for the rest of the season, stating on X:

"RB Salzburg talent Leon Lalić joins Man City/City Group, here we go. It’s first deal ever from RB Salzburg to City Group — historical for 2006-born midfielder. Lalić will initially join Lommel. David Fernandez’s team followed Lalić for more than 2 years."

16-year-old Lalic has predominantly featured as a winger during his time in RB Salzburg's youth system and caught the eye last campaign, registering three goals across 13 appearances in the OFB Jugendliga U18, as per Transfermarkt.

The City Football Group is comprised of clubs from all over the world with the aim of helping Manchester City to establish their brand worldwide and build an elite pool of developing talent and they either own or have extensive involvement in sides such as New York City, Melbourne City, Yokohama F. Marinos, Girona, Montevideo City Torque, Troyes, Lommel, Sichuan Jiuniu, Palermo, Bahia and partner club Club Bolivar.

Lalic looks to be the latest in a long line of talented youngsters to link up with the organisation and will hope to break through into the Manchester City first-team in the coming years.

Punjab’s Shubman Gill, who was the top scorer in the Youth ODI series in England earlier this year, has been named as Shaw’s deputy

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20171:20

Archive – Who is Prithvi Shaw?

Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw will lead India at the Under-19 World Cup to be held in New Zealand from January 13. Punjab’s Shubman Gill, who was the top scorer in the Youth ODI series in England earlier this year at an average of 92.66, has been named as Shaw’s deputy. The 15-member squad also includes Haryana’s Himanshu Rana and Assam’s Riyan Parag along with five stand-by players, all of whom are set to participate in a preparatory camp in Bengaluru from December 8 to 22.Seven of the 15 players in the squad have experience of playing Ranji Trophy. Shaw, who is Mumbai’s second-highest scorer this season with 521 runs at 57.88, and Bengal’s Ishan Porel, who has bagged 10 wickets in two matches have been permitted to play for their respective sides in the quarter-finals starting December 7, and will join the camp on December 12.India have won the Under-19 title thrice, a record they hold together with Australia. They made the final of the previous edition in Bangladesh but lost to West Indies by five wickets.Squad: Prithvi Shaw (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Manjot Kalra, Himanshu Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Aryan Juyal, Harvik Desai, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ishan Porel, Arshdeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Shiva Singh, Pankaj YadavStandby players: Om Bhosle, Rahul Chahar, Ninad Rathva, Urvil Patel, Aditya Thakare

Tottenham Hotspur have suddenly come into a vast amount of money with the sale of Harry Kane, which will likely be burning a hole in Ange Postecoglou's pocket…

Who are Tottenham Hotspur signing?

With these huge riches hopefully set to be reinvested in a playing squad that has already sufficiently bolstered this summer, it promises to accelerate their Australian revolution tenfold, despite the massive amount of quality lost with his departure.

However, to make up for the goals they are set to miss, perhaps portions of the sum received could be distributed across various signings, bringing in two or three attacking stars to nurture and offset such a crushing blow.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

One such name that could arguably be a perfect acquisition is Wilfried Gnonto, who has made his feelings clear to Championship side Leeds United with regard to his plans for the future.

The Italy international is refusing to play, whilst the Elland Road outfit responded by issuing a statement that they are unwilling to sell, which isn't ideal for either party.

Despite that, the £30m price tag set could easily be attained by the Lilywhites, who have been credited with an interest in recent weeks.

How good is Wilfried Gnonto?

In taking advantage of the relegated Whites to sign a tricky winger, it is hard not to draw comparisons with their 2005 acquisition of Aaron Lennon, who quickly turned into a fan favourite in north London.

However, there are far more similarities between these two speedsters than just the career path they are set to take, as a couple of dynamic but diminutive wide men.

Standing at 5 foot 5 and 5 foot 7 respectively, the now-retired Englishman arrived at a cut-price £1m amidst the financial turmoil of the time in west Yorkshire.

The 36-year-old would go on to feature 364 times for Spurs, and despite never really being particularly prolific, remained a constant starter throughout the bulk of his ten years at the club, posting 79 assists.

Praised for his various assets, Andre Villas-Boas sought to outline one particularly starring performance in 2013:

"Aaron Lennon is such a magnificent player and sometimes he does not get the recognition he deserves but his form has been extraordinary. He has been magnificent for us, scoring goals like last week, and is such a good player."

Then, after bravely admitting his struggles with mental illness, Mauricio Pochettino would praise his character:

"The fact Aaron spoke publicly about the issue can inspire people around the world, not only in football, through him or through his behaviour, to get some help.

"Because Aaron spoke publicly that there are a lot of people ready to help people with temporary mental [health] issues, it's good for him to get the love from the fans and inspire people to get the same help and talk about it."

His blistering speed often offsets his lack of physicality, which is a trait he shares with Gnonto.

The 19-year-old star took to English football with ease despite only joining last summer, with his eight goal contributions across all senior English competitions marking an admirable return during a debut term.

He would also rank in the top 18% for progressive carries per 90, suggesting he would add excitement that has been somewhat lacking in recent seasons.

Football scout Jacek Kulig could have been describing Lennon when he wrote of Gnonto: "Electric pace, stature, low centre of gravity, mobility, bravery and powerful finish."

Should Spurs capitalise on Leeds' misery once again, hopefully earning more silverware than they did during the tenure of the former Everton gem, this could prove another impressive coup to emphasise Postecoglou's early-tenure success.

Faf du Plessis’ return to cricket after back and shoulder injuries has been delayed by a viral infection

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth26-Dec-2017Faf du Plessis will miss the four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe, which starts on Boxing Day, after his recovery from back and shoulder injuries was delayed by a viral infection. AB de Villiers, who makes his return to Test whites for the first time since January 2016, will captain the side in place of du Plessis.The South African management is hopeful of having du Plessis fit in time for the first Test against India, which starts from January 5 in Cape Town.”Faf has been making steady progress from the respective back and shoulder injuries and until last week was on track to make a comeback in this match. He developed a respiratory tract infection which delayed his recovery this week, and subsequently made it difficult for him to make a full recovery in time for the match. He will continue to receive treatment and rehab from our physiotherapist, Craig Govender, and we are hopeful he will recover in time to lead the team for the first Test match against India,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager, who is also a medical doctor said.That de Villiers will step in to captain is interesting given the events of January 2016 when he was appointed stand-in captain for the two Tests against England after Hashim Amla stepped down. He was then given the job on a full-time basis but was never able to assume the role. An injury kept de Villiers out of the series against New Zealand last August, Australia in November and Sri Lanka at the end of last year, before he missed the Test leg of the tours of New Zealand and England due to a self-imposed sabbatical from the longest format. De Villiers was widely expected to retire from the game completely but in August, he recommitted across all formats.However, in his time away, the South Africa Test team were forced to move on and many, including Vernon Philander, said they had. With de Villiers’ return, a selection conundrum, became apparent, especially as de Villiers’ most recent replacement, Temba Bavuma, has not only shown great promise but is also the only black African batsman in the squad. The selectors seemingly had to weigh dropping Bavuma, the only batsman not to score a century against Bangladesh, while choosing between de Villiers and du Plessis. But now that decision has been made for them, how they will balance the team for the India series remains to be seen.South Africa’s other selection question is choosing which of their four fit seamers to pick, with the likely toss-up between Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, to partner Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander.

A second win for India in Group B has all but ensured their place in the quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-20183:43

Can U-19 World Cup success be a springboard to international call-ups?

The giant mismatch ended even before India warmed up in Mount Maunganui. The might of their bowlers proved too hot for Papua New Guinea, who slumped to 64 all out in 21.5 overs, the tournament’s lowest score so far. And then India’s openers Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Kalra raced home in just eight overs. A second consecutive win meant India were all but in the quarter-finals.In conditions that aided swing and bounce, India chose to bowl under overcast skies. While all eyes were on the fast bowling pair of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, who had impressed against Australia, a quiet left-arm spinner Anukul Roy came to the fore by picking up his maiden five-for in youth ODIs. Three of his five wickets were bowled, off deliveries that skidded. He took 5 for 14 in 6.5 overs.Mavi and Nagarkoti were lively and beat the bat repeatedly, with PNG’s batsmen forced to hop and jump early on. Simon Atai, the opener, broke free by imperiously pulling Nagarkoti for successive boundaries. They were the only sparks in an otherwise forgettable batting performance.In reply, Shaw came out to blast his second half-century of the tournament, slapping and pulling the length balls to the square boundaries on either side. He finished the game with successive boundaries to remain unbeaten on 57. Kalra had the best seat in the house, watching his captain do all the hitting as India walked off with one of their easier wins.