McBrine and Adair scored fifties each to help Ireland recover from 31 for 5 to 260 all out

Ekanth06-Feb-2025What started out as a potentially one-sided day in Bulawayo was anything but. Ireland zig-zagged through multiple ups and downs, however, Zimbabwe ended up dominating the day.Blessing Muzarabani bowled like an Irish curse at the start of the day, utilising the two-paced nature and uneven bounce on day one. His 7 for 58, which is the second-best figures for a Zimbabwe bowler – dented Ireland but not before Lorcan Tucker’s initiative, followed by a 127-run stand between Andy McBrine and Mark Adair, lifted Ireland from the precarity of 31 for 5 to the comforts of 260.In reply, Zimbabwe lost Ben Curran early but Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Nick Welch’s healthy starts saw off 21 overs to stumps, with the hosts trailing by 188 runs.The day began under sunny skies but the first over showed the vagaries of a pitch that batters couldn’t trust. Peter Moor was lured by balls outside off, which brought him a boundary fourth ball but then the lack of bounce and pace had him jamming his bat down late and slicing the ball to Curran in the cordon.Curtis Campher got a jaffa that seamed away and beat his bat while trying to defend in the third over but then fell trying to counterattack Richard Ngarava in the fourth – the only batter in the Ireland top five to not fall to Muzarabani. Andy Balbirnie, who was in control against the full balls, was the next to go, out trying to flick a shortish ball that stopped in the pitch.Muzarabani saved his best ball for Harry Tector, which seamed away to take a leading edge off the flick to have him caught at slip. He was then assisted by the pitch, which offered extra pace and bounce to undo Paul Stirling, caught at slip. And just like that, Ireland has lost half their side with nine overs yet to be bowled.Andy McBrine and Mark Adair put on a 127-run stand to lift Ireland•Zimbabwe Cricket

Tucker initially broke the shackles by punishing errors in length, particularly short balls that he cut and pulled with disdain. But he was dismissed chopping on a full ball off Trevor Gwandu in the 16th over, for 33 off 28, Ireland 82 for 6.Adair then took over the attacking role from Tucker, hitting three boundaries off Gwandu two overs before lunch.Zimbabwe’s plan to use the pitch was scuppered after the break as it lost its spice and the ball its hardness. Muzarabani couldn’t find consistency with his line. While his five-over spell went for just 11 runs, his partners – Newman Nyamhuri and Gwandu – were taken for multiple boundaries as Adair brought up a 48-ball fifty.Adair, who was given a life in the 34th over by Muzarabani, grew in confidence and kept the run rate in and around five. But a short-and-wide loose delivery from Muzarabani proved Adair’s downfall as he tried to cut it through point. Barry McCarthy gloved a bumper to short leg to give Muzarabani his sixth, but by then Ireland were in a much better condition at 211 for 8.McBrine, batting on 57, didn’t farm strike at the start of the final session but managed to squeeze out vital runs with Craig Young and Matthew Humphreys for the final two wickets. When Humphreys was dismissed in the 57th over, bowled by Ngarava, McBrine was stranded on 90.Ireland struck early when Curran tried to capitalise on a short-and-wide ball off McCarthy and was out caught behind. Ireland tried to set attacking fields but the Zimbabwe’s batters took advantage to pocket two twos and two threes in the two overs following the wicket.In the 11th over, Adair beat Kaitano with a peach that nipped away but Kaitano and Welch managed to see Zimbabwe through to stumps. And it was honours largely even.

SA and Victoria will compete for the Dean Jones Trophy after the tournament was renamed earlier this season

AAP28-Feb-2025Nathan McSweeney was a 12-year-old Queenslander when his recently-adopted South Australia last won the domestic one-day cricket competition.McSweeney remembers watching on television when SA captured the trophy in 2011-12 amid drama. Scores in the final against Tasmania were tied but SA was deemed the winner as they finished above the Tasmanians during the preliminary rounds.Related

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South Australia haven’t won the one-day trophy since. But McSweeney hopes to end the state’s drought when hosting Victoria at Adelaide Oval on Saturday for the freshly-named Dean Jones Trophy.”We all know that it has been a long time since we have been able to win something,” McSweeney told reporters on Friday. “So it would be special if we could do it. Our preparation this week has been elite so hopefully it translates to some good performances.”SA also hold top position with two rounds remaining in the Sheffield Shield. The state hasn’t won the four-day competition since 1995-96.”We haven’t had the success we would have like over the last few years,” McSweeney said. “But at the start of the year, this is exactly where we wanted to be, so everyone is super excited.”And hopefully our best cricket is to come. We have got an obviously very important game tomorrow and hopefully a couple more shield games to finish the year.”In the one-day competition, both SA and Victoria won four games, with McSweeney’s side banking three bonus point triumphs to secure hosting rights.The states met only once, when ex-Victorian Mackenzie Harvey blasted an unbeaten 136 to lead SA to victory. Harvey, who shifted to Adelaide when cut from Victoria’s contracted player list at the end of last season, went on to top the run-scorer’s list in the tournament, with 311 at an average of 62.20.”He has been elite for us,” McSweeney said of the 24-year-old. “He is batting beautifully, knows the bowlers really well being from Victoria – hopefully he has got another good knock in him.”The cup competition was this season re-named the Dean Jones Trophy after the batting legend who died in 2020.”Dean Jones obviously played a lot for Victoria and did so much for Victorian cricket,” Victorian captain Will Sutherland said. “It is sad that Dean has passed away but I am sure a lot of the boys, and I, had a little bit to do with him – a superstar. And it just makes it extra special that it is named after him.”The player of the final will be awarded the Michael Bevan medal for the first time. South Australia allrounder Liam Scott was named the tournament’s player of the year earlier this week.

One-Day Cup final squds

South Australia Nathan McSweeney (capt), Jordan Buckingham, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Mackenzie Harvey, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry ThorntonVictoria Will Sutherland (capt), Scott Boland, Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Ollie Peake, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle

“My advice to Gill would be that he should not worry about what x, y, z is talking about,” Tendulkar says

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Jun-20253:18

Gill: ‘Can’t win a Test without taking 20 wickets’

Sachin Tendulkar wants new India Test captain Shubman Gill to “shut the doors” to the external noise surrounding his approach to captaincy during the England tour. Tendulkar believes Gill will do “something special” on the tour and India will win the five-Test series 3-1.”My advice to him [Gill] would be that he should not worry about what x, y, z is saying,” Tendulkar told ESPNcricinfo. “His captaincy, whether Shubman is being aggressive, or defensive, or attacking enough, or not a proactive captain, or active captain – whatever that opinion is, it’s only an opinion and it’s from outside. I think what he needs to think about is what was discussed in the dressing room – when they are planning something, are they going according to that plan and whether the decision being made is in the interests of the team – that is what he needs to think about and not about the outside world.”The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it’s a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process.”Related

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• Gill unveiled as India's new Test captain, Pant his deputy

Gill, 25, having taken over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma last month, will not only be leading a young India side following the retirements of senior batters Rohit and Virat Kohli, but will also be batting at No. 4 – a spot occupied by Tendulkar and Kohli for the last 30 years. Tendulkar, who batted in that position 275 times from 1992 till his retirement in 2013 and scored 13,492 runs, said Gill has earned that spot because “people have faith in him”.”Playing for India itself is a responsibility,” Tendulkar said. “And it could be batting at any number, even if you go out to bat at 6 or 7, those runs are invaluable. No. 11 is also fulfilling the responsibility in a different capacity. It is good that people believe that he is capable of fulfilling that [No. 4] responsibility. The expectations that people have of him is a positive sign, because people have faith in him. He has to just go out and be himself, be determined and put his best foot forward with all his commitment. I’m sure he’ll do something special.”Shubman Gill was in a cheerful mood during the practice session•PA Images via Getty Images

Tendulkar, who averaged 54.31 with four centuries in England, also had some advice for the young Indian batters on tour, mainly on how they should play England’s fast bowlers.”There are three things which one needs to respect: overhead conditions, the wind, and the pitch,” he said. “I feel something that all batters should think about and consider is a good, solid front-foot defence to a fast bowler. If you can defend well on the front foot to a fast bowler, then the rest of the things will fall into place. It is important to keep your hands close to your body, have a solid front-foot defence. The balls which are meant to be hit are, anyway, going to go ahead because they all are attacking players. But the balls which are not meant to be hit, that is when the hands will go away from the body, and a dismissal could cost the game. So a good, solid defence on the front foot is going to be a key factor.”

Tendulkar: ‘Pant should back his instincts most of the time’

Among the senior batters in the India side will be 27-year-old Rishabh Pant, whose audacious approach during India’s tour of Australia late last year came under scrutiny. Tendulkar wants Pant to find a balance between playing his natural game and playing to the match situation.”He [Pant] should back his instincts most of the time,” Tendulkar said. “But there’ll be situations where he’ll have to curb his game in the interests of the team. I know that whatever he does the rest of the time will also be in the interest of the team, but the approach might have to be different. He has to have that flexibility in his mind. If there are times when you’re looking to save the game, then he may have to adapt that defensive approach, for let’s say an hour or 45 minutes or sometimes two hours, where he’ll have to just take those risky shots out of the game and not be as aggressive. He could be positive, but the shot selection will come into play.2:41

Pant doesn’t want to ‘focus on the senior part too much’

“Otherwise, nine out of ten times, if I’m the captain, I’ll say, ‘Just go out and play your game, why worry about anything.’ If you’re looking to save the game, that is when the approach changes a bit, but otherwise I would tell him that you go out and be yourself and do what you feel is in the best interest of the team.”Tendulkar was part of the Indian side that last won a Test series in England. In 2007, India beat the hosts 1-0 after winning the second Test in Nottingham – where Tendulkar top-scored with 91 in the first innings – and drawing the other two. While Tendulkar backed the current Indian team to take on the England challenge, he is keenly awaiting the battle between India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and England’s senior batter Joe Root.”Winning the series was a fabulous, fabulous moment – that is what we strive for,” he said, looking back at the 2007 series. “There were multiple good performances by individuals… Zaheer [Khan] played a role. I think everyone coming together and then chipping in at the right time makes a big difference. I still remember we were in the dressing room, celebrating at The Oval, the last Test. These kinds of moments stay with you forever. We’re still talking about it 18 years down the line. I hope we’re able to do something this series too, so 20 years down the line we can still talk about it.”When asked about his prediction for the series scoreline, Tendulkar said: “I have settled for 3-1 to India.”

This is the seventh successive time Pakistan have won a T20I series against West Indies

Danyal Rasool03-Aug-2025After the drama of the second game came something of a repeat of the first today. Pakistan edged out West Indies by 13 runs to seal a 2-1 series win, a seventh successive such outcome in bilateral T20I series between the two sides. Pakistan proved just a touch too good for their hosts with both bat and ball, inspired by a 138-run opening partnership between Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan and a flurry at the death. They held their nerve with ball in hand, a clutch few overs at the death shutting the door in West Indies’ face, leaving their pursuit of 190 just short once again.Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat again, but this time avoided losing early wickets as they had on Saturday. Ayub and Farhan saw through the first few overs with solidity, if not quite the aggression this new-look Pakistan may have desired, and before long found the innings drawing to a close without having lost a wicket, but also bereft of the explosiveness that would put the game out of West Indies’ reach.They did eventually put up a stiff target, but West Indies sparkled with intent up front, smashing 33 in the first two overs. It gave them a buffer for when Haris Rauf began to drag them back, but in a game where wickets were hard to come by, the hosts looked to be building a platform for the kind of big finish that fetched them victory in the previous game.They looked on course around the 16-over mark, ahead of Pakistan at that stage by about five runs, and needed 49 off the final four. But a fiery 17th over from Rauf and a magnificent one from Sufiyan Muqeem right after – which saw Jason Holder castled for a two-ball duck, ended West Indies realistic aspirations of a series victory. They thrashed and flailed for the final two overs, but they were in Pakistan’s grip, and had sunk too far now.

138 for 0

Can a 138-run partnership be bad for the team? It’s a question Pakistan have discussed perhaps more than any other side during the Mohammad Rizwan-Babar Azam years, and one, perhaps, they might have revisited with Ayub and Farhan but for the fine margins going their way. The pair found boundaries and sixes with reasonable regularity, but West Indies managed to sneak in large spells of dot balls or singles that kept dragging the run rate back.With four overs to go on the best batting surface of the series, both Ayub and Farhan had half-centuries, but Pakistan’s run rate stood at a modest 8.50. Having scored 23 in their final five yesterday, it would require something special to ensure Pakistan posted a winning total today.

Making amends

It had come to the stage Pakistan probably needed a wicket to fall more than West Indies with the visitors’ power hitters sitting idle. Shamar Joseph removed Farhan bringing Hasan Nawaz out to the middle, who hooked his fourth ball for six to set the death-overs tempo. Another six the following over preceded his dismissal, but the shift in gears was evident. Not a single four was struck through the death overs, but Pakistan found five sixes in the last four overs, including a 20-run final over that ultimately put them above par. Fifty-three runs came in the final four, a number that would arguably have been somewhat smaller had a 138-run partnership not been broken when it was.

Chase retired out, WI run out of time

Every game this series, it has seemed Jason Holder came out to bat a shade too late, but tonight, he could wait no more. With Roston Chase struggling for timing and the rate above 13, West Indies opted to retire him out and sent Holder into the middle with 41 to get in three overs. It was well within range of his abilities, but his fireworks have largely come against Pakistan’s quicks, and there was still a Muqeem over to negotiate.A flipper off his second ball shot through and knocked back Holder’s off peg with such precision it took the Bajan time to work out he had actually been bowled and not fallen victim to some devious sleight of hand by wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris. With Muqeem and Rauf both consistently on their mark, West Indies frankly had no one who looked like getting them close enough anymore.

Pakistan coach feels they have “lost a bit of momentum” at the top after they were reduced to 83 for 7 against India

Danyal Rasool15-Sep-20251:13

Wahab: Kuldeep always one step ahead of batters

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson has acknowledged that they were “outplayed” on Sunday in their seven-wicket defeat against India. Speaking after the game, Hesson said Pakistan struggled to come up with answers to India’s spinners, who ended up “squeezing” them, and that Pakistan would have to play better cricket to stay competitive against the best sides.”We were outplayed today,” Hesson said at the press conference. “I don’t think we can hide from that. We didn’t bat well enough. We left ourselves probably 20 or 30 [runs] short, and we all know through those middle overs we got squeezed. Lots to work on against a good bowling attack, but I was pleased the way the guys fought hard in the field albeit with a score that wasn’t enough.”For much of the innings with the bat after Pakistan opted to set a target, they looked as if they might struggle to get to three figures. They found themselves on 83 for 7 in the 17th over, before a cameo at the end from Shaheen Afridi took them to 127.Related

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“Up until the last few matches, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub had averaged 40 opening the batting, and had done particularly well,” Hesson said. “Saim is a key player for us, and it’s important for any side that we get off to a good start. Four games ago, we were doing quite nicely at the top; we’ve lost a bit of momentum there, but I certainly have confidence in those two to turn it around quickly.”There was a touch of mayhem about the first two overs with the bat for Pakistan. Ayub sliced to point off the first legitimate delivery he faced in what was his second successive golden duck. The incoming Mohammad Haris lashed at Jasprit Bumrah right from the outset, and skied his second ball to square leg. Fakhar Zaman was nearly undone by a yorker later that over, surviving on review after the ball was found to have pitched outside leg stump.”With the bat, we were a little bit frenzied at the start,” Hesson said. “The ball held in the surface, as we expected, but we didn’t respond as well as we would have liked. We were in the game at the end of the powerplay, and then we got squeezed.”2:20

How big is the gulf between India and Pakistan?

Farhan, who had watched the carnage from the other end, found the odd big shot, but it was interspersed with long streaks of dot deliveries. He struck Bumrah for two sixes in the powerplay – the only player to have hit Bumrah for more than one six in a T20I. But 23 of the 44 balls he faced were dots, and as the spinners began to tighten their grip on the game, his effectiveness was diminished.”The more big games you play, the more trust you have in your own game,” Hesson said. “We’ve certainly got some players who’re finding their feet. They want to be in the battle, and we’ll come back stronger in a few days’ time.”Pakistan will have to do that. If results fall the way it is likely, Pakistan’s match against UAE will be almost a knockout game for them to advance to the Super Fours stage. Progression for Hesson’s side will mean another meeting with India next Sunday.”We’ll turn up in three days’ time. We need to play better than we did today with both ball and bat,” Hesson said. “We need to be more disciplined with the ball early on. I was actually really pleased with the way we fought in the field, where we showed a huge amount of character. We’re going to need a lot more of that on Wednesday. If we do that, we’re hopeful of having another crack in the Super 4s, where we’re going to have to play better cricket than we did tonight. I’ve certainly got confidence in this group.”

On a slow Delhi pitch, the West Indies bowling was disciplined without being penetrative

Sidharth Monga10-Oct-20252:11

Aakash Chopra: Jaiswal’s range of batting tempo is ‘remarkable’

Yashasvi Jaiswal consolidated his stature among best current Test batters with his seventh hundred, and B Sai Sudharsan moved closer to answering India’s call for a No. 3 with a near-flawless 87 as they piled on 318 for 2 after their captain Shubman Gill won his first toss in seven attempts.On a typically slow Feroz Shah Kotla track, the West Indies bowling was disciplined – no extras through the day – without being penetrative in the first and final sessions; in the middle session, they lost all accuracy as India plundered 126 runs without a wicket.Jaiswal just reacted purely to what was bowled at him. He was watchful for the first hour, then cashed in on some loose bowling, and then tightened up again as West Indies found their bearings in the final session. At one point, when Jaiswal was on 93, the fast bowlers had served him six half-volley boundaries, four short-ball boundaries, and one off just fuller than good length. Against good-length balls, Jaiswal didn’t try to score boundaries.Jaiswal is now level with Graeme Smith for most centuries as an opener under the age of 24. Among all India batters, only Sachin Tendulkar scored more hundreds before his 24th birthday. Of course, for the fifth time out of his seven centuries, Jaiswal went past 150. Only Don Bradman had more scores of 150 or more before turning 24.The other 23-year-old, Sudharsan, would have desperately wanted to get his count going. Chosen to play Test cricket with a first-class average under 40, he must feel under a little pressure as the No. 3 in a country full of batting talent. He came out to join Jaiswal early on after Jomel Warrican spun one alarmingly past the bat of KL Rahul. Sudharsan added 197 for the second wicket with Jaiswal, played his first false shot on 58 and was dropped, and got out to only his third false shot in a 165-ball innings: again a Warrican delivery that turned alarmingly.Sai Sudharsan was afforded a relatively easy start•AFP/Getty Images

However, these were possibly the only threatening deliveries all day. Absent that, West Indies needed continued discipline to test India at a venue where they haven’t lost in 38 years. There was enough of it from the three seamers in the first hour: 12 overs, 29 runs, openers kept honest. Once the openers had sussed the conditions and the bowling out, though, runs started to flow more easily.Out of character, Rahul lofted the left-arm spin of Khary Pierre over long-on in only the second over of spin on offer. When he looked to do the same to Warrican, the more established left-arm spinner beat him in the air and then the ball turned 8.4 degrees to have him stumped for 38 off 54.Jaiswal, who missed out in the first match, likes to hit sixes more than Rahul, but stayed away from aerial hits in this innings. A nudge here, a flick there, and he went into lunch having accelerated from 10 off 35 to 40 off 78.Sudharsan was given a gentle welcome with a full toss on the pads, which he put away for four, but no generosity measures up to the start of the second session. Jayden Seales began with two short and wide balls, which Jaiswal put away for fours. You would hope Seales wasn’t bowling for the cut shot, which has got Jaiswal out five times in his career, because it is also a shot that is extremely productive for him. In the same over, Seales also bowled a half-volley for four.Sudharsan joined the party from the other end. Roston Chase started the middle session with a delivery similar to the one that got Sudharsan lbw in the first Test, but Sudharsan played the punch as opposed to the pull for four.0:57

Akash Chopra: WI bowlers were ‘much better’ and ‘a bit more disciplined’

West Indies were all over the place. There was a boundary ball almost every over of the first hour after lunch. Sudharsan got another full toss outside leg, then a half-volley for four to bring up his second Test fifty. In between, he played excellent punches off the back foot, something that would prove to be his downfall eventually.Seales ended the session as he began, getting cut for four, but came back immediately after tea to bowl a spell of 4-0-6-0 with the reversing ball. Nine overs at the start of the final session brought 24 runs, but West Indies needed someone to keep that pressure up. Pierre, though, offered five easy singles in one over immediately.Against the run of play, Warrican trapped Sudharsan lbw with a ball that turned 6.4 degrees. As with Rahul, though, the main job was done in the air. Bowled flat, but still full, it caught Sudharsan back when he should have been forward. Because it turned more than it had usually done, it gave Sudharsan no time to recover from the misjudgement of length.Jaiswal and Gill took India to stumps without any further loss. They were largely watchful except for two aerial sweeps from Gill. They even saw through a 44-ball period without a boundary, which ended with a full toss. Before going into stumps, the ever-hungry Jaiswal took another go at the buffet before packing up, scoring 17 in overs 87 and 88 to end up on 173 off 253.

India will eye a series win and may not want to tinker much with their XI after a close match

Sidharth Monga02-Dec-2025

Big picture – Raipur’s second ODI ever

There is a reason why ODIs are a format after India’s heart. Why, at a time when ODIs fight for relevance outside the World Cup, do Indians still sell out stadiums to watch their team in action? It doesn’t demand as much devotion as Tests do, but still provides enough time and certainty for their heroes to showcase their skill and fitness. And when two of the greatest of all time, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, find the form they did during the first ODI between against South Africa, it’s all the more reason for a three-match series to be frenzied.While ODIs are less reliant on luck than T20Is, the first ODI was also an example of how much heavy lifting the side losing the toss has to do. Despite all the pedigree they have, India came within a couple of connected full tosses of possibly losing to a side that has been chopping and changing, and has played 37 players in this year alone.Ranchi was India’s experience and skill coming up against the conditions and the incredible hitting depth in the South Africa line-up. You’d expect the same for the rest of the series if India keep losing tosses – they have now lost 19 in a row – but the only ODI Raipur has ever hosted was a bit of a dream for seam bowlers, who bowled New Zealand out for 108 in early 2023.Related

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It happened to be the match immediately after one that mirrored this series’ Ranchi ODI. Asked to bat first back then, India rode on Shubman Gill’s double-century to post 349 for 8 – exactly what India got against South Africa in Ranchi – and had New Zealand reeling at 131 for 6, but the lower order gave India a scare once the dew came in, getting to within 12 runs of the score.This time, you’d hope Raipur gives us a closer contest than the Ranchi thriller. Not least because if India are on the dealing end of a one-sided game, the series will then have to feature a dead-rubber in Visakhapatnam.

Form guide

India: WWLLW
South Africa: LLWLL

In the spotlight: Harshit Rana and Nandre Burger

India had only a brief window of movement in Ranchi before the dew turned bowling into a nightmare. But Harshit Rana took two wickets in that small window to put India ahead. He has now shown that not only can he be effective in hitting the pitch hard with the old ball, but also with the new ball. Rana’s next challenge might be taking the new ball in the afternoon, when it tends to do little.Unlucky to not be a regular part of the Test set-up just yet, Nandre Burger took on that challenge in the afternoon in Ranchi, and came out with credit. He bowled at consistent high pace, and found a way to challenge the batters. If Burger can find a way to do even better, he will be a theme in the rest of the series.

Team news: Bavuma, Maharaj should be back

India will not want to be fickle with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Now that they have started the series with them there, one match against a soft ball shouldn’t be enough to push the two players out.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh KrishnaTemba Bavuma should be back after resting in the first ODI•ICC/Getty Images

South Africa rested regular captain Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj for the first ODI, but they were both quite active. Bavuma spoke to the players during drinks breaks, and Maharaj served as a substitute fielder for a while. So they should come right back in. Maharaj is an easier swap for Prenelan Subrayen, while Bavuma should replace one out of Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, both of whom scored ducks in Ranchi.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock/Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Tony de Zorzi, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Ottneil Baartman

Pitch and conditions

The India vs New Zealand match from 2023 remains Raipur’s only day-night List A game, so there isn’t much history to go by. But the endeavour generally is to not produce a pitch too loaded in favour of the bowlers. So that 108 all out of nearly three years ago will likely be an aberration more than the trend. The weather promises to be pleasant for cricket, with temperatures not likely to go higher than 27 degrees celcius or lower than 14.

Stats and trivia

• Rohit Sharma now holds the record for most ODI sixes: 352.
• The 681 runs scored in Ranchi was the highest aggregate for an India-South Africa contest.

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Borussia Dortmund are expressing an interest in signing West Ham starlet Declan Rice, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

West Ham have struggled for form this season, losing five of their opening eight matches, and also face a stern fight behind the scenes to retain the services of Declan Rice amidst a lengthy contract saga with the teenager.

The Hammers are desperate to retain the services of the 19-year-old but he has so far rejected the contract extensions offered by West Ham, which The Sun says has led Borussia Dortmund to express an interest in the starlet.

Dortmund’s interest in Rice follows the impressive form shown by Jadon Sancho after he quit Manchester City to move to the Bundesliga last year, while Reiss Nelson has also impressed on loan with Hoffenheim from Arsenal.

A Hammer blow?

While Dortmund’s interest in Rice will grab headlines, it should not change West Ham’s stance at all as they continue to push for the teenager to pen a new deal – although the interest of the German giants strengthens the defensive midfielder’s bargaining position.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”307232″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Germany Hit New Low & Jadon Sancho Makes Us Feel Old”]

The teenager has featured five times in the league for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this term, with his versatility proving to be an extremely useful asset, and the threat of losing the 19-year-old academy graduate is a major concern for the Hammers as he has proven his worth over the course of the past 18 months.

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly rejected the chance to sign Sancho before his move to Dortmund, and West Ham can’t afford to make the same mistake that their arch-rivals did by letting Rice go the same way.

Having been extremely convincing in large parts against Stoke City at home yesterday afternoon despite Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud not gobbling up all of the chances that were presented to them, our resident Arsenal fans are largely happy given they are now third in the Premier League table.

In many ways, yesterday’s game at Emirates Stadium told you everything you needed to know about Arsenal’s current state with their playmakers such as Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey providing opportunities yet again, only for the likes of Walcott and Giroud to miss their fair share before they scored them.

If Arsene Wenger did manage to find value in the market while attaining a new top class forward this summer, many Arsenal fans would be laughing because they always create chances and would undoubtedly be closer to Manchester City at the top of the table but given Chelsea’s dire start to the campaign, they are relatively content where they are at the moment.

Having now achieved their first win at Emirates Stadium coupled with hard fought victories away at Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, the Gunners sit on 10 points, five adrift of leaders Manchester City while they face a trip across London to face wounded animal and fierce rivals Chelsea next Saturday lunchtime.

While the Blues have had the better of the fixture more recently, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger managed to inflict their first ever defeat on a Jose Mourinho-led Chelsea team in the FA Community Shield so they will be full of belief this time around.

With fans still hanging around in the tavern following today’s Super Sunday action, they’re taking a moment to list who they believe to be Arsenal’s five most underrated players right now.

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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 most underrated Arsenal players in the current squad.

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Francis Coquelin

Nothing short of a revelation since returning to Arsenal’s first team from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic last season, Arsenal fans now rave about Francis Coquelin on a weekly basis but there seems to be a reluctance from opposition fans to class him in a close to world class bracket.

Seemingly because he returned from a Championship loan spell and because he didn’t cost a £40 million plus fee, rival fans refuse to recognise Coquelin as such an important player for Arsenal but ever since returning from the Addicks, it has only really been the dire season opener against West Ham United in which the young Frenchman played terribly.

A firm fixture in Wenger’s squad until the end of last season including a great performance in the FA Cup Final, Coquelin is all-action and gees up his team-mates by making crucial interceptions that are timed to perfection – just look at his fantastic tackle that sparked Theo Walcott’s opener against Stoke City yesterday!

Doing everything a holding midfielder should do at the moment, Coquelin has also proved he’s not just a small game player too, having also proved incredibly effective in last season’s standout result away at Manchester City.

Nacho Monreal

Left back is hardly the most spectacular position in a starting eleven but if you watch Nacho Monreal’s game closely nowadays, you will find that he is extremely consistent and this wasn’t always the way with the Spaniard.

Giving little away while supporting Arsenal attacks when he can, Monreal has proved himself to be one of the most dependable unsung members of the Gunners’ squad in the second part of last season and the early part of this one.

Used as a scapegoat when he was unfairly positioned at centre back in the first part of last season when injury struck and Arsene Wenger failed to adequately replace Thomas Vermaelen, Monreal deserves great credit for bouncing back and forcing himself ahead of Kieran Gibbs in the defensive pecking order.

Considering we are yet to really see Kieran Gibbs this season as an Arsenal academy product that is still rated highly at Emirates Stadium, this tells you all you need to know about the impact Monreal has enjoyed.

Olivier Giroud

A controversial choice in this countdown given the fact he is like Marmite with his opinion splitting attributes, no matter what you say about Olivier Giroud, he is never frightened to take his next chance.

Yesterday’s performance against Stoke City summed the French international up in a nutshell given the fact he missed an easy strike from point blank range ahead of scoring shortly after to seal a 2-0 victory.

While a striker playing for a team of the calibre of Arsenal should be gobbling up easy opportunities, Giroud was man enough to take his second chance showing that he doesn’t go into himself after missing a howler.

Now boasting 43 goals in 102 Premier League appearances for the Gunners, there are far worse striking records out there in the world of football.

All Arsenal needed to do was supplement Giroud’s talents with another top class striker this summer to really prove they were the real deal but it wasn’t to be.

Gabriel Paulista

Most definitely a standout selection for this particular countdown, it still seems as if pundits and rival fans don’t really take Gabriel Paulista seriously given the fact he was brought to Arsenal as a lesser known name.

But that said, people should recall how many mistakes the Brazilian international has made since arriving at Emirates Stadium from Villarreal in January.

The answer is that Gabriel has made minimal errors in Arsenal’s back line, always looking assured but not only that, he is tough in the tackle too as a rugged competitor.

Currently ahead of Per Mertesacker in the centre back pecking order, this is testament to Gabriel’s consistency at the back and if he manages to remain in Wenger’s starting eleven for the next few months, perhaps it’ll be only then that other fans start to appreciate Gabriel’s attributes like Arsenal fans do as well.

Tomas Rosicky

We must be honest; how often is Tomas Rosicky missing from Arsenal squads due to injury?

The answer is a lot but Arsenal’s second longest serving player continues to be a threat whenever he is injury free and receiving rare starting opportunities in Arsene Wenger’s side.

Scoring a sumptuous goal away at Brighton & Hove Albion in Arsenal’s successful run to a second successive FA Cup triumph last season, Rosicky is most definitely a player who is a match made in heaven with Arsenal’s playing style.

Elegant on the ball and direct in his running abilities, Rosicky is most definitely an underrated player who you feel could’ve achieved so much more on a personal level, had he not been so injury prone in his Arsenal career.

We’re some way into the London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham, and it’s been a predictably exciting clash so far.Even though goal mouth action hasn’t been exactly free-flowing, both sides are putting in committed, organised and energetic displays – as you’d expect from a clash involving two local rivals separated by just one position and three goals in the Premier League table.Well, make that five goals actually, because Lilywhites favourite Harry Kane of the Lane opened the scoring with a short-range rocket into Adrian’s net on 23 minutes, leading to a chorus of ‘He’s one of our own’ swirling around White Hart Lane, and team-mate Toby Alderweireld followed up around ten minutes later, latching onto a Christian Eriksen corner to head past the Hammers’ No.1 for the second time in quick succession.Needless to say, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Premier League fans in general have all had their say on social media. Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter: