Jaiswal is yet to make his India debut in any format but has an outstanding first-class record where he has scored 1845 runs in 15 matches

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2023Yashasvi Jaiswal has been included in the India squad for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final as a stand-by player, in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is getting married on June 3.The BCCI had added Gaikwad as a stand-by opener for the WTC final against Australia, but ESPNcricinfo understands that the batter informed the board that he would be able to join the team only after June 5. As Jaiswal holds a UK visa, he will be flying to London in the next few days.Jaiswal has been in top form in recent times. He scored 625 runs in 14 innings in IPL 2023 for Rajasthan Royals with five fifties and a century. Jaiswal is yet to make his India debut in any format but has an outstanding first-class record where he has scored 1845 runs in 15 matches, averaging 80.21 with nine hundreds and two fifties.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, he scored 315 runs in five matches, averaging 45.00, with one fifty and a century.He followed that season up with 213 and 144 in the Irani Trophy for the Rest of India against Madhya Pradesh. His aggregate of 357 runs in the match was the most for a batter in an Irani Trophy game ever.The India team has left for the WTC final in batches. Virat Kohli was part of one of the first few batches to reach London. The final will be played from June 7 to 11 at the Oval. India were WTC finalists in 2021 as well, but lost to New Zealand.

Allrounder’s 64* and two wickets keep hosts on top in tight contest with Northants

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2023Northamptonshire 219 and 55 for 2 (Vasconcelos 22, Higgins 2-11) trail Middlesex 277 (Higgins 64*, Stoneman 51, Keogh 3-52) by 3 runsRyan Higgins displayed his all-round prowess on day two of Middlesex’s LV= Insurance County Championship Division One basement battle with visitors Northamptonshire at Merchant Taylors’ School.Higgins, in his second spell with the tenants of Lord’s, made 64 not out, his sixth half-century of the season, to steer the hosts from the perils of 127-5 to only their second batting bonus point of the campaign and a total of 277 – a first innings lead of 58. Mark Stoneman was Middlesex’s other half-centurion with 51, while Max Holden made 41. Rob Keogh impressed with his off-spin for Northamptonshire, returning three for 53, while Ben Sanderson took three for 76.Not content with his batting efforts, Harare-born Higgins then removed both Ricardo Vasconcelos and Justin Broad when Northamptonshire batted again, the visitors almost achieving parity by the close on 55-2, three runs behind.While Northamptonshire relied on stoic defence for their score on day one, Middlesex adopted more of a risk-and-reward approach, playing more shots, rotating the strike and, wherever possible, turning ones into twos to put pressure on the fielders. In the end, it brought some reward, though on a pitch of already variable bounce it remains to be seen whether a 58-run lead will be sufficient for a side who have to bat last.Stoneman signalled Middlesex’s more aggressive intent with two fours from one Jack White over before striking the seamer back over his head for six.Nightwatchman Ethan Bamber kept Stoneman company through the first seven overs, taking a little more of the shine off the Kookaburra ball before Sanderson uprooted his middle stump.Rob Keogh picked up three wickets•Getty Images

It would be the visitors’ last success for some time as Stoneman and fellow former England opener Sam Robson forged a half-century stand at not far shy of a run a ball. Stoneman twice savagely cut Sanderson to the fence at point while Robson found the cover boundary twice with dreamy drives.However, the right-handed Robson, like many in the match before him, never looked set and it was no surprise when White found the edge of his bat to give wicketkeeper McManus the first of his four victims behind the stumps.Stoneman became the first batter in the match to reach 50 only to fall in White’s next over when a shortish ball didn’t get up high enough for his attempted pull shot and instead picked out the left-hander’s middle stump. And when Pieter Malan and John Simpson departed to Sanderson and Tom Taylor, respectively, either side of the lunch interval Middlesex looked set for the batting equivalent of ‘Groundhog Day.’It was now Higgins made his entrance, promptly pulling his first ball through square leg for four, but thereafter it was Max Holden who made the running in their stand of 64, cutting and driving the seamers before greeting spinner Keogh with a reverse sweep for another boundary. Again though, just as the former England U19 skipper appeared set, Keogh got one through his defences to trap him on the crease.Josh De Caires didn’t stay long and when Stephen Eskinazi, batting at nine because of the finger injury sustained on day one, edged into the hands of Gay in the gully, Middlesex’s lead was a mere 11.Higgins, though, went through to a controlled 50 from 85 balls with six fours and, with the help of skipper Toby Roland-Jones, steered the hosts to that second batting point of the campaign, a landmark greeted with loud, if a little ironic applause from the Middlesex faithful.The eventual lead of 58, while not massive, looked useful, and Higgins struck in his first over to cut short a blossoming Ricardo Vasconcelos effort on 22.Broad soon followed when he edged through to Simpson, who stood up to the stumps to stop the batter standing out of his crease to negate the prospect of being leg before.

Both named in the squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa; Jess Kerr returns from injury

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2023Uncapped batter Kate Anderson and allrounder Bella Armstrong have been named in New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa.Andeson, 27, comes in on the back of a top domestic season for Canterbury, in which she topped the T20 batting charts with 536 runs at 59. She was subsequently in line for a call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka in July, but had to pull out due to a finger injury.Auckland’s Armstrong, 23, will only play the T20Is in South Africa, replacing Izzy Gaze who is in South Africa for the ODI leg of the tour.Coach Ben Sawyer was all praise for the duo. “Kate had an outstanding domestic season last year and was unfortunate to miss the Sri Lanka tour through injury,” he said. “We like her power and skills with the bat and we’re looking forward to giving her an opportunity on the international stage.”Bella’s an exciting young prospect who hits the ball hard and is an outstanding fielder, so she’s got all the attributes that we want from a White Fern.”The squad also features seamer Jess Kerr, who’s returning from injury. “It’s a real bonus to have Jess back in the squad after injury ruled her out of the Sri Lanka tour,” Sawyer said. “She’s got a world-class bowling skill set and is especially effective with her in-swinger, which is proving more and more difficult in the women’s game.”Jess bookends the innings, especially in a T20 match, as she swings it up front and then bowls an amazing legcutter at the death.”New Zealand kick off the tour of South Africa with a warm-up one-dayer on September 21, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is. The squad will undergo a training camp before leaving for South Africa, from September 10 to 14, in Tauranga.Allrounder Hayley Jensen was not considered for selection for the tour as she is yet to fully recover from the knee surgery she underwent in May.New Zealand squad for the tour of South Africa: Sophie Devine (capt), Kate Anderson, Bella Armstrong (T20Is only), Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze (ODIs only), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

Lizelle Lee’s 61 off 33 threatens but outgoing champions scrape home in tight finish

David Diangienda21-Aug-2023Nadine de Klerk’s unbeaten half-century set up a consolation win for outgoing champions Oval Invincibles against Trent Rockets to round off their campaign.The South African all-rounder hit 51 not out from 25 balls to rescue the Invincibles’ innings and led them to 155 for 6 at The Kia Oval.The Rockets fell just three runs short as late hitting from Alexa Stonehouse threatened to steal the win after Lizelle Lee’s 61 from 33 at the top of the order.The Rockets finished off their tournament without former England international Katherine Sciver-Brunt, who had been due to play her final game before retirement, but she was ruled out due to a hip injury.The Rockets struck with the second ball of the innings when Stonehouse found some movement to bowl Lauren Winfield-Hill for a duck.Stonehouse then bowled Invincibles stand-in captain Suzie Bates in her second set before Alice Capsey got on top of the bowling, hitting Bryony Smith over long-on for six.But Kirstie Gordon was able to peg the home side back having Marizanne Kapp stumped before Capsey departed for 35 off 24 after missing a sweep at the left-arm spinner.Paige Scholfield and De Klerk began a rebuilding job as they struck a partnership of 23 from 15, which was ended when the former was bowled aiming an ambitious shot off Naomi Dattani.But De Klerk accelerated the Invincibles’ score by hitting three consecutive fours as Stonehouse’s final set of five went for 27 and the partnership of 68 from 31 with Cordelia Griffith lifted the home side above 150.The Rockets got off to a good start as Lee struck a couple of boundaries off Kapp’s first set but the Invincibles seamer made the breakthrough by having Smith caught by Bates at long off.Eva Gray took the key wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur with her second ball, but Lee attacked the bowling aggressively. The Rockets opener raced to her half-century off 28 balls slamming Ryana McDonald-Gay over midwicket for her third six and shared a partnership of 63 from 37 with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.That raised hopes for the visitors of reaching the target, but Sciver-Brunt was lbw to Sophia Smale and two balls later Scholfield’s throw on the turn ran out Lee with a direct hit at the bowler’s end.Scholfield was able to follow up with a nonchalant return catch to dismiss Joanne Gardner. Then Smale picked up another wicket as she finished with 2 for 26 and although Stonehouse struck three boundaries in a row in a nervy finish, the Rockets came up three runs short.

Senior seamer hoping to build into World Cup just like in 2019

Matt Roller12-Oct-2023Chris Woakes made an inauspicious start to this World Cup. After leaking 45 runs in six wicketless overs against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, he had figures of 0 for 34 after four against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, conceding six early boundaries as Reece Topley got on a roll at the other end.No wonder Woakes looked relieved when he finally got on the board for the tournament, having Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind while driving a ball that did just enough off the seam to take the outside edge. He returned to have Litton Das caught behind in his second spell, and finished with figures of 2 for 49 off eight overs in England’s 137-run victory.But Woakes is used to starting slowly. In 2019, he took four wickets at 54.75 in England’s first five World Cup games, while conceding 6.25 runs per over; in their final six matches, he took 12 wickets at 18.91, with his economy rate falling to 4.54 runs per over. Across the semi-final and the final, he returned combined figures of 6 for 57.Related

• From 'team man' to poster boy – Woakes finally commands the spotlight

• Woakes feared he would never play again a year before Headingley rescue mission

• For England's seamer-heavy squad, the World Cup is an endurance game

It is not a conscious strategy. “You want to hit the ground running,” he said on Thursday, a rest day for England after they flew to Delhi ahead of Sunday’s fixture against Afghanistan. “But they are long competitions, and you don’t want to peak too soon… I have built into tournaments in the past and into series, which I suppose holds me in good stead.”Woakes assessed his own form as follows: “Ideally, I’d like to have gone a bit better… I wouldn’t have said that I’ve probably bowled as well as I know I can.” By his own admission, he got things wrong against New Zealand, when he erred too full and was picked off by Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, particularly in the initial powerplay.”The conditions did change, and we probably didn’t quite adapt as well as we’d have liked,” he said. “I probably haven’t executed as well as I can, but I picked up two really important wickets in the last game. In a game like that, wickets are really important, so I was pleased to have picked up those two and it gives me confidence moving forwards.”His second spell on Tuesday was particularly encouraging – and, specifically, the wicket of Das, whose 76 off 66 was the outstanding innings of Bangladesh’s attempt to chase 365. Woakes is known as “The Wizard” by his England team-mates, and the ball that accounted for Das was the culmination of several months’ work on a new trick.Since turning his attention to white-ball cricket after the Ashes, Woakes has been working on his cutters – in particular, an offcutter which he is trying to bowl with the seam upright. “In these conditions, if I can bowl it with the seam up and it grabs the seam, it either holds or skids a little bit better,” he explained. “The delivery itself is the same, it’s just the way it comes out from a seam point of view.”Working with Warwickshire’s bowling coach, Stuart Barnes, Woakes has also been perfecting a legcutter, which he bowled extensively through his second spell against Bangladesh. “I obviously had this [the World Cup] in mind. Coming here to Asia, I think it could be a wicket-taking delivery, taking the ball away from a right-hander… you’re always trying to adapt your game and trying to develop it, regardless of your age.”England’s next assignment is Sunday’s day-night match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, a venue which has hosted two uncharacteristically fast-scoring games so far. Despite spending an IPL season with Delhi Capitals, Woakes never played for them at the venue – though did play there once in 2017 for Kolkata Knight Riders, and in a tour match for England a decade ago.”It’s quite an iconic Indian cricket ground, isn’t it?” Woakes said. “It’s always exciting to play at these sorts of venues. It looks like it’s been relatively high-scoring… we’ll expect that, but we’ll have to adapt to conditions on the day and we’re coming up against an Afghanistan team who are dangerous and can really compete on their day. We won’t be taking them lightly either.”And despite a gruelling travel schedule – England’s fixture list is the second-most taxing of any team, behind the hosts India – Woakes is optimistic that he could feature in all nine of their group games, as he did in 2019. “I obviously would like to,” he said. “I certainly hope so… from a physical point of view, I think it’s possible.”

The left-arm spinner produced the most economical spell in WBBL history as the hosts put on a dominant display against the leaders

Tristan Lavalette18-Nov-2023In-form Chamari Athapaththu claimed two wickets before powering Sydney Thunder past Perth Scorchers at Cricket Central ground as the race for the WBBL’s top spot heats up.Athapaththu was part of Thunder’s disciplined spin brigade that restricted Scorchers to a lowly 116 for 8 in the day fixture.In reply, Athapaththu took over after a disastrous run out of Phoebe Litchfield, who had replaced Tahlia Wilson at the top of the order.Having not responded to Litchfield’s call at the non-striker’s end, Athapaththu made amends with her blistering 77 off 53 balls marked by a calculated assault on legspinner Alana King.She was well supported by captain Heather Knight as Thunder cruised to the target in the 17th over.Star allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt bowled for the first time this season, but it was to no avail as Scorchers’ four-match winning streak was snapped.It was a vital victory for Thunder, who pulled within one point of league leaders Scorchers.Thunder elected to bowl first in what appeared a brave decision amid a flat surface and sunny conditions in Sydney. They had to confront a red-hot Scorchers batting order led by stars Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine, who have enjoyed rekindling their partnership at the top.Having started the season at No. 4, Devine has excelled alongside Mooney and they appeared to be once again powering Scorchers to a big total.After a cautious start warding off seam movement from the new ball, Devine made her move by clubbing seamer Marizanne Kapp down the ground for a belligerent boundary.It also ignited left-handed batter Mooney, who had earlier struggled to pierce a stacked off side field with Kapp angling the ball across her. She smashed Kapp for consecutive fours and hit four boundaries in the space of five balls.Mooney, who had scored 289 runs and only dismissed once in her last four innings, had a life on 25 when she was dropped at extra cover by Knight. It appeared Thunder would rue the missed chance, but two balls later Mooney was trapped lbw by offspinner Lauren Smith.It triggered a collapse with seamer Sammy-Jo Johnson in the next over claiming her 100th WBBL wicket after bowling Devine, who failed to connect on a delivery that didn’t bounce as high as she anticipated.Given the form of Devine and Mooney, Sciver-Brunt hadn’t been greatly required in her five matches this season. It loomed as a perfect scenario for her, but Sciver-Brunt’s stay at the crease was brief after being bowled by Smith on eight.Left-arm spinner Samantha Bates, who finished with the remarkable figures of 1 for 6 off four overs, strangled Scorchers in the middle overs. It was the most economical four-over spell in WBBL history. Young batter Maddy Darke was notably pinned down and inevitably succumbed on Knight’s second delivery.Scorchers kept losing wickets with Chloe Piparo clean bowled by Athapaththu in an ungainly dismissal that signified their plight. At 78 for 7 in the 17th over, Scorchers looked set for the ignominy of a score less than three figures before an aggressive Amy Jones slugged 37 from just 16 balls.Jones in the 19th over hit Scorchers’ first six of the innings and she added another, but their subpar total proved light work for Thunder who banked an invaluable victory.

There has been some chirping between the teams in recent seasons, but it will come down to skills on the field

Andrew McGlashan01-Dec-2023

Big picture: Heat’s power verses Strikers’ economy

Adelaide Strikers will aim for back-to-back WBBL titles in front of what they hope will be a record crowd when they face Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval.In recent times, there has been a bit of needle between the teams, with Megan Schutt last year branding Heat’s style of cricket a “bit arrogant” ahead of the Challenger final, which Strikers won, but this will be a fascinating match-up even away from chirping.This year’s final pits together the team with the highest batting run rate (Heat at 8.42) and the side with the most frugal economy (Strikers at 6.47).Related

• Wolvaardt in the runs as Strikers enter WBBL final on a high

• Voll backs Heat as 'perfect team' to stop Strikers back-to-back bid

• Like a glove – how Bridget Patterson fit into Adelaide Strikers' plans

Strikes have been, without doubt, the team of the regular season, stringing together 11 victories to leave daylight to second place. Heat, meanwhile, had to reach the final the hard way after three defeats towards the end of the round-robin phase. However, in the space of 24 hours, they produced two superb performances to overturn Sydney Thunder and Perth Scorchers in the qualifying finals.Four Heat batters have more than 300 runs for the season and they have arguably the biggest X-factor player of the competition in Grace Harris, who holds a strike rate of 171.12. Jess Jonassen has once again led the way with the ball as part of a strong spin attack alongside Amelia Kerr, breakout star Charli Knott and Georgia Voll.Strikers’ batting has been underpinned by Katie Mack with 449 runs – interestingly compiled without a single six. In a timely run to the finals, Laura Wolvaardt, crucially available before taking up the South Africa captaincy, has found close to her best form.Their bowling attack is varied with the dual legspin of Amanda-Jade Wellington and Anesu Mushangwe having been a key part of it. In a sign of the team’s consistency, they have only used 13 players through the regular season. A legacy beckons if they can win on Saturday.

Form guide

Adelaide Strikers WWWWW

Brisbane Heat LLLWWGrace Harris can win a match on her own•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Darcie Brown and Grace Harris

A hamstring injury picked up against West Indies put paid to the majority of Darcie Brown‘s season, but she has had an impact on her return with four wickets in two games including a Player-of-the-Match 3 for 18 against Scorchers to secure a home final. “I’m maybe five or so metres back further than any of our other bowlers,” Bridget Patterson told ESPNcricinfo about keeping to Brown. “On Adelaide Oval, it felt quick for sure, I was probably a couple of metres off the ring. Darcie’s been a great inclusion. I’m glad we’ve had her for the important games at the end of the season.”It won’t always come off, but Grace Harris is the type of player who can win a final off her own bat. She had a huge impact in the qualifying finals with scores of 45 and 54 having been somewhat up and down following her record-breaking 136 off 59 balls at North Sydney Oval early in the season. “I’m a strike-rate batter… [aim to] strike at 180-200,” she said after the Challenger final. “You will be inconsistent, but happy to own that role. We want to play an aggressive brand of cricket. It’s about scoring shots and not getting worried about getting out.”

Team news: England players absent

While Strikers have Wolvaardt, England allrounder Dani Gibson has left for their tour of India, which could be a significant hole in the middle order. Gibson struck at 147.43 with the bat and claimed ten wickets. Brown, who was rested for the final regular-season game, will come back in although that leaves a longer tail.Adelaide Strikers (probable): 1 Katie Mack, 2 Laura Wolvaardt, 3 Tahlia McGrath (capt), 4 Bridget Patterson (wk) 5 Madeline Penna, 6 Georgia Adams, 7 Jemma Barsby, 8 Amanda-Jade Wellington, 9 Darcie Brown, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Anesu MushangweAmelia Kerr is available for Heat before heading back to New Zealand for international duty, but like Strikers, they have lost England batter Bess Heath. Mikayla Hinkley will be the likely replacement.Brisbane Heat (probable): 1 Georgia Redmayne (wk), 2 Grace Harris, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Mignon du Preez, 5 Laura Harris, 6 Charli Knott, 7 Mikayla Hinkley, 8 Jess Jonassen (capt), 9 Georgia Voll, 10 Nicola Hancock, 11 Courtney Sippel

Pitch and conditions

Adelaide Oval usually produces good pitches for T20s. The scores weren’t huge during the stadium round last week with Heat’s 160 for 8 against Thunder the highest. Scorchers were bundled out for 104 by Strikers. The forecast is for a mild day although it will be cooler by the evening.

Stats and trivia

• Laura Harris has the highest batting strike-rate of the season of 220.00. Beyond Lauren Bell (who faced two balls), her sister, Grace, is next at 171.12
• Bridget Patterson is one stumping away from equalling the WBBL season record of 13
• Brisbane Heat have been in finals for six consecutive seasons and were back-to-back champions in 2018-19 and 2019-2020

Quotes

“Every time we play each other it comes down to the wire. I’ve seen a lot of… they’ve got the best batting attack and we’ve got the best bowling attack and we are excited for the challenge. There’s a bit of extra spice but it’s all fun and games.”
“We do have the confidence and if that’s perceived as something else then so be it. We back the style of play that we have, we believe in that, and ultimately that’s what it comes down to, we are really clear as a team what we are about.”

However, he believes Pat Cummins’ comments about not moving too many players is significant

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2024Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes that Steven Smith would become the best opening batter in the world if he was given the task of replacing David Warner, but still sees Cameron Green as the likelier route the selectors will take.The squad for the first Test against West Indies will be named on Wednesday and will mark the start of a new era following Warner’s Test retirement. The narrative around who could replace him has shifted from a specialist opener – one of Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris or Matt Renshaw – to finding a way to accommodate Green.Related

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• 'Absolutely has the skill': Watson backs Green as Test opener

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• Bancroft has no concerns over relationships with Australia's bowlers

Smith has been the only incumbent player to say he wants to open, but both captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald sounded reluctant at the conclusion of the Pakistan series.”If he [Smith] wants to open the batting and they give him the chance, he’ll be the No. 1 Test opener within 12 months,” Clarke told ESPN’s show. “He’s that good a player. If you can bat at three you can bat anywhere in the order. Technically he’s good enough, lets the ball go well, he’s got a great eye, got beautiful hands.”Yes, he might nick the occasional one or might get lbw but tell me someone who doesn’t. So if he opens the batting he’ll be the best opener within 12 months. [And] don’t be surprised if he breaks Brian Lara’s 400 record because he’s that good and now he’s got the whole day.”But, following Cummins’ comments about how the batting order is successful in their current positions, Clarke can see Green being parachuted in at the top as the outcome.”It sounds from what Patty says, he wants the least amount of disruptions as possible. Marnus has been brilliant, Smith’s four, Travis Head five, Mitch Marsh six. So that tells me that Cameron Green at this stage is probably the likeliest to come in and opening the batting.”Smith has never opened in Test or first-class cricket, but former Australia batter Callum Ferguson was of little doubt that he could make a success of it”I think he would prepare himself as well as anyone to open the batting if he decided he wanted to do that,” he told the show. “I’ve always been in the camp that you need a specialist opening batter but if it was Steve Smith coming to you and saying I want to open the batting, I think he’s looking for a challenge, that next motivation and inspiration I his career, and honestly if he took to that job I think he’d do it better than anyone else.”Should the selectors opted for Smith or Green there have been questions raised about what it would mean for the Sheffield Shield given that Bancroft has been the leading run-scorer in the last two seasons and could still be overlooked.”I think the selectors have always been really clear with Shield cricket being the ground they want guys to go back and perform in,” Bancroft said on Sunday. “There’s plenty examples of guys who have gone back and done that. I’m sure that’ll be a big part of what they’re looking at when they make that decision at the end of the day.”

Rashid is also part of the side but is unlikely to play as he continues to recover from a back surgery

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2024Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been picked in Afghanistan’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series in India. The 22-year-old mystery spinner wasn’t part of the national side for the T20I series in the UAE and was instead in action for Melbourne Renegades in the BBL. Mujeeb’s BBL stint, though, was cut short after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revoked his No-Objection Certificate (NoC) for the remainder of the BBL.The ACB had announced on December 25 that Mujeeb, along with seamers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq, would be sanctioned after telling the board they did not intend to sign central contracts for 2024. The three players were told they would be considered “non-eligible” for NOCs for the next two years, and that any current NOCs would be revoked.Farooqi and Naveen have since featured for Afghanistan in their most recent T20I series against the UAE after talks with the board in which they “demonstrated a strong desire to represent their country again”, according to the ACB.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The T20Is in India will be Mujeeb’s first since July 2023. Mujeeb is part of a strong spin attack that includes Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad and Noor Ahmad. Rashid, Afghanistan’s designated T20I captain, has been included in the 19-member squad, but is unlikely to play as he continues to recover from a back surgery that had also put him out of the BBL and the UAE T20I series. It is understood that he will only start bowling again in 10 days. Batter Ibrahim Zadran, who had led Afghanistan to a 2-1 series win over UAE, will captain the side in India as well. Ikram Alikhil is the back-up wicketkeeper to Rahmanullah Gurbaz.Mohammad Ishaq, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli who were all part of the squad for the T20Is in the UAE have been left out for the series in India. Rahmat Shah retains his place in the squad; he is uncapped in T20I cricket and has not played a T20 since July 2022. Gulbadin Naib and Alikhil, who were among the reserves for the UAE series, have now been promoted to the main squad.Related

• Rashid Khan ruled out of T20I series against India

• Farooqi, Mujeeb and Naveen to get limited NOCs as ACB modifies sanctions

• Suryakumar, Hardik ruled out of Afghanistan T20Is

• Mujeeb's BBL season cut short by Afghanistan Cricket Board

• Farooqi, Naveen in Afghanistan squad after 'demonstrating strong desire to represent country'

“We are delighted to be embarking on our maiden tour to India for a three-match series,” Mirwais Ashraf, the ACB chairman, said in a statement. “India is the top-ranked side in the world and it’s very pleasing to witness AfghanAtalan competing in a three-match T20I against them. We believe that AfghanAtalan are no longer underdogs & have excelled well in the recent past and we look forward to a highly competitive series against India.”This will be Afghanistan’s first bilateral T20I series against India. The three-match series will begin in Mohali on January 11 before the teams head to Indore and Bangalore for the last two games on January 14 and January 17 respectively.This will also be the last T20I series for both India and Afghanistan before the T20 World Cup gets underway in the West Indies and the USA in June later this year.

Afghanistan squad

Ibrahim Zadran (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan.

Backs England to seize chance to square series, after Bashir’s stellar display

Andrew Miller24-Feb-2024Joe Root is confident that England have taken a firm hold of the fourth Test against India, after a dominant second day in Ranchi in which the final stages of his 31st Test century gave way to a determined bowling display led by the 19-year-old offspinner Shoaib Bashir.By the close, India had reached 219 for 7 in their first innings, still trailing by a sizeable 134 runs with only the wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel remaining of their recognised batters. And on a surface that is already offering significant variable bounce, Root recognises that any lead could be crucial going into the back-end of the contest.”We’ve got ourselves into a nice position at the end of the first innings,” Root said at the close of play. “So we’ll see how things progress throughout the game. Obviously, it looks like it’s going to keep deteriorating and keep getting worse. So if we can get three early wickets tomorrow, hopefully that puts us in a really strong position for the rest of the game.”Related

• Ranchi's low bounce catches India off-guard

• Live Report: India vs England, 4th Test, Ranchi – Gill, Jurel help India seal series

• Root's assured century helps England recover well

• Zak Crawley: 'Joe Root was due, now England are ahead of the game'

• Root rediscovers touch to put the old school into Bazball

Already, however, Root’s unbeaten 122 from 274 balls looks like being the stand-out innings of the game. After rescuing England from a dicey 112 for 5 at lunch on day one, he helped add a further 51 runs for the final three wickets in the morning session, and admitted it had been a cathartic display after his struggles for form in the opening three Tests.”That’s how I try and play every game really,” he said. “Trying to play the conditions, the situation of the game. And it was very, very obvious what was needed in that situation on that surface. And thankfully, it paid off.”It’s been nice to contribute this week,” he added, having managed a top score of 29 in his previous six innings in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Rajkot. “It has been a lean series for me. So I was desperate to try and get some runs for the guys, and it was nice to do that today. And hopefully that can continue that for the rest of the series now.”Root joked that he had been tempted to play a reverse-scoop when nearing his hundred•Associated Press

Root had been the subject of intense scrutiny after England’s 434-run loss in the third Test, after falling to his trademark reverse-scoop early on the third day, a shot that proved the catalyst in his team’s subsequent collapse. And though the stroke didn’t feature at all in the course of his century, he did joke that he had been tempted to unfurl it when in sight of his hundred on the first evening.”I must admit it did briefly cross my mind, but on that wicket it’s not a great option,” Root said. “It was a fleeting and selfish thought that left my mind very quickly. If you look at the previous wicket [in Rajkot], it wasn’t as bad, but it was unfortunate it kept a little bit low. But that’s how it goes sometimes.”When asked afterwards about the criticism of that dismissal, Root added: “Certainly the execution of the shots has weighed on me. Not necessarily the selection but the execution. I’m better than that. Batting is about outscoring the opposition, scoring more runs to give yourselves the best chance of winning. If you get out, you’re out, and it doesn’t matter what it looks like.”Instead, Root delivered a performance of old-school hard graft, as he first found a means to survive a tough morning spell from the debutant Akash Deep, who extracted significant seam movement with the new ball, and then led a critical rebuild as the conditions eased, particularly alongside Ben Foakes on the first afternoon and Ollie Robinson on the second morning.”If it’s your main skill, you want to be delivering and you want to be standing up and performing,” Root said. “It was special, given that in the morning the wicket was doing all sorts against that hard ball. So when you went in, you really had to work hard, in the first half-hour especially. They’re the ones that mean most, when you have to really work hard for it, and you’re trying to dig your team out of a little bit of a situation.”The second day, however, was dominated by Bashir’s outstanding display with the ball. He bowled 32 overs, interrupted only by intervals and a solitary change of ends before the close of play, to return figures of 4 for 84, which are already his best figures in all first-class cricket. With Tom Hartley also impressing with two wickets in his 19 overs, it meant Root – England’s most experienced spinner – was used for just a single over at the end of the day, but he had no complaints about ceding the stage.Shoaib Bashir got Shubman Gill to break a solid stand•Getty Images

“The way the guys have operated today was a brilliant effort,” he said. “I had a great view at first slip, watching them operate. For two young spinners to stand up and perform, it’s really encouraging for English cricket, and for us, for the rest of this series and the rest of this Test match.”Bashir was a virtual unknown when he was drafted into the squad in December, on the strength of only a handful of fixtures for Somerset, including a key spell against Essex in which his high release point was shown to have troubled Alastair Cook, one of England’s greatest players of subcontinent-style spin.”[Bashir’s] brilliant,” Root said. “He’s a great young lad to have in the group. I’ve not seen much of him, and I might not have known much about him before this series, but he’s got a great character. He’s got a great sense of humour. He takes it all out to the field. And he’s clearly, as you can see, got huge amounts of ability and skill and a lot to offer, especially on a surface like this.”It was great to see him keep coming, time and time again today, asking really difficult questions of their order. And again, he should take a lot of confidence for the rest of this game and moving on as well.”As for the match situation, Root reiterated his confidence that England can close out their advantage, and square the series at 2-2 going into the fifth Test in Dharamsala. In particular, he backed his team to make the most of whatever lead they can secure, and bat with sufficient freedom in tough conditions to post India a challenging target.On that pitch, 350 looks like a very good score,” he said. “I think we’re in a good position. Obviously it’d be good to wrap things up quickly tomorrow, but yeah, as a batter you always say, ‘it’s a terrible wicket, I must have played really well’. But no, I think it’s just that odd ball.”It’s just being able to park it mentally, being able to, if it does really misbehave, not let it affect the way you approach the rest of the over, the next ball, and not have any demons about what’s gone before. You’ve just got to react and play and trust your game, and just be really clear about how you want to break things down and score your runs.”It’d be great to get a sizable first-innings lead on there and then to really drive that home. We’ve got to be ruthless. We’ve got to be proactive about how we go and do it, and clear how we want to go and score our runs. But if we can get anything north of 250, it’s going to be a very interesting last couple of days.”