Five teams based in Colombo, Kandy, Galle Dambulla and Jaffna will be participating

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Jul-2020The Lanka Premier League – Sri Lanka’s first major T20 tournament since 2012 – is set to begin on August 28, will feature five teams, and will attract 70 international players and 10 “top notch” coaches. This is according to a Sri Lanka Cricket release, after the board’s executive committee confirmed the tournament, which had been rumoured for over a month.All of the above, however, is subject to government and Ministry of Health approval in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although Sri Lanka has not had lockdowns or curfews for more than a month and has had no community spread so far according to official figures, flights into the island are tightly controlled. Even the repatriation of Sri Lankans currently stands suspended.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo the board currently has little information about how foreign players and coaches can be brought to Sri Lanka, nor does it know how long they will have to be in quarantine upon arrival. SLC is hopeful the Sri Lankan government will assist with logistics.However, there has been substantial corporate interest in the tournament, according to de Silva. The board is hoping to lock down a tournament sponsor by July 30, and to find franchise owners in the weeks after that. No tournament director or event coordinator has yet been named.If it goes ahead as announced, the LPL will feature 23 games, and will be played across Sri Lanka’s four day/night international stadiums – Khettarama, Sooriyawewa, Pallekele and Dambulla. The action will move from venue to venue as the tournament progresses, rather than be played in various venues within the space of a few days as is the case with past iterations of the Indian Premier League or Big Bash League, for example. The five teams will be named after five cities – Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Dambulla and Kandy – but teams will not have a base venue, nor will they necessarily play most of their games in the city they are named for.SLC had announced an LPL for 2018, but had cancelled that tournament due to insufficient interest. Previous boards had also tried to get major T20 leagues off the ground in at least three other years, and only once managed to host a tournament – 2012’s Sri Lanka Premier League, which was plagued by poor crowds and corruption rumours.Although the board is optimistic about this year’s tournament, largely because Sri Lanka has controlled the spread of Covid-19 better than many other cricket-playing nations, there are substantial hurdles to be cleared before the LPL becomes reality. The most significant of those, for now, is the support of the government.

Political tensions between India and China may have played a part in Vivo’s exit

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2020A week after Vivo’s exit, the BCCI has advertised for its replacement as IPL title sponsors for the 2020 season spanning between August 18 and December 31 this year. Interested parties would need to buy the bid document by August 14 with the BCCI announcing the winning bid four days later.The BCCI has made it clear that only companies with an annual turnover of at least INR 300 crore (US$ 40 million approx.) would be eligible to bid for the IPL title sponsorship.The winning bid, the BCCI has pointed out, would not necessarily need to be the highest bidder and would depend on various other factors. “For the avoidance of doubt, it is clarified that BCCI shall not be obliged to award the Rights to the third party which indicates willingness to pay the highest fees in the course of discussions/ negotiations,” BCCI said in a media release on Monday, signed by board secretary Jay Shah.”BCCI’s decision in this regard will also depend on a number of other relevant factors. It includes, but is not limited to, the manner in which the third party intends to exploit the rights and the potential impact of the same on brand IPL as also the fan/ viewer experience, which will be examined and evaluated by BCCI in the course of discussions/negotiations with interested third parties who submit an EOI.”Vivo had bagged the title sponsorship for two years initially in 2015, and retained the rights signing a five-year contract (2018-22), paying about $341 million. Last week, the BCCI said in a media release, spanning one line, that it had suspended the contract with Vivo only for the 2020 season. Although the BCCI did not lay out any reasoning, the political tensions between India and China over border dispute in June is understood to be the key reason behind Vivo’s exit.The BCCI has not specified whether Vivo would make a comeback although some unconfirmed media reports suggested the Chinese handset manufacturer would retain the IPL title sponsorship for two years from 2021 season.

Abell, Craig Overton claim three wickets each on opening day

ECB Reporters Network15-Aug-2020Somerset delivered another dominant performance as they bowled Warwickshire out for 121 and replied with 80 for 2 on the opening day of their Bob Willis Trophy match at Edgbaston.Tom Abell’s side took immediate control against the Bears, who chose to bat and soon hit 15 for 3 in the face of a high-class opening spell of 7-5-4-2 from Craig Overton, who finished with 14-6-17-3 in superb work on a good batting pitch.Abell nipped out the tail with 3.2-2-4-3 while Somerset’s bowlers were backed up by razor-sharp fielding which included two direct-hit run outs from the skipper and Tom Banton.It was cricket bristling with purpose and confidence and, with two wins and 50 points already banked from their first two games, Somerset are strong contenders for a place in the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s.For Warwickshire, it was a day to forget as the batting imploded and the bowling, apart from the excellent Olly Hannon-Dalby, toiled fruitlessly in the absence of the injured Liam Norwell and Olly Stone. To cap their joyless day, they also sustained another injury when Matt Lamb suffered a cracked toe while batting. Whether he will bat in the second innings remains to be seen.With confidence fragile after their collapse at Bristol last Tuesday, Warwickshire soon hit trouble after electing to bat. Overton swiftly removed Rob Yates, who edged a beauty to wicketkeeper Steven Davies, and bowled Sam Hain who played across a straight one.The last thing the home side needed was a self-inflicted wound but that’s what followed when Ian Bell called captain Will Rhodes for a sharp single. It was a decent call, a run was there, but Rhodes did not run hard enough and was beaten by Abell’s direct hit.Bell looked in good nick and added 34 in 11 overs with Lamb but departed in infuriating fashion when he tickled a Lewis Gregory delivery down the leg side to Davies. Lamb went on to 22 but succumbed to the last ball before lunch when Overton completed his morning’s work by bowling the batsman through the gate.That sent Warwickshire into lunch 65 for 5, after which Michael Burgess and Tim Bresnan took the score to 88 before the former played on to Gregory.Somerset were bowling more than well enough not to require gifts but another wicket was then donated to them when Alex Thomson played his first ball to square leg and embarked upon a single but Banton’s throw arrived before he did.That was two wickets in two balls. Two in three followed six overs later when Abell had Henry Brookes caught at first slip and Craig Miles pouched by the keeper. When, in his next over, Abell induced a nick from Hannon-Dalby, Bresnan, having again batted resolutely, was left unbeaten on 32 and Warwickshire were all out in 45.2 overs.Somerset’s reply was solidly launched by Ed Byrom and Tom Lammonby, who added 56 in 17 overs before both fell to Hannon-Dalby, caught at first and second slip respectively.

Board acts to reduce workforce by 20 percent amid fears that pandemic effects will be lasting

George Dobell15-Sep-2020The ECB has announced a major raft of redundancies as it grapples with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.On Tuesday, it was announced that the ECB are to cut their workforce budget by 20 percent – a sum which equates to the removal of 62 roles from the organisation – with most of those involved informed of the plans on Monday afternoon. In addition, other staff will see their roles become part-time or seasonal.While one or two areas in the business have been ring-fenced – notably safeguarding positions – the cuts will impact all departments.Although news of the redundancies was expected – the new ECB Chair, Ian Watmore, had described them as “inevitable” a fortnight ago – the extent of them is more of a surprise and reflects the growing realisation that 2021 may be no easier than 2020.While some of the cuts will come from a decision not to fill vacant positions, the vast majority amount to redundancies. Insiders say there were tears in the ECB offices at Lord’s as the decisions were communicated to staff.The pay cuts which were introduced for ECB executives in April – 20 percent for most; 25 percent for the chief executive, Tom Harrison – have also been extended, although only until the end of October at this stage.There is no further news at this stage about any decision to move the ECB’s base away from Lord’s. Given the reduced ECB headcount, it would seem the requirement for office space is likely to be reduced though the actual savings, in purely financial terms, are not thought to be significant.In time, however, it still seems likely the ECB will seek a headquarters away from St John’s Wood; an area with an exclusive reputation that may not be appropriate for a national governing body which is intent on proving its accessibility to all.”The COVID-19 pandemic has left cricket facing its most significant challenge of the modern era,” Tom Harrison, the ECB’s CEO, said. “The game has already lost more than £100m, and the financial impact is likely to be £200m if there is further disruption next year, which many are expecting.”When the crisis first hit, the ECB put in place a range of measures to save money in the short term including furloughing staff and significant pay reductions across the organisation, in addition to a recruitment freeze. It is now an irrefutable fact however, that the impact of this pandemic is significant and will be long-lasting. There is also deep uncertainty about the future, and it is vital we take more steps now to ensure the future financial sustainability of cricket in England and Wales.”We must reduce the cost base across the game – and that requires the ECB to lead the way by reducing its own cost base.”Given this new reality, if we are to safeguard cricket’s long-term future and still deliver on the growth ambitions of our Inspiring Generations strategy, it is clear the ECB will need to become a leaner and more agile organisation.”Seven months ago, sharing a message of this nature was unthinkable. The position we had created to come together as a game and grow cricket on the back of a remarkable year in 2019 was truly game-changing. Our ambition and energy are unchanged, but how we get there now needs to look significantly different to what we originally planned for.”

A win for either side takes them one step closer to a confirmed playoff position

Sruthi Ravindranath20-Oct-20207:34

Should Narine replace Russell? Should KKR stick with Kuldeep regardless?

Big picture

The playoffs race is on. Seven out of the eight teams still have a realistic shot at clinching the spots, while one team is still in the fray mathematically. Here are two teams at No. 3 and 4 on the table respectively, coming into the game with wins over the weekend. A win for Royal Challengers Bangalore will not put a seal on the matter but would take them to the second position – a rather comfortable spot to be at this point – while a loss could possibly see them slip to fourth. If Kolkata Knight Riders lose, however, it could possibly make things easier for the teams below them on the table to fight for their chance, especially given their net run rate of -0.607.Also read: KKR vs RCB fantasy picksOn Saturday, AB de Villiers put on a vintage display as he saved the Royal Challengers from the jaws of defeat against Rajasthan Royals. The Knight Riders had a new match-winner in Lockie Ferguson, who made a superb entry into the season with his express pace, delivering a fantastic Super Over win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. Both the teams, however, need their respective top-order batsmen to get off the blocks quicker. In fact, the Knight Riders’ run rate of 7.2 in the powerplay is the second-lowest among teams this season and is also their lowest since IPL 2011.

In the news

Hours before their match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, the Knight Riders received the news that Sunil Narine, who was reported for suspect bowling action, has been taken off the warning list. But do they have a spot for the allrounder? He’s had a sub-par season batting-wise but he has been instrumental with the ball, especially in the death overs as he showcased in his last match against the Kings XI Punjab. Chris Green and Ferguson were his replacements in the last two matches respectively. While Green had average returns against the Mumbai Indians, Ferguson was excellent with the ball, first picking up 3-15 and then a 2-2 in the Super Over against the Sunrisers. Meanwhile, Andre Russell has endured a poor season with a bat, hasn’t bowled much and even hurt his hamstring in the field while bowling on Sunday. He is probably the one Narine could replace but it remains to be seen whether the Knight Riders would take the tough call.

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Andre Russell/ Sunil Narine, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Pat Cummins, 8 Lockie Ferguson, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Shivam MaviRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Devdutt Padikkal, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 Shivam Dube/ Gurkeerat Mann, 6 Chris Morris, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Navdeep Saini/ Mohammad Siraj, 10 Shahbaz Ahmed, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Previous meeting

A de Villiers special gave the Royal Challengers a big win when the teams met last week in Sharjah. On a slow pitch where every other batsman struggled to get going, de Villiers looked like he was batting on a different surface as he bludgeoned 73 off 33 balls to take Royal Challengers’ total to 194. Later Chris Morris and spinners combined to strangle the Knight Riders in the chase, taking their side to an 82-run victory.

Strategy punt

• de Villiers’ delayed arrival against the Kings XI, when Kohli promoted Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube up the order, did not see fruitful returns and also had an impact on the result. In the three matches de Villiers came out to bat around the 11th-12th over, he had scored three fifty-plus scores and the Royal Challengers have gone on to win all these games. In the four winnings he’s walked in to bat between overs 11 to 15, he has made 234 runs and has struck at 215. Since he’s been crucial in their recent wins, the Royal Challengers could strategise his entry to the crease to get the best out of their star batsman.
• Should the Royal Challengers save Chris Morris for Knight Riders’ middle order? Barring Eoin Morgan, the rest of the middle order comprising Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell have been dismissed at least twice by Morris in T20s and they average less than 15 against him.

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Stats that matter

• Both the teams have been successful at defending targets this season. They have won four out of five matches batting first and have the joint-second highest win percentage of 80% among teams batting first this season.
• With Morris’ inclusion, the Royal Challengers’ bowling looks a lot improved, especially in the death overs. Royal Challengers’ economy at the death has come down to 8.3 runs from 13 in the last four matches he’s been part of.
• Ferguson is among the best fast bowlers in the middle overs in the IPL in recent years. Among quicks who have bowled 10-plus overs in the middle overs in IPL since 2017, Ferguson has the best average of 11, the best economy of 4.8 and is the only one to have conceded at an economy of less than 6.
• Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan is set to play his 300th T20
• de Villiers needs 58 more to reach 9000 runs in T20s

They also come into the Qualifier against the Delhi Capitals with the experience of more success in the IPL playoffs

Hemant Brar04-Nov-20207:28

Will chasing be Capitals’ best bet against Mumbai?

Big Picture

The Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals were touted as the strongest teams in IPL 2020 right from the start. Both had strong first XIs, good bench strength and sufficient back-up for key players. While the Mumbai Indians played like the defending champions almost throughout the league stage, the Capitals stumbled midway before finding their footing just at the right time.ALSO READ: Plan your Fantasy XI for Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals with our ready reckonerNow here they are again, face-to-face in the first Qualifier in Dubai, with the winner getting a ticket to the final. The loser will have a chance to redeem themselves in the Eliminator, but neither team would like to take that route. That’s perhaps why Rohit Sharma, returning from a hamstring injury, primed himself in the Mumbai Indians’ last league game even though nothing was at stake.With both sides packed with one heavyweight bowler after another, it may come down to the batting units. On the basis of recent form, the Mumbai Indians have the upper hand there, especially with the Capitals relying heavily on Shikhar Dhawan in the second half of the tournament.The Mumbai Indians have a better record in the playoffs as well. The four-time champions have won four of their last five playoff games. The Capitals, on the other hand, have just one win from their six playoff/semi-final appearances and have never reached the finals. Past performances or the current form, no matter how you look at it, the Mumbai Indians start as the favourites for Thursday’s game.

In the news

• R Ashwin went off the field as soon as he completed his quota of four overs in the Capitals’ last league game, against the Royal Challengers. It’s understood he was carrying a hamstring injury into the match. However, he bowled in the nets on the eve of the Qualifier, so expect him to be in action.

Previous meetings

The Mumbai Indians did a double over the Capitals in the league stage. In the first game, Dhawan’s 52-ball 69 could drag the Capitals only to 162 for 4, which the Mumbai Indians chased down with five wickets still in hand, thanks to the blistering half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav.Then last week, Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets each to restrict the Capitals to a paltry 110 for 9. Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 72 off 47 balls made short work of the chase and saw the Mumbai Indians home with nine wickets and 34 balls to spare. That game was played in Dubai, the venue for the Qualifier.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Rahul Chahar, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit BumrahDelhi Capitals: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Daniel Sams, 11 Anrich Nortje

Strategy punts

• In T20 cricket, Dhawan, Rahane and Iyer have a combined total of 159 runs at a strike rate of 134.75 against Bumrah without ever being dismissed. In contrast, each of Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis and Axar Patel average less than 12 against Bumrah at a strike rate of under 110. Given Boult has provided a breakthrough inside the powerplay in ten out of the 14 games, the Mumbai Indians can use Bumrah more against the middle order than the top order.
• Since 2019, Sharma’s IPL strike rate against spin in the powerplay is just 90; de Kock’s is 93. So the Capitals may use Ashwin early on against the Mumbai Indians openers. Ashwin has also got de Kock out three times in five T20 innings.
• With the fifth bowler giving the Capitals a headache, they replaced Shimron Hetmyer with Rahane against the Royal Challengers to allow themselves to play left-arm seamer Daniel Sams. Though Sams went for 40 in his four wicketless overs, Rahane scored 60 off 46 balls from No. 3. With Prithvi Shaw still struggling for runs at the top of the order, the Capitals may continue with the same strategy, to have the experience of Rahane as a cushion.

Stats that matter

• Teams batting first have won 15 out of 24 games played in Dubai this IPL. The average first-innings total at this ground has been 171.
• The Mumbai Indians pacers have taken 60 wickets, the most for any team this IPL. The Capitals are just behind them with 59. They are also the only two bowling units to have an economy of under ten in overs 16 to 20.
• While batting first this season, Iyer has scored 320 runs in nine innings, at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 133. Batting second, he has 101 runs in five innings, an average of 20 and a strike rate of 98.
• Shaw’s form has nosedived after first five games, where he scored 179 runs at an average of 35.8 and a strike rate of 148. Since then he has only 49 runs in seven innings.
• Dhawan has five scores of 50 or more in this IPL but he also been dismissed in the single digits five times.

CSA facing further financial losses and doubts about viability of upcoming tours

Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2020The bubble has burst. Of all the problems South African cricket faces at the moment, this is the one CSA wanted to avoid most. Their capacity to host international cricket has been compromised by what appear to be breaches of the bio-secure environment and now a tour hangs in the balance.After three positive cases of their own, South Africa’s visitors England are waiting for ratification of two positive results on their side. If it is confirmed that members of the touring party have Covid-19, both them and their close contacts will have to quarantine in South Africa before returning home, something that could cut into festive season plans.Considering that England came off a bubbled home summer, in which there were no recorded positive cases, and some of their players were also in a bubbled IPL, where early cases emerged but the tournament progressed without a hitch, their experience in South Africa has left much to be desired.ALSO READ: ODI cancelled again after positive tests among players, hotel staffEngland expressed concerns about the integrity of the bubble when a South Africa player tested positive on Thursday. Now that the virus may have reached their own camp, those worries can only have multiplied. And South Africa will need to be more proactive in attempting to figure out where things went wrong.CSA conducted an investigation to determine what appeared to be a potential breach that resulted in Thursday’s positive test but were unable to conclude how that may have happened. They denied that the player, or anyone else, could have left the bubble and their scrutiny of security footage did not reveal anything incriminating. They are also unsure how two hotel staff members tested positive, with the Vineyard confirming that the pair do not work in the same part of the hotel, and have not left the establishment since November 16. But not every member of staff is living at the hotel.ESPNcricinfo understands that around 60 staff members are resident at the hotel and, of those, there are 20-30 who come into contact with players. The hotel also has a separate isolation wing, where the two staff members and the player who tested positive are being put up.CSA insists the South Africa player who tested positive did not come into contact with any of his team-mates, which is why no one else is in isolation and it stands by the assertion that the two teams have not mixed at all. South Africa and England occupy different areas of the hotel and do not even use the same corridors. A source close to the camp insists that if players talk to each other, they do so “at a distance”, although technically this should not be necessary if the bubble is secure.The warning signs were there on November 20 that this bubble may not be. That’s when a second South Africa player tested positive, having been in the bubble for two days.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The first player had not entered the bubble at all, and was accommodated separately from the rest, so he did not pose any risk. The second player is understood to have contracted the virus from the outside, before the tour began, and taken it into the bubble. He was removed from the hotel but no one else was isolated because CSA said the players had been socially distant and the rest of the group all had negative results.The third incident is believed to have no relation to the second and has arisen inside an established bubble, creating the most cause for concern. It is not known whether England’s cases, if they are positive, are a result of the third case.All we do know is that this bubble is not as tightly controlled as those that were in place in England or at the IPL. Players are allowed to leave for rounds of golf at Boschenmeer, near Boland Park in Paarl, and South Africa have permission to train at the Vineyard Oval, across the road from the hotel. The insider confirmed that CSA tried to be flexible in allowing for some recreation, because of concerns about player welfare and bubble fatigue. There is also an indication they may have to relook at that idea for the next series, if there is one.South Africa are also due to host Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan this summer and doubtless all of them will look at the way this series played out when deciding if they want to make the trip. Sri Lanka have the least time, and are expected to depart their relatively Covid-free island in 12 days to play two Tests in the Highveld over the festive season. CSA is planning on putting both teams up at the Irene Country Club in Centurion, rather than a hotel, because of the range of activities on offer. The club has an 18-hole golf course, six tennis courts, a bowling green, squash courts and a driving range. Sri Lanka will be comfortable, but they might want assurances that they will be safe as well.Venues for the Australia Tests have yet to be announced but CSA was planning on playing at the coastal venues in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. At the moment, Nelson Mandela Bay, where Port Elizabeth is located, is a coronavirus hotspot and has stricter regulations than the rest of the country, while in Cape Town there has been a 43% increase in new Covid-19 cases over the last week. Those trends may change by the time Australia are due to arrive in mid-February but, given how well Australia have handled the pandemic (they are playing sport with spectators in the stadiums), it would be understandable if they were wary of traveling to South Africa. And that is something CSA cannot afford.Paarl lies empty ahead of the postponed first ODI•Getty Images

The England and Australia tours are the only opportunity for the organisation to host profit-making series this summer and will be crucial for when its broadcast rights deal is renegotiated next April. South Africa can command a decent television rights deal if their team is strong and if the results of series against India, England and Australia are uncertain. The team’s form in the last 18 months and the shrinking economy means that the broadcast deal is already at risk of being lower than CSA might like. For an organisation staring at the red – losses were previously forecast at US$42 million for the current four-year cycle – these are worrying signs.The problem is that to host matches successfully, CSA has to spend money and, in these times, much more money than usual. As an example, it is carrying the cost of all the Covid-19 tests, at R850 (US$55) each. With several hundred tests needing to be conducted across the entire South African and English camps, all the hotel staff and match officials, CSA is footing a huge bill, which also explains why it is so desperate for this series to go ahead.The six matches are understood to be worth US$4.2 million and though CSA has already made some of that through the T20s, it will lose some from the abandoned first ODI and more if the rest of the series doesn’t go ahead. South Africa is already losing its reputation as one of the sporting world’s best organisers – remember that the 2009 IPL was moved here with just a few weeks’ lead time, while the 2010 Football World Cup was hailed as a success – and appears unable to put the required measures in place for the times. The men’s team are also losing the chance to earn points in the World Cup Super League.Cricket South Africa and cricket in South Africa are in crisis and this will only deepen it. The bubble has burst and the aftermath is likely to be messy.

Both men did not take the field in Australia’s second innings

Sidharth Monga09-Jan-2021An already depleted Indian squad has been stretched further with injuries to Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja during the team’s first innings in the Sydney Test.”Rishabh Pant still has some pain in his elbow. He is currently being treated. Ravindra Jadeja has a dislocation in his left thumb,” said a BCCI spokesperson on Sunday, at the start of the fourth day’s play.*Both men had sustained their injuries on the third day. Pant, hit on the elbow, did not take the field in Australia’s second innings, and went to the hospital for scans. Jadeja, who received a blow to the thumb, didn’t take the field either and though he was initially present at the SCG on the third afternoon, he too was taken to the hospital for scans. Jadeja had earlier missed the T20I series with a concussion and a hamstring injury.Coming into the Sydney Test, India had already lost Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and KL Rahul to injuries, and Virat Kohli to paternity leave. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not possible to fly in replacements should a side need them.Pant’s wicketkeeping gloves were taken up by Wriddhiman Saha, a substitution made possible by a recent amendment in the playing conditions allowing wicketkeepers to be replaced by other wicketkeepers. However, should Pant not be available to bat in the second innings, Saha won’t be able to replace him.2:46

Should substitutes be allowed for non-concussion injuries?

Pant was hit in the elbow when trying to pull pat Cummins, but the ball kept low and skidded on to miss the bat. It took a long time and attention from the physio to put Pant back up, but it was apparent he was struggling during the brief time he spent at the wicket after the injury.Jadeja was hit on the left thumb as he fended at a rising delivery from Mitchell Starc. Commentators on air speculated if he had dislocated his thumb, but he, too, carried on batting after treatment from the physio.Should the duo not be available for the next Test, Saha will have to play, but there is no allrounder to replace Jadeja in the squad. India might be forced to look at an extra batsman – Mayank Agarwal in all likelihood – or the spinner Kuldeep Yadav.Recently, Sri Lanka went through similar struggle with injuries in South Africa. Their coach Mickey Arthur tweeted: “This is a very real concern for touring teams in Covid times, bowlers under a lot of stress as conditioning is not what it should be due to bubble restrictions and quarantine…..we paid the price for it in South Africa!”*This story was updated at 11.20 pm GMT, January 9, after a BCCI update on the status of the injured players.

Rashid Khan blasts 55 off 30 and takes two wickets as Lorcan Tucker, Andy McBrine career-bests go in vain

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2021A boundary-laden century on debut from 19-year-old Rahmanullah Gurbaz led Afghanistan to their first World Cup Super League points with victory over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Gurbaz made 127 from as many balls, with eight fours and nine sixes – the most by an ODI debutant – before Rashid Khan’s ballistic 55 from 30 took Afghanistan to a total that would prove just beyond Ireland’s reach.Ireland wicketkeeper-batsman Lorcan Tucker made a career-best 83, to follow Andy McBrine’s maiden ODI five-for, but they fell short despite some valiant hitting towards the end. Khan also took 2 for 56, including the key wicket of Tucker, while rookie seamer Naveen-ul-Haq claimed 3 for 68.The day belonged to Gurbaz, who became the first player to score a hundred on debut for Afghanistan. He tallied two-thirds of his team’s runs while he was at the wicket, reaching three figures from 115 balls before hitting 27 from his next 12 only to hole out against Gareth Delany’s legspin with more than 12 overs to go.At that stage, Afghanistan were 198 for 6 and Ireland might have been hoping to restrict them further. They had already reined things in after Gurbaz and Javed Ahmadi had put on 120 for the first wicket, McBrine claiming each of the first five to fall – including three caught at leg slip – on the way to figures of 5 for 29.But the last five overs of the innings went for 66, as Khan unleashed with another five sixes to leave Ireland needing to pull of their biggest successful chase against Afghanistan.Naveen struck straight away, Kevin O’Brien trapped lbw for 1 in the third over, and he also claimed the important wicket of Andy Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, inside the Powerplay. Paul Stirling and Harry Tector put on 50 for the third wicket before falling in succession, and although Tucker added 86 with Curtis Campher the required rate was rising for Ireland.Mujeeb Ur Rahman broke the stand, having Campher lbw for 39 with Ireland needing 114 from 13.2 overs, and that had become 35 from 14 by the time Tucker was stumped trying to come down the pitch to Khan.The result gives Afghanistan 10 World Cup Super League points with two games left to play in the series. Ireland have 10 points from four games, after beating England in their previous WCSL fixture.

New South Wales were held up in their push for victory with Nathan Lyon taking their only wicket

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2021Victoria gave themselves a chance to rescuing a draw against New South Wales with their top order putting in a stubborn display in the second innings led by Nic Maddinson’s half-century.They had conceded a lead of 174 on a day interrupted by light rain during the morning session but by the close Maddinson and captain Peter Handscomb had taken them to within sight of a lead.Maddinson and Marcus Harris added 73 for the first wicket before Nathan Lyon broke through when Harris lofted a catch to point as he tried to go down the ground. It was Harris’ third dismissal in four innings against Lyon and another start not converted by the Test opener.The New South Wales quicks went at both Maddinson and Handscomb with the short ball but the pitch at Bankstown Oval does not have much pace in it.Earlier in the day, New South Wales’ last three wickets had added a further 60 to the total either side of the stoppage for rain. James Pattinson removed Trent Copeland and Pat Cummins in the space of four balls before Victoria were frustrated by a final-wicket stand of 37 between Lyon and Harry Conway.If Victoria can save the game on the final day it would represent a good stint in Sydney having secured victory at the SCG last week before they were forced to extend their stay with this match relocated from Melbourne due to Covid-19 border restrictions.