Australia’s Test skipper made just 16 as Tasmania collapsed to 185 all out against South Australia at the Bellerive Oval

Alex Malcolm27-Nov-2018A four-wicket haul to in-form swing bowler Daniel Worrall put South Australia in a strong position at stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Worrall bagged 4 for 42 following his 10-wicket haul against Western Australia in Adelaide last week to help dismiss the home side for 185 late on day one.The Redbacks were more than happy to make first use of a very green pitch at Bellerive with skipper Travis Head electing to bowl first after winning the toss.Some overhead cloud cover only added to the favourable bowling conditions, and Worrall thrived. He had this season’s second-highest run-scorer Alex Doolan caught behind in the seventh over with a delivery that angled in from the wide of the crease before shaping away to catch the edge. He then pinned Jordan Silk in front with a late inswinger in the 13th over.Ben McDermott and Jake Doran fought hard for 23 overs in the trying conditions adding 43 before McDermott was given out lbw to Nick Winter for 24. McDermott, Doran and George Bailey all reached 20 but none passed 30 as the ball continued to nip and swing all afternoon.New Tasmania skipper Matthew Wade again propped up the lower order, top-scoring with 43. But he too fell caught behind the wicket just as Doran, Bailey and Tim Paine had done before him. Worrall bowled Gabe Bell to wrap up the innings with his fourth wicket.South Australia openers Jake Weatherald and Conor McInerney survived two overs before stumps but neither got off the mark.

The batsman left Australia on Sunday to attend to his wife and newborn daughter in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2018Rohit Sharma will miss the New Year’s Test in Sydney to attend to his wife, who gave birth to a baby daughter on Sunday. Rohit left for Mumbai on Sunday, and will only return to Australia on January 8 to join the ODI squad. The Sydney Test is scheduled to run from January 3 to 7.The selectors have not named a replacement for Rohit in the Test squad. Rohit, who missed the second Test in Perth with a lower-back injury, played the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, scoring an unbeaten 63 in the first innings.His return to the side at No. 6 pushed Hanuma Vihari up the order to open alongside debutant Mayank Agarwal, with India dropping both their openers from the Perth Test, M Vijay and KL Rahul.In Rohit’s absence, India have a number of options for the Sydney Test. Vihari could return to the middle order with either Vijay or Rahul coming back into the side, or the seam-bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya could directly replace Rohit at No. 6. If the Sydney pitch looks conducive to spin, another option, if the offspinner R Ashwin has regained full fitness after missing the last two Tests with a side strain, could be to go in with two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja being the other, and three fast bowlers.

Ollie Davies, the New South Wales Metro captain, smashed 207 off 115 balls including 17 sixes

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20180:54

WATCH – Aus U-19 cricketer Davies hits six sixes in an over

A young Australian batsman has hit six sixes in over during a record-breaking double century at the Cricket Australia Under 19 Male National Championships in Adelaide.Ollie Davies, the New South Wales Metro captain who plays for Manly-Warringah CC in Sydney, smashed 207 off 115 balls in a total of 4 for 406. It was the first double hundred scored in the U-19 one-day male championships and the first in the championships overall since Jason Krejza in 2001-02.It was in the 40th over of the innings that Davies completed his full set of sixes during a stay that included 17 in total. His second century needed just 39 balls.”I was looking to hit the good balls for one and then anything loose was looking to pounce on and take over the fence,” Davies said. “After the first two sixes I had in the back of my head that I wanted to give it a crack and it paid off at the end. I was just trying to target forward of square and cow corner, getting down on the back leg before it was even bowled and trying to slog sweep.”

They put on an unbroken 158 for the opening stand to consolidate the Hurricanes’ position at the top of the table

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Jan-2019Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short dismantled Adelaide Strikers to record only the second ever 10-wicket victory in the eight-year history of the Big Bash League, at the same time extending their lead at the top of the competition table.Perth Scorchers had done the trick over Melbourne Renegades via the innings of Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger in December 2015, getting to a target of 171 with eight balls remaining. But Wade and Short continued to lead the way for the Hurricanes, the captain working as the initial aggressor before Short began to catch-up, reeling in the Strikers with a yawning 19 balls to spare.They had been given a more than manageable task by the excellence of the Hurricanes’ attack, Jofra Archer and James Faulkner keeping the Strikers very quiet, even if Colin Ingram was able to find the range of Riley Meredith late in the hosts’ innings.Archer hits the mark
A strength of the Hurricanes this tournament has been the sheer depth of their attack, with Archer, Faulkner, Meredith and Johan Botha all playing key roles at varying times – the first three all having topped 10 wickets for the BBL so far. So when the Strikers got a hold of Meredith at Adelaide Oval after his early dismissal of Jake Weatherald, others were ready to take up the strain, namely Archer.Matthew Wade lifts one over the leg side•Getty Images

Across four overs, all bowled non consecutively, Archer conceded only one boundary while at the same time picking up the more than useful wickets of Matt Short and Rashid Khan. More so than the wickets, it was Archer’s sheer discipline that maintained pressure and opened up avenues for others, including Faulkner, who picked up a pair of victims of his own during a spell in which he conceded only one more run than Archer.Ingram holds it together
At 3 for 50 in the 10th over after the loss of Alex Carey, the Strikers were staring at a total well short of 150 on what appeared an excellent Adelaide pitch. In the absence of Travis Head, Colin Ingram has proven himself to be a creditable captain with the bat and in the field, leading his team’s run-makers in the process. This night he provided another indicator the Strikers had made a wise choice, as he produced a salvaging innings of quality.Starting with a clean blow over midwicket off the bowling of Botha, Ingram found a useful ally in Jon Wells, building up to the 19th over from Merddith in which he piled up 22 runs to ensure the Strikers made it past the 150 mark. If he was unable to be quite as damaging to Clive Rose in the final over of the innings, Ingram had still given what looked to be a potentially defensible total. Looked to be.Wade goes off
Hobart’s ascendancy has often been started by the way that Wade and Short have been able to dictate terms, and it wasn’t long before the captain had Strikers fans starting to think about making an early exit from Adelaide Oval. The usually excellent Rashid Khan dropped short to be pulled for four in the second over, and the Hurricanes scarcely looked back from there.Wade took a particular liking to his erstwhile Australia team-mate Billy Stanlake, hammering the tall Queenslander for 26 from 12 balls faced, while Ben Laughlin and Michael Neser also conceded strike rates of more than 200 runs to Wade. For a time it appeared as though Wade might get as far as three figures, before a previously conservative Short took over.Short finishes off
A criticism of Short during his international career so far has been a tendency to soak up too many balls before getting out. But with a confident and aggressive partner in Wade, he has been able to pace himself this BBL, with often devastating effect.As the Hurricanes closed in on the win, Short crashed 28 runs from his final nine balls, including 17 off Rashid’s last over. With the finals beckoning, the Hurricanes could scarcely be rolling along any better.

Mohan de Silva and Ravin Wickremaratne have been voted in as secretary and vice president respectively, while K Mathivanan also returns as vice president

Madushka Balasuriya21-Feb-2019Shammi Silva has been elected president of Sri Lanka Cricket. Drawing in 83 out of a possible 142 votes Silva, a candidate backed by former president Thilanga Sumathipala, beat Jayantha Dharmadasa, who received 56 votes.Despite the many delays and swings in fortune over the course of the last several months, when elections were postponed indefinitely and SLC was run by a sports ministry-appointed Competent Authority, the final tally of votes means essentially the same faces return to power.Alongside Silva, other members of the previous executive committee in Mohan de Silva and Ravin Wickremaratne have been voted in again, this time as secretary and vice-president respectively. K Mathivanan also returns as vice president, the only member of the Dharmadasa faction to be elected.The results translate to yet another unhappy election outcome for the brothers Ranatunga. Former World Cup winning captain Arjuna lost out narrowly in the race for vice-president, racking up 72 votes to Wickremaratne’s 82 and Mathivanan’s 80, while the younger Ranatunga, Nishantha, running for the post of secretary, picked up just 43 votes to de Silva’s 96.The end result is a mere shuffling of the same people, with Sumathipala and Dharmadasa the only major players missing out among the office bearers voted in during SLC’s last elections in 2016.In the race for other positions, Lasantha Wickremasinghe (100 votes) beat Eastman Narangoda (37) to the post of treasurer, while Lalith Rambukwella (92) was voted in ahead of Sanjaya Senarath (42) for assistant treasurer. Chrishantha Kapuwatha (94) was voted in assistant secretary ahead of Hirantha Perera (44).In the preceding weeks both de Silva, who was set to run for president, and Wickremaratne, who was up for the post of secretary, had been banned by an election appeals committee after being adjudged to have violated Sri Lanka’s Sports Law, which as per a 2016 amendment prevents any previous office bearer of a national sports body which had been dissolved by government from contesting in any future elections. The pair had been part of ousted committees in 2001 and 2005.In response, de Silva and Wickremaratne challenged the ruling in an appeals court, which was where a loophole was discovered. As it transpired, while de Silva and Wickramaratne had put their names in the hat for multiple positions, the objections filed against them had only referenced some of those posts. Essentially, this allowed the pair to contest on the condition that it wasn’t for the posts they were banned from.It is unclear who is at fault for these clerical errors, but in any event it left the legal counsel representing the Sports Ministry no choice but to let de Silva and Wickremaratne contest for the posts of secretary and vice president. The writ petition hearings though are set to continue on 21 March.This turn of events is thought to have swayed voter sentiment. Until then Silva, a backup candidate to de Silva, was to run for president against Dharmadasa, while the coveted posts of vice president and secretary were set to be run virtually uncontested by those in the Dharmadasa camp – a situation that, had it prevailed, would almost certainly have seen Dharmadasa come out victorious in the presidential stakes.That events panned out in this manner, while unexpected, was not wholly surprising. Thilanga Sumathipala has long been identified as the most powerful force in Sri Lanka Cricket, and despite not contesting this time around, he has continued to cast a wide shadow. Most notably in the strong voting bloc he possesses, which is likely what eventually won Silva the presidential race.One of the primary election strategies for Dharmadasa and his camp had been to neutralise this threat. Nishantha Ranatunga’s court case against Sumathipala, which eventually led to the latter withdrawing his candidacy, and Dharmadasa’s objection to Mohan de Silva’s candidacy had seemingly achieved this goal successfully.So much so that Dharmadasa had been favourite to take the post right up until the eve of the elections. But that late compromise between Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry and the previously disqualified pair of de Silva and Wickremaratne reinstating them in the race, gave the Sumathipala-backed faction the numbers they needed.It is a scarcely believable fact that Shammi Silva learned of his candidacy for president on the eve of the race; Silva is in essence president by accident. Though by now, not many are in doubt as to who exactly is running the show.

The second half of the final was washed out, denying the selectors a proper look at the fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Apr-2019Rain washed out the entire second innings of the final of Sri Lanka’s Super Four Provincial Limited-Over tournament, but not before Lahiru Thirimanne threw his hat in the ring for a World Cup berth, hitting 115 off 128 balls.Thanks in part to the platform that Thirimanne had set, the Galle team’s lower middle order amassed some quick runs towards the close of the innings, to propel the team to an imposing 337 for 7. The most notable among the middle-order contributions was that of Wanindu Hasaranga, who struck 13 fours and a six in a 53-ball innings that yielded 87. Milinda Siriwardana, Minod Bhanuka and Lahiru Madushanka also produced quick runs through the final overs.There were no standout performers from among Colombo’s bowlers, with five players taking no more than one wicket apiece. Significantly, however, Akila Dananjaya – who had taken a five-wicket haul in his previous game – went wicketless in the final, conceding 63 from his nine overs.Thirimanne’s hundred means he ends the tournament as its second-highest run-scorer, with 213 at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of 81.92. Only Angelo Mathews, who made 227 runs at an average of 56.75, fared better. With the team’s regular openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella having fared poorly throught the Super Four tournament, Thirimanne perhaps has an outside shot of making the World Cup squad. Dimuth Karunaratne – a potential captain – produced the second-highest run tally from among the opening candidates, hitting 165 at an average of 55.The rain meant the selectors could not have a proper look at fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. With Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana virtually certain to feature in the World Cup squad, the selectors are understood to be mulling over several of their other fast-bowling options. Chameera took four wickets at an average of 23.00 in the three previous games.With the Super Four tournament now concluded – Galle and Colombo shared the trophy – the selectors will finalise their World Cup squad over the next few days.

Finch addressed the media after their third and final warm-up game against New Zealand in Brisbane, and also praised Steven Smith’s successful return into the Australian set-up

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane10-May-20191:18

Don’t have a fixed opening combination yet – Finch

Australia still have a “lot of questions to answer” before their opening World Cup match, according to captain Aaron Finch, but being able to call on the experience of six previous winners in their 15-man squad could be a key factor as they attempt to defend their title and claim the tournament for the sixth time.The squad completed their Brisbane camp with the third match against a New Zealand XI on Friday, Steven Smith hitting an unbeaten 91 and Glenn Maxwell a flamboyant 70. They then went straight to the airport to fly to Turkey for a visit to Gallipoli, a trip that Steve Waugh’s 2001 Ashes side had undertaken too. From there, they reach London in the middle of next week ahead of their final warm-up period before opening their campaign on June 1 against Afghanistan in Bristol.ALSO READ: Langer ‘slept better’ after Smith’s show of formFinch, one of the six players who were part of the 2015 triumph on home soil, along with Smith, Maxwell, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, said a World Cup is a “different” experience from the bilateral series that form most of a players’ career.”I think it’s a big advantage, just to know what it takes to win a World Cup and what it takes to manage your way through a campaign which can be difficult,” Finch said. “You have to be at your best at the business end but you can’t afford to let anything slip at the start. Six guys who have been there and done that will give a lot of experience to the others of what to expect, what to feel walking out there because it is different.”When you talk so much about it, when it finally happens it’s a relief to be looking forward. The fact everyone is together and getting on great, the boys are pumped to ramp up the preparations. It really is the time of your life a World Cup so that will be awesome.”Australia are not favourites for the tournament but are in much better shape than they were just a few months ago, having strung together eight wins in a row away against India and Pakistan. However, the final build-up, dominated by the return of Smith and Warner, has filled in all the blanks with the batting order, though bowling combinations are yet to be firmed.They used three different opening partnerships in the three matches in Brisbane as well as other tweaks to the order. It remains likely that Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are playing off for one position.”I think it’s just about giving everyone an opportunity at the top of the order to get some game time as much as anything,” Finch said. “I think it’s a good opportunity to mix and match and with the three games in the UK we might keep everyone guessing a bit, but the honest answer is, no, we don’t have a definitive answer on what that will look like at the moment. There are a lot of questions still to be answer but we are in a great place to do that.”ALSO READ: How busy are Australia’s cricketers?Finch was the only one to score a half-century opening the innings in the three matches with Warner not quite able to continue his serene progress from the IPL. Smith produced the two most significant innings of the week with his brace of unbeaten knocks.”His [Smith] timing and class was back again,” Finch said. “It was like he hadn’t left. His drives down the ground on a really difficult wicket to time off the front foot was so impressive, just the amount of time he spent in the middle and how he went through the gears was very impressive.”Smith was also active in offering advice to the captains, Finch in the first two matches and Alex Carey in the last one, with the team happy to lean on the experience of their former captain and Warner, the former vice-captain.”They are two of the best players in the world which is valuable to have at your disposal,” Finch said. “The boys have been brilliant. All the work off the field with the team has been great. It’s an interesting time, no doubt, when they are coming back in but still a great opportunity for everyone to learn off them as well. They have so much experience and what they bring to the group is really valuable.”

Victory for Bangladesh will knock hosts Ireland out of the race for a spot in the final

The Preview by Mohammad Isam12-May-2019

Big Picture

West Indies have already sealed a spot in the tri-series final, while Bangladesh beat them in their previous face-off in the tournament. Ireland, the hosts, have lost two of their three matches, with one washed out, and if Bangladesh beat West Indies on Monday, the home side will be out of the running for a spot in the final. Ireland, therefore, will follow the goings-on in Malahide on Monday with interest, but the competing teams will have more at stake than just tournament standings – there is the World Cup looming, and Bangladesh and West Indies have a few areas they will want to improve on.West Indies have blown hot and cold in this tri-series. Between beating Ireland convincingly in the first game and in a more closely fought encounter in the fourth, they lost handily to Bangladesh.In the match against Bangladesh, Shai Hope followed his first-game century with another one. But he might have wanted to accelerate sooner than he did. West Indies also ended up making only 64 runs in the last ten overs, and their bowlers were blunted once Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar got off to a good start for Bangladesh.However, they put that defeat behind them to complete their highest successful run chase in ODIs after Ireland had put up 327 for 5, with Sunil Ambris smashing 148. West Indies have had four centuries in the tournament so far, though one of the centurions – John Campbell – hasn’t been seen in action since his first-match 179, sitting out with a sore back.Bangladesh have had only one full game, and it resulted in an eight-wicket win with plenty to spare against West Indies. Tamim and Soumya put on 144 for the opening stand then before Shakib Al Hasan took control of the chase.Bangladesh will also be quietly confident after seeing their bowling improve as the game progressed. Mashrafe Mortaza and Mohammad Saifuddin took crucial wickets, while Shakib and Mehidy Hasan gave them control in the middle overs. Mustafizur Rahman’s form was a concern, but there is still enough time before the World Cup to address that problem.

Form guide

West Indies: WLWWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh: WLLLWSunil Ambris punches gloves with Roston Chase after his maiden ODI century•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Shannon Gabriel, playing his first ODI series in 18 months, has taken six wickets in three matches so far. The Bangladesh batsmen took 58 off his ten overs, but because of how much Gabriel dominated them in the Tests last year, they will certainly be wary of him.There’s always a question-mark hanging over Soumya Sarkar, but having made 73 in the previous West Indies game, the management will have greater confidence while picking him as Tamim’s opening partner. Soumya, too, will be glad that the long tour of Ireland and England has started on the right note.

Team news

After a good win against Ireland, there might not be much reason to change the XI, but West Indies could perhaps consider bringing in Raymon Reifer, the 28-year old allrounder from Barbados, especially with Fabian Allen bowling only three overs in the previous game.West Indies (probable): 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Jonathan Carter, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Fabian Allen, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Shannon GabrielTheir last game against Ireland was abandoned, and Bangladesh are likely to continue with the same line-up that beat West Indies by eight wickets.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mohamad Saifuddin, 9 Mehidy Hasan, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The fourth game of the tri-series, on Saturday, showed that the pitch was a batting beauty, with West Indies successfully chasing Ireland’s 327 for 5. That promises a run-filled game this time too, although it is likely to be cloudy.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh have won four of their last five ODIs against West Indies.
• West Indies have had four individual centuries in an ODI series or tournament for the first time since the 2006 Champions Trophy.
• West Indies’ 331 for 5 against Ireland in the previous game was their highest successful chase in an ODI.

The match against Bangladesh is shaping up as a crucial one, but Eoin Morgan said there was no panic in the ranks

George Dobell in Cardiff07-Jun-2019A glance at the fixtures list for this World Cup will tell you the knock-out section of the tournament does not start for another month. But England, at least, could be forgiven for feeling it starts on Saturday.If that sounds like hyperbole, it’s worth musing on likely scenarios. It looks, at this stage, as if teams with up to three losses will probably qualify for the semi-finals. And, with England having won one and lost one of their two games to date, defeat in Cardiff on Saturday would leave them going into their final six group matches with little margin for error. Especially as they face a tough final three games against India, New Zealand and Australia.But the weather has added something of a wildcard element to that equation. Washouts – especially washouts in games involving Afghanistan and Sri Lanka – could prove definitive, as Australia (who were eliminated from the 2017 Champions Trophy having managed to play only one game to completion) could testify. In short, defeat at the hands of Bangladesh could leave England facing an uphill challenge to qualify.They will not, therefore, require any reminders about the importance of this match or the quality of their opposition. Not only did Bangladesh defeat England in the previous two World Cups – the loss in Adelaide in 2015 sealed England’s early departure from the tournament – but Cardiff was the scene of the defeat that ended England’s Champions Trophy run in 2017. “Bangladesh are a side with a huge amount of potential,” Eoin Morgan, the England captain, said. “It is going to be a difficult game because they’re a good side. I think people under-estimate them.”All of which could leave the England environment just a little tense. So it is hardly surprising that the last few days have seen the management focus on attempting to alleviate that pressure and focus on the qualities – the joy and fearlessness – which sparked such a resurgence after the debacle of the 2015 World Cup. There have been no extra fielding sessions, no talk of the importance of this game and no thought of changing tactics.”The last couple of days for us has been a case of getting away from the game,” Morgan said. “I watch a lot of horse racing and speak to friends and family.”No, there have been no extra fielding drills. Absolutely not. Fielding for us has been an extremely strong point. We proved that in the first game. We had a bad day in the field at Trent Bridge. That can happen. I wouldn’t say we were more anxious than normal.”As a team, all we’ve talked about is sticking to what we do well and looking to our strengths. Before the tournament started we talked about losing games and how we would. Everything goes back to focusing on our strengths and how to get the best out of ourselves.”There’s no panic. We’re very realistic about performances whether we win or lose. If it doesn’t go our way next game or the game after, there’s no panic. It’s all about sticking to the process.”At such moments, Morgan sounds increasingly like a motivational speaker. And if it’s a temptation to lampoon his positivity – defeat against Pakistan is described as a “huge opportunity to learn more” while Jofra Archer’s struggles at Trent Bridge are interpreted as a positive: “If he doesn’t get hit, he won’t learn,” – but England are surely fortunate to have such a calm figure leading them. While previous campaigns have seen panic-driven changes of strategy at the last minute – dropping the captain just before the 2015 tournament, for example – Morgan is steadfast in his plans, equable in his temperament, and confident in the team he has assembled.His reaction to Archer’s outing at Trent Bridge is a decent example. Rather than seeing Archer’s figures – he conceded 79 from his 10 overs – and his fine for dissent as grounds for concern, he sees it as an inevitable step in the young player’s journey. Next time, he reasons, Archer will be better.”Jofra had never been hit before,” Morgan said. “He just didn’t go for any runs and eventually he went for runs. If he doesn’t get hit, he won’t learn. He has very rarely failed but when he does, he is quite chilled. After the game he was very relaxed. He is at the point in his career where he is picking up everything very quickly.”Yes, learning in a World Cup brings pressure. But he has played in the IPL, which is as good as you can replicate in the World Cup.”Morgan is not convinced that the 2015 defeat in Adelaide was especially traumatic, either. While it sealed England’s fate, he feels it was the loss in Wellington – where New Zealand won with almost 38 overs remaining – that was more reflective of how far off the pace England had fallen and more relevant in proving a catalyst for change.”We were knocked out after that Bangladesh match,” he said, “but I wouldn’t say it was a watershed moment. The big contributor to changing the way we played was the New Zealand game in Wellington. That made a big contribution to us making steps forward and good decisions.”We weren’t humiliated by Bangladesh. We were beaten again by a better team who deserved to win on the night. The humiliating games were the ones that happened previously. Ones where we were blown away.”It remains likely England will recall Liam Plunkett in place of one of the spinners – probably Adil Rashid – on Saturday. While the wicket has not played quite as green as it has looked here in recent games, those short boundaries are a nightmare for spinners, so England’s attack may be more seam heavy than usual. And that might present a challenge to Morgan in ensuring his side bowl their overs within the three-and-a-half hour window allowed.”There’s a chance we might go to four seamers,” Morgan said. “The wicket that we saw on Thursday looked similar to the wickets that have been played on here previously. There’s a bit of extra green grass. And it’s been under the covers for another day. So yes, there’s a chance we will change the team.”Sides have struggled with the over-rates so far, it’s not just us that has to keep an eye on it. I certainly don’t want to get suspended. Hopefully we can stay on top of it.”

India captain refuses to believe Dhoni’s slow pace of batting in the middle overs is a matter of concern

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-20191:13

Hussey: India’s well-balanced bowling unit makes them extremely hard to beat

Virat Kohli is least affected by the criticism surrounding MS Dhoni’s batting approach in the middle overs of an ODI innings, particularly against spin. This even as Dhoni’s former team-mates Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman questioned the logic of his slow pace, arguing that it hasn’t helped India’s cause in the death overs.For Kohli, Dhoni’s late flourish en route an unbeaten 61-ball 56 which helped put on 268 against West Indies was a job well done. Asked specifically if Dhoni’s game plan of delaying the slog was hard to fathom from the outside, Kohli vehemently defended his senior player.”He knows exactly what he wants to do out in the middle. Anyone has off days. When he has an off day here and there, everyone gets up and starts talking,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation. “What we have always maintained in the change room is backing him, and he has won us so many games. The best thing about having someone like him is when you need those extra 15-20 runs, he knows exactly how to get them with the tail.IDI via Getty Images

“Keeping strike in the end and finishing off with two big sixes gave us a boost as a team. We were looking at 250 but we got close to 270-odd because he was out there in the middle. Hardik [Pandya] also played really well, but his experience has come good eight out of ten times for us.”Kohli also insisted in a batting line-up such as India’s, where there’s a fine mix of stroke makers and finishers, Dhoni’s calculated approach was much needed. He underlined how it brought balance, especially if they found themselves in a spot, like they did against Afghanistan or on Thursday against West Indies.”We have quite a few players who play instinctive cricket and follow their positive game plans,” Kohli said. “He is one guy in the middle who always sends out a message for the team. ‘I think this is the par score on this pitch.’ Understanding how our bowlers bowl as well, he has such a keen understanding of the game. So he is always giving us feedback, in terms of ‘okay 260 is a good score, 265 is a good score.’ So that we don’t look at 300 and end up getting 230.”He has always been that way, that is his strength, to play calculated cricket, to always stay in the game, equal to the opposition and then find ways of winning. He’s a legend of the game, we all know that. He’s doing a tremendous job for us and hope he can continue.”