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Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine is cautiously optimistic about his side’s chances against their most frequent rivals Bangladesh. The two teams will be playing each other in the T20 World Cup for the first time, and interestingly, it’s Zimbabwe who for a change will enter as slight favourites, eyeing a place in the last four.Bangladesh are still feeling the pinch after a record-breaking defeat at the hands of South Africa in their previous game, which undid most of their good work against the Netherlands. The difference between the two sides was quite apparent in their press conferences. Sridharan Sriram, the Bangladesh technical consultant, was not too pleased with some of the questions. Ervine however spoke confidently, particularly passionate about Zimbabwe’s journey till this point.”We’ve got a huge chance to make the semis,” Ervine said. “It requires us to win against Bangladesh and also to beat Netherlands, and then we’ve got our final game against India, and depending on some other results. But we can’t look too far ahead right now. I think we’re probably just looking at tomorrow and trying to concentrate on tomorrow’s game and putting in a good performance tomorrow, and then after that, then we can look at Netherlands and plan our way forward from there.”Related

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Ervine was quick to point out however that in the T20 format, there are no guarantees, and taking their eye off the ball against Bangladesh will cost them.”Obviously the win against Pakistan was absolutely massive for us, just to keep our chances alive of making the semis. But we know that we’ve only had to have a travel day yesterday, practiced today and tomorrow is our game against Bangladesh, so it’s a very quick turnaround, and we can’t sort of dwell on that win last night too much. We’ve got to concentrate on our next game, and Bangladesh is also a great side. We’ll have to come here and play some exceptionally good cricket again tomorrow.”Sriram, who took over the Bangladesh campaign shortly before the team left for New Zealand last month, said that his side will be well prepared against Zimbabwe.”I have never been part of a Bangladesh-Zimbabwe contest so I am not sure about the frequency of their meetings. The boys are well prepared. They know their opposition very well, it is something that we stress on. We pride ourselves on doing our homework.”I don’t think I need to tell you (about our plan) but we definitely have a plan. I think we respect Zimbabwe, they had an amazing performance against Pakistan. I watched every ball of it. The way they pulled it off against Pakistan was unbelievable. Full credit to them, full respect.”But Sriram seemed agitated with answering questions about team plans, the opening pair’s lack of runs, how the team can turn things around after the South Africa defeat, and the expectations from the side.”You are still on the opening pair, eh? Good for you. We got 47 in the first game, 26 for no loss in two overs against South Africa. The opening pair looks more settled, it is giving them more game time, more experience.”The more they play together, against different oppositions and conditions, they will learn. Good players like Rilee Rossouw and Quinton de Kock kick on from good starts. It is a learning process for both (Najmul Hossain) Shanto and Soumya (Sarkar), and they will do it,” he said.Ervine, meanwhile, was quite happy to see his long-time friend Sikandar Raza become a sensation in the last few months.”He’s been absolutely phenomenal over the last few months. I think a lot of credit has got to go to his personality and his determination to never give up. We’ve seen over the years that he is so passionate about cricket and about succeeding and about winning. I think everybody plays around him really well. He’s been such a good performer for us over the last couple months.”We’re going to need him to continue that for us because he’s a huge key in the bowling and the batting department. On the day that he doesn’t get runs, he contributes with the ball, as well. He’s one of my good friends, and we’ve started our career a long time ago, but to see his development over the last couple years, it’s so rewarding because he puts so much work into it.”Ervine has led the side impressively, at times having to play extra aggressively as an opener himself, while always opting for the attacking option when choosing a bowler.”You always question whether you’re doing the right things through all the different games, and I think to get the results we’ve gotten, it’s been such a pleasure to have guys like Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva on the field that I can consult with on a regular basis in pressure situations because it’s very difficult for me just to make all of those decisions on my own.”It’s good to have different ideas and bounce things around. At the end of the day, I’ve got to go with my gut feeling, and fortunately it’s been working pretty well so far.”

New Zealand allrounder Jimmy Neesham is set for his Big Bash League (BBL) debut after having signed with Hobart Hurricanes as a replacement player for Pakistan allrounder Faheem Ashraf who is set to be part of Pakistan’s Test series against England and New Zealand.In September earlier this year, Neesham had turned down a New Zealand central contract, committing to various T20 tournaments. Like Neesham, Trent Boult had also stepped away from his national contract to play T20 tournaments around the world, with Martin Guptill recently joining them as a T20 freelancer. A day after being released from his New Zealand contract, Guptill was announced as a replacement player for Melbourne Renegades in the upcoming BBL season. Boult (Melbourne Stars) and Colin de Grandhomme (Adelaide Strikers), who had recently retired from international cricket to pursue T20 opportunities, will also be in action in the BBL.Neesham brings with him rich T20 experience, having already played in the IPL and CPL, and recent form. He has struck at almost 185 at the death (between overs 17 and 20) in T20 cricket this year.Related

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“I’m really excited to be involved with the Big Bash for the first time this year,” Neesham said.”I’ve heard great things about the Hurricanes set up, and the list this year looks incredibly strong, so to be able to play even a small part in what I hope will be a successful tournament for the franchise is a really great opportunity for me.”A lot of people say Tasmania is a bit like a mini New Zealand, so I’m looking forward to getting over there, meeting the guys, and playing the role that is asked of me for the team.”The BBL, which will run from December 13 to February 4, will clash with the Super Smash, New Zealand domestic T20 competition, and the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL).

The opening day at MCG suggests this series is in for a repeat of what happened at the Gabba but don’t be fooled: this pitch is nowhere near as spiteful, it’s South Africa’s batting which remains bad. They were bowled for under 200 for a seventh successive Test innings and David Warner, in his 100th Test, had already made some headway into the total.Collapses bookended South Africa’s innings as they slipped to 58 for 4 in before lunch and lost five wickets for 10 runs in the evening session. A 112-run sixth-wicket stand between Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen, who scored half-centuries each, gave the innings some backbone but there was not much else.Pat Cummins will feel vindicated after making the surprising decision to bowl first and put pressure on a vulnerable line-up. Though Australia were disciplined with the ball, they were not outstanding and they put down several catches but still managed to dismiss South Africa for an under-par score. Cameron Green did the bulk of the damage and claimed the wicket of Theunis de Bruyn, which was the first of three for two runs, before lunch and then Verreynne, Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi in 12 balls to complete his first Test five-for.Related

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Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee started off fairly well against tight Australian lines. Elgar was dropped on 7, when he offered Cummins a return catch, and on 19, when he gave Green a tough chance at point. He played and missed several times but dug in and survived and the stage seemed set for him to grind out a good knock.But it wasn’t long before familiar batting problems reared their head. Erwee drove loosely against Scott Boland and was caught at third slip to be dismissed in that fashion for the 10th time in 16 innings. New No. 3 de Bruyn, who replaced Rassie van der Dussen, seemed in good touch and hit Green for two straight drives down the ground but then misjudged Green’s length and top-edged a pull.That brought South Africa’s two most experienced hands, Elgar and Temba Bavuma, together but they were separated 10 minutes before lunch. Elgar pushed Mitchell Starc to the right of mid-off, where Marnus Labuschagne was quick onto the ball. He turned and released in one move and fired in a direct hit to find Elgar short of his ground and run him out for the first time in Test career. The ball after that, Starc found Bavuma’s edge with a ball that tailed away as he prodded at it and had him caught behind.Both Verreynne and Khaya Zondo were scoreless at the lunch interval but resumed the innings with positive intent. Verreynne got off the mark with a confident square drive off a full, wide Starc ball. He did not score a run for the next eight balls he faced as Australia applied pressure and Zondo succumbed to another moment of Marnus magic. He stepped out to drive Starc past mid-off but found Labuschagne, who took an outstanding leaping catch to end Zondo’s innings.Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen revived South Africa’s stumbling innings•Associated Press

Undeterred by the severity of the situation, Verreynne and Jansen took the fight to Australia and their approach could well be a blueprint for South Africa to follow in future. Verreynne was particularly severe on the short ball while Jansen drove well and they were both proactive against Nathan Lyon’s offspin.Jansen should have been dismissed for 37 when he pulled Cummins to Usman Khawaja at square leg but the chance was spilled. He went on to his first Test fifty, and sixth first-class half-century, with a lofted drive over long-on. The shot that got him to his milestone just evaded Starc at long-on and caught the tip of his finger, in what initially seemed a serious injury. Starc left the field immediately and later returned with his finger in a dressing. He was not required to bowl again.Verreynne’s fifty followed, with his second milestone of the series after also top-scoring in the first innings in Brisbane and South Africa were set to push past 200 but then Green struck.However, Verreynne was drawn forward and edged Green to Steven Smith at slip and in his next over, Jansen went the same way. Rabada played on, Keshav Maharaj hit Lyon to mid-off and Green took out Lungi Ngidi’s offstump to end South Africa’s inning with 19 overs left in the day.Though their attack had more to work with than they did at the Gabba, South Africa’s bowlers lacked energy and barely threatened. Five of Rabada’s first six balls, all to Warner, went down leg. In Rabada’s next over, Warner did as he promised he would and took Rabada on. He got off the mark when he pulled Rabada behind square for four. He repeated the shot in Rabada’s next over. South Africa’s spearhead had some reward when Khawaja nicked off. It was the fifth time in nine matches that Rabada has dismissed Khawaja.Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen were more disciplined but Warner issued a final warning, when he threw his bat at a wide Anrich Nortje ball that flew over the slips for four more. He was undefeated on 32 overnight, with Labuschagne alongside him.

On a special day for the Mumbai Indians franchise, their home fans were treated to a commanding victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, with contributions from Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla and Hrithik Shokeen.The all-round effort from the Mumbai team overshadowed Venkatesh Iyer’s 51-ball 104 that had single-handedly lifted the Knight Riders to 185. Iyer broke Knight Riders’ jinx of no IPL centuries since Brendon McCullum’s 158* from 15 years ago, but the other batters were not fluent.That meant Knight Riders finished below par and Kishan’s powerplay dominance (58 off 25) made it even worse for them. Suryakumar, the stand-in captain, then showed glimpses of his best (43 off 25) with solid contributions from Tilak Varma and Tim David to polish off the win.There was also a debut for Arjun Tendulkar, the son of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. He bowled two new-ball overs that showed promise for the future.

Venkatesh ends KKR’s century curse

Sometimes intent matters more than timing. Or so it seemed in Venkatesh’s case. Walking in after N Jagadeesan fell for a duck early, he hit Tendulkar and Cameron Green for sixes to race away to 19 in 8 balls.He often charged out of hise crase, using his reach to convert length balls into fuller deliveries, and even if he wasn’t timing it, he was clearing the boundaries. He also survived some inside-edges that whizzed past the stumps for four, including the ball that got him to fifty in 23 deliveries.Sometimes Venkatesh looked a million dollars. Like when he pulled both Riley Meredith and debutant Duan Jansen – Marco’s twin – for sixes in the 11th and 12th overs. At other times, Venkatesh rode his luck with his footwork getting him in awkward positions.Another six off Meredith in the 14th over took Venkatesh to 94, but he wouldn’t reach his century till his 17th, with Mumbai’s bowlers squeezing him and Shardul Thakur with three tight overs. When he got there, he presented a wide grin and acknowledged the crowd.He couldn’t stay till the end though. In the 18th over, an attempted reverse scoop off Meredith resulted in an easy catch on 104 for short third.

Chawla leads Mumbai’s bowling effort

Suryakumar chose to bowl at the toss. Tendulkar took the new ball and got it to swing early. He bowled six dots and finished 0-17 in two overs. Green kept tight lines and Shokeen’s offbreaks to two left-handers kept one end quiet.Trying to increase his strike-rate, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was caught at short third off Chawla. Then things got heated when Nitish Rana was dismissed by his state team-mate Shokeen. Shoekeen went on to remove Shardul Thakur, slog sweeping to the deep and Rinku Singh couldn’t repeat his recent heroics either, making only 18.It was Venkatesh’s hitting – a total outlier in the Knight Riders innings – that had kept them on course for a 200+ score, but Shokeen, Chawla and Jansen bowled three tidy overs between 15 and 17 to take some momentum out from the batting innings. Russell faced only 11 balls after walking in at No. 7 and hit 21 unbeaten runs to set Mumbai 186 to win.

Ishan’s burst and Rohit’s ‘Impact’

Rohit, who didn’t start the game due to a ‘stomach bug’, walked in as opener after Mumbai activated their Impact Player. He was very nearly caught-and-bowled by Umesh Yadav off his first ball. For most of the powerplay, he was spectator to Kishan’s thrashing of Knight Riders’ bowlers before falling for 20.Kishan punished Shardul for 4, 4, 6 through the off side in the second over. He then showed his leg-side play with a four and six off Umesh in the third. When Narine came in to bowl the chase’s fourth over, he was hit for 22 with Kishan going 6, dot, 6, 4 through slogs. He got his fifty in 21 balls.Kishan then smashed Varun Chakravarthy for six to move to 58, but when he tried to repeat it, he was bowled.But the openers had done their job. According to ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster, Mumbai were 30% favourites to win the game at the start of the chase. By the time Kishan and Rohit were gone, Mumbai were 87 for 2 in 7.3 overs – now 70% favourites.

Tilak, SKY bring it home

The blazing start gave both batters the liberty to start cautiously but the big hits came out soon enough, with Suryakumar punishing wide deliveries with cuts for four and Tilak slog sweeping Narine at the start of his second spell for six over square leg.Otherwise, they were cautious against spin through the middle overs with Rana being forced to use his best bowlers early. When Lockie Ferguson took the ball, Suryakumar brought out some vintage shots, picking up a full ball for six over fine leg and repeating it next ball over midwicket. Tilak and Suryakumar then picked off Russell for 17 in one over.Their partnership of 60 in 6.2 overs deflated Knight Riders, and after they were dismissed, David made a dash for the finish. His 24 in 13 balls sealed the deal with 14 balls to spare and gave Mumbai a net-run rate boost.

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Nitish, Shokeen fined after altercation

Nitish Rana and Hrithik Shokeen, who are team-mates for Delhi at state level, were both fined for breaching the IPL’s Code of Conduct after exchanging words following the former’s dismissal. Nitish charged down the pitch to Shokeen, lofting him to long-on, and Shokeen appeared to give him a send-off after substitute fielder Ramandeep Singh took the catch.Nitish responded angrily and was escorted away from Shokeen by Suryakumar and Chawla. Nitish was fined 25% of his match fee under Article 2.21 of the Code of Conduct, which covers “all types of conduct that bring the game into disrepute”.Shokeen was fined 10% of his match fee under Article 2.5, which covers the use of “language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal”.Suryakumar was also fined INR 12 lakh (USD 14,000 approx.) for Mumbai’s slow over-rate.

Jake Weatherald will look to make a fresh start to his state career after moving to Tasmania on a two-year deal from South Australia.Weatherald, 28, did not play for South Australia since last December having stepped away from the game to manage his mental health early in the BBL.”I’m really excited and grateful to the Tigers for this opportunity,” Weatherald said. “I’m obviously also incredibly thankful to South Australian cricket for giving me my start and my initial opportunity, but I’m looking forward to embracing a new environment and continuing to learn so I can continue to grow my game in the coming years.””I’m 28 and think I still have the opportunity to take my game to another level, so I’m looking forward to getting that journey underway in Hobart shortly.”Weatherald has scored 3837 first-class runs at 34.25 with nine centuries – including one in what became his last appearance for South Australia which came against Tasmania – alongside 1383 List A runs at 36.89 and strike-rate of 91.16.He will remain with Adelaide Strikers in the BBL where he has two more years on his contract.At Tasmania he will add to the team’s top-order options which includes Australia A duo of Caleb Jewell and Tim Ward.”We’re really excited about securing Jake’s services for at least the next two years,” Jeff Vaughan, Tasmania’s head coach, said. “It was a really great opportunity that came to us during the contracting period that can only be seen as win-win for both parties.””We think Jake can bring some valuable experience and cricket IQ to our top order across both the white- and red-ball formats of the game but is also at an age where he can continue to develop his game and improve.”Tim Nielsen, SACA’s head of performance, thanked Weatherald for his eight years with the state.”Jake has been a big contributor to Redbacks cricket for many years and we thank him for all his efforts,” he said.”Jake identified a fresh start as an important part of his career moving forward and SACA are supportive of this new, exciting opportunity in front of him.”The most important thing for Jake is that he is happy, healthy and playing cricket and we hope this new chapter goes well for him.”Earlier this month South Australia secured left-arm quick Spencer Johnson on a three-year deal, fighting off interest from Queensland for the bowler who is gaining interesting from the national selectors.South Australia, along with the other states, will confirm their full lists for the 2023-24 season in the coming weeks.

Nathan Lyon has criticised comments which suggested he came to bat at Lord’s in an attempt to get hit on the head to allow Australia to activate a concussion sub as disrespectful in light of Phil Hughes’ death eight years ago.Lyon suffered a calf injury on the second day which is all but certain to rule him out of the tour, but he hobbled to the crease at the end of Australia’s second innings, adding 15 runs for the final wicket with Mitchell Starc.Commentating on Sky Sports, Kevin Pietersen raised the question of whether it could have been done for the potential of getting Lyon subbed out of the game which can only happen through concussion or Covid-19.Related

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“Imagine if he [Lyon] had been hit on the head and got concussion, he’d have got a like-for-like replacement and a world-class spinner [Todd Murphy], based on how he performed in India, it gives food for thought,” Pietersen said.When asked a broader question about whether cricket should introduce substitutes for a variety of injuries to avoid a team being a player down, Lyon referenced the death of Hughes who was struck by a bouncer while playing for New South Wales in late 2014.”Test cricket’s been around a lot longer than I have and injuries are part of the game,” he said. “I have heard comments that I only went out there to get hit in the head but I’m really against that. I have lost one of my mates due to being hit in the head so I think that’s a really poor conversation being had, if I’m honest with you.”Lyon, who described his injury as a “decent tear”, will have further conversations with Australia’s medical team on Sunday about his future on the tour but is resigned to an extended period on the sidelines for the first time since he made his Test debut in 2011. This injury has come during his 100th consecutive Test and he sits on 496 wickets.Nathan Lyon hobbles out to bat to a standing ovation•Getty Images

He admitted it had been an emotional few days but was determined to help Australia in any way he could which is why he came to the crease.”I have been absolutely shattered,” he said. “I have been in tears, I have been upset, I have been hurting. That shows this team means everything to me. And I will start this rehab journey now to get back and play my role and keep loving what I am able to do.”After doing this for 13 years and not missing a day of school, if you can put it like that, it’s going to be challenging. It’s going to be different. It’s a different challenge. But we always look forward to different challenges and trying to find a way to get better.”Lyon, who had to wait in the Long Room when the eighth wicket fell to avoid being timed out, said that Pat Cummins and Andrew McDonald had been reluctant about the idea of him batting, but he believed any runs added could prove vital.”I knew the risks,” he said. “But the way I look at it… I’ll do anything for this team. You never know how big a 15-run partnership can be in an Ashes series. I’m proud of myself for going out there and doing that. I’ll do it again and again and again. I love this team. I love playing cricket for Australia. And if I can keep playing my role and help out my team-mates I’ll do that.”

India head coach Rahul Dravid doesn’t want to “make the mistake” of letting the ODI series scoreline of 1-1 take the focus away from looking at the “bigger picture” as India build towards the 2023 World Cup at home this October-November.Dravid meant the team is willing to strike a balance between providing opportunities to players, even if it means resting seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and winning while not obsessing over short-term results, given there are fewer than 10 games left before their World Cup opener against Australia in Chennai.”I think we will always look at the bigger picture,” Dravid said after West Indies levelled the ODI series with a six-wicket win in Bridgetown on Saturday. “To be honest, at this stage in the cycle with the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up, and with the injuries we have, we have to look at the bigger picture. We can’t worry about every single game, every single series. If we do that, it will be a mistake.”Related

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Resting Rohit and Kohli for the second ODI meant game time for Sanju Samson and Axar Patel. Samson will be tussling with Ishan Kishan for the second wicketkeeper’s slot, while Axar is largely seen as a like-for-like back-up to Ravindra Jadeja.Samson managed just 9, while Axar, promoted to No. 4, scored 1. They were part of a middle-order meltdown that led to India floundering from 90 without loss to 181 all out. Dravid labeled it a “challenging wicket” where 230 would have been par for the course, but wasn’t fretting over the result, instead choosing to draw positives from giving back-up players game time in the wake of a scenario where their regulars – Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul – currently recuperating from injuries at the NCA don’t make it.”Honestly, this was our last chance to be able to try out some of our players,” Dravid said. “We have got few of our players who are injured and are at the NCA. With a month to go for the Asia Cup, we are kind of running out of time in a lot of ways. And we’re hopeful some of them will be fit for the Asia Cup and World Cup. But we can’t take those chances; we have to try out other people and give them chances so that, in a worst-case scenario, they have game time behind them.”It gives us an opportunity to make some decisions on players. We just felt in a series like this, with just two-three matches to go before the Asia Cup, playing Virat and Rohit honestly would not have given us too many answers, but with the injuries we have at the NCA and the uncertainty around them, we wanted to give some of the other boys a chance so that if required they can play.”

Suryakumar figuring out ‘how to bat in middle overs’

One of the players who has been given a run in Iyer’s absence is Suryakumar Yadav, who is currently India’s T20I vice-captain. Renowned for his 360-degree game in the shortest format, Suryakumar hasn’t been able to replicate the same success in the 50-overs format.In both games in this series, Suryakumar has thrown away starts. In the first ODI, he was lbw for 19 trying to sweep left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. In the second ODI, he shelved the sweep completely, but was out cutting Motie for 24. In all, Suryakumar averages a shade under 24 after 23 ODI innings with just two half-centuries.Suryakumar Yadav (wearing Sanju Samson’s jersey in the picture) has not been able to convert his starts•AFP/Getty Images

“Look, Surya is a really good player, there’s no doubt about it,” Dravid said. “His performances have shown that, especially in T20 cricket, even in domestic white-ball cricket. He has some very good performances. Unfortunately, he’d be the first one to admit his ODI numbers aren’t up to his high standards he’s set in T20s. But he’s also learning about one-day cricket.”He’s played a lot of competitive T20 cricket through the IPL before he made his India debut, but in terms of one-day cricket he hasn’t played that much, there’s no IPL in one-day cricket. So I think he’s also learning, trying to figure out how to bat in those middle overs. He’s a talent, he’s a really good player, we want to give him as many opportunities as we can. Upto him now to take those opportunities and use them. But yeah, in the kind of set-up we are, we like to give people as many chances we possibly can.”Then there are Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, whose developments from age-group cricket Dravid has been privy to having worked with them at India Under-19. Gill is yet to hit a half-century on tour [across five innings] but Dravid isn’t concerned, while also being pleased for Kishan taking every opportunity he’s getting to stake a claim.”I wouldn’t worry so much about Shubman,” Dravid stated. “He’s batting beautifully, he’s playing really well. He looks really good. It happens [low scores], you can’t criticise people after every single game. It’s not easy batting conditions, we needed to grind and fight it out there. We probably didn’t do that through the middle overs. But Shubman is batting well, he’s an important part of all three formats for us now, hopefully he’ll have a good game in Trinidad.”Kishan, meanwhile, has been India’s best batter in the series so far, scoring 55 and 52 in his two outings so far. However, Kishan’s challenges will come especially when India revert to their regular top three of Rohit, Gill and Kohli. In such a scenario, he will possibly have to jostle for a middle-order slot, depending on how well Iyer and Rahul recover. For now, though, Dravid is happy with what he has seen.”Ishan has done really well, this is his third fifty in a row now [across formats]. Again, he’s taking opportunities when given the chance. That’s all we ask from young players, we want to give them as many chances as we possibly can. We can’t give everyone a chance all the time, there are other talented guys as well.”We try our best and give as many chances as we can. Today, to give people chances, Virat and Rohit had to sit out. Sometimes we might have to take those risks, take those chances in situations like that because looking at big tournaments, we need to build some of the players, get answers for specific positions considering the situation we are in.”

Yashasvi Jaiswal has become the 17th India batter to score a century on Test debut, and the first to do so outside Asia in more than 21 years. The 21-year-old reached the milestone on the second afternoon of the Dominica Test, bringing it up with a standing sweep for a single off the part-time bowling of fellow debutant Alick Athanaze.Jaiswal opened the batting alongside captain Rohit Sharma, with Shubman Gill moving down to the No. 3 spot vacated by Cheteshwar Pujara’s axing. When he reached his hundred, off 215 balls, India were 205 for no loss after they had bowled West Indies out for 150 on day one.”It was an emotional moment for me,” Jaiswal said after the day’s play. “I enjoyed it quite a bit. I am still batting so I will try to play for as long as possible. This is just the start of my career, so now it will be about how focused and disciplined I can be going forward.”My effort [on the third day] will just be on how I can give a good start to the team. I will just focus on my process and trust on what I have practiced. I just have to go and keep playing.”Jaiswal has shown a remarkable appetite for runs in every format he has played. When he was called up for this West Indies tour as part of an India side picked with an eye on the future, he had scored 1845 first-class runs at an average of 80.21, with nine hundreds in just 26 innings. His List A career of 32 games already includes a double-hundred. And he was the fifth highest run-getter in IPL 2023, with his 625 runs coming at a strike rate of 163.61. Jaiswal has now brought that appetite to Test cricket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“I thinks it’s about how I prepare mentally,” Jaiswal said when asked about his preparations. “Of course, fitness is very important. I try to follow my diet and discipline and try to stay in good shape. And I practice the way I need to prepare. I keep trying to bat according to possible scenarios and how I can do well on the team. The effort is to just try and play match-winning knocks.”I spoke to Rohit quite a bit while batting. He kept telling me how we can play on this wicket and where the runs can come from. And even before the game, the way he told me ‘you have to do it, you are the only person’, I kept thinking about that and how I can get my runs.”West Indies tested both openers even as they struggled to separate them, on a slow pitch that offered the spinners both turn and bounce. Right through his innings, Jaiswal was happy to show the patience he required to earn his run-scoring opportunities. He took 16 balls to get off the mark on the first evening, and began the second morning by shouldering arms five times in a row to Jason Holder. By the time he reached his hundred, he had left or defended 56 of the 104 balls he faced from West Indies’ fast bowlers.At the same time, he was also prepared to exploit gaps in the field with unorthodox shots. He got off the mark in Test cricket with an uppercut for four, and he reverse-swept Jomel Warrican against the turn for a boundary in the last over of day one.When required to, Jaiswal was able to shift a gear down and see out difficult periods. Having hit seven fours while scoring his first 51 runs off 104 balls, he hit no boundaries and scored just 19 runs off his next 80 balls, a period during which spinners Rahkeem Cornwall and Jomel Warrican beat both openers multiple times with sharp turn.Having got through that testing spell, though, and with Cornwall off the field with a chest infection, Jaiswal opened up after lunch: he rushed from 70 to 100 in just 31 balls, hitting four fours in that period including a dancing, inside-out drive off Warrican.Of the 16 previous India batters to score centuries on Test debut, only two – Shikhar Dhawan in 2013 and Prithvi Shaw in 2018 – opened the batting. And only five scored their debut hundreds outside Asia, with Virender Sehwag the last to do so, in Bloemfontein back in November 2001.Jaiswal’s innings also extended a proud run for players representing his Ranji Trophy team: the last four Test-debut centurions for India have all been Mumbai batters, with Rohit, Shaw and Shreyas Iyer the three before Jaiswal.

David Warner, Mark Wood, Shadab Khan and Ambati Rayudu are among the major overseas players signed up for the second season of UAE’s ILT20, which will start in January next year. Warner and Wood, rivals at the Ashes recently, will team up at Dubai Capitals, while Shadab joins Pakistan team-mates Shaheen Shah Afridi and Azam Khan at Desert Vipers.Rayudu, who retired from all Indian cricket after IPL 2023 and is currently playing in the CPL, has been signed up by MI Emirates, while Martin Guptill and Maheesh Theekshana will play for Sharjah Warriors alongside Lewis Gregory.Apart from Warner and Wood, Capitals have also signed up Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sam Billings. Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Ravi Bopara and David Willey have been signed up by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman, part of Capitals last season, has moved to defending champions Gulf Giants. Qais Ahmed, meanwhile, has moved from Giants to Warriors.Related

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Kusal Perera, Akeal Hosein and Corey Anderson have been drafted in by MI Emirates apart from Rayudu. They have also acquired up and coming Sri Lanka mystery spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar and Noshtush Kenjige have been picked by Giants and MI Emirates respectively, while Bas de Leede and Roelof van der Merwe are the two Netherlands players in the mix, as part of Vipers and Capitals respectively. Scotland team-mates Chris Sole and Mark Watt will be part of Warriors while Brandon McMullen is part of Knight Riders.The last stage of the squad-building process will involve selecting the UAE players.The second season of the ILT20 will run more or less concurrently with the second season of the SA20 league in South Africa, and will overlap with the last stages of the BBL, too. That aside, there’s England’s five-Test tour of India starting January 25, which could force players like Root and Wood to leave the ILT20 early.

The squads at this stage

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
New signings: Brandon McMullen, David Willey, Jake Lintott, Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper, Ravi Bopara and Sam Hain
Retentions: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange and Matiullah KhanDesert Vipers
New signings: Adam Hose, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Michael Jones, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Retentions: Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran and Wanindu HasarangaDubai Capitals
New signings: Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Mark Wood, Max Holden, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nuwan Thushara, Roelof van der Merwe, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Sam Billings
Retentions: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell and Sikandar RazaGulf Giants
New signings: Dominic Drakes, Jordan Cox, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Saurabh Netravalkar and Jamie Smith
Retentions: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma and Shimron HetmyerMI Emirates
New signings: Akeal Hosein, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Kusal Perera, Nosthush Kenjige, Odean Smith, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil
Retentions: Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed and Zahoor KhanSharjah Warriors
New signings: Chris Sole, Daniel Sams, Dilshan Madhushanka, James Fuller, Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Lewis Gregory, Maheesh Theekshana, Mark Watt, Martin Guptill, Sean Williams and Qais Ahmed
Retentions: Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore

Big picture

“The only thing the past gives us is learning.”South Africa head coach Rob Walter was talking about his side’s defeat to Netherlands at the 2022 T20 World Cup when he shared this aphorism. South Africa were not only stunned but knocked out of the tournament. But, Walter said, they have learnt their lesson.So when the two sides meet in Dharamsala on Tuesday, South Africa will not be looking at Netherlands as a weaker opponent. At the same time, they should not be under any pressure. This time it’s a longer format, which reduces the chances of an upset. When these sides played two ODIs earlier this year, South Africa thrashed Netherlands by eight wickets and 146 runs.Related

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A bigger reason, perhaps, is South Africa’s recent form – they are on a five-match winning streak. In each of those games, they batted first, smashed more than 300, crossed 400 twice, and won by 100-plus runs. Arguably, they have the strongest batting unit at this World Cup. Since the start of 2023, ten batters have scored 400 or more ODI runs at an average above 50 and a strike rate over 100. Four of them are from South Africa: Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen. Quinton de Kock, with 552 runs at 46.00 and 97.52, isn’t too far behind either.What about Netherlands’ chances then? They have lost both of their matches so far in this World Cup, but have shown fight. To win, however, they need to put together all three phases of the game, as their batter Colin Ackermann noted after the New Zealand loss.For inspiration, they too can look at the past. If it can be done once, it can be done again. And they don’t even have to jog back all the way to last year. They just need to look at Sunday’s game, where Afghanistan toppled defending champions England.

Form guide

Netherlands LLLWW (last five ODIs, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWW

In the spotlight: Bas de Leede and Quinton de Kock

Playing ODIs for the last time, Quinton de Kock is burning the brightest. He had played 17 World Cup matches before this edition but couldn’t score a hundred. Now he has two in two. Since the start of 2021, he has been equally aggressive against pace and spin, which has helped him score at better than run a ball not just in the powerplay but also in the middle overs. South Africa will expect him to set the tone once again.1:34

Jaffer: Netherlands can spring more than one surprise

Bas de Leede has been exceptional for Netherlands this year. It was his five-for and blazing hundred against Scotland that helped Netherlands qualify for the World Cup. Then, in his side’s opening game here, he picked up a four-for and struck 67 against Pakistan. Overall, he averages 46.25 with the bat and 22.90 with the ball in 2023. If Netherlands are to beat South Africa, they will require a similar performance from him.

Team news

The only question for South Africa is if they want to bring in fast bowler Gerald Coetzee for left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi. The answer could lie in the pitch.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Heinrich Klaasen, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi/Gerald CoetzeeLogan van Beek missed the New Zealand game with a hamstring injury. If he is fit, he could come in for Ryan Klein. The rest of the side is likely to be unchanged.Netherlands (probable): 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Bas de Leede, 5 Teja Nidamanuru, 6 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Logan van Beek/Ryan Klein, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeren2:08

Bavuma: Dharamsala outfield wasn’t all too bad at practice

Pitch and conditions: Dharamsala outfield under scanner

Dharamsala has hosted two matches so far in this World Cup. On both occasions, the teams were more concerned about the substandard outfield than the pitch. While Bavuma said the outfield didn’t feel as bad when South Africa did their fielding practice on Sunday, the players will be cautious while diving around. Meanwhile, for Netherlands, in the words of their coach Ryan Cook, it’s “probably better than most of the outfields we play on”.There have been light showers in the last couple of days, and the forecast for Tuesday afternoon is similar.

Stats and trivia

• Markram and Klaasen are the only batters with strike rates over 120 against both pace and spin this year (minimum 200 runs against each).
• Kagiso Rabada is one short of 150 ODI wickets. If he gets there on Tuesday, in his 95th match, he will be the fourth-fastest South Africa bowler to the mark.
• So far in 2023, Rabada has played seven ODIs. In six of those, he picked up two or more wickets.
• With 13 scores of 50 or more in ODIs, Scott Edwards is joint-second for Netherlands with Tom Cooper. He needs one more 50-plus score to draw level with Ryan ten Doeschate for the top spot.
• Colin Ackermann averages 144.00 against pace and 21.85 against spin in his nine ODIs.

Quotes

“To go back to what has been said regarding our brand of cricket, us being opportunistic as batters, as bowlers, looking to take the game on. That obviously means that the strike rates will be a bit higher. If you look at our top six, top seven, all of the guys really have been striking at high strike rates. It’s just more a matter of us keeping up the intent, looking for opportunities to put bowlers under pressure and obviously backing our skills and execution. So, coming into the World Cup, nothing is going to be different. We’re going to keep going the same way. We’re going to keep backing that.”
“We have got a couple of guys with South African origin in our team with Roelof [van der Merwe] and Colin and obviously a couple of guys from the coaching staff as well. So we do know a lot of the [South Africa] players quite personally and professionally as well, having done a lot of work with them in different teams. So yeah we get to know a little bit more about the players and what makes them tick, and obviously we will be using that to see if there is any advantage that we can use.”