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WTC Final: 3 key player battles to watch out for

Vaibhav Tripathi
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WTC Final: 3 key player battles to watch out for

WTC Final: 3 key player battles to watch out for | 3 key player battles to watch out for in the upcoming World Test Championship Final

The stakes are high as the World Test Championship (WTC) title will be on the line as the top two Test sides in the World will lock horns in a one-off Test at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton starting June 18.

The inaugural World Test Championship was launched in 2019, setting the stage for a long tournament in red-ball cricket to determine the World Test Champion. It garnered good attention from the viewers, which was the main reason why ICC decided to upstage the tournament. After 27 series and 71 matches long wait, New Zealand and India finished at the top of the WTC points table to seal the berth for the WTC final.

There are match-winners aplenty on either side of the net and there will be some key contests that will determine the outcome of the match.

Let’s have a look at the key battles ahead of the summit clash:

Virat Kohli vs Tim Southee

No other bowler in the world has dismissed Virat more than Southee in international cricket. Southee enjoys a stellar record against the batting maestro, dismissing him on 10 occasions across formats. Talking about red-ball cricket, in particular, Southee has got the better of the Indian skipper three times. The right-arm pacer also has been the most successful bowler for his country in the WTC cycle, having picked 51 wickets in 10 games.

With Dukes in hand, Southee certainly will again ask some tough questions with the ball. The Kiwi paceman has got the ability to move the ball in air and off the seam with control makes him a nut to crack. Virat had a great time in England last time in 2018 and taking the confidence from his last tour to the UK the Indian run machine will be looking to counter the Southee factor in Southampton.

Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult

A new ball bowler like Trent Boult always has the baton in his hands to scalp important wickets at the top. With 34 wickets in 9 games in the WTC cycle, Boult again is expected to take the new ball and he’ll have to be at his best against the in-form Rohit Sharma, who has scored 1030 runs in WTC and has been India’s main source of runs at the top of the order.

Boult’s left arm angle certainly will ask tough questions from his Mumbai Indians skipper as the alien conditions are expected to favour the quicks. Also, watch out for how Rohit deals with the in-swinging delivery. If Rohit can somehow manage to play out the first spell of New Zealand’s left-arm quick without losing his wicket then it’ll be a victory for the Indian opener. The Kiwi paceman has dismissed Rohit once in Test cricket and would love to add more to that tally in the upcoming Final.

Tom Latham versus Ishant Sharma

Veteran pacer Ishant Sharma is the most experienced Test cricketer in the current Indian squad. Since the 2014 tour to New Zealand it has been a dramatic turnaround for the right arm pacer in Test cricket as his significant improvement with the red ball has been one of the main reasons of India’s overseas success in the last few years.

Ishant in particular has a personal liking for the left-handed batsman; he challenges both the inside and outside edge of the left-hander and that’s where New Zealand’s incumbent opener Tom Latham has to be careful while opening the innings for the Black Caps. Latham like Ishant has gone from strength-to-strength in his Test career and has performed in every condition, which makes him a tough player to plan against as a bowling unit. The left-hander is equally impressive on both sides of the wicket and Ishant will look to unsettle him early in his innings by testing him in the corridor of uncertainty and create the best chance to take his wicket.

Talking about matchups Ishant has bowled six overs against Latham in Test cricket, getting him out twice which suggests that Latham-Ishant battle again will be the one to watch out for in the WTC Final.

Written by Vaibhav Tripathi. Follow Vaibhav on Twitter today.

ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for

Debashish Sarangi
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ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for

ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for | 5 players to watch out for in the upcoming England vs New Zealand Test series

The English summer is probably the most exciting period in the calendar year for all cricket lovers around the globe. This year, the English summer is going to start with a bang as the home side will lock horns with the number two ranked Test side, New Zealand.

England are going to face some real challenges in the absence of some of their key players like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes. On the other hand, the Kiwis are touring England after a huge gap of six years and hence it is not going to be a cake walk for them as well. There are some players who I think will play key roles for their respective teams in this two-match series and I am going to mention five such players in this article. Here we go.

Joe Root

ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for | 5 players to watch out for in the upcoming England vs New Zealand Test series
ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for – Joe Root

The first one in my list is Joe Root. The English batting lineup depends largely on him in the absence of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler. He was in fantastic touch in the recent series against India and Sri Lanka. If I talk about overall stats, Root has scored 426 runs at a very impressive average of 53.25 against New Zealand in England. The last time he played against the Kiwis, Root scored 239 runs at an amazing average of 79.67. He has to play the most important role for England to put solid totals. It will be interesting to see how he goes this time.

Kane Williamson

Although Williamson doesn’t have a great overall record in England, his numbers at Lord’s, where the first Test is scheduled, is magnificent. He has scored 225 runs at a brilliant average of 56.25 at this particular venue. He is a more experienced player now than he was in 2015 when the Kiwis toured England for the last time. He had an extraordinary home season against West Indies and Pakistan in 2020-2021. Obviously, he is going to be the key batsman for the visitors and their overall success with the bat will depend on their skipper to a great extent.

Stuart Broad

ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for | 5 players to watch out for in the upcoming England vs New Zealand Test series
ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for – Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad is the partner in crime of James Anderson. He has terrific numbers at both the grounds, Lord’s and Edgbaston, where the 2 Tests are scheduled to be played. He has a bowling average of just over 27 and a SR of 53.52 at Lord’s, whereas his average and SR with the ball at Edgbaston are 23.63 and 47.23 respectively.

He had a fabulous summer last year against West Indies and Pakistan as he picked 29 wickets at a superb average of 13.41 and a SR of 31.89 in both the series combined. He has pretty good numbers against New Zealand as well (an average of 27.18 and SR of 51.53). Broad and Anderson form the most lethal duo in England as we have seen over the years. So, I expect some serious returns from Stuart Broad in the absence of other frontline experienced seamers like Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer.

Trent Boult

Embed from Getty Images

Among the Kiwi seamers in the squad, Trent Boult has done the best in England. Boult has picked 21 wickets in just 4 games in England including 2 fifers. He is an outstanding swing bowler and would definitely like to bowl in English conditions. Talking about the technical flaws of the Englishmen, Rory Burns goes far too across; Dom Sibley, though gritty, has some technical limitations around both off and leg stump channels as well. Also, the English middle order is supposed to be a bit inexperienced in the absence of Stokes and Buttler. So I feel it is a great chance for Boult to exploit them and he is definitely going to play the most crucial role with the ball for the Kiwis.  

James Anderson

ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for | 5 players to watch out for in the upcoming England vs New Zealand Test series
ENG vs NZ Test series: 5 key players to watch out for – James Anderson

The one player I definitely expect to perform admirably in this series is the 38-year old veteran James Anderson. Anderson has 103 scalps at Lord’s at a brilliant average of 23.89 and a SR of 52.81. Also, he has a fifer against NZ at that particular venue. His average and SR at the other venue Edgbaston are 22.02 and 46.09 respectively. He has his second best bowling SR against New Zealand; so it’s pretty evident that he loves the Kiwis. Talking about his current form, he was fantastic in Sri Lanka and bowled his heart out in India with utmost control. We all know how good he is in England. So, I really expect Anderson to deliver yet again in this series.

Apart from these guys, Kyle Jamieson, Ollie Pope and BJ Watling are three more players I expect to deliver in this series. Jamieson has been fantastic right from his debut. He possesses the all-round ability and is certainly a key member of the New Zealand test side. The solitary question will be how he deals with the Dukes ball. Pope has been in great touch in the ongoing county Championship as he has notched up 555 runs at a splendid average of 61.67 and hence he surely would like to have a great summer unlike last year. On the other hand, BJ Watling has scored 778 runs against England at an average of 55.57 (2 hundreds, 5 fifties in 15 innings). In England, he has amassed 284 runs at a superb average of 56.8 including 1 hundred and 2 fifties. He would love to end his illustrious career on a high note.

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today. 

Samuel Badree: The most overlooked T20 cricketer ever?

Sparsh Telang
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Samuel Badree: The most overlooked T20 cricketer ever?

Samuel Badree: The most overlooked T20 cricketer ever? | A look at the career and numbers of Samuel Badree. Is he the most overlooked T20 player?

Quality wrist-spin bowling is always a joy to watch. Although, at the same time, wrist-spin is inherently an extremely difficult craft to master. It takes a long time to reach maturity and get the ball to pitch where you want it to. The difficulty involved is primarily due to the fact that the ball has to exit the side/back of your hand before travelling through the air, consequently giving you lesser control since your arm is no longer behind the ball.

But then, there stood out a wrist-spin maestro, who over a sample of 4,125 balls recorded a mind-boggling economy-rate of just 6.02 – lesser than the likes of Narine & Vettori – in T20 cricket. In this article, let us all take a trip down the memory line and reminisce about one of the most overlooked T20 cricketers of all-time – Samuel Badree.

In T20 cricket, each and every ball delivered in the powerplay is an event. Batsmen, generally, try to attack so as to maximise the field restrictions and score as many runs as possible, hence making life difficult for bowlers.

Being different from a traditional leg-spin bowler, Badree normally used to bowl in the first six overs. “I think I have opened the bowling every single time for the West Indies.” said the man himself in an interview with ESPNCricinfo in 2017. The fact that he, being a wrist-spinner, used to open the bowling make his contributions far more appreciable and momentous.

For spinners – wrist-spinners in particular – the challenge of bowling the new-ball is relatively greater than seamers. The presence of lacquer makes it tough to grip the ball, consequently making the already difficult task of bowling leg-spin with control twice more challenging. Despite this, the precision with which Badree delivered in the powerplay was exemplary.

Since he choked runs such well, whenever Badree was taken off the attack, batsmen often used to overcompensate and provide breakthroughs to other bowlers.

No spinner has bowled more overs or picked more wickets than Samuel Badree in the powerplay in T20 cricket.

Badree wasn’t a ‘mystery spinner’, and neither was he a big turner of the ball.

In fact, what Badree did was pretty repetitive. Like a machine, he kept bowling his fast leg-breaks at a line and length most batsmen found difficult to hit. Also, he bowled the occasional wrong’un, turning in to the right-hander. But Badree being an anti-thesis to the typical West Indies player, away from all the attention and reception, nobody took note of his performances. He thrived on that fact that nobody planned for him.

Samuel Badree was a crucial part of Windies’ successful campaigns in the World T20. In 2012 – in Sri Lanka – Badree had an economy-rate of 5.56 as he picked 4 wickets in 4 games. Come 2016 – in India – he played 6 matches, picked 9 wickets at a bowling average of 13.77 and recorded a staggering economy-rate of 5.39. In both the editions, Badree succeeded in choking runs better than anybody else from the Windies squad.

In 2016, in the semi-final against India, whilst Simmons, Russell & Charles took the honours for a thrilling run-chase, in a game in which 388 runs were scored, Badree, who bowled his four overs for just 26 runs – also picking up the wicket of Rohit Sharma – as ever, went unnoticed, as he quietly did his job with the ball. Even in the final versus England, because of Carlos Brathwaite’s heroics, Badree’s spell of 4-1-16-2 never gets talked about.

In fact, Badree, with his sublime performances presented a strong case to be awarded as the man of the tournament in 2016. But yes, Badree being Badree, was once again overlooked.

Between 2012 and 2016, playing for the West Indies, he picked up 42 wickets – fourth highest after Ashwin, Afridi and Shakib Al Hasan. His bowling-average and strike-rate read 15.98 and 17.14 respectively, while his economy-rate was unbelievable as always – 5.59.

Credits: Cricmetric

Besides the two World T20s, Badree’s performances had helped his team – Trinidad & Tobago – to prevail in the Caribbean Premier League as many as four times – in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

As per ‘Impact Index’, although Narine triumphed over Badree in a number of areas, what made Badree the ‘highest impact T20 player’ was his performances in playoff matches.

“Badree played in twenty-one big matches in his career and produced a high impact performance in six of them, failed in just four and done reasonably well in the others. Narine has played twenty-two such matches, with high impact performances four times and eight failures. Malinga has played twenty-four, with four high impact performances and ten failures. So, this is where Badree sails over the others, even though he has not been the leading act sometimes.

In the end, Badree’s impact in big matches is 25 per cent higher than Narine’s and 78 per cent higher than Malinga’s.”

Sadly though, since Badree never really made a mark in the IPL, notwithstanding the volume of his performances, he always remained under the radar. These days, he’s a spin-bowling coach for an IPL franchisee, the Delhi Capitals.

Written by Sparsh Telang. Follow Sparsh on Twitter today

Cricket Scotland make strong statement against abuse

Charbel Coorey
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Cricket Scotland make strong statement against abuse

Cricket Scotland make strong statement against abuse | Cricket Scotland promises to take strongest possible action against online abuse

Cricket Scotland has taken to social media to make a strong statement against abuse and harrassment of its players, staff or opponents. Scotland’s women’s team has just completed their four-match T20I series against Ireland, which ended in a hard-fought 3-1 series defeat. Also, the men’s side recently fought out a 1-1 ODI series draw against the Netherlands, coming back from 1-0 down to level the series.

Unfortunately, with cricket comes the disappointment of social media abuse. It’s disgusting behaviour that all involved in professional sport are trying to stamp out. Cricket Scotland acknowledged that it’s great to have cricket back, and promised to engage in the strongest possible action against such behaviour.

“It’s great to back playing cricket and we love connecting with fellow fans of the game around the world,” the statement read. “But we will not tolerate abuse or harrassment directed at our players, staff or opponents from our followers.

“We will pursue the strongest possible action against anyone engaging in this behaviour. #EnoughIsEnough.”

This also comes after Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford tweeted the abuse he was receiving after his team’s Europa League Final defeat to Villarreal. Sport stars are subject to more abuse, particularly racial, than ever before, and players and boards are putting onus on the social media giants, including Twitter, to do more to stamp such behaviour out of the platforms.

Also read: Fans respond to Mushfiqur Rahim’s brilliance

3 players who can turn the WTC Final in their team’s favour

Robin Rounder
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3 players who can turn the WTC Final in their team’s favour

3 players who can turn the WTC Final in their team’s favour | 3 players who can influence the WTC Final and lead their team to victory

The final of the first ICC World Test Championship (2019-2021) will be played between India and New Zealand. India topped the WTC group stage while New Zealand finished in second spot. The final will be played in Southampton, England, and a neutral venue will be challenging for both sides.

India and New Zealand both have some of the best players of the current times and it will be a great contest to watch for us as viewers. The likes of Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson will be very important for their respective teams, but both teams have players other than these two who can turn the game in their teams’ favour, which makes for a cracking contest.

3. Kyle Jamieson

Kyle Jamieson has bursted into the International arena, especially in the Test format. He has 36 wickets in just 6 games at an average of 13.28 and a strike rate of 33.39. He already has four 5-fors and has once picked 10 wickets in a test.

Jamieson is very tall and will be very effective in the English conditions with the Duke ball. He made life hard for the Indian batters when they last played in New Zealand and can turn the game in the favour of the Kiwis if he gets going in the WTC final. Watch out for his ability to shape the ball sharply into the right-handers and generate extra bounce because of his height.

2. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra jadeja is in the form of his life. He is one of those rare players who can win games through his batting, bowling or fielding. Jadeja is going through a purple patch at the moment especially with the bat.

He was hitting sixes, picking wickets, and taking catches for fun in the IPL. We saw how he single-handedly defeated RCB. With Hardik Pandya out, Jadeja is very crucial for India with his all-round abilities in the WTC final. His batting has improved a lot in recent times, and is certainly most capable enough to turn the table on its head.

1. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has achieved a lot in the last 12 months. He took India to an amazing series win against Australia in the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy. He was exceptional against England when they toured India a few months back. Pant Became the captain of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL after Shreyas Iyer got ruled out due to injury and the team did well under his leadership.

Pant’s style is very unorthodox and the special thing about him is that he never tries to change that even in the longest format. He will play his shots irrespective of the situation. He has climbed to rank 6th in the ICC Test Match Rankings for the batsmen. Pant is a genuine match winner and can be unstoppable once he is in the mood, and watch out for him as he looks to take the Kiwi bowlers on.

These were the three players who can turn the World Test Championship finals in their team’s favour. Do any other X-Factor players come to mind? Have your say.

Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on Twitter today.

Australia tour of Bangladesh: 2 extra T20Is in August

Charbel Coorey
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Australia tour of Bangladesh: 2 extra T20Is in August

Australia tour of Bangladesh confirmed for August | Australia confirms tour of Bangladesh for August, which will contain 5 T20Is.

Australia will tour Bangladesh for the first time since 2017 for five T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup. These T20Is, in addition to the five in West Indies, serve as preparation in Australia’s quest to win the coveted T20 trophy for the first time.

According to chairman of BCB cricket operations Akram Khan, Australia agreed to add an extra two T20Is to the three they were originally scheduled to play in Bangladesh.

“As you may have known, Australia have agreed to increase their T20I series from three to five matches,” Khan said on Tuesday. “It will be held over eight or nine days. We are trying to be well prepared for the World Cup T20.”

While Australia are busy in preparing for the T20 World Cup, so too are Bangladesh. The Tigers are scheduled to play in Zimbabwe in June, and according to Khan, they replaced one of the Test matches with an additional T20I. Also, Bangladesh are slated to host both New Zealand and England ahead of the T20 World Cup.

“There were also two Tests against Zimbabwe, so we reduced it and added a T20I in its place. I am however not aware about how long the quarantine (in Zimbabwe) is going to be, but it won’t be too tough,” said Khan.

Bangladesh’s packed schedule has prompted Khan to think about the welfare of the players, especially given the demands of the bio-secure bubbles. The Tigers are currently playing Sri Lanka in an ODI series, where Mushfiqur Rahim has been the star man.

“We have a pretty packed scheduled. We will have club cricket after this (Sri Lanka) series. We will go to Zimbabwe, and afterwards we have Australia and New Zealand coming up. We also have to keep the cricketers’ bio-bubble and quarantine in mind. It is not always good to play a lot of cricket, so we have to think about our schedule after this series.”

The dates for Bangladesh-Australia series are yet to be finalised.

Twitter reactions to classy 125 by Mushfiqur Rahim in 2nd ODI

Charbel Coorey
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Twitter reactions to classy 125 by Mushfiqur Rahim in 2nd ODI

Twitter reactions to classy 125 by Mushfiqur Rahim in 2nd ODI | Fans full of praise for Mushfiqur Rahim after his 125 vs Sri Lanka

For the second time in Bangladesh’s ODI series against Sri Lanka, Bangladeshi stalwart Mushfiqur Rahim made it as if he was batting on a different pitch to everybody else.

On two slow, sluggish surfaces, and faced with difficult situations, Rahim scored 84 (87) in the first ODI, followed by a superb 127-ball 125 to propel Bangladesh to 246 in the second ODI. He anchored the innings after the early fall of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, and kept his nerves as wickets fell regularly. By the time Mahmudullah was dismissed, Bangladesh were five down with 17 overs to play with just 161 on the board.

But, the classy batsman then used all his experience to guide Bangladesh to a defendable score. He remained calm but ensured his strike rate stayed healthy. He manipulated the gaps to keep the strike rotating, and then pounced with key runs at the backend of the innings, with the rain delay not hampering his concentration. In the end, he celebrated his eighth ODI hundred, which is the third-most by any Bangladeshi player.

In a remarkable stat courtesy of The CricViz Analyst, only Virat Kohli has a higher total batting impact in ODIs since the start of 2018. Also, he averages 51.43 batting four or lower in ODIs since 2015. Incredible stuff.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions:

The case of Moeen Ali in T20s: Top order or don’t pick at all?

Vaibhav Tripathi
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The case of Moeen Ali in T20s: Top order or don’t pick at all?

The case of Moeen Ali in T20s: Top order or don’t pick at all? | A look at why Moeen Ali performs so much better up the order in T20s

Teams always emphasise on the versatility factor in T20 cricket. Batters need to be flexible with their positions in the batting order but then there are some exceptions like Moeen Ali who seem to find their comfort zone when given a specific role.

Moeen is one of those strokemakers who has always liked to bat higher up the order; that’s where he has played his best cricket in the shortest version of the game. Numbers too suggest the same story.

There’s a big difference when Moeen bats in the top 4 and when he bats below that number. Ali is a very specific sort of player who likes taking responsibility in his own way at a particular position in the batting line-up. The clarity of role becomes very important for a player like Moeen as players like him are hugely undervalued in the current T20 environment. So let’s get into the finer details to understand why Moeen enjoys batting at the top.

Note- Only franchise cricket data has been included and the analysis has been done only based on that.

Comparative study of Moeen’s game:

If you check his numbers in the top 4 while playing in the different T20 leagues around the globe, Moeen’s game goes to another level. An average of close to 32 is not bad considering his strike rate of 158. The format weighs more on the impact which is in correlation with the strike rate of the batsman. The sample size is considerable with over 50 innings played at the top.

On the other hand, when he bats below 5, the sample size is small and that’s because he has played most of the T20 games for Worcestershire in the top 4. In 16 innings, his average drops from 31.8 to 13.6.

The case of Moeen Ali in T20s: Top order or don't pick at all? | A look at why Moeen Ali performs so much better up the order in T20s

Why is there a difference?

Moeen Ali is one of those batsmen who takes a bit of time before launching himself on the opposition. He can do this only when he gets in early. When coming in at 5, 6 or 7, he has to play that finisher kind of role which he’s not comfortable doing in this form of the game.

Innings progression of Moeen Ali when he bats in top 4:

As a top-order player, batsmen always want to maximize the field restrictions to the fullest in the powerplay overs. Moeen’s strike rate of 140 in the powerplay with an average of 33.8 is decent for any batter. The boundary-runs percentage is quite high (73.3) which says he makes full use of the field restrictions in the first six overs. Whenever he gets a ball in his zone, he doesn’t hesitate a bit to go after it, which is one quality of him that makes him a dangerous player at the top.

While the strike rate is high, there’s something he’ll need to work on and that’s the number of dot balls he plays at the start. But that’s the nature of his game, he first assesses the conditions and then he starts playing his shots. This is a key reason why he is much more comfortable batting at the top.

  • Boundary % by balls in PP batting at top 4: 22.9%
  • Dot ball % in PP while batting at top 4: 44.2%
  • Boundary runs % in PP batting at top 4: 73.3%
The case of Moeen Ali in T20s: Top order or don't pick at all? | A look at why Moeen Ali performs so much better up the order in T20s

When he gets through the first six overs, he’s the middle order enforcer any T20 team in the world would want to have. A strike rate of 172.9 is ridiculously good in a phase where the bowling team looks to dry up the runs. For that very purpose, spinners come into the act. This happens when he bats in the top 4. Every team nowadays has at least one ace spinner in their eleven as a controlling option or wicket-taking option. Moeen inarguably is one of the best players of spin in the form of the game. He hits spin, and he hits it hard. Players like him can really set the ideal platform for the designated finishers to come and launch from the very first ball.

The case of Moeen Ali in T20s: Top order or don't pick at all? | A look at why Moeen Ali performs so much better up the order in T20s

Innings progression of Moeen Ali when dropped below 4:

Now when you push him below 4 and if he comes early in the powerplay then the sample size is very small to make anything out of that with only 1 innings he batted in. In the middle overs, he has faced only 49 deliveries, scoring at 153.1, but there’s a striking difference in the average which comes down to 12.5.

The case of Moeen Ali in T20s: Top order or don't pick at all? | A look at why Moeen Ali performs so much better up the order in T20s

Death Overs comparison (Top 4 vs Below 4):

In the slog overs Moeen’s strike rate goes up to above 250, although he has hardly batted in this phase of the game with experience of only 38 deliveries. This stat tells us that once Moeen bats for a longer period of time he has that gear to strike big at the end.

Below five, in the last few overs, Moeen’s numbers are pretty ordinary to say the least, with the strike rate going down from 260 to 150 while batting below number 4.

Batting PositionRunsBallsAverageStrike Rate
Top 41003833.3263.2
Below 4453015150

Why Moeen shouldn’t be dropped below number 4 in T20 cricket

Generally whenever a batsman bats in 5, 6 or 7 he prepares himself to play a fewer number of balls and create a bigger impact. With the help of the innings progression chart, one can see that Moeen is a slow starter who takes his own time to get going. His style of play won’t give him the desired results in the lower middle order.

It’s been proven how strong a player Moeen is against the slower bowlers, but in the death overs rarely do spinners come on to bowl. Fast bowlers take charge and that’s where Moeen’s weakness against the short pitch bowling might get exposed.

Pacers now have formulated a number of plans to counter him. Two plans which work well against him are the use of the short ball and bowling the balls in the blockhole. Against bouncers his struggle is inevitable. Too regularly he turns his head and eyes away from the ball at impact, retaining little control over the shot, hence the ball regularly flies off the edge off his bat into no man’s land.

Also, the high back-lift makes it harder for Moeen to jam his bat down on the full delivery. Bowling a full one after a short one is a classic fast bowler one-two, and it is not at all unusual for batsmen to struggle against it. So it concludes that if teams are looking at Moeen as their finisher then probably he’s not the best choice for that role whereas if given a chance in the top order Moeen certainly would be more impactful.

Written by Vaibhav Tripathi. Follow Vaibhav on Twitter today.

BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Key Players | Mirpur Pitch Report

Bangladesh’s experienced core leading the way with the bat? Check. Sri Lanka’s inconsistency coming back to haunt them? Check. The slow nature of the Mirpur track rewarding a middling score by today’s batting standards? Check.

Sunday’s first ODI, where Bangladesh took a 1-0 series lead, had a familiar tale. Before the BCB President slammed the shot selection of their batsmen, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, three of Bangladesh’s linchpins in ODI cricket, led the way to get Bangladesh to 257 after falling to 99/4. The inconsistent performances of players such as Liton Das and Mohammad Mithun remains a worry, but the finishing of Afif Hossain gives Bangladesh extra positives from a batting point of view.

Sri Lanka had their moments on Sunday, but as has been the case over the past few years, they produced too many periods of poor cricket. Only Wanindu Hasaranga’s excellent batting saved Sri Lanka from a heavier defeat, and they will now be looking to avoid their fifth straight ODI loss in 2021. To do that, their batsmen in particular must take responsibility.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Bangladesh:

  • Shakib Al Hasan had a quiet game last time out, which included a poor dismissal (15 off 34 balls and 1/44). He will be looking to fire in this game at number three; a batting position that he enjoys in ODIs (24 inns, 1,192 runs, avg. 56.76, SR 87.64).
  • Shakib simply loves this ground. He averages nearly 40 with the bat in 83 ODIs (2,549 runs, avg. 39.21), along with 120 wickets. No other player has 100 scalps at the Shere-Bangla Stadium.
  • Tamim Iqbal is looking in good touch. He had a fine Test series in Sri Lanka recently (90, 74*, 92, 24), and is coming off a half-century in the first ODI. That was Tamim’s 24th 50+ score in 81 ODIs on this ground, with an overall average of 35.44.
  • Mushfiqur Rahim was deservedly player of the match in the first ODI (84 off 87 balls). The keeper-batsman looked to be batting on a different surface to everyone else. He has the most runs of any current player in BAN-SL ODIs (867, avg. 30.96), and averages 35.18 in 89 matches on this ground.
  • Mahmudullah’s 54 in the first ODI was just his 2nd fifty in 25 ODI innings vs Sri Lanka. Can he back it up with another?
  • Mehidy Hasan Miraz ripped through Sri Lanka on Sunday. He took 4/30, and now has 13 scalps in nine ODIs vs the Lions at an average of 31.69. He will be looking to bring that average down further.
  • Mustafizur Rahman simply loves bowling on this ground. He has taken 44 wickets in just 19 ODIs at the Shere-Bangla National Stadium, after taking 3/34 on Sunday.
  • Mohammad Saifuddin (13* off 9 balls and 2/49) can offer value with both bat and ball.

Sri Lanka:

  • Wanindu Hasaranga has just one wicket in four ODIs this year, but he has been simply brilliant with the bat in recent times. His last three ODI scores read: 47 (31), 80* (60) and 74 (60).
  • Danushka Gunathilaka was looking good in the first ODI before chipping one back to Mehidy (21 off 19 balls). He enjoyed an excellent series against West Indies earlier this year. He made scores of 55, 96 and 36. Key player.
  • Kusal Perera (13 inns, 475 runs, avg. 39.58) and Kusal Mendis (10 inns, 369 runs, avg. 41.00) both have good records against Bangladesh. So, they will be looking to bounce back after poor dismissals on Sunday.
  • Dhananjaya de Silva’s all-round ability will be key for Sri Lanka. He took 3/45 in the first ODI, and will be looking to score runs in the second.
  • Dushmantha Chameera’s yorkers were terrific at the death. So, the fact he bowled just eight overs was poor from Sri Lanka. Expect him to bowl more in the death overs, which provides wicket-taking potential.
  • Will Sri Lanka stick with Isuru Udana? He was poor in the opening ODI, going for 64 in a lower-scoring match. If he plays, he will again have a key role to play in the death overs.

Stats and Facts

  • Bangladesh’s win in the first ODI was just their 8th in 47 completed ODIs against Sri Lanka. Also, it broke a run of 10 consecutive matches without a win in internationals.
  • Bangladesh have never won a bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka. Their best result was a 1-1 draw in both 2013 and 2017.
  • Sri Lanka have lost all four ODIs so far in 2021, after losing 3-0 to West Indies.

Possible Playing 11

BCB President Nazmul Hossain said that Liton Das is better suited for the middle order in ODI cricket. It remains to be seen if the thinktank chooses this option. If they do, Soumya Sarkar could be brought in to open, with either Liton or Mohammad Mithun taking a middle order spot.

Bangladesh: 1. Tamim Iqbal (c), 2. Soumya Sarkar, 3. Shakib Al Hasan, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5. Liton Das, 6. Mahmudullah, 7. Afif Hossain, 8. Mohammad Saifuddin, 9. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 10. Taskin Ahmed, 11. Mustafizur Rahman

Sri Lanka were poor with the bat in the first ODI. Ashen Bandara struggled most, batting 24 balls for 3 before taking an ugly swipe out of desperation. He may be replaced.

Sri Lanka: 1. Danushka Gunathilaka, 2. Kusal Perera (c & wk), 3. Pathum Nissanka, 4. Kusal Mendis, 5. Dhananjaya de Silva, 6. Ashen Bandara/Niroshan Dickwella, 7. Dasun Shanaka, 8. Wanindu Hasaranga, 9. Isuru Udana, 10. Lakshan Sandakan, 11. Dushmantha Chameera

Shere-Bangla National Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

Rain and a thunderstorm is likely for Tuesday morning in what will be another very hot and humid day in Mirpur. Given that the match starts in the early afternoon, there is hope that the match will avoid any significant delays.

Bangladesh’s win in the first ODI was the first time in five games that the team batting first won on this ground. Expect another slow track, with batting first the way to go. A score in the region of 260-270 will be very competitive once again.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Key Players | Mirpur Pitch Report
BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Key Players | Mirpur Pitch Report
BAN vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Batting first could prove to be key once again. Bangladesh’s competitive score in the first ODI showed that a score in the region of 260 can be hard to chase on a slowish pitch.

BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Key Players | Mirpur Dhaka Pitch Report

After cricket came to a halt in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ODI cricket has taken a back seat behind Test and T20I cricket. Test cricket’s World Championship Final is weeks away, and the T20 World Cup is on the mind of all participants. However, there is an ODI Super League to be played, and both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be looking to pick up important points in this three-match series.

Bangladesh, who have now gone 10 straight matches without a win across formats, welcome back star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Their greatest ever cricketer was originally unavailable for this series, but the postponement of IPL 2021 benefits Bangladesh here. The Tigers also welcome Mustafizur Rahman, who will be looking to make a difference in what shapes up to be an even battle.

Sri Lanka will play their first ODI against a team other than West Indies since their tour of Pakistan in October 2019. Earlier this year, the Lions were swept 3-0 against a sharp Windies side, so Kusal Perera, who will lead here, will be hoping his side make a good start to the series. Despite a number of changes to their squad, there is talent in the Sri Lankan ranks, particularly in the spin department, so it will be interesting to see if they can make an impact right away.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Bangladesh:

  • Welcome back, Shakib Al Hasan. The all-rounder is the king of the Shere-Bangla National Stadium, with the second-most runs (2,534, avg. 39.59) and most wickets (119, avg. 24).
  • However, his record against Sri Lanka isn’t the most flash. He has taken just 15 wickets in 22 ODIs at an average of 52, along with 617 runs at 33.72. But, it should be noted that Sri Lanka aren’t as strong as they were in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s.
  • Mushfiqur Rahim has the most runs in BAN-SL ODIs of any current player (783, avg. 29). Also, Rahim enjoys batting on this ground, with 2,379 runs at an average of 34.47.
  • Skipper Tamim Iqbal has the most runs of any player on this ground (2,713, avg. 35.23). However, like Shakib and Mushfiq, Tamim will be keen to improve his record vs Sri Lanka (666 runs, avg. 30.27).
  • It’s a big series for Liton Das. He is having a poor 2021 in ODIs (6 matches, 76 runs, avg. 12.66), so will need to perform well here to cement his place (if picked).
  • Mustafizur Rahman has taken 15 wickets in nine ODIs vs Sri Lanka (avg. 25). In even better news for Bangladesh fans, the Fizz has a remarkable 41 wickets in 18 ODIs at an average of 13.82 on this ground.
  • Mehidy Hasan Miraz has taken 11 wickets in six matches on this ground at an average of 20.
  • Taskin Ahmed has taken 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 18.18 at the Shere-Bangla National Stadium.

Sri Lanka:

  • Kusal Perera is set to captain Sri Lanka. He has a fine record vs Bangladesh (12 inns, 445 runs, avg. 40.45, SR 91.75).
  • Danushka Gunathilaka enjoyed an excellent series against West Indies earlier this year. He made scores of 55, 96 and 36.
  • Niroshan Dickwella strikes at 96.51 with an average of 34 batting at 1 in ODIs.
  • Kusal Mendis enjoys batting against Bangladesh. In nine ODI knocks against them, Mendis has compiled 345 runs at an average of 43.12, with three 50+ scores.
  • We all know of Wanindu Hasaranga’s bowling ability in white-ball cricket. However, it was his batting that was super impressive in the ODI series in West Indies earlier this year, where he scored 47 (31) and 80* (60) in the last two ODIs.
  • Suranga Lakmal has taken 17 scalps in 12 ODIs vs Bangladesh. He will be key in the powerplay overs. Watch out also for Dushmantha Chameera (who was in wicket-taking form in T20s vs WI earlier this year) and Isuru Udana in the death overs.

Possible Playing 11

Ahead of the match, skipper Tamim Iqbal said he has “complete trust” in Mushfiqur Rahim the wicketkeeper. “I have complete trust in him and give him my full support. I think he should continue to keep wickets for Bangladesh,” said Tamim. So, Rahim is expected to take the gloves, with Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain and Mohammad Mithun to compete for a chance in the middle order.

Bangladesh: 1. Tamim Iqbal (c), 2. Liton Das, 3. Shakib Al Hasan, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5. Mosaddek Hossain/Mohammad Mithun, 6. Mahmudullah, 7. Soumya Sarkar, 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9. Mohammad Saifuddin, 10. Taskin Ahmed, 11. Mustafizur Rahman

Sri Lanka have a call to make with regards to their opening combination. Skipper Kusal Perera averages 54.80 in eight knocks at number four, so he could bat there.

This will be SL’s first ODI since the retirement of Thisara Perera.

Sri Lanka: 1. Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2. Danushka Gunathilaka, 3. Kusal Mendis, 4. Kusal Perera (c), 5. Dhananjaya de Silva, 6. Dasun Shanaka, 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Isuru Udana, 9. Suranga Lakmal/Akila Dananjaya, 10. Lakshan Sandakan, 11. Dushmantha Chameera

Shere-Bangla National Stadium Mirpur Dhaka Pitch Report

Very hot conditions are forecast for Dhaka on Sunday, with a top of about 39 degrees. It remains to be seen whether dew will be a factor, but the hot conditions can bake out the surface in the first innings, which can bring the spinners in the game.

The chasing team has won the last four ODIs on this ground, including Bangladesh winning all three matches against a weakaned West Indies earlier this year.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Key Players | Mirpur Dhaka Pitch Report
BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Key Players | Mirpur Dhaka Pitch Report
BAN vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

A tough, tight contest on the cards here between two closely-matched teams. Bangladesh at home start as favourites, but this could come down to a good score of 270+ batting first.

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