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PAK vs SA 2nd Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

Sarthak Karkhanis
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PAK vs SA 2nd Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

PAK vs SA 2nd Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | PAK vs SA 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test Key Players | Rawalpindi Pitch Report

After an impressive outing in Babar Azam’s first Test as captain, Pakistan lock horns with the Proteas in the 2nd Test in Rawalpindi as they aim to whitewash the tourists. 

Prior to the series, Pakistan had come off a drubbing in New Zealand having lost both the Tests by a innings defeat margin, while South Africa were coming off a 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka. But as conditions and the country changed, the fortunes for both the sides drastically changed as well. In Pakistan, the hosts were expected to dominate the Quinton De Kock-led side and the result of the 1st Test didn’t come as a surprise. 

However, in the 1st Test, the Proteas did have their moments but didn’t capitalize on them. They allowed passages of play to go Pakistan’s way and that’s where they lost the match. The key for South Africa is avoiding losing a cluster of wickets in the game, as they were well placed in both innings in Karachi, only to then suffer collapses. They will be looking to improve on this front in this game.

PAK vs SA 2nd Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | PAK vs SA 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test Key Players | Rawalpindi Pitch Report
PAK vs SA 2nd Test Preview Dream11: Elgar will be key for the Proteas

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

  1. Babar Azam has an average of 111 while playing in Pakistan and his scores of 7 & 30 in the Karachi Test will be considered as a blip. Key player.
  2. Fawad Alam has scored two centuries in the last two Tests and he will be high on confidence while playing the second Test. He now averages an incredible 56.37 in 175 First Class matches.
  3. Shaheen Shah Afridi has an average of 25 and has picked 15 wickets in four matches in his home country. With the Rawalpindi wicket expected to have something for pacers, Afridi will have a key role to play for the Babar Azam-led side. 
  4. Kagiso Rabada picked his 200th Test wicket in the previous Test. However, he has sub-par average of 33 in Asia and he will hope that his performance in the 2nd Test is better than how his career has fared in Asia. 
  5. Faf Du Plessis average in Asia drops to almost half. His average in Asia comes down to 23 from a career average of 40.
  6. Can Quinton de Kock improve on his form? Is the captaincy impacting his form? The skipper has scored 18, 10, 15 and 2 in his last three Tests. South Africa need him to deliver here.
  7. Aiden Markram is coming off an impressive 74 in the second innings of the Karachi Test. Dean Elgar is in good touch, with scores of 95, 127, 31*, 58 and 29 in his last three Test matches.

Stats and Facts

  • South Africa have lost their last 8 games in Asia and their last victory came in June 2014. 
  • Bavuma needs 8 more runs to complete 2000 runs in the longest format of the game. 
  • South Africa are playing at the Rawalpindi National Stadium for the first time since 1997.

Possible Playing 11

South Africa will most likely go into the Rawalpindi Test with the same XI, provided Keshav Maharaj is fit enough, as he has been experiencing pain in his side. Tabraiz Shamsi missed out on the previous game due to injury, so it remains to be seen if he is fit enough to play this one.

South Africa Probable XI: 1. Dean Elgar, 2. Aiden Markram, 3. Rassie van der Dussen, 4. Faf du Plessis, 5. Quinton de Kock (C & WK), 6. Temba Bavuma, 7. George Linde, 8. Keshav Maharaj/Wiaan Mulder, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Anrich Nortje, 11. Lungi Ngidi/Tabraiz Shamsi

Pakistan will most probably not tinker with their winning combination and continue with the same XI. 

Pakistan Probable XI: 1. Abid Ali, 2. Imran Butt, 3. Babar Azam (C), 4. Azhar Ali, 5. Fawad Alam, 6. Faheem Ashraf, 7. Mohammad Rizwan (WK), 8. Nauman Ali, 9. Yasir Shah, 10. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11. Hasan Ali

Rawalpindi Pitch Report and Weather

The pitch is historically more helpful to the pacers than the Karachi wicket and hence the pacers from both the sides will have a more important role to play. However, Proteas coach Mark Boucher said that the pitch does have a dryness to it, and expects spinners to play a role throughout the match.

The weather is expected to be clear for the next 5 days in Rawalpindi and the temperature during the day will be in the early 20-degree mark. 

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

PAK vs SA 2nd Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | PAK vs SA 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test Key Players | Rawalpindi Pitch Report
PAK vs SA 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

PAK vs SA 2nd Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | PAK vs SA 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test Key Players | Rawalpindi Pitch Report
PAK vs SA 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Pakistan will fancy their chances going into this encounter. After a convincing victory in the 1st Test, it will require a special effort from the Proteas to avoid a defeat here.

Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.

BBL 10 Challenger: HEA vs SCO Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
BBL 10 Challenger: HEA vs SCO Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

BBL 10 Challenger: HEA vs SCO Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BH vs PS Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Heat Key Players | Manuka Oval Pitch Report

Just over a week ago, Brisbane Heat had to beat the high-flying Perth Scorchers to seal a spot in the top five. The Heat were suffering from indecent form, which suggested to many that victory over the Scorchers would be a difficult ask.

Now, not only did they beat the Scorchers on Australia Day, but they have won two matches in the playoffs, including a superb run-chase against Sydney Thunder last time out, courtesy of Sam Heazlett and Jimmy Peirson. After years of underachievement, the Heat have the chance to qualify for the BBL 10 Final, which would be a remarkable achievement given their indifferent start to the campaign.

To do that, they will have to beat the Scorchers again. A week ago, the Scorchers were undone badly by the Sixers, and it will be interesting to see their response here. Unfortunately for them, they miss out on a home final in Perth due to new border restrictions, so they will want to hit their straps right away in Canberra. Colin Munro, one of their strong-points from BBL 10, has called for the batsmen to “take egos out of it” when facing the Heat’s in-form spin duo of Mitch Swepson and Marnus Labuschagne.

Which team will hold their nerve?

BBL 10 Challenger: HEA vs SCO Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BH vs PS Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Heat Key Players | Manuka Oval Pitch Report | BH vs PS Best Dream11 Prediction Today | Who to pick for Dream11
BBL 10 Challenger: HEA vs SCO Preview Dream11: Marsh has a fine record vs Heat.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Brisbane Heat:

  • Marnus Labuschagne has been a breath of fresh air for the Heat. In his five games in BBL 10, he has scored 161 runs (28, 49, 46, 6 and 32) and taken nine wickets (2/20, 1/10, 3/35, 3/13 and 1/32).
  • Chris Lynn has a superb record vs Scorchers (561 runs, avg. 51.09). In fact, Lynn, in a crucial game last week, smashed 51 off 25 balls vs Scorchers. Key player.
  • Sam Heazlett is coming off a career-best knock of 74* off 49 balls vs Thunder. Jimmy Peirson has proven to be quite a decent finisher this season, with 309 runs (avg. 51.50) and strike rate of 127.16.
  • Mark Steketee has taken 24 wickets in 15 matches in BBL 10. However, he has struggled vs Scorchers this season, taking 0/42 and 0/54 in the two matches against them.
  • Mitch Swepson has taken two wickets in each of his last four matches (2/26, 2/20, 2/23, 2/28).

Perth Scorchers:

  • Mitchell Marsh loves playing the Heat. He has scored 359 runs against them at an average of 71.80 and strike rate of 166.98. Last week, he hammered 54* off 26 balls to nearly get the Scorchers home against the Heat. Last year, he slammed 93* off 41 balls against them.
  • Colin Munro has scored the fourth-most runs in BBL 10 (441, avg. 33.92, SR 128.94). This included an excellent 82 off 54 balls vs Heat a couple of weeks ago.
  • Before his score of 3 vs Sixers, Jason Roy struck 20, 54 and 41 in his previous three games. His 41 came off 32 balls vs Heat. He will be key.
  • Josh Inglis is coming off an excellent 69* off 41 balls last game vs Sixers. So, can he improve on his average of 17.17 in six matches vs Heat?
  • Jhye Richardson has the most wickets in BBL 10 (27 in 15 matches). This includes 2/10 and 1/44 vs Heat. Key bowler.
  • Andrew Tye has the most wickets in Heat-Scorchers matches (13 in nine matches). How he goes at the death could decide this match.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 15, Heat 7, Scorchers 8.
  • Both teams have won one game each against each other in BBL 10. In the first meeting, Scorchers (174/5) thrashed Heat (115) by 59 runs. In the second match, last week, Heat held on to win a crunch game by six runs.
  • The winner of this match will meet Sydney Sixers in Saturday’s BBL 10 Final.

Possible Playing 11

Brisbane Heat: 1. Chris Lynn (c), 2. Joe Denly, 3. Marnus Labuschagne, 4. Sam Heazlett, 5. Jimmy Peirson (wk), 6. Joe Burns, 7. Lewis Gregory, 8. Mark Steketee, 9. Mitchell Swepson, 10. Ben Laughlin, 11. Morne Morkel/Xavier Bartlett

Perth Scorchers: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Liam Livingstone, 3. Colin Munro, 4. Josh Inglis (wk), 5. Mitchell Marsh, 6. Ashton Turner (c), 7. Aaron Hardie, 8. Jhye Richardson, 9. Andrew Tye, 10. Jason Behrendorff, 11. Fawad Ahmed

Manuka Oval Pitch Report and Weather

Win the toss and choose to chase. This will be on the agenda for both captains, as the chasing team has enjoyed success on this ground so far in the BBL 10 Finals series. This is especially the case given there is dew around in the second innings, which makes chasing the go-to option.

There is a medium chance of showers in the evening, but not much is forecast. There should be a result.

Also read:

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BBL 10 Challenger: HEA vs SCO Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BH vs PS Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Heat Key Players | Manuka Oval Pitch Report | BH vs PS Best Dream11 Prediction Today | Who to pick for Dream11
BBL 10 Challenger: BH vs PS Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

BBL 10 Challenger: HEA vs SCO Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BH vs PS Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Heat Key Players | Manuka Oval Pitch Report | BH vs PS Best Dream11 Prediction Today | Who to pick for Dream11
BBL 10 Challenger: BH vs PS Preview Dream11

Match Prediction

Brisbane Heat, unlike recent seasons, have performed so well under pressure. Perth Scorchers have the better side on paper, but this one could come down to whether the team bowling first can restrict their opponents to under 170, as bowling second is not easy.

Thanks for reading!

Why is Cricket so popular in India?

CricBlog News Desk
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Why is Cricket so popular in India?

At the end of January, the injury-hit Indian cricket team chased 328 to hand Australia their first Test defeat in Brisbane since 1988 and win one of the all-time great series 2-1. It was a match watched, and celebrated, around the world. As India celebrates this historic cricket win against Australia, we look at the high regard of the sport in the country and ask the question; why is cricket so popular in India?

A Universal Sport

Why is Cricket so popular in India? | Why Cricket is so popular in India, a country that sees cricket be the second-most popular sport

Whilst it is the men’s team that has gained acclaim on the international stage, people from all races, religions, caste, creed, colour, and gender love to play cricket in India. Anyone can play cricket because it’s so simple: all you need is a bat, ball and at least two players: if you have these things, you can start a game of cricket, no matter how much or little space you have to play. If you walk down even the smallest street or alley in India then you will inevitably find a couple of kids playing a hard-fought game of cricket!

Cricket has more coaching centres and stadiums than any other sport in India. Almost every territory or state in India has at least one central cricket stadium. This infrastructure means that more Indians have access to cricket than any other sport, and they learn the rules and engage with the sport from a very early age.

A Wealth of Inspirational Cricketers

Why is Cricket so popular in India? | Why Cricket is so popular in India, a country that sees cricket be the second-most popular sport

The Indian populous is home to a wealth of world class and highly regarded cricketers who are idolised in their home nation. These cricketers serve as a source of inspiration to young cricketers who aspire to be just like their idols and make it onto the national and international cricket stage. The most famous and well-known of these are:

  • Sachin Tendulkar, popularly known as the God of Cricket. Arguably the most famous Indian cricketer, he started playing the game when he was 16 and began competing internationall at this stage too. He played for more than two decades, and was awarded the highest recognition that a civilian could get: the Bharat Ratna.
  • Sunil Gavaskar is the most popular opening batsman from India. His technique against fast bowlers is world-renowned, and it is this that makes him incredibly popular.
  • Yuvraj Singh is both an all-rounder and a destructive batsman. He was part of many of Indian’s most famous international victories, and he was awarded the Arjuna by the Government as a result.
  • Saurav Ganguly is commonly known as the Daddy of Indian cricket. He is one of the world’s most successful cricket captains. What he really is known for is his long sixes, and like his peers he was awarded for his success by the Indian government, who conferred him with the Padma Shri.

With so many super star cricketers in the country, it’s easy to see why cricket is just so popular in India right now.

3 Released Players That Will Generate Interest in IPL 2021 Auction

Sarthak Karkhanis
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3 Released Players That Will Generate Interest in IPL 2021 Auction

3 Released Players That Will Generate Interest in IPL 2021 Auction | 3 high-profile releases that teams could go after in the IPL 2021 Auction

The Indian Premier League is a tournament where there is a lot of excitement during the matches as it involves a lot of nail-biting matches. But, building up to the tournament what attracts a lot of eyeballs and attention is the player auction. 

Prior to the player auction, the releases and retention are a crucial juncture in the planning of the franchises and this year is no different to it. Some of the IPL teams have made headlines having released high-profile players who can attract high bids when they go under the hammer on February 18 in Chennai. 

Here is a glance through some of the big names released by the teams.

Chris Morris

The biggest name on the release list is that of Chris Morris. The Protea all-rounder was bought for a hefty price by the Royal Challengers Bangalore as they splurged 10 crores at the 2020 IPL player auction. Morris has the ability to bowl economically in the death and possess a six-hitting prowess which makes a rare commodity. 

He proved his worth as he picked 8 wickets in the death overs in the IPL 2020 at an economy rate of 7.7. He had a strike rate of 161 in the death overs  while batting for the 3-time runners-up. 

In spite of that, the Virat Kohli-led franchise was sceptical about his fitness issues and didn’t think that he was a value-for-money buy. But given that he can bowl yorkers at will in the death and his hitting ability against pacers, he will be one of the most sought-after players during the auction. 

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

3 Released Players That Will Generate Interest in IPL 2021 Auction | 3 high-profile releases that teams could go after in the IPL 2021 Auction
3 Released Players That Will Generate Interest in IPL 2021 Auction: Mujeeb is a proven performer.

Mujeeb Ur Rehman is considered as one of the best Afghanistan players in this generation. However, the off-spinner hasn’t enjoyed as much success as his Afghan teammate Rashid Khan in the cash rich league and therefore he is released by the KXIP franchise ahead of the 2021 season. 

He started off his IPL career on an impressive note as he scalped 14 wickets in 10 innings at an economy rate of 7 RPO. But in the last two seasons, he has picked 3 wickets in 7 matches at an economy rate which exceeds 10 RPO. 

He does possess great variations, and usually has a fine economy rate in T20 cricket. Hence, the off-spinner will be on the radar of many teams. 

Aaron Finch

3 Released Players That Will Generate Interest in IPL 2021 Auction | 3 high-profile releases that teams could go after in the IPL 2021 Auction
3 Released Players That Will Generate Interest in IPL 2021 Auction: Finch can be destructive.

Much like his countrymate Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch too has been a player who is always in demand during the player auction. However, he then has a lacklustre IPL season and then gets back to the auction, only to be bought for a huge fee in the auction. 

It has been a cycle for a while now and this year is no different. Aaron Finch was bought by RCB for a whopping sum of 4.4 crores as they wanted to have an experienced batsman in the top-order who can share the workload of AB De Villiers and Virat Kohli. 

The Australian didn’t quite live up to the billing as he scored just 268 runs in 10 matches at a below-par average of 22. His IPL numbers are significantly worse than his career statistics. His average of 25 in the 8-team league is lower than his career average of 24 and his strike rate was 127 compared to his career T20 strike rate of 141.

So, there are three released players who could generate quite some interest in the IPL 2021 Auction. Do any others come to mind?

Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.

Australia postpone South Africa tour: Twitter reactions

Charbel Coorey
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Australia postpone South Africa tour: Twitter reactions

Australia postpone South Africa tour: Twitter reactions | Twitter reactions to the news that Australia’s tour of South Africa has been postponed

After Australia’s home defeat to India, thanks to a combination of an incredible Indian performance and substandard Aussie effort, many eyes were certain to be glued on the South Africa vs Australia Test series to see how the Australians would bounce back against a motivated Proteas side.

And, of course, there is the small measure of the return of Steve Smith and David Warner after what happened in Cape Town in 2018.

Unfortunately, Australia’s scheduled three-Test tour of South Africa, penciled in for March, has officially been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s interim CEO, said “Due to the public-health situation in South Africa, which includes a second wave and new variant of the virus, and following extensive due diligence with medical experts, it has become clear that traveling from Australia to South Africa at this current time poses an unacceptable level of health and safety risk to our players, support staff and the community,”

Reactions, predictably, were rife on Twitter, with a range of opinions on the subject. Some believe that the series should go ahead in a bio-secure bubble, while others believe Australia have done the right thing. Below are some of the fan reactions:

Fan disappointment (and banter)

Of course, fans, including myself, were disappointed at the news. After all, it was shaping up to be an interesting and terrific series.

Fans also took the opportunity to have some banter and disagreements, which is part and parcel of the rivalry. Some believe that Australia’s decision leaves a bad taste in the mouth, particularly after choosing to tour England during COVID-19 in 2020.

Fan understanding

Graeme Smith’s frustration

Devastating impact for Cricket South Africa

So, what’s your view? Did Cricket Australia do the right thing by pulling out of the South Africa tour? Are they worried about losing another series?

Have your say to CricBlog on Twitter @cric_blog, or leave a comment.

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021

Robin Rounder
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IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021 | How might the RCB squad look for Indian Premier League season 2021?

Royal Challengers Bangalore, the most underachieving team in the history of the IPL, has released 10 (the most by any franchise) ahead of the IPL 2021 mini-auction which is on 18 February, 2021. They have released five overseas and 5 Indian players, and some of them are very surprising releases too.

So which players can RCB target in the mini-auction to strengthen their side? Who can help them to their first-ever Title? These are our top 5 players that RCB can target for IPL 2021:

Also read: 5 players CSK can target in IPL 2021 Auction

5. Akash Singh

RCB can buy the young left-arm pacer to replace Umesh Yadav. Akash Singh was part of India’s U-19 squad which participated in the ICC U-19 World Cup last year. He picked up 7 wickets in 6 matches in that tournament at an economy of 3.81. He was in the Rajasthan Royals squad in IPL 2020 but didn’t get any opportunity and was eventually released before the 2021 auction.

He can swing the new ball and can bowl in the death overs, too. He has the left-arm angle which can be very valuable for RCB, and RCB can groom the young and talented pacer who can be a great prospect for them in the future.

4. Jason Roy

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021 | How might the RCB squad look for Indian Premier League season 2021?
IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021: Roy can be a handy pick.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore released Aaron Finch before the auctions. Although they have Josh Phillipe as an opener who is very talented and has scored heaps of runs in BBL 10, RCB can target the English opener Jason Roy as a backup option, if not the first choice, in case someone is injured or not performing up to the mark. We all know how destructive Jason Roy is and he can take his team over the line single-handedly on his day. 

He’ll thrive on the flat wicket and short boundary of the Chinnaswamy Stadium for RCB and also on the home grounds of Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. Losing early wickets in the Powerplay was a big issue for RCB last season and Jason Roy can fix that for them.

3. Sam Billings

Embed from Getty Images

Sam Billings is in terrific touch at the moment. He can be a great pick for RCB considering their over-dependency on Virat and AB in the middle-overs. They won’t perform in every game and when they don’t their batting looks clueless towards the end of an innings. Billings can bat in the middle order for them with AB taking on the finisher’s role. Billings scored 260 runs in 10 innings for the Sydney Thunder in BBL 10 at an average of 28.88 and a strike-rate of 142.25. 

He is playing well against the spinners and can play a key role in the middle-overs for RCB and he can keep the wickets too if needed.

2. Shakib Al Hasan

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021 | How might the RCB squad look for Indian Premier League season 2021?
IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021: Shakib was superb in 2019 WC.

After releasing Moeen Ali, the Bangladeshi star Shakib-Al-Hasan can be a good pick for RCB. We all know how experienced Shakib is and the value he brings to any side with both the bat and the ball.

Shakib can bat at three which will open up the opening spot for Virat or he can bat at 4 with AB moving to 5, providing stability in the middle order. He plays spin and pace well and is excellent with the ball. He’ll bring variety to RCB’s bowling with his left-arm orthodox bowling. Overall, Shakib can be a great pick for RCB with his all-round abilities.

1. Jhye Richardson

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021 | How might the RCB squad look for Indian Premier League season 2021?
IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players RCB Can Target for IPL 2021: Jhye Richardson can be a good pickup.

After recovering from an unfortunate shoulder injury, Jhye Richardson looked in complete rhythm in the recently concluded BBL. The Australian young fast bowler emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 29 wickets from 17 matches, at a very good average of 16.31 and an extremely good SR of 12.72.

He was impressive particularly in the death overs as he took 13 of his 29 wickets in that phase of the game. He can make the new ball talk, has really good pace, and also bowls some quick yorkers. RCB, after releasing Chris Morris needs someone to replace him and Jhye Richardson can be the perfect pick for them going into the auction. He is more than handy with the bat and has the ability to tonk the ball into the stands. 

Also read: 5 players CSK can target in IPL 2021 Auction

RCB’s main requirements at the current stage is a stable middle-order or not over-depending on Virat and AB in the batting and a good pace bowler who can bowl in the death overs.

These were our 5 players that RCB can target in the IPL 2021 auction. Let us know your picks.

Thanks for reading!

Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on Twitter today.

BAN vs WI 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
BAN vs WI 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

BAN vs WI 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs WI 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs West Indies 1st Test Key Players | Chattogram Pitch Report

After nearly 12 months, Test cricket returns to Bangladesh. Like the recent ODIs, however, the atmosphere will be subdued compared to the usual craze in cricket-crazy Bangladesh, due to the empty stadiums as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team, though, has a job to do, as they look to make strides in the game’s longest format. The Tigers, now entering their 21st year of Test cricket, have still shown the weaknesses in the last couple of years that haunted them in the 18-19 years previous, despite some great moments over the past decade. Most great moments have centred around Shakib Al Hasan, who is fit and available after serving his one-year ban and suffering a groin injury in the third ODI.

So, in a series where the home side start as such heavy favourites, which is a rarity against any side other than Zimbabwe, can they perform as their fans will hope? West Indies, who were so poor in the ODIs and without key personnel, will be looking for a fighting display from their batsmen in particular. The wily Rakheem Cornwall can cause problems with the ball (as the tour game showed), so how well their batsmen, led by skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell and Jermaine Blackwood, can perform, will be key.

BAN vs WI 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs WI 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs West Indies 1st Test Key Players | Chattogram Pitch Report
BAN vs WI 1st Test Preview Dream11: Jermaine Blackwood has had a decent run of form.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Bangladesh:

  • Tigers’ skipper Mominul Haque simply loves batting at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. The left-hander has scored 1,056 runs in nine Tests at this venue, at an average of 75.42, with six hundreds.
  • Tamim Iqbal has the most runs for any Bangladeshi player against West Indies (750, avg. 37.50). Tamim will be looking to improve on his average of 33.18 in 14 Tests on this ground.
  • Shakib Al Hasan is close behind Tamim, with 745 runs vs West Indies at a fine average of 43.82. He also has the most wickets in Bangladesh-West Indies Tests, with 46 in 10 matches at an average of 24.19.
  • Mushfiqur Rahim will also be key for the Tigers. He has the most runs on this ground (1,138, avg. 40.64), and will be looking to improve on an average of 31.33 in 12 Tests vs Windies (658 runs).
  • Mehidy Hasan Miraz was excellent in the ODIs. And, he loves bowling in Tests at home. In 11 Tests in Bangladesh, Mehidy has taken 61 wickets at an average of 21.44.
  • Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan both took five-wicket hauls when West Indies last played on this ground, back in 2018.
  • Mustafizur Rahman got the ball swinging back into the right-handers in the ODIs. So, can he make an impact here? He has 10 wickets on this ground at an average of 28.60.

West Indies:

  • Kragg Brathwaite averages 47.70 against Bangladesh. However, he averages just 13.12 in four Tests in Bangladesh, so a significant improvement is needed here. He is coming off 85 in the tour match.
  • John Campbell scored 68 in his last Test vs New Zealand, and scored 44 and 68 in the recent tour match. Can he handle Bangladesh’s off-spinners effectively?
  • Jermaine Blackwood has scored 427 runs in his last five Tests at an average of 42.70. His counter-attacking style could work a treat against Bangladesh’s battery of spinners.
  • Arguably West Indies’ most important player is Rakheem Cornwall. He took a five-for in the tour match, and took 10 wickets in his only Test in Asia to date (vs Afghanistan in Lucknow).
  • Jomel Worrican took six wickets (4/69 and 2/43) and scored 41 on this ground in 2018.
  • Can Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel influence this match? Gabriel took five wickets on this ground in 2018 (4/70 and 1/24). Roach, however, has struggled in Bangladesh, with just four scalps in three Tests at an average of 59.00.

Stats and Facts

  • Bangladesh beat West Indies 2-0 back in 2018. This included a 64-run win at Chattogram, where Mominul Haque was player of the match for his first innings hundred.
  • West Indies lost both Tests in New Zealand by innings. The last time they lost three Tests in a row by an innings was way back in 1931.
  • Kraigg Brathwaite has played 15 Tests in Asia, the most of any current Windies player in the squad.
  • Interestingly, Shakib averages just 29.71 with the bat in 16 Tests on this ground. He does, however, have the most wickets, with 60 at an average of 32.03.

Possible Playing 11

Bangladesh is expected to play a spin-heavy bowling attack.

Bangladesh: 1. Tamim Iqbal, 2. Saif Hassan, 3. Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4. Mominul Haque (c), 5. Mushfiqur Rahim, 6. Shakib Al Hasan, 7. Liton Das (wk), 8. Mehidy Hasan, 9. Nayeem Hasan, 10. Taijul Islam, 11. Mustafizur Rahman

Nkrumah Bonner and Kyle Bonner are reportedly set to make their Test debuts for West Indies.

West Indies: 1. Kraigg Brathwaite (c), 2. John Campbell, 3. Nkrumah Bonner, 4. Jermaine Blackwood 5. Joshua Da Silva (wk), 6. Kyle Mayers, 7. Rahkeem Cornwall, 8. Raymon Reifer/Alzarri Joseph, 9. Jomel Warrican, 10. Kemar Roach, 11. Shannon Gabriel

Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium Chattogram Pitch Report and Weather

The average first innings score on this ground is 370. However, the pitch has taken more turn in the past five years, as it used to be a more flatter pitch at the turn of 2010s decade. The spinners are expected to have a say after the first day or two, where the track will likely suit the batters early on. So, the toss is important.

The weather conditions look perfect for the five days, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-20s forecast.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BAN vs WI 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs WI 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs West Indies 1st Test Key Players | Chattogram Pitch Report
BAN vs WI 1st Test Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

BAN vs WI 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs WI 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs West Indies 1st Test Key Players | Chattogram Pitch Report
BAN vs WI 1st Test Dream11 Prediction

Also read: India vs England Test Series Preview: Too hard for England?

Match Prediction

Bangladesh, especially if they win the toss, should go on to win this Test. West Indies will need to stay patient to stand a chance, as Bangladesh have a tendency to beat themselves.

Thanks for reading!

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India

Debashish Sarangi
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6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India | Which England players will be most key in the Test series against India away from home?

After a long interval of time, Test cricket is back in India with England touring India for a four-match Test series. In the last decade, there were two Test series played between these two sides in India, from which England managed to win one series in 2012 and were outplayed by the hosts comprehensively in the second series in 2016.

The upcoming Test series is the first one of this decade between these two historic rivals. India are high on confidence after a magnificent Test series victory down under with a relatively young side whereas England are morally boosted after whitewashing Sri Lanka in their own backyard by 2-0.

So, it’s definitely going to be a cracker of a contest. There are several English players who I think have the calibre to perform well in this tour and in this article, I am going to mention six of them. Here we go.

Dominic Bess

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India | Which England players will be most key in the Test series against India away from home?
6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India: Dom Bess must bowl with control.

Dom Bess was able to draw the attention of the cricket fraternity with his impressive performances with the ball in the recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka. He took 12 wickets from two Tests including one fifer at an average of 21.25 and a terrific SR of 42.58, and thus played an important role in England’s series victory.

With two Tests being scheduled in Chennai, where it assists the spinners to a great extent, Bess is expected to perform well and England will largely be dependent on his returns in order to restrict India to a low total.

Moeen Ali

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India | Which England players will be most key in the Test series against India away from home?
6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India: Moeen could be key for England’s balance.

Although his overall batting average in Tests is just around 29, Moeen Ali was one of the most successful English batsmen in England’s last tour of India in 2016. He scored 381 runs from nine innings at a healthy average of 42.33, including 2 centuries and one half century.

Particularly in Chennai, he played a gorgeous knock of 146, which was an example of his excellence against spin bowling on turning tracks. Yes, he was not up to the mark with the ball, but I think he might get the nod ahead of another inexperienced batsman in the middle order because of his abilities to play spinners well and perform well this time too on the Indian soil.

Jack Leach

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India | Which England players will be most key in the Test series against India away from home?
6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India: Can Leach produce the goods?

Jack Leach has toured the subcontinent twice and has done a fairly good job so far. He took 18 wickets from just 3 tests against Sri Lanka in the 2018-19 tour at a very good average of 21.39 and had an excellent SR of 47.56. He complimented Dom Bess very well in the series against the same opposition this year. More importantly, 24 out of his 28 victims in these two tours were RHBs. Considering that India have good fraction of RHBs in their batting lineup, there is a big possibility of Leach being successful on the helpful Indian tracks.

Jofra Archer

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India: Archer can challenge the Indian batsmen.

Jofra Archer is one of the most promising fast bowlers in the current generation and the experts rate him quite highly. As far as I have seen, he is a very intelligent bowler and has all the weapons in his armory. He can swing the new ball; he hits the deck hard and has a vicious bouncer. One couldn’t get the idea of his pace as he generates that with a relatively short run up.

Therefore, there are several instances of the batsmen getting uncomfortable and being late to react while facing him. He has all the abilities to trouble the best of batsmen and if he somehow manages to extract the variable bounce by pounding the ball hard on the surface, facing him could really be a tough challenge for the Indian batters especially as the game progresses.

Ben Stokes

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India: Stokes will be crucial.

The English side has a few impactful players and Ben Stokes is the first name in that list. He was decent with the bat in his last tour to India as he scored 345 runs at an average of 38.33, including one hundred in the first Test at Rajkot.

However, as compared to that time, he is a better as well as more experienced player now. The way he dominates the spinners these days by playing sweeps, reverse sweeps and lofted shots using his feet etc. is phenomenal. So, his role in this England team is to play the kind of knocks that can shift the momentum towards his side in a quick time. Added to that, he is quite useful with the ball too and has a knack of picking wickets in crucial phases. So, Ben Stokes is definitely going to be a potential threat for the home side.

Joe Root

6 Key England Players To Watch Out For vs India: Joe Root is in fine form.

With 584 runs from six Tests at an average of 53.09, Joe Root is the most successful English batsman in India among the current England batsmen. He is one of the finest players of spin and looked in great touch in the recent series against Sri Lanka where he smashed 426 runs in just two Tests at a bradmanesque average of 106.50.

England have an inexperienced top order and therefore his role as the most experienced batsman becomes even more important. England will be largely dependent on him in order to post impressive totals on the board and his performance is going to define their fate in this series. Apart from his batting, it will be interesting to see how he leads the side in India as this tour is going to be a big challenge for him as a captain, too.

So, these are my six players to watch out for from the England team. Do any others come to mind? Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.

IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Too Hard for England?

Vaibhav Tripathi
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IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Too Hard for England?

IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Too Hard for England? | Challenges for England Test team against India in the upcoming Tests

The Indian team is all set to lock horns with the touring England team. The first Test of the four-match series will start on February 5. India recently won the Border Gavaskar Trophy in brilliant fashion, with a 2-1 series win in Australia. Meanwhile, England also coming off a win, after whitewashing Sri Lanka. The victory against the Lankans away from home is a major plus for the English side.

While India will be confident about their chances in the forthcoming home series, England will be a bit nervous even after winning their last series in subcontinent conditions. The visitors have few puzzles to solve before their last series of the World Test Championship cycle. Let’s Look at five major challenges for Joe Root-led England side:

Also read: Can England pull off an amazing series win in India?

1. Buttler’s unavailability for the last three Tests

England Cricket Board has confirmed that wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will only play the first Test and won’t take any further part in the series. He’ll fly back home and is all set to miss the remaining three games.

Buttler’s absence can be a huge factor as England doesn’t have much experience of playing red-ball cricket in Asian conditions. Also, he’s one of England’s better players of spin. The Lancashire batsman would’ve loved to have played a longer role in the Test series against India, given that he is in a rich vein of batting form in red-ball cricket. He conjured up a career-resurrecting 152 against Pakistan in Southampton in the final Test of the English summer, followed by significant knocks of 55 and 46 not out in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. He was equally proficient behind the stumps, accounting for 9 catches and a stumping in the 2-Test series against Sri Lanka. England surely going to miss Buttler and this could be a big factor in the outcome of the series. 

2. Inexperienced Spinners

IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Too Hard for England? | Challenges for England Test team against India in the upcoming Tests
IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Can Dom Bess deliver in India?

England has a spin selection debate for the right reasons. The Englishmen are traveling with a big contingent of spinners with the likes of Amar Virdi, Matt Parkinson, Mason Crane in reserves for Jack Leach, Dominic Bess, and spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali.

Among these five spinning options, only Moeen has the experience of playing in Indian conditions. But Moeen is coming off a break and lack of recent first-class cricket has ceased to mean much given that no one has delivered a ball of any color in earnest since March, and his record in India can’t be overlooked. Leach and Bess have presented a strong case after their terrific performances with the ball against Sri Lanka. Leach will be playing 3rd series in Asia while his spin twin is fairly new to the subcontinent conditions, having played only two Tests in Asia. The spin duo will have a big challenge as Indian batsmen are very difficult to bowl in their backyard. The lack of experience of bowling in India might just be a worrying factor for the English spinners.

3. Unsettled middle-order

With Jonny Bairstow rested for the first two Tests, England might have to try and test a few things with their middle order. Bairstow batted at three in the recent series against Sri Lanka, but with no Bairstow for the Chennai Tests, it’ll be interesting to see who’ll be England’s number 3.

Kent batsman Zak Crawley had scored a maiden double hundred while batting at three. But a string of low scores in Sri Lanka might not help his cause. Another option for England is the Essex batsman Dan Lawrence who’s fresh from his debut game in the first Test in Galle. Joe Root and Ben Stokes in all likeliness will bat at 4 and 5 respectively. If England plays Moeen Ali then he’ll be placed at 6 with the wicket-keeper batsman coming at 7. After Buttler’s departure, Ben Foakes is most likely to take the wicketkeeping duties. There’s plenty to ponder upon for the team management with their middle order.

4. Opening Slot Conundrum

IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Too Hard for England? | Challenges for England Test team against India in the upcoming Tests
IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Can Sibley keep India at bay?

Rory Burns’ return means he’ll be back at the top for the tourists. Now the big debate is who’ll be his partner to open the innings. Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley, who opened for England in their last series, struggled throughout the tour. However, Sibley showed great character and heart in the final innings of the second Test against Sri Lanka and score an unbeaten 56 to guide his team to an emphatic win. His efforts should guarantee him a spot at the top with his old partner Burns.

Burns and Sibley have been opening for England since the South Africa tour in 2020. Their ability to see off the shine and wear down the bowlers might not be attractive to eyes but it’s vital to lay the foundations for the batsmen to follow.

Crawley’s current form doesn’t push his case in front. And if he did open then it’ll be a surprising call by the management against a sterner opposition in India. One thing Crawley showed in his 10 test match short Test career is he can occupy the crease for longer durations and once he does that he can score ‘Daddy hundreds’. Right now Sibley is in a pole position to take advantage in the short term. If the opening dilemma is resolved, it leaves England with only one obvious position left to fill in the top six. The opening pair’s performances will see how the series will pan out for England.

5. Curious case of selection of the pacers

IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: Too Hard for England? | Challenges for England Test team against India in the upcoming Tests
IND vs ENG Test Series Preview: How many Tests will Anderson play?

Head coach Chris Silverwood already hinted that England will be rotating their players. The think tank is likely to rotate their most experienced pacers in Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Both of them played one Test each in the recently concluded series against Sri Lanka.

England has a strong core of pacers alongside Anderson, Broad with Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Olly Stone in the original squad, plus Saqib Mahmood and Ollie Robinson in the reserves. Mark Wood will return to the side will add selection headaches for Root and Silverwood. Archer, Wood, and Stone can hit 90-plus mph consistently, and with the express pace, they can reverse the ball as Wood did in the Sri Lanka series.

Their old Foxes Anderson and Broad showed in the recent series that they still can be effective in any conditions with their experience and skill. However, it’ll be interesting to see what combination England will go with against a top side like India.

Also read: An Aussie’s passionate take on why Australia lost the series and where they go to from here

Written by Vaibhav Tripathi. Follow Vaibhav on Twitter today.

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021

Robin Rounder
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IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021 | How could the CSK squad look for the Indian Premier League season 2021?

Chennai Super Kings had a horror season in IPL 2020. They won only six out of 14 matches and finished in seventh position. 2020 was the first time in 11 years of CSK that they didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Dhoni’s approach of persisting with the old and out of form players failed this time and he himself looked rusty and it was evident that most of the players in the team lacked match practice.

But everything wasn’t bad for them as they found some “sparkling” young talents in the squad in Ruturaj Gaekwad who scored three consecutive fifties in the last three games for CSK in IPL 2020. They also have Narayan Jagadeesan in the squad who has been brilliant in the recently finished Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). R Sai Kishore has been brilliant in the same tournament too.

Dhoni made it clear that CSK will go through a revamp in the upcoming season. We can expect a complete revamp in the mega auction of the 2022 season but they’ve already started the process by releasing Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Monu Singh, Murli Vijay and Shane Watson (retired) before the 14th edition of the tournament. They have put faith in DJ Bravo and Imran Tahir for one more season. CSK CEO said that they’ll go for young players in the 2021 Mini-auction.

Here five players that CSK can pick in the IPL 2021 auction:

5. Mohammad Nabi (Trade from SRH)

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021 | How could the CSK squad look for the Indian Premier League season 2021?
IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021: Nabi an option for CSK?

I know it’s highly unlikely but CSK can look to trade Nabi from SRH. After releasing Harbhajan Singh there is no off-spinner in the CSK squad at the moment. Jadeja, Tahir, Sai Kishore, Santner, and Karn Sharma all turn the ball away from the right-hand batter. Mohammad Nabi just fits into this CSK setup with his wily off-spin bowling and lower order batting value (and his age of course).

He performed relatively well in BBL 10 and was exceptional in the CPL 2020 with the ball. Nabi doesn’t get a lot of chances in SRH with Kane as the fourth overseas player and CSK needs someone like him so there is a chance that we can see him in Yellow this season.

4. Krishnappa Gowtham

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Krishnappa Gowtham can be picked by CSK as he is an off-spinner too and is more than handy with the bat. Not at the same level as Nabi at the moment but he is young and is an Indian player so he can be a good option for CSK. Gowtham showed glimpses of his batting talent in the last edition in the limited chances that he got.

He can control the flow of runs in the middle overs and can score with the bat lower down the order and won’t even take the overseas slot in the XI. Gowtham has a career strike-rate of 159 in T20s and 169 in IPL and is good with the ball. And with CSK looking for youngsters Gowtham can be a good pick for them.

3. Chris Morris

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021 | How could the CSK squad look for the Indian Premier League season 2021?
IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021: Morris can offer value.

We can see Chris Morris return in Yellow in IPL 2021. CSK did bid for him in the last auction before he was picked by RCB but now after he is released CSK can go for him. Morris can fix the chronic death bowling issue of CSK. He is very handy with the bat and can strengthen the bowling unit of CSK.

Chris Morris has 80 wickets in 70 IPL games and has 551 runs at a strike-rate of 157.88. He had 11 wickets in 9 games at an economy of 6.63 in the last season playing for RCB. The only thing against him is his fitness as he has been injury-prone for some time now but if he’s fully fit for the IPL then he can be a very valuable pick for the Chennai Super Kings.

2. Moeen Ali

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021 | How could the CSK squad look for the Indian Premier League season 2021?
IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021: Moeen could be a masterstroke.

RCB released Moeen Ali and he can be a great pick for CSK. He can open or bat in the middle or lower-middle order with a high strike-rate and is a good player of spin. He bowls off-spin which is the need of the hour for CSK and is a LHB who can be used as a floater. He has a strike-rate of 158.46 after 19 games in the IPL. He can add to the batting depth and will be a great option with the ball bowling his off-spin.

He will be suited for the slow track on which CSK thrives as he is a good player of spin bowling. Moeen Ali in CSK may seem a very unlikely pick but with CSK you never know.

1. Glenn Maxwell

IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021 | How could the CSK squad look for the Indian Premier League season 2021?
IPL 2021 Auction: 5 Players CSK Can Target for IPL 2021: Will CSK gamble on Maxwell?

Glenn Maxwell is another option CSK can go for in the auction. Maxwell’s performance was very poor in the last edition of the IPL he failed to even hit a six in 14 games but he performed well for the Aussies when they toured England, hosted India and was in terrific touch in the BBL as well. He too can give 3-4 overs from his off-spin and we all know how devastating he can be with the bat on his day. He plays spin well and can be the enforcer for CSK in the middle-overs.

Dhoni and CSK prefer chasing and he can be a great pick for them with his hard-hitting. Although his form in the IPL hasn’t been the same since IPL 2014, he is a quality player and MS knows how to get the performance out of his players so don’t be surprised to see Maxwell in the Yellow jersey for the Super Kings.

You never know what a team management is thinking and whom they are planning to buy but looking at the team composition of CSK I think they’ll go for an off-spin all-rounder who can bat too. CSK batted second in 10 games in the last IPL and won only 5 of them, this hurt their chances of play-offs as they depended a lot on Dhoni to chase down the targets and get them over the line.

These players are good with both the bat and the ball and can do well for CSK. But one can never predict what Dhoni will do so don’t be surprised to see some very unexpected picks from CSK in the auction.

Thanks for Reading!

Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on Twitter today.

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