New ICC Chairman Greg Barclay not a fan of the “big 3” concept | Greg Barclay recognises that there is no “big 3” in international cricket
The newly appointed ICC Chairman Greg Barclay has dismissed the idea of the influence that the three countries England, India, and Australia have in the cricket world. “There is no ‘Big 3’ as far as I am concerned. I don’t subscribe to it at all. All members are important and should be treated equally,” Barclay said in a video interaction for ICC.com.
“I do accept concerns of members could be different. I do accept that some of those bigger countries can provide certain outcomes to the ICC along the lines of hosting and revenue so again we need to take that into account and recognise that but there is no ‘Big 3’.”
Barclay, an Auckland-based commercial lawyer has won a run-off with Imran Khwaja after two rounds of voting and he would quit his previous duties as the chairman of the International Rugby league. “The first thing we need to do is get the ICC strategy very clear, so we understand what it is we’re trying to achieve, how that helps global cricket, how it supports members’ interests,” he said to ESPNCricinfo. “We’re through a strategic planning exercise, but it’s been two or three years and we need to get that closed out so it is quite clear what we’re doing. Then we can make some decisions based on our strategy”.
The chairman aims at growing the game in countries where the popularity of the sport is relatively less. “A major reason for doing that is if we want to grow the game, whether it’s in Asia or the Americas, but the USA being the logical place to start,” Barclay said. “Maybe we need to look at hosting a world event, maybe a co-host between the West Indies and the USA. but we do need to have a good look at the outcomes we’re trying to drive here. Those world events are an integral part of decision making.”
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
Confusion on Rohit injury situation – Virat Kohli | India captain Kohli describes confusion surrounding Rohit injury situation ahead of AUS tour
Rohit Sharma’s hamstring injury has snowballed into a much bigger controversy for BCCI, Indian cricket team management, and team captain Virat Kohli. In an exclusive interview given to ESPNCricinfo before the first ODI against Australia, Kohli revealed how the team management and the selection board are clueless about Sharma’s availability for the ongoing series against Australia.
“Before we had the selection meeting in Dubai, we had got an email two days before that, which said that he is unavailable for selection [as] he has picked an injury during the IPL,” Kohli said at the virtual media briefing on Thursday in Sydney. “And it mentioned there were a two-week rest and rehab period. The pros and cons and the implications of the injury have been explained to him and he understood that. And he was unavailable for selection. That was the information we got in the mail before the selection meeting. After that he played in the IPL, so we all thought he would be on that flight to Australia, which he wasn’t. And we had no information whatsoever on the reason on why he is not traveling with us.”
Aaron Finch has opted to bat first in the first #AUSvIND ODI ?
During the IPL 2020 edition, the vice-captain of India and Mumbai Indians captain was not in the official team squad that was announced by the BCCI and selection committee for the Australia tour. However, after a few days of rest, he was seen playing for the MI team and went on winning the tournament for the fifth time for the franchise under and also hit a remarkable 68 off 51 in the Final.
Players from both teams paid tribute to Australia's indigenous people in a Barefoot Circle ceremony before the start of play ?#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/jgYIF81Bxs
Later on, after Kohli declared his paternity leave, BCCI issue a new release adding Sharma, and said, “The BCCI Medical Team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma’s fitness and has briefed All-India Senior Selection Committee on the same. In consultation with Mr Sharma, it has been decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness and he has been included in India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy”.
In the latest interaction, the team captain said that after that the only other information officially they have received on mail is that he is in the NCA and he’s been assessed and he’ll be further assessed on December 11. “So from the time that the selection meeting happened to the IPL finishing now, when this email came about his assessment at the NCA, there has been no information, there has been lack of clarity. We have been playing the waiting game on this issue for a while now, which is not ideal at all. So, yeah, it’s been very confusing. There has been a lot of uncertainty and lack of clarity around the situation”, he added.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
SA vs ENG 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SA vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Today | South Africa vs England 1st T20 Key Players | Cape Town Pitch Report
Do you remember South Africa and England going head-to-head in white-ball cricket early in 2020?
So much has happened since then that no one can blame you if you’ve forgotten. In five white-ball matches, England won three of them, including a thrilling T20I series 2-1. But, South Africa have reason to be optimistic, due to quality representation in the recent IPL, as well as some wonderful performances in the ODIs against Australia soon before lockdown.
So, what better way to test renewed confidence against the best white-ball team in the world? The South Africans will be looking for a new lease of life after a string of series losses at the turn of the year, and will be calling on their talented newcomers to combine well with their experienced men.
For England, the world knows about their talent. It’s about putting that into practice right away, with the added challenge of a number of players spending the last few months in bio-secure bubbles. Eoin Morgan’s leadership is a great asset to have, as is England’s long, powerful batting lineup that could count for plenty. Bring on the fireworks.
SA vs ENG 1st T20I Preview Dream11: Eoin Morgan to produce a blinder?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Eoin Morgan was man of the series in England’s three-match T20I series in South Africa earlier this year. He scored two fifties in three knocks, including a match-winning 57* off 22 balls to seal the series win.
Also, Morgan has the most runs in SA-ENG T20Is of any current player (347 runs, avg. 31.54, SR 148.29). Jos Buttler, who hit 57 off 29 balls in his last T20I vs South Africa, is next with 294 runs (avg. 32.66, SR 156.38).
South Africa would be well-served rekindling the Quinton de Kock-Temba Bavuma opening partnership. Both averaged over 40 in the three-match series against England earlier this season (QdK scored 131 runs, Bavuma 123).
de Kock is also coming off a strong IPL campaign for Mumbai Indians. The left-hander scored over 500 runs (503) at a good average and strike rate of 35.92 and 145.01.
How will the number T20I batsman, Dawan Malan, perform? He has a superb T20I record to date (16 T20Is, 682 runs, avg. 48.71, SR 146.66), and England will be looking for more of the same. He has eight 50+ scores in 16 T20Is.
Jonny Bairstow smashed 64 off 34 balls in his last T20I against South Africa. He averages 41.33 and strikes at 154.03 in eight T20Is vs the Proteas.
South Africa would be making a mistake if they leave Heinrich Klaasen out of their XI. He was superb earlier in 2020, smashing 66 off 33 balls in his only T20I vs England, followed by scores of 123*, 51 and 68* in the ODIs against Australia.
Faf du Plessis is set to return to T20I cricket, and showed some fine form particularly in the early stages of IPL 2020 (total of 449 runs, avg. 40.81, SR 140.75). Can he improve on his average of 19 in five T20Is vs England?
Ben Stokes recently scored 107* and 50 opening the batting for Rajasthan Royals. Here, he will likely be required in the middle-backend of the innings. Can he deliver and improve a sub-par T20I record? (23 inns, 305 runs, avg. 17.94, SR 134.36)
Sam Curran was Chennai Super Kings’ shining light in IPL 2020 (186 runs, 13 wickets). Also, Curran smashed 45* (18) four days ago in the Buttler vs Morgan tour match. One to watch.
Kagiso Rabada finished with the most wickets in the recent IPL (30 in 17 matches). Jofra Archer was the MVP, courtesy of a superb 20 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 6.55.
Anrich Nortje came of age in IPL 2020, taking 22 wickets in 16 games. Key player.
Chris Jordan has the most wickets in SA-ENG T20Is (12 in 10 matches). Lungi Ngidi had an excellent series against England earlier this year (eight wickets in three matches).
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 19, South Africa 9, England 8, N/R 1, 1 abandoned.
England beat South Africa 2-1 in South Africa earlier in 2020. All three matches were absolutely thrilling: SA won the first match by 1 run, England then won by 2 runs and chased down 223 to take out the series.
England have won six of their past seven T20 series. The only one they didn’t win was a 1-1 draw vs Pakistan earlier this year.
In contrast, South Africa have not won a T20 series since March 2019. Since then, they have lost to England and Australia, and drew with India.
Kagiso Rabada is set to play his 100th white-ball match for South Africa.
Jason Roy had a poor summer in ODIs, with scores of 24, 0, 1, 3, 21 and 0 against Ireland and Australia.
Possible Playing 11
Dwaine Pretorius is out of the series with injury, so Andile Phehlukwayo will play as the seam bowling all-rounder. Also, South Africa could look to have Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock open the batting, as they showed some excellent signs together earlier this year.
South Africa: 1. Quinton de Kock (c & wk), 2. Temba Bavuma, 3. Faf du Plessis, 4. Rassie van der Dussen/JJ Smuts, 5. David Miller, 6. Heinrich Klaasen, 7. Andile Phehlukwayo, 8. Kagiso Rabada, 9. Lungi Ngidi, 10. Anrich Nortje, 11. Tabraiz Shamsi
England look more settled, but it remains to be seen how they strike their best combination. Dawid Malan, who has performed so well in T20Is at number three (number one-ranked T20I batsman), could move down to four to accomodate Jonny Bairstow. So, the likes of Eoin Morgan may bat lower than normal.
England: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Jos Buttler (wk), 3. Jonny Bairstow, 4. Dawid Malan, 5. Ben Stokes, 6. Eoin Morgan (c), 7. Sam Curran, 8. Chris Jordan, 9. Adil Rashid, 10. Jofra Archer, 11. Mark Wood
Cape Town Pitch and Weather Report
A mostly cloudy and warm day is forecast for Cape Town, which suggests there is a chance of no dew in the second innings. The team batting first has won three of the last five T20Is on this ground, with an average first innings score of 170.6 in these matches.
South Africa will be hoping for a much better outing at Cape Town compared to their last T20I on this ground, where they were bundled out for 96 vs Australia to lose by 97 runs.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
SA vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
SA vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
This has the potential to be a beauty. England’s power-packed batting lineup gives them an edge, but if South Africa’s promising seam attack is on song as a unit, it could pave the way for a fine victory.
Top 5 Australia-India ODIs since 2000 | Reliving the best Australia-India One Day Internationals since 2000 | Classic matches AUS vs IND
After a long wait, India and Australia lock horns down under on the 27th of November in an ODI game, which will see the start of a long, almost two-month tour for the Men in Blue. The last time India toured Australia, they created history and had one of the most successful overseas tours for the team.
Though historically Australia has been the stronger side by a mile, the tables have turned in the last decade or so, and regardless of the strength of the sides, these two teams have been a part of some really close thrilling encounters. In this article, we will have a look at 5 of those.
India beat Australia by 2 wickets, October 17, 2007, Mumbai
India’s talisman with the ball, Zaheer Khan, gave India the perfect start by catching Michael Clarke on the crease as the ball nipped back in to smash his pads. Skipper Ponting and Gilchrist added 60 runs in the next 9 overs to land the Aussies in a firm position before Gilchrist departed. Another steady partnership between Hodge-Ponting and Aussies were 117/2 before 20th over. But before Aussies could run away with the game, Murali Kartik removed Hodge and dangerous Symonds on back to back deliveries. With Ponting getting out after a few overs, the Australian inning never recovered and crumbled on 173. Murali Kartik with an astonishing and a beautiful spell of 6/27.
A target of 194 was not daunting but never easy against the mighty Aussies. Sourav Ganguly & Dinesh Karthik, both back in the hut for 0. A confident-looking Tendulkar chopped on a ball from Brett Lee. Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni both fell prey to Bracken and Irfan Pathan failed to get off the mark and India were 63/6. That 194 was looking more like 294 with only Robin Uthappa remaining at the crease out of all the recognized batters.
Uthappa was in fine form and as Harbhajan Singh backed him from the other end with his slow but important knock, as the target then seemed well within the reach. But within the span of 4 overs, both were back in the hut and India were 143/8, looking gone despite a fighting 47 from Uthappa.
India still needed 51 with Zaheer Khan & Murali Karthik at the crease, but a series of incredible hits saw the target come closer and closer. Eventually, an outside edge from Karthik and a leg glance by Zaheer brought the target within one hit. Then, Johnson bowled a full leg stump delivery which hit Karthik’s pads and ran away, and Wankhede erupted in the acknowledgment of two of the unlikeliest batting heroes.
India beat Australia by 8 runs, May 5, 2019, Nagpur
Top 5 Australia-India ODIs since 2000: Vijay Shankar held his nerve
A game which turned into a thrilling contest by the end of it because of the ebbs and flows it had, this is another of the many close games these teams have played in the last few meetings. Rohit Sharma got a 6 ball duck and Shikhar Dhawan departed in the 9th over as India was in a spot of bother at 38/2. Virat Kohli was at his business in his usual manner but he hardly received any support from the other end except an important knock of 46 by Vijay Shankar batting at 5. India could manage only 250, many thanks to a quality knock from Virat Kohli, who looked like he was batting on a different surface to everyone else.
Australia started very well in their pursuit of a modest 251, thanks to an almost run-a-ball opening partnership of 83. But, regular wickets halted progress until Marcus Stoinis provided really good support to the in-form Peter Handscomb before he was run out by Jadeja. Australia needed 80 from 75 balls when he got out. Stoinis was going strong at his end but received little support from the other end.
Australia needed 21 from 18 balls and Jasprit Bumrah bowled a fantastic over to Stoinis, conceding only 1 run. What followed was a good five balls from Shami but his over was ruined when a ball down the leg side was sent to fine leg boundary by Nathan Lyon. With Australia needing 12 from the last over, captain Virat Kohli went with Vijay Shankar to bowl the last over, and the medium pacer held his nerve to dismiss Stoinis and Zampa to enable India to win by 8 runs.
India beat Australia by 9 runs, 9 March, 2008, Brisbane
Top 5 Australia-India ODIs since 2000: India won in 2008.
After a controversial Test series thanks in large to events that took place at Sydney, India made a really good comeback in Tri-Series between themselves, Sri Lanka, and Australia. India made it to the finals and won the first final thanks to a hundred from Sachin Tendulkar and disciplined bowling performance.
In pursuit of a famous win in the second Final, India started their innings in a good manner. Uthappa, known for his clean striking, smashed only one four in his inning of 30. But, more importantly, he formed an important partnership of 94 with the in-form Sachin. An entertaining cameo from Yuvraj Singh meant India was in a healthy position of 175/2 in the 35th over, but just before India thought of launching an assault, Tendulkar departed on 91 in 40th over. A collapse of sorts and India could only manage 53 runs in the last 64 balls, finishing their inning on a decent 258/9.
After early wickets, Australia then looked like they had the upper hand in the game, until Hayden was run out by the duo of Yuvraj and Harbhajan. Just in a space of few balls, Harbhajan’s off-break saw Symonds depart as he was trapped in front. India now had firm control of the game but Mr. Cricket Michael Hussey had some other ideas. In his usual manner, Hussey kept the scoreboard ticking and in quick time, he was batting on 44 with a strike rate over 100. Australia needed only 60 runs in 49 balls, they had the upper hand but Hussey nicked a wide ball from Sreesanth to Dhoni, and the game again tilted in India’s favor.
James Hopes kept fighting but his brilliant efforts didn’t prove to be enough as, after Hussey’s departure, no other batsman crossed double digits. With 11 required from last over, Irfan Pathan first got rid of Nathan Bracken on the 2nd ball and needing 10 from 3, James Hopes hit a ball straight to cover to give India the win.
India’s win in this Tri-Series is one of their most celebrated wins ever.
Australia beat India by 3 runs, 5 November 2009, Hyderabad
Top 5 Australia-India ODIs since 2000: Sachin Tendulkar played one of the great ODI knocks.
A game where the player from the losing side was adjudged man of the match and rightly so. It is, to date, one of the best knocks ever by a batsman in a losing cause and perhaps one of the best ever knocks, full stop.
Australia, courtesy of Watson, Ponting, White and Hussey, notched up a huge 350; a daunting score ahead for a scratchy Indian line-up.
India got off to a blistering start, thanks to Sehwag, who scored 26 of his 38 runs in boundaries. On the other end, Tendulkar started cautiously. Gambhir’s stay at the crease was short and so was Yuvraj’s inning. But by this time, Tendulkar had picked up the pace.
At the time of Yuvraj’s dismissal, India were 126/3 in 19th over, Tendulkar batting on 66 from 60 balls, had struck 56 runs in his last 41 balls. Dhoni’s scratchy 15 ball 6 was over thanks to a stunner from Adam Voges. Tendulkar, once again, was running out of partners and it looked like another tame end to a good start was on the cards but ever-reliable Suresh Raina had some other ideas.
A cautious start was turned into a confident one when he smashed Waston for a Six to mid-wicket and then a four through covers, in typical Raina fashion. Meanwhile, Tendulkar got to another hundred, off 81 balls, before smashing a six off Voges to keep things moving.
That got India going, as they amassed 98 runs in the next 12 overs. India needed only 52 from 48 balls and target looked well within reach but Shane Watson first removed Raina, when he top-edged while trying to pull a ball.
The quick wicket of Harbhajan saw the match tilt again in Australia’s favor. Jadeja started cautiously but then turned it on with a flurry of boundaries, to get him to 20 of 13 balls. The target of 23 from 22 balls meant that India again had the upper hand.
But, five balls later, Tendulkar tried to scoop a ball from Clint McKay over fine leg but the ball went straight up and his incredible stay at the crease was over. India still needing 19 from 17 balls with 3 wickets in hand but the madness was just about to start. 2 balls after Sachin’s departure, Jadeja literally ran himself out, trying to steal a single when there wasn’t one; non-striker Pravin Kumar sent him back but it was too late. India needed 16 from 12 and Bollinger removed Nehra to strengthen Australia’s hold on the game. Next ball, straight into stands, Pravin Kumar with a mighty blow over long-off. 2 dots, a leg, and a single by Munaf Patel meant India needed 8 runs from the last over. Shane Watson with the ball in hand, India managed to take three singles of the first 3 balls, the target was within a hit with 3 balls remaining but as Pravin Kumar tried to come back for a double after a hard hit to long off, Nathan Hauritz’s throw proved to be good enough for Australia to run him out and win this match by the margin of 3 runs, despite Tendulkar’s incredible 175.
Australia beat India by 4 wickets, 19 October 2013, Mohali
Top 5 Australia-India ODIs since 2000: James Faulkner pulled off a miracle in Mohali in 2013.
After a record and an incredible chase by India 3 days before at Jaipur, India were batting first in Mohali and they were in an awful lot of trouble as the scorecard read 76/4 by the end of the 13th over. 2 of the heroes of the last game were gone and out of form Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina were back in the pavilion.
India found themselves 154/6 after 31.3 overs, with only Dhoni out of the recognized batters on the crease. Dhoni fetched only his 2nd boundary after 68 balls when he cut a short ball from Johnson to the fence, as the Indian skipper slowly found his groove. 3 overs later, India scored 14 runs from an over of Faulkner but a few quiet overs meant India’s score was 202/6 after 40 overs – a delicate situation. Dhoni smashed a four and a six of Doherty but 2 overs later, Ashwin was dismissed for a fine supporting knock of 25, thanks to that man Johnson again.
Soon after, India were 247/7, needing a Dhoni special to cross the important 300 in 4 overs. A four of the 2nd ball of 48th over saw Dhoni reach his hundred. 15 runs in the next over and 21 runs of Faulkner’s last over helped India reach 303/9. Dhoni with a gem of a knock of 139 runs from 121 balls, 84 of which came in the last 50 balls, gave India incredible momentum.
In response was a blistering start from Australia, which saw at least one boundary from 9 of the first 10 overs and they needed 240 runs from 240 balls. Two back to back quite overs and finally, India had their breakthrough when Vinay Kumar got Phil Hughes to edge a ball to Dhoni. 3 overs later, Finch was adjudged LBW off Ishant, Jadeja trapped Watson in front and Australia were 90/3 after 20overs.
The reliable George Bailey got in and looked well on his way to another good knock in support of Adam Voges. Both kept the scoreboard ticking with good running between the wickets with the help of occasional boundaries and Australia scored 81 runs from the next 16 overs, needing 133 from the final 14 overs.
But, Vinay Kumar came back into the attack, and George Bailey was trapped in front. Three balls later, Maxwell was run out due to a bizarre mix-up between he and Voges, and Australia were left needing 130 in last 13 overs.
After a plethora of steady overs from India, Australia then 44 needed from 18, with the match firmly in India’s grip. But, then came Ishant Sharma’s infamous over. Four through extra cover, a smash over the cow corner boundary, a length ball dispatched for six over side screen, a double, short ball hooked for another six and another reckless short ball smashed a long way courtesy another pull stroke.
This is how the over went by.
Ishant Sharma kept bowling length to James Faulkner, who was at the prime of his batting form and had to take little to no efforts to smash them out of the park and took 30 off his over. Australia needed only 14 in the last 2 overs and they got there with 3 balls remaining, and it was fitting that it was another six from Faulkner to end the match. There was pin-drop silence in the crowd right since when Ishant bowled the last ball of his over, as the result was a mere formality after that in a game where the pendulum kept swinging in the favor of both the teams. Faulkner’s ferocious power came to Australia’s rescue.
NZ confirm six members of Pakistan touring squad have tested COVID positive | Six members of Pakistan touring party test positive to COVID
Before the start of their series against New Zealand, six members of the Pakistan contingent have tested positive for COVID-19.
The NZ cricket board has released news of four new cases, including two old cases. Though the cricket board didn’t release the names of the members, they said some members of the Pakistan contingent had “contravened protocols” on day one of their managed isolation.
Each member of the Pakistani team will undergo at least four tests and will not train for the upcoming games unless everyone tests negative. “We will be having discussions with the tourists to assist them in understanding the requirements,” the release said.
“Prior to leaving Lahore, all members of the Pakistan touring squad returned negative results on the four occasions they were tested. Separately, NZC has also been made aware that some members of the Pakistan team had contravened protocols on the first day of managed isolation. We will be having discussions with the tourists to assist them in understanding the requirements”, NZ statement.
A New Zealand Ministry of Health release said these breaches of protocol had been caught on CCTV, and that the team has been issued a “final warning.” Pakistan are due to play three T20Is on December 18, 20 and 22 in Auckland.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
Australia & India likely to pay tribute to Phil Hughes | 63-second tribute to Phil Hughes likely on anniversary of his tragic death
India and the Australian team will likely pay homage to late cricketer Phil Hughes on his sixth death anniversary. The 25-year-old cricketer missed a bouncer when the ball hit the back of his head when the ill-fated incident took place. The player was 63 not out at that time, so the players will observe a 63-second round of applause on November 27 at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Phil Hughes’ death sent shockwaves around the world, with many paying tribute to the talented cricketer. Hughes was struck by a bouncer in a Sheffield Shield game at the SCG on November 25, 2014, before tragically passing away two days later. Incidentally, India were also touring Australia at the time, with the Test series pushed back due to the tragic circumstances.
India is visiting Australia for a complete series with three ODIs, three T20Is, and four Test matches. The India-Australia series is going to be an interesting one, as Virat Kohli the captain of the Indian team is taking time off as the couple welcomes their first child, and David Warner and Steven Smith are back after the ball-tampering ban. While things look tricky for the Indian team on paper, Pujara’s morale seems pretty strong.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
Australia vs India ODIs: 5 Key Player Battles To Watch Out For | AUS vs IND ODIs: Key players to watch out for?
The Australia-India bilateral ODI series is set to commence from November 27. The three-match series will be played in the shadows of the Test series that will take place Down Under next month. However, a lot will be on stakes for both the sides as they will look to refine their limited-overs setup.
The series particularly promises to present the highest quality of white-ball cricket given the sheer quality of players present in both the squads. Given the attitude and temperament of both these teams, they will be wary of conceding even a single inch during the series and hence individual match-ups and their results will arguably largely determine the final outcome of the series.
Without further ado, in this article Cricblog elaborates on the five key player battles that will be extremely critical for the final result of this three-match ODI series.
1: Virat Kohli vs Adam Zampa
Australia vs India ODIs: Kohli vs Zampa will be a key battle to watch.
In Rohit Sharma’s absence, Virat Kohli will have to shoulder a bulk of the responsibility of the batting order. The Indian skipper will be tasked with setting the tone of the innings, maintaining a healthy scoring rate in the middle-overs and possibly take the game deep to ensure that the team reaches a robust total.
However, he will have to encounter the challenge that Adam Zampa brings to the table for that. The leg-spinner has a surprisingly fine record against the right-hander, having dismissed him on five occasions in the nine ODI matches that the duo has faced each other. Kohli has notched runs at a strike rate of 116.77 against Zampa, but the Aussie has managed to outwit his counterpart on the majority of the instances.
The 32-year-old is renowned for his incredible ability to rotate the strike regularly and prevent spinners from accumulating up pressure on him in the middle-overs. Yet, Zampa has delivered 30.20% dot deliveries against Kohli in nine ODIs. He manages to plug the flow of runs through the Indian captain and even dismiss him regularly, thus negating Kohli’s threat towards the later stages of the innings.
2: David Warner vs Jasprit Bumrah
Australia vs India ODIs: Can Bumrah get the better of Warner?
David Warner is often the first force that a visiting side has to break down in order to defeat the Aussies in their own backyard. What would a team do if their most stellar weapon with the ball itself falls flat against the southpaw? Yes, that’s the case between David Warner and Jasprit Bumrah.
The pacer has taken immense strides ahead in all formats of the game recently. His skillset is such that it has made even the best of the batsmen look frail in front of him. Yet, Warner has somehow managed to evade succumbing to Bumrah’s deliveries in ODIs so far. The opener has faced the fast-bowler in eight innings, and he has scored a modest 70 runs from 70 balls so far. He has notched 11 boundaries, taken 18 singles but has never been dismissed by Bumrah in the 50-over format.
This is particularly crucial given the fact that if Warner sticks around the crease post the 10th over mark in Australia, he is more often than not set for a big knock. The batsman averages 45.63 at a strike rate of 100.33 in 56 ODIs in Australia. Given his familiarity with the Indian bowlers considering his exploits in the IPL, Warner very well will make life tougher for the visitors if they fail to send him back to the pavilion early on in the innings.
3: Shikhar Dhawan vs Pat Cummins
Australia vs India ODIs: Can Pat Cummins get the better of Shikhar Dhawan?
India’s persistence to push KL Rahul down the order to accommodate Shikhar Dhawan at the top order speaks volumes of the confidence that the management has on the Delhi Capitals player in the limited-overs game. Dhawan is pivotal to India’s success in ODIs, given his tremendous ability to score runs at a laudable pace and for a long period of time.
His counter-attacking approach puts the Indian team on the front-foot right from the onset. Australia will look at Pat Cummins to neutralize the threat brought on board by Dhawan. The Aussie pacer has more or less managed to overpower the Indian opener in their face-offs so far. The two players have come up against each other in seven innings and Dhawan has managed to score runs at a strike rate of 87.85 in 107 deliveries against Cummins.
However, the fast-bowler has dismissed him on three occasions and maintained a 61.68 dot ball percentage over Dhawan. It is important to note that the left-handed batsman has faced Cummins in the field restriction overs for a large part of their duels.
Statistics indicate that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer blocks the flow of runs and thereby compels Dhawan to look for a release shot via a boundary. In this process, he betters his chances of dismissing the 34-year-old. Sharma’s absence will put some additional responsibility on Dhawan at the top and the batsman will have to work out a way to get Cummins to aptly fulfill his responsibilities.
4: Glenn Maxwell vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Australia vs India ODIs: Maxwell to bounce back from a poor IPL?
Glenn Maxwell has had knocks of 77 runs and 108 runs against England, away from home, in his last three ODI innings. The maverick middle-order batsman will be raring to go against the Indians. Going by his recent exploits, it seems that Maxwell will not merely be a finisher but also someone who will be expected to assume a significant responsibility in the second half of the innings.
The all-rounder has a strike rate of 125.03 in home matches and also maintains a fine average of 37.09. India will rely on Yuzvendra Chahal to outsmart Maxwell by utilizing his variations and forcing the batsman into mistimed shots in the big Australian grounds. Moreover, the leg-spinner has a fantastic record against the Kings XI Punjab player too, having dismissed him four times in six ODI innings. Maxwell has scored 40 runs in 32 deliveries against Chahal in the 50-overs game, which includes four boundaries and a couple of sixes.
But, his tendency and incessant urge to take on the leg-spinner ensures that Chahal often provides additional flight or width to his deliveries to prevent Maxwell from getting full force of the bat behind the ball. One will most likely come across such situations in the forthcoming series and an exciting contest between these two players will be looked forward to.
5: KL Rahul vs Mitchell Starc
Australia vs India ODIs: KL Rahul was superb in white-ball cricket for India early in 2020.
KL Rahul will assume the important role in the middle-order, possibly at number 5. In the series against New Zealand, Rahul displayed seamless adaptability to settle well at his new slot and deliver the required performances from there. He is incredibly capable against both pacers and spinners, and has various gears to his game that makes him perfect to fill that gaping hole in centre of the Indian batting lineup.
Batting at 5, Rahul will be facing Mitchell Starc at a stage of the game in which the left-armed pacer is extremely valuable. Starc’s stunning accuracy to put the ball at the block hole and mix it up with his fierce bouncers in the death overs makes it difficult for batsmen to keep hold of wicket, let alone take him on, which is need of the situation. Rahul fits the bill for this perfectly, and it was visible in the second ODI of the three-match bilateral contest between the two nations in January this year.
In Rajkot, Starc bowled 14 deliveries to Rahul and the batsman hit him for 26 runs that included three boundaries and a solitary six. It was a breathtaking display of stroke-play and the bowler will be wary of the promise and talent that the Karnataka-based batsman brings to the equation, even in an unfamiliar batting position. Rahul has been in a flawless run of form recently, and he will desire to continue that in the coming series. The KXIP skipper will be integral to the Indian team churning out runs in quick succession against an incisive Australian bowling attack in the death overs.
Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter today.
NZ vs WI 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs WI 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs West Indies 1st T20I Key Players | Eden Park Auckland Pitch Report
Remember New Zealand? After eight months without any international assignment, one of the most consistent teams finally get a taste of international cricket once again.
So much has happened across the world since New Zealand’s ODI at an empty SCG in March, which makes that match feel like a lifetime ago. They are back at Eden Park in Auckland – a ground that has played host to some of the most thrilling white-ball matches over the past few years. Even with Kane Williamson and Trent Boult rested for this series, New Zealand still possess plenty of talent, and will look to hit their straps right away.
They come up against an unpredictable West Indies team. The only team to win two T20 World Cups, the Windies have largely struggled in bilateral T20I assignments, and will be without big names such as Andre Russell, who helped the men in maroon win in Sri Lanka earlier this year. So, plenty will rest on CPL stars such as Andre Fletcher, Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer to lead the way for the likes of Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard to fire.
NZ vs WI 1st T20I Preview Dream11: Kieron Pollard will be key.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Martin Guptill has a poor record vs West Indies in T20Is (146 runs, avg. 18.25). However, he enjoys playing T20Is at Eden Park, with the most T20I runs by any player on this ground: 14 inns, 571 runs, avg. 43.92, SR 169.94.
Ross Taylor has the second-most runs in NZ-WI T20Is (254, avg. 42.33), and needs just five runs to surpass Chris Gayle’s 258.
Andre Fletcher has two 50+ scores in six T20I innings vs New Zealand. He averages 41 overall against the Black Caps (250 runs).
Watch out for Shimron Hetmyer. The swushbuckling left-hander can cause plenty of damage if he gets going. He has made eight double-figure scores in his last 10 knocks, but only has two 30+ scores in this period. Needs to convert.
Glenn Phillips scored the second-most runs in the recent CPL 2020 (316, avg. 35.11, SR 127). Expect much more batting-friendly conditions at Eden Park than the slow, turning tracks of Trinidad.
Nicholas Pooran hit the third-most sixes in IPL 2020 (25), at an overall batting average of 35.30 and SR 169.71 (353 runs). If he gets going, the small Eden Park boundaries will be a piece of cake for him, so the Black Caps will be looking to limit his impact.
Kieron Pollard strikes at 154 in six T20Is vs New Zealand (165 runs, avg. 33). The WI captain is coming off an excellent IPL 2020 campaign, where he struck at 191.42 on much bigger grounds than what he will encounter at Eden Park.
Tim Southee has the most wickets in NZ-WI T20Is (15 in 11 matches), as well as the most T20I wickets at Eden Park (14 in 13 matches). Can the NZ skipper have a big impact in this match?
Ish Sodhi (nine wickets in eight games) and Mitchell Santner (nine wickets in 10 games) have the next most T20I wickets at Eden Park among active players.
Kesrick Williams is a proven wicket-taker in T20s, with 129 scalps in 99 matches. He took the third-most wickets in CPL 2020 (13 in 12 matches), and will be key in this match.
Can Sheldon Cottrell bounce back after a disappointing IPL campaign?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: 13 matches, New Zealand 7, West Indies 5, NR 1.
New Zealand have won five of the last six matches between the teams.
Three of the 13 T20Is between New Zealand and West Indies have ended in a tie. Two took place at Eden Park (2006 and 2008) and the other at Pallekele (2012).
The chasing team has won the last four T20Is at Eden Park.
Fabian Allen has a batting strike rate of 164.89 and bowling economy rate of 7.43 in T20s.
Tim Seifert has scored just 102 runs in seven T20Is at Eden Park (avg. 17). Will this be his day?
Possible Playing 11
New Zealand: 1. Martin Guptill, 2. Tim Seifert (wk), 3. Glenn Phillips, 4. Devon Conway/Daryl Mitchell, 5. Ross Taylor, 6. James Neesham, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee (c), 9. Hamish Bennett/Ish Sodhi, 10. Kyle Jamieson, 11. Lockie Ferguson
West Indies: 1. Andre Fletcher, 2. Brandon King, 3. Shimron Hetmyer, 4. Rovman Powell, 5. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6. Kieron Pollard (c), 7. Fabian Allen, 8. Keemo Paul, 9. Kesrick Williams, 10. Sheldon Cottrell, 11. Hayden Walsh Jr.
Eden Park Auckland Pitch and Weather Report
A fine batting pitch often greets the players at Eden Park, to go with the small boundaries. This ground has seen some massive scores over the years, but the last five T20Is has seen an average first innings score of 163.6 at a run rate of 8.98, which suggests that bowlers have had some success in recent times.
The weather forecast is hot and sunny in Auckland during the day, which will make for a fine and cricket-filled evening (start time 7pm NZ time).
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
NZ vs WI 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
NZ vs WI 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
New Zealand have lost their last four T20Is at this ground, which gives the Windies a good chance. But, death bowling could be a problem for the Windies, and is an area New Zealand can exploit to pick up victory.
“Didn’t know Andre Russell was playing LPL” – WI coach | West Indies coach Phil Simmons unaware that Andre Russell is in Sri Lanka
Andre Russell has skipped the New Zealand series to take part for Sri Lanka’s Colombo Kings in the Lanka Premier League.
After playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League that was held in UAE this year and going by his social media posts he was seen spending time with his other cricketer friends after the tournament ended.
The West Indies head coach Phil Simmons said in a media briefing that the team management is unaware of Russell’s whereabouts.
When the media asked him about Russell skipping national games for franchise cricket, Simmons responded: “Is he? That’s news to me. I haven’t spoken to him since we came down here [to New Zealand],” Simmons said. “He was at the IPL and I haven’t spoken to him since then. I didn’t know he was in Sri Lanka. I can’t answer your question about that until I know what the whole situation is.”
Reportedly, Russell had opted out of selection process in October and Roger Harper, who is the lead selector of the national team, said in a virtual press meet that Russell is going from one lockdown to another, and that’s why he needs some time to for himself.
Harper also suggested that Russell might struggle to regain his place in the T20I if other players perform well in the upcoming assignments.
“He wasn’t really handling the whole thing very well and that he needed some time to clear his head and get himself together because he’s been going from one lockdown, so to speak, to another. I think as we move forward we will look at all situations, all players, and determine whether we need to continue to look at those players, continue to consider those players, or we need to move on,” he said. “A lot of things are determined by how well the team performs. I think if players in the team perform exceedingly well, then it will make it difficult for those that are not on the tour to get back into the team. So a lot of things will be taken into consideration as we move forward.”
Going by the past records, it’s safe to say Russell has been quite an absent player for the team in the last couple of years. He has played only twice in the format and both of them were against Sri Lanka. He also doesn’t have a central contract.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
AUS vs IND 1st ODI Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AUS vs IND 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Australia vs India 1st ODI 2020 Key Players | Sydney Cricket Ground Pitch Report
International cricket, glorious international cricket, returns with two arch-rivals going head-to-head once again. In what Josh Hazlewood described as “up there with the Ashes”, Australia return for their first home international since the surreal encounter against New Zealand just before the COVID-lockdown in March, and will be keen to get off to a winning start against their nemesis in India.
The Indians have been one of ODI cricket’s most consistent teams over the past decade, and will be looking to continue as the first of four years till the 2023 World Cup is nearly complete. Unfortunately for India, along with every other side, it has been a highly-disrupted year, with the men-in-blue not having played an international since their poor tour of New Zealand back in February. But, with a number of Indian players shining in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League, this ODI series serves as an opportunity to test new players as well as lock down positions that have caused so much distress in recent years; i.e. the number four slot.
For Australia, they played more recently, with a classic 2-1 ODI series win against world-champions England back in September. This could prove to be an advantage, but one feels that plenty still rests on the top order given the middle order’s inconsistencies. However, it must be remembered that the much-maligned middle order saved Australia twice in the England ODI series, with Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey both scoring hundreds in the most-recent outing.
So, as the action is upon us, we can gear up for individual battles between two strong sides. The series is part of the ODI League, which serves as extra motivation in an already a big occasion that is Australia vs India.
AUS vs IND 1st ODI Preview Dream11: Virat Kohli is back in Australia. Can he lead India to victory?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Rohit Sharma, who scored an ODI hundred at the SCG in 2019, is not available for this series. So, it is Virat Kohli who currently has the most runs in AUS-IND ODIs, with 1,910 at a superb average of 54.57. Also, the Indian captain averages above 50 in 26 ODIs in Australia (50.17).
Mayank Agarwal is likely to be rewarded for a superb IPL 2020 campaign, where he scored 424 runs in 11 matches at an average of 38.54 and SR 156.45.
He will likely partner Shikhar Dhawan, who was the second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2020 (618, avg. 44.14), with two centuries. Also, Dhawan has a solid record vs Australia over the past 10 years: 26 inns, 1,145 runs, avg. 45.80, SR 98.79. His last three scores vs Australia make for great reading: 117 (109), 74 (91) and 96 (90).
How will David Warner fare against India’s pacers? The opener was arguably Australia’s best in the recent IPL, and enjoys playing India in ODIs: 18 inns, 838 runs, avg. 49.29, SR 96.21. Also, Warner enjoys playing at the SCG, with an average of 57.21 in 15 ODIs (801 runs).
Aaron Finch is currently Australia’s highest run-scorer vs India in ODIs. The Aussie skipper 1,211 runs to his name against the Indians at an average of 44.85. He will be key at the top.
Three of Steve Smith’s nine ODI hundreds have come against India. This includes one earlier this year at Bangalore, as well as a match-winning century in the 2015 World Cup Semi Final on this ground (SCG). Overall, Smith averages 60.46 in 15 ODI innings vs India.
KL Rahul excelled in the number five position against Australia earlier this year. His 146 runs in three ODIs came at a strike rate of 104.28, which included a man-of-the-match performance of 80 off 52 balls at Rajkot.
Marcus Stoinis showed promising signs in the middle order in the recent IPL. Can he and Glenn Maxwell, who struggled in the IPL, fire Australia to a strong score?
Jasprit Bumrah vs Mitchell Starc promises to be an excellent battle. Interestingly, both average above 30 in Australia-India ODIs. Bumrah took just one wicket in three ODIs vs Australia earlier this year (econ. 4.58), while Starc took three in three at an economy rate of 6.89.
However, Starc will be keen to elevate his white-ball game this season and Bumrah is coming off an irresistible IPL campaign, where he took 27 wickets in 14 matches.
Adam Zampa has taken 20 wickets in his last 10 ODIs, and has 20 wickets in 13 games vs India. Plus, he has dismissed Virat Kohli on five occasions, and is coming off a man-of-the-series performance vs England.
Zampa’s battle with the classy Yuzvendra Chahal will be one to watch. Chahal took six-for in his last ODI in Australia (Melbourne, 2019), and is coming off a fine IPL campaign (21 wickets in 15 matches).
Mohammed Shami took the most wickets in the India-Australia ODI series earlier this year (seven in three games).
Stats and Facts
Australia have won three of four completed ODIs at Sydney vs India since 2012, with the latest being in 2019.
Marnus Labuschagne has struck two fifties and a century in nine ODI innings to date. His opposite number, Shreyas Iyer, averages 56.85 in eight innings at number four.
Ravindra Jadeja will likely form part of a five-man attack for India. His 27 wickets vs Australia come at an average of 55.37 and economy of 5.26, so India will be hoping for an improvement.
India won their last ODI series in Australia (2-1 in 2019). MS Dhoni was man of the series. The great man has since retired from international cricket.
India have won three of the past five ODIs against Australia.
Possible Playing 11
Justin Langer said that Cameron Green will only play ODIs if he can bowl (details here). Given that Green is being eased back to the bowling crease, he may not play straight away.
Australia: 1. Aaron Finch (c), 2. David Warner, 3. Steve Smith, 4. Marnus Labuschagne, 5. Marcus Stoinis, 6. Alex Carey (wk), 7. Glenn Maxwell, 8. Mitchell Starc, 9. Pat Cummins, 10. Josh Hazlewood, 11. Adam Zampa
India’s top five looks good on paper, but they have an issue given Hardik Pandya hasn’t been bowling due to his recovery from a back injury. This will likely mean India are left with just the five bowling options and a long tail. So, they may be tempted to play Shardul Thakur for more batting cover.
When international cricket is around in Sydney, it often tends to rain. But not on this occasion. The forecast is 26 degrees and mostly sunny.
Expect a good batting track in this match. There has been no cricket at the SCG in recent times, with the first three rounds of the Sheffield Shield played in an Adelaide bubble. In terms of dew, any slight cloud cover throughout the day could result in less dew, but that remains to be seen. The team batting first has won the last five ODIs at the SCG.
Australia’s batting will have the responsibility of taking advantage of India’s five-man attack, should the tourists go with that option. Also, if Australia can get into India’s middle order quickly, then it puts them in a good position. Australia looks to have the better balance, but one can never count out the Indians, especially if the top order fires.
It promises to be a cracking contest, with Australia’s good record at the SCG putting them as slight favourites.
