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Preview: 1st Test – Zimbabwe v West Indies

Charbel Coorey
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Zimbabwe v West Indies, 1st Test, Bulawayo

Low key series? Try telling that to Zimbabwe and West Indies fans.
Both teams have plenty to prove. For Zimbabwe, they would love to mark the return of one of their most favourite sons Brendan Taylor, as well as Kyle Jarvis with a win. This is especially after such a positive tour of Sri Lanka, where they nearly pulled off an upset in the Test match. For Zimbabwe to see a rise in the rankings in the future, it’s times like these where they need to stand up and be counted.
It’s a similar story for the West Indies, after taking England to a decider in their own backyard recently. The men from the Caribbean will be looking to build on that famous win in Leeds, and a tussle in unfamiliar conditions against a keen Zimbabwe will be a good test for the West Indies. Can Shai Hope give the West Indies more hope again? Can Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel threaten Zimbabwe with their pace?
This contest promises to be quite interesting.

Key to a Zimbabwe win

Get ahead in the Test Match.

In the England series, West Indies struggled in the first and third Tests as they fell behind early. Zimbabwe were ahead of Sri Lanka for much of that recent Test in Sri Lanka, but couldn’t finish the job.

However, do the West Indies have the ability to fight back from behind here? This is Zimbabwe’s best chance. The likes of Kyle Jarvis and Graeme Cremer will be difficult to handle from in front. Brendan Taylor being back in the team can help Zimbabwe push ahead of their opponents.

A great opportunity awaits.

Key to a West Indies win

West Indies’ bowlers + Shai Hope.
West Indies face a challenge penetrating the Zimbabwe lineup on what is expected to be a decent batting track on the first few days at least. Jason Holder’s accuracy can work well with Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel’s pace, while Devendra Bishoo is capable of taking wickets. Just ask Pakistan in Dubai last year – the Windies will need Bishoo more here.
Shai Hope also holds a lot of responsibility. Top players around the world have struggled in England – i.e. Virat Kohli – but Shai Hope was tremendous. He was the top run scorer from both sides, and the West Indies will be hoping for more of the same.


Possible line ups:


Zimbabwe: 1 Solomon Mire, 2 Hamilton Mazakadza, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Sean Willians, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Regis Chakabva (wk), 8 Graeme Cremer (c), 9 Tendai Chisoro, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Chris Mpofu
West Indies: 1. Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kyle Hope, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (c), 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel
Stats & Facts:



  • Shai Hope is coming off the back of 375 runs in three Tests in England, at an average of 75.00
  • Zimbabwe have won just one Test in Bulawayo – way back in 2001 v Bangladesh
  • West Indies are undefeated in Tests v Zimbabwe
  • Graeme Cremer nearly took his first 10-wicket haul against Sri Lanka earlier this year (9/275)

Prediction:

Very tough to choose a winner here. Zimbabwe can be competitive at home, especially against a team ranked near them. West Indies showed great promise in England, and would want to build on it.
The West Indies will win this in a tight match, considering they have just that little more firepower with their quicks, and with their batsmen wanting to prove a point.

4th ODI – Pakistan look good for 4-0

Charbel Coorey
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Match Preview: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 4th ODI, Sharjah

The last few months have captured the beauty of Pakistan Cricket.
In my review of the 3rd ODI, I wrote about Pakistan’s turn of fortunes during the Champions Trophy, and how no one surely could’ve predicted it. Pakistan were slammed for their performance in the Group B game vs India, which they lost by 124 runs.
Here they are, on the brink of 8 straight ODI wins, and if we’re being serious, on the verge of 10 straight wins, with 2 ODIs still remaining.
Sri Lanka look shot for confidence. Their 2017 continues to go downhill. They remain stuck at 4 wins, with only one against a team other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh.

Key to victory for Pakistan

Encourage the youngsters to keep expressing themselves.
The 4th ODI, already a dead-rubber with the series won, is the perfect chance to tell the youngsters to keep the momentum.
How good was Imam Ul Haq on debut? 
Hasan Ali continues to rise.
Shadab Khan is just 19 years old. 19 years old!
Pakistan in the space of a few months have completely turned around their fortunes.

Key to victory for Sri Lanka

Throw caution to the wind.
Enough is enough for Sri Lanka. It’s time to play without the pressure of losing.
The fact that the 4th ODI is a dead-rubber may actually be a blessing for Sri Lanka. With the series gone, this is an opportunity to go out and play with more freedom.
Upul Tharanga has been superb in this series, but the middle order really needs to show more steel. The bowlers have been OK, especially in the 2nd ODI, and are probably Sri Lanka’s best chance of ending their awful ODI run.

Who needs to step up?

Want to see more from Junaid Khan for Pakistan. He has deserved more than just two wickets at 40.50 in this series – his talent suggests he should be taking more wickets.
For Sri Lanka, it’s Dinesh Chandimal. His 49-ball 19 in the 3rd ODI, at a crucial stage, wasn’t pretty at all. Throw caution to the wind, Dinesh.


Possible teams


Pakistan look stable, despite the news Mohammad Hafeez has been reported for a suspect bowling action yet again. He is expected to play.


Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (c and wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Rumman Raees, 9 Shadab Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid Khan




Sri Lanka: 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Upul Tharanga (c), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Akila Dananjay, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Lahiru Gamage

Stats & Facts:

  • Upul Tharanga has scored 191 runs at 90.50 this series, including carrying his bat through Sri Lanka’s loss in the 2nd ODI. The rest of the Sri Lankan team have scored just 379 (excluding extras).
  • The 3rd ODI was the first time in six matches in the UAE that Babar Azam failed to score a century
  • Imam-ul-Haq became the first Pakistani in 22 years to score a century in ODI debut, while Hasan Ali became the fastest Pakistani to reach 50 ODI wickets.
  • If Sri Lanka lose this game, it will be their 2nd ever worst losing streak in ODIs (11). Their worst is 14 straight losses in 1987-88.
  • Last five ODIs for each team reads: Pakistan WWWWW Sri Lanka LLLLL
Can’t see how Sri Lanka will win this game. Pakistan have all the running and look good for another comfortable victory. In a disappointing series so far, let’s hope for a competitive game of cricket…

Hasan Ali & Imam Shine! Stats highlights from Pakistan’s series deciding win

Charbel Coorey
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Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi

After Sri Lanka shocked the world by chasing 322 in the Champions Trophy v India (the same team that thrashed an awful Pakistan just days earlier), you would’ve been forgiven for thinking Sri Lanka turned a corner and Pakistan would continue to struggle.

In fact, had you said Pakistan would win the Champions Trophy, en route to 7 straight ODI wins, you would have been accused of having rocks in your head.

But here we are. That’s the beauty of International Cricket. That’s the beauty of Pakistan.

Pakistan wrapped up the series in emphatic fashion in Abu Dhabi, and consigned Sri Lanka to their 10th straight ODI defeat. In all honesty, what challenge were Sri Lanka going to mount in the 3rd ODI, after losing in such a manner in the 2nd ODI? The Lions have no confidence at the moment.

In saying this, Sri Lanka made a good start, but the Pakistan bowlers, after the introduction of the incredible Hasan Ali, started to put the squeeze on the Sri Lanka batsmen. From overs 10-25, Sri Lanka went from 53-0 to 101-1, scoring at just 3.20 per over in this period.

Tweet at 12 overs:

After that, it was curtains. Sri Lanka lost 9-106 in the remaining 23.2 overs to effectively surrender the series. Afterwards, Imam Ul-Haq, nephew of the great Inzamam, showed us all why he deserved an opportunity, despite murmurs about Inzamam being chief of selectors. His hundred on debut was a great innings, and showed that Ahmed Shehzad’s time is probably up.

It was another great day for Pakistan, and another miserable one for Sri Lanka.

Here are some great stats from Pakistan’s win:

  • Beauty from Hammad Ammad @dot7HS on Twitter: Pakistan have now played 4 consecutive ODIs with at least one batsman scoring a century, their joint-longest streak since 1992.
  • Hasan Ali became the fastest Pakistan bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets, taking just 24 matches to reach the milestone. He overtook Waqar Younis (27 matches). Saqlain Mushtaq achieved the feat in 28 matches.
        
  • In 2017, Hasan Ali has taken 40 wickets at an average of 17.77. What’s so impressive is that he has done a lot of bowling on flat batting pitches. Incredible prospect.
  • Hasan Ali has taken the most wickets between overs 11 and 40 this year (23 wkts, 4.34 econ. 18 avg) which has contributed significantly to Pakistan’s ODI success in 2017.
  • Youngster Imam Ul Haq became the first Pakistan player in 22 years to score a century on ODI debut. Saleem Elahi was the first, also against Sri Lanka, way back in 1995.
  • Sri Lanka’s worst run of losses in ODIs is 14 from 1987-1988. Sri Lanka currently sit at 10 straight losses.
Can Pakistan make it 8 in a row in the 4th ODI? 5-0 looks on the cards.

South Africa look to land knockout blow

Charbel Coorey
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It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. Quinton De Kock and Hashim Amla barely raised a sweat, mowing down Bangladesh’s 278/7 with over 7 overs to go, in Kimberley on Sunday.

South Africa look a well oiled machine, but given how disappointing Bangladesh have been, are we getting too far ahead of ourselves thinking South Africa won’t lose a series in their season, their longest one yet?

For the moment, they are well on track to take a 2-0 lead in Paarl, simply because their opponents don’t have the know-how or quality to ask proper questions. De Kock and Amla made the Bangladeshi bowlers look park quality, following on from the thrashing South Africa gave Bangladesh in the Tests.

This is almost the same Bangladesh attack that made South Africa look ordinary in Bangladesh in 2015. The difference is incredible.

So where to for Bangladesh?  It’s got to the point where just being competitive will count for something. As a Bangladesh fan, if they manage to take a wicket, it will be met with a cheer as loud as the cheers in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Dating back to the Champions Trophy semi-final hammering by India, Bangladesh have taken just 1 wicket in their last 83 overs, and look absolutely toothless in foreign conditions. Significant blame should be placed on the management and coaches for this, but that’s a conversation for another day.

Can a team bounce back just a few days after being destroyed so badly that even Faf Du Plessis felt sorry?

Key to a South Africa win

Do the Proteas even need to do anything different?
Their biggest concern at the moment is whether their middle order batsmen will even get a chance to bat in this series.
Complacency is their only threat, and with Faf Du Plessis at the helm, there will be none of that. The key for South Africa is to continue to remain ruthless and show no mercy.

Key to a Bangladesh win

Miracle as victory may seem in the 2nd ODI, Bangladesh still possess some great talent. 
Mushfiqur Rahim’s century was brilliant, and Shakib Al Hasan became the fastest ever to achieve the double of 5,000 runs and 200 wickets in ODIs.
Taskin Ahmed, who has fallen away badly in recent months, needs some confidence instilled in him real quick. Mashrafe is able to nibble the ball around, and Rubel has had his moments in ODI cricket. However, this has mainly been at home.
Is Bangladesh’s best chance to bowl first and try get some morning movement? Their bowlers seem to be lacking the skill to get anything out of the surfaces away from home. They need this to be their day, with the series on the line.

Possible line ups:

South Africa look strong and settled. They boast a quality batting lineup, and will be looking to go 2-0 up in Paarl. The lowest batting average in the top six is a very respectable 37.71 (Duminy).
Wayne Parnell has even been ruled out of the T20Is, so it looks likely the Proteas will go with the same team.
South Africa possible XI: 1. Quinton De Kock, 2. Hashim Amla, 3. Faf Du Plessis, 4. AB De Villiers, 5. David Miller, 6. JP Duminy, 7. Dwaine Pretorius, 8. Dane Peterson, 9. Andile Phehlukwayo, 10. Kagiso Rabada, 11. Imran Tahir
You can try be as positive as you like about Bangladesh, but it is likely they will be without Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Mustafizur Rahman for this game. They are running thin on resources and confidence.
Imrul Kayes, despite scoring 31, looked out of his depth. Soumya Sarkar has a solid ODI record for Bangladesh and should play instead. With Mushfiqur in doubt, Mominul should play, too.
Bangladesh possible XI: 1. Liton Das, 2. Soumya Sarkar, 3. Mominul Haque, 4. Shakib Al Hasan, 5. Mahmudullah, 6. Sabbir Rahman, 7. Nasir Hossain, 8. Mohammad Saifuddin, 9. Mashrafe Mortaza, 10. Taskin Ahmed, 11. Rubel Hossain

Stats & Facts:

  • If South Africa win this game, they will leapfrog India to top spot in the ODI rankings.
  • 282/0 is the highest successful run chase in ODI history without losing a wicket, overtaking Jason Roy and Alex Hales for England in 2016 v Sri Lanka
  • Quinton De Kock and Hashim Amla became South Africa’s most prolific ODI opening pair, overtaking Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs.
  • Hashim Amla became the fastest ever to reach 26 ODI centuries (154 innings), beating Virat Kohli who reached the mark in 166 innings.
  • In their last 83 overs of ODI cricket, Bangladesh have taken 1 wicket. Since the start of their New Zealand tour last December, Bangladesh away from the subcontinent have taken 55 wickets at a high average of  44.74. Excluding New Zealand and Ireland, Bangladesh away from the subcontinent in this period have taken 4 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 234.5 runs per wicket.
  • South Africa’s batsmen across 2 Tests and 1 ODI have plundered 1,598 runs at an average of 122.92 runs per wicket.
  • Shakib Al Hasan became the fifth player to achieve the 5,000 runs-200 wickets double in ODIs. He is the quickest to achieve this, doing so in 178 matches.
  • Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 110 was the first time a Bangladesh player scored a century against South Africa in any format. 
It is difficult to see anything other than a South Africa victory in Paarl. With Tamim, Mushfiqur and Mustafizur all likely to be missing, anything other than a comfortable South Africa win will be a surprise.

Can Pakistan keep the momentum going?

Charbel Coorey
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Preview: 2nd ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi

Pakistan are flying. Seven ODI wins out of their last eight has the hosts in a really good place – a place that hasn’t been associated with Pakistan for a long time in ODI cricket.

Pakistan were said to be stuck in 80s. Not able to come to terms with how ODI cricket has changed. But, Pakistan have done the most Pakistan thing ever and did what no one thought possible – win a Champions Trophy Title and turn their ODI form around completely.

Sarfraz Ahmed has this team playing well. He’s had his critics, but surely what he’s doing for this ODI side deserves praise. Attacking by nature, he has instilled a positive attitude into this Pakistan unit.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have lost all of their last eight ODIs. Only the West Indies (18%) have a worse win rate than Sri Lanka’s 19% in 2017, and the Lions face a big ask in turning their fortunes around in Abu Dhabi.

To make matters worse, there are rumours that Dinesh Chandimal is suffering from a knee injury. Who will step up for the Sri Lankans?

Key to a Pakistan win:

Pakistan’s bowlers were just too good for Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI.
What’s special about this Pakistan attack is how they can get the ball talking even in unfriendly conditions. Dubai is a flat pitch and the pitches in the Champions Trophy were flat, but these bowlers are brilliant.
Rumman Raees, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali represent a strong pace attack. Add to that the accurate Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim and the question begs – how serious a challenge can Sri Lanka provide?
Pakistan will win if they can continue their impressive run with the ball. Their batting can just flow on from that.

Key to a Sri Lanka win:

Regular wickets with the ball.
As much as I’ve been talking up Pakistan here, the hosts are still prone to the odd collapse or two. Despite Sri Lanka yet to settle on a bowling lineup, their best chance is picking up wickets in the middle overs and halting Pakistan’s progress.
Much of Sri Lanka’s struggles in 2017 have been due to their inability to take wickets in the middle overs. This has to change if they are to win here.

Who has to step up?

For Pakistan, it has to be Ahmed Shehzad. 
In his last 10 ODIs, Shehzad has scored 169 runs at 16.90. The out of form opener fell for a 12-ball duck in the series opener, and needs a score here to ease the pressure.
For Sri Lanka, it is a close call between Thisara Perera and Kusal Mendis.
I’ll go with Mendis.
Apart from a century vs India in Colombo, the talented Sri Lankan’s highest score in the last two months is 36. Sri Lanka are down on the mat, and with all the hype surrounding him back home in SL, he needs to help pick his side up.
Possible teams:

Pakistan: 1. Ahmed Shahzad 2. Fakhar Zaman 3. Babar Azam, 4. Shoaib Malik, 5. Mohammad Hafeex, 6. Sarfraz Ahmed (c & wk), 7. Imad Wasim, 8. Rumman Raees, 9. Shadab Khan, 10. Hasan Ali, 11. Junaid Khan

Sri Lanka: 1. Niroshan Dickwella (wk) 2. Upul Tharanga (c) 3. Kusal Mendis 4. Lahiru Thirimanne, 5. Dinesh Chandimal 6. Milinda Siriwardana 7. Thisara Perera 8. Suranga Lakmal 9. Akila Dananjaya 10. Jeffrey Vandersay 11. Lahiru Gamage

Stats & Facts:

  • Since 2015, Shoaib Malik has scored 1,356 ODI runs at an average of 54.24.
  • Babar Azam averages 55.64 in ODIs and just 23.75 in Tests.
  • Hasan Ali is just 5 wickets away from reaching 50 ODI wickets. He averages 18.97 with the ball in 2017, with 34 wickets.
  • Sri Lanka have lost eight ODIs in a row, and have only won one match in 2017 against a team other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe (India in Champions Trophy).
  • Sri Lanka have won just 1 of 12 when batting first. SL average 47.31 with the ball, which is the worst by any team in a calendar year in ODI history (min. 20 ODIs).
Will this match go the way the 1st ODI did? Or will Sri Lanka put up a better fight?
All the signs point to another Pakistan win to go 2-0 up.

Can Bangladesh turn their horrid tour around?

Charbel Coorey
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Preview: 1st ODI – South Africa v Bangladesh, Kimberley

Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa so far is like a boxer who has taken all the big punches, and thrown absolutely none back.

The ODI leg has arrived of Bangladesh’s painfully one-sided tour of South Africa.

This series will be bolstered by the return of AB De Villiers for South Africa, and Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan for Bangladesh. Will the return of two of Bangladesh’s best ever players see some sort of contest?

It will still be tough going for Bangladesh, with South Africa boasting a very strong line up. Along with De Villiers, JP Duminy returns to the side, looking to make things right after retiring from Tests recently. Add to that David Miller’s extraordinary record in Kimberley, and how South Africa’s bowlers have been all over Bangladesh in this series, the visitors face a tough ask.

Key to a South Africa win:


Attack. Attack. Attack.
South Africa boast a strong batting lineup, and are ready to unleash Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir on the Bangladeshi batsmen.
South Africa’s mindset will be key. They have all the firepower on paper, and if they deliver, it might be a long old day for Bangladesh.
The Proteas have so many different players who can step up. The key will be forcing Bangladesh on the back foot early and see how they respond. If the Tests are anything to go by, Bangladesh won’t compete for long.
Faf Du Plessis expects a tougher test in the ODIs, which means South Africa are unlikely to be complacent.

Key to a Bangladesh win:

Mushfiqur Rahim not being captain of the ODI team automatically gives Bangladesh a better chance. Their inspirational leader, Mashrafe Mortaza, is back.
Bangladesh were out of the game by lunch on Day 1 in both Test matches. Keeping South Africa’s batsmen quiet and negotiating Rabada and Tahir will go a long way to achieving an upset.
This is way easier said than done, though.
The visitors must compete for longer periods, and take South Africa as deep into the game as possible. South Africa will throw punches, but Bangladesh must throw them back.
Mustafizur Rahman will be a big loss for the Tigers, but there is enough experience in this lineup to show a lot more fight than they did in the Tests. That is providing Tamim Iqbal will play – and hopefully he will, for Bangladesh’s sake.
Win the toss, bat first – total of 275+ could be competitive with Mashrafe and Shakib back in the team? Time will tell.

Possible teams:

South Africa: Quinton De Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Faf Du Plessis (c), AB De Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain

Stats & Facts:

I love stats and facts, and here are some to enjoy ahead of the 1st ODI:
  • In the possible Bangladesh team above, there is a total of 1,097 ODI matches played. South Africa have a total of 1,067.
  • The last ODI series played between these two teams was in 2015, with Bangladesh winning 2-1 at home.
  • In his last five matches at Diamond Oval in Kimberley, David Miller has smashed three hundreds. He is set for his 100th ODI appearance.
  • In 24 ODIs away from Bangladesh since 2014, Bangladesh have won 7 and lost 13, with 4 no results.
  • Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan have taken 456 ODI wickets between them.
  • Average score batting first at Kimberley in List A matches in 2017: 259
Bangladesh sure do have the talent to push South Africa, but do they have the confidence and know-how to do it in foreign conditions? They’ll need to be close to their best, while South Africa need to be a long way from their best to cause an upset. Time will tell to see how this one pans out.

Impressive Pakistan thrash hapless Sri Lanka

Charbel Coorey
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The big question leading into this series was which Pakistan would show up? Champions Trophy Pakistan or inconsistent Pakistan?

Pakistan answered that question pretty convincingly, beating Sri Lanka so easily, that has us questioning how competitive this series will actually be.

Man of the Match Shoaib Malik gave the Pakistan innings that extra push in the middle overs, giving Babar Azam, who was striking in the 60s for a while, important support. Pakistan reached a solid 292/6 in conditions they know very well.

It proved to be way too much. Pakistan’s bowlers were just too good for Sri Lanka, with no Pakistan bowler conceding more than 5.44 runs per over. That man, Rumman Raees, took three wickets. Sri Lanka face a tough fight bouncing back in the UAE heat (not bowling first will help).

Here are some stats highlights from Pakistan’s thumping win:

  • Babar Azam‘s 103 was his 6th ODI century in just 32 innings. To put it in perspective:

         – AB De Villiers’ first ODI century came in his 37th innings
         – Sachin Tendulkar’s first came in his 70th innings!
         – Virat Kohli achieved his 6th ODI century in 64 innings
         – Ahmed Shahzad (80 innings) & Shahid Afridi (390 innings), also have 6 ODI centuries

  • Since 2015, Shoaib Malik has scored 1,356 ODI runs at an average of 54.24. Like fine wine, Shoaib Malik is getting better with age.
  • Hasan Ali is just 5 wickets away from 50 ODI wickets. This is having played only 22 matches. In 2017, he has taken 34 wickets at 18.94, helping Pakistan winning the Champions Trophy along the way. A star in the making.
  • Sri Lanka have now lost 8 ODIs in a row, which was the case in 1998-1999 as well.
  • In 2017, Sri Lanka have lost 17 out of 22 ODIs (19% win rate), with one No Result. Only the West Indies have a worse win rate of 18%. What is most concerning is that Sri Lanka hold this record even having played Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at home.
All the signs point to a big series win for Pakistan. Can Pakistan stay ruthless or will Sri Lanka bounce back?
Think there’s something I’ve missed or want to have a say? Do leave a comment!
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India v Australia, 2nd T20I – Was the rock meant for the Indian bus?

Charbel Coorey
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India v Australia, 2nd T20I, Guwahati

Did the fans who threw the rock mistake the Australian bus for the Indian bus?

It was a big moment for the city of Guwahati, hosting a high profile International, only to be let down by the Indian team, who would be disappointed with their performance.

We’re going to a decider!

A decider that nobody expected, really. Jason Behrendorff could’ve let the daunting, loud atmosphere get the better of him after a wide full toss that went for four. Instead, he stood tall. He brought his Big Bash form over the years in Australia over to the International stage, and is capable of helping Australia to an unlikely series win.

Adam Zampa was fantastic, too. The wicket of Dhoni was a dream wicket for any leg spinner.

Moises Henriques (62*) and Travis Head (47*) then saw the Aussies home, after losing two early wickets. It was the complete performance from Australia, and showed that India don’t have it all their own way

Here are some great stats (and a little attempt at humour from yours truly) from Australia’s unlikely crushing win:

  • Biggest impact for India: The two fans who threw the rock at the Australian bus had more impact than India’s bowlers, carted around by Henriques and Head, in an unbroken 109 run stand.
  • The only good rock from an Indian perspective wasn’t at an Australian batsman, but at the Australian bus.
OK, that’s enough before I get really carried away… I could go all night.
Getting late here in Australia, so here are some real stats:
  • 0 – The number of times before this game in which Virat Kohli scored a duck in a T20I
  • 7 – Australia broke a 7-game losing streak against India in T20Is
  • Jason Behrendorff has the best average and third best strike rate in all T20 Powerplays since 2014. Makes you wonder why it took so long for Behrendorff to get his T20I call up?
  • The top three runscorers in this series are all Australian (the rain in the 1st match contributed, however Australia also have the top wicket taker) – Henriques (70), Head (57), Finch (50).
Onto the decider! 
Can India bounce back? Will Australia do the unexpected and win a series in India?

It should be a good game in Hyderabad. 

Australia & Bangladesh rubbish away from home, Pakistan + Sri Lanka set for another great finish

Charbel Coorey
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Not everything that has happened in the last few days of cricket has made for pretty viewing. However, it’s made for some nice talking points.
India predictably beat Australia in the first of three T20I’s, South Africa hammered Bangladesh and Pakistan and Sri Lanka are playing out another close fought Test. 

India v Australia, 1st T20I, Ranchi

Australia + losing wickets at regular intervals is a better lovestory than Twilight, the Notebook, A Walk to Remember… you name it… except that the Australians are taking so many walks to the pavilion that they aren’t remembering each walk too well.
An all too familiar collapse in the middle overs left only the rain in India’s way of a comfortable victory. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were simply too good, picking up 4/33 in 7 overs between them.
– No Indian seamer has taken more wickets in T20Is than Jasprit Bumrah (36). Bumrah sits 2nd on the list of India T20I wicket takers, behind only Ravi Ashwin (52).
– Bumrah’s economy rate of 6.67 is the best among seamers in the top 10 list of Indian T20I wicket takers.
– Virat Kohli needs just 38 runs to become the second highest T20I runscorer. His average of 54.47 is easily the best among the top 10 runscorers. Next best is Jean Paul Duminy with 38.25.

South Africa v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Bloemfontein

Thank goodness, one of the most one-sided Test series in recent memory is over.
Bangladesh were so bad that you just couldn’t figure out how good South Africa were. If you watched this match thinking your club teammates, your neighbour or even your 7 year old could bowl better than Bangladesh did throughout this series, you surely aren’t alone. They lacked strategy and belief.
As a big Bangladesh fan, I say this out of love – things need to change.
“I’m human. I make mistakes”, says soon to be ex-captain Mushfiqur Rahim. Mate, you’ve been making the same mistakes for three years. It’s time to give someone else a chance.
For South Africa, it is a scary thought realising that Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander are to come back to this side. There has to be room for Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, too, who took their 100th and 50th Test wickets respectively in this series.
– In 3 innings, Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla and Faf Du Plessis amassed 1,124 runs. The entire Bangladesh team, in four innings, managed 729.
– Kagiso Rabada became the 5th youngest bowler ever to take 100 Test wickets.
– The innings and 254 run defeat was Bangladesh’s 4th biggest Test loss in their history.
– Bangladesh’s bowling average in this Test was 143.25. Batting average of 15.95.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Dubai

Another unpredictable, topsy-turvy Test Match, played in front of a crowd all dressed as blue seats (ha).
All jokes aside, this match is still anyone’s to be won.
Sri Lanka are currently struggling at 60/7, but with a decent lead of 280. Pakistan already have to better their first innings effort to win this. On a pitch starting to take plenty of turn, Sri Lanka’s spinners might be a little too hard to handle, especially considering SL have Herath and Pakistan’s batting looks very vulnerable. 
Still, Sri Lanka would be very disappointed with their 2nd innings effort.
– First innings of the two Tests combined: Total runs – 1,585, Avg. – 39.63 runs per wicket
– Second innings of the Two Tests combined (so far): Total runs – 312, Avg. 11.56 runs per wicket
Promises to be a very exciting finish. Will Pakistan maintain their UAE record?
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MATCH PREVIEW: 2nd Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Dubai

Charbel Coorey
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Follow CricBlog on Instagram & Twitter at @cric_blog

2nd Test: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Dubai

Sri Lanka look to consign Pakistan to first ever Test series loss in the UAE

The first Test in Abu Dhabi was like having to endure a five course meal in which the first four courses were terrible. The fifth was so amazing that it was all worth the wait. 

Just a few days later after one of the most unpredictable Test matches came to an end, Pakistan and Sri Lanka lock horns again as the Day/Night Test returns to Dubai.

Sri Lanka’s win in Abu Dhabi has given them a renewed sense of hope. Coming off a 9-0 series loss to India at home, Sri Lanka had to find the confidence to push Pakistan in familiar conditions. They did very well. The challenge would be to ensure that the 1st Test wasn’t a flash in the pan.

Pakistan’s loss was predictably unpredictable. It followed the famous Pakistan trend – losing when expected to win, and winning when given no chance whatsoever.

Pakistan would still be favourites here, how will they respond?

Key to a Pakistan win

Dealing with Rangana Herath.
As the Abu Dhabi Test showed, Pakistan have the bowlers to challenge Sri Lanka as the match wears on. However, they didn’t deal with Herath very well at all, and the first Test showed they are extra vulnerable with Misbah and Younus no longer there.
Keeping Herath quiet (easier said than done), can go a long way to keeping their UAE Test record intact.

Key to a Sri Lanka win

Runs on the board.
Rangana Herath, no matter how hard Pakistan try to keep him quiet, will be in the game. So Sri Lanka need to give him runs to bowl at. The Lions gave themselves a chance with 419 in the 1st Test, and would want more of the same from their skipper Denesh Chandimal.
It’s time for Chandimal to lead by example consistently and give a platform for the rest of his batsmen to follow.

How Sri Lanka deal with the Pakistan bowlers under lights will be interesting to see as well.

Stats

– Rangana Herath became the first bowler to take 100 wickets against Pakistan, surpassing Kapil Dev’s record of 99.
– Pakistan have never lost a Test series in the UAE.

– Excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka have won only one away Test series since 2000 – vs. England in 2014.

– Pakistan were ranked no. 1 in Test cricket a year ago. If they lose this Test, they will drop to 7th.

Prediction

This is a very interesting game, which is hard to pick. The fact that this is a D/N Test makes it even more unpredictable. Which group of fast bowlers will step up more?
The loss of Hasan Ali is a blow for Pakistan, which takes some strike out of their bowling attack.
Sri Lanka will look to build on bundling Pakistan out to win the game.
This game might depend on the toss. But, Pakistan look a little more vulnerable than SL, which is why I’ll go for Sri Lanka to cause another upset and be the first side to win a Test series in the UAE.
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