Bhuvneshwar Kumar emerged as the most expensive player sold in the early bidding on day two of the IPL auction in Jeddah, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) buying him for INR 10.75 crore (US$ 1.28 million approx.).
Fast bowlers were in high demand with Deepak Chahar going to Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 9.25 crore ($1.10 million approx.), Akash Deep to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 8 crore, Mukesh Kumar to Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 8 crore, pace-bowling allrounder Marco Jansen to Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 7 crore, and Tushar Deshpande to Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 6.50 crore.
RCB and RR also went up against each other for Indian spin allrounders, with RCB snapping up Krunal Pandya for INR 5.75 crore and RR getting Nitish Rana for INR 4.20 crore.
A large number of players were unsold in the early bidding, including established IPL names like Shardul Thakur, Kane Williamson and Ajinkya Rahane. There were no takers for Prithvi Shaw either, despite his base price being only INR 75 lakh. On day one, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow were among the high-profile players to go unsold.
New South Wales 235 for 4 (Patterson 99, Webster 3-56) trail Tasmania 364 (Ward 92, Silk 74, Webster 61, Radhakrishnan 55) by 129 runs
Beau Webster sent a timely reminder of his all-round capabilities, posting a half-century and taking three top-order wickets in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales.
The hosts went to stumps on day two at 235 for 4 at the SCG, with Kurtis Patterson out for 99 just before the close. Patterson’s runs and Webster’s form have come in the background of Australia’s first-Test embarrassment against India in Perth.
If changes do come before the second Test in Adelaide, it is likely to be Josh Inglis who comes into the side as the current reserve bat and pressure on Marnus Labuchagne.
But there is a case to be made for Webster. The Tasmanian was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer, and his 61 on Monday helped take his red-ball season record to 401 runs at 57.29. Included in that are unbeaten scores of 61 and 41 for Australia A against India A in the past month.
Webster brought up his 50 off 66 balls on Monday, after two cover-drives went to the rope early in the day against Jackson Bird. Another boundary came from a clever paddle-sweep off Adam Zampa, before he was caught behind off Bird shortly after lunch as part of a collape of 3 for 0.
The other factor in Webster’s favour are the overs he can offer with the ball as both a seamer and spinner. Bowling workloads have suddenly become crucial after Cameron Green’s injury, and the use of Labuschagne to shoulder some of the load in Perth.
He trapped Maddinson lbw for 34 on Monday with his medium-pace, before having Oliver Davies and Patterson caught behind in his 3 for 56. He also had two catches dropped off his bowling.
For now though, Webster is resigned to the fact Australia are unlikely to go away from their set up of three specialist quicks and only the one allrounder in Mitch Marsh.
“It seems like they are pretty traditional with three quicks, spin and allrounder for a lot of years,” Webster said. “Those big three quicks are very hardened and bowl a lot of overs, and Nathan is unbelievable [with his workload]. That’s usually the way they go, I don’t see them going any other way.
“My way in is if someone does need a rest, or God forbid an injury. You never wish that on anyone. But that is a way I might find my way in the squad at least.”
Patterson is also starting to make something of a selection case, with this his fourth straight score above 50 since being recalled to the NSW team.
A Test player who scored a century in his last match back in 2019, the left-hander has made scores of 91, 66, 71 and 99 this summer.
Earlier Sam Konstas had looked particularly good, cover-driving anything too full to the boundary before chopping on a cut shot on 39.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 161 in the second innings of the first Test against Australia in Perth was “probably his best Test innings”, captain Jasprit Bumrah said after India’s 295-run win. Bumrah was also all praise for Virat Kohli for his unbeaten 100, saying he had never looked “out of form” despite having endured a run of low scores heading into the series.
“Out of all these innings, he [Jaiswal] had a great start to his career,” Bumrah told the host broadcaster. “But the way he played in the last innings was probably his best Test innings so far because he left the ball. He has an attacking nature, but he left the ball well and played long. That really helped us.”
Jaiswal broke several records on his way to 161, one of which was becoming the second player to convert his first four centuries into 150-plus scores. He bounced back after a duck in the first innings, playing a patient innings in tricky conditions, putting up a 201-run opening stand with KL Rahul. Jaiswal is just 15 Tests into his career and averages 58.07.
Kohli, coming into this series on the back of averaging 15.50 over three home Tests against New Zealand, brought up his century in 143 balls to lift India’s total to 487 for 6 declared, setting Australia a massive 534 target.
“Virat coming back in form… I didn’t see him out of form at all because sometimes you play on challenging wickets, it’s difficult to judge if the batsman is in form or not,” Bumrah said. “But he was looking very good in the nets. So yeah, hopefully he’ll build up on the confidence and go from strength to strength.”
After being bowled out for 150 on day one, India came back strongly with the ball thanks in particular to an excellent bowling display from their captain. Bumrah revealed what he said to his team at the end of their first innings.
“We were put under pressure in the first innings, but the way we responded after that, I’m really very proud of the team,” Bumrah said.
“I played here in 2018, so I remember that when you start here, the wicket is a little soft and then becomes quicker and quicker. So I was relying on that experience. Obviously this wicket was a little less spicy than the last one that I played here, but we were really well prepared.
“So I was just telling everyone to have faith in their process and ability because over here at this moment you have an opportunity to do something special. So on a given day, experience does matter, but if you have faith in your ability, you can do something special.”
India 150 (Hazlewood 4-29) and 487 for 6 dec (Jaiswal 161, Kohli 100*, Rahul 77) beat Australia 104 (Bumrah 5-30) and 238 (Head 89, Bumrah 3-42, Siraj 3-51) by 295 runs
Completing a remarkable turnaround, India wrapped up a famous Test victory at Optus Stadium with a 295-run victory over Australia in a one-sided result set to cause aftershocks in the latest tussle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The result was essentially a formality throughout the fourth day despite counterattacking knocks from Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. India’s deserved victory was official just after tea when Harshit Rana knocked over Alex Carey as they drew first blood in the five-match series.
It was a memorable performance from India, who drew on a heroic effort from stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah. He claimed eight wickets for the match, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli produced outstanding centuries in India’s second innings to decimate a flagging Australia.
India had largely been written off after an unprecedented 3-0 home whitewash against New Zealand. They entered the series-opener without having played an official match on tour and were shorthanded without captain Rohit Sharma and injured batter Shubman Gill.
Under intense pressure, coach Gautam Gambhir made the right moves and the brave selection calls, which included veteran spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being left out, were vindicated.
Bumrah, particularly, deserves a lot of credit for galvanising a new-look team and he led from the front with a mesmerising spell late on day one to haul India back into the match after they had been bundled out for 150 having won the toss.
There is set to be recriminations for Australia, who underwhelmed in their first Test since March’s New Zealand tour. There will be questions raised over the limited preparations of a number of players.
Australia’s misfiring top-order will be particularly under the spotlight, especially No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne who scored 5 runs in the match to continue a lengthy form slump.
Having started so well on the opening day, Australia’s bowling wilted in India’s second innings with captain Pat Cummins enduring a rare off match. Cummins had not played a red-ball match since March, preferring his series build-up through three 50-over games in the lead-up, and he finished with the modest match figures of 3 for 153 from 40.4 overs.
Australia appeared flummoxed with the changing conditions of the pitch, which was spicy on day one before flattening out for most of day two and three. Cracks did widen as the match wore on and created up-and-down bounce to make batting difficult on the fourth day.
Resuming at 12 for 3, after a disastrous start amid the shadows late on day three, Australia confronted an India attack eyeing to finish things off quickly.
Australia’s hopes of chasing down a record 534 runs were forlorn but they aimed to at least muster some spirit which had seemingly been broken over the last couple of days.
After a golden duck in the first innings, having returned to his favoured No. 4 position, Steven Smith fronted up to his nemesis Bumrah, who on the first ball of the day’s play had a loud lbw appeal turned down although in an anti-climax it was a no-ball.
Smith was relieved when he got off the mark on his fourth delivery with a trademark drive through the covers. But Australia’s woes reared in the next over after opener Usman Khawaja fell off the first short ball of the day’s play when he top-edged quick Mohammed Siraj and was caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant running back.
Having had lbw issues recently, Smith made a technical adjustment and his trigger movement was not as pronounced as in the first innings when Bumrah pinned him in front of the stumps. Smith still faced a battle and copped a painful blow in the ribs from debutant quick Rana that left him on his back and in agony.
He bravely continued batting and combined well with Head, who backed his aggressive instincts and counterattacked as they produced Australia’s first half-century partnership of the match.
India dried up the scoring for Smith with Bumrah packing the legside with fielders as pressure built. Smith’s 60-ball resistance ended when he nicked off a superb back of a length delivery from a pumped-up Siraj that straightened off the seam and caught the edge.
After a tough return to bowling, where his modestly-paced seamers were treated with disdain on day three by India’s batters, Marsh hoped to finish his home Test match strongly.
He was all at sea before the lunch break and hit on the gloves several times but managed to hang in. Marsh and Head, who both entered the match with a limited build-up having been on paternity leave, made batting look relatively easy after the interval in a time of day that had been the best for batting through the match.
Head motored towards a century and as per usual attacked any width and continually flayed through the offside, while Marsh struck several lusty aerial blows in a speedy half-century partnership.
But Bumrah returned and he produced a superb back of a length delivery that caught Head’s edge on 89 and prompted impassioned celebrations from Kohli.
Marsh also missed a milestone when on 47 he chopped on to allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who capped an impressive debut with his first Test wicket.
Mitchell Starc was sharply held at short leg, giving Washington Sundar his first wicket of the match, and it wasn’t long before India claimed a victory they will saviour for some time as the pressure starts to intensify on Australia.
Melbourne Stars are searching for their fifth WBBL coach in seven years after parting ways with Jonathan Batty following yet another season where they failed to make the finals.
Stars released a statement on Monday revealing that Batty and the club had parted ways by “mutual agreement” after a dismal season. They started the tournament with two wins in their first three games but then lost six in a row, with the final game of the season washed, to finish last on the table.
Batty, who also coaches Delhi Capitals in the WPL, had coached Stars for three seasons but they finished sixth, seventh and eighth.
“We’d like to thank Jonathan and his commitment to the Stars over the last 3 years,” Stars General Manager Blair Crouch said.
“We wish Jonathan and his family all the best for the future. We feel like the list is in a position to achieve success and ultimately, we have again fallen short of making the WBBL finals.”
Stars have only made the finals once in WBBL history, when Trent Woodhill coached them to the final in 2020-21 before losing to Sydney Thunder in the decider. Woodhill had taken over from inaugural coach David Hemp, who had coached them for the first five seasons without playing finals. Woodhill departed the role after one season to take up a position at Cricket Australia.
Jarrad Loughnan took over for one season in 2021-22 before Batty was hired. Stars and Hobart Hurricanes remain the only two franchises to have not won a single WBBL or BBL title.
Ivory Coast have entered the record books for the lowest total in a men’s T20I, rolling over for just 7 in a 264-run defeat to Nigeria in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier Group C game on Sunday in Lagos.
Batting first after winning the toss, Nigeria rode on Player-of-the-Match Selim Salau’s 53-ball 112 (retired out) and half-centuries from Sulaimon Runsewe (50 in 29) and Isaac Okpe (65* in 23) to put up 271 for 4. It was carnage after that. Left-arm spinner Isaac Danladi and left-arm quick Prosper Useni picked up three wickets each, right-arm quick Peter Aho got two, and Sylvester Okpe got one, with one batter run out, as Ivory Coast were dismissed in 7.3 overs. Opener Ouattara Mohamed was the top-scorer with 4 from six balls. The batters’ scores read: 4, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0* and 0.
This was the first instance of a single-digit team total in a men’s T20I, and beat the earlier lowest total in the format, 10 all out, which has been recorded twice: Mongolia vs Singapore in September this year and Isle of Man vs Spain last year.
The win was Nigeria’s second in as many games in the group, and Ivory Coast’s second loss in as many games – they had been bowled out for 21 to lose by 168 runs to Sierra Leone in their first match. Nigeria are top of the six-team table, while Ivory Coast are bottom.
As the New Zealand Test squad reconvened at the Hagley Oval, three weeks on from a remarkable 3-0 win in India, they welcomed a familiar face back in their ranks.
Kane Williamson, now shorn of the groin injury that kept him out of that historic tour, was donning BlackCaps training gear once more on Monday, as the hosts train in the afternoon in a sun-kissed Christchurch. A three-hour-long 60 for Northern Districts against Auckland marked a tidy return to action after two months out. By all accounts, he is good to go for the first Test, which begins here on Thursday.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead confirmed the 34-year-old will slot back in. However he admitted the necessary reshuffle will require some consideration.
Will Young’s stellar turn as Williamson’s understudy in India – Player of the Series with 244 runs – has presented a conundrum. One which, on the face of it, has an easy if cold-hearted solution. Nevertheless, Stead wants time to talk things through with skipper Tom Latham.
“Obvious Kane will come back into the side,” Stead said. “He’s a superb player as we know and that creates some selection headaches for Tom and I to get our heads around in the next day or so.
“Kane is one of the best in the world, so he will be playing somewhere in that line-up. It’s just how we manage to shape the rest of the team around that.”
Stead ceded the rest of the team is a formality given the pitch is expected to play to type. “Going on traditional Hagley wickets, I imagine there’ll be four seamers out there.” The identity of the fourth remains up in the air, with Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy battling it out to join Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke and the retiring Tim Southee.
Indeed Southee’s farewell tour adds a little extra on this three-match series. The 1-1 draw at the start of 2023 between these two culminated in a one-run thriller in Wellington that fell the way of the hosts. Now with an extra match – and for World Test Championship points this time – there is scope for this to be a thriller.
New Zealand are identifiable favourites to take this series – with the onus on winning 3-0 to make their second WTC final in three cycles. And following their success in India, a second title could well be on the cards.
“No doubt it gives you confidence as a group but it shows the ebbs and flows of international cricket,” Stead said. “You can see what’s happening in Perth [in the first Test between Australia and India], I’m not sure anyone would have written that script either. The WTC has made teams extremely competitive, teams try and get somewhat of a home advantage to pick up your points there.
“[I am] Sure it’s going to be a cracker of a Test series. We’re going to see some fireworks I would suggest.”
Tasmania 251 for 4 (Ward 92, Silk 74, Radhakrishnan 55) vs New South Wales
Adopted Tasmanian Tim Ward has his side into a promising position on the opening day of their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales, as three Blues juniors impressed against their old state.
In his second game back in Tasmania’s team after being dropped last summer, Ward hit 91 at the SCG on Sunday, before falling late in the day when caught down the leg side.
His runs came as Nivethan Radhakrishnan and Jordan Silk also hit half-centuries, giving Tasmania a chance to finally lay the foundation for their first Shield victory of the summer.
Ward, Radhakrishnan and Silk never played a senior match for NSW in their career, but all were raised in Sydney and came through the Blues’ system before moving south. On Sunday, each had success on their return home, with Ward’s runs particularly timely.
The 26-year-old was the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year in 2022, and part of the Australia A team in 2023 after a strong start to domestic cricket. But he fell out of form last summer, and found himself dropped late in the season after three consecutive ducks.
Ward again began this season on the outer, before hitting 51 on return for Tasmania against Queensland in the last round. The No. 3 continued that form into Sunday, after Jackson Bird had Jake Weatherald edging to gully from a poor shot on the first ball of the match.
Ward drove Sean Abbott for four early in the day, and later jumped down the deck to hit Adam Zampa for six over midwicket. But for the most part it was an innings of steady accumulation, before his 246-ball vigil was ended when he was caught behind off Abbott.
Radhakrishnan’s runs also came after being recalled to the struggling Tasmania side. Playing in just his second first-class match, the 21-year-old who rose to prominence as an ambidextrous spinner, impressed with the bat for Tasmania in his 55.
He cover-drove Jack Edwards for one four and hit him behind point for another in the same over, before using his feet to hit Green to the long-on rope. But he was out to the spinner four balls later, when trapped on the pads to one that went straight on.
Silk then walked to the wicket and hit 74, before he too was caught behind off Abbott inside the last 20 overs of the day.
Abbott finished the day with 2 for 55, after earlier having Radhakrishnan dropped twice in the slips and once by wicketkeeper Josh Philippe in the first session.
Bangladesh 269 for 9 (Jaker 53, Mominul 50, Joseph 3-69) trail West Indies 450 for 9 dec (Greaves 115*, Louis 97, Athanaze 90, Mahmud 3-87) by 181 runs
West Indies maintained their control of the Antigua Test despite Bangladesh ending the day on 269 for 9 at stumps on the third day. The home side hold a lead of 181 runs after Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales and allrounder Justin Greaves nearly did enough to enforce a follow-on on Bangladesh. A late resistance helped the visitors avoid it, but they remain well on the backfoot after three days of play.
Bangladesh looked to bat steadily on a slow surface, but despite starts, couldn’t find one batter to go big like West Indies achieved in their first innings. Jaker Ali and Mominul Haque got out soon after reaching their fifties, while Litton Das fell for 40. Jaker and Taijul Islam added 68 runs for the seventh wicket to get Bangladesh closer to the follow-on mark of 251, which they crossed in the day’s last hour.
The visitors started the third morning quietly, with Mominul getting a pair of boundaries off Shamar Joseph. Shortly afterwards, Kemar Roach removed Shahadat Hossain for 18, for which he played 71 balls. It was an innings going nowhere before he edged to first slip where Kavem Hodge took a low catch.
Mominul and Litton saw to the end of the first session, continuing to bat obdurately. The usually free-flowing Litton started off with an easy square-cut boundary off Alzarri, but then mostly played within himself. Only in the over before the lunch break, Litton freed his arms to get another cut four, this time off Shamar.
West Indies however got the breakthrough shortly after the lunch break when Seales trapped Mominul lbw after the left-hander reached his 21st fifty.
Stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz then endured a test of bouncers from the West Indies attack, with Alzarri even hitting him on his shoulder. Seales chipped in with his share of bouncers and verbals.
Litton also got bogged down, resulting in getting bowled by a slightly short delivery from Shamar that he dragged onto his stumps. Litton made 40 off 76 balls with three fours, but it was a disappointing exit for one of three experienced Bangladesh batters.
Mehidy struck a couple of boundaries off Greaves and Shamar later in the second session, but the short ball kept bothering him. After surviving 66 balls, Mehidy finally popped an Alzarri bouncer to short-leg where Mikyle Louis took a comfortable catch.
Then came the unlikely revival act by Taijul and Jaker. The pair did take advantage of a tiring West Indies attack while also being disciplined with their choice of shots. They had to scavenge for scoring opportunities but were always looking for the odd boundary. They survived a dropped chance apiece too.
Taijul kept using the pace of the West Indians, guiding the ball behind square on the off-side, while Jaker tried to force the issue. Jaker got his four boundaries with the pull shot and the hoick, one of which helped him bring up his fifty. Joseph separated the pair after they had batted along for 19 overs when he bowled Taijul. Jaker fell to a Seales catch in the deep midwicket boundary, as he tried to clip Greaves for a big one.
There was a bit of by-play between Joseph and Taskin Ahmed towards the end, particularly after the fast bowler hit the Bangladeshi tail-ender on the head. The two exchanged words, but Joseph couldn’t knock off the tenth Bangladesh wicket against the fading light.
West Indies came into the third day on the back of a fine batting performance on the first two days. They continue to have control of proceedings at North Sound going into the penultimate day and will want rain to stay away in pursuit of a result.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
