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England tour of India, 2021: Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Rory Burns return for India Tests | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood have been rested as England name squad for first 2 Tests

Archer and Stokes were rested for the current series against Sri Lanka. © AFP Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Rory Burns have been named in England's 16-man squad for the first two Tests in India next month while Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood have been rested. Jos Buttler will play the opening match in India and then return home, missing the final three Tests. Archer and Stokes were themselves rested for the current series against Sri Lanka as part of England's policy of giving all their multi-format players a rest during the post-Christmas winter schedule. Burns also missed the Sri Lanka Tests on paternity leave. All three will return for the two Tests against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the first of which begins on February 5. Bairstow, Curran and Wood, all of whom have been selected in England's team for the second Test in Sri Lanka beginning on Friday (January 22), will head home for a rest but all three will return for the third and fourth Tests in Ahmedabad. Ed Smith, the ECB's National Selector, confirmed that Buttler will play the first Test in Chennai and then be rested for the final three matches against India. That means Ben Foakes will most probably keep wicket for England in the second Test as a minimum and could retain the gloves even when Bairstow returns for the third and fourth matches. Moeen Ali, who has been ruled out of both Tests in Galle after falling ill with COVID-19, is also included in the squad to face Virat Kohli's men while Ollie Pope, who is currently with England in Sri Lanka recovering from a dislocated shoulder he suffered last summer, will remain with the tour party in India and be officially added to the squad once he is deemed fit enough. In the absence of Bairstow, and if Pope does not recover in time for the first Test in Chennai, Dan Lawrence could keep his place in the team after his promising debut. In Wood's absence, Olly Stone has been retained in the squad to provide Joe Root with a second genuine pace option after Archer. England will also be taking six reserves with them to India to cover for illness or injury, all of whom are currently with the squad in Sri Lanka. Craig Overton, the seventh reserve on the current tour, will return to the UK after the second Test in Galle unless there are injuries. Those travelling from Sri Lanka will fly to Chennai on a charter flight after the conclusion of the second Test in Sri Lanka. The Daily Mirror reported that Stokes, Archer and Burns will fly on a commercial flight to India from England. England will announce a squad for the final two Tests against India in due course. Jos Buttler is expected to be rested for those matches. Squad for first two Tests: Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes. RELATED STORIES

India tour of Australia, 2021 cricket, Gabba Test match Rishabh Pant Shubman Gill | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

328 is the third highest target successfully chased down by India in the fourth innings of a Test match

India beat Australia 2-1 to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. © AFP Stats highlights from India's historic win at the Gabba 1988 The last time Australia lost a Test at the Gabba - against West Indies. In the period since, Australia played 31 Tests, winning 24 and drawing seven before this loss. The only other side to remain unbeaten in more successive Tests at a venue is Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi between 1955 and 2000. It is also the first time Australia have lost at the Gabba after taking the first innings lead. Most successive Tests unbeaten at a venue

Jack Leach | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

Can the 29-year-old challenge Dom Bess to become England's number one spinner?

Leach picked up his second five-fer on the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka. ©Getty They say the game often speeds up in the subcontinent. Matches meander along for the first three or four days and then suddenly, as the pitch deteriorates and the pressure ramps up, wickets begin to tumble and the game moves on apace. Many a Test match in this part of the world has looked to be heading to a predictable conclusion only to be turned on its head, making a mug of those whose called it too early. This Test may end up with an England victory, which has looked on the cards for most of the match, but it has been anything but predictable. Jack Leach certainly knows about unpredictability, in both life and cricket. This is his first Test match for more than a year after a horror run of bad luck which has included bouts of serious illness, shielding during the first lockdown because he suffers from chron's disease which puts him in the vulnerable category and days upon days being part of England's bio-secure bubble during the summer without playing, part of the squad but apart from the action. There have been difficult times but he is an understatedly resilient character. Ahead of the 2017 season, he had to remodel his action after it was deemed illegal. He has to manage his chron's daily. With that, there are good days and bad. Despite clearly being the best English qualified spinner in the County Championship for at least the past five years, it took England an age to give him a debut, which eventually came on the tour to New Zealand in 2018. Since then, he has been overlooked just as much as he has been picked. He has plenty of disappointment to contend with. And yet here Leach is, still going, still plugging away, still chasing an England dream that he desperately wants. After all he has gone through recently, there are few who would begrudge him for his 5-122 today in Galle, his second five-wicket haul in Tests. Days like today are reward for all the struggle. Leach said the period after being sent home early from last winter's tour of South Africa was the toughest spell of the last 18 months. He picked up a bout of food poisoning in New Zealand before Christmas which turned into sepsis, an infection of the blood, which necessitated time in hospital on a drip. He felt like he got himself right for the trip to South Africa a few weeks later, only to fall ill again with the sickness bug that swept through the England camp. Leach suffered the most of anyone, which he now thinks might have been a legacy of the illness in New Zealand, and was sent home early. That gave Dom Bess a chance, which he took with five-wickets in Port Elizabeth. Then the tour to Sri Lanka, an opportunity for Leach to remind everyone of what he was capable of and reassert himself as the main man that he finished the Ashes as, was called off. As a result, England stuck with Bess as their number one spinner for the summer. He played all six Tests while Leach was consigned to the role of drinks carrier and spectator. "The last 12 months haven't been ideal," Leach said, with typical understatement. His reintroduction to Test cricket has been a long time coming, then. Leach has seemed eager to take his chance. At times on day four, Root could be seen telling him to slow down between deliveries. At others, Leach appeared frustrated with himself as he struggled to find his accuracy, usually such a strength of his. But things came together on the fourth day, particularly in the afternoon, when he bowled a 12.5 over spell either side of the tea interval which yielded 4 for 37. "It was a slow wicket, I felt my pace needed to be a little bit quicker," Leach said. "This morning I felt I didn't bowl a great pace and therefore it was easier for them to get back and create room for themselves. I reflected on that and when I was to return, I wanted to bowl a little bit faster and more direct at the area I was trying to bowl." By his own admission, Leach has not been at his best in this Test. He said he felt rusty having had hardly any match preparation ahead of this series. He actually only played two first-class games in the whole of 2020. There were signs on day four that he was getting into his groove, though. He brought the batsmen forward more. He found more spin and bounce. There was dip and curve on the ball. His line was more attacking, at the stumps and turning away. Although there is plenty of improvement to come, Leach appeared at least closer to his best. "I still expect quite a lot from myself and today, yes, it's nice to have five but I understand I haven't bowled as I might like this game," he said. "It's got better as the game has gone on, which is a good sign, but I try and use those lows to propel me on to highs and it puts things into perspective. If I'm healthy and fit and able to play, that's the main thing - I don't take that for granted." England will certainly not be taking victory for granted on the final day after a frenzied fourth evening in Galle. Sri Lanka battled hard to set the tourists 74 to win the Test and their spinners immediately found fizz and turn and bounce. They whizzed through their overs. The ball seemed to be moving quicker, both through the air and off the pitch, than at any time of the game. The batsmen were rushed and hunkered down in survival mode. England were reduced to 14-3 and a victory that had seemed theirs suddenly hung in the balance. Dom Sibley, who left a straight ball, and Zak Crawley, who guided one to gully, played two poor shots. Then Joe Root was run out attempting a single that was never on. The very next ball, Jonny Bairstow was nearly run out by about five yards after another dicey run. England hadn't quite lost the plot but they had certainly misplaced it. By the close, Dan Lawrence and Bairstow had restored some semblance of control. England need 36 more runs on the final day to seal a first Test victory. It is tempting to say that it should be straightforward but given the events of the final session, perhaps it is best to simply wait and see. As this game has once again proven, nothing in Test cricket is certain. Leach understands that more than most. There is an opportunity for him over the next few weeks, however. With five more Tests in conditions which should suit him, he has the chance to put himself back in front of Bess as England's premier slow bowler. After his wickets today, Leach averages 29.10 from eleven Tests with a strike rate of 60.6. He is a vastly more experienced bowler than his former county colleague and, when bowling well, is more consistent. More performances like the one on day four in Galle, and Leach will put the ball in the selectors' court. That is, of course, if he can put together a run of games. "One thing I've learned is you never know what is around the corner so I'm just trying to enjoy each day and see what happens," he said. It is a sensible outlook. Leach has already had to face a myriad of challenges during his career. He knows there will probably be yet more to come. If they do, he will do what he has done for the past 18 months: stare them down and keep moving forward.

Rustiness in plain sight as England's spinners struggle, Dom Bess, Jack Leach, England cricket vs Sri Lanka | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

Bess, and to a lesser degree, Leach were inconsistent and unable to provide any real semblance of control or apply pressure on Sri Lankan batsmen on Day 3

Dom Bess struggled to consistently land the ball in a troubling area of the pitch for the batsmen ©SLC After play had finished on the first day of this Test match, having picked up probably the easiest five-wicket haul he is ever likely to get, Dom Bess said he knew he hadn't bowled as well as he could. He was not, however, particularly bothered. He recognised that there will be plenty of other days in his career which will be tougher, days when the rewards don't come. He was no doubt thinking of the sort of day he experienced on Saturday in Galle. Bess, and to a lesser degree, Jack Leach had a mixed day with the ball. The situation was made for them. England had a huge lead of 286, Sri Lanka's batsmen were low on confidence having been routed on the first day, and the pitch had offered the home team's spinners increasing amounts of turn and bounce. If ever there was a good time to be an English spinner - and there are not that many times that are - this was it. But Bess and Leach have so far let the opportunity slip through their fingers. They were inconsistent, unable to provide Joe Root with any real semblance of control or apply pressure on the home side's batsmen. Just four maidens from 33 overs between England's two frontline spinners tells its own story. On a pitch which the Sri Lankans should have looked as uncomfortable as Matt Hancock when asked a direct question, they were instead all too secure. The pitch appeared as if it had flattened out when England bowled, but that was an illusion, as the odd delivery which did spin sharply proved. Instead, the reason Bess and Leach didn't get as much purchase from a dry surface as their Sri Lankan counterparts was that they failed to hit the right areas regularly enough. As well as Sri Lanka's batsmen played, and play well they did, things were far too easy for them. Perhaps we expect too much. In England, spinners have been marginalised for far too long, by virtue of schedules, captains and pitches which do little to advance their development. Bess played all six Tests during the summer but did not bowl at all in two of them and only bowled 144 overs across the other four. Leach, who spent a lot of time in England's bio-secure bubble not playing, bowled just 52 first-class overs last season. They have had precious little recent match practice before this series either. Bess' last match was the final Test against Pakistan in August, while Leach last played in September, for Somerset in the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord's. England had just one day of match practice ahead of this Test during which Bess bowled 16 overs and Leach, who last played Test cricket more than a year ago, just eight. Bess, who likes to bowl and bowl and bowl to find his groove, has admitted that he has not had as much bowling as he would have liked. In that context, the performances of Bess and Leach should not be judged too harshly. They certainly displayed signs of rust. There were a number of full tosses from the pair of them as well as a regular supply of short balls. During Bess' first six over spell, he passed the bat just once on a pitch that offered exaggerated turn to Sri Lanka's off-spinner Dilruwan Perera in the first session. As if to hammer home Bess' struggles, Root replaced him and passed the bat four times in six overs. In that first spell, Bess struggled to consistently land the ball in a troubling area of the pitch for the batsmen. He was only marginally more consistent during the rest of the day. In fact, his most consistent group of deliveries were his last four of the day, against the nightwatchman Lasith Embuldeniya. It was a similar story for Bess in the first innings, despite his five wickets. His economy rate in Sri Lanka's second innings may be just 2.30 but Bess rarely had the batsmen under pressure. Developing greater accuracy is a part of his game that he has improved over the past year but, as was evident during last summer and this game, it remains an area that needs work. Bess' inconsistency is not unexpected. He is still learning his trade. He has played just 47 first-class matches, ten of which have been Tests, and is just 23 years-old. He is a vastly improved bowler from when he first played for England in 2018 - he undercuts the ball less and has a more robust technique - but is still a work in progress. Leach is more experienced and has outbowled Bess in both innings. He did not, however, bowl particularly well on the third day. Like Bess, Leach struggled for accuracy, erring in length often, but he still retained a threat that his younger teammate rarely did. When he came round the wicket, he caused Kusal Perera difficulty. He had a LBW decision against Lahiru Thirimanne overturned on review and then elicited a top edge and inside edge from Kusal Mendis in quick succession. In between times, however, Leach often dropped short. The Somerset man eventually removed Sri Lanka's number three with a fine delivery which pitched on middle stump, turned and bounced to clip the glove. Buttler took a smart catch. It was the only wicket which fell to spin for England. Given their recent lack of action, Bess and Leach's difficulties were understandable. It is worth considering too that Sri Lanka's slow bowlers took seven wickets but had to bowl 96.1 overs to take them. They also were more expensive than either Bess or Leach were today. Judgement should certainly be reserved until the end of the game. Today, they performed disappointingly across two sessions worth of bowling. But there is plenty more left for them both to do in this game. How they respond tomorrow, no doubt after talking things through with Jeetan Patel, the spin-bowling coach, will be important. They will certainly be better for the overs under their belts and Leach's wicket of Mendis just before the close gave them a template for how to bowl on day four. They also better understand the surface. "Length is really important, it's quite a slow wicket," Leach told Sky Sports after play. "There's enough there it's just important to bowl the right pace that allows you to bowl the right length. I found I probably bowled a little bit short when I tried to bowl quicker. That's something to think about for tomorrow." Nevertheless, England need more from their two main slow bowlers over the final two days of this match. They will also need more from them during the next Test in Galle and the four that follow in India. It is not often that English spinners are front and centre. When they are suddenly thrust into focus, perhaps it is unfair to expect too much of them. But both Bess and Leach can do better than they did on the third day in Galle. Not only can they do better, they really must.

Sri Lanka vs England, 1st Test, England tour of Sri Lanka, 2021 - Cricbuzz

Follow Sri Lanka vs England, 1st Test, Jan 14, England tour of Sri Lanka, 2021 with live Cricket score, ball by ball commentary updates on Cricbuzz

Jack Leach to Kusal Mendis, 1 run, shouts of 'catch it', but luck is favouring Sri Lanka. Jack Leach to Kusal Mendis, no run, drives the tossed up delivery towards silly point as the ball hits the fielder's shin pads Broad to Thirimanne, no run, fires this one on a full length, it's at the middle and leg stump as Thirimanne defends it Broad to Thirimanne, no run, short ball by Broad and Thirimanne ducks underneath Broad to Thirimanne, no run, length ball outside off, Thirimanne drives it on the up in front of covers Broad to Thirimanne, no run, directed at the middle and leg stump, it's a length ball that Thirimanne defends Broad to Thirimanne, no run, on a good length around middle and leg, Thirimanne defends it in front of mid-wicket Broad to Thirimanne, no run, on a length around off, Thirimanne defends it into the off side Jack Leach to Kusal Mendis, no run, fired outside off on a flatter trajectory and Kusal Mendis leaves it alone Jack Leach to Kusal Mendis, no ball, pats this one off his front foot in front of point. Hang on, Jack Leach has overstepped though, hence it will be a no ball Jack Leach to Kusal Mendis, no run, spinning away from the batsman outside off, Kusal Mendis gets beaten on his defence Jack Leach to Kusal Mendis, no run, short ball outside off, Kusal Mendis punches it in front of covers Jack Leach to Thirimanne, 1 run, down on his knee to play the sweep shot as the top-edge is induced and they take a single Jack Leach to Thirimanne, no run, spinning down the leg side, Thirimanne tries for a glance and misses out Jack Leach to Thirimanne, no run, England review! Thirimanne has been adjudged not out, but the visitors think they've got the batsman. Looks very close. Was a floated delivery around middle and the left hander fails to connect his flick. Goes past his inside edge and UltraEdge spots nothing. It's a flat line. The impact is just around middle and ball tracking says, this might have spun down the leg side. Not Out is the final call. Good decision that! England have two reviews left Broad to Kusal Mendis, no run, on a length around off, Kusal Mendis keeps his head steady as he blocks this down Broad to Kusal Mendis, no run, pitched up by Broad outside off, this one keeps straight and the batsman decides to let it through to the keeper Broad to Kusal Mendis, no run, once again Kusal Mendis has covered the line as he knocks this ball towards mid-on Broad to Kusal Mendis, no run, full and straight, aimed at the stumps as Kusal Mendis covers the line and defends it in front of mid-on Broad to Thirimanne, 1 run, straying onto the batsman's pads as Thirimanne clips it through short fine leg for a single

Joe Root, Dan Lawrence and new beginnings Sri Lanka vs England Galle | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

The debutant's knock in Galle proved he has the game for Test level. For the captain, it was a reminder of the player he still is

One was trying to reaffirm his credentials, the other was trying to lay them on the table for the very first time ©SLC Nine years ago, in Nagpur, Joe Root scored 73 on his Test debut against India as a fresh-faced 21 year-old. Today, in Galle, Dan Lawrence made exactly the same score in his maiden knock for England. Although they were two very different types of innings, Root's necessarily gritty and defensive, Lawrence's bright and expressive, they were similar statements to begin a career with. After all, not every player looks as at home in Test cricket as Root did in Nagpur all those years ago and Lawrence did today. There was pressure on both coming into this game. One was trying to reaffirm his credentials, the other was trying to lay them on the table for the very first time. England's captain has endured a relatively disappointing run of form without a century in more than a year. Ahead of a huge 12 months, for him and his team, he wanted, perhaps even needed, to start 2021 off well. Lawrence, the young Essex thruster, is on debut, with all the attendant pressure that comes with that. By the close of the second day in Galle, during which Root and Lawrence shared a 173 run partnership to move England into a position of dominance, they had both emphatically responded to the questions asked of them. Root had a classy 18th Test hundred, Lawrence an impressive first half-century. It was the beginning that both players wanted, to a vital year for Root and to a career for Lawrence. They both now have a platform to kick on from. There is a stereotype of Essex boys. Never backward in coming forward, often loud, often brash, and, these days, often fake tanned and tattooed up to their eyeballs. There is a kernel of truth to this, as you would find if you walked down Brentwood High Street on a Saturday evening. Lawrence doesn't have the brashness, fake tan or tattoos but he does have a natural confidence, both in his ability and his game. It has been remarked ever since he first made Essex's first team as a 17 year-old. It was there for all to see during his maiden innings in Test match cricket too. True, Sri Lanka bowled poorly at him early on, letting him get off the mark first ball with a delivery that was too short and gifting him a boundary from a full-toss, the very next ball. But Lawrence looked busy from the get-go. There appeared no thoughts of just blocking a few and taking it from there. He was not timid or uncertain in his movements. If there were nerves, he didn't let them show. Lawrence did not bow down in reverence to Test cricket. Instead, he cosied up for a chat as if he had known the game for years. His eighth delivery was a dot, played to cover. Most players would have been fine with that. But Lawrence admonished himself, motioning that he should have opened his wrists and played the ball squarer for a single. He might have been on debut but that did not mean he would let himself off when he made an error. Later, when he was dropped at slip on 60, he smashed his pad with his bat. He looked thoroughly unimpressed at having given the Sri Lankans a chance. He was always on the lookout for runs, cutting Wanindu Hasaranga for four off leg-stump, whacking Lasith Embuldeniya over mid-wicket for six and sweeping Dilruwan Perera for a boundary soon after. In the first over of the second new ball, Lawrence, on 68, ran down the wicket and attempted to deposit Embuldeniya into next week. It didn't work - he swung wildly and was simultaneously dropped at slip and dropped his bat - but it summed up his ethos. Looking to score at every opportunity was a feature of the innings. That is generally a theme of Root's game too. In this sort of mood, he is an opposing captain's nightmare because his score is constantly on the move. Dinesh Chandimal certainly couldn't find a way to stop Root rotating the strike. By playing back, which England's captain does often to spin, even the fuller deliveries, it not only allows him to adjust to turn or bounce but also opens up scoring opportunities on both sides of the wicket. It forces the bowlers to be really precise with their lengths otherwise Root will score off them. When the Sri Lankans went fuller, attempting to draw Root forward, he swept them, paddled or hard, scoring more runs. For the home team's bowlers, it must have been as frustrating and exasperating as filling out a tax return. Root reached his first hundred since November 2019, just after lunch with one of his many sweeps. Over recent months, he has admitted to struggling with some aspects of his technique during his century-less run and last summer, he certainly did not look as balanced or as fluid in his trigger movements as he does at his best. He seems to have things back in sync now, albeit in vastly different conditions and against spin compared to the seamers he struggled with during the summer. "One thing I was really pleased with today was my shot selection," Root said. "I felt like I got a really good combination of defence and attack and managed to pick the right balls the majority of the time. When I was younger, I might have tried to play too many shots to the same ball. And being a little bit more ruthless, trusting my defence more at times, has certainly paid off this week." For now, the talk of conversion rates - Root has 49 half-centuries - and dropping out of the Fab Four of modern-day batting greats have been quietened down. "It's something I have always been desperate to do, convert those fifties," he said. "For the last year, two years, I have over-thought it massively, made too big a deal of it in my own mind. Probably, because of that, it has been to my detriment." Given a defining 12 months awaits Root and his team, this was about as good a start as he could have had. But Root knows that talk about his form will not go away completely unless he gets back to the heights of 2014 to 2017 when he averaged 57.56. "I did a lot of talking before the game and ahead of this year, and I thought it was really important to go out there and do it myself," Root said. "It felt like a long time coming. It's now that I have got to build on this." He can begin tomorrow, when he will start day three 168 not out. Lawrence, who was caught at short-leg from a delivery that bounced more than he anticipated, will want to kick on from here too. He is at the start of his Test match journey but this innings confirmed what many in the game have been saying for a while about his potential. Root's potential shone similarly bright all those years ago in Nagpur too. And although they are at very different stages of their careers, today was important for both of them. For Lawrence, it proved he has the game for Test level. For Root, it was a reminder of the player he is. For both of them, though, it is just a beginning.

A perfect day for England cricket, gifted by Sri Lanka, Joe Root, Dom Bess | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

England's control and discipline stood in stark contrast to Sri Lanka's recklessness and dysfunction as the visitors gained an early edge in the Galle Test

England's control and discipline stood in stark contrast to Sri Lanka's recklessness and dysfunction ©SLC When the camera panned to Mickey Arthur, Sri Lanka's coach sitting on the team balcony, shortly after Lasith Embuldeniya had been run out backing up, the South African had pulled his cap over his face. He just couldn't watch any more. It was probably all he could do to stop himself screaming. In contrast, England were cock-a-hoop. Despite minimal preparation and having lost the toss, they were on their way to bundling Sri Lanka out for 135, the lowest first innings total ever at Galle. Before this match, Joe Root said England had to address their slow starts - they have won just one opening Test in their last five series - by taking the initiative on the first day. By the close, England were just eight runs behind with eight wickets remaining, and things were about as good as Root would have dared hope for. He just might not have expected things to have come so easy in the field. England's bowlers were generally disciplined. Root set some smart fields. The odd delivery disturbed the pitch and deviated sharply. But really, there is no way Sri Lanka should have ever been hustled out in the manner they were. Their downfall was mostly their own doing. It was a crazy innings of crazy batting. Decision making wasn't just poor, on occasion it was unfathomable. As an example, the tourists' plan to opener Lahiru Thirimanne was obvious. Stuart Broad came round the wicket, angling the ball into the left-hander, with a leg gully in place. It was clear how they were trying to get Thirimanne out. The batsman fell into the trap, clipping the ball straight to the fielder. It was a soft dismissal from a Test match opener on the first morning of a game. Yet he was not alone in making things easy for England. After losing two early wickets, Kusal Perera decided to reverse-sweep Dom Bess' second delivery, only to plop it to slip. Two balls after Angelo Mathews was dismissed after Lunch, Dinesh Chandimal, the captain, hit Jack Leach limply to cover. Later, Bess himself looked embarrassed when Niroshan Dickwella hit a long-hop straight to backward point. The final wicket was a microcosm of the innings. Wanindu Hasaranga played a horrible reverse sweep and was bowled, failing to cover any of his stumps. He seemed to lose his bearings. On the balcony, Arthur looked like he was losing his marbles. In truth, Sri Lanka had some bad luck along the way. Dasun Shanaka was caught after a sweetly struck sweep shot hit Jonny Bairstow at short-leg and looped up to Jos Buttler behind the stumps. Embuldeniya's run out was unfortunate too. Like England, their preparation has been less than ideal too, having arrived home from South Africa only a few days ago and with precious little first-class cricket behind them since last March. To compound matters, their captain Dimuth Karunaratne was ruled out with a fractured thumb on the morning of the game. Even so, it was a desperate innings from Sri Lanka. Things could have been worse too. England dropped two relatively straightforward catches and had a run out incorrectly not given. Arthur's frustration was both palpable and understandable. "You ask me who should take the blame? Every single batter should take the blame," said Grant Flower, Sri Lanka's batting coach. "One of our guys was unlucky, Shanaka caught off Jonny Bairstow's ankle, but the rest got themselves out. I'm at a loss for words, I've never seen us bat that badly." "I'm at a loss for words, I've never seen us bat that badly," said Sri Lanka batting coach Grant Flower © Other than those dropped catches by Leach and Dan Lawrence, and a poor shot by Zak Crawley when they batted, England's control and discipline stood in stark contrast to Sri Lanka's recklessness and dysfunction. That the tourists were able to play in such a manner despite having just one day of match practise before this Test spoke volumes for the quality and precision of the discussions the squad had in preparation for this game, which had been alluded to throughout the build-up. Jacques Kallis, England's batting consultant, said he had spent a lot of time discussing gameplans with different batsmen. Root said the squad had talked about how to combat the twin threats of spin and close catchers and that preparing mentally for the challenge ahead was crucial. Buttler agreed, stating that being mentally switched on was something in England's control while the bowling group were seen going through their plans on the outfield before play. One of the themes of Chris Silverwood's time as head coach has been that England have had a clear template of how they want to play Test cricket. It was evident today, the manifestation of all of those discussions the group have had over the past two weeks since they arrived in Sri Lanka. England may still have their flaws as a Test team but at least they know what they are trying to do. Stuart Broad, who took as many wickets in this innings, three, as he has on three previous tours of Sri Lanka, set the tone for England's day with a fine spell of accurate, canny fast-bowling. Leach, playing his first Test for more than a year, out-bowled Bess, finding more consistency of length and line, targeting the stumps and outside edge. It was a fine return to the top level for the left-arm spinner. Sam Curran and Mark Wood, who cranked up the pace, were consistent and disciplined too. It was Bess who took the majority of the rewards however, although in truth, his second five-wicket haul in Tests flattered him. He struggled to find the searching, nagging length that poses the most questions for batsmen in the subcontinent. He was too short at times, overpitched at others, with a sprinkling of good deliveries thrown in the mix too. And yet, such was Sri Lanka's profligacy, Bess ended up with a hatful. While it is always unwise to look a gift horse in the mouth, he will know deep down, that he needs to bowl better. Despite losing two early wickets, Root and Jonny Bairstow displayed the type of application that was sorely missing when Sri Lanka batted. They placed a premium on defence and reduced risk early in their innings, the essence of Test match batting in these conditions. There were no wild reverse sweeps, no offers of catching practice to men in the ring, no wickets gifted to poor deliveries. Bairstow, so destructive and aggressive against the white-ball, was particularly watchful, playing late and with soft hands. As the day wore on, both players attacked more, with the sweep shot a particular favourite. The two Yorkshiremen will hope to add a few more yet to their 110 run partnership as they look to reinforce England's dominant position on day two. That is generally the best day for batting in Galle and both Root, who failed to score a hundred in 2020, and Bairstow, back in the Test team for the first time in more than a year, will want to go big. There remains a long way to go in this game, of course. But the visitors have certainly got the start to this series they wanted. On TV, Broad described it as a nine out of ten day. Arguably, it was even better than that for England. And in many ways, Sri Lanka rather gifted it to them.

Disappointing is a very, very mild word - Ashwin on racial abuse SCG Siraj Bumrah | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

The offspinner pointed out that Sydney has been notorious for such abuse even on previous tours

With investigations ongoing into the racial abuse complaints raised by the Indian team during the ongoing Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, R Ashwin has urged the authorities to deal with the things with an "iron-fist" and stressed that this was not the first time it has happened in the SCG. "Look I'd like to point out something. This is my fourth tour to Australia and Sydney especially here we've had a few experiences [racial abuse] even in the past," the India off-spinner said. "I think one or two times, even players have reacted and gotten into trouble in the past and that's not because of the player, it is actually because of the way the crowd has been speaking. Especially the people on the lower tier of the stands, they have been quite nasty and been quite abusive as well. "But this is one time they've gone one step ahead and used racial abuses. Like we already mentioned, there was an official complaint lodged yesterday and the umpires also mentioned that we must bring it to their notice as it happens on the field. And they'll be able to take action. It's definitely not acceptable in this day and age, we've seen a lot, we've evolved as a society. And sometimes I think this roots back to the upbringing and the way one sees. This must be definitely dealt with an iron fist and we must make sure it doesn't happen again." While there was investigation underway about the racial abuse complaints raised by the Indian team on the third day, crowd trouble extended into the fourth day as well. Six spectators were evicted from the stands by the authorities after the on-field umpires and the security officials combined to take action, and with CA launching an investigation parallel to the one by the police. Ashwin acknowledged he was pretty disappointed with the behaviour the players were subjected to. "Personally, I think Adelaide and Melbourne wasn't as bad. But like I said, this has been a continuous thing at Sydney," he pointed out. "I've personally experienced this as well. They do tend to get nasty, I don't know why or for what reason. Unless and until it is dealt with, people don't find the necessity to look at it in a different way. "In fact, I was quite surprised that some sections of the crowd continuously did it and there were not mates around them to pull them up for it. So that was quite surprising as well. It definitely had to be dealt with. And disappointing is actually a very, very mild word I must say." The offspinner, however, was satisfied with the eviction of the spectators and lauded Siraj for bringing the abuse to the notice of the authorities. "Yesterday, when Siraj brought it up, Ajinkya, Rohit and myself brought it up with the umpires and did report it," Ashwin said. "Nowadays, the guys are better equipped. Even someone like Siraj, who has come in new, he does know that it a line someone can't overstep and it was met the way it should have met. We must say that we were quite happy that those people were evicted. "If I take myself back to my first tour here in 2011-12, I had no clue what a racial abuse is or how you can be made to feel small in front of so many people and people actually laugh at you, and another set of people laugh along with what is happening. It was quite a.... whenever you stood at the boundary line, you wanted to run another 10 yards in to evade yourself from all these things. But as things have strode on, and we went on more tours, we realised these things are not acceptable."

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20: BCCI's kick-starter faces unprecedented logistical hurdles India cricket | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

On January 10, India's 2020-21 domestic season will finally get underway after a 10-month gap owing to the pandemic

On the cricketing side, the return of Sreesanth after a seven-year ban is highly anticipated. © Getty On Sunday (January 10), India's 2020-21 domestic season will begin at last with the T20 tournament - the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. It will be the first domestic or international cricket event to take place in the country in 10 months since the COVID19 pandemic brought the sport to a screeching halt. Why did BCCI decide to organise Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy? The Indian cricket board had asked its state affiliate units for their tournament of preference. After getting the responses, which were largely in favour of the T20 tournament due to its shorter duration and immediate relevance - for the IPL auctions - the BCCI decided to organise it from January 10 to 21. The safe conduct of the event will also be critical for the board to not only consider hosting more domestic competitions but also pave way for the scheduled England's tour to India. Where will the matches be played? The focus for BCCI was to select venues that have three grounds and the potential to create bio-secure environments. The elite teams have been divided into five groups of six teams each and their matches will be played in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Vadodara and Indore. Eight Plate teams will play their matches in Chennai. What is the relevance of the tournament for the players? Barring the India and the IPL players, this will be the first taste of competitive cricket for India's massive domestic pool of players. With the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy often being held right before the IPL auction, it is usually used as a stage for either IPL trials or as warm-up preparation for the league. This season won't be any different. But this tournament is also being viewed as a pathway for rise in the long format. One of the players on the fringes of the Test side says, "We don't know when the next Ranji Trophy will be played or [when] an India A series will happen. If we don't get to play first-class cricket for 20 months, how will we make it to the Test side? Already, we can see players doing well in the IPL and getting a place in the Test squad. So performing here is important for our Test ambitions as well." This season will also mark the return of S. Sreesanth after a seven-year ban while the just-retired (international cricket) Suresh Raina will be back in action for Uttar Pradesh. What are the logistical hurdles? Only a few weeks ago, the secretary of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association had defended the decision to host tournaments without checkups and quarantine with a view that "players are used to physical training and won't fall ill" and "if someone falls ill, we can replace him. Just like it happens with injuries". He will be one of the key organisers of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season. The difference, however, is that the organising associations have been equipped with a Standard Operating Procedure, a team of medical experts from a premier hospital and a staff of their operations team to overlook the organisation of the tournament. Yet, one of the on-ground organisers is convinced that "vulnerability still exists". The issue largely comes with the paucity of time, with the SOPs being handed to the organising associations less than two weeks before the start of the tournament. Till then, many were in the dark on whether the onus of creating and maintaining the bio-bubbles lay with the state associations or with an independent professional team appointed by the BCCI. However, even before the tournament has started, health scares came out in the open in a Chennai hotel where several teams have been in quarantine and in other centres where players are seen intermingling with each other during quarantine. Multiple host associations aren't sure if the bio-secure environment that they have created is safe enough. While the short notice isn't a hindrance for some of the older associations hosting the tournament, some have realised, "the more we work, the more we find out there are vulnerable spots for the bio-bubble to be breached." Within each stadium, a specific bio-secure space will be created that will have all the players, officials, organisers and even the scouts. "But what if one of the cameras stops working?" asks an organiser. "The video analyst will have to step out of that bio-secure environment, fix the camera and come back to the bio-bubble. How else do you fix this problem?" For another organiser, that doesn't sound like a health threat. It's unlike the kind of bio-secure environment that were set up for international games or for the IPL. In IPL, despite using technologies to track real-time temperature and enable contact tracing, at least five people were tested positive after the tournament started. None of that high-end technology will be used during Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In multiple centres, the hospitality staff and groundsmen won't be a part of the bio-bubble and heading back home every day. However, they will be interacting with those inside the bubble on a regular basis. They will be tested once every five days (or if they show any symptoms). As a result, those who are asymptomatic cases will continue to be in contact with the rest in the bubble. A good reason for such issues to crop up rises from the fact that the SOPs drafted by the board aren't comprehensive enough. "It's practically difficult to make it as detailed. So, the understanding could vary from person to person." While some will be ordering food from restaurants, some others have viewed that idea as a possible threat and made provisions for food to be prepared inside the stadium. If the health concerns weren't enough to leave the organisers fretting, the unseasonal rains have added to their headache. In what is possibly the most complex organisational task in Indian domestic cricket, the absence of experience in BCCI's senior management hasn't made it easier - with Saba Karim and KVP Rao leaving the setup. "Handling domestic cricket is a completely different ball game. Unlike IPL, where all the processes are structured, in domestic cricket, everything happens in a haphazard manner," says an organiser from a host association. "Had there been someone who understood domestic cricket better, the communication and transfer of knowledge would have been far better, and it was needed at such a time. Nonetheless, it's a good learning experience." The issue, however, is that this is no time to learn. To the cricket then: Who are the defending champions? Karnataka. They've, in fact, won the last two titles. They won last season by beating Tamil Nadu in the final at Surat by a solitary run. What are the groups? Elite Group A(venue: Bengaluru): J&K, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Railways, Tripura Elite Group B (venue: Kolkata): Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Assam Elite Group C (venue: Vadodara): Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Baroda, Uttarakhand Elite Group D (venue: Indore): Services, Saurashtra, Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa Elite Group E (venue: Mumbai): Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Mumbai, Kerala, Puducherry Plate Group (venue: Chennai): Meghalaya, Chandigarh, Bihar, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh Click here for full squads and tournament schedule RELATED STORIES

India lodge complaint of racial abuse against Siraj, Bumrah at SCG | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

The players are said to have faced the abuse over two days from the crowd

There was a discussion between the umpires, security officials and the said Indian players for close to five minutes after the close of play. The Indian team then hung around in the dressing room for a while when the India security official had a quick chat with the security officers at the ground, and also the ICC security official present at the venue.

Williamson's 238 tops off New Zealand's run feast | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

Daryl Mitchell and Henry Nicholls too brought up tons as New Zealand gained a lead of 362

Williamson's 238 was followed by tons from Nicholls and Mitchell © AFP Shan Masood's third duck on the trot to end his wretched tour compounded Pakistan woes as the visitors trailed New Zealand by a massive 354 runs at stumps on Day 3, having conceded a first innings lead of 362. Kane Williamson's fourth Test double lit up a gloomy, overcast day in Christchurch as the home team piled on runs and records before declaring the first innings on 659/6 that also included a 112-ball maiden hundred for Daryl Mitchell and a brilliant 157 from Henry Nicholls. The day wholly and solely belonged to the home side, who took one step closer to that Test Championship finale as Williamson and Nicholls added 114 runs in the morning session, without being separated to take their lead past 100. Nicholls moved into his 90s with the first runs of the morning after Pakistan opened with three maidens on the trot. Williamson then deservingly pushed his team into the lead in an expensive Shaheen Afridi over as Pakistan tried to trap the Kiwi skipper on the legside and conceded eight byes in the process. Pakistan's bowling plans, however, didn't yield desired results and the one chance Mohammad Abbas created was spilled again by Azhar Ali at gully to reprieve Nicholls on 92. The duo then kept ticking off the milestones, adding to Pakistan's frustration. Nicholls raised his seventh Test century with a beautiful drive through the covers off Abbas in his following over. At 272 runs, the pair had recorded the best fourth wicket partnership ever for New Zealand, and at 293, it was the best partnership in any Test at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Upon adding 11 runs to his overnight score of 112, Williamson ticked off another milestone in his illustrated career as he became only the third New Zealand batsman to climb the 7000-run peak in Test cricket. Nicholls, batting with a calf niggle, stepped on the accelerator right after reaching triple figures more out of necessity. He took a liking to the directionless bowling of Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf with a flurry of boundaries to quickly catch up with his skipper and take New Zealand past 350 in their first innings. Williamson brought up his 150, and New Zealand's 400, right at the stroke of lunch. The post Lunch session was frequently interrupted by rain and standing ovations - first when Nicholls edged off Abbas to walk back on 157, and then every time Williamson ticked off a milestone. But there was hardly any respite for Pakistan even after they had gotten past the record 369-run fourth-wicket partnership - the third best for New Zealand for any wicket. Rain held up play for nearly half an hour post which Afridi sent Watling packing on 7, even though he was also dropped in his short stay in the middle. But that brought Mitchell to the crease, who kicked off in the same vein where Nicholls had left. For Pakistan, it was only an extension of the morning session where Williamson continued with his on-drives and pulls for fun and Mitchell feasted on an exhausted bowling attack to notch up his first Test hundred off just 112 balls. The second break momentarily had Williamson stranded on 199 but it wasn't a long delay this time. The New Zealand skipper equaled Brendon McCullum's record of four double centuries for the country with a single, and another applause followed on 205, when he had recorded the highest Test score against Pakistan for any New Zealand player. Abbas and Afridi, meanwhile, went back to the short ball ploy in search of a wicket. However, Mitchell pulled those away authoritatively to quickly move into the 40s. He got to his second Test fifty off just 71 balls, dominating the century stand with Williamson that came off just 133 balls. Together the pair added 133 runs in less than 26 overs before Pakistan could find a reason to celebrate again. Williamson upped the ante as he fetched three boundaries off a Faheem Arshaf over but the bowler eventually had the last laugh. Trying to ramp a short ball over the ropes, Williamson sent one straight into the hands of the third man fielder that brought curtains on his stellar knock on 238. The New Zealand captain walked off amidst a rousing standing ovation and applause from the opponents, having batted for over eight hours. The rain-marred, extended session saw New Zealand scoring at just under five an over to add 199 runs to their total. In search of quick runs, Kyle Jamieson came out and threw his bat at nearly everything, fetching a couple of sixes for himself, and also didn't hesitate in taking risky singles to pass the strike back on to Mitchell who was on the brink. Once that got out of the way, Williamson called his batsmen back after Mitchell had had enough time to soak in the applause from the crowd on the banks and a dressing room that was on its feet. Pakistan had 10 overs to survive the day and come back refreshed, after having toiled for 158.5 overs in the field. But Jamieson knocked out Masood early in Pakistan's second essay that started with five maidens on the trot. There were close shaves for both Abid Ali and nightwatchman Abbas as well, but both survived after DRS reviews as Pakistan finished with 8/1, still needing another 354 to make the hosts bat again. Brief scores: Pakistan 8/1 (Abid Ali 7*, Kyle Jamieson 1-1) trail New Zealand 659/6 decl. (Kane Williamson 238, Henry Nicholls 157, Daryl Mitchell 102*; Shaheen Afridi 2-101, Mohammad Abbas 2-98) by 354 runs. RELATED STORIES

When you are not performing, life in the bubble can get draining - Tamim Iqbal Bangladesh Cricket | Cricbuzz.com - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

In an exclusive interview, Bangladesh's new ODI captain discusses bio bubble, leadership, batting philosophies and more...

There should not be any comparison [with Mortaza] but I know it is bound to happen: Tamim Iqbal ©Getty Despite boasting 207 ODIs worth of experience, Tamim Iqbal will step into something of an unchartered territory later this month when he will lead Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series against West Indies. The spotlight will shine particularly brightly even inside the bio-bubble given the stature of the outgoing skipper - Mashrafe Mortaza. Tamim, ever the optimist, sits down for an exclusive chat with Cricbuzz to discuss his new role, his batting philosophy, life inside cricket's bio bubble and much more. Excerpts... How frustrating was 2020 for you? In 2020 we were supposed to play a lot of Test cricket, but unfortunately that didn't happen because of the pandemic and it was a loss for our cricketers. We were very hopeful as team that the year would be big for us because we never had a busier schedule like the one we had last year. But unfortunately the pandemic came and not for us but for the whole world and we had nothing to do, because you cannot fight this. Still we are lucky that we all are safe with our beloved ones. How do you keep yourself mentally and physically fit during the lockdown when you don't know when you will play next? Maintaining physical fitness was easier because we had nothing to do apart from running and doing the gym and you could do that at home. But the mental side was most difficult especially during the early times, when the lockdown started, and it was really challenging. But slowly we got used to it. Now the most challenging thing is the bubble because [those] who are staying inside the bubble know how difficult it is and probably that is the biggest challenge now. Only players who are in the bubble know how suffocating it is. Tell us more about the mindset of a player in the bubble. Does it get boring? I am not sure whether it is boring or not but certainly it has an effect on us mentally. For example when you are not performing, it becomes more difficult in the bubble because normally when you are not having great times on the field, after returning to the hotel, the player usually goes out to meet their friends and family, and that helps one to recover. But now all of sudden when you are not performing you come back to the room and keep on thinking about it and you don't have any other thing to do and that is quite challenging. When you know that you are not allowed to go out then it becomes really difficult. It is certainly draining mentally when your movement is restricted. This is a new thing that we have to go through and in the near future we probably have to spend a lot of time in the bubble. Let's see how it goes but it won't be easy that is one thing I am sure. Though you are yet to lead the ODI side you captained two sides in the domestic competition in 2020. Was it a good rehearsal for the Bangladesh job? The experience wasn't great. I didn't have a great time team wise but that's fine; I see this with a positive mindset, thinking that when you are having tough times in domestic cricket you are learning things. My most important thing is that whether I have learned from what I have experienced. If I have learnt then it's good but if I don't, then that is problem. Captaining the national side will be completely different as you will have lot of supporting hands and you will have lot of experienced players with you playing and I hope this time it will be different. You are replacing Mortaza, one of the most successful captains of Bangladesh. Do you think it will be an added pressure because of the comparisons that are bound to be made? There should not be any comparison but I know it is bound to happen. And it is not just for me it would have been the same with anyone who replaced Mashrafe bhai, more so if it is someone new. It's not in my control what people will ask me, what the journalist is going to ask me or what will be written in the social media. Because it is not in my control, there is no point talking about it. People have the freedom to speak and write about whatever they like but I will have to do what I am thinking about the team and see where I am at. After the BCB President Cup, you took part in an intense training session. You were seen playing reverse sweep and other 'trick' shots in the nets? Was it an effort to increase your range? It will be wrong to say that I don't play reverse sweeps. I may not play many reverse sweeps but I have played that shot and played that in international matches and probably played that shot more in Test cricket because there are [more] gaps and you can play those shots. From batting perspective I always try to improve myself and try to add new shots. With batting one cannot introduce a new shot by practicing it for one two or five days or say a month. You have to be really confident in practice that you are hitting them well and then you need to introduce it in the middle. I keep on trying and I always believe that you have to be one step ahead than your opposition otherwise they will get you. In PSL, you batted very positively. Was it because of the middle order strength of your team? Does this freeness of mind depend on the team? It's a combination of everything. The thing is, [it's about] which wicket you are batting, whether your team is dependent on you entirely. If you get to know that your team depends on you, you will have to ensure to stay in the middle as long as possible, but when you get to know that five-six other players can pull off if things go wrong, then you can take the risk. So you see, it is a combination of many things. You were the second-highest scorer in Bangabandhu T20 Cup, yet you got criticized for your batting approach. There were questions about your strike rate... Asking about strike rate has become a trend now. Tomorrow there will be another trend and you go back last 10 years, you will always find one trend or the other, like say there was a trend earlier that he is a defensive captain even after he won two or three big matches against big teams. Now the present trend is asking a batsman about his strike rate. If my team is benefitting from my strike rate, 110 or 150, it doesn't matter to me. Whenever I feel that I have done something wrong or I have miscalculated I am the first one to accept it and I never try to defend that. I knew in the semi-final (Bangabandhu T20) we started slow and lost two early wickets, but still I felt we could have taken one or two risks but we didn't. I was the first one to go the presentation and put my hands up and say yes we went too slow. But there are times when my team needs me to bat like that but still I had to answer such questions then it is frustrating because I am not used to answering such questions. Where do you see your game in T20s? In T20s, I feel that I have to improve a lot. I think that I have not achieved in T20 much compared to what I have achieved in ODI and Test. Shakib Al Hasan is back but not in form. Is it a concern for you as you as new captain? No not at all because I am the type of guy who believes in history and not in the current situation. If the guy has a history, he can pull off any time, and Shakib has a remarkable history. I am confident he will come back in the series strongly. I am not worried about him, and it is not only me; the whole nation has faith in him. Are you confident that you can earn full points against West Indies in the upcoming ODIs considering it is important for the World Cup qualifying? Don't you think losing a point here can make you pay in the long run? When one is playing at home, they would like to win everything, but we don't want to go and play thinking that we have to win everything. We should take it game by game. We should follow all the process, and if we can tick all the boxes, then the result will come. You have said that you need to follow a process. Can you explain what you mean by that process? In ODI matches, you need to know how to start, how to get a good start, how to bat in the middle, and these strategies are known as a process to me. If all players are ticking all the boxes in batting, bowling, and fielding accordingly, results will come. Sometimes the openers get back to the pavilion early, and the middle order has to come in and fight it. I always believe that to get success for the Bangladesh team, four-five of us [seniors] have to put their hand up and perform. It is hardly the case when it's a total one-man show. If you see the success history of Bangladesh, you will see that four-five cricketers performed well on that day.