Jos Buttler hailed England's intensity as his team clinched an ODI series victory in Bangladesh by dominating the second match in Mirpur.

Sam Curran starred with bat and ball, while Jason Roy top-scored with 132, which also proved to be the exact margin of victory as England posted 326-7 before bowling the hosts out for 194.

Curran followed 33 not out with 4-29, while Adil Rashid also took four wickets as the tourists seized an unassailable 2-0 series lead, ahead of the third match on Monday.

After a nail-biting three-wicket win in the series opener, also played in Mirpur, this second contest saw England go up a level, to the delight of captain Buttler.

It was their biggest victory margin, in terms of runs, in ODIs played in Asia.

"That was a fantastic series win," Buttler said. "Bangladesh are a formidable team at home, so we are delighted to get the series win.

"We spoke about ways we could improve from the last match and I thought we really did that. Jason Roy led fantastically well with the batting and guys chipped in around him, and then a fantastic start with the ball."

Buttler made 76 with the bat and Moeen Ali added 42, as Roy found plenty of strong support, with England winning a 50-over series after falling short in their most recent four attempts in the format.

"From one to 11, the guys stood up," Buttler said, "and I thought our standard and the intensity we played the game at was much higher than the first game and that's what we strive to get to.

"We've talked a lot in the dressing room about adapting to conditions and being a team that can play in a variety of ways. There are lots of guys putting their hands up and putting up great performances which is fantastic for the team."

Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said Roy performed "exceptionally well", adding: "I am disappointed to lose the series. When you lose a game like this you can point a lot of fingers at a lot of people, but I'm not the kind of person who'll do that. We didn't do well as a team and that's why we lost.

"We'd like to finish the series on a high, it's very disappointing that we lost the series, but credit must go to England for the way they played."

Roy, whose century was his 12th for England in ODIs, spoke of how experience of playing in varying conditions throughout his career helped him get to grips with the pitch.

"I've spent a lot of time playing a lot of cricket in the subcontinent when i was younger, doing a lot of training camps," the 32-year-old opener said. "Today I had to dig deep with those skills and put it on the field.

"I needed to give myself an opportunity. In the first game I had a bit of a rush of blood and played a pretty poor shot against the spin. I wanted to make sure I batted time and gave myself the best opportunity to score runs and get a good score on the board for the team."

West Indies Vice-Captain Jermaine Blackwood called out his team’s batting performance after their 87-run loss in the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

The tourists recovered from a scary situation in South Africa’s first innings when they orchestrated a batting collapse which saw the hosts go from 226-1 to 342 all out.

In the Windies’ first innings, they had their own collapse, going from 169-3 to 212 all out. The West Indian bowlers were then excellent, restricting South Africa to 116 all out in their second innings leaving the Windies needing 247 for victory.

In the end, the regional side put on a poor batting performance, being bowled out for 159 in 41 overs and losing the Test by 87 runs.

“I think we could have been a bit more selective,” said Blackwood, who top scored in the second innings with 79, to reporters after the match.

“We got out too easy and soft. If we stayed positive, I thought we could have got the runs,” he added.

The tourists will have six days before the start of the second Test in Johannesburg and Blackwood says they will have to fix these problems quickly if they are level the series.

“Obviously, it’s something that we have to learn quickly because we are playing against a quality bowling attack,” Blackwood said.

“Once we can go out there and express ourselves, put away the bad balls and keep out the good balls, I think we can beat South Africa but, as a team, we have to believe we can do that,” he added.

The second Test bowls off on March 8.

 

 

 

Sam Curran starred with bat and ball as England made far lighter work of the second ODI against Bangladesh to clinch the three-match series with a 132-run victory.

The opening match of England's tour had gone down to the penultimate over as Jos Buttler's side chased down a modest Bangladesh total, but the hosts put them in to bat first this time and were scarcely in the contest thereafter.

Opener Jason Roy scored 132 and Buttler weighed in with 76 to help England finish on 326-7 and set Bangladesh a target it quickly became clear they would not reach.

Indeed, Curran had two wickets inside the first over, accounting for Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto from consecutive balls, and added a third soon after as Mushfiqur Rahim was caught behind.

Opener Tamim Iqbal (35) finally found a partner in the form of Shakib Al Hasan (58), yet Moeen Ali ended that stand, and Bangladesh could not keep Curran out of the game as he took the catch which removed Shakib.

While that gave Adil Rashid the first of four wickets, Curran of course completed the job with the dismissal of Mustafizur Rahman to finish with 4-29 – Bangladesh all out for 194 with just over five overs remaining.

Curran had also contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 33 off 19 balls, although the partnership of Roy and Buttler did much of the heavy lifting.

England were 96-3 when Buttler joined Roy in the middle, but the pair put on 109 for the fourth wicket to take the game away from Bangladesh.

Although Roy was eventually trapped lbw by Shakib attempting to sweep, Buttler ploughed on for a time and Moeen Ali's 42 kept up the scoring.

Curran hit three sixes in a fast finish, and he was the headline act thereafter.

Roy among England ODI royalty

Although Curran later stole some of the limelight, Roy's 132 – the exact difference between the two teams – put England firmly in control.

It was his fourth-highest ODI score and his 12th century in the format. Only Joe Root (16) and Eoin Morgan (13) have more – not bad company to be keeping.

Streak ended with Bangladesh repeat

Arriving in Bangladesh, England had been winless in their past four 50-over series, but a hard-fought victory in the opening match set the stage for that sequence to be ended in convincing fashion in Mirpur.

England have now won five straight ODIs against Bangladesh, who suffered their first home series defeat since 2016-17 – also against England.

Australia stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed "a complete performance" as the tourists raced to a nine-wicket win over India in Indore to book a place in the World Test Championship final.

In a low-scoring contest at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Australia set the tone on day one by bowling out India for 109, before going on to build an 88-run first-innings advantage.

Eight wickets in the second innings from Nathan Lyon helped to dismiss India for 163, and that left Smith's team needing just 76 for victory on Friday.

They lost Usman Khawaja early, but Travis Head made 49 not out and Marnus Labuschagne an unbeaten 28 to calm any nerves, with Australia reaching a match-winning 78-1 in 18.5 overs.

Lyon was named player of the match, and Smith said: "Nathan got all the rewards with eight wickets, but I think our bowlers as a collective were really good."

He praised the attack one by one, before adding of Australia's effort: "It was a complete performance in the end."

Smith has stepped in to lead the team since Pat Cummins travelled home to Australia for family reasons.

"We're thinking of Patty back home," Smith said at the post-match presentation. "He's had to go home, so our thoughts are with him.

"I really enjoyed this week, I like captaining in this part of the world, I feel like I understand the conditions really well and the intricacies of the game that need to happen ball in and ball out. I think I did a reasonable job this week.

"We're really proud to have clinched a spot in the World Test Championship in a couple of months' time."

It could be India awaiting Australia at the Oval in London in June, and that certainly will be the case if the home side win the fourth Test that begins at the Narendra Modi Stadium next Thursday.

Smith and Australia want to level the series though, having trimmed their arrears to 2-1 with this victory.

"Hopefully we can put up a similar performance and finish the series really well," Smith said.

India skipper Rohit Sharma said his team would "need to regroup and try to understand what we did right in the first two Test matches as well".

He said India have "got to be brave... which I thought we were not".

Lyon's 11 wickets in the match have made him the most successful bowler in Tests between India and Australia, taking him two past Anil Kumble's haul of 111 wickets.

The spinner said: "I just love challenging myself at this level and get a big thrill out of that."

Australia completed a nine-wicket victory over India early on day three of the third Test in Indore to seal a place in June's World Test Championship final.

The tourists required just 76 runs on Friday at Holkar Cricket Stadium and reached that target before lunch to trim India's lead to 2-1 in the four-match series.

Travis Head made 49 not out and Marnus Labuschagne an unbeaten 28, with Usman Khawaja (0) the only man to fall early on in a routine victory stroll.

Australia, who had lost their past three Tests played in Asia, will now face either India or Sri Lanka in the World Test Championship final at the Oval in London.

India require victory over Australia in next week's fourth and final Test to book their place in the showpiece contest.

Eight wickets from Nathan Lyon, who was named player of the match, left Australia on the verge of victory at the end of day two.

A challenging pitch gave India slim hope of at least dragging out day three, and they started strongly as Khawaja was caught behind by KS Bharat for a second-ball duck.

But Labuschagne saw off some tricky early bowling to keep Australia on course and shared an unbroken stand of 78 with Head to see his side home in just 18.5 overs.

Australia snap losing run

This was a welcome victory for Australia, who avoided losing four Tests in a row against India in the format for the first time ever.

India can have no complaints with the margin of defeat as they missed out on a fourth Test victory in a row for the first time since a seven-game stretch in 2019.

Labuschagne and Head hold firm

After strong work on Thursday from Lyon, whose total of 113 career wickets in Australia versus India Tests is a record in the rivalry between these teams, it was left to Labuschagne and Head to get Australia easily over the line.

Their 78-run partnership ranks as the highest unbeaten stand by a batting pair in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India, which will go down to the wire.

Barbadian all-rounder Jason Holder made history on day two of the first Test between the West Indies and South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

With the second innings wicket of Keegan Petersen with the final ball of the day, Holder took his 150th Test wicket, joining the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers as the only West Indians to take at least 150 wickets and score at least 2500 runs in Tests.

“I guess it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he told reporters in a press conference after day two.

“Honestly, my inspiration is just the other guys on the field. I was obviously captain at quite a young age and had a good run of it, especially in the Test arena and I thoroughly enjoy this group specifically,” Holder, who captained the West Indies in 32 Tests from 2015-2019, added.

Debuting in 2014, the 31-year-old has amassed 2644 runs at an average of 28.73 with three hundreds and eleven fifties in his 61 Tests. His highest Test score, 202*, came against England in 2019 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

With the ball, Holder has taken 151 wickets at 28.98 including eight five-wicket hauls.

One might ask the question: How did this take so long when he debuted all the way back in 2014?

“It’s a tough one man. I think the way world cricket is going now, apart from the big three, everybody else is barely playing any Test cricket,” said Holder.

“We’ve averaged, in the last three years, maybe six to eight Test matches a year. This year we’ve got six and next year will be around six as well so, it was a slow grind,” he added before comparing the Test appearances of current West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and former England skipper Joe Root to further emphasize the point.

Brathwaite, who debuted against Pakistan in May 2011, has played 84 Tests while Root, who made his debut against India in December of 2012, has played 129 Tests.

Kagiso Rabada took six wickets as South Africa recovered from a batting collapse on day three to beat West Indies by 87 runs in the first Test in Centurion.

A haul of 6-50 from Rabada carried the hosts home as West Indies were bowled out for 159 in their second innings, with Jermaine Blackwood's terrific 79 from 93 balls providing the chief resistance.

The SuperSport Park crowd had seen South Africa fall from their overnight 49-4 to 116 all out in the morning session, with Aiden Markram following his century in the first innings with 47 as only two others reached double figures.

Kemar Roach took 5-47, with Markram among his victims, to fuel hopes of a first Test win for West Indies against South Africa since December 2007.

Yet momentum began to tilt back the Proteas' way when West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell to Rabada just before lunch, before any runs went on the board in the chase.

The tourists needed 247, but a wretched start saw them crumble to 20-4 and left the middle and lower order with a cliff face to climb.

Rabada had Brathwaite and Raymon Reifer caught behind by Heinrich Klaasen, before Marco Jansen drew a badly timed hook from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and then bowled Roston Chase with the next ball.

They were 33-5 when Gerald Coetzee had Kyle Mayers taken at slip, and it was only Blackwood keeping West Indies in the game.

He delivered a sparkling innings that nobody else could match, with Joshua Da Silva (17) and Jason Holder (18) briefly joining him in handy stands, but both fell to edges off Rabada.

Eventually, so too did Blackwood, a fiery delivery from Rabada into the body jabbed to Markram at second slip.

That gave South Africa a ninth wicket and it was effectively job done with the dangerman out of the way. Rabada duly wrapped it up, pinning Roach lbw.

Rabada hits Windies for six

This was Rabada's first six-wicket haul in Tests since taking 6-54 against Australia in March 2018, and his three best innings performances have all now come at Centurion. This ranks third on the list, behind the 7-112 and 6-32 that he took in the same game against England in January 2016.

It was not enough for man-of-the-match honours this time, though, with Markram taking that award.

Proteas keep rivalry one-sided

South Africa led by 130 after the first innings of this match, meaning their dismal display with the bat second time around did not prove too costly. The result means they are now unbeaten against West Indies in their last 11 Tests (W9 D2), with this a fourth victory on the bounce. Indeed, all four matches between these sides at SuperSport Park have been won by the hosts.

Home captain Temba Bavuma made a pair of ducks in his first game as skipper, but got away with it. The second and final Test of this series begins at the Wanderers in Johannesburg next Wednesday.

Nathan Lyon took eight wickets on a dramatic day two of the third Test to leave Australia needing 76 runs to beat India and keep the series alive.

Sixteen wickets fell on a captivating second day at Holkar Cricket Stadium, where the tourists collapsed to 197 all in reply to India's 109.

Ravichandran Ashwin (3-44) and Umesh Yadav (3-12) took Australia's last six wickets for only 11 runs to seemingly leave the game in the balance.

With sharp turn and variable bounce to contend with, Cheteshwar Pujara made 59 but India were skittled out for 163 in their second innings in Indore, Lyon claiming a magnificent 8-64 to leave Australia facing only a small run chase to make it 2-1.

Ashwin ended a stand of 40 by removing Peter Handscomb (19) after Australia resumed on 156-4 and Umesh trapped Cameron Green leg before in the next over.

Umesh cleaned up Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy as the tourists folded after the drinks break, with Ashwin on the money as he struck Alex Carey in front, before bowling Lyon to end the innings in a flash.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 88, India lost openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma bowled and lbw respectively to the excellent Lyon.

Virat Kohli followed for only 13 after being struck on the pad in front of middle stump attempting to pull a Matthew Kuhnemann delivery that kept low and India were 78-4 when Lyon sent Ravindra Jadeja trudging off.

Shreyas Iyer made a brisk 25 before falling to Mitchell Starc and Lyon continued to apply the pressure, seeing the back of Srikar Bharat and Ashwin.

Pujara stood firm for a battling half-century but his knock was ended when Steve Smith produced a brilliant diving catch at leg slip for the relentless Lyon, who dismissed Umesh and Mohammed Siraj without scoring to clean up the India innings.

 

Ashwin into the top three

The 36-year-old Ashwin took his incredible tally of international wickets to 689 in his 269th match to become India's third-highest wicket-taker across all formats.

He surpassed the great Kapil Dev's haul of 687 in all formats for India, making the most of the conditions after Jadeja (4-78) had taken all four wickets for India on day one.

Only Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (707) have claimed more scalps for India in all formats combined.

Lyon Australia's spin king

It was Kuhnemann who starred for the tourists by claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second Test on day one, but fellow spinner Lyon was the main man on Thursday.

He bowled with great guile and control, helping himself taking his 23rd haul in the longest format after picking up three wickets on day one.

Lyon now has more wickets against India across all formats than any other Australia bowler after moving past Brett Lee's total of 111, having claimed his second eight-wicket haul in India.

A blazing half-century from Rovman Powell helped lift Peshawar Zalmi to a 24-run victory over Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League at Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

Powell smashed six fours and four sixes in a 34-ball 64 that propelled Peshawar Zalmi to 197-5 from their 20 overs.

The final score was testament to a remarkable recovery after Mohammad Amir had dismissed Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam for ducks in the opening first over and Saim Ayub for one in his second to have Peshawar Zalmi reeling at 3-2 in the third over.

The repair work began with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Haseebullah Khan who counter-attacked with aplomb, the latter racing to an even 50 from just 29 balls from which he hit four fours and three sixes during their partnership of 82.

He was eventually dismissed by Tabraiz Shamsi, which brought Powell to the crease.

The Jamaican picked up from where Khan left off plundering the Karachi Kings bowling during a partnership of 85 from 51 balls before Amir had him caught behind in the 19th over. By then Peshawar Zalmi has recovered to 169-5.

Aamer Jamal and Kohler-Cadmore added 28 from the last nine balls to what turned out to be the winning total. Kohler-Cadmore remained unbeaten on 56 while Jamal got his unbeaten 13 from just five balls.

Mohammad Amir was the pick of the bowlers taking 4-26.

The Karachi Kings made a proper go at the target with opener Matthew Wade scoring 53. However, they lost wickets regularly which slowed their momentum despite an unbeaten 57 from Imad Wasim, who clubbed 10 fours and a six in his 30-ball knock.

Azmatullah Omarzai and Jamal did the damage for Peshawar Zalmi with hauls of 3-28 and 3-43, respectively that ripped apart the Karachi Kings middle order.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman played his part dismissing Wade and Irfan Kkan to return figures of 2-28 as Karachi Kings ran out of balls at 173-8.

 

 

 

Ben Stokes is not risking fitness for this year's Ashes series by playing in the Indian Premier League, insists England head coach Brendon McCullum.

England's Test captain has signed for Chennai Super Kings with the IPL season starting on March 31, ahead of the Ashes getting underway on June 16 in Birmingham.

Stokes struggled with his left knee in England's Test defeat to New Zealand in Wellington, where he could only bowl two overs while batting for 33 runs on the final day.

But McCullum has no concerns.

"I don't think he's jeopardising the Ashes. The skipper has a strong mind, and he knows how to get right for the big moments," he told reporters.

"In fact I look forward to watching him play for Chennai, and see him play cricket without the captaincy and having to worry about everyone else.

"We know when he comes back to us, he'll have that bit between his teeth. I also believe the Ashes is the script the skipper is waiting to write."

Stokes has delivered in huge moments for England, from starring in their 2019 World Cup victory to stunning Australia in a famous Ashes Test at Headingley when the series was last played on English soil four years ago.

He also scored an unbeaten 52 to propel England to victory at the T20 World Cup last year and has become the quickest Test captain to reach 10 wins.

At Chennai, he will play under head coach Stephen Fleming, who was once New Zealand team-mates with McCullum.

"I've got a tee-time with him, so I'll be making sure he looks after the skipper," said McCullum of Fleming.

"Chennai have a very good set-up, and they have an outstanding leader in Flem. He sees the big picture in everything, so I've no concerns."

Australia won the last Ashes 4-0 but after developing a distinct style of play since McCullum's appointment, England look primed to take the fight to the tourists. 

"This team has grown over the last eight or nine months," McCullum added. "I think the players have become more at ease with how we're playing, and it's become more authentic.

"Our style certainly does give us the best chance of being able to topple a good Australian side.

"We know it won't be easy but with eight or nine months development of that style under our belts, we should be hard to beat. Bring it on!"

West Indies enjoyed a late flurry with the ball that breathed life into their chances in the first Test against South Africa after Anrich Nortje's five-for limited the visitors to just 212 on day two.

Having skittled the hosts for 342, the West Indies were then left with a significant 130-run deficit at the end of the Nortje show.

But a brilliant spell right at the end of the day saw South Africa lose four wickets for just 18 runs towards the start of their second innings, leaving the Proteas looking frustrated.

Alzarri Joseph (5-81) started the day by picking up where he left off, ending South Africa's first innings when dealing with Gerald Coetzee (17) – caught easily by Jason Holder – and Nortje (14) to complete his maiden five-for, owing thanks to Tagenarine Chanderpaul for getting under the latter's slice.

West Indies initially stood firm against a relentless attack as they went into bat, Raymon Reifer (62) proving particularly defiant.

Runs were tricky to come by for the tourists, putting on just 65 between lunch and tea, though Reifer and Jermaine Blackwood (37) managed a respectable stand of 64.

But Nortje (5-36) removed Blackwood, his inside edge drawing a diving catch from Heinrich Klaasen, who ended Reifer's resistance in similar fashion with the West Indies on 169-4.

South Africa made light work of the rest, Nortje taking another four wickets.

Aiden Markram – scorer of 115 on day one – was seemingly in the groove once again as he hit 35 off 33.

But Dean Elgar (1) fell short going for the ramp, his first of four wickets in relatively quick succession, Joseph (2-17) taking two and Jason Holder (1-0) removing Keegan Petersen (7) lbw with the day's last delivery.

A day for the bowlers

The day's last session was particularly dramatic, with the West Indies losing seven wickets and South Africa seeing four fall.

Clearly, the stars of the day were Nortje and Joseph, who each secured five-fors. The South Africa man deserves special mention, however, with his figures of 5-36 truly exceptional.

Holder reaches a milestone

The scalp of Petersen right at the end of the day was momentous for Holder, who reached 150 Test wickets.

As such, he became only the second West Indian to achieve 150 wickets and 2,500 runs in Test cricket. Joseph may have been the main man on the day, but Holder had his moment to shine as well.

Dawid Malan was unconcerned by the pressure of being England's match-winner in a three-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Number three batsman Malan picked up the pace following a considered start to eventually finish on 114 not out and drag England to victory in the first ODI.

Having limited Bangladesh to 209, England's response for a while looked in danger of falling short.

But Malan fittingly clinched the win after scoring his fourth ODI century, making him the second-fastest man to that mark in his 16th match.

The 35-year-old, who has spent time playing in the Bangladesh Premier League, also had a hundred in his previous ODI innings against South Africa last month.

"I've spent a fair bit of time in Bangladesh, especially at this ground, which helps," Malan said.

"I told Jos [Buttler] it would have been tough to chase if they'd have got 30 to 40 more runs. It's satisfying to get over the line, handling pressure is part of the job."

Malan was required to do the heavy lifting alongside a succession of low-scoring partners as England were reduced to 65-4 at one stage.

Victory was achieved with eight balls to spare, however, leaving captain Jos Buttler delighted.

"These are tough conditions," he added. "Mala's innings was outstanding and is an example for us on how to play on these wickets.

"There was plenty in the wicket for both spinners and pacers. There's plenty of areas to work and improve on. It's about small partnerships on wickets like these. [They] can be really valuable."

Dawid Malan's sublime knock inspired England to a three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first ODI at Shere Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.

The hosts struggled after electing to bat first, setting a target of just 210, but England's response for a while looked in danger of falling short.

Malan picked up the pace following a considered start, however, eventually finishing on 114 not out to reach 212-7 and brilliantly drag England over the line.

Tamim Iqbal (23) began purposefully but Bangladesh soon had their momentum disrupted by Mark Wood (2-34) and Chris Woakes (1-28), the former dismissing the hosts' captain with an emphatic delivery.

The spinners then took care of Bangladesh's middle order, with each England bowler claiming at least one wicket.

Najmul Hossain Shanto (58) proved the biggest nuisance, his maiden half-century crucial in helping the hosts surpass 200.

But a tremendous catch from Jason Roy sent him back to the pavilion at 159-5 in what proved a turning point – Bangladesh added only another 50 runs.

England's chase received an early blow when Roy (4) fell to a simple Iqbal catch in the first over, while Phil Salt (12), James Vince (6) and Jos Buttler (9) were not much better.

Taijul Islam (3-54) took two of the first four wickets as England found themselves on 65-4, but amid all the floundering, Malan was calmly plugging away.

A close escape from an lbw appeal in the 22nd over proved vital, with Malan first playing it steady as he reached 50 off 92, before then getting his century off 134.

He secured the ton with a clip through midwicket that brought up his 10th boundary, and another four – whacked through wide mid-on – fittingly ensured Malan clinched victory.

Malan's the man of the moment

England's bowlers did some sterling work early on, with Jofra Archer, Wood, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid all taking two wickets each, but the generally disappointing nature of the visitors' chase meant Malan had to take on the role of firefighter.

After looking all at sea at 65-4, Malan took charge. In claiming his 100, he becomes the second-fastest player to four ODI centuries.

Taijul gave Bangladesh a chance

Bangladesh were also largely better with the ball than the bat. Taijul was the pick of the bunch for the hosts, taking three wickets – more than anyone else in the match.

His efforts were central to England getting off to a stuttering start. In the end, one man's class was the difference, and to be fair to Bangladesh, Malan looked like he could bat another 50 overs and still not get removed.

Matt Kuhnemann starred on the first day of the third test at Holkar Stadium as Australia reached stumps in control of India.

Not even in the squad for the start of the series, Kuhnemann bowled a five-for on a poor pitch as India's first innings in Indore amounted to just 109 in 33.2 overs.

Marnus Labuschagne (31) and Usman Khawaja (60) then steered Australia into a comfortable position with a 96-run stand, as India's flagrant use of the DRS caused issues for the hosts.

While Ravindra Jadeja bowled Labuschagne to end that pairing, the tourists remained strong to finish the day 156-4 and hold a 47-run lead.

Australia came out of the blocks flying to take five wickets in the first hour, and seven in the first session.

Kuhnemann (5-16) and Nathan Lyon (3-35) had three wickets each, while Todd Murphy (1-23) trapped Virat Kohli lbw (22) to leave India 84-7 at lunch, before the hosts finished all out for 109 in just over a session.

India's response with the ball started well, Jadeja (4-64) taking Travis Head (9) lbw with just 12 runs on the board, and then bowled Labuschagne off a no ball – a mistake that proved costly.

Poor decision-making on DRS also contributed to the hosts' downfall, losing two reviews and opting not to challenge the umpire's call for an lbw on Labuschagne, which replays showed would have been out.

Australia welcomed those errors, Khawaja hitting a half century before being caught by Shubman Gill to put the tourists well on their way to fighting back in the series.

 

Kuhnemann's fine day

In just his second Test, Kuhnemann oversaw the undoing of India to finish with figures of 5-16.

Australia's charge saw six wickets tumble in just 22 overs, the most India have lost in the first innings of a match in this format since the beginning of 2007.

Jadeja's record

On a disappointing day for India, there was at least some comfort with the performance of Jadeja, who took all four of Australia's wickets.

He became just the second Indian player – and 11th cricketer overall – to take 500 wickets and score over 5,000 runs in the international game.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has  announced a new licensing partnership with NextWave Multimedia, Nazara Technologies’ independent subsidiary, which will feature 27 of the West Indies Men’s team in the latest version of the mobile game “World Cricket Championship 3 (WCC3)”, the world’s No.1 cricket game on mobile.

The collaboration is the first time that West Indies players have ever featured in a mobile game with the West Indies being the first official cricket team to be featured in the game.

Twenty-seven players from across the Men’s Test, One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) squads are featured in the game as well as the West Indies famous team kits and shield. CWI recently embarked on a new team licensing programme, in partnership with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), which gives fans the opportunity to download, purchase and engage with licensed team products, driving additional revenues for CWI to invest back into cricket and to generate new revenues for the players payment pool.

WCC3 serves as a next-gen sequel to the World Cricket Championship 2. Leveraging advanced AI, NextWave Multimedia has used state-of-the-art gameplay feathers, realistic animations and professional commentary to give the players an immersive experience. To make the game more realistic, they have also added real-time motion capture of professional cricketers.

With the collaboration with the official West Indies team players, gamers will no longer have to play with fictitious player names, random players and jerseys. Instead, they will now be able to play with the real West Indies team. The game will feature the West Indies team in ODI, T20 and Test formats and include the official roster, player likeness and team kits of all formats. Player lookalikes, real player names and kits will add authenticity to the game and greatly enhance the gaming experience of the fans.

“CWI is excited that with WCC3, West Indies fans now have the opportunity to emulate their heroes and play with their favourite West Indies players on their mobile devices," said Dominic Warne, CWI’s Commercial Director.

"We want to provide access to the West Indies teams in different ways. Mobile and console gaming is a fast growing entertainment space which can also introduce the West Indies teams to new audiences. We’re sure that fans and gamers will enjoy this realistic mobile cricket gaming experience, giving them the chance to take on the world and win with the #MeninMaroon.”

Commenting on this collaboration, NextWave Multimedia, Co-founder and CEO, P.R. Rajendran said: “We are very excited about the collaboration of WCC3 and the official cricket team of West Indies. WCC3 is a unique, one-of-its-kind cricket mobile game in India that has gained the interest and admiration of many young players. In order to help our customers have a more realistic and immersive cricket experience, we have been working hard to integrate AI and build a real-time motion capture game. With this collaboration, our gamers will be able to play with the faces of the real West Indies team and I believe that will greatly enhance the experience for them. We believe this is a major step for us towards making WCC3 one of the most realistic cricket games in India.”

WCC3 is available to download immediately on the Google Play Store and will be available to download in the Apple App Store from the middle of March.

 

 

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