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Battling Australia force series decider as questions grow for Pakistan
Quite what either side will ultimately take from this ODI series is debatable, but a patched-up Australia side can be proud of how they adapted to earn a decider against Pakistan in Lahore after being outplayed in the opening match. As a number of ESPNcricinfo feedbackers pointed out, it’s been something of a throwback with a 1990s vibe around the scoring rates. In the first match, 200 wasn’t enough for Australia, but in the second 231 certainly was.
Josh Inglis and Cameron Green put in the hard yards during the first half of the innings – it was especially hard work for Green, who battled for rhythm, but there was satisfaction in his gritty fifty which he acknowledged with a somewhat relieved punch of the air – and their innings allowed Matt Renshaw and latterly 19-year-old Oli Peake to play with a little more freedom.
Renshaw’s form has been especially eye-catching, extending a strong introduction to Australia’s white-ball set-up since late last year, while Peake’s maturity was on show when he did not panic at being 6 off 15 balls and managed to dispatch vital late sixes.
With the ball, Nathan Ellis was ideal for the slow, grippy surface and produced a career-best performance. The spinners all played their role, with Matt Short’s three wickets fitting into the bonus category; his delivery to slide past Salman Agha’s outside edge was an excellent piece of bowling.
Ahead of the match, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson defended the home surfaces the team is playing on before being hoisted by their own petard. Arafat Minhas looks a very exciting find – with bat and ball – while Ghazi Ghori has shown plenty of promise. But a lot of questions remain. Shadab Khan continued to labour with the ball, but his 71 kept Pakistan in the game although he may in the longer run have muddied the waters.
Pakistan have only lost one home bilateral ODI series since 2015nbut, after the recent loss in Bangladesh, a defeat in the decider on Thursday would add to the uncertainty around their game as a whole.
Sahibzada Farhan has forged his reputation in T20s – domestically and internationally – but he’s found life tougher in the early stages of his ODI career. He has made three starts in five innings but not been able to convert; in the first game of this series he gave it away when he picked out long-off. In the second match, he top-edged a sweep in the second over, having already lost his opening partner, and it left Pakistan on the back foot.
Matt Renshaw has been the most fluent batter on show in the first two matches in tough conditions. The left-hand batter has continued his impressive white-ball form with smart placement, good running and putting away the bad ball. His only blip has been falling on both occasions when Australia needed someone to close out the innings, although the two dismissals were against good deliveries. There is argument that he may be worth a go higher up the order.
Pakistan have been unchanged so far and Shadab’s runs will likely keep him in the XI given the balance he brings to the lower order. There is a clamour for Sufyan Moqim to play but it’s tricky to see how he fits in unless they drop a batter or only play one quick.
Pakistan (probable) Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Ghazi Ghouri (wk), Arafat Minhas, Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi (capt), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Australia’s initial thoughts on this series may have been to give most players an outing, but their balance for the second match served them well so Liam Scott will likely have to wait for his debut. Labuschagne has missed out twice in the series – extending a lean time in ODIs – and is under increasing pressure but may cling onto his place for now. There could be consideration given to elevating Renshaw given his fine form.
Australia (probable) Alex Carey, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (capt & wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Oli Peake, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha
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West Indies bowl vs Sri Lanka, Hetmyer not in the XI
West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first in the first ODI of Sri Lanka’s tour of the Caribbean. This being a day game, West Indies believed their bowlers could extract some movement from the Sabina Park surface earlier in the day.
West Indies do not have Shimron Hetmyer in their XI, though he is named in the squad. Justin Greaves looks set to open alongside John Campbell. With captain Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford and Roston Chase make up the middle order. Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph are the frontline seam options.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have also appeared to make a change at the top order, bringing Kamindu Mendis to the opening position. Their attack is made up of two frontline spinners, and two frontline quicks in Dushmantha Chameera and Asitha Fernando. Allrounder Milan Rathnayaka plays his second ODI.
This is the first ODI at Sabina Park since 2022.
Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Milan Rathnayake, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando
West Indies XI: John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (capt.)(wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
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Qualifier Maja Chwalinska extends dream French Open run
Qualifier Maja Chwalinska continued her dream French Open run as she beat Anna Kalinskaya to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
The world number 114 was left open-mouthed with shock after completing a superb 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over 22nd seed Kalinskaya on a blustery Paris day.
Poland’s Chwalinska is the second qualifier after Nadia Podoroska in 2020 to reach the singles semi-finals at Roland Garros.
She is only the sixth qualifier in the Open era to reach the women’s singles semi-finals at a Grand Slam.
Only one – Britain’s Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open – went on to win the title.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka could await Chwalinska the last four, with the Belarusian taking on Russian Diana Shnaider later on Wednesday.
“I honestly don’t know what is going on,” Chwalinska told the crowd.
“I know I repeat myself, but every match here is kind of crazy for me.”
It is a remarkable run for Chwalinska, who arrived at the tournament with just two victories in WTA Tour-level main-draw matches under her belt.
Her sole Grand Slam match win came at Wimbledon in 2022 – but Chwalinska now finds herself on an eight-match winning streak on the Parisian clay, having dropped just one set on the way.
Everything appears to have clicked in place for a player who once feared she might have left the sport for good.
Chwalinska struggled with depression for two years and took an indefinite break from tennis after losing in the first round of qualifying at Wimbledon in 2021.
She did not know whether she would return at that point, having lost her enjoyment of training and competing.
With the support of the people around her, the openness of fellow players such as Naomi Osaka in speaking about their mental health, and brief attempts to enjoy other sports, Chwalinska found herself gradually gravitating back to the tennis court.
It has all led her to this moment of a first major semi-final – and a potential David-versus-Goliath showdown with title favourite Sabalenka.

In Paris, Chwalinska has played with infectious freedom and joyful creativity, beating two seeded players and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen along the way.
She kept her composure well against Kalinskaya, first having to reset after letting a 5-1 lead slip in the opener, before reeling off five straight points from 3-2 down in the resulting tie-break to take the lead.
She then held her nerve in the second, recovering from being broken as she tried to serve out victory before clinching her first match point on Kalinskaya’s serve.
“I was definitely nervous. I am stressed, of course, but I try to focus on my job and my games,” Chwalinska said.
“I am not focusing on confidence. I am playing against the best players in the world, so I will not compare myself to them.”
Whatever happens in the semi-finals, Chwalinska is now projected to leap up the rankings and into the world’s top 30.
By reaching the semi-finals, she has also secured prize money amounting to £647,700 – more than doubling her career total earnings of £642,400 in the space of 10 days.
[BBC Sport]
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Foreign nationals among at least 21 killed in Delhi fire
At least 21 people have been killed and many others injured after a fire tore through a multi-storey building in south Delhi, police in India’s capital say.
Many of the victims were foreigners – including people from South Asian and African countries – who had travelled to India for medical treatment or to accompany relatives undergoing care, local media reported.
The building in the Malviya Nagar area allegedly operated as a bed-and-breakfast catering to patients and relatives of those receiving treatment at a nearby private hospital.
More than 40 people were rescued and taken to hospital. It remains unclear how many were inside the building when fire broke out. Its cause is not yet known.
The blaze is one of the deadliest in recent years in the Indian capital.
“The fire was brought under control quite early on – it was contained very quickly. We have now cleared the building and opened it up for the police,” fire officer AK Malik said.
Delhi minister Ashish Sood said authorities were investigating whether the building had the necessary permissions to operate as a bed-and-breakfast facility, adding that those found responsible for any violations would face criminal action.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,088; £1,552) for the families of those killed and 50,000 rupees for those injured.

Videos on social media showed flames shooting from the building as people gathered nearby. Footage broadcast by Indian news channels showed its exterior badly charred as emergency workers searched the site.
Witnesses said the fire spread rapidly, trapping people on upper floors. Bystanders helped some escape before emergency crews arrived.
“The fire broke out at about 08:50… we rushed to the spot to see that the entire building was on fire. There is a mattress shop at the corner from where we took out mattresses and laid them on the road,” Wasim Raj told ANI news agency.
“People started to jump out of the building from the second and third floors. The fire-fighting team had reached the spot immediately and started rescue work.”
Sher Khan, who lives nearby, described scenes of panic as people trapped on the upper floors cried out for help.
“As the fire intensified, it seemed as if there was no way to jump from here. People spread mattresses, and some from the third floor jumped out with a little kid… She was saying that she fractured her leg,” he said.
Israr Khan, another local resident, told reporters that “all of us have been here since morning. We rescued a child who jumped from the higher floor”.
Several people in the building were from Bangladesh and other South Asian countries and had travelled to Delhi for medical treatment, local lawmaker Satish Upadhyay said.
Fires are common in India, where building safety laws are often poorly enforced.
From factories and coaching centres to hospitals and entertainment venues, many of Delhi’s deadliest blazes have exposed a persistent gap between safety rules on paper and their implementation on the ground.
Investigations have repeatedly pointed to lax inspections, faulty electrical systems and buildings operating beyond their approved use.
[BBC]
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