Sports
Shami, Kohli star as India remain unbeaten
Virat Kohli’s 95, following Mohammed Shami’s 5-54 in his first World Cup 2023 game, helped India beat New Zealand by four wickets to take the top spot in the points table. A late collapse triggered by Shami kept the then table-toppers to 273 despite Daryl Mitchell’s career-best 130. Kohli’s knock built on the platform set by Rohit Sharma in the Powerplay, kept India’s chase on track despite the ebbs and flows.
Rohit’s no holds barred approach had been key to India’s success and the captain was typically on the attack early. He skipped down twice to Matt Henry, lofted Trent Boult straight down the ground and slog-swept Mitchell Santner to hammer four sixes in his 40-ball stay. However, Lockie Ferguson’s introduction spelt double trouble. The pacer struck twice in his first eight balls to dent India’s strong start by dismissing both well set openers. Rohit dragged an inside edge onto his middle-stump while Shubman Gill upper cut a short one straight to third man. Shreyas Iyer though kept ticking with a flurry of boundaries off the pacer to take India past the 100 mark, shortly after which a thick fog cover engulfed the ground, causing a 11-minute interruption.
Ferguson leaked more boundaries on the other side of the forced break – Kohli caressing one through covers and flicking another one to the legside in the same over. However, shortly after the fifty stand, Boult exploited Iyer’s shortcomings against the short-ball and sent India’s no. 4 packing on 33.
New Zealand managed to pull things back with Rachin Ravindra squeezing in some tight overs in his opening spell, but a rare overpitched slot ball was duly punished for six by Kohli. KL Rahul, who had started sedately, was just about beginning to catch up when a calculated review by New Zealand meant the partnership was broken just after the fifty milestone. Turned down on field, Santner took the LBW call against Rahul upstairs and the three reds got him his first wicket. In the very next over, a sharp diving effort from him resulted in the unfortunate run out of Suryakumar Yadav, after a mix-up with Kohli.
Kohli carried on unfazed though, joining hands with Jadeja when India needed another 83 in the last 16 overs. The allrounder got going with back-to-back boundaries off Ferguson and even survived an early LBW scare, but played an ideal second fiddle to Kohli, often helping release the pressure with a timely boundary. The duo played out Santner carefully, while chipping away with some sharp running between the wickets. With the equation down to a tense 26 off 30, Kohli caught up with a six and a four off a returning Boult to put India firmly in the driver’s seat but an untimely slog cost him a second century of the tournament. However, India were just five away and Jadeja wrapped up the formalities to help India make it five in five.
Earlier, it was Mitchell’s century no. 5 in ODIs that helped New Zealand to 273. Alongside Ravindra (75), helped the team recover from a precarious 19/2, but a late collapse of 6 for 30 had kept New Zealand to just about par score.
India’s decision to bowl first was vindicated by the pacers early. Jasprit Bumrah was on the money and the early strikes from Mohammed Siraj and Shami meant they could muster only 34/2 in the PowerPlay – the third-lowest score in that phase this World Cup. Mitchell then joined hands with Ravindra to bail New Zealand out with their 159-run partnership.
Ravindra had a fair bit of brush with DRS and lifelines, and decided to make India pay. He was yet to get off the mark when, against Bumrah’s advice, India burnt a review on a LBW call. The left-hander was adjudged caught behind on six off Shami but got out of it using a review, and then got a reprieve in the same over when his namesake dropped a knee-high regulation catch at backward point. Post a 56-ball half-century, Ravindra was given LBW but had it overturned when the replays confirmed the ball was pitching outside leg.
The spinners barely got any turn. Jadeja bowled his 10 on the trot without any break while Mitchell laid into Kuldeep Yadav by depositing two in his succeeding overs straight down the ground. He was the face of New Zealand’s counterattack in the middle-overs, raising his second half-century of the World Cup in 60 balls and going on to convert it into a run-a-ball hundred. Mitchell also got a couple of lives, with KL Rahul spilling a tough chance behind and then Bumrah dropping another sitter.
Shami eventually broke the stubborn stand, triggering the collapse around a well-set Mitchell. After three spilled chances, India finally managed to cling on to one when Ravindra lofted straight to long-on. This was followed by a 40-ball phase where the hosts didn’t concede any boundary to the power-hitters. Glenn Phillips broke the shackles with a six to welcome Siraj back at the death but his cameo ended with a top-edge off an attempted slog that Rohit pouched safely amidst three converging fielders.
Shami added three more scalps to his tally at death, perfectly executing a couple of yorkers to knock down the off-stump of Mitchell Santner and the leg-stump of Matt Henry off successive balls in the 48th over. His fifth was the prized scalp of Mitchell who holed out on the penultimate ball of their innings, while a run-out off the last capped off a dramatic collapse that cost New Zealand their first game of the tournament.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 273 all out in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 130, Rachin Ravindra 75; Mohammed Shami 5-54, Kuldeep Yadav 2-73) lost to India 274/6 in 48 overs (Virat Kohli 95, Rohit Sharma 46; Lockie Ferguson 2-63) by 4 wickets
This series picks up from Bangladesh’s finest red-ball hour against arguably Pakistan’s bleakest one. Two years ago, Bangladesh came to Pakistan with six away Test wins in their history, and increased that tally by two in two weeks. Pakistan had never lost a Test to Bangladesh before that, but during late summer 2024 in Rawalpindi, a page turned in their cricketing relations.
This time around, the series takes place at an odd, off-kilter time. Neither side has played any Test cricket in six months, with Bangladesh’s last series a straightforward home wipeout of Ireland. Pakistan hosted South Africa in October, splitting the two Tests down the middle. This is the only red-ball international cricket Pakistan have played in 14 months.
Pakistan have filled that time going all in on T20 cricket, preparing for the recent T20 World Cup, before throwing themselves into a full PSL season. There will be just four days between the end of the PSL and the first day in Mirpur.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, have endured a more barren time. They refused to travel to India for the T20 World Cup and that has meant their only international cricket all year was an ODI series against Pakistan and New Zealand’s visit for a white-ball series [ODIs and T20Is]. Wins in all three mean they have a perfect record in international series in 2026 – a record that Pakistan will hope to put to a sterner test than they managed two years ago.
In 2024, Bangladesh’s seam attack outshone Pakistan’s, with Hasan Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed’s movement, and Nahid Rana’s rapid pace, causing more trouble than their Pakistani counterparts. If anything, Rana is in even better form, cutting Pakistan down in the sides’ ODI series, before shining in the recent PSL final for Zalmi, for which the BCB granted him special permission. Bangladesh’s four-man pace attack also includes Shoriful Islam and Ebadot Hossain, alongside Rana and Taskin, and could pose its own challenges against Pakistan.
Pakistan may hope the pitches allow a spin-bowling face-off instead. Soon after Bangladesh’s humbling of Pakistan in that 2024 series, Pakistan volte-faced from playing an all-seam attack in the first Test. Instead, their pitches assisted spin from ball one. To exploit that, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali have run riot on accommodating surfaces. If Mirpur offers assistance for the spinners, Pakistan will feel confident they have the personnel to go toe-to-toe with the hosts.
Mushfique Rahim struck a century in his 100th Test, against Ireland in November last year. He will take fresh guard against Pakistan, despite speculation about his impending retirement. Mushfiqur has resisted being pushed towards the end unless he wants to. His 191 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi was a testament to his hunger for runs, as was his celebration during this milestone 100th Test against Ireland. Mushfiqur remains a vital cog in the Bangladesh middle-order. Pakistan will be wary of him, particularly in Dhaka.
Sajid Khan has found his international opportunities limited to home Tests, but this wasn’t always the case. His first six Test matches all took place away from home, with his finest away moment coming in Bangladesh, at this very ground in Mirpur. With rain laying waste to the best part of three days of that Test, Sajid wrenched the game from the clutches of the weather. He took eight wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings, to bowl them out for 87, and narrowly force a follow-on. Four more in the second innings saw Bangladesh bowled out on the fifth evening, giving Pakistan a sensational innings win. This series is perhaps Sajid’s best chance to demonstrate he remains useful outside Pakistan.
Bangladesh are likely to bring in Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana in place of Khaled Ahmed and Hasan Murad, respectively. Shoriful Islam’s white-ball form would put pressure on Ebadot Hossain’s place.
Pakistan have been dealt a blow with Babar Azam* ruled out of the opening Test due to a left knee injury. His absence leaves a hole which is likely to be filled in by a debutant. The visitors will likely go in with two spinners in Sajid and Noman, which leaves them a choice of two of four fast bowlers. With Imam-ul-Haq back in the side, Pakistan are expected to hand a debut to one of Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal at the top of the order.
Bangladesh (probable): Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Fazal/Azan Awais, Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Amad Butt, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Khurram Shahzad/Hasan Ali, Sajid Khan
[Cricinfo]
Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) much-vaunted pace attack applied the skids on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a banana-peel clash at the Ekana Stadium. They successfully defended 219 in a rain-truncated 19-overs-a-side contest three nights after 228 didn’t seem anywhere enough against Mumbai Indians.
The orchestrator-in-chief was Mitchell Marsh, who converted his second fifty-plus score of the season into a peerless 56-ball 111, setting up the defence on a surface that offered pace, bounce and carry.
Then, Prince Yadav used these elements as his ally to bowl a ball to Virat Kohli that will perhaps make the top-five deliveries of the season. When RCB’s chase truly kicked into gear courtesy of Rajat Patidar, Prince returned to dismiss Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma within five deliveries to turn the game around.
Patidar’s dismissal three balls later, to end a six-fest, all but sealed LSG’s third win in ten matches that keeps them alive mathematically. RCB remained third on 12 points, only a superior net run rate separating them from Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans.
He manifests playing a World Cup with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. On Thursday night, he bowled a ball that would make the tournament reel and get the selectors interested, if they weren’t already.
A nip-backer at high pace whooshed past Kohli’s inside edge to splay his stumps. It was Kohli’s first IPL duck since 2023. This left RCB 9 for 2 after they had lost Jacob Bethell cheaply for a fourth game on the trot.
Between finishing his second over and returning for his third, the 11th of RCB’s chase, Prince may have felt a sense of deja vu. Three weeks ago, he finished with 2 for 25 off his full quota in an innings where LSG conceded 254 against Punjab Kings. Here, Patidar threatened an incredible jailbreak as he tore into Mayank Yadav and Digvesh Rathi to pummel a 26-ball half-century.
Patidar was particularly ferocious against Rathi, hitting him for 23 off six deliveries. After some early trouble against Mayank’s high-pace, he returned the favour by nonchalantly whipping and pulling him for sixes. From 60 for 2 in seven overs, RCB ransacked 44 off the next three when Rishabh Pant summoned Prince for a third.
He began by dismissing Padikkal caught and bowled, having deceived him with a slower ball that stuck into the surface. Three balls later, he sent a ripper of a bouncer that had the woefully out-of-form Jitesh top-edge a pull to Pant. Prince now had figures of 3 for 21.
In only his second game of the season, Shahbaz Ahmed made a compelling case to start in the line-up for the rest of LSG’s campaign. He had Patidar in his first over, followed by David for a 17-ball 40 in his third, just when RCB looked like they were looking to pull off a heist. The equation came down to 33 off 12 when Krunal Pandya, promoted ahead of Romario Shepherd, hit Mohammed Shami for back-to-back sixes. With 20 needed off 6, Rathi held his nerve and conceded just one boundary as LSG won by nine runs to arrest a six-match losing streak.
Injuries forced a series of changes for LSG. Amidst a revolving door of openers – this was their fifth new pairing – Marsh has been a constant through the ten games. Thursday’s was only his second fifty-plus score of the season. He made a half-century off 20 balls, and a century off 49 balls – the fastest yet for LSG since their inception – to set the game up.
Where Marsh flew, his new opening partner Arshin Kulkarni struggled. LSG were 95 for 0 in nine overs when rain briefly stopped play. Marsh’s onslaught against his Australia mate Josh Hazlewood – lofted through the line for two sixes in his very first over – was particularly intriguing during that passage. Kulkarni went into the break amid chatter of being retired out, but he returned and fell second ball after the resumption when he hit Krunal straight to cover for 17 off 23.
Marsh’s battle against Hazlewood may have been box office, but his attack against the others wasn’t any less thrilling. He pounced on anything short from the spinners – Suyash Sharma and Krunal. Ninety of his 111 came off boundaries, and he galloped to the landmark when he hit Shepherd for three fours in his only over.
Pant then ensured the perfect finish with a cameo 32 off 10, with the last three balls of the innings, from Rasikh Dar, getting taken apart for 4, 4, 6. LSG hit 64 off their last five, which eventually made a massive difference to the end result.
Brief scores:
Lucknow Super Giants 209 for 3 in 19 overs (Mitchell Marsh 111, Arshin Kulkarni 17, Nicholas Pooran 38, Rishabh Pant 32*; Josh Hazlewood 1-49, Krunal Pandya 1-31, Rasikh Salam 1-53) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 203 for 6 in 19 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 34, Rajat Patidar 61, Tim David 40, Krunal Pandya 28*, Romario Shepherd 23*; Mohammed Shami 1-33, Prince Yadav 3-33, Shahbaz Ahmed 2-33) by nine runs
[Cricinfo]
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