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Fire fight back late with the ball but pay price for timid powerplay and costly early no-ball

ECB Media24-Aug-2025
Joe Root delivered a batting masterclass at Sophia Gardens, hitting his second successive half-century as Trent Rockets snuck past Welsh Fire with a ball to spare to confirm their qualification for the knockout phase.In a frenetic match, David Payne thought he had dismissed Root for a duck, only for the umpire to signal a no-ball after replays showed the bowler had over-stepped. The England run-machine promptly hit the subsequent free-hit for six over long-on and eventually finished unbeaten on 64 from 41 to secure a three-wicket win, keeping his composure in a chaotic finale.Set 151 for victory, the Rockets appeared to be cruising after a 66-run opening stand between Root and Tom Banton (32 from 20) but when Rehan Ahmed fell to Saif Zaib and Max Holden holed out to deep cover off Chris Green, the nerves began to show.Tom Moores went for a big shot and was caught at mid-on to give Green his second and then three wickets fell in the space of seven deliveries as the Fire set alarm bells ringing.The Rockets were left needing 14 from the final set, bowled by Green, but Root, entirely unruffled, belted the spinner’s first delivery for six and then found a boundary through mid-wicket from the second. A single brought Sam Hain on strike, and he crunched the ball through the covers to seize a thrilling victory.The Fire have had a tough season, winning just two of their seven matches, but they had given themselves a fighting chance after Steve Eskinazi’s first half-century of the campaign headlined a competitive total of 150-6.Runs were hard to come by early on as the Rockets seamers bowled tightly, conceding just 47 from the first 45 deliveries. Steve Smith gloved behind for 8 off Sam Cook (2 for 17), who then dismissed Jonny Bairstow, caught at backward-square by Lockie Ferguson for an uncharacteristically scratchy 13-ball 8.Eskinazi (53 from 42) and skipper Tom Abell (48 from 29) picked up the pace in the second half of the innings before falling to consecutive deliveries in the penultimate set – the former run out after a mix up and the latter caught behind off David Willey – and a breezy four-ball 11 from Green took the hosts to 150, but it wasn’t enough to lift them from the bottom of the table.The Rockets, meanwhile, have secured a top-three finish with a game to spare as they aim to repeat their title triumph of 2022. Victory in their home fixture against Birmingham Phoenix on Wednesday could yet see them top the table and progress straight to the Lord’s final if other results go their way.”Way too tense for my liking,” said Joe Root, the Meerkat Match Hero. “They pulled it back, this format is difficult to gauge. The majority of the game, the wicket played fine.”Green’s over, I thought I’ve got to hit a six here. We needed a boundary in the first two balls, I had a good idea of what he was trying to do to protect that long side, and I put a couple away. “

Conversations are ongoing about how to help staff who face an uncertain future

Daniel Brettig22-Apr-2020Stood down staff at Cricket Australia may find themselves working at Woolworths after the chief executive Kevin Roberts approached the supermarket giant and cricket sponsor about temporary work opportunities amid the coronavirus pandemic.Roberts, who has maintained there is a united front in cricket about cash-saving decisions including mass staff stand downs on 80% pay cuts until at least July, dug in further on his chosen approach on Wednesday morning, also revealing that a home international season played without crowds could cost CA up to A$50 million in revenue. CA is not currently eligible for the federal government’s JobKeeper support programme having lost no major revenue streams from cancelled matches.CA’s state association owners compelled CA to back down on their original proposal to shave 45% from annual grants and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) – no stranger to conflict with the governing body in Roberts’ time – are understood to be planning how to build elements of their fixed revenue percentage model into any revenue fluctuations next summer. Roberts, though, has continued to defend his chosen tack, even asserting on Wednesday that he has “vast majority” support for CA management’s remedies.ALSO READ: Cricket Australia mulls five India Tests behind closed doors“I wrote to Brad Banducci the CEO of Woolworths given that Woolworths is among organisations that need more staff at the moment,” Roberts told SEN Radio. “Our people and culture team are also working with other organisations who are in the habit of placing people in organisations and industries that have a temporary need for more people.”So we’re doing those things proactively and people are at the centre of everything we do, and as much as we hate making those sorts of decisions we had to make last week, the other side of that coin is certainly that we’re supporting our people and looking for even temporary opportunities for them to be involved and earning income elsewhere when their income is reduced from cricket.”Stand downs until July are likely to be followed by redundancies and other cuts even if a full international season is played, due to setbacks such as the potential loss of revenue from matches needing to be played in empty stadiums. “Our revenue from ticket sales you could put a ring around A$40-50 million depending on the season,” Roberts said. “So that is significant obviously, and something that goes into our planning.”Asked about how he reached the decision to stand down all but a handful of staff on only 20% of their usual salaries while executives remain on 80% of their usual base rates of pay, Roberts said that it had simply been a matter of judging how much work was able to be done while placing the business on hold and paying employees accordingly. Roberts faced direct questioning from his staff on this very issue on Tuesday, which he has said will save A$3 million from the bottom line of an organisation with annual revenue of about A$200 million from broadcast rights alone.In its most recent annual report, CA listed executive pay – covering that of Roberts, his executive team and the chairman Earl Eddings – as totalling A$6.6 million, up from A$5.6 million for 2017-18. That salary bill has been shaved by some 20% amid the current suite of measures, while all but a few lesser paid staff have lost 80% of their wages.”It’s what activities are being paused and what’s the skeleton staff we require for the activities that continue and that leads you to a temporary solution, which is the national coaches being part-time through this period,” Roberts said. “It’s something we need to continue managing sensitively no doubt, and we are doing that, which is why we’re communicating with our people every second day, and our people can ask me any question on a live stream every second day.In response to questions about reservations raised by state associations, the ACA and staff about the way CA has approached its cost-saving and planning measures around coronavirus, Roberts declared that “unity doesn’t attract eyeballs in the media”, and suggested that he “absolutely” had enough support to drive his chosen changes through.”We know that you won’t have 100% of people and 100% of stakeholders happy at any particular time. But the reality is that the vast majority of our people, our members, our stakeholders are very comfortable with how we’re working through this. I think it’s just the reality of the situation versus what is sometimes reported, given that stories of harmony don’t necessarily sell. We’re working through things in an open and really orderly way with all of those organisations. It’s all about focusing on, in cricket parlance, the next ball.”

The former BCCI women’s cricket head details the areas that need urgent attention

Shamya Dasgupta29-Jun-2021Women’s cricket in India has been making headlines since India made the finals of the 2017 50-over World Cup and the 2020 T20 World Cup. By the end of 2021, India would have played two Tests after a gap of almost seven years: One just ended, in England, and there’s another lined up, a pink-ball Test – the second for women – in Australia in September. The BCCI has also been tapping talent with the T20 Challenge that is played alongside the IPL playoffs’ week every year.All of that would make it appear that women’s cricket in India is heading in the right direction. However, Saba Karim, who was until December the BCCI’s general manager for cricket operations, feels that the board needs to make the administration of the women’s game more professional and have a plan that is separate from that for men’s cricket. Only then, he says, can women’s cricket grow faster.Related

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“It is a good start, but there needs to be a solid plan, a plan different to that for the boys and men, for things to move forward and for us to build on it,” Karim said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. “I feel the way to go forward is to make it much more professional, and growth of women’s cricket has to be different from boys’ cricket, and the planning has to be different. One has to have a different plan, a constructive plan, with lots of outreach programmes.”While Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami Smriti Mandhana and a couple of others are household names in India, Karim said the pathway for young women to move from the lowest rungs to the top are yet to be properly put in place. “In India, we don’t have many girls who come and play, even now. One has to ensure that their passage from entering the system to the time they exit is without obstacles,” he said. “For instance, for a boy to walk two kilometres to play cricket, or to go to school, is easy. But it’s not for a girl. So how do we remove that? How do we make it more accessible?”Also, the BCCI has Under-19 and Under-23 cricket, but 40-50% of the girls end up playing [both] Under-19 and Under-23 for certain teams, because there aren’t too many girls playing. We had to have separate calendars so there was no clash. That isn’t the case with the boys, because there are so many players and there is so much talent. So the plan for women has to be different.”When India played the Bristol Test earlier this month, it wasn’t just the team’s first Test match in seven years. It was also the first long-format game the players had been involved in in years, with the BCCI discontinuing its women’s domestic first-class competition after the 2017-18 season.During Karim’s three-year term in the BCCI, domestic and women’s cricket were among his primary responsibilities, his mandate being to draw up roadmaps and structures for holistic development. There was the occasional chat at the BCCI – run by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) for the best part of his time there – about women’s cricket, Karim said, but nothing that suggested a revival of the first-class and Test formats so soon.”Only England and Australia had Test matches, and no country was very keen to play, there were lots of constraints: lots of women cricketers are not professionals, getting out for so many days was a problem; not just in India, but elsewhere too,” Karim said. “I think that’s why the BCCI took the decision not to have Test matches, and therefore no first-class tournament.”There were discussions, there were talks, between some of the other nations too. More so after England and Australia introduced the points-system-based multi-format Ashes. This gained momentum in India too; the BCCI wanted to be in that position. I am glad it has happened. But to sustain it, we need multi-day cricket for women in the domestic circuit also. It might start from the Under-23 level, and take it up to the seniors.””The women’s IPL will have the same quality as the men’s IPL if there is a strong foundation”•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It is, however, easier said than done, and Karim accepted that. “The only way forward is to have a full-fledged three-day competition. But the issue is not conducting the matches; the BCCI hosts an incredible number of matches anyway. The issue is the calendar – it’s packed, and we have limited time to conduct so many tournaments,” he says. “You can’t start before September, even mid-September, to accommodate the increase in the number of matches. It was possible because so many new venues came up, but it was a logistical nightmare for sure.”For a women’s multi-day event, we need to look at some more venues. Plus, don’t forget, this means an increase in the number of match officials, scorers, groundspersons, video analysts, the entire contingent. It’s not only about grounds. All that needs to be considered.”Karim, often in consultation with National Cricket Academy director Rahul Dravid, had chalked out a comprehensive plan to try and take Indian women’s cricket to the next level, and much of it involved a greater focus at the lower levels, and a lot of collaboration with the state associations.”Outreach programmes with Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns, schools, those were in the pipelines. The Women’s IPL [in discussions for a while now but yet to become a reality] is at the highest level, and that we can have. But for it to be successful, we need a stronger domestic circuit, a better structure,” Karim says. “The women’s IPL will have the same quality as the men’s IPL if there is a strong foundation. The way men’s cricket is played in India, we don’t need to do too much, because there is so much talent, so many players in the system. That has to happen for the women.”The onus, Karim said, was not just on the BCCI, but primarily with the states. “Initially, the responsibility of the state associations and the BCCI is to come up with a proper plan. A proper roadmap needs to be in place. That will come from the BCCI. But the BCCI can’t do everything. The states need to play their part to make it happen.”

Opener was high on Arthur’s wish list in new role as club’s head of cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2021Shan Masood will join Derbyshire as an overseas player after being recruited by former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur for the 2022 county season.Left-handed opener Masood played under Arthur during the latter’s three-year tenure as Pakistan head coach from 2016-19 and was a key target for Arthur upon being appointed as Derbyshire head of cricket last month following a stint as Sri Lanka head coach which started in early 2020.”Playing county cricket in England is something I’ve always wanted to do, so when Mickey approached me to join Derbyshire, I jumped at the chance,” the 32-year-old Masood said. “He’s perhaps been the greatest influence in my career and I’m looking forward to working with him again at Derbyshire.Related

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“It’s an exciting time for the club and hopefully I can contribute at the top of the order and use my experience to help the younger players in their development.”Masood has made 25 Test appearances for Pakistan, scoring four centuries – including 156 against England at Emirates Old Trafford in 2020 – and has six Test fifties to his name. Despite an impressive record in List A matches in Pakistan, Masood has played only five ODIs.In T20s, he captained the Multan Sultans side which topped the PSL table before being knocked out during the play-off stages in 2020 and was part of the team which won the 2021 PSL title last June.Masood first played in England early in his career, scoring a Stamford School-record 1,237 runs at an average of 103 in 2009, and he played three first-class matches for Durham University.He will be available for all formats throughout Derbyshire’s 2022 campaign, starting with their first LV= County Championship fixture in April.Ryan Duckett, Derbyshire’s chief executive, said: “Shan is an immensely talented batter and was a key target for head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, in his plans to develop the Derbyshire squad.”He knows Mickey’s standards and what is expected both in training and out in the middle and I’m looking forward to seeing what his experience brings to Derbyshire.”

English batter gets INR 2.8 crore deal with Shreyas Iyer and Shakib Al Hasan already ruled out for the franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2023Kolkata Knight Riders have signed up England batter Jason Roy as a replacement player with two of their big names Shreyas Iyer and Shakib Al Hasan already out of the tournament. Knight Riders signed Roy for INR 2.8 crore (USD 341,000 approx.); his base price listed at the pre-season auction was INR 1.5 crore (USD 183,000 approx.).Most English players are only permitted to sign replacement deals at the IPL before a cut-off date of March 1, in order to help their counties plan for the early months of the County Championship season. However, players with ECB central contracts or incremental deals are eligible to be signed after that date. Roy lost his central contract in October, but still has an incremental deal.Roy last played the IPL in 2021, having opted out last year – after being bought by Gujarat Titans in the auction – while taking an indefinite break from cricket. In 2021 he represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and scored 150 runs from five games, averaging 30 and striking at 123.96.In 2020 too he had opted out of the IPL because of personal reasons, when he was with Delhi Capitals.Knight Riders have played just one game so far, which they lost to Punjab Kings by seven runs (DLS method) in Mohali. They play their second game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday at their home ground Eden Gardens.They have lost Iyer to a lower-back injury for which he needs surgery, and Shakib has opted out of the season for personal reasons.

The spin duo shared four wickets to restrict Bangladesh to 88 before Nahida Khan and Javeria Khan steered the visitors home

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2018ACC

Nashra Sandhu and Nida Dar led Pakistan to a series-clinching seven-wicket win in Cox’s Bazar. The spin duo proved too much for Bangladesh, sharing four wickets while giving away just 32 runs in their combined eight overs.Nashra removed Fargana Hoque and Nigar Sultana before Nida took the wickets of Sanjida Islam and Fahima Khatun as Bangladesh stumbled to 81 for 8 in their 20 overs. There were two run-outs as well, and a wicket each for Aiman Anwer and Anam Amin. For the home side, Nigar top-scored with 19 off 29 balls.Pakistan banked on two of their top three batsmen to reach their target in 18.1 overs. Nahida Khan made 33 off 40 balls with three fours while captain Javeria Khan finished unbeaten on 31 off 37 balls. Legspinners Rumana Ahmed and Fahima took a wicket each for Bangladesh.The fourth T20I will be held at the same venue on October 6, before the solitary ODI on October 8.

Northamptonshire seamers keep it tight at start of Warwickshire reply

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2022Oliver Hannon-Dalby celebrated 250 career first-class wickets as he ran through Northamptonshire’s lower order on day two of this LV= Insurance County Championship game at Northampton.In a miserly four-over spell, Hannon-Dalby claimed four victims for just five runs as Northamptonshire added 31 runs to their overnight total to close on 451 all out. The 33-year-old-seamer is now the second leading wicket-taker in Division One with 29 scalps, just behind Keith Barker’s 32.But despite his efforts Warwickshire still face a tough task in this game after some highly disciplined Northamptonshire bowling restricted scoring to just 1.8 an over with only two boundaries coming in the first 25 overs of the visitors’ reply.Alex Davies looked to regain the initiative with some lusty blows but Jack White soon ended the resistance when he trapped him leg before for 31. Dom Sibley was still there at the close unbeaten on 30 as Warwickshire ended the day on 71 for 1, still a mammoth 380 behind.Play did not start until 3.10pm after heavy rain but Hannon-Dalby struck immediately with the second ball of the day. Tom Taylor became his 250th victim when he was caught behind playing an expansive shot.In his next over Hannon-Dalby picked up Lewis McManus in similar fashion, to give Warwickshire keeper Michael Burgess his 100th career dismissal.Ben Sanderson was greeted with some short stuff from Nathan McAndrew but responded by hooking him twice to the boundary and then punching him through the covers for four more before he edged Hannon-Dalby to Sibley at first slip.Simon Kerrigan, who was struck on the helmet trying to take evasive action to a short ball from McAndrew, hit the same bowler through midwicket and cover to take Northamptonshire past 450. But Hannon-Dalby ended proceedings soon afterwards by knocking White’s stumps out of the ground.Northamptonshire’s seamers Sanderson, White, Taylor and Luke Procter found plenty of movement on offer to beat the bat and keep openers Davies and Sibley contained. There were few signs of aggression and any attempts to find the boundary were hampered by some ill-timed shots. Just two balls crossed the ropes in the first 25 overs with Northamptonshire turning the screw further with four consecutive maidens.Davies had a reprieve when he offered a sharp return catch but Taylor could not quite hold on in his follow-through. Davies started to find his groove against Procter, dispatching him for three boundaries in two overs including an imperious drive down the ground, before White trapped him lbw for 31 with Warwickshire on 53 for 1 in the 28th over.Chris Benjamin nicked his first ball from White but the ball bounced just in front of first slip. He remained 8 not out with Sibley as the day ended in bright sunshine.

Nepalese legspinner awaiting clearance to play for Oval Invincibles

Matt Roller19-Jul-2021
Sandeep Lamichhane is a doubt for the opening games of the Hundred due to visa issues.Lamichhane, the Nepalese legspinner, is due to play for Oval Invincibles in the competition on a £60,000 deal but his availability is now uncertain. He had also been due to play for Worcestershire in the Vitality Blast earlier in the summer but was forced to pull out of his deal shortly before the tournament after delays in his visa’s approval.Lamichhane’s agent confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he has arrived in the UK and that Monday was the ninth day of a mandatory 10-day quarantine period he spent in a government-approved hotel, but that despite being allowed into the country on a Tier 5 visa, he is not permitted to play in the Hundred as things stand.”At the moment, we’re unsure,” Sam Billings, the Invincibles’ men’s captain, said. “I obviously heard that today and fingers crossed he can get here. It’s been a difficult time for a lot of players with the various restrictions and things around the world. Hopefully that can get resolved [because] he’s a special talent. If not, back to the drawing board.”At this stage, the Invincibles are expected to field only two of their permitted three overseas players in their opening game against Manchester Originals on Thursday night, with Colin Ingram and Sunil Narine both in London and available for selection.ESPNcricinfo understands that Tabraiz Shamsi, the South African left-arm wristspinner who is No. 1 in the ICC’s T20I bowling rankings, has been lined up as a potential replacement in the event that Lamichhane is ruled out of the tournament altogether.

As back-to-back ODI tours of India and UAE loom, Finch is in a race against time to hit peak form ahead of the World Cup

Alex Malcolm in Melbourne17-Jan-20195:04

Improvements over last 8-10 months visible – Finch

Australia’s ODI captain Aaron Finch has spent the last few days reminding himself that he is “still a very good player” ahead of the series-decider against India at the MCG on Friday.Finch has struggled at international level over the past six months. Since scoring a stunning record 172 against Zimbabwe in a T20I in Harare in July, he has averaged just 18.48 in 26 innings across formats, with just two half-centuries, both in Tests. In the ongoing series, he has been bowled twice for 6, having faced 11 and 19 deliveries respectively in Sydney and Adelaide.”I’ve had a chance to go back and have a look at some footage and see what’s worked really well when I’ve got hundreds for Australia and felt like I’ve been playing really well,” Finch said. “It’s just about making sure that I give myself the best chance.”Maybe I’ve been too tentative in the last couple of games, letting a bit of pressure build up. It’s always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there and waiting for the right time to sort of be aggressive and take on the game. I still feel I’m a very good player. I think 13 international hundreds suggest that I do know what is required.”It’s just a case of getting through that initial part and probably looking to put a bit of pressure back on the bowler. I think at the moment I’ve just been a little bit tentative in my thought process and in my footwork at times. I think it’s just about going back to my natural game and just letting that flow and finding the right rhythm.”The schedule has been unrelenting. Since Finch was selected for the Test tour in the UAE, he has played 42 days of cricket out of 111, travelling to 15 cities across two different hemispheres, with seven format changes. He has also been captain for 14 of the 21 matches. Virat Kohli, who plays as much cricket as any international player, has played 16 matches and had five format changes in the same period. Finch is clearly in a need of a break and some respite is coming given he is not going to play in the IPL this season.”April is going to be some time off, which is a month off after the Dubai series (ODIs against Pakistan), before we head up to Brisbane for a camp before the World Cup,” Finch said. “So that’ll be the first real long break that I’ve had in a long time. That will be an opportunity to go on a quick holiday with my wife which hasn’t happened in the five-and-a-half years we’ve been together. It’ll be nice.”But in the meantime, he still needs to find some form in the final ODI on Friday, as back-to-back ODI tours to India and the UAE loom large as important preparation for Australia’s World Cup hopes. He will also have some BBL cricket ahead of the India tour.”India at home and then away followed by Pakistan in the UAE,” Finch said. “It doesn’t get much tougher than that in terms of conditions and opposition. After this series it’s just a bit of Big Bash. The Renegades schedule has a few breaks in it as well which will be really crucial. Just a time, like I said leading into this series, to recharge and just get back to getting out there and trying to slog a few around.”Aside from his own form, Finch was extremely positive about the way Australia played in the first two matches despite losing in Adelaide. Australia has made two changes for the series decider at the MCG. Jason Behrendorff has been rested to manage his ongoing back issues, with Billy Stanlake coming in, while Nathan Lyon has been replaced by legspinner Adam Zampa.

India were left to rue a top-order collapse and five no-balls from Arshdeep Singh

Ashish Pant05-Jan-20233:00

Is Axar Patel India’s No. 1 spin-bowling allrounder?

Axar Patel tried his absolute best with both bat and ball, but Dasun Shanaka continued his all-round domination of India to bring up a 16-run win for Sri Lanka in what turned out to be a thrilling contest at MCA Stadium in Pune.Batting first, the visitors, helped by some shoddy Indian bowling, including seven very costly no-balls, racked up 206 for 6 in their 20 overs. Kusal Mendis (52 off 31) and Shanaka (56* off 22) were their top-scorers.The Sri Lankan bowlers then broke India’s back, reducing the hosts to 57 for 5 in the 10th over. The chase seemed to be done and dusted at that stage, but Suryakumar Yadav and Axar staged a fightback for the ages, adding 91 runs off 40 balls for the sixth wicket. Even as Suryakumar fell, Axar and Shivam Mavi kept the game in the balance.

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Enjoy the replay the second India vs Sri Lanka T20I here

However, with India needing 21 to win off the final over, Shanaka picked up the ball for his first over, took two wickets and helped his side get over the line.

Kusal Mendis starts on fifth gear before spinners strike

It started well enough for India. They won the toss and were able to bowl first to avoid fielding in the dew later on. Hardik Pandya bowled the first over and conceded just two runs. And then it all went downhill. Mendis went on a rampage as Sri Lanka smashed 45 runs in the next three overs to trigger panic in the India camp. Mendis raced to a 27-ball fifty.Hardik had to rely on his spinners to pull things back. Axar and Yuzvendra Chahal put a lid on the scoring and picked up wickets at the same time. The duo conceded just 54 runs off their eight overs combined.

Arshdeep and a tale of five no-balls

Arshdeep hasn’t played competitive cricket since the final ODI against New Zealand on November 30 and was bound to be rusty coming into this T20I. He was introduced in the second over and started off with a half-volley on the pads that was clipped through square leg. No fuss – first ball after a fairly long break, happens. The next four balls went for just a run. Then began a saga of inexplicable no-balls – three on the bounce in his first over. The first was sprayed down leg, the next flicked to deep backward square leg for a four and the third smoked over the fielder in the same region.Arshdeep wasn’t brought back till the 19th over, and when he was, the horror no-balls continued. He bowled two more – Shanaka was caught at long-on off one of those – to finish with figures of 37 runs in two overs. His five no-balls changed the complexion of the game.Game recognises game – Dasun Shanaka pats Axar Patel after a fantastic knock•Associated Press

Shanaka continues his India domination

When the Sri Lanka captain walked out to the middle, his side had stuttered to 110 for 4 in the 14th over. He then saw Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga fall to Umran Malik off successive balls and faced the hat-trick ball. One that he pumped straight over the bowler’s head. There was no stopping Shanaka thereon. He brought up his fifty off 20 balls, the fastest by a Sri Lankan in men’s T20Is, as they hammered 93 runs in the last six overs. Later, when the chase got tricky, he took it upon himself to bowl the final over, and picked up two wickets, giving away four runs.

Sri Lanka quicks blow away India’s top order

Seeing how Sri Lanka finished off their innings might have given hope to India’s top order that the Pune surface was full of runs. They were in for a rude awakening. The Sri Lanka fast bowlers bowled with gusto and had the batters in all sorts of trouble. By the time the powerplay ended, the hosts had been reduced to 39 for 4, with all of Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha and Chamika Karunaratne on the board.

Axar, Suryakumar stage a fightback to remember

India were languishing on 64 for 5 after 10 overs. With a long tail to follow, a heavy defeat seemed imminent. Then came a run-out chance, one that saw Axar and Suryakumar almost at the same end. Sri Lanka missed, and that turned a switch. Both Suryakumar and Axar went for their shots like two men possessed. Not one Sri Lanka bowler was spared and a required rate often near 15 was being managed fairly well. Axar brought up his fifty off 20 balls, Suryakumar off 33. Eventually, though, the target turned out to be a peak too big to scale.