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Manish Pandey, the Karnataka batsman, could miss the rest of the Ranji Trophy season after undergoing a hernia operation in Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2011Manish Pandey, the Karnataka batsman, could miss the rest of the Ranji Trophy season after undergoing a hernia operation in Bangalore. Pandey scored his second first-class double-century in Karnataka’s third-round match against Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium but felt pain during the innings, as well as while fielding later in the drawn match. He consulted doctors on his return to Bangalore, was advised an immediate hernia surgery and will now need four to six weeks of rest.”It’s really unfortunate,” Karnataka’s chairman of selectors J Abhiram told . “He was in great form and was being noticed by everyone. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.”Pandey was the fifth highest run-getter in last year’s Ranji Trophy, with 629 runs from eight matches including two centuries. He was prolific during the Duleep Trophy too, scoring 329 runs in three innings, including his maiden first-class double-hundred.Karun Nair, a 19-year-old batsman yet to make his first-class debut, will be Pandey’s replacement for Karnataka’s next match, against Saurashtra from November 29. Nair has been picked on the back of a century for KSCA Colts XI against Rajasthan Cricket Association XI in the Shafi Darashah Tournament in July- August 2011. “Karun has been in fine form this year, and so we decided to give him the opportunity,” Abhiram said. “We also discussed Lokesh Rahul and Kunal Kapoor and I am sure they will get their chances too in the near future.”Ganesh Satish, the midde-order batsman, will captain Karnataka against Saurashtra in the absence of R Vinay Kumar, who has been selected for India’s ODI series against West Indies.

Pat Cummins is rested from the entire tour, while Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will join for the ODIs against England

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-20241:23

Clarke: Some Australia players might walk away from T20Is

Perth Scorchers and Western Australia allrounder Cooper Connolly has been handed his first international call-up for Australia’s T20I squad to face Scotland and England, while Jake Fraser-McGurk has been included in both the T20I and ODI squad as the selectors start to glance towards the future.Australia will play three T20Is against Scotland and England from early September, and the squad reflects the start of the transition from the group that exited the recent T20 World Cup in the Super Eights. The ODI squad is more stable with an eye on next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan.Fraser-McGurk’s inclusion had been expected, and he now has the chance to establish himself as David Warner’s successor at the top of the order in both limited-overs formats. He has yet to make his T20I debut, but played two ODIs against West Indies last season.Related

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Connolly, the 20-year-old left hand batter, has only featured in 15 domestic T20s, but played a starring role in the BBL 2022-23 final to secure Scorchers the title. He strikes at 145.80 in T20s, and also provides a useful left-arm spin option. Connolly also made 90 on his Sheffield Shield debut, in the final, earlier this year.”We haven’t had that many bolters for a little while,” national selector George Bailey said. “He’s an exciting young talent. Hasn’t played a great many games yet, but we really like his versatility. His work through the middle order for the Scorchers has been really impressive. Handy left-arm spin as well which, as a secondary skill, is something we are really keen to keep exploring and see where that goes with his cricket.”Mitchell Marsh remains the T20I captain, and will also lead the ODI side in the absence of Pat Cummins, who is rested from the entire Scotland and England tour ahead of the home summer. Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will also miss the T20Is before joining for the ODIs, while allrounder Matthew Short, who was a traveling reserve at the T20 World Cup, will remain at home for the birth of his first child before arriving for the five ODIs against England.Cummins is currently among the group of Australians taking part in the ongoing MLC, but Bailey said missing the Scotland and England tour had been in the planning for around 12 months with an eye on a condensed schedule that comes once the home summer begins.”He’s got a couple of things he wants to work on physically,” Bailey said. “He’s had a lot of cricket over the past period, and this is an opportunity to get on top of those and set him up for the next period of time; it’s more a management of that. The MLC opportunity came reasonably late, [and] as far as the plan went, it’s an extra 18 or 19 days that he’s up for, [so] it doesn’t fundamentally change the plan we had for him.”2:32

Bailey impressed with Connolly’s ‘versatility’

From those who featured in the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies last month, Ashton Agar and Matthew Wade have been dropped from the T20I squad, while Warner has retired.In the T20I squad, Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis will be part of the pace attack alongside the experience of Josh Hazlewood. Allrounders Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie are included across both formats with the former likely to see far more opportunity. Josh Inglis will replace Wade with the gloves in T20Is.Alex Carey is back in the ODI squad as Inglis’ understudy, having lost his place in the XI during last year’s World Cup.The T20Is against Scotland, which replace the tour of Ireland which was cancelled by the hosts for financial reasons, take place on September 4, 6 and 7. Three T20Is against England follow on September 11, 13 and 15, followed by the five ODIs.

Australia T20I squad vs Scotland and England

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Spencer Johnson, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia ODI squad vs England

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis (wk), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Nottinghamshire remain only Championship team to lose a match in 2024

ECB Reporters Network16-Apr-2024Barely a mile down the road from Trent Bridge, about three and a half hours before the scheduled start of play on the final day of Nottinghamshire’s Vitality County Championship game with Worcestershire, a tornado ripped tiles off houses and brought down trees, some close to the Nottinghamshire chief executive’s house. Sadly, however, there was to be no such drama on the field.An hour after lunch, with the latest squall sweeping through and winds threatening to send the covers flying towards Lincolnshire, play was abandoned without a ball bowled. Nottinghamshire, 195 runs ahead overnight but with only three wickets standing, took 14 points and Worcestershire, who had fancied pushing for victory, departed with 13. It was one of three matches, all in the East Midlands, to be left as draws with a complete final-day wash out.Until Nottinghamshire suffered their second catastrophic collapse in seven days on Sunday, they had seemed well set to offer a target for Worcestershire to chase. But in eight overs approaching the close they had crashed from 125 for 1 to 144 for 7, Worcestershire’s new overseas signing this year, Kiwi Nathan Smith, claiming four in seven balls, including a triple-wicket maiden. He now has ten wickets in three innings.The previous week, it was Essex new-ball bowler, Sam Cook, who had returned 6 for 14 as Nottinghamshire plummeted to 80 all out on the same ground. After gaining a first-innings lead of 44 over Worcestershire they had still entertained hopes of a win themselves, suggesting that around 250 would be hard for their opponents to pursue on a turning pitch. Sadly we will never know. A game apparently destined for an enthralling finish alas bowed to the rain and gusts that have defined the season so far.

Falling short of usual standards a “positive sign we can get better” argues Lyon

Daniel Brettig at Lord's15-Aug-2019If there was any doubt as to the high standards Australia’s cricketers were holding themselves to on this Ashes tour, a blunt reminder came in the form of Nathan Lyon’s critique of day one of play at Lord’s following a washout on the Wednesday.While Lyon was glowing in his praise of Josh Hazlewood’s return to the team, and also Pat Cummins’ aggressive use of the bouncer in the afternoon, he indicated that the overall performance was short of expectations despite bowling England out for 258 and peeling 30 of those runs off for the loss of David Warner by the close.Lyon, who in claiming three wickets of his own drew level with Dennis Lillee on 355 Test wickets for Australia, reckoned that the dropping of three catches ad also allowing England to form a pair of pesky stands between Joe Denly and Rory Burns then Chris Woakes and Johnny Bairstow undid much of Hazlewood’s precision work with the Dukes ball.”If you look at today I don’t think we’ve had the best day if I’m being brutally honest,” Lyon said. “I think Josh Hazlewood was absolutely exceptional and the spell from Pat Cummins after tea really set the tone for us. For our standards I don’t think we were good enough for long periods of time.ALSO READ: ‘Cherry ripe’ Josh Hazlewood brings peak precision“But in saying that it’s still a good day for Australia, we’ve won the toss, we’ve created more than 10 chances, we haven’t played catch today. We can get better, and that’s exciting but we still were able to bowl England out for 258 on a day one wicket. There’s still a lot of work to do, we’re happy with the day but we know there’s a lot of improvement to be done.”Asked to explain where he thought he day went wrong, Lyon felt that the period in between Hazlewood’s early work and Cummins’ short pitched assault was a little too generous to the hosts. “I think we can always keep learning about the game, but the Dukes balls tend to go a little bit soft and the wicket’s quite slow as well, which makes … I think the quicks nicked about six and they bounced a good metre in front of our slips,” he said. “That’s generally a sign of the pace in the wicket and how soft the ball is if the nicks aren’t carrying.Tim Paine chats to Peter Siddle as Australia search for another breakthrough•Getty Images

“It’s one of those ones where the short bowling is used as a tactic, and we saw it in the [2013-14] Ashes when Michael Clarke was captain. They’re totally different wickets but I thought the way Tim and Pat and others came to a plan and I think the way Josh stuck to his nagging length was exceptional.”We’re playing Test cricket, playing against the best players in the world, there’s going to be partnerships here and there, that’s where it comes back to us bowlers hanging int here and doing the basics for long periods of time. I don’t think we did that well enough for Australian standards, our standards we have in our bowling cartel, and in that change room. It’s a positive sign we can get better.”As for Hazlewood, Lyon indicated that his fellow New South Welshman had plenty more days like this one, where he nipped out England’s first three wickets and troubled everyone, lay ahead. “I think Josh has been a world-class bowler for a long period of time and I don’t think he’s got the rewards that he’s deserved as yet,” Lyon said. “I think they’re to come. In my eyes Josh is up in the top three best bowlers in test cricket in my personal eyes. I think his control of hitting that nagging length but having the skill to go both ways in and out.”Then he’s got a pretty strong bouncer as well and it’s always usually on the money. I think Josh has been outstanding, I know he was disappointed to be left out of the first Test but to come back and bowl the way he did today, hats off to Josh, I thought he was the pick of our bowlers.”

Ashantha de Mel, the team manager, has written to the governing body, but says he hasn’t received a reply yet

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2019Sri Lanka team manager Ashantha de Mel has complained to the ICC about the “unfair” pitches he feels Sri Lanka have had to play their matches on, as well as the less-than-ideal training facilities and accommodation. The ICC has strongly denied the accusation that there has been favouritism.Although their two most-recent matches were washouts in Bristol, Sri Lanka had begun the tournament on two green decks in Cardiff, where they lost to New Zealand and narrowly beat Afghanistan. In the approach to their match against Australia at The Oval – a venue that has seen high-scoring games thus far – de Mel believes Sri Lanka have been saddled with another green track. As seaming conditions will ostensibly aid Australia, de Mel is unhappy.”What we have found out is that for the four matches we have played so far at Cardiff and Bristol, the ICC has prepared a green pitch,” he told . “At the same venues, the other countries have played on pitches are brown and favourable for high scoring.”The pitch being prepared for our match against Australia on Saturday here at The Oval is green. It is not sour grapes that we are complaining. But it is very unfair on the part of the ICC that they prepare one type of wicket for certain teams and another type for others.”There have been other inconveniences too, according to de Mel, which he said he has officially brought to the ICC’s notice.The Sri Lankans haven’t been too thrilled with their training facilities•Getty Images

“Even the practice facilities provided at Cardiff were unsatisfactory. Instead of three nets they gave us only two, and the hotel we were put up at Bristol did not have a swimming pool, which is very essential for every team – for the fast bowlers, especially, to relax their muscles after practice,” he said. “The hotels that Pakistan and Bangladesh were put up at Bristol had swimming pools.”We wrote to the ICC listing all these shortcomings four days ago but so far we have not had any response from them. We will continue to write to them until we get a reply.”The ICC has since provided an official response, pointing out that pitches are overseen by an independent advisor.”We employ an independent pitch advisor to work with the host curators at all ICC events and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 is no different,” an event spokesperson said. “We are happy with the wickets that have been produced across the event so far in English conditions.”As part of the four year planning process to deliver this event, we have liaised with all teams to ensure they are happy with their set up and are available to work with them should any issues arise that have not been previously anticipated. At the heart of our planning is the philosophy that all ten teams are treated equally to enable them to have the best possible preparation for the event.”Although Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne would not be drawn into the matter of unsatisfactory hotels and training facilities, he did express disappointment with the green surfaces. Both he and coach Chandika Hathurusingha had already said they would prefer to play on batting-friendly surfaces, and Karunaratne reiterated that on the eve of the match at The Oval.”I have already said that people expect entertainment from ODIs,” Karunaratne said. “They want 100-over games. If you take today’s game – between England and West Indies – it is a flat wicket, it is white in colour. If you take this Oval wicket, it is green. These are the things we weren’t expecting. Every wicket should be white-top. We want fair wickets. That’s all we want.”

The ECB has secured a new sponsor for T20 cricket, although the deal with health and life insurance group Vitality will not include the proposed new-team competition for 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2018The ECB has secured a new sponsor for T20 cricket, although the deal with health and life insurance group Vitality will not include the proposed new-team competition for 2020. Vitality takes over from NatWest, who remain the ECB’s “principal partner” with naming rights on England shirts.The new deal will cover the Vitality Blast for the next four years, as well as England men’s and women’s home T20I series for two years. The Blast is set to be overtaken as England’s main T20 competition in two summers’ time, when an eight-team tournament modelled along the lines of the IPL and Big Bash comes into being.NatWest succeeded Friends Life as the domestic T20 sponsor on a four-year contract in 2014, before widening its agreement with the ECB. That led to Investec, a rival financial services provider, ending its sponsorship of Test cricket in England early, with the board still looking for a replacement.The new T20 competition is hoped to lead to a big increase in interest and revenue, forming part of the comprehensive broadcast deal secured by the ECB last summer worth £1.1bn.”We’re excited to be working with a partner who shares our enthusiasm and passion for T20 cricket,” Rob Calder, the ECB’s commercial director, said. “It’s the fastest growing format of the game, an integral part of ECB’s long-term strategy and has a critical role to play in bringing new people to the sport.”Vitality are an established brand in the sports marketplace with a proven track record of using sponsorship successfully to grow fan-bases and improve participation levels. They’re a natural fit for a partnership to drive interest and engagement in all our different T20 competitions at every level.”Vitality has been an official partner of the ECB since 2013 and make use of England Test captain Joe Root as a brand ambassador. The company also has sponsorship arrangements in football, rugby, hockey and netball.Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Vitality, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the ECB for T20 cricket. T20 is a brilliant innovation that’s revolutionising the sport around the world.”This new sponsorship aligns with our own vibrant brand and fits with our desire to increase awareness and engagement among families and across all levels of the game while at the same time telling more people about Vitality.”

The BCB president has asked the selectors to consider Anamul Haque as an opening option for the South Africa Test series that is scheduled to begin on September 28

Mohammad Isam08-Sep-2017Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan has made a recommendation to the selectors by asking them to consider Anamul Haque as an opening option for the South Africa Test series later this month. Anamul last played a Test three years ago and fell out of favour with the Bangladesh team management after a slow 70-ball 47 in a T20I in November 2015. He hasn’t appeared in an international fixture ever since.Hassan, however, paid little heed to Anamul’s inadequate game time in the international arena of late and, as has been his tendency over the past 12 months, recommended a player’s name to the selectors ahead of a series. Only weeks ago, he had intervened to include Mominul Haque in the Test squad ahead of the Australia series after the batsman was dropped by the selectors the previous day. In March this year, Hassan had stepped in to keep Mahmudullah in the squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka after the team management decided to send him home ahead of the game. Hassan later said that Mehidy Hasan’s inclusion in the limited-overs leg of that tour was also his recommendation.Previously, he had also recommended Mehedi Maruf and Shahriar Nafees to the board after they had put in decent performances in the BPL last year. Mosharraf Hossain, too, had the president’s attention during the Afghanistan ODIs.Hassan said on Friday that the board was focused on having more right-left combinations in the Bangladesh batting line-up, which is why he suggested Anamul’s name to the selectors.”If Imrul [Kayes] had done well, we would have thought of putting him ahead of Soumya [Sarkar] but that didn’t happen,” Hassan said. “There isn’t anyone extraordinary coming up in that position, but we are looking for someone. Bijoy (Anamul Haque) is an option as a right-hander. You will be surprised to know that I have already mentioned his name to the board the day before yesterday. I think he will be considered. We have to work with a left-right combination.”At the end of the second Test, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim sought clarity from the decision makers over his roles in the team – apart from leading it, he is also a key batsman and the wicketkeeper. Hassan responded by saying that, while he does discuss strategies with the players, such things had to be solved by the individual on their own.”I think it is Mushfiqur’s problem,” Hassan said. “Doesn’t Mashrafe [Mortaza] captain the side? He has never faced such a problem. Shakib [Al Hasan], the new T20 captain, will never face a problem. These things are a captain’s decision. We can give him a strategy but he has to take the decision in the field. Mashrafe decides by himself who will bowl and bat. We can give him information, maybe tell him, ‘Try this, try him,’ but nothing more than that.”We asked him if he wants to keep wickets. We asked him if he wants to bat at No. 4. Even the day before the second innings [of the Chittagong Test], I sent him word to bat at No. 4, but he didn’t do it. So it is up to him. He sent Nasir [Hossain at No. 4]; maybe he didn’t want to change his position. I will ask him since he said such a thing in the media. After end of play on the first day, I discussed plans and strategies with Shakib, Miraz, Taijul [Islam] and the coach. But I won’t dictate them what to do.”Hassan also revealed Bangladesh’s long-term plan for the 2019 World Cup, saying that Bangladesh will experiment for the first 10 matches out of the 30-odd games that they will play in the run-up to the tournament, but will keep a similar line-up for the rest of the matches.”Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, we have 30 international matches scheduled. In the last 18-20 matches, we will not make any changes,” he said. “We want a set team for the World Cup. But in the first 10-odd games, we will make many experiments. There may be a few who wouldn’t be happy with it but we have to have a settled World Cup team.”

The 19-year-old batsman had a breakout season in the Women’s Big Bash League, finishing among the top five run-getters

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2017In a season of breakthroughs for women’s cricket in Australia, Ashleigh Gardner is set to become the latest by becoming the first indigenous cricketer to debut for Australia women since the pioneering figure of Faith Thomas started out all of 59 years ago.Gardner’s barnstorming displays with the bat for the Sydney Sixers – she scored 414 runs in 16 matches with three fifties – have earned her a spot in the squad for both the Twenty20 and 50-over matches to be played against New Zealand women over the next month. More pointedly, they offer her a chance to earn selection in the squad for the World Cup, due to be played in England later this year.

Australia women squads for NZ matches

Twenty20s: Meg Lanning (capt), Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Lauren Cheatle, Rene Farrell, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington
ODIs: Meg Lanning (capt), Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Lauren Cheatle, Rene Farrell, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry (subject to fitness), Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Australia’s captain Meg Lanning was delighted by the 19-year-old’s selection, having seen her destructive potential up close during the Women’s Big Bash League. “It’s great to see, a big step for her but she’s really deserved it,” Lanning said. “She’s come of age I guess in the last 12 months and really dominated, which is what we want to see.”She’ll fit into the group really well, a great kid, so looking forward to having her around and hopefully she can take her opportunity. Consistency takes time, you come in and make a few scores but it’s about being consistent and she’s done that throughout.”She’s often come in to bat under pressure during the WBBL after a few wickets have gone down early, and she plays her own game, players to her strengths and takes the game on, which exactly what we want in the side. She’s played some outrageous shots in innings throughout the WBBL, so it’s exciting to see young girls coming through and putting up their hand at state level and being rewarded.”A hamstring strain means that Ellyse Perry will be unavailable for the T20 matches but Lanning said she was hopeful of a return in time for the Rose Bowl 50-over series. “Having Ellyse Perry missing for the T20s isn’t ideal but it gives an opportunity to someone else coming through,” Lanning said.”We’re getting closer to the side we want to have for the World Cup, but there’s still opportunities for everyone to impress. It’s a very important series against New Zealand and we’re looking forward to the challenge because we know they’re a very good team.”We’ll just have to see how she’s tracking, it’s disappointing for her to miss out but once she’s fit she’ll come back in and we know what a special player she is. You’ve just got to adapt to these things and do the best you can.”The transition from T20 to 50-over cricket is something Lanning and her team will have to make over the next few weeks, having experienced a glut of the shortest form via the WBBL but now needing to refocus ahead of their defence of the World Cup. “It’s mostly about patience with bat and ball,” she said.”Even in T20 cricket you’ve got more time than you think, so one-dayers tend to drag on a bit now we played so many T20s. It’s just really knowing your game plan and what suits your team and individuals and having the patience and really just backing yourself. We’ve been in good form in one-dayers of the last couple of years so it’s really important that we become really consistent with it.”New Zealand will travel to Australia for three T20Is, which will be played between February 17 and 22 in Melbourne, South Geelong and Adelaide. Australia will then visit New Zealand for three ODIs, in Mount Maunganui, between February 26 and March 5.

Rohit Sharma became the 15th centurion in T20 internationals and India’s second after Suresh Raina but he was overshadowed by JP Duminy, who is South Africa’s leading run-scorer and second overall in the format, as he scripted a stunning series-opening vi

The Report by Firdose Moonda02-Oct-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:51

Agarkar: Tough conditions for bowlers

Rohit Sharma became the 15th centurion in T20 internationals and India’s second after Suresh Raina but he was overshadowed by JP Duminy, who is South Africa’s leading run-scorer and second overall in the format, as he scripted a stunning series-opening victory in Dharamsala. Duminy shared a 105-run fourth-wicket partnership with Farhaan Behardien to see South Africa chase down 200 for only the second time in T20Is after AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla set them up with a 77-run opening stand.India would have thought their total was safe, albeit short of what they seemed headed for at 158 for 1 with five overs to go, after R Ashwin and debutant S Aravind removed de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in successive overs adding to South Africa’s reputation for middle-order meltdowns. But the temperament of Duminy and the tactical nous which resulted in Behardien promoted to No. 5 ahead of David Miller kept South Africa in the game and took them over the line.That line would have seemed distant when Rohit and Virat Kohli were shredding the South African attack’s traditional strength – the short ball. The first one was delivered by Marchant de Lange and Rohit met it with an authoritative pull. Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada supplied many more and Rohit relished each one of them.Not even South Africa’s banker, Imran Tahir was spared. Kohli crossed 1000th T20I runs off him with a six over deep midwicket, to become the first Indian to reach the mark. Rohit also reached a milestone – a hundred in all formats – and saved it for de Lange, who had dropped him on 24 off his own bowling, when he cleared long-off to bring up the century off 62 balls.The ball was changed after that over and it worked for South Africa’s seamers. Kohli and Rohit both mis-hit pulls and were caught near the boundary in Abbott’s next over to end their stand of 138 and put the brakes on India’s charge. South Africa kept India to just 41 runs in the final five overs to give themselves a chance with the bat.Amla immediately showed their intent to make that chance count when he clipped the first ball of the reply to the fine-leg boundary. De Villiers was not to be outdone and sent the second ball he faced over his Royal Challengers Bangalore team-mate Aravind’s head.India’s seamers did not fare much better than South Africa’s on a surface that was packed with runs and a outfield heavy with dew, and their attempts at varying lengths were unsuccessful. With what seemed like casualness, Amla and de Villiers racked up 67 runs in the Powerplay, finding the boundary off short and full balls alike.Spin was cited as being the difference between the sides and Axar Patel almost showed why. He threatened to end the opening stand, when he induced a thick edge from Amla but MS Dhoni put down a tough chance. The breakthrough came in Ashwin’s over, but not by his doing, when Amla was run-out searching for a second run.Ashwin enjoyed more success in his next over with a superb delivery to remove de Villiers, just after he had brought up a half-century with a four. De Villiers advanced on Ashwin and sent him to the deep midwicket boundary for his fifty off 31 balls but on the 32nd, Ashwin saw him coming. He held back the pace and had de Villiers in no-man’s land when the ball hit his back thigh and deflected onto the stumps.South Africa needed 107 runs off 61 balls when Duminy arrived at the crease and his task was immediately made more difficult. Aravind got his first international wicket when he bowled du Plessis with a slower ball that slanted across the South African captain as he reached for it with rooted feet and India would have thought the game was over.Duminy might have felt the same when Ashwin appealed for a stumping off him, off the fourth ball he faced, but replays showed Duminy was safe. In the next over, Axar had an lbw appeal against Duminy which looked close enough to be out but was not given. Duminy was determined to make the two chances count.He swung hard at the next ball and sent it for six to restart South Africa’s chase and Behardien, prompted by the positivity, joined the party. The pair took 30 runs off three overs and then Duminy seized the advantage with a trio of sixes off Axar’s final over. He brought the required run rate down from 13.20 to 11 per over and with four overs left, gave South Africa reason to believe.Bhuvneshwar bowled a boundary-less third over but conceded nine runs, before Duminy hit back to take six off the first ball of Mohit Sharma’s last over and ten off the first two balls of Bhuvneshar’s final one. Behardien provided the perfect foil and rotated strike confidently to put Duminy in command.Unintentionally, India ended up leaving their newest player with the most to do. Aravind had to defend 10 runs off the last over and backed himself to bowl yorkers. He got the first two in the right area but missed the length on the third. Duminy pulled it over deep midwicket to level scores and with a single off the next ball, gave South Africa the series lead.

The BCCI has been hit with a Rs 2300 crore (approx $433m) notice from the income tax department and has asked its treasurer Ajay Shirke to suggest how to deal with the issue

Amol Karhadkar05-Feb-2013The BCCI has been hit with a Rs 2300 crore (approx $433m) notice from the income tax department and has asked its treasurer Ajay Shirke to suggest how to deal with the issue.The BCCI working committee met in Chennai on Monday and discussed the matter in detail. President N Srinivasan explained to the working committee that the tax-related issues have compounded since the BCCI changed its objectives in 2006, has reported.Since the BCCI is registered as a charitable trust, it used to get various tax exemptions on the grounds of promoting cricket as a ‘charitable activity’. But after the BCCI amended its objectives in June 2006, the government has started considering the BCCI to be earning income through ‘commercial’ means, it was explained to the working committee.The bone of contention has been the income generated through sale of IPL franchises and through sale of broadcast rights for the Twenty20 league. While the BCCI claims it distributes a “major portion” of the income generated to its affiliated units (ie the state and regional associations), the tax authorities have been reportedly seeking taxes both from the parent body as well as affiliated units.It was learnt that Shirke has been asked to chalk out the path ahead “within a fortnight” so that the BCCI can “sort out” all the impeding issues with the tax authorities.