Former Australian Rapid Test Ryan Harris is confident his upcoming tour of South Africa will continue.
There has been much speculation about when Australia will next play test cricket, with a three Test South Africa tour temporarily scheduled for February.
Due to the current uncertainty regarding travel due to COVID-19, Cricinfo reported in December that the tour could be moved to Perth to ensure it could continue.
But keep talking SEN Test Cricket, Harris reported that the three series of matches will continue and Australia is scheduled to leave on 24 February.
“This is a big discussion point, especially in the last few days about what will happen next for Australia and what is next at the moment (climate with COVID),” he said.
“Next South Africa, I have learned this morning that (the team) will leave on February 24th, they are leaving and that is good news.
“Depending on what happens (in this series), it will be huge for the Test Championship.
“It sounds like Johannesburg – I’m not sure if it’s two tests (at the Wanderers Ground) or at Centurion, but I think that’s good news.
“Sri Lanka has been there recently, England are doing well but not doing quite well on the pitch due to some COVID-19 outbreaks, but it’s great that they will have more cricket and at least they know where they are going. to be in the next few months.
“And more importantly, it’s great that they’ll break before getting into another bubble.”
The UK’s recent tour of South Africa has stalled due to several cases of COVID-19 at the hotel they are staying at and in their playgroup, highlighting the fragility of the pandemic in the country.
Three T20s were played as scheduled in November and December, but three ODIs were canceled due to positive cases.
She has a splint and will be reviewed by a hand specialist in a week
All of New Zealand James Neesham has had surgery for a multiple dislocation of his left ring finger. Wellington Cricket said on Twitter where Neesham put the splint in, and that he will be reviewed by a hand specialist in a week. Neesham is expected to return to action behind the ongoing Super Smash tournament, where Wellington currently leads the standings.
Neesham has featured in five of his team’s six games so far, scoring 65 runs and taking eight wickets – the most together – averaging 16.25. He played Saturday’s Super Smash match against Canterbury, scoring the most goals with 49 to lead Wellington to 154 for 7. However, he was unable to close the match with the ball, conceding 30 runs from 3.4 overs as Wellington suffered their first defeat of the season. He underwent surgery on Saturday night.
Neesham, who has been largely restricted to T20 cricket in recent months, has been fight to form during the IPL in the UAE, managing just 19 runs and two wickets from five games for King XI Punjab, who finished sixth at the table and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.
Despite his lean streak, Neesham was included in the T20I squad for the home series against West Indies and Pakistan. He made a decisive contribution in the first T20I against the West Indies in Garden of Eden, stroking an unbeaten 24-ball 48 – his highest T20I score – to propel New Zealand to victory in a rainy chase.
The last ball in the 100th minute is over the Indian half, which is rare from the top of the net by Nathan Lyon to Washington Sundar, the batsman pushes the half volley back onto the court and for the matter of having the bowler shoot back at his head, requires evasive action.
Shortly thereafter, the Australian coach Justin Langer pictured in the team’s field of view spilling a water bottle next to his laptop – not once but twice – and cursing and then walking away as the team’s friendly powering and conditioning coach, Aaron Kellett, steps in to clean up. Shades of Headingley 2019 and trash can.
When the match formed a 123 stand between Sundar and Shardul thakur finally ended by Pat Cummins – Who else? – Australians gather less in celebration than in inventory. The disagreements surrounding the next two strikes are some of the most unfortunate for Tim Paine’s team in the three years since cricket was their least concern in Cape Town and Johannesburg in 2018.
Then, in the last overs of the Indian inning, Nos. 10 and 11, Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan, received only four balls which were aimed at the stump amidst the flurry of guards. Natarajan entered the match with a first-class 2 average, but was now able to make it 1 unbeaten while Siraj amassed a rogue 13. The fourth ball on the stump hits them.
What all these scenes show, for Australian 100-Test spinners Lyon, their pacemen Josh Hazlewood, Cummins and Mitchell Starc, as well as their leadership duo Paine and Langer, mentally, if not physically, India’s resilience and persistence have really been under the skin of a home team hoping to win well, and in particular to blow up the visitors. with the pace of their “top three” being helped by Lyon.
Given the match-and-draw scenario, plus the likelihood of heavy rain in Brisbane in the last two days, Australia really needs to break through the Indian blow with the help of a fast, rocking surface and then give them plenty of time to rush into the big lead. At the midpoint of the day, although there were some odd doubts to pile up the slip guard that allowed Ajinkya Rahane to get away with some very attractive edges from Starc bowling, they were on their way to do so.
“I think we missed our mark a little bit, we did a full touch or a short touch and a little bit wide here and there, so we let them get away a little bit there and maybe don’t put pressure on. We want to”
Josh Hazlewood
This is largely due to Hazlewood, putting on a performance that, if not as devastating as his Adelaide spell, was a reenactment worthy of his five-time debut against India in Gabba in 2014, all tight lines, smooth motion and steep reflections. A score of 186 for 6, with new balls maturing within 14 overs, leaves a path that appears open for Australia.
In contrast, Hazlewood, Cummins, Starc and Lyon found themselves struggling to muster their best for the additional duo Sundar and Thakur, and very quickly lost their focus in the process. There is no reason, other than mental exhaustion, why one of the most proud lineups of bowlers in Australian history couldn’t find enough balls in the right area of the court to be helpful enough to ensure the pair don’t fit in.
What they did, for what proved to be one of the finest lower-tier stands in living memory, is a stark contrast to how Cummins’ blows have fallen in particular, and how Australia’s first inning was not bad. Another big question opened up by him centers on whether, within the limits of the 2020-21 summer biosafety, the hosts might consider more rest and a much deeper bowling squad rotation than is seen on the pitch.
The emergence of Siraj, Natarajan, Navdeep Saini and Sundar has left the likes of Michael Neser, Sean Abbott and Mitch Swepson wondering what they might achieve if given the chance to perform. In contrast, Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon appear to be more or less capable of choosing themselves provided they are physically able to get on the pitch, which may lead to a lack of sharpness when needed most on day three in Brisbane or day five. in Sydney.
“Not very much, to be honest,” said Hazlewood when asked how much discussion was going on about the bowler’s place. “Everyone pulled well from Sydney, we had a pretty quiet start to this series, to be honest, those two games we didn’t play very often in Adelaide and Melbourne and we had a little bit of rest in between.
“So everyone felt really good and I thought [Cameron] Greeny makes a big difference, there are weird spells here and there that he’s bowling in and he’ll be playing right away and picking up some goals for us and helping him. Even a short spell made a big difference.
“We may just release the pressure at certain times, I think, throughout the day. Everyone’s body is pretty good, to be honest, the heat is there too. I think Gazza is playing really well bowling again and everyone supports us. We let some. The moment goes by, I think, and there are a few half-chances there that we can take and make a little difference. But obviously, the four Trials in us played quite well in the last game, but I think everyone is in good shape for the whole year. “
Compare this to Ashes 2019, when only Cummins played all five Tests among the quicks, and James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Starc all played special roles in two or three matches apiece. Hazlewood, having returned from injury, was held back from the first Test at Birmingham for being absolutely right for Lord’s, and showed this need for freshness when he broke through at critical moments for the rest of the contest. No doubt a bit of freshness of mind and role has been lost in Gabba.
“It’s hard to know exactly what’s going on in Adelaide and you might not see it every day and we haven’t seen it again in this series,” said Hazlewood. “Tailors, lately I don’t think there is much difference between No. 7 and 8, they work hard to hit, No. 8, 9 and even 10 are sometimes hard to get out. You just had to treat them like top class dough. unless they have a real specific weakness, but we’ll probably get back to our normal in the second half, I think, and see how it goes.
“There was a little bit of frustration there, when they were six years behind you think you are on your way to knock them out. But, in this day and age, teams are losing way, especially teams like England or something. I think we missed a bit, we were a little full or a little bit short and a little wide here and there, so we let them escape a little bit there and maybe don’t put pressure on. we want to. So, again, credit for them because they fought beautifully and we’ll see for the second dig. . “
As for the short-range attack on India’s last pair, Hazlewood rationalized that a full ball is more likely to be hit than a short ball. “I think here in Gabba, the bounce is very consistent, even the tailors can hit the ball and the score will go up if you throw up,” he said. “I think a short ball is probably the best way to get the tail out, and if not, that sets it up for the full ball. If you only play full bowling the bounce is very consistent and maybe one of the goals where the tailor can score in front of or behind the goal. thought the keeper could not only stop the scoreboard but also carry the goal. “
While there is some logic to Hazlewood’s words, there’s no denying that frustration has crept into Australia’s approach as well. There were too many signs in Gabba on day three that, in a contest with an Indian team turning more bodies through injury and thus spinning through a fresher mind, the most established bowling lineup in Australian history has recently been blunt. enough to make this contest much closer than anyone on the home side would have expected after Adelaide.
Daniel Brettig is assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @tokopedia
(Reuters) – Debut Washington Sundar and number eight Shardul Thakur made a defiant rearguard action on Sunday to drag India back into the contest in a decisive fourth test against Australia played in Brisbane.
Designed into XI play with injuries to the Indian front line, the duo broke the inaugural test of the fifties to deny Australia a substantial first-half lead.
After finally beating India to 336, Australia finished day three with a unbeaten 21, an overall lead of 54 runs in the last match of the sightseeing series which remains the same at 1-1.
David Warner, hitting at 20, and Marcus Harris (one) looked through the final 20 minutes at Gabba without being separated.
Earlier, India was shaken at 186-6 in return for Australia’s first inning totaling 369, but a seventh goal-tie collaboration run with 123 Sundar runs with Thakur saved the tourists.
Playing only in his second test, Shardul raised fifty with his second six, casually hitting spinner Nathan Lyon on a long rope.
Sundar, who claimed three goals in Australia’s first half, finished fifty in the following round in a less spectacular manner taking one over Mitchell Starc.
“This is clearly an important partnership by them,” Josh Hazlewood, who is back 5-57, said.
“We have them, I think, about six for 200, around that mark. So we thought we were fine up there and to be honest, those guys were fighting really well. “
Their stern streak contrasted with the dubious shot selection by some of their top-ranking teammates.
Continuing at 62 for two, the tourists added 43 laps before Hazlewood dismissed stubborn Cheteshwar Pujara for 25.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane pursued a wide Starc dispatch to depart for 37 and Hazlewood attacked twice after lunch to stop Mayank Agarwal (38) and Rishabh Pant (23).
Pant was killed attempting a Twenty20 shot, trying to redirect the rising post over the slip and instead finding Cameron Green in the gutter.
Sundar, who had 62, and Thakur frustrated the hosts, helped by luck.
Thakur broke nine boundaries in his aggressive 67th game and by the time Pat Cummins reclaimed his off-stump India had crossed the 300 mark.
“The idea is to hit as long as possible,” Thakur said in a video conference.
“The more goals we score, the less their lead. We just wanted to spend time there. “
Reporting by Ian Ransom and Amlan Chakraborty; Edited by Himani Sarkar
Collapse always seems to be happening, and no team has been able to establish absolute authority
In a gripping series between Australia and India, it’s fair to say the blows are indifferent. Finally at SCG, things regain some form of normality, totaling over 300 and Steve Smith find comfort in its own little batting world. Not very fast, with the previous number more often below 200, and even dropping to 36. Ajinkya Rahane’s brave MCG century is a perversion; Batting stocks are on a fairly low ebb.
SCG’s surface was the flattest of the course for the first three Tests, which adds to the perception that modern batsmen are better at hitting strength than defending hostile bowling spells. In fact, it is more likely that there are batsmen in each era who are more adept at survival than others; it’s just that currently the numbers are relatively low because the game landscape has changed drastically.
However, there are some aspects of batting that have stood out so far in this series. First and foremost, it is no longer true to say that the Indian batsman is the best spin bowling player. They may not be worse than others but they are definitely no better than others overall. There have been times in the series when they were definitely not that clever from spin bowling. In the first half at SCG, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara is a classic example. They both desperately advanced in defense for ball after ball from Nathan Lyon, who was not only lazy on foot but also caused problems. Nobody was dismissed by Lyon but it was more of luck than good footwork.
That was surprising in the case of Pujara, as his footwork was proactive in the second inning, and in such a game he looks more like a player who put in a dazzling performance on his debut against Australia in 2010. Generally in the first innings at SCG, Pujara was very predictable. and it was played by the Australian forward. The theory of making Pujara diligently undermine Australia was a good theory on the previous tour, when Virat kohli is there to take advantage, but in the absence of the captain, the No.3 should be more free to score goals.
Australian batting, despite the emergence of Marnus Labuschagne and the potential of Will Pucovski and Cameron Green, still has a lot to revolve around Smith. Even though five of the top six positions are now well filled, hitting looks calmest when Smith is in a long term job. Likewise, the Indian line-up is much stronger with Kohli in the center, acting as the batting general. However, they will be delighted by the appearance of Shubman Gill, who is not only seen as a real class player but also a counter-attack opener, a valuable commodity.
To equip India’s best team – who will pose a real challenge if they reach the World Test Championship final – they need Hardik Pandya to be in full fitness. Its all-round presence provides India with more options to take advantage of their fast growing and versatile offensive.
Another area that needs India is better catching up. There was no point in having such a strong attack if they were continuously thwarted by the spilled opportunities. That leads to Rishabh Pantpresence as a guard. He was fine standing back up but he hurt the team that fought the spinners. If Pant is regularly hitting like he did on the beat in a spirited second half in Sydney then he’s justifying the use of gloves. However, if the standard rate is only thirty quick-fire, then there is an argument that Wriddhiman Saha keeps the scabbard.
The fragility of the two teams’ strikes has contributed greatly to the eye-catching nature of the draw. Collapse is never far from occurring, and as a result no team has been able to establish absolute authority. The resilience and fight shown by India has been matched by the class of Australian offensive and their never-ending attitude. If these two teams reach the final of the World Test Championship and they both come to full strength, it will be one great winner-take-all fight.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell is a columnist