“He is a golden nugget for the England cricket team. He comes on naturally in the sixth over, I think the one thing about Rashid is, that his wrong’uns seem to be so difficult to pick. And he’s got real good deception. Now in T20 cricket, deception is key. Whether it’s slower balls or being able to turn the ball both ways. And he is looking really comfortable at the moment. Indian batsmen generally play spin very well, but I think Adil Rashid, the way that he is bowling at the moment, we just have to wait and see what the conditions are like. There’s a chance that England could actually go with four spinners themselves,” Collingwood said in the Star Sports Press Room.

“Obviously, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone, who is actually an all-rounder who can bowl leg-spin and off-spin. And you never know, if the wickets are so dry, you can go with Will Jacks as well. So, plenty of options, but I think Adil Rashid is on top of his game, and this is the beauty of the World Cup. You’re gonna have a leg spinner now at the top of his game, confident, up against some of the best batters in the world. And that’s why it’s gonna be such a good spectacle, and we’re all down to see it,” he added.

On the other hand, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg said that India would not bring Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing 11 and will stick to Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in the spin department.

“It’s a day game, so the wicket might be a little bit dry. But this is the good thing about the Indian squad—they’ve got depth in spin. They knew that when they got to the West Indies, they were going to play more spin than pace. But they’ve still got Siraj there that they can bring in, and they’ve got Hardik Pandya, so they’ve got more pace options if they want up their sleeve. Will they bring in Chahal? I wouldn’t bring in Chahal right now. I’d stick with Jadeja. You’ve got to stick with the playing XI that you’re going with,” Hogg said.

He added that Jadeja would be a better option than Chahal if it’s not turning while Kuldeep and Axar will be crucial against left-handers.

“I love the thought of the question, though. Chahal against England would be okay. But there are a couple of left-handers in the batting lineup for England as well, which could do a little bit of damage. Kuldeep Yadav has been bowling exceptionally well, and Axar Patel has been going well. Jadeja hasn’t been that flash, but he gives you so much in the field, as well as with the bat. And he’s a player that, in the right conditions, he can also lift with the ball. If it’s not turning and if it suits pace, I reckon Jadeja is a better option than Chahal as well. So, I’d stick with Jadeja,” Hogg added.

The post Paul Collingwood expects England to go with four spinners against India in T20 World Cup Semifinal appeared first on Cricket Country.

Both Bumrah and Prasidh underwent back surgeries and did their rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. They played some practice games and are now almost ready to play international cricket again.

Lakshmipathy Balaji On Jasprit Bumrah’s Recovery

Lakshmipathy Balaji is interested in seeing how Bumrah and Prasidh perform in the upcoming T20Is against Ireland, especially with the ODI World Cup on the horizon. Balaji, the former India fast-bowler, himself had a stress fracture in the back in 2007.

“When it comes to the match rhythm, something which is very important for a fast bowler, it gets better when you start playing. So, you have to keep playing and it doesn’t matter how many overs you bowl in nets, unless and until you get into the match, and play in it, the experience you get from it is very important.”

“Match experience is what makes you comfortable at the international level and as you play more and more, your body gets accustomed to the load and one gets to acclimatise to conditions. Also, the body gets to understand what are its demands at the moment,” said Balaji to IANS.

Ramji Srinivasan, the former strength and conditioning coach of the 2011 Men’s ODI World Cup-winning Indian team, believes fast bowling is all about rhythm and that also comes by including some breathing techniques.

“Every time you hit your stride, you inhale or exhale accordingly. Breathing is directly proportional to the rhythm. So, there are no doubting breathing modalities in fast bowling, which have to be imbibed in training and recovery protocol, especially pranayam can really calm them down.”

“Various techniques of breathing are there some may or may not like yoga, get into zen breathing, meditation or diaphragmatic breathing, which depends on individuals. It’s very important to keep your heart rate down in breathing techniques and prevent any sort of anxiety. Fast bowling is proportional to bowling and rhythm,” he said to IANS.

With a wait of 326 and 363 days respectively set to end when Bumrah, who will lead India in the series, and Prasidh take the field for the first T20I on Friday, the pressure will be high on the duo to find their peak with the ball.

“With the full fitness already being reached, I am sure that the build-up to the bowling workload at the NCA after surgery would have already given them a lot of confidence and body conditioning. So, it is about match rhythm now and you need to be 100% sure about how you go about match day, post-match, recovery and following day, how your training is.”

“So, all of these things will be understood and known when you are playing the matches. Normally, it takes two-three weeks of match experience and along with that, good recovery management will be helpful to them in going back to the load again and again, as well as meeting the demands of the game,” adds Balaji.

After a lower back injury caused him to miss the 20-over Asia Cup last year, Bumrah played in two T20Is against Australia. But before the series against South Africa began, he was pulled out due to a stress reaction in the back.

He subsequently missed the T20 World Cup in Australia, with then-chief selector Chetan Sharma suggesting that they erred in rushing Bumrah into action.

The hopes of a comeback looked bright when Bumrah was belatedly added to the ODI squad for the series against Sri Lanka in January, only to be withdrawn two days before the first game happened in Guwahati.

Jasprit Bumrah Back In Action

A 14-second clip from the BCCI on Wednesday showed Bumrah rattling the batter with his bouncer and yorker at nets. Before coming to Ireland, Prasidh looked lethal while picking 1-13 in a Maharaja CUP T20 match for his side Mysuru Warriors on August 13 in the T20 league of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Srinivasan wants both fast bowlers to take up the route of adaptation and progression in returning to international cricket.

“Progressing to adapt to a new match-playing situation as well as stress and strain under different conditions are very, very critical. To get adapted, you need to get into progression mode, which is one step at a time. Suddenly, when one tries to fire on all cylinders, it can be counterproductive.”

“Injuries which are serious, like stress fractures which needed an operation, the body mechanics may have changed -– like the way they are working out, bowling or the way the body muscles react to a stimulus. So, both of them need to be mindful of that in progression.”

“Like, try not to go flat out from day one and they need to understand their body better. In professional cricket, match situations are different and I am sure both are prepared for that. Word of caution is, progression and then adaption is very, very important,” he says.

Balaji, who played 8 Tests, 30 ODIs and 5 T20Is for India, believes the psychological challenge will be there for both Bumrah and Prasidh, urging them to listen to what their body wants on match days, citing his example.

“Both of them have played a lot of cricket and aren’t young anymore in international cricket. So, they know how their body reacts. I had my own routines when I had the surgery and then came back to cricket. I really invested and listened to the body more closely than before, according to the demands.”

“Personally, after undergoing surgery, it’s very important to listen to your body and its demands on a particular day. Plus, one has to ramp up their fitness levels to meet the demand of international cricket. Psychologically, you will have a lot of doubts, like when you are resuming your bowling action and how the body will react. So, they will have to progress very, very cautiously over a period of time.”

To keep Bumrah and Prasidh fresh and fit, Srinivasan emphasised the importance of recovery protocols, such as sleep and nutrition.

“Recovery is as important as training. Lack of recovery can cause serious repercussions – like it starts from a niggle and can become a serious injury.”

“Whether it’s active or passive recovery, it’s important. One of the most underrated things is sleep pattern. most of them may or may not be aware of it and how important it’s for recovery.”

“Also, what state of sleep they are in -– whether it’s deep or rem stage sleep, those things have to be monitored. Recovery also has the nutrition protocol; it’s not just about ice, contrast bath or sleep pattern. What type of food you eat or what food has to be eaten to recover faster for building muscle or losing fat, those protocols come into play.”

“Apart from this, recovery protocols in exercise patterns as to be spot-on. At what intensity you exercise on your recovery day, it forms a part of the entire gamut of protocols. It’s not just contrast bath or massage, it spreads deeper.”

If Bumrah and Prasidh bowl their four overs in the three T20Is against Ireland with no hiccups, it will be a tremendous boost for the Indian team who are still assessing their best 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup at home.

With his speed, variations, smartness and hard-to-pick bowling action, Bumrah is currently the most impactful fast bowler India has while providing the much-needed cutting edge as the leader of the pack.

On the other hand, Prasidh bowls probing lines and lengths in a hit-the-deck style while generating high speeds, which made him an ideal pacer to be the middle-overs enforcer for India in ODIs.

“Both of them are very important in the fast-bowling leadership group. When it comes to Jasprit Bumrah, who has done very well and what impact he can create, he adds up to the team’s strength. When you have an experienced player like him, you ought to look at his bowling workload.”

“At the same time, Prasidh is tall and looks to do high-arm action and gets good bounce off the wicket. So, he will go through a phase of his fitness being monitored. As far as I am concerned, post-surgery is a phase where you have done everything right and whatever the fill-in-the-blanks questions were asked, you have filled all of them. Now it’s time for them to react on the field and that’s the maximum you can do.”

“When it comes to injury, surgery is something which is the last step and after that, you are pushing forward to get back to your bowling, which is very much important as a fast bowler.”

“So, 90% of the job is done, it’s only the 10% or maybe 15%, where they need to listen to the body and add value to their performances, which will hugely impact the team. Indian fast-bowling contingent will be benefitting as with the addition of those two, as they add a lot of strength to the World Cup squad,” elaborated Balaji.

Srinivasan, meanwhile, wants the fast-bowling duo to be very understanding and mindful of their bodies and bowling workload in the build-up to the ODI World Cup. “Fast bowling is one of the most difficult aspects in cricket, so one has to be supremely fit to be an effective fast bowler over a period of time. Having seen a spate of injuries, especially in the last five-six years, everybody has to be mindful of embarking on a fitness regime and what is the design bespoke for them.”

“Jasprit Bumrah is different from Prasidh Krishna or vice-versa, which is a no-brainer. Each one has to do their own tailormade protocols and I am sure they are given one to follow. Take one step at a time and progress over a period of time. Target should be World Cup for both of them and for that, they need to look at long, short and mid-term goals and plan bowling workload accordingly.”

After the Ireland tour, India has a maximum of six ODIs in the Asia Cup and three matches against Australia. Before their quest to end a ten-year wait for a World Cup trophy begins on October 8, India would be earnestly praying that they have Bumrah and Prasidh in their line-up to see the dream of winning the title at home turn into reality.

The post Finding Rhythm, Following Various Protocols Hold Key To Comeback Rides Of Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna appeared first on Cricket Country.

According to British media, Stokes might reconsider reversing his ODI retirement with the intention of joining the upcoming World Cup set to take place in India.

The reports come a day after England’s white-ball coach Matthew Mott said Buttler Buttler would have a chat with Stokes to see if he is willing to reconsider his ODI retirement.

“Jos will probably lead the way on that communication, but Ben’s pretty straight with all of us. We will see if he’s keen,” Mott had told Daily Mail in an interview last week.

Reacting to this, Ashwin said Buttler, who is his teammate at the Rajasthan Royals, is a man of few words and he will try his best to convince Stokes to come out of retirement and play the World Cup.

“They will try their best to convince Ben Stokes to come out of retirement and play the ODI World Cup and it seems that responsibility has been given to Jos Buttler. It seems Buttler’s duty is to watch Ben Stokes, according to coach Matthew Mott. So Buttler is keeping an eye on Ben Stokes. Now it’s Buttler’s job to make Stokes available for the World Cup. And Buttler is not a man of many words. He hardly speaks.

“So my guess is that he will go to Ben Stokes and say, ‘Dude please join us. It will be really nice if you come out of retirement.’ Buttler won’t be outspoken. He will try his best,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Stokes retired from ODIs in July last year, stating that it was no longer ‘sustainable’ to play all three formats. Recently, he reiterated his intentions of staying retired from the 50-over format to be fit for the Test series against India in early 2024.

The all-rounder was one of the heroes for England in the 2019 edition of the mega event, winning the Player of the Match in the Final for his memorable unbeaten 84.

The post ‘Now It’s Jos Buttler’s Job To Make Ben Stokes Available For World Cup’: Ravichandran Ashwin appeared first on Cricket Country.

“It doesn’t matter what the format is or who the opposition is. Winning does boost the side’s confidence for their next assignment. Similarly, a defeat like this will surely dent India’s confidence,” Salman Butt said in his YouTube show.

“You might not see it in the interviews, but you will see it in the body language and decision-making.”

The West Indies have broken a six-year drought by defeating India by eight wickets in the fifth and final T20I in Florida on Sunday to clinch the five-game series in style.

Opener Brandon King (85*) and Player of the Series Nicholas Pooran (47) were the stars of the show as the West Indies successfully chased down India’s total of 165/9 with two overs remaining to ensure the Caribbean side registered the 3-2 series triumph.

It was the West Indies first T20I series victory over India since 2017, while the loss broke India’s streak of 12 consecutive unbeaten bilateral series as the Asian side fell to their first series defeat in men’s T20Is in more than two years.

India travelled to the West Indies with youngsters in the T20I squad. And Butt said they did not translate their potential into performances.

“Many would say that it was a T20I series, and several of India’s top players were missing. But at the same time, this is India’s normal practice. It wasn’t the first time that a young side was picked. It also wasn’t that West Indies are a very big team, and it was very difficult for India to beat them,” he added.

The post ‘A Defeat Like This Will Surely Dent India’s Confidence’: Salman Butt appeared first on Cricket Country.

“We did well to come from 0-2 down, but we just couldn’t close out the series today,” Dravid said after the match.

“We made a few mistakes along the way if you look at the five games, but that can happen.

“It is a young team and a developing team so there are going to be times when we have our ups and downs.

“Of course we are disappointed…credit to the West Indies as they are a good T20 side and playing in their home conditions they play particularly well.”

The West Indies have broken a six-year drought by defeating India by eight wickets in the fifth and final T20I in Florida on Sunday to clinch the five-game series in style.

Opener Brandon King (85*) and Player of the Series Nicholas Pooran (47) were the stars of the show as the West Indies successfully chased down India’s total of 165/9 with two overs remaining to ensure the Caribbean side registered the 3-2 series triumph.

It was the West Indies first T20I series victory over India since 2017, while the loss broke India’s streak of 12 consecutive unbeaten bilateral series as the Asian side fell to their first series defeat in men’s T20Is in more than two years.

The post It’s a Developing Team So There Are Going To Be Times When We Have Our Ups And Downs: Rahul Dravid appeared first on Cricket Country.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra said that Shubman Gill’s return to form is a big relief for India.

“It’s a significant relief because the issue was that the team wasn’t gaining momentum at the start. In T20 cricket, almost eight out of 10 times, you need to have the momentum on your side.

Up until now, you were playing on pitches where matches were won at around 150 runs, but even then, there was some time to settle in. Now, with the Florida pitch that should present 180+ conditions, a good start is important, and Shubman Gill’s return to form is a good sign for the team.”

With both teams looking to go all out in the series-decider, and the pitch helping batsmen, how will spinner Axar Patel be utilised? Do they intend to have his quota of four overs completed within the first 10 overs, or will they spread it out again?

“I think that Hardik Pandya might use Axar in a similar way. But it’s possible they have different strategies in mind. Nonetheless, I believe they’re attempting to use Kuldeep Yadav and (Yuzvendra) Chahal during the middle overs and perhaps trying to utilize Axar Patel before (Nicholas) Pooran comes to bat in the powerplay,” said Abhishek Nayar

Given the used pitch, they might try to make use of Axar if there’s turn, especially against Kyle Mayers. Brandon King also tends to struggle a bit against him, so I believe in the beginning, may be for about three or even four overs,” he added.

Given the momentum shift, can India go on to complete the series win? Chopra said: “Absolutely. You see, when you lost two matches, you lost close contests. One loss by a margin of four runs, and the other by two wickets. And when India wins, it’s quite apparent how they do it. Once they won by nine wickets, and even in the previous match, around 12-13 deliveries were left, with 5-6 wickets in hand when they secured the victory.”

The post ‘Shubman Gill’s Return To Form Will Bring Relief To Team India,’ Says Aakash Chopra appeared first on Cricket Country.

Kohli conveyed his admiration and recalled his first meeting with Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam in an interaction with Star Sports.

“The first interaction I had with him (Babar) was during the 2019 (ODI) World Cup after the game in Manchester,” Kohli recalled in the interview filmed last year.

“I’ve known Imad (Wasim) since the Under-19 World Cup, and he said Babar wanted to have a chat.

“We sat down and spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn’t changed,” Kohli said.

“Regardless of the fact he’s probably the top batsman in the world across formats, and rightly so.

“Performs so consistently and I’ve always enjoyed watching him play,” Kohli added.

Babar is currently the top-ranked player in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings with 886 rating points. Kohli, meanwhile, is in the ninth spot with 705 rating points.

The Pakistan batter is also in the top five of the rankings in T20Is and Tests, confirming his status as an all-format superstar. He is the only player to rank in the top five across all formats in the Rankings table.

India and Pakistan are set to face off in Kandy during the Asia Cup’s group stage on September 2. They might also compete in the Super 4 stage based on how they go in the first round. Additionally, the fierce rivalry will also resume in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on October 14 in Ahmedabad.

The post ‘Always Enjoyed Watching Him Play’: Virat Kohli Reveals His Admiration For Babar Azam appeared first on Cricket Country.

After Shimron Hetmyer was breezy in his stroke play to slam a 39-ball 61 and take West Indies to a competitive 178/8 in 20 overs, Gill and Jaiswal absolutely bossed the chase to help India level the series at 2-2, with Sunday’s game now a winner-takes-it-all decider.

Though Gill fell for 77 off 47 balls, laced with three fours and five sixes, Jaiswal went on to stay unbeaten on 84 off 51 balls, hitting 11 fours and five sixes, in just his second T20I game as India pulled off the highest successful men’s T20I chase at the venue.

Though the pitch looked to have slowed down during the chase, Gill and Jaiswal combined power and timing to hit sizzling shots and find boundaries easily against a listless West Indies bowling line-up in their mammoth 165-run opening stand.

The association of 165 runs between Gill and Jaiswal is also the joint-highest partnership for the opening wicket for India in men’s T20Is, tied with the pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, who scored their runs against Sri Lanka in December 2017.

Jaiswal was on fire from the word go, pouncing on width from Obed McCoy for a boundary on the first ball and then hammered one past mid-off to end the over with another four. He took the attack to Jason Holder in the third over, smacking three boundaries through the offside.

Gill joined the boundary-hitting party with his signature short-arm jab going for six off McCoy. Jaiswal continued to deal in fours, driving and scooping off Romario Shepherd. On the other hand, Gill smacked sixes down the ground and via a swivel-pull, before ending the power-play by driving Odean Smith through cover-point for four as India signed off with 66 for no loss.

Despite the field restrictions coming in, India’s run rate continued to be healthy as Gill and Jaiswal dealt in boundaries off pacers and spinners, with the opening partnership reaching the century mark.

After recording three single-digit scores in the series, Gill got his fifty in 30 balls while Jaiswal reached his first half-century in T20Is in 33 balls by shuffling across and lapping over backward square leg for four in the 11th over.

The carnage didn’t end as Gill easily flicked Odean Smith for six while Jaiswal reverse-swept Akeal Hosein for a maximum. Jaiswal was more aggressive of the duo, tonking Smith over cow-corner for six before getting a thick edge off McCoy for four and hammering him over long-on for another maximum.

Gill again brought the short-arm jab to hit Shepherd for a six, before miscuing a flick to deep mid-wicket, as West Indies broke the 165-run opening partnership.

But it was too little, too late for West Indies as Jaiswal slashed for four more. Tilak Varma fetched four runs via flick before two wides ensured India completed the chase with three overs to spare.

Brief scores: West Indies 178/8 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 61, Shai Hope 45; Arshdeep Singh 3-38, Kuldeep Yadav 2-26) lost to India 179/1 in 17 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 84 not out, Shubman Gill 77; Romario Shepherd 1-35) by nine wickets

The post IND vs WI 4th T20I: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal Star As India Thrash West Indies By 9 Wickets, Level Series 2-2 appeared first on Cricket Country.

He has been offered a full-time contract after careful consideration by the ACB of his recent stint with the Afghanistan squad during the Abu Dhabi training camp and the Bangladesh tour in July, where he worked in the same capacity in the T20I series.

Mewat Mewada’s Coaching Career

Mewada, 48, played 11 first-class and 26 List-A matches as a wicketkeeper-batter for Baroda between 1996 and 2005, before commencing his coaching career. Mewada has served as the head coach of Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, and Hyderabad teams in men’s domestic cricket.

Under his coaching, Jammu & Kashmir managed to reach the quarterfinals of the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season. He has also been part of the coaching setups with the VVS Sporting Academy and the Baroda Cricket Association and has a total of 32 years of being in the sport as a player and coach.

He is credited for getting all-rounder Abdul Samad into the Sunrisers Hyderabad set-up in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and worked with young batter Tilak Varma in the Hyderabad side, which is currently playing in India’s T20I series against the West Indies.

Mewada was in the race to become the head coach of Baroda for the 2023-24 domestic season before Mukund Parmar was given the role. With Afghanistan set to play in Men’s ODI World Cup in India from October 5 to November 19, Mewada’s role will be crucial keeping in mind his experience and knowledge of playing in Indian conditions.

Afghanistan men’s team is currently undergoing a conditioning camp in Sri Lanka as they gear up for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which is scheduled to begin on August 22 in Hambantota.

The first two matches between Afghanistan and Pakistan are set to be held in Hambantota on August 22 and 24, whereas the third and final match will be played in Colombo on August 26.

The post Former J&K, Hyderabad Head Coach Milap Mewada Appointed Afghanistan Batting Coach appeared first on Cricket Country.

After winning the toss, Powell said Jason Holder is back after recovering from injury, as well as Odean Smith and Shai Hope come into the playing eleven in place of Johnson Charles, Roston Chase and Alzarri Joseph.

“Looks like a very good surface, we want to put up some runs on the board and try to defend it. I think it is an opportunity for us to win a series against a big team like India and the boys are excited about it,” he said.

Hardik Pandya Wanted To Bat First

India captain Hardik Pandya said he would have liked to bat first as well while adding that the visitors are unchanged from their last game in Guyana. 

“I don’t think much will change. I think the boys turned up very well, they were excited and at the same time, they realised that they have to show some more hunger as well.”

“Everyone chipped in, the bowlers did the job and then Tilak and Surya came in and closed the game with the bat. Our spinners have that kind of wicket-taking knack, they are aggressive with their intent as well, which I like. For us, we keep things simple, and we don’t let the intensity drop,” he added.

The two teams have played six T20Is in their face-offs at Lauderhill, with India winning four games, West Indies just once, and the other one being washed out.

IND vs WI 4th T20I Playing XIs: 

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal and Mukesh Kumar

West Indies: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein and Obed McCoy

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