On a pitch difficult for batting, the Indian women’s team struggled to 116 for seven but it was just about par score.

However, Titas, who is just four days shy of her 19th birthday, bowled a devastating first spell and finished with superb figures of 4-1-6-3 to play a big role in restricting Sri Lanka to 97 for eight in 20 overs.

She had an able ally in leg-spinner Devika Vaidya (4-0-15-1), who kept a tight leash on the islanders.

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (3-0-20-2) and off-spinner Deepti Sharma (4-0-25-1) started off badly but were on target during the back-end as Indian women always looked in complete control.

This was one gold medal that India were expected to win, but the standard of cricket was pretty poor, and the nature of wicket didn’t help matters.

The lanky Titas bowled quickly and kept her deliveries on fuller length to get three wickets in her first two overs, including the opposition skipper and their best batter Chamari Athapaththu (12).

The Indian women’s team is missing a genuine quick bowler in its ranks since the retirement of Jhulan Goswami and Titas looks to be a worthy successor. However, her wares would be proved once she is pitted against players of SENA countries.

Sensing the slow nature of the track, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur started with off-spinner Sharma but the left-handed Athapaththu quickly went on the offensive with a slog swept six and a boundary off the very first over.

The skipper brought her frontline pacers back from the second over and Titas, playing only her second T20I, got Anushka Sanjeewani (1) to play a lofted drive without reaching to the pitch of the delivery. The simple catch at mid-off was taken by Harmanpreet.

The teenager then angled one in and castled Vishmi Gunaratne (0) and in her next over, just shortened the length for Athapaththu. The ball stopped on the batter and her slash was taken by Sharma at the edge of the circle at extra cover.

Sri Lanka were tottering at 14 for 3, but Hasini Perera (25 off 22 balls) then got some quick runs to take her team past the 50-run mark before Rajeshwari forced her to sweep uppishly, as Sri Lanka were reduced to 50 for four.

Nilakshi de Silva (23 off 34 balls) and Oshadi Ranasinghe (19 off 26 balls) added 38 runs for the fifth wicket before Vastrakar removed the former and Sharma got the better of the latter with both going for adventurous shots.

Earlier, Harmanpreet’s decision to bat first was a correct one as the pitch, which wasn’t conducive for stroke-play, only got slower as the match progressed.

On a track like this, it becomes a challenge to force the pace against slow bowlers and the Sri Lankan team comprised way too many such operators in its ranks.

Smriti Mandhana (46 off 45 balls), who hit four boundaries and a six, along with Jemimah Rodrigues (42 off 40 balls), added 73 runs for the second wicket.

In order to counter the slowness, both Mandhana and Rodrigues used the sweep shot with some degree of success.

Mandhana was looking in fine touch till she hurt herself while completing a quick single and post that, her footwork against the spinners wasn’t as good as it was at the start of her innings.

It was one slog sweep too many that brought about her downfall. Richa Ghosh started with a six, but didn’t last long.

Harmanpreet’s lack of match time was evident as she struggled during her short stay. But in the end, the total was enough to ensure a second gold medal of the Games.

Brief scores: India 116/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 46, Jemimah Rodrigues 42). Sri Lanka 97/8 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 25, Titas Sadhu 3/6)

The post Asian Games 2023: Titas Sadhu Blows Away Sri Lanka As Indian Women Earn Country’s Second Gold appeared first on Cricket Country.

Theekshana had strained his right hamstring during the Super Four game against Pakistan and hobbled off the field after completing his quota of overs. Sri Lankan selectors have brought in Sahan Arachchige into the squad as Theekshana’s replacement.

“A scan was done and confirmed the muscle injury. Theekshana will return to the High-Performance Center to commence rehabilitation work,” said a statement from the tournament.

On the other hand, a report in Cricbuzz says Washington will link up with the Indian team ahead of the Asia Cup title clash due to Axar being down with niggles post the Super Four match against Bangladesh on Friday.

Axar took blows on his left wrist, elbow and had to be attended for a thigh issue while making 42 runs with the bat, though his efforts didn’t translate into an Indian win at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Sundar is part of India’s squad for the Asian Games and is currently in Bengaluru. After the Asia Cup final, he is expected to re-join the camp for the Asian Games running till September 23 before the competition is held in Hangzhou, China. He last played an ODI

The post Asia Cup 2023: Maheesh Theekshana Ruled Out Of Final vs India Due To Hamstring Injury appeared first on Cricket Country.

Axar sustained several injuries during India’s six-run loss to Bangladesh in their last Super Four match on Friday.

The extent of Axar’s injuries is currently unknown and hence bowling all-rounder Washington, who was part of India’s Asian Games squad, has been called up as a precautionary measure.

“Axar is currently suffering from multiple injuries. He has hurt his little finger, got hit on the forearm by a throw from deep, and most importantly has developed a hamstring niggle. So Washington has been called,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

More than the swelling on his forearm, it is Axar’s hamstring issue that will keep the Indian team management worried with just three weeks to go for the World Cup.

Washington, who bowls off-spin, last played an ODI at home against New Zealand in January this year.

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When India last visited Ireland in June last year for a similar two-match series, the Men in Blue won 2-0 and this time too, they are looking for a similar result, especially with bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and fellow-pacer Prasidh Krishna returning from injuries and hoping to put up their claims for selection in the World Cup team.

Ireland, on their part, are not hoping to be cannon fodder again and are confident of putting up a tough fight against India, making the most of the home conditions.

Their confidence is based on the experience their players have gained a lot of experience in the last one year or so, said Tucker, who had a quiet series last time against India

“We’ve had a lot of cricket this year. We’ve been very well-prepped, especially in T20 cricket. We’ve come off a decent run there in Scotland where we managed to qualify for next year’s World Cup, so I think everyone’s feeling excited. We had two great games against India last summer and I think everyone’s really looking forward to the big build-up, and the exciting crowd. They’re going to come with that energy and it, going to be great,” Tucker informed in an interview with Ireland Cricket’s official website.

Another reason for Tucker’s confidence in his team and own performance was his recent success in a domestic game in the Inter-Provincial Cup on Monday in which he struck 133 off 93 balls.

“Yeah, today was a good day -– it was good to be out there for a long period and figure out some quirks that haven’t been quite right throughout the summer. It’s brilliant to get that kind of energy, and that excitement, going into that big series,” Tucker added.

The three-match T20I series will be played in Dublin on August 18, 20 and 23. Cricket Ireland on Thursday announced that the first two matches have been sold out and that they have also roped in an official broadcaster in Ireland/UK in TNT Sports.

The 26-year-old Tucker said that the team has gained a lot of experience playing big games in recent years and will go into the upcoming three matches with confidence.

“The team is quite experienced with these bigger games. We’ve played in World Cups; we’ve played against India before. We know what it’s like when these big-pressure games come around. They are the showpiece of the summer for fans in Ireland. We just want to make an impression, stay nice and relaxed and play with confidence. That’s our main motto going forward,” he added.

“Malahide generates a special feeling –- especially when a big team comes to town. We know India may have a good deal of support, but to have such a big crowd – it’s brilliant for cricket in Ireland,” he added.

Ireland have selected a strong squad with experienced players like captain Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tectorand George Dockrell, Craig Young and Josh Little

The Ireland squad: Paul Stirling (capt), Andrew Balbirnie, Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Ben White, Craig Young.

The post IND vs IRE 1st T20I: Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker Hoping To Make An Impression Against India appeared first on Cricket Country.

The series is crucial for the premium pacer as it will decide his future in the upcoming editions of the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2023. He is undoubtedly a great asset for the Indian cricket team and will be the perfect add-on to the bowling line-up in these tournaments.

The 29-year-old last played for India against Australia in a T20I match at Hyderabad on September 25, 2022. Since then he was sidelined with a back injury that required him to undergo a surgery.

Abdullah Shafique On Jasprit Bumrah

Abdullah Shafique was recently asked about facing the Jasprit Bumrah threat in the Asia Cup as the bowler is most likely to be a part of the Indian team.

“You face Haris, Naseem, Shaheen in the nets all the time during practice sessions. Do you find it easy when you take on the opposition bowlers then? Particularly if you talk about India… since it looks like Jasprit Bumrah is also coming back for Asia Cup,” a reporter asked Shafique during a media interaction.

“Our bowling attack is pretty good, in fact, the best in the world. We face them (Shaheen, Haris, Naseem) in the nets… we face their challenging spells. And that gives us a lot of confidence and helps in our preparation. If we are playing good against them, we are obviously more confident against opponent bowlers,” said Shafique.

The post ‘We Face Shaheen, Haris In Nets’: Pakistan Batter Abdullah Shafique On Facing Jasprit Bumrah Threat In Asia Cup 2023 appeared first on Cricket Country.

However, as per recent reports from TOI, KL Rahul has made a remarkable recovery and is fit for selection but Shreyas Iyer is not yet 100 per cent fit. The Asia Cup 2023 starts on 30th August and with less than two weeks remaining, Iyer selection in the squad seems hard.

Rahul, who underwent thigh surgery, and Iyer, who went under the knife for a lower-back stress fracture have been doing their rehab at the NCA and were recently part of a practice match too.

KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer Eye Return In Asia Cup 2023

It was already reported in PTI that the national selection committee under Ajit Agarkar will only select Rahul and Iyer if they happened to sustain the rigours of 50-over cricket, and for that, they had to undergo match simulation.

In the case of Rahul, the selectors would also like to check out if he is fit to keep wickets for 50 overs and Iyer also needs to be on the field for the entire duration in order to prove their respective match fitness. Only batting fitness might not ensure a place in the squad of 15.

It is understood that while Tilak Varma has made an impression, the selection committee would like to exercise caution with regard to throwing the Hyderabad southpaw at the deep end of the pool.

“Yes, he has started well and he will surely play ODIs in the future. But what if he is pushed too quickly and it turns out to be counter-productive? You can’t play with young careers. Yes, he could be discussed but only if both Iyer and Rahul are ruled out,” a BCCI source tracking the developments said.

The post KL Rahul Fit For Selection, Shreyas Iyer Not Yet 100 Percent Ahead Of Asia Cup 2023 – Report appeared first on Cricket Country.

Pant has been out of action after suffering multiple injuries in a horrific car accident on the Dehradun-Delhi highway in December last year.

In a video that is going viral on social space, you can see Rishabh Pant hitting his trademark flick shot off the pads for a six. Fans are loving the recovery of Pant and are rapidly sharing that video.

Rishabh Pant Accelerates Recovery

Rishabh Pant, who is recuperating from injuries sustained in a serious car accident in December last year, is recovering at a faster-than-expected pace at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

Pant has made significant progress in his rehabilitation and has commenced batting as well as keeping in the nets.

“He (Pant) has made significant progress in his rehabilitation and has commenced batting as well as keeping in the nets. He is currently following a fitness program designed for him which includes strength, flexibility, and running,” the BCCI said in a statement last month

The post Rishabh Pant’s Trademark Flick Six During Practice Sets Social Media Ablaze – WATCH Viral Video appeared first on Cricket Country.

As per some recent reports, Naseem Shah suffered a shoulder injury that even forced him to miss the crucial LPL 2023 match between Colombo Striker and Galle Titans.

Naseem Shah is a crucial asset for Pakistan and an injury to him would have been a massive blow to Babar Azam and company ahead of upcoming major tournaments like the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2023.

Naseem Shah Turns Down Injury Rumours

“I’m not injured, I was just tired. Babar Azam suggested me to take rest as we had Afghanistan ODIs and Asia Cup coming up. I was playing back-to-back matches and there was no time to take rest,” says Naseem Shah.

The speedster has been a part of seven games for the Colombo Strikers in the ongoing edition of the Lanka Premier League and has grabbed 10 wickets at an impressive average of 19.40, an economy of 7.32, and a strike rate of 15.90.

Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against Nepal on August 30. Pakistan will play their arch-rivals India on September 2.

Pakistan Squad for Afghanistan ODI Series and 2023 Asia Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel (Afghanistan series only), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr

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“Prithvi injured his knee while fielding in the fixture against Durham and subsequent scan results received this morning have revealed the injury is worse than initially expected,” Northamptonshire CCC tweeted.

Northamptonshire CCC Informs About Prithvi Shaw’s Injury

“In his short stint Prithvi has made a huge impact on us as a club. It’s a huge shame he won’t be with us for the remainder of this comp.” Head Coach John Sadler said.

“He’s an extremely humble young man, he’s very respectful and had been so grateful for the opportunity to represent Northamptonshire,” he added.

Prithvi Shaw is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 429 runs in four innings. He also smashed a record-breaking 244 against Somerset.

The post Prithvi Shaw Out Of One Day Cup Due To Knee Injury appeared first on Cricket Country.

England Men’s National Selector, Luke Wright, said: “We have been able to name two extremely strong squads that underline the depth of talent we enjoy in white-ball cricket.”

“The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership. I am certain that every fan will enjoy seeing him back in an England ODI shirt again.

“We’re also excited to give first international call-ups to both Gus Atkinson and John Turner while Josh Tongue has deserved a place in the T20 squad after impressing during the Ashes.

“Any series against New Zealand is closely fought and will provide us with an ideal opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.”

England Announce Squad For New Zealand Series

Rising young star Gus Atkinson has received a maiden call-up in both ODI and T20I squad after an impressive outing in the Hundred. The pacer would like to put on a show and that can also earn him a spot in the ODI World Cup 2023 squad.

Alongside Atkinson, Josh Tongue and John Turner have received their maiden T20I call-ups too. Josh Tongue was impressive during the Ashes and this led to him receiving a white-ball call-up too.

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes

England T20I squad: Jos Buttler (c), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, John Turner, Luke Wood

The post Ben Stokes Ends Retirement, Joins England’s ODI Squad Ahead Of 50-Over World Cup 2023 appeared first on Cricket Country.