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Bangladesh were powerless against the fast bowler, hurtling to a first-innings deficit of 426 after conceding four individual hundreds in the first innings

The Report by Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfter South Africa’s batsmen crushed Bangladesh under a run-mountain, their pace bowlers blew them away for 147 runs in the first innings. Kagiso Rabada finished with a five-wicket haul and the visitors finished the second day on 7 for no loss after being asked to follow on. The hosts are 419 runs ahead with a third-day finish looming large.The visitors entered the final session on 61 for 4 before sliding to 65 for 6 soon after the interval. Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman fell in quick succession, both wafting at deliveries outside off without any foot movement; Rabada had Imrul caught behind and Sabbir caught in the covers.Liton Das and Taijul Islam then held up South Africa’s onslaught with a 50-run seventh wicket stand. Olivier broke the partnership by clean bowling Taijul to pick up his third wicket. Ten minutes before the scheduled end, top-scorer Liton skied Rabada and Faf du Plessis completed a simple catch in the slips.Liton had struck 13 fours in his 77-ball 70, being the only assured presence in the visitors’ batting rubble. He blended leaving the ball and playing shots with more confidence than the rest of the batting line-up. He cut, pulled and drove to find his boundaries, the best of the lot being his pull shots that stood up like a beacon amid the uncertainty of the others.Rabada, Olivier and Wayne Parnell had already stung Bangladesh in a brief salvo before the tea interval. Rabada had begun that slide by removing Soumya Sarkar’s leg-stump in the seventh over.Olivier had Mominul Haque strangled down the leg-side before Temba Bavuma gifted him his second with a stunning catch at gully that ensured Mushfiqur Rahim’s exit. In his first over in a Test match since January, Parnell removed Mahmudullah to reduce Bangladesh to 49 for 4.South Africa had declared on their second-highest total against Bangladesh, thirty-five minutes into the day’s second session. They added 43 runs in seven overs during that period.Faf du Plessis remained unbeaten on 135, having struck 15 fours in 181 balls. Quinton de Kock, who came to bat after Amla fell for 135 shortly after lunch, blasted two sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 27-ball 28.Amla’s wicket was Subashis’ third in the innings. All of Bangladesh’s frontline bowlers conceded more than 100 runs each, with Rubel Hossain picking up the other wicket to fall. It was somber stuff for the bowlers, who hardly looked in rhythm, let alone threatening. Except for a short period on either side of the tea break on the first day, there was no period in which they strung together a good spell.They conceded 74 fours in 120 overs that included only nine maidens. South Africa also showed how a lot of runs can be scored without hitting the ball in the air too many times: their first six came three overs before they declared.Bangladesh also picked up two undesirable records: for the second time in Tests, they conceded two double-hundred stands in an innings; and it was the fourth time that they conceded four or more individual centuries in an innings.

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:21

Moonda: Markram made the most of his opportunity

Dean Elgar’s hundred headlined the first day of the Potchefstroom Test, even as Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim and South Africa opener Aiden Markram may be left pondering their respective choices. South Africa finished the day at 298 for 1, taking full advantage of a pitch that offered little assistance to the Bangladesh bowlers, thus leaving the visitors to wonder if they made the right call in opting to bowl first.

Smart stats

• 1 – Instance of South Africa’s openers adding more runs than the 196 they added today in the first innings after being put in to bat. That was in Centurion in 2004 against West Indies, when Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith added 301. This is only the third time their openers have added 150-plus after being put in.

• 3 – South African batsmen who have been dismissed in the 90s on Test debut. Aiden Markram joins Percy Mansell and Louis Tancred in this list. The two previous instances were both more than 65 years ago.

• 1 – Number of times, in the last ten years, that the only wicket to fall in a day of Test cricket has been courtesy a run-out. South Africa were the fielding side on that occasion, on the fourth day of the Brisbane Test in 2012.

• 52.64 – Dean Elgar’s Test average in 2017 – he has scored 895 runs, including four centuries, this year. No other South African batsman has scored more than 750 runs, or more than one hundred, in Tests in 2017.

Elgar was unbeaten on 128 runs off 285 balls, with nine fours and two sixes, in the company of Hashim Amla, who was 68 not out off 103. The second-wicket pair had added 102 runs until stumps. That partnership came after Markram was unfortunately run out on 97, responding to Elgar’s call for a single that would have taken him to his century. That mis-step aside, the South Africa debutant’s innings was full of class, temperament and patience. He was very strong on full balls, driving 10 boundaries gleefully, and struck 13 fours in all during his 152-ball knock.Elgar did a similar job, combining his solidity with a few big hits, and he rarely missed an opportunity to score runs. Two of his nine fours came through the covers, and five on the leg side. His two sixes were also hit over the on side. Elgar’s knock helped him move past Cheteshwar Pujara to become the highest Test run-scorer in 2017.South Africa’s 196-run opening partnership, the side’s highest for that wicket in the last nine years, was the backbone of their batting push after Bangladesh won the toss and chose to field. At the toss, Faf du Plessis said he was surprised by Bangladesh’s decision, and the day’s proceedings indicated why he felt so.Markram and Elgar began quietly, neither batsman chasing anything that was dangled outside the off stump. They only started to push more for singles, twos and boundaries in the second session, in which Markram reached his fifty off 77 balls. Neither batsman seemed to be in a rush, except when they were in the nineties.Elgar blasted a six over long-on to surge to 98 and in the following over, batting on 99, called Markram for a quick single after pushing the ball to cover, resulting in the latter’s dismissal. Markram’s run-out brought some relief for Bangladesh a few minutes before the tea interval.After the tea break, Amla did what he does best: reducing the chance of chaos for the home team. With Mushfiqur mostly opting for a spread-out field, Amla slid through the gears by finding more gaps.Regardless of his decision, Mushfiqur would have wanted more from his pace bowlers but the lack of assistance for them meant that offspinner Mehidy Hasan was brought into the attack in the sixth over. While Mehidy was accurate with his lengths, his lines were not as consistent.Mustafizur Rahman, meanwhile, bowled well – possibly better than Shafiul Islam and Taskin Ahmed, which was expected – but he didn’t always look for wickets. Shafiul bowled slightly better to the left-handed Elgar but wasn’t as effective against Markram or Amla, while Taskin bowled a few good overs but lacked patience on the unresponsive pitch.A sign of Bangladesh’s defensive thinking was their six-over delay in taking the new ball. That mindset could easily dictate terms for the rest of the game if they don’t shed it.

Manchester United transfer target Leon Goretzka would prefer to stay put at Bayern Munich beyond the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

How much does Leon Goretzka earn?

The midfielder, who currently earns £231,000 per week at Bayern, has enjoyed an excellent career to date, becoming a key player for both the Bundesliga giants and Germany.

Goretzka, who has been called a "goal threat", has been a hugely effective box-to-box player for a number of years now, racking up 179 appearances for Bayern, and scoring 34 goals and registering 35 assists in that time. There is also an impressive tally of five Bundesliga titles and one Champions League crown to show for his efforts, summing up the success he has enjoyed since arriving from Schalke back in 2018.

At international level, the 28-year-old now has 53 caps to his name, more than holding his own alongside likes of Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Joshua Kimmich.

Goretzka's current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, but he has been linked with a move away from Bayern, with United emerging as potential suitors for him.

Could Man Utd sign Leon Goretzka?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs provided a key update on Goretzka's future, admitting that remaining at Bayern would be his preferred option:

"Goretzka has been looked at by several clubs. But when those clubs have explored the possibility of a deal, they get some hope on the Bayern side that a negotiation or conversation could happen, but they get less hope on the player's side because he is still intimating that he wants to stay."

Goretzka has been a top-level player for a long time now, and he is someone who could add so much to United's midfield, combing defensive intelligence, physicality and an eye for goal in the final third.

He could be a lovely foil for Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, coming in as an upgrade on Fred and Scott McTominay, and a younger alternative to Christian Eriksen, although it looks as though a move is looking out of the question.

There would be a risk element in the Reds signing the Germany international, however, with his recent injury history a long way from being perfect, which would be a plus point if United missed out on him.

Ultimately, the positives outweigh the negatives with regard to United's pursuits of Goretzka, though – former Reds manager Ralf Rangnick once called him "the best box-to-box player in the world "- so it would be preferable to see a move materialise. If it doesn't, it would be no disaster and alternative options should be looked at instead.

Whatever happens, it is vital that at least one new midfielder arrives at Old Trafford between now and the beginning of the 2023/24 season, with more quality and depth required there if United are to become genuine Premier League title challengers in the coming campaign.

Fiorentina and Morocco hero Sofyan Amrabat looks increasingly likely to make the switch to United, which could be an exciting piece of business, but Goretzka would still be a better option, should his current mindset change.

Manchester City are now getting closer to completing a deal for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, and after new talks, the move could even be completed by the end of this week, according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest on Josko Gvardiol to Man City?

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has recently offered on Man City's pursuit of Gvardiol, which suggests the defender could end up staying at RB Leipzig, as his contract situation means the Bundesliga club are under no real pressure to sell him.

Sheth said: "With Gvardiol, that's a different one. There were lots of reports last week about a deal bring agreed, a medical having been done, but the information we were getting was that was quite wide of the mark.

"It will be interesting to see if City would stretch that far, but it's obvious that they've got an interest in the player."

The Croatian is currently contracted until June 2027, meaning Leipzig are in the position of power when it comes to negotiating a transfer fee, however a more recent update now suggests that Man City could be close to completing a deal.

According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), the Sky Blues are "getting closer" to securing a deal for the 21-year-old, with a move in the works for a fee of €100m (£86m), plus a percentage of the transfer fee from any possible future sale.

The deal could even be wrapped up by the end of this week, providing there are no new twists, with the new talks accelerating the centre-back's move to the Etihad Stadium.

Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl has already admitted the 6 foot 1 defender is keen on a move to Man City, and it now appears as though Pep Guardiola is close to getting his man.

How good is Josko Gvardiol?

The Croatia international was lauded as "incredible" by members of the media for his performances at the 2022 World Cup, and he has also impressed at club level, with his passing ability making him the perfect fit for a Guardiola side.

Over the past year, the Zagreb-born defender has attempted an average of 87.18 passes per 90,which places him in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers, while he also ranks in the 84th percentile for his pass-completion rate.

There are still a few things that the RB Leipzig star will need to work on, given that he places in a low percentile for tackles and aerials won, but he is still very young, and he has plenty of time to develop his game further.

All in all, it is great news that Man City are now closing in on a move for Gvardiol, and they will be hoping it can be wrapped up by the end of the week.

Tony Mowbray has declared himself pleased with Sunderland's transfer activity to date, but the Black Cats boss is eager to add at least one more centre-forward to his squad before the new Championship season gets underway.

What players have Sunderland signed?

The northeast outfit have been one of the busier clubs in the division in terms of their summer signings up to this point, with four new players – all aged 20 or younger – arriving at the Stadium of Light.

The signings of Nectarios Triantis, Jenson Seelt, Jobe Bellingham and Luis "Hemir" Semedo have helped to freshen up a side that fell just short of earning promotion via the play-offs last season.

However, Mowbray saw key loan star Amad Diallo return to parent club Manchester United last month at the end of his loan spell, whilst Ross Stewart will miss the start of the season through injury, and Jack Clarke remains a target for numerous Premier League sides.

Mowbray said at the weekend that Sunderland "could probably do with some help at the top end of the pitch over the next few weeks", and Ukrainian outlet TaToTake suggests Zorya Luhansk forward Nazariy Rusyn is one of those being eyed up by the Black Cats.

Who is Nazariy Rusyn?

Rusyn started his career at Dynamo Kyiv prior to joining Zorya in 2019, initially on loan, while he has also had spells at Dnipro-1 and Legia Warsaw.

Now aged 24, it is claimed the Ukrainian is ready to test himself in English football.

Whilst Rusyn's time at Legia did not go entirely to plan, he has shown plenty of promise at both Dynamo and Luhansk, with Dynamo Abroad podcast co-host 'Dima' previously describing him as an "excellent" potential signing for any interested club.

Valued at just €2m (£1.7m), according to Zorya Londonsk, the Novoyavorivsk native is coming off the back of an impressive campaign in which he scored 13 goals in 30 Ukrainian Premier League appearances, including 10 in 15 to see out the season.

As a player who is capable of playing across the forward line, there are many similarities between Rusyn and Diallo – the man he would effectively be replacing should he arrive on Wearside.

For example, both players scored 13 regular-season goals in their respective divisions last season.

Whereas Rusyn scored at a rate of 0.54 goals per 90 in the Ukrainian top flight, Diallo netted 0.45 goals per 90 in the Championship, as per FBref.

The Luhansk ace also just about edged things in terms of assists – he set up five goals to Diallo's three – though the quality of the two divisions must also be factored in.

Both players like to get on the ball and go for goal, while there are also strong similarities right down to their disciplinary records, with each picking up three yellow cards last season.

Mowbray has already accepted that Diallo will not be returning to the Stadium of Light next season. In relative unknown star Rusyn, he may just have the ideal alternative.

علق عماد النحاس، لاعب الأهلي السابق، على مباراة المارد الأحمر القادمة أمام سيمبا التنزاني، في دور ربع نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي مع سيمبا التنزاني، في مباراة الذهاب يوم الجمعة المُقبل، الموافق 29 مارس، على أن تُقام مواجهة الإياب يوم 5 أبريل في القاهرة.

وقال النحاس في تصريحات عبر برنامج “الريمونتادا”، على قناة “المحور”: “كل مباريات إفريقيا صعبة وليست سهلة، ولكن الأهلي أدائه في مرحلة التأهل كان به اتزان كبير”.

طالع أيضًا | قائمة الأهلي لمباراة سيمبا في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.. ضم الدوليين و9 غيابات

وتابع: “كل التوفيق للأهلي، الظروف ستكون صعبة بسبب تواجد 10 لاعبين مع منتخب مصر بقيادة حسام حسن الذي أتمنى له التوفيق في المرحلة القادمة”.

وأضاف: “أظن أنه حدث تنسيق بين حسام حسن والنادي الأهلي، لأن هذا أمر مهم لأن المرحلة صعبة على اللاعبين، وسبق قبل ذلك إن الأهلي عندما كان يلعب في كأس العالم للأندية وحدث تنسيق انضم اللاعبون للمنتخب، فالتنسيق لمصلحة منتخب مصر”.

واختتم: “مباراة الأهلي وسيمبا في توقيت صعب، والاعتماد على النتيجة في مباراة الذهاب مهم جدًا، وكولر ثابت على طريقة 4 – 3 – 3 ولا يُغيرها، أهم شيء اختيار اللاعبين وتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية”.

Manchester United appear to be in pole position to sign Adrien Rabiot this summer, with the Red Devils considered great favourites for his signature.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

Erik ten Hag seemingly wanted Rabiot at Old Trafford last summer ahead of his first season in charge. The United boss was reportedly on board with a transfer that would have been worth an initial £15m, however, a deal fell through and the midfielder remained at Juventus.

Rabiot was again linked with a move to Manchester prior to the New Year, and it seems as if he is still of interest to United officials after making 48 appearances for his current employers during the 2022/23 season, contributing to 17 goals.

Recent reports have suggested that a concrete offer has already been placed to the player, who is set to become a free agent in a matter of weeks when his Juventus contract officially expires.

Sport Witness have relayed a new update from Spanish outlet AS regarding Rabiot, citing Atletico Madrid’s interest in the player. However, they add that it is United who are the ‘great favourite’ to sign Rabiot at this moment in time in what appears to be a transfer boost for Ten Hag and co.

Who is Adrien Rabiot?

Rabiot would provide Ten Hag with an experienced and versatile option in midfield, with the 28-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation currently standing at €30m, so from a business perspective, a transfer appears to be a smart one.

He can play as a central, holding or left midfielder and was once labelled as a ‘complete player’ by legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who said:

“He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.

“He doesn’t even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game.”

The Red Devils could lose a midfielder of their own this summer with Scott McTominay’s future up in the air, so Rabiot could be viewed as a solid addition after ending the campaign as Juventus' best-performing player, as per WhoScored.

He would bring a winning mentality to United’s squad alongside the likes of Raphael Varane and Casemiro who arrived from Real Madrid in recent years, with the midfielder winning an impressive 24 major honours during his career to date.

Rabiot has come off the back of a season where he has played plenty of football with Juventus, and who knows, his balance could make him a smart signing, possibly featuring alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes next year.

A change of attitude, allied to crucial early-season momentum, has carried the team to a first final in eight years

Alex Malcolm23-Mar-2025Confidence is an intangible. So is a winning culture. But those who have seen it know what it looks like.It was something that struck Brendan Doggett the moment he moved to Adelaide in the winter of 2021.”I noticed big time when I first got South Australia four seasons ago, that there wasn’t much belief,” Doggett told ESPNcricinfo. “There wasn’t much confidence in the squad.”Doggett had just left Queensland, having played in a winning Sheffield Shield final in April of that year, helping secure Queensland’s second Shield title in four seasons by taking 3 for 37 in the second innings.Related

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That he didn’t see any belief was hardly surprising. South Australia had just finished last in the Shield for the fourth consecutive season. They would make it five by the end of Doggett’s first summer there. South Australia have not won a Shield since 1996. Since then, South Australian cricket fans had seen just two domestic white-ball titles, a lone One-Day Cup in 2011-12 and a BBL title for Adelaide Strikers in 2017-18.When Ryan Harris arrived in Adelaide in the winter of 2023 as South Australia’s new bowling coach under Jason Gillespie, he saw the same thing. Harris was returning home, having left the state during his playing career in 2008 to join Queensland, where he won a Shield as a player in 2011-12 and enjoyed great success with Australia before beginning his coaching career in that same Queensland environment.

Ball-by-ball, in the contest, no game is ever too far away from winning. Someone do something special. Play the long gameJake Lehmann on mindset

“When Ryan came along as bowling coach last year, he sort of instilled in us bowlers that we can win from anywhere,” Doggett said. “We’re always going to fight, no matter our position. And I guess the belief sort of started from there. We got glimmers of hope last year where we were going to win matches from being a long way behind, and then that just continued on this year, with him taking charge of the whole squad. He’s kept that same mentality of always fighting, always trying to find a way to win from any position. And that’s probably been the big shift.”

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There was optimism in Nathan McSweeney’s voice as far back as last September when the newly installed South Australian captain spoke about his new coach and his team’s prospects.”He’s got a great relationship with the group, and his passion for the state is second to none,” McSweeney told ESPNcricinfo on September 19.”Last year, I think there was times where we just let ourselves down in a session, with the bat or ball. I feel like we’re not that far away, and hopefully Ryno can help progress that.”What Harris wanted to build was a squad mentality. He had seen what Western Australia had done in using 25 different players to win a hat-trick of Shield and One-Day Cup doubles over the previous three seasons.What he had observed in South Australia was a culture of individuality.”What’s done is done,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo on September 19. “We haven’t had success. That’s no secret. And we want to do that.Nathan McSweeney’s optimism was in evidence right from the start of the season•Getty Images”We want to individually have success and do well but ultimately, if it comes to selection and you’re not necessarily in that team, which is not always easy, you make sure you deal with your disappointment and you get over it, and then you get back into supporting team mode.”I think that’s part of what’s not been great here in the last few years. That’s probably 1% but that can play a huge role in bringing groups apart. So that’s one thing I’ve probably focused on a lot.”

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From little things, big things grow.It might not have seemed like it at the time, but just five days after Harris and McSweeney made those comments, South Australia produced perhaps their most important win of the season, and potentially the previous 13 years, in the context of setting them on the path to a drought-breaking title.In a One-Day Cup clash at Cricket Central in Sydney, their opening match of any form for the season, South Australia had been bowled out for 166. The three-time defending champions in WA were 133 for 3 after 25.5 overs and marching towards a bonus point win.Nathan McAndrew, Wes Agar, Henry Thornton and Ben Manenti combined to take 7 for 31 and South Australia won by two runs.At the same venue a few weeks later, South Australia were 23 for 4 in the fourth innings of their first Shield game against New South Wales, needing an unlikely 389 to win on the final day. McSweeney batted the day to finish 127 not out. Alex Carey also made 111. South Australia survived comfortably against Nathan Lyon to secure a reassuring draw.Two weeks later, they set Queensland a similar target on the final day in Brisbane and bowled them out in 73.3 overs to win their first Shield game of the season.The very next match they bowled Victoria out with just 16 minutes to spare on the final day and break a nine-year drought against their border rivals.”I’ve been a big believer of you learn to win, and then winning becomes a habit.” Doggett said.South Australia kept winning. In December they won the equal-closest Shield game in history off the last ball of the match, taking 4 for 4 in nine balls in Hobart when Tasmania were poised to chase down 429.Alex Carey’s three Shield centuries have been a key factor in South Australia’s progression to the final•Getty ImagesIn the next game in February, after the BBL break, they won the shortest game in Shield history, bowling defending champions WA out for 120 and 66 at the WACA to win in Perth for the first time in eight years.On March 1, they broke the title drought at Adelaide Oval, winning the One-Day Cup for the first time in 13 years by defending just 268 against Victoria who had been 74 for 1 in the chase.Eight days later they beat them again in the Shield in Melbourne, chasing 300 six-down on the final day to secure their first home final in eight years.Jake Lehmann was the hero making an unbeaten 105. Just moments after hitting the winning runs he summed up why South Australia had made winning a habit this season.”It’s just a fighting mentality,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo. “Ball-by-ball, in the contest, no game is ever too far away from winning. Someone do something special. Play the long game. All those small little things.”Training has definitely lifted. Our competitiveness at training now has definitely gone through the roof. I think it’s on the back of that squad mentality and blokes who are not playing that are making lots of runs in second XI, lots of runs in club cricket, taking lots of wickets.Nathan McAndrew has been a huge figure in the attack•Getty Images”Selection has been tough, and I think that’s lifted training and Ryno’s really driven that. Those boys run in and put their best foot forward every week.”Lehmann, 32, had been acting captain for the last four games of the previous season and is one of only two surviving members from South Australia’s last Shield final appearance who will play this week.But he started this summer playing in South Australia’s second XI. He made 173 against WA’s second XI to win back his place when the Test players departed in November. Now he enters the Shield final as one of South Australia’s form players, having scored 67 in the One-Day final, 105 not out and 130 not out in his last two Shield games.”For me, it’s been a long way,” Lehmann said. “To win that One-Day final, I think we had played in four of them already, in two Shield finals. Hopefully, it’s just a growing group. And I think the difference this year is we’re probably going to have four or five blokes who are not going to play in the Shield final, like we had in the One-Day, that could easily be playing for us and have played a role throughout the year.”I think that’s the strength of the group. We’ve got a really good squad mentality, and it’s just feeding through.”Winning has become a habit. South Australia is riding the crest of a wave. The whole state is along for the ride. There is a growing sense that a 29-year drought might finally be broken against Queensland at Karen Rolton Oval this week.Doggett knows better than any of them what is required.”Nothing really changes.” Doggett said. “In the same breath, I think we need to acknowledge the fact that it is a Shield final, that it is going to be a special week, the whole build-up to it.”These things don’t come around too often, as many South Australians would know.”So yeah, acknowledge it’s going to be a big week, and it’s going to be a big game. It’s going to be really exciting.”But always falling back to our processes, our training standards and what we’ve done for the whole season.”

Wicketkeeper-batter is back in international fold for England ODIs after shining at CPL

Matt Roller22-Sep-2023Lorcan Tucker had to pinch himself when he arrived in St Kitts for the Caribbean Premier League last month and looked around the Trinbago Knight Riders dressing room.Tucker, a softly-spoken Dubliner, was a last-minute replacement for Tim David and found himself surrounded by West Indies T20 royalty in the form of Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo. He struck up a friendship with Martin Guptill, and Phil Simmons was head coach.”It was a serious roster,” Tucker says, back in his Ireland tracksuit and speaking to ESPNcricinfo before the washed-out first ODI against England at Headingley. “Gosh, some of those lads… They are such impressive players. It opened my eyes to what’s out there in terms of cricket at the moment. It’s pretty exciting.”Related

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Kohler-Cadmore joins England ODI squad as Roy opts out

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The move came about, in part, through Simmons’ Irish links: he was Ireland’s coach between 2007 and 2015, the year before Tucker’s international debut. “He still had so much time for Irish cricket – and Irish sport in general, wanting to know how the Rugby World Cup was going. The respect they have for him in Trinidad is pretty special.”Tucker clicked with Guptill over a shared interest in baseball. “My brother studied in America and got really into it,” Tucker says. “He’s a big LA Dodgers fan, and Martin was a big [New York] Yankees fan. As you get to know people, you can approach them and talk to them about their cricket; it was great to bounce ideas off someone so experienced.”He quickly realised that he had watched most of his team-mates on TV while growing up. “But the way they organised the team and the culture, it felt like everyone had a voice,” he says. “They were really encouraging like that. It felt like you could give your opinion if you wanted to, and everyone was really open-minded.”In Ireland’s T20 side, Tucker is an attacking No. 3. But he was asked to anchor from No. 4. “There were players all around me who were so talented and such big hitters. It was my responsibility to hold it all together through the middle, to make sure there were no big collapses.”He made 150 runs across five innings, and TKR won six of the seven games he featured in. They beat Guyana Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 1 on Wednesday night, and will play in the final on Sunday night. “It was great to be part of quite a successful campaign,” he says.A profile of Tucker in the Irish earlier this year painted a picture of a cerebral character who avoids social media and only owns a smartphone for the sake of being on the national team’s logistics chat. “Some people live a glitzier lifestyle than I do,” he says. “But there’s room for plenty of different personalities in sport.”This has been Tucker’s first year involved in franchise cricket, having only previously represented Ireland and Leinster Lightning as a pro. He played for MI Emirates in the ILT20, missing a T20I series in Zimbabwe as a result, and hopes that further opportunities will emerge this winter. “It’s so refreshing,” he says.”You spend so much time on the international circuit with the same group of lads, so to get the chance to be part of a new group and see fresh takes and angles on things – especially in T20 cricket, which moves so quickly – has been brilliant. There’s constant access to new people every couple of months in these different tournaments.”The last 12 months have marked Tucker’s breakthrough. At last year’s T20 World Cup, Tucker played a forgotten hand in helping England qualify for the semi-finals, rescuing Ireland from 25 for 5 against Australia with 71 not out off 48 balls to minimise their net-run-rate boost. He has also played his first four Tests, making a hundred on debut in Bangladesh.Tucker scored his maiden Test century earlier this year•BCBMoving forwards, Tucker will have to juggle his involvement in franchise leagues with Ireland commitments. He is not yet in a position where he is contemplating turning down a central contract but with several team-mates – including Josh Little, Paul Stirling and Harry Tector – playing in leagues, he stresses the need for clear communication.”I think cricket in general is trying to get to a place where there is more balance, and that people aren’t fighting as much for things,” Tucker says. “In general, good communication between myself and Cricket Ireland will be the most important thing: when things get lost in the post, that’s when people get hurt.”In the short term, Tucker’s focus is on a series in England that is bizarrely timed. Ireland hoped these ODIs would have represented a chance to tune up for next month’s World Cup, but a disastrous week in Bulawayo saw them miss out on qualification. After this series, they do not play again until December.”It’s a bit odd. It feels like everyone else is gearing up for a party in India next month that we’re not invited to. But that’s just the way it is: we didn’t play well enough in Zimbabwe and now we have to regroup and find our feet again on where we’re going to go for this next four-year cycle. It’s been a long year, and everyone is looking forward to a bit of headspace.”Most of the fans travelling over for this series have opted for Saturday’s second ODI, and there should be a strong Irish contingent both in the stands at Trent Bridge, and in the pubs after: Ireland play South Africa in a crunch Rugby World Cup game in Paris later that evening.”We’ve been following them pretty closely so far. There’s a strong connection in Ireland in general between rugby and cricket: [Ireland seamer] Barry McCarthy knows quite a few out of the lads playing out there. We’ll definitely be supporting and watching closely.”The plan is to try and win at Trent Bridge, then get the rugby on.” For Tucker and Ireland, that would make for a perfect sporting Saturday.

Ashwin completed 300 Test wickets at home and bagged 50 in a calendar year for the fourth time

Sampath Bandarupalli06-Dec-20215:45

Jaffer: India showed the kind of bench strength and depth they have

372 – India’s margin of win in Mumbai, their biggest win-margin in terms of runs in Tests. The 337-run win against South Africa in Delhi in 2015 was their previous biggest win in this format. The 372-run loss is also New Zealand’s biggest defeat by runs, leaving behind the 358-run trounce from South Africa in Johannesburg in 2007.300 – Wickets for R Ashwin in home Tests, the second India bowler with 300-plus Test wickets at home after Anil Kumble (350). Only five players before Ashwin had taken 300-plus Test wickets in their home country.9 – Player-of-the-Series awards for Ashwin in Tests, the joint second most for any player in the format. Muthiah Muralidaran tops the list with 11 awards while Jacques Kallis also has nine.66 – Test wickets for Ashwin against New Zealand, the most by a bowler in Test matches played between India and New Zealand. Ashwin eclipsed Sir Richard Hadlee’s 65 wickets on the fourth morning in Mumbai.14 for 225 – Ajaz Patel’s figures in Mumbai are the best match figures in a Test to end up on the losing side. Javagal Srinath previously held the record with 13 for 132 against Pakistan in Kolkata in 1999. Ajaz also became the first player to end up on the losing side despite taking all ten in a Test innings. The previous best innings figures in a losing cause were 9 for 83 by Kapil Dev against West Indies in 1983.8 for 42 – Ashwin’s match figures are the second best without a five-for in a men’s Test match. Shane Warne has the best figures, of 8 for 24 against Pakistan in Sharjah in 2002.52 – Test wickets for Ashwin in 2021, the first bowler to cross the tally of 50 this year. It is the fourth calendar year where Ashwin has bagged 50-plus Test wickets after 2015, 2016 and 2017. Only Warne (eight), Muralidaran (six) and Glenn McGrath (five) had 50-plus Test wickets in more calendar years than Ashwin.2003 – The last instance of India winning a match against New Zealand in an ICC tournament before the Mumbai Test – in Centurion during the 2003 World Cup. India lost seven of the eight meetings against New Zealand between the two wins.