Cricket

With the Sri Lanka Test tour looming in January, Cricket Australia (CA) faces a dilemma regarding the preparation of its spin candidates. Former Test spinner Steve O'Keefe believes that pulling spin bowlers out of the Big Bash League (BBL) early is crucial for their success on the subcontinent.O'Keefe cites his own experience in India in 2017, where he opted out of the BBL to focus on red-ball preparation. This decision paid dividends, as he bagged 12 wickets in the first Test in Pune. He argues that the BBL's focus on cross-seam bowling and yorkers is not ideal for spinners preparing for the challenges of subcontinent pitches.CA had initially planned for a clear window for Test players to feature in the BBL between the India series and the Sri Lanka tour. However, concerns have emerged about the workload and physical preparation of Test players, especially given the grueling nature of the India series.The selectors are particularly keen on finding a left-arm orthodox spinner for the Sri Lanka tour, as such bowlers have been highly successful in subcontinent conditions. However, there are currently few domestic players who specialize in this skill.O'Keefe recommends that CA pull spin candidates out of the BBL as early as possible, allowing them to focus on red-ball bowling and adjust to the specific challenges of subcontinent pitches. He believes that a month of preparation is ideal, with a couple of weeks spent bowling consistently in the subcontinent.The selectors have not yet picked a specialist left-arm orthodox spinner for the Australia A matches against India A, but Cooper Connolly will play as an allrounder. CA's chair of selectors, George Bailey, has emphasized the importance of finding players with this skill set for future subcontinent tours.

India's recent Test series defeat at home against New Zealand has raised concerns about the form of their senior spinners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. However, captain Rohit Sharma has defended the duo, emphasizing that the responsibility for Test match wins lies with the entire team, not just two individuals.On a slow, dry Pune pitch, India's spin trio, including Washington Sundar, was outbowled by New Zealand's. Ashwin, in particular, struggled to provide the control he is known for, conceding runs at almost four an over in the third innings. Jadeja also faced challenges, with batters like Devon Conway employing aggressive sweeps and reverse-sweeps.Despite their recent struggles, Rohit believes that Ashwin and Jadeja remain key players for India. He acknowledged that they may have off days, but emphasized that they have made significant contributions to India's success in the past."They know exactly what happens and sometimes they are allowed to have some bad games here and there and not go by that expectation that this is the opportunity for me to take wickets and run through the opposition," Rohit said.Rohit also called for the responsibility to be shared among the other spinners. He pointed to Washington Sundar's impressive performance in Pune, where he took 11 wickets in the match."Like we keep talking about with the batters it is not the responsibility of a few individuals, it is the collective batting unit that needs to come together," Rohit said. "So it's the same with the bowling unit as well."Rohit's comments suggest that India will not make any drastic changes to their spin attack for the upcoming Test series in Australia. He believes that Ashwin and Jadeja remain valuable assets, but that the team needs to provide them with more support.

England fought back on the opening day of the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi, reducing Pakistan to 73/3 at close. Home spinner Sajid Khan starred with a six-wicket haul, while Jamie Smith's rearguard 89 helped England post 267.On a dry and spin-friendly pitch, 13 wickets fell on day one, with all but one going to the spinners. Pakistan's Sajid and Noman Ali dominated the morning session, bowling unchanged for 42 overs and taking 9 wickets between them.England's spinners came to the fore in the final session, with Shoaib Bashir dismissing Abdullah Shafique and Jack Leach accounting for Saim Ayub. Gus Atkinson was the only fast bowler to grab a wicket, dismissing Kamran Ghulam.Smith's 89, which included six towering sixes and five fours, enabled England to add 149 for their last four wickets. He shared a 105-run partnership with Gus Atkinson (39) for the seventh wicket.Sajid completed his third five-wicket haul by removing Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach. England lost captain Ben Stokes early in the afternoon session, but Smith and Atkinson's partnership kept them in the game.The morning session was dominated by Sajid and Noman, who exploited the turning and low-bouncing pitch. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett made a confident start, but England lost three wickets in quick succession.Noman had Crawley caught off a miscued drive, while Sajid removed Pope and Root leg before. Duckett was trapped lbw by Noman for 52, and Harry Brook was bowled behind his legs by Sajid for five.Both teams included three spinners on a grassless pitch, which Pakistan dried with fans and heaters. Sajid and Noman shared all 20 wickets in Pakistan's second Test win to level the series at 1-1.

India Poised for Dominance in Women's T20 World Cup 2024, Says Veda KrishnamurthyFormer Indian cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy has expressed confidence in the Indian women's team's ability to dominate the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup 2024. The team departed for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, where the tournament will commence on October 3.Krishnamurthy emphasized the importance of adapting to the conditions in the UAE, particularly for the spin-heavy Indian squad. She highlighted the crucial role of Deepti Sharma, who has been a key bowler for the team."Adjusting to the conditions is crucial when playing in the UAE, especially with this squad. We rely heavily on spinners, particularly Deepti Sharma, who has been a key bowler for us," Krishnamurthy said.She also praised the fast bowlers, especially Pooja Vastrakar, for their ability to hit hard lengths with the semi-new ball. Krishnamurthy believes that if India can start well and get Renuka Singh firing, they will be a formidable force in the tournament."It's all about how they start, and they need Renuka to fire, regardless of the conditions. If they manage that, I think India will be very dominant in this World Cup," she added.In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022, India reached the semi-finals but fell short against Australia. Despite mixed results in the lead-up to this year's tournament, including losses to Australia and England, India has bounced back with consecutive series wins against Bangladesh.India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against New Zealand on October 4 at Dubai International Stadium. They will also play warm-up matches against the West Indies and South Africa before the tournament.

India's quest for a hat-trick of World Test Championship (WTC) finals continues as they prepare for the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. After a resounding victory in Chennai, India needs four more wins from their remaining nine matches to secure their place in the WTC final next year.The Kanpur Test will present a stark contrast to the red-soil pitch in Chennai. The black soil pitch is expected to be flatter and lower in bounce, favoring spinners. This change may prompt both teams to alter their team compositions.India may consider resting premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah to manage his workload. However, his impressive performance in Chennai, where he took four wickets in just 21 overs, may sway the team management to keep him in the lineup.The choice of the third spinner is another key decision. Kuldeep Yadav, who has been in excellent form, could get the nod over Axar Patel, whose all-round abilities may not be as crucial on a flat pitch.India's probable playing XI for the second Test against Bangladesh:* Rohit Sharma (c)* Yashasvi Jaiswal* Shubman Gill* Virat Kohli* KL Rahul* Rishabh Pant (wk)* Ravindra Jadeja* Ravichandran Ashwin* Kuldeep Yadav* Jasprit Bumrah (if fit)* Mohammed Siraj

Shubman Gill's masterful display of old-school cricket skills against Bangladesh's spinners on a challenging pitch at Chepauk in Chennai has showcased his growth and adaptability as a batsman. Gill's unbeaten 119, which propelled India to a commanding lead of 514 on the third day of the first Test, was a testament to his careful strategy and unwavering focus.Gill's approach was evident from the outset, as he stepped out to hit off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a six and attacked Shakib Al-Hasan's flighted delivery for a boundary. This aggressive footwork against spinners is a result of years of training, which Gill began at a young age due to his height."It's something that I started practicing when I was very young because I was always a tall guy," Gill explained. "So, it was easier for me to use my feet and play along the ground. Playing in the air and hitting sixes actually came a bit later when I got a little bit more power in my body."Gill's confidence has soared after his impressive series against England earlier this year, where he amassed nearly 500 runs. "I think the series that I had against England gave me a lot of confidence," he said. "I felt it was a long time coming for me, especially batting at that position (No. 3)."Gill's efforts were complemented by Rishabh Pant, who scored a century of his own. Gill expressed his happiness for Pant's remarkable comeback after his life-threatening car accident in 2022. "I have spent a lot of time with him on and off the field and watching him score his first 50 and first 100 after his comeback gives me so much pleasure," Gill said.The duo's quirky celebration routine, which involves two taps of gloves followed by a tap of the bats, has become a signature moment in their partnership. "I was telling him not to (hit bat twice) because I'm playing with a bat that I played against England," Gill said with a laugh. "My bat is quite old. He was hitting my bat so hard. I was telling him that I'm trying to save my bat."Gill's focused and calculated efforts against the spinners highlight his growth and adaptability, promising more stellar performances in future matches. His ability to counter challenging conditions and unsettle bowlers with his old-school skills makes him a valuable asset to the Indian team.

India's preparation for the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai has taken an interesting turn, with the team training on a black-soil pitch despite the match being expected to be played on a red-soil surface. The unusual weather conditions in the city have raised concerns about the pitch's behavior during the match.The red-soil pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is known for providing good bounce and carry for pacers, while the black-soil composition is more likely to assist spinners. However, the extreme heat in Chennai could lead to the disintegration of the pitch as the match progresses, bringing the spinners into play.This has prompted the Indian batsmen to focus on perfecting their technique against spin, as Bangladesh boasts a formidable spin attack. The likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli have struggled against spin in recent matches, and they have been working hard to address this weakness.Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has acknowledged that the Indian team needs to improve its ability to handle spin effectively. "We got undone in Sri Lanka. The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England, (so) that we've kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit," he said.The Indian team is expected to go through an optional net session on Wednesday, but the intensity of Tuesday's practice was evident despite the scorching sun. The nature of the pitch will force the Indian management to make a careful decision regarding the team's composition for the opening Test.With the pitch likely to favor pacers, India may opt for a three-pacer attack, including Akash Deep or Yash Dayal alongside Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav. This strategy aligns with India's goal of giving their pacers as much experience as possible ahead of their tour of Australia later this year.

Sri Lanka's Test team faces a unique dilemma: an abundance of talented seam bowlers. At the Oval, their quartet of quicks decimated England, but at Galle, a notoriously dry track, they must sacrifice half their frontline attack.Interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya acknowledges the difficult decision to omit Milan Rathnayake, who impressed in his debut series with 11 wickets and valuable innings. However, the Galle pitch demands spinners, necessitating the return of Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis."Milan played like a mature cricketer," Jayasuriya said. "But in Galle, we need spinners for balance."Left-armer Vishwa Fernando, another standout at The Oval, also misses out, with the express pace of Lahiru Kumara preferred.Sri Lanka's other conundrum lies in the wicketkeeping position. Dinesh Chandimal, who started as keeper at The Oval, has suffered a back injury. He will now move up to No. 3, with Kusal Mendis taking the gloves and dropping down the order."Chandimal has taken the responsibility to bat at No. 3 for the team and country," Jayasuriya said.The batting order has been adjusted accordingly, with Kamindu Mendis moving up to No. 5 and Kusal taking his former spot."We talked a lot about this complicated decision," Jayasuriya said. "Moving Chandimal up meant we had to bring someone else into the middle order. A wicketkeeper in the lower middle order is best for balance."Sri Lanka's wealth of seam bowling options is a testament to their depth, but it also presents challenges in selecting the right combination for different conditions. As they prepare for the Galle Test, they must strike a delicate balance between pace and spin to maximize their chances of success.

Pakistan's former wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has launched a scathing attack on the national team management and captains for their lack of faith in spinners during home Test series. Akmal believes that spinners have been consistently marginalized and denied adequate opportunities to showcase their abilities over the past three years.Akmal's criticism comes in the wake of Pakistan's 0-2 loss to Bangladesh in their recent home series. He pointed out that Pakistan has a strong track record of winning home matches when they employ a balanced attack of fast bowlers and spinners. However, he believes that the team has been overly reliant on pacers in recent years, which has led to their downfall.Akmal expressed concern over the exclusion of experienced spinners from the team. He mentioned players like Yasir Shah, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Bilal Asif, Zahid Mahmood, and Usman Qadir, who he believes should not have been overlooked without proper justification."When Babar (Azam) was captain, he kept some spinners in the squad but never bothered to play them regularly. Unless spinners get constant exposure, how will they come through?" Akmal said.Akmal also highlighted the struggles of Pakistan's batters against fast bowlers. He believes that the batters are comfortable facing pacers bowling at 130-140 kmph, but they struggle against bowlers who bowl at 140 kmph or more."Our batters are comfortable against pacers bowling at 130-140 kmph, but when they face a pace of 140 kmph or more, and they see that on the scoreboard during the match, their legs start to give way," he said.Akmal emphasized that players should prioritize domestic cricket rather than solely focusing on overseas leagues. He believes that the lack of commitment towards domestic cricket is leading to inconsistent performances at the international level."They prefer to go and play in useless foreign leagues to earn money and this is not helping them develop their skills. This lack of commitment towards domestic cricket is leading to inconsistent performances at the international level," he said.Akmal also commented on Babar Azam's recent form slump. He believes that Azam is struggling due to some technical flaws."He is unsure of himself and his off-stump early on and has this tendency to leave his leg stump exposed. Balls that should be played towards cover are being played straight, and the bat doesn't go towards the ball's direction," he said.