No wriggle-room left for Stokes’ men, but that fact may well serve to refocus their minds

Andrew Miller05-Jul-20231:43

Can England channel energy from Lord’s to bring a win at Headingley?

Big picture: Shootout at the last-chance saloon

“Sir, do you know they’ve cut us off? We’re entirely surrounded.” “Those poor bastards,” Puller said. “They’ve got us right where we want ’em. We can shoot in every direction now.”When he took over as England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes named Brad Pitt’s character Don “Wardaddy” Collier, from the 2014 World War II film ‘Fury’, as his leadership role model – a tank commander who stands his ground against the oncoming Germans to allow his troops to disperse under his covering fire.But right now, with his entire unit under siege, Stokes might wish to take inspiration from the real-life antics of Lewis B “Chesty” Puller, as above, the most decorated Marine in US Military history, and a man who never let a lost cause get him down.For in the last gasp at Lord’s, even Stokes in one of his now-familiar “miracle” moods wasn’t enough to mitigate for a host of team-mates who had abandoned their positions far too readily in the heat of battle – and all too literally, in the case of Jonny Bairstow’s thorny extraction.And as such, there’s no way out now except straight up and at ’em, into the teeth of a 2-0 series deficit, and with moral hellfire raining down from all quarters. And shockingly, given everything we know about this group of England players and what gets their juices pumping, it’s hard to imagine they’d want it any other way.Related

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“I don’t think we can galvanise as a group any more than we are, to be honest,” Stokes said, and given his personal antics at Lord’s on Sunday, his historical antics at Headingley four years ago, and the sense of a series that is primed to explode with shattering power, regardless of which direction the fragments fly, it’s fair to say that England’s mood is somewhat different to the wretched self-pity that had consumed their campaign by the same stage of the 2021-22 Ashes in Melbourne.As for Australia, well, they’re doing just fine, thanks for asking. Notwithstanding their pre-series Bazball scepticism, and the comprehensive nature of their World Test Championship final victory over India, they surely cannot have envisaged sealing their first series win in England since 2001 as early as the third Test of the series.And so, while Pat Cummins was obliged to ride out – with considerable ease, as it happens – another dose of enquiries as to the whereabouts of the Spirit of Cricket, it’s self-evident that Australia have parked the Bairstow rumpus on that Lord’s outfield, and turned their focus to the task at hand.It’s a task that will involve a hugely significant tweak to their starting line-up, with Nathan Lyon’s series-ending calf injury forcing the introduction of a new frontline spinner for the first time in 100 Tests. Todd Murphy is no out-and-out rookie after four Tests in India, but it takes a special type of offspinner – with the ball turning into the arc of England’s run-hungry right-handers – to hold their own against this line-up. New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell got clobbered at more than seven an over for his two scalps in the corresponding Headingley Test last summer.Usman Khawaja has been an immovable presence in the middle•Getty Images

In the grand scheme of things, however, it seems a peripheral consideration. Australia’s batters are, for the most part, in form and focus, with Usman Khawaja immoveable at the top of the order, and David Warner proving intermittently punchy. Steve Smith and Travis Head are both Test centurions this summer, while Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green have shown glimpses of their true selves amid slow starts to the campaign. Slow and steady has won the day so far. They won’t be deviating from their script any more than they are obliged to by the ferocity of England’s last-ditch assault.But yeah, about that… we know, and Australia know, and England themselves certainly know, that the coming battle could be truly extraordinary.Inevitably, Cummins was asked at his press conference about his memories of Headingley 2019, and the sense of missed opportunity that Australia felt with the series, then as now, seemingly in their grasp. His answers were engaging enough, but broadly irrelevant, because Stokes himself had already embarked on a re-enactment three days earlier at Lord’s.The fact that that Stokes’ 155 had failed where his 135 not out had succeeded is less relevant than the message it sent out to his misfiring troops. It was a point that he had zeroed in on as he addressed the media after that match.”We’re not up in the dressing-room saying go out and play this way,” Stokes told the BBC, amid an inquest into the happy hooking that had scuttled England’s first innings. “What we’re saying is, if you want to have a mindset of how you want to play, you stick with that, and you’ve got the backing of the whole dressing-room.”How did England want to play in those first two Tests? Looking back on the bombast in the media and the proselytising about their “entertainment first” approach, there’s a clear sense of a side that had lost its bearings amid a remarkable run of success, and had forgotten the difference between “no consequences” cricket, and “no responsibilities”.And if Stokes’ futile but stunning show of defiance has metaphorically knocked a few heads together within that self-help group of a dressing-room, then there’s no reason to believe that three in a row to win the Ashes – feats they achieved against New Zealand and Pakistan last year – should be out of their reach. Certainly Cummins, the man who delivered the ball that Stokes blazed for the winning boundary four years ago, will know better than anyone how it feels to be so tantalisingly close to your goal, only to have it ripped away by force majeure.Perhaps the last word should go to the occasion itself, for this is perhaps not the scenario that Yorkshire’s beleaguered management had envisaged while scrambling, all of last year, to preserve their precious Ashes Test in the midst of the racism scandal that brought the club to its knees.In a less fervent series, the build-up would surely have paid greater heed to the club’s past failings, especially in light of last week’s ICEC report, and the spotlight that fell on Lord’s (and certain unsavoury characters within its Long Room). Instead, and in an ironic tangent that captures the exceptionalism of Ashes cricket, Headingley’s patriotic duty is now to rise up as one and be a cauldron of spite for the incoming Aussies. It’s a dichotomy for addressing when the fever has died back down. Right now, it’s war, and would we have it any other way?

Form guide

England LLWLW
Australia WWWDWJonny Bairstow hefts his gear to England training•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Jonny Bairstow and Alex Carey

Amid the maelstrom that has surrounded his fatal stroll at Lord’s, Jonny Bairstow has been very, very quiet. Every other player and pundit has had his or her say on the matter, but the man himself has clearly hunkered down, limiting his public response to a pointedly frosty handshake or two, while quietly brooding about the missed opportunity that that moment had created. And, in his inimitably potent manner, he’s doubtless vowed to make the world pay for the injustice.For if England are to turn this scoreline on its head, then Bairstow needs to relocate his beast mode. So far, the omens are plentiful and pungent. He’s back at Headingley, his Yorkshire fortress – the scene of his blazing 162 and 71 not out against New Zealand last summer, the middle panel of his Bazball triptych. And he’s back at No.5, the position from which that mayhem was wrought, until his gruesome leg injury let Harry Brook in for similar fun and frolics over the course of the winter.And, with any luck from England’s perspective, he’s very, very angry. Some players drop their bundle when emotion seeps into their game, Bairstow by contrast accesses areas of his game that are off-limits when the going is too good. For a comparative scenario, albeit in white-ball cricket, you might look to England’s wobble in the 2019 World Cup, when a string of group-stage losses left them needing back-to-back victories to reach the semi-finals. Bairstow obliged with a brace of ferocious hundreds against India and New Zealand, the first after lashing out at the media for “willing England to fail”. He’s got no such need for straw men to burn this week. All the ire he could possibly wish for is right there for him to claim.Alex Carey crosses the outfield at Headingley while Ben Stokes looms on the big screen•Getty Images

“You’ll forever be remembered for that,” was Stuart Broad’s pointed statement as he and Alex Carey clashed in the middle at Lord’s in the aftermath of Bairstow’s stumping. And such has been the fuss around the incident that, yes, Carey is destined to be significant footnote in the history of this series, just as Broad himself was in a similar rumpus in 2013. But, he is also making a serious case in this series to be remembered as an outstanding wicketkeeper. With ten catches and five stumpings to date, some of his glovework in the two Test victories has been tinged with genius, in particular his leg-side stumping off Zak Crawley at Lord’s, and his vital vertical take-off to extract the dangerous Ben Duckett in the same innings.And so, for Australia’s purposes, more of the same will suit them just fine – and that includes his quiet but potent contributions with the bat, including a key fifty at Edgbaston. The question is whether the furore will rattle him at any stage, especially when the wrath of the Western Stand descends on even his most momentary lapse. The team have wrapped themselves around him – in Lyon’s absence, he’s now the custodian of the team song, which arguably makes him the third-most important Australian, behind Cummins and the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (who has also done his bit for the cause by shushing his opposite number, Rishi Sunak… really, it has come to that). But even if his series returns do fall away now, at least he’s no longer best remembered for walking into a swimming pool in Karachi.

Team news: Enter the allrounders

Changes, changes, everywhere … and for every imaginable reason. To begin with the enforced switch, Ollie Pope is out after suffering a dislocated right shoulder at Lord’s – and it’s a loss that England are entitled to feel aggrieved by, given that he was apparently obliged to field in Australia’s second innings despite feeling the initial twinge in the first. His loss at No.3 is on the one hand destabilising – Harry Brook steps up, given Joe Root’s known distaste for the role – but England, with admirable optimism, look to have seized upon the positives.After fielding one of their flimsier tails in recent memory in that match, they’re going into this one with significantly sturdier raw materials. Moeen Ali – back from his blistered finger – is carded at No.7, and won’t even have Nathan Lyon to contend with, while, at No.8, the long-forgotten Chris Woakes is set to play his first home Test in almost two years. He steps up as a value-added replacement for James Anderson, whose bleak returns in the first two Tests have understandably earned him a spell on the bench. And while Josh Tongue’s verve was a welcome point of difference on a tough pitch at Lord’s, the scoreline dictates that the real deal can be held back no longer. Mark Wood’s included for his first Test since December, and his first match of any ilk since the IPL in April. He’ll have licence to rain hellfire, and the bowling back-up to make each spell count – even if Stokes himself is less likely to feature as an allrounder after his exertions in the second innings at Lord’s. After being significantly outdone on the speed gun so far, England’s attack might be about to get a little feistier.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Harry Brook, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Ollie Robinson, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Mark WoodFar fewer issues for Australia to contend with, with the only outstanding debate being the identity of their third seamer, with Scott Boland likely to return in place of Josh Hazlewood, who is in “uncharted territory” after playing back-to-back Tests for the first time since 2020-21.However, their XI is also facing a significant absentee. Lyon’s series-ending calf injury is a formidable blow, one that brings to an end a run of 100 consecutive Test appearances, and robs Australia of a bowler with 496 wickets’ worth of experience. At times, Lyon’s methods seemed perfectly tailored to pricking the Bazball bravado: his nine wickets at 29.33 in two-and-a-half innings of the series included no fewer than four stumpings, as England’s batters lined up to give him the charge only to get suckered by that delectable drift and drop just short of a tonkable length.And so, welcome to the Bazodrome, Murphy. Australia’s Ashes debutant is no stranger to the big occasion, after picking up 14 wickets at a creditable 25.21 in his four Tests in India earlier this year, including a memorable 7 for 124 on debut at Nagpur. He also played his part in Australia’s solitary win on that tour, with 20 tidy overs in their surprise success in Indore. But, as a measure of what Australia have lost, Lyon outmatched him 11 wickets to one in that Test. And as for his series economy rate of 2.56, it’s safe to say that’s about to head north…Australia: (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steve Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Todd Murphy, 11 Scott Boland

Pitch and conditions

Look up not down is the Headingley cliché, but given England’s bowler-stacked attack and their prior success in fourth-innings run-chases, Stokes has surely already made his mind up should he win the toss, even before looking at an ominously overcast opening day of the match. The temptation to bowl first is heightened by the likelihood that Friday’s second day will be the sunniest of the match, and therefore the best for batting. The weekend promises more cloud and scattered showers, but the series scoreline promises a fight to the finish, no matter how much play is lost to rain.

Stats and trivia

• Only once in Ashes history has a side managed to bounce back from 2-0 down to win the series 3-2 – Don Bradman’s Australia in 1936-37, when the Don himself made back-to-back double-centuries to seal the deal in the final two Tests.
• Steve Smith is set to become the 15th Australian to play 100 Tests, and the first since David Warner, who marked his own occasion, at the MCG in December, with a double-century against South Africa. Auspiciously, Smith’s only previous Test at Headingley, against Pakistan in 2010, was the occasion of his maiden Test half-century.
• Australia have won nine and lost nine of their previous 26 Tests at Headingley (with one of those defeats coming against Pakistan). Their recent results in Ashes Tests have been a case of feast or heist: their four victories since 1989 have been thumpings (three by an innings, one by 210 runs), their two losses have been entirely down to inspired fourth-innings centuries: Mark Butcher in 2001, and of course Ben Stokes in 2019.
• Stokes is 78 runs shy of reaching 6000 in Tests, while he still needs three wickets to reach the 200 mark. He is getting to that latter mark slowly, having taken no more than one wicket in each of his last nine stints in the field.
• Moeen Ali could also complete a notable double in this Test. He needs two more wickets to reach 200 in Tests, and 49 more runs to reach 3000.

Quotes

“I think the magical thing that would happen this week is for us to win the game and keep the Ashes alive. I don’t know what it is about Headingley, but you can always look back at certain things which have happened here in an Ashes series. We’ve got some very fond memories here as an England team, I’m sure supporters have got some fond memories as spectators as well. ’81 and 2019 will probably come up at some point around the ground.”
“I think the way our team’s conducted themselves over the last couple of years has been flawless really. We’ve been fantastic and I think that showed again on day five at Lord’s. I mean, there’s been talk this week about the underarm incident. I think it was 1970s. How far do you want to go back? We’ve all moved on. As I said the other day, the team did nothing wrong so we’re all comfortable.”
Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, is unconcerned about the reaction to the Bairstow incident

Australia booed throughout second session after Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal

Matt Roller02-Jul-2023Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins expect that the febrile atmosphere on the final day of the second men’s Ashes Test at Lord’s will continue in Leeds next week, with the third Test starting at Headingley on Thursday.Australia’s players were booed throughout the second session after Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped by Alex Carey, and MCC announced on Sunday evening that three members had been suspended pending investigation after allegations of verbal abuse in the Long Room of the Pavilion.Stokes, England’s captain, suggested that coping with hostile crowds was “part of the job” during Ashes series. “I definitely think it’s going to be ramped up,” he said. “Australia have had their past and have come here a few times since and I think they’re all used to the English crowd.”When we go to Australia we get lambasted as well. Look, I think that’s part of the sport we play. You get thousands of people who want their team to win and they’ll just jump on something. We get it in Australia: 90,000 Australians at the MCG all cursing at you. It’s part of the job.”Related

• MCC introduce stricter pavilion regulations after Long Room chaos

• Cummins: England should focus on themselves, and not spirit of cricket

• Todd Murphy prepares for Ashes baptism-of-fire after Nathan Lyon injury

• Ollie Pope ruled out for rest of Ashes following shoulder dislocation

• Broad to Cummins: 'All these boos are for you'

Australia have grown used to hostile crowds, particularly when playing in England since the 2018 Sandpapergate incident, and their captain, Cummins, said they would not be thrown off course by a boisterous Headingley atmosphere. “There’s nothing like loud crowds that brings the team together,” he said.”It seems like every Ashes has some drama to it – even one-sided Ashes in the past, things get stoked up halfway through a series,” Cummins added. “It just feels like you’ve got two old rivals who are playing against each other. Is it going to change anything? I don’t think so.”I don’t think it’ll change anything for us. I think we’re still amicable, so we’ll see how it plays out. Being up two-nil is something we should be really proud of. I don’t feel like this series needed any more attention because there’s a lot going on – but maybe there is some more.”Stokes also suggested that Stuart Broad, who was visibly fired up by Bairstow’s dismissal, had thrived in the fervour of the situation during his rearguard innings of 11 off 36 balls. “Broady, he was on one, wasn’t he? He was really on one,” Stokes said. “He’s played 160 games and it’s not the first time he’s been expressive with his body language or niggle towards the opposition.”If you look at the situation of the game when he came out, he needed that. He wanted to get into the battle, he wanted to pick a battle – I was about to say with someone, but he picked it with the whole Australian cricket team. That’s Broady, and what he did for the team in that situation with myself particularly was incredible.”Cummins bowled 25 second-innings overs and all three of Australia’s main fast bowlers – himself, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – had an increased workload due to the absence of Nathan Lyon, who looks set to be ruled out of the series with a calf injury sustained on the second day.Todd Murphy looks set to replace Lyon, while Cummins hinted that Scott Boland could return to the side. “Physically backing up after a few days isn’t anything new for Starcy, Joshy or [me],” Cummins said. “Murph will come in fresh and obviously Scotty missed this one, so he might enter the conversation for the next one.”I don’t think you’ll see many of us bowling many balls in the nets the next few days. It’ll all be about recovering for the next one. It’s a quick turnaround but it’s important we just take a pause for a moment and appreciate being up two-nil.”

India are missing several regulars, meaning Tilak Varma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar will all be looking to make a mark

Deivarayan Muthu02-Aug-20231:09

Jaffer: Tilak Varma brings versatility to India’s XI

Big picture: IPL heroes vs CPL stars

Though West Indies failed to qualify for the main event of the last T20 World Cup – and the upcoming ODI World Cup – their T20I side seems to be in better health than their ODI and Test teams. Either side of the T20 World Cup’s first round in 2022, West Indies challenged New Zealand in a 2-1 series defeat at home, and beat South Africa 2-1 away. They will be bolstered further by the return of Nicholas Pooran, who propelled MI New York to the MLC title last Sunday with a sensational 137 not out off 55 balls. Allrounders Jason Holder, Odean Smith and Akeal Hosein are also back in the mix.India will be without Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj for the T20I leg of the West Indies and USA tours, but their line-up still drips with power and class, thanks to their IPL heroes. After having lit up his Test debut with 171 in Dominica, Yashasvi Jaiswal could potentially make his T20I debut on Thursday in Tarouba, and open alongside Shubman Gill. There could also be a debut for Tilak Varma, who has been the engine room of Mumbai Indians’ middle order since Hardik Pandya moved to Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Varma will now combine with Pandya to marshal India’s middle order.Related

• Avesh Khan ready for reboot after being 'all over the place'

• Hetmyer, Hope, Thomas return to WI T20I squad for India series

• Hardik still 'turtle, not the rabbit' as he builds bowling workload

This could be another opportunity for Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan to prove their white-ball chops and firm up their cases to be India’s back-up wicketkeeper behind KL Rahul, who is on the road to recovery from injury.For West Indies, this series marks the beginning of a long T20 home season, with the CPL set to begin on August 16, three days after the end of the T20I series against India in Lauderhill, USA. Strong performances in this series – and the following CPL – could help West Indies shape their side for their home T20 World Cup next year.Mukesh Kumar could end up making his Test, ODI and T20I debuts on this tour•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

West Indies WLWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WWLWL

In the spotlight: Powell and Mukesh

Rovman Powell is among West Indies’ leaders in white-ball cricket, but he was dropped for the last two ODIs against India, with Keacy Carty replacing him. He had also been dropped from the ODI side during the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. But Powell is now set to return, this time as the captain of the T20I team, and with a point to prove – particularly against the spinners. Powell has a strike rate of only 115.03 while facing spin in T20 cricket, while that number jumps up to 153.20 against pace.Mukesh Kumar had to slog for years to make it to India’s squad, but if he gets picked on Thursday, he will end up making his Test, ODI and T20I debuts in a fortnight in the West Indies. Mukesh usually operates in the lower 130kph range, but he can get the ball to skid and seam off the pitch like he did in the ODI series decider in Tarouba on Tuesday. With a number of senior quicks absent once again, Mukesh is likely to get a good run in the five-match T20I series.

Team news: Will India pick an extra spinner?

This will be West Indies’ first T20I under coach Daren Sammy, but there might not be too many changes from the team that toppled South Africa in South Africa. ODI captain Shai Hope might compete with Johnson Charles for the No.3 spot. West Indies will look up to the returning Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer to counter India’s spinners. Hosein could be West Indies’ main spinner after having returned from the MLC.West Indies (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Johnson Charles/Shai Hope (wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Rovman Powell (capt), 7 Roston Chase, 8 Jason Holder, 9 Romario Shepherd/Odean Smith, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Alzarri Joseph/Oshane Thomas1:13

Jaffer: WI need players to commit to the national team

If the pitch that was used for the final ODI is rolled out once again, India might consider bringing in an extra spinner. And it remains to be seen whether the visitors can fit both Kishan and Samson in their XI.India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Ishan Kishan/Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal/Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mukesh Kumar/Umran Malik/Avesh Khan

Pitch and conditions: Rain could interrupt the game

The Brian Lara Cricket Academy has hosted just one T20I so far, in 2022, when India piled up 190 for 6, and then defended it with considerable ease against West Indies. The Tarouba pitch is usually friendly to batters, but a used one could offer more assistance to the bowlers. The forecast for Thursday isn’t particularly promising, with a 40% chance of rain.

Stats and trivia

• Suryakumar Yadav has a strike rate of 175.76 in T20Is – the highest among all batters who have faced at least 250 balls in the format.
• Holder (53) is two wickets away from surpassing Samuel Badree (54) as West Indies’ second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is. Dwayne Bravo tops this list with 78 strikes.
• India are set to play their 200th T20I on Thursday. Only Pakistan (223) have played more T20Is than India.

Dutchman van Beek takes 4 for 46 to ensure Worcs retain second spot in Division Two

ECB Reporters Network05-Sep-2023Worcestershire strengthened their grip on second place in Division Two of the LV=Insurance County Championship as they defeated promotion rivals Glamorgan by 80 runs at New Road.Their fifth victory of the campaign was wrapped up with more than a day to spare as their opponents suffered a first Championship setback of the summer. Dutch international Logan van Beek completed an excellent all-round game with another four wickets to take his tally to eight in the game after his first innings half-century.Once again all members of their four-pronged seam attack bowled with discipline on a wicket which still offered them sufficient encouragement. Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira’s first innings knock of 74 not out was also a crucial contribution and they were able to survive a second innings collapse of nine wickets for 64 runs to collect 20 points from the game.Billy Root batted with composure and authority in both innings for Glamorgan and his 84 not out on Tuesday was a superb effort in challenging conditions for batting, but no one could provide substantial support. Jamie McIlroy demonstrated his potential with the ball, though he was unable to cover for the loss of Timm van der Gugten who suffered a hamstring on the opening day of the match.Worcestershire are now 31 points ahead of Glamorgan in the battle for the second promotion spot, behind Durham who are their next opponents in two weeks at New Road. Leicestershire are emerging as their biggest challengers after their win over Gloucestershire leaves them 24 points behind in third, with a game in hand.Worcestershire resumed day three on 127 for eight and McIlroy claimed one of the last two wickets to complete his first five-for in first-class cricket. D’Oliveira was caught low down at second slip cutting at James Harris and then last man Dillon Pennington fell to a one-handed return catch by McIlroy. He finished with the excellent figures of 5 for 34 as the innings was wrapped up in 6.5 overs for the addition of 18 runs.Pennington and Joe Leach shared the new ball and the latter soon claimed his 44th wicket of the season when Ed Byrom was lbw to a delivery swinging into him. Former Worcestershire Academy player Zain Ul Hassan was put down at midwicket off van Beek but it did not prove a costly miss as three wickets fell for seven runs.Colin Ingram drove at the Netherlands international and for the second time in the game perished to Jake Libby at third slip. Ul Hassan played down the wrong line and was bowled by on-loan Essex allrounder Ben Allison from a ball angled in. It became 37 for four when Kiran Carlson went lbw to van Beek to another delivery swinging into his pads.Much responsibility now rested on Sam Northeast and Billy Root and they added 48 in 11 overs as Leach and Pennington returned for a post-lunch burst. As is often the case, Leach made the crucial breakthrough when Northeast was pouched low down at first slip by Adam Hose. He waited to check with the square leg umpire that the ball had carried before departing.Root played with plenty of aggression and completed a 53 ball half-century when he square drove van Beek for his 10th boundary. But Allison came back into the attack and accounted for Chris Cooke who looked to work the ball on the leg side but only edged to Libby who dived forward from third slip to take the catch.Ben Kellaway collected a pair when he tried in vain to kick a delivery from van Beek away from his stumps after it had spun back, and James Harris drove hard at Dillon Pennington and fell to a sharp catch by Jack Haynes at second slip.Worcestershire moved to within one wicket of victory when Hose snaffled van der Gugten at first slip off the persevering Leach. It was all over when van Beek bowled McIlroy to leave Root undefeated on 114 over the two innings.

India have long been the benchmark ODI side but even they’ll know Rashid and Gurbaz, on their day, can trip them up

Alagappan Muthu10-Oct-20232:40

How can Afghanistan do better with the bat?

Big picture: The step up

In his first press conference at this World Cup, Hashmatullah Shahidi spoke glowingly about the ability within his Afghanistan team. Even outside of it, the talent at their disposal is incredible. There’s a 23-year-old in Kunar who, but for the great Bill Ponsford, would hold the title of the fastest cricketer to 1000 first-class runs. The thing is, though, those kinds of records can sometimes speak to the lack of quality opposition. In a nutshell, that’s been Afghanistan’s problem in the longer formats.As coveted as their stars are on the T20 circuit, the chances they have to level up their one-day game are few and far between. Afghanistan have played a mere 29 matches between the last World Cup and this one. Even going as far back as the first ODI they ever played, their tally only comes to 153. There are individual players in the Indian team that they’ll face on Wednesday who have played almost twice as many matches.Related

• Shubman Gill to miss India's game against Afghanistan as well

• In World Cups, pressure comes with the territory. It's what makes winning sweet

• Back in fashion: fingerspin's resurgence in ODIs

• Shahidi on India's spin challenge: 'We play better spin in the nets sessions'

Experience is how batters learn when to go hard and when not to, when to just reduce risk, absorb the pressure and just trust that you can make up for lost ground. Experience is also how bowlers know it is important to keep hitting the same spot on the pitch over and over and over again. Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja exemplified this against Australia. No one in the Afghanistan team was able to do anything close in their match against a close rival.ODIs demand that you hold your nerve and your discipline for far longer than T20s do. The best place to learn that is bilateral cricket. But Afghanistan don’t really have that. What they do have – what they’ve managed since 2012 – are consistent World Cup appearances. It’s become the only meaningful way to test themselves. India are the ideal Afghanistan are striving towards and tomorrow they’ll see how far they’ve come and how far they may yet go.

Form guide

India WLWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)

Afghanistan LLLLL

In the spotlight – Rohit Sharma and Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Any team in the world would love to have Rohit Sharma at the top of their batting order. But he himself doesn’t seem to be all that satisfied with where he’s at. He’s got it in his head that he can be more. For the past two years in ODIs, he’s been hitting ’em at better than a run-a-ball: 114 from eight innings in 2022 with an average of 41 and 109 from 16 innings in 2023 with an average of 47. The extra aggression he’s been showing has maybe had an impact in his centuries column – he only has two from the last three years – but it does seem to have other benefits. The only team that’s been able to score quicker than India (95.65) between the last World Cup and this one is England (98.19).Rahmanullah Gurbaz strikes a pretty pose•ICC via Getty Images

Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be relishing the conditions that this game will be played in. Delhi has offered freedom to hit through the line of the ball and there aren’t many that do that better than him. Right at the top of Afghanistan’s order is an agenda-setting batter to whom the entire field is available for plunder. It wasn’t that long ago that he was thumping his own team-mates Rashid and Noor Ahmad around in the IPL, scoring 81 off just 39 balls.

Team news: Thakur for Ashwin?

Both Rohit and his coach Rahul Dravid have been rather vocal about how important it will be for the squad to adapt to various conditions as they progress through this World Cup. Chennai was spin-friendly so they picked a bowling attack to suit that. Delhi won’t be, so it’s quite likely they’ll ask R Ashwin to step aside for Shardul Thakur. Shubman Gill is still recovering from dengue and has not travelled with the team.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer/Suryakumar Yadav, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajAfghanistan put out the best team they had in Dharamsala and their captain said they were beaten because they had a bad day. It’s possible Shahidi might back the same XI to do better against India.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Azmatullah Omarzai, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pitch and conditions

The Feroz Shah Kotla was the scene where World Cup records tumbled with South Africa and Sri Lanka aggregating the highest match total and Aiden Markram amassing the fastest century.

Stats and trivia

• Prior to 2022 and 2023, only once in his entire career had Rohit gone through a year’s worth of work and come away with a strike rate of better than a run a ball – 100.09 from 19 innings in 2018.
• Having got there in 27 innings, Gurbaz is the quickest of the 13 Afghanistan batters to the mark of 1000 ODI runs

Quotes

“As a team we are prepared to do that. It is something we have been talking about in our group – whoever suits the conditions needs to come and do the job for us.”
“We have a good spin-bowling attack, but only one department can’t win you games. You have to score runs for that, to win the game.”

He came into this T20I series after a prolific Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he averaged 96 with a strike rate of 143.28

Hemant Brar25-Nov-20230:59

Tilak Varma: I am learning from Rinku Singh how to finish games

With India resting some of their key players for the five-match T20I series against Australia, the fringe players have a chance to make an impression ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in June. However, Tilak Varma doesn’t want to put himself under pressure by thinking about that.”My mindset is clear,” Tilak said on the eve of the second T20I in Thiruvananthapuram. “I have got a role in the team, so I just want to stick to that role. I don’t have any pressure or expectations of doing well. I am just looking forward to fulfilling my role for the team.”I was batting at No. 5 in the last game, so my mindset was if it is in my arc, I will go for it. Otherwise, I will just rotate [the strike].”Related

• Weather could force changes in XIs as Australia look to level terms with India

In the first T20I, India were chasing 209, and needed 75 in 7.3 overs when Tilak walked out. He hit Tanveer Sangha for back-to-back fours but fell for 12 off 10 balls as he tried to attack the legspinner once again.”I wanted to take charge against their legspinner because we needed ten per over,” Tilak said. “So my mindset was clear: if the legspinner is bowling, I will go for it. Against the fast bowlers, Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] will do the same. So in that over, I wanted to attack the legspinner.”Suryakumar’s 80 off 42 balls, though, took India closer before Rinku Singh finished it off with an unbeaten 22 off 14 balls. Tilak, too, wants to finish games, just like Rinku has been doing.”I like finishing the games,” he said. “I am learning [that] from Rinku as he has been doing it very consistently, even for the Indian team. I think in the coming matches I will be doing that.”Tilak came into the series on the back of a good Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 tournament. He scored 288 runs in seven innings at an average of 96.00 and a strike rate of 143.28. His highest was an unbeaten 121 against the eventual runners-up Baroda.Tilak is looking to “continue the same form” into this series as well. Moreover, he has “good memories” of Thiruvananthapuram. In 2019, he was part of the 50-over Under-19 quadrangular series involving South Africa Afghanistan, India A and India B that was played there.In that series, he scored 115 runs in three games with a best of 44 not out. Two of those matches were played at the Thumba ground, and the third at the Greenfield International Stadium, the venue for the second T20I on Sunday.”It was a good, seaming wicket at that time,” he recalled. “But usually the Kerala wicket is on the slower side and turns a bit. I don’t know how it is now. We will have a look today and go with the flow.”Last week, India lost to Australia in the final of the ODI World Cup after staying unbeaten in the tournament until that match. But Tilak is not looking at the current assignment as a revenge series.”On one bad day we lost, otherwise we had a superb, fantastic World Cup,” he said. “I am not looking to beat Australia for that. We just want to go one game at a time and follow the basics.”

Queensland were looking to survive for a draw, but Victoria eventually won a pulsating contest

AAP19-Nov-2023Will Sutherland and Scott Boland combined for eight wickets to lead Victoria to a pulsating 113-run Sheffield Shield victory over Queensland at the MCG.Chasing 272 for victory in 87 overs, Queensland were dismissed for 158 in 81.5 overs late on the final day, with Sutherland (4-32 off 19 overs) and Boland (4-49) proving crucial.Victoria’s second win of the season lifted them into fourth spot, with Queensland now last.”It was a really good team performance, probably one of the best wins I’ve played in,” Sutherland said. “Unbelievable effort from the boys.”Victoria started the day at 156 for 6 in their second innings, and they added 34 in seven overs before declaring at 190 for 9.Matt Renshaw was the first Queenslander to fall when he edged Boland to Sutherland at first slip. Joe Burns should have been dismissed next ball, but Sutherland dropped a tough chance at slip.The dropped catch proved costly – not for how many runs Burns scored, but by how much time he was able to chew up. Burns scored 9 off 55 balls before edging Boland behind, 22 overs after he was first dropped. Sutherland made up for that earlier miss by snaring the scalps of Bryce Street (46 off 134 balls) and Jack Clayton to reduce Queensland to 86 for 4.He wasn’t done yet. The 24-year-old took a catch low and to his left at slip off the bowling of Boland to remove the dangerous Usman Khawaja.Sutherland, who scored a crucial 66 with the bat in Victoria’s second innings, then trapped Jimmy Peirson lbw for 16. He had his fourth wicket when James Bazley edged one behind – with Peter Handscomb’s fumble at second slip snapped up by Will Pucovski.At 146 for 8 with 12.4 overs remaining, it was all about survival for Queensland. They still had two wickets in hand with 33 balls remaining in the match.But their hopes of salvaging a draw were dashed in the blink of an eye when Fergus O’Neill removed Gurinder Sandhu and Mitchell Swepson in consecutive balls, sparking wild celebrations.”It’s never nice to lose a game,” Queensland captain Khawaja said. “We were probably never in the contest to win the game. But credit to Victoria, they played the game really well. I thought they declared at really good times, they allowed the game to move forward. They deserved the win.”

The pair took nine wickets between them to restrict South Africa to their lowest ODI total at home

Sidharth Monga17-Dec-20232:09

Arshdeep: Last night, we were thinking of restricting South Africa under 400

India’s pace attack for the Pink Day ODI came in with seven wickets between them, but took only 13 overs to double that tally and then went past it to bowl South Africa out for 116, their lowest total at home. India chased down the total with ease to hand South Africa only their third defeat in Pink Day ODIs.While Arshdeep Singh took five wickets and Avesh Khan four, Mukesh Kumar was no less incisive as he started with a first over in which Reeza Hendricks couldn’t lay bat on ball.Both sides wanted to bat first because the match was being played on the same strip that hosted the final T20I between the same sides three days ago. On that night, India’s spinners enjoyed plenty of assistance, both sideways as well as up and down.In a day match, though, South Africa turned out to be the unfortunate side to win the toss and have their death wish on a treacherous pitch with both seam and swing readily available to go with uneven bounce.Still nursing the World Cup heartbreak, the losing finalists and the losing semi-finalists came into the match with their frontline fast bowlers resting and preparing for the Test series. South Africa retained their middle-order core, but India’s line-up looked completely raw. Captain KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav were the only ones who played the World Cup final.Rahul was in action immediately as Mukesh appealed vehemently first ball. The inswinger seemed to have trapped Hendricks right in front but two sounds misled both umpire and Rahul. It was neither given out nor was the decision reviewed.Mukesh continued to play around with both his edges in the rest of the over, a repeat of the third T20I three days ago when Hendricks couldn’t touch Mohammed Siraj for a whole first over. Arshdeep didn’t move the ball as much as Mukesh did. Hendricks saw a wide one and had a go, and ended up playing it on for an eight-ball duck. Arshdeep then bowled the perfect inswinger to trap Rassie van der Dussen in front for a golden duck.4:40

Manjrekar’s praise for Arshdeep and Avesh

Aiden Markram survived the hat-trick ball and went on to add 39 for the third wicket with Tony de Zorzi, who countered the movement by walking at the bowlers and then responded to the consequent short balls by punching and pulling them for two sixes. Visually he looked at odds with Markram, who struggled to come to terms with the uneven bounce from the pitch.Eventually de Zorzi made a mistake on 28 off 21, pulling a ball not short enough, and the big top edge settled with Rahul. Arshdeep continued the damage with seam movement back in to Heinrich Klaasen, taking his leg bail with the last ball of the tenth over.Usually in ODI cricket, even if the new ball does a lot, the movement seems to die down pretty quickly. Here, though, after an average swing of 1.4 degrees and average seam of 1.2 degrees in the first ten overs, the ball was still doing plenty for Avesh, the first-change bowler. At the start of the 11th, one nipped back in and had Markram playing on when looking for a regulation single to deep third. The next ball was a peach, seaming away like a legcutter, getting Wiaan Mulder lbw.Arshdeep bowled two more overs, but couldn’t get the fifth wicket he was after. Avesh, though, kept striking. In his seven-ball stay, David Miller was given two sucker balls. He resisted the first one, but ended up edging the other. Keshav Maharaj soon chipped one to cover as it got big on him.Mukesh went for a few in his second spell as Andile Phehlukwayo middled a few shots, which gave Arshdeep a second shot at the five-for. In his last over, Arshdeep, who had taken no wickets in his first three ODIs, picked up the fifth, trapping Phehlukwayo lbw on a slog.Avesh got one more over to try to get his own five-for, but Tabraiz Shamsi enjoyed luck with a couple of slogs. Kuldeep Yadav then wrapped the innings up with a wrong’un.Arshdeep said they were themselves caught by surprise at how much the ball did for the seamers, and once they realised that, it was all about bowling a disciplined line and length and letting the pitch do the rest.The conditions weren’t quite as helpful by the time the second innings began at 1pm. It showed in how South Africa pulled their lengths back pretty early. They did manage to get the early wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad, though.In a short innings, Sai Sudharsan found enough time to make an impressive debut. The first ball he received was a half-volley, which he cover-drove for four. Soon he was reprieved as his bat hitting his boot created two noises to mislead both the umpire and the fielding team, who didn’t review it.The class was soon apparent, though, as he drove with ease, used his feet against spin, pulled down every chance he got and brought up his half-century off just 41 balls. Perhaps the on-drive against Tabraiz Shamsi’s turn, after having danced down the pitch, stood out.Iyer, Sudharsan’s partner for 88 runs, contributed to the highlight reel with a lovely cover-drive on the up as Burger looked to tuck him up. He scored 52 off 45 and perished as he looked to end the game in a hurry. India still won with more than 33 overs to spare.

Pakistan inserted the hosts for the third time in a row, and failed to chase the target down on all three occasions

Vishal Dikshit17-Jan-2024A blizzard of sixes off Finn Allen’s bat tumbled records in Dunedin, where his second T20I hundred deflated Pakistan and helped New Zealand pile on 224 for a comfortable 45-run win in the third T20I. For the third game in a row, New Zealand were put in to bat; and for the third time in a row, Pakistan failed to chase down the score by relying on Babar Azam again, this time to lose the series which still has two games to go.New Zealand had been going hard with the bat all series, and Allen took it up a level on Wednesday by smashing 16 of their 18 sixes and recording the highest individual T20I score for the hosts by going past Brendon McCullum’s 123 from the 2012 World Cup. Allen’s 16 sixes are also the joint-highest in a T20I innings, which helped him sprint to a 26-ball fifty and then a 48-ball century.Pakistan also helped Allen by bowling too short even with the new ball, and the opening batter laid into their attack with his belligerent pulls and golf-like swings down the ground.In reply, only Mohammad Rizwan briefly gave Babar some support with his 24 but once he fell in the eighth over, no other Pakistan batter lasted more than 10 balls while Babar was out there. Babar fell for 58 while trying to up the scoring as the asking rate soared and Pakistan fell short again.

Allen demolishes Pakistan again

Allen had been going hard at the top earlier too, and with his highest T20 score, he already has 373 runs from five innings in the format this year. His assault started in the third over when he made the ball disappear beyond the square-leg boundary with consecutive sixes off Shaheen Afridi.Haris Rauf would have thought he would have a good day when he dismissed Devon Conway in the next over that saw just two runs, but his second over – the last of the powerplay – was smashed for 28, with 27 of those coming off Allen’s bat. Whether Rauf pitched it short or on good length, Allen put them away for two fours and three sixes in the over to help New Zealand post 67 in the powerplay.Coming into the XI for this game, Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim combined for two boundary-less overs after that, but Allen, who crossed 50 meanwhile, then charged against Nawaz for two sixes in the ninth over. Wasim and Zaman Khan managed to keep Allen quiet with a few yorkers and slower ones to pull the scoring rate under ten briefly, but Allen took off again once Rauf returned.He raced from 72 to 91 in just five deliveries by smashing Rauf for three sixes in an over that went for 23, and went past a hundred with a six and a four over covers off Afridi. All this, and there were seven overs still left in the innings. Even though Tim Seifert, who came in for the injured Kane Williamson, and Daryl Mitchell fell in successive overs, there was no stopping Allen. He belted Nawaz for consecutive sixes in the 15th over, and Wasim too for the same treatment when the fast bowler erred towards the pads.It was finally an accurate length ball from Zaman that lacked pace and stopped the carnage when Allen chopped on, after the previous ball – a full toss – had been smashed into the sight screen. Allen’s 137 off 62 also featured five fours, which were hardly the highlight of the knock. His liking for the leg side was evident no matter where the ball was pitched to him – 13 of his 16 sixes landed on that area, where he smashed 95 (69%) of his total runs.Wickets continued to fall after Allen’s in New Zealand’s attempt to score quick runs. Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips fell in the space of seven balls as Pakistan conceded just 13 runs in the last 12 deliveries to stop New Zealand just short of their first-T20I score of 226.Babar Azam hit his third consecutive fifty of the series•Getty Images

Babar the lone man standing for Pakistan

Babar was left to do the bulk of the scoring without much support from the other end, amid a stiff asking rate to keep up with. The promising Saim Ayub fell to Tim Southee again after miscuing his slower ball, before Babar and Rizwan kept the chase going. Rizwan’s two meaty sixes would have given Pakistan hope as he and Babar put on 39 off 28 for the second wicket to keep them ticking at above eight runs an over, but when Santner fired one wide of the crease after seeing Rizwan charge, Seifert completed the stumping to dent Pakistan.Fakhar could have been dismissed next over too had his leading edge off Ish Sodhi not landed in no-man’s land behind the wicketkeeper, but his luck soon ran out when he miscued Lockie Ferguson to mid-off. That left Pakistan needing 130 from 55 balls.Babar unfurled sublime strokes like he did in his 57 and 66 in the first two games – like some wristy flicks and lofted strokes off Sodhi, even as his handsome pull off Matt Henry was probably his shot of the day. His third fifty in a row was again not enough because Azam Khan holed out to a sharp catch from Phillips at deep midwicket at the end of the 13th over, and seven balls later, Iftikhar Ahmed fell short for a quick run with a lazy attempt after he drove the ball to cover from where Santner fired in a direct hit.Babar unleashed two more fours off Sodhi before falling in the same over, the 16th, and Pakistan’s task of scoring another 91 runs off 25 balls was not going to happen despite some boundaries from Nawaz and Afridi.

Both teams go heavy on data and have had success because of it

Danyal Rasool17-Mar-2024

Big picture: Data-centric teams to duke it out in the final

We find ourselves on the biggest day of the Pakistani cricket calendar again. A league that once glittered with promise has, in truth, little more than flickered this year. Wedged in between other T20 tournaments with superior financial muscle, the PSL has been jostled around, but just about maintains its grip on this little sliver of a window in February and March. The players who come might not be as glamorous, the crowds not as plentiful, but this is a genuine sporting product built out of organic support, with fan bases cultivated over the best part of a decade. And they’re not going anywhere.It’s perhaps surprising this is the first PSL final between Islamabad United and Multan Sultans. This is, in some ways, the PSL’s equivalent to Ajax against Barcelona – a side who blazed a pioneering trail, and another who followed in their wake and ultimately overtook them. United’s progressive, analytical model is the foundation upon which the Sultans built their kingdom, and this is their fourth PSL final since the last time United reached one.This year, for the most part, the pattern repeated itself through the group stages, with Sultans putting clear daylight between themselves and the rest, and securing themselves a final berth at the first opportunity. While United added Mike Hesson to their coaching staff as they looked for a reset following a lean five years that have seen them fail to make a final, there was little sign things had changed in the group stages.Still, Shadab Khan’s side got their act together when it mattered most, winning their last four games on the trot to qualify for the knockout stages and then, crucially, they powered through, defying a losing playoff record in the last five years. That this run included a nervy win over the Sultans to keep themselves alive cannot have hurt.Naseem Shah looks to be back to his best•PCB

Both sides have ironed out their weaknesses through the long group stages so in some ways, this game, like all others, depends on the level of United’s performance, with the gap between their floor and ceiling higher than any other side in the competition. Sultans, on the other hand, have a ruthlessly consistent streak running through them which makes it exceptionally hard to roll them over, though United will be buoyed by their superior final record.If the last two finals were a triumph of heart and soul, this is the year of a reversion to the cerebral. The headline is the data nerds and the numbers gurus have their league back, though, of course, to solely attribute Sultans and United’s success to that is to be dismissive of the work each side has put in between the draft and the final. Sultans boast perhaps the most astute white-ball coach and captain in the land in Abdul Rehman and Mohammad Rizwan, while United have plumped for Hesson, protégé of Dean Jones himself. They’ve made a point of attributing part of their success to engaging Cricviz for a more rigorously analytical approach to the way they understand data, and it’s got them to the cusp of glory.Few can call the final based on how little there is to choose between these two sides at their best. But all can certainly enjoy it.

Form guide

Islamabad United WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Multan Sultans WWLLW

In the spotlight: Naseem Shah and Usama Mir

If Shaheen Shah Afridi took his time working his way back to full steam after a significant injury, Naseem Shah required no easing in period. This PSL was the first competitive action for the fast bowler in six months, and yet his pace, accuracy and composure have all picked up from where they left off. In a tournament where spinners have dominated, most fast bowlers have found success by taking the pace off. But not Naseem. He understands he is most dangerous when he is running in at full pelt. Only four bowlers have taken more wickets than him, and none at a better economy rate. We all know he’s back, but Naseem will want to make doubly sure with a trophy in hand.Usama Mir is a vitrtual shoo-in for Player of the Tournament•PSL

Usama Mir is one big performance away from virtually guaranteeing he finishes with the Player of the Tournament Award. After coming off a difficult time internationally, Mir has been the standout spinner in a tournament where plenty of names might have expected to give him competition. One off-colour performance aside, Sultans have been able to depend on his consistency and quality, keeping the runs in check while making regular inroads. Ten of his 11 games have seen him pick up wickets, and his 23 for the tournament put him five clear of anyone else. That six-wicket haul against Lahore Qalandars may well be the standout, but it’s certainly no aberration for a legspinner at the top of his game this month.

Team news: Hales or Munro for United?

Alex Hales’ lack of form makes him the only real question mark for a United line-up that has won four games on the trot. If Colin Munro has shaken off a leg injury, expect two New Zealanders to open United’s innings.Islamabad United: 1 Alex Hales/Colin Munro, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Agha Salman, 4 Shadab Khan (capt), 5 Imad Wasim, 6 Azam Khan (wk), 7 Haider Ali, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Hunain Shah, 11 Obed McCoySultans have to wrestle with whether to play Khushdil Shah or Tayyab Tahir in a middle order with a slightly elongated tail. Neither was needed significantly in the one game apiece that they started, but fine margins in a final – as Sultans know better than anyone – may make all the difference.Multan Sultans: 1 Yasir Khan, 2 Mohammad Rizwan (capt and wk), 3 Usman Khan, 4 Johnson Charles, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Tayyab Tahir/Khushdil Shah, 7 Chris Jordan, 8 David Willey, 9 Usama Mir, 10 Mohammad Ali, 11 Abbas Afridi

Pitch and conditions

The game starts late as all Ramzan games have. Surfaces have tended to slow down slightly as the night wears on, but not by enough to affect decision-making at the toss. The temperature is rising as spring kicks in, but Monday evening should be cool and pleasant, with no rain expected.

Stats and trivia

• Of the five maiden overs bowled this PSL, Naseem has delivered two of them
• While Sultans have reached three finals to Islamabad United’s two, United have a superior record in the trophy match. They have won each of their two finals, with Sultans triumphing once in three such matches