Sri Lanka roared back in the second T20I to level the series 1-1 against the West Indies, decimating their opponents by 73 runs. Pathum Nissanka's 50 took the hosts to 162 for 5 but the Sri Lankan's spun a web on a track which aided turn. Sri Lanka won a good toss and with no hesitation opted to bat but the openers couldn't get going as they were 8 for 0 after three overs. However, Shamar Joseph's 25-run second-over saw five boundaries scored, four off the bat of Pathum Nissanka to get the innings going. Nissanka hit a six off Gudakesh Motie before his partner, Kusal Mendis hit a four and another maximum to bring up 50 for the hosts within the PowerPlay. Things looked to be getting worse for the visitors as Shamar Springer bowled a 13-run over including six wides, and a drop catch of Nissanka by Roston Chase. But Springer made use of the extra balls and got Kusal Mendis to toe-end one to long-on. Incoming batter, Kusal Perera hit three boundaries off Chase as the hosts brought up the 100 in the 13th over. But the left-hander was trapped LBW as he played across the line to Shamar. Nissanka brought up his 50 with a single but had his stumps rattled when Joseph shaped one into him which he missed. Kamindu Mendis played a decent knock of 19 (14) and Wanindu Hasaranga wrapped up the innings with a four making West Indies pay as he was dropped few balls earlier. Spin was expected to be introduced early and debutant Dunith Wellalage picked up player of the last game, Brandon King, stumped by Kusal behind the stumps to land an early blow on West Indies. Evin Lewis fell few balls later, given LBW trying to sweep Maheesh Theekshana while Chase was bowled by Wellalage. The pitch provided 3.8 degrees of turn compared to 1.8 for the first T20I and Andre Fletcher was next to go, as Wellalage picked up his third. Through the chaos, West Indies went 37 deliveries without a boundary before Sherfane Rutherford hit Kamindu over covers to the fence. Skipper Charith Asalanka brought himself into the attack and picked up Gudakesh Motie and Sherfane Rutherford within an over. Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed Romario Shepherd and Springer across two overs. Rovman Powell hit the first six of the innings during a 23-run partnership with Joseph. But Matheesha Pathirana bounced him out while Theekshana wrapped up the game with a carrom-ball to dismiss Alzarri Joseph. Sri Lanka 162/5 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 54, Kusal Mendis 26; Romario Shepherd 2-23, Shamar Springer 1-24) beat West Indies 89 in 16.1 overs (Rovman Powell 20, Alzarri Joseph 16; Dunith Wellalage 3-9, Maheesh Theekshana 2-7) by 73 runs

Qiana Joseph's forced restoration as an opener delivered West Indies a place in the Women's T20 World Cup semifinal for the first time, since the tournament was played in the Caribbean in 2018. The 23-year-old left-hander bludgeoned 52 off 38 in a century stand with her captain Hayley Matthews (50 off 38) and helped the 2016 champions to chase down the target of 141 with 12 balls and six wickets to spare. England's first defeat of the tournament, and their first to West Indies in this format in 14 games dating back to that 2018 edition, ended their involvement in the competition while South Africa confirmed their berth in the final-four by virtue of a better run-rate. Joseph was slated to bat at No.6 in West Indies' previous game against Bangladesh, but with veteran Stafanie Taylor missing out of this crucial clash with injury, the left-hander was reinstated to the top of the order. She wasted little time to make a mark and matched her esteemed batting partner shot for shot, enterprise for enterprise. After Matthews plundered 14 off Lauren Bell's opening over, Joseph scored 11 off 5 off Nat Sciver-Brunt. This included two boundaries and a reprieve from substitute Sophia Dunkley - the first in a string of dropped catches in a shoddy fielding display by England. Joseph repaid for that early act of benevolence by heaving Charlie Dean over mid-wicket for a six in the next over. The experienced Sophie Ecclestone came into the attack next and was taken apart for a boundary each by the West Indies openers. But between those boundaries, Joseph was dropped again, this time by Alice Capsey. When Matthews struck Dean for three fours, West Indies had registered the highest PowerPlay total - 67 - of this season, incidentally surpassing the bar set by their opponents earlier in the tournament against Scotland. Although only 22 runs came in the first four overs post the PowerPlay, at 89 for no-loss after 10 overs, West Indies were well on their way. Joseph got to her first T20I 50 off just 34 balls, incidentally the fastest against England in this format. It may have seemed like Matthews was heavily outscored in the partnership, but she got to her 14th T20I fifty only three balls slower than her young batting partner. Together the pair added 102 in 12.1 overs and although both batters fell within five balls of each other, West Indies still had Deandra Dottin to smoothen out any developing worry lines. The veteran all-rounder, who reversed her international retirement ahead of this tournament, struck two fours and as many sixes in a 19-ball 27 before Aaliyah Alleyne saw the team home with a pair of boundaries, sparking jubilant celebrations in the maroon corner. England, who were expected to close the gap to Australia in the build-up to this tournament, will have many things to rue from the game, not least their fielding. They also didn't cover themselves in any glory with the bat after being asked to set a score on a good batting surface in Dubai. They scored just two boundaries in the first six overs, in stark contrast to West Indies' 11 fours and two sixes in this phase. Where West Indies' openers plundered 67 in six overs, England crawled to 34 for 2 despite West Indies also fluffing their lines in the field at the start of the game. The two dismissals, that of Danielle Wyatt-Hodge and the returning Alice Capsey, had Dottin's imprint all over it. She dismissed the former by diving forward to complete a sharp catch at backward point while Capsey was run out with an excellent pickup-and-throw in one fluid motion. It marked the third successive game in which West Indies had taken at least two wickets in the PowerPlay. They rode on that consistency by striking with the first ball of the post-PowerPlay phase. Afy Fletcher got Maia Bouchier miscuing a swipe across the line and the top-edge was easily held by Qiana Joseph. It brought together two of England's most-experienced batters, Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt, together. And immediately there was a change to the tempo of the innings. After Sciver-Brunt scooped a boundary off Alleyne, Knight laced a pair of drives through extra cover for boundaries to race to 12 off 7. West Indies realised the threat posed by Knight's fast start and perhaps that pushed them into reviewing an LBW call against her only for Ultra Edge to indicate an edge. That left them without a review against Sciver-Brunt in Matthews' 12th over - a decision that would have gone in their favour. However, West Indies had fortune favouring them in other ways. Having blazed away to 21 off 13, Knight limped off with a calf injury and didn't return for the remainder of the game. It was upto Sciver-Brunt, now assuming captaincy, to guide England to a competitive score. While she hunkered down to bat deep at one end, West Indies chipped away at the other. Fletcher found dip and turn to elicit a miscued cut shot from Amy Jones that ballooned to backward point. She should have had Dean off the very next ball but another drop catch meant Fletcher had to wait for her third wicket. She eventually did account for Dean in her last over to finish with excellent figures of 3 for 21. England managed to squeeze out 31 runs from the final three overs, the 18th and 20th bringing 14 and 13 runs respectively as Sciver-Brunt got to a half-century. She batted through to take her side to 141, which as it turned out was a long way from par against a double-barrelled top-order assault. England 141/7 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 57*; Afy Fletcher 3-21) lost to West Indies 142/4 in 18 overs (Qiana Joseph 52, Hayley Matthews 50; Sophie Ecclestone 1-21) by six wickets.

Kamran Ghulam is perched on Pakistan balcony away from the coaches' table. Just some minutes into his Test debut, he has to be vigilant. Such are the days for Pakistan middle-order batters - their fragile top-order continues to deny them morning cuppas. Test debuts are supposed to be tough. This is, after all, the ultimate format of the game, where only the best survive. Ghulam should know it better than anyone as he is replacing one such modern-day great of the country who could no longer assert his authority on the game as he once did. Perhaps, it is not only the fact that Jack Leach has bamboozled Abdullah Shafique with a scorching tweaker that knocked the right-hander's off stump out of the ground that has him scrutinising each ball that is being bowled. Since his call-up to the Pakistan side after a humiliation for the ages that the hosts were put through last week, Ghulam has been mercilessly vilified on the social media. Such are the fan bases and PR campaigns these days. He knows he cannot put a foot wrong as he sets about to brave a storm. He may be debuting at home, but the circumstances are far from ideal. His own side has tailored the conditions to limit batters' stay at the crease and he, in some minutes, will be up against relentless England bowlers who have been bulldozing Pakistan line-ups for fun since December 2022 on benign surfaces. Just last week, an inexperienced attack had bowled out Pakistan twice on arguably the flattest wicket that Pakistan produced since the return of Test cricket in the country. Around the world, players are transitioned into Test cricket, but, in Pakistan, they are thrown into deep sea without a lifejacket. So when Ghulam tapped his bat ferociously after marking the guard with two slips, three close catchers in front of square on the off and a short leg against Leach, he knew he was on his own. Just that - with his side at 19 for two - he also had to drag an entire boat out of murky waters. He did it with a thumping century. "There was pressure, but I was desperate to play for Pakistan," Ghulam said. "I kept being selected and then omitted from squads, and all I used to think about was how to take the chance had I been given one. Babar Azam is a legend, and I got a chance because of him. At the back of my mind, I was thinking he is a legend, a very good player. I thought I would give 110% and play with a positive mindset." Ghulam has been in and out of Pakistan squads since he breached the record for the most runs in a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy edition in 2020-21. Pakistan, just recently, left him out of the squad for the last week's Test after he had carried drinks against Bangladesh. It was the most recent instance of Ghulam being omitted from the squad three years after he was initially called-up on the back of the record-breaking first-class season. But, the 29-year-old continued to grind it out in the domestic cricket. He has averaged above 55 since the start of the last year in first-class cricket, but came into this contest without the desired red ball practice as the Pakistan Cricket Board, despite being in the middle of the second of three Test series at home this season, are yet to begin a first-class tournament. In the period between the Bangladesh Tests and this series, Ghulam, along with other Pakistan players, played in a newly established domestic one-day tournament of which's creation and timing continues to divide opinion in the country. Ghulam even used that tournament to establish his credentials by finishing it as the second highest run-getter, with 250 runs coming at a rate of 97. Ghulam shifted the pressure back on England by launching Leach for a six over his head. That shot was inconceivable after days-long narrative around the pitch. The demons were there in the pitch, mind you, underlined by Ben Stokes' decision to introduce spin from both ends after just five overs into the Test as some balls bounced awkwardly, others turned sharply, and some other scooted along the floor. But Ghulam's solid technique and temperament helped him overcome the unprecedented challenge. (Have I mentioned that this Test is being played on a recycled pitch?) He absorbed the pressure - that Pakistan had now longed for far too long from their last number four - wearing out the England spinners. Stokes' ever-innovative fields have unsettle the best of his country, but Ghulam was unfazed, tackling Leach and Shoaib Bashir with conviction. He played late and worked the spinners fluently off the front and back foot. He hit his next boundary 49 balls later when Bashir afforded the opportunity with a wide delivery. When he breached the fifty-run mark, he had to manage testing spells of reverse swing with one of their prime proponents in Stokes bowling from one end. He stuttered. There were plays and misses with the ball staying low and it raised questions whether Stokes had introduced pace to Ghulam a little too late. "I was restless to play for Pakistan," he replied to a question about the changing nature of the ball and the pitch. "I didn't care about the venue or the team I just wanted to make my debut. I knew I had a lot of hard work behind me. Thankfully that work has paid off for me." In Saim Ayub, who posted his career-best Test score of 77, Ghulam had a partner who was equally restless to undo the mistakes of the first Test. He had to face the wrath of fans and media over the weekend for a rash shot amidst the Pakistan collapse. Perhaps, a case is there to be made that that wicket sparked the collapse. The two smiled when the ball bounced awkwardly. They exchanged gazes with each of the Stokes' changes and it helped the two ease off the nerves. The two denied England further inroads for good part of the day as they stitched a firm 149-run stand. As it happens in Test cricket, tougher phases followed fluent ones and towards the last session of the day, Ghulam, briefly, struggled to connect his shots and there was a reprieve at 79. It brought him back to his disciplined ways. There can be anxious moments on debut, and that is okay. After all, a cricketer in Pakistan goes through a severe grind to reach here. But, there was believe. He entered the 90s with successive boundaries and breached into the tripe figures with a thumping four off Joe Root. "I had been waiting for my chance a long time but I never gave up," he said. "I always believed I would get the opportunity. I played positive cricket, the way I play in first class cricket. I felt like my shots were coming off." He celebrated it with a loud roar, fist pump, and a sajda. The loud roar, perhaps, released years long pent up anger. With each passing match and series, perhaps, he had started to doubt whether this moment would ever come. The presence of his family in one of the VIP boxes beside the Pakistan dressing room made it sweeter. After all, it is the family that sticks by when nobody is around. Ghulam is the first Pakistan batter to score a century at debut since 2019. Nobody did it for Pakistan at number four since Saleem Malik back in 1982. In Test cricket, no.4 is reserved for the best batter in the side. The first morning of the second Multan Test saw someone from Pakistan live up to its reputation after a long, long time.

Rishabh Pant's late-night cryptic message has left the Delhi Capitals' owners puzzled about what the star wicketkeeper-batter has in mind. Just after midnight on October 12, Pant posted on X (formerly Twitter), "If I go to the auction, will I be sold or not and for how much ??" (sic). In Pant's own wicket-keeping parlance, the post, besides going viral, has left the DC ownership stumped. The post comes just weeks after one of the owners publicly stated that the the young wicketkeeper-batter, who has also captained the team. "Pant will definitely be retained," Jindal was quoted as saying in the national media on October 4. Cricbuzz had earlier reported that Pant had met with Jindal in Mumbai, on September 21. The X post also comes just days after he met with the other co-owner, Kiran Kumar Grandhi, in Dubai. It is learnt that Pant travelled to Dubai after the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur last week and had a detailed discussion about his retention and the franchise's future plans. Pant has risen to prominence in Test cricket, but his performances in white-ball formats have not quite matched his stupendous success in the longer format. In 76 T20Is, he has scored 1,209 runs, including three half-centuries and one Player of the Match award (in February 2022 against West Indies). He has, of course, played some impactful innings, like the one against Pakistan (42) in the recent T20 World Cup in New York. In the IPL, Pant earned one Player of the Match award in 2019, followed by a couple of award-winning performances last season. During Rahul Dravid's previous tenure, Pant was even dropped from India's white ball teams in 2022 before eventually being included in the squad for the T20 World Cup. As a player and captain, of course, he has been an inspiring presence in the side. Cricbuzz understands that all these factors were part of his discussions with the franchise owners, and it appears there was some agreement on his retention, the support staff for the upcoming season, and the potential auction strategy. Against this backdrop, Pant's post has sent mixed signals, leaving Delhi Capitals perplexed. A decision regarding Pant's future with the franchise is expected in the next couple of days. "We've seen it, and we're not sure why he did it (the post on X)," said a source close to the franchise's ownership group. According to the internal arrangement, the two owners of the franchise - Grandhi's GMR and Jindal's JSW - alternate management every two years. The managing owner during each cycle has a say in decisions related to the coaching staff and franchise management, while retention and auction strategies are made jointly. GMR is currently in charge, which means Grandhi will have the choice of the new coaching staff. It is rumoured that Hemang Badani, who has been with Delhi Capitals' ILT20 subsidiary, Dubai Capitals, is likely to join the coaching staff. However, the involvement of Sourav Ganguly, who is close to Jindal and the JSW Group, is uncertain.

Gaby Lewis will takeover from veteran Laura Delany as captain of Ireland, the country's cricket board confirmed on Tuesday (October 15). The 23-year-old Lewis is Ireland's fifth-most capped women's cricketer and made her international debut in 2014 as a 13-year-old. She is also Ireland Women's highest run-scorer with 3742 runs at 28.95 across formats. Lewis has already captained Ireland 12 times, including in last month's series against England when Delany sat out. She will take over the side with immediate effect before tours to Bangladesh and India coming up in November and January respectively. She will take over the side with immediate effect before tours to Bangladesh and India coming up in November and January respectively. "Laura Delany is an icon of Irish cricket having led the national team with distinction for over eight years during a time of great change and challenge. She has been an exceptional leader guiding the team through significant milestones in the evolution of our sport. Her contributions as captain cannot be understated," said Ciara O'Brien, National Women's Selector, while adding that the 31-year-old Delany would continue to play a key role in the team's development. "This decision marks a significant leadership change within our senior national team. With two overseas tours on the horizon, the start of the new ICC Women's Championship and crucial World Cup Qualifiers ahead, the Selectors felt that now was the right time to introduce a new leadership structure. "As part of this transition, Gaby Lewis will take on the role of captain with Orla Prendergast being appointed vice captain. Gaby, stepped into the captaincy this summer, and she impressed with her own style of leadership - we wish her well as we begin the planning for what will be a busy winter and enormously important 2025."

About all that connects Pretoria with Dhaka and Chattogram is that most men who live in those cities wear moustaches. Pretoria is 1,339 metres above sea level. Dhaka, on the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta, is at an altitude of four metres. Chattogram is at sea level on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Pretoria's humidity rarely rises above 60%. In Dhaka and Chattogram, it's often around 80%. During the Highveld winter, grass unfortunate enough to have to try to stay alive in Pretoria is a bleak shade of beige and the ground beneath it freezes solid. Dhaka and Chattogram get cold - the record lows are 6.1 and 7.7 degrees Celsius - but the grass remains indelibly green. Pertinently, Pretoria's pitches boom with bounce. Spin is often surplus to requirements. Even Muttiah Muralitharan couldn't take more than a dozen wickets in the 124.2 overs he bowled in two Tests in Centurion - the closest Test ground to Pretoria - five of them in the second innings in March 1998. Shane Warne played 12 Tests in South Africa but only one in Centurion, where he went wicketless for 89 in 36 overs. Yet it was in Pretoria that South Africa's men's Test squad prepared - from Saturday to Monday - for the Tests they will play in Dhaka and Chattogram from next Monday. Wouldn't it have made more sense to schedule a tour match in Bangladesh, or hold the pre-series camp there? "When you play warm-up games you never ever get the type of conditions you're going to encounter in a Test," Shukri Conrad told reporters in Pretoria on Monday (October 14). "Obviously the weather is not similar, but it's been nice and hot here and we can pretty much prepare for different types of surfaces - one where we feel that seam bowling can be assisted and then we've raked up a couple of pitches where we can work on our playing of spin and also on our spin bowling. "I think we're properly ready. I wouldn't swap this for anything. I feel the last couple of days have been absolutely brilliant. There was proper graft put in by everyone and the okes can leave here properly prepared. I don't think any warm-up game would have accomplished anything different from what we did here. Conditions are the only thing we're going to have to adapt to. But, from a playing readiness perspective, we're as ready as we're ever going to be." It's a fair argument, but it could also be seen as risky considering South Africa last played Tests in Bangladesh in July and August 2015. Of the current squad of 16, only Temba Bavuma has done so - in Chattogram and Dhaka on the 2015 tour. He won't play in the first Test this time because of an elbow injury he sustained during an ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi on October 4. The only other member of the party who has experience of Bangladesh's conditions is Kagiso Rabada, but it was gained in a T20I and three ODIs in Dhaka and Chattogram. Playing in Asia is key to any team's hopes of success, and the South Africans would be forgiven for thinking they are being unfairly treated in that regard. In their first 10 years of playing Tests in Asia, which started with a series in Sri Lanka in August and September 1993, they contested 16 matches there. That went up to 21 in the next 10 years. However, the number has dwindled to 13 in the past 10 years. Also in the past 10 years, England have played 31 Tests in Asia, Australia 24, New Zealand 20, and West Indies 14. Despite the fact that only Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis are uncapped, nine of the squad have never played a Test in Asia. Half of the 16 have played more than 10 Tests - Rabada, Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj are north of 50 - but South Africa's Asian experience amounts to just 30 caps, 10 of them held by Rabada. So batting coach Ashwell Prince will do more than his share of the heavy lifting. Prince played his 66 Tests from February 2002 to December 2011, when South Africa were more frequent visitors to Asia. Only two of his matches were in Bangladesh, but he played 13 on the subcontinent. That's three more than Rabada. Maybe more importantly, Prince was Bangladesh's batting coach from June 2021 to January 2022. That was while the Tigers' head coach was Russell Domingo, who Conrad said he had consulted for insight. Prince was part of an era in which Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten and Makhaya Ntini each racked up more than 100 Tests. Rabada is the modern generation's most experienced South African with 64 caps. He could be among the last of his compatriots to reach a century. South Africa will have only 12 matches in the 2023 to 2025 World Test Championship cycle, the fewest of all nine competing teams. England will have 22, while Australia and India 19 each. Even so, Conrad and his team can only play the hand they have been dealt, unfair though it is. "For the sake of this team, them moving forward and how they are going to be defined, I want us to be exposed to teams in form in their own conditions," he said. "And [the Bangladesh series will] be a real test of character for the individuals and the unit. "But we're always going to be playing catch-up because we play the least. And that's never going to be an excuse. I'm never, ever going to say it's because we don't play enough. It's not ideal, but we've made peace with it. It doesn't even come up as a conversation anymore. We just get on with it." They will take on opponents who have grown in confidence and stature since they became a Test team against India in Dhaka in November 2000. They lost 31 of their first 34 matches before earning an inaugural win, by 226 runs over Zimbabwe in Chattogram in January 2005. But they have won half of their last 10 matches, all played in Asia. Two of those successes were against Pakistan, another against New Zealand. The South Africans have lost nine of their last 10 Tests in Asia and drawn the other. They last won there 15 Tests ago, by 153 runs over Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2014. To buck that trend, they will have to "get on with it" significantly better in Bangladesh than they have done previously in the region. If they do, moustaches will spread into smiles far beyond Pretoria. But not in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Before the team's departure to the UAE, when Harmanpreet Kaur that this was the best Indian contingent she was taking to a T20 World Cup in all her years as India captain, there was little reason to doubt it. The team has seen unprecedented continuity, even if it compromised on some experienced campaigners in lieu of long-term future prospects. They had results in this cycle - 16 wins in 25 matches, only second behind England's 18 in 24 games among the teams directly qualifying for this World Cup. And they had the chutzpah. In the supporting words of head coach Amol Muzumdar, India were "absolutely prepared for anything and everything." But what eventually unfolded in the UAE made it abundantly clear that the statement couldn't be further from the truth. There were gaps that New Zealand exploited and snuck through, leaving India's World Cup hopes in shreds on the opening night itself. From there on, Harmanpreet & co. were only playing catch-up. India's World Cup preparation included two separate camps, one focussed on fielding and fitness and the other centred around skills on the sidelines of which were five intra-squad games involving age-group boys academy teams. Pitch and weather conditions were simulated, although that left little scope for testing under-lights fielding improvements in match situations. Even though the management remained highly satisfied with their preparation, it was hardly ideal ahead of a high-stakes competition when compared to what some of the other teams did. England camped in Abu Dhabi for two weeks - a plan in place months ahead of time even before the tournament was relocated to the UAE. West Indies and Scotland arrived in Dubai two weeks ahead of time. South Africa scheduled a preparatory series in Pakistan, and New Zealand challenged themselves against Australai. Comparatively, India's last competitive game was only the Asia Cup final in July - a campaign that was foreshadowing bigger concerns. In the 10 months that Muzumdar has been at the helm of affairs, India tried out five different candidates at No.3, fixing something that, perhaps, was never broken. And then in a last-ditch effort to balance out their XI with six proper four-over bowlers, at least one of which had to be accommodated among the top-six, Harmanpreet emerged as to India's no. 3 conundrum. There was merit in the idea but the last-minute nature of the move allowed the Indian skipper only two warm-up games worth of time to adapt. In every alternate game, Jemimah Rodrigues reprised the No. 3 role when India were pressed for quick runs.To her credit, Harmanpreet finished the group stages as the third-highest scorer of the competition. But India's lack of conviction in the theory became evident when vice-captain that 'conditions, oppositions and targets' were still dictating the flow of their batting order eventually. That India were set on a 5-1-5 team combination was another fact established at the start of the World Cup - such was their confidence in their top-six. On paper, India's starting XI had batting depth until no. 10 including the bowling-allrounders - pace or spin - who had dedicated batting sessions at the skills camp. The same XI also had six frontline bowling options, plus the part-time offies in their top-five. However, for a plethora of spinners they boarded on the flight to UAE, India lacked variety in their attack. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav - also a gun fielder and a handy lower-order bat - was the top wicket-taker in the Bangladesh series five months ago, but was inexplicably only intended to carry drinks until there emerged an injury/workload concern. She first set foot in the field to sub for half-centurion Harmanpreet in India's defence of 172 against Sri Lanka, and made an instant impact with a diving catch. Without a to leggie Asha Sobhana, Radha wouldn't have played against Australia either. When Pooja Vastrakar was sidelined for two games, India were guilty of frontloading their attack with yet another part-time offie in S Sajana - an option that was never utilised though. Defending fit-again Vastrakar's return in spin-friendly Sharjah against Australia, Muzumdar called the line-up they named at toss as the best XI from the squad of 15, making it clear than somewhere along the line Radha dropped down the pecking order with the left-arm spinner only among the reserves. wjBDrJ2ZkrG New Zealand hadn't faced India in all of this World Cup cycle, yet their preparation and homework against arguably the weaker of the two strongest semifinals contenders in their 'pool of death' was so on-point that India were caught napping. A lackadaisical performance in all three departments let them down, and the massive 58-run defeat in what was always going to be a virtual shoot-out dented India's prospects significantly. If they were caught off guard in the first game, India never got out of their shell in the second. Chasing a sub-par 106 against Pakistan, they prioritised caution over aggression, and their first points in the tournament, instead of going all-out. A boundaryless powerplay painted a sorry picture and their batting approach came under the scanner. In a tournament where chasing sides are winning by an average of 7.7 wickets and 29.6 overs remaining, India's six-wicket win in the penultimate-over finish left a lot to be desired. The game-awareness, especially of the largely under-tested lower-middle order, would draw flak in a fatal defeat later as well. Against a hapless Sri Lanka came their most perfect game all around, after a promise to do better, but it all came undone in Sharjah with another slow start to their 150-plus chase under lights. The harakiri in the collapse of 6 for 32 at the backend when a set Harmanpreet needed support was just another cruel reminder of the gaps that remain between the two. From his first press conference in-charge to the latest, Muzumdar has copped questions on India's fielding and fitness standards - the status of which has remained a "work in progress" every since. The 15-day camp back home was designed to focus on the players' athletic ability, agility, angle-cutting, high-catching and general fitness by also inculcating yoga sessions, among others, in the routines. While there has been some noticeable improvement in ground fielding, catching remained an area of concern with India dropping three chances on an average in each of their four games. There's an urgent need to set a stricter precedent for if India want that elusive silverware, there has to be no place for lazy legs on the park. There's never a magic potion to amend or reform a campaign that never really took off. And questions over a succession plan, or the lack thereof, are inescapable in the aftermath. Smriti Mandhana, who led the resurrection of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in WPL 2024, has been deputy all these years to Harmanpreet, who took charge of the side after a similarly embarrassing exit from a home World Cup in 2016. If India were to unpredictably adopt a forward-looking approach, Rodrigues, who has been deputising under Meg Lanning for two WPL seasons, could be a worthy contender. Harmanpreet's best returns as captain in four World Cups is a runners-up medal in Australia followed by a silver at the Commonwealth Games. More importantly, she had vociferously - sometimes controversially - led the call for fitter blood, fresher ideas and shared responsbility in this set-up, urging her teammates to put their hand up, most recently after their exit in Sharjah. Harmanpreet's name sits among the elite list of six players to feature in each of the nine T20 World Cups thus far, and its a testament to her longevity in a format that evolves so rapidly. By no means is she a spent force - not in the least in T20 cricket. However, with a view on the bigger picture and a home ODI World Cup next year, India would be better served by liberating her off the additional responsibilities and allowing her to play with the freedom that white-ball cricket demands.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the deadline for retentions in the Women's Premier League (WPL). Initially, the franchises had time up to October 15 to submit the list of players they intend to keep but on Tuesday (October 15), the BCCI wrote to the franchises about the extension of the deadline. They now have time up to November 7 to submit the list. Each team can have a squad of 18 members with six overseas players and like in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the teams can release players each year. The BCCI will conduct a mini-auction basing on the retention but there is no clarity when the auction will be held. The auction purse for the third season is INR 15 crores, having been increased from INR 12 crores in season one and INR 13.5 crores last season. After the third season next year, there may be a mega-auction and a new team could be added and the BCCI, like for the IPL, will have to come up with a retention policy for the WPL as well. Currently, there are only five teams. The BCCI has not exactly clarified where and when the third season will be held but it is expected to be in the same window of February-March when the first two seasons were conducted. The franchises Cricbuzz spoke to say they expect a similar window since the last of the senior women's domestic fixtures ends mid-January. The venues are not known but just like the second edition, the BCCI may opt to hold the third edition also at two venues. The 22-game second edition was held in Bengaluru and New Delhi. The first season was entirely conducted in Mumbai. Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz are the five teams. The first season in 2023 was won by Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians and Smriti Mandhana-skippered RCB are the defending champions.

India find themselves in a situation to what they had at the start of their previous Test in Kanpur with rain posing a big threat to the Test. With important points at stake still, they'd be hoping to have a full Test to force a result in their favour. Against a New Zealand side that has , they should start as firm favourites in familiar home conditions but the overhead conditions in Bengaluru might ease New Zealand's worries a trifle. Coming in after a 2-0 defeat to Sri Lanka, a change in captaincy and the absence of Kane Williamson, there's a lot for the visitors to think about apart from the inexperience in the bowling. Adding to their woes is that their preparation in India has been hampered by the weather which makes adapting to the pitches all the more difficult against an in-form Indian team. While the odds might be stacked against them, they'd bank on the experience in the group to tide over some of it. Rachin Ravindra's white-ball experiences here alongside that of Daryl Mitchell's offers some comfort. Tom Latham, the new full-time Test skipper, has crossed five fifties and the last time Tim Southee played a Test in Bengaluru, he bagged a seven-fer while Ajaz Patel had a landmark ten-wicket haul in an innings in Mumbai. New Zealand would need all the confidence that they can draw from different quarters ahead of the biggest challenge in Test cricket at the moment. India at home offers an all-round challenge like none other in the world at the moment. They have bases covered on all fronts and have experience to go with form. That there's potential for improvement from a couple of key batters here adds to the imposing challenge that they already put out. Neither Rohit Sharma nor Virat Kohli could get a fifty across the two Tests against Bangladesh which they'd be eager to turn around before the series Down Under. : Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 09:30 AM IST : M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru Some part of the game is likely to be affected by rain, especially on the first day. The cool overhead conditions though could offer the visitors some settling in time in India. The pitch was fully under covers a day ahead of the first day, and the early moisture might force teams to think about having extra pace options if it stays like this. They managed to sneak in a full practice session when the rain relented two days before the start of the game but couldn't do so one day ahead. In what did take place, Shubman Gill played a lesser part overall with Sarfaraz Khan being included in the slip-catching drills. A niggle could bring about be a straight swap in the batting department. On the bowling front, the conditions would call for a third seamer to be included which could mean that India go with an unchanged bowling line-up for the third Test in a row. Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Mohammad Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah Will Young will slot in as a direct replacement for Kane Williamson. If they are to go in for three pacers, Mitchell Santner's position could come under threat with Matt Henry waiting in the wings. Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner/Matt Henry, Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel - Virat Kohli needs 53 runs for 9000 Test runs. He has not made a fifty in his last six innings this year. - New Zealand has not won a Test series in India in their 12 attempts. The last time they won a Test match in India was back in 1988 at Wankhede. - Teams winning the toss have never opted to chase in three consecutive Tests in India, a record that could be re-written in Bengaluru "We keep our options open for playing three seamers and three spinners as well. But again, we want to just come here tomorrow morning and see what the conditions are like, and then take a call. We will discuss that as the game gets on. We want to see what kind of situation is there in front of us, how many overs are to be played, and things like that. We had no idea when we came to Kanpur, that it is going to be washed out for two days and then we are not going to have a full game. But we managed to get a win and we managed all our plans based on how much time do we have in the game. And based on that, we made our plan and we went on with it. So I don't know what it is going to be here, but I expect to have a full game. That will be ideal. But let's come here tomorrow and see what lies in front of us," - "I think anywhere around the world at the moment, it's hard to win away from home. You've got to play some really good cricket. Cricket teams are obviously fantastic in their own conditions. They know how to play in their own conditions. And I think you look at India as a whole. You obviously look at the spinners when you come over these conditions. But they've got just as equally good seam attack in terms of Bumrah, Siraj, obviously Deep, who's played the last couple of Test matches against Bangladesh. So just a well-rounded side from a batting point of view. You have a lot of match winners that can take a game away from you pretty quickly. We're obviously going to have to play really well. We're looking forward to the challenge. And hopefully we can lean back on the experiences that we've had here the last couple of times that we've toured." -

The grind was on for Pakistan in the afternoon session on Day 1 of the second Test against England in Multan. Saim Ayub (77) and Kamran Ghulam (75*) carried on from where they left off in the morning session with a measured partnership. While spin continued to play a part in England's plans, the scoring rate for Pakistan increased considerably post-lunch as they scored 94 runs in the 28 overs bowled, scoring at 3.36 runs-per-over as opposed to the run rate of 2.72 in the morning session. Pakistan broke for Tea at . Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir did continue to get purchase from the surface but the extreme slowness of the deck allowed both batters to thrive. Also, the older softer ball appeared easier to negotiate although stats showed the afternoon session to have a greater degree of turn than in the morning. Ayub was compact in defence and appeared solid in his gameplay, curbing his naturally aggressive style of play to adapt to the conditions and format. He still put the bad balls away but the idea was to play the ball on merit than to take the bowling on. Ghulam, meanwhile, settled in nicely and it helped him that a buffet of spin was served to him right from the start of his innings. The debutant's excellence against spin is well-documented in Pakistan's domestic circuit and Ghulam translated that beautifully to his maiden Test innings as he motored past fifty with aplomb. Both batters looked settled and appeared to be in auto pilot mode until England started to find reverse swing. Bowling an overdose of their spinners including the part-time option of Joe Root meant that the pacers were relatively fresh. A wonderful exponent of reverse swing himself, Ben Stokes took the opportunity to bowl his first spell of the game and instantly caused trouble, particularly to Ghulam. There were a few edges found but mostly landed short of the cordon while one genuine edge was found with no slips in place. Matthew Potts came on from the other end and although Pakistan managed a few boundaries during this phase, both batters had their nervy moments. England eventually broke through moments before the tea break through Potts. Having operated with funky fields and tactics as always, Stokes' idea to lure Ayub into off-side drives paid dividends as the left-hander chipped one to silly mid-off. It was a soft dismissal to what was otherwise a largely solid innings. The surface hasn't deteriorated till now but that looks inevitable with the number of cracks on it and with reverse swing prevalent, an interesting final session beckons. Pakistan 173/3 (Saim Ayub 77, Kamran Ghulam 75*; Jack Leach 2-62, Matthew Potts 1-22) vs England

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suspended Chandika Hathurusingha as the head coach of the men's national team with immediate effect. BCB President Faruque Ahmed revealed that the suspension, on disciplinary grounds, will become a termination after 48 hours and that former West Indies cricketer Phil Simmons, will serve as the interim head coach with his contract set to run till the 2025 Champions Trophy. "Hathurusingha's suspension is a 48-hour notice period, which we are giving him because he is an international figure. We have suspended him and with immediate effect he will be terminated," Faruque said on Tuesday (October 15). One of the disciplinary issues associated resulting in Hathurusingha's axing was a physical and verbal confrontation the coach had with a player during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. "There were couple of incidents about the current coach which, for me as a former player, was quite painful. It didn't set a good example for the Bangladesh team. Considering these things, we have served him today with a show cause notice and suspension from duty as head coach. This is not an easy process from a legal standpoint, and also we had to find a new coach," Faruque said. "I really felt bad from the moment I learned about the incident from the newspapers. I felt something should be done about it. The ICC strongly handles racism and abuse. They would be more serious about assault. It was a really sad incident for the particular player. I am not defending anyone but anything might happen in the heat of the moment. But you cannot hit a national player. It is not on. This is the right punishment. It should have happened some time ago. "The media wrote strongly about why the [World Cup 2023] report never came out. We worked on the report. I met the player. We had a few things happening so it took time for us to get to the bottom of it. All of this happened after the India series. I am happy as a former player, captain and now as a board president that we were able to do it." Another count of Hathurusingha's misconduct stemmed from the Sri Lankan having taken more leaves than was granted in his contract. "He spent more than three months (in leave days)," Faruque revealed. "It is also a large part of his misconduct. He informed in a scattered way in one or two emails that he has to go home. It can't be more than three months. I just cannot do whatever I want to do as a board president. I should be guided by some rules. It is the norm. So there was a serious breach in that regard. There was a misconduct with a player, and misconduct as an employee. "I didn't speak to him. The CEO has spoken to him on my behalf, and handed over the (show cause) letter to him. It is for assault and going on leave without taking the board's permission. Even for unpaid leaves, one has to take the employer's permission." The development comes in the aftermath of Bangladesh's disappointing tour of India where they were whitewashed in the Tests and T20Is by massive margins. Hathurasingha's exit marks an underwhelming end to his brief second stint as Bangladesh coach with the major debacles being the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. The former Sri Lankan all-rounder had taken over the reins in January 2023 with a roadmap of moving Bangladesh cricket forward, like he had during his first stint from 2014-17. During that period, the national team made significant progress, particularly in white-ball cricket with impressive showings in the 2017 Champions Trophy, thereby gaining automatic qualification to the 2019 ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, the BCB president had words of praise for Phil Simmons - his new, albeit interim, appointment. Simmons, who led West Indies to the 2016 T20 World Cup title and has had coaching stints with Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea among others, will begin his new stint with a two-Test series against South Africa this month. "We have appointed Phil Simmons for the interim period. His initial contract is up to the Champions Trophy. He was head coach in different countries. He has a very good track record. He has worked with many franchises, including tournaments like the PSL and MLC. He has had a healthy career as a coach. We spoke to a number of coaches, but we got a really hard working guy. I have spoken to him in the past when he came to Bangladesh previously."

Debutant Kamran Ghulam (118) produced a laudable century to keep Pakistan afloat on the opening day of the second Test against England in Multan. The hosts found themselves in trouble at multiple positions but Ghulam handled the crisis well. His 149-run stand with Saim Ayub (77) and a partnership of 65 with Mohammad Rizwan (37*) were critical to Pakistan on a day when England threw everything at them in terms of tactics, funky fields and psychological pressure. Ghulam looked set to bat the day out before a sudden rush of blood led to his stumps being rattled during the closing stages of play, giving Shoaib Bashir his first wicket of the game. It was an otherwise largely flawless display against spin from Ghulam, rated highly for his expertise against slow bowling. Therefore, England played into his hands by feeding him an overdose of spin in the first 100-odd deliveries that he faced. Against the quicker men, Ghulam looked tentative, especially during the second half of the day when England managed to extract reverse swing. The final session didn't start well for Pakistan as they lost Saud Shakeel cheaply against the reversing ball and it was a period that threatened a collapse. However, Ghulam and Rizwan weathered the storm, albeit with a lot of luck and shepherded Pakistan through to the second new ball. The fresh cherry didn't really have a lot of movement on offer, forcing Ben Stokes to go back to spin quickly but the move worked as Bashir castled Ghulam with a tempter. The dismissal summarised Pakistan's day as they never really managed to get away from England. The used pitch came in for a lot of attention but batting wasn't impossible as Ghulam and Ayub showed. Their partnership was paramount for the hosts, given that Jack Leach had struck twice in the first hour of play in the morning. The new ball and the mild moisture allowed the left-arm spinner to get some bite off the pitch. It helped Leach to castle Abdullah Shafique who played down the wrong line while a classic setup of Shan Masood saw the Pakistan skipper chip one to short mid-wicket. Pakistan would have had a deja vu feel of the previous game but those fears quickly went away as Ayub and Ghulam got going. The two batters batted with a lot of gumption and resolve to blunt England's bowlers on a pitch that did have variable bounce to contend with. While survival wasn't impossible, the extreme slowness of the track and low bounce meant that strokeplay wasn't straightforward. There was spin on offer too and statistically, it spun a lot more today than it did in the entire first Test match. However, it was slow turn and it meant that the batters could adjust to it more often than not. England did well to stay disciplined and Stokes punted with his typical brand of innovative fields. While Ayub and Ghulam put on commendable performances, both were guilty of soft dismissals at a time when Pakistan would have wanted them to kick on. Considering that this surface has now been used for six days, the road ahead is unpredictable and first innings runs are hence more significant than usual. For England, Brydon Carse looked the most threatening bowler although he picked up just a solitary wicket. His reverse swinging spell with Stokes was the most potent period for England with the ball on a day when they otherwise had to toil hard. Pakistan 259-5 (Kamran Ghulam 118, Saim Ayub 77; Jack Leach 2-92, Brydon Carse 1-14) vs England

Ben Sears, the New Zealand pacer, has been ruled out of the three-match Test series against India due to a knee injury. The uncapped Jacob Duffy has been named as the replacement for Sears and will fly to India on Wednesday (October 16) morning. Sears underwent scans in New Zealand last week having experienced pain in his left knee while training during the Test tour of Sri Lanka. According to a New Zealand Cricket release, "scans revealed a tear to his meniscus" and Sears' departure to India was delayed. Eventually, upon medical advice, Sears was ruled out of the India tour and "a plan on the best course of treatment and rehabilitation for the injury will be advised in due course". Duffy, who has played six ODIs and 14 T20Is for New Zealand, has bagged 299 first-class wickets and is Otago's leading wicket-taker. "We're obviously disappointed for Ben who made a strong start to his Test career during the home summer and offers a genuine pace option," said New Zealand head coach Gary Stead. "It remains to be seen how long we'll be without him for, but we're hopeful his road to a full recovery will be a short one. "It's an exciting opportunity for Jacob who has been around the squad before. With three Tests ahead of us he has every chance of making his Test debut," Stead said about Duffy. "Jacob's recent experience playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship certainly pushed his place. His performances in white-ball cricket for the BLACKCAPS have always been impressive and we're confident he'll be able to contribute if called upon." New Zealand's first Test against India is scheduled to begin on October 16 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, rain threat looms large over the match. India's scheduled practice session on Tuesday had to be cancelled on Tuesday and the weather forecast for the rest of the week doesn't look too promising. The second Test will be played in Pune from October 24 while the final Test will be held in Mumbai from November 1

With Mohammed Shami being ruled out of the India-New Zealand Test series, it gave India a setback as they eye the five-Test series in Australia that starts in November. Skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed that Shami's recovery had hit a hurdle and that they would not want to rush him back into international cricket. "To be honest, right now it is very difficult for us to make a call on him [Shami] whether he will be fit for this series or Australia series," said Rohit in a press conference ahead of the Bengaluru Test. "He recently had a setback. He had a swelling in his knee, which was quite unusual while he was in the process of getting fit, getting close to 100%. That put him back a little bit in his recovery. "So he had to start again fresh. Right now, he is at NCA. He is working with the physios, the doctors at NCA. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We want him to be fit. We want him to be 100% fit. More than anything else, we don't want to bring an undercooked Shami to Australia. That is not going to be the right decision for us." Shami had been sidelined with a left Achilles heel injury after the World Cup last year, and the knee complication adds to his woes, which has left Rohit thinking of when he could be back during the Australia series. "It is quite tough for a fast bowler having missed so much of cricket. Then suddenly to come out and be at his best, it is not ideal. We want to give him enough time to recover and be 100% fit. The physios, the trainers, the doctors have set a road map for him. He is supposed to play a couple of games before he plays international cricket. We will see where he is at after this New Zealand series. Then take a call at what stage of Australia he will be fit for us," he said. Consequently, India are carrying a bevy of "traveling reserves" for the Test series against New Zealand. This includes Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav and Nitish Reddy. Prasidh Krishna, who was supposed to be with the team, is reported to have suffered another setback during Karnataka's Ranji Trophy encounter. He bowled only eight overs of the 140 that Karnataka bowled against Madhya Pradesh in Indore. Rohit mentioned that all the back-ups are in with a chance to be considered for the Australia series. "The reason we wanted to keep them close to us was because we are thinking of them to take them to Australia. So we just want to monitor them and see their workload. A lot of these guys have injuries in the past. So it's important that we try and build them up and see what kind of options do we have. Like I said, we want to create bench strength. We want to create a group of fast bowlers where we have 8 or 9 options with us. It's not about 3 or 4 options. So we want to try and do that. VNB0DMe29MM "When it comes to batting, there are a lot of options. We want to create the same with the bowlers as well. Hence, we tried and kept them within the squad. So tomorrow, if we feel like they are ready to take that role, they should be ready for it. They have obviously played a few games before we made this announcement. They have played the Duleep Trophy, Irani Trophy as well. So we just want to make sure that they are monitored quite well. Their workloads have been taken care of," said Rohit. "When you see a talent, you want to try and bring them as close to the team as possible. In the short period of time, they have shown they have some ability as well. We want to keep them with the team and see whether they will be ready for international cricket or not. Especially Test cricket. Test cricket is a different ball game compared to white ball cricket. We want to keep them. We want to see what they can offer us. And have more options with us, more than anything else. We want to create a bench strength where tomorrow if anything happens to anyone, we are not worried. We don't want to be worried or too heavily reliant on a few individuals.That is not the right thing to do. We want to look at the future at the same time. Try and make sure we get the right guys in as well. "Sometimes you have to fast track someone. And that is only in the betterment of Indian cricket. We want to create guys where even if there are injuries, we have someone to quickly step in and take that role. Nitish and Harshit both are quite talented individuals. In the future, they are going to provide a lot of stability to the team moving forward. Just want to see what they are capable of, what they have to offer. Just having a chat around what they think about Test cricket and stuff like that. Because we don't get to talk to them so much. So it's always nice to just have them around and see their mindset, where they are at and what they think about playing test cricket," explained Rohit. The pace bowling stocks apart, Rohit's own participation for a part of the India-Australia series could be in doubt. India have named Jasprit Bumrah as the vice-captain for the New Zealand series. To what extent Rohit is unavailable is yet to be ascertained but Rohit exuded confidence in Bumrah's abilities as a captain. "Bumrah has played a lot of cricket and I have played a lot of cricket with him. He understands the game pretty well. He has got a good head on his shoulder. Tactically, I can't say much because he has not captained much. He has captained one Test match and a couple of T20s, I guess. But look, when you talk to him, he understands the game. He understands what is required. When you are in a situation where you need a leader to step up, I think Bumrah will be one of them. "So over the past, he has always been in our leadership group. You know, whether it is speaking to the bowlers who have just come into the squad. Whether it is just getting internally with the team to discuss about how to move forward as a team. So he has always been part of that leadership group. And yeah, I guess one of the experienced players as well. So it's probably the right thing to just have him around and speak to the bowlers. And internally discuss how to take the team forward," he said.

An unbroken 60-run stand between Saim Ayub (40*) and debutant Kamran Ghulam (29*) steadied Pakistan on the first morning of the second Test against England in Multan. Opting to bat on a used surface, the hosts found themselves two down very early due to Jack Leach (2-35) whose wickets were a result of clever bowling and smart tactics. It's not often that the same surface is used for consecutive Test matches and all eyes were on the Multan surface, especially after the events in Pakistan cricket over the last few days. From the offset, it was evident that the track wouldn't have much bounce as England's seamers barely got the ball to rise even with the new ball. The odd delivery also kept extremely low, implying a sign of things to come. It influenced Ben Stokes to opt to spin inside the first ten overs and the move worked. Leach got the ball to turn instantly, albeit slow turn, but the fizz off the new ball complimented the turn to undo Abdullah Shafique. The opener played for the angle against an in-drifter that pitched and spun ever so slightly to beat the outside edge, thereby ripping out the off pole. If Shafique's dismissal was a mixture of classic left-arm spin bowling and amateurish batting, Shan Masood's was a setup. Leach bowled from over the wicket with Stokes having three men catching close-in around the mid-wicket area, including a short mid-wicket. Masood's tendency to play with hard hands brought about his downfall as he jabbed an inside edge that was smartly taken at short mid-wicket. With the score reading 19/2, Pakistan couldn't have asked for a worse start to the Test match but Ayub and Ghulam handled things reasonably well. The left-hander curbed his naturally aggressive instincts and played the ball on merit. It's not usual for Ayub to get to 40 and have just two boundaries to his name but it showed his determination to bail Pakistan out. Meanwhile, Ghulam showed no signs of nerves on his debut and showed his highly rated game against spin by using the crease well. The duo also used their feet well to stitch a useful partnership going for the home side. They have had the occasional moment of indecision due to the uneven bounce and unpredictable pace of the pitch, but runs haven't been impossible to make. The next two sessions could tell a detailed story on the nature of this 'used' pitch as the older softer ball was easier to score in the first Test. Pakistan 79/2 (Saim Ayub 40*, Kamran Ghulam 29*; Jack Leach 2-35) vs England