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Balochistan remain in fifth place, after their third loss in four games

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2021

Northern vs Southern Punjab, Rawalpindi

Captain Sohaib Maqsood did his bit with a 47-ball 75 and left-arm spinner Hassan Khan returned 2 for 13 from three overs, but the contributions weren’t enough for Southern Punjab to turn their fortunes around, as they lost by five wickets to Northern to record their fourth defeat in as many games in the tournament. For the winners, fast bowler Muhammad Musa was the brightest spot with the ball, returning 3 for 40, while Mohammad Nawaz starred with the bat with a 35-ball 56 not out to go with 1 for 9 from two overs with the ball.Asked to bat first, Southern Punjab did well, with opener Sohaib stitching together useful partnerships for the second and third wickets with Agha Salman (24) and Khushdil Shah (20) respectively to take the total to 125 before he was dismissed in the 15th over. The captain’s innings included eight fours and four sixes.After Sohaib and Khushdil fell in quick succession, Azam Khan’s 12-ball 18 and Aamer Yamin’s impressive nine-ball 23 seemed to have done enough to put Southern Punjab in a position from where they could get on the points table.It was, however, not to be, even though they put up a fight.Nasir Nawaz took control of the chase early, scoring the bulk of the runs in a 26-run opening stand with Rohail Nazir, who had been moved to the top of the order after Umer Amin suffered an injury. But Nazir was run out for 2, and though Nasir was dismissed not long after for a 15-ball 24, Haider Ali (40 in 27) ensured Northern got to three figures in the 12th over.The big hand, though, came from Nawaz, who hit six fours and two sixes from No. 5 to drag Northern past the line. And captain Shadab Khan, who had moved himself down to No. 6, chipped in with a valuable 20-ball 30 during a 67-run stand for the fifth wicket. The target was breached with five balls in hand, helping Northern get to second spot on the table with their second win in three games.

Sindh vs Balochistan, Rawalpindi

Zahid Mahmood celebrates a wicket with Anwar Ali and Shan Masood•PCB

Sindh made it three-in-three in Pakistan’s National T20 Cup with an enormous victory over Balochistan in their latest fixture, topping their opponents by 77 runs after bowling them out for just 98. While the batting was led by captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahnawaz Dahani, Danish Aziz and Zahid Mahmood, the Player of the Match, shared nine wickets between them in a spectacular display to finish off the Balochistan resistance in just 16.4 overs.Batting first after winning the toss, Sindh got off to a good start courtesy Shan Masood (31) and Sharjeel Khan (34), the two putting on 52 in 6.2 overs before Sharjeel, the aggressor, fell. Khurram Manzoor couldn’t quite get going, but after Masood fell in the 11th over, Saud Shakeel (32) and Sarfaraz (41*) took control of the game, scored quickly, and set the stage for Anwar Ali to come in at the close and wallop an unbeaten 12-ball 22.That gave Sindh a score Sarfaraz would have expected his bowling line-up to defend without much fuss, and that’s exactly what happened.Imam-ul-Haq, the big name in the line-up, scored his 19 runs in 18 balls, and Abdul Bangalzai hit 29 in 23, neither quite able to wrest the initiative. The 46-run first-wicket stand was the best period with the bat for Balochistan, as the wickets tumbled after the openers were sent back by the end of the eighth over. Abdullah Shafique, who has moved from Central Punjab to Balochistan, made his much-anticipated debut on the day but only managed a 12-ball 8.Legspinner Zahid was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 18, while left-arm spinner Danish and medium-pacer Dahani struck key blows to never allow the batters to get on top.

Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Shahidullah Kamal selected in 18-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2022Mohammad Nabi has ruled himself out of Afghanistan’s upcoming ODI series against Netherlands which starts in Doha on January 21, with right-arm seamer Naveen-ul-Haq also not part of the 18-member squad.While Nabi said he wanted to clear the path for a younger player to get international experience, Naveen opted to take a break from the 50-over format and focus on preparing for the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year.Related

• Klusener not to extend contract as Afghanistan head coach

• Shaun Tait quits as Afghanistan fast-bowling consultant

The squad selected includes four uncapped names in 19-year-olds Riaz Hassan and Mohammad Saleem Safi – a batter and right-arm quick, respectively – alongside 21-year-old left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Shahidullah Kamal, 22, a left-hand batter and part-time left-arm spinner. Although Farooqi has played a lone T20I and Kamal has played one Test – both in March 2021 – they are yet to represent their country in ODIs.Afghanistan also recalled seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who has played a single ODI, last January. Alongside the new faces, there was plenty of experience in the form of Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Najibullah Zadran and Qais Ahmad, who has played a Test and T20I each but is uncapped in ODIs.Afghanistan will be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, who was appointed ODI captain last year.The three-match ODI series between Afghanistan and Netherlands is part of the ICC’s World Cup Super League, points from which count towards qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Farid Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Ikram Alikhail, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Shahidullah Kamal, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Usman Ghani, Yamin Ahmadzai

Kuldeep Yadav has been named as his replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2022Washington Sundar has been ruled out of India’s three-match T20I series against West Indies, which begins in Kolkata on Wednesday. According to a BCCI release, the spin-bowling allrounder suffered a hamstring strain while fielding during the third ODI in Ahmedabad on Friday.Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has been named as Washington’s replacement in India’s squad.The hamstring strain is the latest in a series of injuries and illnesses that have hounded Washington over the last few months. First, he was forced to miss the second half of IPL 2021 in the UAE after suffering a finger injury. He returned to domestic action during the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy, helping Tamil Nadu reach the final, but a bout of Covid-19 kept him waiting for his international comeback, ruling him out of the ODI leg of India’s tour of South Africa in January this year.Washington finally returned to India colours during the ODIs against West Indies, playing all three games and showing promise with both ball and bat. He picked up four wickets at 18.75, while conceding just 4.16 runs per over, and he also contributed scores of 24 and 33 in his two outings with the bat.Just when he seemed to be back in the thick of things, however, injury has struck once more.As a specialist bowler, Kuldeep isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Washington; the batting ability of seamers Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel, however, should still allow India to pick an XI without compromising on their batting depth.India squad for T20I series: Rohit Sharma (capt), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav.

India coach says squad for the New Zealand series and Women’s World Cup picked itself, going by each player’s recent performances

Annesha Ghosh23-Jan-20222:28

Ramesh Powar: Communication has been clear to players left out of ODI World Cup squad

India head coach Ramesh Powar has provided official clarification on the exclusion of Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues from India’s extended squad for the forthcoming series against New Zealand and the Women’s World Cup that follows. Asked about the same ahead of the team’s departure for these assignments, he said, “If you don’t perform, you don’t get your chances.”Addressing a virtual press conference from Mumbai, Powar, when asked if Pandey and Rodrigues’ experience would be missed on either assignment, said: “Not really. At the end of it, five selectors, captain, the coach – they have their discussed all the players and we came out with 18 players who can play better in the New Zealand series as well as in the World Cup.””Every player knows. Whoever is not in the team knows why they are not there,” Powar said. “That communication from, say, captain, coach, selectors – it is not a one-time communication; it’s been on for a long period of time – at least last six months, I was very clear about the roles. I told them, specifically, what is expected out of them, and end of it this is a competition, a competitive position, so you have to perform. If you don’t perform, you don’t get your chances.Related

• Mithali Raj: 'Too much importance is given to strike rate'

• Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey left out of India's World Cup squad

While the questions at the presser were around batter Rodrigues and swing bowler Pandey, the India squad also excluded experienced batter and ODI veteran Punam Raut. The squad was announced by means of a written media release, with no explanations given as to why the trio was left out. ESPNcricinfo had reported that all three players were fit and available for selection. That none of them were picked even as standbys raised questions, more so given they were part of a boot camp for 20 World Cup hopefuls in Dehradun last month.Three players with much less experience (quick bowler Renuka Singh, who impressed on her debut in the T20I series on the Australia tour last year and in the domestic 50-over Challenger Trophy that followed, allrounder Simran Bahadur and batter S Meghana – both standout performers in the Challenger Trophy) – instead came into the extended squad of 18, leaving a lot to conjecture. Renuka was part of the main squad, with the other two named as standbys.India’s five-member selection panel, led by former India spinner Neetu David, hasn’t featured in any press conferences since its appointment in September 2020.Now, Powar said the group picked itself, going by recent performances of each selected player. “So, if you look at it, you cannot pick everyone. There’s only 15 [in the primary squad] and then three standbys. And we were looking at the particular things, like fast bowlers, like Meghna [Singh], Renuka – they’re doing well and they are going to get their chances in upcoming matches.”Again, the batting unit is consistent like Yastika [Bhatia], Smriti [Mandhana], Mithali [Raj]. Everyone is consistent so we don’t we don’t change much. At the end of it seven of us getting together and picking the right team and backing the players, that matters.”Pandey, 32, last played an ODI in July, during the tour of England. She was also part of the Australia tour that followed in September-October but didn’t make the XI for 50-over matches.Bhatia made such a strong impression down under that she has effectively replaced Jemimah Rodrigues in the team. Rodrigues was dropped from the playing XI in the first ODI against England in July and then, having failed to make an impression in the next two matches, was not considered to start in the Australia ODIs.In the six ODIs that she played in 2021, Raut, 32, accumulated 295 runs, including a hundred, at an average of 73.75, but her historically low career strike rate of 58.26 has seen her being outperformed by younger, more aggressive batters. She has publicly expressed her disappointment at the World Cup snub.

Legspinner Mitchell Swepson will debut for Australia while Pakistan are expected to welcome back Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali

Andrew McGlashan11-Mar-2022

Big Picture

Shall we try that again? To be blunt, there were not too many redeeming qualities from the opening Test of this much-anticipated series with a docile surface – which has since been deemed ‘below average’ by the ICC – rendering it something of a non-event. Now, all eyes are on the 22 yards that will be produced at the National Stadium in Karachi, with the hope that it will be a more balanced and enticing contest.However, if the draw in Rawalpindi was being scored, Pakistan would have taken the points. Three of their batters hit centuries – Imam-ul-Haq twice – while the bowling attack found a way to take 10 wickets in the first innings. Nauman Ali preyed on Australia’s patience while Shaheen Shah Afridi was the standout quick of the match and deserved more than two wickets.Still, with the post-match admission from the PCB chairman Ramiz Raja that the stultifying surface was largely a tactic so as not to play into the hands of Australia’s quicks, Pakistan do need to show that they are brave enough to take the game to them in Karachi unless they want a single-match decider in Lahore.From Australia’s point of view, they may see the opening Test as a warm-up they did not get on this tour with all the bowlers having got miles in the legs and most of the batters spending reasonable time at the crease. However, they need to be cautious that not converting starts into three figures does not become a habit.No two ways about it, Australia’s bowlers toiled even if much of the last day was going through the motions. A single wicket for a fast bowler and just three overall (the other being a run out) is slim pickings regardless of the pitch. But this next game has been given another element of intrigue with Mitchell Swepson finally handed a Test debut.Hasan Ali’s return will be a big boost for Pakistan•AFP/Getty Images

Recent form

(last five matches, most recent first)Pakistan DWWWL
Australia DWDWW

In the spotlight

Hasan Ali is expected to come back into Pakistan’s line-up after missing the opening match with an abductor strain. It would mean the reunion of the pairing with Shaheen; the duo has claimed 88 Test wickets during 2021, of which Hasan took 41 at 16.07 in just eight outings. Hasan is a skiddy quick bowler who has not faced Australia before in Tests, so it will be a new challenge for the top order.After a long wait, Mitchell Swepson will make his Test debut. “I think it’s quite special that someone like Mitchell Swepson is going to debut tomorrow as a legspinner who grew up trying to replicate Warnie,” Pat Cummins said at the end of what has been an emotional week for the game. The last specialist legspinner to debut for Australia was Bryce McGain 2009, or Steven Smith in 2010 if you consider his response on social media. Swepson will hope for a longer stay than McGain’s lone outing; Smith will likely be stood at slip; his career having gone in another direction.

Team news

Faheem Ashraf’s negative Covid test the day after he was positive is a huge boost for Pakistan, and it also means they will be able to balance their side with a seam-bowling allrounder at No. 7. The other change that is likely to happen is Hasan replacing Naseem Shah.Pakistan (probable) 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Sajid Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Shaheen Shah AfridiCummins confirmed Australia’s XI with Swepson handed a debut and that he is replacing Josh Hazlewood. This means Mitchell Starc’s left-arm angle is retained.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Mitchell Swepson, 11 Nathan Lyon

Pitch and conditions

Surely, this one won’t be as flat? Both captains expected the wicket to be of more help for the spinners as the match developed, while Cummins thought reverse swing could be a factor, perhaps, from quite early in the contest given the well-worn square. There won’t be any problems with the weather this time, it’s forecast to be warm and sunny throughout.

Stats and trivia

• Fawad Alam, who did not bat or bowl in Rawalpindi, and dropped a catch, needs 47 runs to reach 1000 in Tests
• Australia have lost five of their eight Tests in Karachi
• Nathan Lyon now averages 65.18 against Pakistan away from home (four games in UAE, one in Pakistan). His next highest overseas average is 39.75 in South Africa.

Quotes

“We didn’t get as many wickets as we would have liked but never let the run rate slip, on past tours of the subcontinent we have. We never lost control of the game. As a Test match, it’s an absolute outlier, so put it behind us and come here where we’ll probably get closer to the conditions, we would expect in a subcontinent Test.”
“We’re not frightened of Australia. The conditions are the same for both teams. The WTC points are very crucial. As a captain, I wanted us to win. The way our side dominated, and our batters scored 150+ and got wickets… So there’s nothing to panic about. We dominated.”

Injured duo Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck have been retained in the 15-strong list

Andrew McGlashan07-Apr-2022Legspinner Alana King has been awarded her first Cricket Australia contract after being an integral part of the ODI World Cup triumph with left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux dropping off the list after an injury-hit season.King made her international debut at the beginning of the multi-format Ashes having come in as a replacement for the injured Georgia Wareham. She has since featured in every match – earning an upgrade to a contract during that time – and was Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup with 12 scalps at 24.50 including 3 for 64 in the final against England.Allrounder Molineux, who has been capped 38 times across formats, is the player to make way for King’s inclusion after she missed the Ashes and World Cup due a stress fracture of her foot. Wareham (ACL) and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck (foot), who were also both ruled out of the World Cup, have retained their contracts although are not set to return before the next Australian summer.Related

• Molineux ruled out for up to 12 months after rupturing her ACL

• Australia's depth and success could herald more female contracts

• Five first-timers who impressed at the World Cup

• Meg Lanning set for English domestic debut in the Hundred

“Sophie Molineux is unfortunate to miss out on a contract, she’s been an important part of the side over the last couple of years,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “Unfortunately, she’s missed a large amount of cricket due to various injuries, but we feel she can continue to play an important role with a more consistent run of matches. We’ll continue to work with Sophie and have full confidence in her finding her way back into the squad.”Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck retain their contracts which enables us to continue to support them on their return to play after suffering long-term injuries. Both are progressing well in their rehab, and we look forward to seeing them in action at some stage during the summer.”King’s arrival on the international stage on the back of two successful WBBL tournaments, firstly for Melbourne Stars then for Perth Scorchers, highlighted the depth on offer in Australian cricket. The selectors ended up naming two legspinners in their World Cup squad with Amanda-Jade Wellington being recalled.”Alana King came into the side during the Ashes and hasn’t missed a beat, she produced match-winning performances across all three formats and thoroughly deserves her spot on the list,” Flegler said.”We’ve had a core group of players performing well over the last 12 months which means some talented players have missed out, it’s certainly made selection tough but we’re in a fortunate position to have such depth across Australian cricket.”Players such as Stella Campbell, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Grace Harris have all played for Australia and contributed to the team’s success recently, and along with Sophie, have the chance to earn upgrades with consistent performances.”The stability of the contract list suggests that the World Cup-winning squad will remain together for at least another year. Captain Meg Lanning and coach Matthew Mott had previously said they did not foresee any players retiring in the near future.Players not awarded contracts as part of the initial squad can earn upgrades throughout the year by accruing 12 points. Female players receive four points for a Test match, two for an ODI and two for a T20I.Australia will return to action in July with a tri-nations T20I series in Ireland that will also feature Pakistan ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. While the next home summer has yet to be confirmed it is set to include a visit by Pakistan before Australia defend their T20 World Cup title in South Africa in early 2023.A number of the centrally-contracted players will remain in the UK after the Commonwealth Games to feature in the Hundred.Contract list Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

No final-day jeopardy as Derbyshire are unable to make their scoreboard pressure tell

ECB Reporters Network15-May-2022Worcestershire 368 and 225 for 2 (Libby 105*, Ali 60) drew with Derbyshire 565 for 8 dec (Dal 114*, Masood 113, Guest 77, du Plooy 62, Thomson 54)Worcestershire opener Jake Libby returned to form with his first century of the season to deny Derbyshire victory on the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Derby.Libby had made only one 50 in his previous eight innings but came good at the right time with an unbeaten 105 off 306 balls to steer Worcestershire to a draw.Azhar Ali scored 60 and shared a second-wicket stand with Libby of 164 in 48 overs before Jack Haynes, who scored 16 from 140 balls, joined Libby to complete a determined rearguard action.The pair dropped anchor, scoring only 26 runs from 283 balls to end Derbyshire’s rapidly fading hopes as the visitors closed on 225 for 2, a lead of 28.Worcestershire went into the final day 138 runs behind but the pitch was flat and Derbyshire were a bowler down with Ryan Sidebottom ruled out by a calf injury.Derbyshire had to strike early to apply pressure but there were few alarms as Libby and Azhar batted through the morning to reduce the deficit to 35.Libby edged Suranga Lakmal just short of first slip in the fourth over and Azhar missed a loose cut at Luis Reece who was bowling for the first time since August following surgery on his left shoulder and right knee.Reece bowled five overs from the Racecourse End and did get some swing while Sam Conners tried to unsettle the batters with some short balls but it was a fruitless first session for Derbyshire.Libby drove Reece for his seventh four to reach 50 from 98 balls and Azhar completed his third consecutive half-century after lunch when he cut Lakmal to the ropes.Derbyshire’s hopes were raised briefly when Azhar went back to work Thomson to leg but was beaten by some turn and given lbw after resisting for 204 minutes.His obvious disappointment at missing out on the chance of a century was clear but Libby, who was the second-leading run-scorer in the country last season, completed a stubborn hundred from 185 balls.He did not score another run from the next 39 balls which underlined his determination not to give Derbyshire a chance of forcing the door back open.Derbyshire used spin at both ends to try and get to a second new ball as quickly as possible but when it became available, the light had deteriorated to prevent them taking it.The runs dried up with Libby and Jack Haynes scoring 21 from 199 balls so Worcestershire at tea were just 23 runs ahead but only a maximum of 25 overs remained.After the interval the game meandered to its inevitable conclusion before the teams shook hands at 4.50pm with both teams taking 14 points.

After the fallout from the new contract list the focus now shifts to preparing for the Commonwealth Games

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2022Ben Sawyer has been confirmed as head coach of the New Zealand women’s team.Sawyer, most recently an assistant coach with the Australia women’s side, begins his job immediately having signed a two-year contract. The first assignment will be the Commonwealth Games at the end of July followed by a tour of West Indies.”I can’t wait to get stuck in,” Sawyer said. “I see a lot of potential in this White Ferns group and I feel really optimistic about helping to untap that potential, so they can take their cricket to the next level.””It’s certainly going to be a learning process as I get to know the players and they get to know me, and my cricket philosophies and coaching style.”Sawyer joins New Zealand after what has been a controversial couple of weeks following the announcement of the new central contracts – of which he was not part of the process – that saw leading batter Amy Satterthwaite retire from international cricket when she was told she would not get a new deal.Fast bowler Lea Tahuhu was another notable omission as NZC said they were putting a focus on youth and T20 with an eye on next year’s World Cup following a disappointing home ODI World Cup where they failed to make the semi-finals.Captain Sophie Devine hoped that Sawyer would be able to impart his knowledge of the hugely successful Australian set-up.”We’re really looking forward to working with Ben and receiving the benefit of his experience,” she said. “He’s been a key figure in the ongoing success of the Australian women’s team and we hope we can tap into that bank of experience and grow together as a team.”The upcoming Commonwealth Games campaign in Birmingham and the tour to West Indies will be really helpful in that regard – there’s nothing like away tours for bringing a group together and sharing a common purpose.”Sawyer is also coach of Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred and was previously head coach of Sydney Sixers in the WBBL. He had been due to be part of the Australia A men’s tour of Sri Lanka this month before the New Zealand job emerged.His move continues the significant changes to the Australia coaching set-up after Matthew Mott departed to be head coach of the England men’s white-ball team.

The home side needs one of the top order to convert a start into a substantial score

Andrew McGlashan10-Jun-2022

Big Picture

The tour has moved to the hill country of Kandy for the final T20I and opening games of the ODI series. Australia wrapped up their first trophy of the trip in barely 24 hours with back-to-back wins in Colombo, although the second one came in an untidy chase that was a reminder of previous collapses against spin on the subcontinent.But their bowling, led by Josh Hazlewood, has been very impressive and Jhye Richardson’s return seamlessly covered the absence of Mitchell Starc who will continue to be sidelined by his badly cut finger.Sri Lanka have to find a way to put more runs on the board to give their attack a reasonable total to bowl at. As they showed in the second match, and on the tour of Australia earlier this year, they can cause plenty of uneasy moments but it’s rare that totals of 120 will be enough even when Wanindu Hasaranga can spin a web.Related

• Hasaranga: 'We have to bring our batting and bowling up to the same level'

• Starc to miss third T20I against Sri Lanka with finger injury, in doubt for ODIs

Recent form

(last five matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka LLLLL
Australia WWWLW

In the spotlight

Dasun Shanaka had appeared to make significant strides in his middle-order batting role during the series against India in February where, although Sri Lanka lost, he made 47 off 19 balls and 74 off 38 in the last two matches. But it’s not gone so well against Australia with a second-ball duck then 14 off 17 deliveries in the second outing. He has also stopped using himself with the ball.The last time Australia played a T20I in Pallekele, Glenn Maxwell hit the small matter of 145 off 65 balls – the only two occasions he has opened in T20Is came on that tour and he followed the century with 66 in Colombo. He had the chance to take his side to victory two days ago, but picking out long-off in Hasaranga’s last over heaped pressure on the chase especially when Ashton Agar then fell first ball. Although he was Player of the Series against Sri Lanka in February it has been a little while since he has cut loose with full effect for Australia.

Team news

The home side has been unchanged so far and may give the batting line-up one more chance, but if they wanted to freshen things up the uncapped Nuwanidu Fernando would be an option. Chamika Karunaratne wasn’t used with the ball on Wednesday so they may also consider the balance of the attack. Kasun Rajitha (left hip) and Matheesha Pathirana (right elbow) have both been ruled out with injury but were unlikely to play. Asitha Fernando and Pramod Madushan have been called in as cover.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Kusal Mendis (wk), 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Nuwan ThusharaAustralia could go with an unchanged team as Starc continues to be sidelined with injuryAustralia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Steven Smith, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Ashton Agar, 9 Jhye Richardson, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

This is the first T20I played in Pallekele since before the pandemic but history would suggest a chance of a reasonably high-scoring affair with the ground among the fastest scoring in the world.

Stats and trivia

• Charith Asalanka needs five runs for 500 in T20Is; Dushmantha Chameera needs two wickets to reach 50
• Hazlewood’s 12 wickets at 10.25 against Sri Lanka make them his most successful opponent in T20Is and he concedes just 5.12 per over.