Preview The hosts will have to iron out their inconsistencies at the top if they are to level the series Big picture The first ODI painted a broad enough picture of both sides’ strengths and weaknesses in a way whole series often fail to do. Across exactly 100 overs of two mid-table sides jostling for

News Allrounder is in the team hotel in Mumbai, in isolation at a designated medical care facility Axar Patel, the Delhi Capitals allrounder, has tested positive for Covid-19. Patel had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on March 28, armed with a negative Covid-19 report. But he has returned a positive test since, and

News New Zealand hope to spoil the moment: “It’s always nice to mess up the Aussies’ plans,” says Lea Tahuhu One of the must-do things in the picturesque setting of Mount Maunganui is to climb to the top of the extinct volcano which gives the town its name. On Sunday, Australia can scale their own

Lunch Sri Lanka 93 for 0 (Karunaratne 54*, Thirimanne 37*) and 258 (Thirimanne 55, Nissanka 51, Roach 3-58) need another 284 runs to beat West Indies 354 and 280 for 4 dec (Brathwaite 85, Holder 71*, Mayers 55, Lakmal 2-62) Dimuth Karunaratne hit his first half-century of the series, and Lahiru Thirimanne survived one dropped

Report Both sides have packed their playing XIs with four fast bowlers each Toss Pakistan chose to bowl vs South Africa Temba Bavuma lost his first toss as South Africa’s white-ball captain as Pakistan chose to field in the first ODI in Centurion and make use of early moisture. Babar Azam went with four quicks

News The team had an ‘honest’ debrief after being skittled for 32 but a spot in the Shield final remains in their hands New South Wales are determined to have left their 32 all out in Tasmania. The defending Sheffield Shield champions were bundled out for their lowest first-class score in the previous round to

Report West Indies lost two early wickets but are sitting comfortably in control of the match with a 165-run lead Lunch West Indies 69 for 2 (Brathwaite 22*, Mayers 9*, Lakmal 1-13) and 354 (Brathwaite 126, Cornwall 73, Lakmal 4-94) lead Sri Lanka 258 (Thirimanne 55, Nissanka 51, Roach 3-58) by 165 runs West Indies

Report Regular captain Mahmudullah was ruled out of the fixture due to a strained left thigh muscle Bangladesh chose to bowl vs New Zealand Bangladesh and New Zealand got a taste of what they should be ready for in a World Cup year: a truncated clash, reduced to 10-overs a side, after intermittent rain delayed

Tackling the menace of slow over rates, the IPL has made it mandatory for bowling teams to deliver their 20 overs within the stipulated 90 minutes (including strategic time-outs) for the 2021 edition. Other significant tweaks to the playing conditions for IPL 2021 include: no soft signal for close catches and obstruction of field, putting

Report The loss of Chandimal and de Silva substantially dented Sri Lanka’s likelihood of establishing a first-innings lead Lunch Sri Lanka 189 for 5 (Thirimanne 55, Roach 1-54, Gabriel 1-33) trail West Indies 354 all out (Brathwaite 126, Cornwall 73, Lakmal 4-94) by 165 runs Sri Lanka made further slow progress on a sluggish pitch,