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He was expected to be in high demand following a successful debut season with Delhi Capitals and his current England form

Cameron Ponsonby20-Dec-2023Phil Salt has described his IPL omission as “confusing” after he went unsold at the 2024 mini auction.Salt was expected to be in high demand following a successful debut season with Delhi Capitals where he averaged 27.25 with a strike-rate of 163.91. But despite a base price of 1.5 crore, the England opener went unsold.”It was a confusing morning,” Salt said in the moments after he’d scored a second consecutive T20I hundred for England against the West Indies. “I expected to be picked up, having gone there last year and done well and after the year that I’ve had, but these things happen. It’s part of the lottery of an auction, it happens in draft processes as well. There’s a few lads in our dressing room who are going to have a very good Christmas and I’m over the moon for them.Related

• Matthew Mott: England close to T20 World Cup squad after bounce-back

• Salt carves unusual route to the top with exemplary work ethic

• Phil Salt and Harry Brook announce themselves as England's next gen

• Salt's second ton leads England to series-levelling victory

“I was a bit confused but it can happen. There’s no bad cricketers on the list at the IPL. It’s one of those things.”England opener had purposely slept in late in order to miss as much of the auction as possible, with his agent giving him texts to update on how things were going. The timing of Salt’s snub is particularly incongruous given his international form which has seen him score back-to-back centuries for England who have won two on the bounce to tie their five-match series against the West Indies at two apiece. Until four days ago, Salt hadn’t scored a professional T20 hundred, now he has made two.”It was probably a little bit of it, subconsciously,” Salt said of whether his IPL snub had motivated his innings of 119 today. “I’m very aware of how lucky I am to be here playing cricket.”I’m playing good cricket, I’m doing what I came out here to do. More importantly than that, the boys have really pulled together and shown what a good team we are. The West Indies are a very good side that we’re playing against so to win back-to-back games and force the decider in a couple of days’ time, I’m chuffed.”Salt’s innings of 119 off off 57 balls in Trinidad was the highest-ever score in T20I by an English player and backed up his effort of 109 not out off 56 on Saturday.Salt had spoken previously of his disappointment at failing to turn starts in an England shirt into big scores, a trait that he has brought to an emphatic close in the last 72 hours.Alongside captain Jos Buttler, the pair has combined for back-to-back hundred run partnerships, with their effort in Trinidad the fastest century stand in England’s history, coming off just 52 balls.”When we’re in the middle, it’s more getting me back in my box,” Salt said of Buttler’s advice whilst the pair were batting together. “It’s either ‘you’re doing really well’ or ‘drop it down a gear’. We’ve had some good conversations away from the game, we’ve enjoyed spending time around each other as a group so we’re going nicely.”England went on to score 267 for 3, their highest ever T20 score and the second highest by a Full Member nation. Salt himself reached his century off 48 balls, muscling 10 sixes along the way.”I’ve worked specifically on hitting sixes over the off-side. I’ve always been good at hitting the sight screen and going over the leg-side. When Jason Holder took the pace off wide and I hit it over the offside, something Jos said to me was ‘teams can’t bowl to you’. That’s an area I’ve been working on for a good while so it’s good to see it’s working.”

Symonds’ kids, Billy and Chloe, ran drinks during Australia’s fielding stint, and spent the innings in the team dugout

Andrew McGlashan28-Aug-2022Andrew Symonds’ children were at the centre of tributes to him during the opening ODI between Australia and Zimbabwe in Townsville.The outfield was emblazoned with Roy 388 – Symonds’ nickname and Test cap number – in memory of the former allrounder who died in a car accident west of Townsville in May.Related

• Townsville grandstand officially named after Andrew Symonds

• Cameron Green five-for, David Warner fifty take Australia 1-0 up

• Andrew Symonds, a player who came from the future

• How county cricket remembers Symonds and that T20 knock

• 'You ripper, Roy' – Andrew Symonds farewelled as true Aussie great

Symonds’ children, Billy and Chloe, were part of the pre-match ceremony, standing alongside Aaron Finch and Steven Smith for the anthems where there was a moment’s silence for Symonds. They then helped run the drinks during Australia’s fielding stint, and spent the innings in the team dugout.At the interval, Symonds’ family members Laura Vidmar, sister Louise and mother Barbara – along with his children and close friend Jimmy Maher – walked to the pitch to lay his baggy green, his bat, his Akubra hat, a fishing rod and a crab pot at the wickets. Symonds’ two dogs, Buzz and Woody, also walked to the centre.”What he did as a player was remarkable,” Finch said ahead of Australia’s match against Zimbabwe. “He was someone who put bums on seats, he was box office with bat and in the field. [It’s been] a really sad time obviously for Australian cricket over the last little while. It’ll be nice to have some tributes and his family here.The late Andrew Symonds’ kids, Chloe and Billy, run drinks during the game•AFP/Getty Images

“For someone who was so laidback, his depth of knowledge of cricket and players was second to none. I think the larrikin tag was there, but the deep knowledge of the game was outstanding as well.”Earlier in the week, Australia coach Andrew McDonald had said Symonds was a cricketer who had changed the game.”Roy was an amazingly talented, natural cricketer and a brilliant team-mate. He loved playing for his country and his mates,” McDonald told the . “He had a significant impact on the game, particularly here in Queensland as well as across Australia and the world.”Roy also had a huge influence on inspiring the new generation of cricketers. He changed white-ball cricket just as Dean Jones did in his time. They were two of the true legends of Australian cricket. It is a great tragedy he is gone, but it is fitting we get the opportunity to honour him here in Townsville, and the local fans will be able to pay their respects to a true great.”It is expected that the grandstand at the Riverway Stadium will be renamed after Symonds in the near future.Symonds played 26 Tests, 198 ODIs and 14 T20Is for Australia, which included his central role in winning the 2003 World Cup in South Africa and a maiden Test century against England in the 2006-07 Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

Mullaney’s century keeps Nottinghamshire ahead of Essex before dire Saturday weather forecast

David Hopps07-May-2021When Alastair Cook finally retires for good, and let’s hope in county cricket it will be a good while yet, he might well look upon Trent Bridge without too many pangs of regret.Cook only managed three half-centuries for England on this ground in 24 attempts, although he might find consolation that his only Test half-century came against Australia in 2013 in a thrilling Ashes encounter which fell to England by only 14 runs. Memory jog: Ian Bell’s sumptuous century, Jimmy Anderson’s 10-wicket match and, after a last-wicket partnership of 65, Brad Haddin given out after the thinnest of inside edges. Cue pandemonium.His record against Nottinghamshire, not a long list because of his international success, is nevertheless even less rewarding: he has never passed 50. In farming terms, which is how much of his life now plays out, every time he comes to Nottingham he must feel as forlorn as Tess of the d’Urbervilles, hacking at swedes at Flintcomb Ash.Cook has made 3 and 35 for Essex here, bowled by his old mucker, Stuart Broad in the first innings, and lbw to Lyndon James second time around. It looked plumb, although did he hint at the possibility that there might have been the slightest inside edge?If he was aggrieved then a brief cross-legged pause at the crease, followed by the tiniest glance at his bat, was a response of the utmost decorum. It was not about to bring demands for him to relinquish his knighthood in disgrace. There again, Sir Alastair, no need to worry about that, nobody resigns for anything these days.Two days into this match, Nottinghamshire are well enough ahead to be able to survive a potential third-day washout before pushing for victory on the final day that is forecast to be dry but cloudy. Essex followed up their 99 all out in the first innings with a painstaking 129 for 3 from 59 overs, and clearly have draw points on their mind, but they still trail by 95. Notts need a good Sunday morning.Steven Mullaney’s 117 was the ballast behind Notts’ first-innings lead of 224, and he passed 8,000 first-class runs in the process. All that he said could not be faulted: “I thought we bowled really well. The scoreboard’s not really gone anywhere. After two days we couldn’t hope to be in a better position against arguably the best side in the country.”After three days, though, their advantage won’t feel quite as good. The forecast looks terminal around the country, and local clubs would be wondering whether to skip pitch preparation even as they fielded premature drop-outs from players who suddenly realised they had to be in all day for a vital delivery from Amazon.Nottinghamshire captain Steven Mullaney made a century•Getty Images

Mullaney’s century had two moods. He had feasted on some ordinary Essex bowling in reaching 63 overnight, but the loss of James and Tom Moores to Shane Snater in successive balls persuaded him that he must adopt a more watchful approach. He did just that against the seamers, although he had a couple of risky moments against Simon Harmer, not least the shot that brough up his hundred, an under-edged slog sweep which whistled to long leg. He fell to a good nip-backer from Siddle which so impressed him he depicted its course to the bowler like a budding artist before departing.Snater, a Zimbabwe-born Netherlands seamer, took a career-best 7 for 98 in only his sixth first-class appearance, as he removed James and Tom Moores in successive balls before adding two late wickets. His fast-medium possessed impressive energy and he has been the best Essex pace bowler on show.But Mullaney, who offered a difficult chance to gully before adding to his overnight 63, completed a stand of 123 with James, a home-produced allrounder of promise, and 66 with Broad, who Leicestershire supporters will forever insist is not homegrown, even though he was born in Nottingham, and whose 41 from 42 balls was a recognisable stand-and-deliver affair which climaxed with a step-away six over midwicket against Snater and an emphatic pull in the same direction against the veteran Australian Siddle in the following over; Siddle was collared so easily he must have felt his age. It’s 36.Nottinghamshire had to labour for their wickets in Essex’s second innings, with Luke Fletcher bowling well enough without reward, after his first-innings 6 for 24, to reflect that fortune had soon deserted him. The removal of Tom Westley (who might have left it) and Dan Lawrence (who played down the wrong line) left Notts in the ascendancy but Nick Browne, who has played solidly throughout, found an ally in Paul Walter as Essex batted out the last 24 overs, pining for rain.

Hosts find top-order stability that has been a stranger over the past year, thanks to Pieter Malan

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town06-Jan-2020Until all is said and done on Tuesday, whatever it is that may be said and done, it’s difficult to say anything definitive about this South African batting performance. They might go on to score more than 300 for only the fifth time in 18 innings since January 2018, or they might not. They might have their first centurion of the new decade, or they might not. They might, and it is a very small might, bat out the day for a memorable draw, or they might collapse.Whatever happens, they have already given themselves plenty to think about, a little to be a pleased out and a problem they won’t mind having from their performance on the fourth afternoon.With 71, Pieter Malan and Dean Elgar gave South Africa their second-highest opening stand in the last two years after Elgar and Aiden Markram put on 85 against India in Centurion. Malan and Zubayr Hamza then gave the team a second-wicket partnership of 52, providing top-order stability that has been a stranger to the South African line-up over the past year.In India, five of South Africa’s six innings started badly: 63 for 4, 70 for 8, 53 for 5, 16 for 3 and 36 for 5. At SuperSport Park, they were 32 for 2 and 29 for 3, so 126 for 2 is a much better position than South Africa have become used to and they have Malan to thank for that.ALSO READ: ‘I wouldn’t waste a referral like this’ – ElgarFrom the first over, Malan made it clear that he knew exactly where his off-stump is. He left extravagantly, shuffling across, shouldering arms and jutting out a hip almost every time. But he also defended confidently, came down the wicket to dead-bat James Anderson and was not rattled when he was forced back to shorter balls from Stuart Broad. He used his feet well against the spin of Joe Denly and Dom Bess and weathered the late storm served up by Ben Stokes.Malan fronted up to a nasty end to the day, when Stokes bent his back, turned up the pace and aimed for the body. The result was Malan being hit on the chest. No matter. He reached his first Test fifty in the next over, off 144 balls, with only two boundaries. Temperament, more than anything else, was what stood out about Malan.”The fight that he has shown today – he knows his game pretty well. He played the situation perfectly this afternoon,” Jacques Kallis, South Africa’s batting consultant, said. “He knows how to switch on and switch off. He is very organised and I was very impressed with the mental capabilities that he has got.”Kallis’ endorsement will go a long way to ensuring Malan has a decent run in the XI, something that seemed a distant possibility a week ago. Malan would not have played if Markram hadn’t fractured a finger while fielding at Centurion, but there’s an argument to be made that that should not have been the case. Like most of the South African line-up, he had a tough tour of India, with 44 runs in four innings, including a pair in Pune. Unlike Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma, Markram did not pay the price for his poor form.The three half-centuries he scored in early 2019 (one against Sri Lanka and two against Pakistan) saved him, but if Markram had been benched too, he couldn’t really complain. His latest injury has forced him to spend some time thinking about his approach, which, as was apparent at SuperSport, is positive but sometimes too risky.It also provided an opportunity for a more experienced first-class opener to make the step up, and Malan, on his home ground, has shown the value of his years. He has already done an impressive enough job to merit a place for the rest of this series, and perhaps even the winter tour to West Indies. Markram may have to work his way back in, through the domestic structures, and that’s no bad thing. Bavuma and de Bruyn are currently doing that and if Malan is anything to go by, they will return better players.That’s something for South Africa to think about in the months to come. On Tuesday, their only concern is to get through each ball. Not the runs, not the series situation, not the record that could be within reach. Just the next ball. “We’re going to face as many balls as we can and have a look at tea,” Kallis said.If they get there. Though batting on days three and four in cool, cloudy conditions was significantly easier than on days one and two in bright sunshine, that could change. Usually overhead cover assists the seamers but here the clouds kept the full-strength summer sun from opening up the cracks, specifically the one outside the right-handers’ offstump at the Kelvin Grove End. With warmer weather forecast for the final day and a second new ball due just before lunch, the smart money will be on the contest ending in England’s favour at some point in the afternoon.Even Kallis seemed to agree as he called it a “tough ask,” to chase down the target of 438, from which South Africa are still 312 runs adrift. But he wouldn’t be a professional sportsman if he didn’t also think it could be done. It was Kallis who, after Australia hit 434 against South Africa in ODI at the Wanderers, joked that the opposition were 10 runs short and the bowlers had done their job. If he offered anything similar here, it hasn’t been made public yet but what he did say is, at the very least, there is a chance for someone to make a name for themselves and the rest to see how it’s done.”It’s an opportunity for guys to put their hands up and become heroes,” Kallis said. “It’s in situations like this where you see what guys are made of and how good they are and how far we can go. No matter what happens, the team will learn a lot from this game and that’s exciting, especially with this young batting line-up that we’ve got.”

Mitchell Marsh fell cheaply on the final and Victoria were sensing victory after early inroads

Alex Malcolm10-Dec-2018Marcus Stoinis resisted for Western Australia•Getty Images

Fighting half-centuries from Marcus Stoinis and Ashton Turner have helped Western Australia secure a draw against Victoria at the MCG.Defeat looked a distinct possibility halfway through the final day. Victoria’s second declaration of the match left WA needing 337 to win from 72 overs. Their chase got off to a disastrous start as they slumped to 2 for 7 after just 15 balls with D’Arcy Short and Hilton Cartwright falling to Scott Boland and Chris Tremain respectively.Things got worse for the visitors not long after lunch when Jonathan Wells and Mitchell Marsh also fell cheaply. Wells edged James Pattinson to second slip in the midst of a very quick spell and Marsh missed a straight one from Jon Holland to be trapped in front for 11.Boland returned to knock over Will Bosisto to leave the Warriors teetering at 5 for 57. But Stoinis and Turner steadied with a 119-run stand to guide the team to safety. Stoinis survived an early barrage from Pattinson as the pair got into an animated duel. He then played expansively to make 85 from 130 balls, his third score of 80 plus for the Shield season and second in consecutive games, but he is yet to reach three figures.Turner was patient and kept going beyond the loss of Stoinis, who fell to the part-time spin of Matt Short. He made 63 not out, his second half-century of the match, and along with wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, was able to see WA through to a draw.Earlier, Travis Dean and Will Pucovski were unable to pass 70 despite both reaching their half-centuries on the third evening as they pushed to set up a declaration. Glenn Maxwell made a brisk 34 not out from 36 balls before the close came at 5 for 208. Matt Kelly took the wickets of Dean, Pucovski and Short to finish with 3 for 65.

Former captain Sana Mir retains her place in the side, despite a highly publicised spat with the team management

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2017Bismah Maroof will begin her tenure as captain of the Pakistan ODI team on October 31, when she leads a 14-member squad against New Zealand. She takes over from Sana Mir, who was sacked in the aftermath of a highly publicised spat with the team management but was nevertheless included to play the three-match series.

Pakistan squad

Ayesha Zafar, Nahida Khan, Javeria Khan (vice-captain), Bismah Maroof (capt), Sidra Ameen, Iram Javed, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Sana Mir, Diana Baig, Natalia Pervaiz, Aiman Anwer, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Yousuf

This will be Pakistan’s first assignment since a winless World Cup campaign in June and July. It was upon returning from England that Mir said she did not wish to “continue with the current setup” and followed that threat by skipping the training camp organised for the players ahead of the series against New Zealand.The PCB then removed Mir from captaincy – while the women’s wing general manager Ayesha Ashar – believed to be the person Mir wanted out – was also sacked. With the selection committee also shown the door, this squad was picked by the junior selection committee, led by Basit Ali.The squad has been heavily revamped from the one that went to the UK, with five of those players not making the cut. Iram Javed, who replaced Maroof when she was injured at the World Cup, retains her place and allrounder Javeria Khan has been nominated vice-captain.The series against New Zealand, which also comprises 4 T20Is, will be played in Sharjah. It is also the first – and potentially only – one with New Zealander Mark Coles as head coach of Pakistan. He was appointed on an interim basis specifically for this series, although the possibility of his getting a long-term deal remains.

After playing awkwardly with the pink ball on day one, India Red, emboldened by centuries from Abhinav Mukund and Sudip Chatterjee, made purposeful strides in their second dig, and extended a 10-run first-innings lead to 354 runs by close of play

Arun Venugopal24-Aug-2016
ScorecardAbhinav Mukund followed up a fifty on the opening day with an unbeaten 162 in India Red’s second innings•PTI

After playing awkwardly with the pink ball on day one, India Red, emboldened by centuries from Abhinav Mukund and Sudip Chatterjee, made purposeful strides in their second dig, and extended a 10-run first-innings lead to 354 runs by close of play. Thanks to Nathu Singh’s six-for, India Red needed only a little more than 10 overs to bowl out India Green in the afternoon, before going to stumps on 344 for 3. The centerpiece of their second innings was the 240-run alliance between Abhinav and Chatterjee.

Abhinav Mukund on…

His innings: It’s been a long time since I scored such a big hundred, so I put my mind to it. I haven’t batted under lights so I was a bit more focused and I wanted to concentrate – I had worked a lot on my fitness – and I wanted to prove that. I have been on the field through both the days so definitely towards the end I was tiring a bit, but I wanted to push [myself] mentally and carry on.
Batting with Sudip Chatterjee: I have played with him for Vijay CC, so we have batted together before. We knew things would get easier if we gritted it out initially. I just told him to hang on because it takes a bit of time to get set with the new ball.
Behaviour of the pink ball: I think the ball came on to the bat much better in the evening session. There was a little bit of seam movement initially with the new ball, and it’s starting to turn a little bit. It is also skidding on a little bit so it is slightly harder to play the spinners. Shreyas Gopal was giving it a good rip. I think it (the pitch) is dry underneath, that is why it’s turning.

With Abhinav still at the crease, unbeaten on 162, and with recognised batsmen to follow, India Green’s bowlers and fielders might have to work overtime. In any event, the side’s misery was to a certain extent self-inflicted with some slipshod fielding – they dropped four catches – and profligate bowling.The narrative on day two was nothing like the first day: 379 runs were scored for the loss of six wickets, as opposed to 277 for 17 on Tuesday; bowlers 1- batsmen 1. Two factors, though, remained constant. First, the pink ball itself has not had a disproportionately heavy bearing on either outcome. The second factor was Abhinav.His effort was remarkable as much for its longevity – he batted for more than five hours – as its unhurried rhythm. There was no dulling of tempo, however, as his strike-rate constantly remained upwards of 75. While Abhinav might want to offer a quiet ‘thank you’ to India Green captain Suresh Raina, who dropped him on 66 and 92, the reprieves seemed little more than an incentive for his positive, risk-free approach.If Abhinav’s 22nd first-class hundred was the well-rehearsed jig of an accomplished dancer, Chatterjee’s was a laboured effort enhanced by improvisations. After having made only 5 in the first innings, Chatterjee took 18 balls to score his first run, but the longer he stayed the more irritated India Green’s bowlers became. By the time he scored his sixth first-class hundred, Chatterjee’s strike-rate had crossed 60. Chatterjee’s first false stroke in a long period – an ill-timed sweep – eventually saw him trapped lbw to Shreyas Gopal, but Abhinav, and later Gurkeerat Singh, ensured the show went on.India Red entered the afternoon needing three wickets to bowl out their opponents, and despite Saurabh Tiwary’s fifty and a rain interruption, Nathu made light work of the tail. When the second session began, it was, at least in parts, a re-run of the first afternoon’s play: Abhinav alternated between leaving and driving the ball with equal assurance, Ashok Dinda leap-charged his way to banging the ball on the shorter side of full length, and Sandeep Sharma did the un-Dinda thing by pitching the ball up to bring swing into play. The most conspicuous change from the first innings was the approach of the India Red batsmen. Sample this: Dinda went for Srikar Bharat’s throat, like on Tuesday, and Bharat responded with a pull – this time he was on top of the ball rather than the other way around – in front of square for six.Pink ball or not, Abhinav was not going to deviate from a formula fare. He left anything on a length around the off stump, especially with the new ball, while driving, punching and upper-cutting – his release shot in the first innings – errant deliveries. He made matters worse by pinching sharp singles to further throw India Green off gear. The most abiding visual of Chatterjee’s innings was his well stretched-out forward defence, but sneakily he worked his way towards a bigger score. As he grew in confidence, the cuts and the drives became a more regular occurrence.India Green’s fielding, particularly that of Ankit Rajpoot, was a throwback to the Indian fast bowler of the 1990s. While he offered a cheeky boot to halt cover drives, he was let balls slip through, or reacted late to a catch – one such somnolent attempt let Chatterjee off the hook when he was on 74.Raina himself appeared lost, and was intermittently off the field, leaving Parthiv Patel in charge. The wickets of Chatterjee and Yuvraj Singh late in the day offered India Green a sudden shot of enthusiasm, which they will need to build on over the next two days.

Individually they have shown the side has talent, but Zimbabwe have not been able to put an all-round performance. They have one last change against an Indian side that might be looking to experiment

The Preview Liam Brickhill in Harare13-Jul-2015

Match facts

Tuesday 14 July
Start time 0900 local time (0700 GMT)1:33

Agarkar: India must give Sandeep Sharma and Manish Pandey a chance

Big picture

India have achieved their main goal – sealing the series – so the third and final ODI provides scope for blooding a couple of uncapped players. Zimbabwe, who are in the midst of an eight-match ODI losing streak, have little but pride to play for.Individually, Zimbabwe’s players have shown that this team definitely contains talent. But they haven’t been able to pull all three facets of the game together. In both matches so far, India were offered a glimpse of Zimbabwe’s weaknesses, and despite the fine margin of their victory on Friday, they have generally looked the better side.Yet one feels Zimbabwe aren’t all that far behind this Indian team. Given a fully fit squad, in home conditions, at least one win is a distinct possibility. Unfortunately, the Zimbabweans have been hobbled by injury and have probably already blown their best chance of breaking their losing streak. Sean Williams is nursing a knee problem and is unlikely to play tomorrow.While the bowling has fired, India’s middle order still appears vulnerable. Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthappa and Kedar Jadhav have managed a combined 58 runs in a total of six innings. If Zimbabwe are able to exploit this, especially given the absence of the series’ leading run-scorer Ambati Rayudu, they may yet be able to pull off a win.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first) Zimbabwe: LLLLL
India: WWWLL

In the spotlight

In the absence of Solomon Mire, and with Elton Chigumbura playing primarily as a batsman, Zimbabwe needed an allrounder to balance their side. They appear to have found one in Chamu Chibhabha, who has contributed with both bat and ball in this series. Batting is his stronger suit – he’s averaged 44.42 in ODIs in 2015 – but the pitch at Harare Sports Club also suits his medium-pace bowling.The pressure is building on India’s middle-order batsmen. With this series billed as something of an audition for a slot in the first XI, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthappa and Kedar Jadhav have averaged 12.00, 6.50 and 10.00 respectively. India have still managed to win both games, but they’ll want more from this trio in the final match.

Team news

Zimbabwe’s hand has been forced by injuries to key members of their squad. Opening bowler Tinashe Panyangara sustained a side strain in the first match, and batsman Sean Williams injured his right knee in the second. With the help of painkillers and heavy strapping, Williams batted during Zimbabwe’s chase, but team physio Anesu Mupotaringa suspects patella tendonitis. Williams went for scans on Monday morning and it’s unlikely the team management will risk aggravating his injury.So Zimbabwe may want to give players such as Chris Mpofu, Prosper Utseya and Roy Kaia a run. Craig Ervine may also be back to full fitness, as he underwent a test, including sprints, with no apparent discomfort on Monday afternoon.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Hamilton Masakada, 4 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 5 Roy Kaia/Craig Ervine, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Graeme Cremer, 10 Neville Madziva, 11 Chris Mpofu.A right quadriceps injury to Ambati Rayudu will also necessitate changes to India’s XI. Twenty-year-old wicketkeeper Sanju Samson has been called into the squad and it suggests pressure on Robin Uthappa’s place. With the series sealed, India might think about offering debuts to Manish Pandey and Sandeep Sharma, and perhaps give Mohit Sharma some match practice ahead of the T20s. India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Ajinkya Rahane (captain), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Manoj Tiwary, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Sanju Samson/ Robin Uthappa (wk), 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Sandeep Sharma.

Pitch and conditions

A third, fresh pitch will be used for this match, and in appearance it is very similar to the first two: dry, with a modest grass covering. It should be reasonably good for batting, with the side batting first looking to score at least 250. The pitch is on the far right of the square, and so the short boundary to the west may affect team tactics. Another bright, sunny day is expected.

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe’s win-loss record is 6-22 when chasing scores of between 240 and 275 in ODIs since 2005.
• The very first ODI played at Harare Sports Club was between Zimbabwe and India in October 1992. India have played 17 ODIs here, and have won 12 times.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the leading wicket-taker in this series, with five wickets at an average of 13.60 and an economy rate of 3.40.

Quotes

“We’re just going to go out there and play for pride, and for our supporters as well.”
“I asked him why I was being congratulated and he told me I had been selected to the Indian team.”

Derbyshire have pulled off a coup by signing the world No. 2 Test batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, on a two-year contract.

George Dobell08-Jan-2013Derbyshire have pulled off a coup by signing the world No. 2 Test batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Shivnarine Chanderpaul will join his fourth county in 2013•Associated Press

He has signed a two-year contract, with Derbyshire retaining first-option for a third season. Chanderpaul, 38, will be available for all formats in 2013.Regarded as one of the weaker first-class counties for several years, Derbyshire have enjoyed a resurgence in recent times and were promoted to Division One of the County Championship for the first time in 12 years as champions of Division Two last season after the longest stint of any county in the bottom division.The signing of Chanderpaul underlines the new ambition of the club. Chris Grant, the club chairman appointed in March 2011, swiftly demonstrated his desire to shake things up at the club by sacking John Morris, the long-serving director of cricket, in the middle of a game barely six weeks later. Karl Krikken was appointed in his place and led the side to promotion in his first full season in charge.”I hope this sends a message to our members and supporters that we mean business ahead of the 2013 season,” Grant said. “The fact that Derbyshire are able to attract someone of his calibre is an indication of our ambition and the esteem in which the club is now held in the cricketing world.”Krikken added: “Shivnarine has been one of the standout players on the world stage for a long time. He knows what it takes to be successful and, as well as his outstanding ability with the bat, there is no doubt Shivnarine will have a hugely positive effect on our talented young squad as we embark on the challenge of Division One cricket.”Chanderpaul said he was excited to be joining an ambitious club and was impressed with Krikken’s vision for the team. He will add solidity to a batting line-up that sometimes appeared fragile in 2012. Derbyshire gained more bowling bonus points than any other side in Division Two but finished only mid-table in terms of batting bonus points.While the club have a strong unit of seamers, several of their “home grown” young batsmen – the likes of Ross Whiteley and Dan Redfern – are still developing and it was the overseas players, Martin Guptill and Usman Khawaja, who topped the county’s batting averages in 2012.Derbyshire have already added former Essex and Middlesex top-order batsman Billy Godleman and former Warwickshire wicketkeeper Richard Johnson to their staff. Godleman is the latest county player to seek the services of freelance coach and mentor, Neil Burns, who has been credited by Nick Compton and Monty Panesar as the man to have revitalised their careers.Chanderpaul has enjoyed sustained success in his previous stints in county cricket. In 2011 he played for Warwickshire, scoring three centuries and averaging 89.83 in five matches to help the club finish second in the County Championship, and he has had three spells at Durham, helping them to titles in 2008 and 2009 and averaging 58.26 for them in first-class cricket. He also played for Lancashire in 2010.*This story was updated when Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s deal was confirmed

Virat Kohli has been fined 50% of his match fee after he was seen gesturing to the crowd with his middle finger on the second day

Sidharth Monga at the SCG05-Jan-2012Virat Kohli has been fined 50% of his match fee after he was seen gesturing to the crowd with his middle finger on the second day. The level two charge was laid by the match referee Ranjan Madugalle on the third morning of the SCG Test.Kohli went to the hearing along with manager Shivlal Yadav. He pleaded guilty, India’s media manager GS Walia, said. Walia added that the matter was closed as far as the Indian team was concerned.India had a long second day in the field, with Australia piling up 366 runs for the loss of one wicket. When Kohli was posted on the boundary, he said he had heard abuse worse than he ever had in his life. He posted on Twitter, “i agree cricketers dont have to retaliate. what when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. the worst ive heard”Kohli found a sympathiser in Kevin Pietersen, who replied to his tweet thus: “ha ha ha ha ha!!! Welcome to Australia buddy!!” To which Kohli replied: “never heard crap like that. EVER”Pietersen went on to tell Kohli that the Australian crowds are such that they abuse even their own when they start losing. Kohli began the third day on a more positive Twitter note that said, “New day new beginning! :)”According to a Cricket Australia spokesperson, since CA has kept keeping such records, the second day of this Test was the first time no spectator was evicted during a Test in Australia. There have been no formal complaints about crowd behaviour.