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Derbyshire allrounder Shiv Thakor has been arrested following allegations that he indecently exposed himself

George Dobell14-Jul-2017

Derbyshire allrounder Shiv Thakor has been arrested.Thakor, a former England U19 player, was suspended by the club on full pay last week after allegations that he had indecently exposed himself.”The club has been advised that one of our players, Shiv Thakor, has been arrested by police investigating allegations concerning the player when he was not on duty with the club,” Derbyshire said in a statement.”In consultation with the player’s representatives, the player continues to be suspended on full pay pending the outcome of the investigations.For legal reasons, the club is unable to comment further at this stage.”

The arrival of Lasith Malinga for Mumbai Indians and Shakib Al Hasan for Kolkata Knight Riders highlights the high-profile match between the two teams on Sunday

The Preview by Vishal Dikshit08-Apr-2017Match factsMumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai, April 9, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
3:01

Hogg: With Lynn opening, KKR very balanced

Head to headLast season: Mumbai Indians won both matches, by the same margin – six wickets – and with the same Man of the Match – Rohit Sharma
Overall: Mumbai have won 13 of the 18 matchesIn the newsMumbai will be buoyed by the arrival of T20 specialist Lasith Malinga, who warmed up for the IPL with a hat-trick against Bangladesh, although in a losing cause. His addition will strengthen an attack that took only three wickets and could not defend 184 against Rising Pune Supergiants in their opening game.However, they will be without batsman Ambati Rayudu, who was stretchered off the field during the first game with a groin injury. Rayudu will be out for at least 10 days, according to Mumbai coach Mahela Jayawardene. Saurabh Tiwary could replace Rayudu.Sri Lanka’s Asela Gunaratne also joined the Mumbai squad, although he will find it tougher to squeeze into the middle order that comprises notable names from both domestic and international cricket. Mumbai, however, might reassess their decision to leave out Harbhajan Singh, their most capped player, from the first game. He might help curb Chris Lynn’s aggression as the batsman strikes more easily against fast bowlers.Kolkata Knight Riders received an international boost too – Shakib Al Hasan joined them after receiving the Man-of-the-Match award by top-scoring and taking three wickets against Sri Lanka. Knight Riders have already changed their prolific opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa from last season, by making Lynn open. But, moving from Rajkot to a smaller ground in Mumbai, will they want to play three spinners again? Umesh Yadav’s unavailability will make them look towards Ankit Rajpoot as a domestic pace option.The likely XIsMumbai Indians: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Saurabh Tiwary, 5 Nitish Rana, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Krunal Pandya/Hardik Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan/Tim Southee, 11 Lasith MalingaKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Chris Lynn, 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Piyush Chawla/Ankit Rajpoot, 11 Trent BoultAmbati Rayudu had to be carried off the field during the match against Rising Pune Supergiant•BCCI

Stats that matter Among teams that have faced each other at least ten times in the IPL, Mumbai’s 13-5 record against Knight Riders is the best (by win-loss ratio) In the 2016 IPL, spinners struck 16 times at Wankhede Stadium at an average of 20.12 and economy rate of seven, compared to the pacers’ average of 34.30 while taking 26 wickets with an economy rate of 8.52 Rohit Sharma has scored 25.50% of Mumbai’s runs in the eight wins he has featured in against Knight Riders Mumbai have the lowest average (18) for opening stands, using six pairs, since the beginning of 2016. Knight Riders have the best (50), after utilising only two pairs Lendl Simmons, who did not play Mumbai’s first match, has the highest average in the IPL (47.10). As opener, he is only behind Virat Kohli’s average of 58.11. Harbhajan has dismissed a few attacking batsmen as many as four times each in the IPL – Gambhir, Chris Gayle, Manish Pandey, Kevin Pietersen, Suresh Raina and Dwayne Smith

تغلب فريق آرسنال على مُضيفه كريستال بالاس بخماسية لهدف، مساء السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

والتقى آرسنال وكريستال بالاس على ملعب “سيلهرست بارك”، بالجولة السابعة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وافتتح جابريل جيسوس التسجيل لآرسنال بهدف مبكر في الدقيقة السادسة، ثم تعادل إسماعيلا سار لكريستال بالاس في الدقيقة 11.

وعقب ذلك أضاف جيسوس الهدف الثاني له ولآرسنال في الدقيقة 14، ثم تعرض بوكايو ساكا للإصابة وتم استبداله في الدقيقة 25 من المباراة، وبدت إصابته في الركبة، وشارك لياندرو تروسارد بديلاً له.

وبحلول الدقيقة 38 سجل كاي هافيرتز هدف آرسنال الثالث ليحسم الشوط الأول بالفوز بثلاثية لهدف.

وفي الدقيقة 60 تمكن جابريل مارتينيلي من إحراز الهدف الرابع لصالح آرسنال، ثم أحرز ديكلان رايس الهدف الخامس في الدقيقة 84.

ولم تسفر المباراة عن أهداف أخرى ليحسمها آرسنال بالفوز 5-1، ويرفع رصيده للنقطة 33 في المركز الثالث بترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، ويتجمد رصيد كريستال بالاس عند 16 نقطة في المركز 15. أهداف مباراة آرسنال وكريستال بالاس

Former Queensland wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe has been appointed as the state’s new coach after his predecessor Phil Jaques last month announced he was returning to New South Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2017

Former Queensland wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe has been appointed as the state’s new coach after his predecessor Phil Jaques last month announced he was returning to New South Wales.Seccombe played 115 first-class matches until his retirement in 2005 and was Queensland’s all-time leader for wicketkeeping dismissals across all formats until overtaken last summer by Chris Hartley. He also toured England with Australia’s Ashes squad in 2001 as the backup gloveman to Adam Gilchrist.Since his retirement as a player, Seccombe has served as Queensland Youth coach, as an assistant coach to Darren Lehmann at Queensland and the Brisbane Heat, and was called into national service as Australia’s fielding coach on their 2011 tour of Bangladesh. Last year, Seccombe was appointed to the Queensland Cricket board, a position from which he has stepped down to take on the coaching role.”Wade had an enviable record and gilt-edged reputation as a player, for his skill level as an individual and his dedication to the team environment,” Queensland Cricket CEO Max Walters said. “After his playing career finished, he made the decision to establish himself in business where again, he has been successful.”Phil Jaques and his coaching and support staff have put in a significant amount of work to lay the foundations for the future and I am sure the players will appreciate that effort when Wade takes on the role as head coach in a few weeks.”

South Africa’s bowling coach believes Keshav Maharaj’s economical bowling makes him the ideal foil to a pace attack that could also include Wayne Parnell

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg09-Jan-2017

South Africa may resist the temptation to play an all-pace attack on what is certain to be a spicy Wanderers surface in the third Test against Sri Lanka, which starts from Thursday. Substantial rain in the lead-up to the match resulted in the pitch being prepared under a tent during the weekend, but with skies set to clear a little over the next two days, South Africa will weigh up their options carefully as they go in search of a whitewash.”We need to wait until the last minute,” Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach said. “The groundsman says there is a lot of grass on the wicket but the weather could change and at the last minute he could take the grass off. But we’re not scared of going in with a spinner.”Both Test captain Faf du Plessis and coach Russell Domingo have long been in favour of including a spinner in the team, especially if that spinner can hold one end for long periods of time to allow the quicks to rotate from the other. In Dane Piedt, South Africa were not quite sure they had that – and they have since sent him back to the franchise system to tighten up – but in Keshav Maharaj, they are more convinced they do. “Keshav is economical, he does hold up an end,” Langeveldt said. “When we were playing well in Australia, we were holding up both ends and it gave KG (Kagiso Rabada) the freedom to attack the stumps more.”On Rabada’s home ground, he is likely to be given even more of a license to attack, especially now that he has found the rhythm that was lacking in the first Test, which makes Maharaj’s chance of playing higher. “This wicket actually suits KG a bit more with the extra bounce. He loves bowling in Johannesburg – in a first-class game he got 13 wickets here,” Langeveldt remembered.Wayne Parnell has had two solid seasons in the franchise system, working on consistency in terms of game time and bowling•AFP

That does not necessarily mean Rabada will take the new ball. Langeveldt indicated he is more in favour of Wayne Parnell opening the bowling with Vernon Philander, as he has done for his franchise, Cape Cobras. “I would tend to go with the left-armer. He brings something different, gets a bit of shape back into the right-hander and does swing the ball up front,” Langeveldt sad.Langeveldt’s comments also suggest rookie inclusion Duanne Olivier will have to wait for his first cap because Parnell, who was in the squad for the first two Tests but did not play, could get the nod ahead of him in a three-pronged pace pack.Since last playing a Test almost three years ago in March 2014, Parnell has worked specifically on consistency, both in game time and bowling terms. Before that, Parnell played sporadically on the domestic circuit because he was often a non-playing member of the South African touring party and he had a reputation for being wayward with the ball. After two solid seasons in the franchise system, in which Parnell has also made changes to his action, Langeveldt is excited to see what he can do. “It’s going to be a challenge to see what Wayne has to offer. Can we get him to be more consistent in his lengths? Test cricket is all about getting the ball in the right area,” Langeveldt said.Morne Morkel is stil nursing a back injury but will play a List A match later this month to determine his availability for the limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka•Getty Images

Even if Parnell slots straight in and Olivier returns to the Knights with only a training session or two to show for his maiden call-up, Langeveldt has provided an assurance that Olivier will come up for consideration again soon, especially as South Africa rebuild from Kyle Abbott’s Kolpak-induced exit. “It’s an exciting time. We’ve had it in previous years where guys have left to play Kolpak cricket and it’s going to be a challenge. But we have to look at what our next line of players is. There are a few young and upcoming bowlers in the A side, but international cricket is a big step for them. We have to invest in them in the next couple of months.”The leap a player has to make from the first-class set-up to the international stage is considerable and that may be why South Africa want Olivier around the camp for a little longer before they unleash him. “There’s a huge difference. We saw that when Dale and Vernon were injured and we played against England. We saw the shortcomings and saw the difference in length,” Langeveldt said, referring to last summer when South Africa tried everyone from Chris Morris to Hardus Viljoen, without success, to fill in for their spearheads. “In first-class cricket if you bowl full and straight and fast you will get wickets. Once a guy gets to the international [level], it’s a whole new ball game.”Du Plessis has also spoken of the importance of experience in a Test attack. That brings into question how desperate South Africa are to have Morne Morkel back. Morkel is still nursing a back injury sustained at the CPL. “Morne Morkel is always going to be in the pecking order. He’s probably next in line when he’s not injured. He brings a whole different dimension to our attack when he’s around,” Langeveldt said.Morkel trained with the squad at Newlands last week and will play a List A match for provincial side Northerns on January 22 to determine his availability for the third T20 against Sri Lanka and the ODIs that follow. Should Morkel be declared fully fit, Langeveldt believes he is “probably going to be in our one-day set-up”, and will likely also come into consideration for the Tests against New Zealand and England later this year.

Opener Snell Patel digs in with Pujara to make maiden first-class ton; Pankaj Singh leaves Haryana in tatters

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2017

Unbeaten centuries from Snell Patel (156*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (115*) justified Saurashtra’s decision to bat first against Gujarat as they went to stumps on 311 for 1 on the opening day in Rajkot. Gujarat’s lone success of the day came in the 24th over when Piyush Chawla had Robin Uthappa (30) caught behind to extend his poor run of scores in this season thus far.But, Snell and Pujara adeed 252 runs to ensure Saurashtra sustained their dominance. Having been dismissed for 94 against J&K, Snell ensured he got his maiden first-class hundred shortly after tea. Pujara, on the other hand, followed up his double hundred in the previous game with his 43rd first class hundred. Snell and Pujara scored 21 and 15 fours respectively even as Gujarat’s bowlers toiled away.Team Rajasthan captain Pankaj Singh’s three-wicket burst reduced Haryana to 99 for 7 on a truncated day in Lahli where only 44 overs were possible. Not long after being sent in, Haryana lost openers Shubham Rohilla and Guntashveer Singh were dismissed within the first six overs by left-arm seamer Aniket Choudhary, who conceded only 13 runs from his 10 overs.From 10 for 2, Haryana slipped to 34 for 3 as left-arm spinner Mahipal Lomror had Chaitanya Bishnoi lbw. There was a mini-recovery through Rajat Paliwal (32) and SR Chauhan (28), but Pankaj got into the action by dismissing the pair in successive overs. Haryana ambled to 93 for 6 when bad light stopped play. Two more overs were possible after resumption, during which Haryana lost their seventh wicket.Shubham Khajuria (101) and Puneet Bisht (101*) propelled Jammu & Kashmir to 357 for 6 against Jharkhand on the opening day at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur. Opener Khajuria’s 153-ball effort included 10 fours and four sixes and he was the sixth batsmen out with the score on 208 in the 57th over. Bisht brought up his century off 108 balls with 18 hits to the fence. He shared an unbroken seventh-wicket stand worth 149 with Owais Shah, who was 79 not out. Left-arm spinner Sonu Singh and offpsinner Sunny Gupta picked up two wickets each for Jharkhand.

Former New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott provided resounding approval to the security measures for the World XI series in Lahore

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-20174:31

‘The tour signifies world’s support for Pakistan’ – Raja

Former New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott has provided resounding approval to the security measures for the World XI series in Lahore, saying “if no one felt safe, no one would be going”. Elliott is the only player from New Zealand in the visiting squad.A team of overseas players, comprising several first-choice picks in Hashim Amla, Tamim Iqbal, Morne Morkel, Samuel Badree, Imran Tahir, and led by Faf du Plessis, will play three T20 internationals on September 12, 13 and 15 as part of an effort to bring international cricket back to Pakistan. To ensure that the series goes on without a hitch, the PCB has promised presidential-level security to the visitors.”We get the reports from all the relevant agencies such as FICA (Federation of International Cricket Associations) and independent security firms,” Elliott told the . “You assess the risks involved and make a decision as a family. Of course the players are getting paid but, if no one felt safe, no one would be going.”These are small steps in returning cricket to Pakistan on a more permanent basis. It’s sad for them that they never play at home. They always talk about it with such passion. I think we can expect enthusiastic crowds. Wherever you go there are risks, and being away from home for long periods is always tough on the family.”The World XI series is being conducted on the back of a successful staging of the Pakistan Super League final at the Gaddafi Stadium in March. Elliott had been part of that tournament – his team Lahore Qalandars did not make it to the final – and he was looking forward to meeting up with some of his colleagues.”I got to know a few people in Pakistani cricket when I performed pretty well in those tournaments,” he said. “I’m also excited about some opportunities which might open up with the Lahore owners. They’ve just bought the Durban Qalandars franchise in South Africa, and I will be their assistant coach in November-December [for the inaugural Global League].”That doesn’t mean my playing days are over. I’m still keen to play, and have another year with the Birmingham Bears. I’ve just finished a successful tournament there.”Elliott retired from international cricket in March 2017, signing a Kolpak deal to play in England’s T20 Blast; he played the tournament final last week. “The shorter format is something I’m still passionate about, so I may as well keep doing it,” he said. “I thrived with the captaincy of the Bears towards the end. I enjoy helping younger guys achieve the pathways they want.”Should Elliot make the playing XI on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday, he will be the first New Zealander to play cricket in Pakistan since December 2003.World XI squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Samuel Badree, George Bailey, Paul Collingwood, Ben Cutting, Grant Elliott, Tamim Iqbal, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Tim Paine, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy

Having played 12 Tests and 39 ODIs for Australia, the 36-year old fast bowler decided to quit a few days before the resumption of Sheffield Shield, as New South Wales look to younger quicks

Daniel Brettig05-Feb-2018

Doug Bollinger, the rumbustious New South Wales fast bowler, has chosen to retire at the age of 36 as the Blues look towards more youthful pace options for the resumption of the Sheffield Shield later this week.Having first turned out for his state as far back as 2002-03, Bollinger played 12 Tests and 39 ODIs for Australia, with handsome records in each format. With 290 wickets for NSW, he is the one of the state’s most prolific fast bowling wicket-takers. Tall, fast and capable of swinging the ball both ways, Bollinger was also a popular cult figure, remembered for antics such as mistakenly kissing the sponsor’s badge on his shirt rather than the Australian coat of arms after taking a Test wicket in New Zealand in early 2010.That tour was part of a summer in which he took 37 wickets in seven Tests against West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand, and formed a vital part of the Australian attack, notably enjoying repeated success against Chris Gayle. However, his time in the team ended abruptly: he injured his side while performing well in the Chandigarh Test against India later that year, and then bowled poorly in the Adelaide Ashes Test of the 2010-11 summer after entering the match short of full fitness.Bollinger did return to the fold as a back-up for Mitchell Johnson during the 2013-14 summer, and made his last Australian appearance in a Twenty20 against South Africa in November 2014. He has since been a consistent part of the NSW and Sydney Sixers sides, but has now decided to finish up at the same time the state looks to a younger generation.”I was pretty raw and they gave me a really good chance at cricket,” Bollinger said of his first state coaches Steve Rixon and Trevor Bayliss. “My first captain for NSW was Steve Waugh, which was unbelievable. I played under some great captains and players for NSW and Australia including Steve, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting.”To play for 15 or 16 seasons with the SCG as my home ground has been amazing. It’s been a great ride. I met so many wonderful people and achieved the ultimate ambition of playing Test cricket for Australia. Now it’s time for the next stage of my life with my wife Tegan and my children Skye and Liam. I couldn’t have achieved everything I have without them.”Andrew Jones, the NSW chief executive, said Bollinger had enjoyed a remarkable career considering his late entry into the game as a teenager. “Doug was a larger than life presence on and off the field,” Jones said. “Whether it was charging in full throttle for another delivery, celebrating a wicket with unrestrained joy or being the personality of the dressing rooms, he was always imposing himself on the game.”Finishing his career as ninth on the list of NSW first-class wicket takers and playing all three forms of the game for Australia is a remarkable achievement given he did not play cricket until he was 15, joining local club Seven Hills-Toongabbie RSL in Sydney’s west. For someone who simply wanted to play with his mates in the park, Doug’s 290 wickets for NSW make him the state’s third most successful fast bowler of all time behind Geoff Lawson and fellow left armer Mike Whitney. Doug will always be an important part of the NSW Cricket family.”James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said he hoped that Bollinger would stay involved in the game following his retirement as a player. “Doug has had a fantastic career, and we congratulate him on his achievements at international and domestic level,” Sutherland said. “He was a fierce competitor on the field who gave his all every time he represented his country.”He was a skilful bowler who claimed more than 100 international wickets and enjoyed success against the best in the world. Doug has made a tremendous contribution to cricket in Australia across more than 15 years – we thank him for his service, and hope he remains involved in the game following his playing career.”Mickey Edwards, 23, Charlie Stobo, 22, Harry Conway, 25, and Gurinder Sandhu, 24, are the young pacemen in the NSW Shield squad to face Western Australia from Thursday, alongside the experienced Trent Copeland.

Defending champions Southern Vipers bowled struggling Lancashire out for 87 in a six-wicket win at Liverpool to qualify for next week’s Finals Day with a group game to spare

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2017Defending champions Southern Vipers bowled struggling Lancashire out for 87 in a six-wicket win at Liverpool to qualify for next week’s Finals Day with a group game to spare.The Vipers consigned the Thunder to their fourth straight defeat with an impressive, but not perfect, performance built on success with the ball.Spin proved crucial as the Vipers took their first four wickets for just seven runs in 17 balls, although they dropped a couple of catches and later slipped to 41 for 4in reply.The hosts, who elected to bat, failed to recover from losing key batsmen Sarah Taylor and Amy Satterthwaite in the space of five balls to the off-spin of Hayley Matthews and left-armer Lynsey Smith as the score fell to 9 for 3 in the fourth over.Taylor was brilliantly caught one-handed for one by West Indian Matthews off her own bowling. Either side of the two international dismissals, Smith bowled Emma Lamb and Eve Jones to return 3 for 16.Former Thunder batsman Danni Wyatt then held the Vipers chase together with a composed unbeaten 29-ball 46 following the loss of star player Suzie Bates.New Zealander Bates still managed to stay in the thick of the action. She had Sophie Ecclestone caught at mid-on with her first ball as Lancashire fell to 57 for 8 and also took two catches.She is the leading run-scorer in the competition with 227, the leading catcher with six and the second leading wicket-taker with seven.Lancashire at least gained some respectability through captain Danni Hazell, who hit three sixes in 37, and Kate Cross with 19. They shared 21 for the ninth wicket to avoid the competition’s lowest score across two seasons – 64.Spin continued to prosper in the Vipers chase as left-arm spinner Ecclestone struck twice in her first over, the second of the innings, as the score fell to 7 for 2.She had Matthews caught at mid-off and bowled Georgia Adams before Jess Jonassen had Bates caught at mid-off and Hazell bowled Mignon du Preez.From there, Wyatt was helped along by fifth-wicket partner Arran Brindle, who hit 19 not out. They shared an unbroken 47 and won with 5.1 overs remaining.Vipers host Yorkshire Diamonds at Arundel in their final group game on Saturday afternoon, and a win could still hand them a direct passage into the final with them three points behind Surrey. Lancashire travel to Bristol to face Western Storm.

Through strong concentration and sure-footed technique, the Australian duo staved off India and ensured the Border-Gavaskar Trophy bout remained locked at 1-1

The Report by Daniel Brettig20-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:04

Chappell: This is like a win for Australia

Thirty minutes before lunch, Peter Handscomb joined Shaun Marsh amid a Ranchi tumult. Their captain Steven Smith had just shouldered arms to let Ravindra Jadeja bowl him, symptomatic of a tired mind, the over after Matt Renshaw had also fallen. Australia were still 89 runs short of making India bat again; the hosts were circling hungrily.Five hours later, Handscomb was still there and Marsh not long departed. The Test match was drawn, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy bout remained locked at 1-1. Through batting of commendable calm and sure-footed technique, the Australian duo had thwarted India in a manner that will be a source of enormous satisfaction to the tourists. By getting out of a predicament few expected them to survive, they took the series to its final match.Equally, India will be left to ponder why they were unable to close out this match in the manner of others during this elongated home season after the sublime innings by Cheteshwar Pujara. Certainly the Ranchi pitch stayed playable, but R Ashwin was unable to find a way through the Australian batsmen to provide the counterpoint to Jadeja’s danger. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav both bowled useful spells, but could not follow up Renshaw’s wicket.Ultimately, Australia’s selection of a sixth batsman in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh gave them the batting depth they needed, not only to make a decent first-innings total but also to wriggle out of trouble on the final day. Before this match the visitors had gone 38 Test innings without a fifth-wicket stand worth 100 or more. In Ranchi, they managed to do it twice. Marsh and Handscomb’s stand was worth 124, soaking up 62 priceless overs.Smith and Renshaw had begun simply trying to bat for as long as possible, taking occasional scoring opportunities but stripping their games of risk. India’s captain Virat Kohli began with Jadeja at one end and Yadav at the other, not calling on the offbreak’s of the world’s No. 1 ranked bowler Ashwin until the ball had lost much of its earlier hardness.The plan to Smith appeared to be bowling wide of the stumps while trying to test the Australian captain’s patience. He was comfortable in leaving plenty of balls alone while scoring from the occasional ball that strayed onto the stumps. Renshaw had a few awkward moments against Jadeja but overall held his shape well in dealing with the left-armer’s variation between sharp turn and skidding straight balls.Kohli replaced Yadav with Ishant, and he found a hint of movement from around the wicket. Renshaw’s decision to pull away from the first ball of the 29th over of the innings seemed to raise Ishant’s ire, and he hurled down a pair of bouncers in the same over to push the opener back, before thudding one into his front shin for the lbw verdict.Smith had been safe in padding away anything Jadeja served up from over the wicket, but next over he failed to get his front leg far enough down the pitch or in line and heard the sickening noise of the off stump tumbling over. That error put Cheteshwar Pujara’s enormous concentration in perspective, and left Marsh and Handscomb with much to do.Ishant Sharma and India had precious little to celebrate on the last day in Ranchi•Associated Press

There were plenty of reasons for Marsh and Handscomb to feel overwhelmed when the afternoon session began, but neither was in the mood to give anything away. Their methods offered a contrast of left and right, plus Handscomb’s penchant for getting down the pitch versus Marsh’s long stride down the wicket and outside off stump.A key over arrived midway through the session when Handscomb took 13 from an Ashwin over, compelling Kohli to take him out of the attack and switch Jadeja away from the end from which he had found spiteful turn to defeat David Warner and Nathan Lyon on the penultimate evening.Handscomb and Marsh continued to accumulate either side of the interval, neither batsman doing anything outlandish but simply showing strong concentration and tight technique to frustrate the hosts, who had seemed so confident of victory little more than two hours before.A pair of lbw appeals were referred by India but the day was going with Australia: Handscomb was struck on the back foot but the ball was not striking enough of the bails to avoid being deemed too high, and Marsh’s miss of a flatter Ashwin delivery was not fatal because the ball had not quite straightened enough to strike leg stump squarely.Both batsmen went on to half centuries and negotiated the early passages with the second new ball – India’s last real hope of securing the rush of wickets they needed. Finally, Jadeja added a fourth victim when Marsh bunted a catch to short leg, and Glenn Maxwell soon squeezed Ashwin to silly point. But by then the match had all but petered out.Kohli kept his men going beyond a point that others might not have, perhaps still believing in a miracle. Handscomb, though, was unperturbed, leaving Kohli to finally seek his hand in a gesture of concession and so send these sides to Dharamsala for the decider.