September 7, 2024

Suthar and Rana Shine on a Day with 14 Wickets in Anantapur

On the second day in Anantapur, the bowlers dominated as 14 wickets fell in 78.2 overs. India D, led by fifties from Shreyas Iyer (54) and Devdutt Padikkal (56), scored 164 and 206 for 8, building a lead of 202 runs over India C, who had scored 168.

Manav Suthar excelled as he took 5 wickets for 30 runs, and Harshit Rana contributed with 4 wickets for 33 runs. Despite Iyer and Padikkal’s strong performances, India D lost five wickets in the final session. Ricky Bhui’s 44 and Axar Patel’s unbeaten 11 helped India D reach a total of 206.

The day began with Harshit Rana improving his overnight figures of 2 for 13 by trapping Abhishek Porel lbw and dismissing Manav Suthar, leaving India C struggling at 101 for 6.

B. Indrajith (72) then led a recovery, helping India C take the first-innings lead despite Aditya Thakare and Arshdeep Singh dismissing Hrithik Shokeen and Vijaykumar Vyshak cheaply. Indrajith, supported by Anshul Kamboj, scored five fours off Axar Patel’s spell to reach fifty.

However, Saransh Jain’s offspin removed Kamboj and Indrajith in quick succession, dismissing India C for 168 and making it a one-innings contest.

Vyshak’s Early Strikes and Suthar’s Spin Shine as Day Three Conditions Favor Bowlers

Vyshak took two early wickets with the new ball, dismissing Yash Dubey and Atharva Taide. Shreyas Iyer countered with an aggressive approach, scoring quickly with nine fours and a six in 44 balls. He fell in the 15th over, trying to hit a full ball from Kamboj over long-on, only to be caught by India C captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Devdutt Padikkal started strongly, scoring 56 off 70 balls and sharing half-century partnerships with Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Bhui. He hit six of his eight boundaries off the bowling of Vyshak and Kamboj.

Manav Suthar managed to dismiss Padikkal and Bhui while exploiting the rough to extract sharp turn. This led KS Bharat and Arshdeep Singh to attempt risky lofted shots, which resulted in them getting out.

The conditions on day three are expected to favor Suthar and Axar Patel, potentially increasing their wicket count.

Three New Faces in Afghanistan’s Squad for Test Against New Zealand

Fast bowler Naveed Zadran has been ruled out of Afghanistan’s one-off Test against New Zealand starting on September 9 due to a side strain. He will need three to four weeks of rest to recover before the South Africa ODI series in the UAE.

Afghanistan has included three uncapped players in their 16-member squad: opening batter Riaz Hassan, offspin allrounder Shams Ur Rahman, and fast bowler Khalil Ahmed. With Rashid Khan unavailable due to injury, Zahir Khan and Zia-ur-Rehman will lead the spin attack. Rashid also missed Afghanistan’s previous Test against Ireland earlier this year.

Four Players Excluded from Afghanistan’s Final Test Squad; Wicketkeeper Position Up for Grabs

Naveed Zadran, who took five wickets in the Test against Ireland, is among four players missing from the 20-member preliminary squad announced last month. The others are Gulbadin Naib, Fareed Ahmad, and Yama Arab. Ikram Alikhil and Afsar Zazai will compete for the wicketkeeper position in the team led by Hashmatullah Shahidi.

“The squad is finalised based on players’ performance in the preparation camp,” the ACB said. “It is worth mentioning that 19 players participated in the preparation camp for around ten days in Greater Noida and eventually, after consultation with the captain and coaching staff, the 16-member squad was finalised.”

Afghanistan squad for New Zealand Test

Captain: Hashmatullah Shahidi

Batsmen: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan

Wicketkeepers: Afsar Zazai, Ikram Alikhil

Allrounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Shams Ur Rahman

Spin Bowlers: Zia-ur-Rehman, Zahir Khan, Qais Ahmad

Fast Bowlers: Bahir Shah, Shahidullah Kamal, Khalil Ahmad, Nijat Masood