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We didn’t put our foot on the X: Pollard expects his team to be relentless against Aussies

West Indian skipper Kieron Pollard believes that even after the series-levelling win in the second ODI at Kensington Oval in Georgetown, his team really wasn’t where it should have been in terms of having a relentless approach towards the game. The Men in Maroon although went on to win the game by four wickets, but looked a shadow of themselves giving away chances after chances to Australia in the field. "Australia were [45 for 6] and getting to 190, we didn't put our foot on the X like we should have done and gave them opportunities to come into the game. Then our batters didn't make it easy, it seems like we don't like to do things the easy way. Thought 120 should have been the total,” complained Pollard during the post-match presentation ceremony. Even after being 45-6 and with all top-order batsmen out, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Wes Agar scored good enough runs to take Australia through to 187. While they let the last five Australian batters put on 142, the batting from the top order Windies batsmen themselves was disappointing, to say the least. At 72-5, they looked in all sorts of trouble until Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder put together 92 runs to take their team home and level the series. "Pleasing to win, obviously, but to say I'm overall pleased with our performance throughout the entire game. We haven't been able to combat it how we want to, but having said that, this time around what was good was the fight. Nicholas Pooran with that half-century and Jason Holder. It was a bit scratchy tonight, but that's what you need in a game like this, someone to scrap, and they both scrapped well for us,” added the 34-year-old skipper. With a series two win, the two teams will now take on each other in the finale on Monday, July 26.

Heavy pocketed, rebranded Punjab walk in IPL mini auction with ‘Get Big or Get Out’ attitude

Over the years, the franchise from Punjab has always entered the auction pool with a lot of money in their hand, but have somehow gone out of unsatiated. This time, the rebranded team, with a new logo, a new name (Punjab Kings) and a new Twitter handle, will look to renew their luck as well when they walk into the auction room with 53 crores in their bag to shop for five foreigners and nine domestic players at the maximum. The idea for the team, therefore, would be to ‘Go Big’ themselves in money matters and get their opposition to ‘Get Out’. The amount of money that they have is a double-edged sword which can very much hurt them as well. Team Scenario- Punjab Kings Purse- 53.2 crores Available Indian slots- 9 Available overseas slots- 5 Retained Squad KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Darshan Nalkande, Harpreet Brar, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Mohd. Shami, M Ashwin, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Chris Jordan, Prabhsimran Singh Aggressive opener is the need of the hour The Punjab team in the last season lacked the most when it came to finishing at the end of the innings. Batting first, if Chris Gayle got out early, the run rate Punjab generally stumbled down. None among Mayank Agarwal and skipper KL Rahul was able to increase the run rate by keeping the partnership going. To cover for that and also to make sure that if Chris Gayle fails they have an equally destructive backup ready, the Kings could go for Dawid Malan as their first choice buy. Dawid Malan Malan, 33, is the number one ranked T20 batsman in the world. There is no doubt in the fact that he would be in high demand across the tables in the auction room. But Kings have got the amount of money that no other team has. For a man who has scored a hundred and nine fifties in just 19 innings in his international T20 career and has an astonishing average of 53.43 to go along with a butchering strike rate of nearly 150, shelling out big money shouldn’t be a problem for the Kings. Alex Hales Along with Malan, his compatriot Alex Hales could also be in contention having finished as the highest run-scorer in this season’s Big Bash League (543 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of more than 160). But the only place where Malan has an edge over Hales is that he is a left-hander and will be crucial for a left-right combination with KL Rahul at the opening slot. Elusive search for all-rounder cum finisher Having released the likes of Jimmy Neesham and Glen Maxwell along with Krishnappa, the team is in a dire need of genuine all-rounders. Since they have five overseas slots left, they would like to consider the possibility of buying two genuine foreign all-rounders to go alongside Chris Jordan. These could be Moeen Ali The English all-rounder could be a perfect bet for the Kings, especially on the quick Mohali wicket. With the ball coming on to the bat nice and easy, Ali could be the ideal finisher too coming in at six or seven. Ali has recently displayed his prowess with the bat in the last concluded Test between India and England and his six prowess could never be doubted. He is more than a handy spinner and could give four overs in each game easily. Shakib Al Hasan With the BCB scheduling the Bangladesh Sri-Lanka series in between the IPL, the prospect of buying a Shakib-Al-Hasan who might not be available for the entire duration of the tournament is a risky one. But if any team that could and would like to take a risk, it is the Punjab franchise as they have almost nothing to lose. Ben Cutting The Sydney Thunder all-rounder might be on the wrong side of the thirties, but it’s just one season that the team would be signing him for. And if cutting delivers on the promise and the reputation of being a genuine all-rounder that he carries with him, Kings could be in for an exciting season. The 34-year-old hasn’t shown much promise off late, but few glimpses that were on display during the BBL made sure that franchises notice him. Along with foreign all-rounders, Indian players would also be on their radar. Since Punjab has a lot of spaces left to fill, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they go for most of the top performers from the IPL. The two people who would be on their target are: Shahrukh Khan Khan, a beastly built lower-order batsman who can bowl a few overs off break in the lean patch and can save few fours standing at the short cover or can hop and get you an extraordinary catch at the cow corner is multi-utility player from Tamil Nadu. Having burnt himself in the Tamil Nandu Premier League (TNPL) year after year, he finally got a chance to represent the South Indian state in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy(SMAT). Not letting that opportunity go past unnoticed, he won his team the quarterfinal and played a quick finisher in the final as well. Thus Khan could be one player whom the Punjab franchise would like to bid heavily for. Vishnu Solanki Solanki, also a SMAT star is another batsman that Punjab would eye to fill the void left by the exclusion of the likes of Karun Nair. Fast bowling resources need fresh fuel Punjab’s was one of the worst fast bowling attacks in the tournament, leaking huge amounts of runs both in the powerplay as well as the death overs. The bet to go after Sheldon Cottrell, Hardus Viljoen and Neesham didn’t really pay off. Even Mohammed Shami and Chris Jordan were also expensive in a few of the games. To get rid of that problem, Punjab needs new fast bowling recruits, that too foreign as they already have enough Indian bowlers in their kitty. Jhye Richardson and Wes Agar could be prime targets. Even Tom Curran for that matter is not a bad option, neither is Mustafizur Rahaman. But give a choice, the team would obviously like to go for Jhye, who could also bat a bit and is lethal with his inswingers, which would be handy in the evening at most Indian grounds. Agar with his big climbing bouncer and effort length ball, combined with his ability to throw in yorkers at will is another bowler that the Kings would like to target. If they think to go beyond them and also search for Indian talent, Umesh Yadav, Ankit Rajpoot and Lukman Meriwala could be the potential targets. But considering the fact that they already have Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Ishan Porel, it would be hard to imagine them going for too many fast bowlers. Handy off-spinner to cape off the auction In the end, since they have a lot of money left in the purse and might not be able to get Moeen Ali, the kings might go for an off-spinner in the squad. They have Harpreet Brar who bowls left-arm orthodox and fulfils the criteria for a finger spinner. But having a genuine off-spinner is not a luxury and hence Punjab could easily afford that. Surprise Buy Punjab has an ability to surprise with its selection policy and thus if it decides to get Maxwell on board once again at a lower price, it might be surprising for many but not us. Another surprise package could be either one among Kedar Jadhav and Hanuma Vihari, mostly because the matches might be held in Mumbai and Pune and on spinning tracks, these guys could be handy with their ability to bat and ball.

BBL10| Match Report: Cool and calm Jimmy Peirson takes Heat to the Knockout

Brisbane Heat wicket-keeper batsman and vice-captain Jimmy Peirson showed an exemplary sense of calm and composure as he scored an unbeaten 47 off 44 balls to take his team past the Adelaide Strikers by six wickets in a low scoring thriller at the Gabba. He was awarded Man of the Match for his match-winning performance. A chase as short as 131 got way more interesting than was expected of it as Heat lose two quick and important wickets of skipper Chris Lynn and Marnus Labuschagne, giving Strikers a chance to bring themselves into the context. Soon after, Sam Heazlett, who took Max Bryant’s place in the side was also dismissed cheaply to force Heat in a shell. Wes Agar, Michael Neser and Peter Siddle took the three wickets. It was then that Pierson joined Joe Denly and the duo constructed a rebuild fo the home team. The two of them put together 69 runs in 59 balls and took Heat to 92 in the 14th over before a rash shot from Denly saw him getting dismissed for 40. On the very next ball, Joe Burns was provided with life as he was dropped in the slips off Danny Briggs. But that was the last chance that the Heat gave strikers as they rushed away with the win soon after. Earlier in the evening, Strikers, contrary to belief, chose to field first after winning the toss. The decision didn’t turn out to be a great one as their openers couldn’t get on with the game and a slow wicket played its role in it as well, as most of the balls kept low. This meant that Strikers could get to only 45 runs in the eighth over. From there onwards, the wickets kept falling and Labuschagne was the destroyer in chief, picking up three wickets for 13 runs in his three overs, as Strikers could reach up to only 114 at the loss of seven wickets while in their 19th over. Hadn’t it been for Jon Wells’ three fours in the last over, reaching to 130 would also have been difficult for the Strikers at the end. With this win, Heat have now made it to the Knockout game of the Finals where they will face Sydney Thunder on 31st January at the Manuka Oval.

BBL10 Eliminator: Labuschagne strong Heat hold the edge against Strikers at Gabba

After 56 matches and 48 days, the Big Bash League 2020-21 got it’s five best teams who qualified for the Finals and now is the time for the first stage of that Finals. Brisbane Heat would face nemesis Adelaide Strikers in the all-important Eliminator clash at thor home ground of Gabba on Friday, 29th January. The heat has an edge over the strikers in a way that they are coming on the back of a great win over a strong Perth Scorchers side while the Strikers gt through to the Finals, merely on the basis of their net run rate, which was better than the Hurricanes. The Travis Head side was even drubbed by nine wickets by the Sydney Thunder in their last league encounter. Labuschagne the key for Heat Ever since he has joined the Heat unit post the Australia- India Test series, the 26-year-old Queenslander has been a livewire in the field and either with the bat or surprisingly with the ball, has been able to change the course of the game and give some momentum to the Heat. In this all-important affair, the Brisbane side would be hoping for a great showing from Labuschagne’s side. In the three BBL 2020-21 games that he has played, the STS (Stranger than Smudge) as the Aussie players like to call him, Labuschagne has scored 123 runs at an amazing average of 41 and has also picked up six crucial wickets with his ‘not so part-time’ leg-spin. Can Carey carry Strikers over the line! Although the Strikers have lost their last game, came through on net run rate got the biggest drubbing by their entire season at the hands of the Thunder, but one thing that doesn’t change even after all this is the fact that they beat the Heat by 82 runs in their last meeting. Adelaide’s vice-captain Alex Carey was the hero of the game, having hit a brilliant century in a must-win the encounter. The onus in this game would again be on Carey to take the lead and take his side through to the Knockout. But after that 101 knock against the Heat, he has remained silent in the next two games, much like Wes Agar, the sturdy fast bowler, who has been another hero of the Strikers’ BBL10 campaign so far. Agar, 23, has 21 wickets in this year‘s league so far but hasn’t been able to pick even a single wicket in his last two games and like Carey, would be itching to prove his worth in the biggest game of his career so far. Heat vs Strikers: Match Details Match- Eliminator Date and Time: 29th January, 01:45 pm IST, 06:15 pm Local, 08:15 am GMT Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane Broadcast and Live Stream: Sony SIX and Sony LIV Pitch Report The Gabba in this entire tournament has been used five times so far and all the five games have seen moderate scores only, indicating that the wicket has something for the bowlers if they hit the right lengths. The Heat has won three out of those five games and the two that they lost were very close affairs as they lost by two and one runs against Strikers and Hurricanes respectively. Weather and Bat Flip Brisbane is going to remain throughout the game with a chance of rain after 10 pm, the match might be finished by then. However, passing showers might also be expected in between 6 pm to 10 pm and hence any team winning the toss would choose to field first, keeping the Duckworth- Lewis system in mind. Luckily, Heat skipper Chris Lynn has got a chance to field first at the Gabba even when he lost the Bat Flip on two occasions, while on the three that he won, he anyways chose to field. There is no reason to believe why wouldn’t he chose to field first again if he wins the flip. Heat Strongest XI Chris Lynn (c), Max Bryant, Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Denly, Joe Burns, Lewis Gregory, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Jack Wildermuth, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Ben Laughlin Strikers Strongest XI Alex Carey (wk), Jake Weatherald, Philip Salt, Travis Head (c), Jonathan Wells, Ryan Gibson, Michael Neser, Danny Briggs, Wes Agar, Liam O Connor, Peter Siddle

Abhishek Singh ∙ 24 Jan 2021

Ten BBL players who could turn out to be best buys in IPL mini-auction

With Indian Premier League sides announcing their retained players’ list, the market of speculations is high as to which team would go for which players in the mini IPL which is scheduled to take place in February this year. One league which has literally provided cricketers in bulk for the IPL has been the Australian Big Bash League. Be it last season’s products like Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, or the great Aussie limited-overs stars of today, David Warner and Aaron Finch, all of them have had a good time in the IPL which has helped them get to where they are today. Keeping with the same practice, this year’s BBL, which is the 10th edition of the tournament, has also given some wonderful stars who could turn out to be great buys for the IPL teams. Jhye Richardson The Perth bowling all-rounder is in the form of his life in this BBL picking up 25 wickets in 13 innings in BBL 2020-21. Among these 25 wickets are his two four-wicket hauls as well. Jhye went unsold in the last two IPL auctions that he was part of, but this time around his bid for a place is strongest as he showed that he is no mug with the bat either. With his ability to make quick runs in the late overs, he could be a real asset for the teams going forward. In his year’s BBL, he has played two such innings, one against the Hurricanes, when the team had reduced to 108/6, he hit precious 36 runs to get the team up to 180 alongside Josh Inglis. In total, he is the perfect package for a team like Kings XI Punjab who have released Jimmy Neesham and are looking for a bowling all-rounder. But RCB’s coach Simon Katich’s eye would also be on him as he is a product of Western Australia, which was Katich’s home as well. Ben McDermott A genuine big hitter, Hurricanes’ Ben McDermott has shown to the world how dangerous he could be when on song as he has won matches single-handedly for his team. In 10 innings of BBL 2020-21 so far, McDermott, 26, hs hit 297 runs with an average of 44 and a strike rate that goes beyond 150 when he finds his feet on the crease. McDermott can keep and open the innings too, hence can be one of the great options for teams looking for such adoption and one such team is the Chennai Super Kings which released its opening options in Shane Watson and Murali Vijay, all at once. Alex Carey Another wicketkeeper-batsman, this time from Adelaide though is in the fray to attract a big sum from the auction after being released by the Delhi Capitals during the retention process. Carey has 381 runs in the 12 innings that he has played in BBL 2020-21. The biggest achievement of his has been the hundred that he hit in a must-win game for his team against the heat. Since has not been tried in India, teams can take a shot at him in the auction without any doubt. Riley Meredith If pure pace and accuracy were to be defined, nothing gets better than Riley Meredith of the Hurricanes. He clocks in the 140s regularly and touches the 150 mark more often than anyone else does. His economy in the BBL 10 is 7.48 and although he has only taken 12 wickets in 11 games that he has played so far, the fear that he generates in the yes of the batsmen, just with his sheer pace is something to marvel at. Teams like Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings, who are looking for out and out fast bowlers might be interested in him, even for that matter, RCB and Mumbai can go for him as well. Mumbai mainly because they now don’t have a back up for Trent Boult after Lasith Malinga left. Dawid Malan This 33-year-old South Africa born England player has gained the most in the T20 arena and him not being in the IPL’s 2020 edition was a big surprise. Now, the World Number one T20 batsmen has his eyes set on the biggest T20 league in the Wolrd and franchises too would have set their eyes on him. Although he hasn’t really had a big BBL, with just 220 runs in 8 innings at an average of 27 and a strike rate well below the expectations from him- 116. But the few innings that he has shone in, he showcased the range of shots that he has to offer. The World Number one T20 batsman is therefore a hot property and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he turns out to be the biggest buy-in this edition. Tanveer Sangha The teenager from Thunder has impressed one and all with his leg-spinning abilities this season. Getting big wickets is the most dangerous nack that he has developed. With 20 wickets in 12 innings at a brilliant average of 16.05 and an economy rate of less than eight (7.92), he is one of those players who could turn out to be lethal on Indian pitches, especially with his deceiving wrong-uns which he has used brilliantly so far. He is just 19 and has a lot to achieve, the franchises like CSK and Mumbai who invest in the talent can take him just for the fact that he could be useful in the future as a leg spinner has always been in the IPL. Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman The Afghan youngster is not new to the IPL scenes although success has eluded him so far. This time around he is coming on the back of a successful BBL and has done well even in the Caribbean Premier League this season. While in BBL, he picked up 14 wickets from 8 innings at an astonishing average of 13.42 and a brilliant economy of 6.26. In CPL, he picked up 16 wickets in 11 games and his average was 13.56 while the economy went even below six. With just 17 wickets from 18 IPL games he hasn’t really had the success he would like, but with a few good games and the mojo back with him, he can do wonders for whichever team that he plays. Alex Hales This England star has been in and out of IPL many times. But with the form that he is in as seen during the BBL 2020-21, he is sure to get another crack at the jack called IPL. He might not be one of the expensive buys in this year’s auction but can be an effective one on the base price as he can hit a long ball on flat tracks and looks like a perfect replacement for Aaron Finch for the RCB. The 32-year-old has 462 runs in 12 innings in the BBL10 with an average of 38.59 and a damaging strike rate of more than 165. He has hit a scintillating hundred in one of the toughest games of the season the ‘Sydney Smash’ and has two fifties to boast of as well. Wes Agar If a team wants a bowler who can ball heavy balls, great bouncers, and yorkers at will, the team has to look for nothing beyond the gigantic Wes Agar from the Adelaide Strikers. Agar has 21 wickets in 12 games with 4/27 as his best and with an average of 17.14 and an economy of below eight. What is fascinating about him is his pace. He bowls real quick and effort balls generally fetch him a wicket. In the limited opportunities that he got in the previous BBL, even then he was among wickets, and thus he could be a real cheat deal at the base price for teams looking for heavy fast bowlers. RCB, KXIP, and CSK can have shot at him. Mark Steketee Another fast bowler in the reckoning is Mark Steketee of the Brisbane Heat. Steketee, 27 has got loads of experience behind his back apart from a good BBL form with 22 wickets from 12 games. In 49 T20s that he has played so far, he has picked up 64 wickets in them clearly giving signs that he is a wicket-taking bowler. With two fifties in the first class, he has the ability to handle the willow as well. Thus he is one of those who could be given their first shot at the world’s biggest stage of T20 cricket.

BBL10 | Preview: Thunder face strikers in a potential quarterfinal for the Playoffs

Sydney Thunder, after their last game victory against the Sixers, would be in high spirits and would like to cash on to it when they face Adelaide Strikers, another team that would be coming on the back of a great over the Heat. Playing at home, the Strikers would not be an easy pushover and hence the game is tantalizing an exciting watch not only for the fans of these two teams but that too of the Stars and Hurricanes as well, as their convention for a place in the Playoffs would depend on the results of most other games from now onwards. Hales is key for Thunder Although it will be a home game for Thunder which is happening at the home of the opposition due to covid-19 protocols, the way Alex Hales performed in the last game, surely doesn’t feel like away from home for him. In the entire tournament, Thunder have won those games where Hales has performed well. Banking on that, the Thunder would like him to keep on going for the next two games as they would be missing the services of another of their best performers, Daniel Sams in the next two games. Apart from Hales, skipper Callum Ferguson and Sam Billings too have been good touch, and their contribution with the bat, especially against a side that has got brilliant bowlers like Wes Agar and Peter Siddle is going to be crucial. Carey and Agar: The two driving horses of Strikers' chariot If Adelaide Strikers want is to have their one foot into the Playoffs, it is going to be through the bat of Alex Carey and the ball of Wes Agar. They have been brilliant throughout the series and Agar is one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament with 21 wickets in 12 innings. Similarly, Carey is one of the leading run-scorers and one of the biggest match-winners as well. Strikers then would bank on these two players even as they have other match-winners in skipper Travis Head, Siddle, and even Danny Briggs the left-arm spinner who could dart in yorkers as well. Thunder vs Strikers: Match Details Match Number- 51 Date and Time- Jan 23, 2021, 10:35:00 am IST, 04:05pm Local, 05.05 am GMT Venue- Adelaide Oval Broadcast- Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The pitch at the oval in Adelaide as evident from the last match is a totally T20 wicket with the ball coming on to the bat very nicely and it seemed like a graveyard for the bowlers, especially when Hales was murdering their balls. On that basis, the pitch would provide a good contest as both the teams have amazing batters in their ranks. Weather and Bat Flip The skies are going to be laden with clouds and overcast conditions might help fast bowlers early on. Thankfully there is no chance of rain and thus a full game is in sight for us. The skipper winning the flip would however like to field first as it would help him utilize the overcast conditions. Thunder Strongest XI Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings (wk), Oliver Davies, Ben Cutting, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Brendan Doggett, Tanveer Sangha Strikers Strongest XI Alex Carey (wk), Jake Weatherald, Philip Salt, Travis Head (c), Matt Renshaw, Ryan Gibson, Michael Neser, Danny Briggs, Wes Agar, Liam O Connor, Peter Siddle

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