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A blistering opening ceremony, followed by a cracking opening day at the Ashes – you couldn’t ask for more. Except maybe sunlight

Jack Vittles11-Jul-2013Choice of game
An easy one, no explanation needed. Day one of the Ashes, and I just had to be there. Trent Bridge is one of the best grounds in the country to watch cricket and being from the south west, this was my best chance to see Ashes cricket.Team supported
I’m a patriotic England fan and genuinely believe they could win the Ashes both home and away this time. I am hoping for a repeat of the legendary 2005 Ashes, which ignited my passion for cricket.Key performer
As an England fan it’s hard to look past Steven Finn’s bowling, however Peter Siddle’s spell after tea was difficult to beat. He consistently asked questions of England’s middle order and bowled at a lively pace. The Aussie supporters love to get behind their man from Victoria and were not afraid to back him from the stands. He clearly relishes an Ashes contest and his bowling today was superb.Face-off I relished
I particularly enjoyed watching the battle between Stuart Broad and James Pattinson. Pattinson came roaring in from the Pavilion End and bowled short and with speed. The crowd reacted as Broad responded with his trademark back-foot drives and cuts over the slips. Pattinson had his man in the end and wasn’t afraid to let Broad know about it as he left the field. Will Pattinson be made to regret the bouncers when it’s his turn to bat?Wow moment
Without a doubt it was Michael Clarke being clean bowled by Jimmy Anderson. Australia were already struggling and Jimmy was bowling well with the crowd right behind him. The reaction as the ball was replayed on the big screen from the crowd was one of amazement. How had Jimmy done it again?Player watch
The noise as Steven Finn came to take his place at fine-leg in front of the Hound Road stand was immense. He clearly loved the attention and was running on adrenaline. He took the adulation with the class of an old-school fast bowler as he doffed his cap to the applauding Poms and stunned Aussies.Shot of the day
There were several memorable shots from Ian Bell and Jonny Bairstow, and even Steven Smith, but for me Jonathan Trott’s cover drive off a fired-up Pattinson early in his innings stood out. It summed up Trott’s innings today. For once, he was positive in defence and scored quickly. Comment in the stands around me turned to Trott’s merits as opposed to his negatives; a rarity in the last year.A couple of things I’d have changed
I would have loved to have watched Kevin Pietersen score runs and come to the fore in an Ashes series yet again. It was disappointing we were denied the chance to see him take on Australia’s new left-arm spinner Ashton Agar. The only other disappointing element was the weather. While the rest of the country basked in 25 degrees sunshine, Nottingham was cloudy, cool and for most of the day, dark.Crowd meter
As you would expect it was a full house and the atmosphere throughout the morning session was electric. There was barely room to move during the customary lap of the ground at lunch. As England began to struggle the crowd died down considerably and it was only the celebrating Aussie tour groups drowning out the sounds of the front-row locals lamenting the absence of James Taylor. Although the same bunch of locals were on their feet with the rest of us roaring in Finn for his hat-trick ball. The atmosphere for that ball was as good as anything I’ve ever experienced, including the MCG.Entertainment
I reckon the ECB has blown its entire Ashes budget on the pre-game entertainment at Trent Bridge. Not only were there the customary anthems but also a chorus from the Cold stream Guards and some very dodgy fireworks. This was followed by a man who looked suspiciously like Nick Knight (from a distance) belting out Jerusalem along with 15,000 screaming fans. And just when you thought it had finished there was a rumble as the Red Arrows appeared overhead heralding the start of the Ashes. In-match entertainment was provided by a couple of Aussies nearby chanting for England’s demise all afternoon. However they soon changed track and were roaring Jimmy in to bowl at 30-3 and calling on Clarke to declare ‘to make a game of it’.Tests v limited overs
Not contest for me. Tests are the ultimate examination of a player’s skill and can ebb and flow, as the first day of this series has shown.Overall
An excellent start to the series and Trent Bridge once again lived up to its reputation as one of the best grounds in the world to watch cricket. The atmosphere in the evening was electric and even a few whinging Aussies couldn’t dampen my spirits after a great day.Marks out of 10
9. The day lived up to the hype for me. The ground delivered and so did the fans. The only downside was the weather, but you can’t really complain at 20 degrees celcius and cloud in England. It is summer after all!

New Zealand have won only one home Test out of 14 against South Africa, and their win-loss ratio against them is among the worst

S Rajesh06-Mar-2012South Africa have been one of the toughest opponents for New Zealand over the years, and the home team’s limp display in the ODIs further confirmed the fact that South Africa will start as firm favourites in the three-Test series, which begins in Dunedin. In the one-day international series, which the visitors won 3-0, it was apparent that they had more firepower with both bat and ball, and that has been the case in recent Tests between the two teams as well.In the last two series played between them, South Africa have won four out of five Tests, with one draw. The saving grace for New Zealand is that both those series were played in South Africa, but New Zealand’s record at home against them isn’t much better: in 14 Tests they’ve won just once, in Auckland in 2004, and lost six times. That win-loss ratio is their poorest at home against any side. Against all other teams, New Zealand have won more than one Test at home.Their overall record against South Africa is also among the worst. As the table below shows, only against England do they have a poorer win-loss ratio. The last time New Zealand played at home against South Africa, they managed a 1-1 series draw, but that series was played eight years ago.New Zealand’s recent home form is not that impressive either. In the last four years, the only home series they have won have been against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. They have lost series against England, India, Australia and Pakistan. (Click here for New Zealand’s series-wise results at home since 2000.)South Africa, meanwhile, have been the best overseas team in the world over the last four years, winning ten Tests and losing just four since the beginning of 2008. Their win-loss ratio of 2.50 is easily the best, well clear of England’s 8-5 record. South Africa have won five of their last seven overseas series, against Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, Australia and West Indies, and have drawn the other two, against India. (Click here for South Africa’s away series record since 2000.)

Tests between New Zealand and South Africa

TestsNZ wonSA wonDrawnOverall3542011In New Zealand14167in New Zealand since 19927133

New Zealand v each opposition in Tests

OppositionTestsW/LRatioEngland948/ 450.17South Africa354/ 200.20Australia528/ 270.29Pakistan507/ 230.30India509/ 160.56West Indies379/ 100.90Sri Lanka269/ 71.28The batting and bowling stats for each team in their Tests in New Zealand indicate the vast gulf between the two teams. South Africa’s batsmen average very nearly 50 runs per wicket (excluding runs in extras), and concede only 34 per wicket with the ball. The big difference in the stats between the two sides is in their ability to convert half-centuries into hundreds. South Africa have scored 11 centuries and 18 fifties in these matches, but New Zealand have converted only three of their 26 fifty-plus scores into hundreds.

NZ-SA Tests in NZ since 1995

TeamTestsBat ave100s/ 50sWkts takenBowl aveStrike rateSouth Africa749.9711/ 1810334.1976.1New Zealand732.513/ 237752.53109.5Most of the South Africa batsmen in the current squad have excellent records against New Zealand. Only three of the specialist batsmen have played in New Zealand before, and they have all been among the runs. Jacques Kallis leads the way with 1356 runs, which is the fifth-highest by any batsman in Tests against New Zealand. His conversion rate is superb too, with five centuries and as many fifties, and he clearly does not mind playing in New Zealand either, with 530 runs in six Tests.Hashim Amla has been prolific against New Zealand, with scores of 149, 56, 28, 12, 176* and 103 in his six innings, but he has not yet played a Test in New Zealand, and neither has AB de Villiers, whose record in five Tests is surprisingly modest. Graeme Smith averages 58 in three Tests in New Zealand, but in South Africa he’s only averaged 27.50 in five Tests against them.

South African batsmen v New Zealand

Batsmanv NZ-TestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sin NZ-TestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sJacques Kallis14135667.805/ 5653066.252/ 2Hashim Amla4524104.803/ 1—-Graeme Smith851039.231/ 3329058.001/ 1Jacques Rudolph333684.001/ 2333684.001/ 2Mark Boucher1426418.850/ 16448.800/ 0AB de Villiers521030.000/ 1—-Most of the New Zealand batsmen in the current squad have not played much against South Africa. Ross Taylor has just four innings – and a meagre tally of 44 runs from them. Brendon McCullum has played eight Tests against them, but averages only 22.30, with a highest of 57 in 14 innings.New Zealand’s two main bowlers, though, have had mixed luck against South Africa. Chris Martin has scored all of 16 runs in his ten Tests against them, but he has relished bowling at the South Africa batsmen, taking 44 wickets at 24.59, easily his best bowling stats against one of the top teams. His only ten-wicket haul in Tests came against them in Auckland, and it led to their maiden home Test win versus South Africa. Daniel Vettori, on the other hand, has struggled against South Africa: in 11 Tests he has taken a mere 18 wickets at 69.66, easily his worst figures against any side.Among the three venues hosting the Tests, Hamilton has been the best one for New Zealand – they’ve won seven Tests and lost five, the only ground where they’ve won more than they’ve lost, among venues where they’ve played more than five Tests (though two of those wins were against Bangladesh). Wellington’s the ground where they’ve won the most Tests – 14 – but they’ve lost four of their previous seven there. The University Oval in Dunedin, the venue for the first match, has hosted just three Tests and New Zealand have won two of them, against Bangladesh in 2008 and Pakistan the following year.

There isn’t a notice on the Sri Lankan dressing-room door but if there was one, it would read: ‘If you find the old Mahela Jayawardene please return. We need him. Desperately’

Sriram Veera in Dambulla28-Jan-2009
Mahela Jayawardene’s dismal form is starting to affect the manner in which the rest of the batsmen are performing © AFP
There isn’t a notice on the Sri Lankan dressing-room door but if there was one, it would read: ‘If you find the old Mahela Jayawardene please return. We need him. Desperately.’ The man responsible – if indirectly – for the debacle today, and for the team’s recent struggles, is the man leading the side. It was a game India won as much because of Sri Lanka’s middle-order problems as on their own strength. India didn’t lack gunpowder; they just didn’t have to fire.The effect of Jayawardene’s woes on Sri Lanka were reflected in Sanath Jayasuriya’s reaction when Kumar Sangakkara fell. There appeared a touch of anger as he punched in the air when Sangakkara chipped straight to midwicket, a realisation that Sangakkara’s fall would be the beginning of the end. And it was. Though Farveez Maharoof tried his best with a breezy knock, the rest couldn’t put together a total to test India on this pitch.The middle-order muddle not only affected what happened after Sangakkara’s dismissal, it influenced what transpired before that. Jayasuriya wasn’t allowed to be himself, Sangakkara knew one mistake would prove too costly and it didn’t help that Tillakaratne Dilshan fell early. Even though his career as an effective opener is just one series old, he seems to have already made an impact on the way the team plays; he allows Jayasuriya the luxury to attack and enables Sangakkara to be fluent and importantly, help hide Jayawardene.Today, with Dilshan’s early wicket, Jayasuriya was forced to restrain himself. Dhoni, not one to miss a trick, milked the situation by getting in a lot of overs from various irregular bowlers. Jayasuriya must have been severely tempted to free his arms against them but he held back. And so Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina rotated their arms without much fear, indeed almost hoping Jayasuriya would have a go at them and lose his wicket. Dhoni later said they wanted Jayasuriya to take risks and that they played to a plan. But Jayasuriya was like a monk, cocooned in his own meditative zone, oblivious to the dancing damsels.Jayawardene has to find his bearing and perhaps, the change in fortune will come on home ground. For that the captain has to bat up the order, back himself – and find himselfYusuf Pathan too had one of his best days with the ball. It was the first time in the last seven games that he bowled more than four overs. In his career, only against Hong Kong and Bangladesh has he bowled his full quota of ten overs; partly because Dhoni used him as a filler but mainly because he leaked runs. Today, though, with Jayasuriya and Sangakkara inhibited by the team’s needs, Yusuf was allowed to get into a rhythm. Even so, Jayasuriya did finish at almost a run-a-ball and on another day, situation permitting, he would have done better than the 49 runs at even pace from the trio of Rohit, Raina and Yusuf on a pitch that didn’t offer any turn. That he went on to become the oldest man to score a hundred beating Geoffrey Boycott’s record shows what a class player he is.Jayawardene, with a highest of 28 in 13 innings, demoted himself today but, even though he explained it as a ploy to use the batting Powerplay, it is surely not the permanent solution. The two men in the lower order – Thilina Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedera – are still learning their trade and it would be unfair to place too much of a burden on them. Some would also construe the captain’s demotion as an admission that he can only hit himself out of his current form.Demotion might have worked in a different team with batsmen in form but not in this side. It can still work but it will be the tougher route to take. Jayawardene has to find his bearing and perhaps, the change in fortune will come on home ground. For that the captain has to bat up the order, back himself – and find himself. That notional notice on the dressing-room door can then be consigned to history.

Former Premier League star Jason McAteer has raised concerns over the mental well-being of England internationals Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish, warning that the current level of scrutiny placed on elite footballers is unsustainable without adequate psychological support. With growing public expectations and underwhelming outings in an England shirt, both players have faced a storm of negative attention in recent months.

Bellingham & Grealish are mostly under media spotlightEvery move is being followed closelyMcAteer believes they are not given enough mental supportFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Grealish has also endured a turbulent spell at Manchester City, especially after slipping down the pecking order following the rise of Belgian winger Jeremy Doku. The 28-year-old had previously opened up about how challenging it was to cope with the shift in his playing time under Pep Guardiola, admitting it took a toll on him mentally.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MCATEER SAID

Speaking about the current state of the game, McAteer empathised with the burden placed on modern footballers and emphasised the urgent need for mental health support to be embedded in their daily lives, not just something addressed after their playing days are over.

“I feel sorry for some of the professional footballers now, they are under so much scrutiny. The amount of criticism they receive is ridiculous – they are burdened with an incredible amount of expectation and stress," he told

The former Liverpool midfielder, who has long championed mental health awareness, stressed the importance of proactive care.

"I’m a big mental health advocate, and if you are not cared for properly and given enough support, it can leave you scarred," he said. "As a professional footballer, you cannot wait until the end of your career to address your mental health, you have to deal with it while you are playing.

"For top professionals, internationals like Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish, they need help now and I’m not so sure they are getting enough, if any. In the 1990s when I was playing, there were no mobile phones, and no social media, so there was nowhere near as much scrutiny.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

McAteer, who featured regularly in the Premier League throughout the 1990s, believes today’s footballing environment is far more demanding mentally than the era he played in. Drawing a stark contrast between the past and present, he described how the absence of constant online scrutiny made for a more forgiving atmosphere back then.

“The 1990s saw the biggest change in football because of the money that came with the start of the Premier League," he said. "There was huge investment, commercial growth, and increase in broadcasting revenue. Then there was the cultural side of things – everyone was interested in the lifestyle of Premier League footballers – and you had all the noise around the Spice Girls, Oasis, everything was happening around that time!

"All of a sudden, footballers were mixing it with film stars and pop stars. We were getting featured in national magazines – not just football magazines, even GQ! David James was doing a photoshoot with Armani! There were massive changes in British culture – it was crazy. But would I change it for the world? Absolutely not!”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH?

As Grealish continues to navigate his future at Manchester City, new speculation has emerged regarding a potential move to Serie A. According to Italian giants Napoli have initiated contact with the player's representatives to explore the possibility of bringing him to Naples. However, financial constraints could hinder any deal, as Grealish’s current wages are reportedly too steep for Napoli to afford outright.

Liverpool will not be able to host Real Madrid again in the Champions League next season due to a new UEFA rule.

Liverpool face Real Madrid again in UCLWon't be able host them next seasonNew UEFA rule forbids itFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In this week's Champions League draw, Liverpool drew Madrid at home as one of the eight games in the league phase of the competition. The Reds beat Los Blancos 2-0 at Anfield last season but UEFA's new rule means they cannot lock horns at the same stadium if they both play in the 2026-27 edition of the competition. Here's why.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE EXPLANATION

According to paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations: "UEFA administration may determine alternative conditions for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and may adapt any of the conditions of the draw to avoid deadlock situations and/or take into account any relevant constraints in light of decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee.

"The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.

"This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season."

DID YOU KNOW?

While Liverpool cannot host Madrid at Anfield in next season's Champions League, the Spanish giants would be able to entertain the Merseyside outfit at the Santiago Bernabeu. Incidentally, the two teams have met on 12 occasions in European football's top club competition. Madrid have won seven, lost four, and drawn one of their meetings.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Arne Slot's Premier League champions will play host to Xabi Alonso's Madrid on November 4 in this season's Champions League in what will be their fourth match of the competition. A lot of football has to be played between then and now, though.

Tom Aspinwall celebrated his T20 debut by taking 4 for 18 as Lancashire annihilated Durham by nine wickets in their opening Vitality Blast match at Emirates Old Trafford.But Lancashire had to share the plaudits with Jack Blatherwick, who picked up 3 for 14, as Steven Croft’s side put their Championship woes behind them to chase down the visitors’ paltry 75 in exactly eight overs.And 39-year-old Croft, who was skippering the side in the absence of back spasm victim Keaton Jennings, also got in on the act by taking a brilliant running catch to remove Matthew Potts off Blatherwick, the captain sprinting back some 40 yards from mid-off to dive full length, grab the ball in both hands and bring the home supporters to their feet.As things turned out, Potts’ 15 was Durham’s highest score, and the visitors’ total proved no sort of target for Lancashire’s batters, Luke Wells making 49 not out to complete the hammeringHaving been asked to bat first on a pitch of some variable bounce, Durham lost a quartet of top-order batters in their first six overs and were only 31 for 4 at the end of their powerplay.Alex Lees skied Luke Wood to Aspinwall at short fine-leg, Ollie Robinson was bowled by Chris Green, one of five Lancashire T20 debutants, and Aspinwall’s first short-form delivery was pulled to Green at midwicket by Graham Clark.Jack Blatherwick then dived forward to take an outstanding caught and bowled off Ben Raine, whose 12 runs consisted solely of boundaries. But much worse was to follow in the next over when Aspinwall removed Ashton Turner, caught by Croft at mid-off for one, and bowled Michael Jones with a glorious first-ball yorker to leave the visitors’ innings in apparent ruins on 31 for six.In his next over, Aspinwall removed Ackermann, who skied a catch to Tom Bruce at backward point, but it was left to Blatherwick to take the eighth and ninth wickets, the first thanks to that catch from Croft, which elicited an unprecedented round of applause from the press box, and the second thanks to a more conventional snare at third man by Green, which saw the end of Nathan Sowter for 1.Ben Dwarshuis and Callum Parkinson gave Durham’s innings a patina of respectability with a last-wicket stand of 19 but Wood ended that entertainment when he had Dwarshuis caught at point by Bruce of 13, one of four double-figure scores in the visitors’ effort.By contrast to Durham, Lancashire scored 57 for 1 in their powerplay overs, the only batter dismissed being Josh Bohannon for two when he chipped Parkinson’s first ball to Dwarshuis at backward point.The remainder of the home side’s innings was dominated by the power of Wells, who clubbed three huge sixes in his 25-ball innings, and the class of George Bell, who cruised to 22 not out with strokes of unmistakable quality.The game ended after barely 90 minutes cricket, making it a memorable evening for Croft, who was playing his 239th T20 match in his 19th season as a professional.

NFL legend Tom Brady admits it would be “amazing” to host Super Bowl action at the 62,000-seater stadium that Birmingham intend to construct.

• American owners at St Andrew's
• Spending big on and off the pitch
• NFL icon swept along for the ride

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues are drawing up ambitious plans for the future. American owners are allowing those in the West Midlands to dream big. They are investing heavily on and off the pitch – having seen Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney do likewise at Wrexham.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A stunning new ground is in the pipeline, with Birmingham looking to build a home that would provide a fitting backdrop to the Premier League football that they hope to play in the not too distant future.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Brady forms part of that project, as a minority investor, and he is being swept along for the ride – with the New England Patriots icon figuring prominently in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video documentary ‘Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues’.

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  WHAT BRADY SAID

  Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady told when asked if the greatest show in American sport could be brought to Birmingham: “That would be pretty amazing [hosting the Super Bowl]. I don't make all those decisions. I'm not sure how much I can influence those decisions. But I think that my partner, Tom Wagner, is an incredible man, incredible businessman. He has huge ambitions for the club, and I would never bet against anything that he tries to accomplish.

  “We want to restore it [Birmingham] to the glory that it's been in the past. To move up and to be promoted to the Premier League is a very daunting task, but it can be achieved.”

Arsenal will soon announce the signing of Brentford star Christian Norgaard to add more depth and experience to their midfield options.

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• Arsenal set to announce Norgaard deal
• £12m transfer agreed with Brentford
• Medical already completed

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal will soon announce they have completed a deal for Brentford midfielder Norgaard, according to . The Gunners have been in talks with the Bees over the last few weeks and a transfer worth around £10 million (€11.5 million/$13.5 million) plus a further £2 million in potential add-ons has been agreed. Norgaard has already completed his medical and official confirmation is expected to come later this week.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Norgaard's arrival comes soon after the north London giants completed a deal for Real Sociedad and Spain star Martin Zubimendi. Back-up goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has also joined Mikel Arteta's squad, while talks are ongoing for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Norgaard signed for Brentford in 2019 and played a key role under former manager Thomas Frank as they climbed into the Premier League and established themselves as tricky top-flight opposition. The 31-year-old played in 34 league matches during the 2025-26 campaign, contributing five goals and four assists.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NORGAARD AND ARSENAL?

  Norgaard's move will soon be made official and he will link up with his new team-mates for pre-season imminently. The Gunners are looking to go one better in the 2025-26 season after finishing second behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race last term.

Phillips, Latham and the bowlers combine to down Afghanistan while Warner suggests umpire’s decision stats should be shown on scoreboards

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-20231:07

Bond: Latham always ends up with contributions that matter

–Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament IndexNZ keep perfect record as Afghanistan fall apart in chase of 289After causing a major stir in the 2023 World Cup by beating defending champions England on Sunday, Afghanistan briefly harboured hopes of upsetting the 2019 runners-up too. But the New Zealand brand of professionalism and experience came to the fore once more as they managed to keep their unbeaten record intact to make it four out of four in the competition.Sent in to bat, New Zealand slipped from a comfortable 109 for 1 in the 21st over to a not-so-comfortable 110 for 4 in the space of nine balls. However, captain Tom Latham and the do-it-all man Glenn Phillips revived the innings with a 144-run stand for the fifth wicket. They were also helped by Afghanistan’s sloppiness in the field with as many as six chances – five catches and a run out – going a begging as New Zealand racked up 288 for 6.Click here for the full reportMatch analysis: New Zealand’s do-it-all man Glenn Phillips shows he can play the waiting game1:07

Bond: Pleased with how Phillips batted today

Glenn Phillips is a man of many hats. He played both hockey and football at school before becoming a professional cricketer. He is also into archery, hiking, surfing and mountain-biking. He even has a flight simulator back home and dreams of becoming a commercial pilot after he finishes his sporting career.Phillips is also New Zealand’s do-it-all man on the cricketing field. He has opened the batting alongside Rachin Ravindra in Under-19 cricket. He can tee off from the get-go in the middle order. He can finish an innings. He can also keep wicket, though a back condition has somewhat restricted that skill. His outfielding skills need no introduction. He can also bowl quickish offspin. He is also an innovator.Click here to read the full analysis from Deivarayan Muthu in ChennaiMust Watch: Did Afghanistan make a big mistake at the toss?1:22

Deep Dasgupta’s advice to Afghanistan: ‘Bat first and back your bowlers’

News headlines Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott lamented Afghanistan’s sloppy catching against New Zealand and urged them to improve on that front.
David Warner has called for greater umpire accountability and has vented his frustration at the ball-tracking technology following his lbw dismissal in Australia’s win over Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Monday.