File image of Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam.© BCCI/Sportzpics

Screengrab of Riyan Parag’s bizarre no-ball.© X (Twitter)

Raw pace has got him the attention but Mayank Yadav knows that it is consistency that will assure him of a steady run in Indian cricket after overcoming several fitness-related “ups and downs” to make an eagerly-anticipated international debut. The 21-year-old Delhi speedster, who had bowled the 10 fastest deliveries (all above 150 clicks) in the IPL this year, unsettled the Bangladesh batters with his speed in the opening T20 International here on Sunday. His figures of 1/21 in four overs with 14 dot balls in his maiden international appearance dispelled all doubts about his fitness status.

“I was excited, but to be honest, I was a little more nervous because I was making a comeback almost three-four months after my injury. I hadn’t had many opportunities to play competitive cricket, and then suddenly got the chance to make my international debut. So, I was a bit nervous,” Mayank told Jio Cinema after his debut.

Having shot to instant stardom for Lucknow Super Giants with consecutive player of the match awards during IPL, his exciting start was cut short by an abdominal strain which forced him to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

While pace will always be his calling card, Mayank understands that at the international level, a consistent line and length will help him enjoy success for a longer period.

“My pace is always at the back of my mind, but throughout my IPL journey, I’ve learned that consistency is key in this format, especially at the international level.

“Line and length are crucial, and being consistent really helps as the batters starts to respect you. So, recently, I’ve been focusing more on being consistent with my line and length,” the Delhiite said.

The youngster also opened about the psychological challenges of recovering from his injury and how it made him more nervous before his debut game.

“The time during my injury was really difficult because I had to go through many phases in the last four months, witnessing ups and downs.

“For the people working with me, I felt they also faced difficulties. So, the phase between the IPL and my debut was a bit tough,” he revealed.

While during IPL, he focussed on extreme pace by consistently hitting back of the length, the T20I here unveiled a different facet of his bowling — using the slower deliveries to good effect.

“During the IPL season, I didn’t use slower balls much because they weren’t really required. I used to talk with my captain (LSG skipper KL Rahul), and he would ask me to focus on my stock deliveries.

“If the wicket was helping me, I wouldn’t try too many variations. So, I relied on my stock balls and didn’t use slower ones as much. But today, the wicket was slow, with little bounce and keeping low, so I realised that a change of pace might help,” he explained.

Mayank also shared Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s advice to him. he said the former opener didn’t him me to do anything differently.

“His advice was just to focus on my strengths and abilities, and to do what I do best, things that have worked successfully for me in the past.

“He told me to stick to those and not put pressure on myself by over-thinking that I am now playing international cricket.” He was all praise for skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who comforted him before he marked his run-up.

“He (Suryakumar) gives you freedom. When I was taking the run-up, he was telling me ‘do what you feel is best’. So that’s very important for any fast bowler, specially when you making your debut,” Mayank told BCCI.TV.

Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India’s T20 regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning here Sunday. Having consistently generated speed in excess of 150kmph in his maiden IPL earlier this year, Mayank had drawn the attention of the cricketing world before a side strain ruled him out of the tournament. Usually, one has to prove fitness in domestic cricket to be considered for national selection but the 22-year-old has been fast-tracked into the side considering his special talent.

The series against Bangladesh will be a test of his fitness and temperament. It is yet to be figured if he can display the same accuracy and control that he exhibited in the IPL.

Besides Mayank, fellow Delhi pacer Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy could also make their India debut over the course of the series.

Nitish was picked for the Zimbabwe tour post the T20 World Cup but got injured while Harshit did not get to play in the five-match series in Harare.

With Tests against New Zealand given preference, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel have been rested from the T20s against Bangladesh.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are the two big names in the squad while the only other member of the triumphant World Cup unit here is pacer Arshdeep Singh.

All-rounder Shivam Dube has been ruled out of the series owing to an injury. As per information received from sources, it seems Dube was carrying a back injury before he reported for national assignment in Gwalior.

As the big-bodied Mumbaikar prepares for an intensive rehab at the NCA, talented Mumbai Indians southpaw Tilak Varma has been summoned for the series and he will join the team on Sunday as per BCCI press release.

The break to the regulars will give opportunity to the likes of Abhishek Sharma to build his credentials following a hundred in Zimbabwe at the top of the order. Sanju Samson could get to open alongside the southpaw in the series-opener.

Riyan Parag has got six T20s since July but he could not replicate the sizzling form he showed in IPL 2024. The Bangladesh games give him another chance to make a strong impact.

The series will mark the comeback of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, whose international career came to an abrupt halt following the disastrous 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. The other specialist spinner in the squad is Ravi Bishnoi.

Jitesh Sharma, who has been picked as the reserve wicket-keeper, has not played since the IPL in June. The Vidarbha cricketer has not done much to write home about in the nine T20s he has been part of. He will be desperate to get a game.

The three games will serve as an audition for the four T20s in South Africa next month with majority of the T20 regulars remaining unavailable due to the proximity of the Australia Tests, starting November 22. The series will also provide the IPL franchises more clarity on the Indian players they want to retain ahead of the mega auction.

Bangladesh start life without Shakib Al Hasan

It is almost impossible to fill the shoes of someone like Shakb Al Hasan but Bangladesh will have to plan life without the champion all-rounder. Shakib recently announced his retirement from Tests and T20s, leaving a huge void in the team.

Bangladesh were outplayed in the preceding Test series but with majority of the T20 players not part of those two games, they won’t be carrying any baggage into the white-ball leg of the tour.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been recalled to the side after 14 months. Veteran batter Mahmud Ullah stands at the crossroads of his career and a productive series against the world champions might give him an extra dose of motivation to continue.

International cricket returns to Gwalior after 14 years

Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Stadium, build on the outskirts of the city, will make its international debut on Sunday. Organising an international match in a smaller centre does have its fair share of challenges but host MPCA is ready despite a few hiccups.

A wall on the periphery of the stadium had caved in last month following unusually heavy rains in the region but has been repaired.

Captain Roop Singh Stadium in the city had hosted Gwalior’s last international match in 2010 when Sachin Tendulkar smashed a famous double hundred.

Squads: Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah, Litton Kumer Das, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rakibul Hasan.

India’s squad for 3 T20Is against Bangladesh: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Thilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav. 

Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja opened up on Ravichandran Ashwin’s performance in the India-Bangladesh Test series and said that the 38-year-old has not received the kind of status as an all-rounder that he deserves. In the recently concluded two-match Test series, Ashwin picked 11 wickets; he was also the highest wicket-taker along with Jasprit Bumrah. With the bat, he scored 114 runs at a strike rate of 83.21 in the two-match series. Ashwin was also named the ‘Player of the Series’ following his stunning display against the visitors.

The India spinner played a crucial 113-run knock from 133 balls in the first inning against Bangladesh in the Chennai Test. The 38-year-old bagged a six-wicket haul in the second inning, which helped the hosts clinch a 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test match.

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Ramiz said that it was an amazing Test series for Ashwin against Bangladesh. The former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman also praised the India spinner’s performance in the Chennai Test.

“See how the bowlers supported Rohit Sharma in this victory innings. Fast bowlers dominated in the first inning and spinners shined in the second inning. It was an amazing Test series for Ashwin. He scoring a century at home and also taking six wickets is an amazing mastery and an amazing all-round ability, perhaps he has not got the kind of status in cricket that he should get as an all-rounder,” Ramiz said.

The former cricketer added that the 38-year-old doesn’t make any drama and performs at every opportunity.

“Ashwin is no less than anyone else, he scores century at every opportunity, and takes wickets at every opportunity and doesn’t show too much pride, doesn’t make any drama after taking a wicket, doesn’t make any drama after scoring a century,” he added.

Talking about India’s series win over Bangladesh, Ramiz Raja said that Rohit Sharma’s side is the strongest team to beat on their home soil.

“India won the Test match easily against Bangladesh. At this point, India is the strongest team to beat on their home soil… Bangladesh had to do a lot to give a tough time to such a successful team because winning a Test match can only be a dream for any visiting team. Bangladesh didn’t have the capacity to challenge India…,” he further added.

Recapping the match, after two days of missed action, Bangladesh, having put to bat first by India, resumed their innings on day four. Momimul Haque (107 in 194 balls, with 17 fours and a six) hit a century that took Bangladesh to 233. Jasprit Bumrah picked up three, while Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin and Akash Deep picked up two. Ravindra Jadeja got one scalp.

With a relentless hunger for piling up runs on the board, India went after Bangladesh bowlers and declared on a score of 285/9. Yashasvi Jaiswal (72 in 51 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) and KL Rahul (68 in 43 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) hit quickfire fifties while Rohit (23), Virat Kohli (47) and Shubman Gill (39) also played quickfire knocks. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib al Hasan picked up four wickets each.

With a 52-run lead, India’s bowlers delivered a performance that forced the visitors to scamper for survival. Shadnam Islam did score a half-century, but Bangladesh folded on 146. Ashwin, Jadeja, and Bumrah got three scalps each.

India comfortably chased down the target of 95 runs and clinched a 7-wicket win, with Jaiswal (51 in 45 balls with eight fours and a six) and Virat (29 in 37 balls, with four boundaries) being key scorers.

India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is often an animated figure behind the stumps, and he was at his enthusiastic best against Bangladesh in the second Test at Kanpur. In fact, Pant came up with another hilarious piece of advice for India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, as India tried to dismiss well-set Bangladesh batter Mominul Haque. With Mominul coming low and looking to sweep Ashwin on every ball, Pant suggested that Ashwin can trap Mominul leg-before-wicket (LBW) even by hitting his helmet. “Helmet se ek LBW le sakta hai bhai (You can get him out LBW with his helmet),” said Pant to Ashwin from behind the stumps.

With Mominul standing at a height of barely 5’3″, him coming down to sweep would cause even his head to come near the line of the stumps. This prompted Pant to lend his spontaneous advice to Ashwin.

Rishabh Pant when Mominul was batting:

“Helmet se ek LBW le sakta hain bhai tu (you can take LBW from his helmet)”. pic.twitter.com/ghPBaJIbiw

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 30, 2024

However, Mominul ended up surviving every Indian bowler, en route to a fantastic 13th Test hundred and his first on Indian soil. He remained not out on 107, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 233.

On the other hand, Ashwin picked up the wickets of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan, to end with figures of 2/45 in 15 overs.

India vs Bangladesh, 2nd Test Day 4: As it happened

Three wickets by Jasprit Bumrah on Day 4 helped India bowl out Bangladesh for 233. In response, India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma gave them a flying start, guiding them to the fastest-ever team fifty in Test cricket history.

Rohit and Jaiswal helped India reach fifty in just three overs.

While Rohit got out soon after, Jaiswal continued the momentum alongside Shubman Gill. India reached the 100-run mark in 10.1 overs, also the fastest to that score in Test history, beating their own record from 2023, when they achieved 100 in just 12.2 overs against West Indies.

Mayank Yadav‘s chances of making an India debut might be getting closer with the selectors including him in a special camp to be held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru ahead of the T20I series against Bangladesh. Mayank, who burst onto the scene in IPL 2024 with six wickets in his first two games, has suffered lengthy injuries. However, with the speedster – who clocked 156.7 kmph during the IPL – coming back into rhythm, he is reportedly in the mix to feature in the India squad.

“The selectors are interested to see how ready he (Mayank Yadav) is for international cricket. With the long Test season ahead, the selectors are keen on trying new faces for the T20Is against Bangladesh,” a BCCI source said, as quoted by The Times of India.

The official confirmed that Mayank’s injury problems seem to be behind him, and he is training hard at the NCA.

“Mayank hasn’t complained of any pain for the last month or so. He is bowling full tilt at the NCA,” said Mayank.

Reportedly, the special camp will be for players who have been out of action but are in contention to make the T20I squad. Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma are expected to be in the camp.

“Mayank is bowling close to 20 overs with the white ball in three separate spells in a day. There is a strong chance of selectors picking him for the Bangladesh series after seeing him in the NCA,” the official further added.

As per the report, BCCI and the selectors have planned a pathway to slowly involve Mayank in the scheme of things and see how he progresses. Although he hasn’t been declared fit enough to play Ranji Trophy, he is reportedly also in contention to be a part of the India set-up for the three-match Test series against New Zealand at home.

“The selectors don’t want him to be restricted to the T20 format. Therefore, they want to carefully monitor his progress,” revealed the official.

What may also play into Mayank’s favour is that both head coach Gautam Gambhir and newly-appointed bowling coach Morne Morkel have worked with him before at the Lucknow Super Giants.

India’s T20I series against Bangladesh kicks off from October 6, while the Test series against New Zealand begins on October 16.

A well-known Bangladesh cricket team fan, who dresses as a tiger, had to be hospitalised during Day 1 of the second Test match between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur on Friday. Robi, who is often seen on camera waving a Bangladeshi flag with tiger make-up on his face, was in stand C of the Green Park Stadium and he was carried out of the venue in an incident that he first claimed to be a case of physical assault. However, in a statement issued from his hospital bed later, he said he merely felt unwell and was given the necessary assistance by the local police.

The Uttar Pradesh Police said in their official statement that Robi fell ill during the match.

According to a report by RevSportz, the Bangladesh fan has a history of making wild allegations and he also takes pleasure in ‘talking ill about India’. A BCCI source even called him a sensationalist.

During the first Test in Chennai, he made allegations about the local fans ‘abusing him’ but admitted that he did not understand a single word of Tamil. He was also accused of allegedly doing a Facebook live from the stands at the M Chidambaram Stadium – something that is not allowed by the authorities.

The report also said that a lot of Bangladeshi reporters took his allegations with a pinch of salt and a journalist from the Bangladeshi news portal Prothom Alo even said – “He is an attention-seeker”.

Abhishek Pandey, ACP (Kalyanpur), said Robi received immediate medical care and insisted that he had not been assaulted as alleged in early reports.

“During the Test match between India and Bangladesh, one of the spectators whose name is Tiger, suddenly fell ill,” the officer stated.

“As soon as he fell ill, he was picked up by the police and was sent to the medical team for treatment. He is fine now and a liaison officer as been attached to him so that he can get help if needed.

“There were some reports of assault but these are baseless, no such incident happened with him. He might have taken a fall, this is what we have been able to gather,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)

Star Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan on Thursday admitted that travelling to India is the toughest Test assignment and pitches don’t make much difference due to the sheer quality of the hosts. Bangladesh are still searching for their first Test win against India since 2000, when they first clashed in Dhaka. The two teams have played 14 times against each other with India winning 12 contests while the remaining two ended in draws.

“If you look at other countries, every now and then they will lose one or two games. But in India, you hardly see them losing in Test matches. So yes, I would say you are right,” Shakib told reporters when asked if a tour to India was indeed the toughest assignment.

“We won against them in the ODI series in Bangladesh, we were very close to win a game against them in a Test match in Bangladesh. In Test cricket, we haven’t got the success that we are looking for. Tomorrow we will have another opportunity.

“I thought in patches we played really well in Chennai. But having said that, finishing the match in three-and-a-half days wasn’t ideal for us. We felt like we were a better team than that. So, we need to show that in tomorrow’s match,” he added.

Bangladesh did extremely well to win the Test series 2-0 in Pakistan before coming to India, and Shakib drew a comparison between the two teams.

“Pakistan is a relatively new team. In experience, I would say, if you look at the matches they played and if you look at our team and the matches we have played, we have got more experience than them. And in Test cricket I think that is a massive factor.

“If I talk about India, they are the number one team in the World Championship at this moment. They are probably unbeatable at home. I saw a stat somewhere where for some 4000 days they have been unbeaten in India. So, that shows how good they are in India.

“They have been doing well outside India as well. Any country that came to India finding it difficult, we are no different there. But having said that, we have to play really well against them to be able to show the fight that we feel like we can put on,” he noted.

Asked if a spin-friendly pitch in Kanpur would help their cause, Shakib was clear that tracks are not a big factor when it comes to competing against quality teams.

“When you play against a team like India, Australia, England, pitches don’t matter much because they will obviously have their weapon with which they can attack us.

“They will have quality spinners, they will have quality fast bowlers, they will have quality batsmen. So, I don’t think pitch will have any effect. It’s just we have to perform better than what we have done in Chennai.” Shakib exhorted the young Bangladeshi batters to score big for the team to be competitive.

“If I talk about batting only, I think there has been an improvement. If you see from the first innings to the second innings. First innings we bowled out for about 150.

“In the second innings, we scored about 250. If we can score 350, somewhere there, I think that will be a huge improvement. And 350 to 400 on first innings will give us a lot of confidence and the dressing room will feel a lot more comfortable,” he said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Tuesday that Sarfaraz Khan will be released to play for Mumbai in the Irani Cup 2024 if he is not included in the playing XI for the second Test match against Bangladesh starting Friday. There have been a lot of conversation regarding Sarfaraz’s future after he was not involved in the first Test match and BCCI have now provided a concrete answer. “Sarfaraz Khan who has been retained in the Team India squad for the 2nd Test, will be released to represent the Mumbai team subject to him not being involved in the second Test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur,” the BCCI release said.

Yash Dayal and Dhruv Jurel were also included in the Rest Of India squad but their participation will also depend on whether they play against Bangladesh.

“Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal have been selected in the Rest of India squad and their participation is subject to them not being involved in the second Test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur. The 2^nd Test will begin from 27^th September,” the media release further stated.

Ajinkya Rahane is all set to lead Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the upcoming Irani Cup game against Rest of India in Lucknow, which will also mark all-rounder Shardul Thakur‘s return to first-class cricket post surgery.

It is understood that all top players including Shreyas Iyer, Musheer Khan, Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian are supposed to play the match.

According to PTI, Suryakumar Yadav, who is India’s T20 skipper, and all-rounder Shivam Dube, both of whom are automatic picks in the Indian T20 squad, won’t be playing the Irani Cup as they would have to report in Gwalior on October 3 for the T20I series starting October 6

Rest of India squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (WK)*, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar

(With PTI inputs)