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Jacques Faul appointed acting CEO of CSA

Published in Cricket
Saturday, 07 December 2019 05:46

CSA have appointed Dr Jacques Faul as acting CEO. Faul replaces Thabang Moroe, who was suspended on Friday on allegations of misconduct.

Faul is currently CEO of the Titans, the franchise based at SuperSport Park and has acted as CSA head before. He filled the role in 2012, between the Gerald Majola and Haroon Lorgat administrations.

At a media briefing on Saturday afternoon, CSA president Chris Nenzani also confirmed that former captain Graeme Smith is in in "final talks," with the organisation to take on the role of director of cricket. Smith was interviewed for the position last month, alongside suspended interim director of cricket Corrie van Zyl and former national selector Hussein Manack, but withdrew interest citing lack of confidence in the administration. He has since indicated on social media that negotiations are ongoing.

South Africa begin a four-Test, three ODI and three T20I series against England, starting on Boxing Day.

More to follow

Nicol David hosts Dream event in KL

Published in Squash
Saturday, 07 December 2019 02:57

Nicol David (right) has invited former rival Sarah Jane Perry to appear in her Dream Remains Exhibition event in Malaysia

SJP heads up the draw as Nicol aims to grow the game in Malaysia 
By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor

Nicol David is working quickly to fill the void created by her recent retirement from international squash. She is working hard to inspire the next generation of young talent in Malaysia and is inviting juniors to get alongside the world’s leading stars in a new event, called The Dream Remains Exhibition, taking place on December 19-20.

Nicol David is one of the most successful players in squash history, winning the world title eight times, and she was ranked world number one for a total of 112 months with a run of 109 consecutive months at the top of the rankings.

Looking ajead to her new event, Nicol said: “I’m thrilled to announce that I will be hosting for the first time in Kuala Lumpur a professional squash event called The Dream Remains Exhibition at the Nicol David Arena, inside the National Squash Complex in Bukit Jalil, with the support of the National Sports Council (MSN) and the Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia (SRAM).

“After my retirement I launched my campaign called The Dream Remains. I shared the view that I still feel I have more dreams to accomplish looking to the future, and this event is one of them. I wish to motivate our junior players and all squash enthusiasts to take up the sport that changed my life.

“This event will be open for everyone and it is 100 per cent free entry to come and watch top level squash being played right here in Kuala Lumpur.

“We will have four professional women players including our very own Malaysian Low Wee Wern (World No.24), together with England’s Sarah-Jane Perry (No.7), Belgium’s Tinne Gilis, (No.26) and Canada’s Hollie Naughton (No.28).

“As part of the experience for the spectators I will also be making an appearance by playing on court with the future junior players of Malaysia. It will be my first time playing here in Malaysia after my retirement.

“The matches are scheduled to start at 4.30pm local time on both the 19th and 20th. On day one we will have two semi-finals matches and on the 20th we will host the 3rd/4th play-off followed by the Grand Final.

“This initiative is designed to bring more squash interest back into Malaysia and a special moment for me to share with the crowd and junior players from all around our country. I am looking forward to a large crowd dropping in to enjoy the action.”

The Nicol David Arena at Bukit Jalil

Posted on December 7, 2019

Liverpool face Club World Cup stadium change

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 07 December 2019 04:03

Qatar's Education City Stadium will not host matches during the FIFA Club World Cup this month after the official opening of the venue was postponed until early 2020, soccer's world governing body said on Saturday.

The change means Liverpool's two fixtures in the competition will take place at the Khalifa International stadium instead.

FIFA said the construction of the Education City Stadium was complete and the venue was operational, but the necessary certification processes took longer than expected and the stadium was unable to host test events at full capacity prior to the tournament.

The Education City Stadium was due to host three games in the Dec. 11-21 event, including a semifinal involving European champions Liverpool on Dec. 18, as well as the third-place playoff and the final.

The 45,416-capacity Khalifa International Stadium -- the home of Qatar's national team -- will now host those matches.

"The priority is to ensure an enjoyable experience for all fans, so it was decided to open the [Education City] stadium at a later date," FIFA said.

Meanwhile, Liverpool released their own statement, which read: "As per our protocols, we will now send relevant LFC officials to Qatar in the coming days to inspect Khalifa International Stadium.

"We will update supporters next week on any additional information as a result of the change of stadium."

Liverpool's opening Club World Cup clash in Qatar on Dec. 18 takes place a day after the club's Carabao Cup tie against Aston Villa, forcing Jurgen Klopp to name two different squads across the fixtures.

The 23-man squad for the Club World Cup includes youngsters Neco Williams, Harvey Elliott, Rhian Brewster and Curtis Jones, with Liverpool set to play an inexperienced side against Villa, consisting of academy players.

Liverpool's under-23 coach Neil Critchley will manage the team that will play against Villa, while Klopp and his staff will travel with the first-team squad to Qatar.

Real Madrid wear green kit to raise Climate Change awareness

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 07 December 2019 03:48

Real Madrid are hoping that the world takes notice of the fact they are wearing green rather than white today...

The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place.

Jump to: Mbappe gets his own Nike trainers | Mourinho misses out on AJ fight

Real Madrid have broken with tradition to wear green shirts against Espanyol at the Bernabeu this weekend.

Eschewing their famous white strip, Real went "green" (by wearing their third kit) to help raise awareness of the city's Castellana Verde initiative.

Real Madrid have thrown their support behind the Castellana Verde ("Green Zone"), a series of ecologically conscious events and activities taking place in Madrid as part of the 25th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25).

The club have also unfurled a huge 36x20 metre "eco banner" at the Bernabeu that will greet matchgoing fans and will remain in place until the Madrid climate change conference ends on Dec. 13.

Mbappe gets his own Nike trainers

Cementing his arrival as a pop culture icon, Kylian Mbappe has been furnished with his very own pair of signature Nike sneakers.

Featuring the PSG star's "KM" logo, the new Air Max 98 trainers are reportedly the first offering from what may well end up being a full Mbappe collection.

The original Air Max 98 trainer was released in the year Mbappe was born, so it seems fitting that his personal model be based on it while featuring contemporary "urban camo" colourway.

There are also several other nods to the 20-year-old striker, including the French flag and No. 93, in reference to the administrative number of the Seine-Saint-Denis arrondissement of Paris (nicknamed "The 93") where Mbappe grew up.

Mourinho misses out on AJ fight

Jose Mourinho has revealed that he gave up the chance to go to the big boxing bout this weekend, Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz II in Saudi Arabia, to lead his new side Tottenham out against Burnley.

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Mourinho's plans to watch Joshua vs. Ruiz are ruined

Jose Mourinho explains he was going to watch Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr., but the Spurs job got in the way.

"It's the only bad thing about getting the job at Tottenham," he said. "I was invited by the Prince to be there."

Jobs eh? They really suck sometimes.

LIVE: Chelsea travel to managerless Everton

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 07 December 2019 02:32

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Grand Finals: will teenagers usher in new dawn?

Published in Table Tennis
Saturday, 07 December 2019 01:20

It’s always hard to look towards the top and not find it crowded by a sea of familiar faces.

Favourites

Ma Long, Olympic and World champion, Fan Zhendong the recent winner of the Chengdu Airlines 2019 Men’s World Cup all appear on the entry list. Likewise, Chinese national team colleague, Xu Xin, ITTF World Tour winner this year in Japan, Korea and Australia, is named. Notably from Europe, Germany’s Timo Boll, gold medallist at the European Games, will ply his skills.

However, there is a fresh name in the mix this year.

Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju appears on the list having made waves throughout this calendar year. Lin most recently has moved to a career high no.7 on the world rankings, after beating Ma Long to a bronze medal finish in Chengdu!

Add the fact that earlier this year on the ITTF World Tour he won in the Czech Republic; his efforts bode well for the Grand Finals.

Defending champion

However, he is not the only teenager to be considered a major challenger for honours; Tomokazu Harimoto, the defending champion, also joins the party in Zhengzhou. Last year in Incheon, at the age of 15 years and 172 days, Harimoto broke all records to become the youngest ever men’s singles champion at the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.

A year later and he is ready to defend his crown, gold in Bulgaria, silver at Hong Kong as well as the runners up position at the Men’s World Cup are all in his backpack.

Defending the title will be a tough task with other previous winners on show. Back in the no.1 spot on the world rankings, Xu Xin won in 2012 in Hangzhou and in 2013 in Dubai; Fan claimed the title in 2017 in Astana. Ma Long has won five times, Timo Boll succeeded in 2005.

The dark horses

Meanwhile, there are plenty of athletes on show in Zhengzhou who it would be imprudent to ignore as possible winners. The pick of the bunch is China’s Lin Gaoyuan. He had the best start to the 2019 World Tour; he won in Hungary and Hong Kong, Lin has set a clear marker as to his intention to reach the Grand Finals.

In his way will stand his compatriot Liang Jingkun and the Sweden’s Mattias Falck. Liang as a semi-finalist at the Liebherr 2018 World Championships in April, the tournament in which Falck excelled reaching the final.

In addition, on the same day in February, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano won the Universal 2019 Pan America Cup; Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov secured victory at the CCB 2019 Europe Top 16 tournament.

Potential surprises

Major names but there are others who can most certainly upset the order.

Leading that panel is another German, Patrick Franziska, he consistently reached the latter stages on this year’s ITTF World Tour. Very much in the same category is Japan’s Jun Mizutani, the winner at the Grand Finals in Seoul in 2010 and Bangkok in 2014.

Meanwhile, always competitive, Korea Republic’s Jeoung Youngsik and Hong Kong China’s Wong Chun Ting, alongside the host nation’s Zhao Zihao are all players who can make an impact.

Who will stake a claim in the coming fortnight?

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Doddie Weir: The rugby legend who won't give in to MND

Published in Rugby
Friday, 06 December 2019 16:23

Three years ago, Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir was given the devastating news he had motor neurone disease.

Doddie's doctor told him he would be in a wheelchair within a year. Half of sufferers can expect to live for about 18 months.

But the former Scotland and Lions star never left the rugby field without a fight, and he was determined that he would not give in to the disease.

Three years on, he is still walking, still going to his boys' rugby matches, still battling MND - and on a mission to find a cure.

'He said it would be fine'

Back in 2016, Doddie's son Hamish had spotted the signs that something was wrong before he knew his dad was sick.

Doddie had taken him for "one of their chats", a walk around the family farm in the Borders.

Hamish said: "We took a rugby ball and we passed it backwards and forwards and he struggled a lot with his left hand.

"But you know what he is like, he said it would be fine."

But things wouldn't be fine.

Later that year, Doddie shut his hand in a door. It hurt, and it kept hurting. Long after it should have healed, his hand started to twitch.

At the end of 2016, Doddie was told he had motor neurone disease.

His wife Kathy recalled the exact moment that changed their lives forever.

"When we were sat in that doctor's office and he said, 'You have MND' it was a big blow to me. It was a shock.

"We know things aren't going to be the same and we are not going to get that long retirement thing that we planned for.

"But at least we've got the time and the warning. We've been given this chance to make the most of our lives."

'The Mad Giraffe'

Doddie Weir is one of the best-known names in Scottish rugby history.

The 49-year-old started playing rugby for Stewart's Melville RFC. He went on to play for Melrose in the Borders, winning multiple Scottish championships with the club before joining Newcastle Falcons in 1995.

He won 61 Scottish caps through the 90s, and was selected for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 1997.

A big favourite with the Murrayfield crowd, the 6ft 6in lock was famously described by commentator Bill McLaren as as being "on the charge like a mad giraffe".

Away from the pitch he is best known as the man in the tartan suit - a sportsman and speaker, TV pundit, businessman and family man.

Doddie and Kathy kept the news to themselves over Christmas and told family in January 2017.

They didn't go public until after son Hamish had sat his exams the following spring.

They decided to make the announcement on world MND Day - 19 June - in an effort to raise awareness of the condition.

Doddie promised he was going to raise money to help with research and to help people with motor neurone disease.

MND is the name of a group of illnesses affecting the nerves controlling motor functions - the movement of muscle. MND stops signals reaching the muscles. Over time the muscles weaken and stop working, inhibiting the ability to walk, talk, eat or drink unaided.

There is currently no cure and only one medicine has been licensed in the UK in the last 25 years, which can prolong life for about one to two months.

High-profile sufferers include scientist Stephen Hawking, footballer Fernando Ricksen and campaigner Gordon Aikman.

Angry and frustrated

In August 2017, Doddie gave an interview to his fellow Scotland rugby star, BBC broadcaster John Beattie.

John would follow his progress for the next two years to compile the BBC Scotland documentary Doddie Weir: One More Try.

Doddie was angry and frustrated, saying it wasn't acceptable to have a condition for which there was no cure.

While there are exceptions - Stephen Hawking died 55 years after his diagnosis - about half of sufferers die within three years of developing symptoms.

Doddie used the interview to launch his charity, the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, and said he wanted to "stop the disease".

There were tears when he said wanted to see his boys grow up, learn to drive, give them advice about girlfriends and do the things his dad did for him.

At this point, the MND was mainly affecting Doddie's hands, making everyday tasks like fastening a button difficult.

Frustration would be the prevalent emotion over the next two years - frustration at the medical profession, and frustration at the lack of help after his diagnosis.

Kathy said: "Doddie is just desperate to try something.

"He is good at the moment and we need to keep going on.

"He'll be here in five years, 10 years' time. He'll have got the cure by then."

As the year went on, Doddie began showing more physical signs of decline. His shoulders had wasted. His hands had deteriorated. He joked about needing two hands to lift a pint.

'I want to finish what Joost started'

Doddie Weir is not the first rugby international to face MND.

In 2011, South Africa's Joost van der Westhuizen revealed he had been diagnosed with the condition.

Doddie met Joost at Murrayfield many years before his illness and found him an inspirational character.

Joost died in early 2017, not long after Doddie's own diagnosis. Doddie studied his J9 Foundation, which seeks to raise awareness as well as improve the emotional and physical care of MND sufferers.

Doddie's foundation has now spent £4m over the last two years - £3.5m on research and £500,000 to help improve people's lives by providing cash for things like stair lifts, holidays and wheelchairs. It is also working on an end of life care package for patients.

The most important tip Doddie took from Joost was the benefit of positive thinking. "Use it or lose it" became his mantra.

'It was a great moment'

By 2018, the family was trying to cram a lifetime of memories into as short a time as possible.

One of those memories came in November when Doddie and his teenage sons Hamish, 18, Angus, 17, and Ben, 15 , delivered the match day ball before Scotland's match with New Zealand at Murrayfield.

Hamish said: "As soon as I walked out it was amazing. It was the support that hit me. I was speechless. Looking back it was surreal and an experience I'll never have again.

"Gregor Townsend played a part in getting dad out. But I think that was the point when it hit dad.

"You could see him welling up, that's when it hit me. I think Gregor told them to go out and do it for Doddie. It was a great moment."

Doddie also wrote his autobiography, My Name'5 Doddie - a reference to his number five shirt number - and said one of the reasons was to let his sons know what he got up to on the tours with the Lions.

'Sympathy is lovely to get but hard to take'

During 2018 Doddie and his foundation trustees also agreed their first investment into MND Research - £400,000 to support the work of Chris Shaw, Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics, and his team at King's College London. They are spearheading work on gene therapy for Sporadic Motor Neurone Disease.

That came as more signs of the disease were starting to show.

Doddie said he was trying not to lose weight and joked that he never had a lot of muscle in the first place.

He said: "I can keep walking, talking, eating and sleeping unaided.

"Dressing is hard work. Eating, bringing hands to my mouth and drinking is getting more difficult.

"I'm maybe very lucky in some ways. It's directly started with my hands. Other people it starts with their voice, their eating, their legs. So in a way I can still do everything, although things are maybe a little bit slower than they used to be."

He said hardest part was when people said thank you.

"Sympathy is lovely to get but hard to take. It's just the emotional side of things that is hitting us hard," he said.

'Hopefully one day we'll get a cure'

The start of 2019 was accompanied by building work at the Weirs' home in the Borders.

A pod was fixed onto the side of the house which put all of Doddie's accommodation on the ground floor for when he needs it.

He explained: "This is for the eventuality that I can't go upstairs in the house. A room will be converted into my bedroom. The pod is at the side of the house and that can be moved on to someone else at a later date."

Doddie's engagements were cut back and he gave up his day-to-day work.

But he has also made more memories, picking up his OBE for services to rugby and to charity from the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

He said: "It's another memory for myself and the family and this horrendous MND.

"Hopefully one day together we'll all get a cure and I'll be here to annoy a lot of people for a long time. That's the goal."

However, June 2019 brought devastating news to the Weir family.

Doddie's beloved mother, Nanny, died after more than two years battling cancer. Her second diagnosis came at the same time as Doddie was diagnosed with MND.

Speaking shortly after her funeral, Doddie said: "Life has been pretty tough of late, losing mother. But it's one of the sure things that does happen. She had cancer and she was very strong."

Her death made Doddie contemplate the future.

He said: "I just wake up and get on with it. With Kathy - it must be difficult for her. I can see what is happening long-term, but she - bless her - can't do anything about it.

"We have a cuddle now and again to bring us all together and appreciate what we've got.

"I am one of the lucky ones - two-and-a-half years in and I am still here."

'I'm still here, still living life'

At the start of filming, neither Doddie nor John Beattie expected he would still be reasonably mobile by the time of their last interview in November 2019.

Despite what he was warned about three years ago, there is still no feeding tube, no oxygen mask, no stair lift.

But things have changed.

Doddie is thinner. He also has to cut his food up small and sometimes he wears a neck brace. He has just returned from a family holiday to Majorca where he choked on a piece of toast.

"The first one went down okay," said Doddie. "The second one got stuck in my throat. I had to ask for a serious bit of help from my good lady. If Kathy wasn't there and she didn't thump me in the back, I could have been in a bit of serious trouble."

He has had several falls. He says he has been complacent and needs to be aware of his condition.

Apart from that, he is still doing everything he was doing nine months ago.

He said: "Why the progress is so slow we do not know. I don't think the professionals know either. But I am still here, still living life and still continuing."

He tells John: "The setting of goals now is smaller - getting up the stairs or getting out to check the cows. And getting to the weekend to watch the boys' rugby."

But there is still one big goal - the big party which is being planned for his 50th birthday in July next year.

Talking about this causes Doddie to break down. He is emotional talking about family.

An incidental connection?

Doddie has also reconsidered his view on rugby's part in his disease.

Speaking in 2017, he was sceptical about any link between the sport and the condition.

He now says that, with hindsight, there could have been "some sort of incidental connection".

Doddie recalled being injured while playing in a game four years ago.

"They say these sort of collisions could have an effect on the brain," he said.

"Looking back it was probably not long after that injury that I got MND. But there are a lot of people who get MND who don't play rugby."

'If you give in what's the point of living?'

Doddie says he doesn't regret letting the camera into his family's lives.

"The reason for doing this is to try to explain the frustrations," he said.

"From the day we were told I had MND there's been nothing on the table that people with MND can get hold of. That's unacceptable. The journey with the camera is to tell people what's out there, to tell people to keep a positive outlook - because that's the best and only drug that's available at the moment."

Doddie says he and Kathy are closer now because she has to do more for him - which now includes shaving. The boys are helping too.

He said: "The kids are doing things not a lot of teenagers don't need to do - like having to help dress their old boy. But that's life. They are adapting well."

Doddie won't let MND encroach on his life. He has still not agreed to having a peg (feeding tube) in his stomach.

He said: "In my head it's giving in.

"If I allowed the peg to go in, I wouldn't be able to swim - and swimming and aqua aerobics are an important part of keeping me where I am.

"I'm not giving in. If you give in what's the point of living? To me, the kids have still got a lot to do, and I'd like to support them.

"If you give in, I think the whole body gives in. That'll be the end and I don't want that to happen."

Doddie Weir: One More Try will be shown on the BBC Scotland Channel on 6 December at 19:00, and will be available on the BBC iPlayer.

"Ball dekho, maaro." (See ball, hit ball)

Speaking to Chahal TV for the BCCI website, this was how KL Rahul summed up his approach and mindset after getting to a start in India's pursuit of 208 against West Indies in the T20I series opener in Hyderabad. In stark contrast to his captain Virat Kohli's early struggles at the other end, Rahul seamlessly built on his start and converted it into a 40-ball 62. It was Rahul's innings that set the scene for the angry Kohli masterclass in the latter half of the chase.

When Rahul had broken into first-class cricket in 2010, he was a proper top-order batsman whose game was founded on the old-school virtues: leaving anything that's wide of off stump and playing the balls that threaten the stumps with a dead-straight bat.

Rahul, however, unlocked the white-ball monster in him during IPL 2018, when he racked up 659 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 158.41. He followed it up with 593 runs in 14 matches in 2019, having expanded his range with a variety of sweeps, scoops and big hits. Some of that funkiness has perhaps seeped into his red-ball game and as a result he has been jettisoned from the Test squad.

His white-ball form, though, is reaching a stage where it might be just too hard to ignore. Rahul might not have even started the series had Shikhar Dhawan been fit. This, despite being at the forefront of Karnataka's 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali title defence. Rahul had tallied 313 runs in eight innings at an average of 52.16 and strike rate of 155.72, including some tough runs on spin-friendly tracks in Surat.

On the eve of the T20I series against West Indies, Kohli was even asked if the management might consider bumping Rishabh Pant to the top, but the India captain shot that thought down quickly and indicated that Rahul will slot in alongside Rohit Sharma.

Trying to make best use of chance at the top of the order - KL Rahul

KL Rahul on getting to open the innings in T20Is and the new front-foot no-ball monitoring system

Rohit picked out deep midwicket for 8 off 10 balls in India's steep chase in Hyderabad and Kohli just couldn't find his bearings early on at the other end. West Indies' bowlers, particularly Sheldon Cottrell, varied their pace and lengths smartly to make life more difficult for India.

After Cottrell had softened Rohit with a length ball that burst off the track and pinged his right glove, left-arm fingerspinner Khary Pierre made the incision for West Indies. However, Rahul continued to pick off runs in risk-free fashion.

Having all the shots is one thing and knowing when to use them is another. When Cottrell or Holder found some extra bounce and aimed for the fourth stump, Rahul simply rode it and tapped it behind point, down towards third man.

Only when the ball was well short and wide of off did Rahul unleash the full-blooded cut. Hayden Walsh Jr. was the best fielder of CPL 2019, his athletic interventions at backward point turned games as much as his wristspin did for eventual champions Barbados Tridents. Just ask West Indies and Trinbago Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard. It was a moment of brilliance in the field from Walsh Jr. that ran out Pollard in the second qualifier and KO'd Knight Riders.

On Friday night, Rahul cracked a brace of square-cuts, beating a sprawling Walsh Jr. - both to his left and right for fours. Then, after bedding in, in the last over of the Powerplay, Rahul brought out his attacking enterprise. He backed away to left-arm fingerspinner Pierre and slog-swept him over square leg for six. See ball, hit ball.

In the next over, Rahul used the extra pace of Walsh Jr. to his advantage and dabbed him fine of short third man for four. He also rotated the strike without much fuss and raised his fifty off 37 balls. During the process, Rahul passed 1000 T20I runs in his 29th innings.

Just when Rahul was about to hit full tilt, having sent Kesrick Williams and Pierre for sixes over midwicket, he holed out to long-off while attempting a third six. By then, Kohli had found his touch and India eventually sailed to victory.

"[It's] important to lay a solid foundation as an opener because there are power hitters in the back end," Rahul told Star Sports after the match. "Playing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy helped a lot. Doesn't matter how many hours you spend in the nets. Winning games gives me the most confidence. Did that with Karnataka, happy to do it with India. Good that I can carry my confidence across tournaments."

Rahul has two more T20Is in this series to extend his rich white-ball form and give the Indian management another happy headache in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia - the scene of his Test debut - next year.

"It's a long way [away], honestly," Rahul said of the T20 World Cup, at the post-match press conference. "I've got the opportunity to bat at the top of the order again after a couple of series. So [I'm] looking forward to just making the best use of it. Today was a good outing, a good hit in the middle, and hopefully I just continue the same thing and not worry about October next year, there are a lot of games before that."

New South Wales 0 for 1 trail Queensland 240 (Street 58, Conway 5-15, Hatcher 3-40) by 239 runs

Harry Conway took four wickets in an over to wrap up Queensland's first innings on the opening day at the SCG and finished with 5 for 15 as tournament leaders New South Wales took the honours.

Conway ripped through the lower order as Queensland went form 6 for 240 to 240 all out in the space of six deliveries. It was the third five-wicket haul Conway had taken against them this season following figures of 5 for 17 and 5 for 39 at the Gabba in October.

The dramatic conclusion to proceedings came at the end of a steady ebb and flow throughout the day as New South Wales worked hard for their successes after Queensland won the toss.

Bryce Street and Matt Renshaw added 50 for the first wicket before Renshaw became Liam Hatcher's maiden first-class wicket when he edged to third slip. This is Hatcher's first Sheffield Shield match but second first-class outing, the previous one coming four years ago for the Cricket Australia XI against New Zealand in a game that was abandoned with the CA XI 1 for 503 when the pitch at Blacktown broke up.

Hatcher finished with tidy figures of 3 for 40 after also claiming Street, caught at deep square for a 200-ball 58, and Sam Heazlett caught at second slip.

Usman Khawaja's lean first-class season continued when he was given caught behind although, not for the first time this summer, he did not look thrilled with the decision.

When Jack Wildermuth drove Steve O'Keefe to cover Queensland were struggling on 6 for 178 but Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser added 62 for the eighth wicket and it appeared the visitors had a chance to push for 300. Then Neser edged Conway to second slip and rest happened in the blink of an eye.

Bowling discipline key for West Indies after opening defeat

Published in Cricket
Saturday, 07 December 2019 01:23

Big picture

West Indies seldom put all their best T20 stars on the park at the same time, so watching them between world tournaments is often an exercise in fantasy squad building. If this guy weren't playing Global T20 Moldova, and if that other chap recovers from that knee injury…

It's also the reason why their performances since the 2016 World T20 - 12 wins, 26 losses - and even their more recent form - nine losses in their last ten games - feels less alarming than it looks. Sure, they have been losing a lot of games, but who's going to bet against them when next year's T20 World Cup rolls around?

West Indies' display in Hyderabad summed up the above. A line-up packed with power-hitters - but missing three or four other, equally gifted hitters - posted a big total, but their bowlers lost control of the game in dewy conditions, and India won with ease. West Indies lost, but the dormant-superpower narrative remained intact.

ALSO READ: Kohli compiles an anger-fuelled masterclass/b>

Losses like that might turn into wins if West Indies can assemble their best squad more often, but it can also happen if their bowlers get their act together. India completed their chase of 208 in 18.4 overs, and while that's 112 balls in theory, they actually got to face 123, thanks to all the wides and no-balls.

There will probably be dew in Thiruvananthapuram too, and sweaty palms thanks to the muggy heat, so West Indies' bowling discipline will once again come under the spotlight.

India, meanwhile, have a long-term issue of their own to address - or sidestep, depending on how the toss goes. You probably already know this, but it's worth reiterating: since the start of 2018, India have a 14-3 record while chasing, which becomes 8-7 when they bat first.

They hunted down their biggest-ever T20I target on Friday, and did so with ease, but it's still not certain that their batsmen know how to approach innings when they don't have a required rate in mind. Thiruvananthapuram may or may not give us answers to that particular puzzle.

Form guide

India WWWLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
West Indies LLLWL

In the spotlight

Yuzvendra Chahal needs one wicket to go past R Ashwin and become India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is. The selectors left him out of India's squads for the tour of the West Indies and the home series against South Africa, in order to try a few new options, but since his return, Chahal has reiterated his value in the shortest format. He bowls the difficult overs, uses his variations intelligently, reads batsmen's intentions better than most spinners, and picks up key wickets - as he showed by dismissing Shimron Hetmyer and Kieron Pollard in the 18th over in Hyderabad, to help keep West Indies from posting an even bigger total.

He took a beating at Virat Kohli's hands in Hyderabad, and finished with the worst-ever T20I figures by a West Indies bowler, but Kesrick Williams knows that such days are part and parcel of a T20 bowler's life. West Indies understand the value of his cutters and pace variations - among bowlers from Test-playing teams with a minimum of 20 wickets, he has the fourth-best strike rate of all time - and if the Thiruvananthapuram pitch offers a bit of grip, India might find him a little harder to put away.

Team news

India don't usually tinker much when series are still alive, which means Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami might have to continue waiting their turn.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Nicholas Pooran will most likely return to West Indies' line-up after serving his four-match ban for ball-tampering, and take the keeping gloves from Denesh Ramdin. Fabian Allen missed the first game with a knee injury, and it's unclear if he's recovered enough to play in Thiruvananthapuram.

West Indies (probable): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Brandon King, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Khary Pierre, 9 Kesrick Williams, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Hayden Walsh

Pitch and conditions

The Greenfield International Stadium has only hosted two international games - an ODI and a rain-affected T20I - and slow turn was a feature of both games. The ground hosted 14 games during the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (India's domestic T20 tournament), and spinners did well once again, averaging 20.85 and conceding 6.35 runs per over.

The weather is likely to be hot and humid, with a slight chance of rain.

Stats and trivia

  • Rohit Sharma (2547) and Virat Kohli (2544) are neck-and-neck at the top of the global T20I run charts.

  • West Indies don't have great memories of Thiruvananthapuram. They have played one game here, an ODI in November 2018, which they lost by nine wickets after being bowled out for 104.

  • West Indies hit a lot of sixes, but not fours. Among the 12 Test-playing teams, they have the worst balls-per-four ratio (11.40) since the end of the 2016 World T20 - England lead the way at 8.04 - and the third-best balls-per-six ratio (15.85) behind New Zealand (13.96) and Afghanistan (14.64). India sit in the middle of the pack on both counts, with the sixth-best balls-per-six ratio (17.64) and the seventh-best balls-per-four figure (8.63)

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