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The BCCI is attempting to prioritise the Ranji Trophy in what could be a tweaked format

Shamya Dasgupta02-Aug-2020It looks increasingly likely that India’s upcoming domestic season – which doesn’t have a start date yet – could extend until June next year, with the BCCI’s attempts to host the Ranji Trophy “a priority” and “at least one major tournament for women and at every age-group level” on the cards.”We are trying to get as much of the domestic season in as possible. It’s obviously impossible to start right away, and there’s also the matter of the IPL going to UAE. But we are trying to get a schedule in place,” a board official told ESPNcricinfo. “We will not be able to have everything this year, and we will only be able to start in November maybe. But the idea is to have a priority list of tournaments, and the Ranji Trophy is right on top of that list.”Whether we hold it in its current form or a truncated version, we don’t know yet. We don’t even know how much of a window we will have. That will depend on when we can start and till when we can go on, if we have the next IPL on schedule in April-May.”A total of 2036 games, across various age groups in the men’s and women’s categories, were played during the 2019-20 season. In normal circumstances, the season would have started in July-August and run till around March. Since there won’t be that much time this year, the BCCI is trying to work out a tweaked format, especially for the Ranji Trophy.ESPNcricinfo understands that one of the options being considered is a zonal format. It could be that one city in each zone, which can provide three or four decent venues, might become the centre of all the action; but even then, it all remains “totally fluid”. That aside, with Covid-19 numbers on the rise, the availability of hotels and much else is a worry. “It’s impossible to confirm anything till we know all these things,” the BCCI official said.ALSO READ: India women’s England tour cancellation ‘not a case of neglect’ – Shanta RangaswamyThat the domestic schedule could go completely haywire or could feature only a fraction of the regular number of games, was also a possibility.”Hopefully, if we’re able to find a level of cure or vaccine even towards the end of the year, we’ll be in a position to be able to complete, even if not the whole domestic season, but large parts of it,” Rahul Dravid, the National Cricket Academy boss, had said in a webinar hosted by on Friday. “Obviously prioritising what that would be is important so that young boys and girls don’t miss out on cricket for a year.”The next domestic season, for a lot of our young domestic players – juniors, Under-16s, Under-19s and women cricketers – start in October. If we aren’t able to get back to a level of normalcy from then – it could take longer – we’ll see the real impact on our domestic cricket and grassroots cricket.”ESPNcricinfo also spoke to a number of state associations and all of them confirmed that they are yet to hear from the BCCI. It might be relatively easier to have the women’s tournaments and the age-group tournaments, as they don’t clash with the IPL quite as much as the senior men’s events.Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, said on Sunday that the Women’s T20 Challenge, which takes place during the men’s IPL “is very much on” for 2020. And even if there is another such event next year, during the 2021 IPL, the BCCI official ESPNcricinfo spoke to said, “the women’s domestic schedule might be a little easier to organise, because we will have the IPL 2021 window to use, that’s a two-month window almost”.

Testing and the retesting that followed hasn’t shifted Pakistan’s focus away from cricket, says the captain

Umar Farooq27-Jun-2020Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali has said he and his team-mates made a pact during lockdown to keep their fitness intact so that the moment cricket could resume they would all be ready.The Pakistanis haven’t played any competitive cricket since the Pakistan Super League was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March earlier this year. However, with a tour of England on the horizon, some players have been working out at makeshift home gyms while those based in Lahore have been using the Qadar academy and the head coach Misbah-ul-Haq’s private net facility.Once Pakistan’s primary squad arrives in the UK, they start with two weeks of quarantine at Worcester, during which they’ll be able to train, and then move to Derby. They’re also set to play two internal warm-up gamess before the three Tests and three T20Is in August and September.”We are happy now,” Ali said in a pre-departure video conference from a hotel room in Lahore. “The wait is over and cricket is resuming. There is a lot of excitement and hunger to play cricket. For long, we were not able to play the cricket, a game we love the most and this was the toughest time. We’ve been through a lot of challenges in last few months being at home. We all have been in touch with each other on WhatsApp group and made a pact that we have to keep our fitness intact.”There were several who made gyms at home, few had found an isolated place to keep it going and made sure that we have keep our physical fitness. Because we know if we are in good shape, we can work on our skills at any stage later to regain our momentum. Now, we have a month in England for preparation and hopefully this is a sufficient time to focus on skills and get back in our groove.”ALSO READ: Hafeez among six Pakistanis to return negative resultsThe PCB had initially planned to send a squad of 29 players to the UK, but earlier this week ten of them tested positive for coronavirus. On Saturday, Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, announced that six of those ten returned negative results when they were tested a second time. The primary squad that will fly from Lahore to Manchester on Sunday will include 20 players and 11 support staff. The others will join them after returning two negative tests.”We weren’t worried assuming we don’t have any symptoms,” Ali said. “In fact, we never really imagined that few can still get positive result without even having any sign. So there and then we all started to get worried because we had spent tough times waiting for cricket and once it is about to start .. this sudden thing [ten players testing positive] happened. But then if anything like this meant to happen, you cannot control it. We knew about the testing process and we had to go though at least two tests before going to England so we were mentally prepared. But obviously this news about positive gave us a scare.”Did the testing and retesting that followed take Pakistan’s focus away from cricket? “Now this is a part and parcel of the game and we will get used to of it,” Ali said. There were [the] first couple of tests and once you are in a bio-secure environment you feel totally different. We were at home and came here [hotel] and we started to feel more secure. There are still challenges but cricket has to move forward this way for some time. It’s a tough time and we will try to entertain all the people out there waiting for cricket. So the boys are confident and looking forward for the tour which hopefully will go smoothly.”Pakistan last played Test cricket in February, when teenaged quick Naseem Shah ripped through Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. They were scheduled to play the second Test later in April, but the pandemic had thrown the sporting calendar out of gear by then. However, Ali still drew confidence from their recent success at home and previous trip to England in 2018.”Batting in England has always been tough but we did well in our previous outing,” he said. “At home in our previous Test, our batsmen had scored a lot of centuries and confidence is still there. So we have a lot to take to England. In England once we get 300-plus runs on the board, then I am hopeful that we will do well in the Test matches.”

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Pubudu Dassanayake, who coached Nepal from 2011 to 2015, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the job of USA’s head coach

Peter Della Penna29-Jul-2016Former Sri Lanka cricketer Pubudu Dassanayake, who coached Nepal from 2011 to 2015, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the job of USA’s head coach. Dassanayake, who lives close to Toronto, said he is looking for a challenge close to home after spending several years away with the Nepal side.”Nepal, they were from Division Four to Division One and played a World Cup and I want to do the same for USA,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo in Florida where he is participating in an ICC coaching seminar. “I think it’s a great place. There are great opportunities, a lot of talent in this country. I’d really like to see them come up the ranks and be in that World Cup setup.”Prior to his success with Nepal, Dassanayake coached Canada from 2007 to 2011, and helped them to the 2011 ODI World Cup in the sub-continent, Canada’s last major ICC event. Dassanayake also played for Canada after migrating from Sri Lanka following the end of his Test career and played in the 2005 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland.His ties to North American cricket make him a strong contender for the role. While coach of Nepal, Dassanayake racked up an impressive record against USA in ICC competitions, losing just once – at the 2013 ICC WCL Division Three in Bermuda – in six meetings.Anand Tummala, former USA and Ranji Trophy representative, is also in contention for the post. Tummala played briefly for Delhi before migrating to Atlanta in 2007. He made his only tour with USA in 2011, playing three T20s, including games against Canada and Afghanistan. Tummala, who is a Level Three Cricket Australia certified coach, also served as a guest coaching evaluator at last year’s ICC Americas Combine in Indianapolis. Tummala has also been in Florida this week as part of the ICC coaching seminar.Both Tummala and Dassanayake attended USA’s first training session in their week-long camp which began on Thursday, and will also be present at an exhibition match on Friday between a USA XI and a CPL Invitational XI in Lauderhill.Although the ICC wouldn’t comment on the applications, there are believed to be at least two more finalists with interviews beginning on Friday. USA will play three 50-over intra-squad trial matches in Florida next week among a 30-man squad, after which 14 will be selected for ICC WCL Division Four in Los Angeles from October 29 to November 5.

“It’s an encouraging sign because it could lead to an influx of money and more sponsor interest”

Annesha Ghosh27-Dec-2020The 2020 edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge (WT20C) logged 5.34 billion minutes in viewership in India. That’s a 2.45-times rise from the 2.20 billion minutes the 2019 edition recorded, with as many as 105 million unique viewers tuning into the three-team competition as opposed to last season’s 71 million viewers.Broadcast data obtained by ESPNcricinfo from Broadcast Audience Research Council India and Star, the media-rights holders of the BCCI, revealed that this year’s tournament, played alongside the playoffs of the IPL in the UAE, recorded a 147% increase in viewing minutes and 47% rise in unique viewers in India from 2019. The three-team tournament, held from November 4 to 9, was aired across 11 Star Sports channels as opposed to eight last year.Related

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“The record-breaking viewership for the Women’s T20 challenge is a testament to the love for women’s cricket in India,” Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports at Star India, said. “At Star India, we amplified the reach and engagement through a mega cast in five language-feeds [Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada] across 11 channels, giving it an unprecedented reach, similar to that of IPL.”In November, the BCCI had labelled the tournament “financially independent”, the 2020 edition having earned a title sponsor and multiple official sponsors. As such, the plan was to make it a four-team event this year, but it was played with three because of – although never officially explained – the uncertainty around the Covid-19 situation and the clash in scheduling with the Women’s Big Bash League.”I am delighted with the way the tournament has been received by TV-watching people in India in such a challenging year,” Jhulan Goswami, the veteran India pacer and member of this year’s winning team, Trailblazers, told ESPNcricinfo.”Women’s cricket, especially Indian women’s cricket, has been dealt a severe blow by the pandemic, and nothing seems to be on the horizon to get the ball rolling. This news [of the numbers] could help motivate not just those of us (who participated in the tournament) but also young girls in India dreaming to be professional cricketers despite seemingly insurmountable odds.”Goswami, who has been part of all three editions of the WT20C, said the increase in viewership made a “case for giving every chance to increase the visibility” of India’s “established and up-and-coming female cricketers”, whose performances in recent world tournaments “have expanded the team’s and their own fanbase.””The shift in the Indian public’s perception of the women cricketers began in the 2017 [ODI] World Cup [where India finished runners-up],” Goswami, who on Sunday was named in the ICC’s Women’s ODI Team of the Decade, said. “Since then, our T20I team played a World Cup semi-final [in 2018] and this year, in Australia, the final for the first time. That World Cup also had a massive following. Why? Because we beat strong opponents like Australia, New Zealand on our road to the final, we played fearless cricket.”An ICC release from earlier in the year vindicated Goswami’s argument.”India’s success in making it to the final,” read the statement issued in June, “boosted audience interest” in the 2020 T20 World Cup, making it the “most watched ICC women’s T20 event in history”. “India live viewing hours were 86.15m which is 152% higher than the 2018 tournament, driven by India’s success and the broadcast of select India matches by Star Sports…,” the statement read.Jhulan Goswami – “These numbers prove that the average cricket-watcher in India will turn the TV on and watch us play”•PUNIT PARANJPE / AFP

But what does all this mean in real terms? Could the spike in numbers have a direct bearing on the marketability of women’s cricket in the country?”To have that kind of a jump [in viewership], a two-and-a-half-times increase in a single year, is significant, extremely significant,” brand specialist Santosh Desai explained. “Even if it was from a relative-response base, [it] doesn’t matter… It’s an encouraging sign because it could lead to an influx of money and more sponsor interest which can catapult the game to higher levels. We are potentially at a point of inflection here. If it sustains and continues over next year, we could see it become a significant part of the annual calendar [in the near future].”How spectacle-worthy a sport is becomes an important determinant of viewership. Tuning into women’s sport is the first barrier in India because of prevailing stereotypes. But several factors, including the pandemic, the Indian team’s performance in recent years, improved skill-sets, individual distinction and style of some players – could have accelerated that process.”Goswami, meanwhile, hoped that the sustained growth in viewership of the WT20C, considered a precursor to an IPL-style league in India for women, could lead to better investment at the foundational rung of the women’s game in the country.”These numbers prove that if the average cricket-watcher in India is given the opportunity to see Indian women cricketers play, it’s likely they will turn the TV on and watch us play,” she said. “The Indian team’s players had not played any cricket since the T20 World Cup in March, and then came the T20 Challenge [about eight months later], so when people got a chance to watch us again, they did. Hope it translates in to more investment at the grassroots.”ESPNcricinfo and Star are part of the Walt Disney Company

Sydney Thunder coach is currently working with New Zealand, but is wary of international ‘grind’

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2019Shane Bond has registered his interest in becoming England bowling coach, with the role currently vacant following Chris Silverwood’s promotion to head coach.Bond, who is currently filling in for Shane Jurgensen as New Zealand’s bowling coach for the final games of the ongoing T20I series, already has several coaching positions around the world. He is Sydney Thunder’s head coach, bowling coach at Mumbai Indians, and will be an assistant coach at Southern Brave.He was previously a bowling consultant for England ahead of the first two Tests of the 2017-18 Ashes series, and said the role would “definitely” be of interest.”I think you look at everything that’s put in front of you, wherever the opportunities come up,” Bond said. “There was a massive clearing of the decks after the World Cup and coaches moved not only in the franchise world but in the international world as well.”I know all the English guys. I caught up with them in Christchurch when they down for their pre-season tournament [T20 warm-up fixtures]. I really enjoyed being with the team and liked the guys.”Whatever you’re doing as a coach, you want something that’s going to excite you, hopefully make you better, present a different opportunity – I think you look at everything that comes across your door.”But Bond may prefer to avoid the “grind” of an international role, and instead continue in his various positions on the global T20 circuit.”The biggest challenge of the international game is the grind of a coach,” he said. “Look at England in particular: 300 days a year on the road, it’s challenging on family life. Whether it’s coaches or players, good management of people is paramount.”Bond, who was capable of bowling at speeds well over 90mph during his own playing career, also backed Jofra Archer to star in the upcoming Test series.”I think you can see the impact he and someone like Lockie Ferguson had at the World Cup – the two teams who made the final arguably had the two fastest bowlers.”When you’ve got bowlers who operate over 150kph [93mph] and can bowl like those two can, then it’s never comfortable, particularly when you get down to [the tail]. There’s no doubt Jofra’s going to have an impact in the Test series coming up.”Meanwhile, the 11 players in England’s Test squad who are not playing in the T20 series have arrived in Auckland, where they will train before linking up with the rest of the touring party next week.The Test specialists will train with Darren Gough, who has been brought in for two weeks as a bowling consultant, and batting coach Graham Thorpe. They begin the tour with a two-day warm-up match in Whangarei on November 12.Joe Denly was back in the nets after his ankle injury•Getty Images

Joe Denly continued his recovery at England’s T20 nets session in Napier, after being ruled out for the series after straining ligaments in his right ankle. While still not fully fit, Denly had a bat and did some running and fielding in training, and it looks likely that he will be available for selection in the first Test at Mount Maunganui, which starts on November 21.Denly is likely to bat at No. 3, with Dominic Sibley expected to open the batting alongside Rory Burns in the series, and his return represents a blow to Jonny Bairstow. Bairstow, who is set to return for the final two T20Is after England’s defeats in Wellington and Nelson, had been placed on standby as a potential replacement if Denly was not fit in time for the first Test following his own omission from the Test squad, but instead looks likely to miss out.

Featherbeds in domestic cricket do not offer the chance for batsmen and bowlers to be ready for a rank turner in international cricket, says the senior Bangladesh batsman

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur29-Aug-20175:20

Isam: Bangladesh off kilter after Smith reprieve

A spinner-friendly pitch in Mirpur has produced an exciting Test match but has also highlighted the difference in pitches prepared for domestic and international matches in Bangladesh. Tamim Iqbal questioned this discrepancy at the end of day three, saying batsmen don’t get enough chances to practice on sharply turning pitches in first-class cricket.Bangladesh were bowled out for 221 in their second innings, their lower order collapsing in the wake of variations in pace, bounce and turn. Nathan Lyon utilised the conditions well, triggering a spell of play when there were three wickets for no runs in 16 balls.Tamim conceded that such pitches do give the Bangladesh an advantage, but he would prefer the players being exposed to them in the domestic circuit first before having to deal with them in a Test. Currently, many of the surfaces in the National Cricket League and the Bangladesh Cricket League are batting friendly, and help fast bowlers in the first few weeks of the season before easing out into featherbeds. The instances of domestic matches being played on rank turners, such as the one for the ongoing Test, are rare.”I think there is home advantage but my question is, how many times do we get to play in these wickets in domestic cricket?” Tamim asked. “We only play in these wickets in international matches, because it gives us an advantage over the foreign side. We are busy with grassy wickets in domestic cricket although we never play in those in international matches at home.”This thinking has to change. We tour once or twice a year in places where we confront grassy wickets. I feel that if we want to play international matches in these surfaces, we should do the same in domestic cricket. At least one or two grounds should have these wickets so that it creates a habit.”There has been a clamour for first-class pitches with more bite so that the Bangladesh batsmen can tested against the swinging ball. However, it has not come to pass with spinners dominating the wicket-takers’ list for most of the last 10 years. And using a pitch like the one in Mirpur for domestic cricket could create issues for the BCB’s Grounds Committee, even if in Tests, it brings Bangladesh’s spin attack to the fore and earns the curator praise. Tamim had warned of such a situation during England’s tour of Bangladesh last year.Against Australia, many of the Bangladesh batsmen faced unplayable deliveries from seamers and spinners. Pat Cummins got one to leap at Tamim from a good length and the left-hander could do little except tickle a catch to the wicketkeeper. Imrul Kayes got a similar delivery in the first innings, and there were some on the third day that leapt out of everyone’s reach after pitching on the rough. Tamim said that the track will continue to play this way on the fourth day and the home team’s spinners will need to be more accurate to create chances and take wickets.”The wicket is unpredictable, anything can happen. We have to be patient because one wicket has brought two or three in a cluster. We can bowl better than we did today.”

Mayank Markande, who made an impressive IPL debut last year for Mumbai Indians, had played only three matches for the franchise in 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2019Mumbai Indians, the IPL 2019 champions, have added West Indies batsman Sherfane Rutherford to their squad, after trading legspinner Mayank Markande to Delhi Capitals.Rutherford is known for his big-hitting abilities. Playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors in his debut season of the Caribbean Premier League last year, Rutherford made a mark against Trinbago Knight Riders, smashing a 13-ball 45 with six sixes and a four, in a match-winning partnership with Shimron Hetmyer. His overall run tally in CPL 2018 was 171 runs at a strike rate of 142.5 and he earned a call-up to West Indies’ T20I side on the India tour, going on to make his international debut against Bangladesh in Dhaka in December.Capitals bought Rutherford for INR 2 crore from a base price of INR 40 lakh in the December 2018 auction, and one of the most impactful performances from the 20-year-old came against Royal Challengers Bangalore, when he scored a 13-ball 28 and took the wicket of AB de Villiers with his medium pace.Markande played only three matches for Mumbai in IPL 2019, after a solid debut season last year where he finished as the team’s third-highest wicket-taker, with 15 dismissals in 14 matches. He now joins Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane and Rahul Tewatia to form a legspinning quartet for Capitals to choose from.From Mumbai’s point of view, young legspinner Rahul Chahar had a breakthrough season in 2019, picking up 13 wickets in 13 games with an economy rate of 6.55, and Markande ended up picking just one wicket and going for plenty – 59 runs in six overs, perhaps making the second leggie surplus to their requirements.But they will now have to offload at least one overseas player, with Rutherford’s acquisition taking the number up to nine.

Virat Kohli has returned to lead the side, while fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2018Wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant will be in line to make his ODI debut after he was picked in the 14-man squad for the first two matches against West Indies. Virat Kohli was back to lead the side after he missed the Asia Cup, but frontline quick bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah were rested.India squad for the first two ODIs against West Indies•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Dinesh Karthik was left out of the squad to make way for Pant, and allrounders Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya had not yet recovered from their injuries. While Pandya had injured his lower back in the Asia Cup match against Pakistan to be ruled out of the tournament, Jadhav won India the title with an injured hamstring. Jadhav will come back after the first two ODIs, and Pandya will be fit from the second week of November.Fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who last played an ODI over a year ago, was added to the pace attack. He had played all five Tests in England and the first one against West Indies in Rajkot, after being hampered with injury issues in the first half of the year. He had played the IPL with some niggles and was later dropped for the one-off Test against Afghanistan after failing a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.Fast bowlers Deepak Chahar and Siddarth Kaul, who played one match each in the Asia Cup, were left out while left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed retained his place. Chahar and Kaul had been injury replacements for Pandya and Shardul Thakur in the Asia Cup. Thakur returned to the squad after recovering and playing a domestic one-day match for Mumbai against Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 3 for 53 and scoring 30 off 14 balls in the match.With 13 ODIs left for India until the World Cup next year, the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad was keen on testing India’s fast-bowling bench strength.”That’s the reason why we have included Khaleel, Shardul [Thakur] and Shami in this squad now,” he said. “Now we are looking at third and fourth seamers. That’ll be among those people whom we are going to pick from now onwards, which also includes Umesh Yadav.”4:41

Dasgupta: Pant can slot in as a batsman in India side

Axar Patel had also injured himself during the Asia Cup but his place was lost because of Ravindra Jadeja’s successful comeback. The spin attack was retained, with Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal completing the trio.Karthik had played all six matches in the Asia Cup and scored 146 runs at an average of 48.66 but a strike rate of 71.21, only higher than MS Dhoni’s (62.09) among Indian batsmen who batted at least twice in the tournament. Karthik got several starts in the tournament but could not convert them into bigger scores when India lacked solidity in the middle order. He batted mainly at No. 4, but did not make own the position India have been seeking to fill ahead of the 2019 World Cup.”It’s no brainer who is our No. 1 wicketkeeper,” Prasad said. “In the search of second wicketkeeper, we have given opportunities to DK. Right now we’re giving an opportunity to Rishabh Pant. And we can take a call at appropriate time about who is the best among the two.”Since returning to the ODI side after a three-year gap in July last year, Karthik has scored 350 runs in 13 innings at an average of 50 and strike rate of 71.57. In the same period, Dhoni has made 681 runs in 24 innings at an average of 42.56 and a marginally better strike rate of 73.14. In Pant, India have a chance to not only trial a new wicketkeeper in ODIs but also an explosive batsman in the middle order.The search for a solid No. 4 continues though with Manish Pandey and Ambati Rayudu likely to get chances to stake their claim during the West Indies series. Since the end of the 2015 World Cup, India have tried 11 players at this position but Prasad said “we are very close” to finalising India’s best options in the middle order. “It’s been in the debate for some time and we have really closed in on couple of names.”The ODI series against West Indies begins on October 21 in Guwahati before moving to Visakhapatnam on October 24. The last three ODIs are scheduled to be played in Pune, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.

Despite an innings-and-159-run margin, the England captain said it was exciting that the team still had areas they could improve on

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2018England captain Joe Root said he was “chuffed to bits” for Chris Woakes who returned to the team with a Man-of-the-Match display at Lord’s which included a maiden Test hundred.Woakes finished unbeaten on 137 when Root declared on the fourth morning then added two further wickets having claimed the prized scalp of Virat Kohli in the first innings.”Really pleased for Woakesy, on a number of occasions he has shown how talented he is with the bat and that’s just down to hard work. Chuffed to bits for him,” Root said. “The state of the game and coming back into the side, he has always been a big part of the squad for a long time. It’s great to see him take some rewards.”After the first Test had gone down to the wire at Edgbaston, this was as one-sided a contest you could see – dominated by England from the moment they won the toss and James Anderson removed Murali Vijay in the first over. Anderson went on to finish with match figures of 9 for 43.”Less stress, definitely, a fantastic week from the very first ball,” Root said when comparing it to Birmingham. “I thought the bowling unit were exceptional throughout the whole game. I thought we did have conditions in our favour throughout but you still have to perform and we certainly did that. That was really pleasing, then to get that far in front was testament to that partnership in particular from Jonny [Bairstow] and Woakes.”There are still areas to improve on and that’s exciting. We’ve not played the complete game yet. It’s something you are always chasing but hopefully that’s in the next three games. Just really pleased for the guys, they’ve put a hell of a lot of hard work in and there are some who won’t get the headlines but you have to do it as a team.”Root also had encouraging words for debutant Ollie Pope who made a positive 28 in his first Test innings and was also a lively presence in the field.”I thought he played really well. In terms of when we batted, I thought he batted at a very challenging time and to come in and put pressure back on the opposition was a great sign. We’ve seen it in Championship cricket and to see him fit almost seamlessly into this environment is really pleasing.”

The left-arm quick restricted Khulna Titans to a mere 117 for 9 in 20 overs and the allrounder struck a fifty to seal the chase

The Report by Peter Della Penna09-Jan-2019How the game played outThe early season batting woes for Khulna Titans showed no signs of abating in another lopsided loss. After two losses to open the season, the Titans attempted to bulk up their batting by bringing in Dawid Malan as a replacement for injured fast bowler Ali Khan and had a promising first five overs in which they reached 40 for 1 behind the opening pair of Junaid Siddiqui and Paul Stirling.But the Titans wheezed through the rest of their innings, finishing with 117 for 9 in 20 overs. Rajshahi Kings’ left-arm pace tandem of Isuru Udana and Mustafizur Rahman (8-0-33-5) along with legspinner Qais Ahmad kept the Titans off-balance, refused to let them find any rhythm and triggered a series of forced slogs for catches on the boundary.Mohammad Hafeez fell slogging to mid-on in the second over of the chase, but it was the last glimmer Titans had of defending a small target. Kings coasted to victory thanks to an 89-run stand between Mominul Haque and Mehidy Hasan.Turning points

• Titans’ hot start was neutralised by a wicket-maiden from Udana in the sixth over, when Siddiqui spliced a pull to deep square leg
• Mahmudullah appeared to be struck well above the knee roll by Mustafizur in the 11th over, but his attempt to overturn the lbw decision against him was denied by his review returning an umpire’s call verdict with the ball shown to be clipping the bails
• The well-set Malan targeted Soumya Sarkar’s part-time medium pace to start the 17th over, but the decision backfired when he skied a catch to long-on. Titans, who were 101 for 5 at the time, barely lasted the 20 overs

Star of the dayMehidy had the Midas touch with his bowling changes, in particular his use of Qais as well as the decision to bring on Sarkar to strike a decisive blow removing Malan. He followed his shrewd captaincy by making a half-century to pilot the chase.The big missAlso from Mehidy. Seemingly disengaged by the ease of the chase, he shuffled too far across his stumps and was bowled behind his legs by a Zahir Khan googly when his team needed only nine to win off 17 balls.Where the teams standTitans remain rooted to the bottom of the table having gone winless through three matches. Kings now have two points having won their first game of the season.