Tag: Test match

  • Pakistan beats Bangladesh in first Test with a convincing win

    Pakistan beats Bangladesh in first Test with a convincing win

    Pakistan has beaten Bangladesh in the first Test match of the two-match series by 8 wickets in Chittagong on Tuesday.

    Courtesy of openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique, the Pakistan opening pair formed a 151-run opening stand before Shafique was dismissed on 73. Meanwhile, Abid Ali fell short of his fourth Test century by 9 runs as Taijul Islam caught the Pakistan batter in front of the wickets.

    The openers capitalised on their century partnership and took it further to 151 runs before Abdullah was dismissed by Mehidy Hasan.

    Earlier, resuming Day 4 at 39/4, overnight batter Mushfiqur Rahim (16) was bowled by pacer Hassan Ali and the hosts lost their fifth wicket with the lead still being under 100. Yasir Ali had to retire, hurt after playing a knock of 36 and this brought Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan together at the crease.

    Shaheen Shah Afridi went on to take five wickets as Bangladesh was bowled out for 157, setting a 202-run target for the visitors.

    Meanwhile, leading the way to the win, Babar Azam and Azhar Ali sealed the deal for the side with a winning partnership and with back-to-back boundaries, Pakistan takes a 1-0 lead.

    Pakistan stands on 24 points on the points table of the ICC World Test Championship.

    Abid Ali bagged the Player of the Match award after his prolific innings against the hosts in Chittagong.

    Meanwhile, in the post-match ceremony, skipper Babar Azam said: “The way Bangladesh played in the first innings that was really good but Shaheen and Hassan were outstanding. That’s the beauty of Test cricket that it allows you to make a comeback. We didn’t have much time to prepare for the Test but we gave our best. I am really pleased with the way Abdullah Shafique built his innings. Abid Ali was outstanding, scoring tough runs to pull the team out from difficult position.”

  • Hassan Ali equals Waqar Younis, Imran Khan’s record in Bangladesh Test

    Hassan Ali equals Waqar Younis, Imran Khan’s record in Bangladesh Test

    Pakistani speedster Hassan Ali has equalled former pacer Waqar Younis and former captain Imran Khan’s record for most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by a Pakistani fast pitcher in a calendar year.

    The right-arm fast bowler was unable to impress his fans with his performance at the T20 World Cup but he bounced back at the T20I series against Bangladesh in the first T20I of the three-match series. Now, the pacer has proved himself once again with a 5-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the first innings of the first Test match at Chittagong.

    Hassan was the architect of Bangladesh’s lower-order batting collapse on Saturday as he took quick wickets to ensure a dangerous Bangladesh were restricted to 330 runs in their first innings.

    With figures of 5/51, Ali not only managed to be the pick of the Pakistani bowlers during Bangladesh’s first innings but also entered the record books alongside some of the greatest names of the game.

    Read More – Hassan Ali seals the deal for Pakistan

    With his latest five-fer, Ali has now equalled records for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by a Pakistani fast bowler in a calendar year, set by legends Imran Khan and Waqar Younis.

    All three Imran Khan, Waqar Younis and Hassan Ali now have 5 five-fers in Test cricket to their name within a calendar year (1982, 1990 and 2021, respectively).

    Pakistan’s former fast bowler Younis holds the record for the most five-fers ever (across formats) in a calendar year by a Pakistani fast bowler, with 6 in 1993.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan scored 79 after 29 overs before tea on the second day. The national side is set for a big score with this partnership built by Asad Shafique and Abid Ali.

  • Babar Azam is ‘confident’ ahead of Bangladesh Test series

    Babar Azam is ‘confident’ ahead of Bangladesh Test series

    Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam is confident that they will be performing well in the Test Championship after playing against Bangladesh in the two-match Test series. He said that in a virtual press conference from Chittagong ahead of the first Test.

    The skipper was a bit worried about the unavailability of a batting coach with the side, saying that the Men in Green should have had one but the decision to appoint a batting coach rests with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    Veteran Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden was appointed by the PCB as batting consultant for the T20 World Cup. He was hired after Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis stepped down from their coaching roles in September.

    Babar Azam spoke about the team’s performance, saying that he expected them to perform well in the series.

    “The batting line-up includes senior players who play spinners well. The players joining the Test squad were playing domestic cricket and we will benefit from this,” he stated.

    He said that this Test series is also important for Pakistan, adding that the team will try to keep up the winning momentum [from the T20 series].

    Babar Azam praised the Test team, saying that he was confident they will perform well in the Test Championship as “there are more matches at home grounds”.

    He said that the Bangladesh team is a dangerous side even in the absence of senior players. Azam said they cannot be taken lightly as conditions are difficult in Bangladesh.

    “It is not easy to play here. We have to focus and play with patience, we will also try to stay on the wicket.”

    The first Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh starts tomorrow, November 26, in Chittagong.

  • Pakistan announces 12-man team for first Test against Bangladesh

    Pakistan announces 12-man team for first Test against Bangladesh

    Pakistan’s cricket team, after defeating Bangladesh with a clean sweep in the three-match T20I series, is now all set to play two-match Test series against the hosts. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 12 member team for the clash which will be played at the Ch. Zahoor Ahmed Cricket Stadium, Chittagong starting from Friday, November 26.

    Squad for first Test:

    Babar Azam – Captain, Mohammad Rizwan – Vice captain (wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hassan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi

    Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Monday announced the squad for the series. The Tigers have called up uncapped batsman Mahmudul Hasan and pace bowler Rejaur Rahman.

    Squad: Mominul Haque (captain), Shadman Islam, Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Abu Jayed Chowdhury, Yasir Ali, Mahmudul Hasan, Rejaur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan (subject to fitness)

    The second match will be played from Saturday, December 4 at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka.

  • England vs India Test match cancelled due to Covid-19 cases in Indian team

    England vs India Test match cancelled due to Covid-19 cases in Indian team

    Following ongoing conversations with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that the fifth Test between England and India has been cancelled.

    The ECB, on Friday September 10, in a statement mentioned: “Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth Test between England and India Men due to start today at Old Trafford, will be cancelled.”

    “Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team.”

    “We send our sincere apologies to fans and partners for this news, which we know will cause immense disappointment and inconvenience to many,” the statement added.

    The development comes on the back of intense discussions between the BCCI and the ECB after India’s assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar returned a positive Covid-19 test on Wednesday. Later head coach of Indian team Ravi Shastri tested positive.

    While three members of the contingent – Patel, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar – were identified as immediate contacts of Shastri, it was far more difficult to determine who the close contacts of Parmar were, considering he was treating a wider group of players. This included Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. These players have been mingling among the wider group, which has made identifying close contacts even more complicated.

    Meanwhile, as per ESPN cricinfo, the series result would be determined by the ICC match referee Chris Broad based on whether the ECB accepts India’s fears of a larger outbreak in their camp as “acceptable non-compliance” as per the WTC playing conditions. If the ECB does accept it, India will win the series 2-1. But if it doesn’t, and instead challenges that outcome, the matter will go to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee. Currently India have pocketed 26 WTC points from the series while England have 14 out of the available 48 points.

  • Australia warns of cancelling Afghanistan Test if Taliban ban women’s cricket

    Australia warns of cancelling Afghanistan Test if Taliban ban women’s cricket

    Cricket Australia (CA) warned to cancel the Test match against Afghanistan in November if women are not allowed to play the sport under the Taliban regime.

    The updated stance from CA follows the developments on Wednesday where the Taliban indicated that women would not be able to participate in sport, including cricket.

    In a statement released on Thursday, Cricket Australia confirmed it would be unable to proceed with the planned Test at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena from November 27 if news reports of Taliban views on the women’s game were true.

    “Driving the growth of women’s cricket globally is incredibly important to Cricket Australia,” the statement said.

    “Our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level.”

    “If recent media reports that women’s cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed Test Match due to be played in Hobart,” it added.

    The ICC has said that Afghanistan’s status in the international game will be discussed at their next board meeting but that is not scheduled until November, which raises further questions about their participation in the T20 World Cup.

    Afghanistan is the only Full Member to have received that status without having an operational women’s team in place. Last year, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had announced their first contracts for women as they looked to build a team.

  • India suffers defeat by innings and 76 runs in Headingley

    India suffers defeat by innings and 76 runs in Headingley

    India suffered a humiliating defeat by an innings and 76 runs in the third Test match against England at the Headingley Cricket ground on Saturday.

    “Basically down to scoreboard pressure. Always up against it when you get out for under 80, and the opposition puts up such a big score. But we did well to stay in the game yesterday, fight back as much as we could, and gave ourselves a chance. But the pressure today was outstanding from the England bowlers and eventually they got the results they wanted,” said Virat Kohli in the post-match presentation ceremony.

    India were skittled out of 278 after resuming the day at 215/2. In what was expected to be easy batting conditions on a sunny day at Headingley, England bowlers were ruthless in their approach and finished the match in the first session of the day to jump to 14 points on the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 table.

    With a clinical five-for England bowler Ollie Robinson bagged Player of the Match Award, taking seven wickets overall.

    With the series delicately poised at 1-1, the action now moves to The Oval in London for the fourth Test.

  • Babar Azam praises Fawad Alam after a comfortable win against West Indies

    Babar Azam praises Fawad Alam after a comfortable win against West Indies

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam praised his teammate and experienced batsman Fawad Alam after his side defeated West Indies by 109 runs in the second Test to level the two-match series.

    Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “A remarkable victory to draw the series. Absolutely brilliant game from @iShaheenAfridi, @iamfawadalam25, and @RealHa55an. Most importantly everyone from the team chipped in and tried to give their best. More power to you guys!”

    Fawad had scored an unbeaten 124 in the first innings of the Test to help Pakistan recover from 2/3 and post 309/9 in the first innings. Fawad’s inning was also backed by Babar who had scored 75.

    In a post-match statement released to the media, the Pakistan captain said that his partnership with Fawad laid the foundation for Pakistan’s success in the game.

    He also hailed the 35-year-old batsman and advised that all batsmen in the team should learn from him.

    “It was a great team effort specially after losing quick wickets on day one. Fawad and I managed to fight back through our partnership and then Shaheen Shah bowled outstandingly to put pressure on West Indies. We played according to our plan in the second innings and added quick runs to take advantage of the last session on day 4,” Babar said in the presentation ceremony.

    “Fawad Alam is an experienced player. He has scored tons of runs in first class cricket. He has handled the conditions and pressure well and set an example for all batsmen. We all must learn from him. He has proved himself which is an outstanding thing,” the Pakistan captain added.

    Babar also praised young fast bowler Shaheen Shah, saying that the 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler is improving every day and showing great confidence.

    “I am lucky to have a bowler like him in my squad,” he said.

    “Winning a match always give you confidence as a captain. The players gave their 100 per cent and remained confident throughout the Test,” said Babar.

  • Pakistan Test team’s record win on this day in 1988

    Pakistan Test team’s record win on this day in 1988

    On this day in 1988, Pakistan became the first visiting team to win a Test in the Caribbean in ten years. Pakistan won the Georgetown Test by nine wickets, under the leadership of [Prime Minister] Imran Khan.

    As per details, the Pakistan cricket team toured the West Indies from March to April 1988 and played a three-match Test series against the West Indies cricket team which was drawn 1–1.

    The First match was played from April 2 to 6 in Georgetown. Batting first in the first innings, Windies got all out on just 292 runs. Khan took seven wickets, sending more than half of the team to the pavilion. Later, Pakistan scored 435 runs with the help of Javed Miandad’s heroic ton, giving Pakistan a lead of 143 runs.

    Read more – Why is the Pakistan cricket team so dramatic?

    In the second innings, Windies only managed to get 172 runs due to Khan’s majestic four-for. Later, with the fall of only one wicket, Pakistan chased down the score in just 3.3 overs, breaking a ten-year record. Khan was declared Man of the Match for his 11-121.

    While Khan led the Pakistan side, the West Indies was led by Gordon Greenidge and legendary Sir Vivian Richards.

    The second Test match was drawn and West Indies beat Pakistan in the third match.

    Though the series may have been drawn at the end it was a huge record by a visiting team to win in the Caribbean in the 10-year history of Test matches at that time.

  • India qualify for ICC World Test Championship Final, will face NZ at Lord’s

    India has qualified for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final after beating England with an innings and 25 runs in the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

    India outclassed England with both the bat and ball inside 3 days to set up the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in June.

    Resuming on their overnight score of 294 for 7, the hosts added another 71 runs on Day 3 thanks to Washington Sundar and Axar Patel’s 8th-wicket partnership to post 365 in their first innings.

    Having conceded a 160-run lead on day 3 of the contest, England needed a vastly improved batting performance in the second innings but another disappointing show saw them getting bundled out for 135 in the final session.

    Left-arm spinner Axar Patel picked up yet another five-wicket haul while Ravichandran Ashwin also grabbed 5 for Team India.

    India needed just a draw to reach the WTC final but a victory means they qualified for the summit clash in the top spot with 490 points. India registered 12 wins from 17 Tests, lost 4 and drew just 1 Test in the competition.

    No other team came close to matching India’s record. England had 11 wins from 21 Tests but still ended up in fourth place.

    Read more – Kevin Pietersen mocks Team India after Chennai loss against England

    New Zealand had already qualified for the WTC final with 420 points from 11 Tests with 7 wins and 4 losses.

    https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1368149627464118274?s=20

    The World Test Championship final will be played at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from June 18.