26 Established 1961 Sports Tuesday, October 16, 2018 India ready to unleash ‘fearless’ Shaw, Rishabh Pant on Australia Shastri compares Shaw to Tendulkar and destructive Sehwag and Lara HYDERABAD: “Fearless” young batting stars Prithvi performances with a call-up for the first two one-day Shaw and Rishabh Pant will be India’s special weapons internationals against the West Indies. during their upcoming tour of Australia, according to But it is Shaw who has stood out, with some pundits captain Virat Kohli. Hailing the roles of 18-year-old comparing him to the great Sachin Tendulkar. He Shaw and 21-year-old Pant in the two-Test victory over scored 237 runs in three innings against the West Indies the West Indies, Kohli said they had been given free to get the Man of the Series award. rein to play their natural games. India coach Ravi Shastri compared Shaw to “We were looking at them playing with a lot of free- Tendulkar and the destructive Virender Sehwag and dom, which they did,” Kohli said after India’s three-day, Brian Lara. 10-wicket win on Sunday. “Prithvi was outstanding, The diminutive right-hander aggressively attacked Rishabh was really fearless. I am really happy that these the West Indies bowlers and showed quick reflexes guys have grabbed their chances.” while fielding at forward short-leg-a dangerous posi- Shaw became the youngest Indian batsman to score tion close to the batsman. a century on his Test debut, smashing 134 in the first “He has been playing since the age of eight in the Test against the West Indies in Rajkot. He followed it maidans (open spaces) of Mumbai. You can see all that up with a quickfire 70 in the first innings of the second hard work showing. There’s a bit of Sachin there, a bit Test in Hyderabad. of Viru in him-and when he walks there’s a bit of Lara Left-hander Pant, who hit a century during this as well,” said Shastri. year’s Test tour of England, followed up with scores of Kohli said: “It’s great to have a guy who is so fear- 92 in both the first and second Tests against the West less. He is not reckless, he is very confident about his Indies. “I know the conditions were not as challenging game. He’s a rare talent. I don’t think any of us were as they might get in future, but in Test cricket, the first even 10 percent of what he is when we were 18, 19.” and the most important thing is confidence and under- India will play five ODIs and three Twenty20 inter- standing that you can score runs at the Test level,” said nationals against the West Indies before starting a tour Kohli. “From that point of view, (I’m) very happy that of Australia in November. these guys have taken their chance so well.” After series defeats in South Africa and England this year, India will take on Australia in three ODIs, four HYDERABAD: File photo shows Indian cricketer Prithvi Shaw (2R) gesture with his teammates during a training SHADES OF TENDULKAR, LARA Tests and three T20 matches in what is being seen as a session ahead of the second Test cricket match between India and West Indies at the Rajiv Gandhi International Pant, who shows an audacious range of strokes as a critical examination of their position as the world’s top Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on October 10, 2018. —AFP middle-order batsman, has been rewarded for his Test Test side. —AFP Australia target first Asia series win since 2011 ICC charges Sri Lankan legend Jayasuriya in ABU DHABI: Australian skipper Tim Paine vowed his team would do its utmost to win the anti-corruption probe second Test against Pakistan starting in Abu Dhabi from today for a first series win in Asia since 2011. The trying conditions of the pitches DUBAI: Dashing former Sri Lankan batsman and ex-chief selector and hot weather have stopped Australia from Sanath Jayasuriya has been charged for not cooperating with a winning a series since they beat Sri Lanka 1-0 match-fixing probe and concealing information, the International in 2011. Cricket Council said yesterday. Since then they have lost 4-0 in India (2013), “The International Cricket Council (ICC) has charged 2-0 in United Arab Emirates to Pakistan (2014), Jayasuriya on two counts of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption 3-0 in Sri Lanka (2016), 2-1 in India (2017) and Unit (ACU) and have given him 14 days to respond,” the ICC said drew 1-1 in Bangladesh last year. But Paine’s in a statement. side snatched a morale-boosting draw on the Jayasuriya, 49, was reportedly asked to cooperate with an fifth and final day in the first Test in Dubai, the inquiry from ACU chief Alex Marshall who visited Sri Lanka last skipper and number 10 Nathan Lyon seeing out month. “The charges include failure or refusal, without compelling the final 12.2 overs after being set a daunting justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the target of 462 runs. ACU, including failure to provide accurately and completely any “We want to win every series we are involved information and/or documentation requested by the ACU as part in,” Paine said yesterday. “We are focusing on of such investigation,” the ICC said. what we do and if we can do well for five days The other count included “obstructing or delaying any investi- gation that may be carried out by the ACU, including concealing, then we have a really good chance of winning it. DUBAI: File photo shows Australian crickter Tim Paine (C) plays a shot during day five of the first Test “We are reasonably confident. After the last tampering with or destroying any documentation or other informa- cricket match in the series between Australia and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai tion that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be few days we got a little bit of relief and a little bit on October 11, 2018. — AFP of mileage, so we know if we play our best crick- evidence or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt con- et we have got a chance to win this Test match. duct under the Anti-Corruption Code”. The ICC’s ACU is acting further on their previous investigation “We are coming into this Test with a bit more Zaman for his first Test. They also left out fast scored runs and bowlers have also taken wickets which in January 2016 saw Galle stadium curator Jayananda momentum and guys know what to expect a bit bowler Wahab Riaz, who went wicketless in the so we are very much hopeful of performing well Warnaweera banned for three years after he failed to cooperate more in these conditions,” said Paine, who first Test, and will pick one from uncapped pacer to win the series.” with the ACU. announced paceman Mitchell Starc will play in Mir Hamza or leg-spinner Shadab Khan. ACU head Marshall last month said: “The ACU works to uphold Abu Dhabi. That is hint enough that Australia are Pakistan’s only series loss in United Arab TEAMS (FROM) integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations likely to keep the same starting XI. Emirates-their neutral venue since attacks on the Australia: Tim Paine (capt), Ashton Agar, where there are reasonable grounds to do so. “There is currently Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 forced them to play Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon an ICC (ACU) investigation under way in Sri Lanka. Naturally as A ‘VERY GOOD TEAM’ here-was last year. They lost to Sri Lanka 2-0, Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, part of this we are talking to a number of people.” Paine admitted Pakistan were a “very good their first series loss in 10 attempts. Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Jayasuriya played 110 Tests, 445 one-day internationals and 31 team”. “They have some good batters, particular- But Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed dispelled Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Twenty20s for Sri Lanka and was also a former captain during his ly in these conditions. We know what we are up any fear of losing. “There is nothing like that Mitchell Starc. illustrious career between 1989-2011. He is also a former member against and we know they are an excellent team (fear) and you would see that with the way we Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, of Sri Lanka’s parliament. —AFP and even better in these conditions.” played the first Test. Throughout we played good Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Pakistan have been forced into making two cricket but unfortunately we couldn’t get across Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail,Yasir Shah, changes after opener Imam-ul-Haq fractured his the line,” Ahmed said. Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, finger in Dubai. He will be replaced by Fakhar “The team morale is high, batsmen have Mir Hamza. — AFP S Africa’s WCup De Villiers included for plans take shape S African T20 league JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s time for experimentation ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup is coming to an end, according to coach Ottis Gibson. Speaking after rain washed out his team’s final Twenty20 interna- JOHANNESBURG: South African batting star AB de Villiers was yester- tional against Zimbabwe in Benoni on Sunday, Gibson said a short limited day named among 12 leading players for South Africa’s new Mzansi Super overs tour of Australia, starting later this month, would be a crucial part of League Twenty20 tournament.