Santner, Boult Pegs NZ Back in India's 500Th Test
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Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 44 Troubled champs Windies facing in-form Pakistan DUBAI: The West Indies will hope to forget their off-field tur- moil and underline their status as World Twenty20 champions when they face buoyant Pakistan in a three-match series start- ing today. The supremely talented but troubled side have arrived in the United Arab Emirates after sacking coach Phil Simmons and without all-rounder Andre Russell, who is facing a doping hearing. The Windies are also missing flamboyant big-hitter Chris Gayle, who complains of injury problems and makes only sporadic appearances for his country. Gayle also missed the West Indies’ one-run Twenty20 win over India in Florida last month, while Russell will front a hear- ing into claims he missed three drugs tests in a 12-month peri- od, an offence which could trigger a two-year ban. Carlos Brathwaite stunned England when he smashed Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to clinch the West Indies’ second World T20 title in April. Brathwaite will now captain the side in UAE while towering former fast bowler Joel ‘Big Bird’ Garner replaces Simmons, who repeatedly clashed with the West Indies board. Brathwaite hopes his team will show their huge talent in the humid conditions in the United Arab Emirates, where they also trained ahead of the World Twenty20 in India. “It wasn’t as hot early in the year, but, apparently, we’re smack dab in the middle of their summer, so it can get very, very hot,” said Brathwaite. “It’s for the players to prepare well, manage them- selves well off the field, rehydration-wise, get enough rest, and each and every one of us is a professional, and evidently performing well when the games come.” Bad boy Brathwaite’s uncapped players-including wicketkeeper- batsman Nicholas Pooran, all-rounder Rovman Powell and fast bowler Kesrick Williams-will also want to fire against a danger- ous Pakistan side. The West Indies will rely heavily on their T20 specialist spinners Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine, who shared five wickets to spark a 22-run win in a warm-up game KANPUR: New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi (C) celebrates the wicket of India’s Murali Vijay (L) with captain Kane on Tuesday. Pakistan are also in good form, smashing hosts Williamson during the first day of the first cricket test match between India and New Zealand at Green Park England by nine wickets in the only Twenty20 game of their Stadium. — AFP tour in what was Sarfraz Ahmed’s first match as skipper. Ahmed, who replaced Shahid Afridi following Pakistan’s first-round exit in the World Twenty20, hopes his team won’t Santner, Boult pegs NZ be overawed by the champions. — AFP back in India’s 500th Test Bangladesh recall KANPUR: Mitchell Santner and Trent Key role Rohit Sharma for 35. Sharma, who had Shafiul for ODIs Boult helped New Zealand strike back New Zealand’s leg-spinner Ish Sodhi survived a strong lbw appeal against to check India’s surge in the first Test also played a key role, claiming the Craig earlier in his innings, played a DHAKA: Bangladesh yesterday named uncapped bats- as the hosts were left reeling at 291 wicket of Vijay, who had notched up mistimed shot to mid-on. Ashwin man Mosaddek Hossain and recalled bowler Shafiul Islam for nine on the opening day in his 13th Test fifty, just before the tea scored a well-made 40 with the help of in their squad for the start of their first ever bilateral one- Kanpur yesterday. Left-arm spinner break. Mark Craig joined forces with seven boundaries before falling to day series against Afghanistan. The selectors also Santner and pace spearhead Boult fellow spinners to get Ajinkya Rahane, Boult. India, who took tea at 185 for dropped paceman Al-Amin Hossain in a revamped 13- took three wickets each to plot India’s who scored 18, trudging back to the four, lost five wickets in the final ses- man squad for the first two games in three-match contest downfall after the hosts looked pavilion early in the final session of sion of play after managing 106 runs in that begins on Sunday at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. strongly placed on 154 for one in the play. Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran 31 overs. Earlier Rahul’s 39-ball 32 “We thought Shafiul would be a better option as he country’s 500th Test. Ashwin did put together a 52-run part- entertained the raucous home crowd bowled fantastically well in recent training sessions,” chief Ravindra Jadeja on 16 and Umesh nership for the sixth wicket but their at Kanpur’s Green Park. A host of for- selector Minhajul Abedin told a press conference in Yadav on eight were at the crease at departure once again saw India lose mer Indian Test captains including Dhaka. “Our management also preferred Shafiul ahead of close of play. India, who elected to their way. Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Al-Amin, who is lagging behind in terms of fitness and bat first, looked set to post a com- Santner, who was given the second Mahendra Singh Dhoni are among fielding.” Paceman Rubel Hossain was also recalled to the manding lead thanks to half-cen- new ball along with Boult in the 81st those in the crowd to celebrate the side after an injury-plagued season which forced him to turies from Murali Vijay and over, struck soon to get the wicket of milestone match. — AFP miss the Zimbabwe ODIs in November last year. Cheteshwar Pujara, only to then lose Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam also returned to the team, the inititive. Opener Lokesh Rahul SCOREBOARD having last played an ODI against New Zealand in the gave India a solid start before a 112- World Cup last year. Paceman Taskin Ahmed will join the run second-wicket stand between Scoreboard at stumps on the first day in the first Test between India and New squad provided he gets clearance from the ICC over his Vijay and Pujara. Zealand yesterday in Kanpur, India. bowling action, said chief selector Abedin. Santner broke the big partnership He was banned from bowling in international cricket after getting Pujara caught and India 1st innings U. Yadav not out 8 for an illegal action during the ICC World Twenty20 in bowled for 62 as India lost three wick- L. Rahul c Watling b Santner 32 Extras (b-5 lb-1) 6 India earlier this year. ets in the second session of play. Vijay, M. Vijay c Watling b Sodhi 65 Total (for 9 wickets, 90 overs) 291 He underwent a reassessment of his action in Australia who top-scored with 65, continued to C. Pujara c&b Santner 62 Fall of wickets: 1-42 L. Rahul, 2-154 C. on September 8 and is now awaiting the result. thwart the bowling attack as New V. Kohli c Sodhi b Wagner 9 Pujara, 3-167 V. Kohli, 4-185 M. Vijay, 5- Mossaddek played a Twenty20 international against Zealand skipper Kane Williamson kept A. Rahane c Latham b Craig 18 209 A. Rahane, 6-261 Ro.Sharma, 7-262 Zimbabwe last year but was yet to win a cap in Test or W. Saha, 8-273 R. Ashwin, 9-277 M. the Indian batsmen guessing by jug- Ro. Sharma c Sodhi b Santner 35 ODIs. The 20-year-old was called up after some fine per- Shami gling his pace and spin options. His R. Ashwin c Taylor b Boult 40 formances in the Dhaka Premier League, Bangladesh’s top To bat: move paid off when medium-pacer W. Saha b Boult 0 50-over domestic league, in which he averaged 77.75 with Bowling: T. Boult 17-2-57-3,N. Wagner Neil Wagner claimed Indian skipper R. Jadeja not out 16 a strike rate of 104.89. All three matches are taking place 14-3-42-1, M. Santner 20-2-77-3, M. Virat Kohli’s scalp, caught at long-leg M. Shami b Boult 0 at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium, with the second game on Craig 24-6-59-1, I. Sodhi 15-3-50-1. September 28 and the finale on October 1. — AFP for nine after pulling at a bouncer..