EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DELHI THE HINDU 20 SPORT WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE India’s chance to settle scores with SA Team wants fearless, not The home team’s bowling and the visitor’s batting will look to cash in on each other’s inexperience careless cricket: Rathour SA IN INDIA Captaincy is a new stepping stone in my career: de Kock RAKESH RAO MOHALI RAKESH RAO If there is a change of mind­ MOHALI set in India’s approach to T20 It doesn’t require a brilliant cricket, it could well come cricketing brain to separate across in Wednesday’s clash ‘fearless’ from ‘careless’ against South Africa. when batting. But some For long, India has found youngsters of the present In­ it tough to justify its rather dian team need the diffe­ conventional approach to rence to be spelt out. batting in the first 10­12 ov­ On Tuesday, India’s newly ers, keeping wickets intact appointed batting coach Vik­ before going for broke at the ram Rathour put it in as ma­ back­end. ny words. “All the young Since Virat Kohli categori­ players need to understand cally stated that the batting that there is a fine line bet­ depth is being considered in ween fearless cricket and Vikram Rathour. Quinton de Kock. any combination, it obvious­ careless cricket. * AKHILESH KUMAR * AKHILESH KUMAR ly allows the top­order to “What the team manage­ <> We want him [Pant] <> Leading into the play with more freedom. ment is asking from them is to play all his shots. World Cup, to lose a fearless cricket, having clear That is what makes game in different Change in approach? a gameplan and playing with The other day at Dharamsha­ intent. At the same time, you him special. He is an conditions, is not la, Kohli emphasised, “If all can’t be careless.” impact player, but at ideal, but that’s what teams across the world are the same time you it is. It is a bit batting till No. 9, 10, why Phenomenal player can’t be careless negative can’t we?” That, in effect, Strong point: Kohli’s men will bank on their batting might to surmount South Africa’s challenge.* AKHILESH KUMAR Rishabh Pant is the obvious — Vikram Rathour — de Kock compels the specialist bow­ reference point. And the ar­ lers to spend more time at dia has the luxury of going in Rishabh Pant appear a cer­ Dussen. Similarly, the Pro­ The teams (from): India: Virat ticulate Rathour, also a form­ batting deep, Rathour said, shala. “We would like to the ‘nets’ with the bat in their with six bowling options, in­ tainty, with Hardik to follow. teas batsmen will hope to Kohli (Capt.), Rohit Sharma, er National selector, was ca­ “We are fortunate to have so have played three games hands! cluding three spinners. What adds to the interest is take advantage of the lack of Shikhar Dhawan, K.L. Rahul, tegorical. many all­rounders in this against India. At the same time, it could Pacers Khaleel Ahmed, South Africa’s preparedness experience in the Indian Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, “As far as Rishabh is con­ team. “Leading into the World Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, help the international T20 Navdeep Saini and Hardik to test the Indian batting bowling ranks. cerned, he is a phenomenal “In the past, we did not Cup, to lose a game in diffe­ Krunal Pandya, Washington might. In the squad of 14, take T20s seriously but now rent conditions, is not ideal, careers of Ravindra Jadeja Pandya, along with spinners With the sun shining Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Dee­ player. He just needs to sort and Krunal Pandya, who Krunal or Jadeja, Washington South Africa has nine bow­ brightly, action is sure to be­ pak Chahar, Rahul Chahar, Kha­ out his gameplan, needs to we are preparing for the T20 but that’s what it is. It is a bit have better batting creden­ Sundar and Rahul enhance ling options! gin in what is effectively a leel Ahmed and Navdeep Saini. bring in a little bit of disci­ World Cup. By batting deep, negative.” tials than Kuldeep Yadav and India’s wicket­taking Much like India, South two­match series. pline into his game. we can go harder in the be­ When asked about how South Africa: Quinton de Kock ginning and we will be trying Yuzvendra Chahal. abilities. Africa is likely to go in with In 2015, when South Africa (Capt.), Rassie van der Dussen, “We want him to play all he was looking to his role as Given the inexperience of In fact, South Africa’s five specialist batsmen, three last played a three­match Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hen­ his shots. That is what makes out different things in this a captain in this series, the this visiting team when it wicketkeeper­captain Quin­ all­rounders and the special­ T20 series, one game was dricks, David Miller, George him special. He is an impact series and see what works opener and wicketkeeper comes to playing on Indian ton de Kock should know Ra­ ist bowlers. rained off and India lost the Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, player, but at the same time for us.” said, “Not too concerned, to pitches, the spinners could hul’s worth since they turn Looking at the top­order, other two. Dwaine Pretorius, Junior Dala, you can’t be careless.” be honest. It is a new step­ prove a handful, especially up for Mumbai Indians. India will look to cash in on Kohli and coach Ravi Shas­ Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hen­ Talking about the present Not ideal ping stone in my career, the variety offered by leggie In the batting department, the collective inexperience of tri, with one eye on statistics, dricks, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso combination, in the back­ South Africa skipper Quin­ gives me extra responsibili­ Rahul Chahar. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dha­ Reeza Hendricks, Temba Ba­ will be eager to return the fa­ Rabada and Tabraiz Shamsi. ground of skipper Virat Koh­ ton de Kock regretted the ty. Not sure if it would affect With this assumption, In­ wan, Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and vuma and Rassie van der vour this time around. Match starts at 7 p.m. li’s emphasis on the team rained out match in Dharam­ me negatively or positively.” ‘Want to keep the rhythm going’ KPL players Gill and Karun in cruise mode report Shepherd India­A to 233 for three on the opening day Ngidi says he has done a lot to recover from injury Ashwin Achal suspicious SA-A IN INDIA Mysuru Midway through South Afri­ approaches ca’s stuttering ICC ODI World Ashwin Achal Cup campaign, fast bowler Shayan Acharya Mysuru Lungi Ngidi was ruled out Mumbai Fluent knocks from Shub­ due to a hamstring injury. He It is not the Tamil Nadu man Gill (92, 137b, 12x4, 1x6) could only watch from the si­ Premier League (TNPL) and Karun Nair (78 batting, delines as his side struggled alone that has come under 167b, 10x4) took India­A to in the mega event, finishing the scanner of the Board of 233 for three on the first day with just three wins in nine Control for Cricket in India of its second ‘Test’ against matches. (BCCI)’s Anti­Corruption South Africa­A at the SDNR The strapping pacer is Unit (ACU). Wadiyar Stadium here on now back in action, turning The ACU has received Tuesday. out for the touring South ‘tip­offs’ about players be­ The duo came together Africa­A here. In the first ing approached by uniden­ with India­A in a spot of ‘Test’ against India­A — his tified people in other T20 bother at 31 for two, and put first competitive match since leagues as well, including on 135 to steer their side to the injury lay­off — Ngidi the Karnataka Premier safety. bowled well to pick up five League (KPL). They patiently played out wickets. Top officials at the ACU the opening bowlers Vernon The 23­year­old is keen to confirmed to The Hindu Philander and Lungi Ngidi, On the go: Shubman Gill belted 12 boundaries and a six but was unlucky to miss out get into the groove before he that quite a few players in both of whom extracted on a century by eight runs. * G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR joins the senior Test team to the KPL this season report­ movement in the morning take on India. ed suspicious approaches. session. When the sun came til a half­hearted cut went pamla for three boundaries fast bowler Wiaan Mulder to “The hamstring injury Players have sent the ACU out and the pitch dried up, straight to gully. in an over. When the spin­ first slip. was caused maybe because I screenshots of WhatsApp Gill and Karun opened out. ners Dane Piedt and Senuran The scores: was trying to bowl too fast. Lettin’ it rip! South African pacer Ngidi could be a handful conversations, where un­ Gill, who has been includ­ Excited Muthusamy came on, Karun India-A — 1st innings: Abhima­ Missing the latter half of the for the Indian batsmen in the Test series * G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR known people — posing as ed in the Test squad to face Gill earned a reprieve on ze­ disrupted their rhythm by nyu Easwaran lbw b Ngidi 5, World Cup was disappoint­ fans — sought information South Africa, was in fine ro when he edged Philander using the sweep shot Shubman Gill c Muthusamy b ing, but injuries are a part of South African speedster Dale “My father was my biggest about matches and team touch.