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Bangladesh have found the Afghanistan spinners the most troublesome in ODIs in the last ten years.Since July 2013, Afghanistan’s spinners have the most wickets (50) – and the best average (26.02) – of all teams against Bangladesh in the format. That includes 5 for 69 for the trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi in the first ODI on Wednesday. They combined to bowl 24 overs, and conceded runs at an economy of less than three per over.Although they made the most of the variable bounce on offer at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Bangladesh’s batters also didn’t do themselves any favours. While Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto were out to soft dismissals when they were starting to look comfortable, Mushfiqur Rahim let a Rashid half-tracker slip through his legs.Related

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“Our seamers didn’t bowl well with the new ball, but then our spinners were excellent,” Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott said. “We didn’t expect the wicket to have as much uneven bounce as it did. It is surprising. Normally here in Chattogram, it goes through a little bit more. I think we adjusted well. We read the conditions. We played some good cricket.”Today’s wicket helped them [Afghanistan spinners] a little bit, but they have some good skills to put pressure on the Bangladesh batters. A lot of these [Bangladesh] batters would have been confident from the Test match [last month, which Bangladesh won by 546 runs]. But the quality of our spinners shone through on a wicket that we thought would seam more than it spun for us.”Trott highlighted the experience of his spin attack, which helped them switch from T20Is to ODIs. He said they knew exactly when to bowl in an attacking manner, and when to be a little defensive.”I don’t think it is too dissimilar nowadays [bowling in T20Is and ODIs]. Batsmen have an attacking mindset in both formats,” Trott said. “Spinners have to be clever. They are allowed four fielders out till the 40th over. That’s when they usually bowl. They sometimes bowl in the powerplay [too]. So they have to figure out how they attack at the right times, but also how to defend on wickets where there’s not much assistance.”But the one-off Test between Bangladesh and Afghanistan featured none of these three spinners, and Bangladesh had feasted on an inexperienced attack to post 382 and 425 for 4 declared.Bangladesh now have to face Afghanistan in the two remaining ODIs of the ongoing series, but also at least once in the upcoming Asia Cup in August-September, and then, in their tournament opener at the ODI World Cup, where they face each other in Dharamsala.How do Bangladesh try and limit the damage before the big games come around? Towhid Hridoy, the batter who hit his third ODI half-century in the first game – which was only his seventh in the format – said that individual batters would have to figure out their respective ways to counter the spinners.”It [Bangladesh] is a mature team. They have been serving the national team for a long time,” Hridoy said. “Nobody has to be told anything new. We will get out of this by thinking about it individually. We back everyone in the dressing room. We can come back from this position.”Towhid Hridoy expects the Bangladesh batters to find their own ways to succeed•AFP/Getty Images

Although this was Hridoy’s first time facing Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi at the highest level, he already had some idea about Nabi and Mujeeb because of the BPL.”This was the first time that I faced Rashid. I have played Mujeeb in Under-19 cricket. We were also in the same team in BPL,” Hridoy said. “I played Nabi in the BPL. I think they are the best spin combination in the world. You can play spin better against any team after you do well against them. I was talking to Shakib [Al Hasan] and Afif played well. We also had a feeling that someone would do the job [in the first ODI]. We didn’t get a good partnership from the lower order. I am hopeful that in the next game, we will do better in a similar situation.”

Yorkshire celebrated a County Championship victory for the first time in 14 months when they beat Derbyshire by three wickets on the final morning of the match at Chesterfield.Shan Masood played the leading role against his former county with an unbeaten 95 off 112 balls while a run-a-ball 41 not out from Dom Bess helped see the visitors home after Dawid Malan had fallen to the first ball of the day.Yorkshire needed 65 when Mark Watt removed Malan but Masood and Bess played with composure to share an eighth-wicket stand of 68 from 82 balls to win a gripping contest on 215 for 7The odds had shifted in Derbyshire’s favour when Watt struck with the first ball of the morning. Malan tried to paddle sweep the left-arm spinner but only succeeded in lobbing a simple catch to Matt Lamb at short leg.Given the situation, it was a poor shot by a player of Malan’s quality and experience and put even more responsibility on the shoulders of Masood.With balls keeping low,, there was little margin for error but Bess eased some of the tension by sweeping Watt behind square for four before Masood stroked Alex Thomson to the cover boundary.There were more cheers from the Yorkshire dressing room when Bess cut Watt for four and clipped him through midwicket for three but there was an anxious moment for the visitors in the same over.Masood was on 76 when he missed a sweep at Watt and umpire Chris Watts appeared to uphold the appeal but was only signalling to the bowler to get off the pitch.Bess drove Thomson through the covers for another four and when Zak Chappell replaced Watt at the Pavilion end, Masood turned him behind square to the ropes.Watt switched to the Lake end but the target was now under 20 and Masood swept him to the midwicket boundary to move into the nineties.With 14 required, Thomson replaced Chappell but Bess skipped down the pitch to whip him through midwicket for four and in the next over, he swept Watt for another boundary to take Yorkshire to within touching distance of the finishing line.With everyone around the bat, Bess turned Watt through midwicket for three and struck the winning blow by pulling a Thomson full toss to the boundary shortly before midday to finally end Yorkshire’s 17-game wait for a red-ball victory.

Surrey 380 (Smith 97, Burns 88) and 73 for 1 beat Middlesex 209 (Robson 76, Malan 66, Worrall 5-48) and 240 (Holden 43, Clark 4-25) by nine wicketsIt bodes well for Surrey and not for the rest of Division One that while they did not perform to their best against Middlesex, they still won convincingly. Not just by nine wickets in the end, but with 46 overs to spare on day four. Considering the amount of time lost to rain, that last number reinforces the difference between them and their London rivals.From 128 for 3 overnight, Middlesex were rolled for 240, with three to Jordan Clark who finished with 4 for 25 from his nine overs. That he came on third change says all you need to know of the depth of talent at the 2022 champions’ disposal. A target of 70 took just 16.4 overs to polish off, with Ryan Patel taking charge at the end with a flurry of boundaries to pocket some decent red ink.Could there have been more tension? No doubt. Certainly, if Rory Burns’ dismissal had been followed up by that of Dom Sibley four deliveries later. The opener edged Toby Roland-Jones just wide of third slip after Tim Murtagh had forced Burns to find first. Perhaps at 17 for 2, panic might have ensued. In the end, Sibley and Patel made light work of the remaining runs, a half-century stand coming up in 60 balls, before Patel heaved the part-time offspin of Mark Stoneman to the midwicket fence to confirm victory by 3.05pm .A day that offered Middlesex the opportunity of pulling off something special or frustrating Surrey fell away quickly. The morning loss of three middle-order batters for just 55 runs dented hopes of the remarkable and the defiant.Make no mistake, the visitors conceded this match on day one, certainly hopes of winning it, with their last nine first-innings wickets falling for just 43 runs. A position of 166 for 1 relinquished would always be hard to make up. That they made Surrey bat again was a small, small victory.Even so, Thursday’s capitulation did mean the prospect of losing seven second-innings wickets before making up 43 runs felt very plausible. Three runs and 3.3 overs into the day, Kemar Roach got the first. The quick kill, perhaps even an innings victory, was on.A big one, too, in Max Holden. A patchy start to the summer punctuated by a half-century in the successful chase against Nottinghamshire looked like being joined by a second.Patience had got him to 42 overnight, but he could only add a single when Roach did what he does to left-handers: around the wicket, tempting a push, leaving them for dead. Surrey (and Roach) had gone to bed cursing Holden’s presence after Will Jacks dropped an easy catch at second slip when he had just 18.The second to fall was via a spectacular bit of work from Ben Foakes. Sean Abbott rasped one across John Simpson around the wicket, who helped the ball on its way down the leg side. Even before contact, Foakes was on his way, and a dive got him all the way across to pouch the ball with his right hand.Poetic, in a way, considering Simpson’s own exemplary keeping on day three had started with the wicket of Foakes while stood up to the stumps. Though it’ll probably take a bit of time before the Middlesex gloveman appreciates it as such.Out walked Pieter Malan, pushed down the order after suffering with some unspecified stiffness, accompanied by Mark Stoneman as his runner. His movements were clearly inhibited, though the trio of boundaries struck by Ryan Higgins to bring the scores level were simply the allrounder being his usually punchy self rather than shouldering extra burden.A lead of 10 was established before Gus Atkinson struck with his third legitimate delivery, getting Malan to push a little too far forward for a catch to Patel at backward point.Just eight deliveries later, Clark served up a passable Roach impression with a worldie from around the wicket that left Hollman driving at thin air – all but the edge – as Foakes leapt across first slept to take another smart catch.It should have in fact been three wickets in 11 deliveries, but Sibley palmed up a firm edge from Higgins, on 28, off Atkinson, and not even Foakes in this form could nab the rebound.Sibley would get the chance to make amends, albeit for Clark’s benefit, when Roland-Jones advanced and flinched at a delivery pulled back of a length for a bread-basket grab at first slip.With two wickets remaining and the lead only 27, Higgins decided now was the time to pick his team up over his shoulder and carry them once more. Middlesex’s leading runscorer possess the kind of attitude and skill to suggest you’d not go too badly with XI of him. Unspectacular yet effective, average height with above-average demeanour, particularly in this world of cruiserweight-boxer shaped allrounders.One of the latter – Clark – struck him on the arm, snarling at Higgins as he returned to the umpire to retrieve his cap. Having ascertained Higgins was not in great strife, Clark walked away satisfied he had inflicted pain. Out came the Middlesex physio to tend to his left wrist, which had worn a bouncer as he attempted to advance down the track for a second boundary of the over.The physio was back on again the next over, tending to Ethan Bamber’s top hand after the bowler failed to hook a well-directed bouncer from Atkinson. Bamber had better luck as Dan Worrall took over from Clark at the Pavilion End. A well-executed swish to deep square leg got him off the mark, even forcing Burns to move the fielder back to the fence.A second boundary came at the end of the over, gloved just beyond the reach of a diving Foakes. Another half-chance from Bamber came with the lead on 52, as Jamie Smith failed to reach a pop-up at short leg.By lunchtime, Bamber was looking steady on 20, walking off to the break after keeping out a yorker from Worrall. Higgins had grown to trust his junior partner, and even with the hosts managing five wickets in the session, a lead of 63 was a handy jumping-off point for a dart at some quick runs on a glorious Sunday afternoon.That’s certainly what Higgins was about. The eighth ball after lunch, he pulled Clark to the square leg fence – but Roach was lurking, moving to his right to take a catch a couple of feet in from the boundary. Out Tim Murtagh came and soon back he went, bowled by Abbott, though not before Bamber had struck another boundary.It would never be enough, and a run of consecutive victories now ends for Middlesex. At the very least, they leave this game having showcased some positives from the victories over Nottinghamshire and Kent, even if errors and the opposition’s superiority overhwelmed them.For Surrey, this third victory out of five – they remain unbeaten – lifted them back to the top of Division One after Warwickshire held the position for 24 hours. Surrey are home again next week for the visit of Kent, with a great opportunity to go into the international break well set to defend their crown.

Queensland have been left to rue a number of bizarre final-day dismissals, after falling to a 90-run defeat to Victoria.Resuming on day four at 58 for 3 chasing 329 for victory at the Gabba, Queensland were all out for 238 just before tea at the Gabba.Sam Elliott starred for Victoria, taking 4 for 43, while Todd Murphy also claimed 3 for 48  as he continues to push his case to be Australia’s second spinner in Sri Lanka.But the biggest challenge for Queensland came from within. The hosts looked in a position to hold on for a draw or push for a win midway through the first session, after Jack Clayton and Ben McDermott put on 59 for the fourth wicket.But their 18.3-over stand was ended when McDermott dropped a ball at his feet and took off for a quick single. Clayton gave up on the single and was run out while not pushing hard to make his crease on 43.The run out was superbly executed by bowler Xavier Crone with a back-handed flick, but still the wicket was gifted to the visitors.Crone’s run out was also his second such dismissal of the match after removing Mark Steketee in similar fashion in the first innings.Even after Clayton’s dismissal, McDermott and Jimmy Pierson put on 63 for the fifth wicket only for Pierson to be bowled for 31 trying to scoop Murphy.And from there the innings fell apart. Murphy also had McDermott caught at slip for 68, before Xavier Bartlett and Jack Wildermuth were both caught hooking Elliott at deep fine leg.Mitchell Swepson was then the last to fall, bowled by Murphy to become the offspinner’s third victim.The win leaves Victoria top of the table at the halfway mark, four points clear of Western Australia. Queensland remain last and are the only winless team after five games.

Head coach Phil Simmons lauded Bangladesh’s mental shift from trying to survive to trying to win, after they beat West Indies by 101 runs on the fourth evening of the second Test in Kingston. Simmons said their decision to bat first – after they had lost the first Test by 201 runs – paid off in multiple ways and that the batters will now have confidence that they can bounce back in tough conditions.Bangladesh were bowled out for 164 in the first innings, but they came strongly with the ball and skittled the home side for 146. They had an improved batting performance in the second innings and made 268, weathering a barrage of bouncers and verbals on the third afternoon to get into a winning position.”I loved the way the batters came out with a positive attitude,” Simmons said on the official broadcast after the game. “They had a survival attitude in the first few games [since I took charge]. On the third day, you saw that they were saying, ‘I have come to play the game’. I loved and enjoyed it. I made sure that they know that it is the way we have to play from now on. The Test win is something that these young players were looking forward to. It is nice to see them come back in their way after losing the first Test match. It’s total joy for me.Related

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“I think when we had the delay [due to wet outfield on the first day] and the sun was out, as hot as I felt in Jamaica for a long time, there was no question that we had to bat first. The wicket had dried out. We had to make the running in the Test match, as were down 1-0. The decision to bat wasn’t a difficult one. I think breaking it to the batters… It is a team that likes to bowl first to see what’s there. Giving them the confidence that I believe in you, that you can bat first here, I think that led to how we batted in the second innings. We just needed to do better than the first innings.”Bangladesh had several performers in the Jamaica Test win. Nahid Rana led the fight with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, before Jaker Ali held the second innings together with his 91 in the second innings. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam then took a five-for on the fourth and final day, with Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud picking up two wickets each in the final push for victory.Simmons praised Jaker’s ability to switch gears after a slow start. He was also impressed with Mehidy Hassan Miraz, who captained the side in Najmul Hossain Shanto’s absence after the regular captain ruled out of the Test series because of a groin strain.”Jaker scored three fifties in successive Tests, so he knows his game. We saw that he can also take on every bowler. He needs to take what he gets from here, and try to improve on it. This is not always going to be the way it is,” Simmons said. “I have been impressed with [Mehidy]. He took over from Shanto in short notice. He has taken the job and run with it. Mehidy and Taijul complement each other. Mehidy is a little bit faster and straighter, whereas Taijul uses his variations a lot.”Taijul loves hitting the stumps, so he bowls more arm balls than [conventional] spinners. He seems to be getting better every game. You could see that there was more thought in his bowling here in every session.”Having missed the first Test to manage his workload, Rana hit West Indies with rapid pace in Kingston for a match haul of 6 for 93. He now has 20 wickets in six Tests after making his debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year.”I was even more impressed [with Rana in Jamaica] than I was in Sharjah where he made his ODI debut, ” Simmons said. “For him to be so consistent on this wicket and hitting his lengths. At the end of the day yesterday, he was bowling in his mid-140s. We under-rated the young fast bowler’s ability to assess the situation.”The things he tells me before going on to the field, I wonder whether he is playing his fourth or fifth Test match. He is impressive with pace, but also with his hunger to learn. He keeps growing, and I am sure we will see a lot more of him.”

India will go into the home Test series against New Zealand with pretty much the same squad that took on Bangladesh in September – that means Mohammed Shami hasn’t recovered in time for what will be India’s last red-ball action ahead of the five-Test series in Australia to close out this year. Yash Dayal, who had received his maiden Test call-up for the Bangladesh series, also missed out.Jasprit Bumrah has been named vice-captain for the three Tests against New Zealand. With Rohit Sharma in doubt for the first Test against Australia, which begins in Perth on November 22, there is now more focus on India’s vice-captain.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India did not have a designated vice-captain for their most recent Test series against Bangladesh but Bumrah has performed the role for India in the past when he was the vice-captain in the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. Later, he served in the position in the two-Test tour of South Africa in 2023-24 and then in the five-Test series earlier this year against England.Bumrah has also led India once in the one-off Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was forced to sit out after having tested positive for Covid-19.Related

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As for Shami, he is working his way back from an ankle injury for which he required surgery. He last played a competitive match in November 2023 – the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. It was hoped he would return to full match fitness during India’s ongoing home season, ahead of the marquee series in Australia.Tearaway Mayank Yadav, who made his T20I debut for India earlier this month against Bangladesh, will join the squad as a travelling reserve along with Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy.India play three Tests against New Zealand, the first of which begins on October 16 in Bengaluru. That’s followed by Tests in Pune and Mumbai. New Zealand have a major injury concern going into the series, with Kane Williamson picking up a groin issue.India are currently on top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, with 74.24 percentage points from 11 Test matches. Wins in each of their remaining eight Tests (three against New Zealand at home and five away against Australia) will take them to 85.09%, but the more realistic aim for them will be to make sure that they get enough points to seal their place in the WTC final regardless of other results.

India Test squad for the New Zealand series

Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt)Travelling reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna