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Former captain says it’s rare for teams to have so much preparation time in the lead-up to a series

Shashank Kishore09-May-2021Rahul Dravid, the last Indian captain to win a Test series in England (in 2007), predicts the upcoming five-Test series between the two teams will end in a 3-2 win for India. The series, scheduled for August-September, will be a “tough” contest overall and a “great series to watch”, he said.”I really do think India have a very good chance this time,” Dravid said during a fundraise webinar organised by Live Aid India for , to help those affected by Covid-19. “There’s no question about their [England’s] bowling. Whatever bowling attack England put on the park, especially their seam-bowling attack, is going to be fantastic. They have a lot of players to pick and choose from and that’s going to be terrific.”But if you look at their top six or top seven, you really think of one great batsman, a world-class batsman who is Joe Root. Obviously, Ben Stokes is another one, who is a good allrounder, but for some reason [R] Ashwin seems to do well against him. And that should be an interesting contest. I know he’s done well against him [Stokes] in India, but it’ll still be an interesting subplot to the series.”But I just think India will be well-prepared, have the confidence from Australia, there’s lot of belief in the squad. A couple of players have been to England a few times, there’s a lot of experience in the batting order this time around, so this is probably our best chance, maybe say 3-2 to India.”Dravid’s assessment of how well India would do was also based on the Test team’s schedule, and the chance they would get to acclimatise to the conditions. The Indian squad will leave for England on June 2, and will first play New Zealand in the World Test Championship final in Southampton from June 18. After that, they are expected to play intra-squad games in the build-up to the first Test in Nottingham on August 4. India do have a limited-overs series lined up against Sri Lanka, possibly in July, but, given quarantine norms, it remains unlikely any of the Test squad will travel to that if it happens in the window between the WTC final and the England Tests.”I think India will play really well in England this time,” Dravid said. “It’s a great opportunity we’ve got. After the WTC final, they’re going to be in England for a whole month before the Test series starts. I don’t think any team has had that kind of time to prepare for a Test series as India will have this time, so that surely should be a great advantage.”In England, if there’s one thing you’ve always got to respect, it’s the conditions. It’s slightly different from say an Australia or India. To some extent you sort of get the feeling [as batsmen] that you’re never set. Even if you’re set and you get a good start, batting on 30, 40, 50, things can change very quickly, the weather can change, the ball can swing even after it’s 40-50 overs old.Related

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“A lot of times in India or even in Australia, the Kookaburra can become soft, it’s a lot easier to bat after 40-50 overs. That’s not necessarily the case with the Dukes ball. So, it is a case of really being able to concentrate right through the innings and realising that even if you’re set, you’ve got to get a partnership going. Things can change very quickly, so the one piece of advice is when you’re set, value your wicket, play one ball at a time and look to take the game deep. If we put runs on the board, we’ll be competitive.”India have selected a 20-man squad for the tour with four reserve players, and Dravid felt that the composition of the squad made it clear the team management already knew what their best XI would be.”It does [seem balanced],” Dravid said. “It’s a 20-member squad. The only [other] one who could have merited selection would’ve been Kuldeep [Yadav], but he’s fallen away over the last little bit. Also, with the kind of [recent] performances from Axar [Patel], [Ravindra] Jadeja and Washington [Sundar], they’re clear about the kind of balance they want in the squad.”With both Ashwin and Jadeja adding value with the bat and having like-for-like replacements in Axar and Washy, they’re clear about the direction they want to take. It lengthens their batting and all four fingerspinners here allows them to do that. The make-up of the squad tells me they know their best XI even before they leave from here.”Ashwin and Jadeja in the XI? It could happen in England, says Rahul Dravid•AFP

India haven’t often played both Ashwin and Jadeja in the same XI when travelling abroad, but Dravid felt that could be a viable option this time around because of the quality both spinners have, the balance they bring to the side with their batting, and the fact that England will be wary of preparing tracks that assist seam bowlers too much given India’s own strong pace attack.”Yeah, why not?” Dravid said when asked if Ashwin, Jadeja and three seam bowlers was an option. “I mean, India has had success with that kind of line-up and especially with the way Ashwin and Jadeja have been batting at the moment, it gives them the best all-round balance. Once Hardik Pandya couldn’t bowl [following back trouble], India didn’t have anyone for that seam-bowling allrounder’s slot. If it’s a good summer and if it gets dry and pitches turn in England as well, India have the option of playing two really good spinners.”If India wins a couple of good tosses, India will have two really good spinners. It can turn in UK. They’ll be wary of starting with [pitches] too damp and too green because of India’s pace-bowling attack. So they’ll have to prepare good wickets, and good wickets in England, from my experience of playing there, the sun comes out and if you don’t water the wicket for five days, days four and five, it can turn.” Navjyoti India Foundation has raised funds for covid-relief. The donations will pay for PPE safety and prevention kits, vaccine awareness and registration drives, nutrition kits, rations and food. More than US$20,000 was raised during the panel discussion involving Rahul Dravid and Mike Atherton, moderated by Anshu Jain, President Cantor Fitzgerald. You can watch the webinar here.

Rana has repeatedly shut down some of the biggest hitters in the world and his spell in the IPL 2024 final only enhanced his reputation

Deivarayan Muthu27-May-20241:09

Moody: Difference between KKR and SRH became evident tonight

Mitchell Starc bowled arguably the ball of IPL 2024 in the final to hit the top of Abhishek Sharma’s off stump with a ripping outswinger. In the next over, Vaibhav Arora bowled an outswinger of his own to make Travis Head look silly. Harshit Rana’s dismissal of Nitish Kumar Reddy wasn’t as headline-grabbing, but it was deception at its best.In his very first over, Rana dug in three straight slower offcutters into the red-soil Chennai pitch. He found grip and bounce and bowled it so slow that it seemed more like an offbreak. Aiden Markram and Reddy were desperate to break free. Rana knew it and cranked the fourth ball up to 146kph. He got it to angle in towards off and straighten late off the seam. Reddy was beaten for pace, and could do nothing but nick it behind to the keeper.Slow. Slow. Slow. Frighteningly fast.Related

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Most other bowlers do it the other way. But there are some like Dwayne Bravo, Harshal Patel and now Rana who are bucking that T20 convention.Once the ball became older and the Chepauk track slower, Rana rolled out one cutter after another. Heinrich Klaasen was on a run-a-ball 16. He was desperate to get a move on now. But Rana denied him the pace and shifted his line even wider – possibly wider than a set of stumps outside off – to have him chopping on the next ball with a 116.4kph offcutter. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were 90 for 8 in 15 overs. Their last recognised batter was gone. Game over.Simon Helmot, SRH assistant coach,who has worked closely with Bravo in the CPL, delivered a glowing appraisal of Rana’s defensive skills.Harshit Rana showed his bowling chops in the IPL 2024 final•BCCI”He has some variations and I think his variation was his quicker ball and fuller ball,” Helmot said after KKR thumped SRH to win their third IPL title. “Obviously, he has those slower deliveries as well. No excuses but nothing certainly went right for us with the bat. I think Klaasy [Klaasen] playing the ball onto the stumps from wide outside off stump was probably something that didn’t go our way.”He seems to have the ability to adapt his bowling style depending on the conditions. Obviously, he’s well-versed with what the opposition are trying to do. Look, there’s a rich battery of fast bowlers here in India that are exciting, I think, and that’s what the IPL often to bring out – a lot of talent – which bodes well for the Indian cricket team and obviously we’ll be looking for lots of players like him when it comes to auction time next year .”In the first meeting between the two teams this season, Rana had similarly bested Klaasen with his slower cutter. The stakes weren’t as high as on Sunday, but still defending seven off five balls after having conceded a six to Klaasen in the first ball of the final over on a flat Eden Gardens pitch is no mean feat.The guy has been repeatedly shutting down some of the biggest hitters in the world. Against Lucknow Super Giants in Kolkata, Rana restricted Nicholas Pooran to 16 off 11 balls with cunning pace variations on wide lines from over the wicket.In all, Rana picked up 19 wickets in 13 games, the most by an uncapped Indian player and only Jasprit Bumrah (20), Varun Chakravarthy (21) and Harshal (24) have more wickets than him this IPL. The slower ball has been responsible for ten of Rana’s 19 wickets, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs. The variations have particularly served him well in the middle overs (between seven and 16) where he has the best economy rate (7.88) among fast bowlers who have bowled at least 100 balls during the phase this season. It’s better than the likes of Pat Cummins (7.92), Harshal (8.96) and his own team-mate Andre Russell (10.31).1:20

How dominant were KKR this season?

What makes Rana so difficult to put away?”Oh! I haven’t had to face him . He’s learning his skills or he’s learning what his skills are capable of this IPL,” Starc said. “I obviously didn’t know him beforehand. So, he seems pretty confident in his abilities. He started the season having had to close out a game against the second-best team in the tournament. He’s bowled some tough overs and he’s had to bowl the last overs in some games and he’s taken a good amount of wickets throughout.”I think he’s certainly open to listening – whether it would be from Shreyas [Iyer] as captain or working around [with other bowlers at] training. He’s certainly got the ability and he’s only young. He’s going to get better and better the more he works at it. The variations in his pace or slower balls have worked a treat at certain stages as well.”Rana was just a net bowler with Gujarat Titans in 2022 before KKR brought him in as a replacement player in the same season after Nitish Rana, his Delhi team-mate in the domestic circuit at the time, had suggested his name to the team management. In two seasons, he has improved beyond sight.He is also a capable batter – he has a first-class hundred to his name and averages nearly 50 after nine innings – though KKR didn’t require his secondary skill this season. He is already part of the India A system and IPL success could well put him in contention for higher honours.

Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi took a four-for each to bowl out Zimbabwe by tea on day one

Danyal Rasool29-Apr-2021Stumps Zimbabwe may have controlled whether or not to bat after Brendan Taylor called correctly at the toss, but little else was in their control all day. A collapse of the top order left them battling against the tide from the outset, and four wickets apiece for Shaheen Afridi – who reached 50 Test wickets today – and Hasan Ali skittled the hosts out for 176. To hammer home Pakistan’s advantage, their openers, Abid Ali and Imran Butt – both out of form for quite some time – remained unbeaten through the third session, bringing up a century partnership, finishing the opening day of the first Test just 73 runs behind Zimbabwe with all ten wickets still intact.The home side had found themselves outclassed, bullied and overrun in the first session. The absence of Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza, combined with captain Sean Williams being ruled out late yesterday, meant the batting was vulnerable. Those fears were only exacerbated when Hasan struck in his first over to get rid of Kevin Kasuza. There was an element of tragicomedy to that dismissal, with a solid defensive shot trickling back towards the stumps, Kasuza’s bucked kick never really threatening to prevent the ball dislodging the off-stump bail.Afridi at the other end was consistent as ever, suffocating Zimbabwe with unerring accuracy, giving the batters’ techniques regular workings-over. It was inevitable that would bring about a wicket sooner or later, and when Prince Masvaure pushed at one with hard hands, it flew to Butt at second slip. He could have been dismissed off the first ball of the match when a strong appeal for caught behind was turned down by the umpire, but there would be no further chances once Butt grabbed hold of a smart catch.Pakistan handed a debut to offspinner Sajid Khan, but it was his left-arm counterpart Nauman Ali who provided the next breakthrough breaching Tarisai Musakanda’s defences with a ball that went straight on. Zimbabwe’s woes were compounded when Taylor fell to an uncharacteristically irresponsible shot, reaching for a Hasan delivery well wide of off stump to give Faheem Ashraf a gift at third slip. The veteran threw back his head in frustration, clearly feeling his side’s best chances of putting up a respectable first-innings total were behind it.Resistance after lunch might have made him reconsider, with debutant Roy Kaia accumulating a spirited 59-run stand with Milton Shumba for the fifth wicket. It was the only sustained phase of the innings where the batters looked untroubled, and Pakistan slightly bereft of ideas. The partnership continued after lunch in the same vein as it had concluded before, and slowly looked to be digging Zimbabwe out of the pit the top order had left them in.But when Pakistan couldn’t dismiss them, Zimbabwe were kind enough to offer a sacrifice anyway. Shumba set off for a single within the circle there was no need or possibility for, and left himself stranded in the middle of the pitch, with even a dive failing to redeem him. Kaia soldiered on briefly with Regis Chakabva, but a devastatingly effective old-ball spell from Hasan guaranteed that any hopes Zimbabwe harboured of a more substantial revival would be swiftly extinguished. He followed up his two wickets with the new ball by taking another two in the middle, removing top-scorer Kaia two runs shy of a half-century with a pinpoint yorker, and putting paid to Chakabva moments later. After that, it was left to the bowlers to scrape together a total as close to 200 as their abilities and wiles would muster.The tail did provide brief, entertaining resistance, but the carefree approach they took was, by design, short-term, and Afridi joined Hasan’s party, each finishing with four wickets. Afridi’s 50th Test wicket has come in his 16th Test, one quicker than Wasim Akram, with Hasan just three wickets short of the same mark.Donald Tiripano frustrated Pakistan with the reverse sweep for a while, interspersed with some eye-catchingly good conventional shots, ending up as his side’s second-highest scorer. Blessing Muzarabani whacked Shaheen over cow corner en route an entertaining seven-ball 14, and before they were dismissed, the final three wickets added a useful 49 runs.It might have given them a lifeline, but it left the bowlers needing to produce something special on a slow pitch still fairly conducive to batting. The hosts, however, notably lacked the penetration they would need against the attritional abilities of Abid and Butt, each eager for a chance to cement their place at the top of Pakistan’s order. Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava were safely negotiated early on, and with Zimbabwe lacking a quality spinner, batting became easier, and the runs began to flow. Abid brought up his half-century before the day was done, with Butt just seven shy of that mark.Unless something quite special happens overnight, there’s little indication that tide can be stemmed now, with Zimbabwe facing the unwelcome prospect of a huge first-innings deficit to contend with.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has moved to calm fresh speculation around Hansi Flick’s long-term future after a turbulent start to the season raised questions over whether the German would remain in charge beyond 2025–26. Deco insisted the coach is “very happy” at the club while acknowledging that Barca is a “tough” environment where emotions and pressure can overwhelm even elite managers.

• Flick's future questioned after early season struggles

  Barcelona’s inconsistent early-season form sparked renewed debate over Flick’s long-term position at Camp Nou despite the German signing a contract extension in May to remain at the club until the summer of 2027. Flick’s first campaign brought historic success with a domestic treble, but a series of lacklustre performances and damaging defeats in his second season quickly changed the public mood and prompted scrutiny of his ability to maintain momentum. Amid these concerns, Deco publicly downplayed the crisis narrative, stressing that the internal view of Flick remains supportive and that no discussions have taken place regarding an early departure.

  The speculation intensified following footage of a tense moment between Flick and winger Raphinha after the Alaves match, which many interpreted as a sign of underlying tension inside the squad. Those suggestions were later dismissed by Flick himself, who reiterated that the incident had been misunderstood and that frustrations on the touchline reflected competitive pressure rather than deeper conflict. As Barcelona began finding form again in late November and early December, chatter around Flick’s future softened, but Deco’s comments reintroduced the issue into the wider discourse.

  Deco’s remarks came during a period in which Barcelona’s results improved and several injured players returned, easing some of the anxiety around Flick’s tactical approach and his management of squad depth. The sporting director suggested that fluctuations in public opinion are simply part of the job at a club where scrutiny is constant and where even minor dips can cause headlines.

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  Deco plays down questions about Flick's Barcelona future

  Flick had already addressed speculation about his future earlier in the season with a passionate reaffirmation of his commitment to Barcelona, saying: “I really love this club. I love Barcelona. I love the people here, it’s amazing. I really give my best for this club and this is what I want. I live for the club.” The comments were delivered during a period of intense criticism and demonstrated his determination to remain focused despite questions over performance.

  Deco echoed that sentiment by referencing Flick’s emotional investment, explaining: “He’s always said he’s very happy here. But we know Barcelona is a tough club. Everything is news here. He’s a very emotional person and sometimes he can’t control it all.”

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  What raised doubts over Flick's hyper-aggressive Barcelona plans?

  The uncertainty surrounding Flick stems largely from Barcelona’s uneven performances against elite opponents and their struggles in the Champions League league phase, where heavy defeats to sides like Chelsea raised concerns about tactical vulnerabilities. Domestically, however, the team sits top of La Liga, boasting the strongest attacking record in the division and securing important wins against Atletico Madrid, Real Betis and Alaves. These mixed signals have made it difficult to gauge whether Barcelona are on the brink of resurgence or merely benefitting from favourable league fixtures.

  Flick’s tactical identity – a high, aggressive defensive line coupled with rapid vertical transitions – has produced thrilling attacking football but left the team exposed in high-stakes matches. Injuries to key midfielders such as Pedri and Frenkie de Jong have complicated this further, forcing the manager to rely on makeshift solutions and higher-risk structures. The gradual return of those players has stabilised performances, allowing Barcelona to look more like the side that triumphed domestically last season.

  Barcelona’s leadership believes that many of the early issues were situational rather than systemic, rooted in injuries, form dips and general adaptation to Flick’s intense style. With the squad returning to health and Flick showing flexibility in improving lineup selections, optimism inside the club has risen sharply.

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• Success will still be necessary to secure Flick's job for next season…

  Barcelona’s immediate goal is to maintain their position at the top of La Liga while navigating the final fixtures of the Champions League league phase, where Flick will be judged on whether his side can avoid further setbacks. The club expects improved consistency as key players return, giving Flick a more complete squad to fully implement his preferred structure. Looking ahead, Barcelona’s hierarchy appears committed to supporting Flick through the remainder of the season and into 2026–27, with Deco’s message reaffirming that the German is seen as central to the club’s long-term project.

Steven Smith will take charge of Rangers against Dundee United on Saturday while the club look to confirm their new permanent boss.

Former Rangers player Kevin Muscat remains the frontrunner for the post vacated by Russell Martin following the 1-1 draw at Falkirk before the international break.

Rangers full coaching staff to face Dundee United confirmed

Rangers Under-19 coach Smith, 40, who had two spells as a player at Ibrox, is currently overseeing first-team training on an interim basis along with B team coach Brian Gilmour, goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo and head of performance Rhys Owen.

With such an important game on the return to domestic football, and negotiations ongoing and reaching the final stages, Rangers are looking for some certainty for the weekend.

Muscat established himself as the outright favourite for the post on Wednesday when former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl took himself out of the running after reportedly impressing the Ibrox hierarchy in talks over the past week.

The former Australia international has guided Shanghai Port to top spot in the Chinese Super League, where they are two points clear with four games left. Their domestic season ends on November 22 and the Light Blues may have to wait for his services.

Steven Gerrard, who won the 2021 William Hill Premiership title with Rangers, had been an early bookmakers’ favourite but had also ruled himself out of a return to Ibrox.

Martin departed the club after securing just five wins in 17 fixtures and having to get a police escort out of the Falkirk stadium as fans attempted to block the team bus from leaving.

Ahead of the visit of the Tannadice side, Rangers sit eighth in the Premiership, 11 points behind leaders Hearts and nine behind Celtic.

Bangladesh captain deeply disappointed with team’s poor performance in New Zealand

Mohammad Isam26-Mar-2021After taking a step forward with the bat in Christchurch, Bangladesh took quite a few steps back in Wellington, resulting in the 164-run defeat in the third ODI. The visitors were bowled out for 154 in 42.4 overs but they had abandoned the 319-run chase as early as the eighth over.In a damaging phase of play, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun added just 22 runs in the eleven overs that followed Bangladesh’s third wicket in the seventh over. By the time both batsmen departed the crease, the required run-rate had ballooned to ten per over, essentially killing the game. Mahmudullah’s unbeaten 76 salvaged some respectability to the visitors’ score but not their overall performance.They had started well with Taskin Ahmed’s accurate opening spell of seven overs, and Rubel Hossain, playing for the first time in the series, taking two wickets. But in between, Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman dropped sitters and even though they didn’t count for much as both Henry Nicholls and Ross Taylor fell in the same over, it was clear that Bangladesh couldn’t get their basics right again.Their catching and ground fielding had been poor in both Christchurch and Wellington and while their batsmen recovered in the second game, they were back to old habits in the third one. The bowlers impressed in parts, but captain Tamim Iqbal still had to rely on Soumya Sarkar’s eight overs.If Bangladesh are to make something of this 3-0 defeat, the process started at the press conference. Iqbal was blunt in his assessment, warning the team to take stock of their situation in order to perform better in the near future.”I thought the first and the last game, we were nowhere close to them (New Zealand),” Tamim said. “I thought they played exceptionally well. We are a much better team but if we continue to play like this, we are going nowhere. We understand that it is a different condition than back home, but we have to improve a lot to compete with them.”If you take out the second game, we never looked to be competing with them, which is very disappointing. I said before the series that I had high hopes. I thought we definitely had a chance. We did get a chance in the second game but overall, it was a disappointing series for us. We didn’t play well.”When asked whether the Bangladesh players showed heart in the middle, Iqbal said that it shouldn’t even be a question when they are playing for the country. “When you are representing your country, wearing the badge and the flag colour, I think this question shouldn’t come up. I think everyone wants to do well, but there’s a process to do that.”Iqbal, whose patient 78 set the stage for a total of 271 in Christchurch, said that the team should have followed the same plan in Wellington to ride out the new ball with minimum damage. He believed it would have helped Bangladesh take New Zealand deeper into the game, thus giving them a chance.”We had way too many soft dismissals today. You know the new ball will do something in New Zealand. You just have to hang in tight. The perfect example was the last game.”We only scored 25 or 26 in the first ten overs but we cashed in, in the next 20 overs. Surfaces in New Zealand can be difficult to bat at the start but it gets better as the game progresses. We didn’t allow ourselves the chance to bat deep,” he said.Iqbal said that it is up to the players to improve their overseas performances, and not just rely on the coaches. Bangladesh have a tricky period coming up in the next three years with two T20 World Cups, as well as trying to automatically qualify for the 50-over World Cup in 2023.Iqbal said that they have to take every match seriously regardless of whether it is in difficult conditions or a dead rubber, as every ODI now counts in the Super League format for qualification.”You can have the best coaches in the world, but the players need to understand what to do and what not to do. We are not consistent in overseas conditions as a team and as individual players. We have to find a way to fix it.”I personally didn’t come to New Zealand for improvement. We came to win games. This is no longer just a bilateral series. This is a points-based system. You win, you get points and makes your life easier for qualification,” Iqbal said.