Former all-format Bangladeshi opener Imrul Kayes officially announced his retirement from the red-ball cricket arena via a video message on his Facebook page on Wednesday. In that video, the 37-year-old stated that the first-class game against Dhaka Division on November 16th will be the last game of his professional cricketing career in the longest format. However, he added that he will continue to feature in white-ball matches in the domestic arena.

In his now-viral video on social media, Kayes admitted that it was indeed a hard decision for him to quit red-ball cricket from an emotional perspective. 

"On November 16, I will retire from Test and first-class cricket. It is the most difficult and emotional decision of my life."

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An overview of his record in Test and First-Class cricket

Kayes made his debut for Bangladesh at a very young age of 21 against New Zealand in a one-day international back in 2008. In his 11-year-long career, the Khulna-based batter went on to represent his national side across all three formats. However, he contributed the most in the ODI format. In 78 ODI innings, Kayes made some invaluable contributions at the top with his former opening partner Tamim Iqbal and churned 2434 runs at a healthy average of 32.02. Moreover, the most number of international centuries (four) came in this format alone.

The elegant left-handed opener was equally capable in the red-ball format too. Out of 39 Tests, batting predominantly at the top of the order and occasionally at No. 3, he piled up 1797 runs at a modest average of 24.28, with three centuries and four fifties. Kayes last featured in this format way back in 2019 in a day-night Test match at Eden Gardens where Bangladesh were handed a terrible hammering by the hosts India by an innings and 46 runs.

But his record in domestic FC cricket is by far the most formidable. After being involved in the domestic circuit for nearly two decades, Kayes has featured for his domestic side in as many as 137 FC games in which he amassed over 7000 runs with 20 centuries and 27 half-century scores to his name. These are some commendable stats and the former Bangladeshi top-order opener can certainly take pride in maintaining such an accomplished track record.

His opening partnership with Tamim Iqbal

More than his personal milestones, Kayes is highly renowned for the partnership that he shared with Tamim at the top of the order. The duo formed one of the most successful opening stands for Bangladesh in ODI and Test cricket. During Bangladesh's formative years, the pair would often get Bangladesh off to a blazing start with Tamim playing the role of the aggressor while Kayes would be keen to play the anchoring role to hold one end intact.

They remain Bangladesh's most prolific opening pair by far, having added 2336 runs in 53 innings. The second-best opening pair for Bangladesh is between Javed Omar and Nafees Iqbal who have added 665 runs between them.  The average first-wicket partnership between Imrul and Tamim amounts to 45.8 which is by far the best for any Bangladesh opening pair.

Imrul and Tamim notched up four century opening stands escorting Bangladesh out of precarious situations in quite a few instances. The first of the lot was an unbelievable 185-run stand at Lords on a difficult seaming wicket while the last one was a world record stand of 312 runs in the fourth innings against Pakistan in 2015 which helped the Tigers save the Test match despite conceding a mammoth lead of 296 runs. With that stand, the pair went on to register their names in the record books as that was the only 300-plus opening stand to have ever been recorded in the fourth innings of a Test match.

Imrul is currently 70 runs away from reaching the milestone of 8000 runs in first-class cricket. He will have the opportunity to achieve this accomplishment in Mirpur, where his final match is set to commence on November 16.

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While India celebrated the opening day of the Pune Test against New Zealand with strong bowling performances, the batting collapse put the hosts in danger of losing the Test as well as the home series against New Zealand. Can we see any dramatic comeback from the hosts? In other words, is there any previous Test match history of successful fourth innings chasing after getting behind 100 or more runs at the end of the first innings battles? 

Leading the three-match away Test series by 1-0, New Zealand captain Tom Latham chose to bat first in the second Test at Pune. While India can’t afford another defeat in this home Test series, which is also a part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship, another win for the Blackcaps will only mean their historic Test series win in India.

India are in deep trouble at Pune Test

On the opening day of the Pune Test, New Zealand were bowled out for 259 runs. While Ravichandran Ashwin (3/64) picked up the first three wickets, Washington Sundar recorded his first Test fifer and ended with the bowling figures of 23.1-4-59-7 on his Test comeback.

Starting the second day of the Pune Test at 16/1, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and the no.4 batter Shubman Gill took the team to score 50 runs. But then the hosts lost wickets quickly, as India lost five wickets to score the next 50 runs.

Apart from Jaiswal (30), Gill (30), and Ravindra Jadeja (38) all other Indian batters failed to reach the 20-run mark as India were bundled out for only 156 runs. New Zealand left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner also claimed a seven-wicket haul (7/53), as he recorded the third-best bowling figures by a New Zealand bowler against India in a Test innings. 

New Zealand started their second innings with a 103-run lead. At the end of the second day, the visitors scored 198/5 with a lead of 301 runs. Although Washington Sundar also picked up four wickets in the second innings (4/56) and already completed his first Test 10-wicket haul, the achievement has been overshadowed.

Is there any chance for India at the Pune Test?

Now the question is, can India turn the table in the fourth innings? New Zealand’s lead has already crossed the 300-run mark, and the visitors will surely add some more important runs on the third day. So, it means that the hosts India will have to chase a big fourth innings target in the Pune Test.

What do the records say?

Here, we will only discuss Test matches in which a team had a 100+ run deficit at the end of the first innings battles but still successfully chased the fourth innings target to record a stunning win. This means that the team batted first in the second innings of a Test match and wasn’t forced to follow on.  

Talking about Indian cricket history, we have seen this picture only once. Yes, only once India won a Test match by successfully chasing a fourth innings target despite trailing by 100+ runs at the end of the first innings battles.

Historic 1978 Port of Spain Test

It was the historic 1978 Port of Spain Test match against India. After the hosts West Indies scored 359 runs, India were all out for 228 runs as the visitors were trailing by 131 runs. The hosts set a 403-run target after declaring their second innings for 271/6. 

While none of the Indian batters managed the half-century mark in their first innings, opener Sunil Gavaskar scored 102 runs, while Mohinder Amarnath was run out for 85 runs, and Gundappa Viswanath was run out after scoring 112 runs. Also, Brijesh Patel scored 49 not out as the Bishan Bedi-led Indian team won that match by six wickets after reaching the target in 147 overs after losing four wickets.

2001 Kolkata Test can't join the upper list

There was another such incident in Indian cricket, which is unforgettable. During the historic 2001 Kolkata Test, India suffered a 274-run deficit. However, India were enforced to follow on, and Australia batted the fourth innings to chase the 384-run target. By bowling out the visitors for 212 runs, India clinched a famous Test win. However, it can’t be considered in the upper list due to India’s follow on and Australia’s batting in the fourth innings. 

Overall Test cricket history

In Test cricket history, 23 matches experienced a successful fourth innings chase for a team despite trailing by 100+ runs at the end of the first innings battle (excluding the 2000 Centurion Test between South Africa and England, which experienced a 0/0 declaration from England and forfeited innings from South Africa). England have recorded it 10 times. 

In the meantime, in the list of leading by more than 100 runs at the end of the first innings battles and still failing to defend the fourth innings target, New Zealand recorded it four times, twice at home and twice away. 

How many times are the 300+ runs chased in the fourth innings in India? 

Talking about the fourth innings target chase in India, 300+ runs have been chased only once. During the 2008 Chennai Test against England, India successfully chased a 387-run target after losing only four wickets.

So, we can see there are a few past records that can still favours team India in the current situation at the Pune Test, but those were highly rare occurrences. 

It was a moment of joy for the visitors as South Africa produced a special victory against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur to take an early 1-0 lead in a two-match Test series. The match came to a close during the early hours of day four as South Africa managed to get the most out of the second new ball to wind up the Bangladeshi tail in quick time. Needing only a meager 106, South Africa comfortably got home with seven wickets to spare. Kyle Verreynne was the standout batter for South Africa as his 114 not only bailed the visitors out of imminent danger but also put them on the patch of an emphatic win. 

This victory also marked the first Test win for the Proteas in 10 years on Asia soil. The last time the African nation emerged victorious in the subcontinent was way back in 2014 against Sri Lanka in Galle. In the process, South Africa have also managed to put an end to their embarrassingly long losing streak of nine Tests on Asian soil. The losing streak was initiated during their tour to India from Nagpur in 2015.

Historic first Test win against Bangladesh since 2008

Rabada, Mulder, and Maharaj ran riot to snap three wickets apiece to obliterate Bangladesh for only 106. While doing so, Rabada also succeeded in getting past the 300 Test wickets landmark. But by the end of day one, thanks to some resilient bowling from Taijul, South Africa found themselves in trouble at 108-6. on day two, Verreynne put his hand up and along with the assistance of Mulder, started performing the repair work for the visitors. The pair batted under testing conditions to add a galloping 119 runs for the seventh wicket to virtually bat the hosts out of the game. 

After amassing a lead of 202 runs, the writing was on the wall for Bangladesh. Nevertheless, Mehidy and Taijul tried to battle it out to delay the inevitable but South Africa came top on day four to prevent the Bangladeshi lead from going much further beyond their control.   Verreynne did not have to bat again in the second innings as De Zorzi and Stubbs slammed steady cameos of 41 & 30 respectively to steer South Africa to a seven-wicket win.

Interestingly enough, this is also South Africa's maiden Test win in Bangladesh in 16 years. Their last away test win against the Tigers came in 2008 in Chattogram when Smith along with McKenzie starred with the bat to register a mammoth opening stand of 415 runs which at present is still the highest-ever recorded opening stand in Test cricket. 

This win has now bettered South Africa's chances of entering the WTC Final. As a result, South Africa have improved their PCT to 47.62% and have surpassed New Zealand in the WTC points table to acquire the fourth spot. 

It took a moment of absolute brilliance from Sarfaraz to dismiss Will Young who was batting nicely on 26 during the second Test of the three-match Test series in Pune. Yong had got a faint glove on the way while guiding the ball down the leg side off the bowling of Ashwin who came in to bowl from over the wicket. There was a hesitant appeal from team India at first which was swiftly dismissed by the umpire Richard Illingworth. But Sarfaraz, who was standing at leg slip was confident that he had heard something and pleaded with the Indian skipper to go for the review. 

Rohit at first was not confident about going upstairs but after intense pleading from Sarfaraz and several other close-in fielders, the Indian skipper signaled for the DRS referral. 

Watch the dismissal unfold here:

in #2nd_Test
Keeper Bowler Captain kisi ko nahi Suna
Sarfaraz khan Bola Please Mujh Par Bharosa Karo.#INDvsNZ pic.twitter.com/wkyTUNmMqp

— A. Wahid (@A__Wahid) October 24, 2024

After winning the toss, the Kiwi skipper made the decision to bat first. The visitors made a steady start and were cruising along nicely at 76-1. The wicket fell during the last ball of the 24th over of the New Zealand innings. Ashwin was the bowler who floated a traditional off-break delivery outside the line of leg stump. Young tried to nude it fine down the leg side and Pant took a good take behind the stumps.

At first impression, it appeared that Young had not got anything on it. But the DRS review revealed that the ball was passing very close to his glove. Ultraedge was needed to ascertain whether there was any willow involved. Subsequently enough, the ultra-edge technology returned positive visuals for team India and its fans as the big screen showed a whisker of a spike when the ball passed close to his gloves.  

The on-field decision was overturned which helped India earn a vital second wicket to break the momentum of the visitors. At the time of writing, New Zealand concluded the first session by posting 92 for the loss of 2 wickets at Lunch with Ravindra and Conway still unbeaten. 

Sri Lankan cricketer Kamindu Mendis has set a new world record in Test cricket by scoring at least 50 runs in an innings in each of his first eight Test matches. 

Hosts Sri Lanka are busy in the two-match Test series against New Zealand. After winning the first Test by 63 runs, Sri Lanka started the second or last Test of the series strongly by scoring 306/3 at the stumps of day one.

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Kamindu Mendis scored an unbeaten half-century

Although Pathum Nissanka (1) was dismissed in the first over, his opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne (46) provided a solid start for the hosts with Dinesh Chandimal, who scored a century (112). 

Before the stumps of the day, Angelo Mathews scored 78 not out and Kamindu Mendis scored 51 not out. 

50+ scores in most successive Tests from debut

With his latest half-century, Kamindu Mendis recorded at least one half-century in each of his first eight Tests. It has set a new record in the list of 50+ scores in most consecutive Test matches from debut. Pakistan cricketer Saud Shakeel was the previous record holder by recording it seven times. While Mendis equalled Shakeel’s record during the previous Test, where the left-handed batter scored a century, he broke it in the ongoing Test match by completing a half-century. 

Players with 50+ scores in most successive Tests from debut

Kamindu Mendis' batting performances in first seven Tests 

During Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in 2022, Kamindu Mendis made his Test debut at Galle. On his Test debut, Mendis scored 61 runs. Early this year, Sri Lanka toured Bangladesh for a two-match Test series, where Mendis scored 102 and 164 runs at Sylhet. In the next Test, Mendis scored 92 not out and nine runs. 

In the recently concluded England tour, Mendis started the Test series with 12 and 113 runs at Manchester. In the Lord’s Test, the left-handed batter scored 74 and four runs. In the third Test at The Oval, Mendis scored 64 runs. 

In the first Test of the ongoing home series against New Zealand at Galle, Mendis scored 114 and 13 runs. 

The 30-year-old Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been forgotten in Test cricket. However, the all-rounder can return to red-ball cricket as per the latest reported development. 

During the 2017 Galle Test against the hosts Sri Lanka, Hardik Pandya made his Test debut. In his 11 Tests, Hardik scored 532 runs (average 31.29) and took 17 wickets for the national team. The right-handed batter hit one century and four half-centuries in his Test career. The right-arm pacer also recorded one Test five-wicket haul. 

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Hardik Pandya last played a first-class match in December 2018

Hardik last played a Test match in September 2018 during the Southampton Test against the hosts England.  

Due to recent injury and fitness issues, pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik is majorly active in white-ball cricket. Hardik played his last first-class match in December 2018 when Baroda faced Mumbai at Wankhede. 

In his 29 first-class matches, Hardik scored 1351 runs (average 30.02) and took 48 wickets. Apart from his one century and ten half-centuries, he also secured three five-wicket hauls in his first-class career.

Hardik Pandya is likely to play in the upcoming Ranji Trophy

In a recent CricTracker report, a source in the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) claimed that Hardik will serve for Baroda in domestic cricket in the ongoing season. Apart from playing in List A and T20 cricket, the all-rounder is also likely to represent Baroda in the first-class competition. It means that the all-rounder is likely to participate in the upcoming Ranji Trophy. 

Earlier, Hardik clarified why he didn’t participate for Baroda recently in first-class cricket. Pointing out his lack of fitness level and preparation for Test cricket, the all-rounder felt it wouldn’t be unethical to take up one deserving spot.

Hardik also added that he wouldn’t jump to red-ball cricket until he finds himself eligible for the format. As the all-rounder is reportedly eyeing a return to first-class cricket, it won’t be wrong to say that he is trying to make a comeback in Test cricket.

Recently, Hardik had an important role in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 trophy success. 

India will travel to Australia in November for a five-match Test series. In mid-2025, India will also tour England for another five-match Test series. If Hardik returns to red-ball cricket, he can play a crucial role in the upcoming challenging foreign tours for Test cricket.  

Sri Lankan cricketer Kamindu Mendis has started his Test career in a great way. His dream run in Test cricket continues in the home Test series opener against New Zealand. The left-handed batter has equalled a world record in Test cricket.

Galle is hosting the first Test of the two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The Test series opener has a rest day on September 21 due to presidential elections in the country. 

On the opening day of the Galle Test, Kamindu Mendis slammed his fourth Test hundred in his 11th Test innings. Mendis is playing his seventh Test match, where the left-handed batter has recorded four centuries and four half-centuries.

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Kamindu Mendis equalled the record for 50+ scores in most consecutive Tests from a debut

Completing his fifty runs in 73 balls with the help of six fours, Kamindu Mendis equalled a world record in Test cricket. Scoring at least one half-century in all of his first seven Tests, the 25-year-old equalled the record for 50+ scores in most consecutive Tests from a debut. 

In 2023, Pakistan cricketer Saud Shakeel set up the record for 50+ scores in most consecutive Tests from a debut by recording it in seven successive Tests.

Players with 50+ scores in most successive Tests from debut

Kamnidu Mendis' early Test career  

Before the ongoing Galle Test, Kamindu Mendis recorded at least one half-century in his first six Tests. On his Test debut at Galle in July 2022, Mendis scored 61 in his Test debut innings. 

During their Bangladesh tour last March, Mendis scored 102 and 164 runs in the Sylhet Test, 92 not out, and 9 runs in the Chattogram Test. 

Sri Lanka played three Tests in their recently concluded England tour. After scoring 12 and 113 runs in the Manchester Test, the left-handed batter Mendis scored 74 and 4 runs in the Lord’s Test. During the Oval Test, Mendis scored 64 runs during his team’s first innings. 

In the ongoing Galle Test against New Zealand, Kamindu Mendis played an important role for Sri Lanka on the opening day. He completed his fourth Test century in 145 balls and scored 114 runs off 173 balls (11 fours) before getting out late on the opening day. His batting helped the hosts score 302/7 at the stumps of the day. 

The ‘Fabulous 4’ or the ‘Fab 4’ term started from the fantabulous performances coming from the willows of Virat Kohli (India), Steve Smith (Australia), Kane Williamson (New Zealand) and Joe Root (England) when they donned their white uniforms. Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe coined this terminology and used the nickname ‘Fab 4’. Crowe predicted in one of his August 2014 columns for ESPNcricinfo that all four members of the ‘Fab 4’ comprising the above mentioned four, who would become future cricketing leaders of their respective nations.

And to no one’s surprise, his predictions did come true, and all four players have displayed their top-class calibre, not just with the bat but also with the captaincy hat. The former Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson, is stepping down from the New Zealand central contract after a disastrous stint in the recent 2024 T20 World Cup. This news marks the end of the Fab-4 or an era of pure cricketing display with the bat and captaincy. Though all the players still have some game within them, some aspects like the test captaincy would be dearly missed by the fanatics. Here’s a simple and noteworthy summation of the ‘Fab-4’, making it an ode to providing some memorable cricketing displays.

Virat Kohli

Though Martin Crowe predicted the staggering growth of Fab-4 in mid-2014, the unboxing happened lately in the 2015-16 period. Virat Kohli has been one of the batting legends in the red-ball format, who helped the Indian cricket team to be fearless and resilient in the toughest away conditions. His sheer calibre, aggression and intent have helped the team set high benchmarks in test cricket.

To briefly update his red ball stats, he has captained over 68 matches by winning over a phenomenal 40 games, losing 17 matches and just one match being a draw. With his MRF willow, Kohli has scored 8848 runs in 191 innings, at a commendable ongoing average of 49.16. And a majority of the runs have come from the tough and challenging away matches, symbolising his gameplay. He has 30 fifties, 29 centuries and seven massive double-century innings in his red-ball stint. And with big upcoming matches, there is no stoppage for one of the best Indian test captains.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith’s cricketing journey is a testament to resilience and adaptability. He began as a leg-break bowler, a role he performed with skill, but fate had other plans for the Aussie player. Known for his unique stance, Smith has been the reliable backbone of the Australian Cricket team. His calm and intelligent demeanour on-field and unique playing style have been his unique selling point. His tenure as a red-ball captain was commendable, with 21 wins, 10 losses, and seven draws out of 38 matches.

During his peak in the 2015-17 period, he was known for having the best and most consistent batting average, which almost reached 70. However, the unfortunate 2018 ball-tampering scandal, which led to his suspension from international cricket, has hindered his captaincy stint. He is now focused on contributing with the bat to the fullest. His ongoing test stint has seen him amass 9685 runs in 195 innings, averaging 56.97. He has 41 half-centuries, 32 centuries, and four double-centuries.

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Kane Williamson

Though the Fab-4’s inception came from the batting performance point of view, the captaincy aspect acted as the cherry on top. One man who symbolised the enigma of being cool, calm and composed is the Kiwi batter, Kane Williamson. The former New Zealand skipper has been a part of many final stages of the ICC tournaments, with the 2019 CWC final and the 2021 T20 WC final, naming a few. But, the memorable moment of his illustrious and ongoing cricketing journey would be the big triumph against India in the first-ever World Test Championship title match, held in 2021. His 44 test match captaincy stint garnered him 22 wins, 10 losses and 12 draw results.

Williamson is one of the players from the Fab-4 list who has successfully maintained consistency across all the formats. But, with his recent disastrous performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he has stepped down from the New Zealand Cricket Central Contract, almost ending his illustrious captaincy stint. In terms of numbers in the test format, Williamson has played the lowest number of matches out of the rest, where in just 176 innings, Williamson made a colossal 8743 runs, with an average of 54.99. In addition, the former Blackcaps’ skipper has 34 half-centuries, 32 centuries and six double-centuries.

Joe Root

Joe Root has been a batter touted as having the potential to overtake the test records of the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar. His classy stance and shot selection have been the pivotal aspects of his batting for the English side. Root has been a go-to man across the ODI & Test Formats. His decent attacking yet impactful batting has been the prime context to check out amongst the cricket fanatics. Having a kickstart to his peak from 2014, Root has been at its best in maintaining the same consistency.

Though the new BazBall format in England’s side only synchronises a little with Joe Root’s approach, he has unleashed his attacking side in crucial times and harnessed victories for the team. Coming to the stat numbers in the red-ball game, he has made a colossal 11940 runs in 260 innings, with an average of 49.96. By playing the most matches in this list, he has also made 62 half-centuries, 32 centuries and five double-centuries. Also, his decent test-match captaincy stint of 64 matches got him 27 wins, 26 losses and 11 draw results.

Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm pacer who starred in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory, is on the verge of fulfilling his long-standing dream of playing Test cricket. The 25-year-old has consistently expressed his aspiration to compete in Test matches.

Following his standout performances in the T20 World Cup, Singh is now poised for his debut in the Test squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Rohit Sharma and the team are scheduled to play a five-match Test series against Australia from November to December this year, and Singh’s impressive form suggests he will receive his maiden Test call-up.

Arshdeep Singh’s first Test call-up is approaching for the upcoming tour of Australia

Indian selectors are considering adding the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh to the Test squad, given his outstanding performances in limited-overs cricket. Impressed by his exceptional showing in the T20 World Cup 2024, the selectors are eager to include him in the team for the upcoming tour of Australia.

Singh ended the T20 World Cup 2024 as one of the joint-leading wicket-takers, alongside Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi, with 17 wickets. Reports suggest that the national selectors have advised him to play a few matches in the upcoming Duleep Trophy to strengthen his chances of earning a Test call-up.

A source close to the situation told the Times of India: “Arshdeep has demonstrated impressive swing in white-ball cricket for India. He might be asked to participate in some domestic red-ball games, starting with the Duleep Trophy on September 5, to improve his selection prospects for the Australia tour. There’s a strong possibility that he could become India’s key player, alongside Jasprit Bumrah, in Australia.”

The source also mentioned, “The selectors are particularly interested in adding another left-arm pace option to the white-ball squad, which is why Khaleel Ahmed was included in the Zimbabwe tour and has been selected for both the ODIs and T20Is in Sri Lanka.”Currently, both Khaleel and Arshdeep are with Team India in Sri Lanka. They will participate in the upcoming three-match T20I series, followed by a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The tour begins with the first T20I match on July 27 in Pallekele.

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Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana are set to be developed as future stars

Riyan Parag has reportedly been included in both white-ball squads for the Sri Lanka tour due to an injury to middle-order batsman Tilak Varma. The Indian selectors aim to develop Parag, who is known for his solid all-round skills, including decent bowling, exceptional fielding, and explosive batting.

Similarly, Harshit Rana has received his maiden call-up to India’s ODI squad, thanks to his impressive ability to bowl yorkers, slower balls, and other variations in the death overs, making him a valuable asset in white-ball cricket.The selectors are focusing on grooming Rana, Parag, and Khaleel Ahmed for the future as the Indian team navigates a transition phase, with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja having retired from T20I cricket.

Ollie Pope reached his sixth Test century on Day 1 of the second Test at Trent Bridge against the West Indies. Despite not being a fluent knock, it held immense significance for England, especially as Pope had to step in during the very first over following Zak Crawley’s dismissal for a duck.

Pope initially played second fiddle to Ben Duckett during their century partnership for the second wicket. While Duckett sped ahead to score the fastest fifty by an England opener in Test cricket, Pope patiently bided his time. The pair put together a 105-run stand off just 112 balls, with Pope contributing 31 runs off 53 deliveries. There was never any doubt about Pope’s form heading into the Nottingham Test, especially after his brisk 57 in the first Test’s only innings for England.

At Nottingham, Pope adopted a more cautious approach. Between deliveries 31 to 60, he registered a false shot percentage of 33.3%, focusing on absorbing the pressure while scoring just 10 runs, all the while watching Duckett dominate from the other end. This disciplined approach showcased Pope’s adaptability and resilience, crucial for England’s innings.

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In-depth Analysis of Ollie Pope’s Ton on Day 1

Ollie Pope’s innings was marked by some luck as he was dropped twice around the lunch break. On the penultimate ball of the first session, Alick Athanaze missed a sharp chance to dismiss Pope for 46. Then, five overs into the second session, Jason Holder failed to grasp a straightforward catch at second slip, giving Pope another life at 54.

With West Indies’ bowlers being inconsistent throughout the day, Pope’s task became easier. After the second reprieve, he capitalized on the loose bowling, scoring 65 off 76 balls with a false shot percentage dropping to just 6.5%. This phase of his innings was characterized by a mix of controlled aggression and careful shot selection.

Pope had walked in with England struggling at 0/1 within the first three balls of the innings. By the time he was dismissed in the final session, he had steered England to a strong position at 281/5, laying a solid foundation for the team. Alzarri Joseph eventually claimed Pope’s wicket with a good length delivery, targeting an area where Pope had shown vulnerability throughout his knock.

The Surrey batter, Ollie Pope, had a lazy waft at a delivery similar to the ones that had produced the earlier chances. This time, he edged it to the wicketkeeper, Joshua Da Silva, who made no mistake. Pope’s tendency to score big in the first innings was evident once again, as five of his six Test centuries have come in the first innings, each against different opponents.

The only exception to this pattern was his remarkable 196, which came in the second innings during England’s win in Hyderabad earlier this year. This innings added to his reputation as a crucial first-innings performer for England, showcasing his ability to lay a strong foundation when it matters the most.

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