‘It’s great to see T20 cricket return to Mysuru, says Gundappa Vishwanath

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Yashasvi Jaiswal continued his ascent in international cricket arena with a commanding unbeaten 173, while B Sai Sudharsan kept his critics at bay by making a fine 87 as India posted 318/2 in 90 overs at stumps on day one of the second and final Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

From the time captain Shubman Gill won his first toss as India’s Test skipper and chose to bat on a slow pitch on a bright day with 11,000 spectators in attendance, everything went India’s way. Jaiswal and KL Rahul put on a steady 58-run stand before the former was involved in a huge 193-run partnership with Sudharsan, who hit his first Test fifty in India.

Jaiswal shifted gears post-lunch to bring up his hundred with flair in a knock where he started watchfully, feasted only on bad balls, and then got runs effortlessly. The final session saw a slowdown in scoring rate, but India remained in control. Jaiswal crossed 150 for the fifth time in his young Test career, and looks set for garnering more runs on day two, with skipper Shubman Gill also looking solid while slog-sweeping his way to 20 not out.

The standout aspect of the day, though, was Jaiswal’s knock being as a masterclass in tempo control as an opening batter. He absorbed pressure early, capitalised on loose deliveries in the middle session and tightened up again when West Indies regained discipline late in the day.

West Indies, meanwhile, bowled with discipline in patches, with no extras conceded all day and had an excellent over rate. But that wasn’t enough for any other bowler apart from Jomel Warrican to be amongst the wicket-takers.

The chants in the stadium were initially for ‘Kohli, Kohli’, referring to the veteran batting stalwart and local lad. But it quickly changed to ‘Jaiswal, Jaiswal’ by lunch. Those chants were made possible thanks to Jaiswal and Rahul negotiating an early swing before opening up with a flurry of boundaries.

Rahul played shots which pleased the shutterbugs in the stadium – a pristine punch and whip off Seales to pick consecutive boundaries. The barrage of boundaries became three in a row when Jaiswal whipped Justin Greaves. There was an element of sheer swagger in Jaiswal – a straight drive off Philip was as fierce as a bullet fired from a rifle.

The straight drive would again come up from Jaiswal’s willow – with its execution impeccable on an overpitched ball from Greaves. After the half-century was raised of the opening stand, Rahul had just lofted Khary Pierre for six and looked to dance down the pitch again – this time to Jomel Warrican, but was undone by a sharp turn going past his outside edge and resulting in the batter being stumped for 38.

Jaiswal continued to be a class apart – rocking back to cut Warrican for four, before lofting and sweeping Roston Chase for boundaries. Sudharsan, walking out at number three under scrutiny, began solidly too with his flicks and punches to keep India’s rhythm intact.

The second session began in a thumping fashion for India – Jaiswal cut Jaydon Seales to pick boundaries on the first two balls, before driving a half-volley through cover for four to reach his fifty off 82 balls. While Jaiswal continued to drive and cut with ease, Sudharsan used his quick hands well to flick, punch, drive and sweep nicely for boundaries.

On an overpitched delivery from Pierre, Sudharsan got his second Test fifty in 87 balls with a drive going through mid-off for four. Jaiswal made full use of loose balls from Anderson Philip to get boundaries and then a flick from Pierre got him the brace to reach his century, which he celebrated by taking off his helmet, raising his bat and sending a few flying kisses to celebrate a magnificent landmark.

The measured and methodical Sudharsan had a life on 58 when Greaves induced a false shot from him, only for Warrican to spill a straightforward chance at short mid-wicket. The third session then began with a bang as Jaiswal pressed forward to crunch Roston Chase through cover for four, before Sudharsan leant well into a drive to take another boundary off him.

But Sudharsan’s knock ended when he was trapped lbw by Warrican, who got the ball to spin back in sharply from over the wicket – where the batter was caught at the crease yet again. Sudharsan reviewed the decision at the fag end, but replays confirmed the dismissal, as he walked back to the pavilion 13 runs short of what could have been his first Test century.

With Gill hitting two glorious slog sweeps off Pierre, Jaiswal continued to be ominous by driving off him and then cutting fiercely off Warrican for picking up two boundaries. Jaiswal brought up his 150 with a flick off the pads on his 224th ball and raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from teammates and fans. With West Indies taking the second new ball, Jaiswal and Gill were at their cautious best, before getting back to hitting boundaries.

While Gill brought out a sublime drive placed wide of mid-off, Jaiswal gently played a backfoot cut past diving third man and crunched one past backward point for picking consecutive boundaries, before hitting a cracking cover drive for getting another four, to ensure India ended the day firmly in a strong position and would aim to build on their dominance on day two.

Brief Scores: India 318/2 in 90 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 173 not out, B Sai Sudharsan 87; Jomel Warrican 2-60) against West Indies.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Mar 1 (IANS) Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar has expressed uncertainty over whether he will apply for a place on the national selection panel after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) opted to publicly invite applications for the role for the first time.

The development follows incumbent chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain’s decision to step down after completing his two-year tenure. Bashar had long been viewed as the leading candidate to succeed him, but the BCB instead announced that it would advertise two vacancies on the selection panel, with the submission deadline set for March 8.

Bashar, who previously served as a selector for eight years under chief selectors Faruque Ahmed and Minhajul Abedin before the panel was reshaped in February 2024, admitted he was weighing his options given his current responsibilities within the board’s game development programme.

“I am not sure (whether I will send my CV or not). I am currently working with BCB so in that case why do I have to apply is something I need to understand before taking a final call in this regard,” Bashar told Cricbuzz.

BCB cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedin explained that the decision to open the positions to applicants was aimed at ensuring transparency and broadening the talent pool.

“The reason is that, apart from those we have in mind, there may be others who are qualified and who deserve an opportunity. We want to judge whether they have the ability. That makes the whole process a bit fairer,” said Nazmul.

He added that the board intends to select the most suitable candidates while also identifying potential selectors for future roles.

“Ultimately, we will take those whom we consider the most qualified. But here there will be more than one opportunity, and if someone can prove that, yes, I am also eligible, that is one aspect. Another thing is that we may take two people this time but we will also come to know who else is in our system and who are interested,” he said.

Nazmul further emphasised that the move aligns with the board’s long-term vision of expanding its selection structure across different levels of the game.

“In the future, we will need more selectors. If we think regionally, or at age-group level, or for the women’s side, we will need more selectors,” he said.

While leadership credentials remain a key factor in the appointment process, Nazmul acknowledged that former national captains often possess qualities suited to the role.

“That (former national captain) will definitely be a preference (for head of selection panel) but considering everything together – whoever has that leadership quality, that experience, that knowledge – definitely he will be preferred,” said Nazmul.

“But a captain usually has those qualities, which is why he becomes captain, so there will certainly be a preference, We have Shanto (Hasibul Hossain) and once Lipu leaves, there will be one remaining, and then two more will be added,” he said.

In the interim, the BCB recently granted Ashraf a one-month extension to ensure continuity while the process to appoint his successor and expand the panel moves forward.

–IANS

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Chennai, Nov 20 (IANS) The Netherlands men’s junior hockey team touched down in Chennai on Thursday ahead of the much-anticipated FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in Tamil Nadu from November 28 to December 10 across the vibrant host cities of Chennai and Madurai.

With 24 teams vying for top honours, this year’s edition promises to be the biggest and most competitive in the tournament’s history.

The Netherlands, one of the most consistent performers in the Junior World Cup, arrive with a rich legacy to uphold. They are among the select nations to have participated in every edition of the tournament since its inception. Their impressive record includes a silver medal in 1985 and 2009, and bronze medal finishes in 1979 and 2013. With their last podium finish over a decade ago, the Dutch colts now enter the 2025 edition with renewed determination and a clear mission — to go all the way and lift the elusive World Cup trophy.

Speaking on the team’s arrival, the team’s coach Jesse Mahieu said, “I have been to India a few times, including with the senior national team, so I’m familiar with the country. But every time we return, the warmth of the welcome always stands out, and we truly appreciate it. For many of our players, this is their first time travelling outside Europe, so it’s an especially memorable experience for them.”

He added, “As for the tournament, we know it’s going to be highly competitive. With 24 teams this year — a new format — the level will be intense, and there are several very strong sides in the mix. Our focus is on growing into the tournament step by step and starting well. We open against England, and that’s where our journey begins. From there, we’ll take it one match at a time.”

Also, the Netherlands captain Casper van der Veen added, “We’re really looking forward to this tournament — to enjoy the experience and to push ourselves to perform at our best. When it comes to tough opponents, I’m not thinking too far ahead. Right now, our focus is only on the group stage. We have England, Austria, and Malaysia, and all three are challenging matches. We need to approach them with full intensity and make sure we put ourselves in a strong position early on. Once we get through the pool stage, we’ll see who awaits us in the quarterfinals.”

The Netherlands’ colts have been placed in Pool E alongside Austria, England, and Malaysia, and they will begin their campaign on November 29, where they face England in what promises to be a thrilling encounter in Madurai. The team will look to make a strong opening statement as they embark on their journey toward Junior World Cup glory.

–IANS

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