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Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts is bracing for "the biggest two years in the history of Australian cricket". There's the T20 World Cup later this year, for starters. "It's a lot of work for our organization and lots of work for the players, but we wouldn't change it for the world," he says.

Excerpts from the interview...

The story goes what when the ball-tampering scandal broke, you were in a train with a bag which had a CA logo on it. You turned it around so no one could see it...

Yes. Having loved the game since I could walk, and having had so many experiences in the game and formed so many friendships, it was the first time that I hadn't felt proud to be involved. Literally, it was an unconscious thing to turn the bag around and not to display the logo.

Was the public backlash that severe?

It was significant. And it was magnified based on the landscape that we're living in, in terms of social media. So there was real outrage. But to the players' credit, and to our association's credit, the public have fallen in love with the men's team again.

Before you were CEO, there was a review which revealed a 'win-at-all-cost' culture. Did that culture lead to 'SandpaperGate'?

The cultural review gave us a good opportunity to look in the mirror. The term used at that time was "winning without counting the cost". It prompted us to drive a cultural change. Our goal is still to win, but the expectation is to be humble, to compete with respect.

Tell us about your meeting with Indian cricket board (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly...

I caught up with him in Mumbai. In a short time, he has shown progressive thinking and a future focus. We had some productive conversations.

Did those conversations dwell on a separate tournament featuring the 'Big 3' of India, Australia and England?

It's not something that we've discussed specifically but I think it's a really good example of the innovative thinking coming out of the BCCI under Sourav's leadership. We welcome consideration of any relevant innovation.

Won't such an event put you in direct conflict with ICC's own plans for more global tournaments?

The schedule is very full as it is. It's a matter of working beyond the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) which is set till 2023. The term of the next cycle appears likely to be till 2031. It's important that all ICC members have a voice. Cbtf Cricket

If cricket has to expand globally, the impetus has to come from the 'Big 3' since they generate so much of the revenue. How do you reconcile that with your individual commercial aspirations?

The BCCI deserves credit in terms of how generous they are when it comes to growing the sport internationally. India tours more than anyone. They play more days of cricket than anyone. They're actively developing the game. On our part, we're all conscious of the need to help.

When it comes to broadcaster influence, is there a line which administrators have to ensure is not crossed?

Broadcasters are a really important stakeholder, the commercial side. Fans are a critical stakeholder too. The players are the stars. We don't look at just one perspective. The fourth (factor) is development of cricket at community level.

Does CA have a position on four-day Tests?

Not at this point. We're going to ask ourselves the right questions and the hard questions. Interestingly, there's been like 130 three-day Tests, 120-odd four-day Tests and there's been 100 timeless Tests. So Tests haven't always been five days. It's also interesting to see how many matches are finishing inside four days. The data is being considered. Personally, I love five-day Tests. But my role isn't to make decisions on what I love.

Why not have four-day 'pink-ball' Tests and five-day regular Tests?

It's not a binary discussion of four or five days. There needs to be a balance of head and heart. If it was purely based on the numbers, it doesn't pay respect to the game's history. The concept does raise interesting possibilities like starting Tests on a Thursday, to give fans the maximum opportunity to watch on a Saturday and Sunday.

A lot of good teams were kept out of the 50-over World Cup last year...

It's important that the T20 format stays the key driver of the game's development. The shorter the format, the closer the contest between a developing nation and a traditional powerhouse.

Would you like to see the T20 World Cup expanded?

Yes. There's a great example in terms of FIFA World Cups over the last 30-40 years, how they've been able to use those as a great way of developing the game globally. We can do something similar.

There's a lot of concern about players' health, both physical and mental aspects. Glenn Maxwell being the latest...

Mental health and well-being is a growing issue in society. Cricket and cricketers are not immune. We've got to be vigilant and supportive of the players. Everyone needs a break, needs to refresh. We have to keep an eye on workloads when it comes to the next FTP. We've got a very strong view that international cricketers should not be playing any more cricket than they already are. It's also important for players to have other interests, to pursue another aspect of life.

Does cricket need a 'climate policy' of sorts? If it's bushfires in Sydney, it's the smog in Delhi...

We've developed a hot-weather policy ourselves. We're proud to become the first cricket nation to have done that. This year we are working on evolving our environmental sensibility more broadly. When the air quality is at a hazardous level, one of the challenges is to measure the air quality at the venue instead of the nearest measuring point which might be a few kilometres away.

The best you've played with and against?

The best I've played with is Steve Waugh, because of his intensely competitive spirit and drive. He was a strong leader too. The best I've played against is Courtney Walsh. I think he took 1807 first-class wickets and I helped his career along, because without me he would only have 1806!

Do administrators need to have played cricket?

Absolutely, because they need to understand the soul of the game. Ideally, you need a background in cricket and a background in business. It's not just about the numbers.

source ​https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/111842/i-love-five-day-tests-but-my-role-isnt-about-making-decisions-based-on-what-i-love

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Coming into the Test, Faf du Plessis was under pressure as a batsman as he had failed to lead the way with his personal performance in the last few months in Tests. So, on Saturday, when he walked out to bat at the fall of Dean Elgar's wicket, the intention was to go on the attack against the spinner - Dom Bess, who had till then accounted for the first three wickets and was expected to be England's biggest strength with the ball on a pitch that had an appreciable lot for the turners.

Du Plessis stepped out once and hit him straight down the ground for a boundary. He stepped out again the next ball, with the same result. The early aggression did enough for Joe Root to remove the close-in fielders and the bowler to change his angle and come over the wicket. What, however, didn't change was du Plessis's intention to attack. He stepped out again, twice, but only to block the deliveries. However, when he did that for the second time, he ended up inside edging the ball straight to the forward short leg fielder. His dismissal had reduced South Africa to 71 for 4 within the first half an hour of Day 3. The momentum, which was already heavily in favour of England, tilted further towards the visitors, and du Plessis's torrid run continued.

The match situation also allowed England to continue with their attacking approach. Even as Root kept only a solitary slip fielder to begin the proceedings, when the ball was given to Mark Wood, he did keep some creative field sets and the pacers induced edges. Stuart Broad, in particular, was impressive with his cutters which held on a bit after pitching. One shot by Rassie van der Dussen just went past Dominic Sibley at short cover and one fell just ahead of Broad, who was on his follow-through. Despite some testing bowling, there was no success for the English pacers. Anrich Nortje - Cricket Betting Tips who had come in as a nightwatchman last evening - ensured that he did well to keep the short-ball barrage out of danger despite his limited skills with the bat. He remained unbeaten through the first session, remaining unbeaten on 14 in 88 balls.

Van der Dussen, despite some early struggle, did well in the company of Nortje to keep the English bowlers at bay for more than an hour. Runs started flowing well as the duo eased in the middle as they added 38 runs for the fifth wicket. However, in the last few minutes of the session, van der Dussen decided to cut Bess off the backfoot but ended up inside edging it on to the stumps to offer the offie his maiden Test fifer.

Lunch was taken 15 minutes before the scheduled time due to rain as South Africa went to break on 113 for 5, all five wickets falling to Bess.

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Melbourne Stars won their eighth consecutive game and completed a double over Perth Scorchers, winning by 10 runs in front of their home fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Hilton Cartwright struck an unbeaten half-century - 58 off 56 - to take the hosts to 141 for 6. An all-round effort then held Scorchers to 131 with Cameron Bancroft top-scoring with 32.

After opting to bat, Stars soon slipped to 34 for 3 before Glenn Maxwell and Cartwright scored 47 for the fourth wicket to bring the innings back on track. Maxwell's wicket brought Nick Larkin to the middle, who made a quick-fire 24 off 18 to give the side a late boost. Matthew Kelly bagged three to keep things in check while Jhye Richardson and Fawad Ahmed chipped in with one each.

Regular wickets hurt the Scorcher's chase as they slipped from 46 for 1 at one stage to 102 for 5. There was no late flourish either as the hosts maintained control throughout.

Brief scores:Melbourne Stars 141/6 in 20 overs (Hilton Cartwright 58*; Matthew Kelly 3-27) beat Perth Scorchers 131/9 in 20 overs (Cameron Bancroft 32; Nic Maddinson 3-24) by 10 runs.

Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers, Sydney 

Sydney Thunder won by four runs by DLS method in a rain-hit game against Sydney Sixers at the Sydney Showdown Stadium. Thunder were 28 for 2 in 5.2 overs when the teams were forced off the field while they were chasing 76.

Sixers's innings lasted just 15.5 overs as frequent rain breaks sucked the momentum out of the innings. Justin Avendano made 28 but there were no more innings of substance as they folded for a paltry score.

Alex Hales for a duck while Usman Khawaja made 13 before Daniel Sams and Callum Ferguson kept the score above the DLS target.

Brief scores: Sydney Sixers 76 in 15.5 overs (Daniel Sams 3-14) lost to Sydney Thunder 28/2 in 5.3 overs by four runs by DLS method.

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Multiple spells of rain stopped play for over three hours at the St George's Park, and no play was possible after Lunch - which was taken 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

Earlier in the day, Dom Bess's maiden fifer had reduced South Africa to 113 for 5. The hosts lost three crucial wickets in the morning session - losing Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen. While Elgar got an inside edge to silly point, du Plessis got an outside edge to forward short leg and van der Dussen was bowled while trying to cut the offie from the backfoot.

Anrich Nortje, however, remained unbeaten throughout the first session, having come in as a nightwatchman on Friday evening. Betting Prediction He played out 88 balls for 14 runs and held one end well even as the English bowlers have tested him and had him uncomfortable at various times.

Brief Scores: England 499/9 decl. (Ollie Pope 135*, Ben Stokes 120; Keshav Maharaj 5-180, Kagiso Rabada 2-97) lead South Africa 113/5 (Dean Elgar 35; Dom Bess 5-41) by 386 runs.

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Tamim Iqbal has returned to the Bangladesh T20I side for series against Pakistan, Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Saturday (January 18). Hasan Mahmud, the 20-year-old pacer, has earned his maiden call-up with Rubel Hossain also making a comeback for the first leg of the three-part tour of Pakistan.

Tamim hasn't played international cricket since last year's World Cup. His poor run of scores in that tournament forced him to take a break from the game. He was supposed to return for the India tour in October but pulled out because of personal reasons. Tamim, who last played a T20I in December 2018, has recovered from a groin injury and was medically cleared to feature in the Pakistan series.

Rubel has had a longer break from T20I cricket with his last international game in the format coming in August 2018 against West Indies in Florida.

Mahmud has played 13 T20 games and has 10 wickets at an average of 37.9 and an economy of over nine. However, he has been fairly successful in first-class cricket (24 wickets from nine games) and List A cricket (19 wickets from 15 matches).

"There was a injury concern of Tamim but he was cleared and we are delighted to have him back as we need some senior guys in the team to lead from the considering some of our senior members are missing," Bangladesh chief selector Minhajul Abedin told Cricbuzz. "As for Rubel he is in and out of the national team for the last one year but looked to be bowling consistently in one area in the BPL and we preferred him over others as he got the experience that might be essential to doing well in Pakistan. Cricket Free Betting Tips

" Hasan is the quickest bowler for us at the moment and we included him just seeing his raw pace. We feel if he is nurtured in the national dressing room it will not take him long to make him capable of dealing the pressure of international cricket."

Taijul Islam, who has picked up just two wickets from nine games in Bangladesh Premier League 2019-20, has been dropped. Arafat Sunny, who was part of the touring side in India and last played a T20I in 2016, also has been axed from the side along with Abu Hider. Mushfiqur Rahim had earlier pulled out of the tour citing security reasons.

The first T20I will be played on January 24 while the second and third games will be held on January 25 and 27 respectively. All three games will be in Lahore before the visitors return to Pakistan for the first Test of the two-match series from February 7.

Squad: Mahmudullah (c), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Moammad Naim, Najmul Hossain, Litton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Aminul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Hasan Mahmud

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"Monty Panesar hasn't played 33 Tests, he has played one Test, 33 times." The observation, made by Shane Warne, was a neat line and contained an element of truth about Panesar's Test career. In Warne's view, the left-arm spinner was like a CD stuck on repeat, bowling the same way, Test after Test. He was a very good at what he did but what he did never changed. Panesar had not added skills to his repertoire and was reluctant to change his method or approach. That is not an accusation that could be levelled at Dom Bess.

His maiden five-wicket haul at St George's Park was a lesson in modification. He bowled over and round the wicket, wide of the crease and close to the stumps. He floated it wide and darted it straight. He spun the ball and bowled the one that goes straight on. From time to time, he used a round arm action in the hope the curved angle would lead to something. He was consistently probing, constantly scrapping for wickets. At times, batsmen facing Panesar would face up to the same delivery ball after ball, playing the same shot over and over again. Against Bess today, South Africa's batsmen constantly had new challenges to deal with.

They didn't deal with them particularly well, it must be said. South African batsmen have always been happier against pace than spin and they have been wary against Bess at both Cape Town and here, afraid to take him on, stuck in their crease, groping for the ball like stiffed legged and wristed robots. Pieter Malan chipped the ball straight back to Bess on the second evening. Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis lunged at the ball with hard, low hands to be caught by close catchers. Rassie van der Dussen's attempted cut shot, which he chopped on, was not a great look either.

That's not to take anything away from Bess, who became the first English spinner to take the first five wickets in a Test innings since Derek Underwood against Australia at Adelaide in 1975. The turn he generated made coming out of the crease difficult, the different angles from over and round the wicket challenged both edges of the bat, as he did when he bowled the ball which went straight on. He found the edge of Anrich Nortje with that delivery, after two big off-spinners, only for Joe Root to put the chance down at slip.

The 22 year-old looks a different bowler to the one that first played Test cricket in two Tests against Pakistan at the start of the 2018 summer. Then it was his batting which made more of an impression than his bowling. He was largely a containing off-spinner at that stage but has added an attacking edge during the past two years, working with Jason Kerr at Somerset and a number of other coaches. The ECB have kept Bess close, too, recognising his strong temperament and character. Last summer they met with him and Somerset to develop an individualised plan.

"Technically I am getting a lot stronger and I think that's through repetition of bowling," Bess said. "The media picked up on those two Tests against Pakistan that I was bowling a lot of side spinners. I have worked a lot on getting up and over it... Mentally knowing that I want to bowl my best ball as much as possible. That means challenging the batter in the air, off the pitch, through my pace, dropping different angles, using the crease."

His work with Rangana Herath in Mumbai before Christmas, on a Lions spin camp, has helped, too. Match Prediction The former Sri Lankan left-arm spinner was a bowler who liked to try things too, relying on subtlety rather than massive turn or the freakish ability of his fellow countryman Muttiah Muralitheran. Together, Herath, Bess and Richard Dawson, the Lions coach this winter, worked on seam position out of the hand - it's clear that Bess is now undercutting the ball less than he once did - and tactical elements such as field placings and angles at the crease. A couple of the other Lions players on that trip marvelled at the amount of work Bess put in.

The effects have been immediate. The wicket of du Plessis, after he had twice come down the wicket and hit Bess for four, came from something Bess worked on with Herath in India. "I dropped my arm a little bit and it bit off the surface in a good area," he said. "That's something that I worked on in India. Get up and over it is one thing but also changing my angles with my arm, my crease. That ball with Faf, I started round the wicket and he came at me quite a lot so I just tried to change the angle, dropped the arm and luckily it paid off.

"I felt like Faf wanted to get on top of me. That plays into your hands a little. I learnt from bowling in Mumbai against good club batters that they want to try and take you down. It's understanding how you can control them while still attacking. Fields is key for that. Speaking to Herath, he spoke massively about his in-out fields. That's what I have done the past two Tests, have close catchers but also have your men to protect your economy rate. Then you can keep bowling."

Bess' performance is a timely one f​or England. It's far from certain that Moeen Ali, who made himself unavailable for this tour as he takes a break from Test cricket, will return for the trip to Sri Lanka in March which would have left England without an off-spinner of note for a series in which they might want to pick three spinners in their final eleven. Bess's re-emergence on the scene has at least allayed that concern.

If he continues to perform as he has in South Africa, there are bound to be more opportunities for Bess in an England shirt no matter who is fit. After being drafted in initially as cover for the sickness bug that swept the squad early in the tour, Bess has taken the chance offered to him because of his great friend Jack Leach's failure to recover from the ill-effects. Bess impressed Jeetan Patel, the spin bowling coach, in the nets at Centurion and hasn't looked back since. He is the man in possession now. With that will come expectation but Bess is a level-headed young man who will know there is plenty more to prove. He's unlikely to be fazed by the challenge.

Longer-term, there is the thorny issue of whether he will get enough opportunities at Somerset. Bess has been behind Leach in the pecking order, the one to make way when only one spinner is selected, limiting his match play. He went on loan to Yorkshire last season in search of game time and has previously admitted that he may have to pursue first-team cricket away from the club he has grown up at. Conceivably, if he keeps up this sort of form, Bess could go into the summer as England's first choice spinner but second choice at his county. That is not a sustainable position for him or England.

All that can wait for now. Bess has more South African wickets to hunt for. If England are to force a victory over the next two days which, given the poor weather forecast, might be a stretch, he will have a key role to play, particularly if the pitch continues to turn. After a maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, he will certainly not lack for confidence. "There's still a lot to work on," he admitted. "But it's the start of a journey hopefully." You can be sure that Bess won't leave any option unexplored.

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Figy John's unbeaten century and skipper Aryan Lakra's all-round show helped UAE get off to a thumping start as they comprehensively beat Canada by eight wickets in Bloemfontein. Opting to field first, UAE restricted Canada to just 231 for 8 from their allotted overs. Opener Mihir Patel led the charge for Canada, scoring a brisk 90 even as batsmen fell around him. Muhammad Kamal (31) and skipper Ashtan Deosammy's (23) late resistence pushed the total past 200 but that didn't prove enough in front of UAE's top-four. John, the one-drop batsman, put on 149-run second wicket stand with the skipper to put the chase back on track after an early setback. Lakra fell on 66, after claiming two wickets earlier in the day, but John completed his century in the company of Ansh Tondon as the duo put on 49-run partnership in quick time to poish off the target inside 39 overs.

Brief scores: Canada U19 231/8 (Mihir Patel 90; Sanchit Sharma 3-42) lost to UAE 232/2 in 38.4 overs (Figy John 102*, Aryan Lakra 66; Ashtan Deosammy 1-42) by 8 wickets.

Australia U19 vs West Indies U19, Kimberley

West Indies registered their first win in eight attempts over Australia in U19 World Cups. In a low-scoring rain-affected match that was reduced to 49 overs per side, West Indies tracked down the modest 180-run target with four overs to spare en route to a three-wicket win, with Nyeem Young's 61 off 69 balls being the standout.

Australia, earlier, got off to a rocky start themselves, losing two in the powerplay and four inside 13.1 overs but Jake Fraser-McGurk's 84 helped put on a 91-run stand for the fifth wicket with Patrick Rowe (40). All that counted for little though when the side lost their last six wickets for 21 runs, getting bowled out for 179 in 35.5 ov ers. Matthew Forde collected figures of 3/34 and Jayden Seales 4/49.

Chasing, West Indies struggled for momentum in the small run-chase, losing wickets at crucial times. Tanveer Sangha picked 4/30 and had West Indies reel at 92/5 but a mature hand from Young stabilized the innings. A 78-run stand for the sixth wicket with Matthew Forde helped set up the win. Cricket Prediction

Brief Scores: Australia 179 in 35.5 overs (Jake Fraser-McGurk 84; Jayden Seales 4/49) lost to West Indies 180/7 in 46 overs (Nyeem Young 61; Tanveer Sangha 4-30) by 3 wickets.

Bangladesh U19 vs Zimbabwe U19, Potchefstroom

In another rain-affected game, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in a roaring start to their campaign. Zimbabwe's innings, which was punctuated by regular strikes and had a top-score of 31 by Tadiwanashe Marumani, was capped at 137/6 in 28.1 overs following a lengthy delay. The target for Bangladesh was revised to 130 in 22 overs, which the Asian nation chased down with relative ease with 10.4 overs to spare.

In a belligerent start to the run-chase, Bangladesh were 41/0 after two overs, thanks to Tanzid Hasan's 10-ball 32. His opening partner, Parvez Hossain Emon, remained not out on 58 off 33 and saw the chase through. In a supporting role was Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who made a mature 38 off 26 balls.

Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 137/6 in 28.1 overs (Tadiwanashe Marumani 31; Rakibul Hasan 1-19) lost to Bangladesh 132/1 in 11.2 overs (Parvez Hossain Emon 58*; Dion Myers 1-26) by 9 wickets (DLS).

New Zealand vs Japan, Potchefstroom

New Zealand and Japan shared a point each after persistent rain in Potchefstroom washed off their tournament opener on Saturday. Put into the bat first, New Zealand were cruising towards a strong total courtesy the century stand put on by openers Rhys Mariu (51) and Ollie White (80) who both hit brisk fifties. However, rain stopped play into the 29th over when New Zealand were on 195/2 and the game could not be resumed thereafter.

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It was a game of dissimilitude in Rajkot for India and Australia. Coming into the game on the back of a ten-wicket drubbing, India's determination to remind the opposition of their might, especially in their own backyard, shone through as they amended all the wrongs of Mumbai. By the end of Australia's 36-run loss - the first of their summer - two things were axiomatic: a solution to India's three-opener conundrum presented itself, while Australia's lack of a finisher was glaring.

Virat Kohli's decision of accommodating KL Rahul after Shikhar Dhawan's return from injury meant India were competing with three openers in their ranks. In Mumbai, Kohli demoted himself to No.4 to make provisions for Rahul at 3, which didn't serve him too well.

In Rajkot, he returned to his regular slot to play sheet anchor to India's innings with a stoic 78, as Rahul was pushed to No.5. While Kohli's innings was instrumental for India to get to a strong total, it was Rahul's blitzkrieg that took them to a winning one of 340. With a 47 in Mumbai and a 52-ball 80 in Rajkot, Rahul's adaptability and versatility in milking the purple patch that he finds himself in has left India with the power of choice.

India being unable to get into Australia's middle order in Mumbai inadvertently exposed a weakness for the visitors in Rajkot. Their over-reliance on the top order cost them in a steep chase. The middle and lower-middle order failed to pose any threat to India's attack that had its tail up. The lack of explosiveness of a Glenn Maxwell kind, lower down the order also hurt the visitors.

The conspicuous positive, was, however, Marnus Labuschagne's seamless transition from Test cricket to ODIs, who, with idol Steve Smith impressed with a 47-ball 46 in their 96-run stand to keep Australia in the chase. Labuschagne was initially slotted to come in at No.3, but David Warner's early dismissal prompted Smith to assume the role of the anchor to steer the chase. It could pronounce a new middle order for Australia with Labuschagne making No.4 his own and Alex Carey being promoted to No.5. But that missing finisher is what Australia need if they are to relieve the top order of performance pressure.

Jasprit Bumrah's return to form will also please India, who after an ordinary first game, returned 1 for 32 in 9.1 overs. Kuldeep Yadav, too, was among the wickets, derailing Australia's chase with the key wicket of Smith, backed well by Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini who executed their yorkers to perfection in the death. Free Cricket Betting Tips

The defeat in Rajkot ended Australia's ten-match winning streak in Asia, but coming to Bangalore, Australia can take heart from the fact of having won three of their last four ODIs at the venue. With the hosts bouncing back to set up the series in prime fashion for the decider, they have all to play for in Bangalore with India's supremacy up against Australia's spunk.

When: India vs Australia, 3rd ODI, January 19, 2020 - Sunday 01:30 PM IST

Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

What to expect: A belter of a track which is typical of Bangalore that has a truckload of runs in store. There will be a cloud cover in Bangalore, but no rain is expected, and it favours teams batting second.

Team News:

India

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan suffered injuries during the Rajkot game. While Dhawan was struck on his rib cage while batting, Rohit appeared to be in pain after putting in a dive on the boundary line. Both, however, are said to beprogressing well in recovery and will be assessed on Sunday morning.

Rishabh Pant is expected to be fit, having missed out on the Rajkot ODI due to a concussion. It remains to be seen if Pant walks back into the XI - perhaps in place of Manish Pandey - or stays on the bench with Rahul getting another gig behind the stumps.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey/Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

Australia

Barring Adam Zampa and Pat Cummins, the rest of the Australian bowlers were taken to the cleaners in Rajkot. It could prompt the management to hand Josh Hazlewood a game, who has been recuperating from a hamstring injury he picked during the New Zealand Test series, replacing Kane Richardson. Australia could also consider replacing Ashton Agar with D'Arcy Short to deepen their batting a tad.

Probable XI: Aaron Finch, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Ashton Turner, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar/D'Arcy Short, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson/Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

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Rain had the final say in the fixture between Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes on Thursday (January 16) in Sydney. Rain that had been threatening for majority of the day finally came pouring down just 6.4 overs into the clash after Hobart Hurricanes opted to bowl.

Relentless rain in the end forced abandonment of the clash with both teams sharing a point each. Hurricanes remained second-last with 7 points, while Sixers, second with 13.

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Jasprit Bumrah's return to form after KL Rahul's late assault restored normalcy for India, who righted all the wrongs of Mumbai in Rajkot to bounce back from their ten-wicket loss and level the three-match series. Bumrah's 1-32 in 9.1 overs was instrumental in India's 36-run win on a batsman's pitch, with negligible dew as Australia were bowled out for 304.

Bumrah didn't even bowl his quota of overs in Mumbai, taken for 50 runs in the seven overs he bowled. In contrast, in Rajkot, he was key for India's stellar start in a steep run-chase for Australia. He tested the Australian openers in a passage of play that had more plays-and-misses than runs as he persisted with a good length just outside the line of offstump as Aaron Finch was stuck on the crease. India had overpitched to Finch in Mumbai, which he took full advantage of, but on Friday (January 17), the pacers offered no width and pulled back the length a tad bit. Finch was left fishing most times with no timing, while David Warner at the other end, didn't get going at all. Australia needed Warner's brisk start if they were to stand any chance of chasing down a steep target. His departure early that was brought about by Manish Pandey's one-handed stunner at cover-point not just put an end to his misery, but also pegged Australia back quite early with them failing to make the most of the powerplay.

Finch was scratchy from the onset, getting just 6 off 18 balls much in contrast to his 25 off 18 in Mumbai. He jumped at anything with width, but struggled against the nagging length outside off that Bumrah persisted with, bowling back-to-back maidens, and ending his first spell, giving away as good as nothing, conceding seven runs in four overs. India persisted with New Zealand's short-ball ploy against Smith, who made a scratchy start of 4 off 15 balls. Smith and Finch joined hands for a 62-run rebuilding Australia's chase with the visitors matching up to India in 20 overs. The pair handled Kuldeep Yadav quite well early on, using their feet well against him, but it was Ravindra Jadeja, who pulled things back with Finch's wicket, having him stumped. It was a decision that was so tight that it could have gone either way, and the third umpire deemed that there was nothing behind the line.

It brought to the middle Marnus Labuschagne, who was playing his maiden ODI innings, being denied of it on debut in Mumbai. Jadeja had bowled two good overs with Finch's wicket but was taken off the attack as Kohli brought back Kuldeep, and Shami, who was expensive. Labuschagne and Smith did what they did best - keeping the scoreboard ticking. They kept busy, running the singles and doubles while getting the boundaries when they could. Labuschagne made the transition from Tests to ODIs seamlessly, comfortable in the middle as the pair went on to add 96 runs for the third wicket that came in good time too. They used their feet well, and kept India's bowlers at bay as Smith reached his fifty.

Jadeja returned after being used in short spells and dried up the runs in a passage of play that frustrated Smith as the required rate crept towards the nine-run mark. Labuschagne was nearing a fifty, but threw his wicket away, holing out to long-off. Kuldeep returned, tossed it up, and scalped Alex Carey and the big wicket of Smith for 98 in the same over to hand India the game, and also became the fastest Indian spinner to 100 wickets. Cricket Betting Tips India got 91 in the last 10 overs thanks to Rahul's blitzkrieg, but Australia's lack of a late power -hitter-cum-finisher cost them as they were unable to recover from Smith's departure in the end.

Rahul earlier, capitalised on the form he is in and raced away to a 52-ball 80, instrumental in India getting to 340, showcasing his versatility at a position that isn't his regular batting position. At one stage, it looked like India would get well past 350, but wickets in quick succession dented them. That, however, didn't deter Rahul, who went after the Australian pacers, with their best pacer in Pat Cummins having only the one over left. Rahul's attack on Starc especially left the pacer conceding his second-highest number of runs in ODIs with 78 in 10. While Australia's bowlers bowled a lot of short balls in the death, in contrast, yorkers from India's bowlers in the same period worked wonders as wickets fell in a heap.

That, after Rahul and Kohli cashed in on some wayward bowling from Australia in a stand that fetched India 78 in quick time. Cummins, who had bowled 7 overs off Australia's first 17, was brought in at that point with the visitors desperate to break the stand. It was Adam Zampa - in his final over - who provided them with the key wicket of Kohli at a crucial time, to account for the Indian captain for the fifth time in ODIs. Kohli lofted a loopy one straight down the ground as Agar plucked it just inside the boundary line, and tossed it over to Starc to complete the catch as he went over with Zampa finishing with 3-50 on a wicket that ha​d little for the bowlers. After much debate following the opening ODI when Kohli came in at 4 to accommodate three openers, he returned to his regular spot at No.3 and his success at the spot continued as he controlled and led India's charge after they were asked to bat. Following the dismissal of Kohli, India were 280 for 4 in 44 overs. Manish Pandey fell soon after but the set-batsman Rahul, who was on 44 off 34 then, took over and launched a counterattack. He found the boundaries at will, dispatching Australia's pacers to all parts as India scored 53 in the final five.

Rohit and Dhawan gave India a strong start upfront, despite Cummins's probing lengths. Starc strayed a tad bit and the openers took advantage, conceding 20 in three overs forcing to Australia to bring on Kane Richardson. The change bowler wasn't spared either as both the openers got stuck into him, compelling Finch to introduce Zampa's leg-spin earlier than he would've wanted with Cummins keeping things tight from one end. Zampa stepped up and ended the opening stand that threatened to get away from them in just his second over, trapping Rohit leg-before against a fuller ball that was too full to be swept.

​Dhawan and Kohli joined hands to power India to a position of strength with a century stand - one which Dhawan dominated. The left-hander looked like he wanted to make up for last game's missed chance to convert his fifty-plus score into a century, but perished to a poor shot off as poor a ball from Richardson. It was short and headed down leg when Dhawan decided to pull it straight to fine leg when on 96. Kohli's 78 wasn't a knock typical of the Indian skipper but was one where the dots balls were far lesser with the highlight of his 76-ball stay rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking while stitching partnerships with Dhawan and Rahul. While the other bowlers were being taken to different parts of the park, Zampa was the standout, bowling stump to stump, keeping the ball up, attacking the batsmen with his accuracy and bowling quite full, making it difficult for the batsmen to get under him to put him away.