Pakistan’s modern batting great and 36-year old right-hander, Younis Khan smashed three consecutive 100+ scores in Tests against Australia to break a long-standing record of over 90 years during the final week of October.
India ‘A’ crush Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey slammed strokeful centuries as India A feasted on Sri Lanka’s mediocre attack before registering a comfortable 88-run victory in a warm-up match for the visitors ahead of their ODI series against India. The home team notched up a mammoth 382 for six and in reply, the Sri Lankans were restricted to 294 for nine.
Chief Scores:
India A – 382/6 in 50 overs: Rohit Sharma 142, Manish Pandey 135*; Dhammika Prasad 3 for 57, Lahiru Gamage 2 for 41.
Sri Lanka – 294/9 in 50 overs: Upul Tharanga 76, Karn Sharma 4 for 47.
Pakistan hand 221-run defeat to Australia
Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar took a maiden five-wicket haul and right-arm leg-spinner Yasir Shah took four wickets on his debut as Pakistan humiliated Australia by 221 runs in the first Test in Dubai on 26th of October.
This was Australia`s ninth defeat in Asia in the last 14 Tests, having lost eight to India since 2008. Their only win came in Sri Lanka in 2011 with four draws as they fell to South Asia`s specialist spinners. The biggest highlight of the match was the two centuries scored by Younis Khan which was the main point for the hosts. There were 3 other centurions in the match, Sarfraz Ahmed, Ahmed Shehzad and David Warner.
Chief Scores:
Pakistan (1st inn) – 454 all out in 145 overs: Younis Khan 106, Sarfraz Ahmed 109, Asad Shafiq 89, Misbah Ul-Haq 69, Azhar Ali 53, Mitchell Johnson 3/39.
Australia (1st inn) – 303 all out in 103.1 overs: David Warner 133, Yasir Shah 3/66.
Pakistan (2nd inn) – 286/2 declared in 78 overs: Ahmed Shehzad 131, Younis Khan 103*, Steve O’Keefe 2/112.
Australia (2nd inn) – 216 all out in 91.1 overs: Mitchell Johnson 61, Steven Smith 55, Zulfiqar Babar 5/74, Yasir Shah 4/50.
Younis Khan’s unique record against Australia
Younis Khan became the first batsman in 90 years to hit centuries in three consecutive innings against Australia. England’s Herbert Sutcliffe was the last man to have achieved the feat. Three other Pakistan batsmen – Zaheer Abbas, against India in 1982; Mudassar Nazar, also against India in 1982; and Mohammad Yousuf, against the West Indies in 2006, have previously scored three consecutive Test hundreds.
South Africa reclaims number-one ODI ranking after five years
South Africa has reclaimed the number-one ranking on the ICC ODI Team Rankings following the conclusion of its series against New Zealand in New Zealand. South Africa had entered the three-match ODI series trailing Australia by one ratings point. It moved to the top of the table following its 72 runs victory in the second ODI in Mount Maunganui on 24th of October. This is the first time in five years that South Africa has surged to the top of the ODI team table. It last enjoyed the number-one position in September 2009.
Bangladesh record a nervy three-wicket win over Zimbabwe
Taijul Islam set a national record with his eight-wicket haul and then struck a crucial 15 runs in the lower order to help Bangladesh overcome a spirited Zimbabwe by 3 wickets on 27th October in a tense finish to the first Test.
Bangladesh reached the winning target of 101 after batting collapses at the start and near the end of the innings that threatened to derail the chase. Islam returned Bangladesh’s best ever single-innings figures, beating the 7 for 36 by fellow left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan against New Zealand at Chittagong in 2008. It was Bangladesh’s first win this year against a Test nation. In the last 25 International matches, the Bangladesh team had just two wins against ICC associate teams – Nepal and Afghanistan in Twenty20.
Australia name 13-man squad for the first two ODIs against South Africa
Shane Watson is set to make his return to international cricket after being named in Australia’s squad for the first two one-day internationals against South Africa. Matthew Wade has been included as wicketkeeper, with Brad Haddin to be rested for at least the opening two matches of the five-game series. Spinners Nathan Lyon and Xavier Doherty have been left out while Josh Hazlewood’s sizzling form in the domestic circuit has earned him a recall as well.
Squad: Michael Clarke (captain), George Bailey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, Shane Watson
BCCI demands $42m from WICB
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) stares at financial ruin after its powerful Indian counterpart demanded nearly $42 million in damages for the Caribbean team’s abrupt withdrawal from a tour of India. WICB confirmed they had received a letter from the BCCI “outlining what the BCCI estimates as its losses from the premature end of the West Indies tour of India”
