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Ravindra set for new role as New Zealand name Test squad against South Africa

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Christchurch, Jan 26 (IANS) Rachin Ravindra is set to play his first Test at home since 2022 after being selected in the New Zealand Test squad as middle-order batter for the two-match series against South Africa, starting on February 4.

“Hard on the heels of winning the ICC’s Emerging Player of the Year award, Ravindra has been named in the BlackCaps squad for the two-match Test series against the Proteas, starting next week at Tauranga’s Bay Oval.

“Having been brought into the line-up for Henry Nicholls, the 24-year-old is set to bat in the middle order for the first time in his Test career, with Will Young providing batting cover,” New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said.

Ravindra had previously made his Test debut in 2021-22 against India at Kanpur, adding another cap at Mumbai before returning to New Zealand to play in that summer’s opening Test against Bangladesh.

He will be joined by Glenn Phillips, who is line to play his first Test on home soil after making his debut against Australia in 2019-20 and playing in both Tests on the early season tour to Bangladesh.

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Pace bowler Will O’Rourke will be joining the squad for the second match at Hamilton’s Seddon Park and could be in line for his Test debut following his selection in the New Zealand A side for the four-day Tests against Australia A, and his recent ODI debut.

Allrounder Mitch Santner also retained his place in the squad following on from strong contributions with ball and bat in Bangladesh.

Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi are the other members of the Bangladesh touring squad not included, with the selection group seeking a different balance for the conditions expected.

Head Coach Gary Stead said the squad was a challenging one to pick, with a number of players putting their hands up, and conditions to consider.

“It was pleasing as a selector to see different players making contributions during the recent series in Bangladesh. Glenn and Mitch both earned selection on the back of their recent work in red ball cricket. They continue to work on their games to contribute across formats and situations,” he said.

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He acknowledged that some tough calls had to be made, including leaving out Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi. “All three players have made strong contributions to Test-winning performances over the past 14 months. But we believe we’ve struck a good balance between experience, and providing opportunities for newer players,” he said.

Stead noted that, while several players in the squad had missed cricket recently due to injury, all were tracking positively for the series opener. “Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson and Kane Williamson are all at slightly different points in their rehabilitation plans. But we’re confident they’ll be good to go at Bay Oval,” said Stead.

Tim Southee, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke (second Test only), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

The squad assembles in Tauranga on February 1 ahead of the first Test at Bay Oval starting on February 4.

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Series schedule:

February 4-8, First Test, Tauranga

February 13-17, Second Test, Hamilton

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke (second Test only), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

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Head released from Australia ODI and T20I squads, Bartlett to be rested for second ODI

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Sydney, Feb 3 (IANS) Australia opener Travis Head has been released from both the ODI and T20I squads to “refresh” after a strenuous Test summer, and pace bowler Xavier Bartlett has been rested for the second ODI against West Indies but is anticipated to return with vigor for the third game in Canberra.

World Cup-winning quick Josh Hazlewood has been added to Australia’s squad for the second ODI against the West Indies at the SCG.

Bartlett’s impressive performance in Melbourne, where he claimed 4 for 17, marked a memorable start to his international career. However, the management’s decision to rest him for the second ODI is part of a calculated plan to manage his workload cautiously. A Cricket Australia statement said the decision formed part of his “ongoing management” after the 25-year-old Queenslander missed the first half of the domestic season following his return from a back stress injury.

The young pace sensation, who dealt with a back injury last year, is being handled judiciously, especially considering the demanding schedule with three ODIs in five days and no prior one-day or Shield cricket this season.

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The void left by Bartlett’s absence in Sydney will be filled by the inclusion of experienced World Cup-winning quick, Josh Hazlewood. Hazlewood initially rested for the ODI series after a busy Test summer, is set to bolster the Australian squad.

Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson will join the squad as cover for the third ODI in Canberra on Tuesday.

Australia has not named a replacement after Head’s departure and that opens the door for potential changes in the lineup, with the promising Jake Fraser-McGurk in contention to make his ODI debut at the SCG.

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2nd Test: Crawley, Duckett take England to 32/0 after Jaiswal’s 209 carries India to 396

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 3 (IANS) England’s openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out unscathed from the small period of batting for 20 minutes in the first session after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 209 carried India to a first-innings total of 396 on day two of second Test at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

At lunch, England are 32/0 in six overs and trail India by 364 runs. After seeing off Jasprit Bumrah’s opening over, Duckett’s first boundary came off an inside edge against Mukesh Kumar, while Crawley whipped the pacer for four to get off the mark. Duckett was more assured at the crease, seen from him taking three boundaries off Mukesh in the fourth over, to make it England’s session with both bat and ball.

Earlier, Jaiswal converted his overnight score of 179 not out into a maiden double century in Tests, though India missed out on reaching 400 by just four runs. Playing in just his sixth Test match, Jaiswal mixed caution and aggression in equal measure and stood tall even as his team-mates fell from the other end.

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He become the third youngest Indian batter to score a double hundred in Test cricket, via a six and four off debutant England spinner Shoaib Bashir in the 102nd over. His incredible career-best knock of 209 from 290 balls was laced with 19 fours and seven sixes, before being dismissed by veteran fast-bowler James Anderson.

But it was a morning which made England happy as India’s last four wickets fell for only 32 runs. Anderson took three wickets in his miserly spell while Bashir and Rehan Ahmed also took three scalps each.

In the morning, Ravichandran Ashwin was exquisite in his cover drives off Bashir, while Jaiswal, who survived an lbw appeal off Anderson, whacked the off-spinner by dancing down the pitch to smack a six over long-on to enter the 190s. Anderson got the first wicket of the morning when he squared up Ashwin on defence and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes took the catch behind.

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Jaiswal brought up his double-hundred in style with back-to-back boundaries off Bashir – a slog-sweep over backward square leg for six was followed by sweeping a full toss for four. Jaiswal celebrated by removing his helmet, jumping with joy and blowing kisses to a weekend crowd giving him a standing ovation and chanting his name to applaud a magnificent knock by the youngster.

He then tried taking the attack against Anderson – a thick edge on being squared up went for four. But Jaiswal lost his wicket when he tried to slice off Anderson after coming down the pitch, only for deep cover to take the catch. It brought an end to a momentous knock from Jaiswal, who was rightfully given a standing ovation by everyone in the stadium on his way back to the dugout.

India’s innings ended swiftly after Jaiswal’s fall as Bumrah edged to first slip off Ahmed and Mukesh too fell in the same fashion off Bashir, as the hosts’ fell short of 400 by just four runs. With the pitch still playing relatively well, though there’s been some evidence of variable bounce for spinners when Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav were introduced into the bowling attack at the stroke of lunch, it sets up the platform nicely for a big second session.

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Brief scores: India 396 in 112 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 209, Shubman Gill 34; James Anderson 3-47, Rehan Ahmed 3-65) lead England 32/0 in six overs (Ben Duckett 17 not out, Zak Crawley 15 not out) by 364 runs

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2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal slams career-best 209 as England bowl out India for 396

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 3 (IANS) Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal converted his overnight score of 179 not out into a maiden double century in Tests. But it wasn’t enough to take India past 400 as England bowled them out for 396 in 112 overs of their first innings on day two’s play at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Playing in just his sixth Test match, Jaiswal mixed caution and aggression in equal measure and stood tall even as his team-mates fell from the other end to become the third youngest Indian batter to score a double hundred in Test cricket, via a six and four off debutant England spinner Shoaib Bashir in the 102nd over.

His incredible career-best knock of 209 from 290 balls was laced with 19 fours and seven sixes, before being dismissed by veteran fast-bowler James Anderson. But it was a morning that would leave England happy as India’s last four wickets fell for 32 runs. Anderson took three wickets in his miserly spell while Bashir and Rehan Ahmed also took three scalps.

ALSO READ:  2nd Test: Fifty for Jaiswal as India reach 103/2 at lunch after England's early strikes

In the morning, Ravichandran Ashwin was exquisite in his cover drives off Bashir, while Jaiswal, who survived an lbw appeal off Anderson, whacked the off-spinner by dancing down the pitch to smack a six over long-on to enter the 190s. Anderson got the first wicket of the morning when he squared up Ashwin on defence and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes took the catch behind.

Jaiswal brought up his double-hundred in style with back-to-back boundaries off Bashir – a slog-sweep over backward square leg for six was followed by sweeping a full toss for four. He then tried taking the attack against Anderson – a thick edge on being squared up went for four.

But Jaiswal lost his wicket when he tried to slice off Anderson after coming down the pitch, only for deep cover to take the catch. It brought an end to a momentous knock from Jaiswal, who was rightfully given a standing ovation by everyone in the stadium. The end of India’s innings came swiftly as Jasprit Bumrah edged to first slip off Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar too fell in the same fashion off Bashir, as the hosts’ fell short of 400 by just four runs.

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Brief scores: India 396 in 112 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 209, Shubman Gill 34; James Anderson 3-47, Rehan Ahmed 3-65) against England

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2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes third-youngest Indian to score double-hundred in Tests

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yashasvi jaiswal first 200

Visakhapatnam, Feb 3 (IANS) Yashasvi Jaiswal etched his name in the annals of Indian cricket history as he became the third-youngest Indian after Sunil Gavaskar and Vinod Kambli to score a double-hundred in Tests, on Day 2 of the second Test against England at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Jaiswal, aged 22 years and 77 days completed his feat in 277 balls, in the process guiding India to a 350-plus total in the first innings of the match. The opener became the first Indian since Mayank Agarwal (November 2019) to breach the double-ton mark in the longest format of the game.

The young Indian opener, known for his aggressive style of play, showcased a remarkable blend of attacking prowess and composure as he navigated the challenges posed by the English bowlers. Jaiswal’s innings became a beacon of hope for the Indian team, especially as wickets tumbled at regular intervals at the opposite end.

Not only did Jaiswal reach the coveted double-ton milestone, but he also became the first Indian left-handed batsman since Gautam Gambhir in 2008 to achieve this feat in Test cricket. The former India opener had scored 206 against Australia, and now Jaiswal follows in his footsteps with an equally remarkable innings.

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Clocking in at 277 balls to reach the 200-run mark, Jaiswal’s innings demonstrated not only his attacking flair but also his ability to temper his aggression with patience when the situation demanded.

Former batter, Vinod Kambli remains the youngest Indian to hit a double century, when he achieved his feat at the age of 21 years and 32 days against England in Wankhede, back in 1993. The youngest double centurion in the history of Test cricket is Javed Miandad, who achieved his feat at the age of 19 years and 140 days.

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2nd Test: Fifty for Jaiswal as India reach 103/2 at lunch after England’s early strikes

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 2 (IANS) Yashasvi Jaiswal reached 51 off 89 (not out) as India posted 103 for 2 at lunch after an early strike from debutant Shoaib Bashir and veteran pacer James Anderson on Day 1 of the second Test here at Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Yashasvi started off well attacking Joe Root on the very first ball as the off-spinner opened the bowling from the other end with Anderson. Jaiswal got to his half-century in 89 balls and is unbeaten at 51 in 92 deliveries hitting 6 fours and a maximum.

Shoaib trapped the big fish Rohit Sharma for 14 as the Indian skipper closed the face on an off-break from the debutant and tucked his leg glance straight to Ollie Pope at leg slip.

It was the moment that young Bashir had been dreaming of, his maiden Test wicket. With a skillful delivery, he outfoxed the experienced Rohit, sending him back to the pavilion and giving England the breakthrough they craved.

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Yashasvi began to mount a comeback, putting the English spinners under pressure. Sensing the need for experience, Stokes summoned the ever-reliable James Anderson back into the attack. The veteran seamer responded emphatically, dismissing Shubman Gill scoring 34 off 46 balls just before the lunch interval, turning the tide in their favour with the dismissal.

The breakthrough injected a renewed sense of optimism into the English camp, setting the stage for an intriguing battle in the subsequent sessions.

England, equipped with the luxury of three spinners, saw Ben Stokes orchestrating a shrewd rotation of his slow bowlers. The trio of Root, Tom Hartley, and the debutant Shoaib Bashir combined forces, applying pressure on the Indian batting lineup and stifling their scoring opportunities.

Jaiswal with 51 runs led India’s attack with Shreyas Iyer, who came out after Gill’s dismissal.

Brief scores: India 103/2 at lunch (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51 not out, Shreyas Iyer 4; James Anderson 1-19, Shoaib Bashir 1-39) against England.

ALSO READ:  2nd Test: Fifty for Jaiswal as India reach 103/2 at lunch after England's early strikes
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