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A 13-ball over from Naveen-ul-Haq and a dramatic final over in which Tashinga Musekiwa found the boundary and sprinted between the wickets gave Zimbabwe a thrilling last-ball win in the opening T20I against Afghanistan.With Zimbabwe chasing 145, frugal spells from Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan and a four-run 18th over from Mujeeb Ur Rahman brought the equation down from 60 off 42 balls to 21 off 12. But Naveen’s final over went for ten, and Azmatullah Omarzai’s changes in pace and length could not defend ten in the final over.Musekiwa slogged a slower slot ball over cow corner and almost cleared the fence first ball of the 20th. He then rushed back for three twos, and with the scores level and the field up for the last ball, drove straight of mid-off to unleash celebrations with his partner in front of a vibrant Harare crowd.The tension went up and down in the last seven overs beginning with a quicker ball from Mohammad Nabi leading to a miscued slog from the well-set Dion Myers. It broke a 75-run stand between Myers and Brian Bennett and took the asking rate to over nine runs an over.Richard Ngarava returned 3 for 28 off his four overs•AFP/Getty Images

Naveen returned for an over that didn’t exactly go as expected. The wide yorker was his default plan, and five of the first eight balls resulted in wides apart from a high full toss that Sikandar Raza flayed over short third for four. When he went full and wide again, Raza went across to lash the ball down the ground before a slower ball finally dismissed the Zimbabwe captain, whose innings only lasted five legal balls.Rashid, who wasn’t as effective in his first three overs, knocked over the well-set Bennett for 49 with a slider. He then had Ryan Burl mistime a pull to deep backward square leg. But neither his nor Mujeeb’s stump-to-stump bowling was enough for Afghanistan to stop Zimbabwe from getting home.The chase began with Zimbabwe under pressure because of Naveen, who started with a maiden before cramping Tadiwanashe Marumani for room on the pull.But Naveen dropped Bennett on 8 off Azmatullah Omarzai in the fifth over. Rashid introduced himself in the final over of the powerplay but could not keep a lid on the scoring. He erred short and wide (both off and leg-side) to Myers, who picked up two fours.The duo consolidated but a few quiet overs took the asking rate up to nine. They picked up a boundary in each of Fareed Ahmad’s first two overs and Myers deposited another Rashid long-hop over long-on in the 12th. Bennett continued the charge by smashing Omarzai for two fours before Nabi’s intervention set up a rollercoaster finish.Earlier, Rashid had no hesitations in batting first. Rahmanullah Gurbaz wanted to take the early initiative but was undone by Richard Ngarava’s extra bounce off the third ball of the match. Sediqullah Atal was offered a chance by Wessly Madhevere in the third over but fell in the next trying to heave Trevor Gwandu over mid-on.Hazratullah Zazai, meanwhile, was off to a promising start, carving Ngarava through point in the first over and launching Bennett down the ground in the third before holing out off Blessing Muzarabani.Karim Janat was the top-scorer from either side•AFP

Omarzai and Karim Janat lowered the risk post-powerplay but got a boundary each off Raza to lift the run rate towards run-a-ball again. But an attempt to launch Wellington Masakadza over the top led to Omarzai getting caught at long-on.Nabi joined Janat with Afghanistan in trouble at 58 for 5 in the 11th over. Their start together was scratchy but was made easier by sloppy fielding from Zimbabwe. Burl’s misfield at long-off turned two into three in the 12th over before Muzarabani lost sight of the ball and gave Janat the first of two boundaries in the next.Nabi hit the gaps to get some risk-free twos before going after the returning Ngarava in the 16th over. Two boundaries took Afghanistan past 100 with four overs to go. Nabi began the death overs by taking down Gwandu for a six and three fours, the last of which came about via another fielding lapse.Janat and Nabi added 79 off 49 before Ngarava dismissed Nabi in a seven-run 19th over. Janat, who played the anchor role, remained 54 not out off 49 balls at the end, and neither he nor Rashid could put Gwandu away for a boundary in the final over.

Rohit’s big miss on Ranji return

Rohit Sharma’s Ranji Trophy return after nearly 10 years wasn’t as memorable as he’d hoped it would be. His 19-ball vigil brought him 3, and he was out caught off the leading edge while attempting a half-nudge, half-pull into the leg side off a rising delivery from Jammu & Kashmir’s Umar Nazir. It was reminiscent of two recent Test dismissals for Rohit: against Pat Cummins at the MCG, and against Matt Henry at the Wankhede Stadium.Rohit’s dismissal quickly followed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s after Mumbai opted to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, and Shreyas Iyer also managed just 12 and 11 respectively in a first innings that lasted just 33.2 overs with Mumbai bowled out for 120. But excellent work with the ball means Mumbai have a chance of limiting their deficit to under three figures.Related

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Rohit’s return to the domestic set-up comes on the back of the BCCI’s new guidelines, which have come into force since India’s 3-1 reversal in Australia earlier this month. Rohit’s Test future hangs in the balance after he opted out of the Sydney Test, but he has reiterated that he hasn’t retired and is still hopeful of leading the team in Tests.

Gill and Punjab collapse against swing and seam

In Bengaluru, Shubman Gill’s outing was equally forgettable, not just with the bat but on the field as captain too. Punjab, who were missing Abhishek Sharma, were bowled out for 55 with Gill managing just 4 before nicking behind as swing and seam bowlers ruled on a greenish deck at the Chinnaswamy. By stumps, Punjab were so far behind in the game that they’ll probably need a Gill special to even salvage one point from the match.Gill’s return to domestic cricket presented an opportunity for him to get some match time and confidence back following underwhelming returns in Australia where he featured in just three of the five Tests, while aggregating 93 runs in five innings. His returns outside Asia since the 2021 World Test Championship final have been in particular focus – he averages 17.64 across 18 innings.File photo – Ravindra Jadeja picked up his 35th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket•AFP/Getty Images

Pant misses out; Jadeja takes five on Rajkot turner

In Rajkot, Rishabh Pant lasted just 10 deliveries as he was out to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Pant’s dismissal was part of Delhi’s top-order collapse against spin. Ravindra Jadeja, a formidable threat on turners, thrived in conditions tailor-made for him as he picked up his 35th first-class five-for as Delhi were bowled out for 188.In reply, Saurashtra were adrift by 25 at stumps but had lost five wickets, including those of Cheteshwar Pujara and Jadeja, who has top-scored so far with 38. Pujara, who isn’t part of India’s Test plans, made just 6. Apart from the 234 he made against Chhattisgarh, Pujara has endured modest returns so far this season, managing scores of 16, 0, 2, 3 and 14 in his other innings.

Siddarth Desai misses perfect 10

Gujarat left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai picked up nine wickets in the very first session of play against Uttarakhand in Ahmedabad, and was in with a chance of becoming the second bowler – after Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj – to record a perfect 10 this season. That chance ended when Vishal Jayswal picked up the final wicket.Desai ended with 9 for 36, the best figures in first-class cricket by a Gujarat player, bettering the record held by Jasu Patel who picked up 8 for 21 against Saurashtra in 1960-61. Desai who scalped a match haul of nine wickets on debut, against Kerala back in 2017-18, has emerged as Gujarat’s front-line spinner since Piyush Chawla left to return to his home state Uttar Pradesh.

Khaleel takes maiden five-for

Eight years after he made his first-class debut, Khaleel Ahmed has picked up his maiden first-class five-for. This included key Vidarbha wickets including those of Karun Nair who was in prolific form at the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His figures read an impressive 15-5-37-5.Khaleel’s performance coincides with his being on the fringes of the national team, especially with the selectors keen on looking for left-arm seamers, a style of bowler India’s Test attack has missed since Zaheer Khan’s exit. This is only Khaleel’s 17th first-class fixture – three of them have come in the current Ranji season (including this game), and two in August in the Duleep Trophy, in which he took nine wickets at 21.66.

Sam Konstas, the 19-year-old making his Test debut, lit up the MCG with an audacious display of strokeplay against Jasprit Bumrah which in the process riled Virat Kohli on a compelling Boxing Day at the MCG. The world’s best fast bowler still had a significant say with three wickets although it was Australia who edged the honours with their top four all passing fifty.By stumps, Steven Smith was the key figure in how much further Australia’s first innings would be able to extend as he eyed his second hundred in three innings after Bumrah had sparked a middle-order wobble. Yet it was the opening passage of the Test that could well go down as defining.Within an hour of his first Test innings Konstas, who became his country’s fourth-youngest men’s player, was the most talked-about figure in the game having brazenly taken 32 off two overs from Bumrah. While he was stopped on 60 off 65 balls, he had already written himself a chapter among the most remarkable debuts and more than repaid the selectors’ desire to provide something different at the top of the order after Nathan McSweeney’s struggles.Related

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Bumrah still pocketed key top-order scalps of Usman Khawaja, the prolific Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh although it did little to downplay talk India are over-reliant on him. The latter two came as Australia lost 3 for 9 in the final session with Akash Deep then claiming a much-deserved wicket with the second new ball when he removed Alex Carey to end the fourth significant partnership of the innings.Khawaja, Smith and Marnus Labuschagne all brought up half-centuries at more sedate tempos than Konstas. It was the first time since Rawalpindi in 2022 that Australia’s top four had all reached fifty in the same innings. Khawaja and Labuschagne will have been left wondering what could have been but Smith played a vital role in keeping Australia ahead.Sam Konstas celebrates his fifty•Getty Images

But it was all about how the day started. Konstas’ first over in Test cricket was against Bumrah and consisted of four plays and misses. Off his eighth delivery he worked a brace into the leg side to a loud ovation and two deliveries later signaled his intent with an attempt to reverse scoop Bumrah which brought a combination of cheers and gasps.He missed another an over later and with Mohammed Siraj also troubling Khawaja, Australia were 12 without loss after six overs when Konstas unleashed a passage of play that will never be forgotten. Off Bumrah’s fourth over he scooped to fine leg, reverse scooped for six over deep third and was an inch away from repeating it three balls later.He had dispatched the world’s leading bowler for 14 but wasn’t done there. In Bumrah’s sixth over he took him for 18, this time by peppering the boundary with drives including lofting a slower ball over wide long-on. By this point, he had been shoulder-checked by Kohli between overs with Khawaja trying to act as peacemaker with all eyes on how the match referee would adjudicate the confrontation.Not long after, a quickly run two brought up his fifty from 52 balls and he grabbed the Australian emblem on his shirt while pointing to the name on the back. What were you doing as a 19-year-old on Boxing Day? The mind started to wander towards something even more spectacular, but Ravindra Jadeja trapped Konstas lbw in a manner many a more experienced batter has been removed.The tempo then reverted to something more traditional: the stand of 89 between Konstas and Khawaja took 116 balls, the next of 65 between Khawaja and Labuschagne required 150. The afternoon session started with four consecutive maidens from Bumrah and Akash, the latter again bowling without luck. Both batters had edges fall short of slip and another from Khawaja which bisected the cordon took him to just his second fifty of the year.Jasprit Bumrah removed Travis Head for a duck•Getty Images

India were largely keeping the scoreboard under control but were not overly threatening, only for Khawaja to toe-end a pull against the first ball of Bumrah’s third spell to midwicket which left the bowler a little embarrassed to celebrate.Labuschagne was still not quite at his fluent best, but was looking as good as he had all series with some delicate glides to third off Jadeja and the types of drives to suggest better days lie ahead for Australia’s No. 3. There was a shift in gears after tea with Labuschagne and Smith adding 41 in the first six overs of the final session against the older ball, although there remained enough assistance from the surface to challenge the batters as another luckless spell from Akash showed.However, the door was opened for India by offspinner Washington Sundar, who had been brought into the side in place of Shubman Gill, when Labuschagne picked out mid-off with a skimming drive the ball after a drinks break. Labuschagne threw his head back as Kohli took the catch, knowing the chance of a first Test century since last July had gone begging.Rohit Sharma sensed a moment and immediately brought back Bumrah and against his third delivery Travis Head shouldered arms to one that clipped his off stump. A batter who has caused India nightmares with his attacking strokeplay departed not offering a shot. In Bumrah’s next over Mitchell Marsh, having slotted away one thumping cover drive, edged an expansive pull to continue what has been a lean series after the summer of his life in 2023-24.As the ground rose for the hats-off commemoration of Shane Warne at 3.50pm (to match Warne’s Test cap number), Smith had slotted consecutive boundaries off Jadeja when Australia looked to be taking control but now his presence was vital in ensuring the innings didn’t lose its way. He and Carey added 53 before Akash produced a terrific delivery from round the wicket. Smith remained firm and walked off to warm applause from those who remained of an 87,242 crowd but it was nothing compared to the ovations earlier in the day.

In the wake of the contentious run-out incidents during the last-ball thriller between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians on February 15, the WPL has notified teams that the Zing bail will need to be fully dislodged for umpires to judge that the wicket is broken in the context of run-out and stumping decisions.This means the pre-existing playing condition, which states that the stumps are deemed to be broken when the bails light up, will not be applicable in WPL 2025 going forward. Appendix D of the tournament playing conditions, which was shared with teams in the lead-up to the season, states: “where Zing wickets are used, the moment at which the wicket has been put down shall be deemed to be the first frame in which the Zing lights are illuminated and subsequent frames show the bail permanently removed from the top of the stumps.”ESPNcricinfo has learned that the reason for the rule change is that the batch of bails being used during this WPL have been lighting up at the slightest disturbance, even when both spigots have not come off the grooves on top of the stumps. Under the Laws of cricket, a bail is completely dislodged only when the bail comes entirely off the groove.Related

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The BCCI has used Zing bails both in bilateral and domestic cricket including the IPL and WPL. Each bail contains a microprocessor that detects the moment when both spigots have come off their grooves, and causes the bail to light up within 1/1000th of a second. During this WPL, it is understood that the bails began to flash even when one spigot was still resting on its groove. Consequently it was decided that third umpires would base their final ruling on the moment when the bail becomes completely dislodged, with both spigots coming off their grooves.This was why Gayathri Venugopalan, the third umpire for the Capitals-Mumbai match, made her final ruling in the three run-out decisions – which led to widespread debate – based on the point when the bails were completely off their grooves.It is learned that the match officials were told about this rule change on the morning of the Capitals-Mumbai match, which was the second game of the season. The teams, though, were notified on the day after the match.

Oliver Peake demonstrated his credentials as a long-term Test prospect with a fighting half-century in his first-class debut to top-score for Victoria on a tough WACA surface against Western Australia in a pivotal Sheffield Shield match.Victoria made 197 with their first innings dominated by a 94-run fourth-wicket partnership between the highly-touted Peake and Peter Handscomb. WA had a tricky 15-minute period at the crease before stumps on day one and they lost skipper Sam Whiteman caught down the legside off Will Sutherland for a duck.It was a good fightback from Victoria led by Peake. Coming to the crease at 5 for 2 in the seventh over, the left-handed batter was unflustered by the conditions and WA’s strong attack to finish with 52 off 168 balls.The 18-year-old showcased solid defence and good judgement on a wicket doing plenty for the bowlers. The diminutive Peake was finally dismissed early in the final session after edging offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli to first slip. Having made his BBL debut this summer, Peake was a development tourist with Australia’s Test squad in Sri Lanka last month.”It was really tough, but it was good to get in a partnership with Pete and see how a true professional goes about it. Took plenty out of it,” said Peake, whose father Clinton – a former first-class cricketer – was in attendance. “We batted pretty well to make 197 on that wicket, so we would take that.”Both teams remain in the race to play South Australia in the final starting on March 26, but will need an outright victory and also Queensland and New South Wales to not win their respective matches.With a very green pitch unveiled and grey clouds lurking above, Whiteman had no hesitation to bowl first. He had to be satisfied with his decision after the first delivery when left-arm quick Joel Paris beat the outside edge of Campbell Kellaway, who entered in form after scores of 79 and 77 last week against South Australia.With the ball seaming wickedly around and rearing off the surface, the Victoria openers had a torrid time and former Test opener Marcus Harris succumbed for 2 after Cameron Bancroft took a sharp catch at second slip off Cameron Gannon.Blake Macdonald was then bowled by a cracking inswinging delivery from left-arm quick Joel Paris, who was typically accurate with the new ball.Peake had the toughest of initiations, but his nerves eased when he got off the mark after a fumble from Cooper Connolly at point allowed him an easy single that was greeted with cheers from his team-mates in the terraces.But Peake couldn’t add to his tally for some time as he focused on firm defence to repel the threat. Peake did lose concentration when he tried to bludgeon Paris and he was fortunate to not get an edge.With speedster Lance Morris missing the match due to load management, Whiteman in the 12th over turned to Rocchiccioli who enjoys coming in early due to his knack of producing bounce.He proved a handful as he spun the ball sharply past the bat on several occasions. The bowling changes worked a treat with quick Brody Couch – a like-for-like replacement for Morris – striking in his first over after trapping Kellaway lbw with a full delivery that was spearing down the legside.Kellaway was dismayed at the dismissal as Victoria slumped to 20 for 3. But Handscomb mustered his wealth of experience and provided a steadying presence alongside Peake as they fought through to lunch.Much like last week’s drawn match between WA and NSW at the WACA, batting appeared to become easier against an older and softer ball. But runs continued to be hard to find with just three boundaries hit in the first half of the day’s play.With the match in a stalemate, Whiteman brought on Hilton Cartwright whose handy seam bowling these days hovers at speeds of around 125 kph. But he hit a divot with his first ball that climbed steeply and whacked Handscomb on the thumb of his left hand.Handscomb dropped his bat immediately and sought medical attention, but resumed batting and soon after – on his 103rd delivery faced – cracked his first boundary of the innings when he hit Gannon through point.Peake’s third boundary was his best with a lovely cover drive off Cartwright and just before tea he reached his half-century off 153 balls in a landmark that was well appreciated by his team-mates.But the break halted their momentum and the match flipped on resumption with Handscomb on 48 edging the hard-working Rocchiccioli to short leg. It triggered a collapse with Peake finally falling and Harry Dixon, another high-rated youngster, also falling to Rocchiccioli, who has a knack of taking wickets in clumps.Rocchiccioli clinched his second five-wicket haul of his first-class career when Gannon took a blinder of a catch high to his right at slip to dismiss Peter Siddle.Returning after a long stint abroad, where he made his Test debut and opened in the Champions Trophy semi-final against India, Connolly bowled just two overs and was wicketless.Victoria are without spearhead Scott Boland, who did not travel to Perth as he manages knee soreness, with former WA quick David Moody playing his first Shield match in two years.

Dom Goodman’s maiden first-class five-wicket haul inspired a Gloucestershire fightback on a fluctuating day two of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match with Leicestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.Shortly after lunch, Division Two’s early season pace-setters Leicestershire looked well placed to post a sizeable first-innings lead. Having reached 200 for 5 in response to the hosts’ first-innings total of 252, the visitors looked well in command if perhaps not fully in control.The Gloucestershire pace attack would have been legitimately scratching their heads at the lunch interval having only managed to pick up one wicket during a morning session in which they beat the bat with almost comedic regularity.Resuming on 91 for 4, Leicestershire’s experienced pair of Lewis Hill and Ian Holland were given a testing examination of both technique and ticker on a pitch which continued to offer pace and bounce for the seam bowlers.Goodman and Ajeet Singh Dale bowled with skill and aggression but very little luck as they watched the Leicestershire batters continuously play and miss during the opening exchanges. Goodman did find the edge of Hill’s bat at the end of the morning’s third over, only for the ball to sail waist-height through the vacant third slip area.When the Leicestershire batter released the shackles shortly after with consecutive fours through the offside to bring up his half-century from 96 balls, it looked like Gloucestershire Captain Cameron Bancroft may live to regret his rather conservative cordon. But Goodman soon enticed another edge from Hill, and this time Bancroft took a smart catch, tumbling low to his right at second slip, and Gloucestershire’s 24-year-old paceman had picked up his third wicket of the innings and reduced the visitors to 119 for 5.Despite looking like a wicket might fall almost every ball, that early breakthrough proved to be the only one during the opening session. The battling Holland, together with Leicestershire’s wicketkeeper-batter Ben Cox, somehow managed to negotiate the remainder of the morning session without further damage. In the over before lunch, Holland’s patience and perseverance saw him bring up a gritty half-century from 134 balls, as Leicestershire reached the break seemingly well-placed at 189 for 5.But Gloucestershire, led by young seamer Goodman, roared back during the afternoon session. First, he pinned Holland lbw for 52, before producing an absolute beauty, which angled in and nipped away to hit the top of Logan van Beek’s off-stump. It was a perfect delivery and brought him his maiden first-class five-wicket haul in style, reducing Leicestershire to 206 for 7 in the process.The Foxes’ tail was further exposed when Ben Cox was forced to retire hurt on 36 having been struck in the ribs by a nasty Zaman Akhter nip-backer. And when Roman Walker was bowled by Josh Shaw for a six-ball duck and Ben Green fell to Ben Charlesworth in similar fashion for 21, the visitors had slipped to 237 for 9 and suddenly faced the prospect of a first innings deficit.Cox returned, however, to complete a gutsy half-century and guide Leicestershire beyond 250 and to their first batting bonus point. When he was bowled through the gate by Singh Dale for 53, the innings closed on 262, providing Leicestershire with a slender first-innings lead of 10 runs. It was a deserved wicket for Singh Dale who had run in hard all day for little reward, but it was the mightily impressive and metronomic Goodman, making his first appearance of the season, who will quite rightly take the plaudits, finishing with 5 for 54 from his 20 overs.In reply, Gloucestershire found themselves 9 for 1 after Ben Charlesworth feathered an edge to Leicestershire captain and stand-in wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb off the bowling of Holland. But skipper Bancroft and Ollie Price, who fell to the impressive Holland during the penultimate over of the day, fought hard to steer the home side to 88 for 2 at the close, a lead of 78.Leicestershire will hope that late wicket has swung the pendulum back in their direction but with Bancroft still at the crease this hugely absorbing contest remains firmly in the balance.

After playing an important role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) comprehensive win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 in New Chandigarh, Suyash Sharma said it was the clarity of plans that helped him.Sent in, PBKS were 59 for 5 by the time Suyash came on to bowl, and his two wickets in his very first over ensured there was no revival. With his second ball, a googly, he bowled Shashank Singh, who tried to heave it on the leg side and missed.That forced PBKS to bring in Musheer Khan as Impact Player. But Musheer, making his IPL debut, lasted just three balls as Suyash trapped him lbw with another googly. In the spinner’s next over, Marcus Stoinis tried a slog sweep, only to be bowled. Once again, it was a googly. Suyash finished with 3 for 17 from three overs, his best IPL figures, as PBKS were all out for 101.Related

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“The coaches have told me just one thing: I have to hit the stumps, it doesn’t matter whether I bowl a googly, legbreak, or flipper,” Suyash said after being named the Player of the Match. “So I try to finish as many balls as possible on the stumps.”There was some help from the pitch. I think that’s why my googly wasn’t easy to pick.”RCB captain Rajat Patidar, too, spoke on similar lines. “The way Suyash chipped in, the way he bowled his line and length, that was incredible. As a captain, I’m pretty much clear about his bowling. He has to be, most of the time, on the stumps. That’s his strength. And his wrong’un is very difficult to pick for batsmen.”So I always give him clear ideas. I don’t want to confuse him. And I’m okay if he gives some runs.”