The Boxing Day Test match moved rapidly forward on a frenetic first day in Centurion, South Africa and Pakistan’s seam attacks trading blows on a surface that offered encouragement for the quicks. After the early celebrations for Dale Steyn’s ascent to the top of South Africa’s Test bowling records, Duanne Olivier starred with a career-best 6 for 37 and Babar Azam’s fluent 71 in his first innings on South African soil was the only innings of substance as the visitors folded for 181.Whatever advantage South Africa had gained with the ball was swiftly put in perspective when Pakistan’s bowlers cut a swathe through the top order. A 69-run stand between Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma repaired the innings somewhat, but a deficit of 54 remained when stumps were called with the match in the balance.The hype on Wednesday morning had been focused around Steyn’s attempt at surpassing Shaun Pollock’s 421 Test dismissals – one that has been drawn out over the past year as Steyn fought his way back to full fitness. But once the game was under way, the wait wasn’t long and with his 19th delivery Steyn found the outside edge of Fakhar Zaman’s bat to move to 422 and break a record that has stood for a decade.Steyn’s emotion at the milestone was clearly evident. There were no crazy eyes, and no chainsaw celebration, but he was embraced by his team-mates and raised aloft by Kagiso Rabada as Tina Turner’s was belted out over the ground’s PA system. As he had promised, Steyn didn’t waste too much time settling and getting back to his mark to focus on taking the next wicket. He didn’t get another, but Olivier’s efforts rattled Pakistan thereafter.ALSO READ: Duanne Olivier, South Africa’s ‘other bowler’ who stole the showOlivier came on as the change bowler after the first hour and soon struck in consecutive overs to start Pakistan’s wobble. His first dismissal was fortuitous, the ball ricocheting off Shan Masood’s thigh pad and then glove and onto the stumps, but there was nothing lucky about the in-dipper that trapped Asad Shafiq in front of his stumps in Olivier’s next over.After lunch, Olivier dug one in at Azhar Ali to force a skewed edge that de Bruyn snaffled brilliantly, diving to his right from third slip, and half the visiting line-up was back in the change-room with just 86 on the board. Sarfraz Ahmed could not last the first over he faced, poking tentatively at a back-of-a-length delivery from Olivier to send an inside edge onto his stumps, and Mohammad Amir was given a thorough working-over before Olivier slipped a full one through his defences to collect his fifth.Olivier’s speeds matched those of his illustrious team-mates throughout: he operated consistently in the 140s and bowled as fast as 146kph as he vexed the tail, Amir being struck a stinging blow that immediately brought up a purple bruise on the little finger of his right hand before he had his stumps disturbed.Pakistan were seven down before reaching 100 yet on the board when Amir fell, but vitally Babar was still at the crease and he rose to the situation to shepherd what remained of the tail. Babar was the only visiting batsman to play the pull with any authority, and also took Steyn on in thrilling fashion in the afternoon.Babar’s riposte to Steyn’s return to the attack for a third spell in the 39th over was a flurry of attacking strokes that mixed venomous intent with a silken touch. Babar generally kept the ball along the turf with controlled aggression, but there was remarkable freedom in his strokeplay as he spanked Steyn out of the attack with 10 fours in four overs.Mohammad Amir celebrates•AFP

Invigorated by the battle with an increasingly wide-eyed Steyn, Babar raced to a 58-ball fifty, surviving a desperate review for caught behind when the ball had only flicked his trouser pocket. After Steyn had been removed from the attack, it was Rabada who finally got the better of Babar, a rare poor shot resulting in an edge to Faf du Plessis at first slip. Hasan Ali swung gamely for his 21 not out, but Shaheen Afridi feathered an edge to give Olivier his sixth wicket and bring the innings to an end.At that point, it was advantage South Africa, but a touch of variable bounce as early as the second session would not have escaped the attention of Pakistan’s bowlers and Hasan and Amir bristled in their new-ball spells. Hasan nipped one off the seam to trap Aiden Markram in front in the sixth over after tea, but it was the combination of Amir and Afridi that pressed the game forward.Amir’s return for a second burst brought immediate reward, the ball flying off the leading edge of Hashim Amla’s bat to be caught by Babar at gully. Afridi then found the edge of Dean Elgar’s bat even as he tried to shoulder arms, and with his very next delivery got one to spit off a length, taking the shoulder of du Plessis’ bat as the South African captain fell for a golden duck.South Africa were in serious strife at 43 for 4, and Bavuma and de Bruyn had to contend with a cauldron of pressure in the middle. They responded in fine style, gritting out the early exchanges before the runs started to come and the pressure eased. Their concentration was unfazed by a short stoppage for a passing shower, and de Bruyn greeted Yasir Shah’s introduction with a pull for six when the legspinner dropped short.Bavuma added back-to-back fours of his own off Yasir, the second of which brought up the fifty stand, and then shimmied down the track, slapping a drive through cover to bring up the team’s 100. Yasir leaked 24 from his first four overs, and Sarfraz once again turned to Amir in fading afternoon light.He broke through once again almost straightaway, catching de Bruyn in two minds at the crease to find the edge, and parity was restored once more with South Africa’s innings in the balance at 112 for 5. The focus returned to Steyn, now with bat in hand after being shunted ahead of Quinton de Kock as nightwatchman. He sliced two streaky boundaries, but survived to fight another day alongside Bavuma, who was unbeaten on 38.

Incumbent Pakistan women coach Mark Coles withdrew his application ahead of the interview on Thursday

Annesha Ghosh and Umar Farooq19-Dec-2018Gary Kirsten, Ramesh Powar, and Herschelle Gibbs are among the high-profile shortlisted candidates for the full-time position of India women head coach.The position was opened up after the BCCI decided against handing an extension to Powar, whose contract as the India women’s interim head coach expired on November 30. The board instead opted to invite fresh applications for a two-year term. ESPNcricinfo understands the shortlist includes 11 names, winnowed from a pool of 28 applicants, 10 of whom were overseas candidates, and the interviews will be held on Thursday.Kirsten, who was in charge of India’s men’s team during their title-winning 2011 World Cup campaign, is among the overseas applicants on the shortlist, alongside Gibbs, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Brad Hogg and Trent Johnston. Dav Whatmore – the former Sri Lanka men’s head coach, who currently leads Kerala – Owais Shah, Colin Siller and Dominic Thornely have failed to make the cut. The Indian candidates who have been shortlisted include Venkatesh Prasad, Manoj Prabhakar and WV Raman. Among other applicants on the longlist, three former India women’s Test cricketers, including Gargi Banerji and Arati Vaidya, also featured.Incumbent Pakistan women head coach Mark Coles was also briefly in the running, but withdrew his application ahead of the interview on Thursday. Coles ascribed his application to a “confusion” arising from a third-party agent.”There is some confusion about this… through a third party,” Coles told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, stating he had already informed the PCB about his application reaching the BCCI and, subsequently, apprised both the boards of his withdrawal. “I have withdrawn, and am committed to Pakistan cricket and trying to get the team to be the best they can be.”Contracted with the PCB until 2020, Coles, a former List A player with Wellington who coached Wellington Blaze to a T20 title in 2013, became the first foreigner to be roped in as a Pakistan women coach when he was handed the job in September last year “on a trial basis”. His appointment – part of a major revamp of the women’s cricket set-up in the country – had come in the wake of a scathing evaluation of Pakistan’s winless 2017 World Cup campaign by former head coach Sabhi Azhar.The application process for India’s next head coach, itself a consequence of Powar not being given an extension in controversial circumstances, came to a close on December 14. Powar reapplied on December 11, stating he couldn’t “let the girls down, especially Harman, Smriti for showing the support for the hard work we put together for three months.”The advertisement for the job, too, was not bereft of controversy, with Diana Edulji, the former India women’s captain and now one half of the two-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), taking strong exception to the “unilateral” decision taken by the CoA chief, Vinod Rai, over the hiring process. Their dissimilar stance over Powar’s re-appointment reached a tipping point after Rai signed a BCCI media release last week which stated that the ad-hoc committee was formed to shortlist and finalise the new coach.Former India cricketers Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy, who make up the three-member committee, will be interviewing the ten candidates at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

The fast bowler suffered a left ankle injury while attempting a catch near the boundary during Sylhet Sixers’ BPL game against Chittagong Vikings on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2019

Taskin Ahmed has been ruled out from the Bangladesh squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand next week. The fast bowler suffered a left ankle injury while attempting a catch near the boundary during Sylhet Sixers’ BPL game against Chittagong Vikings on Friday.Watch NZ v Ban live

Followers in the United States can watch New Zealand v Bangladesh live on ESPN+

“We can tell the extent of his injury after we get the MRI report but he is out of the ODI series against New Zealand,” Dr Debashish Chowdhury, BCB’s chief medical officer, said.The injury comes as a heartbreak for Taskin, whose BPL performances had earned him an ODI recall after more than a year out of the side. Taskin currently tops the BPL wicket-takers’ list this season, with 22 in 12 games at an average of 14.45, while maintaining an economy rate of 8.55.Either Ebadot Hossain or Shafiul Islam is likely to be named as Taskin’s replacement.

The captain said that gave the lower-middle order an opportunity to deal with the pressure of a run-chase

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2019

Virat Kohli felt India being reduced to 99 for 4 against Australia was “good for the team” as it allowed their lower-middle order to see off the game. Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni put together an unbroken 141-run stand to secure victory by six wickets.”It was a difficult sort of a game,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “We did a good job with the ball. The wicket didn’t offer as much as it did under the lights, which was surprising. You have experience with MS and flair with Kedar who is also experienced now. That partnership was outstanding and it was more or less a complete performance. That set the platform.”At 99 for 3 (India were four down), I was speaking to Ravi [Shastri] , and I said this is good. These guys have to do it and they have to get us across the line. The way Kedar and MS took responsibility, it was great to see.”Kohli was equally delighted with Ravindra Jadeja’s frugal returns with the ball. While the left-arm spinner didn’t make any breakthroughs, his relentless pressure with accurate wicket-to-wicket bowling tied Australia’s middle order down.”Ten overs for less than 35 was brilliant on this pitch,” Kohli said. “He set his fields, it was great to see. Even with the bat, he was all geared up that ‘I’m going to finish the game, I just want an opportunity.’ He looks in a great shape and that’s good for the team.”Kohli was particularly effusive in his praise for Mohammed Shami, who he felt was leaner than ever before. Without saying it in as many words, India’s captain hinted at Shami’s selection for the World Cup if fit and firing like the way he has since returning to the ODI set up last year.Shami picked up the wickets of the set Ashton Turner and Glenn Maxwell off consecutive overs to delay Australia’s slog, which could have cost them the 20 or 25 runs which Aaron Finch felt made the difference in the game.”The way Shami has come back into the white-ball set-up after his Test performances has been brilliant,” Kohli said. “I have never seen him so lean before. He has lost five-six kilos. He’s running in and bowling so well. The lines and length he’s bowling; got Maxi on 40-odd out with a beautiful ball. He has wicket-taking ability and he’s hungry for wickets.”Heading into the World Cup, it’s a great sign for team India. If he can stay hungry like this and look for wickets and he has the ability to back it up with (Jasprit) Bumrah and Kuldeep (Yadav), it’s going be great to stand in the field and watch.”Shami, 29, credited the hard work during the time away from the ODI set up for his rejuvenated return.”This year has been one where I have worked really hard on my fitness,” he told . “We (team) enjoy our training and you get to the see the results on the field. When I returned from injuries, I weighed 93kg, and then I realised I needed to lose weight. I thank everyone who pushed me, and I have maintained my weight since then.”I just try to give my best for the team, and I keep taking feedback from the experienced players. I have focused more on my line and length in the last 18 months, and that’s worked for me really well.”

India’s chief selector said the wicketkeeper-batsman, a ‘champion in the making’, wasn’t part of the Australia ODIs because he needed rest

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2019Rishabh Pant is “very much” part of India’s World Cup plans and his absence from the ODI squad currently taking on Australia is because he needed rest, according to MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors.”Rishabh Pant played three T20Is and four Test matches in Australia and that had an impact on his body,” Prasad told PTI. “He needed complete rest for two weeks and then we will take a call on how many matches he will play against England Lions. Let me put it straight, he is very much in our World Cup plans. He is a champion player in the making and even he is not fully aware the kind of potential he has.”The England Lions team will tour India for five one-dayers and two unofficial Tests in January-February, and, as per Prasad, Pant is likely to feature in some of the one-dayers. Prasad also felt his selection committee was vindicated after picking Pant for the Test series in England in August, given his run with the bat and his glove work since then.”Ravi (Shastri) and Virat (Kohli) had advised him to put his head down and respect the match situation, and he did exactly that,” Prasad said, referring to the 21-year-old’s century in the fourth Test in Sydney. “He proved that he can switch gears seamlessly. When we picked him for Tests, experts were sceptical about his keeping but 11 catches in a Test, record dismissals in Australia series proves that selection committee is vindicated.”The latest young player Prasad’s panel has picked is Punjab’s Shubman Gill, who will join the team for their limited-overs tour of New Zealand. Prasad said that Gill had been picked as a reserve opener.”Shubman is comfortable both opening the innings as well as playing in the middle-order. For the New Zealand series, we are looking at him as the reserve opener behind Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma),” Prasad said. “I won’t comment if he will make it to World Cup but he was phenomenal as an opener for India A in New Zealand.”We have discussed with Rahul (Dravid, the A-team coach) that Shubman is ready for international cricket. The best part is the clutch of A tours which has made all these players battle ready for the biggest challenge. Look at Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal… they don’t look intimidated when thrown into the deep end of the pool.”Prasad’s panel had rested Jasprit Bumrah from the home Test series against West Indies that preceded the Australia tour, and he held that if Bumrah had played that series, the bowler wouldn’t have managed to play all four Tests in Australia, where he played a leading role in securing a series win for India.”Trust me, had Jasprit played those two Tests against West Indies, he wouldn’t have played all four Tests against Australia,” Prasad said. “The support staff has really monitored him well. He is now fitter and stronger, and with [bowling coach] Bharat Arun continuously working with him, he has improved as a bowler.”But a lot of credit should go to Jasprit because Arun gave him a plan but it was up to him to make the effort to implement the plan. He has really worked hard. When we first picked him, so many were sceptical whether it was prudent to pick a white-ball specialist but at the end of the year, we can all see the results.”

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick has refused to rule out leaving his position amid links to replacing Thomas Tuchel as manager of Bayern Munich.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bayern searching for new manager
• Rangnick emerges as favourite to take over
• Coach offers update on future after Bayern contract

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Manchester United boss has emerged as the favourite to take over the Bavarian giants when Tuchel steps down at the end of the season. Rangnick is currently manager of the Austria national team and is preparing for Euro 2024, where his side are due to take on France, Poland and the Netherlands in the group stages. However, he has been asked about speculation linking him with Bayern and has admitted there's been in contact with the club.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bayern's top choice had been Xavi Alonso but the former Real Madrid and Liverpool manager has confirmed he plans to stay with Bayer Leverkusen after guiding his team to a first-ever Bundesliga triumph. It's thought Bayern could therefore turn to Rangnick for a season with a view to trying to bring in Alonso again in 2025.

• WHAT RANGNICK SAID

  He told reporters: "Bayern Munich have contacted me and I have also informed the OFB (Austrian Football Association). We have a very trusting relationship. My focus is on the Austrian national team. We are completely focussed on the European Championship. I feel very comfortable here. At the moment, there’s no reason for me to focus intensively and specifically on that."

  Rangnick was pressed further on what moment could make him change his mind and added: "The moment Bayern would say, ‘We want you’. And then I have to ask myself, ‘Do I even want this?’ If I want to do something else, I will first discuss it with the OFB. We want to look after this team (Austria) as well as possible — and do as well as possible. I have a close and trusting relationship with my team. It won’t play better just because I say, ‘I’ll definitely be here for the next four years.'”

• DID YOU KNOW

  Rangnick managed just 10 wins from 24 Premier League games as manager of United. He also oversaw seven defeats with his team scoring 33 goals and conceding the same amount.

Marcus Thuram paid tribute to 'best uncle' Thierry Henry after guiding Inter to Scudetto win on Monday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Thuram's message to Henry Called French legend 'best uncle' Scored in Inter's win over AC Milan WHAT HAPPENED?

The French forward scored the second goal of his team – which proved to be decisive – in Inter's 2-1 win over rivals AC Milan in the Milan derby on Monday. The three points helped the Nerazzurri clinch their 20th Scudetto win with five games to go in the current season.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After contributing to his team's title triumph, Thuram sent a heartfelt message to his father Lilian's former France team-mate and CBS Sports pundit Thierry Henry, as he called the French legend his 'best uncle.'

WHAT MARCUS THURAM SAID

Speaking to CBS Sports after the Milan derby, the striker said, "I’d like to thank Thierry Henry – maybe he’s going to see this – for all the advice that he gave me, and I hope that this is only the start. He's like my best uncle; he's the uncle who's here for me, to help me in good moments and bad moments. He always tells me the truth; today, I'd like to take the time to thank him because if I'm here, it's because of him."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR INTER?

The newly crowned Italian champions will be next seen in action on Saturday as they host Torino in a Serie A clash.

The opener says that a spot in the World Cup squad will be “a dream”, but he insists that his focus is much more short-term

Liam Brickhill21-Jan-2019South Africa are wary of a resurgent Pakistan team that cruised to a five-wicket win in the first of five one-day internationals in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.”We know Pakistan is a good one-day outfit,” opener Reeza Hendricks, who contributed 45 to an opening stand of 82 in the first ODI, said. “They’ve been performing really well over the years in one-day cricket, so we’re quite wary and know that they’re a good team. They proved it by beating us in P.E.”Hendricks’ opening partnership with Hashim Amla allowed South Africa to set a platform, but a sluggish track and a committed bowling effort meant the hosts were never able to substantially up the run rate. Hendricks struck at 67.16 during his knock, and after him neither Amla or Rassie van der Dussen were able to raise their strike rates as high as a run a ball. Although David Miller capped the innings with a 12-ball 16, South Africa’s 266 for 2 was not enough to challenge a Pakistan top order that took more risks but completed the chase with five balls to spare.”In our minds, we thought it would be a good score,” Hendricks said. “There were slower conditions in the day, and it did quicken up at night. In our minds, we thought we went about it the right way. The batters that were in the middle felt it was a good score.”We’ve had a good discussion around the PE game, what went wrong and what we can learn from. It’s been those discussions we’ve had, and a good training session today ahead of tomorrow’s game.”With the World Cup five months away, the tournament is providing increasing context to the one-day cricket being played in the interim and every member of South Africa’s squad will see the series against Pakistan as a chance to stake a claim. Rassie van der Dussen made an immediate impact on debut with his 93, but his performance did not come as a surprise to Hendricks, who has shared a dressing room with van der Dussen with the Lions franchise for several seasons.”I was quite proud to see him make his debut and contributing the way he has,” Hendricks said of van der Dussen. “Obviously disappointed that he couldn’t get to his three-figure mark, but at the end of the day he played really well to contribute as well as he did. I’ve played a couple of seasons now with him. I know his capabilities and seen him improve over the years. He showed what he’s about to deserve a spot in the team.”Hendricks admitted that a spot in the World Cup squad would be “a dream” and would mean “a hell of a lot” to him, but he insisted that his focus is much more short-term.”I’m not looking at it like that,” he said. “Yes, the World Cup is around the corner but we’ve got a series on hand now at the moment and this is an opportunity that we get as well. We take it as it comes. Personally, I’m taking it game by game, trying to contribute as well as I can to each game and every opportunity I get, and the rest will take care of itself. I’m not looking too far ahead, or looking who’s around me, because at the end of the day if I don’t get selected I know the player next to me and the guys that are going will do the job, and I back them 100 percent.”Aside from individual aspirations, the remaining nine ODIs scheduled for South Africa before the World Cup also provide an opportunity to fine-tune ‘Vision 2019’, the team’s blueprint for what they believe will bring success at the tournament.”We’re quite close,” Hendricks said. “I think we’re on the right track. We’ve had a good chat in how to go about it and how we’re playing, and as a unit we’re all buying into it. We’re doing good things. There are still a couple of months to try and get it right for the World Cup.”

Olly Stone faces a lengthy period of rehabilitation in the wake of his early departure from England’s tour of the Caribbean, after a stress fracture in his left lower back was confirmed following further examination in the UK.Stone, the fastest bowler in England’s original squad for the West Indies series, reported the problem shortly after arriving in Barbados earlier this month, having flown from Australia a few days previously. His place has been taken by Mark Wood, who linked up with the squad last weekend.His county, Warwickshire, confirmed he had suffered “a partial stress fracture to his left lower back”, which typically takes six to 12 weeks to heal.Jim Troughton, First Team Coach at Warwickshire CCC, said: “We’re bitterly disappointed for Olly who has already had his fair share of injury heartache.”Getting himself into the England set-up was a great achievement so the timing of this setback is a tough one for him.”The science and medical staff at Warwickshire will work closely with Olly, in partnership with the England medical team, and hopefully we can have him back to bowling as soon as possible.”Stone’s chances of breaking into the Test side on this tour were limited. But the England management were impressed by his pace and his attitude in Sri Lanka last year, where he claimed a wicket with his seventh ball in international cricket: a bouncer that took the gloves of Niroshan Dickwella as he fended the ball away from his face. He is seen as the sort of bowler who could learn from being in the environment and one day make a difference on an Ashes tour.

Lautaro Martinez has opened up on his relationship with "competition animal" Lionel Messi while addressing speculation over his future at Inter.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Lautaro hailed international team-mate Messi
• Revealed why the Argentine is the best in the world
• Could sign a new Inter contract

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Inter striker revealed how hard Lionel Messi works in training while explaining that the Inter Miami star's winning mentality sets him apart from his peers. He also proudly spoke about his friendship and the close bond he shares with the Argentina legend.

Advertisement

• WHAT LAUTARO MARTINEZ SAID

  Speaking on the Italian TV program Che Tempo Che Fa, Lautaro said: "I am Messi’s friend and teammate. We are talking about an important player who has made history in football. It feels like he’s playing a different sport in training sessions. He does things that I’ve never seen before. He is a competition animal, and he never wants to lose."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 26-year-old's current contract with Inter expires in 2026, and he has been linked with a summer transfer amid reported interest from Barcelona, but the forward claimed that he would love to continue in Milan while hinting he could sign a new deal with the club after winning the 2023-24 Scudetto.

  Lautaro added: "They say I am a Bandiera, and everyone has treated me in a special way since I arrived. I am grateful. You never know what can happen in football, but surely I am happy in Milan and I want to extend. We suffered two years ago when Milan won the title, so that [April 22] was a special day for us. We’ve had an extraordinary journey. There are players with strong values. It’s not easy to reach a [Champions League] final, but we played great games and we got there [last season]."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LAUTARO MARTINEZ?

  Lautaro will be next seen in action for the newly crowned Italian champions on Friday as they take on Frosinone in their latest Serie A clash. Inter will then wrap up their campaign with fixtures against Lazio and Verona.