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A maiden series victory against Sri Lanka was the “pinnacle” of his career, Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer said, and it may have been Zimbabwe’s fielding that set them apart.Cremer singled out Tarisai Musakanda’s excellent catch to dismiss Akila Dananjaya as a vital moment of the match. Sri Lanka were 153 for 7 in the 42nd over, when Musakanda dove low to his right to intercept the ball, which may otherwise have traveled quickly to the boundary. The dismissal probably delayed Sri Lanka’s death-overs attack. They ended with 203 for 8 from their 50 overs.”Fielding actually separates teams often,” Cremer said. “That catch from Musakanda today was a turning point in the game. If not for that, Sri Lanka could have got to 230 and that would have been a tough total. I thought our fielding was brilliant. Definitely fielding is a positive for us.”This was Zimbabwe’s first away series victory since 2009, but also their first ODI series victory anywhere since Cremer took over the captaincy. In four prior ODI engagements in Cremer’s tenure, Zimbabwe had lost to India and Afghanistan, drawn with Scotland, and lost a tri-series at home to Sri Lanka last year. They were the 11th ranked side in the world coming into this contest, and had never beaten Sri Lanka on the island in a single match.”This is the pinnacle of my career – no doubt about that,” Cremer said. “I have been through lot of good moments since I started playing, but there’s been nothing like this. A series win in Sri Lanka is tough and to lead the team is a super feeling. It’s definitely the highest point in my career. Just knowing that quality Zimbabwe teams that have come here have gone empty-handed, makes the series win so special. As a team, the unity we had was special. To lead a team like that to a series win – I’m really happy.”Cremer also revealed Zimbabwe had only decided to open the bowling with Sikandar Raza after seeing the pitch on the morning of the game. Raza, as it happened, took two wickets inside the first Powerplay, and claimed 3 for 21 in his 10 overs. He also made vital contributions with the bat right across the series, scoring 137 runs at an average of 68.50, with a strike rate of 108.”Raza came on this tour after being out of form on tours to Scotland and Holland,” Cremer said. “The faith we showed in him by keeping on selecting him was a confidence booster, knowing that that the team backed him. This tour showed how dangerous he can be with bat and ball. He opened the bowling today and was brilliant.”The player of the series, however, was Hamilton Masakadza, who hit 258 runs at an average of 51.60 across the five matches. His 73 off 86 balls in the decider was the major contribution in Zimbabwe’s chase.”Masakadza is very experienced, and his batting is crucial,” Cremer said. “He has been in the team for so long and knows a lot. His contributions are massive.”

Niranjan Shah, the former Saurashtra Cricket Association secretary, has been added to the BCCI’s new committee to identify the difficulties in implementing the Lodha recommendations even though he is 73 years old, and as such over the age cap (70) suggested for BCCI office bearers. A board official, however, clarified that Shah was brought in as “an invitee” – which meant – “he will deliberate in the committee, but won’t have a vote in case it comes to it”.Shah joined a panel led by Rajiv Shukla, which also included BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, vice-president TC Mathew, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, Nabha Bhattacharjee, the secretary of the Meghalaya Cricket Association, Jay Shah, the joint-secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association and Sourav Ganguly, president of Cricket Association of Bengal and the only cricketer out of the eight.Shah’s presence is understood to be a shot in the arm for the old guard of the BCCI which has resisted the reforms. According to sources, he, along with fellow disqualified office-bearer N Srinivasan, who isn’t a part of the committee, will look to check the influence of Shukla and Choudhary, who are seen by some members to be in favour of adopting the Lodha reforms.”Now that Niranjan and N Srinivasan are on the same page, the opposition to the Lodha report at the SGM gained momentum,” a senior state association official from the south zone had told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. Another official from the west zone said that Srinivasan had suggested the inclusion of a few members to the committee at the SGM. “Apart from Shah, he wanted the likes of Ranjib Biswal to be added to it”.The committee is set to have its first meeting on July 1 – the same day the Committee of Administrators, which has been overseeing BCCI affairs, has scheduled a meeting of their own. With Shah joining in as an invitee, it is expected that there will be considerable debate over at least two stipulations the BCCI is unwilling to adopt – the age cap of 70 years for office bearers and the tenure cap of nine years with cooling-off periods in between. Shah is understood to be opposed to both.The board’s new committee has to submit its report on July 10, with the next hearing of the Supreme Court case involving the Lodha recommendations on July 14.

Scorecard1:35

Country Championship Round-up: Sangakkara falls short of history

Glamorgan won their first Championship game of the season with three balls remaining in an exciting finish at Swansea. They were indebted to opener Nick Selman, who batted throughout the innings for his 116 from 129 balls, with twelve fours and three sixes – the last two coming from the first two balls of the final over scheduled in the day.Durham added 118 runs in the morning session, although Paul Collingwood would have probably batted on after lunch had 16 overs not been lost to rain. The Durham captain was undefeated on 92 when he declared the innings to set Glamorgan 266 in 51 overs – another eight runs would have seen him become the first Durham player to have twice scored centuries in the same game.Glamorgan needed to score at 5.2 runs an over but made a cautious start and the openers had reached 37 when Jacques Rudolph, in the final over before tea, was caught at leg slip attempting to reverse sweep George Harding’s left-arm spin.They required a further 227 from the final 36 overs of the game, and made their intentions clear by promoting Andrew Salter, who top-scored with 75 in the first innings with three sixes. Salter faced 15 balls before scoring his first run, before twice driving Paul Coughlin to the extra cover boundary, but was out shortly afterwards – leg before to Ryan Pringle’s third ball.Aneurin Donald and David Lloyd were also promoted ahead of Colin Ingram, who had scored five centuries in all competitions this season, with Donald striking 28 from 17 balls with six fours, before he was caught off Harding. The left-arm spinner, making his Championship debut, struck again in the following over, when Lloyd gave him a return catch.With 20 overs remaining Glamorgan, needed 157 to win, and much depended on Ingram if Glamorgan were to reach their target. He quickly attacked Harding, who was struck out of the ground over midwicket, while Selman reached his fifty from 89 balls.They put on 73 in 10 overs, before Ingram, who made 42 from 31 balls with two sixes and five fours, was caught behind off Harding, but Chris Cooke kept Glamorgan interested by striking the spinners for six in three successive overs – the second disappearing in the direction of Swansea Bay. But, with 44 required from 30 balls, Coughlin returned and with his fourth ball had Cooke caught at midwicket.Will Bragg came and went, and with two overs left, Glamorgan had much to do to score 24 runs from 12 balls, with eight fielders posted on the boundary. Selman reached his second century of the season, from 124 balls, and then, with 14 needed from the last over, drove Coughlin into the sightscreen, and again over the square leg boundary, before pushing two to win the game.Durham had resumed in the morning on 158 for 3, and Collingwood shared a 102-run partnership for the fourth wicket Graham Clark, who struck a career-best 75 before he feathered one from Michael Hogan to the wicketkeeper. Pringle then helped add a further 81, before three wickets fell for 26 runs. Pringle hooked Hogan to fine leg, Coughlin skied Salter to mid-on, then Stuart Poynter, attempting to sweep Salter’s offspin, was well caught by wicketkeeper Cooke from a bottom edge.

ScorecardJonny Bairstow flayed the Durham bowlers with a magnificent innings•Getty Images

Record-breaking Jonny Bairstow scored a sensational career-best 174 as Yorkshire cruised to a target of 336 to beat Durham by six wickets at Headingley.Yorkshire maintained their 100% start to this season’s Royal London Cup with a third North Group win as they reeled in their record chase in List A cricket with 2.2 overs to spare.Stephen Cook (106) and Michael Richardson (100 not out) both hit hundreds as Durham posted 335 for 5 before Joe Root added 55 for Yorkshire.Ultimately, Durham will be frustrated at not taking full advantage of an excellent start to their innings at 248 for 1 in the 40th over after they had elected to bat. They lost 4 for 32 to slip to 280 for 5 and should have posted more in good batting conditions.Bairstow then showed them the way with a remarkable batting display before he and Root link up with England for two ODIs against Ireland this weekend.Bairstow posted the highest ever List A score at Headingley on the way to his county’s record chase, with the pair sharing 189 for the second wicket inside 26 overs.”I got a bit of a chance, and as we know you have to take every chance you can get,” Bairstow said. “I missed one the other night, and luckily it didn’t cost us too much. When you get a chance, you want to go on and make it pay.”Yorkshire are already on course for a home semi-final next month after earlier wins against Nottinghamshire and Lancashire.Durham, who started the competition with minus two points, have now won one, lost one and had the other washed out.Durham built their innings around measured Cook, who later dropped Bairstow on 71 at long-off. He shared stands of 124 for the first two wickets with Keaton Jennings (72) and Richardson, and he went on to post 106 off 114 balls, his second score above 50 in two matches.Yorkshire allrounder Matthew Waite took an impressive 2 for 53 from his 10 overs having come into the side in place of David Willey. Steve Patterson also replaced Liam Plunkett from Monday’s win over Lancashire here. Waite took one of four wickets to fall as Durham lost momentum.He had earlier got Jennings superbly caught at deep midwicket by Peter Handscomb as the left-handed Durham skipper aimed for a third six in his 64-ball knock. Waite then had Graham Clark caught at midwicket.Jennings hit two of six sixes in the Durham innings, with Cameron Steel doing likewise in a late 22 not out off 14 balls as 36 came off the last three. Unbeaten Richardson reached 100 off his 87th delivery, the last of the Durham innings.Yorkshire lost Adam Lyth in the ninth over of their chase, but they had already moved to 60 when he pulled Chris Rushworth to deep square-leg.Bairstow was in dominant mood and made Durham pay for Cook dropping him off the spin of George Harding. He hit seven leg-side sixes and 16 fours on the way to 50 off 32 balls, 100 off 70 and 150 off 97 as he toyed with the visiting bowling attack.Yorkshire reached the 30-over mark at 218 for 1 before Root reached his second fifty in three matches off 60 balls with three fours. The pair fell in successive James Weighell overs – Bairstow caught behind and Root chopped on – as the score fell to 254 for 3 in the 36th over.But Durham still did not look like recovering. Gary Ballance, who stood on his stumps against Weighell and fell for 29, and Handscomb shared 71 for the fourth wicket.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:56

Chappell: India seem to be out of ideas on how to get Smith

Steven Smith’s latest epic, Glenn Maxwell’s first Test hundred and a spell of the highest quality from Pat Cummins showed Australia’s strengths even as India fought back with a solid opening stand on the second day in Ranchi. Some spiky help from the lower order lifted the tourists to 451 before Cummins extracted life from the friendliest pitch of the series to defeat KL Rahul.M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara fought their way to the close, but the Australians still hold a first-innings lead of 331 on a pitch expected to get harder for batting from here on in. Virat Kohli, inconvenienced by a shoulder injury, will be able to bat wherever he chooses due to his problem being deemed external having resulted from a heavy landing when trying to stop a boundary on the first day of this match.Kohli was confined to the hosts’ viewing area and treatment table due to a shoulder strain as the tourists pushed on beyond the day’s midpoint with a sensible mixture of attack and defence. Smith sailed on past 150 to the highest tally by an Australian captain in India, with only one instant of uncertainty when he edged Ishant Sharma short of Wriddhiman Saha. Otherwise, he was in total control, and might still be batting now were it not for a lack of partners.The emotional high point of the morning arrived when Maxwell sliced a boundary through third man to pass three figures on his return to the Test team for the first time in three years. It was just reward for a highly mature and intelligent performance, one that vindicated the selectors’ decision to recall him in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh. At the same time, it also opened up an opportunity for Maxwell to begin a new phase of his career, as not only a limited-overs entertainer but also a Test-match performer.Ravindra Jadeja’s five wickets were proof that some assistance was available for the spinners, with Maxwell and Cummins both defeated by deliveries that turned and lifted after being bowled at considerable pace by the left-armer. Australia’s chances of pressing home their current advantage will depend on how the pitch continues to deteriorate.The second new ball was still shiny when Smith and Maxwell resumed, and plenty of early runs accrued from any errors of line or length from Ishant and Umesh Yadav. Maxwell was quick to 99 then briefly becalmed. One Jadeja delivery kicked and beat the bat in a forerunner of the ball that was to dismiss him five runs later.Glenn Maxwell hugs Steven Smith after reaching his maiden Test hundred•Associated Press

Maxwell’s celebration was unrestrained, a tight embrace with Smith underlining the innings’ importance to him and also perhaps the example from whom he had gained an appreciation for the finer arts of Test batsmanship – Smith had himself once been a cricketer many doubted would mature into a five-day force.When Jadeja claimed Maxwell’s edge, Matthew Wade arrived in a busy mood and wasted little time in building a 64-run stand with Smith. Just when it seemed captain and wicketkeeper would get through to the lunch interval, Jadeja skidded a straight ball through to claim Wade’s outside edge, well taken behind the stumps by Saha.Cummins could last only two balls before his stumps were clattered by sharp spin, but Steve O’Keefe was able to get to the break in Smith’s company and endured for an hour after it with stern defence and the odd angry shot. Eventually, he fell prey to the hook shot, and Nathan Lyon did not last long against Jadeja’s bounce before Josh Hazlewood was run out as Smith tried to pinch the strike one last time.The new ball did little for Hazlewood and Cummins when they opened shortly before tea, though Cummins’ pace offered a threat commensurate with that lost to the Australians when Mitchell Starc was forced home by a foot fracture. O’Keefe found turn slow, and Lyon soon reverted to the line from around the wicket that he often chooses when a pitch is not offering much assistance.When the pacemen returned in the evening session there was a modicum of reverse swing for Hazlewood, but it was Cummins who raised his game to find a breakthrough by mixing his speeds with a series of cutters while maintaining an immaculate line. He was into his fifth over of the spell for four runs when a slower bouncer, again perfectly pitched, kissed Rahul’s top glove on the way through to Wade for a deserved wicket.An over later, Cummins was rested after a burst that returned the figures of 1 for 8 and demonstrated the rare combination of brawn and brains that had the selectors rushing him to India. Lyon came close to following up when he struck Vijay in front of the stumps from around the wicket, only to be foiled by an inside edge. A subsequent bat-pad decision referral was still more clear cut.Wickets will be hard work on day three, but Cummins, and Jadeja before him, had both shown that it can be done.

Match facts

March 5, 2017
Start time 0930 local (1330 GMT)

Big Picture

If the first ODI was a boxing match, England would have scored a TKO in the final round. The result was pretty much as expected, with a few notable displays in England’s largely workaday performance, but West Indies will have been encouraged by pretty much going the distance. A 45-run defeat was certainly not the mismatched mauling some may have feared.Shannon Gabriel’s new-ball spell had England in trouble, while Ashley Nurse did a decent containing job in the middle overs; then with the bat, Jason Mohammed led the resistance after West Indies looked to be in trouble at 39 for 3. Mohammed and Jonathan Carter combined composure with power – particularly in the case of the latter – and perhaps only the difficulty of chasing on a slow surface undermined them towards the end.Stuart Law, West Indies’ new coach, will surely feel he has some ingredients to work with as he tries to marshal a rise from No. 9 in the rankings and secure automatic World Cup qualification. Narrow defeats are not worth any more ranking points than heavy ones, however, and immediate improvement could be required as the tourists warm to the conditions and the task at hand.England may not have blasted away their opponent in the opening rounds but they did show some improved ringcraft. Eoin Morgan’s hundred showed the savvy that has not always been so apparent in the hard-hitting approach favoured by this side; Ben Stokes, too, applied himself to the situation and England were therefore able to grind their way to the brink of 300 without overreaching. A more ruthless performance with the ball will be on Morgan’s tick list for the rematch.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: LLLTW
England: WWLLW

In the spotlight

Jason Mohammed had only played two ODIs for his country – spread over four years and yielding six runs – before making his maiden half-century for West Indies in Antigua. After a strong Regional Super 50 for Trinidad, in which he was fifth on the run-scorers’ charts, Mohammed has been preferred in the middle order to the younger, more dynamic Rovman Powell. He showed the value of his experience in the first match, during partnerships of 69 and 82 with Shai Hope and Carter respectively, and almost single-handedly milked Moeen Ali’s offspin, scoring 30 of the 37 Moeen conceded to keep West Indies in the hunt. At 30, now is his chance to demand a run in the side.It might be counterintuitive to suggest that one of the three men who passed 50 for England on Friday is under pressure – but that is the case for Sam Billings, who is attempting to hold on to his billeting as a makeshift opener while Alex Hales recovers from a hand injury. Billings has two fifties in three ODI outings at the top of the order but the sense here was of an opportunity missed after he had made it through the tricky initial stages against the new ball. Morgan has described Hales as a “very formidable player in our side” and Billings may need to produce something spectacular if he is not to drop straight back into England’s very competitive pack of white-ball reserve batsmen.

Team news

The XI West Indies selected in the first ODI probably did enough to warrant another outing together. Rovman Powell offers another all-round option, while Alzarri Joseph offers extra pace with the ball.West Indies (probable) 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Shai Hope (wk), 5 Jason Mohammed, 6 Jonathan Carter, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Ashley Nurse, 11 Shannon GabrielEngland are also likely to stick with the same side, although Hales could return at Billings’ expense if passed fit. The teams did not train on Saturday but Jake Ball is not thought ready to play after injuring his knee in a warm-up match.England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Sam Billings, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Steven Finn.

Pitch and conditions

The same pitch is to be used for the second ODI, which could make run-scoring even more of a struggle. Rainfall on Friday had contributed to a slightly damp surface in the morning but it quickly dried out and is likely to become more and more receptive to spin. There is again a forecast for early showers on Sunday but the day should otherwise be clear.

Stats and trivia

• England now lead West Indies 43-42 on head-to-head results in ODIs – the first time they have done so since winning their very first encounter in 1973. England have won ten of the last 11 against West Indies.
• The team West Indies played in the first ODI had 169 caps between them – fewer than Morgan, who has played 174 times for Ireland and England.
• Steven Finn needs two more wickets to reach 100; if he gets there in this series, he will be the third-fastest to do so for England.

Quotes

“We showed that, as a young team, we can compete with England and we can win games.”
“We took early wickets but they managed to rebuild. That’s what experienced sides do, so credit to them for doing it.”

Ben Stokes hopes England’s positive style of Test cricket can persuade spectators to “fall in love with it again.”Stokes believes that, with Joe Root as captain, England will wholeheartedly embrace an entertaining approach that can not only produce victories but inspire a new audience.While accepting that England – currently fourth in the ICC Test rankings – were in something of a “transition,” Stokes felt that Root was the perfect man to “take the team forward.””Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game,” Stokes said, “and we need people to fall in love with it again.”We need to win, but we want to perform in a manner that makes people want to come and watch us.”Every team goes through transition but I hope we can be influential in taking the team forward. Cooky started us on that path, Rooty was part of that as vice-captain and now we can carry that on. We have the same direction of where we want to take the team.”I’ve always believed that Rooty was going to be captain. Rooty and I have known each other for years, from county age group, England age group, Lions and now England. We have the same direction of where we want to take the team”He’s the right person and the best person to do it. He’s a colleague but also a close mate and I was chuffed to bits for him. I couldn’t be more pleased for him.”The biggest thing is having respect of the people you are in charge of. He has that and respect goes a long way.”Stokes also expressed his delight at his own appointment as England’s vice-captain, but insisted the added responsibility will not change him on or off the pitch.”Getting the news that I would be his vice-captain made me ecstatic,” Stokes said. “It’s a real honour. It’s England vice-captain, it’s supporting Rooty, but it’s also the recognition from him and the people at the top of the ECB.”Everything I do is to win and being vice-captain won’t change me as a person or as a player. I want to be involved in all aspects of the game, whether it’s hitting the winning runs or taking the final wicket. I have always wanted to be in the middle of it.”Being vice-captain I will have to bring a mental and supportive side too. If I am not involved in the game then I will have to add my tactical input.”I have been more vocal over the last year but I only speak when I think something needs to be said. I’m not one for cliches. Just being vice-captain doesn’t give me the right to say whatever I want. There are still some areas I can get better at but hopefully I can improve and we can win more games for England.”

In his first innings since July 2016, AB de Villiers helped himself to an unbeaten 134 off 103 for Northerns in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge. The knock comes as he prepares for a likely South Africa return in the third T20I against Sri Lanka in Cape Town.At the end of a week where de Villiers’ plans for his international future have been a major topic, he was finally able to return to run-scoring after overcoming the elbow injury he picked up at last year’s CPL.Even taking into account the lower standard of his comeback match, it was a notable return for de Villiers given his lack of cricket. Batting at No. 3, he was given the maximum chance for a lengthy innings when opener Jonathan Vandiar was lbw first ball of Northerns’ chase.De Villiers proceeded to reach a century off 87 deliveries – his second fifty needing 37 balls – and finished the match with consecutive sixes. In total he struck 19 fours and three sixes in just over two hours in the middle.The final T20I against Sri Lanka had been earmarked for de Villiers’ return ahead of the one-day series and the limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour. He has already made himself unavailable for Test cricket for most of 2017, suggesting a comeback will come at home against India late in the year should that series be confirmed.Morne Morkel, who has been out of action as long as de Villiers with a back injury, was also due to play in the game but doubt was cast on his availability when he showed some symptoms of the same issue last week. Morkel did not play the match and there is continued uncertainty over when he will make his return.

Australia have left open the possibility of playing four fast men and leaving out offspinner Nathan Lyon at the Gabba, choosing not to name their XI on the eve of the match.South Australia swing bowler Chadd Sayers would be in line for a Test debut if the selectors went down that path, and he has recent pink-ball form on his side, having claimed eight wickets in his most recent Shield game against New South Wales in Adelaide.”We want to have another look at the wicket today and determine which way we want to go from there,” captain Steven Smith said on Wednesday. Asked if that meant four fast bowlers could be included, Smith replied: “It’s possible, yes.”On Tuesday, Lyon had said he was confident of being part of the XI at the Gabba, which is second only to Adelaide Oval on his list of most productive Test venues.”I’ll tell you one thing, this is my sixth [Gabba] Test and every year you guys seem to write that,” Lyon said on Tuesday. “So I’ll leave you guys to write that, that there’s going to be four quicks and stuff. I’m confident of playing, I’ll put it that way.”Not only has Lyon been successful at the Gabba, he has also had plenty of bowling to do, averaging nearly 19 overs per innings there in his five Tests at the venue. The Gabba was also the ground at which Shane Warne took more Test wickets than any other.But Smith said the preponderance of right-handers in Pakistan’s line-up – opener Sami Aslam is the only left-hander in their top seven – could also play a part in Australia’s selection decision.”I need to have another look at the wicket to determine how much grass there is on the wicket,” Smith said. “It’s obviously a different opposition, Pakistan have a lot of right-hand batters, which might come into the equation. But we’ll wait and see.”However, one thing that does not appear to be on the cards is the inclusion of Sayers in place of Jackson Bird. Bird picked up three wickets against South Africa at Adelaide Oval and looks set to retain his spot for another pink-ball Test.”I daresay Jackson will probably play,” Smith said. “He played the last game and played pretty well, so I daresay he’ll be in.”Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell jnr said on Wednesday that he would be cutting the grass down to a height of two millimetres for this Test, well down on the six millimetres left on for the Adelaide Test but a standard height for the Gabba. He did not expect the pitch to perform especially differently to a day Gabba Test.”I’m expecting there will be some life in it early but in saying that it’s out under the elements till one o’clock so maybe not as lively, maybe it will dry out a touch more before the start of play,” Mitchell said. “But it won’t behave too much differently to our normal Test deck.”

Match facts

Saturday, May 21, 2016
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)

Big Picture

As the race for the playoffs intensifies, there’s going to be a race at the bottom of the table too – for who will not finish last. Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergaints will kick off the weekend double-bonanza with their last games of the season. Both sides’ journeys have had several similarities, but there was contrast in their respective previous matches.Supergiants created a cavity in Delhi Daredevils’ chances of qualifying with a 19-run win in a rain-hit match. Ashok Dinda’s swing fetched him three wickets in a frugal spell, Adam Zampa and R Ashwin found substantial turn, and Ajinkya Rahane scored at the top, as usual. Supergiants handed an IPL debut to Deepak Chahar, and might consider giving chances to their other unused players – Ishwar Pandey, B Aparajith and Ankush Bains.Going by form, Kings XI appear weaker, and their confidence would have been dented further after being pummelled by Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kings XI’s batsmen were never the incisors of their jaw and they were blunted further by almost being bowled out in a 15-over match. Bowling had been their core competence and that too took a beating in their previous two matches. Kings XI will now need more than a root canal to rise from the bottom.Apart from pride and the two points to play for, both teams can bring out their fearless and unrestrained games to ensure they don’t finish last.

Form guide

Rising Pune Supergiants WLLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Kings XI Punjab LLWLW

In the spotlight

Adam Zampa, in his first IPL season, has chewed his way to the top 15 wicket-takers’ list despite having played just four matches. He has extracted turn, flighted the ball and hasn’t given batsmen much room. He also has the only five-for of the season; his best of 6 for 19 coming against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Zampa has 11 wickets in all at an economy rate of 6.38, and has struck every seven balls. He could prove to be dangerous against Kings XI too, who have only one frontline left-handed batsman – David Miller.Hashim Amla has batted five times in IPL 2016, but has only one substantial score. Even that 56-ball 96 was eclipsed by a solid show by the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen in Mohali, only five days ago. With an in-form M Vijay as his opening partner, Amla would want to end his first IPL sojourn with another strong show before heading to the West Indies for a tri-series.

Team news

After giving Chahar a chance in their previous match, Supergiants could draft in a few more of their inexperienced players, or even consider bringing back Peter Handscomb or Albie Morkel.Rising Pune Supergiants (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Saurabh Tiwary/B Aparajith, 4 George Bailey, 5 Thisara Perera, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Irfan Pathan/Rajat Bhatia, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Ashok Dinda 11 RP Singh/Ishant Sharma/Ishwar PandeyAs if to give competition to Supergiants’ injury list, Kings XI recently bid goodbye to Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, who are back in Australia. They could bring back Anureet Singh after KC Cariappa leaked 55 in three overs against Royal Challengers.Kings XI Punjab (probable): 1 M Vijay (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 4 Farhaan Behardien, 5 Gurkeerat Singh, 6 David Miller, 7 Kyle Abbott, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Mohit Sharma 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Anureet Singh/KC Cariappa

Pitch and conditions

Cyclone Roanu, which is causing devastation in Sri Lanka, is hovering around the Bay of Bengal, not far from Visakhapatnam. Even though the sun is expected to come out on Saturday, rain interruptions cannot be ruled out.

Stats and trivia

• M Vijay is only the second Kings XI captain to hit three 50-plus scores in a season after Adam Gilchrist in 2011
• Adam Zampa’s bowling average of 7.54 is the best for any bowler to take at least 10 wickets in an IPL season