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Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in Shaun Tait as a replacement for his fellow Australian fast bowler John Hastings

Nagraj Gollapudi11-May-20162:25

Nannes: ‘He bowled really well in the Big Bash after people had written him off’

Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in Shaun Tait as a replacement for his fellow Australian fast bowler John Hastings. Tait joined Knight Riders on Wednesday and was present at the team’s training session three days before their next match, on Saturday, against Rising Pune Supergiants.Tait, who had listed his base price at INR 1.5 crore, went unsold in the player auction in February.Hastings, who played two matches for Knight Riders this season, was ruled out of the IPL after he suffered an ankle injury in his left foot. Upon returning to Australia, Hastings underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in the ankle and was consequently replaced by Scott Boland for the ODI triangular in the West Indies in June.This will be Tait’s second stint in the IPL, having earlier played for Rajasthan Royals. Tait last played for Australia in January, in the T20I series against India. He subsequently played for Peshawar Zalmi in the inaugural Pakistan Super League. Tait was also recently signed as an overseas player by Glamorgan for the second half of their NatWest T20 Blast campaign.Though he was present at Knight Riders’ training session, Tait did not bowl at all, considering he had only landed a few hours before. Knight Riders have consistently fielded a fast bowling line-up comprising Andre Russell, Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav, with the West Indies allrounder Jason Holder featuring in one match.

The Al-Nassr striker scored his 126th and 127th international goals as Roberto Martinez's side cruised to a win

Cristiano Ronaldo was among the goals once more, while the group around him also chipped in, as Portugal thrashed Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Selecao led 4-0 after half an hour, and scored five by half time, running away 5-0 winners, and maintaining a perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Manager Roberto Martinez deployed a full strength lineup despite already sealing qualification to next year's tournament.

And his side wasted no time putting Bosnia and Herzegovina to the sword. Ronaldo opened the scoring inside 10 minutes, converting from the penalty spot after a handball in the Bosnia and Herzegovina box. The forward added a second 15 minutes later, latching onto Joao Felix's threaded pass and lifting the ball over the keeper.

Bruno Fernandes put the game beyond doubt soon after, ghosting beyond the Bosnia backline and lashing an effort into the roof of the net. And the floodgates soon opened for the Selecao. Joao Cancelo scored the fourth after 32 minutes, curling one into the top corner from the edge of the box. And Felix got a deserved one of his own, taking advantage of a defensive collapse to poke home the fifth.

Martinez rotated in the second half, and a much-changed side created admittedly little. But by that time, the damage was done.

GOAL rates Portugal's players from Bilino Polje…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Diogo Costa (6/10):

A spectator, was rarely used.

Diogo Dalot (7/10):

Got up the wing with regularity. Made himself a mainstay for his national team.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

Won the ball when he had to, but it was mostly an exercise in short-range passing.

Goncalo Inacio (7/10):

Provided a lovely lofted ball for Fernandes' goal. Connected with the midfield well.

Joao Cancelo (8/10):

Scored an outrageous fourth, was involved for a further two. Is hitting his best for club and country, at the moment.

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Danilo Pereira (6/10):

Didn't really have all that much to do other than drop in and keep the ball moving. A strange selection choice, given the opponent.

Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

Tok his goal wonderfully and looked dangerous between the lines.

Otavio (6/10):

Covered a lot of ground, connected with the front line well, but didn't have a massive impact in front of goal.

Attack

Cristiano Ronaldo (8/10):

Scored twice, came close to bagging yet another Portugal hat-trick. What more can you ask?

Joao Felix (9/10):

Ronaldo may have been the finisher, but Felix was Portugal's most apparent threat. Assisted, took his goal wonderfully, and set everything else up.

Rafael Leao (7/10):

The only one of Portugal's front three not to get on the scoresheet. Still dangerous, though.

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Subs & Manager

Diogo Jota (7/10):

Looked dangerous in the final third. A good runout.

Pedro Neto (6/10):

Energetic without being impactful.

Ruben Neves (6/10):

Did little else other than crack a free-kick into the wall.

Vitinha (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Joao Neves (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Roberto Martinez (8/10):

Put out a full strength XI, despite already sealing qualification. Portugal turned in a dominant first half, and mostly controlled the second. Eight games, eight wins, 24 points.

Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga suffered a knee injury in France training, as Carlo Ancelotti's injury issues mount.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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Forced off after collision with Ousmane DembeleWill undergo tests, thought not to be seriousMadrid already without Aurelien TchouameniWHAT HAPPENED?

The midfielder was forced off the training pitch after sustaining a knock and will require further tests to determine the extent of the injury. He is expected to receive treatment in the coming days, but the problem isn't thought to be serious, according to .

AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE

Camavinga's knock comes at an inopportune time for Los Blancos. They already find themselves shorthanded in defensive midfield, with Aurelien Tchouameni not expected to return until the new year. There is, however, cover at left-back — Camavinga's other position — with Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy waiting in the wings.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Camavinga is the youngest player since 1914 to represent the French national team, after making his debut at 17 years and 303 days, coming on at half-time against Croatia in September 2020. Paris Saint-Germain youngster Warren Zaire-Emery could break that record if he makes an appearance in either of France's Euro 2024 qualifiers this week.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CAMAVINGA?

The Madrid midfielder will undergo tests in the coming days to determine the severity of the injury, as Ancelotti will hope that another key player doesn't face an extended spell out of the side.

Bangladesh batsman Nasir Hossain and bowler Abdur Razzak have both defended their form ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 after they received criticism for their recent performances in the ODIs

Mohammad Isam10-Mar-2014Bangladesh batsman Nasir Hossain and bowler Abdur Razzak have both defended their form ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 after they received criticism for their recent performances in the ODIs.Nasir has made just 140 runs in seven innings this year, and is going through his longest streak without a fifty in ODIs, while Razzak managed just two wickets in the last three games.Nasir, though, has said he doesn’t feel out of form and he is trying to get out of a mental rut. “From where I bat, I don’t get chance to bat long,” he said. “My strike-rate has to be more than 100. If I am defending 10 off 20 balls, it brings pressure. These things happen to everyone. I have made 30 or 40 odd in the last game, but I think my form is okay.”I think I am having a good enough time. You may think otherwise. I think it can happen, not scoring runs in a few matches. I am trying to get out of this. I think the media talks more than the people. I thought ‘I have to perform, people are talking,’ so probably that put some pressure on me.”When Nasir was first picked, the then chief selector Akram Khan had said his strength was to bat according to the situation. Nasir, too, reiterated that, saying his job was to stay around till the end without worrying about goals.”I can’t set a goal. I have to think of being in the middle when 20-25 balls are left, so I have to keep focusing on that,” he said.While Nasir’s lack of runs deprived Bangladesh of strong finishes with the bat, the criticism Razzak received was for giving away 18 runs when Pakistan needed 31 off 18 balls in the chase of 327. Razzak, though, said the criticism was uncalled for.”For most of the time in my career I have bowled in the first, second Powerplays and in the last four overs,” Razzak said. “Fingers were pointed at me when I have done badly, which I think is a good thing in a way. I can understand that I am not doing it well.”If you see my past, I have given five to seven runs,” he said. “Have you ever thought we have won games because of such overs? Maybe at some point, someone could have noticed and written on it.”Razzak was confident he would continue the role of being Bangladesh’s go-to bowler in the Powerplays and slog overs. “I can get a top-edge and it can go for four, off a good ball. Shots can go over the top, but I enjoy bowling in such situations. They believe in me to bowl in those times, so I want to keep that belief.

Charlotte Edwards, an England captain who was able to savour Ashes success home and away over the last 12 months, has been named the Women’s Player of the Year

Andrew McGlashan09-Jun-2014Charlotte Edwards, an England captain who was able to savour Ashes success home and away over the last 12 months, has been named the Women’s Player of the Year.Although the women’s team could not end their wait for global silverware at the World T20 in Bangladesh – losing the final to Australia in Dhaka – they regained the Ashes at home, in the first multi-format series where points were accumulated over Tests, ODIs and T20s, before defending them Down Under earlier this year.Central, as she has so often been, to England’s cause was Edwards. She battled pain to score a vital half-century in the second innings of the Perth Test to ensure the team had a target they could defend then scored a brilliant, unbeaten 92 the Hobart T20 to ensure the Ashes were retained.Edwards’ “outstanding leadership skills” were also highlighted in her captaincy role, which she has held since 2006. Earlier this year she was the just the second woman to be named a Cricketer of the Year.Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole and Sarah Taylor were the other nominees for the award.England Under-19 captain Will Rhodes won the England Development Programme Cricketer of the Year award while the England Disability Cricketer of the Year award was given to Stephen George from the England Deaf Squad.

The Dubai Triangular Series will be a final chance for three of the four Associates at World Cup 2015 to fine-tune before the showpiece event

Peter Della Penna08-Jan-2015Three of the four Associate qualifiers for this year’s World Cup descend on Dubai on Thursday for some much needed fixtures ahead of the main event. Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland would probably prefer to get some pre-World Cup opportunities against Full Member opposition instead of playing amongst themselves. Yet, they can be grateful for the fact that they now have a bit of a leg up on preparation over Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, both of whom are starved of ODIs from December 1 through the start of the World Cup.Each team arrives in Dubai with their World Cup 15 already chosen, so the main objective of the tri-series for the three Associates will be to establish their best eleven by the time they leave the UAE, so that they land in Australia and New Zealand next month ready to stir the pot with as many upsets as possible. Here’s a look at each team’s approach for the double round-robin series, which begins with Scotland taking on Afghanistan at the ICC Global Cricket Academy on January 8.Afghanistan
The de facto hosts won four of eight contests on their pre-World Cup tour to Australia and New Zealand in September and October, but had their confidence dented by a humbling 3-1 ODI series defeat in November at the hands of fellow World Cup qualifiers UAE. Former captain Nawroz Mangal has been superb since moving to the top of the order but his opening partner is yet to be confirmed. Both Javed Ahmadi and Usman Ghani will be eager to present their respective cases to join Mangal.The team management will be keeping its fingers crossed that fast bowler Hamid Hassan can make it through the series injury-free. Hassan took 5 for 45 against UAE on December 4, in only his second match back since pulling up lame in Afghanistan’s Asia Cup win over Bangladesh in March.Afghanistan’s chances of excelling in both the tri-series and the World Cup will be greatly enhanced if Hassan remains on the field instead of in the physio’s room. New bowling coach Andy Pick will be licking his lips at the chance to work with Hassan and the rest of Afghanistan’s pace troupe, including Shapoor and Dawlat Zadran.Squad: Mohammad Nabi (capt), Javed Ahmadi, Aftab Alam, Mirwais Ashraf, Izatullah Dawlatzai, Usman Ghani, Hamid Hassan, Nasir Jamal, Nawroz Mangal, Gulbadin Naib, Hasmatullah Shaidi, Samiullah Shenwari, Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk)Ireland
The darlings of the last two World Cups had a hit and miss autumn tour of Australia and New Zealand. The team suffered collectively due to the absence of Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce and Tim Murtagh, and it showed in the results.A silver lining on the batting side was that the absence of Stirling and Joyce offered an opportunity for Andy Balbirnie to seize an opportunity to force his way into the World Cup squad. The former Ireland Under-19 captain made three fifties in his last four matches on tour then followed it up a month later with a century against New Zealand A in Dubai. The challenge now for Balbirnie is to force his way into the starting eleven, now that the first-choice players have returned.On the bowling side, youngsters Craig Young and Peter Chase started off their acclimatisation tour down under with promise, but ended it with mental scars at the hands of opening onslaughts from Ronnie Hira and Jesse Ryder. Young claimed a five-for on ODI debut in September against Scotland and will be happy to see them again in an effort to rediscover the form he had at the end of the northern summer. The return of Murtagh should also ease pressure off the younger parts of the pace unit.Squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andy Balbirnie, Peter Chase, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andy McBrine, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien (wk), Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig YoungScotland
Despite coming away with just two wins on their September tour down under, Scotland turned in some encouraging performances including a nail-biting one-run loss to a virtually World Cup strength New Zealand XI. Scotland’s improved depth over the past year was evident in the fact that they nearly chased down New Zealand XI’s 263 despite Kyle Coetzer and Preston Mommsen scoring no runs on the day.Aside from that blip, the decision to switch the captaincy from Coetzer to Mommsen has continued to have a positive impact for both players. However, Scotland needs more incisive contributions from their fast bowlers.The last time a Scotland pacer took four or more wickets in an innings in an ODI was Iain Wardlaw’s 4 for 43 against Kenya in June 2013. They will struggle to beat their fellow Associates, let alone Full Members, unless big hauls are taken on a more regular basis.Squad: Preston Mommsen (capt), Richie Berrington, Kyle Coetzer, Freddie Coleman, Matthew Cross (wk), Josh Davey, Alasdair Evans, Hamish Gardiner, Majid Haq, Michael Leask, Matt Machan, Calum MacLeod, Gavin Main, Safyaan Sharif, Rob Taylor, Iain Wardlaw

Misbah-ul-Haq had implored his top order to produce an innings of substance in the approach to the series but even he may not have expected his top four to respond as emphatically as they did

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Dec-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Hafeez’s century set up a match-winning total•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq had implored his top order to produce an innings of substance in the approach to the series but even he may not have expected his top four to respond as emphatically as they did. Two young batsmen stroked alluring half-centuries, while Mohammad Hafeez ended his poor form with a canny 122, to set up Pakistan’s third-highest total in 115 matches at Sharjah. Misbah had also warned his side that Sri Lanka don’t stop fighting, and he perhaps hadn’t expected his side to ignore that advice so flatly either.When they had Sri Lanka at 221 for 7 in the 42th over, Pakistan allowed feeble bowling and inept fielding to creep in, and Seekkuge Prasanna and Sachithra Senanayake produced a courageous 87-run stand that drew Sri Lanka to within 15 runs of the target with eight balls remaining. In the end, the Sri Lankan tailenders could not sustain their fire. Senanayake toe-ended one to deep cover and the chase unraveled quickly after that, handing Pakistan an 11-run victory.Hafeez had been relatively quiet in the early overs, perhaps aware that he had not passed 35 in his last eight ODI knocks. Despite his caution, his innings did not suffer from lack of intent. Sharjeel’s fluent hand at the other end had prised open spaces in the outfield after the mandatory Powerplay and Hafeez mined the gaps conscientiously, even if he had begun scoring with two sleek fours off genuinely poor balls.Finding singles and twos was to become the hallmark of Hafeez’s entire knock. Occasionally he took on the more benign elements of Sri Lanka’s attack, like when he blasted a six and a four of Tillakaratne Dilshan in the 20th over, but although he scored at a strike rate comfortably over 90 he had hit only four fours and two sixes in his first 75 runs. The death overs drew a crescendo from him as well but even late in the innings the heavier hits often came when he turned the strike over to the man at the other end. He made an exception when he launched one into the stands behind long-on to reach triple figures for the seventh time in ODIs, and he fell attempting a big shot as well, with only two balls to go in the innings.Sharjeel Khan’s bright half-century had set Pakistan off apace when he posted a bold riposte to Lasith Malinga, who had struck him on the shoulder with the first ball of the fourth over. Sharjeel hooked the next ball into the square-leg stand and then whipped two more leg-side fours in the over, embellishing the promise he had shown in the Twenty20s by making an unruffled run-a-ball 61. The ease with which he struck through the line, though, made the friendliness of the surface plain – and perhaps of the fast bowling as well.Sohaib Maqsood was just as free-flowing through the middle overs in his sixth ODI, and he set about manipulating the field in step with Hafeez. He hit four sixes – all over wide long-on – but there were only two fours in his 73, which came from 68 balls. His 140-run stand with Hafeez was the biggest in the match, yet it was achieved with such laidback finesse they almost snuck by Sri Lanka, who allowed the game to meander through lack of imagination.At times, only a perfect yorker seemed immune to being worked away, so Sri Lanka’s quicker men attempted plenty of those. They had success with it in the middle overs and Malinga was instrumental in conceding only 25 in the batting Powerplay, but later in the innings they began to miss their length, and Pakistan were unforgiving.Shahid Afridi walloped two sixes in three balls to help plunder 18 from Suranga Lakmal in the 46th over, on his way to a 12-ball 34. Lakmal had only played because Sri Lanka had bafflingly omitted Nuwan Kulasekara, whose early-overs penetration and experience at the death could not have been missed more sorely.Senanayake and Prasanna had been Sri Lanka’s most economical bowlers, and both men showed why they had been earmarked for long service in the limited-overs teams when they came together with the bat. Pakistan’s bowling flagged for sure but the pair made apt use of what remained a good batting pitch and drilled the dross to the fence, relying heavily on their leg-side scoring zones. They benefited from some appalling fielding but as victory became a real prospect towards the end of the innings, Senanayake went for a boundary that he perhaps did not need to attempt at that stage.Tillakaratne Dilshan was Sri Lanka’s key man in Mahela Jayawardene’s absence, and it did not bode well for the visitors that he was far from fluent in the early overs. Flat-footed against the fast men and uncertain against spin, Dilshan timed the ball poorly and placed it even worse. He contributed 30 from 43 to a 66-run stand that placed Sri Lanka in a moderate position, but given the firepower in that opening partnership, it was a crucial one to break.Kusal Perera had less strike early on and was also short on boundaries, but he found the gaps that eluded Dilshan and eventually started to put the balls that fell in his strike zone to the fence. He was especially severe on short deliveries, using his short-arm pull to good effect most notably against Junaid Khan. The singles continued to flow freely and he reached his half-century off 43 balls, but slowed up a touch after that and was lbw for 64 off 68.Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews combined for 73 for the fifth wicket to inspire hope, but the top order had not made enough in the opening overs and the quest for quick runs eventually accounted for them both. Chandimal will at least be comforted that 46 is a better score than he had managed in the 14 previous ODI innings, and that during his stay he seemed to reclaim some of the chutzpah that ruled his cricket when he first played for Sri Lanka.

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As reported by BBC Sport, Monaco have given manager Thierry Henry the boot after the Arsenal legend failed to impress given 20 games at the helm. Henry took over from Leonardo Jardim in October but has been unable to lift Monaco out of the relegation zone.

The 41-year-old was linked with the vacant Aston Villa job after Steve Bruce was sacked but ended up taking a role in his native France instead, while Villa appointed then Brentford boss Dean Smith as their new manager.

Smith has done an unremarkable job so far but has kept his side in touching distance of the play-off spots, even if the Villans will have to both pull off some excellent results and count on others going their way between now and the end of the season if they are to earn promotion.

The 47-year-old currently boasts a 35% win rate with Villa having emerged victorious in six out of 17 games so far, while Henry won five out of 20 during his short tenure at Monaco, equalling a 25% win rate. However, the Frenchman lost a whopping 11 games, while Smith has been on the losing end of just 5 matches.

While many were surely hoping for the commercially appealing appointment of Henry when the Midlands outfit were in managerial limbo, it seems most of the Villa faithful are counting their lucky stars that the former striker snubbed them, meaning they went for sensible Smith.

You can check out the best of the reaction on Twitter below…

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video above…

James Anderson has responded angrily to the suggestion that England have been involved in ball-tampering during the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2013James Anderson has responded angrily to the suggestion that England have been involved in ball-tampering during the Champions Trophy.Bob Willis, the former England captain, sparked the controversy in his role as a TV commentator by saying there was no other reason for the umpires to change the ball as they did midway through Sri Lanka’s run chase at The Oval. Ashley Giles launched a strong defence yesterday and now Anderson has followed up in his newspaper column.”It’s very disappointing and frustrating that anyone, but especially a former England captain, should say these things, especially when we’re preparing for a massive game,” Anderson told the .”The fact is people can think what they like. We know the truth, I can state categorically that no one in the England team has ever tampered with a ball and we won’t allow comments made by someone like Bob Willis to worry us.England are always keen to try and get the ball to reverse swing, as they did against Australia in their opening match of the Champions Trophy, and Anderson is adamant it is all down to their own hard work and skill.”Reverse swing has been an issue in cricket for a while,” he added. “But just because one bowler or one team reverse a ball better than another on a given day doesn’t mean to say he or they have been tampering. It just means they’re more skilful.”I can assure you that if any of the England bowlers achieve it then it is within the letter of the laws. When we played Australia the square at Edgbaston was very dry and there were a lot of dry patches that got roughed up and resulted in scuffs on the ball.”At The Oval against Sri Lanka the other day there were nowhere near as many dry areas and that’s mainly why the ball didn’t reverse anywhere near as much.”

Seamer Shardul Thakur picked up four wickets to run through Maharashtra’s top order and leave them precariously placed at 219 for 7 at the end of the second day in Mumbai

The Report by Amol Karhadkar at the Wankhede Stadium09-Jan-2014
ScorecardFile photo: Ankit Bawne struck a fighting 86 for Maharashtra•ESPNcricinfo LtdResistance from Mumbai’s tailenders, followed by an inspired spell from Shardul Thakur allowed Mumbai to put one foot in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals even before the halfway stage of their quarter-final tie against Maharashtra. At the end of the second day’s play at the Wankhede Stadium, Maharashtra were struggling at 219 for 7 in response to Mumbai’s 402.With the visitors still 183 runs adrift with just three wickets in hand, the match is all but over unless the Maharashtra bowlers take a cue from Mumbai’s tail and bowling unit, and stage an unexpected comeback.Thakur, the young medium-pacer from the western suburbs, was easily the star of the day. He surprised not only the opposition batsmen but even some of his team-mates with the serious bounce and pace that he generated. His quickest delivery clocked 138 kph – a heartening sign for Mumbai’s pace attack which has seen seven new-ball bowlers being used, including the sparsely available Zaheer Khan and injured Dhawal Kulkarni.Not many Indian domestic cricketers are used to playing such pace as whenever a bowler bowls so quick on a wicket that’s conducive for pacers, the batsmen tend to feel the heat. Maharashtra’s fancied batting line-up was no exception. The captain Rohit Motwani was the first to walk back, having been promoted up the order to accompany Harshad Khadiwale.Motwani lasted just five balls and was trapped lbw after missing a straight full toss in Thakur’s opening over, opening the floodgates for the hosts. With Thakur bowling his quickest, Mumbai captain Zaheer backed the seamer by putting in place an attacking field, with none of the nine fielders in front of the wickets. Maharashtra subsequently wilted under the pace and pressure.Khadiwale, this season’s highest run-getter, was the next to go after edging Thakur to Vinit Indulkar at third slip in the sixth over of the innings. In the very next over, Vijay Zol shouldered a delivery from Zaheer only to see the ball clipping the top of off stump, leaving Maharashtra at 24 for 3. Maharashtra’s next pair, however, led a mini recovery.While Kedar Jadhav, who is reputed for his ferocious batting, adopted a cautious approach, Ankit Bawne waged a counterattack. Bawne was lucky to have been dropped on 5 by Wasim Jaffer at second slip, and he made full use of the missed chance by hitting Javed Khan for four well-timed fours to the off side in an over. He followed that up by dancing down the wicket to hoick Abhishek Nayar over long-on, with the ball almost landing in the second tier of the stands.Thakur, who shed 12 kilos in the off-season, however came back for a second spell and immediately forced a nick off Bawne’s willow to Indulkar again. However, replays showed the bowler didn’t have any part of his foot behind the line, thus handing Bawne yet another reprieve. The youngster made full use of it, reaching his fifty in just 52 balls.Just as the fourth-wicket association between Bawne and Jadhav, who during the innings became the second batsman to score 900 runs this season, started to raise some concerns for Mumbai, the 115-run partnership was broken by the left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar. Jadhav could only edge one that turned sharply after pitching outside leg, and Aditya Tare was lucky to pouch the ball after it ricocheted off his pads.Zaheer didn’t take long to reintroduce Thakur into the attack, and the bowler immediately got rid of the dangerous Bawne- caught behind the wicket- 16 runs shy of what would have been a brave century. While Thakur added Sangram Atitkar’s scalp to his kitty in a third spell that read 5-0-17-2, Javed was rewarded for some disciplined bowling when he dismissed Chirag Khurana, thanks to an acrobatic catch at gully by Kaustubh Pawar.”Shardul was the quickest bowler we have faced all this season,” Bawne said later. “With him utilising the conditions favourably, batting became extremely difficult for us.”Had it not been for the Mumbai tail’s resistance in the morning, Maharashtra may have fancied chasing a smaller total. Starting the day at 306 for 7, Iqbal Abdulla batted sensibly with Zaheer to add almost 100 to the total. Even though Abdulla ran out of partners one run shy of a deserving fifty, his crucial partnerships with Javed and Zaheer ensured that Maharashtra were set to face a daunting first-innings score.