The big news: India Green face uphill task

India Blue continued their run-scoring spree on day two of the Duleep Trophy as Cheteshwar Pujara brought up his 32nd first-class ton to push India Green on the back foot. Pujara smashed 166 after the heroics of Mayank Agarwal, who scored 161 on day one. However, Sheldon Jackson also smashed 105 to take the team to 707 before being bowled out.

The India Green bowling attack looked clueless and was hit all around the park throughout the day. Jasprit Bumrah, Ashok Dinda, Shreyas Gopal, Pragyan Ojha and Shreyas Gopal were all taken to task by the India Blue batting line-up for two days. With India Red already in the finals, the winner of this match will face them for the title on September 10.

Other top stories

  1. The Board of Control for Cricket in India questioned the funds allocated to the England and Wales cricket board for the 2017 Champions Trophy, which will be played in the United Kingdom. In a letter written to the International Cricket Council, the BCCI stated that the budget given to the ECB is three times higher than what the Indian board received during the World T20 held in March in India.
  2. All-rounder Jimmy Neesham was named in the New Zealand Test squad for the upcoming tour of India set to begin on September 22. Fast bowler Matt Henry and batsman Jeet Raval have been dropped, with Neesham the only addition in the 15-man group. The Kiwis will play three Test matches in Kanpur, Kolkata and Indore.
  3. England coach Trevor Bayliss said he hopes all his players will travel to Bangladesh for their upcoming tour. Bayliss admitted the possibility of some players opting out because of security concerns, which would then create a problem when the selection of the squad for the tour of India later this year comes up.
  4. West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite is set for his One-Day International debut after being selected for the upcoming tour of the UAE to face Pakistan. Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons were dropped from the T20 team.
  5. The ongoing battle to save Test cricket and implement a two-tier cricket system was given a boost as players urged the ICC to approve the new model. More than 70% of the players quizzed by the players’ global body felt that the new system added more meaning to each match. 
  6. In the Tamil Nadu Premier League, the Lyca Kovai Kings beat Chepauk Super Gillies by 11 runs. Today, Madurai Super Giants take on Karaikudi Kaalai team.
  7. Sri Lanka will take on Australia on Tuesday in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals.