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India will look to lift themselves to force the series into a decider in Mumbai while South Africa will be keen to wrap up the series and set the tone for the Tests

The Preview by Firdose Moonda21-Oct-2015

Match facts

Thursday, October 22, 2015
Start time 1330 local (0800GMT)5:11

Manjrekar: India need to look at new bowling talent

Big picture

There comes a time in every chase when the players are under so much pressure that unless they catch up, the game is over. For India, that time is now.After trailing South Africa in both limited-overs’ formats, India face the prospect of a second successive series defeat unless they draw level in Chennai. To do that, they will need a more convincing batting performance particularly in the death overs, where they have lacked aggression. Simply put, they have to ensure they compete over 50 overs, not just 35, because South Africa have demanded that level of commitment from them.The tension in the twilight exchanges of the three matches so far has made for absorbing viewing and neutrals will hope there is more to come so that a grand finale is set up for the fifth game. But South Africa won’t be advocating excitement of that kind.They will want to secure their second trophy of the tour before the final match. Not only will that tick the box of dominating an opposition in their own backyard but it will set the tone for the Tests, where South Africa are the authority on traveling, having last lost a series away from home nine years ago. Victory in Chennai will allow the players that aim to continue that legacy, particularly the fast bowlers, a chance to rest and South Africa’s bench strength to be tested in Mumbai.

Form guide

(last five completed games most recent first)
India LWLWW
South Africa WLWWL

In the spotlight

With just three runs from the three matches so far – and all of those in the first game – Suresh Raina will be aware that he needs to step up. He has been dismissed for ducks in his last two innings and has not contributed a fifty since the World Cup. With India’s middle-order being prone to meltdowns, Raina will have to be in the runs soon to help solve the problem.Hashim Amla is 22 runs away from being the fastest to 6000 ODI runs but he may be more concerned with the speed with which he hits top gear after a quiet tour so far. Amla has bubbled under with small starts but is struggling to push on and has been uncharacteristically stumped off the spinners in the last two matches. If he can shake the rut, South Africa’s line-up will be in full flow again.

Team news

India altered their squad as the series heads into its decisive stage and added S Aravind in place of Umesh Yadav and the left-arm seamer could find himself in the XI. The three-spinner strategy worked well for India and if they stick with it, they may have to leave out another seamer as well.India: (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane 4 Virat Kohli, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 S AravindJP Duminy’s hand injury, which has ruled him out of the rest of the series, presents South Africa with a puzzle in the allrounder’s department. Dean Elgar, Duminy’s replacement, only arrived early on Wednesday morning and may need time to acclimatise, which could allow Chris Morris his first chance in the ODI series. David Miller may have to return to the middle order as a result, unless Khaya Zondo is given a debut ahead of him. With all the tinkering in the batting department, South Africa are unlikely to fiddle with their bowling combinations unless Morne Morkel, who picked up a quad injury in the third ODI, is unfit. Kyle Abbott is in reserve if needed.South Africa: (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 Farhaan Behardien, 6 David Miller, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Morne Morkel/Kyle Abbott, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

Dale Steyn said he expected a slow wicket that may take turn but there are rumours of some extra bounce, which will be a welcome surprise for the visitors. Chennai will warm up to 34 degrees, a couple cooler than Rajkot and Kanpur, but humidity will be a factor. This match will be officiated by two local umpires because Aleem Dar was withdrawn over security concerns following the anti-Pakistan protest at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. Umpires Chettithody Shamsuddin and S Ravi, who is from Chennai, will stand.

Stats and Trivia

• Though MS Dhoni is not from Chennai, the city is an adopted home to him because of the Super Kings franchise and he seems to have embraced it as a favourite venue. He averages 153.50 in ODIs at Chepauk, where he has scored two undefeated hundreds.
• The last ODI played in Chennai was between India and Pakistan in December 2012.

Quotes

“We want to take wickets as a spinning unit and whoever is bowling at any point of time, we want to attack, we want to have a lot of catching fielders in place. “
“We’ve been to a lot of different cities since arriving and it’s arrive, play, practice, go – that kind of thing. It’s on the go all the time. The boys have needed the rest.”

A round-up of Tier 1 and Tier 2 National Cricket League matches played from October 31 to November 3, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2015Khulna Division became NCL champions for the fourth time after their rain-affected drawn game against Rangpur Division in Chittagong. Their previous titles were in the 2002-03, 2007-08 and 2012-13 seasons, having also come within a single point of winning the title last season.Rajshahi Division and Dhaka Division have been champions five times each while Rangpur, Chittagong and Bangladesh Biman won the title once each.Rangpur ended the game against Khulna with more points, but Khulna’s seven ensured they remained above Dhaka Metropolis in the points table. Rangpur, however, were relegated to Tier-2 after finishing at the bottom of tier-1 with 38 points.Rain had allowed only 32 minutes of play in the first two days of this game. Rangpur, put into bat, made 344 runs, with No. 7 Tanveer Haider making 105 off 209 balls, including nine fours and a six.Khulna captain Abdur Razzak took five wickets while the other left-arm spinner, Murad Khan, took four wickets. There was enough time in the game for Imrul Kayes to score his 14th first-class hundred, a 104-ball 107.Khulna’s path to becoming the NCL champions became easier after the match between Dhaka Metropolis and Dhaka Division game had three washed off days in Cox’s Bazar and predictably ended in a draw. On the fourth day, Dhaka Metro batted 75 overs to make 286 for three. Shamsur Rahman made 105 while Mehedi Maruf retired hurt on 99.Barisal Division ended the competition on top of Tier-2, and earned promotion to Tier-1 in the 2016-17 season. They drew with Chittagong Division in a high-scoring game in Bogra where Shahriar Nafees struck twin centuries while Mominul Haque completed his maiden double-hundred. They both shared the man-of-the-match award.Batting first, Barisal made 489 courtesy Nafees’ 168 and captain Fazle Mahmud’s 133. In reply, Chittagong ran up a score of 425, with Mominul scoring 239 after having batted for seven hours and 31 minutes. Mominul struck 37 boundaries in the 322 balls he faced.Barisal fell into some trouble in the second innings but Nafees struck his second hundred of the game, this one bulging up to 174 off 209 balls with the help of 21 fours and two sixes. He added 122 runs for the fourth wicket with Al-Amin who made 68.In the only match of the NCL’s sixth round that bore a result, Rajshahi Division crushed Sylhet Division by ten wickets inside three days in Khulna.Batting first, Sylhet were shot out for 176 with Moinul Islam and Sunzamul Islam picking up three wickets each. Rajshahi replied with 395, with hundreds from Farhad Hossain, playing his 100th first-class match, and Hamidul Islam.Sylhet did a little better in their second innings with Ruman Ahmed scoring a hundred. Rajshahi, however, completed the chase of 24 in 6.2 overs without losing a wicket.

Peter Siddle has insisted that he is not disheartened by the fact that Australia’s selectors declined to pick him in the XI until the final Test against New Zealand

Daniel Brettig24-Nov-20152:03

‘I’ll make sure I’m ready to go’ – Siddle

Having considered Peter Siddle surplus to requirements until the moment of last resort during the Ashes, Australia’s selectors have once again declined to pick him until the final Test against New Zealand.For a time, Siddle was not considered fast enough, explosive enough or good enough next to others. But Siddle is now needed more than ever because of two other things he does not do: retiring, and conceding too many runs.The way Siddle’s fortunes have turned is pronounced. Before the dual tours of the West Indies and England, he was more or less the last man picked, and did not even enjoy the security of a Cricket Australia contract – the first time he had missed out since 2008. Now, however, he has been termed one of four “prime bowlers” – alongside Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson – by the coach Darren Lehmann, who has reservations about the pace stocks beneath.”It’s always been about not worrying about what I can’t control,” Siddle said of his time on the outer. “That opportunity in England gave me that little bit of confidence that I can come in and perform. I think that is the added bonus. I obviously missed out on the first two here but know it isn’t that long since I came out and performed. It gives myself a boost but the powers that be above know that I can perform when called upon.”[Losing my contract] didn’t worry me at all, like the selections. I knew last year that I went back to state cricket and performed well and took the most wickets after Christmas of the fast bowlers in state cricket. I did the same when I went to England, took wickets again. I have confidence in my own ability, what I can do and that’s all I worry about, preparing well and looking for my opportunity.”You can’t worry about the other things, it gives you too much stress. If you worry about little things like that you can’t prepare as well as you want to. That’s the thing with me I am always positive, and laid back.”Though he has in recent times been a fringe member of the squad, Siddle’s record as a bowler would suggest he is at his best when confronting players of the highest class. His first Test wicket was one Sachin Tendulkar, and he enjoys enviable records against the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. No matter the player, it seems, Siddle’s minimalist methods have as strong a chance of success as anything more spectacular from others.Rightly, he recalled that the Ashes success of two summers ago was built as much on the pressure applied by Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon and himself as it was the naked intimidation of Mitchell Johnson.In the first two Tests of this series, Australia’s pace attack did not perform in quite the same balanced manner. Starc, Hazlewood and Johnson all offered outstanding spells at various points, but none were consistent enough to create the suffocating pressure so loathed by batsmen. Siddle pointed to this as a key reason why Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor have been able to flourish.”You can’t worry about the other things, it gives you too much stress. That’s the thing with me I am always positive, and laid back” – Peter Siddle•Getty Images

“I don’t think he has changed a hell of a lot, he has got a lot smarter with how he plays,” Siddle said of Williamson. “He still plays the same game but he’s probably just a bit tighter than the past and it’s working for him. I think it’s just about being patient; that’s one thing he’s very good at, and that’s one thing we can be slightly better at in our bowling, building a bit more pressure, having a bit more patience and working players like that over.”The good players are happy to spend a lot of time out there and make you bowl a lot. So the more pressure you can put on them early on is going to work in our favour. You look at all the class players in world cricket, it’s worked hasn’t it? It worked against Sachin, it worked against KP, it works against Kohli, that’s the thing, it works. It’s pretty basic but it happens against all the best teams.”Going back to the big success we had during the Ashes here in Australia, that was the big key thing for us, building pressure and getting them out that way. Smudger’s [Steven Smith] a good captain to work with in that he’s willing to put players in the positions you want, and works well with the bowlers. I think it’ll be no different coming into this match, which might need a few little tactical manoeuvres to get some of these guys out.”These words come with plenty of experience behind them, and also a close relationship with the assistant coach Craig McDermott that helped Siddle to understand his own game better. Starting in Adelaide, Siddle is hopeful of acting as a “bowling captain” to the pace battery, counselling them on the field while also leading with his own parsimonious example of how to bowl relentlessly and well. The exit of Johnson has afforded him that chance.”I’ve been around for just a little bit shorter time than Mitch but I’ve been around and played enough Test cricket, played enough around the world, to be able to give enough knowledge and experience to these guys,” he said. “All these guys debuted with me alongside them, especially Starcy and Patto a few years ago. Having that relationship with those guys – I grew up with a lot of them – I think I’ll be able to pass on enough to them and work alongside them. Obviously my skill set works well with the way their play their games.”All in all we’re still in a good place. Starcy has shown over the past especially 12 months, the way he can perform, that he can take over that mantle as the type of player Mitch Johnson was in the [2013-14] Ashes: the fast, aggressive wicket-taker. ‘Starcy’ has definitely shown in the past 12 months that he can fill that role – and fill it well. Cricket-wise we don’t lose too much, but as a mate and a class player we definitely lose out. But I think there’s enough players around to cover the role from now on.”

Joe Root believes England are up to the challenge of beating South Africa in a Test series for the first time in a decade

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2015Joe Root believes England are up to the challenge of beating South Africa in a Test series for the first time in a decade. Root, who has yet to play a Test against South Africa, will be one of England’s key players as the No. 2-ranked batsman in the world and vice-captain to Alastair Cook and he is predicting an “entertaining spectacle” between two sides with clear strengths and weaknesses.England have arrived in South Africa and begun preparations for the four-Test series by taking on an Invitational XI in Pochesfstroom. Among their first concerns will be settling on a new combination at the top of the order – likely Alex Hales opening alongside Cook with Nick Compton at No. 3 – and establishing the identity of the third seamer behind James Anderson and Stuart Broad.South Africa have issues of their own to deal with after a chastening 3-0 defeat in India, with coach Russell Domingo admitting “there is a lot of work to do”. Aside from a batting order struggling for form, Vernon Philander suffered ankle ligament damage that will keep him out of the first two Tests and Dale Steyn is also a fitness concern after hurting his groin in Mohali last month.They will still be able to call on Morne Morkel, along with the talented Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada, who will present a significant challenge on faster, bouncier surfaces than England are used to. Root said that the fast-bowling contest could be what ultimately decides the series.”It should be a really entertaining spectacle, with their attack and our attack as well, in those conditions – I’m looking forward to getting out there and being a part of it,” he told ESPNcricinfo.Asked if England could win away from home against the top-ranked Test side, he replied: “Absolutely, yeah. I think it’s going to be a really close series, and a really interesting battle with the two seam attacks. The way that Stuart and Jimmy lead our attack, with some very exciting guys below them as well, it could be an interesting battle against the No. 1 side in the world.”England last played South Africa in 2012, when a 2-0 home defeat hastened the retirement of Andrew Strauss and led to Cook’s elevation to the Test captaincy. They have not beaten South Africa since 2004-05 – with Anderson the only survivor from that tour – and have not won a Test series overseas since India in the winter of 2012, Cook’s first in charge and also the scene of Root’s debut.A successful start for Cook as Test captain was followed by a nightmarish year in which England suffered a 5-0 Ashes whitewash, lost at home to Sri Lanka and tentatively began to rebuild after the loss of several key players. Cook contemplated giving up the captaincy (and was also sacked from the role in ODIs) but his authority has never been stronger after England regained the Ashes with a 3-2 win earlier this year.Root – the man widely considered next in line – said Cook’s drive to get better set the perfect example for a young team still finding their way.”He’s been developing as a captain since he took on the role, it’s something that you can never really practice until you actually do it and I thought the way he approached this Ashes, both on and off the field – obviously the way he trains and the example he sets as a player and batsman have always been exemplary, but as a leader and his tactical nous over the last 12 months has been remarkable. He’s always learning all the time and he’s always willing to learn, which is exactly what you want from a leader.”Under Cook, Root has become a key player for England, particularly since coming back from being dropped at the end of the 2013-14 Ashes, and already in 2015 he has broken his country’s record for international runs in a calendar year. Root hopes there is improvement still to come and cited a batsman England will come up against over the next few weeks, AB de Villiers, as the current gold standard.”He is a big inspiration and I think it’s important as players that we look to learn from guys like him,” Root said. “He’s one of the guys taking the game forward and moving it on all the time and we’ve got to make sure as individuals, we have that responsibility to try and develop our games and try and stick with the best in the world and go past them if we can.”

A round-up of the Under-19 World Cup matches played on January 27, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2016Group AA half-century from Nazmul Hossain Shanto steered Bangladesh U19 to a total of 240, which their bowlers defended with ease despite a hundred from the South Africa U19 opener Liam Smith. Smith was sedate at the start of his innings, and South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals, with seamer Mohammad Saifuddin firing in pinpoint yorkers and Bangladesh’s impressive assortment of spinners strangling the run rate expertly. Smith picked up the pace as he approached his hundred, but South Africa’s challenge effectively ended when he was caught brilliantly in the covers by the Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz in the 45th over of the innings. Bangladesh eventually won by 43 runs, with Saifuddin and offspinner Mehedi picking up three wickets each.Having opted to bat first, Bangladesh made steady progress, with Pinak Ghosh and Joyraz Sheikh scoring 40s before the left-handed Nazmul guided them through the middle and late overs with an 82-ball 73. South Africa chipped away at the wickets, with seamer Wiaan Mulder picking up three, but there were useful contributions right through the Bangladesh order, ensuring they reached what proved an amply defendable total.Group CDan Lawrence and Jack Burnham’s centuries led England U19 to a massive win over Fiji U19 in their Group C game in Chittagong. After opting to bat, England piled up 371 for 3 and then bowled out Fiji for 72 to complete a 299-run win.Cakacaka Tikoisuva removed Max Holden early, but Lawrence (174 off 150) and Burnham (148 off 137) combined for a 303-run second-wicket stand in 265 balls. Callum Taylor struck a brisk 21 and the last six overs yielded 89 runs as England raced to 371.Fiji were never in the chase from the start, losing five wickets within the first six overs, with Sam Curran and Saqib Mahmood doing much of the damage. Both picked up three wickets apiece, with Mahmood’s figures reading 5-4-2-3. Peni Vuniwaqa provided brief resistance with a 74-ball 36, but it was nowhere near enough. He was the last man out in the 28th over.

Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Darren Sammy awill be eligible for selection for the World Twenty20 despite not being a part of the 15 players who were given retainer contracts by the West Indies Cricket Board la

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Jan-2016Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Darren Sammy will be eligible for selection for upcoming tournaments, including the World Twenty20, despite not being given annual retainer contracts by the West Indies Cricket Board. The only condition the WICB has placed is that the players will need to meet criteria set in place by the selection panel, led by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd. The six players are not part of the group of 15 who were given retainer contracts for the period between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016.According to Michael Muirhead, the WICB’s chief executive, the selectors had shortlisted 15 players for the contracts based on certain criteria that were drawn keeping in mind the future of West Indies cricket. Muirhead pointed out that the aforementioned six players – including Sammy who captains the West Indies T20 side – did not fit into the selection panel’s vision and hence were not given a contract.”The selectors did the retainers based on where they saw West Indies cricket going and the philosophy which they wanted to encourage and adopt, principally being loyal to commitment and really build for the longer form of the game,” Muirhead told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. “Lloyd had previously said how and where he was projecting our cricket to go, and how he wanted to build it.”According to Muirhead, the 15 players were shortlisted by the panel and endorsed by the WICB based on the “combination of their performances in the regional tournaments as well as their attitude”.Still, Muirhead insisted the six players should not misread the situation as they would be eligible for forthcoming series, if the selectors deemed fit.Some of the six players have failed to feature in the list of contracted players in the past, for reasons ranging from disputes with the WICB to voluntarily declining the retainer. In January 2015, Gayle and Narine had refused the retainer contracts as they
wanted to focus on playing domestic Twenty20 leagues around the world, where they are marquee players.”When Chris Gayle and Narine refused our retainer contracts some years ago it was so that they had the freedom to do what they wanted,” Muirhead said. “But they are eligible to play all our games if they meet our criteria. This not a penalty.”Muirhead said most of the players had made the decision to make themselves unavailable because they wanted to be free to play in T20 leagues to earn more. “And they took that business decision to do so,” Muirhead said.Muirhead also stressed that most of the six players had already made public their intentions of not playing Test cricket. “Many of those players have withdrawn from the long form of the game officially and are not interested in playing for the West Indies in all formats,” he said.In the last two years, Bravo and Sammy announced their retirement from Test cricket. Pollard has never played Test cricket and is seen by selectors as a limited-overs specialist. Although Lloyd has always been keen for Russell to play Test cricket, the allrounder told the chairman of selectors he would like to play only limited-overs cricket due to a bad knee. Narine, who has played six Tests, is busy remodelling his bowling action after he was suspended by the ICC in November last year. Only Gayle, a 103-Test veteran, has openly stated he is still keen to return to Test cricket in 2016.

Shane Jurgensen, the former Bangladesh coach, has been chosen by New Zealand to mentor their bowlers at the World Twenty20 in India next month

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2016Shane Jurgensen, the former Bangladesh coach, has been chosen by New Zealand to mentor their bowlers at the World Twenty20 in India next month, following the expiry of Dimitri Mascarenhas’ contract with the Black Caps.Having previously coached New Zealand’s bowlers between 2008 and 2010, Jurgensen will utilise his subcontinental experience in the first tournament the team will tackle minus the knowhow of the retiring captain Brendon McCullum.”I’ve worked with a lot of the guys within the set up before and the way they’ve developed over the years has been exciting to watch,” said Jurgensen, who played for Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland in a nomadic first-class career.”Their results and rankings speak for themselves and I can’t wait to work with them and help them to continue to improve. I’ll be looking to come in, do my job and support the successful environment that Mike [Hesson], Brendon and the rest of the team have built over the last couple of years.”The way the team go about their business and style of cricket they play makes them an extremely appealing group to be a part of.”Lindsay Crocker, New Zealand’s head of cricket, explained his rationale for the appointment. “Shane was previously a Black Caps bowling coach and since then has added many layers to his experience and skills,” he said.”He has experience in sub-continental conditions working with pace bowlers and spinners, which should be valuable for both the World T20 and the dry conditions expected on the twin tours to Africa at the back end of their winter. Shane is well known to the group; is married to a New Zealander and has strong New Zealand connections.”Jurgensen’s contract period will also take in tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa later in the year.

Fans without tickets were turned away from Scotland’s World T20 match against Zimbabwe at the VCA stadium in Nagpur today, as there are no ticketing facilities available at the ground

Jarrod Kimber and Arya Yuyutsu10-Mar-20162:42

Poor ticket arrangements disappoint fans in Nagpur

Fans without tickets were turned away from Scotland’s World T20 match against Zimbabwe at the VCA stadium in Nagpur today, as there are no ticketing facilities available at the ground.The tickets for the match are priced at 100 rupees for the East and West stands and 200 rupees for behind the bowler’s arm (approx £1.10 and £2.20 respectively). However, many supporters were obliged to travel back to the old VCA stadium in central Nagpur to purchase their tickets, meaning that that those that chose to do so were forced to miss much of the contest.The current stadium, which was inaugurated in 2008 and has a capacity of 45,000, lies 20km outside the city centre, a journey time of approximately 40 minutes by auto-rickshaw. However, the main ticketing system remains still situated at the old venue. A VCA official said it was not possible to have ticketing at both grounds.The BCCI, who declined to comment, are in overall charge of the ticketing policy for the tournament, but the arrangements for each match are at the discretion of the individual state associations. Dharamsala, the other venue that has so far hosted matches, has chosen to sell tickets for the qualifying rounds at the gate.The VCA spokesman added that advertisements for the ticketing policy had been placed in local papers but was unable to explain why the information had not been passed on to the BCCI or ICC, so they could warn fans who were travelling in from other grounds.The atmosphere inside the stadium, which came in for heavy criticism on the opening day of the tournament, was marginally improved for today’s contest, thanks to an influx of some 250 children from nearby schools. However, approximately 100 fans remained locked out of the ground at the start of Zimbabwe’s innings. The venue is too remote to support any local pubs or cafes in which to watch the contest, or to access the ICC’s online ticket-booking service that could have resolved the issue.”We love cricket, which is why we are here even in this heat to watch Scotland take on Zimbabwe,” one group of college students from Nagpur told ESPNcricinfo. “But we can’t book online because of the network and the ticket sales are going on at the other ground. There’s so few people in, why can’t they just let us in. We are even willing to pay at the gate.”One group of Scotland fans, who encountered similar problems during Tuesday’s opening round of fixtures, including Scotland’s defeat against Afghanistan, had been mistakenly informed that they could buy their tickets at their hotel.Privately ICC officials are frustrated that common sense has not been used, especially with the already low turn out for these matches.

Axar Patel took four wickets in five balls, including the first hat-trick of the season, to pave the way for Kings XI Punjab’s -run win against table-toppers Gujarat Lions in Rajkot

The Report by Nikhil Kalro01-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAxar Patel took four wickets in five balls to propel Kings XI Punjab to their second win of the season•AFP

Axar Patel took four wickets in five balls, including the first hat-trick of the season, to pave the way for Kings XI Punjab’s 23-run win against table-toppers Gujarat Lions in Rajkot. Axar’s burst reduced Lions to 57 for 6 in their chase of 155, setting up the side’s second win of the season. Both sides suffered batting collapses but Lions were poorer as they stuttered to their second loss of the season.Kings XI’s defence of 154 got off to an ideal start with the early wickets of Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina, as both batsmen missed straight balls from Mohit Sharma. After a slow Powerplay, Axar was brought on in the seventh over, his second of the innings. Off the third ball, Dwayne Smith muscled a lofted drive and found Gurkeerat Singh at long-off. Two balls later, the left-arm spinner got one to skid through and Dinesh Karthik’s inside edge clattered into leg stump. Dwayne Bravo chopped the first ball he faced onto his stumps and the over ended with Lions at a shaky 39 for 5.Brought back in the 11th over, Axar then got his first ball to dart past Ravindra Jadeja’s outside edge. It seemed like bat had hit pad, but the umpire raised his finger. This was Axar’s first T20 hat-trick, and the 14th of the tournament.Thereafter, Lions were always behind the climbing asking rate. Kings XI’s new captain M Vijay rotated his bowlers continuously. Ishan Kishan and James Faulkner added to Lions’ score but the slide had taken much of the game out of their hands.At the halfway stage, however, it did not seem like Kings XI had enough. Despite a flying start from Vijay and Marcus Stoinis, Kings XI collapsed to 154. Vijay’s sweetly timed drives and flicks off Lions’ seamers, Dhawal Kulkarni and Praveen Kumar, helped the side score 34 off the first four overs. Vijay contributed 31 of those. Stoinis, then, cut loose and Kings XI plundered 59 off the Powerplay, their highest this season.In the seventh over, Stoinis ran past a slider from Jadeja and the wicket sparked another Kings XI collapse. Chinaman bowler Shivil Kaushik’s whippy action forced Kings XI to look for pushes and nudges. Shaun Marsh could not keep one of those flicks down and found midwicket. On a pitch with a bit of grass, Kaushik found no turn, but his quick-arm action caused the ball to skid off the surface. One ball after Marsh was dismissed, Glenn Maxwell missed an attempted a cut off Kaushik and the ball snuck under his bat. Dinesh Karthik belted out an appeal and the umpire raised his finger, much to Maxwell’s bewilderment.Kings XI’s situation worsened when Gurkeerat Singh, one of four changes for Kings XI, was run out after an acrobatic effort from James Faulkner at point. Kings XI stuttered from 65 for 0 in the seventh over to 73 for 4 in the ninth.David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha, though, found the boundary regularly in their 39-run stand for the sixth wicket. They tried to build a platform for a late surge but that did not come as Dwayne Bravo and Praveen Kumar brought out their slower balls to flummox Kings XI’s lower order. Lions conceded one four off the last three overs and picked up five wickets to bowl Kings XI out.