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Allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva has been dropped for Sri Lanka’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe, which begins in Colombo on Friday. Batsman Kusal Perera and fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep will miss the game with injuries, while fast bowlers Vishwa Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera return to the squad.Limited-overs opener Danushka Gunathilaka, meanwhile, made his first entry into a Test squad, thanks largely to his excellent ODI form over the past six weeks. Gunathilaka scored 323 runs at an average of 64.60 to top the run charts in the recent Zimbabwe series, and had also made 76 in Sri Lanka’s Champions Trophy victory over India, at the Oval.Angelo Mathews, who missed Sri Lanka’s previous Test series – against Bangladesh at home in March – due to a hamstring injury that kept him out for several months in the first half of the year, also returned to the squad. Having quit as captain in all formats on Tuesday, Mathews will not be leading in a Test for the first time since 2013. It will be Dinesh Chandimal’s first Test as captain.De Silva’s exclusion is surprising on two fronts. First, he had suggested he was a batsman of substantial promise when he top-scored in Sri Lanka’s triumphant series against Australia last year. Second, he has prospered against Zimbabwe in the recent past, making scores of 25, 64, 127 and 9 in four Test innings against them in October and November last year. De Silva was said to have suffered an ankle injury in the recent past, but is now fully fit and available for selection.Despite Pradeep’s absence, the return of Chameera adds an edge to the seam attack. Between him and Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka have, for the first time in years, two bowlers who can consistently clock 145kph on the speed gun. Suranga Lakmal is the sole experienced hand from among the quicks, with left-armer Vishwa Fernando having only played one Test as well.The spin attack, meanwhile, bore no surprises. Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan made up the frontline contingent. Asela Gunaratne and Danushka Gunathilaka also provide slow-bowling options.Niroshan Dickwella is likeliest to take the gloves, with Chandimal now captaining the side. The one-off Test begins in Khettarama on Friday, and follows Sri Lanka’s 3-2 defeat to Zimbabwe in the ODI series.Squad Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dimuth Karunaratne, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara

Pakistan left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has been suspended for two months after admitting to the PCB’s charge of failing to report a suspect approach. Nawaz’s suspension is effective from May 16, but he can return to cricket after one month provided he fulfills criteria set by the Pakistan board.Nawaz’s player contract with the PCB was suspended, and he was also fined 200,000 Pakistani rupees. Among other conditions set by the PCB are that Nawaz should not be found in further breach of the PCB’s anti-corruption code, and that he should take part in the board’s anti-corruption education programmes.”I have made the mistake of reporting with delay the approach that was made to me,” Nawaz said in a statement after he was punished. “I refused the offer and didn’t do anything ethically wrong.”The anti-corruption proceedings against Nawaz began on May 8, when he was summoned by the PCB for a possible breach of the code. He was issued a demand notice and asked to appear before the board’s Vigilance and Security Department. The PCB said that Nawaz, on May 15, had approached the board and requested for a meeting, and the board had asked him to submit a letter stating his version of events regarding the alleged breach.”Nawaz submitted his written statement admitting the charges levelled against him by PCB and appeared for subsequent meetings with PCB on 16th May 2017 to properly explain his case,” the PCB said.Nawaz was the seventh Pakistan player to come under the PCB’s scanner during the ongoing investigation into corruption that emerged during the second season of the Pakistan Super League in February and March. Six others are either facing charges of corruption, or have been banned, or were questioned by the PCB. Proceedings against Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Nasir Jamshed and Shahzaib Hassan are underway; Mohammad Irfan was suspended for a year; and Zulfiqar Babar was questioned.Nawaz, 23, has played three Tests, nine ODIs and 5 T20Is in the last seven months, and he was in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the tour of the Caribbean, though he didn’t play.

ScorecardMark Pettini plundered Warwickshire’s attack•Getty Images

A record-breaking innings from Mark Pettini helped Leicestershire to a crushing 103-run victory over Warwickshire at Grace Road.Pettini thrashed the highest score by a Leicestershire batsman against a first-class county in the club’s List A history. It was also Leicestershire’s highest score against a first-class county and the second-highest score ever conceded by Warwickshire in List A cricket.Pettini won excellent support from the home-grown pair of Tom Wells, who registered his maiden one-day half-century and finished with career-best bowling figures, and Aadil Ali, who made his second half-century in succession. Both took full advantage of a fine batting surface – the same one used for Sunday’s defeat against Worcestershire in which 680 were scored – and a jaded attack, suggesting they had the ability to carve out successful careers at this level.Sam Hain made a polished 103 in reply. But from the moment Dieter Klein trapped William Porterfield, beaten by a ball that swung from leg to middle and hit him on the boot, and Jonathan Trott, edging one that swung the other way to take his outside edge, in his first spell there was only going to be one winner.Ian Bell drove to cover and though Tim Ambrose helped Hain add 118 for the fourth wicket, when the pair fell within a couple of overs of one another – Hain courtesy of an outrageously good diving catch from Ali – Warwickshire’s reply fell away. They lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 14 runs and their last five in the space of 15 balls. It was their second chastening defeat in two days and means their defence of their title is already hanging by a thread.On paper, this should hardly have been a contest. It featured, after all, last year’s champions against a team who finished eighth in their group. Not only that, but it featured a side containing six players with international experience at the highest level against a side which featured one man who had played international cricket and was missing its two first-choice seamers (Ben Raine and Clint McKay) due to injury.And it’s true, it was hardly a contest. From the moment Leicestershire’s openers plundered 72 from the first seven overs of the game, Warwickshire looked just a little slow, just a little tired, just a little old. In the field, with the ball and with the bat, they failed to match the athleticism of their unheralded rivals. You could easily be forgiven for mistaking which was the team from the Test-hosting ground and which was the unfancied small club with only two List A wins in the whole of 2016.Pettini, fed over-pitched deliveries at the start of his innings, drove gloriously and, when Warwickshire pulled back their length, cut savagely. Able to hit anything of good length over the top and on a surface offering no assistance to the spinners, Warwickshire had no answer.It was, in fairness, the sort of pitch that makes a bowler wish they’d become a plumber, a butcher or a Big Issue seller. But it was noticeable that, while Warwickshire’s medium-paced attack could get nothing out of the surface, Leicestershire’s extra pace asked a few more questions of the batsmen. Gavin Griffiths finished with career-best bowling figures.So while it’s true that Pettini’s timing was beautiful and the pitch was merciless, this was not a performance that many of the Warwickshire bowlers – or fielders – will look back on with any joy. Bereft of the pace to force the batsmen onto the back foot – anything short was dispatched – and reluctant to rely on the yorker with the straight boundaries much shorter than the square ones, they instead relied upon slower deliveries. But when the stock delivery is slow, the effect is diluted. Really, Leicestershire’s batsmen just waited and plundered.It is hardly surprising then that Warwickshire have recently made the first of their 28-day approaches to players coming out of contract at other clubs by the end of the season. Tom Kohler-Cadmore, of Worcestershire, is one target but they require bowlers as well as batsmen. They have the money to recruit, but attracting players to Edgbaston has not, historically, been easy. They have also announced a new partnership with Staffordshire Cricket, hoping to attract their best young players into their development system.As for Leicestershire, they seem to be finding a pleasing mix of youth and experience in their side this season. Whereas last year the balance veered too much towards experience, the new coach, Pierre de Bruyn, has seen the importance of creating opportunities for home-grown youngsters alongside a few experienced pros.Zak Chappell finished wicketless, but he has pace and potential that any club would relish, while the catch taken by Ali to end Hain’s innings was the highlight of the match. Running every bit of 30 yards from mid-on to long-on, somehow keeping his eye on the ball despite the floodlights and the proximity of the boundary, he clung on to an almost impossible, diving chance. If there’s a better catch taken this season, it will be quite some spectacle.It was not a perfect day for Leicestershire. Staging this as a day-night match in response to feedback from potential spectators who suggested they could be attracted to come after work, they were unfortunate to find the evening bitterly cold. Few, if any, of the 450 schoolchildren offered free tickets stayed until for the late ending (it is a school night, after all) and few of working age took advantage of the cheap – or even free – tickets available for the second innings. Leicestershire remains a club fighting for relevance in its community.But if they play like this, if they field a team that represents the community and offers hope to young local players, if they continue to reach out to potential spectators, they have a chance. This was a heartening evening that suggested, for the huge amount of ground they have to make-up, they are heading in the right direction.

Ben Hilfenhaus, the Australia and Tasmania fast bowler, has been signed up by Delhi Daredevils to replace JP Duminy, who withdrew from IPL 2017 owing to personal reasons.Hilfenhaus, who retired from first-class cricket last year, played a key role in Melbourne Stars’ run to the semi-finals in the Big Bash League 2016-17. With 12 scalps from nine games at an economy of just over eight, Hilfenhaus, 34, finished as his team’s second-highest wicket-taker behind Scott Boland.In December last year, Hilfenhaus also picked up career-best figures of 5 for 23 playing for Canterbury against Otago in the Super Smash. Daredevils open their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.Royal Challengers have made a replacement of their own, roping in Kerala wicket-keeper batsman Vishnu Vinod after KL Rahul was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury. Vinod, 23, was the fifth-leading run-getter in the inter-state T20 tournament, where he scored 199 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 164.46. He also smashed 14 sixes, the most by any player, in the tournament.Rising Pune Supergiant, meanwhile, have picked up Tamil Nadu allrounder Washington Sundar to replace R Ashwin, who is recovering from sports hernia. Seventeen-year-old Washington, who was part of the India team that reached the final of the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, made promising first-class and List A debuts in the 2016-17 domestic season. Washington, who was in and out of the Ranji Trophy team this season, was part of the Tamil Nadu team that won the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy. He has scored 85 runs in six List A innings and has taken seven wickets in the eight matches he has bowled in.”I am very happy to be a part of this team,” Sundar told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a great privilege to be sharing the dressing room with some of the legends of the game.”

ScorecardMolly Strano claimed 5 for 10, the best figures by an Australian in a women’s T20 international•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Anna Peterson took the first international hat-trick by a New Zealand women’s bowler in more than 20 years to help her side level the series against Australia 1-1 in Geelong. The Australians seemed well-placed at the change of innings, having been set 102 for victory, but the match turned as the New Zealanders claimed early wickets and then managed to defend a Duckworth-Lewis target of 70 after heavy mid-innings rain.Still, Australia were in the hunt in the late stages and needed 11 runs off the final over, which was the first of the match for the offspinner Peterson. She began by having Jess Jonassen caught skying an attempted slog, followed up with Alyssa Healy, who was also caught trying to clear the field, and completed the hat-trick when Megan Schutt slogged a catch to midwicket. It left Peterson with the remarkable figures of 0.3-0-0-3.It was the sixth hat-trick taken in women’s T20 internationals and the first by a New Zealander; last time a New Zealander claimed an international hat-trick was February 1996, when Emily Drumm achieved the feat in an ODI against Australia in Adelaide. Peterson’s strikes left Australia needing 11 off three balls, which was far too tall a task for tail-enders Amanda-Jade Wellington and Molly Strano.Strano herself had been especially impressive with the ball earlier in the day, collecting three wickets in the final over of New Zealand’s innings – not to mention having a catch dropped off the last ball of that over – to finish with 5 for 10, the best figures by an Australian in a women’s T20 international. New Zealand’s innings had started reasonably, with a 38-run opening stand between Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest.But Strano broke that partnership by having Priest stumped for 20, and regular wickets after that affected New Zealand’s momentum – particularly the loss of Bates for 30, sharply caught and bowled by Wellington. However, Australia’s chase stuttered from the outset, with the loss of Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner and Meg Lanning within the first six overs, before the rain arrived.At the time, Australia needed 67 off 72 with seven wickets in hand; the revised target left them requiring 35 off 30 balls when play resumed. But they struggled to gain any real traction, especially when Alex Blackwell was caught behind swiping at Holly Huddleston for 14, and Elyse Villani was caught off Amy Satterthwaite for 14 in the next over. Peterson did the rest.

Nine consecutive Test match losses in Asia. One series win in India in 48 years. Opponents boasting 19 Tests without defeat, and six consecutive series wins. Few Australian captains have faced a contract as tough as this, but Steven Smith prefers to look at the satisfaction to be derived from what could be one of the most unexpected triumphs in all Test history.Three years and 20 Test matches into his Australian captaincy, Smith has enjoyed numerous highs at home but also the humiliation of a series sweep at the hands of an unfancied Sri Lanka and a ruinous loss down under to South Africa. That last result forced a change in Australia’s selection philosophy, and Smith’s squad arrived in India featuring a notably younger combination than the one so outsmarted by Rangana Herath and company last year.”You probably learn more from losing games than you do from winning, so I guess the last year has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride in regards to results,” Smith said in Mumbai. “I think this team has come a long way. We are learning a lot, we are willing to put in the hard work to try and get the best out of ourselves and the best out of the team. I am happy with where everything is at the moment.”Obviously this is going to be a very difficult tour and I am excited by that challenge. All of the guys are really excited about what’s to come in the next six weeks. It’s a great challenge to play here in India. We know that if we can pull something off and win a series here, we will look back in 10-20 years and it will be some of the best times of our lives.”Australia’s two most recent Asian efforts, in Sri Lanka and also in the UAE against Pakistan in 2014, were characterised by an apparent lack of understanding for the right tempo required to excel in such climes. Smith said that as a captain he needed to show an ability to attack and defend at the right times. Similarly, his batsmen and bowlers had to know the right moments to hold their ground, or alternatively put the pressure on India.”For me, it is about understanding the different times of the games,” Smith said. “I think there are times in the game when you can attack a lot more and times when you need to defend a little bit and just let the game sort of take its course for a little while and try to keep things quite tight. When you get a sniff really go for it.”I think that’s an important aspect of the captaincy here in India. It is about knowing the right periods and timing the periods right – when to sort of take the foot off the pedal and to really go hard as well. I think I learnt a little about that in Sri Lanka. You don’t want people to change their natural games. It is always important to be positive and look to score. I think the moment you just start defending then you are probably in trouble.”You have to have that mindset to look to score, but ultimately your defence is what helps you out when you are in trouble. It is going to be important that our defences are strong against not only the spin bowlers of India, but they have also got some good fast bowlers as well that present a good seam, can swing the new ball and very good reverse as well. Defence is going to be incredibly important for us in this series with the bat.”Steven Smith has said Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon have been working on adapting their bowling to Indian conditions, focusing more on accuracy and maximising natural variation rather than beating batsmen in the air with topspin•Getty Images

While India have lately been an intimidating proposition for any bowling line-up, Smith expressed confidence that in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon – plus other spin options including Ashton Agar and Mitch Swepson – he had a combination capable of taking 20 wickets. All have the benefit of knowledge gained on previous trips to Asia, and Starc’s destructive efforts in Sri Lanka, where he lacked support, have not been forgotten.”I am confident, I think we have got a good mix of bowlers,” Smith said. “Guys that are working hard and learning to adapt to the way you need to bowl in these conditions. I think it is totally different to back home in Australia where you need to get up and over the ball and do guys in the air rather than off the wicket.”It’s important here to make sure you are bowling consistent areas and letting the wicket do the work and getting the natural variation out of the wickets. Guys have worked hard on that and I think we are in for a big series. Hopefully the guys can build enough pressure and get the ball in the right areas enough and hopefully we get the right rewards.”I think reverse-swing is going to be incredibly important in this series as well. Our two big quicks – Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – are very good reverse-swing bowlers. They relish the challenge of playing against the best players in the world, and India have some incredibly good batters. So they are excited by the challenges of playing here as well.”No series between Australia and India seems to pass without some sort of verbal confrontation, and on this front Smith stated he would allow his players to decide what works best for them. There can be little doubt that the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade will have plenty to say, though the approach taken by Smith’s deputy David Warner will intrigue.”I think each of our individuals play the way that they play,” Smith said. “If they want to get into a battle verbally, if that gets the best out of them, then go for it. It’s all about us making sure as individuals we are in the right mindset to go out there and succeed. In the end it’s about us playing on skill and making sure that our skills are in the best place for us to succeed.”Smith’s tourists have one warm-up match against India A in Mumbai from Thursday, before the first Test in Pune.

MS Dhoni has revealed that his reservations with split captaincy were a factor in his decision to give up the role of India’s limited-overs captain. Speaking at his first press conference since stepping down as India’s ODI and T20I captain last week, Dhoni said he had waited for his successor, Virat Kohli, to settle in as Test captain before making the decision.”Right from the start, when I left Test captainship, I knew split captaincy doesn’t work in India, doesn’t work in our set-up,” he said at a press conference in Pune, where the first ODI against England will be played on Sunday. “I was waiting for the right time. I wanted Virat to ease into the Test format. With so many games, I feel he is right there. With this kind of decision, there is no wrong decision in it. It is just the timing. I feel this is the time.”And specially Virat, starting from Champions Trophy, to win the Champions Trophy in England. I felt it was the right time to move on. If I would’ve stayed till the Champions Trophy, nothing much changes.”Kohli had taken over as Test captain from Dhoni in December 2014, after Dhoni retired from the format during India’s tour of Australia in 2014-15.Dhoni explained that the rationale behind quitting Test cricket midway through the tour was to give someone like Wriddhiman Saha, who was being groomed as the second wicketkeeper, greater exposure.”A lot of people were like why did I quit mid-series in Australia, but you have to look at the bigger picture, what is more beneficial,” he said. “One more game into my numbers, it doesn’t make a lot of difference. But, since Saha was there, he gets a chance to play one more game in Australia. And if everything goes well, he will be the person to be going on foreign tours, so he has that exposure. And Virat also has the same kind of exposure.”Dhoni said he would continue to be a de facto vice-captain in Kohli’s team by virtue of being the wicketkeeper. From his position behind the stumps, Dhoni felt he was well-placed to give the new captain counsel whenever required.”I think the wicketkeeper is always a vice-captain of the side irrespective of whether he is announced vice-captain or not,” he said. “One thing is the field setting is usually given to the vice-captain or the wicketkeeper. In this scenario, I will have to keep a close eye as to what the skipper really wants, as to what are his preferential field positions.”I already had this chat with Virat about how he likes his fielders, where he wants them to be. In the sense I have to be more aware of whether he wants a short third [man] fine or he wants it slightly wider because different people have different opinions. If you had a short third or a fine leg, I always preferred it closer to me so that it’s slightly more difficult for the batsman to play a shot to get it through the right side of the field. All of that I have to adapt, but overall I don’t think much changes.”I will be there to give as many suggestions as possible to Virat as and when required. The field positioning is something I have to keep a close eye on. I will have to consult him and tell him because if it is strategically positioned in a particular place I can become a bit of a problem if I start moving around, but it’s not something that’s a big trouble to cope with. It’s just that I will have to keep a close eye, especially in the first few games, maybe a couple of games I can read the field positioning and everything and use it properly.””I already had this chat with Virat about how he likes his fielders, where he wants them to be”•Associated Press

In an insight into his methods as captain, Dhoni said his main job was to extract the best out of his players without unreasonable expectations of them. He said he played both good cop and bad cop when it came to handling players, and spoke of the importance of identifying match-winners and giving them a fair run. Dhoni didn’t take names, but he could well have been referring to players like Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, who weren’t consistent initially but went on to establish themselves as key players in his tenure.”The main job is to make sure that whatever is the potential of the player, he is performing to 100%,” he said. “Usually if you can achieve something between 90 to 110%, you know you’ve done really well.”You can’t really get 150% performance from a player who is 80%. That’s where you have to be very practical, very honest. There are different ways to handle everyone: for some it is a kind word, for some it is a harsh word. For some it may be just an expression with your eyes. At times it may be the false confidence you give the guy because that is what is really needed at that point of time. You have to be clever enough to evaluate as to this is what is needed at that point of time.”If you know the potential of the team, you can definitely make sure that they perform to the potential. You may face a few problems at times, say, you have two or three batsmen who are not performing at the same time [and] that maybe a hindrance. But, more often than not, you look at the bigger picture and say once it comes to the ICC events and the big tournaments and the knock-out stages, who is that person who can really win those big games for you. But, at the end of the day, you can give only a few games to an individual. Maybe two or three or four more games that is provided by the team if they are doing really well. Overall you can’t do much but you still need to have that faith.”Dhoni said he did not have any regrets during his tenure, or in life – “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” – and stated there were several moments, good and bad, which brought a smile to his face. High on the list was how the team handled the period of transition following the retirements of Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag.”When I started there were a lot of senior players in the side and as we progressed there was a time when the senior players had to leave and we had to make sure the transition is smooth,” he said. “The only good thing is over the period – once the seniors left us and the juniors came into the side – it is the same juniors who have started to do well.”We invested in them and over the period they started proving they are the ones who will take the legacy forward when it comes to Indian cricket, so that was a very satisfying thing to see. Overall it was a journey I really enjoyed and it is something that brings a smile on your face whether it is the tough periods or the winning periods. Overall it is the journey that is more important.”

Match facts

December 31, 2016
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)

Big Picture

Neither team will be treating the third and final ODI as a dead rubber. Despite clinching the series with a 67-run win in the second game, New Zealand wouldn’t want to spoil their unbeaten record at home against Bangladesh. By bringing offspinner Jeetan Patel into the squad for the third ODI, they showed they are being far from complacent. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will be desperate to win and end the year in a reasonable mood, given how they were outperformed in the first two games.Patel has taken 129 List-A wickets at 25.29, for Warwickshire and Wellington, since his last ODI in 2009. On the sluggish Nelson pitch, he should be a handful for the Bangladesh left-hand batsmen, who have already struggled against the part-time offspin of Kane Williamson.New Zealand will be without Trent Boult, who took two wickets in the second game, but they would bank on Tim Southee and the rest of the bowlers to bring home a series whitewash. But, given the slower conditions, there will be demands placed on their batsmen, who haven’t fully delivered. Hundreds from Tom Latham and Neil Broom made sure that they didn’t lose their way completely in the first two games, but their runs also papered over the cracks in the batting line-up.Bangladesh meanwhile have to synchronise their batting and bowling efforts, which made contributions separately in the first two games. While the batting sparkled in bits in the first game chasing 342, it completely disintegrated in the second chasing 252. Their bowling did a fine job in the second match, with the captain Mashrafe Mortaza leading the way, bouncing back after conceding 341 in the first.If they can deliver in all three departments in the final game, Bangladesh should threaten New Zealand. If one of these fail again, the home side will comfortably win 3-0.

Form guide

New Zealand WWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLWL
Jeetan Patel played his last ODI in 2009, but has been a force on the county circuit of late•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Mashrafe Mortaza was Bangladesh’s most successful bowler in the second ODI, helping his side bowl out New Zealand for 251. He has lost a lot of pace over the years, but his wrist work on the ball has been his strength. They’ll want more of the same from him in this final ODI of 2016.New Zealand would want Neil Broom to once again play the anchor role, after his unbeaten, maiden hundred in the second game gave them a fighting total. Perhaps, with one more big score, Broom could stake a claim in the T20 side.

Teams news

Jeetan Patel could replace Trent Boult, who is going to be rested for the third ODI. They will still find it difficult to find space for Colin de Grandhomme in the XI, as the likes of James Neesham, Colin Munro and Lockie Ferguson have performed well.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Neil Broom, 5 James Neesham, 6 Colin Munro, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Jeetan Patel, 9 Mitchell Santner, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Lockie FergusonThere may not be changes to the pace bowling line-up for Bangladesh, but given their performance in the first two ODIs, Mehedi Hasan could replace debutant Tanbir Hayder. It might look like a rash decision to drop someone after just one game, but it is a possibility.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Sabbir Rahman, 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Tanbir Hayder, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Subashis Roy, 11 Taskin Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

The Saxton Oval pitches are rather un-New Zealand-like in their nature, offering very little lateral movement for the fast bowlers but aiding spinners with their slowness. We could expect more of the same on Saturday.A few, scattered showers are forecast.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand’s 251 was their lowest score batting first against Bangladesh in ODIs at home – they had made more than 330 on the three other occasions
• Neil Broom’s ODI hundred came seven years and 354 days after his debut, but that still isn’t the longest time taken by a New Zealander to score a maiden ODI ton. The record is held by John Wright, who took nine years and 244 days

Quotes

“It is disappointing to lose after such a good start. Maybe the boys will have a tough time bouncing back from such a situation. But I think we should still take it positively, that we did well in these conditions. The players should think about creating a similar opportunity in the third ODI since we have come here after a long time.”
“A series win is nice. We have had different types of victories. That shows the side can win in different conditions and scenarios.”

South Africa batsman JP Duminy was considering retiring from Test cricket in January, when he was dropped for the New Year’s Test against England, before he was talked out of it by Ashwell Prince, who was a selector at the time. Duminy ended a run of patchy form by scoring 141 in the second innings to give South Africa a 300-plus lead over Australia in the ongoing Perth Test.”When he was dropped in January, he was considering retiring from Test cricket,” Prince told ESPNcricinfo in Perth. “He had the conversation with me because the convener of selectors was not at the Cape Town Test, so I had to go and take him the news that he won’t be playing.”At that time, he was at a real low point and he was being honest and giving his feelings. As a selector, and with him being an important player to South African cricket, you try and convince him to think about it. I’m sure when he thinks back about that conversation this afternoon or this evening, he will know how he was feeling then and with the feeling he is having now, he will be happy that he carried on.”Duminy admitted that at that time he lacked direction, especially in Tests. “There was indifferent feelings. I wasn’t sure where I was going in terms of my career but I am very grateful to get another opportunity.”He had gone 12 innings without a hundred when he was dropped, and in that time he had only passed fifty once. Like his team-mates, he struggled in India and with South African cricket itself on the wane, had several reasons to walk away. “It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was but he was out of form,” Prince said. “With the type of calendar that they have these days, he has got a young baby, a young family, all that might have played a role.”That was when Prince reminded Duminy, who had replaced him in the 2008 Perth Test and made a half-century in a famous victory, of the prestige of the longest format. “I was talking to him as a friend, rather than a selector. I was making him understand how important Test cricket is for a player. You can play hundreds of ODIs and T20 and make millions but when you are done playing, you always think about what you did in the Test-match arena,” Prince said. “You can play fifty ODIs quickly and not remember anything. These type of performances, that’s what the game is all about.”During the conversation, Prince said Duminy told him that he needed “a bit of a break,” and was going to take the New Year’s week off but then he decided to play in a franchise first-class match. He scored a career-best 260. “I don’t know what changed from him wanting a break and then playing in that match but he got 250 straight away and I think the next Test he was back in.”Faf du Plessis was dropped for the next game and Duminy returned but not with much success. He scored 19 and 29 against England at SuperSport Park and it was only when he struck 88 against New Zealand seven months later that it seemed he had found form again. Then, Duminy was able to realign his goals with his performances.”The change came for me just before the West Indies tour,” Duminy said. “I sat down and reassessed my goals. Test cricket has always been a big part of my goal setting and I knew I was at a crossroads in my Test career. I wanted to leave my Test career knowing that I’ve given it my all, and I committed to myself that I was going to give myself the best chance, so that was the difference. It was a personal thing. I didn’t necessarily speak to anyone about it. I just sat down, wrote a few things down, where I want to go, what I still want to achieve.”In that match, played without the injured AB de Villiers, Duminy was moved to No. 4, which is where he has batted in this Perth Test, and the change of position might have led to a change in fortune.”If you are at No. 6, 90% of the time, you are batting with the bowlers so you will always have to try and think how am I going to marshall my way through this innings,” Prince said. “Do I trust them? Are they looking good on the day or are they looking like it’s going to be a matter of time? You are taking everything into consideration, whether it’s spinning, whether they are getting in line behind the ball. Maybe upfront he is a lot more relaxed, he has a lot more time to bat, he doesn’t have to think should I attack more, should I defend more, or how the tail is lining up. He just has to bat.”For Duminy, the move to No. 4 refreshed his approach. “I was pleased with the opportunity. It is something I have always enjoyed in the first-class arena. To be given the nod to go ahead, especially with it being such a crucial position in the South African team, was a big positive for me and I knew I had to step up and fill some big boots. You had Kallis and AB de Villiers batting there before. Today [in Perth] was a step in the right direction.”But more than the change of position, Prince believed it was a mental shift that did the trick for Duminy. “I think its 100% mindset. I think maybe he has thought about and committed to wanting to do more in his Test career,” Prince said. “In the first innings [in Perth] he came out looking to play more positively and maybe once or twice was a little loose, in the second innings he came out positive again but a lot more selective. His shot selection and his stroke play has been sublime.”

Harbhajan to lead Punjab on returnHarbhajan Singh will lead Punjab in the Group A match against Tamil Nadu in Nagpur in his first Ranji Trophy game of the season; the offspinner will be returning to the squad after a long personal break. Harbhajan will take over as captain from Yuvraj Singh, who will miss the matches against Tamil Nadu and Gujarat (starts from November 29) due to his wedding. Punjab are currently fourth in Group A with 16 points. Yuvraj is among the top five run-scorers this season with 672 runs, including a career-best 260 against Baroda, in five matches at an average of 84. “I am [still motivated],” Yuvraj told . “I got a career-best 260 just weeks ago. I’m not through with the game.”Gambhir set to lead DelhiHaving been released from the India squad, Gautam Gambhir is set to lead Delhi in their Ranji Trophy fixture against Rajasthan in Wayanad. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was named the 16th member of the squad, although he is likely to stay with the national team as cover. Shikhar Dhawan, however, is a certain starter in the Delhi XI, having recovered from a thumb injury he sustained in the only Test he played against New Zealand, in Kolkata. Dhawan will be keen to prove his fitness in domestic cricket, in line with national coach Anil Kumble’s policy, and press his case for the hotly-contested opening spots.Mishra boost for HaryanaLegspinner Amit Mishra is set to turn out for Haryana in their Group C fixture against Goa in Ghaziabad after being released from the Test squad. Mishra picked three wickets in the first Test against England and his economy rate was over four runs per over in both innings. He was dropped for the second Test in Vishakhapatnam, and instead his Haryana team-mate Jayant Yadav was handed a debut. The match against Goa will be Mishra’s first Ranji game since February 2015. Haryana are currently placed second, behind Andhra, in Group C with 19 points from six matches.Vinay targets India returnKarnataka captain Vinay Kumar, who went past 400 first-class wickets with a nine-wicket haul in Karnataka’s 393-run win over Rajasthan, has now set his sights on a return to the national side. Vinay has made 41 appearances for India, with the last one in an ODI against Australia in Bangalore three years ago. “I am not going to be satisfied with this [400 first-class wickets] as my main goal is to make a comeback to Indian team,” Vinay told . ” I am feeling much better even though I am 32. Age is just a number. I will keep working on my batting and bowling and try to keep myself fit. I am never going to give up.”Krishna, Mathias included in Karnataka squadSeamers David Mathias and Prasidh Krishna have been called-up to the Karnataka squad for their Group B clash against Orissa in Delhi, with Abhimanyu Mithun still recuperating from injury. Mathias played two Ranji Trophy games last season, while Krishna is yet to make his debut in the tournament. Left-arm spinner Abrar Kazi, meanwhile, replaced J Suchith in a like-for-like swap. Karnataka are currently on top of the Group B table with 29 points.