Steyn has Pakistan in his sights as he guns for ‘long-awaited’ record
Gibson, Du Plessis to decide whether to play 3 seamers with Olivier
PRETORIA, Dec 24, (RTRS): Firebrand fast bowler Dale Steyn will seek to become South Africa’s greatest wicket-taker in Tests when they take on Pakistan in the first match of a three-game series at Centurion Park in Pretoria on Wednesday. Steyn is level with former all-rounder Shaun Pollock on 421 Test wickets and, having played only six Tests in the last three years due to injury, has been left tantalizingly close to capturing the outright top spot on the list for some time.
Steyn
With injuries to seamers Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi, Steyn is likely to be given the new ball against Australia’s Nathan Lyon (left), and Marcus Harris almost collide while preventing the ball from reaching the boundary during play in the second cricket Test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia on Dec 18. (AP)
“After returning from Australia post the Test series, Rishabh Pant will play for India A in the fivematch one-day series at home against England Lions,” the Indian cricket board said in their statement while announcing the squad.
Karthik was inconsistent and could not convert starts into big scores at the Asia Cup and finished with a total of 146 in six matches, missing the opportunity to secure the number four spot India have been looking to fill ahead of the 50-over World Cup next year.
But Karthik could well have sealed the spot with captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri confirming recently that India’s period of experimenting with their ODI side is over with five months left before the World Cup in England.
After the conclusion of the ongoing four-Test series against Australia, India will play a three-match oneday international series in January.
That will be followed by a fivematch ODI series in New Zealand before India return home for another five-match ODI series against Australia. India’s top players will then be involved in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament before the World Cup begins on May 30 in England.
Manish Pandey, who has also auditioned for the middle-order spots, was also axed from the ODI squad after warming the bench against West Indies.
With the return of frontline seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav found himself