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Nathan Lyon has revealed he reassured Shaun Marsh about his ability against offspin after his first innings dismissal by R Ashwin, while being bullish about Australia’s chances entering the final day of the Adelaide Test. He declared that Marsh and Travis Head were well placed to be the “heroes” of a 323 chase, requiring 219 to win with six wickets in hand.Following a long run of low scores, Marsh played with the serenity of his best innings on the fourth evening to reach 31 not out by the close, his most promising Test innings in almost a year. He was accompanied by the first-innings top-scorer Head, in conditions that are challenging but not impossible for batsmen.In addition to his discussion with Marsh, Lyon said that the captain Tim Paine had invoked the memories of the great Dubai escape in October in a post-play address to the home side.”We just spoke about Dubai just then,” Lyon said. “We still believe we can win this, and that’s the best thing. We still believe we’re in this game, it’s just about coming out tomorrow, winning the first ball, first over, first hour, just breaking it down, very simple. We need to not complicate things, enjoy ourselves, compete hard and fight our backsides off. It was actually Tim, just saying we’ve had that belief before when our backs have been against the wall, but we’ve got a massive sniff here, I believe anyway, in this Test match.”In my eyes I think Shaun Marsh is a superstar. I’ve bowled to him a lot in [Sheffield] Shield cricket and he’s whacked me all over the ground. I think he’s one of the best batters going around, definitely one of the best batters in Australia. I think Shaun will be pretty relaxed tonight. He’ll hopefully have a good sleep and not overthink things. That’s one of the big things as cricketers, we can overthink things and that can be our downfall. Shaun’s a pretty laidback fella, especially away from cricket.”I was speaking to him before; he’s got the belief he can come out and make a hero of him and Travis tomorrow. He spoke to me about playing offspin and I said ‘Shaun, you’ve just got to back yourself, you’re one of the best batters in the world and you’ve played me enough in the nets, you know how to play offspin’, so I think Shaun’s quite confident, he may not look it, but I guarantee he’s very confident and he has the belief he’s going to be that hero who stands up tomorrow and wins this game of cricket for Australia.”Assessing the pitch prepared by the curator Damian Hough, Lyon argued that it had quickened up slightly over the course of four days, offering better value for shots even if spinners and pace bowlers could still find some assistance. “It’s one of my favourite grounds, full stop, around the world,” Lyon said after finishing the match with 8 for 205. “My connection here on the ground staff before; I was lucky enough to play cricket on it. It’s a great wicket Damian’s produced, stuff in there if you’re good enough with the bat, you can score runs as well so I think it’s a great wicket.”I think the pitch has quickened up a little bit and is doing a lot less for the seamers. It’s definitley spinning and they’ve got a world-class spinner, so it’s going to be a great challenge for our batters out there, with two left-handers, with Ravi spinning away. But the wicket’s good enough for us to really knuckle down tomorrow and have the belief we can score these runs.”As for a curious moment when Aaron Finch was given out caught off bat and glove but did not refer despite replay evidence he had not touched the ball with anything other than pad, Lyon said he had checked on the matter. “I don’t think he was going to get away with it,” he said. “I’ve spoken to the third umpire [Chris Gaffaney] who said it was out or there was inconclusive evidence to overturn the decision. Finchy’s fine, and it’s been a great learning curve for Aaron. He’ll take a lot out of this first Test match at home and he’ll be better for the run.”We are a very young cricket side and we are striving, building and training our backsides off to be the best cricket side we possibly can be. We’re challenging ourselves against the No. 1 Test side, so of course its a massive learning curve. It’s exciting. I’ve been extremely impressed with Marcus Harris and, especially, Travis Head this Test match, they way they’ve gone about things. Yeah Marcus hasn’t got the rewards he’d like, but there’s a chance for Travis Head to come out and make a hero of himself on his home ground. He’s got my full support, everyone knows I’m close with Travis, and I’m a big fan of him, so it’s been a massive learning curve for all of us.”

Big picture

Are India simply too reliant on Virat Kohli? That’s the big question as they head to Wellington for the final ODI of the series. After tumbling to their biggest defeat (in terms of balls remaining) in ODIs, it’s time for Rohit Sharma’s men to prove the defeat was a one-off.

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Readers from the US can watch the fifth ODI between New Zealand and India on ESPN+, by clicking here.

It’s the last time before the World Cup that India will be playing in conditions that roughly simulate what can be expected in England, and for a batting order with a few spots still up for grabs, a solid show against the moving ball will be just what the selectors will want from the likes of Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu.For New Zealand, Trent Boult, who took 5 for 21 in Hamilton, and Colin de Grandhomme gave a reminder of how devastating they can be if they manage to extract swing. To bookend the domination with the moving ball, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls showed glimpses of how India’s wristspinners can be tackled – Yuzvendra Chahal went for 32 off 16 balls – and that may finally give the hosts a slight psychological edge.New Zealand’s plans, however, took a blow on the eve of the ODI, with Martin Guptill tweaking his back at practice. His potential absence could give Colin Munro – who was dropped from the fourth ODI – a golden opportunity to impress coach Gary Stead, who recently said the team management has zeroed in on Nicholls as the short-term opening choice, while Munro remains in their plans.The Westpac Stadium, though, isn’t New Zealand’s favourite ground. They have lost each of their last three ODIs here.

Form guide

New Zealand (last five completed matches, most recent first) WLLLW
India LWWWW

In the spotlight

Khaleel Ahmed and Shubman Gill are two players with an outside chance of earning a ticket to England. India were defending only 93 in Hamilton, but Khaleel’s lengths seemed unsuitable for a surface where bowling full had earned New Zealand such reward.The fourth seam option remains vacant in India’s prospective World Cup squad, and Khaleel will look to end his tour of the Southern Hemisphere – he was expensive and wicketless in Australia too – with a solid spell of left-arm bowling.Kohli’s departure and MS Dhoni’s niggle opened the back door into the ODI line-up for Gill in Hamilton. For 20 balls, he looked the part on debut – fearless and compact – and he would have learned from his caught-and-bowled dismissal to a Boult inswinger. Importantly, with KL Rahul not finding form even in India against England Lions, a half-century or more in Wellington could secure Gill’s place for the ODIs against Australia at home, and keep him in the picture for the reserve opener’s role at the World Cup.It’s time for Kane Williamson to step up against a bowling attack that’s been without Jasprit Bumrah, and could be without Mohammed Shami, for the final ODI. After scoring 64 in the series opener, he hasn’t gone past 28 in the next three games. He’s edged one to the keeper, chopped one onto his stumps, and flicked one right into midwicket’s hands. A concrete contribution from him would be just the impetus New Zealand need for a big total, given their hard-hitting lower middle order.Shubman Gill reacts after being hit on the helmet•Getty Images

Team news

Guptill’s injury means Munro could return after missing one game. New Zealand may be tempted to give Doug Bracewell another shot, in place of James Neesham or Mitchell Santner. Matt Henry and Todd Astle would be favourites to keep their places having played just the one ODI each in the series.New Zealand 1 Henry Nicholls, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Willamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 James Neesham, 8 Doug Bracewell/Mitchell Santner, 9 Todd Astle 10 Matt Henry/Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultIndia have little reason to change their XI, given their goals and motives for the six ODIs that remain before the World Cup. But MS Dhoni is fit to play after missing the third and fourth ODIs with a hamstring injury, so expect a direct swap between him and Karthik, unless India decide to play Rayudu, Dhoni and Karthik at Nos. 3-5.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni, 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Khaleel Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

Sunny, summer conditions and a breezy evening are expected at the Westpac. New Zealand have an average total of 207 at this ground over the last three years, and there could be assistance in the form of swing.

Stats and trivia

• Gill has an average of 104.46 in Youth ODIs.
• If Taylor scores 110, he will become the seventh-fastest batsman to 8000 ODI runs.
• Since Kohli’s debut, India have so far only played eight ODIs without either him or Dhoni in their XI.

Quotes

“The World Cup is going to be a long tournament, nine games to play. So you’re going to get some injuries, players are going to miss out. So it also gave us a reflection as to how players will cope up in their absence. We were found wanting in that sort of a situation in the last game, but again, all these players are quality players.”
“It’s a bit like Groundhog Day from four years ago, having that experience of desperately wanting to make a team for a big tournament and missing out, sort of puts me in good stead for this time around.”

Fawad Ahmed, the 37-year old Victoria legspinner, has called time on his first-class career in a bid to make Australia’s World Cup squad.Fawad, who wasn’t offered a central contract by his state side, has featured in just two Shield games this season, with Victoria preferring left-arm spinner Jon Holland. Fawad will continue to make himself available for the shorter formats, having played a key role in Victoria’s domestic 50-over triumph this season.In all, Fawad has picked up 205 wickets in 62 first-class games, 19 of which were for Abbottabad in Pakistan, where he grew up. “I’m a cricket ’nuffie’ so it was pretty hard for me. I love four-day cricket,” Fawad told “The way I train and the way I love the game – I have spent hours and hours in the nets and enjoyed my time both on the field and off the field.”It was a very tough decision, but that was the (best) available option and that was (what) the future looks like. There is an end for everything. I still love the game – one-day, T20 or four day cricket – but for me the only available option was white-ball cricket so I’m going to continue to play 50-overs and T20.”Fawad played the last of his three ODIs in 2013 but continues to remain on the fringes of selection through strong white-ball performances. Since the start of BBL 2017, he has picked up more wickets than any other legspinner in the competition.He finished the current season for the Sydney Thunder with 13 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 7.02. With the Thunder having crashed out, Fawad will now feature for Quetta Gladiators in the fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League.Fawad hopes his recent form also helps him earn a berth for the ODIs against Pakistan in UAE. “If I get selected against Pakistan, that would be great,” he said. “I’m not expecting anything but if something came up, I’ve been bowling really well for the last few years.”Performance-wise I’m in a good position and fitness-wise I’m pretty good as well. If something like that came up, it’d be nice to play with my teammates again, otherwise I’m very grateful for what I’ve had over the last six-seven years here in Victoria.”Fawad also clarified that the decision to quit long-form cricket was discussed with the Victoria captain-coach duo of Peter Handscomb and Andrew McDonald. “They were all pretty happy for me whatever decision I took,” said Fawad, who featured in Victoria’s three Shield titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017.”This wasn’t ideal for me because I wanted to play cricket, I wouldn’t be able to play any cricket with Victoria if I was staying for the last couple of months of the summer.”The best option was to move on and to get some cricket over there (in the PSL) in the near future. If something happens regarding Australia or anything, that (playing in the PSL) would really help my cause as well because I’ll be in touch with white-ball cricket.”

Joe Root, struck on the helmet, first ball by Stuart Broad. It did not auger well for Yorkshire. It did not feel all that great for Root. But that was the lowest point of the day for England’s Test captain as unbeaten hundreds of considerable resolve by Root and Gary Ballance enabled Yorkshire to secure a draw against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge without further alarm.Nottinghamshire had declared overnight with a lead of 446 and accounted for Yorkshire’s opening pair in the space of 11 overs, but light faded from their challenge as the day progressed and a draw was agreed at five past five with Yorkshire 277 for 2.Most of the attention will rest with Root, who was making one of his rare Championship appearances for Yorkshire and who initially seemed intent on collecting enough injuries to complete a Box Set. An injured finger while fielding on the third evening was followed by a rattled helmet on the fourth morning as he ducked into a bouncer that failed to get up.That entailed an eight-minute delay while Root awaited a helmet and was checked for concussion. Time also to reflect on the nature of a moribund but slightly uneven pitch and how to adjust his technique to combat it. He joked that he was unhappy that Broad did not follow up with a volley of abuse.On one of those two-temperature sunny days in early Spring in which youngsters wear t-shirts and those of greater years still don winter coats and sweaters, Root and Ballance then batted out the rest of the day in a manner that justified the optimism of their coach, Andrew Gale, on the previous evening that a draw was well within their grasp.The closest they came to being split in a stand of 253 in 67 overs was when Ballance misjudged a single into the off side but Jake Ball failed to follow up a good stop by throwing down the stumps. Root also survived a big appeal for 46 for a catch down the leg side as he hooked at Paul Coughlin.A burst of three successive boundaries then took Root past 50, Nottinghamshire’s slips disappeared with an air of resignation, and runs came with growing ease. Nottinghamshire’s deep-set fields by the end even hinted that they half imagined Yorkshire might have a tilt at a ten-an-over run chase. Instead, a draw was agreed upon completion of Ballance’s hundred.On such a placid surface, Nottinghamshire resorted to a regular supply of short balls, something that Root felt was a good lesson for county bowlers so often reliant on seaming pitches. “It’s nice now to see bowlers exploiting a different plan, and to go short. I’m sure we will see a lot more of that if the surfaces stay the same and it will be great for the development of the next generation, and the players who are just below the current England team.Joe Root raises his bat on reaching a century•Getty Images

“You want to set the example and try and use your experience to your advantage, but I think I did ride my luck on occasions. It’s always hard to say it’s one of your best knocks when you’ve not won the game. I took a few painkillers just so it didn’t distract me from what was important but the head feels fine and the hand feels fine. The only thing that was hurting when Broady hit me was my ego.”Root carries a nation’s hopes for the Ashes; Ballance, by contrast, although only 29, has fallen out of favour and appears to have played the last of his 23 Tests – against South Africa on this ground nearly two years ago. Yet in first-class cricket Root and Ballance reach fifty in a higher percentage of innings than any other current English-qualified batsman, better than one in three. And when it comes to the percentage of hundreds, Ballance is unsurpassed.Steven Mullaney had declared Nottinghamshire’s second innings overnight on 329 for 5, leaving Joe Clarke stranded on 97 not out, three runs short of becoming the youngest player to make two hundreds in a match for the county – and on his debut for the county, too. Team needs above all other considerations had been strictly applied and adherence to such a principle should not be lightly dismissed.”It was my decision,” Mullaney said, “but I spoke to Joe and he was the first one to come up to me last night when he wasn’t out and he said whatever is best for the team and if you want to declare. That’s the sort of bloke he is and the sort of team that we want to build.”Ball took both wickets to fall, having Harry Brook caught at third slip for 2 and Adam Lyth played on for 21. Root has one more Championship match for Yorkshire, at the Ageas Bowl; Ballance is around all season and ultimately it will be his form, as much as anyone’s, which will determine Yorkshire’s season.

Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul have met Justice DK Jain, the BCCI ombudsman, as scheduled, and put forward their versions with regard to their controversial comments on a TV chat show earlier this year.The two cricketers had been issued notices, asking them to be present for hearings on April 9 (Pandya) and April 10 (Rahul) in Mumbai.”Both KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya met me and explained themselves,” Justice Jain told ANI. “In due course, I will take a decision.”This is the first issue the BCCI ombudsman, who was appointed by the Supreme Court in February, will adjudicate on and, as he had told ESPNcricinfo last week, he had to hear both players before announcing his decision.Justice Jain had earlier said that there was no deadline given to him by the BCCI to take a final decision. However, both the Indian team management as well the national selectors would want clarity keeping in mind the World Cup, the squad for which will be picked on April 15 with the tournament starting on May 30.Both Pandya and Rahul had been suspended by the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators in January over their offensive remarks on the television show ‘Koffee with Karan’, which was aired on January 9. The two players, who were in Australia at the time, were called back home and suspended two days later. Subsequently, on January 24, the suspension was provisionally lifted pending an inquiry.Both the players are currently engaged in the Indian Premier League, where Pandya’s Mumbai Indians and Rahul’s Kings XI Punjab will face off on Wednesday night at Wankhede Stadium.

Chennai Super Kings lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by one run. MS Dhoni refused three singles in the 19th over.Viewed next to each other, without context, those two facts might suggest that the missed singles cost Super Kings the match. This isn’t true, of course. Dhoni was set, and backed himself to hit the boundaries his team needed when they required 36 off the last two overs. And when it came down to 26 off the last six balls – a final-over task no team has ever pulled off in the IPL – he hit Umesh Yadav’s first five balls for 4, 6, 6, 2, 6, leaving Super Kings on the doorstep of victory.Still, why didn’t he take those singles, especially when the man at the other end, Dwayne Bravo, was eminently capable of the same sort of hitting?Asked this question, Dhoni said the nature of the surface meant it was difficult for a new batsman to the crease – Bravo had only faced three balls at that point – to start middling the big hits straightaway. Given that he himself was batting on 51 at that point, Dhoni felt he was better equipped to handle that task.”I think it was still difficult at the death,” Dhoni told the host broadcaster in his post-match interview. “If you bowl that back of a length it was slightly spongy, it was not really coming on to the bat, which meant the new batsman who would have come, he would have also found it slightly difficult.”Since I have played so many deliveries, I can afford to take that risk, because a lot of runs were needed. I think 10 or 12 deliveries, we needed some close to 40 runs or 36 runs or something like that, which meant a lot of boundaries were needed.”So yes, right now you can calculate, two runs over there, one run over there, and we are through, because we lost by one run, but at the same time what you have to see is what if there were a few dot balls, whether we could have got those extra boundaries or not.”Super Kings’ coach Stephen Fleming backed Dhoni’s decision to farm the strike, adding that he would “never question” Dhoni’s tactics especially when it comes to finishing a game.”I think the reason was Dhoni felt he was best equipped to hit the sixes,” Fleming said after the match. “The way he calculates the last few overs based on his power. He would have looked at it saying “I need four-five sixes” to win the game. And as it panned out, it was pretty close.”He is so calculative that I would never question the last part of an innings with MS Dhoni. Yes, Bravo’s got power but if MS has a feeling that he’s going to win it this way, I’m going to back him every time. He’s done this so many times and look, tonight he got us so close to the game so I’ll never question that.Shardul Thakur is run out•BCCI

Parthiv does a DhoniDhoni’s assault on Umesh left Super Kings needing two runs off the last ball. What would Umesh do? Hope and pray, primarily, but he sent down a slower offcutter, fairly wide of off stump.Looking to steer the ball through point, Dhoni missed, and Parthiv Patel, who had shed his right wicketkeeping glove, picked the ball up and threw down the stumps at the striker’s end to catch Shardul Thakur just short of completing what would have been a match-tying bye.It was a moment of calm amid swirling emotions, reminiscent of MS Dhoni’s glove-in-pocket run-out – though he ran to the stumps instead of throwing, on that occasion – to clinch India’s last-ball win over Bangladesh in the 2016 World T20, at the same ground.Parthiv said he had been conscious even earlier in the over that he might be called upon to effect such a run-out. He also said the line from Umesh – outside off stump – was part of the plan, to make Dhoni hit towards the shorter boundary and reduce his chances of running two.”Last ball I knew there was only one way,” Parthiv said at the post-match presentation. “If he gets beaten there was only one chance, because we were trying for Umesh to bowl outside off stump, and he missed it, and that was our plan, because it was the shorter side of the boundary, that’s where two runs are difficult to take, and he missed it.”And I was warming up from ball number three, that this situation might come, so I gave away my gloves, and luckily it hit the stumps.”RCB players gather around Parthiv Patel after he ran out Shardul Thakur•BCCI

It was the last thing I was expecting – KohliWhat were Virat Kohli’s thoughts before the last ball, and what did he tell the bowler and his fielders? Not very much.”We’ve said a lot of things in the nine games, but if you don’t have confidence when you’re running in with the ball, or when you’re fielding the ball you don’t have the confidence to make a play, then none of those things really matter,” Kohli said.”So in the last couple of games we’ve just told the guys, go out there and do your own thing, take ownership of the decisions that you make, and senior cricketers like AB [de Villiers], like Parthiv, they make good decisions under pressure. I think it was outstanding of Parthiv to have the awareness that it might be down to a run-out as well.”It was the last thing I was expecting, and credit to Umesh as well, coming back off the last ball, these are the things that matter, you know? Having been smoked for five balls, he comes back and he beats MS [Dhoni], who was striking it so well, so these are the things you can take a lot of heart from, because in T20 cricket you are going to be put under the pump, it’s how quickly you bounce back that matters, and tonight was an example of that.”

Big picture

Must we succumb to building this game up beyond the point of hyperbole? Despite the fact that one side so heavily outguns the other in just about every department imaginable? Despite the fact that India and Pakistan have never played a World Cup game that has produced a finish to match the needle? Despite the fact that the game might not even happen, with an unfavourable forecast in Manchester beginning to take a turn for the worse?Yes, we must. There’s no avoiding it, and perhaps no reason to. This contest may not have produced as many high-quality cricket matches as you might expect from a rivalry of this intensity, but, with more eyeballs on this match than the final itself, cricket can ill-afford to turn its nose up to the casual fan base that tunes in to India vs Pakistan. It was the most anticipated game of the tournament when the fixtures were announced – perhaps indeed when the tournament format was announced – with Steve Elworthy revealing that the ICC had had 400,000 applications for tickets, and that they “could have packed out Wembley four times over”.But now to the cricket itself. India might have begun the tournament late, but they haven’t exactly been eased in, with their first three games scheduled against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The third was washed out, but resounding wins in the other two mean they have cemented their position as co-favourites for the title, perhaps even edging ahead of England given the dominance of their displays. They have a pace attack that would be the envy of Pakistan – imagine saying that at any other point in these two countries’ histories – combined with the twin spin threat of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav to keep the middle overs tighter than any other team does. They front up to a Pakistan who haven’t quite figured out their best eleven yet, and will go into this game having to make a decision that potentially leaves them a batsman light.There is no escaping the fact Pakistan are unpredictable, and India will be professional enough to be cognisant of that. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side have lost 12 of their last 13 completed ODIs, but it is notable that the win came last week against England when it really mattered, having been blanked by the same side in a bilateral series last month. The top three all average above 50 – though Fakhar Zaman’s recent form is a mild concern – and while the pace attack isn’t quite the threat they would like it to be, a resurgent Mohammad Amir may look to torment India’s top order once more. Shadab Khan, set to return after being dropped against Australia in a move that didn’t quite work out, is one of the few that matches his Indian counterparts for ability, and the two sides’ last meeting at an ICC tournament in England, which produced the heaviest-ever win in a game between these two teams, is one Pakistan will look to seek inspiration from.For India, the challenge will be to rise above the emotions of a derby game, while Pakistan must try and frame it as such. Stripped bare of emotions, the gulf between the two sides is a gaping chasm. With the balance tipping towards India each time the two sides play – India hammered Pakistan in the recent Asia Cup twice, which is more reflective of the trend than the Champions Trophy final – Virat Kohli’s men will look to approach this as just any other match, because the pressure of viewing it through the prism of history will only play into Pakistan’s hands. But then again, the mental baggage swings the other way, too; Pakistan have never once beaten India in a World Cup match, even in the years they were unquestionably the better of the two sides. Were they to turn all that on its head in a year when it looks less likely than ever before, this World Cup might just find the spark it has so plaintively awaited in its opening fortnight.

Form guide

India WWLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: LWLLL

In the spotlight

Much is made of Rohit Sharma‘s third-ball lbw to Mohammad Amir in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, and his second-ball dismissal to the same bowler in the same fashion in Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in 2016. What isn’t mentioned, however, is that on the other three occasions that the two have met since Amir’s return, Rohit has scores of 91, 52 and 111*. To say he’d be apprehensive about facing Amir is a product borne out of selective memory, but there’s no overstating the importance of that battle. India, who rely on a gun top order, are without Rohit’s usual opener Shikhar Dhawan, making his wicket even more prized for Pakistan. It will matter not a jot to them if Amir takes it or not, but on current form, he looks like the bowler Rohit – and indeed India – should be most wary of. Rohit, however, started off the tournament with 122* and 57, so perhaps it is Pakistan who should feel forewarned.Rohit Sharma curbed his natural instincts to finish the job for India•Getty Images

The most gushing – and at the same time damaging – compliment Pakistan fans can pay to Babar Azam is some sort of favourable comparison with Virat Kohli. The numbers suggest he could be on track to become Pakistan’s greatest batsman ever, but he isn’t nearly in a position where such comparisons are helpful or accurate. India will be well aware that his average against them drops from his career figure of 50.96 to 27.50, and he is yet to cross 50 in four matches. The contest against Australia, where he looked gorgeous for the all-too-short time he was there, will latch itself into YouTube clips for glorious immortality, but a longer, grittier, uglier innings would have won Pakistan the game – the sort of game Kohli would have won for India. Old Trafford is another chance for Babar to show he isn’t just a big player but also one who can rise to the big occasion.

Team news

India’s biggest concern is the unavailability of Shikhar Dhawan owing to a hand injury sustained against Australia. KL Rahul will be promoted to open the batting, with Vijay Shankar looking likeliest to take the middle-order slot vacated as a result.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedhar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahPakistan are wrestling with the balance of their side, and whether to play five specialist bowlers or stick with the extra batsman at seven. There’s uncertainty about the personnel, too, with Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali, both of whom had difficult outings against Australia, potentially in for a demotion. Haris Sohail looks primed to take one of those two places.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 6 Haris Sohail, 7 Shoaib Malik/Asif Ali/Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Hasan Ali 11 Mohammad Amir

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is flat, with almost no sign of green, which should suggest a high-scoring game. However, there is inclement weather predicted for the evening, meaning whoever wins the toss will look to put the opposition in.

Strategy punt

• Bring Kedar Jadhav on early, and give him a long spell. Against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final, India brought him on when starved for wickets, and he struck early, removing Babar Azam in his three-over spell. In the Asia Cup last year, his figures read 9-0-23-3, his career-best figures to date. Mohammad Hafeez gave his wicket away to Aaron Finch loosely in the previous game, and Pakistan are just the sort of team who might get frustrated by the bowler’s unorthodox action and nagging line.
• Open the bowling with Shadab. It worked, don’t fix it. Jason Roy was dismissed in Shadab’s second over, and the ploy will be suited even more with a new opener in India’s ranks. If Amir’s job is to target Rohit Sharma, Shadab plotting against Rahul at the other end with the new ball is likely to disrupt the batsmen’s rhythm, and may bring the early wicket Pakistan crave.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan and India have only ever played one ODI at Old Trafford, the venue of the clash tomorrow. That came in the Super Six stage of the 1999 World Cup, with India winning by 47 runs.
• Jasprit Bumrah’s figures in the Champions Trophy final read 9-0-68-0. They remain his worst ODI figures.
• Shadab Khan is one wicket away from 50 in ODIs, and should he get there tomorrow, will become the fourth Pakistan legspinner to do so.

The umpires made an “error of judgement” in awarding six runs, instead of five, to England for the overthrow that hit Ben Stokes’ bat and ran to the boundary, says Simon Taufel, confirming the story that ESPNcricinfo broke right after the World Cup 2019 final. Currently part of the MCC’s laws sub-committee that makes the rules governing cricket, Taufel told and Sydney Morning Herald that England should have been awarded five runs, not six.”It’s a clear mistake.. it’s an error of judgment,” Taufel said. “They (England) should have been awarded five runs, not six.”The judgment error was the timing of when the fielder threw the ball. The act of the overthrow starts when the fielder releases the ball. That’s the act. It becomes an overthrow from the instant of the throw.”Law 19.8, pertaining to “Overthrow or wilful act of fielder”, says: “If the boundary results from an overthrow or from the wilful act of a fielder, the runs scored shall be any runs for penalties awarded to either side, and the allowance for the boundary, and the runs completed by the batsmen, together with the run in progress if they had already crossed at the instant of the throw or act.”A review of the footage of the incident – which took place off the fourth ball of the last over – shows clearly that, at the moment the ball was released by the New Zealand fielder, Martin Guptill, Stokes and his partner, Adil Rashid, had not yet crossed for their second run.ALSO READ: Should England have got five, and not six, for overthrows?Taufel also said that Stokes and Rashid should have switched ends once the run was found to be incomplete – which meant Rashid would have played the fifth ball with three runs required to win. “They did not cross on their second run, at the instant of the throw. So given that scenario, five runs should have been the correct allocation of runs, and Ben Stokes should have been at the non-striker’s end for the next delivery.”Taufel defended the officials though, saying the moment involved many things happening at the same time. “In the heat of what was going on, they thought there was a good chance the batsmen had crossed at the instant of the throw,” Taufel said.”Obviously TV replays showed otherwise. The difficulty you (umpires) have here is you’ve got to watch batsmen completing runs, then change focus and watch for the ball being picked up, and watch for the release (of the throw),” he said.”You also have to watch where the batsmen are at that exact moment.”The former umpire acknowledged the call “influenced the game”, but said it should not be viewed as costing New Zealand the match – and the tournament.”It’s unfair on England, New Zealand and the umpires involved to say it decided the outcome,” Taufel said.