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Backed by a formidable first-innings total and a good start by the fast bowlers, Ramesh Powar ran through Delhi’s batting line-up to pick five wickets and put Mumbai firmly in control on the third day at the Brabourne Stadium

The Bulletin by Nagraj Gollapudi at the Brabourne Stadium05-Jan-2010
ScorecardRamesh Powar turned the match firmly in Mumbai’s favour with his five-wicket haul•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ramesh Powar turned this match in the second session with a spell of 5.3-3-9-5, virtually sealing Mumbai’s entry into their second consecutive Ranji final. His five-for, the first by a Mumbai bowler this season, ended Delhi’s efforts to ensure some parity in the contest and the defending champions ended the day with a 412-run lead.Though Delhi picked up a couple of quick wickets as the shadows lengthened across Brabourne Stadium, the fightback came too late for the visitors, who were never able to gain a foothold in the match. On the first day Abhishek Nayar and Onkar Khanvilkar repaired the early damage and raised a platform for the lower order to push the score to 500; on Monday the Mumbai medium-pacers rattled the visitors’ top order with incisive seam and swing bowling.The onus on Tuesday morning was on the overnight pair of Shikar Dhawan and Rajat Bhatia to ensure Delhi did not lose their grip entirely. But Ajit Agarkar got rid of the dangerous Dhawan immediately, snaring him with a classic fast bowler’s trap. He fired in a shorter delivery that Dhawan duly hooked for two runs. Immediately Agarkar moved the long-leg fielder slightly towards the deep square-leg, selling Dhawan the dummy. The next ball was fuller, pitched on a length, and Dhawan fished at it, but the ball moved away to take a thick outside edge on its way to Vinayak Samant behind the wicket.Bhatia remained unruffled. His strengths have been perseverance and bloody-mindedness – the second characteristic is a Delhi cricketing trait but the first is not. When Agarkar tested him with a short one in the second over of the day, Bhatia immediately turned his hips to hook an effortless boundary, the first of the morning. When Usman Malvi pitched it fuller Bhatia punched a firm straight drive for another four. He brought up his fifty with an on-drive that rolled past the mid-wicket boundary as Malvi pitched full on his legs.At the other end Gaurav Chhabra, who scored a crucial century in the quarterfinals, continued his good run, hitting some textbook drives and adopting an aggressive style to relieve the pressure. Half an hour before lunch Bhatia hoisted Powar over long-off for a huge six as Delhi finally seemed to start their rebuilding phase.Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer continued to deploy two slips and a gully for the fast bowlers in the second session. The plan was to attack the off stump and force the opponent to commit a mistake. But the wicket was on the drier side today and though Agarkar continued to bang it short both Chhabra and Bhatia were watchful. Chhabra smartly came up with a mixture of steers, glides and cuts to beat the Mumbai strategy. In the fifth over after lunch, when Agarkar overcompensated and sprayed it wide of off stump, Chhabra quickly stepped back to cut strongly twice in successive deliveries: the first was a miscue but the ball flew over the slips to the third man boundary but on the second occasion, the ball raced in front of square for four more.In the next over, Bhatia slog-swept left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla over long on for his second six of the day. A glide past Jaffer, who was at second slip, got him into the 80s and the Mumbai captain was probably ruing the easy offering that he spilled Monday evening when Bhatia was on one.But Powar, who had bowled a tight seven-over spell from the Pavilion End switched to the Churchgate End mid-way into the second session and it worked wonders. The pitch was taking decent turn and imparting considerable bounce but Powar, a classical offspinner, was not looking for assistance. Relying on loop and flight, he became increasingly accurate with every ball. Bhatia was tempted to slog-sweep one such loopy delivery but missed the line completely as the ball broke off the pitch and hit off stump.A couple of balls later Powar pitched it on a length and Puneet Bisht stood his ground to defend, but was beaten by the turn and bowled. Powar was on a roll. In his next over he surprised Pradeep Sangwan by the bounce as the helpless batsman top-edged into the hands of Onkar Khanvilkar at forward short-leg. Ishant Sharma charged Powar casually and was stumped while Parvinder Awana top-edged a sweep to Jaffer. An excited Powar started celebrating as though he was in an aerobic class, and was joined by the entire team.This was Powar’s first five-for after a match-winning spell against Hyderbad last year in the league phase. He has missed three games this season with a side strain but has been at his attacking best since his return. Going into the quarterfinals he just had six wickets in five matches but he bounced back with four crucial wickets to quell Haryana’s challenge and today he proved his worth once again.

The opener picked up a quad injury in the field and is unlikely to recover in time for Australia’s next match

Andrew McGlashan01-Mar-20251:23

Agar: Johnson lived up to Starc comparisons

Australia are likely to have to alter their top order for the Champions Trophy semi-final after Matthew Short picked up a quad injury against Afghanistan which is expected to rule him out.Short suffered the injury late in Afghanistan’s innings and though he did open the batting alongside Travis Head, laboured between the wickets and was largely restricted to trying to hit boundaries.He managed to club his way to 20 off 15 balls in what became a useful opening stand of 44 in 4.3 overs before being caught at mid-on but captain Steven Smith admitted time wasn’t on Short’s side.”I think he’ll be struggling,” Smith said at the post-match presentation. “I think we saw tonight he wasn’t moving very well. I think it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover.”Related

• Steven Smith withdraws run-out appeal against Noor Ahmad

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Jake Fraser-McGurk, himself a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, is the spare batter in the squad and would be a like-for-like swap for Short at the top of the order. However, there are other options Australia could consider with allrounder Aaron Hardie a possibility if someone else is moved up to open.”We’ve got a few guys there to come in and we’ll be able to fill a job,” Smith said.Cooper Connolly, the left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, is a travelling reserve and could come into the squad if Short was officially ruled out for the rest of the tournament.Matt Short injured himself in the field•AFP/Getty Images

Short’s absence would also remove a spin-bowling option from the attack. He did an excellent job against Afghanistan with his seven overs costing just 21. However, Australia do have a number of batters who can bowl spin with Head and Marnus Labuschagne, who took two wickets against England, not used on Friday.Australia suffered a number of injuries leading into the tournament with Marsh (back), Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip) and Mitchell Starc (ankle) all missing while Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement.A complicating factor for both the teams who qualify from Group B – South Africa are favourites to join Australia – is that they won’t know whether they are playing the semi-final in Dubai or Lahore until the conclusion of the India-New Zealand game on Sunday night.Group B finishing positions will be known after South Africa play England on Saturday but while India (Dubai) and New Zealand (Lahore) are locked into their venues for the semi-finals their final group position will determine who they face.If South Africa beat England and top the group, Australia will play the winner of New Zealand-India; if England win, Australia will face the loser of that game.Both qualified teams will fly to Dubai early, to give whoever plays the first semi-final an extra day to prepare, but one side will then have to return to Pakistan*. Conditions in Dubai, where India play all their matches, have provided some assistance for the spinners. Australia do have legspinner Tanveer Sangha as another frontline option in their squad.Playing in Lahore would provide more familiar conditions for Australia with two of their group matches having taken place there including the one victory when they chased 352 against England. But there would still be a chance of them needing to travel to Dubai with the final hosted in the UAE should India qualify, otherwise it will be played in Lahore.10.30am GMT: This story was updated after confirmation of travel schedules

The West Indies allrounder had recently won the CPL with Guyana Amazon Warriors

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2023Lucknow Super Giants have traded West Indies allrounder Romario Shepherd to Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.Shepherd had played just one game for Super Giants in IPL 2023, when he didn’t bowl a single over and was dismissed for a duck, against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow.The ten IPL franchises were originally supposed to submit the list of players they are releasing and retaining on November 15, but it is understood that the deadline has been deferred to November 26, a week after the World Cup final in Ahmedabad.Related

• Royals trade Padikkal for Super Giants' Avesh in straight swap

• IPL 2024 auction scheduled for December 19 in Dubai

The IPL player auction will be held on December 19 in Dubai. It is the first time that the auction will be held overseas.Shepherd is a familiar name in the T20 franchise circuit. In September earlier this year, he won the CPL title with Guyana Amazon Warriors, his home franchise in the league. He was also one of Joburg Super Kings’ direct signings ahead of the inaugural SA20 auction.His primary role in white-ball cricket is to hit the deck with the ball and smash sixes lower down the order. He has played 31 T20Is so far and has a batting strike rate of 153.57 and a bowling economy rate of 10.38.

BCB is yet to announce the captain for the third T20I, but it is likely that Litton Das would lead the side

Mohammad Isam01-Aug-2022Nurul Hasan, Bangladesh’s new T20I captain, was ruled out of the remainder of the Zimbabwe tour following a finger injury during his side’s seven-wicket win in the second T20I in Harare on Sunday. Nurul fractured his left index finger while keeping against fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, according to team physio team Muzadded Alpha Sany.The BCB hasn’t announced the captain for the third T20I but it is likely that Litton Das, who led Bangladesh in a solitary T20I last year, will be the stand-in captain.Related

• Zimbabwe riding high after T20 triumph but reinforced Bangladesh a fresh challenge

• Burl, Nyauchi and Evans secure landmark series win for Zimbabwe

• Mosaddek Hossain and Litton Das power Bangladesh to series-levelling win

• Nurul promises 'fearless cricket' and a 'team-first culture'

• Nurul, Bangladesh's new T20I captain, might only be a stop-gap arrangement

“We did an X-ray which revealed a fracture to the index finger. Such injuries take about three weeks to recover from. He is therefore out of Tuesday’s last T20 match and the upcoming ODI series,” Sany said in a video message.The incident took place towards the end of the Zimbabwe innings. Nurul continued as a wicketkeeper but looked to be struggling in pain.Nurul was made captain for the T20I series against Zimbabwe following a change in leadership that saw Mahmudullah, the former captain, being rested from this series. Bangladesh bounced back from a 17-run defeat in the first T20I to win the second game convincingly, and level the series 1-1.Bangladesh will play the third and the final T20I on Tuesday, which will be followed by three ODIs from August, in Harare.

The head coach is confident after Pakistan’s fighting effort in the second ODI even though they lost the match

Umar Farooq06-Apr-2021Pakistan’s fighting performance in the second ODI, even though they lost the match, has given head coach Misbah-ul-Haq the confidence that his team can win the three-match series. If Pakistan manage to do so, Misbah feels, that will be a “remarkable achievement” for the side.Since 2010 and before the ongoing series, Pakistan had a 6-7 win-loss ODI record in South Africa, and in 2013-14 became the *first side from the subcontinent to have won a bilateral ODI series in the country. This time, Pakistan came with a relatively inexperienced squad but managed to keep the series level at 1-1 going into the third match. Now they seem to have the upper hand as five of South Africa’s first-choice players – Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi – have left for the Indian Premier League.”The way we played the first two games, and won the first ODI, the team is confident,” Misbah said in a video released by the PCB ahead of the third ODI. “This team has now started to believe they can win or reach a winning position out of nowhere and the previous game was one big example. I have always said that it’s a young team and for them, every win is important. Now it is a decider in South Africa’s conditions and if we win, it will be a remarkable achievement not only in the series but in another perspective. It’s really important for the sake of team confidence.”Fakhar Zaman’s 155-ball 193 almost took Pakistan over the line during their 342-run chase in the second ODI. In the opening ODI, Babar Azam’s century set up the win that Pakistan secured dramatically, on the final delivery of the match. Misbah urged the under-firing middle order to take inspiration from those two and capitalise on the starts provided by the top order.”If you look at the Wanderers and Centurion pitches, they are purely South Africa conditions,” Misbah said. “They have bounce and pace and if your batsmen from top order score hundreds and dominate the opponent, it surely going to inspire the other players in the team. They all look up to them as an example and it gives them confidence going forward.”In the top order, Babar contributed and then Fakhar in the second ODI did great but moving down in the middle, we need to improve and capitalise on the good start. Looking at the team performance overall, it’s quite good but in certain areas, we need some improvement.”Pakistan bowlers, Misbah said, are putting in good efforts with fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain – troubling the South Africa batsmen with pace and bounce. While Pakistan conceded 341 in the second ODI, Misbah backed them to come strongly in the final match.”If you talk about the first game our bowlers bowled really well. In Centurion, the average total is 300 or plus but we restricted them to 270-odd. In fact, we could have stopped them around 225 but one good partnership changed that. Overall, it was a good effort by our bowlers though in the second ODI we gave away a little more because we didn’t get the early breakthrough. The credit should be given to the other team as well. They played well too but I think two big overs were the difference, which actually dented us. This bowling is fine with a blend of match-winners who have done well and you can’t judge them with just one or bad day. They will come hard in the next game.”*April 7, GMT 0237 The story earlier stated, erroneously, that Pakistan were the only subcontinental team to have won an ODI series in South Africa. India have done so as well, in 2018.

The last two Tests have earned the MCG pitch ratings of ‘average’ and ‘poor’, and the previous Shield game was abandoned

Daniel Brettig18-Dec-2019Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia chief executive, is counselling the MCC (Melbourne Cricket Club) against overreacting to the abandonment of the recent Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Western Australia by preparing a safe, flat surface for the Boxing Day Test match next week.Under pressure from both CA and the MCC to produce a more equitable surface from the same ageing pitches in concrete trays that have helped cause the MCG to be regarded as the most moribund surface in the country, the ground’s curator Matt Page prepared a Shield pitch that retained too much moisture, allowing divots to be created by the ball on day one that made the pitch increasingly erratic as it dried.While the abandonment of the match was a source of considerable embarrassment to the MCC, Roberts said he was eager to ensure that the pitch for the Test match between Australia and New Zealand on December 26 – New Zealand’s first in Melbourne since 1987 – would have plenty of live grass on top to allow the bowlers to gain movement and pace off the surface.”We’re really keen to ensure that the MCC doesn’t overreact to the situation in the last Shield game. The great news was that no players were injured in that situation. We learned a lot from it. And they’re not overreacting,” Roberts said in Melbourne. “And, Matt Page is a master of his craft and we’re really looking forward to him expressing that with his team… So we’re confident that there won’t be an overreaction, and that will see a better balance between bat and ball at the MCG.””The preparation of that specific pitch started around last weekend, and we can expect more grass on that wicket than we’ve seen over the last couple of Boxing Day Tests, and we’re really appreciative of the work that Matt Page the head curator is doing. Also the calmness of Stuart Fox, the CEO of the MCC in this situation, no one’s overreacting to the unfortunate situation a week or two ago.”ALSO READ: Timeline of a troubled MCG pitchPage is working with a square that has been somewhat renovated from the 2017 surface on which Alastair Cook laboured to 244 during the previous Ashes series on Australian soil, after the removal of the concrete slab under the wickets. However, they remain old pitches laid in enclosed concrete trays, distinct from the porous steel tray on pillars used at Adelaide Oval and Perth Stadium, both of which are now considered leading surfaces among Australian grounds.Roberts, speaking at a launch for a scheme under which the car manufacturer Toyota will provide funding for the provision of extra equipment for grass roots women’s competition, said the broader trend for the season had been a positive one, before the pudding was slightly over-egged for the final Shield round before the start of the Big Bash League. “Other than that, the last Shield game, the condition of pitches at the MCG has been on a significant increase over the last period of time since Matt and the team took the concrete base out from under the pitches and replaced it with sand.””The feedback from the curators is that it feels different to roll, the feedback from players is that it feels different and even sounds different to play on. It sounds like proper turf wicket now rather than something that’s more like a concrete deck, so we’re really optimistic about Boxing Day.”

England have named three uncapped players in their squad of 15 for the Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean next month

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2018England have named three uncapped players in their squad of 15 for the Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean next month, as they look to add the 20-over title to the 50-over crown that they won in memorable circumstances on home soil last year.Nottinghamshire’s Kirstie Gordon and Sussex’s Linsey Smith – both left-arm spinners with Loughborough Lightning in the Kia Super League – have been named for the first time, while the 20-year-old batsman and legspinner Sophia Dunkley is also included after impressing this season for Middlesex and Surrey Stars.Smith was a breakthrough player for Southern Vipers when they won the inaugural Kia Super League in 2016, and has continued to star for Loughborough Lightning this year, alongside Gordon, who was regularly in the wickets as they reached this year’s final.

England WWT20 squad

Heather Knight (Berkshire, capt), Tammy Beaumont (Kent), Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire), Sophia Dunkley (Middlesex), Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire), Tash Farrant (Kent), Kirstie Gordon (Nottinghamshire), Jenny Gunn (Warwickshire), Dani Hazell (Yorkshire), Amy Jones (Warwickshire, wk), Nat Sciver (Surrey), Linsey Smith (Sussex), Anya Shrubsole (Somerset), Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire), Danni Wyatt (Sussex)

“It’s always an exciting time when any England squad is announced but especially when there are three newcomers included,” said Mark Robinson, England’s head coach.”Sophia, Kirstie and Linsey have all had outstanding summers domestically and impressed when they have been in and around the group. All three will bring something different to the squad.”Everyone is looking forward to the challenges ahead and we can’t wait to get out there and get started.”England will travel to the Caribbean without the services of Sarah Taylor, their world-class wicketkeeper-batsman, who was withdrawn from consideration last week in the ongoing management of her anxiety condition.Amy Jones has been named as the squad’s first-choice wicketkeeper in Taylor’s absence, and may vye with Lauren Winfield for an opener’s berth alongside Tammy Beaumont and Danielle Wyatt.

The Australia coach will skip the limited-overs tour of India to come up with solutions for the team’s batting wobbles ahead of the Ashes

Adam Collins08-Sep-2017Collapses. Why do they happen? It is a question the Australian leadership leaves Bangladesh with, in urgent need of a solution. By taking time out from the India ODI tour preceding the Ashes, much as he did in 2013, the coach Darren Lehmann has given himself the chance to ponder this question in some detail.In Chittagong, it was a 7 for 79 stumble that should have had a greater influence on the final result than it did. In Dhaka, 6 for 41 was fatal in the final innings, while 4 for 33 and 4 for 42 set up the failure in their first.In the aftermath of the squared series, the captain Steven Smith was not shy in airing his frustrations. Stating that they had again let themselves down, citing 15 collapses in their previous 14 Tests according to their internal team metrics. “That’s not good enough for an Australian cricket team,” he added bluntly, adding they would have to sort it out before the Ashes.Lehmann echoed the sentiment. “It’s happening too often for a young group,” he said. “The first part of the batting collapses was with an older group if you like, and then we changed it around and we’re still having them. It’s seriously not their preparation or how they go about it. It’s more the mental side of the game. We’re working through that with a young group and trying to come up with some solutions.”Inevitably, the personnel involved are coming under selection scrutiny. Glenn Maxwell is an interesting example. He earned a start in each innings in Bangladesh, and after a mini-wobble chasing 86 smashed an unbeaten 25 to finish off the job in Chittagong. Yet it is his position that appears most under threat.”With No. 6 in Australia, it is totally different to Asia,” Lehmann said, hinting to Australia’s preference of picking a seam-bowling allrounder in the slot at home. “We’ll certainly be looking at that position and anyone can jump out of the pack in the three Shield games and what we think the best make-up is for that first Test. Glenn is there at the moment, like everyone else, he’ll have to perform.”Technically, Maxwell wasn’t there in the second Test, shuffled to No. 5 after Usman Khawaja was dropped. But Lehmann all but confirmed Khawaja will be back at first drop for the Ashes, averaging 76 in Australasia since his return to international ranks in November 2015.”I would think Usman would play the first Test, although I’m only one of four selectors,” Lehmann said. “Obviously for the make-up of the side we changed it here, but we think he’s a pretty special player and obviously he’s got a really good record in Australia.”If Maxwell has to sing for his supper in the three Sheffield Shield rounds that lead into the first Test, another such case is wicketkeeper Matthew Wade. He had a stellar game with the gloves after coming excruciatingly close losing his position to part-timer Peter Handscomb. But with the bat he had another failure, trapped leg before for 8 in his one hit.”Wade did a great job behind the sticks this game after the criticism he copped,” Lehmann said. “We obviously want runs from our keeper as well so for him and all the other keepers around the country, the Shield games are going to be important.”Of altogether less concern for the coach is how his bowlers accounted for themselves across the two Tests, bowling out Bangladesh four times for an average of 236 runs an innings. The talisman was Nathan Lyon, who took a staggering 22 wickets – one victim short of Rangana Herath’s all-time record for a two-Test series.”Obviously, after Sri Lanka, he had to change a little bit,” Lehmann said, as one who levelled specific criticism at the spinner last August following that misadventure. “He’s done that and he’s bowled in well each series on the subcontinent since, so I’m really pleased for him.”As for sole-fast bowler Pat Cummins, his pace was crucial to opening up the home side at the time they had a chance to get back into the game in Chittagong, after ending Australia’s first innings in a hurry. “Exciting wasn’t he?” Lehmann said. “I don’t think we’ve done it for however long with one quick. He did a great job. For him, holding up, Steve used him really well in short spells. From our point of view, just pleased he got through.”Which begs the question – where does he fit in come Brisbane, with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson all expected to be fit and ready? In the XI, there is no doubt about that. But do all four get rolled out in an effort to shock and awe the English tourists in a similar fashion to the way Mitchell Johnson did in the corresponding 2013 fixture?It was a topic Lehmann was happy to entertain in March at the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, but is less forthright now, with Lyon having locked in his own spot. “Nathan is going to play there’s no doubt about that,” he confirmed, adding they would look at conditions and assess accordingly.In the event of a more solid middle order, maybe it would be the case that five specialist bowlers could be considered. Or another way of taking that: if a brittle spine is just that, then what is lost by playing to their strengths? Some more questions for Lehmann to ponder away from the Indian spotlight, with all roads now leading to the the Gabba.

The hosts begin a busy period of ODI cricket by welcoming a somewhat battered opposition for a pair of matches in Malahide

The Preview by Alan Gardner15-Jun-2016

Match facts

Thursday, June 16
Start time 10.45 local (0945 GMT)William Porterfield and Angelo Mathews pose with the series trophy•Getty Images

Big picture

Ireland begin what they hope will be a busy period of ODI cricket by welcoming a somewhat battered Sri Lanka across the Irish Sea for a pair of matches in Malahide. The series will provide a useful test of their progress after John Bracewell’s first year in the job of head coach.Although Ireland have theoretically been given a pathway to reaching the 10-team 2019 World Cup, a lack of fixtures means they face an uphill struggle to reach the top eight and secure automatic qualification (West Indies, currently ranked No. 8, are 52 points clear of Ireland in 12th). But the visit of Sri Lanka, ahead of a five-match series against England, will allow Ireland to return their focus to the format that has given them greatest exposure on the world stage after a disappointing World T20.It is only by playing the top sides that Ireland can be expected to progress and these two ODIs will be their first against a Full Member since a one-off game with Australia last August; Pakistan will also visit later in the summer, with a five-match series against fellow Associates Afghanistan in between. This all represents vital competitive game time for Ireland.As they look for a first major victory in Dublin, Ireland might be tempted to view Sri Lanka as wounded prey. Heavily beaten in the Tests against England, they have brought in several new faces (and some not so new) for the ODIs and their first challenge will be in working out a first-choice XI. Since Sri Lanka played five one-dayers against New Zealand in December-January, injuries, withdrawals and a change in selectors mean that only five of the side that played at Mount Maunganui are available here.Sri Lanka have a reputation as hardened Associate-beaters, however, as well as experience of playing Ireland in Dublin, having won with reasonable comfort in 2014. Graham Ford will be hoping a change to white-ball cricket can bring out some of their native belligerence once again.

Form guide

Ireland: WLLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LWLLW

In the spotlight

Boyd Rankin‘s last ODI appearance came in an England shirt, at the end of the ill-fated Ashes tour of 2013-14. His time as an England-qualified Irishman was not the happiest but he remains a classy bowler, reliably effective with his county Warwickshire and set for a first home appearance in green in almost four years. The last time Rankin played at Malahide, he took 4 for 46 – but that was for England against his countrymen.Upul Tharanga has 13 ODI hundreds to his name but has played only nine matches in the last two years (one of which was against Ireland in Dublin). His last significant contribution was even further back in time, an unbeaten 174 against India in 2013 that stands out like a lighthouse amid the rocky returns of the latter half of his career. Recalled after strong domestic form at the age of 31, he will add vital experience to a transitional side.

Team news

Ireland lost Niall O’Brien, due to a calf strain, and Stuart Thompson (personal reasons) from their original squad of 13, while Craig Young was not considered due to injury. Durham seamer Barry McCarthy looks set for a debut, unless Max Sorensen is preferred. John Anderson provides another batting option but played the last of his three ODIs in 2014.Ireland (possible): 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Gary Wilson (wk), 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Stuart Poynter, 7 George Dockrell, 8 Andy McBrine, 9 Barry McCarthy, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 Boyd RankinTillakaratne Dilshan made himself unavailable for the tour but Sri Lanka do have Kusal Perera back after his now-rescinded doping ban. Kusal Mendis could make an ODI debut, with Lahiru Thirimanne struggling for runs – although ODIs are his strongest format. Sri Lanka have several all-round options, including the uncapped (in ODIs) Dasun Shanaka, Danushka Gunathilaka and Farveez Maharoof, whose last international appearance came in 2012.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Lahiru Thirimanne/Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Dasun Shanaka/Danushka Gunathilaka, 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Seekkuge Prasanna, 9 Suraj Randiv, 10 Shaminda Eranga, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

The surface is unlikely to be chock-full of runs, with 250 the par score in recent years and some assistance likely for seam bowling. There has been some rain around but the forecast is reasonably good for Thursday

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka and Ireland have met four times in ODIs, with two wins for Sri Lanka and two abandonments.
• Ireland’s lowest all-out ODI total came against Sri Lanka during the 2007 World Cup, when they were dismissed for 77 in Grenada.

Quotes

“There’s a big opportunity for us to get a series win against one of the top-ranked sides. There’s no reason why we can’t come away from this with a 2-0 win.”