Ireland secured a five-wicket win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to tie their 3-match One-Day International series with the West Indies 1-1 at Sabina Park on Thursday.
Ireland’s opening pair of William Porterfield and Paul Stirling got off to a strong start reaching 37 off 4.5 overs before Stirling was dismissed for 21 by Akeal Hosein.
Ireland brought up their 50 in the eighth over with Porterfield on 22 and Andy McBrine yet to score.
Roston Chase removed Porterfield with the final ball of the 10th over for 26 to leave the Irish on 60-2.
McBrine and Harry Tector formed a decent partnership and brought Ireland’s score past 100 before McBrine was dismissed by Romario Shepherd to become the third wicket to fall for a well-played 35, in the 20th over, to leave Ireland at 104-3.
Tector (46) and Curtis Campher (11) were the batsmen at the crease when Ireland brought up their 150 in the 29th over.
Tector brought up his sixth ODI 50 and second in the series off 69 balls in the 31st over but in the same over was bowled by Hosein. Curtis Campher was dismissed for 12 to leave the score on 157-4 with Ireland needing 73 more runs to win from 115 balls.
A long rain delay during the 32nd over meant that upon the resumption of the game, Ireland only needed 11 more runs to win off 28 balls after the overs were reduced from 50 to 36 by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Kieron Pollard removed George Dockrell in the 33rd over for five, with the Irish needing just three more runs to win before Gareth Delaney hit the winning runs off Pollard to close the innings at 168-5.
Harry Tector finished 54 not out for the Irish against Akeal Hosein’s 2-51 off eight overs.
Earlier, the West Indies recovered from being 111-7 to be bowled out for 229 in 48 overs thanks to a well-made 50 from Romario Shepherd and an aggressive 46 off 19 balls from Odean Smith against a four-wicket haul from Andy McBrine, who was voted man of the match, and a three-wicket haul from Craig Young.
The third and final ODI will take place on Sunday at 9:15 AM Jamaica time at the same venue.
West Indies Under-19 captain Ackeem Auguste says the team is confident ahead of the start of the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup on Friday.
West Indies U-19s will open their bid to capture their first title since the 2016 edition when they face Australia Under-19s at Providence Stadium in Guyana.
“I think we’re fairly confident. We’ve prepared very well as a unit and did our own personal training so I think going into the game, it’s important that we stick to the basics for as long as possible and just enjoy it,” Auguste said, speaking to the media on Thursday.
The captain also expressed the sentiment that the unity of the squad is good heading into the tournament.
“I think the camaraderie amongst the boys is very good. We’re gelling well as a unit,” he said.
When asked about the plans for the game against Australia on Friday, Auguste again emphasized sticking to the basics as much as possible.
“The plan is to just stick to the basics for as long as possible, encourage each other, pull each other along, and just play the game hard,” he added.
Out-of-favour Windies batsman Shimron Hetmyer has targeted putting together longer spells at the crease, as opposed to a typically stroke-filled but risky approach that has long been his trademark.
The 25-year-old was left out of the ongoing West Indies series against Ireland, after failing a fitness test a few weeks ago. Since then, the player has been working on the issue in his home country Guyana. In the meantime, the batsman has been preparing for the upcoming season of the Regional 4-day competition with the Guyana Harpy Eagles.
Recently, the player spent 300-minutes plus at the crease during the team’s Best of Best 4-Day trial match at Albion last week. According to reports, in addition to the typical stroke play and skill, the player did plenty of running between the wickets for his knock of 149. He is hoping to put together similar performances at the highest level.
“I just got out there and tried to bat as long as I possibly could, and try to help my team to win in whatever way possible. I try to accumulate, and just to be there as long as possible. It is really something I am trying to bring into my game, instead of playing that flashy innings and just batting a couple of balls,” Hetmyer told the Guyana Times.
“I just try to be there as long as possible, and just help my team. Even if we cannot win it, I can try to draw it. That is basically along the lines I am thinking right now,” he added.
Over the last few years, Hetmyer has been known for his exploits in the shorter formats. The batsman has not played Test cricket since 2019 and last appeared in the regional four-day tournament in 2020.
The West Indies have set Ireland 230 to win the second ODI at Sabina Park thanks to crucial late knocks from Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith.
West Indies played the same eleven as the first ODI for the second match, while Ireland made two changes with Paul Stirling and Neil Rock coming in for regular captain Andrew Balbirnie and wicketkeeper/batsman Lorcan Tucker who both returned positive COVID-19 tests on Tuesday.
Ireland won the toss and chose to field and the West Indies opening pair of Shai Hope and Justin Greaves battled difficult conditions on the Sabina Park pitch to still be at the crease in the 10th over before Hope was dismissed by Craig Young for 17 to leave the Windies at 38-1.
After the first powerplay, the West Indies were 39-1 with Greaves not out on eight and Nicholas Pooran yet to score.
Young got his second wicket in the 12th over with a beauty to remove Justin Greaves for 10 to leave the score on 42-2 off 11.2 overs.
The West Indies troubles escalated when Pooran became Young’s third victim in the 14th over, for one, to leave the home team on 43-3 off 13.5 overs.
After 20 overs, the West Indies were 58-3 with Roston Chase (6) and Shamarh Brooks (10) attempting to rebuild the innings.
Chase was next to go for 13 after a brilliant catch by acting captain Paul Stirling off the bowling of Andy McBrine to leave the West Indies on 91-4 after 26 overs.
The West Indies lost their fifth wicket soon after as captain Kieron Pollard was dismissed for one by McBrine to leave the score at 93-5 after 27.1 overs.
Shamarh Brooks (36) and Jason Holder (2) were the batsmen at the crease when the West Indies brought up their hundred in the 30th over, ending that over on 103-5.
Jason Holder became the sixth wicket to fall for three off the bowling of Josh Little in the 31st over to leave the score 104-6.
Brooks followed up his 93 from the first ODI with a well-played 43 before he was dismissed in the 34th over by George Dockrell, to leave the West Indies struggling at 111-7.
Akeal Hosein was the eighth wicket to fall, going caught on the boundary off the bowling of McBrine for 11 to leave the West Indies on 143-8 after 39.4 overs.
Smith came to the crease and hit back-to-back sixes off McBrine to help the West Indies get to 155-8 after 40 overs with Smith on 12 and Shepherd on 22.
A brilliant partnership from Smith (46) and Shepherd (28) allowed West Indies to bring up their 200 in the 44th over.
Smith’s innings came to an end at the start of the 45th over when he was dismissed by Josh Little for 46 off just 19 balls to leave the West Indies 201-9.
Shepherd brought up a wonderful 50 off 40 balls in the 48th over before he was dismissed off the very next ball to end the innings with the West Indies being bowled out for 229 in 48 overs.
Andy McBrine was the pick of the Irish bowlers with 4-36 off his 10 overs and he was well supported by Craig Young who took 3-42 off eight overs.
South Africa put themselves within striking distance of a Test series victory over India despite Rishabh Pant producing a terrific century on day three at Newlands.
Proteas captain Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen combined for a 78-run partnership after tea as South Africa chased 212 to win the Cape Town tussle and take a 2-1 series victory.
India took what may yet be a priceless wicket with what proved to be the final delivery of the day, with Elgar caught down the leg side by Pant off Jasprit Bumrah, a review showing a clear nick.
He fell for 30, with Petersen unbeaten on 48 and South Africa 101-2, needing 111 more runs to get over the line.
There was Test history made earlier in the day as India were bowled out for 198 in their second innings, with Pant making 100 not out – described by India great Sachin Tendulkar on Twitter as "a simply outstanding knock".
All 10 India wickets fell to catches, just as they had in the first innings. That meant for the first time in Tests, a team lost all of their 20 wickets to catches.
India slumped from 152-4 to fall short of 200, but it was not for the lack of trying from Pant, who scored his runs from just 139 balls, with six fours and four sixes.
Temba Bavuma almost caught the wicketkeeper-batsman on 94 when the left-hander struck powerfully down the ground, but the ball squirted through the fielder's grasp and ran to the boundary.
He reached the fourth century of his Test career by tucking away a single to long leg before raising his bat in delight, but India, who began the day at 57-2, failed to back up his efforts. Collectively, Pant's team-mates contributed just 70, with 28 coming from extras.
Skipper Virat Kohli dug in before falling to Lungi Ngidi (3-21) for 29, having faced as many as 143 balls. Kagiso Rabada took 3-53 in another impressive effort from the Proteas in the field.
Jansen impresses again
Marco Jansen, South Africa's 6ft 9in paceman, took 4-36 in just his third Test appearance. Since making his debut in the opening match of this series, Jansen has taken 19 Test wickets at an average of 16.47. His pace and bounce has at times been too much for India, who are perhaps the first of many Test teams who will suffer against his menace.
History repeating for Proteas?
Cheteshwar Pujara fell to just the second delivery of the morning, with Petersen producing an outstanding catch on the leap at leg slip. Now the safe hands of Petersen can guide South Africa towards victory with the bat. Only on three previous occasions have teams won by posting a score of at least 200 in the fourth innings at Newlands. One of those was in 2007, when South Africa beat India by five wickets to clinch a 2-1 series win.
West Indies Under-19s suffered a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of South Africa Under-19s in their final ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup Warm-up fixture in Guyana on Wednesday.
South Africa Under-19s won the toss and elected to field first, which proved to be a good move as they were able to restrict West Indies Under-19s to 189 all out in 43.2 overs.
Captain Ackeem Auguste with 52 and wicketkeeper/batsman Carlon Bowen-Tuckett with 45 were the chief scorers for the Windies against 3-36 off four overs from Matthew Boast and 2-14 off five overs from Michael Copeland.
The South Africans then only needed 35.3 overs to reach their target, finishing 191-7 thanks to half-centuries from captain George Van Heerden (61) and Dewald Brevis (50) as well as 36 from Ethan-John Cunningham.
McKenny Clarke took 3-34 off five overs and Anderson Mahase took 2-31 off eight overs for the Windies.
West Indies will open their World Cup campaign against Australia Under-19s at Providence Stadium on Friday, January 14, while South Africa Under-19s will play their opener against India Under-19s at the same venue one day later.
Joe Root has backed Chris Silverwood to stay on as head coach despite England's disappointing Ashes campaign
Silverwood's position, which he has held since being promoted from bowling coach in October 2019, is under growing pressure with England 3-0 down to Australia.
The 46-year-old presided over the Test defeats in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne before missing last week's drawn fourth Test in Sydney because of COVID-19.
He is now back with the squad for the start of Friday's final Test in Hobart and Root is hopeful it will not be Silverwood's last at the helm.
Asked if he would like to see Silverwood remain in charge, Root said: "Yes, I would.
"It was a difficult week for the group of players with him not being around and it must have been very difficult for him.
"But I think the performances we put in during the first three games, I feel we've let him and the coaches down to a degree.
"We've not played anywhere near the level we're capable of. It's a chance to do that this week."
England have a three-Test series with West Indies to come after the Ashes and then host New Zealand, India and South Africa later in the year.
They suffered nine Test defeats in a logistically challenging 2021 that forced Silverwood to shuffle his resources due to COVID bubbles and player withdrawals.
And Root praised Silverwood for the manner in which he has gone about his business over the past 18 months or so.
"I think he's very calm, he has the respect of the guys and he's got a desperation to see everyone do well or up-skill the players as best he can," Root said.
"He's had a very difficult time of it with the environments we've been living in, trying to manage winning matches with bubble environments away from home, and multi-format players trying to prepare for an Ashes and a World Cup. It's very difficult.
"For a long time we've not been able to put our best teams out because we've been constantly trying to make sure from a mental wellbeing point of view everyone is looked after properly, because of the schedule we've dealt with over two years."
Legendary West Indies captain Clive Lloyd was knighted by the British Royal Federation, on Wednesday, after the ceremony was previously postponed due to Covid-19.
Lloyd the former two-time World Cup-winning captain was honoured with a CBEs (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to the sport of cricket.
The Guyana-born batsman played for the English County cricket club of Lancashire between 1968 until 1986. During that time the team won two One-Day League titles in 1969 and 1970 and four Friends Provident Trophy titles between 1970 and 1975.
Lloyd captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and is one of the most successful Test captains in the sport’s history. During his captaincy, the team had a run of 27 matches without defeat, which included 11 wins in a row. Lloyd was also named Wisden’s Cricketer of the Year in 1979.
After retiring from the sport, Lloyd went on to manage the West Indies in the late 1990s and also served as a member of the team's panel of selectors. For his exploits, Lloyd was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Australia hold a perfect Ashes day-night record and England will have to put up another huge fight to prevent them from ending the series with a win in the historic Test in Hobart.
The tourists avoided a whitewash when they batted out a draw on a tense final day at the Sydney Cricket Ground last week, James Anderson and Stuart Broad preventing Australia from taking the one wicket they needed to go 4-0 up.
They will start a first-ever Ashes Test in Hobart on Friday with Pat Cummins' side strong favourites to make it three Test wins out of three over England under the lights.
The series finale was due to be staged in Perth, but was moved due to Western Australia's border restrictions.
England have not won a Test in Australia since they came out on top at the SCG 11 years ago and they have never looked like ending that drought during this one-sided series.
Blundstone Arena has been a happy hunting ground for Australia, the hosts nine out of 13 Tests in Hobart – that 69 per cent win rate being their best at any home ground where they face played more than twice in the longest format.
A draw stopped the rot for the tourists, but they are winless in seven away Tests. It is their longest run without a victory on their travels since a 13-match barren spell from October 2016 to March 2018.
Both sides face selection dilemmas for what Australia hope will be their 150th Test victory over their fierce rivals. Their next best winning record is against West Indies (58 victories).
England, meanwhile, will simply be hoping for a win to at least take some positives from what has been a miserable tour. However, in both day-night meetings between these sides to dates, Australia have triumphed by 120 runs (in December 2017 and December 2021).
Head return leaves Harris vulnerable
Usman Khawaja could not have wished to make a bigger impact after getting the nod at the SCG, scoring a century in both innings of his first Test since August 2019.
Khawaja became the first player to plunder a ton in each innings of an SCG Test since former Australia captain Ricky Ponting
The experienced left-hander replaced Travis Head, who missed out after testing positive for coronavirus.
Head is fit for the fifth Test and averages 62 in the series, so he is set to come back into the side. Khawaja believed he was unlikely to retain his place despite his brilliance in Sydney, though there is a possibility the 35-year-old could find himself opening, with Marcus Harris potentially making way.
Josh Hazlewood is still unavailable due to a side injury, while Mitchell Starc says he does not need a rest and that is no surprise given his outstanding record in day-night Tests.
Billings set for Test bow
Sam Billings is poised to make his Test debut for England after Jos Buttler flew home with a broken finger.
Billings drove over 500 miles to answer an England SOS call, having been in Queensland playing for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
Ben Stokes (side) and Jonny Bairstow (thumb) batted through the pain barrier in Sydney and will be checked on, with the vice-captain possibly playing only as a batter.
Rory Burns could be recalled in place of a struggling Haseeb Hameed, while Ollie Robinson will be hoping to come back into the team and head coach Chris Silverwood is back with the touring party after missing the fourth Test due to coronavirus.
Captain Joe Root (23) is one away from recording the outright second most hundreds for England in men's Tests, while he has scored 847 runs in the red-ball format in Australia – the second-most by any non-Australian player without having scored a century in the country.
Broad, meanwhile, is only four wickets shy of becoming England's second all-time leading wicket taker against Australia in men's Tests. The paceman is on 125 as it stands, three behind the late Bob Willis (128), with Ian Botham the record holder with 148.
Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball as India ended day two of the third Test against South Africa with a somewhat surprising lead.
In the series decider, the hosts were thrilled with their efforts to reduce the tourists to 223 all-out in their first innings, but could manage only 210 themselves thanks in large parts to the expert bowling of Bumrah.
South Africa began on 17-1 and Bumrah soon had his first wicket of the day and second of the innings as he bowled Aiden Markram for just eight.
Keshav Maharaj (25) was bowled by Umesh Yadav to leave the Proteas 45-3, only partnerships between Keegan Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen, and then Petersen and Temba Bavuma, to give the hosts a good chance of eventually establishing a lead themselves.
Things looked to be going against India when Virat Kohli dropped Bavuma on 17, but he atoned to with a catch off Mohammed Shami's bowling.
Shami forced an edge from Kyle Verreynne (0) just two balls later to reduce South Africa to 159-6, before Bumrah took centre stage again as he bowled Marco Jansen (seven) with the last ball before tea and removed Petersen, who managed an impressive knock of 72, shortly after the start of the third session.
Shardul Thakur saw off Kagiso Rabada (15), before Bumrah closed the innings by dismissing Lungi Ngidi (3) to clinch his five-for.
With India starting their second innings with a 13-run lead, South Africa responded well – openers KL Rahul (10) and Mayank Agarwal (seven) both gone in the first six overs – though Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli steadied the ship in the closing stages to finish the day on 57-2, 70 ahead.
Bumrah the man of the moment
Bumrah had bowled an excellent spell at the end of day one, managing 23 dot balls and taking the wicket of Dean Elgar in a short session before stumps and he started day two in similar fashion.
His figures of 5-42 from 23.3 overs put his team in a much stronger position than they likely would have expected and could prove decisive in this winner-takes-all Test.
Petersen the lone resistance
In just his eighth Tests innings, Petersen hit his highest score to date, which was made all the more impressive considering the quality of bowling he was up against and the regularity with which his team-mates were being sent back into the pavilion.
Kohli's 79 in India's first innings is the only other half century achieved in the match so far, and Petersen's came with a better strike rate (43.37 compared to 39.30).
Joe Root plans to give Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow as much time as possible to be fit for a fifth and final Ashes Test in which he challenged England to show "fight" and "desire" from "ball one".
Star all-rounder Stokes has already confirmed in his column for The Mirror that he will not be able to bowl in the day-night Test in Hobart having suffered a "low grade tear" in his side during the gritty draw in Sydney that ensured Australia cannot secure a 5-0 series whitewash.
Jonny Bairstow scored a gutsy first-innings century in that match but was forced to play through the pain barrier after receiving a hefty blow on the thumb from Pat Cummins, an injury that meant he could not regain the gloves from Jos Buttler, who has travelled home with a broken thumb, in the second innings.
Captain Root said both men will be assessed over the next couple of days before a decision is made.
"We've got to just see where they're at over the next couple of days, see what their bodies can handle and then assess from there," Root told a news conference on Wednesday.
"Certainly you can pick Ben as a bat, Jonny too. We have to see where they are at, what their bodies can handle.
"You have to trust the medical advice. Those guys work tirelessly to make sure we are in the best possible position to go and win games and sometimes that is making some difficult calls.
"I think they need to make sure they feel like they're physically in a place where they can get through five days of hard cricket, whatever Australia throw at them, and they're in a position where they can go out and play and firstly, get through the game, but also, most importantly put in a performance as they managed to last week as well.
"It's alright being fit to play but you've got to be fit to perform and I think that's what we've got to work out."
Stokes made two half centuries in Sydney, while Bairstow made a hard-earned 41 in the second to add to his century with both men proving crucial as England bravely fought for a draw after being heavily beaten in each of the first three Tests.
England were still largely outplayed by the hosts and had to dig deep to avoid defeat. Root wants to see the same kind of guts throughout the duration of the contest in Hobart.
"On the back of three very difficult games where we underperformed, to come back and get something from the last game showed a great amount of character," he added.
"There was an element of relief managing to get through those last few overs but the desire, the fight and the pride that everyone showed on that last day is something we have to harness.
"We have to play like that more frequently through the five days, not just on the last day when everything is on the line, but from ball one. We've proved to ourselves that we can do it, now can we take it a step further?
"Can we make sure we do it in a winning cause rather than just trying to save a Test match? We have something to build on – that’s what we have to take from the last game and into this one."
Mitchell Starc is not putting his hand up for a rest ahead of the day-night fifth Ashes Test despite being Australia's only fast bowler to play all four matches this series.
Australia and England will resume hostilities in the final Ashes Test starting on Friday in Hobart with the hosts 3-0 up after the Sydney Test ended as a draw on Sunday.
Starc has impressed during this series with 15 wickets from four matches, behind only spinner Nathan Lyon (16), at an average of 26.6. He has also been commendable with the bat, contributing 151 runs at 75.5.
Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser are in contention after unluckily losing their spots following good displays in the second Test in Adelaide while Scott Boland is likely to be available despite hurting his ribs in Sydney, but Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out due to his ongoing side injury.
Left-armer Starc has bowled the most overs of any quick in the series, clocking up 134.1 overs but brushed aside speculation of a rest.
"It's purely up to the selectors. I'm not looking for a break," Starc told reporters on Wednesday.
"It's the last Test match of an Ashes series at home. It's the pink ball too. I'd very much like to play.
"It's in the hands of the selectors. I won't be asking for a rest."
Starc's ability to swing the pink ball makes him an enticing prospect for the day-night Test, which will be the first ever played in Hobart.
The 31-year-old paceman took 37-4 and 43-2 across both innings with the pink ball in the day-night Adelaide Test last month.
"I think we saw in Adelaide the pink ball didn’t swing anywhere near as much as we've seen in the past," Starc said.
"It's likely going to be very different in Hobart. I've not played with a pink ball here. We'll have to have a look at the wicket and see what that's like. There's a number of factors [on selection].
"We'll be trying to carry on the plan of attack that we had in Adelaide and hopefully that's a positive result for us here this week."
Antigua and Barbuda minister of sport, Daryll Matthew, insists the country’s preparations to host matches for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup remains on track, despite concerns being raised in recent weeks.
The matches for the tournament will be played in Antigua, Guyana, Saint Kitts, and Trinidad. Antigua has been earmarked to host the Super League quarter-finals, semi-finals the finals, in addition to the 3rd, 5th, and 7th place playoffs.
The main venues that will be used are the Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium but there have been questions asked about the state of some of the practice grounds with the tournament set to bowl off on January 14.
Two of the venues of concern are the Liberta Sports Club and the Police Recreation Ground. At Liberta, issues were recently brought to the fore regarding the reconstruction of a section of the facility’s fencing and work for the bathrooms.
Matthew insists there is no need to worry, however, as the government fully intends to honour its commitment.
“I just want to assure the public of Antigua and Barbuda that all of the venues will be ready. We’re almost there in terms of our readiness to host what is probably the largest international cricket event on our shores and the nation will be proud,” Matthew told the Antigua Observer.
“The major area of work that needs to be done [in Liberta] is one part of the fencing and so you can be assured that those things will be completed because it is part of our hosting requirement and so we do not have the option to not do it,” he added.
The ICC Under-19 World Cup will take place between 14 January – 5 February.
“We’re actually hosting the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the finals for the Under-19 World Cup, and immediately following that we will be hosting the Test series with England, the Richards-Botham series and so we will be hosting a four-day warm-up match and then go right into the first Test so for the next eight to 10 weeks we should be having a substantial amount of cricket here in Antigua and Barbuda.”
West Indies all-rounder Keemo Paul has his heart set on a return to international cricket after closing in on peak physical condition.
Despite being one of the region’s top prospects, the 23-year-old has not played for the West Indies since 2020. Paul opted out of the team’s tour of England in 2020 but appeared against New Zealand in T20 internationals at the end of that same year. He has not been seen on the international stage since.
The player has, however, in the meantime taken part in a few T20 leagues and with the regional 4-day tournament looming on the horizon, Paul will be looking to make a statement. According to reports, the player recently turned in excellent scores in a fitness test conducted in Guyana recently.
“I am feeling excellent, I think I needed this to get back out there and bowl a few overs to get the feel of four-day cricket. My body is responding really well and for me personally, I am feeling really happy with where I am right now. I bowled a few overs on the trot, I was not feeling tired, I just wanted to put a few balls in the right area and it’s coming out really nice and I am happy with that,” Paul recently told the Guyana Times.
“I was in the Sri Lankan Premier League, it was not the best of tournaments for me, but it is always a learning experience for me; you go to these different leagues in the different continents and you play on different pitches, you gain a lot of experience so that was a major learning curve for me,” he added.
“My body is starting to feel like where it was when I first started playing. I am in the gym and I am trying not to worry about injuries. I just want to try and enjoy my cricket as best as I can. I want to represent my country and hopefully, back to the West Indies team sometime soon.”
In the 2018-2019 season, his last full season in the four-day competition Paul claimed 42 wickets in 10 matches, while scoring 260 runs.
Kagiso Rabada and Virat Kohli enjoyed a thrilling personal tussle as South Africa got the better of India on day one of the final Test in their three-match series.
It is winner takes all in the series decider, and India put themselves in after winning the toss for the third straight time. However, in overcast conditions in Cape Town, South Africa's quicks thrived as the tourists were bowled out for 223.
Making his 50th Test appearance, Rabada (4-73) led their attack brilliantly, dismissing Mayank Agarwal (15), Ajinkya Rahane (9) and Jasprit Bumrah (0) before he finally came out on top in his battle with India's captain.
Playing his 99th Test, Kohli was the only India batsman to score above 50 as he showed his class with a patiently crafted 79, with support from Cheteshwar Pujara (43) and Rishabh Pant (27), both of whom fell to Marco Jansen, who finished with 3-55.
Kohli changed tack after Pant's dismissal, getting on the front foot to propel India over 200, though Rabada got his man when India's skipper – who had survived a South Africa review earlier in the innings – pushed at a ball outside off stump.
Lungi Ngidi got a deserved wicket to finish off India's innings, giving the hosts chance to take to the crease in the final session, with the cloud cover having made way for sunshine.
Proteas captain Deal Elgar was drawn into an edge by Jasprit Bumrah (1-0), giving India a boost, but Keshav Maharaj (6) and Aiden Markram (8) guided South Africa to 17-1 at stumps.
Restrained Kohli goes up against rampant Rabada
Kohli came out in the 13th over with his side at 33-2, and provided just the tonic to South Africa's rapid start, leaving 65 of the first 100 deliveries that were outside his off stump.
Over the last five years of Test matches, just four batters have shown more restraint and patience, while his contest with Rabada was fascinating, particularly between the 47th and 49th overs, when Kohli was beaten twice and edged just short of second slip.
Rabada came up with the goods in a final session that saw six India wickets fall, though Kohli's stand could just have kept India in this Test after a dreadful start. It is just a shame no fans could be at Newlands to witness it.
Brilliant Bumrah hits back
South Africa had to face eight overs in the final half-hour of play, and four of those came from the quite sensational Bumrah, who bowled 23 dot balls and took the wicket of Elgar to boot.
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