Cricket news round-up – 30 August: Hardik in, Bhuvneshwar out, but where’s Dhoni?

Cricket news round-up – 30 August: Hardik in, Bhuvneshwar out, but where’s Dhoni?

Hardik Pandya India

MS Dhoni’s future remained up in the clouds after India’s latest squad, for the T20Is against South Africa, were announced on Thursday, August 29. Elsewhere, Ambati Rayudu did a dramatic U-turn on his “emotional” decision to retire, and Jofra Archer and Steve Smith set up the fourth Ashes Test nicely.

Hardik in, Bhuvneshwar out for South Africa T20Is

Hardik Pandya was called up to India’s T20I side to face South Africa on Thursday, 29 August, replacing Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 15-member squad.

Hardik was rested for the ongoing series in the Caribbean, with his workload being a matter of concern for the management and the selectors. With Jasprit Bumrah also rested, India’s pace attack will comprise of Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed.

There was also no sign of MS Dhoni in the squad, with his availability for selection still a matter of ambiguity.

Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini

Rayudu does U-turn on retirement

Ambati Rayudu, who announced his retirement from all formats of the game after missing out on the World Cup, has reversed his decision, according to reports.

The Hindu reported that 33-year-old Rayudu wrote a letter to the Hyderabad Cricket Association, expressing his desire to resume playing all formats of the game, and he is set to take his place in the side for Hyderabad’s domestic season.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Chennai Super Kings, VVS Laxman and Noel David, who have been very supportive during the tough time and are instrumental in making me realise that I have enough cricket left in me,” Rayudu wrote in the email.

Archer hits back at Smith

Australia’s best batsman and England’s most potent bowler was involved in something of a war of words, setting up the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford quite nicely.

Steven Smith was at pains the other day to dismiss talk of Archer having the better of him – the paceman’s bouncer felled Smith, and he was subsequently ruled out of the third Test with concussion – pointing out that Archer hadn’t actually dismissed him.

However, Archer has responded to that, saying, “Well, I can’t get him out if he wasn’t there.”

He went on. “I’m not saying I won’t get him out, but if we don’t get him out there’s 10 other people we can get out and if he’s stranded on 40, that’s not helping his team too much. He can’t do it all himself. We want to win the game. I’m not here to get caught up in a contest with one man. I want to win the Ashes.”

T20 Blast round-up

Ravi Bopara hammered a 35-ball 70 as Essex beat Surrey by 19 runs in their clash at The Oval, despite Jack Clarke hammering a 32-ball 60 for the home side.

Yorkshire, powered by half-centuries from Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Adam Lyth, and a four-wicket haul from David Willey, beat Northamptonshire by 80 runs.

AB de Villiers scored a 34-ball 52*, but that wasn’t enough to prevent Middlesex from crashing to a 8-wicket defeat to Hampshire, who were set up half-centuries from James Vince and Aneurin Donald.

Michael Klinger scored a 65-ball 102 as Gloucestershire posted 180/3 and held off Kent, for whom Faf du Plessis and Sam Billings scored half-centuries, by 5 runs.