Cricket news round-up – 31 August: India 264/5, Anderson ruled out of Ashes 2019

India put up 264/5 in a hard-fought day’s cricket against West Indies at Sabina Park; James Anderson has been ruled out of the rest of the 2019 Ashes; Bangladesh have left out Mustafizur Rahman for the Test against Ireland; and the Vitality Blast quarterfinal line-ups have been finalised.

India emerge on top on difficult pitch

Asked to bat on a bouncy pitch, India gritted it out through Day One to finish on 264/5. Mayank Agarwal (55) and Virat Kohli (76) were made to battle for their fifties as Kemar Roach and Jason Holder (3/39) made the Indians struggle throughout the day.

India got off to a bright start before they lost KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara in quick succession, the latter to debutant Rahkeem Cornwall. Then Kohli added 69 with Agarwal, 49 with Ajinkya Rahane, and 38 with Hanuma Vihari before perishing. India might have capitulated from 202/5, but Vihari and Rishabh Pant saw them through the rest of the day.

No Anderson for rest of Ashes

England will be without the services of James Anderson for the remainder of the 2019 Ashes. Anderson’s calf injury was monitored closely during a recent match for Lancashire 2nd XI, when he the injury returned. England have recalled Craig Overton of Somerset for the fourth Test at Old Trafford – ironically, Anderson’s home ground. The squad reads:

Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.

No Fizz for Afghanistan Test

Bangladesh have left out Mustafizur Rahman for the upcoming Test against Afghanistan, at Chattogram. Tamim Iqbal has already opted out of the Test for personal reasons. The squad reads:

Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Liton Das (wk), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain.

Vitality quarterfinal line-ups confirmed

Lancashire Lightning will play Essex Eagles at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on September 4; Nottinghamshire Outlaws will host Middlesex at Trent Bridge on September 5; Sussex Sharks will host Worcestershire Rapids at Hove on September 6; and Gloucestershire will host Derbyshire Falcons on September 7.

The highlight of the final day of the league phase was Middlesex’s successful chase of 227/4 against Somerset at Taunton – the highest chase in Vitality Blast history. Eoin Morgan’s 29-ball unbeaten 83 got them home with 3 overs to spare.