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Parthiv Patel will join India’s squad at the Asia Cup as a back-up for their captain MS Dhoni. According to a BCCI release, Dhoni suffered a muscle spasm in his back during a training session in Dhaka on Monday. Parthiv, the 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, last played for India during the ODI triangular series in Australia in February 2012.Parthiv has featured in just two T20Is, both in 2011, but has been in decent touch in domestic cricket; he was Gujarat’s second-highest run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 295 runs, including a century and a fifty, which helped the team clinch the title. He also stroked a century in the Deodhar Trophy last month, against India A in Kanpur.

ScorecardScotland’s captain Preston Mommsen saw his side cruise home•AFP

A week which was supposed to help dust off the cobwebs has proceeded to serve as an alarming wake-up call for Ireland. If John Bracewell, the new head coach, wasn’t fully aware of the size of the task that lies ahead, then successive defeats to Scotland will have highlighted the challenge he faces.For the second time in three days, Ireland were emphatically dispatched by their Associate adversaries in a fashion which has raised serious question marks over the capacity of many of Bracewell’s squad to cut it at this level; there may have been some part of the New Zealander that had wished today’s Twenty20 international had not been so hastily arranged after Friday’s washout.It was a perfect summer’s day at Bready but it would have been bleak viewing for many of those in attendance. Without the spine of the side, there has been an element of trial and error this week for the hosts but not even the return of George Dockrell, who took three wickets, or Andrew Balbirnie’s 31 could conceal the chinks in the armour.Once again, a limited, and mediocre, attack was picked apart by Matthew Cross, who along with Preston Mommsen, provided the backbone of Scotland’s pursuit of 167. Only Dockrell, who has endured a difficult season in county cricket, showed any measure of control with the ball as Craig Young, Graeme McCarter, Alex Cusack and Stuart Thompson all veered off their line and lengths and were ruthlessly exposed.As England continue to enjoy their limited-overs renaissance across the water, Ireland appear to be struggling to adapt to what is now required in the shortest format. It may seem harsh to level such criticism towards a side that have enjoyed unparalleled dominance of the Associate ranks, but a few home truths are needed; these two performances have certainly provided substance for anyone who intends to aim fire.There was a greater intensity with the bat, after Mommsen had called right for the third successive day, but the problems lie elsewhere. Kevin O’Brien briefly threatened to unleash his full array of shots and shift the momentum in his side’s favour but Safyaan Sharif returned to have the Ireland captain caught at long-on just as he was beginning to motor.166 was certainly a defendable total but Cross and Kyle Coetzer made light work of the chase with a stand of 73 and even when Cross fell two short of a destructive half-century, Mommsen, and then Richie Berrington, took up the mantle to seal an emboldening series win for Scotland with eleven balls remaining.The sides meet again on Sunday, a fixture which has taken on an added significance for Ireland even if this series is now beyond them.

Australia’s approach to spin will have to turn around if want to improve their chances of success at the World T20, according to Aaron Finch. The opening batsman, who top-scored with 40 in their losing cause against South Africa in Durban, identified spin as the main threat to their line-up after Imran Tahir took 3 for 21 against them in the opening match.”It’s no secret that teams are targeting us with spin and rightfully so. We haven’t played it all that well over the last little while in the shortest format,” Finch said. “India took a lot of wickets with spin and today Imran was all over us. It’s something we are going to have look to change our plans. The guys are quality players of spin. It’s just about changing our mindsets slightly if we do have a few dot balls.”Australia had been going well, at 71 for 2 at the start of the eighth over, but Tahir struck with his first ball. Finch holed out to a full toss and was disappointed in both his state of mind and his shot selection to a spinner that demanded more respect. “There were some times when our ego took over,” Finch said. “When you are playing against a quality spinner on a wicket that suits him, you have to be a little smarter, myself included. If I hit that full toss for six, it could have been a different scenario.”South Africa actually presented Australia with two spin challenges in their innings, the first of which they passed. JP Duminy was tasked with bowling in the Powerplay and Finch was merciless. He took 24 runs off Duminy’s only over and admitted that was part of a plan. “You look to target guys,” Finch said. “It’s such a hard gig for an offspinner and with guys who don’t spin the ball both ways, it’s probably even more challenging. We were only one down at the time and it felt right to try and take it on a bit.”Aaron Finch was one of three batsman who fell to Imran Tahir•Associated Press

But Finch admitted that his efforts were not enough. “I didn’t go on and get a matchwinning score like David Miller who got 50 not out and won the game,” he said.Tahir went on to remove Peter Nevill and John Hastings, after South Africa’s other bowlers dismantled the Australia middle order. Between the sixth and 16th over, South Africa took 6 for 45 and in so doing, ensured Australia could not get close to the score of around 200 they seemed headed for after a quick start. “That’s where they totally outplayed us in the game,” Finch said.Australia could plug the gap by bringing in someone with more experience at the top, like Shane Watson. Selector Mark Waugh said Australia would aim to give every player in their squad two matches during this series as they try to discover their best XI ahead of the World T20 and Watson, who left the Pakistan Super League with an abdominal injury last month, is expected to play on Sunday.”He would have played today except he had a stomach strain so we just wanted to make sure that he was fully fit. He’ll play in the last two games,” Waugh said while commentating. “We’re probably going to give everybody two games out of three matches so we can have a look at them and give them some game time in the middle.”We’ve played very little T20 cricket so everyone will get a game. Watson’s bowling has been very good the last three or four months. In the Big Bash he bowled well and then for Australia in the T20s against India – he was actually our best bowler. He presents the seam beautifully and he’s a bit deceptive when he hits the deck hard.”Finch described Watson as the “ultimate T20 player” but his inclusion may mean Finch’s own place is in doubt. “Shane brings a lot of experience, a lot of power in batting, bowling, fielding,” Finch said. “He has made hundreds, he has taken wickets, he is a brilliant player. Guys will probably get shuffled around a little and everyone is open to that. My job as an opener is to go out there and try and get as off to a flier and try and set up the game and push through and get a bigger score than 40. If I am are under pressure [for my spot], it just adds to a bit of fun.”At least in the other discipline, Australia could be less critical. They broke through South Africa’s top order to show their potential to be dangerous with the ball. “Our last three games against India, we struggled to get wickets at all, let alone at the top of the innings and to be able to knock over a couple early was a real positive,” Finch said. “It allowed us to get into that middle order.” Now they just need to find someone who can mow through that as well.

Virat Kohli is optimistic about leading India in the third Test, which begins on August 18, even though he spent portions of the Lord’s Test suffering from a “sore” back.”The good thing is I have five days before the next Test,” he said. “We are confident that, with rehab and strengthening, I should be ready for the next game although not (with) the same intensity in the field. But I should be good enough to hold a position in the field and be 100% with the bat. Again, I will have to look at the running bit of things, which was difficult today. As of now it is sore.”Kohli explained that it was a recurrence of an injury he suffered in February, which forced him to sit out a T20I in South Africa. “As of yesterday and today it was not great,” he said. “The back is one thing that can be very tricky when it goes off. It happened during the latter half of the last leg of the South Africa tour when I missed a T20I game because that was very sudden. It happened one day before.”The first signs of Kohli’s problems were seen on Saturday evening, and they seemed to persist because on Sunday morning, he did not take the field even as England declared their innings on 396 for 7. Kohli had missed 37 minutes of play today and so he had to wait that time out before he could come out to bat. But when he did, he could barely walk.2:42

ESPN Shorts: Kohli the tinkerer

He kept grimacing while playing his strokes and was eventually dismissed while trying to fend off a short delivery from Stuart Broad. Kohli immediately asked for a review but replays clearly showed he had indeed nicked the ball that was caught brilliantly by debutant Ollie Pope at short leg.The Indian captain limped off through the Long Room and into the visitors’ dressing room.There were other concerns for Kohli as well. When asked about the XI India picked to play at Lord’s, he had to admit that they had erred by choosing a second spinner when conditions were heavily in favour of fast bowling.Despite the first day being washed out, India still changed the balance of their side by leaving out Umesh Yadav and bringing in left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav. The absence of a third frontline seamer was clear when they couldn’t keep the pressure on England when they reduced them to 89 for 4 and 131 for 5 on the third day to threaten a fightback having been skittled for 107.”The weather was unpredictable,” Kohli said at the presentation. “It was different when we started then it changed suddenly, [but] I think we got the combination a bit off before the game. We have a chance to correct that next game. [At] Two-nil down the only option is to come out positive, make it 2-1 and make it an exciting series from there.”

West Indies have made an unpromising start to their preparations for the tri-series against Australia and South Africa, as they were beaten twice in the space of three days by a Barbados Select XI in a pair of practice matches.Thrashed by 50 runs in a day-night encounter at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday, West Indies lost again by four wickets in Cave Hill on Friday. These were the first fixtures for the team since their World T20 victory in India, with the squad comprising of some T20 players mixed with younger names.While the main priority for the team was to gain match practice in a variety of conditions ahead of the tri-series, the fact that they were unable to defeat a side composed of some players with limited international experience and Barbados’ fringe players does not bode well for harder assignments ahead.In the first match, half-centuries from Shai Hope and Omar Phillips led the way for Barbados Select in compiling a tally of 290 for 8 from 50 overs. Offspinner Hayden Walsh (3 for 17) and seamers Kevin Stoute (2 for 28), Tarik Shorey (2 for 33) and Dario Seale (2 for 50) then rounded West Indies up for 250 in 47.1 overs.Conditions were lower and slower in Cave Hill, and West Indies scrapped their way to 200 for 9 from 45 overs after choosing to bat. No player was able to make a half-century, while medium-pacer Kyle Mayers scooped 4 for 47.In reply, Barbados Select cruised to the target with seven overs to spare, helped by 49 from Aaron Jones and 48 from Hope. West Indies’ opening match of the tournament is against South Africa in Guyana on June 3.

ScorecardJames Weighell claimed his first five-wicket haul•Getty Images

Durham supporters steeling themselves for the possibility of another Test mismatch at Chester-le-Street after events at Headingley can at least find consolation that this Championship encounter has been made of sterner stuff. For three days, the leaders Warwickshire have failed to kill off a dogged challenge by Durham, the upshot being that they will begin the final morning 84 runs short with six wickets remaining. There is no doubt where the grittiest cricket has been on show.When it comes to toughness of character, Keaton Jennings loves nothing better than to sandpaper a bowling attack into submission. He began the season against Lancashire with centuries in both innings – only the third Durham batsman to achieve the feat – and his unbeaten 88 showed the same unyielding qualities. His fifth-wicket stand with Paul Collingwood was worth 67 from 23 overs at the close.Viewed through an international prism, as they are about to be, Durham, the hosts for the second Test, are in a mess. Appalling Test advance sales seemingly give them no immediate hope of reducing debts totalling £5m, especially with Ben Stokes hors de combat, but on the field, under the captaincy of Collingwood, their tenacity can be taken for granted.Durham’s tail is a long one: this match remains decidedly in the balance. But if they pull this one off, back-to-back wins (they beat the leaders Lancashire at Emirates Riverside last week) would be a powerful retort to those who imagined they might be relegation fodder. Instead it is Surrey, rich enough to lend them a few bob, whose season is turning sour.Durham’s ability to produce cricketers in the north-east also deserves to command huge respect, and it has been exemplified here at Edgbaston by James Weighell, the latest fast bowler to come off the production line – the result of a strong academy and a willingness to cast their net far and wide. Others can learn from that.A 22-year-old from Middlesbrough, border country where Durham’s raids are these days considerable more successful than Yorkshire’s, Weighell has twice set career-best figures in only his fourth first-class match, following up four wickets in the first innings with 5 for 33 second time around to return 9 for 130 in the match.He took all his wickets in the first innings from around the wicket – utilising it as an unusually persistent ploy against the right-hander – but he adjusted the balance towards a more conventional approach on the third day in conditions that gave plenty of encouragement to pace bowlers maintaining an attacking length.With Chris Woakes on the road north to join England – Warwickshire’s best bowling return for half a century safely gathered in – it was tempting to feel some sympathy for the effect that it would have on their Championship challenge until the thought dawned that Durham’s pace bowling stocks are currently weakened by the absence not just of Stokes and his England colleague Mark Wood, but also Chris Rushworth, whose 83 wickets last season made him the PCA cricketer of the yearFielding a trio of wet-behind-the-ears pace bowlers, Durham bowled themselves right back into the match by dismissing Warwickshire for 114 in their second innings, challenging the perception that their Woakes-inspired deficit of 123 on first innings was as good as terminal.Weighell was the prime reason. Warwickshire, resuming on 15 for 2, soon lost Andrew Umeed, who had made a century on Championship debut in the first innings, but who edged an excellent lifting delivery from Weighell. Ian Bell fell to a yorker and Weighell also added to the misery of Sam Hain whose desperately thin Championship season – a season in which he might have been expected to blossom – continued when he hacked a nondescript ball onto his stumps. Tim Ambrose caught at short leg on the stroke of lunch and a miscue to midwicket by Oliver Hannon-Dalby completed his five-for.Durham could be forgiven for identifying Keith Barker as the bowler they most feared as they set off in pursuit of 238. Barker, Warwickshire’s stocky left-arm swing bowler, has been Durham’s nemesis for years. There was a maiden century in 2011, the bowling figures behind two innings defeats in 2014 and another Championship hundred last season. One look at his sizeable frame sends them all a quiver.As it was, the threat came from a different source. It was the ganglier figure of Chris Wright who spearheaded Warwickshire’s challenge in a post-tea spell of 4 for 10 in 24 balls which disturbed the equanimity that had taken hold during a circumspect opening stand of 87 in 30 overs between Jennings and Mark Stoneman.In Woakes’ absence, and with no signs of turn for Jeetan Patel or Woakes’ stand-in – the legspinner Josh Poysden – Wright’s intervention was necessary. Scott Borthwick got the best delivery of all, which left him sharply to hit off stump, and when Michael Richardson pulled to midwicket few would have reckoned on Durham having a 50-50 chance of victory by the close.

ScorecardMichael Klinger notched his highest one-day score in Gloucestershire’s huge total•Getty Images

Michael Klinger and Chris Dent smashed big centuries as Gloucestershire finally rekindled their Royal London Cup form of last season with a ten-run victory over Hampshire at Bristol.The holders had lost their first three group matches. But an opening stand of 242 in 38 overs between Klinger and Dent led the hosts to 352 for 3 from their 50 overs and ensured points on the board at last after the visitors had won the toss.Dent outscored his captain to make his second ton in this season’s competition off 116 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, while Klinger went on to a career-best List A score off 150 balls, with 16 fours and six sixes.In reply, Hampshire managed a creditable 342 for 8 without ever looking like winning. Gareth Andrew contributed 70 not out, Liam Dawson 57, Sean Ervine 53 and Tom Alsop 50.Dent was in top form from the outset with a series of sweetly-struck boundaries through the off-side. The left-hander has rarely looked better as he moved to a brilliant 95-ball hundred, with Klinger content to play a supporting role.The Gloucestershire skipper only took charge after Dent had fallen to a skied catch at extra cover by Shahid Afridi off Dawson at the end of a memorable innings.From then on Klinger moved into top gear himself, reaching his 15th List A century off 115 deliveries. He then smacked a six and two fours in an over from Ryan Stevenson as the 300 was brought up in the 45th over.Klinger passed his previous best List A score of 140 not out by blasting his biggest six off Tino Best, the ball smacking against the top floor of the flats at the Ashley Down Road End.Ian Cockbain contributed a breezy 29, but it had basically been an exhilarating two-man show as Gloucestershire took a grip. Only Afridi, who conceded 44 from ten overs, exerted any measure of control.Hampshire began their reply solidly with an opening stand of 41 before Jimmy Adams fell to Liam Norwell for 22.Alsop went on to an impressive half-century off 39 balls, with five fours and a six, but the very next delivery from Benny Howell saw him carelessly drive a catch to extra cover.Ervine blasted successive sixes off Howell in the 19th over as he moved to the quickest fifty of the match off 32 balls, with three sixes and two fours.Will Smith helped add 78 in 11 overs before driving Kieran Noema-Barnett to mid-on where Tom Smith initially fumbled, but grabbed the ball at the third attempt.Noema-Barnett then struck the key blow with his innocuous looking medium-pace as Ervine miscued a cross-batted shot to short fine-leg. And Hampshire’s last realistic hope was dispelled when Afridi fell cheaply to Craig Miles.Dawson’s 47-ball half-century and Andrew’s blistering late assault were spirited efforts, but too little too late as 30 were still required off the final over. Andrew picked up two more sixes in it to take his five in a 41-ball blitz that deserved more reward.

Pakistan “need to improve in every department” if they are to compete with England in the remaining Tests of the Investec series according to their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq. A loss in the second Test at Old Trafford leveled the series at 1-1 with two matches left to play, but it was the margin of defeat – an eye-watering 330 runs – that has concerned Pakistan.While Misbah felt England made full use of winning an important toss, he accepted that his bowlers had been unable to build any pressure and his batsmen folded in the face of England’s intimidating first innings total of 589 for 8 declared before again staring at a massive fourth innings target of 565. Most of all, though, Misbah credited Joe Root’s outstanding performance – 325 runs in the match, within one shot of the victory margin – to negate the threat of Yasir Shah and set-up England’s match-defining first innings total.”We were below average and need to improve in every department,” Misbah said. “We could not really build the pressure and we let them score a massive total in the first innings. It is difficult to come back in the game facing 600. The toss was vital on that pitch, but England played really well. Alastair Cook and Root almost took the game away from us. They set the tone.”That was the difference from Lord’s. At Lord’s, Root was out cheaply in both innings and we got Cook out cheaply in the second innings. Then they struggled. Root and Cook are their main players. They really depend on them – the others are struggling – but the way Root played in this game… it was an amazing innings.”But our batting was a big disappointment. It was a good pitch to bat on but we scored 198 and 234. You can’t take that. On that pitch you can score 350 plus even if you are batting second or fourth. Some of the batsmen are getting in, but not converting their starts. We really need them to do that.”Misbah also highlighted the presence of two or three allrounders in England’s side and the absence of any from his as a key difference. While England are able to include five bowlers without weakening their batting, Pakistan were required to place a heavy load on the shoulders of their four bowlers. They remain desperate for Mohammad Hafeez to resume bowling again soon, with Misbah suggesting it could have made a big difference on this surface.”Hafeez is not bowling,” Misbah said. “But on a pitch like that, it could have made a difference. Especially with the opposition having four or five left-handers in their side. They have a lot of allrounders. That really gives them strength. We don’t have the option of a fifth bowler. That’s the limitation we have. But this is how we have to live at the moment.”Misbah also defended Yasir Shah after a chastening performance. Having gone into the Old Trafford Test as the recently installed No. 1 bowler in the ICC Test rankings, Yasir claimed match figures of 1 for 266 from 63 overs in Manchester, a far cry from his 10-wicket performance at Lord’s.”Maybe there was a bit of tiredness after he bowled a lot of overs in the previous Test,” Misbah said. “But there was a big difference in this match compared to the previous one. He could not really bowl with that control and consistency.”They played him well. And there wasn’t much help for him from the surface on the first two days. They were two good players facing him and it is totally different when there are runs on the board. It creates pressure. But we know he is a strong character and before the next Test he will definitely analyse what went wrong.”

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has put Tillakaratne Dilshan’s contributions on par with those of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, ahead of Dilshan’s final ODI in Dambulla on Sunday. Dilshan was the fourth Sri Lanka batsman to 10,000 ODI runs, and he has the third-highest number of hundreds with 22.”Dilshan has been an absolute brilliant servant for Sri Lankan cricket over the past 17 years,” Mathews said. “I think he has equally done the service that Mahela and Sanga did, and we’re going to miss him a lot. Unfortunately, he had called it a day. We respect that decision and the whole team wishes him the very best.”Several former players have also delivered glowing appraisals of Dilshan’s career. Former team-mates Jayawardene and Sangakkara said Dilshan deserved a grand farewell on Twitter. Sangakkara was particularly complimentary, stating that Dilshan, along with Sanath Jayasuriya, had been Sri Lanka’s “greatest match-winners”.Arjuna Ranatunga has also been among the former captains paying tribute, labelling Dilshan’s all-round aptitude a captain’s dream. In addition to his 10,248 runs ODI runs – ahead of his final ODI – Dilshan has taken 106 wickets, claimed 122 catches, and made one stumping during one of several stints as replacement wicketkeeper.”Dilshan started his career as a middle-order batsman, then he moved on to become an opener,” Ranatunga told the . “Opening the batting is the toughest thing in cricket. There’s a lot at stake for an opener and not many players excel in that discipline. Dilshan had an outstanding career as an opener in all three formats. He was also a brilliant fielder and an intelligent bowler. All captains wish they have players like Dilshan in their ranks.”Dilshan could change games quickly. The dilscoop that he introduced has been played effectively by cricketers in shorter formats of the game with great success. Like Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath and Romesh Kaluwitharana, he left his mark in cricket.”Sri Lanka will play two more ODIs in the series after Dilshan’s exit, and the opening combination in those matches will likely feature two of the three young opening candidates: Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva.”It’s going to be a tough task to fill his boots but we’ve see the youngsters taking lot of responsibility in the recent past,” Mathews said. “We’re really thankful to Dilshan and our ambition is to try and win this match for him.”

West Indies Cricket Board’s chief executive Michael Muirhead will step down from his position after a four-year stint in the role. Muirhead’s contract was up for renewal on October 14, but he has opted to quit the WICB.Muirhead, who had replaced Ernest Hilaire the WICB CEO in 2012, said he had helped the board turn its finances around.”I came in at a time when the state of finances at the board were in deficit and in my brief tenure I have managed to turn around and will be leaving with a surplus,” Muirhead told ESPNcricinfo.With a banking and marketing background, Muirhead was focused on the numbers and the money element and worked in close association with WICB president Dave Cameron.Although Muirhead counts as having contributed to West Indies’ two World T20 wins, his tenure, along with Cameron’s, will be remembered for their run-ins with senior West Indies players over issues like the pay disputes and selection. A dispute related to payment structure between the players, the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Assocation resulted in the team pulling out of their tour of India in October 2014. The board faced a crisis before this year’s World T20 in India after the players appeared to collectively reject the contracts offered by the WICB due to what they perceived as “huge financial reductions”. Following West Indies’ title win, Darren Sammy and a few other senior players had criticised the WICB, and were reprimanded by the ICC after the tournament.Muirhead agreed the chasm between the board and the players has been always there, but the divide is steadily being bridged. He pointed out that when he entered the WICB, there was constant strife between the board and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).”When I came in it was extremely hostile between us and the players’ association. We were in court regularly,” he said. “There was judgement and arbitration against us. I think I played a more conciliatory role instead of being antagonistic to the point that we have not had petitions against us. Our legal fees have gone down significantly. And we have a good relationship with the union (WIPA).”Before the two-match T20I series against India in Florida, WIPA and the WICB hosted a symposium where players and administrators met in an effort to resolve longstanding disputes. “A lot of players were able to speak quite frankly. The lines of communication are now re-opened,” Muirhead said.