Off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been added in Australia's T20I squad for the India series as a replacement of injured Ashton Agar. In other developments, Cameron Green has been released from the team to play for Australia A's three-day tour game against India, to be played at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Furthermore, the Australia cricket team is currently sweating on the fitness of their captain Aaron Finch as they await the scan results of his hip injury, which he picked during the 1st T20I at the Manuka Oval. If the Australian captain is indeed ruled out, it remains to be seen who will take the leadership role as vice-captain Pat Cummins was rested in the first T20I, and Matthew Wade was named as Finch's deputy in the game.

There is, however, no shortage of leaders in the Australia team. It is said that Steve Smith might be recalled as a captain. But if that is not the case, all-rounder Moises Henriques has a leadership experience with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. Glenn Maxwell too has captained Melbourne Stars in the T20 tournament.

As far as Lyon is concerned, he hasn't played a T20I game since October 2018. In fact, his last international action came against New Zealand in a Test series in January 2020. The Aussies went with the likes of Mitchell Swepson and Adam Zampa as their spinning contingent in the 1st T20I against India.

India vs Australia 2nd T20I will be played at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground on December 6.

India vs Australia T20I squad:

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, D’Arcy Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wk), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Mahmoud Khaled

Most of the time the number 11 batsman making it to the crease in Tests is looked upon as a formality by the opposition bowlers and fielders who are eager to bundle out their opponents at an earliest given opportunity. However, over the years, Test cricket has provided us innumerable examples of lower-order batsmen coming to the rescue for their teams in the most unlikely circumstances. Here, we have a look at some of the best Test knocks by a number 11 batsmen. 

Ashton Agar’s 98 against England

Ashton Agar’s Test debut in the opening match of Australia’s tour of England and Scotland in 2013 was one for the ages even though he would have been disappointed that the Aussies ended up on the losing side. Walking into the middle during Australia’s first innings with the score reading 9 for 117 after England had already posted 215 in their first innings, Agar went on to mesmerize spectators by putting on a 163-run partnership with Phillip Hughes.

He seemed to play without any debutant nerves, smashing 12 fours and two sixes en-route to a 101-ball 98. Unfortunately for Australia, they went on to lose the match following an improved batting display by England in the second innings. However, Agar’s heroics at number 11 during the Test doesn’t seem like it will be forgotten in a hurry.

Tino Best’s 95 against England

West Indian speedster Tino Best also scored his highest Test score while batting at 11 against England. Best made 95 for West Indies having walked into the middle as their last batsman with the score on 9 for 283 in the third Test between the teams in the 2012 tour of England. To everyone’s surprise, Best looked unperturbed against England’s bowlers and went on to stitch together a partnership of 143 with Denesh Ramdin, who scored an unbeaten 107.

Best’s knock saw him hit 14 fours and a six as he notched 95 from 112 balls at a strike rate of 84.82. His innings helped West Indies score a formidable 426, which went a long way towards them drawing the match. He also took two wickets for the team with the ball in hand and was deservedly adjudged the Player of the Match. 

James Anderson’s 81 against India

While England’s bowlers have endured their fair share of struggles against tailenders, it must be said that their lower order has inflicted a lot of misery on opponents as well. Perhaps the best example of such an innings is James Anderson’s 81 in the first Test of India’s 2014 tour of England. After India had put 457 on the scoreboard in their first innings, England looked in all sorts of trouble when Anderson walked to the crease with the scoreboard showing the hosts reeling at 9 for 298.

Little did anyone know then that Anderson was in no mood to throw in the towel without a fight as he went on to score his highest Test score. He made 81 against India’s frustrated bowlers and was a part of a 198-run stand with Joe Root. Anderson hit 17 boundaries and also claimed four wickets in the match to bag the Player of the Match award as the Test ended in a draw. 

Zaheer Khan’s 75 against Bangladesh

Unlike Anderson, Zaheer Khan’s highest Test knock came in a winning cause for his team. The Indian pacer had already left his mark in the opening innings of the first Test during India’s tour of Bangladesh in 2004. He had claimed two wickets as India bundled out the hosts for 184 without breaking much sweat. However, it was Zaheer’s performance with the bat in India’s first innings that came as a surprise to many.

He made 75 from 115 deliveries after hitting 10 fours and a couple of maximums. His knock helped take India’s total from 393 to 526 as he ended up being the perfect foil for Sachin Tendulkar, who made an unbeaten 248 from the other end. Zaheer and Tendulkar eventually put on a 133-run stand together and the former also claimed his third scalp of the Test in Bangladesh’s second innings with India going on to record a comfortable win by an innings and 140 runs. 

Richard Collinge’s 68* against Pakistan

The oldest knock by a number 11 on this list, Richard Collinge’s unbeaten 68 came against Pakistan in the third Test of the Asian's tour of New Zealand in 1973. The left-arm medium-fast bowler walked in with the score on 9 for 251 for the Kiwis after Pakistan had already posted 402 in their first innings. However, instead of throwing away his wicket in fashion with most tailenders at the time, Collinge dug deep and put together a 151-run partnership with Brian Hastings, who scored 110 the innings.

Collinge’s unbeaten 68 though cannot be understated and was crucial in New Zealand also scoring 402 in their first innings. He hit six fours as well as a maximum during his knock and proved to be a source of frustration for Pakistan’s bowlers. Collinge also took four wickets �?two in each innings �?in the match, which ended in a draw.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Andrew Yates

After a 2-1 win over Australia in the T20I series, which maintained their unbeaten series run since cricket’s resumption following the global virus enforced worldwide lockdown, England will now look to get the better of the Aussies in the ODIs. Australia, though, will be looking to make amends in the three-match ODI series that’s slated to begin from Friday in Manchester having fallen short in the T20Is. With both teams boasting plenty of talented game-changers, we have a look at a few potential difference-makers in the first ODI.

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler has been in tremendous form across formats over the English summer. He’s been amongst the runs against West Indies, Pakistan and most recently Australia in the T20I series. Buttler made 44 and an unbeaten 77 in the two T20I matches against Australia that he was involved in. The English wicket-keeper has scored two hundreds and made 926 runs at an average of 46.30 and a strike rate of 107.93 in 27 ODI innings against the Aussies. He will once again pose a huge threat to the opposition bowlers, making it imperative for the men from down under to dismiss him early.               

Adil Rashid

Like Buttler, Adil Rashid has enjoyed a fruitful summer, albeit with the ball instead of the bat. He’s consistently picked up wickets against Ireland, Pakistan and in the T20I series against Australia. Not only has he picked up wickets and broken dangerous partnerships for England at regular intervals, but Rashid has also managed to keep things tight and remain economical at the same time. How the Aussies fare against him could go a long way into dictating the eventual outcome of the series, making him a key player to keep an eye on.    

Aaron Finch

It’s no secret that Aaron Finch loves competing against England in the limited-over formats and going by his form in the recent T20Is against them, expect the Australian skipper to fire on all cylinders in the ODIs. Finch made 46, 40 and 39 against England in the three T20Is but failed to convert his starts into a match-winning innings. However, his current form and history against England in ODIs doesn’t make for kind reading if you are an English supporter. Seven of Finch’s 16 ODI centuries have come against England and his average of 50.12 against them is better than his career average of 41.02, which is why dismissing him quickly is so important for the hosts.

Ashton Agar

The slow left-arm orthodox spinner from Melbourne, Victoria managed to make inroads into the English batting line-up in all three T20I matches and he will be hoping to do more of the same in the ODIs. Ashton Agar outperformed Australia’s more established spinner Adam Zampa in the T20I series and will most likely be the Aussies�?go-to spin option, at least in the first ODI. He took five wickets against the hosts in the T20Is and will be hoping to make a more telling impact against them in the ODIs. No muck with the bat either, Agar can also contribute for the team from a batting perspective.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

A Jos Buttler masterclass with the bat drove England to victory in the second T20I by seven wickets and the hosts will now look to complete a 3-0 drubbing of rivals Australia in the final T20I of the series on Tuesday, September 8.

With Buttler ruled out and both teams likely to make some changes to their side, we take a look at two players from each team that can make a difference in the final T20I of the series.

Dawid Malan

The 33-year-old batsman continued his stellar form in T20Is for England, playing a measured innings of 42 off 32 balls and guiding the hosts to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against Australia. Since the return of cricket, Malan has scored 192 in five T20Is at a healthy average of 38.4. Malan has been the perfect replacement for Joe Root in the line-up and will be hoping to finish the series on a high note in the third T20I.

Marcus Stoinis

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis battled valiantly in the first T20I amidst a collapse from Australia while chasing 162 and he came just a hit shy of guiding them to victory but failed to do so. Stoinis finished with 23 runs off 18 balls as England emerged victorious by a narrow margin of just two runs. In the second match, Stoinis walked in to bat at the end of the fifth over with his side in trouble at 30-3 and conjured a gritty knock, scoring 35 off 26 balls, helping his side put up a respectable total of 157 on the scoreboard.

Stoinis has been the best batsman in the struggling Australian middle order and the team will be hoping that he can carry his form in the third T20I and help the visitors avoid a whitewash.

Adil Rashid

Spinner Adil Rashid has been the pick of the bowlers for England since the resumption of white-ball cricket in August.

Bar his one poor outing against Pakistan in the third T20I of their three-match series where he finished with figures of 0-40 in three overs, Rashid has been terrific with the ball and has picked at least a wicket in the remaining three matches.

In those matches, Rashid has picked up five wickets at a tremendous economy rate of 7.16. In the second T20I against Australia, the 32-year-old gave away just 25 runs in his quota of four overs while picking up the prized wicket of Marcus Stoinis.

Ashton Agar

While Rashid has been England’s talisman with the ball, Ashton Agar has been that for the Aussies.

The 26-year-old has picked four wickets in the first two matches in this series at a tremendous economy rate of 7.37. Agar can contribute with the bat as well, like he showed in the second T20I, scoring 23 off 20.

Australia have had a miserable time so far in England but Agar is definitely enjoying a good run of form.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Mullan

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Fans love to see a brilliant partnership to set up the game for their favourite teams. On most occasions, these partnerships involve many of the top-order batsmen, but once in a while, there will be one particular partnership which either wins the game or saves the face for the respective teams. 

On the anniversary of Joe Root and James Anderson’s infamous 10th wicket stand which helped their team draw, we look at five highest 10th wicket partnerships in Test cricket history: 

Dinesh Ramdin and Tino Best �?143 vs England, Birmingham (June 2012)

During the West Indies tour of England in 2012, middle-order batsman Dinesh Ramdin and pacer Tino Bet set up at 10th wicket stand of 143 runs among themselves. Best came out at number 10 and played to score a brilliant 95 runs off 112 balls, leading Windies to a score of 426. His partner, Ramdin, hit an unbeaten 107 off 183 balls at a strike rate of 58.46. The match was eventually drawn due to bad lighting.

Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed �?151 vs South Africa, Rawalpindi (October 1997)

Two tailenders, Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed were responsible for a quick flurry of runs during their tenth wicket stand during South Africa’s tour of Pakistan. After Ali Naqvi hit a century during the early stages of the first innings, the middle order collapsed around him. Mahmood rallied on to hit an unbeaten 128 runs off 267 balls, setting up a 151 run partnership with Mushtaq Ahmed, who scored 59 runs himself. The match was eventually drawn after the game went on till the end of the fifth day. 

Read | Top five partnerships for India in ICC World Cups

Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge �?151 vs Pakistan, Auckland (February 1978)

During Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand back in 1978, the visitors were better than their Kiwi opponents, scoring 402 runs in the first innings. In response, The New Zealand batsmen were on the were of a middle-order collapse after a strong start by Glenn Turner and Rodney Redmond, with the latter scoring a century. However, Hastings and Collinge set up a 151 run partnership, with Brian Hastings hitting 110 and his partner Collinge managing 68 runs to just reach the Pakistan score. The match eventually ended in a draw. 

Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar �?163 vs England, Nottingham (July 2013)

Late Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar set up a brilliant 163 run partnership for the 10th wicket during the first Test of the Australia tour of England and Scotland. Making his Test return to the side after a period out, Hughes hit 81 runs off 131 balls as the other Aussie batsmen collapsed around him. He then set up a 163 run stand with Agar, with Agar himself scoring 98 runs off 101 balls at a strike rate of 97 runs. The partnership was futile as England eventually won the match by 14 runs.  

Joe Root and James Anderson �?198 runs vs India, Nottingham (July 2014)

During India’s tour of England in 2014, India set up an imposing score of 457 runs courtesy of some stellar innings by Murali Vijay and MS Dhoni. However, the English batsmen were relentless during their innings, with Sam Robson and Gary Ballance scoring important half-centuries along the way. However, the 198 runs stand between Joe Root and James Anderson set up a thriller of a match for the Indian batsmen. Root hit 154 runs off 295 balls, while Anderson pitched in with 81 runs as the Englishmen scored 496. The match ended in a draw.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Andrew Yates

Geoff Caddick/AFP

Perth Scorchers have been dealt a scorching blow in the Big Bash League as their star spinner Ashton Agar has been ruled out for the season with a finger fracture. He had suffered a similar injury in 2017 during Australia’s tour to India which kept him out of the game for 16 months. Perth Scorchers have roped in young off-singer Will Bosisto as his replacement. 

"Ash Agar unfortunately suffered a fracture dislocation to his right index finger whilst fielding at training yesterday," Nick Jones, Scorchers' sports medicine manager, said. "Ash sustained an intra-articular fracture that will require surgical repair. We expect that Ash will undergo surgery in the coming days, and as a result will be unavailable for the remainder of the BBL." 

Although Agar has only picked up five wickets in eight matches, his economy rate of just over seven has helped the Scorchers this year. The team from Perth are currently 7th on the table with the bulk of the tournament already played.