Hope’s Ranchi ton sinks India; Maddinson returns in Durban; O’Rourke ruled out — cricket digest 10 Oct 2026

· Cricombo Editorial

Hope, Rutherford power West Indies’ record chase as Gambhir renews pitch plea

India head coach Gautam Gambhir again called for a fairer balance between bat and ball in white-ball cricket after West Indies chased down 250 in Ranchi with nine balls to spare, in a game that produced 501 runs and 33 sixes on a flat, dewy surface. Gambhir said bowlers’ careers were at stake on pitches offering little help, while also insisting India would review why they couldn’t close out the match after early strikes left West Indies 5 for 2 and 58 for 3.

Shai Hope’s unbeaten 102 off 45 and Sherfane Rutherford’s 84 off 37 turned the chase, with Romario Shepherd finishing it off with an unbeaten 34 off 13 to level the five-match T20I series. Mayank Yadav’s opening burst stood out for India, taking 3 for 36 in three overs and touching 149.5kph, and Gambhir praised him for leaning into his pace rather than searching for variations.

Maddinson opens on Test return as Australia choose to bat in Durban

Australia won the toss and batted first against South Africa at Kingsmead, handing Nic Maddinson a place at the top of the order in his first Test since late 2016. Pat Cummins opted to set the tone in sunny conditions on a surface expected to take turn later, with Travis Head staying as opener and Matt Renshaw slotted at No. 5; Beau Webster was listed at No. 7.

South Africa had confirmed their XI a day early, with Anrich Nortje returning to Test cricket after a three-and-a-half-year absence and Simon Harmer supporting Keshav Maharaj in a new-look attack missing the injured Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. David Bedingham was named at No. 3, a position he has not previously filled in Tests.

New Zealand rest O’Rourke for India series as rehab continues

Fast bowler Will O’Rourke will miss New Zealand’s upcoming home series against India while he rehabilitates left hamstring and calf injuries, with the decision framed as a precaution ahead of the four-Test tour of Australia in December-January. Head coach Rob Walter said the plan was to safely build O’Rourke’s bowling loads, with an ideal return pencilled in for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield in late December and, in the best-case scenario, readiness for the Perth Test on December 9.

The 25-year-old has not played competitively since tearing a hamstring on the final day of the third Test in Nottingham in June, and his comeback was delayed again by a calf strain suffered in training in August. New Zealand are due to name their squad for the India series on Sunday, with five T20Is (Oct 22-Nov 1), five ODIs (Nov 4-15) and two Tests (Nov 19-23 in Wellington; Nov 27-Dec 1 in Christchurch) scheduled.

Zimbabwe Women keep faith with unchanged squad for first-ever India tour

Zimbabwe have picked an unchanged 15-player squad for their maiden women’s tour of India, with Josephine Nkomo continuing as captain. The selection follows their series against West Indies in September-October, which included Zimbabwe’s first-ever win over West Indies and their first victory in the ICC Women’s Championship.

Beloved Biza and Kelis Ndhlovu, the top ODI and T20I run-scorers respectively in that West Indies series, are included alongside Nyasha Gwanzura and Michelle Mavunga, who shared seven wickets in the landmark ODI win, and Modester Mupachikwa, who top-scored in that match. The tour features T20Is in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, followed by Women’s Championship ODIs in Baroda on October 23, 25 and 28.

In brief

  • Sahibzada Farhan marked his first match as Pakistan’s new T20I captain with an 89 as Pakistan chased 184 to beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in Rawalpindi and go 1-0 up.
  • In the same Rawalpindi opener, Pakistan handed T20I debuts to Razaullah and Mohammad Imran after Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat.
  • After choosing to bat in Durban, Australia reached stumps on 187 for 6 against South Africa, with Nortje and Marco Jansen among the wicket-takers.
  • Anrich Nortje said his Test ambition never faded as he completed a long-awaited return in Durban after a 1,317-day gap between appearances.
  • South Africa struck back sharply at Kingsmead, turning Australia’s solid position into another reminder of their top-order uncertainty.
  • Kingsmead’s charm was in focus off the field too, with Durban’s scoring team continuing to keep the ground’s whiteboard updated in real time.
  • Mohammad Saleem took four wickets as Afghanistan bowled Bangladesh out for 346 in Abu Dhabi, with Yamin Ahmadzai claiming three.
  • Sikandar Raza will lead Zimbabwe in an ODI tri-series in the UAE in Richard Ngarava’s absence, before a separate run of T20Is and Tests against Afghanistan.
  • Matthew Humphreys is back in Ireland’s squad for a five-match ODI tour of Namibia later this month as they build towards next year’s World Cup Qualifier.
  • South Australia began their Sheffield Shield title defence with an innings-and-40-run win over Victoria at Junction Oval, with Jake Weatherald backed to have a big season despite a tough return.
  • Former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Vinayak Samant has been appointed Chandigarh head coach across formats, replacing Rajeev Nayyar.
  • Essex confirmed batter Robin Das is no longer employed by the club after he appeared in court charged with two counts of rape.
  • Jimmy Adams has left Hampshire after 25 years at the club to take up a coaching role in Tasmania, having recently worked as an assistant with Hobart Hurricanes.
  • The 92nd Ranji Trophy begins on October 11, with India internationals featuring in the opening round and fringe players looking to press their cases.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo