This Week in Cricket #161: Black Caps' missed opportunities, Ravi Ashwin's birthday bash & Rachin Ravindra's ceiling

The Top Order Cricket Podcast

In this episode of the show, the Top Order are together again to discuss a busy week of cricket from all around the world - from Sri Lanka's win against the Black Caps in Galle to India's dominant performance against Bangladesh in Chennai, before a whirlwind around the grounds to drop in on series involving England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan.

We start by analysing the closely fought Test in Galle, which saw Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis bowl Sri Lanka to victory despite an impressive 92 from Rachin Ravindra. Was this a missed opportunity for the Black Caps? Did they pick the right XI? How high is the ceiling for Will O'Rourke? And how worried should we be about Devon Conway?

Conversation then moves to Chennai, where the Tigers started with a hiss and a roar before Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja turned the match in India's favour. We talk about these two great allrounders, before discussing Rishabh Pant's return to Test cricket, the seam attacks for both sides and Team India's dominance at home.

We finish the show by whizzing around some of the other series going on around the world - we saw big hundreds from Travis Head and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while the White Ferns continue to struggle with the bat in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.

We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

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Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

0:55 SL v NZ - A missed opportunity for the Black Caps?

10:30 - Will O'Rourke

14:00 - NZ's team selection and Ajaz Patel's performance

23:50 - Rachin Ravindra

29:35 - Devon Conway worry levels

32:18 - India v Bangladesh - Are R Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja underrated?

41:50 - India's balanced bowling attack

43:10 - Is Rishabh Pant better than Adam Gilchrist?

46:15 - Is this India side historically one of the greats?

50:40 - England v Australia white-ball series

56:20 - Afghanistan's series win against South Africa

57:55 - White Ferns struggles with the bat continue as the T20 World Cup approaches

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