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Our first batch of team report cards for 2023

28-Dec-2023New Zealandby Deivarayan Muthu
New Zealand continued to do New Zealand things – with or without Kane Williamson, who featured in only 14 of their 61 internationals in 2023. Like making another ODI World Cup semi-final, where they gave tournament favourites India a mini-scare. Like toppling Bangladesh on a raging turner in the Mirpur Test in December.In an ODI World Cup year, New Zealand won their first bilateral ODI series of at least two matches against Pakistan in Pakistan.Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra all then played starring roles for New Zealand in the World Cup. Trent Boult, who had given up his New Zealand’s central contract in order to become a free agent, returned to the national team and also played his part in New Zealand’s run to the knockouts.A 267-run defeat to England in Mount Maunganui in February was a hard knock on New Zealand’s proud home record, but they won the next Test in Wellington by the barest of margins – one run – after being asked to follow-on. As far as T20Is were concerned, New Zealand largely fielded experimental sides, handing debuts to Adi Ashok and Ben Lister among others as they plan for life after Ish Sodhi and Boult.New Zealand Women, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the knockouts of the T20 World Cup in South Africa, where they carded their second-lowest total overall in T20Is. And they ended the year with a heart-breaking T20I series loss to Pakistan at home.High point
Of course, the Black Caps qualifying for the World Cup knockouts for the fifth time in a row since the 2003 edition of the tournament. It all started with a rematch of the 2019 final in Ahmedabad, where New Zealand walloped England, despite injuries to Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee. This game also marked the arrival of Ravindra on the world stage.Low point
Folding for 98 against Bangladesh men in what was arguably the most un-New Zealand performance of the year. This was New Zealand’s first defeat to Bangladesh at home in 19 ODIs. They also suffered their first-ever defeat against non-Test playing nations across formats when they lost a T20I to UAE in Dubai.Men
Tests: P7 W4 L2 D1
ODIs: P33 W15 L17 NR1
T20Is: P18 W9 L7 T1 NR1Women
ODIs: P9 W4 L4 T1
T20Is: P13 W6 L6 NR1A World Cup defence where nothing went according to plan•Alex Davidson/ICC/Getty ImagesEnglandby Andrew Miller
At least the Moral Ashes are safely locked away for another year. As for more tangible, traditional silverware … best look away now.Despite the thrills of Bazball, and a hot run of Test form that contributed to one of the greatest Ashes series of all time, England’s men won just four out of a possible 11 bilateral series across formats in the course of 2023 – two of which were effectively one-off wins, in a Test and ODI respectively, against a distracted Ireland.England’s women, similarly, hit the heights with their own Ashes fightback against Australia, but still left the drawn points series empty-handed thanks to defeat in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge – a recipe that they more or less replicated in their end-of-year trip to India, in which an impressive 2-1 win in the T20Is gave way to an almighty 347-run loss in their Test in Navi Mumbai.And where do we start with their respective World Cup campaigns? In retrospect, England women’s shock T20 semi-final exit against hosts South Africa in February now looks like over-achievement when you consider the men’s moribund effort in India last month: arguably the most miserable title defence in the history of international sport.Throughout the year, the gulf between the highs and lows of England’s teams was stark and startling, and – much as the Bazball phenomenon had been triggered by a change of attitude from broadly the same pool of players that had won one Test in 17 prior to Brendon McCullum’s arrival – the extent to which mind dominated matter was palpable. Sprinkle any given line-up with good vibes and give them licence to forget the context of their endeavours, and remarkable things could still be achieved.This was even the case in the team’s final engagement of the year in the Caribbean. For two glorious games, while Phil Salt was smoking back-to-back centuries to overturn a 4-1 losing streak across white-ball fixtures, it seemed that Jos Buttler’s men had finally shed the diffidence that had paralysed their efforts all year long. But then, two days later, they stumbled to another meek defeat in the T20I decider in Trinidad, to rob their under-pressure head coach Matthew Mott of some much-needed festive cheer.At least England’s Test team never stopped believing in the power of a positive mental attitude. Some might argue it would have been prudent to do so at times, particularly for that fateful declaration with Australia on the ropes in the first Ashes Test. In the year’s final analysis, England won only half of their eight Tests, including a one-run loss to New Zealand in Wellington that would surely have been a comfortable win had they not got funky with the follow-on.Nevertheless, were we entertained?High point
Stuart Broad’s glorious march into the sunset on the final day at The Oval was pure theatre – even down to the panto-voodoo nonsense of his bail-switching. And yet, when the euphoria of the moment died down and Australia were left to lift the Ashes urn once more, it was clear that the journey, rather than the destination, had been the true thrill of England’s year. For that reason, nothing could top Zak Crawley’s preposterous 189 at Old Trafford. No Australian Test attack has ever been hit harder or faster, and for three extraordinary days, it felt like a prophecy was unfolding before us. But then, of course, it rained…Low point
Nothing can match the misery of that World Cup campaign… but which micro-humiliation would you wish to zoom in on? The opening-day demolition in Ahmedabad, when New Zealand – freshly seen off 3-1 on home soil – cantered to a sweat-free nine-wicket win in front of a non-existent crowd? That guileless maiden defeat to Afghanistan in Delhi, where England’s solitary six came in the 31st over of their flatlining run-chase? Or the trio of losses to Sri Lanka, Australia and India that left England scrambling even for a top-eight finish and a place at the 2025 Champions Trophy? Nope, the nadir came in Mumbai, where England witlessly elected to bake themselves alive on the most sweltering day of the tournament, leaving Heinrich Klaasen’s magnificent century to set South Africa up for a whopping 229-run win.ResultsMen
Tests: P8 W4 L3 D1
ODIs: P24 W11 L12 NR 1
T20Is: P12 W4 L8Women
Tests: P2 L2
ODIs: P6 W4 L1 NR1
T20Is: P14 W9 L5Defeating England in England, New Zealand at home and taking silver at the Asian Games – Sri Lanka women went where they’ve never gone before•AFP/Getty ImagesSri Lankaby Andrew Fidel Fernando
We will lament the state of the men’s team soon enough, but Sri Lanka women have had their best year ever, and this is worth celebrating. In February they delivered one of the surprises of the tournament when they defeated South Africa early in the T20 World Cup. In July they defeated New Zealand in an ODI series at home – the first time they had ever defeated the side in any format. In September they came from 1-0 down to England to secure a 2-1 series victory, in England. And in September they made the final of the Asian Games, losing the gold-medal match to India.Much of this success is down to Chamari Athapaththu, who had the finest year of her glittering career, despite the lack of interest from the Women’s Premier League. Athapaththu, by the way, capped her year by becoming Player of the Tournament at the WBBL – a tournament she only went to as a replacement player. Where Sri Lanka tended to lose even when she scored heavily in previous years, this time around, Athapaththu found just enough support from the likes of Harshitha Madavi, Nilakshi de Silva, and occasionally the teenaged Vishmi Gunaratne, to push Sri Lanka to victory.The men have less to crow about. They made the final of the Asia Cup but were largely abysmal at the World Cup, and have now failed to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy as a result. Their T20 record was modest too, having lost away series to both India and New Zealand. And in Tests, their only wins came at home against Ireland, who were touring for the first time.As poor as the team was, however, the running of the game at the back end of the year was the most shameful aspect of cricket in Sri Lanka in 2023. The board had itself suspended by the ICC in order to head off further interference from an antagonistic sports minister.High point
Beating England in England was impressive, but that had been a depleted England side attempting to blood new players. Defeating a largely full-strength New Zealand team in the ODIs at home felt like a significant moment for the development of women’s cricket, particularly when that win was aided by good performances from the likes of Gunaratne.Low point
Sri Lanka losing their hosting rights for the 2024 Men’s Under-19 World Cup as a result of the suspension SLC officials have themselves had helped orchestrate. SLC president Shammi Silva then attempted to paint the loss of those hosting rights as not a particularly big deal, at a press conference.ResultsMen
Tests: P6 W2 L4
ODIs: P31 W16 L15
T20Is: P7 W2 L5Women
ODIs: P8 W3 L3 NR2
T20Is: P16 W9 L7It was that kind of year for Pakistan•Getty ImagesPakistanby Danyal Rasool
It was a year of mayhem, and though chaos is often a seasoning ingredient for Pakistan cricket, there was little positivity to be gleaned amidst the madness. The year was always going to be defined by the World Cup, and, Pakistan fizzled out with something of a whimper. A loss to Afghanistan and a walloping against India doomed both their points and net run rate, and there was no recovering from either.The Asia Cup that preceded it was even more dispiriting, with Pakistan finishing bottom of the Super Fours and their bowlers picking up injuries that continue to hamper them. That Pakistan finished the year with a positive win-loss record in the format was more down to the kinds of opposition they faced than any improvements they made, with five of their 14 wins coming against a second-string New Zealand side, and another seven against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Netherlands.A series win against Sri Lanka away was the highlight of the red-ball year. a loss in Perth to start off a series against Australia in December provided a reality check.All 11 T20Is during the year came against limited or weakened sides, but even so, four wins and six losses, including a first-ever series defeat to Afghanistan, sums up Pakistan’s year.There was unprecedented chaos off-field, too, with Najam Sethi, who arrived just before the start of the year, resigning due to political reasons midway through the year, and Zaka Ashraf appointed on a caretaker basis. The start of his tenure was tumultuous, including the reluctant resignation of Babar Azam as captain, with Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi appointed in his stead.High point:
The women’s team might not have had a great ODI year or T20 World Cup, but the away series win in New Zealand – they became the first Asian side to achieve one – went some way towards lifting the pall of gloom that had descended over Pakistan cricket late in the year. Spearheaded by breakout star Fatima Sana, Pakistan clinched the T20I series 2-1, before being shaded 1-2 in the ODIs. It was something of a breakthrough year for women’s T20 cricket in Pakistan: there was a 3-0 home clean sweep against South Africa, and three exhibition matches before the PSL raised hopes of a future women’s T20 league in the country.Low point
There are plenty to choose from, but the Asia Cup probably edges everything else out. Just as Pakistan’s fearsome pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf looked like they were approaching their white-hot ODI best, injury struck. In a game against India, all three bowlers went off with injuries at various stages, with Naseem later picking up a knock that ruled him out for several months. Afridi’s pace has never quite recovered, and Pakistan lost that match to India by 228 runs – the heaviest in the history of the rivalry. They would go on to lose to Sri Lanka and end with their worst Asia Cup showing ever.ResultsMen
Tests: P4 W2 L1 D1
ODIs: P25 W14 L10 NR1
T20Is: P11 W4 L6 NR1Women
ODIs: P12 W2 L8 T2
T20Is: P17 W7 L10Logan van Beek’s performance for the ages against West Indies in the World Cup Qualifier fetched Netherlands an unlikely win•Johan Rynners/ICC/Getty ImagesNetherlandsby Nagraj Gollapudi
Having raised the bar last year by qualifying for the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup owing to their top-eight finish in the 2022 tournament in Australia, Netherlands’ objective for the 2023 ODI World Cup was ambitious: to make the semi-finals. Scott Edwards’ team was not indulging in wishful thinking. Their confidence came from two years spent in the ODI Super League, where they played some of the top teams, and while they won just one series in the league, they put up a decent fight against the likes of Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, and even New Zealand.As they had done in the T20 World Cup in Australia, Netherlands shocked South Africa again, and two games later, produced another upset, defending 230 against Bangladesh. With those wins they doubled their tally of matches won in their five ODI World Cup campaigns, going back to 1996. At one point in the 2023 tournament, the Dutch were eyeing a top-eight finish, which would have fetched them a ticket to the ten-team Champions Trophy in 2025. But the dream fizzled out and they eventually finished last with just the two wins from their nine matches. Some more resolve from the specialist batters might have earned them at least a couple more wins.Though disappointed, they will also have been proud to have made the World Cup via the Qualifiers, where they were without some of their best players. With the ICC retiring the Super League, the Dutch now return to the World Cricket League – their pathway to qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup.As for the women’s team, there was an uptick in performance, including making the global Qualifiers (to be played in April next year) for the 2024 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.High Point
The wins against South Africa and Bangladesh top the list, but before that came the fairy-tale twin victories against West Indies and Scotland in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Logan van Beek wrote his name in lights, pulling Netherlands back from the brink in their chase of 375 against West Indies and forcing a tie, and then blasting three sixes and three fours in the Super Over, delivered by Jason Holder. In the must-win match against Scotland, needing 278 to win inside 44 overs, Bas de Leede became only the fourth player to take a five-for and score a century in the same ODI, to get Netherlands to their first 50-over World Cup in over a decade.Low Point
Losing the second match of the three-game ODI series in Zimbabwe. Set 271 to win the series – which would have been their first away series win against a Full Member team, Netherlands fell short by one run in an agonising last-ball finish in Harare.ResultsMen
ODIs: P22 W7 L14 T1Women
ODIs: P2 W1 L1
T20Is: P16 W9 L6 NR1Bangladesh capped their World Cup with a loss to Australia – their seventh defeat in nine matches at the tournament•Associated PressBangladeshby Mohammad Isam
In a year when Bangladesh’s men’s side floundered spectacularly in the 50-over World Cup, the women’s team took big strides. They drew the ODI series against India at home in July, when they tied the third game of a thrilling series. They also made history by beating South Africa in their backyard for the first time in a T20I and an ODI.The major talking point, of course, was the dismal World Cup showing by the men. The side started the year by beating England 3-0 in a T20I series, a significant result against the reigning T20I world champions. They then dominated Ireland over ten internationals.But during the home ODI series against Afghanistan, the wheels started to come off. Tamim Iqbal retired and un-retired in the span of 24 hours, before resigning from the ODI captaincy. Shakib Al Hasan publicly spoke out against Tamim, but it ended up affecting the team at the World Cup. They started well by beating Afghanistan but then beat only Sri Lanka over the next eight games.A Test win over New Zealand at home helped somewhat with the World Cup disappointment, but it was a one-off. So was their ODI win in New Zealand, after conceding the series. It was that kind of year for the men’s side.High point
The women’s side drawing the ODI series against India and the T20I series in South Africa. They also beat Pakistan at home.Low point
The men’s team winning two out of nine matches in this year’s World Cup.ResultsMen
Tests: P4 W3 L1
ODIs: P32 W11 L18
T20Is: P11 W9 L2Women
ODIs: P11 W3 L5 T2 NR1
T20Is: P18 W6 L11 NR1Zimbabwe’s brightest spot in a dismal year were the fans who showed up in numbers for home games•ICC/Getty ImagesZimbabweby Firdose Moonda
A devastating 12 months saw Zimbabwe’s men’s team fail to qualify for a 50-over and a T20 World Cup, which has thrown their short-term future into uncertainty. They are not part of the World Test Championship and will not play in a men’s ICC event until at least 2026, leaving them with even fewer fixtures than usual.Zimbabwe played just one two-Test series in 2023, which they lost to West Indies, who they later beat at the World Cup Qualifiers in one of the upsets of an entertaining tournament. That victory buoyed belief that Zimbabwe would qualify for the ODI World Cup in India but they lost to Sri Lanka and Scotland in the Super Six round and just missed out. Five months later, they had the opportunity to try for a different tournament – the 2024 T20 World Cup – for which they were favourites in the African qualifier. But a shock defeat to Uganda denied them again. The year ended in ignominious fashion, with ODI and T20I series losses to Ireland, and with the head coach David Houghton resigning.The women’s team fared better, won six out of eight T20Is this year, and will head to the World Cup Qualifiers in the UAE early in 2024.High Point
With very little to choose from, this will feature people and a place, rather than players or an event. Zimbabwe’s fans and the famed Castle Corner, filled out venues at international matches, and sang from start to finish for their team and the opposition (mostly Max O’Dowd) alike. The Takashinga Cricket Club, the home of black African cricket in Harare, hosted its first ODIs at the World Cup Qualifiers and showed why it should have many more. The pitches offered a good balance of runs, bounce and turn. The outfield was a picture and the numbers of school children who came to games was enough to know the next generation were inspired.Low Point
Houghton called it “awful”, “embarrassingly bad”, and “one of the worst games I have ever been associated with in a Zimbabwean jersey”, and that wasn’t even the lowest point. His comments came after Zimbabwe lost to Namibia in the T20 World Cup Qualifier. Three days later, they lost to 23rd-ranked Uganda and their T20 World Cup hopes were all but over. On both occasions, Zimbabwe could only set totals in the 130s and none of their batters got a half-century. Zimbabwe are only the only Full Member country who will not be present at the 20-team event.ResultsMen
Tests: P2 W0 D1 L1
ODIs: P18 W8 L6 NR2
T20Is: P17 W9 L8Women:
ODIs: P3 L3
T20Is: P8 W6 L2Report cards for the other top teams
More in our look back at 2023

And what is the most ducks a team has made in a T20 they won?

Steven Lynch23-Nov-2021Are there any pairs in international cricket who haven’t ever batted with each other despite playing lots of matches together? asked Noor Alameen from Bangladesh

There are runaway leaders on this unusual list: Sanath Jayasuriya played 408 international matches with Muthiah Muralidaran, but never once batted with him. Some current pairings come next, who still have power to add to the list (or escape it entirely): Martin Guptill has so far played 141 internationals on the same side as Trent Boult, but never batted with him. India’s Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have also had 141 matches together; next come Jason Roy and Adil Rashid, with 139 for England.Jayasuriya and Murali are also the clear leaders in Tests alone, with 94: next come Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini with 64, Alastair Cook and Graeme Swann with 60 (Swann’s entire Test career), and Rohan Kanhai and Lance Gibbs with 58.Since ESPNcricinfo started computing win percentages, which team won with the lowest win percentage at any stage of the game? asked Umar from the United States

The ESPNcricinfo Forecaster was introduced in April 2019, and has been used for 141 T20 internationals since then. The lowest win probability from which a chasing team has won is 3.8%, in Zimbabwe’s victory over Scotland in Edinburgh in September 2021. Chasing 179, Zimbabwe were 74 for 3 at the end of the 12th over, needing another 104 from the last eight – and got there.But the earliest in an innings when the win percentage for a successful chasing team has gone below 10% was in the match between Australia and India in Bengaluru in February 2019. After 4.5 overs, Australia were 25 for 2, needing another 166 from 91 balls. Their win probability, according to the Forecaster, was just 6.6%. But they did it, mainly thanks to a 50-ball century from Glenn Maxwell.In a similar case in Hyderabad in December 2019, India were 35 for 1 after 4.5 overs, needing 173 more from 91 balls – and the win forecast had them at just 8%. But Virat Kohli cracked 94 not out, and India won quite comfortably in the end, with no fewer than eight balls to spare.If you’re expecting an explanation of the system, look away now: according to Shiva Jayaraman of the stats team, “It’s a complex machine language-driven algorithm which I wouldn’t be able to explain even if I wanted to.”Has anyone been stuck on 99 in their debut T20 international, or an ODI? asked Michael Bailey from England

No one has yet scored 99 in their first T20 international, but Ricky Ponting was marooned on 98 not out in the first ever such match, against New Zealand in Auckland in 2004-05. Ponting never did make a century in a T20 international.In all T20 cricket, the Haryana opener Mukul Dagar was stuck on 99 not out in his first such match, against Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Delhi in October 2010. That remains his highest score in T20 matches.How many runs did Eoin Morgan make in his debut ODI?•International Cricket CouncilTwo men have recorded a score of 99 in their first one-day international. The first was 19-year-old Eoin Morgan, who had the misfortune to be run out one short of his hundred on his debut for Ireland, against Scotland in Ayr in 2006. Then, in a World Cup qualifier in Lincoln (New Zealand) in February 2014, the UAE wicketkeeper Swapnil Patil ended up with 99 not out in his first match, also against Scotland.Zimbabwe had six ducks against West Indies in a T20 international in 2010 – but still won. Has anyone bettered this? asked Jameel Maynard from Trinidad & Tobago

Zimbabwe scraped together 105 in that match, on a difficult pitch in Port-of-Spain in February 2010, but then restricted West Indies to 79 for 7 in their 20 overs.No team has won a senior T20 match after suffering more than six ducks, but two other sides have won despite six: Lahore Lions (113) beat Peshawar Panthers (79) in a Faysal Bank T20 Cup match in Rawalpindi, in Pakistan, in March 2012; and Mumbai (155) beat Punjab (120) in India’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Indore in February 2019.The most ducks in any men’s T20 innings is eight, by Turkey in their total of 21 against Czech Republic (who had earlier smashed 278 for 4) in Ilfov County, Romania, in August 2019. For the full list, click here.In women’s T20 internationals, there were nine ducks in Mali’s record low total of 6 (five extras) against Rwanda in Kigali in June 2019. There were also nine in Maldives’ innings of 8 (seven of them wides) against Nepal in Pokhara six months later. For that list, click here.Who’s the only man to hit the winning runs, take the winning catch, and coach a winning side in the 50-over World Cup? asked Daniel Hendry from Australia

This much-medalled player is Australia’s Darren Lehmann. In 1999, he hit the winning runs – a four off Saqlain Mushtaq – as Australia hurtled past Pakistan’s modest total of 132 in the World Cup final at Lord’s. Four years later, Lehmann caught Zaheer Khan off Glenn McGrath to seal another trophy, in Johannesburg. And then, in March 2015, Lehmann was the successful coach as Australia beat New Zealand in the World Cup final in Melbourne.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

In 2016, he appeared clueless against spin at the venue. Almost nine years on, he disrupted spin with a wide range of shots

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jan-2025For Australia teams of a certain era, tours to South Asia were hardship postings. We’ve all heard the stories. The facilities were sub-par and the pitches questionable. The sun was hot. The humidity was icky. The butter chicken didn’t taste anything like in the local curry house in Sydney.The 1986 Dean Jones 210 story from the tied Test in Chennai (then Madras), for instance, features dehydration, mid-pitch vomiting, involuntary urination, smells emanating from a canal, and later in that Test, dodgy umpiring. Saline drips, blood, sweat, beers – these were the fluids of a subcontinent tour. (Sometimes you didn’t get beers)Usman Khawaja has been on tough tours. One in Sri Lanka was almost traumatically bad. In 2016, Australia were spun out six times, and Khawaja had the most memorably disastrous outing, in Galle. On the same Thursday, he fell for 11 to an offspinner’s arm ball in the morning, before leaving almost that exact same delivery to be bowled for a duck, in the final hour of play.It’s 2025, now, though, and things have changed. Modern-day Khawaja is different. He runs at spinners. He reverse-slaps them. He hits over the top. He turns even hard-spun well-flighted deliveries into scoring opportunities, coming down the track and whipping through midwicket. There’s no hardship in this posting. Khawaja’s on 21 off 29, then you blink and he has sailed to fifty. Once shellshocked and inert at this venue, the current version of Khawaja is proactive, calculated, and dynamic.Related

• Khawaja reflects on subcontinental career of two halves: 'Everyone sees only the good stuff'

• 'Yeah mate, no stress': Konstas takes axing in stride

• Stats – Steven Smith joins the 10k club of elite batters

Because this was a Khawaja innings, the first boundary was a soothing cover drive. But we got past the niceties quickly. There was a trek down the pitch to bang offspinner Nishan Peiris down the ground in the sixth over, a six off the same bowler a few overs later, then the reverse-sweeps when Sri Lanka bolstered their protection down the ground and left the square boundaries open. There were laps, conventional-sweeps, and when his manoeuvring forced bowlers to pitch short, the thundering pull through midwicket. Once he’d been mauled by spinners here, now he was manipulating them.Khawaja’s path here is instructive. Following those 2016 Tests (he was dropped for the third match), Khawaja watched George Bailey reverse-sweep Sri Lanka’s spinners to good effect in the ODI series that followed, and was desperate to add the shot to his game, as revealed to journalist Andrew Ramsay. If there is a single shot that substantially improves your batting against spin, the reverse-sweep has got to be high on the list. Suddenly, you can hit balls pitching tight in line with the stumps through point, or behind square on the offside. It’s a shot that makes captains change fields, and bowlers switch up their lengths, even subconsciously.There is also shifting wisdom. Where once, batting advice around surviving in South Asia centred around defence (“come all the way forward, or go right back against spin” etc), the focus is now on attacking and adding run-scoring options. Force the bowlers to defend instead. At times, Sri Lanka’s spinners bowled leg-stump lines to Australia’s batters, mainly to slow the run rate. Khawaja still found ways to collect frequent runs into the outfield, while Steven Smith at the other end also batted in high gear.Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith hit centuries to establish Australia’s command•AFP/Getty ImagesTheir progress was far from easy, of course. The morning was as still and humid as any day is likely to get at this venue. There was still significant turn from the surface, even if it was the slow, less dangerous kind. Travis Head set the standard for fun pretty high crashing 57 off 40 in the first 80 minutes of play. Khawaja was more measured with his aggression, but kept the vibes flowing as he reaped runs from shots he couldn’t play nine years ago.”Me and Heady both went after them a little bit,” Khawaja said of the opening passage of play, in which Australia scored rapidly. “I took the offspinner over his head a couple of times, and Heady was doing what Heady does, and we both put pressure on the bowlers in our own way and got the field spread out.”Later, alongside Smith, with whom Khawaja shared an unbroken 195-run stand in which both batters completed hundreds, Khawaja settled into rapid accumulation mode. Of his 147 runs on day one, only 46 came from boundaries, and he was still striking at 70 by stumps.”When you’re watching from the sidelines, people don’t pick up all the nuances,” Khawaja said of that phase of his innings. “You don’t know what I’m trying to do, how I’m trying to do it, or what I’m thinking. There’s a lot going on.”On the banks, and in the stands at Galle, as Australia had almost the perfect first day of a series, Australia’s fans outnumbered the locals, and Khawaja scripted a Galle redemption story, it almost felt as if a glorious Australian Test cricketing summer had been transported to Sri Lanka. At no stage did it feel like hardship.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

There were extremely mixed fortunes for the Britons on the continent this weekend. While there was a hat-trick for a certain Three Lions captain, other England internationals came under fire for their disappearing acts, while there were two red cards for us to sink our teeth into.

Every Monday this season, GOAL brings you the latest on British stars abroad, what they're getting up to, who is reaching the greatest heights and who needs to come home. Let's dive in…

• Kane off the bench to hit Bayern treble

  There would have been a few eyebrows raised among Bayern Munich supporters when it was announced Harry Kane would begin Saturday's match at Stuttgart among the substitutes, with Nicolas Jackson drafted into the starting XI in his place. The visitors led by only a single goal – a delightful flick from Konrad Laimer – by the time the England captain was introduced on the hour mark, while their hosts had already threatened and had a strike of their own ruled out by VAR in the first half.

  From the moment Kane took to the pitch, Bayern raced away with the three points. His first contribution was an old-school goal on 66 minutes, finding space around 25 yards out and picking out the bottom corner with a low drive clocked at 128 km/h. Josip Stanisic added a third when his speculative effort trickled through the arms of goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, who is still contracted to Bayern, before Lorenz Assignon's red card for a handball on the line set up Kane's finale. The striker converted from the penalty spot and then guided in a low cross from Michael Olise to ensure the reigning Bundesliga champions ran out 5-0 winners on the banks of the River Neckar.

  "It's something I'm not used to, but I did it a couple of times this season," Kane told the press of coming on as a substitute. "The boss wanted to keep me fresh and save energy. I came on after 60 minutes with a couple of other guys and we were able to exploit the space and get the goals. We had a tough battle in the cup midweek and today we faced one of the best teams in the league away, but we looked stronger in the last half an hour and punished them."

  Of course, Vincent Kompany was asked to explain this decision in his press conference, to which he said: "I had this change in mind before the game started. We have four games in 11 days. If I start Harry every game and he plays 90 minutes, I'll get questions about why he always plays. Every time we played Stuttgart, we've always grown stronger as the game progressed. I felt the spaces would be bigger when Harry came on, it was a good moment for him to come. And he did what he does."

  Kane received a perfect player rating from Germany's premier sports outlet and made team of the week for a sixth time already this season, while Stuttgart counterpart Deniz Undav hailed him as the 'best striker in the world'. "Ice cold in front of goal and good with the ball, that makes him so good. Great player and striker," the former Brighton forward added.

  An extraordinary Saturday means Kane has now set a new record of 58 goals in a calendar year, with Bayern still to play three more times before their Christmas break. This is far from a striker in decline.

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  Rashford fires blank on rare Barca start

  While Kane has been finding the back of the net from all angles lately, his England team-mate, Marcus Rashford, has now gone eight games without a goal for club and country. Having managed to shake off some rust that had compromised his fitness in recent weeks, he was handed his first Barcelona start since before the November international break for Saturday's trip to Real Betis.

  It turned out to be a cracking affair that went down as one of the games of the weekend, with Barca eventually securing a 5-3 win. They went behind early on to a fine strike from Rashford's former Manchester United colleague Antony, though Betis would go into the half-time break 4-1 down following a hat-trick from Ferran Torres and a first La Liga goal from summer signing Roony Bardghji. A late effort from Diego Llorente and a stoppage-time penalty from Cucho Hernandez saw Betis reduce the final deficit to only two goals.

  For a match of such chaos, it was surprising that Rashford didn't contribute it. He missed all of his five shots and didn't even come up with an assist, losing his grip atop La Liga's standings to Lamine Yamal, whose tally of seven moved him ahead of the Englishman's six.

  Talk of making Rashford's move from United permanent has cooled considerably since mid-autumn, with focus now centred on how Barcelona plan to replace the ageing Robert Lewandowski ahead of the expiry of his contract. Catalan outlet have touted Ferran as a longer-term solution up top, which could theoretically free up the funds needed to keep Rashford, though this isn't referenced in their reporting.

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  Battered Bellingham goes missing

  The pressure is ramping up on Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso, though he has hardly been helped by the performances of some of his star players. In Sunday's game at home to Celta Vigo, none of them turned up.

  Los Blancos' triumvirate of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are making difficult work of fitting in the same team. It is typically the Frenchman that pulls the rabbit out of the hat to save their skin, but even he couldn't break down a stubborn Celta side.

  Nerves jangled around the Bernabeu when the teams went into the break on level terms, perhaps fear creeping in that the hosts would fail to keep pace with La Liga leaders Barcelona. When Williot Swedberg fired the Galicians ahead on the other side of the restart, that shaken home crowd grew restless, and its energy translated to the pitch.

  There was fury when Borja Iglesias' elbow to Bellingham's face, which left the midfielder bleeding profusely, yielded no punishment. Minutes later, Fran Garcia was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence after charging into the back of Swedberg. Madrid huffed and puffed in their search for a leveller despite their one-man disadvantage, only for Alvaro Carreras to be sent off for dissent as the game entered five minutes added time. Endrick, an unused sub, was also shown a red card for his protestations on the sidelines.

  Swedberg's second of the evening to round off the 2-0 win for Celta saw the Bernabeu turn mutinous, with Madrid now four points behind Barcelona and just one ahead of third-placed Villarreal, who have a game in hand on Alonso's men. Bellingham was roundly criticised by the Spanish press for his loose touch and inability to keep the ball, losing a match-high eight duels. "He's having trouble turning quickly when receiving the ball in midfield," was notable criticism, though he was also praised for upping his work ethic when Madrid went down to 10.

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  McTominay battles through pain

  Another Brit in the wars this weekend was Scott McTominay. The Scotland midfielder complained of muscle discomfort during Napoli's crunch clash against Juventus at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, yet soldiered on and completed the full 90 minutes regardless.

  His impact on the game was subdued compared to his usual headline-grabbing exploits, though he still managed to rattle the woodwork and see a free-kick whistle narrowly wide. Instead, it was fellow Manchester United alumni in Rasmus Hojlund who stole the show, with the Dane scoring both of the champions' goals in a 2-1 victory to send them back up to first in the Serie A standings.

  Antonio Conte reserved special praise for the ragged McTominay in his post-match presser, claiming the midfielder has stepped up in a 'state of emergency' at Napoli with seven key players, including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, out injured.

  "McTominay, like everyone else, is certainly doing something important and extraordinary in terms of understanding the situation, taking responsibility, and growing," Conte said. "It shows in everyone… We played against Atalanta, Qarabag, Roma, Cagliari, and Juventus- strong teams – while we were in a state of emergency. I'm amazed by the enthusiasm and energy the team is putting in. Now we need to rest because Benfica awaits us, and we'll try to prepare better. We need to recharge our batteries."

  McTominay turned 29 on Monday and will be able to celebrate his birthday knowing he remains the best player in Serie A at present. In the longer term, he also has a World Cup showdown with Brazil to look forward to following Friday's group-stage draw. Some life, that.