INDIANAPOLIS — Sebastian Bourdais, a four-time champion of the defunct Champ Car tour, will not return to Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan next season.

The news was first reported by Racer.com’s Marshall Pruett.

Bourdais, from Le Mans, France, first joined Coyne following his stint in Formula One. He entered nine races in 2012 driving for Coyne before departing the team to drive for Dragon Racing and KVSH Racing from 2013 to ’16.

He then returned to the team for the 2017 season and has been with the team since.

“I want to thank Sebastien for having the confidence to come back from his Formula 1 tour and join our team in 2011, and again for his commitment to the team during the past three years,” said team owner Dale Coyne. “It is not a decision we take lightly, but due to the ever-changing landscape of Indy car racing, we have no choice but to make a change for 2020. We wish Sebastien all the best with his future racing endeavors.”

Bourdais competed under the Dale Coyne Racing banner in 2011 and 2017 and Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan for the 2018 and 2019 NTT IndyCar Series seasons. Bourdais earned back-to-back victories in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Fla.) in 2017-’18 while driving for Coyne.

“I want to thank Dale, Jimmy and Sulli for giving me this opportunity to continue racing in the NTT IndyCar Series over the past few years,” remarked Bourdais, “I look forward to pursuing new opportunities in racing in the years ahead.”

Vasser-Sullivan Racing co-owners Jimmy Vasser and James Sullivan thanked Bourdais for his time with the team in a joint statement.

“We both want to thank Sebastien for the outstanding job he did driving for our teams KVSH Racing and Dale Coyne Racing Vasser-Sullivan,” the duo said in the statement. “Looking back Seb has driven 84 races for us. In that time, we captured poles and won a lot of races. Sebastien is a great friend, a great driver, a true champion and a fantastic ambassador for our partners and Indy car racing. We wish him the best of luck in the next phase of his career where we hope there will be an opportunity for us to race together again.”

Bourdais is one of several marquee names on the NTT IndyCar Series free agent market. He joins James Hinchcliffe and Spencer Pigot as drivers in search of opportunities ahead of the 2020 season.

POMONA, Calif. – The National Hot Rod Ass’n has fined NHRA Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence $25,000 for an incident that took place during the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Nov. 17.

Torrence was involved in a post-race incident following the first round of Top Fuel eliminations with his opponent Cameron Ferre, which saw Torrence push Ferre’s face away from him with his hand.

Torrence, who would go on to clinch his second-straight Top Fuel title later in the day, was upset because Ferre deep staged against Torrence during their first round race during eliminations.

The $25,000 fine will be to enhancing the capabilities of the Safety Safari. Torrence, who apologized for his conduct during the NHRA Awards Banquet on Nov. 18, must also complete anger management sessions as part of the penalty.

Things are getting heated at the @AAASoCal #NHRAFinals!

Watch the action on @FS1 at 4p ET! ? pic.twitter.com/NJO9iKQ15b

— #NHRA (@NHRA) November 17, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS – John Martin, a veteran of five Indianapolis 500 starts and the eighth-place finisher in the rain-shortened 1973 event, died Nov. 20. He was 80.

A gifted mechanic and engineer, who performed much of the work on cars he drove, Martin was active in racing until his death. His most-recent role was working near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at Billy Throckmorton’s Grant King racing shop, restoring and preparing a variety of racing engines for vintage car meets, including normally aspirated Offenhausers, turbocharged Drake Offys, Volkswagen midget car engines and an abundance of vintage sprint car powerplants.

Last summer, he drove in Vintage Race of Champions Charity Pro-Am race during the SVRA Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational at IMS, a race he competed in every year since the inaugural in 2014.

The Cushing, Oklahoma-born Martin, who lived in Missouri, Wisconsin, California and in the Indianapolis area, made a total of 52 starts in the United States Auto Club National Championship series and under the Championship Auto Racing Teams banner, placing within the top 10 on 17 occasions in Indy car events. His highest showing was a pair of fifth-place finishes, scored in the Ontario 500-mile races of 1973 and 1975.

He attempted to qualify for every Indianapolis 500 between 1971 and 1982 and was successful for five consecutive events between 1972 and 1976. Driving an ex-Peter Revson McLaren fielded by himself, Martin placed eighth in 1973, when the car was called the Unsponsored Special, and 11th in 1974 when it ran as the delightfully named Sea Snack Shrimp Cocktail Special.

Long after he was no longer driving, Martin continued to work on teams in a variety of capacities, including engineer, fabricator and spotter. Far into the night prior to an event, Martin could be seen dressed in an apron and engrossed in a mechanical exercise of some kind.

His early days of driving were as an amateur road racer with the Sports Car Club of America. While living in Wisconsin, he converted a 1963 Corvette Stingray into an A-production racer and won a national title with it in 1965. He also took part in several United States Auto Club stock car races between 1966 and 1969, and contested SCCA’s Trans-Am series in 1968 with an AMC Javelin. In 1970, he drove a Surtees in the SCCA Continental series for stock block-powered Formula 5000 cars and placed within the top 10 in eight out of 11 starts.

A great storyteller, the laid-back Martin was blessed with a rich baritone voice which the professionals would describe as a “radio” voice.

He is survived by his wife, Linda, and a married daughter, Kristen De Muth.

Services are pending, but a celebration of life is being planned for some time in December at the Grant King racing shop.

HOLLY, Mich. – After an eight-year absence, the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series will return to Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Ind., as part of its 2020 schedule.

The World’s Fastest Short Track Cars will compete at the .686-mile paved oval on May 9, marking the series’ second race in the Midwestern portion of its season and the second race at LOR in series history.

The event will serve as the opening round of the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash Series for 2020, replacing one of the two previously-scheduled dates at Michigan’s Berlin Raceway.

Both Berlin dates have been removed from Must See Racing’s 2020 event calendar.

The only prior appearance by the Must See Racing sprint cars at Lucas Oil Raceway came on July 9, 2012. On that day, Brian Gerster set the all-time LOR track record at 17.407 seconds (141.874 mph) in qualifying before going on to win the feature later that night.

The Must See Racing appearance at LOR will be part of the three-day Indy Revolution, May 7-9, featuring drag racing on the LOR drag strip Thursday, Friday and Saturday before the Must See Racing sprint cars headline action on the oval track Saturday night.

“It’s funny how things work out; I actually tripped over the Must See Racing series in a way, but started doing research and thought it would make a great idea and a great time for the fans at Lucas Oil Raceway,” said Indy Revolution promoter Mike Moore. “With the whole deal spanning over three days and ending with a race on the oval, it’s a complete automotive event that we feel should be a great time for the fans and for automotive enthusiasts of all kinds.

“We’ve been saying that ‘the Indy Revolution is coming,’ because back in the 80s, this used to happen with car shows, drag racing and oval-track racing … and we hope to bring back that tradition in May.”

The Lucas Oil Raceway event will directly follow Must See Racing’s Midwestern opener at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, making for a pivotal early-season swing through the Hoosier State when it comes to the championship points race.

“We are extremely excited to return to a top-class facility like Lucas Oil Raceway as we go into our second decade of competition in 2020,” said Must See Racing President Jim Hanks. “Our first visit there back in 2012 was highlighted by some exceptional competition, and we hope to improve upon that in May, especially when you factor in the growth in talent and car counts that Must See Racing has experienced over the past year.

“Lucas Oil Raceway will provide another marquee event for our racers and fans in 2020 and we look forward to rolling into the track with The World’s Fastest Short Track Cars in a few short months.”

Details on the replacement date and venue for the second race of the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash mini-series will be announced at a later date.

SAVAGE, Minn. – Sébastien Bourdais wasn’t without a job for very long.

Mere hours after it was confirmed Bourdais would not return to Dale Coyne Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series, JDC-Miller MotorSports has confirmed the four-time Champ Car champion would join the team for the full IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Bourdais will partner with Joao Barbosa to share the No. 5 Cadillac DPi-V.R, which will carry sponsorship from Mustang Sampling. The agreement with Mustang Sampling is a two-year contract.

Bourdais returns to prototype competition after spending the past four seasons as a part of the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT program while also racing in the NTT IndyCar Series.

“Following two very difficult weeks filled with uncertainty regarding my future, I am thrilled to get the opportunity to race a prototype again, be reunited with Joao, Ken and Brenda, and drive for JDC-Miller MotorSports and Mustang Sampling Racing,” Bourdais said. “I want to thank Christian and everyone who made this possible. 2020 can’t come soon enough and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of our Cadillac DPi-V.R.”

Mustang Sampling has been involved in IMSA competition since 2015 when the company partnered with Action Express Racing.

“We are honored to have Mustang Sampling joining us and grateful for the confidence Brenda and Ken Thompson have placed in our team and organization,” said John Church, managing partner of JDC-Miller MotorSports. “Mustang Sampling Racing has achieved a tremendous amount in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. We look forward to carrying on the legacy of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing entry and hope to add more wins and championships in the near future.”

“We are thrilled to continue our Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac Prototype program with our new partner JDC-Miller MotorSports in 2020,” said Mustang Sampling President Ken Thompson. “Our first five years in IMSA with Action Express, Corvette, and Cadillac were great. Learning the sport and becoming a part of the IMSA family promoting sport car racing for all the great fans was fantastic and we are very thankful to all who guided us along the way. We had much success, enjoyed many wins and Championships during that time. Now with our partnership with JDC-Miller MotorSports we are confident this amazing run will continue and provide many future wins and Championships. Since joining the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship in 2014 JDC-Miller MotorSports has shown incredible growth and success in every category they have competed. We feel as a group we can be successful, both on and off the track, as we work together to develop new opportunities for Mustang Sampling and our fans.

“We are also extremely proud that along with this new venture we have added Christian Fittipaldi as an advisor and core part of the team, helping to ensure this continued success. We can’t wait to see the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R back on track at Daytona in just a few months. ”

The team also confirmed 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Loïc Duval will complete the line-up for the endurance rounds. Duval currently competes with Audi in the DTM and Formula E championship.

JDC-Miller further confirmed that it plans to continue running a two-car Cadillac DPi program in 2020.

“Our plans for the second car are progressing well and we will be running it again this season,” said Church. “We have a couple very solid pieces in place and are currently in discussions with several additional drivers and partners. We hope we can make an announcement on who will drive for us in the JDC-Miller MotorSports No. 85 entry very soon.”

NAPLES, Fla. – What more does Mike Whan have to achieve as the LPGA commissioner?

With a new long-term contract secured, Whan made it clear Friday he isn’t lacking motivation or goals after 10 years of successfully rebuilding the once-foundering women’s tour.

“It really does frustrate me when people say, 'What are you going to do next, now that you did what you came to do at the LPGA?’” Whan said in his annual state-of-the-tour news conference at the CME Group Tour Championship. “It would be embarrassing for me if this was as good as it gets. It would be embarrassing for the LPGA. This can't be where women's golf plateaus.

“If it plateaus here, shame on all of us. They didn't bring me in to bounce back to 34 tournaments and 'X' number of TV [tournament hours].”

Now that Whan has rebuilt the tour schedule, he’s focused on continuing to build more lucrative financial opportunities for his players.

“We decided we were going to try to fulfill the mission of the LPGA, and fulfilling the mission of the LPGA was not a number of tournaments” Whan said. “It wasn't a number of stops. It wasn't how many countries televise our event. It was putting women on a platform that had never been seen before. I'm not sure we're there yet. And there's certainly a long way to go, but some really cool signs. This week, really cool signs.”

Whan was speaking of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge’s $1 million payout to Carlota Ciganda, the CME Group Tour Championship’s $1.5 million first-place check and the release of the LPGA’s 2020 schedule with its record $75.1 million purse.

Whan believes prize money and endorsement deals will continue to grow as TV exposure grows.

“Pay gap is going to close in women's golf, just like it's going to close in women's sports,” Whan said. “It's not going to close because some ad agency comes up with a spreadsheet . . . That’s not how social movements happen. It's going to happen because a couple people step up and say, 'You know what? This is the right thing to do. I can afford to do it, and by God, I'm going to do it.’ And I think we're going to see the same thing happen in golf. Is that going to happen in a year or two? Or 10? I don't know. But I have zero doubt that's going to happen, and it won't be because of the new analysis run on branding numbers.

“I can't understand when or how that's going to happen, so I'm not going to waste any time. I've got to focus on No. 1, which is, 'That's on us.’ I always say to the players: 'That's on us.’ We want to have revenue from these folks, we've got to deliver more for the revenue. So, we've got to go work on that. Let the social movement take care of itself.”

Regarding Whan’s long-term contract, the LPGA hasn’t released just how long his new deal is. Whan said that’s intentional.

“I don't really know if we put an end year on it,” Whan said. “The good news is they can get rid of me any time they want, and they don't have to pay me . . . When it's time for me to go, I don't want you to feel like you owe me three years of income, because of some meeting we had some year. That's a terrible way to run a company, [where] every dollar goes back to the members.

“So, we've got an agreement on how I'm going to get paid, and how I'm going to run my team for the long term. That agreement doesn't require me, under some penalty, [the] inability to walk away early, and it doesn't give them any penalty when I do something really stupid, which is likely, and it's time to move on.”

Whan, 54, enjoys remarkable support through the player and sponsor ranks. He said he isn’t focused on goals with a contract’s end date in mind.

“I'm going to keep doing it as long as I'm passionate about it and as long as they want me to come back,” he said.

In just its third edition of its existence, it is fair to say the Abu Dhabi T10 is still a work in progress. As a result, there are still tweaks to be made, issues to be ironed out and a lot of trials to be carried out.

From being a four-day, round-robin format played out between six franchises in its inaugural edition, the tournament went from 13 matches to 29 the following season as it welcomed two new teams into the fold. That second season stretched the competition to 12 days and while the same structure was retained this year, it has found a ten-day slot in its new home in the UAE capital.

The Super League stage has remained in place, but with every team playing each other bar their opposite number in the other group (for example, Deccan Gladiators and Maratha Arabians avoided each other in the Super League stage having topped Group A and B respectively and so on), there is little jeopardy as the tournament moves into its second stage.

And this existing league structure is something Abu Dhabi T10 owner-cum-chairman Shaji ul Mulk says he and his team plan to address after Sunday's final.

"It's possible [that the tournament format changes]," Shaji told ESPNcricinfo. "Because we have eight teams, we could be doing seven games a team so that we have a full round-robin. That would probably need us to increase the duration by another two days."

Delhi Bulls captain Eoin Morgan, who has been involved with the tournament since its inception, also sees the potential for adjustments. "There are a couple of things but I don't have a solution for them yet," Morgan said. "We're only in our third year, things will continue to evolve, maybe even more teams still in a shorter space of time."

The group stage has also become a topic for conversation over its lack of tie-breakers, such as a Super Over, to ensure results in every match. They are in place for the knockout matches that begin on Saturday but after two ties this year, their absence has been notable.

When you throw in Wednesday's rain that produced one farce and two no results, the difference between shared points and full points is something that cannot be ignored. And while the rain cannot be helped, other things can be.

"We've seen two ties already and I think all coaches agree we need to see a result, whatever form that's in whether it's a Super Over or how that's determined," Team Abu Dhabi coach Trevor Bayliss, whose side was hit by both that abandonment and T10's first-ever tie, told ESPNcricinfo. "A result in every match would be good for everyone involved, not just the players but obviously the fans and the viewers at home as well."

Morgan, like Bayliss, knows the finality of a Super Over more than most after this year's ODI World Cup final and he would rather a ten-over game had a conclusion. "If we played in a tied game and we ended up a point short the argument is: would you rather have a result than one point each and I'd always err on the side of having a result," Morgan said.

Shaji puts the fast turnaround of games as a reason behind the lack of Super Overs until the qualifiers and final, his argument based on the fact that one of T10's greatest USP is its 90-minute game-time. When you factor in slots on TV schedules and advertising space, it is no easy thing to balance.

"We will be looking at it from next season onwards," Shaji said. "Now that we've had two ties, we will probably consider changing those playing conditions. We want something innovative like two bowlers, three balls each."

One thing the Abu Dhabi T10 will be hoping to sustain is the strong crowds that have turned out so far. The UAE is a notoriously difficult place to pull in supporters despite a cricket-mad diaspora. To combat it this year, organisers invested in buses from across the emirates to provide transport for people that otherwise would have found it difficult to source.

The result has been remarkable as evidenced by Friday's enormous crowd-swell, and Morgan hopes that, in future, the showpiece events are scheduled to tie-in with what is a non-working day for the majority of the country.

"You look at the crowd today given that it's the weekend here and that's fantastic to see. Probably one of the things would be having the final on a weekend [Friday or Saturday] as opposed to [Sunday]. But it's still great to see crowds like that today."

Baroda and Karnataka surged to the top of the Super League groups A and B, winning their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches on Friday. While Baroda held off Delhi by a solitary run, Karnataka beat Jharkhand by 13 runs in a game they looked like they would win at a canter at one stage. The victories gave them both eight points each from two matches.

Rajasthan and Jharkhand, who have both had a close defeat each in high-scoring games, now find themselves with two defeats in as many Super League games, making a spot in the semi-finals difficult.

Like on Thursday, there were IPL scouts from at least four franchises in attendance for the matches, making performances in the Super League particularly crucial given the IPL auction that is scheduled for December 19.

Baroda v Delhi

A combined effort by the Delhi bowlers kept Baroda to 151 for 6. However, Delhi's chase stuttered and finished on 150 for 9. Babashafi Pathan, the right-arm medium-pacer, took 3 for 24 for Baroda, while Kunwar Bidhuri fought a lone battle for Delhi.

Bhiduri, handed a game due to Shikhar Dhawan's injury, had a sparkling T20 debut, hitting 68 off 51 balls at the top of the order. However, he lacked support from the rest of the Delhi batsmen. He was ninth out at the start of the 20th over. Delhi needed 19 to win from the remaining five balls and though Suboth Bhati swung his bat during an unbeaten 20 off 8 balls, Delhi could make only 17 runs.

Baroda didn't have any batsman making a standout innings, though Aditya Waghmode continued his good form, top-scoring with 36 off 31 while opening. Only Deepak Hooda (26 off 19) among the other batsmen crossed 20, though useful contributions right through meant Baroda got to a competitive - and eventually winning - total.

Tamil Nadu v Mumbai

Tamil Nadu put behind a comprehensive defeat to Karnataka to hand the other tournament favourites - Mumbai - a resounding loss, by seven wickets with 6.1 overs to spare. Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani had a remarkable day, but the rest of the Mumbai team crumbled.

Tamil Nadu's bowlers ensured Mumbai could get only 121 for 9, despite Mulani hitting 73 off 52 after being promoted to No. 4. R Sai Kishore continued his good run with figures of 3 for 18 in four overs, while M Siddharth took 4 for 16. Prithvi Shaw made 30 off 19 at the top of the order, but no other Mumbai player got into double-figures.

Tamil Nadu sent in Shahrukh Khan to partner Hari Nishanth at the top of the order, and the duo gave the team a rapid start. Shahrukh fell in the fourth over, bowled by Mulani, with B Aparajith following him back two balls later. However, Nishanth, who didn't have a good outing against Karnataka, came to the fore in style, smashing 73* off 44 balls.

Mulani took all three wickets to fall - Dinesh Karthik being the third - to complete a fabulous all-round day with figures of 3 for 26 in four overs, but Vijay Shankar ensured he stayed alongside Nishanth as victory was raised in just 13.5 overs.

Karnataka v Jharkhand

Put in to bat, Karnataka rocketed off the blocks, before losing their way in the second half of their innings. Their fantastic start nonetheless ensured a sizeable 189 for 6 on the board, and though Jharkhand fought gamely, the required rate was always a touch above what they looked like achieving, eventually finishing on 176 for 5.

Karnataka's start was driven by Devdutt Padikkal - in many ways the batsman of the tournament so far - who raced to 63 off 30 balls in an opening stand that brought 114 in 9.3 overs. His opening partner KL Rahul was more sedate in comparison, while Manish Pandey came in and picked up where Padikkal had left off. However, both men fell shortly thereafter, though at 130 for 3 in 11 overs, Karnataka were still looking at a total well in excess of 200. However, with their three main batsmen gone, the rest of the line-up struggled and could only score at around a run a ball thereon. Left-arm spinner Sonu Singh did most of the damage, with 3 for 28 in four overs. He took out both Rahul and Pandey, and added the wicket of Karun Nair too.

Jharkhand's reply was driven by Virat Singh's 76* off 44 from No.3, but the batsmen around him couldn't keep up with the required rate. They needed 87 runs in the last six overs, which is when Virat and Sumit Kumar (23 off 16) cut loose, but though they scored at more than two runs per ball, the eventual target proved too steep.

Haryana v Rajasthan

Tight bowling by Haryana gave them a four-wicket victory over Rajasthan with 4.4 overs remaining, with Harshal Patel putting in an all-round show once again.

Harshal, who has been opening the batting in this tournament, first took 1 for 19 in his four overs as Rajasthan were restricted to 123 for 8. Ankit Lamba top-scored with 38, but took 41 balls, and only Chandrapal Singh (25* off 14) crossed 20 among other batsmen. Rahul Tewatia, recently traded from Delhi Capitals to Rajasthan Royals, was the most successful bowler, with 3 for 18 in four overs.

Interestingly, Haryana opened with two leggies in Yuzvendra Chahal and Amit Mishra, while Tewatia - another leggie - was the first change bowler.

Harshal led Haryana's reply, smacking 41 off 25 at the top of the order to be the highest score of the match. Haryana didn't have too many others contributing, but given the small target, they didn't need to.

Jozi Stars' title defence hopes are hanging by a thread after losing a fifth successive match in the Mzansi Super League (MSL). Although mathematically it is still possible for them to make the playoffs, they will need more than just their own results to go their way. Despite shuffling their batting line-up, the Stars did not manage to score enough runs and their 129 for 3 was never going to be enough against a strong Paarl Rocks side. James Vince picked up from his undefeated 86 against the Spartans last Sunday, scoring 43 to ensure the Rocks successfully chased down their target inside 17 overs. They move to third on the table, four points behind leaders, the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants.

Will Chris Gayle play his 400th T20 in South Africa?

In his 399th T20 game, Chris Gayle was dropped down the order to No.3 after a poor start, with 46 runs in five innings so far. At first, the move seemed successful. Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks opened the Stars' innings with a strong stand of 64 in 9.4 overs before Rickelton was dismissed for 40. That brought Gayle to the crease with enough of a foundation to get going immediately. But Gayle only managed a single before he was struck on the pad by Hardus Viljoen and given out. Replays showed the ball had pitched outside leg but with no DRS, Gayle would not have even been able to review. He is now in danger of leaving the tournament without making much of an impression or completing a personal milestone. Gayle is available for one more match in this tournament when the Stars play the Tshwane Spartans on Sunday. If he plays, it will be his 400th, but the Stars have already hinted they made need to make significant changes to their side.

Magic tricks

Tabraiz Shamsi has packed his phone away for this season and is now showing off his skills as a magician in the making. Shamsi keeps a handkerchief in his pocket which turns into a wand, and when he takes a wicket, he brings it out in celebration. The contraption made its first appearance in this edition of the MSL when he had Hendricks caught at long-off. None of Shamsi's team-mates went too close to him when the catch was taken, perhaps knowing he needed some space, and allowed the Paarl crowd to see their very own Harry Potter at work.

KG on the comeback trail

Kagiso Rabada has not looked his usual sprightly self since the tour of India, until his first ball at Boland Park. It wasn't the first ball of the innings, as it might ordinarily have been. Rabada was used as first-change after Gayle was given the new ball, and he quickly showed what he is capable of. He fired in a full delivery outside off, and Henry Davids, who was caught on the back foot trying to cut, inside-edged onto leg-stump, which went cartwheeling away. Rabada returned in the 15th over, with the cause all but lost and managed to have something of a last say when he caught Mangaliso Mosehle off his own bowling. A lengthy check for a no-ball showed that Rabada was just on the line and Mosehle had to go. Rabada could have had a third off the next ball but Gayle dropped an Isuru Udana skier at point.

Olivier's over

The match was tensely poised with the Paarl Rocks on 64 for 4 halfway through their chase, still needing 66 runs off the final 10 overs when Duanne Olivier released the pressure with an over that cost 15. Vince was the beneficiary of Olivier's misdirected line down leg and the vacant third man area, where he sent three, successive boundaries. The required run-rate dipped under six an over after that, and dipped to four when Simon Harmer's second over cost 17. There was no stopping the Rocks from there.

The Indian selection committee has decided to release Rishabh Pant from the Test squad in order to allow him to get some game-time ahead of India's limited overs series against West Indies next month, according to a report from PTI.

Pant will link up with the Delhi squad that is currently playing in the Super League of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019-20. He will thus be available for Delhi's next two Super League matches, against Haryana on November 24 and Rajasthan on November 27, and for the semi-finals and final if Delhi make it that far.

Meanwhile, the selectors have called up KS Bharat, the Andhra wicketkeeper, to join the Indian team as cover for Wriddhiman Saha for the remainder of the second Test in Kolkata. Andhra have not qualified for the Super League in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

"Rishabh will be playing all the six matches (3 T20Is and 3 ODIs) against the West Indies. The selectors thought it's only prudent that he goes and plays in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Delhi," Press Trust of India quoted a BCCI official as saying.

Bharat has been a regular with India A in the longer format for the past few seasons, though he has never broken into the senior team. He made his first-class debut in January 2013, and has so far played 69 games, scoring 3,909 runs at an average of 37.58. He has eight centuries and 20 half-centuries, which includes a highest of 308 against Goa in 2015.

"I played the first pink ball match in Lucknow when it was introduced in the Duleep Trophy in 2015," Bharat told PTI as he was on his way to airport from his Visakhapatnam residence. "I got a call and was asked to join the team. I'm reaching at 8.30 tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to sharing the dressing room with my idol Virat bhai. Wriddhiman is one of the best wicketkeepers of the current era. I'm hoping to learnt a lot from them."

There have already been two concussion substitutes in the ongoing Test, both for Bangladesh. In the match itself, India's first day-night Test with a pink ball, the home side are firmly in control after the first day.