Category: Cricket

West Indies cricket legend Clive Lloyd is worried about a new proposal to split test cricket into two tiers. This idea, which involves creating a top and a bottom division, would mean that only a few countries, like India, Australia, and England, would play against each other more often. Lloyd believes this would hurt other countries, especially those struggling to compete.

Lloyd, who was captain of the West Indies when the team was at its best in the 1970s and 1980s, said, “It’s bad for countries that worked hard to get test status. How can they improve if they don’t get to play the stronger teams?”

In the meantime, test cricket is facing tough competition from popular T20 leagues all over the world. Despite that, there are exciting test matches, like the recent series between India and Australia, which attracted big crowds. Former India coach Ravi Shastri supports the two-tier idea, saying it would make test cricket better by ensuring exciting matches.

However, Lloyd warned that being put into a lower tier could result in less funding for struggling countries. This could seriously damage the West Indies team, which consists of players from 15 different islands. He pointed out that the West Indies used to support cricket around the world, and now they need help.

“Our islands have to play together. We’ve been doing that for years,” Lloyd added. He reminded everyone that the West Indies were once very important for the sport and deserve better attention now.

On this day in 2019, the Indian cricket team made history! Led by captain Virat Kohli, they won a Test series in Australia for the very first time, something no other Indian team had done before. The exciting four-match series ended with India leading 2-1, and they could have won 3-1, but rain interrupted the final game in Sydney.

The series kicked off in December 2018, with both teams showing their skills and determination. India won the first Test and the third, while Australia claimed victory in the second. The last match ended in a rain-affected draw.

Key Players Who Shined:

– Cheteshwar Pujara: Pujara was the heart of India’s batting, scoring 521 runs with an amazing average of 74.42. He hit three centuries and made 193 runs in the Sydney Test, proving he could handle the Australian bowlers.

– Jasprit Bumrah: Bumrah emerged as a star bowler, taking 21 wickets at an average of 17 runs per wicket. He had a fantastic match in Melbourne, taking 6 wickets for just 33 runs.

– Rishabh Pant: The young wicketkeeper-batsman impressed everyone with an unbeaten 159 runs in the Sydney Test. He became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century in Australia and was the second-highest scorer for India in the series with 350 runs.

– Mohammed Shami: Shami was a great help to Bumrah, finishing the series with 16 wickets, including a brilliant performance of 6 wickets for 56 runs in one match.

Match Results:

– First Test (Adelaide): India won by 31 runs, thanks to Pujara’s century and strong bowling from Bumrah and Shami.

– Second Test (Perth): Australia bounced back, winning by 146 runs. Despite Kohli’s impressive 123 runs, India struggled in the second innings.

– Third Test (Melbourne): India took control and won by 137 runs. Pujara and Bumrah both played incredibly well.

– Fourth Test (Sydney): India declared their innings at an amazing 622 runs for 7. With centuries from both Pujara and Pant, Australia was saved by rain, and the match ended in a draw.

This incredible series victory was a major moment for Indian cricket. It showed how teamwork and strong performances could lead to success, even in challenging conditions abroad. The lessons learned and confidence gained from this series helped future Indian teams, including their next win in Australia in 2020-21.

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan spoke out on Tuesday to support a new idea to help save Test cricket. Vaughan, along with former India coach Ravi Shastri, believes that introducing a two-tier league with promotion and relegation could help keep this type of cricket alive. They shared their thoughts after watching the exciting five-Test series between Australia and India, which Australia won 3-1 in front of large crowds.

Vaughan wrote in a column that he thinks Test cricket needs to change to stay relevant. He suggested having matches last four days with a set number of overs each day, at least three matches for each series, and two groups of six teams, where teams can move up or down between groups based on their performance.

Shastri agreed with Vaughan, saying the recent Australia-India series showed that Test cricket is still popular, even with the rise of T20 franchise cricket. But he added that the top teams need to play against each other more often to keep things exciting.

Reports say that Australia, England, India, and the new chairman of the International Cricket Council, Jay Shah, will meet this month to discuss the two-tier structure. If they decide to go ahead, changes would start after 2027 when the current schedule ends.

Vaughan was happy to hear that the ICC is thinking about this plan, suggesting it could lead to famous matches like the Ashes happening twice every three years. He believes that having the best teams play against each other more often would make the games more interesting and reduce unfair matchups.

The ICC has been thinking about this two-tier system for a long time, but previous plans didn’t succeed due to resistance from powerful cricket boards like India’s. Although India could benefit from more matches against teams like England and Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) argued that smaller cricket countries would suffer too much.

In Sydney, former stars Ravi Shastri and Ricky Ponting praised the incredible number of fans who attended the recent Test series between India and Australia. With a record-breaking 837,000 fans coming to the five matches, some say this rivalry could be even bigger than the famous Ashes series.

Australia beat India 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, ending India’s winning streak. Shastri highlighted that an amazing 375,000 people showed up for the Melbourne Test, breaking a record set 90 years ago! He said, “This shows how much people love cricket today, even with TV and streaming options available.”

Shastri, who used to coach the Indian team, also praised Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins. He said, “Cummins has great determination and always competes hard, coming through for his team in tough moments.”

Ponting agreed, saying the attendance numbers in Australia were shocking. He mentioned, “Next summer, Australia will host England, so we will see if the rivalry continues to grow. The excitement around both teams is real, and fans want to see high-quality Test matches.”

Ponting noted that the attendance could have been even higher if there weren’t many rain delays and if all the matches lasted five days. He said, “This rivalry is really hard to top right now, and it just keeps getting bigger every year.”

He also praised Australia’s ability to overcome challenges during the series. He expected them to win early on but was surprised by how well they played in Melbourne and Sydney, proving their strength.

Fans are excited, and the rivalry between India and Australia is definitely heating up!

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh thinks that without Jasprit Bumrah, India would have lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia by a big score. Instead of a 3-1 series loss, it could have been 5-0!

Bumrah played amazingly well in the five-match series. He was the shining star, taking many wickets and causing trouble for the Australian batsmen. His best moment came in the first match in Perth, where he helped India to a fantastic 295-run win. Bumrah was the top wicket-taker of the series and finished with 32 wickets, breaking the record for the most wickets by an Indian in a Test series in Australia.

He had an impressive average of just 12.64 runs per wicket, which is remarkable! Bumrah took three five-wicket hauls, with his best performance being 6 wickets for 76 runs. Because of his outstanding play, Bumrah was named Player of the Series. Even Australian batsman Travis Head said it was the best individual performance he had seen. Harbhajan praised Bumrah on his YouTube channel, emphasizing that he was crucial for India. Without him, the series could have ended very differently, either 5-0 or 4-0 in favor of Australia.

On this day in 2008, Australia won a cricket match against India by 122 runs, equalizing their record of 16 straight Test wins. However, the match was filled with arguments about bad umpiring and claims of racial insults. The Sydney Test became one of the most talked-about matches in cricket history.

Australia batted first and scored a strong total of 463 runs. Andrew Symonds played a key role, making 162 not out. This achievement was later marred when Symonds admitted he had edged a ball early in his innings, but the umpires didn’t see it.

In reply, India scored 532 runs, with legend Sachin Tendulkar brilliantly scoring 154 not out. The match seemed headed for a draw until Australia declared their second innings at 401 for 7, setting India a challenging target of 333 runs. Unfortunately for India, they managed only 210 runs, giving Australia a thrilling victory in the last moments of the fifth day.

Umpiring Controversies

The match was filled with poor decisions from the umpires, Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson. Some key moments included:
– Andrew Symonds’ Edge: Symonds edged a ball to the wicketkeeper, which the umpires missed, allowing him to score his important runs.
– Michael Clarke’s Catch: Clarke was given not out after edging a ball to second slip and later caught Sourav Ganguly in a disputed decision. The umpires believed Clarke’s word, following an agreement made before the series.
– Other Errors: There were many more incorrect decisions, leading to a lot of complaints.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was unhappy and filed an official complaint, resulting in the International Cricket Council (ICC) replacing Steve Bucknor for the next Test.

‘Monkeygate’ Scandal

A big issue during the match was the exchange between Indian bowler Harbhajan Singh and Australian player Andrew Symonds. Symonds accused Harbhajan of making a racist comment, saying he was called a “monkey.” Match referee Mike Procter investigated and initially banned Harbhajan for three matches. This upset the Indian team, who even thought about stopping the tour. After an appeal and some misunderstandings came to light, the ban was lifted, and instead, Harbhajan was fined 50% of his match fee.

Tensions are heating up in the New Year’s Test match between South Africa and Pakistan at Newlands, Cape Town. Babar Azam found himself in a fiery moment once again, this time arguing with South African bowler Wiaan Mulder during the second innings. After being asked to bat again, Babar and Shan Masood played brilliantly, putting together the highest ever opening partnership for Pakistan against South Africa, surpassing the previous record of 137 set by Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar in 2003.

However, things got intense in the 32nd over. Babar was driving the ball right back to the bowler when Mulder caught it in his follow-through but then threw it at Babar. Although Babar was just outside the crease, the throw missed him entirely, which frustrated Babar and led to some heated words exchanged between him and Mulder. Luckily, Shan Masood, the umpire, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, and South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram all stepped in to cool things down.

During this drama, Kyle Verreynne, the South African wicketkeeper, tried a tricky run-out attempt similar to Jonny Bairstow’s style, prompting conversations between him and umpire Kumar Dharmasena. Earlier, on Day 1, Babar also had a tense exchange with South African all-rounder Marco Jansen as the Proteas came out to bat.

Back to the match, Pakistan is fighting back well after being asked to bat again. Babar and Shan are showing excellent skills in the second innings. Before this, Pakistan was all out for just 194 runs in their first innings, while South Africa scored a massive 615 runs, with Ryan Rickelton smashing 259 runs and Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne each scoring centuries.

South Africa leads the series 1-0 after winning the first Test by two wickets in Centurion. The Proteas are already set for the World Test Championship final, where they will face Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground from June 11-16.

Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has spoken out against the “star culture” in the Indian cricket team. His comments came after India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series to Australia by 1-3. Australia won the last match by six wickets, marking their first victory in this series in ten years.

Gavaskar pointed out that during the series, only Jasprit Bumrah seemed to step up when the team needed help. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli didn’t perform well, raising questions about their future in the team. Rohit Sharma didn’t play in the last match and Bumrah captained instead. Although Kohli scored a century in Perth, he struggled and scored less than 200 runs in the entire series against Australia.

Gavaskar believes the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should stop supporting players who aren’t fully committed to Indian cricket. He stated, “The next 8-10 days are important for Indian cricket. We need to stop the star culture. Players should always be available for the team unless they have a real medical reason. If a player isn’t fully committed, they shouldn’t be picked.”

He emphasized that Indian cricket should come first, and the board should stop pampering players. Because of the recent losses, India has failed to qualify for the World Test Championship final for the first time. That final match will take place between Australia and South Africa from June 11-16.

Gavaskar concluded, “We don’t need players who are only partly committed. It’s time to stop pampering them. The cricket board needs to put its foot down and make it clear that Indian cricket comes first.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to send injured opening batsman Saim Ayub to London to help him recover in time for next month’s Champions Trophy. Ayub broke his right ankle during the second test against South Africa in Cape Town. Doctors say he will need at least six weeks to heal.

In a statement, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi mentioned, “He’s a very talented batter and an important player for us. We are concerned about his injury and want him to get the best treatment possible.”

Ayub will be accompanied by assistant coach Azhar Mahmood as they take the first flight out of Cape Town. Pakistan, the defending champion, will play its first match in group A of the Champions Trophy against New Zealand on February 19.

The ICC is organizing the tournament in different countries because India decided not to come to Pakistan due to safety concerns. India will play all its matches, including the semifinals and finals if they qualify, in Dubai. They are in group A along with Bangladesh. Group B consists of England, Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan. The matches will be held in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.

India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3, and there’s been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma, who didn’t play in the important Sydney Test. On Day 2 of the match, Rohit spoke to Star Sports and clarified that he is not “retiring” from Test cricket; he simply chose to step down because he wasn’t performing well.

Former Indian player Sanjay Manjrekar believes Rohit wanted to explain his situation because Gautam Gambhir, the team’s head coach, was receiving praise for leaving Rohit out of the team. Rohit declared he is still very much interested in playing for India in Test matches and pointed out that there’s always a chance he could start scoring runs again in the future.

Manjrekar appreciated Rohit for admitting his poor form but suggested there was more to Rohit’s interview. He felt that Rohit wanted to make it clear that he is not done with international cricket just yet. Manjrekar made these comments after India’s six-wicket loss in Sydney.

Manjrekar praised Rohit for his honest interview, especially when Rohit admitted he couldn’t play another out-of-form batter in the team and that’s why he sat out this match. He added that players should remember who really makes the decisions about their future in cricket. While a player can choose when to retire, it’s up to the chairman of selectors to decide if they should keep playing for the nation.

Unfortunately for Rohit, he only scored 31 runs in three Tests against Australia, with his best score being just 10. In the recent Test season, he got 164 runs in eight matches at an average of 10.94.