Category: Cricket

Day 3 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match in Melbourne was expected to showcase Rishabh Pant’s batting skills as he returned to the crease for India. However, things did not go as hoped. Pant made just 28 runs and was caught out after a risky shot. India was struggling at 191/5, chasing Australia’s big total of 474.

Pant attempted a tricky ramp shot against bowler Scott Boland but ended up hitting a top edge, which was easily caught by a fielder. This mistake came after he had batted cautiously for about 40-45 minutes, making his dismissal even more disappointing.

After Pant’s wicket, two Australian cricket legends, Mark Waugh and Michael Hussey, had a lively disagreement on TV. Waugh criticized Pant’s shot, calling it “unacceptable” because there were fielders in place specifically to catch that kind of risky play.

“It’s just too hard a shot to play in that situation,” Waugh said. “If you want to be aggressive, run at the bowler and hit over mid-off instead.”

However, Hussey defended Pant, saying it’s part of how he plays the game, even if it was a bad shot. England’s Michael Vaughan joined in to support Hussey, saying Pant is a unique talent who should keep playing his style.

Waugh stood firm in his criticism, saying Pant’s shot was awful when India needed him to build a strong innings. Hussey suggested that if Pant had hit a six, Waugh would have praised him. Their playful banter led to Waugh jokingly reminding Hussey that he was just an assistant coach and not the head coach.

While the debate continued, it was a tough day for India, but Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped up late in the innings. After batting at 191/6, he scored his first Test century, finishing day 3 unbeaten at 105 runs. India ended the day at 358/9, still trailing by 116 runs.

In an exciting T20 match on Saturday, New Zealand narrowly defeated Sri Lanka by eight runs. Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell each scored half centuries and together made a strong partnership of 105 runs for the sixth wicket. Their impressive performance helped New Zealand reach a total of 172 runs, even after they had struggled early on at 65 runs for 5 wickets.

Sri Lanka started well, with Pathum Nissanka scoring a fantastic 90 runs, building a big opening partnership of 121 runs with Kusal Mendis, who added 46 runs. Just when it looked like Sri Lanka would win easily, things changed quickly. Jacob Duffy bowled an incredible over, taking three wickets for just one run, which completely turned the game around for New Zealand.

By the time Nissanka was out, Sri Lanka was at 153 runs for 5 wickets, needing only 20 more runs to win. However, with several players getting out cheaply after that, Sri Lanka could not finish the job. Their captain, Charith Asalanka, expressed disappointment, saying the team should have performed better.

New Zealand’s bowlers, particularly Matt Henry and Zak Foulkes, did a great job towards the end, helping secure the win. It was a thrilling match, showing how quickly the game can change.

Arshdeep Singh had an amazing game for Punjab at the ADSA Railways Cricket Ground in Ahmedabad. He took 5 important wickets and helped his team keep the strong Mumbai batting lineup in check during their Vijay Hazare Trophy match.

In his opening spell, Arshdeep got rid of 5 of the top 6 Mumbai batsmen. He started by bowling out both openers, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ayush Mhatre, who both fell to LBW (leg before wicket). Then, he took the wicket of Hardik Tamore with the help of Sanvir Singh.

Arshdeep then returned to claim the big wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. This really helped Punjab, as Yadav and Shreyas Iyer tried to build a partnership but couldn’t get going. The Punjab captain, Abhishek Sharma, decided to keep Arshdeep bowling, and he responded brilliantly by bowling out Shreyas Iyer, who is known to be a dangerous player. Mumbai was in big trouble at 28/5.

After a few quieter overs, where Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge tried to steady the innings, Arshdeep got Dube out too, completing his five wickets and leaving Mumbai at 61/6.

Even though Mumbai got off to a horrible start, their lower order fought back well. They managed to put together some important partnerships and reached a total of 248 runs. Suryansh Shedge scored 44 runs, while Atharva Ankolekar was the top scorer with 66 runs at number eight. Shardul Thakur also chipped in with 43 runs, showing Mumbai’s depth in batting.

Arshdeep’s remarkable bowling figures were 5 wickets for just 38 runs in his ten overs. Now, Punjab needs to score 249 runs to win.

Both teams came into this game with 2 wins and 1 loss each, making this match really crucial in the tight group C of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

In an exciting match on Saturday, December 28, 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy showed off his amazing skills as he made his first Test century. Playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), he stepped in to bat when India was in big trouble at 191-6, chasing Australia’s tall score of 474 runs. But with a brilliant innings of 105 not out off 176 balls, Reddy turned the game around!

After reaching his century, Reddy struck the famous ‘Baahubali’ pose, celebrating his special moment. He became the first No. 8 batter to score a hundred at the MCG, beating the previous record of 92 runs set by Mitchell Johnson in 2012.

Reddy teamed up with Washington Sundar, who also played well with a solid 50 runs from 162 balls. Together, they built an important partnership of 127 runs for the eighth wicket, which helped India reach 358-9 by the end of the day. This was crucial because it reduced the gap to 116 runs and kept India from the follow-on.

Reddy’s innings showcased how determined and aggressive he can be. He hit ten fours and one six, bringing up his century with a beautiful shot over mid-on off the bowler Scott Boland. Earlier in the innings, he impressed everyone with a fantastic cover drive against Mitchell Starc, showing he can handle tough bowlers.

Starting the day at 164-5, India faced more challenges as Rishabh Pant scored only 28 runs and Ravindra Jadeja got out for 17. With the team’s top players already out, Reddy and Sundar proved to be the heroes, lifting the spirits of Indian fans at the MCG.

This knock from Reddy, in only his debut series, has been one of the biggest highlights for India. So far, he has scored 282 runs in just six Test innings with an average of over 70, making him an exciting addition to the team. The day ended early due to bad light, but Reddy stood strong, giving India hope for the next day.

Pakistan’s cricket team looked disappointed as they left the field on Day 2 of their first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday. Due to bad light, play ended early, and Pakistan’s score was just 88 runs with 3 wickets lost, trailing by 2 runs. Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel were still at the crease, scoring 16 and 8 runs, respectively.

Corbin Bosch was the star of the day. He scored an incredible 81 runs off 93 balls, helping South Africa reach a total of 301 runs and giving them a 90-run lead. His score set a new record for the highest runs made by a debut number-nine batsman.

When it was time to bowl, South Africa was eager to take early wickets. Pakistan’s opening batsmen, Saim Ayub and captain Shan Masood, got off to a good start with a 49-run partnership. However, things changed when Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen bowled well. Rabada quickly got Ayub out with a fast delivery that Ayub hit to the slips. Masood didn’t last long either, getting caught by Tristan Stubbs off Jansen’s bowling.

Kamran Ghulam, who played well in the first innings, couldn’t score this time. Jansen got him out with a bounce that Ghulam edged to Ryan Rickelton. As the day went on, Babar and Saud Shakeel held their ground and avoided further losses.

Earlier, Aiden Markram led South Africa’s batting, supported by captain Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham, who both contributed important runs. Although Pakistan managed to get Bavuma and Bedingham out, Bosch’s strong batting kept South Africa in control, leading them to a strong total of 301 runs

Melbourne, Australia – At the end of Day 2 of the fourth Test, Steven Smith was relieved after Australia managed to keep India’s star player, Virat Kohli, in check at the MCG. Smith left the ground with a big smile, feeling confident about Australia’s position in the match.

Before Australia took control, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal showed off their skills. Jaiswal was aggressive against the Australian bowlers, while Kohli played carefully, avoiding balls that were just outside his off-stump. Kohli faced 86 balls, defending most of them, letting only one get past him that led to his dismissal. He remained calm and confident until an unfortunate mix-up with Jaiswal caused him to get run out for 36 runs.

Smith watched all of this closely. He was happy to see India’s key player out of the game, especially after noticing how dangerous Kohli could be. “He is an amazing player. He did great in Perth and looked really good today. He was smart to leave those balls alone and made the bowlers bowl closer to him,” Smith said in a press conference. “I thought he was giving us a masterclass, but then he caught an edge,” he added.

As India tried to chase Australia’s big total of 474 runs, they ended the day struggling at 164 for 5, still needing 310 runs to win.

India’s cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, is having a tough time scoring runs. In the recent Test matches against Australia, he batted at No. 6 but went back to opening in the Melbourne game, hoping to improve his performance. Unfortunately, he only lasted five balls in the first innings and scored just 3 runs before getting caught by Scott Boland, thanks to a poor shot against Australia captain Pat Cummins.

Former Indian player Sanjay Manjrekar believes this change was unfair to KL Rahul, who had already shown he could open the innings with good skill and composure in the previous Tests. Manjrekar said Indian cricket often prioritizes big-name players like Rohit over those in form like KL Rahul. He mentioned how this kind of approach doesn’t always make sense for the team’s success.

Manjrekar also expressed sympathy for Rohit, noting he has only scored 152 runs in his last 14 innings. He emphasized that Rohit seems to be struggling to find his form and may have misjudged his shot selection in the Melbourne Test. Right now, India is in a tough spot at 164/5 and still trailing by 310 runs, with Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja batting at the crease.

Steve Smith is showing amazing form during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In a stunning match in Melbourne, he scored his 34th Test century on Friday, hitting 140 runs off 197 balls. His innings included 13 fours and 3 sixes, with a strike rate of 71.07. This performance silenced doubts about his place in the Australian team.

Before this series against India, many fans were unsure if he should play since he had scores of 0, 17, and 2 in the previous games. But then, he bounced back with 101 runs in Brisbane and joined an elite group of Test cricketers. Only six players have more centuries than him: Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41), Kumar Sangakkara (38), Joe Root (36), and Rahul Dravid (36). He has now matched legends like Brian Lara, Sunil Gavaskar, Younis Khan, and Mahela Jayawardene.

Former Australian cricketer Kerry O’Keeffe praised Smith’s amazing form on Fox Cricket, saying, “One of his favorite shots is hitting the ball back past the bowler. When he does that, you know he’s in top shape.” Smith’s innings ended right after lunch when he hit the ball onto his pad, knocking over his bails. O’Keeffe also compared Smith to tennis star Rafael Nadal, saying, “The MCG is like Roland Garros for Rafael Nadal. This is his backyard; he has four Test centuries here, and he averages in the 80s at the MCG.”

On Day 1, debut player Sam Konstas scored 60 runs off 65 balls, giving Australia a solid start. Usman Khawaja (57), and Marnus Labuschagne (72) also contributed with half-centuries, helping Australia post a big score of 474 runs in 122.4 overs on Day 2.

Meanwhile, the Indian batting lineup struggled after a good start. After Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 82 and Virat Kohli got 36, the team fell apart quickly. They lost both Jaiswal and Kohli in consecutive deliveries after losing Rohit Sharma (3) and KL Rahul (24) early. India ended Day 2 at 164/5, trailing by 310 runs.

Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli faced some tough moments in the Boxing Day Test against Australia. After he got out, fans booed and jeered at him as he walked back to the dressing room, which made him stop and look back at them for a moment. Kohli’s actions have been a big topic of discussion during this match. Earlier, he had a physical clash with 19-year-old Sam Konstas on the first day, which led to him being fined and receiving a demerit point.

On Friday, Kohli did well by scoring 36 runs before he was caught out by Scott Boland. He was dismissed shortly after a mix-up with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who got run out at 82 runs. As Kohli walked towards the tunnel leading to the dressing room, fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) began to boo him and shout some comments that were caught in a short video clip that went viral.

Kohli appeared to be upset as he glanced at the crowd on his left. He was then guided back to safety by a security person. Many former Indian cricketers also criticized Kohli’s earlier encounter with Konstas as unnecessary

Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian cricket team, seems to be struggling with his game. Famous cricket player Sunil Gavaskar commented during a broadcast that Rohit has not been performing well lately and that he may need to step back if he doesn’t score in the upcoming innings. After getting out early again against Australia, many are questioning when Rohit will retire from Test cricket.

Currently, Rohit has only made 155 runs in eight Tests, which is really low for someone of his experience. If India doesn’t do well in the World Test Championship, many believe that Sydney could be his last Test match. There is speculation that the national selection committee chairman, Ajit Agarkar, who is in Melbourne, might discuss Rohit’s future.

With younger players, like KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, showing great form, will Rohit make the smart choice to drop himself from the next Test? In the past, Gautam Gambhir made a similar decision when he felt he wasn’t performing well enough.

Rohit is still a strong player in One Day Internationals (ODIs), with a big tournament, the Champions Trophy, coming up soon. However, his recent form in Tests has been disappointing. He initially struggled with batting at a different position, but then returned to open the innings. Unfortunately, his confidence seems low, and he’s not hitting the ball well like he used to.

Even former Australian captain Ricky Ponting noted that Rohit’s shot selection has been poor. Rohit needs to focus and make better choices while batting, especially against tough teams like Australia. With the team’s success potentially hanging in the balance, it’s time for Rohit to reflect on his performance.