Category: Cricket

In the recent Brisbane Test match against Australia, Sunil Gavaskar was really angry after a confusing moment between Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja almost cost India a wicket. It was Day 4 of the match, and India was trying hard to save the game, especially with rain helping them a bit. Every run mattered because they were down to just three wickets left.

The trouble happened in the 62nd over when India was at 200 runs and had 7 wickets down. On the last ball of the over, bowled by Pat Cummins, Siraj decided to run even though there was no chance to make it. He hit the ball but then went for a run that Jadeja had already declined. Luckily for India, Cummins threw the ball inaccurately, allowing Siraj and Jadeja to make an easy single by running on the overthrow.

Gavaskar wasn’t happy at all. He pointed out that instead of sprinting back into his crease, Siraj was chatting with Jadeja, showing poor cricket awareness. On live TV, Gavaskar said, “Why are they talking? There’s only one ball left! There’s no run, so just stay put. Siraj needs to be more aware; he’s a number 9 batter. He should be thinking about the team instead of taking silly risks.”

Team New Zealand celebrated a big win over England by 423 runs on Tuesday. This match was special for Tim Southee, who played his last test at home. The victory gave New Zealand some joy after losing the first two matches of the series.

Coming fresh from a stunning 3-0 victory in India, New Zealand struggled in their previous games. But at Seddon Park in Hamilton, they found their rhythm, making this win their largest ever by runs and showing England how to play on familiar ground.

Mitchell Santner, who came back to the team, shone brightly. He took seven wickets and scored 76 and 49 runs, earning him the title of Player of the Match. Other players also contributed, with captain Kane Williamson scoring an impressive 156 runs.

“It’s great to finish like this,” said New Zealand captain Tom Latham. He added that the team learned from their earlier performances.

England, despite performing well in the first two tests, struggled to chase down a huge target of 658 runs, falling to 234 all out by lunch on day four. The team’s captain, Ben Stokes, couldn’t bat due to a hamstring injury, which added to their troubles. They collapsed quickly, losing their last three wickets for just 3 runs.

Southee finished his career with 391 test wickets, making him one of New Zealand’s great bowlers. Latham praised him as a legend and mentioned that he has a bright future ahead.

One bright spot for England was Jacob Bethell, who scored 76 runs, and Joe Root, who made 54. However, Harry Brook, a star in previous matches, struggled, scoring just 1 run and getting out quickly.

Despite the defeat, England had reasons to be hopeful, with new players like Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson showing potential. “We want to win every game,” said Stokes, acknowledging the team’s letdown but focusing on their earlier successes in the series.

On Day 4 of the third Test match between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane, the Australian team faced a tough situation. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood had to leave the field after bowling just one over because he felt discomfort in his calf. An Australian team spokesperson said he needed scans to check how serious the injury was. This raises concerns about whether he can continue playing in the Test.

Before the match, Hazlewood talked with doctors and coach Andrew McDonald. However, he seemed to struggle when he bowled his first delivery, which was too short and clocked at 128 kilometers per hour. After finishing his over, he spoke with captain Pat Cummins, vice-captain Steve Smith, and physiotherapist Nick Jones during a drinks break.

There were worries about his fitness since he missed the previous Test due to a side injury. Australia had said he was ready to play, and he seemed fine when he bowled five overs on the rain-impacted third day, even getting the important wicket of Virat Kohli. But on the fourth day, he was only able to bowl one more over before leaving.

Nathan Lyon, speaking to the media during a break, mentioned that Hazlewood’s side was okay, although he hadn’t spoken to him directly during the break. Some former cricketers, including the famous Sunil Gavaskar, speculated that Hazlewood’s injury might have been a consequence of his comments about the batting performance after Australia lost the first Test.

Despite earlier doubts about Hazlewood’s ability to play, the Australian team chose to include him in the Brisbane Test, which paid off as he bowled effectively. In his limited overs, he gave away 22 runs and took the key wicket of ‘Chase Master’ Virat Kohli. With Hazlewood now uncertain to continue, Cummins will need to re-adjust his bowling strategy as India tries to recover in this Test.

Former Indian cricket captain Anil Kumble is unhappy about people misusing his name and picture on social media. This issue has come up during the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Some false quotes were shared online that made it seem like Kumble was criticizing famous players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. These fake statements led to a lot of noise and anger among fans.

Kumble wants to make it clear that he has nothing to do with these quotes or the accounts spreading them. He wrote a message on social media saying, “I want to deny any connection with these fake quotes and accounts. The things being said are not my thoughts or opinions.” He also reminded everyone to be careful and not believe everything they read online. “Please check if the information is real before sharing. My official accounts are the only places where you can find my real views,” he added.

His statement came while India was struggling in the third Test match against Australia, trailing with a score of 51/4 after Day 3, while Australia scored 445 runs.

Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has also faced the same problem as Kumble. He recently found a fake article published under his name and reacted quickly by calling it a lie. Gavaskar threatened to take legal action, similar to Kumble’s advice for fans to think critically about the information they see online.

Veteran Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has shared some thoughts about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s batting after he got out early in the first innings of the third Test match in Brisbane. Jaiswal, known for his remarkable century in the second innings at Perth, struggled recently, getting dismissed by Mitchell Starc twice in just three innings.

In the last match, Jaiswal faced only two balls before getting out for four runs. He tried to hit a ball straight into the air, which Mitchell Marsh caught easily. Pujara, who has a lot of experience batting in Australia, advised Jaiswal to learn from his teammate, KL Rahul. He mentioned that it’s not smart to try to drive the new ball, and Jaiswal needs to wait for balls that are closer to his body to hit.

Pujara said, “You cannot drive the new ball in Australia. Jaiswal is looking for full deliveries to drive, but it’s really tough to do that. He should only play drives when the ball is close.” He also suggested that Jaiswal should change his mindset and be okay with defending some balls in Test cricket.

Jaiswal and Starc had some light-hearted moments during the Perth Test, but Starc has since gotten the better of him. Pujara praised Starc’s improved control with the ball, making it hard for left-handed batsmen like Jaiswal to play against him.

Pujara added that he would prefer KL Rahul to face Starc at the start of the next innings. He believes that if Jaiswal keeps facing Starc first, he might be in trouble again.

India is in a bit of trouble during the Day 3 play at the Gabba, and it’s not looking good for them. Australia’s fast bowlers have made it tough for the Indian batsmen, leaving them at 4 wickets down for just 51 runs by the end of the day. If India gets out for less than 246 runs, it would be their worst performance in 13 years. Adding to their worries, rainy weather could stop the game, allowing a draw, which wouldn’t help India either.

India needs to win this Test match to keep their hopes alive for the World Test Championship final. They started off strong with a big win in the first Test in Perth but lost in Adelaide. South Africa’s strong performance at home pushed India down to third place in the points table.

What if India loses?

If India loses this Test match, they could be out of the running for the final for the third time in a row. Even if they win the next two matches in Melbourne and Sydney, the most points they can get is 58.8 percent. Australia, in second place, could go up to 60.5 percent if they beat Sri Lanka at home. This means India would need Sri Lanka to do really well against Australia to have any chance of qualifying for the final.

What if there’s a draw?

With rain expected for the next two days, India’s best chance is to finish the game in a draw. However, that still wouldn’t be enough for them. They would then need to win in Melbourne and Sydney. If they lose even one of those matches, finishing the series 2-2, they will need Sri Lanka to win at least one match against Australia to qualify. This would leave India at 55.3 percent and Australia at 53.5 percent, enabling India to secure their spot in the final.

New Delhi,India – Rashid Khan, the famous leg-spinner from Afghanistan, is ready to play in his first Test match since March 2021. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced the team that will play two Test matches against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, starting on December 26.

Rashid, who is only 26 years old, hasn’t played red-ball cricket for Afghanistan since a match against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi over two years ago. This time, he will face Zimbabwe again. He is part of an 18-player squad for the upcoming series.

Although Rashid has played more than 200 one-day and T20 matches for Afghanistan, he has played only five Test matches, taking 34 wickets at an impressive average of 22.35. His return to the Test team is a big boost as it includes seven new players who are eager to earn their first Test caps in Africa.

Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, the interim chief selector, is excited to have Rashid back in the team. He believes that the players are well-prepared to compete strongly against Zimbabwe.

“We are happy to see Rashid back, which is good news for our red-ball cricket. The team has trained well in Nangarhar province, and we have picked some new players who did well in the recent tournament,” Ahmad Shah said.

Series Schedule:
– First Test: December 26-30, Bulawayo.
– Second Test: January 2-6, Bulawayo.

Afghanistan Test Squad:
– Hashmatullah Shahidi
– Rahmat Shah
– Ikram Alikhail
– Afsar Zazai
– Riaz Hassan
– Sediqullah Atal
– Abdul Malik
– Baheer Shah Mahboob
– Ismat Alam
– Azmatullah Omarzai
– Zahir Khan
– Zia Ur Rehman Akbar
– Zahir Shehzad
– Rashid Khan
– Yamin Ahmadzai
– Bashir Ahmad Afghan
– Naveed Zadran
– Fareed Ahmad Malik

Reserves:
– Nasir Jamal
– Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi
– Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai

Team India faced another difficult day at the GABBA, Brisbane, during the third Test against Australia. On Day 3, they found themselves in trouble at 51 runs with 4 players out after just 17 overs, and the game was often delayed by rain.

Pacer Mitchell Starc got things rolling by taking two quick wickets, and Josh Hazlewood took one more. India was in a tough spot at 22 runs for 3 wickets before lunch, while Australia had scored a massive 445 in their first innings.

Starc removed Yashasvi Jaiswal right away on the second ball of India’s innings. Shubman Gill followed him shortly after, caught brilliantly by Mitchell Marsh in the slips. Virat Kohli, who has struggled lately, chased a wide ball and ended up giving a catch to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Rishabh Pant was also dismissed cheaply, caught behind off Pat Cummins while trying to play a risky shot. KL Rahul was the last hope, batting on 33 not out, but Rohit Sharma is yet to score as he remains not out at zero.

Earlier, Australia scored 445 all out thanks to great centuries from Travis Head and Steve Smith. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey chipped in with a quick 70 runs before he was out. Jasprit Bumrah had a good day with the ball, taking 6 wickets for 76 runs.

Jason Gillespie has recently stepped down as the coach of Pakistan’s Test cricket team, just before a two-match series against South Africa. He shared his reasons for leaving, criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for unclear communication.

Gillespie became the Test coach in April 2024 and helped the team win a series against England. However, he felt like he was not wanted in the job. He said, “There were certainly challenges. I knew Pakistan had many different coaches in a short time.”

One major reason for his resignation was the unexpected decision by the PCB to fire the high-performance coach, Tim Nielsen. Gillespie expressed that he was blindsided by this choice because he had received positive feedback about Nielsen’s work.

He stated, “I had zero communication from anyone about that decision,” which led him to think that maybe the PCB didn’t really want him as a coach. He had been building a strong relationship with the Test captain, Shan Masood, and believed they were making progress together.

Pakistan’s performance was shaky at first, losing the first Test against England, but they bounced back to win the series 2-1. Gillespie also felt he was not getting enough communication from the PCB before games, which made it hard for him to plan effectively.

After Gillespie’s departure, Aqib Javed has been appointed as the interim Test coach for the team.