Category: Cricket

In the recent Test match in Adelaide, some people believe India didn’t bowl enough short balls to Travis Head. But statistics from CricViz show that 24% of the deliveries thrown at him were short balls. That’s around 34 deliveries, which is a decent amount. However, the important thing isn’t just about bowling short; it’s also about where these balls are aimed.

When facing short balls, Head has different averages. He’s great against balls that are wide outside off-stump, averaging 173.0. If the ball is in a channel, he averages 83.5. When the ball is aimed at the stumps, he averages 60.7. But here’s the surprising fact: when bowlers throw short balls into his body, he averages just 20.6. India bowled only five balls at him in that area. There’s no guarantee that a good ball in the body would get him out, but the chances of taking his wicket would definitely increase.

Data analyst Himanish Ganjoo, who worked with the Indian team, pointed out the importance of using data in cricket. He explained that data helps players and captains plan strategies. Just like in other sports, using the right information can help in making better decisions, particularly in Test matches where winning often requires getting wickets.

Ganjoo mentioned that the Indian team wasn’t able to focus on Head’s weak spots, including the area into his body. This might have been why they didn’t succeed in getting him out. He also discussed how cricket can be about outcomes. If things go well, everyone assumes the plan was right. But if they don’t, people think the strategy was bad.

He believes the right use of data can help captains make better decisions. Some experienced players, like MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah, might not need data as much because they rely on their experience. But younger players can greatly benefit from data to improve quickly.

Moving forward, Indian cricket should consider using data more effectively to enhance their performances.

In a big change on Wednesday, Harry Brook has become the number one batter in the ICC Men’s Test Rankings, passing Joe Root. The ICC announced that Brook’s rise comes after he scored his eighth Test century against New Zealand last week in Wellington. Brook has 898 rating points, just one point ahead of Root, who has 897.

This is the first time the 25-year-old Brook has reached the top spot! He shares the 34th highest rating of all time with legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Joe Root had been number one since July after moving past Kane Williamson. Root has been at the top nine times during his career.

During the match against New Zealand, Brook scored 123 and 55 runs, helping England win by 323 runs. Root, who scored three and 106 runs in the same game, called Brook the best player in the world after the match.

Other players making moves include Australia’s Travis Head and Temba Bavuma from South Africa, both climbing into the top 10. Former number one Marnus Labuschagne improved to the 13th spot. Fast bowlers like Pat Cummins and Matt Henry are getting closer to the top as well.

In the all-rounders category, India’s Ravindra Jadeja remains number one, while Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz has moved up to second place.

In ODI rankings, West Indies players Shai Hope and Gudakesh Motie have improved their spots. Meanwhile, in T20I rankings, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan has moved up to sixth, and Shaheen Afridi has jumped to 20th.

India’s recent defeat in Adelaide has put them in a tough spot. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma need to come up with new plans for the third Test in Brisbane. Ex-India player Sanjay Manjrekar suggests India should be cautious about changing their playing XI for the next match.

In the last game, the Indian bowling trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana did not perform well with the pink ball. Bumrah and Siraj took four wickets each, but Rana did not take any wickets and gave runs easily, with an economy rate of 5.40. There are talks about whether Rana should keep his spot in the team, as Akash Deep is ready to make his Test debut in Australia.

Manjrekar believes Akash should be given a chance but without dropping Rana. “If the pitch is all about pace, Akash Deep could be the fourth seamer, but they need to make the right decision,” he said on ESPNCricinfo. Akash had a great debut earlier this year against England and also performed well against Bangladesh and New Zealand, causing trouble for batters even when the pitch wasn’t helping him much.

With the Brisbane Test approaching, the Indian team is focused and prepared to come back strong after losing last time. They are putting in hard work during practice sessions to improve for the upcoming match.

Manjrekar advised the team to carefully look at the Gabba pitch before deciding on their bowling lineup. “If the pitch is flat like Adelaide, their current bowling group may not be enough. They need to think about it,” he added.

New Delhi, India: Jamal Hossain from Bangladesh is on fire after winning his last game! He played outstandingly well at the ₹2 crore Vishwa Samudra Open 2024 at the Delhi Golf Club, scoring five-under par with a 67 on the first day. Ravi Kumar from Chandimandir, Ajeetesh Sandhu from Chandigarh, Sudhir Sharma from Greater Noida, M Dharma from Bengaluru, and Manish Thakran from Gurugram all tied for second place with scores of three-under par (69).

Play started 40 minutes late because of fog. Out of 124 players, 27 couldn’t finish their first round by the evening when play stopped at 5:30 pm due to dim light. They’ll finish their rounds starting at 7 am on Wednesday, and round two will begin after everyone is done with round one.

Jamal kicked off his game strong, getting birdies (which means scoring one shot under par) on the first two holes by making two impressive long putts of 15 feet. He had one bogey on the third hole but quickly bounced back with birdies on the fourth, eighth, and ninth holes, getting close with his shots.

At 39 years old, Jamal, who is currently ranked 17th, stood out even in tricky conditions. He made sure to hit all fairways and hit 16 greens in regulation. Even though he didn’t do his best with putting on the back nine, he still managed to make eight pars and a birdie on the last hole with a 20-foot putt.

Jamal shared, “At the Delhi Golf Club, it’s important to hit straight, and I did that well today. The cold weather was tough for me, since I come from a warmer place. I hit all fairways and made 16 regulations, which is amazing for this course. I found my rhythm at the Jaipur event in mid-November, and winning in Digboi made my confidence even stronger.”

Also, Rashid Khan was tied for seventh place with a score of 70, and the top player in the PGTI rankings, Veer Ahlawat, was at one-under through 15 holes.

When it comes to the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series, the excitement can often feel overwhelming. We hear phrases like “#toughestrivalry” and “Boiling Point” everywhere. As the Brisbane Test approaches, fans will start talking about breaking “Gabba ka Ghamand” (Gabba’s pride). But amidst all this noise, one voice stands out: Cheteshwar Pujara.

Pujara, known as a quiet and focused player, is now part of the Hindi commentary team on Hotstar. He’s different from the loud commentators we usually hear. Instead of flashy words, he offers clear and insightful thoughts about the game. This series is his first time commentating live after his earlier work during the Asia Cup with ESPNcricinfo.

In the Hotstar studio, Pujara feels right at home. He talks calmly and thoughtfully, much like how he plays cricket. He provides valuable insights on what it’s like to bat in Australia, especially against tough bowlers like Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

When India struggled during the Adelaide Test, Pujara explained what went wrong. He pointed out that the team didn’t do enough to bat carefully under the challenging conditions, especially at night when the ball moves more. He shared his experience and said, “We thought we could play attacking shots, but that doesn’t always work. You need to respect good bowling and wait for the right moment.”

Pujara also broke down the mistakes of players like Shubman Gill, explaining how the pink ball can surprise batsmen. His comments show he knows the challenges players face today.

With his quiet humor, Pujara touched on various topics in a casual way, making him relatable. When discussing the tension between players, he said, “These things happen, but they will move on.”

In the studio, Pujara dresses smartly, showcasing his style and professionalism. After his first commentary, he even asked his teammates for feedback, proving he wants to get better.

This series is perfect for Pujara to start his commentary journey. Whether he stays true to his style or gets influenced by typical cricket broadcasting remains to be seen. However, having Pujara as a calm, straightforward voice is refreshing in a world that often values excitement over clarity.

Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine recently shared his thoughts on why Travis Head, a talented batsman, struggled in the past. Paine explained that there was a disagreement between Head and former coach Justin Langer. Langer wanted Head to focus on strengthening his defensive skills, but Head preferred to play more freely and attack the bowlers. Unfortunately, this clash led to missed opportunities for Head on the field.

Justin Langer took over as Australian coach during a challenging time after the sandpaper scandal. He stepped down after leading the team to victory in the Ashes series in 2021/22. During Langer’s time, many rumors circulated about tensions between him and the players.

Since 2022, however, things have changed for Travis Head. He has become a vital part of the Australian Test team, especially with support from current captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald. They encourage him to play naturally without holding back.

After a standout performance against India in Adelaide, Tim Paine revealed that the old disagreements between Head and Langer affected Head’s earlier performances. Paine noted how Langer and his team wanted Head to improve his defense, but Head wanted to play his own style. He was eager to impress everyone, including his coaches.

Paine praised Head’s recent performances, stating that he has scored an impressive 2,012 runs in just 29 Test matches since the start of 2022, with an average of 43.73, including five centuries. He emphasized that sticking to his natural playing style has made a big difference in Head’s success recently.

While Paine acknowledged that sometimes Head might struggle or face a downturn in form, he believes Head’s aggressive and attacking style is what makes him a potential match-winner. “We are seeing him shine in all formats of the game right now,” Paine concluded.

Former cricketer Tim Paine has praised Australian batsman Travis Head for his amazing performance against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Adelaide. After losing the first Test badly in Perth, Australia bounced back with a fantastic 10-wicket victory, making the series tied at 1-1.

Travis Head scored an impressive 140 runs off just 141 balls! He hit 17 fours and 4 sixes, showing off his incredible talent. Tim Paine, speaking on SEN Breakfast, said that Head doesn’t worry about what critics think about him. “He plays his own way and has strong belief in his skills,” Paine said. “It’s thrilling to see him at his best.”

In the Adelaide Test, India won the toss and chose to bat first but struggled against Australia’s fast bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc. India scored only 180 runs, with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill putting up some resistance. Starc and Pat Cummins took the lead in the bowling attack, bringing India’s innings to a quick end.

In Australia’s first innings, Head’s stunning knock helped secure a total of 337 runs, giving them a big 157-run lead. Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj tried their best but couldn’t contain Head’s aggression.

In their second innings, India failed to build on a small lead and were quickly bowled out for 175 runs. Skipper Cummins took a brilliant five-wicket haul, and Scott Boland added pressure with three wickets of his own. Chasing a tiny target of just 19 runs, Australian openers Khawaja and McSweeney finished the job in just 3.2 overs.

This game showcased Australia’s dominance and proved they are still a force to be reckoned with in the series!

In Adelaide, Australia, former cricketer Adam Gilchrist praised Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins for his amazing performance in the recent Test match against India. Australia won the match by 10 wickets, tying the series 1-1.

Cummins was fantastic, taking seven wickets and helping Australia secure the win. Gilchrist spoke about Cummins on Fox Cricket’s podcast, saying he seemed refreshed and ready to play after the previous loss in Perth. He noted, “Cummins was outstanding; he looked like a car that just got a good tune-up and was running smoothly again.”

Gilchrist also mentioned that Cummins celebrated each wicket more passionately than before, showing how much winning meant to the team after being disappointed in their last game.

In the Adelaide Test, India chose to bat first but struggled against Australia’s fast bowler Mitchell Starc, scoring only 180 runs. Besides a good partnership between KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, not much went well for India. Cummins and Scott Boland each took two wickets.

In Australia’s first innings, Travis Head played brilliantly, scoring 140 runs and helping his team reach a total of 337 runs, giving Australia a big lead of 157 runs. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were the best bowlers for India.

In their second innings, India went down again, with many players getting out quickly, finishing with just 175 runs. This meant India only had a small lead of 18 runs, setting Australia a target of just 19 runs to win. Cummins took five wickets in this innings, marking his eighth five-wicket haul as captain. Boland and Starc also contributed with wickets.

Australia chased down the target quickly, with Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney scoring the runs in just 3.2 overs. It was a great game for Cummins and his team, showing they are back in good form.

Former England cricket player Jonathan Trott will continue as the head coach of the Afghanistan national team until 2025. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) made this announcement after praising his work over the past two and a half years. Trott, who is 43 years old and originally from South Africa, has done a fantastic job and led Afghanistan to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in June. This was a big achievement as it was their first time reaching the last four in any World Cup.

The ACB confirmed, “We are extending Mr. Jonathan Trott’s contract as the head coach for 2025.” They highlighted his important role in helping the team improve and grow. Next year, Afghanistan will play in the Champions Trophy, which is a major one-day cricket tournament, for the first time ever!

Trott’s next challenge is a one-day series in Zimbabwe starting next week. However, he will not be there for the T20 matches or Test games during this tour due to personal obligations, according to the ACB.