Category: Cricket

Ravi Shastri, the former coach of the Indian cricket team, shared his thoughts on where Rohit Sharma should bat in the upcoming second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This Test will take place in Adelaide and start on Friday. Rohit missed the first Test in Perth because he was busy welcoming his second child.

Now that he’s back, there’s a debate on what his batting order should be. Normally, Rohit would open the batting, but KL Rahul did a great job in the first Test, scoring 77 runs as an opener. Because of this, Shastri believes Rohit should bat at No. 5 to maintain the strong opening partnership with Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Shastri suggested that Rohit is smart enough to figure out where he can be most dangerous against Australia. He reminded everyone that Rohit started his career batting lower down the order and has plenty of experience. In Test matches, he scored 1,474 runs batting at No. 5 or lower, with nine half-centuries and three hundreds.

Shastri also praised Rahul’s performance and mentioned that it makes sense to keep him in the opening position while Rohit bats in the middle order. Additionally, Shubman Gill is back from an injury and will likely bat at No. 3, which strengthens India’s batting lineup.

Shastri feels this is one of the strongest batting teams India has ever taken to Australia. He suggests keeping the same bowlers who played in the first Test to maintain good momentum.

England’s Test cricket captain, Ben Stokes, is making waves again! He is still refusing to sign the charge sheet from the International Cricket Council (ICC) about slow over rates. This happened after England and New Zealand were both penalized for taking too long during their first Test in Christchurch.

Both teams lost points in the World Test Championship (WTC) and faced a 15% cut in their match fee. This penalty has hurt their chances of competing in the WTC final next year at Lord’s. New Zealand dropped from fourth to sixth place in the points table, while England has lost 22 points so far in this WTC cycle, including 19 points from the recent Ashes series.

Stokes expressed his frustration, pointing out that even though the match ended quickly with a result, the slow over-rate issue seems unfair. He mentioned that the issue of over rates seems to depend on where the matches take place. For example, games in Asia don’t usually have this problem because spin bowling slows down the game.

While discussing why he has not signed the over-rate sheet since last year’s Ashes, Stokes said, “I’ve had good talks with the match referees. They understand where we, as players, are coming from. However, it’s been a year, and we haven’t heard back from the ICC regarding my concerns.”

Jacob Oram, a former New Zealand bowler and now an assistant coach for the team, agrees with Stokes. He believes that both teams need to improve their energy and ability to stay ready. He said, “Today’s Test matches are exciting with lots of runs and wickets. We need to strike a good balance and learn from these lessons.”

Australia’s star batsman, Travis Head, says he doesn’t want to make headlines by discussing where he should bat in Test cricket. With David Warner retired, Australia is looking for a good player to open the batting. They tried Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja together, but it didn’t work well. Recently, Nathan McSweeney had his first Test match against India, but he only scored 10 runs and then got out for zero.

Travis Head was ready to open the batting but was not chosen, as they went with McSweeney. He doesn’t want to keep talking about his batting position because it has led to misunderstandings in the past. He told The Sydney Morning Herald, “I think it just causes a lot of unnecessary drama.”

In the past, when he supported his teammates who open the batting, he said he wanted to open, and that became a big news story. When he said he didn’t want to open, it got twisted, making people think he never wanted it. “I want to do what’s best for the team,” he said.

Travis, who bats at number five in Tests but opens in white-ball games, said he doesn’t mind where he bats. “I’m happy to bat wherever the team thinks I fit best,” he mentioned, adding that he likes playing his natural way without pressure from the management.

Former Australian cricketers Aaron Finch, Ryan Harris, and Lisa Sthalekar disagreed with Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar’s recent remarks. Gavaskar suggested there might be a rift in the Australian team after Josh Hazlewood, a fast bowler, made comments during the press conference after the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. Hazlewood said the batters should take responsibility for the team’s loss, not the bowlers, raising rumors of a divide within the team, especially after he was ruled out of the second Test in Adelaide due to a side injury.

Gavaskar, in his column for Sportstar, joked about Hazlewood’s injury, saying it was strange because nobody noticed anything wrong during the press interview. He compared the situation to past Indian cricket teams that faced similar issues.

In response, Aaron Finch pointed out that Gavaskar didn’t make such comments during the first Test but became critical after India took a 1-0 lead in the series. “Sunny is throwing haymakers now,” Finch stated, suggesting Gavaskar’s comments were exaggerated.

Lisa Sthalekar added that Gavaskar was just being cheeky and stirring things up. Meanwhile, Ryan Harris was more direct, calling Gavaskar’s comments “garbage.” He stressed that there are no factions within the Australian team and criticized the media for making a big deal about Hazlewood’s comments.

Harris explained that the Australian players understand the media’s nature and that it’s acceptable to lose to a strong team like India. He recognized Gavaskar as a cricket legend but felt he was just looking to create drama.

KL Rahul is excited about his role in the upcoming day-night Test match against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. He knows where he will bat, but the team management has asked him to keep it a secret. This is pretty common in cricket, especially since there has been a lot of talk about his batting position now that captain Rohit Sharma is back.

Rahul didn’t play in the last two Tests against New Zealand because Sarfaraz Khan was performing really well. When he got to play in Perth, he did a fantastic job, scoring 77 runs and helping set a record with his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal. But with Rohit back, he might have to bat lower down the order again, which seems unfair after his great performance.

Rahul said he had been told early on that he would open the innings when Rohit was on paternity leave. He felt prepared after practicing for it and playing in some practice games. Despite the changing roles in his career, Rahul just wants to play and contribute to the team’s success.

He understands that batting in different positions can be tough, especially at the start of an innings. However, after playing cricket around the world, he feels more comfortable now. The upcoming match will also be Rahul’s first test with the pink ball, and while it’s different, he believes that with more practice, he will adjust well.

Prithvi Shaw: A Talented Cricketer in Trouble

Prithvi Shaw, a young cricketer from India, has been facing tough times lately. He’s known for his great skills on the field, but he has struggled with discipline, fitness, and his performance. Recently, during the IPL 2025 mega auction, he didn’t get picked by any team, which is a big deal because this is the first time in six years that he has no IPL team.

Many important figures in cricket, like Ricky Ponting and Pravin Amre, have criticized him for his performance and behavior. However, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has given Shaw some encouraging words. Harbhajan believes that Shaw has the potential to bounce back, but he has to take charge of his own career.

About ten years ago, Shaw was compared to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, which put a lot of pressure on him. Harbhajan pointed out that these early comparisons can really affect players. He reminded Shaw that he needs to focus on improving his fitness, which seems to have been neglected lately.

Despite the setbacks, Shaw has shown he can perform well—last year, he scored an incredible 379 runs in a Ranji Trophy match and made a fantastic debut in the One-Day Cup with 244 runs. However, his poor performance in this year’s IPL and indiscipline has cost him a spot in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad.

Harbhajan hopes that being unsold in the IPL will motivate Shaw to work hard and make smart choices. He believes that Shaw has all the talent he needs but just needs to get his mindset right to succeed.

As we look back at 2023, India has shown great strength in cricket. The Indian cricket team had an amazing year, winning important matches and bringing home trophies.

They not only played exciting games but also maintained control over their positions in international rankings. The team worked hard, showing teamwork and determination. With a mix of experienced players and new talents, they have become a strong force in the cricket world.

Fans are proud. Indian spectators filled the stadiums, cheering for their favorite players. The atmosphere was electric, with joy and excitement at every game.

Looking forward to 2024, there are more challenges ahead. The players aim to maintain this high standard and bring even more glory to the nation. With preparation and dedication, they plan to keep their winning streak and dominate international matches.

As the cricket season ends, one thing is clear: India is ready to shine and make its mark in the future.