Category: Sports

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.

In Pallekele, Sri Lanka, the Hambantota Bangla Tigers put on an amazing show to beat the Kandy Bolts by 47 runs in the Lanka T10 Super League on Sunday.

The game was full of action! The Bangla Tigers batted first and got off to a rocky start, losing star player Kusal Perera early on. However, Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad and captain Dasun Shanaka turned things around. Shahzad hit a fantastic 52 runs from just 18 balls, with three huge sixes and seven fours! Shanaka was also impressive, scoring 39 runs off 15 balls, helping the Tigers reach a big total of 163 runs for 6 wickets in just 10 overs. Other players like Dhananjaya Lakshan, Isuru Udana, and Sabbir Rahman also pitched in with their batting.

When it was Kandy Bolts’ turn to bat, the Bangla Tigers didn’t let up. They took wickets regularly and restricted Kandy to only 116 runs for 9 wickets. Tharindu Ratnayake was the star bowler, grabbing 4 wickets for just 10 runs in his 2 overs! Shanaka also took 2 wickets, while Lakshan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, and Udana each took 1 wicket.

Earlier in the tournament, the Hambantota Bangla Tigers beat the Nuwara Eliya Kings by 7 wickets. The Kings could only score 83 runs, and the Bangla Tigers chased it down easily in just over 7 overs. Even though they lost Mohammad Shahzad on the first ball, Kusal Perera made a quick 33 runs off 15 balls. Shanaka added 20 runs off 10 balls, while Shevon Daniel and Sabbir Rahman finished the game with style. The Kings struggled against Richard Gleeson, who took 3 wickets in just one over!

During Day 2 of the Test match in Brisbane, fans saw how Steve Smith has been changing his batting style in different matches of the Border Gavaskar Trophy series. In Perth, he covered his stumps; in Adelaide, he stood at a leg stump, and in Gabba, his stance was more open. He even changed how he moves before hitting the ball. Many people were worried he was struggling. Some thought he was a great player, but his best days were behind him.

At 36 years old, Smith scored 110 runs at Lord’s last June but hadn’t reached 100 runs again in 24 innings. Although he has been considered one of the best players since Don Bradman, many feared his time was over.

For most of the day, it seemed like everyone’s worries about Smith were true. He was missing a lot of balls and getting hit, and runs weren’t coming easily. But he didn’t give up. Great players often show their true character by working hard and trying again.

During one over by Akash Deep, Smith was beaten four times, and bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were challenging him. It was a tough inning, but sometimes great players need a little luck too. Fortunately, that luck helped Smith score a determined century.

“I feel like I’ve been batting well the last month,” he said. “I just stuck to my game plan, and the luck turned in my favor.”

When he started to bat well again, it meant trouble for India. Toward the end of his 101-run effort, he showed some of the old brilliance we all admire. Based on statistics from CricViz, Smith had 20 times when he almost missed hitting the ball, which is one of the highest numbers for him in any home Test.

What about those changes in his batting style? Smith said he’s always been a tinkerer. “I’ve changed my setup in every game for the last 15 years. It isn’t new for me,” he explained. He always seeks the best ways to play according to the pitch, and in this match, he adjusted to tackle the bouncy ball by staying slightly out of the crease.

Despite not scoring centuries for a while, Smith kept his focus and understood that things can change if you work hard. Akash Deep made him miss 28% of the time, while Bumrah and Siraj made him miss too. How did he survive all this? Sometimes on your day, things just work out well. “I’ve played long enough to know that the game turns around,” said Smith. If you work hard, things will improve.

Smith’s journey teaches us a lesson: the only thing we can control is our effort. This is something we see with him and also with players like Virat Kohli. They strive to be the best while also staying focused.

In the end, the day was a testament to Test cricket. It showed us a legend struggling before finding his way again. That fight back is what makes watching cricket special, and it’s worth every moment.

Jasprit Bumrah had an amazing day on Day 2 of the third Test match between India and Australia at the Gabba. The 31-year-old bowler took 5 wickets for 72 runs in 25 overs, reaching a fantastic 12 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket! This means he has now beaten famous Indian bowlers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who each have 11 five-wicket hauls.

Bumrah’s great performance started with him getting Usman Khawaja out for 21 runs, caught by Rishabh Pant. He quickly claimed Nathan McSweeney’s wicket for just 9 runs. Bumrah then went on to dismiss Australian stars Steve Smith, who scored 101 runs, and Mitchell Marsh, who only made 5 runs. In one spectacular over, he took down both Marsh and Travis Head, who made an impressive 152 runs.

Here’s how Bumrah stacks up against other Indian bowlers with five-wicket hauls in Tests:
– Kapil Dev – 23
– Jasprit Bumrah – 12
– Zaheer Khan – 11
– Ishant Sharma – 11
– Javagal Srinath – 10

Bumrah Breaks Records in SENA Countries!
Bumrah also made history by getting his 8th five-wicket haul in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), passing Kapil Dev’s record of 7.

Here’s a list of the most five-wicket hauls for Indian bowlers in SENA countries:
– Jasprit Bumrah – 8
– Kapil Dev – 7
– Zaheer Khan – 6

Bumrah’s amazing performance brought him closer to becoming the Indian bowler with the most Test wickets in Australia. With 49 wickets in just 10 matches, he’s tied with Anil Kumble but only needs 2 more to beat Kapil Dev’s record of 51.

Most Test wickets for Indian bowlers in Australia:
– Kapil Dev – 51
– Jasprit Bumrah – 49
– Anil Kumble – 49

On top of that, Bumrah’s five-wicket haul against Australia was his 9th in the World Test Championship (WTC), tying the record for the most in WTC history. Currently, Bumrah has 62 wickets in the WTC 2023-25 season, just one behind Ashwin’s 63 wickets.

Ravi Shastri, former coach of India’s cricket team, is worried about the Indian bowlers’ performance in the ongoing third Test match against Australia at the Gabba. After Day 2, Australia had a strong score of 405/7, thanks to Jasprit Bumrah’s excellent bowling, where he took 5 wickets. Bumrah shone brightly, capturing 5 wickets for 72 runs in 25 overs. Sadly, other Indian bowlers struggled, allowing Australian players like Travis Head and Steve Smith to score centuries.

Shastri highlighted the need for Indian bowlers to be more consistent and disciplined. In an interview, he commented on how some bowlers were leaking runs in different areas. He said, “Bumrah has done most things right, but can the others keep up with him?”

He emphasized that Indian bowlers must focus on where they pitch the ball. If a batter is scoring well on one side, bowlers should stick to a consistent line to make it harder for them to score freely. Shastri noted that when bowlers allow easy runs, it puts extra pressure on the captain.

Currently, Bumrah is leading in the series with 17 wickets, much more than Mohammed Siraj, who has 10. As the third Test continues, the Indian team will need strong batting to turn things around. Shastri’s thoughts about discipline and consistency in bowling could be the key for India to bounce back in this high-stakes series

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is getting ready for its third edition! Today, five teams are having an auction to pick the final players for the upcoming season. There are only 19 players available this time, and most teams don’t have much money left to spend. However, some teams are looking to make big moves that could help them compete better.

Last season, Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by Smriti Mandhana, won the tournament, defeating the Delhi Capitals, who were runners-up for the second time in a row under captain Meg Lanning. The Delhi team now has the least money to spend, but just a few more players could make them really strong.

Gujarat Giants have not done well in the past two seasons and finished last. They do have good news, though: they have 4.40 crore rupees to spend on talented players. With stars like Deandra Dottin and Sneh Rana available for bidding, they hope to improve their team.

The UP Warriorz want to build a strong team around Deepti Sharma, who won player of the tournament in 2024. The Mumbai Indians are also eager to bounce back after not doing well last season, even though they won the first tournament.

The auction in Bangalore is expected to be exciting and strategic!

List of Players from the Auction 2025:
– Deandra Dottin (West Indies): Base price of ₹50 lakh, sold to Gujarat Giants for ₹1.70 crore.
– Danielle Gibson (England): Base price of ₹30 lakh, remains unsold.
– Poonam Yadav (India): Base price of ₹30 lakh, remains unsold.
– Heather Knight (England): Base price of ₹50 lakh, remains unsold.
– Chinelle Henry (West Indies): Base price of ₹30 lakh, remains unsold.

Recently, cricketer Mohammed Siraj was in the news for losing 20% of his match fee after arguing with Australian batsman Travis Head. But now, he has grabbed attention for a different reason during the third Test match at GABBA, Brisbane.

Siraj, who has only taken one wicket in this match, showed he is willing to try different tricks to disturb the batsmen. A funny moment went viral when Siraj walked over to Australian player Marnus Labuschagne and switched the two bails at the top of the stumps!

A Little History on Bail Flips
Bail flips are not new. Former England bowler Stuart Broad performed a bail flip during the 2023 Ashes series, and right after, Labuschagne got out! Indian superstar Virat Kohli also did a bail flip in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion, while Australian spinner Nathan Lyon used the same trick during the 2019 Ashes before getting two England players out very quickly.

When Siraj returned to bowl, Labuschagne quickly changed the bails back to their original positions. So, what is a bail flip in cricket? It’s when players change the position of the bails as a lucky charm, hoping it might help them get a wicket.