Category: Sports

Rohit Sharma is facing a tough time as both a Test player and captain. His recent return to the Indian cricket team came with a loss at the Adelaide Oval during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Fans and experts are questioning his decisions and strategies, especially after India lost 3-0 to New Zealand at home. This latest defeat marks four straight losses for Rohit as captain, putting him in a challenging group of Indian captains with this unfortunate record.

With his current streak of losses, Rohit joins famous captains like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, both of whom have also lost four Test matches in a row. Sachin Tendulkar and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi hold an even tougher record with more consecutive losses. On the flip side, India won the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy under Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership, but Rohit’s four losses in five matches put him under pressure.

Back in 2020-21, Kohli went through a tough phase of losing four matches, including a significant defeat in Adelaide. He later bounced back and led the team to some victories. Similarly, MS Dhoni faced this problem twice in his career. Once was during India’s difficult tours of England in 2011 and 2014, close to his retirement.

In 1959, one of India’s early captains, Datta Gaekwad, lost four matches in a row when cricket in India was still developing. In a brief captaincy in 1999-2000, Sachin Tendulkar experienced five consecutive losses before stepping down. An all-time negative record is held by Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who lost six matches in a row in 1967-68.

Fans are hoping Rohit can turn things around and avoid getting close to this record, as the Indian team seeks a positive result in the upcoming third Test at the Gabba.

In an exciting second Test match at Adelaide Oval, Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj and Australian player Travis Head showed great sportsmanship despite some heated moments.

On Day 2 of the match, Siraj dismissed Head for a solid score of 140 runs, and their exchange became quite intense. After Head was out, Siraj celebrated and gave him a little send-off, leading to a fiery moment between them. Head later said he complimented Siraj by saying “well bowled,” but Siraj disagreed, claiming that Head didn’t say anything nice at all. They even had a friendly chat when Siraj went in to bat later, but it wasn’t as dramatic.

After the match ended, which Australia won by 10 wickets, the rivalry seemed to cool down as Siraj and Head hugged it out. Australia celebrated their victory with Pat Cummins taking five wickets and ending India’s innings at just 175 runs. The Australian openers made quick work of chasing down the 19-run target in just over 3 overs.

Before Day 3 began, Siraj spoke about the situation and denied Head’s claim of saying “well bowled.” He expressed that while he enjoyed bowling against Head, he felt annoyed after being hit for a six earlier in the match. Siraj insisted, “It’s a lie that he said ‘well bowled’ to me.”

In the recent Adelaide Test, India lost to Australia by ten wickets, making the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tied. However, the match will be remembered for a dramatic moment between Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj and Australian batsman Travis Head on Day 2. When Siraj got Head out, he gave him a fiery send-off even after Head scored an impressive 140 runs. The crowd in Adelaide didn’t like Siraj’s actions.

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden shared his thoughts on the situation. He felt it’s okay for a bowler to have some fun with the batsman, but he criticized the Indian team for not acknowledging Head’s fantastic innings. Hayden said, “There should’ve been a moment of humility. When a player performs so well like Head did, it’s good sportsmanship to say ‘well played’”.

On Day 2, Head mentioned he congratulated Siraj by saying ‘well bowled’ after getting out, but Siraj didn’t react nicely, leading to a few exchanged words. However, Siraj claimed that Head never said ‘well bowled’ and accused him of lying.

Despite the drama, Australia won the match easily, chasing down a small target of 19 runs in just 3.2 overs. Now, India and Australia will play the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is all tied up at 1-1 after Australia won a fast-paced Test match against India by 10 wickets! This match at the Adelaide Oval was the fastest ever between the two teams, lasting only 1031 balls or about 171.5 overs.

India struggled in their two innings, getting out for just 180 and 175 runs. Meanwhile, Australian batsman Travis Head was a star, scoring an impressive 140 runs at his home ground. This match moved quickly, breaking the previous record held by a game in Indore in 2023 that lasted 1135 balls.

In that Indore match, Australia also won easily by nine wickets. They bowled India out for 109 and 163, while they scored 197 runs in their first innings. That game showed off spinners but in Adelaide, Australia’s fast bowlers did all the work. Mitchell Starc took 6 wickets in the first innings, and captain Pat Cummins added 5 in the second.

These two matches are the only ones that ended in under 200 overs between India and Australia. The infamous Adelaide Test in 2020, where India scored only 36 runs in an innings, took 1246 balls to finish. Other matches in Perth (2012) and Mumbai (2004) took 1200 and 1213 balls, respectively. India’s only win in these matches was in Mumbai, where they narrowly won by 13 runs.

Next Up: Deciding Game in Brisbane!

Australia now heads to Brisbane for the next match, with the series tied at 1-1. Both teams need to win this crucial match. The previous Tests have been pretty clear by the end of the third innings, but Australia is aiming to keep their winning streak going from Adelaide. Meanwhile, India will look to remember their famous victory in Brisbane in 2021 as they prepare for this important match.

Travis Head Shines Again in Adelaide Match

In Adelaide, Travis Head is showing he has two different careers in cricket. His first stretch was from December 2018 to December 2020, where he played six matches against India and scored 299 runs, averaging 29.90. Then he took a break and returned on February 17, 2023. Since then, he has played six more matches and scored 656 runs with a much better average of 65.60. This difference is very noticeable, especially against India. Head often steps up when playing against them, like in the ODI World Cup final and the World Test Championship final.

As he walked out to bat in his hometown of Adelaide, the crowd cheered loudly, even though Australia had lost a few quick wickets. They knew he was a strong player, and he didn’t disappoint them. While India has great bowlers, they often struggle to deal with Head’s aggressive batting style.

On the first day of the match, India scored 180 runs, and Australia ended with 86 runs for 1 wicket. On Day 2, Australia reached 337 runs before getting all out, thanks to a brilliant innings from Head, who scored 140 runs from 141 balls. Meanwhile, India found it tough again and ended Day 2 at 128 for 5.

India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, praised Head, saying they bowled well at first, but Head quickly took control of the game. He noted that India struggled to switch from their plan when Head started scoring quickly, especially in the last 10 overs before the new ball.

After 50 overs, Australia was 143 for 3, and Head decided it was time to pick up the pace. From the 50th to the 82nd over, he scored a fantastic 119 runs, which helped Australia gain a big advantage.

Head felt good about how he began his innings and knew he needed to take on the bowlers before the new ball arrived. There was some luck too—he was dropped at 76 runs. But once he got going, India couldn’t keep up with him.

The match isn’t over yet—India is just 29 runs behind with five wickets left. Rishabh Pant needs to step up, but he might not have enough support. Australia is informed about their lead but knows Pant could be a threat. Head said, “It’s crucial to take a couple of quick wickets in the morning to hold onto our advantage.”