Adelaide is currently basking in sunshine before the second Border-Gavaskar Test, a day-night match starts on December 6. But pitch curator Damian Hough says thunderstorms could disrupt Day One, with clear weather expected from Day Two. On the 22 yards at the Adelaide Oval, six millimetres of grass has been left, which is a standard practice in day-night Tests to preserve the condition of the pink Kookaburra ball. Australia have won all seven of their pink ball Tests in Adelaide, while India are playing a day-night Test for the first time after March 2022. Also Read: ‘Group of superstars’ “Weather, yes, is a short answer to that [affecting the game]. Right now, with over two days out from the first ball, it does look like Friday could be wet with some thunderstorms. We’ve had some unseasonal thunderstorms over the last few weeks. We’re normally quite dry in our climate,” he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 December,2024 06:22 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSFans will no longer be allowed at India’s practice sessions in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against Australia after fans passed “rude” comments during the team’s training here ahead of the second Test starting on Friday. The practice session was thrown open to fans on Tuesday. “It was complete chaos. During the Australian training session, not more than 70-odd people turned up but during India’s session, 3,000 came. No one expected so many fans to turn up,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Also Read: KL Rahul ready to roll with it “There was another fans’ day in Sydney [ahead of the fifth Test] which stands cancelled as players were very disturbed by the rude and insensitive comments that were passed [here],” he added. An eye-witness said that fans badgered the likes of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant to hit sixes and passed comments on the fitness of another player. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 December,2024 06:22 AM IST | Adelaide | PTIAhead of India playing its first ODI against Australia at the Allan Border Field on Thursday, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said the team’s aim on this tour is to go out there and try their combinations, especially with the World Cup happening next year. Australia have won nine of their last 10 women’s ODI matches against India. “Well, all the games are important for us. We just want to go there and try our combinations and see whoever is doing well and giving them more opportunity. At the same time, the upcoming players who are doing really well, want to give them a chance and see whoever is the best. Then, keeping the World Cup in mind, all those players who can do well in home conditions, we’ll just look to pick those players when we are playing the World Cup,” said Harmanpreet in the pre-series press conference. Also Read: ‘Group of superstars’ India come on the back of winning 2-1 over New Zealand in Ahmedabad in October and Harmanpreet said all members are available for selection for the series opener against Australia. “It’s always a great feeling whenever we’re playing in Australia. We all love playing cricket here and looking forward for that. We had two days of training and trying to get ourselves in as soon as possible. Everyone is looking in good shape, and enjoying ourselves here. All the 15 members here, they all are fit and ready for tomorrow,” Harmanpreet said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 December,2024 06:21 AM IST | Brisbane | IANSFormer Mumbai captain and India wicketkeeper-batsman Sameer Dighe has been appointed head of Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) Talent Hunt 2.0 programme. Assisted by former Mumbai players Ravi Gadiyar and Santosh Shinde, Dighe will select and groom raw talent in various age groups. Dighe, who coached the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team in 2017-18, will start his job on Friday, overseeing three-day selection trials for U-14, U-16 and U-19 boys at Vangaon in Dahanu. “I am very grateful to the MCA officials and CIC [Cricket Improvement Committee] for appointing me as the talent hunt head coach. It’s a very challenging job. This will be a great opportunity for me to find talent and groom them,” Dighe told mid-day on Wednesday. “First, we will search talent, have a camp and give them the experience of playing in different conditions. Our plan will be to make them complete cricketers. We will try our best to produce good cricketers for Mumbai,” Dighe remarked. Also Read: KL Rahul ready to roll with it Meanwhile, MCA secretary Abhay Hadap said: “Sameer will lead MCA’s Talent Hunt 2.0 programme. After the selection trials at different venues, we will shortlist players and coach them. As our aim is to see raw talent, so players who have represented Mumbai in any age group are not eligible for these selection trials. “Balvinder Singh Sandhu [ex-India player] was MCA’s talent scout head last year when he selected around 30 fast bowlers with raw talent. We will continue to groom these bowlers.” Talent Hunt selection trials schedule for U-14, U-16 and U-19 boys . Dec 6, 7, 8 at Chikhalikar SC, Vangaon (Area: Vaitarna to Dahanu). Dec 13, 14, 15 at Sainath SC, Virar (Area: Dahisar to Virar). Dec 20, 21, 22 at Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana, Kandivali (Area: Jogeshwari to Borivli). Dec 27, 28, 29 at Shivaji Park Gymkhana, Dadar (Area: Churchgate to Prabhadevi and Colaba to Matunga/Wadala). Jan 3, 4, 5 at Navi Mumbai Sports Association, Vashi (Area: Chembur to Kharghar). Jan 10, 11, 12 at Dombivali Gymkhana (Area: Thane to Asangaon/Vangani). Jan 17, 18, 19 at MCA Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy, BKC (Area: Dadar to Andheri and Sion to Mulund and Powai)
05 December,2024 06:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureIndia are a team of superstars, and Australia is not focused on countering just ‘extraordinary’ players like Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli, but the entire group as everyone is incredibly talented, spinner Nathan Lyon said on Wednesday. Talk around Kohli, Bumrah In the build-up to the Border-Gavasakar Trophy and post India’s emphatic 295-run with the series-opener in Perth, the chatter has revolved around specific Indian players including Kohli and Bumrah. “I look at the Indian squad and see a group of superstars. Cricket, however, is a team game, winning requires the entire side to perform well. India boast extraordinary players like Bumrah and others, but it’s not just about the superstars,” Lyon said ahead of the pink ball Test here. Nathan Lyon Incredible talent “The rest of the Indian squad is also incredibly talented. They’re an incredible cricket team. We’re not focusing solely on any one player, that’s for sure. Also Read: KL Rahul ready to roll with it “We have nothing but respect for every Indian cricketer who takes the field on Friday. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to compete. We respect them, but we’re determined to play our brand of cricket and compete hard against a quality side. India is one of the best teams in the world,” Lyon added. The second Test begins at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 December,2024 06:18 AM IST | Adelaide | PTIGearing up for his first day-night Test, senior India batter KL Rahul has figured out that the pink Kookaburra comes at a quicker pace, hits the hands harder while fielding and picking it from the bowler’s hand is pretty tricky. Keen that he continues to do well Down Under, Rahul, who starred in India’s 295-run Test victory with a second-innings knock of 77 runs, is trying to pick as many cues as possible from the nets. Also Read: KL Rahul ready to roll with it There has been some chatter in the dressing room about how it is a bit tricky to pick the shiny pink ball from a bowler’s hands. “If you look at pink ball, it tells you that it hasn’t lasted a long time and there will be a lot of help for the fast bowlers and that we had in Perth on Day One also, lot of seam movement,” he observed. Asked what is the best way to play pink ball, Rahul had a straight answer. “Whatever players prefer. Picking the ball from hand is tricky for some of the boys. Getting used to seeing the ball from someone’s hand is step one for a batter. And then you give yourself the best chance to react and be in good positions. That’s what batters have been speaking about,” he gave his insight. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 December,2024 06:17 AM IST | Adelaide | PTILike a yo-yoing pendulum, KL Rahul has swung up and down the Indian Test batting order in the last 11 months. In South Africa in December-January, he dropped down to No. 6 for the first time in his career and marked the shift with a hundred in his first hit in that slot, in Centurion. A month later, he was batting at No. 4 against England in Hyderabad, where he made a sparkling 86 in the first innings and 22 in the second before doing his hamstring, which forced him to miss the remaining four matches. Back and forth At home in September-October, he was back at No. 6 for three Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand, until he was dropped for the last two games against the Kiwis. And in Perth 10 days back, he was pushed back to the top of the order again with Rohit Sharma unavailable, and again pulled the fat out of the fire with 26 in the first knock and 77 in the second, when he and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 201 for the opening wicket. Now that Rohit is back for the pink-ball Test, starting on Friday, where does Rahul, the eternal swing man, bat? “I’ve been told, but I’ve also been told not to share it,” the 32-year-old chuckled on Wednesday morning, clearly enjoying keeping the suspense going, but also relishing his part in India’s 295-run win in the first of five Tests. Also Read: Respect your cricket kit, Sachin Tendulkar’s advice to youngsters Rahul’s been around long enough not to be fazed by any challenge thrown his way. He has had success in different parts of the world as an opener — six of his eight hundreds have come outside Asia, four of them while opening the innings — and because he is now a 54-Test veteran in his 11th year in international cricket, he is more at home adjusting and adapting to whatever comes his way. He is sanguine — ‘It feels like 25 years,’ he said, when asked of his first visit to this country, in 2014, ‘with the amount of injuries I’ve had’ — but neither bitter nor searching for sympathy, let alone pity, all suggestive of a man at peace with himself and in a happy mental space because of the environment in which he is operating. Tips for Jaiswal Often touted as his own worst enemy because of the imaginary shackles he ties himself up in, Rahul was measured without being circumspect as he met the media, talking about nerves and confidence and comfort and explaining how he passed on tips received from Murali Vijay on his first appearance as opener in Sydney in January 2015 to Jaiswal during their second-innings association in Perth. Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar reveals the reason why his elder brother sent him to coaching Like Rohit and Virat Kohli in this squad alone, Rahul is one of the few to have led India in all three formats and is a leader in his own right. Whether as opener or in the middle-order, he has seldom shied away from the difficult tasks, much like his illustrious namesake from Bangalore, Rahul Dravid, the quintessential team man. Dravid starred in India’s four-wicket triumph at the Adelaide Oval in 2003 with 233 and 72 not out; what Rahul won’t give to follow suit in his first pink-ball Test. 7No. of Test centuries scored by KL Rahul while opening the innings
05 December,2024 06:17 AM IST | Adelaide | R KaushikThe vacant spot in Team India after MS Dhoni's retirement was quickly filled by Rishabh Pant and legendary batsman Rahul Dravid feels that Pant has taken Test cricket like a duck to water. Rishabh Pant who returned to the game after surviving a horrific car crash in December 2022, scored a match-winning 89 in the fourth Test at the Gabba and contributed 274 runs throughout the series, playing a key role in India's historic 2-1 triumph in the 2020-21 tour. "It's hard to imagine that, after Dhoni left, you felt there might be some time for someone to come in and replace him," Rahul Dravid told Star Sports. "I'm not saying he's replaced him, but certainly in Test cricket, his performances have been absolutely sensational, an incredible performance." "Watching Rishabh there and chasing to get 89 to win that Test match at the Gabba, with everything on the line and such a depleted side, to put in that kind of performance under that kind of pressure -- truly sensational... What a special cricketer he's been. He's just taken to Test cricket like a duck to water. It's just phenomenal." Pant's heroics including two fifties at 68.50 in five innings helped India become the first Asian side to win successive Test series wins Down Under. In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rishabh Pant scored a crucial 37 runs in 78 deliveries in the first essay of the Perth Test. His knock included a remarkable six that lifted India's spirits, helping them recover from 59/5 to 150 all out. Also Read: Mumbai Cricket Association wants to find new Yashasvi Jaiswal, MCA to organise talent hunt for teenagers The Jasprit Bumrah-led team then bowled out Australia for 104 and won the match by 295 runs to take a 1-0 lead going into the Adelaide Test beginning on Friday. While India has dominated Australia lately, Rahul Dravid's knock of 233 during the Adelaide Test in 2003 still remains a fan-favourite. Reflecting on his knock, Dravid admitted that he still regrets not winning the series."I'm grateful for it, but I wouldn't have voted for myself, put it that way. Probably, I've got a lot of recency bias as well," he continued. "I think the way India has performed in Australia over the last two series in particular, winning series there, that counts for a lot. "However great my performances or India's performances were, we couldn't actually win that series. We came close, but we couldn't get the wickets on the final day in Sydney that we needed", Rahul Dravid. "The last two teams that have gone to Australia have done that, and that's a fantastic achievement, a terrific achievement and there have been some absolutely sensational performances right through those." Dravid was joined by VVS Laxman when India was reeling at 85/4, especially after the hosts had posted a mammoth 556 in just a day and a half. Rahul Dravid reflected on the incident where he had accidentally run out his captain Sourav Ganguly and admitted it was his "mistake". "I was thinking, 'I've got the captain run out. I better do something meaningful.' It was totally my mistake getting Sourav (Ganguly) run out. I will own up to that one -- it was my mistake. "But, I think you're just trying to bat, you're just trying to build a partnership, you're just trying to get to the target." "The thing with Laxman and me is that we had batted together a couple of really big partnerships before that. We did it once in Kolkata in 2001 and even in a domestic game when we first played South Zone against West Zone. "So, we had kind of batted a lot together and built this partnership. Not that we were thinking about that when we got out there, but I think the idea was really just to bat and try and build partnerships, stitch something together." "It's always nice batting with Laxman as well... Because he's just a beautiful player to watch and such a lovely player." "He really attacked back, which, in some ways, complimented me quite well in how we went about our innings," he recalled as Indians won the Adelaide Test by four wickets but the series ended in a 1-1 draw. (With PTI Inputs)
04 December,2024 09:36 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has announced that it will organize a talent hunt to scout the best teenage players in Mumbai. Camp is set up across the city for age groups of under 14, under 16 and under 19. The players who stay in the MCA jurisdiction can enrol themselves for the same. The camp will be held in seven different venues such as Chiklikar ground, Sainath S.C., Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana, Shivaji Park Gymkhana, Navi Mumbai Sports Association, Dombivali Gymkhana and MCA Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy. The Mumbai Cricket Association camp will be held from December 6, 2024, to January 19, 2025. The reporting time for all the age groups will be 8.30 AM. Also Read: Watch the battle between Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah with a pink ball Additionally, the camp will be held for only boys and all specializations such as batsmen, wicketkeepers and bowlers. The players who have already represented the Mumbai team in any age group are not eligible to participate. Team India's rising star Yashasvi Jaiswal once used to represent the Mumbai team. This is the right opportunity for the youngsters in Mumbai to pursue their cricketing dreams. See how MCA has fetched the promising talent in Yashasvi Jaiswal. In 2020, the left-hander was part of Under-19 Team India who ended up as the runners-up at the World Cup. But later, the Mumbaikar found his path and made the cut to the Indian team. Jaiswal has also represented Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has been retained by the franchise in the concluded mega auction of the IPL 2025. The Mumbai-famed cricketer is also part of Team India which has travelled to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). This could be a perfect opportunity for the youngsters in Mumbai to fulfil their cricketing dreams by enrolling themselves in the talent hunt organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).
04 December,2024 09:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the second Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Team India players have had an intense session during their practice. The second Test match will be played with a pink ball in the Adelaide Oval, following which Team India's stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah had a face-off with the pink ball. Taking to X: #𝙑𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙆𝙤𝙝𝙡𝙞 𝙫𝙨. #𝙅𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙩𝘽𝙪𝙢𝙧𝙖𝙝 😱Just a practice session before the #AUSvIND #PinkBallTest, but the intensity says otherwise! 🔥 days to go for #AUSvINDOnStar 2nd Test 👉 FRI, 6th DEC, 8 AM only on Star Sports 1! #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/VN9LKxjz5a — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 4, 2024 Also Read: WATCH VIDEO: Vaibhav Suryavanshi shines as India stroll into semifinals of U-19 Asia Cup In the first Test match, both players showcased their prowess in their respective departments. In the first innings of the Perth Test, Virat Kohli departed early on just five runs in 12 balls. Later, in the second essay, Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 100 runs which came in 143 deliveries. His century was also laced with 8 fours and 2 sixes. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah led the Indian side as Rohit Sharma was absent following the birth of his second child. Handling captaincy by leading the pace attack, Bumrah claimed a fifer for 30 runs in 18 overs. In the later half, the speedster snapped three wickets for 42 runs in 12 overs. Following his spell and others' contribution, Team India won the first Test match by a huge margin of 295 runs against Australia in Perth. The pink ball Test match is set to begin on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval. It will be a day-night Test match, following which the time of start will be 9.30 AM IST. Rohit Sharma will return in the second Test alongside Shubman Gill. The return of the skipper will raise the question of who will open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal. In Rohit's absence, KL Rahul opened the innings along with Jaiswal and the right-hander had decent results. India squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal.
04 December,2024 07:36 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThirteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi showcased his talent as Team India defeated United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 10 wickets. With this, Team India has sealed the semi-final berth of the U-19 Asia Cup. Batting first, UAE kept losing wickets at regular intervals and was bowled out for 137 runs in 44 overs. India's pacer Yudhajit Guha claimed three wickets for 15 runs, followed by Chetan Sharma by two for 27 runs. All-rounder Hardik Raj also bagged two wickets for 28 runs. India cantered home in 16.1 overs riding on unbeaten half-centuries from the opening duo of Vaibhav Suryavanshi (76 off 46) and Ayush Mhatre (67 off 51). Taking to X: Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed 76* from just 46 balls with 3 fours and 6 sixes.- The 13 year old has arrived...!!! 🔥pic.twitter.com/DXDTa3XcL4 — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 4, 2024 Also Read: Israel Vazquez, the three-time world boxing champion from Mexico, dies at 46 Vaibhav Suryavanshi also became the youngest player to get picked by an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the bid for the youngster for Rs. 1.10 crore. After getting picked as the youngest player in the cash-rich league, Vaibhav Suryavanshi faced several backlashes when it came to his age. While left-hander Suryavanshi decorated his innings with three hits to the fence and four strikes over it, Mhatre struck four boundaries and as many sixes during his knock. The majority of the 13-year-old's sixes came in the cow corner region. India started their campaign on a disappointing note, losing to arch-rivals Pakistan by 43 runs in their group opener before thrashing minnows Japan by 211 runs. India will play Group B toppers Sri Lanka in the semifinals, while Group A leaders Pakistan will be up against Bangladesh on Friday. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka were unbeaten in the group stages. Brief Scores: UAE Under-19: 137 all out in 44 overs (Muhammad Rayan 35; Yudhajit Guha 3/15, Chetan Sharma 2/27, Hardik Raj 2/28) lost to India Under-19: 143 for no loss in 16.1 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 76 not out, Ayush Mhatre 67 not out) by 10 wickets. (With PTI Inputs)
04 December,2024 06:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
