Teenage sensation Sam Konstas announced his arrival on the international stage with a stunning half-century on debut as Australia raced to 112 for 1 at lunch on the opening day of the fourth Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday. The 19-year-old Konstas dazzled with a quick-fire 60 off just 65 deliveries, showcasing the fearless stroke play that has earned him much acclaim. Australia, opting to bat on a pitch that promised runs, saw Konstas form an 89-run stand with veteran Usman Khawaja, who remained unbeaten on 38 at the break. Khawaja was joined by Marnus Labuschagne (12 not out) as the hosts looked to consolidate their strong start. The morning began with a few nervy moments for Konstas as he played and missed against Jasprit Bumrah’s probing opening spell. However, once he got off the mark, the young opener shifted gears, taking on the Indian pace attack with remarkable audacity. Konstas left fans and experts in awe as he executed audacious strokes, including a reverse lap-scoop off Bumrah, a shot rarely seen in Test cricket. The teenager also smashed Bumrah over mid-on for a maximum, followed by another reverse lap-scoop that raced to the boundary. In a rare sight, Bumrah, who conceded 41 runs in his eight overs, was hit for two sixes in his opening spell – a first in his Test career. The stump mic even caught him muttering “Beginner’s Luck,” but Konstas seemed unfazed by the challenge. The debutant's spunky approach also led to a heated exchange with Virat Kohli after their shoulders brushed while crossing paths. Undeterred, Konstas continued to take on the Indian bowlers, shuffling towards leg-stump to create room for his shots. Mohammed Siraj bore the brunt of his unconventional style, with the youngster smashing six boundaries and two sixes during his entertaining innings. Skipper Rohit Sharma turned to Ravindra Jadeja in the 16th over to stem the flow of runs. The move paid off as the left-arm spinner trapped Konstas in front with an arm ball that skidded through, ending the youngster’s memorable debut knock. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald later revealed that Konstas’ inclusion was a deliberate move to bring in an aggressive enforcer at the top of the order, a strategy that worked splendidly. Konstas left the field to a standing ovation from a near-capacity crowd at the MCG, marking a dream debut. At the other end, Khawaja looked solid, taking his time to rediscover form, while Labuschagne played watchfully. Among the Indian bowlers, only Akash Deep maintained a consistent line and length, conceding just 15 runs in his six overs. Siraj, meanwhile, struggled with his lengths, oscillating between too full and too short. (With inputs from PTI)
26 December,2024 08:43 AM IST | MelbourneThe wait has seemed interminable, the build-up artificially fractious. The long gap between the third and fourth Tests has allowed players to regroup physically and mentally, to revisit strategies, to steal the early march in what has now effectively become a two-Test series. Riding the punches The immediate aim is to aspire for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which has been in India’s possession since they defeated Australia at home in 2017. The first five-Test series between the sides since 1991-92 is delicately balanced at 1-1, the hosts looking stronger overall, but India hanging in there, riding the punches and now looking to land a few of their own as they return to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where four of their 10 Test wins in Australia have come. The Boxing Day Test at the ‘G’ is one of cricket’s most eagerly awaited occasions and tickets for Thursday’s Day One sold like hot cakes from the time they were made available. The atmosphere is certain to be electric and the temperature is expected to touch a vastly uncomfortable 40 degrees Centigrade, which means unless one is strong of mind and steely-willed, the MCG isn’t the place to be. It’s imperative, therefore, to land the early blows and make the first statements. Towards that end, India might reconsider opening the batting again with their inspirational captain who has been short of runs in the recent past. Rohit Sharma sliding up the order to open the batting won’t be the worst option, but that will necessitate a rejig to the batting order if India aspire to keep KL Rahul, clearly their best batter of the series, in the top half. It’s a risk worth taking for the right reasons, though it remains to be seen whether India do go down that route and if so, how that comes off. Chasing vital WTC points There has been speculation that India might reinforce their bowling resources by opting for a fifth specialist at the expense of Nitish Kumar Reddy. Nitish has weighed in with useful runs in all five innings, but his brisk medium-pace hasn’t been used more than sparingly. Washington Sundar’s off-spin and Prasidh Krishna’s back-of-length mode at no little pace are options to consider as India chase vital World Test Championship points, like their opponents. But if India do go with Prasidh especially, they will need their batters to give a far better account of themselves than they have so far. Australia have announced two changes to the XI which squared up in Brisbane. One of them is forced, Josh Hazlewood making way for Scott Boland after picking up a calf strain that will keep him out of the SCG Test too next week. The other is tactical, the precocious 19-year-old Sam Konstas braced for his debut as opener after the experiment with Nathan McSweeney was jettisoned by the selectors. Konstas made a century for a Prime Minister’s XI against the Indians in Canberra earlier this month, but that attack was without Jasprit Bumrah, by a distance the best bowler of the series. This will be a baptism of fire for the U-19 star, rated very highly as evidenced by the fact that he is the fourth youngest Australian to play Test cricket. The MCG strip has changed in character since India last played, and won, here in 2020. Rohit and his team must adapt, rapidly, as they aspire for a hat-trick at the ‘G’.
26 December,2024 07:22 AM IST | Melbourne | R KaushikAustralia skipper Pat Cummins understands what a teenager goes through on a high-profile Test debut and knows what he needs to tell a young Sam Konstas: “Have fun and don’t overthink”. Konstas, 18, is all set to make his debut against India in the Boxing Day Test, starting Thursday. Konstas has created a lot of buzz in Australian domestic cricket and his Test debut at the expense of Nathan McSweeney has become quite an event. When the skipper was asked about his feelings during his Test debut at 19, Cummins spoke about an element of naivety that can stop a kid from overthinking about how big a deal it is. Exciting moment Pat Cummins “I spent a bit of the time wondering why or how I was there, how it happened so quick. I just remember being really excited and I think it’s similar to Sammy [Konstas] this week. “There’s a level of naivety that you just want to go out and play like you do when you’re a kid in the backyard,” Cummins said during the pre-match press interaction. “You just want to take the game on, have fun and not overthink. So that’s the message to Sam. That’s definitely how I felt as an 18-year-old, I was just really excited,” Cummins fondly recollected. Big occasion Cummins shared with Konstas, how he, as a teenager, handled his debut back in 2011. “I was saying this to Sam the other day, I remember as an 18-year-old I was thinking if I didn’t have a great game it wasn’t my fault, it was the selector’s fault for picking me. “I was like, well they’re the idiots that picked an 18-year-old. You’re so young starting out your career it’s just it’s Boxing Day doesn’t get any better than this so just enjoy the moment,” he laughed. For Cummins, having 38-year-old opener Usman Khawaja, who is exactly double Konstas’ age is a boon for the youngster as he will have calming influence at the other end. “There’s so much value in having experience and you’ve seen everything before. But there’s almost just as many positives in having that freedom and naivety just to go out and see the ball and hit the ball.” 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
26 December,2024 06:33 AM IST | Melbourne | PTIDubai Young Sam Konstas has certainly got talent for international cricket and a “bit of an attitude to go with it” but it won’t be an easy debut for the teenager against a world class bowling attack, reckons legendary Ricky Ponting. Australia’s newest batting sensation Konstas, 19, is set to make his debut in Boxing Day Test against India. With only 11 first-class matches under his belt, Konstas will take the opening slot alongside the experienced Usman Khawaja in the fourth Test starting here Thursday with Australia desperate to find the right combination at the top. Konstas had previously failed to win favour from the Australian selectors who picked Nathan McSweeney for the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but the latter’s ordinary returns forced them to give the New South Wales’ opener a crack at Test cricket. “I’ve seen a lot, there’s a lot of talent there, no doubt about it,” Ponting told the ICC Review while talking about Konstas. “The way he played in the PM’s XI game [he scored 107 against the Indians], the way that he was able to approach his first BBL game the other night, I know it’s different formats, but you can see that the talent is there and there’s also a bit of an attitude to go with it.” “And not a bad attitude, [but] an attitude that he knows that he’s good and he wants to show the world that he’s good,” added Ponting. Konstas is the youngest batter since Ponting in 1993 in Australia’s Sheffield Shield to have scored two hundreds in a match. 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
26 December,2024 06:32 AM IST | Dubai | PTISouth Africa will be eyeing a place in the World Test Championship final with an all-seam attack against Pakistan in the first Test, starting Thursday. The Proteas need to win one of its remaining two Test matches in this WTC cycle to guarantee a place at the Lord’s final next year and captain Temba Bavuma believes expectations have risen in his team to do well in the two Test series. “There’ll be pressure that comes with that,” Bavuma said. “But to be honest with you, we’re coming into the series to win the series 2-0. We understand that for us to do that, there’s certain things that we need to do as a team: keep things simple, keep doing the small things right, and allow the results to take care of itself.” South Africa has included four fast bowlers in the lineup with Corbin Bosch, who consistently bowls above 140 kph, set to play his first Test at his hometown. Seasoned fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen will team up with Dane Paterson and Bosch to challenge Pakistan’s batters on an expected pacey Centurion pitch where fast bowlers have a clear advantage over the last six years, picking up 227 wickets with spinners dismissing only 16 batters. Heading into the Tests, South Africa’s top-order batters did struggle against Pakistan in a rare 3-0 ODI whitewash with Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs all failing to read the off-spin bowling of Salman Ali Agha in the opening game. “Whether it’s easy, whether it’s hard, we’ve got to find a way to do it,” Bavuma 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
26 December,2024 06:31 AM IST | Centurion | AP | PTIIndia batter Harleen Deol, who notched up her maiden ODI hundred in the side’s 115-run win over the West Indies, said she was thinking how much her mother would be elated on seeing her get a century for the first time in international cricket. At Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, Harleen stood up to hit 115 off 103 balls, hitting 16 boundaries to lead India’s charge of making 358-5, their joint-highest total in women’s ODIs. She got her half-century in 62 balls, and then accelerated greatly to bring up her century in 98 balls. “My mom keeps saying this thing that God gives happiness to those who share it. Those who don’t share it, God says that he is not sharing it, as he won’t be happy with such a small happiness. It’s just God’s plan. You just have to keep believing in it. Keep having trust in him. That’s the only thing. “You can’t think that I wish I could score 100 in the next 10 matches. But it’s like, it can be possible too. When I was there, I was thinking how happy my mom would be. I remember when I got injured, everyone was around me. But then my mom was someone, she never got irritated because I couldn’t walk,” said Harleen in a video posted on BCCI’s social media accounts. The significance of Harleen’s knock is huge, considering she had suffered a knee injury while playing for Gujarat Giants in WPL 2024 and underwent an ACL surgery in Mumbai. Speaking about how the rehab phase made her mentally tougher, Harleen stated, “When you are in rehab, you keep overtaking small challenges. So, you become mentally strong. We plan ahead without thinking — to do this and that, but it doesn’t happen. So, I just take time — live one day at a time. Just enjoy that time, enjoy that moment. Next day, next start, next everything, next day.” The win also ensured India won the ODI series after previously winning T20I series 2-1. 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
26 December,2024 06:30 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSAs the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy reaches a critical juncture with the series tied 1-1, Team India faces significant selection dilemmas ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The aftermath of the third Test at the Gabba, which ended in a hard-fought draw, has triggered a wave of planned and speculative changes, with legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar weighing in on the decisions the Indian team management must make. Rookie off-spinning all-rounder Tanush Kotian has been named as Ashwin’s replacement, marking a new chapter for India’s spin department. Among the many speculations regarding the Indian lineup, one of the biggest debates centres around Nitish Kumar Reddy’s place in the XI. While some believe Washington Sundar should replace Reddy to provide India with an additional spinning option, Gavaskar strongly opposes this idea. “They can’t drop Nitish Kumar Reddy. He is the fourth seamer. I can’t see India going in with just two pacers and Nitish. For me, it is pretty much this XI that plays in Melbourne,” Gavaskar told Star Sports. Reddy, despite being a reliable batter in the lower order, has struggled to make an impact with the ball in the series. However, Gavaskar believes his ability to provide crucial breakthroughs and his contributions with the bat make him indispensable to the team’s balance. 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
26 December,2024 06:29 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSThe Karnatak Sporting Association will be conducting selection trials for boys under-12 MCA Bhaskar trophy tournament, starting from first week of January. Players born on and after September 1, 2012 are eligible to attend the selection trials, which will be held at the KSA ground, Cross Maidan, on December 27 from 4 to 6.15 pm. The boys must carry their cricket kit and whites. All players should carry their original birth certificate. For further inquiry, contact: Bala Shetty (Coach) - 9619172047. 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
26 December,2024 06:28 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesA for Ajit. The Mumbai batting great would have become the first Indian left-hander to score a century at the MCG, but he was dismissed for 99, coming down the pitch to hit Bob Simpson only to give Paul Sheahan a simple catch at point. B for Border. Tough as teak Allan was at the other end on 62 while Geoff Miller held on to a catch from No. 11 Jeff Thomson (which Chris Tavare nearly spilled) for England to win the fourth Test of the 1982-83 Ashes. C for Chandrasekhar. The big hero of India’s 1977-78 victory at Melbourne. Twelve wickets in the game meant the visitors were back in the series after losing the first two Tests. D for Doshi. One of the heroes of India’s 1980-81 Melbourne Test, left-arm spinner Dilip, bowled with a broken foot to claim five wickets in the Test. E for Erapally. In 1967-68, Prasanna claimed 6-141 to become the first among five Indian bowlers to claim five or more wickets in an innings of a Melbourne Test. F for Fitzroy. That’s the Gardens where spectators had to eat their packed lunch when the 1954-55 Ashes Test ended early on the fifth day. G for Gavaskar. Shrugging off his first innings duck of the 1977-78 Test, Sunil carved 118 in the second innings for India’s bowlers to have a crack at Australia again. H for Hanif. In his only Test on Australian soil, Pakistan’s little master Mohammad scored a century and missed out on another one when he was dismissed for 93 in the 2nd innings in 1964-65. I for India. Though Australia have eight Test wins over India at Melbourne, the visitors don’t have a bad record at the MCG – Tests in 1977-78, 1980-81, 2018-19 and 2020-21 went the visitors’ way. J for Jeff. Australia’s fastest ever bowler in the opinion of several pundits went for 0-110 on Test debut against Pakistan in 1972-73. The next time he played a Test at MCG, he got eight in the game to trouble England in 1974. K for Karsan. Got Australia captain Greg Chappell in both innings of the Melbourne Test which India won by 59 runs. Chappell’s first-ball duck in the second innings enhanced India’s victory chances. L for Lillee. What a Test it was for Dennis in 1981-82. On December 26, he sent back Viv Richards off the last ball of the day and on the following day, he went past Lance Gibbs’ tally of 309 Test wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in the game. M for Mankad. How can anyone not sing praises of a batsman who gets two hundreds in a series on Australian soil. No surprise then Don Bradman praised Vinoo for ending the 1947-48 series with two centuries in the Melbourne Tests. N for Nadkarni. Missed out on being part of the playing XI in the 1967-68 Test but was assistant manager in 1980-81 where India squared the series. O for O’Donnell. Hailing from Victoria, this talented, crowd favourite Australia all-rounder, who was more suited to one-day cricket, didn’t get a chance to play a Test on his home ground. P for Pataudi. His 75 and 85 with an injured leg in the 1967-68 Test didn’t eventuate in victory, but he attracted admiration for batting on one leg and one eye! Q for Quirky. The first ever Test match in 1877 ended with a 45-run victory at MCG for Australia. A 100 years later in 1977, the hosts won by the same margin. R for Rahane. One of India’s top performers in Melbourne Tests is Ajinkya, who scored hundreds in the 2014-15 and 2020-21 Tests. S for Sachin. A splendid 116 on Day Three of the 1999-2000 Test was a sight for the Gods. The next highest scorer was Ganguly with 31. T for Tyson. England’s pace terror Frank’s 7-27 sent Australia reeling to defeat in the 1954-55 Test. His pace was too hot to ignore and moved batting legend Don Bradman to say he was the fastest bowler he saw. U for Umar. The younger Akmal brother loved scoring his runs swiftly. In the 2009-10 Test, he smashed 51 off 80 balls with nine fours and a six. In the second innings, his 27 included five fours. V for Virat. India’s star batsman can be expected to come up with more gems at Melbourne. His 169 in 2014-15 was memorable and he followed that up with 54. In 2018-19, he led from the front with 82 and his second innings duck won’t be a sore point as India ended up winning. W for Whitehead. The umpire who ruled Sunil Gavaskar leg before wicket in the 1980-81 Test, a wrong decision which led to skipper Gavaskar nearly taking his opening partner Chetan Chauhan with him to the dressing room. Rex will forever be remembered. X for X-factor. It could well be Australia’s new opening batsman Sam Konstas. Y for Yardley. He claimed seven in an innings against Pakistan in 1981-82, but still ended up on the losing side as Javed Miandad’s men buried Australia in runs (500-8 declared). Z for Zaheer. The Asian Bradman was a highly respected player in Australia. He made five tours and was dismissed twice for 90 (in 1976-77 and 1981-82).
26 December,2024 06:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Clayton MurzelloPace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah got a huge boost on the eve of the Boxing Day Test when he achieved the joint-highest rating ever by an Indian player, equalling the record held by spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the ICC ranking for bowlers. The quick gained 14 rating points following his match figures of 9-94 in the drawn third Test at Brisbane to not only equal Ashwin’s highest-ever 904 rating points, but also consolidate his position at the top of the rankings. 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
26 December,2024 06:22 AM IST | Dubai | PTIMS Dhoni, known for keeping a low profile off the cricket field, delighted fans when pictures of him surfaced on Christmas Day, showing the Indian cricket legend celebrating the occasion with his family. The images, shared by Dhoni's wife, Sakshi, quickly went viral across social media. The couple celebrated the special day with their daughter, Ziva, and Dhoni dressed up as Santa Claus to add a festive touch to the celebration. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sakshi Singh (@sakshisingh_r) After months of speculation, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) confirmed Dhoni's retention ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, ensuring that the 43-year-old will play another season in the league. Dhoni was retained as an 'uncapped player' for a sum of Rs. 4 crore. Given that Dhoni has not played for India since 2019 and officially retired from international cricket in 2020, he qualifies as an uncapped player for the upcoming season. Dhoni will become the oldest player in the 2025 IPL, and if he plays the entire 2025-27 cycle, he could break the record to become the oldest player in IPL history. Dhoni has been with CSK since the inaugural IPL season in 2008, leading them to five titles. He shares the record for most IPL titles as captain with Rohit Sharma. In addition to his time with CSK, Dhoni also played for Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 and 2017. Ahead of the 2024 IPL season, Dhoni stepped down from his captaincy role at CSK, passing the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Although Dhoni had already played as a non-captain in eight matches during the 2022 season, the 2024 edition marked the first full season he did not lead the team. The 2025 IPL is scheduled to begin on March 14th.
25 December,2024 05:55 PM IST | Ranchi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
