South Africa's lead pacer Kagiso Rabada is no stranger to beating Australia and he believes that his side will be facing them in the World Test Championship (WTC) has already sparked anticipation and motivation in the "Proteas". Australia cemented their place in the WTC final after securing a victory against Team India in the Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. South Africa was the first team to secure their place in the WTC final when they defeated Pakistan by 10 wickets. "It's actually quite some distance away, but a big occasion like the World Test Championship final gets you up for it," Kagiso Rabada said on SuperSport after taking a six-wicket haul in his side's 10-wicket, second-Test demolition of Pakistan that completed a 2-0 sweep. Having needed to play the tie against Australia, Kagiso Rabada is all geared up and had twice played a big role in winning the series against the Aussies in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar wants Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play Ranji Trophy matches, but will they? "South Africa versus Australia has always been an intense rivalry, because we play cricket quite similar. We play hard -- and they're going to come hard at us, and we know that. But we also know how to beat them," he said. About the significance of Test cricket, Kagiso Rabada said: "One hundred per cent, Test cricket is still alive. It's our best format that we've been playing right now." "When you look at South African cricket and all our legends, they've all been great Test cricketers. The world's best players are Test cricketers, and this series against Pakistan has been a wonderful advertisement for Test cricket, especially in South Africa." The Proteas don't have any Test assignment in the build-up to the WTC Final at Lord's from June 11-16 and coach Shukri Conrad has said they're looking at the possibility of a one-off match against either Ireland or Afghanistan. "We're going to try and get a Test match, possibly in the UK, against Ireland or Afghanistan, whoever is free. And if unsuccessful, we'll obviously go out a couple of days earlier, and make sure we camp there really well, probably in Canterbury," said Conrad. The coach was also all praise for his skipper Temba Bavuma for playing a key role in South Africa's resurgence. "He's played unbelievably well this summer, and full marks to him," Conrad said."I think any captain who wants to lead from the front, they want to lead through performance as well, and that's what Temba's done exceptionally well. "He's not lost a game as captain of South Africa (winning eight out of nine Tests). Leading from the front, turning out the performances he's had, he's probably in the form of his life. "I haven't seen him play any better, and that obviously gives you a lot of confidence when you're captaining as well. I wouldn't want anyone else to be captaining us." (With PTI Inputs)
07 January,2025 02:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India after winning the coveted T20 World Cup 2024 has seen an unexpected fall in Test cricket. Recently, the side suffered a 1-3 loss against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The loss has highlighted the fading form of some of the senior players. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, being the stalwarts of Indian cricketers over the years found themselves taking centre stage of criticism from fans and the cricket fraternity. Several former players and experts have advised that both Rohit and Virat should play in the upcoming Ranji season. Lack of runs from the duo has been too apparent and cricket lovers feel the star players are taking for granted their place in the national team. Legendary Team India batsman Sunil Gavaskar, known for his straight drives on-field and straight talk off-field shared his thoughts on senior players' performances. He stated that the selection criteria should make it compulsory for all the players to make their appearances in domestic cricket and no excuses should be tolerated right then. Also Read: "Whitewash at home bigger failure than BGT loss": Yuvraj Singh Coming back to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, it has been over a decade for the duo making their last domestic appearances. Not only just these two stars but also Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja have faced the backlash following Amid all the the criticism, the question arises, will Rohit and Virat play in Ranji Trophy matches? The reason being is the next red-ball match India will play is against England from June 18-22 in Leeds. If the selection committee does not pick the star duo for the England Test series, what do they have in their calendars for red-ball cricket? The answer is RANJI TROPHY! The international events in which Rohit and Virat can feature before the Indian Premier League is the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025. The Ranji Trophy season will kick start from January 23, with Mumbai playing their first game against Jammu and Kashmir. Having played 128 first-class matches for Mumbai, Rohit Sharma has garnered 9,287 runs with 29 centuries and 38 half-centuries. Stalwart Virat Kohli used to play for Delhi in domestic tournaments. The Delhiites will lock horns with Saurashtra in their first Ranji Trophy encounter. The right-hander has played 145 matches for Delhi in which he accumulated 11,097 runs laced with 36 tons and 38 half-centuries. The question still lingers will the star Indian duo feature in Ranji Trophy matches or will they draw curtains to their illustrious career in red-ball cricket?
07 January,2025 02:38 PM IST | Mumbai | Sujay ShivalkarFormer Team India cricketer Yuvraj Singh said that being whitewashed at home against New Zealand was a bigger low for the national side than losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia. Team India had tough months in Test cricket as they lost the Test series by 0-3 against New Zealand at home and then fell short by 1-3 against the Aussies. Both the debacles have been largely attributed to the team's batting frailties, especially those of Rohit and Kohli. "According to me, losing (to) New Zealand is more hurting (sic). Because they are losing 3-0 at home. You know, that is not acceptable. This (losing BGT) is still acceptable because you have won two times in Australia. And this time you lost," Yuvraj Singh told 'PTI Videos' in an interview here. "Australia has been a dominant side for the last so many years, that is my thought," the 43-year-old hero of India's 2011 World Cup triumph said. Virat Kohli managed to register a century during the Test series but continued to throw his wicket to an outside off-stump delivery. Rohit Sharma on the other hand, was worse as he managed to garner just 31 runs in the series. But Yuvraj Singh stated that it is not fair to criticize the duo keeping in mind their past achievements. Also Read: "Won't be a surprise": Sunil Gavaskar on India selectors taking "bold decision" after WTC heartbreak "We are talking about our greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, we are saying very bad things about them," he said. "...people forget what they have achieved in the past. They are one of the greatest cricketers of this time. Okay, they lost, they did not play good cricket. They are getting hurt more than us," he added. Hoping for bouncing back, Yuvraj Singh said he has full faith in not just Virat and Rohit, but also head coach Gautam Gambhir. "I feel that Gautam Gambhir as a coach, Ajit Agarkar as a selector, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, they are the best minds in cricket right now," he asserted. "And they have to decide what's the way for Indian cricket in future," he said. The big-hitting former batter also lauded Rohit for dropping himself from the Sydney Test, saying it was a selfless act. "I think it is a big thing. I have never seen in the past that the captain's form is not going well and he himself has gone out. And this is Rohit Sharma's greatness that he has kept the team ahead of himself," Yuvraj Singh said. "I think he is a great captain. Whether win or lose, he will always be a great captain. And in his captaincy, we have played the (ODI) World Cup final. We won a T20 World Cup. We have achieved a lot," he pointed out. He urged the critics to exercise restraint while dissecting the team's performance. "I was a student of the game and now I am a student of the game. The amount of cricket I have played, they have played more cricket than me," said the man, who played 304 ODIs, 40 Tests and 58 T20 Internationals for India, amassing 11,000 runs across formats. "I can give my opinion. And my opinion is that when players are not performing, it is easy to say bad about them. But it is very difficult to support them. Media's job is to say bad about them. My job is to support my friends and brothers. For me, they are my family. Simple," he signed off. (With PTI Inputs)
07 January,2025 12:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Team India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that it won't be a surprise for him if the Indian selectors make a bold decision in the upcoming Test tour against England after the World Test Championship hopes were ended in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. When India lost the home Test series against New Zealand by 3-0, the hopes of WTC were still alive. However, India's WTC final hope took its last breath in Syndey when Australia finished the series in style to bring the BGT back home after a decade. Australia kept its chance to defend the WTC mace intact at the cost of India's spot in the final. Following the loss against Australia, the faded performances of senior players came into focus. The struggles of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were visible and became the centre of criticism. Also Read: "Rohit Sharma has raised big questions about his future in Test cricket": Gavaskar After weighing in his batting struggles, Rohit decided to opt out of the Sydney Test when retaining the BGT title was on the line. Even Virat faded when the stakes were high, and India needed its experienced star to deliver with the bat. With the changes expected for the England series, Sunil Gavaskar said that he won't be surprised if the selectors take bold decisions in the next WTC cycle. "Now that India has failed to qualify for the World Test Championship final and the new cycle for the WTC starting with the tour to England in mid-June, it won't be a surprise if the selectors take the bold decision to start the qualification process by looking for players who would be there for the next final in 2027," Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald. One of the major reasons behind India's defeat in the BGT was the underwhelming performances from the batting unit. Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are some of the players who fell short of delivering with the willow. In India's 3-1 series loss, Kohli scored just 190 runs at an average of 23.75 in eight innings, while Rohit managed a mere 31 runs across three Tests in the series. (With ANI Inputs)
07 January,2025 10:42 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentLegendary Team India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar labelled current skipper Rohit Sharma's decision to step aside from the final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as a brave decision. From winning the T20 World Cup 2024 to sitting out in Sydney, Rohit Sharma has seen the highs and lows of his career in the past few months. When the team needed the most, Rohit delivered performances in some instances, but his form faded unexpectedly during the transition from white-ball to red-ball cricket. Rohit Sharma himself recognized the rough patch in his batting and negative impact on the team. Before the start of the Sydney Test, when India had the opportunity to retain the trophy, the skipper opted to sit out to give his team a better opportunity. Despite Rohit's absence, India's batting woes persisted. Within three days, India lost the BGT, raising significant questions about Rohit's future in Test cricket, along with that of other senior players. Also Read: Know the reason why Novak Djokovic feels trauma in Australia "The skipper, Rohit Sharma, was out of his depth and having taken the brave decision to step aside, because of his form, he has also raised big questions about his future in Test cricket," Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald. On the other hand, along with Rohit, stalwart Virat Kohli also struggled throughout the series except for one century. Kohli was able to garner just 190 runs with an average of 23.75 in five matches. Rohit Sharma scored just 31 runs in three Test matches. The future of both Rohit and Virat has become a topic of debate among fans and former cricketers. Even India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, addressed the issue, stating that any decisions about their future would be in the best interest of the team. "I can't talk about the future of any player. It's up to them as well. They still have the hunger, they still have the passion, they are tough people, and hopefully, they can continue to take Indian cricket forward. Whatever they plan, they will plan in the best interest of the team. I have to be fair and equal to everyone in the dressing room," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference. Calls for moving on from Rohit grew louder after Jasprit Bumrah led the team brilliantly in Perth, securing a record-shattering 295-run victory in Rohit's absence. The seasoned opener, who was unavailable for the series opener due to personal reasons, joined the team midway through the first Test. Observing the events on the field, Rohit quickly returned to the nets to bolster his preparations. With Bumrah at the helm, India dominated Australia effortlessly. After securing a commanding victory, Bumrah handed the captaincy back to Rohit, entrusting him with the massive responsibility of maintaining the winning momentum. However, Rohit's return was lackluster. The swagger he lost during India's historic home series whitewash against New Zealand seemed to linger. Speculation about Rohit's retirement intensified after the Boxing Day Test defeat. Rumors of a rift in the Indian camp also surfaced on social media. Rohit Sharma addressed these speculations during an interview with the broadcasters in Sydney. "I have stood down from this Test, but I am not going anywhere. This is not a retirement or moving away from the format. A guy with a mic, pen or laptop, what they write or say, it doesn't matter. They cannot decide for us. I took the call to stand down after coming to Sydney. Yes, runs are not coming, but there is no guarantee that you won't be able to score two months down the line or six months down the line. I am mature enough to know what I am doing," Rohit Sharma told Star Sports. (With ANI Inputs)
07 January,2025 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla criticized Cricket Australia (CA) for not inviting legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar to present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the Sydney Test. Rajeev Shukla further stated that the Test series is named after the names of Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border. Earlier on Sunday, Sunil Gavaskar was not invited for the presentation of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite being at the venue. Australia won the Sydney Test regained the title after 10 years and sealed the Test series by 3-1 against Team India. Also Read: Gill must show will! The snub came after Australia successfully reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a landmark victory that marked the end of a decade-long wait for the Australians. Taking to X, Rajeev Shukla said that it happened at a time when Gavaskar was present in the stadium. He added that both Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar together at the presentation ceremony would have been a rare visual. "I fully agree with Neil. It happened when Gavaskar was present in the stadium. Trophy is in their names and one of them was not invited to podium. After four years who knows whether both will be present at the stadium? Both together would have been a rare visual," Rajeev Shukla wrote on X. I fully agree with Neil. It happened when Gavaskar was present in the stadium.Trophy is in their names and one of them was not invited to podium. After four years who knows whether both will be present at the stadium?Both together would have been a rare visual @CricketAus https://t.co/68GIL0TAyQ — Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) January 6, 2025 Australia's dominant 3-1 series win has reignited their rivalry with India, with the victory serving as a strong statement in international cricket and eliminating the visitors from the World Test Championship (WTC) race. Sunil Gavaskar's exclusion from the presentation ceremony left a bittersweet note for him. Earlier, Sunil Gavaskar, who was left out of the presentation ceremony, shared his thoughts on the situation, saying, "I was told just before the Test started that was going to be the situation. If India didn't win or draw the series I wouldn't be required... I'm not feeling sad, but I'm just feeling a little perplexed. It's the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, both of us should have been there," as quoted by ABC SPORT. (With ANI Inputs)
07 January,2025 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe 'Pink Test' at Sydney, which spreads awareness about cancer, holds special significance for Sam Konstas, for the young Australian batting sensation lost his close family members to the dreaded disease. The Sydney match has been celebrated as the 'Pink Test' since 2009, in honour of Glenn McGrath's late wife Jane, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer in 2008, with the McGrath foundation raising millions of dollars for the cause. During an interview on Triple M cricket, Konstas revealed how his cousin died of leukemia and his grandpa of bowel cancer, and expressed hope the match at SCG would continue to raise awareness about the disease. "Obviously it's a special event, the McGrath Foundation, and hopefully we spread more awareness for cancer, get the funds in, because I remember my cousin passed away with leukaemia and my grandpa with bowel cancer. "So obviously we hope we spread awareness and get the cure," Konstas said. Konstas was involved in a heated exchange with India captain Jasprit Bumrah during the fifth Test here but the 19-year-old said he remains unfazed by the incident. The drama unfolded when Konstas confronted Bumrah, who was getting frustrated with Usman Khawaja taking extra time to take guard. The confrontation forced the umpires to intervene, and Bumrah later dismissed Khawaja off the final ball of the day and gave Konstas a send-off. "Oh, I didn't get too fazed. Unfortunately, Uzi got out. He was trying to buy some time a little bit. It was probably my fault, but it happens. It's cricket," Konstas said. "Credit to Bumrah. He got the wicket, but obviously great performance from the team." When asked about his fiery approach to his opponents, Konstas said: "Don't know. Whatever's on the field, I just try to do my best and, yeah, I guess I got a few nerves on the other team." Don't think it's kicked in yet: Konstas on dream debut Konstas had a dream debut during the Boxing Day Test at MCG where he took on Bumrah en route to an audacious 60 off 65 balls in front of a near sell-out crowd. The home team won that game by 184 runs before beating India by six wickets at SCG to claim the five-match series 3-1, ending a wait of 10 years. "Yeah, it's been quite special. Obviously Mark Taylor presenting my bag and to top it off with the win today was, yeah, outstanding from the team," he said. "I don't think it's kicked in yet, but hopefully in the next few days we'll soak up, reflect on it, but it's been awesome. "The team's been outstanding to me and just letting me play my natural game. Pat Cummins is a great leader and hopefully we can keep going on." The series defeat also dashed India's hopes of securing a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, with Australia setting up a summit showdown with South Africa. Asked if he was feeling nervous before his debut, Konstas said, "No, I was very calm. I was talking to my parents and all my teammates. "But obviously, it was a packed stadium and Uzi (Khawaja) said my journal was pumped when I was batting, but I didn't feel that, but obviously it was a good debut and glad to get two wins." After impressing against India, Konstas is expected to be included in the squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. When asked if the fans would see the same Konstas, he said, "Yeah, I'm not too sure if I'm selected yet. I think we'll find out in the next few days, but obviously adapting to different conditions, maybe we'll find a new Sam, but I think so, but time will tell." (With agency inputs)
07 January,2025 08:13 AM IST | Sydney | mid-day online correspondentAs India Test skipper Rohit Sharma’s ponders over his poor show at the just-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy series (31 runs in three games), former Test pacer and Mumbai Cricket Association’s Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) chief Raju Kulkarni believes his return to the domestic circuit can have triple benefits — to Rohit himself, Mumbai and Team India. Mumbai third in Elite Group Ranji Trophy champs Mumbai (22 points), who are third place in the Elite Group ‘A’ led by table-toppers Baroda (27), host second-placed Jammu & Kashmir (23) on January 23 at the MCA-BKC ground and Kulkarni feels Rohit’s presence could be a huge confidence-booster to the team that failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy [50-over tournament] recently. Also Read: "Whoever wants to become a superstar should stay at home": Harbhajan Singh Raju Kulkarni “It will be great if Rohit feels he should play domestic cricket and scores runs and gains confidence. It will be a huge boost to the Mumbai team too. If Rohit plays Ranji games, he will be able to assess what he needs to do to get his form back. Ultimately, he will thus not only be helping himself and Mumbai cricket, but Indian cricket too,” Kulkarni told mid-day on Sunday. Ranji champions Mumbai began the season on a brilliant note, winning the Irani Cup in October. Last month, the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit emerged champions in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 [SMAT] Trophy. However, in their latest outing, the Mumbai side failed to make it to the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts, finishing third in Group ‘C’. Former Mumbai captain Kulkarni felt the heavy workload on Mumbai’s bowlers led to the team’s downfall. “There’s no excuse. We should have qualified for the Vijay Hazare knockouts. I blame this on workload [of bowlers], because Mumbai’s season started very early, in September, much before the Irani Cup. So, the workload on the bowlers has been high,” said Kulkarni. Shardul overloaded In five Ranji games this season, Mumbai’s premier pacer Shardul Thakur has bowled 129 overs (14 wickets), followed by 35 overs in the SMAT (15 wkts) and 41 overs in Vijay Hazare Trophy (10 wkts). The absence of pacers Tushar Deshpande (undergoing rehab at NCA after surgery on left ankle) and Mohit Avasthi (side strain during SMAT) hurt Thakur too. “It’s not possible for a pacer to play continuously for six months. Had Tushar, Mohit been available, Shardul could have rested,” said Kulkarni.
07 January,2025 08:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureSouth Africa eased to a 10-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second Test on Monday in Cape Town to secure a 2-0 series win despite second-innings resistance from the tourists. Also Read: Two-tier Test system in pipeline Forced to follow on 421 runs behind on the first innings, Pakistan battled to 478 all out but South Africa, who qualified for the World Test Championship final last week, easily knocked off a target of 58 late on the fourth day. David Bedingham hit 44 not out off 30 balls. Brief scoresSouth Africa 615 & 58 without loss (D Bedingham 44*, A Markram 14*) beat Pakistan 194 & 478 (S Masood 145, B Azam 81; K Rabada 3-115, K Maharaj 3-137) by 10 wickets 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
07 January,2025 07:47 AM IST | Cape Town | AFPThe ICC in collaboration with cricket boards of India, Australia and England is exploring the possibility of a two-tier Test system to facilitate more series between big three nations. The Age reported that Jay Shah, the new ICC chairman, is set to meet Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and his England counterpart Richard Thompson later this month to discuss the finer points. Also Read: Jasprit likely to miss majority of home white-ball series against England “Any plan for a move to two divisions in Test cricket would kick in after the end of the current Future Tours Program in 2027,” the Age reported quoting its sources. A BCCI official indicated that the discussion floated around the ICC corridors in 2016, the first-time when a two-tier Test system was seriously considered. 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
07 January,2025 07:45 AM IST | Sydney | PTIPace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who sustained back spasms, is likely to be rested for the majority of India’s home white-ball series against England, keeping an eye on the ICC Champions Trophy, starting from February 19. Bumrah, who was India’s stand out player with 32 wickets in their 1-3 thrashing at the hands of Australia in the just-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, couldn’t bowl in the final innings of the series here after suffering back spasms. Also Read: Rashid helps Afghans seal series If Bumrah’s injury is in Grade 1 category, then it will take a minimum two to three weeks of rehabilitation before Return to Play (RTP). In case of Grade 2 injury, the recovery can go up to six weeks while Grade 3, the most severe in nature, requires a minimum three months of rest and rehabilitation programmes. It was always known that Bumrah will not play T20I bilateral series as this is not the World Cup year, but with the Champions Trophy around the corner, he would have certainly played two if not three ODIs against England. But now, the grade of his injury will decide whether Bumrah plays the England series at all or at least the last match at his home ground in Ahmedabad on February 12 to check on his fitness. 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
07 January,2025 07:42 AM IST | Sydney | PTIADVERTISEMENT
