Cricket
3rd ODI Highlights: Rain Ruins Sri Lanka s Final ODI Against New Zealand Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 3rd ODI Highlights: The third and final one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on Tuesday was abandoned after only 21 overs of play due to persistent rain in Pallekele. As the rain refused to relent, the umpires officially called off the game at 19:45 local time (1415 GMT). The game was a dead rubber with Sri Lanka already having clinched the series 2-0, following their thrilling three-wicket win on Sunday. The victory was Sri Lanka s fifth one-day series win in the year. (SCORECARD)
One Thing I Know Of Virat... : Watson Tells Aus How To Treat Ind Star In BGT Former all-rounder Shane Watson has advised the Australian team to avoid getting into confrontations with Virat Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he feels the intensity the celebrated Indian batter derives from provocations brings the best out of him. Going through a lean run of form, Kohli has enjoyed great success in Australia in the past and will look to regain his touch in the five-match Test series, which gets underway on Friday at the Optus Stadium here.
Provoking the Indian batting mainstay has often proved to be counterproductive for the Australians, and Watson has experienced it himself.
The one thing that I know of Virat is... because the fire burns so brightly and deep inside him, the intensity he brings to every ball that he is engaged in a game has been superhuman, Watson was quoted as saying on the Willow Talk podcast.
But, there have been in recent times where moments in this career that fire has started to go out because it is just so hard to maintain that intensity in every moment he is involved in a game.
And, that is where Australia have to leave him alone and hope he doesn t bring the intensity -- nine out of 10 intensity -- to every ball. Kohli has played 13 Tests in Australia since 2011, amassing 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08, including six centuries and four fifties, with a top score of 169.
While this would be his fifth tour Down Under in the longest format, Kohli s best outing came during the 2014-15 series when he aggregated 692 runs in four Tests at an average of 86.50, including four hundreds and a half-century.
These remarkable numbers are not lost on Watson.
We have seen that when he has had success in Australia, he is up and above for everything in the middle. Every ball he is up for every single moment.
You can see the fierce intensity that he brings, and if he gets that, then it shuts everything else out. That is when he is at his absolute best.
If there is stuff happening around and that intensity is not there, that is when you will see the not-so-best version of Virat. So from an Australian perspective, let s hope we get to see that version of him, Watson said.
Kohli s performance in the red-ball format this year has been below par, managing just 70 runs in six Tests at an average of 22.72.
Smith wasn t actually batting at his best as an opener
When the discussion turned to Australian batting, Watson backed Steve Smith to bring the very best of him against the formidable Indian bowling attack.
Smith will be back at his usual number four slot after struggling as opener following the retirement of David Warner.
Steve wanted to open. He was super keen to take up a new challenge. But, one thing with that opportunity he had was he wasn t actually batting at his best at that time, Watson noted.
So, he got an opportunity to open, and Steve Smith at his very best would have made the most out of it because he just loves scoring runs, whether it is opening or at No. 4. You could see it a few times he got out when he was opening – his game and his technique was a little bit off. For the marquee series against fierce rivals India, the Australian selectors have picked 25-year-old uncapped Nathan McSweeney to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
I Love Cricket But... : Aus Great s Clear Take On Rohit Missing 1st Test Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke has come out in support of India captain Rohit Sharma s decision to miss out on the Border Gavaskar Trophy series opener due to the birth of his second child. During the buildup of the series between two Test heavyweights, Rohit s participation in Perth on Friday was up for debate. Last Saturday, Rohit took to Instagram to announce the birth of his second child. After the news became a hot topic on social media, reports suggested that Rohit is expected to miss the first Test. While former India captain Sourav Ganguly suggested that Rohit should feature in the opening Test, many stars came out in support of the Indian skipper s decision.
After Australia opener Travis Head, Clark completely agreed and respected Rohit s decision by declaring that family always comes first.
To be honest, the greatest day of my life over any cricket event, over any Test match victory, over captaining Australia. The greatest day of my life was the day when my daughter was born, and being there for that moment was the most special moment of my life, Clarke said while speaking to Revsportz.
So 100 per cent if I was having my daughter and I had a game of cricket, I love cricket, I love representing my country, and I love captaining Australia, but family always comes first. It has to. So, being there for my little girl, I would do it every day of the week. So I completely respect and agree with Rohit s decision, he added.
Clarke acknowledged that Rohit s hunger to play for India matches his appetite to represent Australia. He knows the Indian skipper will be missed in the first Test but respects his decision.
I have no doubt that in an ideal world, it would have been great if his second child came a week early or two weeks early so he could play every Test match. Rohit loves playing for India as much as I love playing for Australia. He is a great player and a wonderful captain. He will be missed. But every single person must respect that decision of any man, Clarke noted.
Indian Blind Cricket Team Won t Travel To Pakistan For T20 WC. Reason Is... The Indian blind cricket team will not compete in the T20 World Cup as the government has denied the permission to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns, the national federation said on Tuesday. The Indian team was supposed to cross the Wagah border on Wednesday for the event, scheduled to be held from November 23 to December 3. The team had got a No Objection Certificate (NOC), at no-cost to the government, from the sports ministry to participate in the tournament but apparently couldn t get clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). We have been told unofficially that the blind team will not be permitted to travel to Pakistan. We were scheduled to travel to Wagah border tomorrow.
But as of now, no clearance has come from the ministry officials. So, we are a bit disappointed, Shailendra Yadav, General Secretary of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), told PTI.
Yadav said that the decision could have been conveyed to the team a tad earlier so that they could have spared of the efforts to pick the team from a selection trial.
They are saying when the mainstream cricket team is not safe how can you be safe there. Of course, we will accept the decision.
But why hold the decision till the last minute, why not inform us a month or 25 days back. There is a process,” Yadav added.
The blind cricket is currently staying back in New Delhi, where they had conducted a 25-day training camp before selecting the World Cup squad.
It could also be mentioned that the government has not given clearance to the Indian national cricket team to travel to Pakistan for next year s ICC Champions Trophy.
The BCCI had informed the International Cricket Council about India s inability to travel to Pakistan and the global governing body, in turn, passed the information to the PCB.
Currently, talks are on about a possible ‘Hybrid Model , the PCB is yet to agree to it.
However, Yadav said the CABI has kept all the communication channels with the government officials open, hoping for a reversal of decision.
We are still communicating with the ministry while staying back at New Delhi. Hopefully, there will be a favourable decision, even at the last minute,” said Yadav.
The Pakistan Blind Cricket Council had last week made it clear that whether India sends its team to Pakistan or not for the World Cup, the event will go ahead on schedule.
Pakistan will be hosting the event on schedule and it makes no difference whether the Indian team comes or not,” Chairman Syed Sultan Shah said.
Shah said all arrangements for hosting the World Cup had been completed by the PBCC and there would be no change to the schedule at all.
Bumrah Gives Big Self-Belief Message Ahead Of 1st Test Against Australia Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, top India pacer Jasprit Bumrah said that self-belief matters the most in any conditions. As India tours Australia, one of the stars that will intrigue throughout the series is Bumrah. Tasked with a mission to help India reach the ICC World Test Championship final for the third successive time despite a humiliating series loss to New Zealand at home, all eyes will be on the star pacer as India s golden arm makes the most of the most difficult things happen, just when they look impossible. Speaking to 7Cricket, Bumrah who would lead his side in the first Test, said that Team India are banking on self-belief and they are having the conversation in the team.
Self-belief matters the most in any condition. That is what we are banking on and that is the conversation we are having in our team. When you focus on yourself and focus on your preparation, then that puts you in a great position and everything else will take care of itself, Bumrah said.
After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (WK), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (C), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
India Low On Confidence: Australia Star s Damaging Shot At Rohit And Co. A shattering defeat to New Zealand on home soil would have caused a little bit of damage to India s confidence but Australia will not make the mistake of underestimating the visitors, said charismatic batter Marnus Labuschagne in Perth on Tuesday. The world No. 2 India are heading into the five-Test Border-Gavaskar series, starting here on Friday, following their whitewash at home, which ended their 12-year unbeaten run in their own backyard. Australia s middle-order mainstay Labuschagne believes the loss to the Kiwis would have dented India s confidence.
It s really hard to judge. They played in completely different conditions — spinning conditions — but having India come here off the back of a loss at home is something that s never happened before (in my career), Labuschagne told the media.
I think that is a good thing in terms of... they are probably a little bit lower on confidence, not coming off a Test victory, losing to New Zealand 3-0. I think that s going to do a little bit of damage to their confidence.
However, Labuschagne insisted that Australia, who have lost each of their last four series to India both home and away, will have to guard against complacency. They re a quality line-up and they re one of the best teams in the world. So you can never underestimate a team like that, he said.
India staged an incredible comeback on their last Australia tour in 2020-21 to win 2-1, despite the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli and injuries to several other frontline players along the way.
That s what happened in 2021 — the likes of (T) Natarajan played, (Mohammad) Siraj got his first crack in Australia, Washington Sundar played, Labuschagne recalled.
They had all these guys that were probably a little bit new — Shubman (Gill) played those couple of games (in the 2020-21 series) – so there were new faces around, he added.
With India set to take the field without regular captain Rohit Sharma and No. 3 batter Gill in the first Test at the Optus Stadium here, Labuschagne said India have enough talent in their ranks to meet all challenges.
They re a quality line-up and they ve showed that over a period of time. You can t ever underestimate the depth of Indian cricket, he said.
Anyone that s gets the opportunity to play for India have had to do a lot of hard work and find their way into that side... to actually play for a team like that, you have to be a very good player, Labuschagne added.
PCB Appoints Shahid Aslam As Pakistan Cricket Team s Batting Coach The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has brought back Shahid Aslam as the batting coach of the national white-ball squads after the players struggled in the recent series in Australia. Aslam who is a qualified coach has worked for a number of years with the Pakistan team in different capacities including assistant coach, fielding coach and assistant manager. But for the last two years he has been working in a coaching capacity at the High Performance Centre in Lahore. Previously former Test captain Mohammad Yousuf was working as the batting coach with the national team and was then made a national selector.
But Yousuf then not only stepped down as selector but also as batting coach and was working at the HPC.
Yousuf recently also resigned from his position at the HPC but the PCB has rejected his resignation.
Now Aslam has been brought in as batting coach on the recommendation of the interim white-ball coach, Aaqib Javed.
The PCB on Monday appointed Aaqib as the white-ball head coach until the ICC Champions Trophy early next year after Australian Jason Gillespie turned down a chance to become all-format coach.
Aaqib who will continue as senior national selector has left to join the players in Zimbabwe where they play a series of three ODIs and three T20 internationals before moving on to South Africa for another white-ball rubber.
Australia Star Wants Team To Pull Off A Pujara In Test Series vs India Ahead of the first Test against India at Perth, Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne said that his side would be looking to play the long game while batting in order to tire out and pressurise bowlers, something which Indian veteran Cheteshwar Pujara had done in on past two tours. As both sides, placed first and second in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) table, look to secure their title clash chances, their fast bowling attacks on bouncy, fast surfaces would hold the key. Team India is fielding a relatively inexperienced line-up of leading pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who will be supported by newer stars like Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Labuschagne, the highest run-getter from 2020-21 BGT series in Australia with 426 runs in four matches, averaging 53.25 with a century and two fifties, wants Australian batting to feast on this inexperience and just bat, bat and bat, making his opponents bowl longer spells and wear themselves down.
It is (series) going to be important for all of us. I think the way we play, we are at our best when we re playing the long game. We understand that getting them back for their second and third spells, putting them under pressure and letting them come to us and us putting pressure back on them through overs in the field and time in the game, especially over a five-Test series, that is really important, said Labuschagne as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
Because as you get into the third, fourth, fifth Test, if they are trying to play the same team, and those bowlers are rolling into 100, 150, 200 overs by the third Test, it is going to make a big difference in the series, he added.
Just putting things in perspective, Pujara played 1,258 balls on the 2018-19 tour to Australia and 928 deliveries during the 2020-21 series, scoring 521 runs and 271 runs respectively. Across both series. Only Labuschagne (850 balls) and Steve Smith (684 balls) could touch 600-plus balls, with their efforts coming in the 2020-21 series loss.
Pujara s sheer stubborness to attack, determination and solid defence provided a wall-like protection to other batters, who would attack the bowlers who would just get tired of bowling.
During the Sheffield Shield season for Queensland and during the practice sessions, Marnus has delivered quite a lot of medium pace, presenting himself as a solid addition to the Aussie bowling attack which could help reduce workload of skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. With 13 Test wickets and 84 first-class scalps, he no doubt could be a decent alternate for Aussies to turn to.
Even Labuschagne said that he enjoys bowling, especially bowlers. He expressed confidence in his body s durability to bowl a solid number of overs everyday.
I bowled one bouncer and I think Mitchell Starc said, We have got short memories . And I said, Well, I am going to get them anyway, so I might as well dish them out. There is nothing more enjoyable than bowling bouncers. I love it.
There was a bit worry. When I bowled I think about 28 overs of pace in a Shield game, and my workloads were zero before then, so some would say that is a big spike. But my body s pretty durable.
It is something that I have done from a young age. I have always bowled pace, he concluded.
After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
Starc s Rs 24.75 Crore Bid In Danger : Ex-Star s Explosive Auction Take The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction is just round the corner and a number of big names are all set to go under the hammer. From Shreyas Iyer to Rishabh Pant, there are several superstars who are capable of fetching a huge price but former Indian cricket team all-rounder Irfan Pathan has made a huge prediction. Pathan took to social media to back Pant when it comes to getting the biggest price in the auction and he went on to say that even Mitchell Starc s record of Rs 24.75 Crore will be in danger. Kolkata Knight Riders broke the auction record to secure the services of the Australia fast bowler in the IPL 2024 auction.
Mitchell Starc s auction record is in danger. @RishabhPant17 is ready to break it, Irfan Pathan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Mitchell Starc s auction record is in danger. @RishabhPant17 is ready to break it!
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 18, 2024Meanwhile, Australia s bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, will leave the team during the first Test against India in Perth to attend the IPL auction in Saudi Arabia as the coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The Test match is set to begin on November 22 at Perth s Optus Stadium, while the IPL auction will be held in Jeddah on November 24-25.
This scheduling conflict also affects Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, who will also leave the Test to attend the auction as head coaches of Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively.
Vettori is a unique figure in world cricket, holding a permanent assistant coaching role with Australia s national team while also being the full-time head coach of an IPL franchise and a Hundred team, Birmingham Phoenix. He has been Australia s bowling coach since 2022 and is highly valued by Cricket Australia (CA), which allows him to balance his international and franchise commitments.
The decision to prioritize the IPL auction over a Test match reflects the evolving landscape of cricket. Although Vettori has missed some series in the past due to franchise commitments, this will be the first time he leaves midway through a Test to attend the IPL auction. CA is currently looking for a new full-time national pace bowling coach to cover for Vettori when he is unavailable.
(With ANI inputs)
Jasprit Bumrah Called Cat Burglar By This Australia Great Ahead Of BGT Dubbed as the bowler impossible to face by swashbuckling Australian batter Travis Head and a cat burglar by former tearaway pacer Brett Lee, Jasprit Bumrah s reputation precedes him. The India pacer, who is set to captain India in the first Test of the five-match series starting on Friday, has left both past and present Australian players in awe of his skill and threat. Not since the golden era of the West Indies in the 1970s has a touring pace bowler struck fear into the hearts of Australians as much as Bumrah, according to the local media here.
On his two previous Test tours of Australia, the 30-year-old Bumrah, who is set to captain India in the first Test of the five-match series here from Friday, took 32 wickets at an average of 21.25, including a match-winning 6/33 during the 2018 Boxing Day Test.
Since the start of the 20th century, only two touring bowlers have taken more wickets in Australia at a lower average -- Richard Hadlee and Curtly Ambrose.
Head, Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith -- all top-order batters -- who are set to face Bumrah in the marquee five-match series are unanimous about the pivotal role the Indian pace spearhead can play for India.
Impossible (to face). You try to feel like you re one step ahead, but it always feels like he s that next step, Head told Fox Cricket .
Any format of the game, he s incredible. He s their X-factor, he s the guy they go to every time, and more often than not, he s able to produce for them.
In big moments you want big players, and I think he s their biggest. You ve got your work cut out as a batter. He s someone that s going to be difficult over summer.”
Part of Bumrah s magic is his signature bowling action, which defies cricket convention.
“He (Bumrah) creeps in like a cat burglar,” pace legend Lee said in a lighter vein.
Bumrah s awkward and weird action made Khawaja wonder where the ball came from when he first faced the Indian.
“When I first faced Bumrah, I was like, ‘Oh where did that come from? ” Khawaja said.
“It comes at you a little bit quicker than you expect because of the awkwardness of his action and how he releases the ball.
“Much like Mitchell Johnson, he had a weird action too. The ball used to come out and felt like it got to you quicker because you didn t get a look at it the whole way. Jasprit s a little bit the same, with arms going everywhere. Star batter Smith is one of the few Australian players who has an impressive record against Bumrah, averaging 56.67 across formats, but the New South Welshman admitted that he still feels vulnerable against the Indian speedster early in his innings.
“He s just awkward with the way he bowls, it s obviously very different to a lot of other people,” Smith said.
“It takes a little bit getting used to. I ve played against him quite a lot now, and it still takes a couple of balls to get used to the different rhythm.”
For Inappropriate Comment During T20I vs India, SA Pacer Punished By ICC South African pacer Gerald Coetzee has been reprimanded for showing dissent at the umpire s decision during the fourth T20 International against India in Johannesburg, the ICC said on Tuesday. The incident took place when Coetzee made an inappropriate comment to the umpire after a delivery was called wide . In the fourth T20I between South Africa and India, Gerald Coetzee was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to showing dissent at an umpires decision during an international match .
Coetzee received a reprimand and had one demerit point added to his disciplinary record. He admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, therefore no formal hearing was needed, the ICC said in a press release.
On-field umpires Allahudien Paleker and Stephen Harris, third umpire Lubabalo Gcuma and fourth umpire Arno Jacobs levelled the charge against the bowler.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned.
Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.
India, who posted an imposing 283/1 batting first with centuries from Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma in the fourth match, bowled out South Africa for 148 to register their biggest win in terms of runs.
The visitors won the match by 135 runs to claim the four-match series 3-1.
You Mellow With Age... : On Kohli s Form, Shastri Drops Firing Bombshell The talismanic Virat Kohli might have mellowed down a bit with age, but the Australia Test series gives him the opportunity to rediscover his old self. Batting form hasn t been Virat s friend of late. In the recently-concluded Test series against New Zealand, Virat didn t even accumulate 100 runs in 6 innings. In Australia, however, every fanatic expects a different Kohli to step up. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri expects Virat s in-the-face attitude to be back Down Under, as the team takes on Australia in the opening Test of the series in Perth.
You mellow with age, don t you? But I think at the start of the Test series, you might just see Kohli firing again. He needs to be. I d like to see him like that again, Shastri said during a press interaction on Tuesday.
Shastri drew similarities between Kohli and Smith, suggesting the two are the sort of players who can never be written-off, no matter the form they are in. It s all about getting a couple of good knocks under the belt, and soon, Kohli could be dominating the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In the face-that s Kohli. Come Australia, he ll get his juices flowing. It s all about how he starts, and for Australia, it s similar to Steve Smith. Don t write these guys off-if they fire in the first two or three innings, they can dominate the series, he said.
The Indian team has also faced criticism over lack of organised warm-up matches ahead of the start of the series. Shastri also said that he would ve preferred to see India s first XI taking on a team in an organised contest. But, he is also content with the intra-squad 3-day simulation game, the players were involved in.
It s always, how strong will the opposition be? That s the first question you ask (planning a tour game), he said.
Australia Great Crafts Bash Kohli Plan, Says Have Him Jump, Duck, Bend Virat Kohli loves to perform against Australia but the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour isn t expected to be a bed of roses for him. Struggling for form over the last year or so, Virat has big expectations on his shoulders in the 5-match assignment. While Ricky Ponting is among those Australian cricketers who expect Kohli to bounce back Down Under, another great cricketer from the nation, Ian Healy, is busy crafting plans to counter the threat that the India batter poses. Giving a piece of advice to Pat Cummins and other Australian pacers, Healy has asked the Australian bowlers to cramp Kohli for space by bowling him in the body.
Body bash. Bowl at the back armpit, that s the right arm as a right-handed batsman ... and it s got to be hot, Healy told SENQ Breakfast. Have him jumping at times if he wants to ride those deliveries - ducking, weaving, or bending backward.
Healy wants a short-leg fielder to be placed for Virat, especially during the early part of his stay in the crease.
Get that short leg position right next to him on the leg side and if you need a bumper, it s got to go at the badge. He might try to bust out of a hard spell with a hook shot or pull shot and that will be hard to control if it s badge height.
The first matchup I m looking at is how our quicks can bowl to Virat Kohli, and I think they should target his front pad quite often, he said.
Healy feels there would be signs of insecurity in Kohli s game, owing to the lack of form his displayed against New Zealand in the recently-concluded series. He wants Australian pacers to expose that.
He sits that front foot there and he can play from anywhere - he can play square on the off-side, he can whip onto the leg-side or he can rock back ... but they ve got to look for any sort of insecurity in his form and maybe target that front pad.
But don t do it every ball because he ll get used to it ... it s the impact ball that has to be on the front pad after he is set up with seam.
Kohli s Unreal Act In Practice Amid Heavy Rain In Perth Breaks Internet Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli continued to bat in the nets even after India s first practice at the Optus Stadium in Perth was halted due to heavy rain, according to journalist Bharat Sundaresan. According to his post on X (formerly Twitter), Indian batters had an extended practice session in the nets which also included Kohli. However, the session had to be cut short due to rain getting heavier. Kohli, who was in the nets, was not keen on stopping but had to rush back to the dressing room along with his teammates as the weather worsened. Kohli s dedication was praised by a number of social media users.
Unreal dedication..
— Shreyy (@SadlyShreyy) November 19, 2024Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting on November 22 in Perth, former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar spoke about Virat Kohli aiming to regain form during Border-Gavaskar trophy tour and his past record on Australian pitches.
Kohli was in the ZONE.....
— Hemant Singh (@Marx_Mach1819) November 19, 2024Gavaskar expressed confidence that Kohli would excel in the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, drawing on his past successes in Perth and Adelaide.
Kohli in the nets: rain or shine, the grind never stops. #AusvInd
— CrickGod (@cricketstalk) November 19, 2024Because he hasn t got runs against New Zealand, he ll be very, very hungry. Even in that Adelaide Test match, where in the second innings we got all out for 36, in the first innings, Kohli got 70 plus, if I recall correctly, before being run out. He s consistently performed at Adelaide, so it s a familiar ground for him. And before Adelaide, it s Perth, where he played one of the finest Test centuries in 2018-19. A terrific hundred. Having performed on these grounds, he ll feel that extra bit of confidence. Of course, you need a bit of luck at the start, but if he gets off to a good start, he will get big runs, Gavaskar told Star Sports.
After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
(With ANI inputs)
Lyon Reveals Hilarious Federer Motivation For Kohli During 2014 BGT Australian spin legend Nathan Lyon opened up on his battles with star India batter Virat Kohli, including one at the Adelaide Test back in 2014 in which the 36-year-old smashed twin centuries in his test captaincy debut and made the spinner one of the prime targets of his assault. After a horrid home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand and underwhelming Test numbers over the years, Virat will be making his fifth Test series tour of Australia under the toughest of circumstances, with his long-format legacy and spot on the line as India awaits a transition following ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
His battle with Lyon would be an interesting one to watch, given the star batter s long-standing struggles against spin bowling lately, especially in spin-friendly conditions at home.
Virat has an incredible record against Lyon, scoring 529 runs against him in 32 innings, averaging 75.6 and striking at around 51. He has been dismissed seven times by Lyon.
Speaking about their battles on cricket.com.au, Nathan recalled how during his Adelaide special, Virat would talk about his beautiful forehands , comparable to Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer in order to get under the skin of Australian players.
The battle that comes to me is the 2014 test at Adelaide Oval where he got the 100 s in both innings. I was bowling to him and he was batting that easily. He would come down to non-striker and just say Federer, said Nathan.
And I was like, OK, what is this and he kept doing it, kept doing it. Every time. Every time he would come down and he was like, Federer, Federer, he added.
And I said, mate, I do not know if I am wrong, but we are playing the wrong sport If you think you are Federer. And he goes Nah, nah I got a beautiful forehand . I was just like, OK, you are a decent player, if you can just sit there and do that mid-innings, he concluded.
That 2014 tour to Australia, following a disastrous tour to England, was a turning point of Virat s career, as he smashed 692 runs, averaging 86.50, with four centuries and a fifty. His best score in the series was 169.
MS Dhoni s retirement in the series midway also saw him step up as a captain, which went on to change the direction of Indian cricket in coming years. Under Virat s tenure, India won 40 Tests and improved significantly in overseas conditions.
Virat s form from 2016-2019 is among the greatest peaks in the longest format, having made 4,208 runs in 43 Tests and 69 innings at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties. It was during this period he smashed seven double centuries, the most by a captain in Tests, a record which still stands.
But things have changed a decade later. This year in 19 matches across international formats, Virat has just scored 488 runs at a shockingly low average of 20.33, with just two half-centuries in 25 innings and best score of 76.
Since 2020, Virat has faced an elongated lean patch in the whites, scoring 1838 runs from 34 Tests at an average of 31.68, comprising just two centuries and nine fifties.
Virat has had a horrific home Test season this year against Bangladesh and New Zealand, in which he scored just 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33 with just one fifty. In the latest ICC Men s Test Batting Rankings, Kohli slipped out of the top-20 list for the first time in 10 years.
The trip to Australia could spark another fire in Virat s mind as he has thrived against them historically. In 13 Tests in Australia, Virat has scored 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08, with six centuries and four fifties. His best score is 169.
Across all formats in Australia, Virat has scored 3,426 runs at an average of 56.16, with 11 centuries and 19 fifties in 70 innings. His best score is 169.
The much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia kicks off on November 22, with the first Test at Perth. The second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Not Kohli Or Smith: Ex-Aus Star s Shock Take For Highest Score Of BGT Former Australian opener David Warner backed his replacement Nathan McSweeney to get the highest score in the much-anticipated Test summer and urged everyone to be patient with the youngster. The 25-year-old South Australian batter is one of the most talked about players as the first Test at Perth comes closer. Given a gigantic task of taking over the opening reigns from legendary Warner, the batter would no doubt be raring to go.
McSweeney won a bat-off for the opening spot during the recently-concluded Australia A-India A series, top-scoring with 166 runs in two matches, including a match-winning 88 in the first game. He managed to outdo several competitors like U19 sensation Sam Konstas, domestic cricket veterans and once Aussie Test batters Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft to win a ticket to the high-profile series against India.
McSweeney has a solid first-class record, having made 2,252 runs in 34 matches at an average of 38.16, with six centuries and 12 fifties. His best score is 127*.
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Warner said about McSweeney that he has got a fine technique.
McSweeney has got a good technique and we know he can bat for long periods of time, Warner stated.
It is a great time for him to come in; it is a big series, Warner continued.
The batting legend said that McSweeney has technique and patience to partner with Usman Khawaja and score big runs and is looking forward to seeing how he plays.
I have pencilled him (McSweeney) in for the highest run score this summer, so I am looking forward to that. I am also looking forward to seeing how he adapts batting with someone like Usman Khawaja as well, because it is a partnership that you have to build, he added.
Warner urged the selectors and everyone else to be patient with the youngsters and give them two summers .
We have just got to be patient with all the guys that are coming through now. Uzzie (Usman Khawaja) is touching on 38 now as well, he has probably got another 12 to 18 months to go said Warner.
He is (McSweeney) 25 years of age; you ve got to give guys a crack ... it would be exciting just to see him score some runs first and establish himself -- but if he does not just give him some time, give him maybe two summers, he added.
McSweeney s strong run in first-class cricket this year could make selectors give him a long rope in case of failures. In eight matches this year, he has made 718 runs in 16 matches, averaging 51.28, with two centuries and five fifties. His best score is 127*.
After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Big Challenge For Kohli And Co? Australia Set To Serve This Pitch To India Australia may be preparing a green pitch for Team India for the first Test match at the Optus Stadium in Perth. As per a report, the Optus outfield and pitch could be seen to still be quite green, which would aid fast bowlers. As such, Australia s famed pace bowling trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins could be a big threat for India in the first Test. The pitch conditions would also suggest that India may head into the match with one spinner.
As per a report by RevSportz, the Optus pitch for the first Test was still quite green and had been heavily watered as well.
The conditions, which would aid fast bowling, will then likely back up reports suggesting that India are set to hand debuts to pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and fast bowler Harshit Rana.
Lots of grass & Lots of water @RevSportzGlobal
Optus first look pic.twitter.com/bAZK29fYBH
As such, one of Ravindra Jadeja or Ravichandran Ashwin may be relegated to the bench for the first Test.
The conditions favouring pace could also be a challenge for the Indian batting lineup, who will be without both skipper Rohit Sharma and first-choice No. 3 batter Shubman Gill. Rohit is yet to arrive in Australia following the birth of his son, while Gill suffered a thumb fracture during practice.
In Rohit s absence, Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in the first Test. Bumrah has captained India once before - the fifth Test between India and England in Birmingham, where India lost.
While Bumrah is guaranteed to play and lead India s attack, the other two pure pace bowling spots are up for grabs. Mohammed Siraj has experience in Australia, Akash Deep has been in good form of late, Prasidh Krishna impressed for India A in Australia, while Harshit Rana has caught the attention during practice.
The first Test gets underway from Friday, November 22.
Legend : Sarfaraz, Siraj Star-Struck After Seeing This Star In Australia Things are about to get very serious Down Under. It s India vs Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The teams rivalry is currently the most followed battle on the cricket field. In recent times, India have dominated Australia but this time things look different. Smarting from a 3-0 loss to New Zealand at home, India look vulnerable. All eyes will be on players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah among others to deliver against Australia.
Before the battle starts, the Indian cricket team members engaged in a fun session where they were asked about a particular question about their career. Virat Kohli was asked about his best knock in Australia.
My best knock in Australia is definitely be my 100 at Perth. 2018-19 series that we played. I thought that was the toughest pitch that I played on in Test cricket. It was great to get a hundred on that tour, Kohli said while answering Mohammed Siraj s question.
After that Siraj and Sarfaraz Khan could be seen getting star-struck as they looked at him and said legend, legend .
So hawttt @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/pK1r94FMGU
— H. ?? (@cmoncheeeks) November 18, 2024Meanwhile, Sanjay Manjrekar, a former cricketer and now a cricket analyst, delved into how Australian bowlers might tackle Kohli s batting approach. Manjrekar believes that Kohli is well aware of the tactics that will be used against him.
He said exclusively on Star Sports, I think Virat knows exactly what s going to be planned. They ll start with that line outside the off-stump and gauge what his mindset is. These days, he often leaves balls outside off and looks to drive anything pitched up. Australia might also try to cramp him for room and attack his body since he likes to get forward. This was a tactic New Zealand used effectively.
Manjrekar further elaborated that if Kohli is focused on balls outside the off stump, Australian bowlers, particularly Josh Hazlewood, might target a line on the middle stump, similar to the one Vernon Philander used effectively.
If he s focused on balls outside off stump, bowlers like Josh Hazlewood might target that typical Vernon Philander line on middle stump. Australia will test various strategies, and Virat Kohli is fully aware of that, Manjrekar added.
With ANI inputs
He Is Just Awkward... : Steve Smith On Facing Jasprit Bumrah Australian stars Steve Smith, Travis Head and Usman Khawaja opened up on facing star India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, expressing how lethal and difficult he is to play. As India tours Australia, one of the stars that will intrigue throughout the series is Bumrah. Tasked with a mission to help India reach the ICC World Test Championship final for the third successive time despite a humiliating series loss to New Zealand at home, all eyes will be on the star pacer as India s golden arm makes the most of the most difficult things happen, just when they look impossible.
Speaking on FOX Cricket, Steve Smith said about Bumrah that it takes a little while to get used to him.
He is just awkward with the way he bowls, it is obviously very different to a lot of other people. It takes a little bit of getting used to. I have played against him quite a lot now, and it still takes a couple of balls to get used to the different rhythm, said Smith.
Describing how it feels facing Bumrah in just one word, one of Australia s chief tormentors, Head said, Impossible.
Head said that Bumrah is always one step ahead of every batter and is the X-Factor of Indian team.
You try to feel like you are one step ahead, but it always feels like he is that next step, he continued.
Any format of the game, he is incredible. He is their X-factor, he is the guy they go to every time, and more often than not, he is able to produce for them.
In big moments you want big players, and I think he is their biggest.
You have got your work cut out as a batter. He is someone that is going to be difficult over summer, concluded Head.
Opener Khawaja also said, When I first faced Bumrah, I was like, Oh where did that come from?
He said that the ball comes quicker to batters than expected because of his unique action and ball release.
Much like Mitchell Johnson, he had a weird action too. The ball used to come out and felt like it got to you quicker because you did not get a look at it the whole way. Jasprit s a little bit the same, with arms going everywhere he concluded.
Over his past two visits to Australia, Bumrah has taken a total of 32 Tests wickets, averaging 21.25. This includes a match-winning 6-33 during the 2018 Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. Since the 20th century start, only two touring bowlers have more wickets in Australia at a lower average - Richard Hadlee and Curtly Ambrose.
A look at Bumrah vs Australia s batters
Usman Khawaja - Two wickets at average of 67.50
Steve Smith - Three wickets at 56.67
Marnus Labuschagne - two wickets at 53.50
Alex Carey - two wickets at 45.50
Mitchell Marsh - two wickets at 30.00
Travis Head - four wickets at 28.50
After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Gavaskar Picks 2 Franchises Who Should Go For KL Rahul In IPL Auction After being released by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) would target wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. LSG snubbed their captain Rahul and retained Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni in the squad. On the other hand, RCB and CSK retained three (Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal) and five players (Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni), respectively. The southern franchises will head into the auction with a bank of Rs 83 crore (RCB) and Rs 55 crore (CSK) to fill 22 and 20 spots, respectively.
I do believe that the two south franchises, Bengaluru as well as Chennai, will go for KL Rahul. Maybe even Hyderabad will go, but Bangalore is of course KL Rahul s hometown. So clearly I think he will be enthused, he will be encouraged, he will want to play in front of his home crowd. So Bengaluru might go for KL Rahul, Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, speaking on the auction, discussed the potential future of David Warner, a global superstar known for his powerful hitting. He said, It s been a few years since David Warner s performances have been great. But he is still a great player. When Devon Conway was released in CSK, I m sure they will buy him back. They are quite influenced by Rachid Ravindra as well. I don t think they will be interested in bringing David Warner into their plans. I don t think David Warner can fit in CSK.
Manjrekar also analysed why Punjab Kings might have released Arshdeep Singh and how they could still retain him. He said, I believe that they have released a lot of players so that they get some freedom. And the core of the team and the combination of the team should change completely. But they will definitely be interested in Arshdeep Singh. I believe there is a slight difference in today s Arshdeep Singh and 5 years ago s Arshdeep Singh. But he can still give you a wicket with a new ball. And you can still expect from him in the slog overs as well. So although Punjab Kings have released him, they will definitely be after Arshdeep in the mega auctions.
Manjrekar further addressed Mohammed Shami s recent injury issues and their impact on the auction.
There will definitely be interest from teams, but given Shami s injury history—and this recent one took a significant amount of time to recover—there s always a concern about a potential breakdown during the season. If a franchise invests heavily and then loses him mid-season, their options become limited. This concern might lead to a drop in his price tag, he said.
