Former Team India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah is doing the heavy lifting for the team's pace attack. The legendary batsman also opened up about how other speedsters and Mohammed Siraj can lessen Bumrah's workload. Both pacers contributed to India's 295-run win in the first Test match against Australia. The hosts later bounced back by registering a 10-wicket victory in the second Test match. As Team India is all set to lock horns with Australia for the third Test match, the key issue will be Jasprit Bumrah's workload. He has taken the majority of Indian wickets which is 12 and delivered the majority of the team's overs, with 54 overs. Mohammed Siraj is second with nine wickets and 52.5 overs, followed by Harshit Rana (four wickets and 45 overs and Nitish Kumar Reddy (two wickets and 14 overs) among pacers. Speaking exclusively to Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar spoke on Team India's heavy reliance on pacer Jasprit Bumrah to lead the bowling attack. He said that Siraj must step up his performances, pick up five-wicket hauls, and break partnerships more frequently to be of help to Bumrah. Also Read: IN PHOTOS: "Pickleball will find its way to Olympics soon": Andre Agassi "Yes, to a great extent (if India relies too much on Jasprit Bumrah). You have got to say that. Mohammed Siraj is a good foil, but he has to start getting five wickets in an innings. Otherwise, the load is being picked up mainly by Jasprit Bumrah. But if Siraj can pick up two, three wickets, keep on breaking partnerships, then he certainly helps Bumrah," he said. "Harshit, the newcomer, bowled impressively in Perth, was not as impressive in the second game at Adelaide. Maybe he just could not find his rhythm, therefore was not bowling the length that he should have, or the line that he should have. But hopefully, he will have learned. And then that makes it easy. It takes the load off Bumrah. Bumrah can then come in, in short bursts of four or five overs, and be much more effective," he added. Ahead of the third Test against Australia, Harbhajan Singh picked Washington Sundar as his spinner for the match. "If we have to play a spinner, I think Team India will look back at Washington Sundar. Because he played well in Perth and his bowling was also good. He has performed very well in front of New Zealand also. So, he must have felt confident too," he said. Piyush Chawla also spoke on Ashwin's performance in the second test, saying that he kept Aussie batters in check during the second Test and should play the third Test. "Because after losing one test match, if you think so much about it, it becomes difficult," he added. Cheteshwar Pujara too feels that Washington Sundar could be the man if Team India needs to boost their batting. "There is no comparison in bowling. Ashwin is a very good bowler. But if they want a little more strength in batting, they can play Washington," he added. This year in Tests, Ashwin has 47 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 27.25, with three five-wicket hauls and best figures of 6/88. Sundar has picked 18 scalps in three games, averaging 15.27 with best figures of 7/59. While Ashwin has a Test century this year, he has scored just 310 runs in 17 innings at an average of 18.23. Sundar has shown capability to hang around more, with 122 runs in three Tests and six innings at an average of 30.50 and best score of 38*. (With ANI Inputs)
13 December,2024 10:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially agreed to the hybrid model for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 which will be hosted by Pakistan. Ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, the event will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Dubai as per the agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Also Read: Mumbai reach SMAT final after Ajinkya Rahane's sublime 98-run knock Vikrant Gupta took to his official social media handle to break out the news. Taking to X: BIG CHAMPIONS TROPHY BREAKING: ICC Has approved Champions Trophy Hybird - Pak and Dubai after agreement with PCB and BCCI. Both BCCI and PCB in principle have agreed for T20 World Cup 2026 that Pak won’t travel for the Ind-Pak league game to India and will play that in Colombo.… — Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) December 13, 2024 Previously, solely Pakistan was supposed to host the Champions Trophy 2025, but due to the political tensions between India and Pakistan, the BCCI was not ready to travel the country. According to a top ICC source, the decision was more or less finalised during an informal meeting between the body’s new President Jay Shah and the Board of Directors, including Pakistan, at its headquarters in Dubai. Notably, Pakistan has travelled to India for the 2016 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup. The two archrivals last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 in India, comprising white-ball matches. Currently, they primarily face each other in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups. The Champions Trophy was introduced in 1998 with the intention of improving the quality and accessibility of the sport, particularly by involving only associate nations in the early editions. Over time, the tournament grew in stature, eventually including full ICC members, and became one of the premier events in world cricket, alongside the ICC Cricket World Cup.
13 December,2024 07:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBatting legend Rahul Dravid's son Anvay cracked an unbeaten century for Karnataka in the drawn Vijay Merchant Trophy match against Jharkhand here on Friday. Batting at No. 4 Anvay remained unbeaten on 100 off 153 balls, striking 10 fours and two sixes as Karnataka scored 441 for 4 from 123.3 overs on the final day of the three-day match. First, he was involved in a 167-run stand for the third wicket with Syaamantak Anirudh (76), and then shared 43 with Sukurth J (33) for the fourth wicket. Also Read: Mumbai reach SMAT final after Ajinkya Rahane's sublime 98-run knock Opting to bat first, Jharkhand were earlier all out for 387 in 128.4 overs. Karnataka secured three points for taking first innings lead while Jharkhand got one. Anvay captained the Karnataka Under-14 team last year and recently smashed an unbeaten 200 for Bangalore Zone against Tumkur Zone in the KSCA U-16 Inter-Zonal tournament. Anavay's elder brother, 19-year-old Samit, an all-rounder, was selected for the India squad for the multi-format home series against Australia U-19 in September and October after featuring in the Maharaja T20 trophy, where he played for Mysuru Warriors. 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.
13 December,2024 06:28 PM IST | Mulapadu | PTIMumbai's star batsman Ajinkya Rahane continued his rich vein in form during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Baroda. The right-hander played a knock of 98 runs following which Mumbai qualified for the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. They defeated Baroda by six wickets. Mumbai bowlers restricted Baroda to 158 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Ajinkya Rahane's knock included 11 fours and 5 sixes. He took his team to 164 runs for the loss of four wickets in 17.2 overs in semi-final one. With this, Mumbai will now face the winner of semi-final two between Delhi and Madhya Pradesh in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. It was quite remarkable to see Ajinkya Rahane, a batsman of classic mould, playing like a T20 thoroughbred and the right-hander brought up his fifty in 29 balls with a massive six over mid-wicket off pacer Hardik Pandya. Also Read: D Gukesh shares a picture reflecting on his historic achievement After the early departure of Prithvi Shaw (8), who scooped Hardik to Atit Sheth in the circle, Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer (46, 30b, 4x4, 3x6) added 78 runs for the second wicket in just nine overs. The partnership knocked the stuffing out of Baroda, whose lone bright moment was when Hardik received loud cheers from a sizable turnout at the Chinnaswamy Stadium as he asked the security guards not to beat up three ground invaders. Ajinkya Rahane was on 98 runs and was in need of just two more runs to win, but Abhimanyu Rajput bowled a wide purposefully as the scores went level. The crowd expressed disappointment and on the very next ball, Ajinkya Rahane departed in an attempt to smash a big shot. But by then, he had done his job to perfection. Earlier, Mumbai bowlers were on the money right through the innings while exploiting some early movement on a damp day. Shahswat Rawat (33) and skipper Krunal Pandya (30) could not exploit their starts, getting out to wayward shots. Shivalik Sharma (34 not out, 24 balls) played a few beefy hits, including a last-ball six, to take Baroda past the 150-run mark, but that was not even enough to stretch Mumbai. Brief Scores: Baroda: 158 for 7 in 20 overs (Shahswat Rawat 33, Krunal Pandya 30, Shivalik Sharma 34 not out; Suryansh Shedge 2/11) lost to Mumbai: 164/4 in 17.2 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 98, Shreyas Iyer 46) by 6 wickets. (With PTI Inputs)
13 December,2024 06:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australian skipper Pat Cummins promised that he would dominate the Indian batsmen with bouncers at some point in the match. The Australian quicks, particularly Cummins, tormented the India batters with grunt balls in both innings during the Pink Ball Test that Australia eventually won by 10 wickets to level the five-match series 1-1. "Yeah, potentially. It worked out in the Adelaide Test. It's always in the back of your mind as a bit of a plan B," Pat Cummins told the media in his pre-match press meet. "If it's something really uncomfortable, you're likely to take a look at it and come to a plan A. It worked in Adelaide, so I'm sure we'll give it a shot at some point (in the third Test)," he added. Pat Cummins was also very pleased with the way the Aussies batsmen take the challenge of facing Team India lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Also Read: "Becoming youngest world champion is a feat in itself": Gill pats D Gukesh "Yeah, that's right. The professional players that we are, obviously, we'll be ready for it. The guys always relish who they come up against, whatever the conditions are," he said. "Look, going to India and seeing a spinning wicket...for someone like Smithy (Steve Smith), he loves that challenge where it is really difficult to bat on. Those conversations, they're always up for it and exciting for the next round," he noted. Steve Smith is yet to garner many runs in the ongoing Test series, but Pat Cummins was confident that the star batsman would soon find himself among runs. "He's looking fantastic in the nets. Just looking really sharp, looking like he's got plenty of time, doing all the right things like he always does." "So, I am sure he'll get scores, just around the corner. Obviously, a big leader around the group, and he's been awesome. So, really hoping he gets a good result," Pat Cummins said. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh had suggested a more aggressive approach to dominate the Indian bowlers. But Cummins said the batting strategy boils down to individual preferences. "Trav (Travis Head) and Mitch are natural shot-makers and it's the way they go about it. For a few of the other guys, they perhaps see it a little bit differently," he explained. "Particularly here at the Gabba, it can change from day one to day two and three. So everyone's got their own method. I think the most important thing is you play to your strengths. Trav did that last week," he said. Pat Cummins conceded that there would always be some pressure on him as the leader of the team, but the 31-year-old said he has found a way to live with it. "I think there's always pressure when you're playing Test cricket. When you're captain, a lot of that falls on you probably more than a lot of the other players. It's nothing new. "Of course, you just want to go out there and do well. In terms of criticism, I think at Perth, we didn't play our best. I didn't have the greatest game," he said recalling the 295-run drubbing in the opening game. "In some ways, any criticism, a lot of criticism is valid. Some of it isn't. You know it's not valid so you can dismiss some of it," he said. (With PTI Inputs)
13 December,2024 04:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India's star opening batsman Shubman Gill congratulated D Gukesh on behalf of the "Men in Blue" after the 18-year-old became the youngest-ever World chess champion. D Gukesh scripted history when he defeated China's Ding Liren to reach the feat in Singapore. "I want to congratulate D Gukesh on behalf of the entire Indian cricket team. To become the youngest World Chess Champion is a feat in itself," said Gill while addressing the media ahead of the third Test against Australia here. Also Read: WATCH: World Champion D Gukesh breaks down during call with mother after historic win D Gukesh won the 14th game against Ding Liren in 58 moves which in return made him the 18th World chess champion. "I have been dreaming of this moment for the last 10 years. I am happy that I realised the dream (and made it) into reality," the soft-spoken Chennai-lad had said after the epochal triumph. Before D Gukesh's feat, the legendary Garry Kasparov of Russia was the youngest world chess champion when he won the title at the age of 22, unseating Anatoly Karpov in 1985. D Gukesh had entered the title match as the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after winning the Candidates tournament earlier this year. He is the second Indian to win the world chess title after the legendary Indian chess star Viswanathan Anand. Currently, Team India has been on a tour in Australia for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The five-match Test series between India and Australia has been levelled at 1-1. The third match will begin on December 14 in Brisbane. The third Test match will bring immense pressure on Rohit Sharma-led Indian side as they need to win all three games in order to seal the final berth for the World Test Championship (WTC). (With PTI Inputs)
13 December,2024 03:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentJason Gillespie stepped down from his role as Pakistan's Test team coach and former pacer Aaqib Javed has replaced the Australian for the upcoming two-match series against South Africa, PCB announced on Thursday. Pakistan will play two Tests against the Proteas from December 26, and they are already in the Rainbow Nation for the white-ball leg of the tour.Aaqib is currently the interim coach of Pakistan white ball outfits. Gillespie, whose contract was set to expire in 2026, resigned after the Pakistan Cricket Board didn't review the contract of Tim Nielsen, who was brought in on the recommendation of the former Aussie quick, as the high performance coach of the team. Gillespie was also peeved at the PCB's decision to absolve him of the powers of team selection and involvement in pitch preparation. Also Read: Lahore HC postpones alleged sexual harassment case against Babar Azam It may be recalled that Gary Kirsten, who joined as the white ball side's coach along with Gillespie, had resigned before Pakistan left for the series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Kirsten had resigned citing differences with the PCB on the matters of authority. Both Gillespie and Kirsten were appointed on a two-year contract before the T20 World Cup 2024 and the PCB had promised a new era for the Pakistan team. But once Aaqib was brought in as senior selector and PCB granted him full powers including in team selection, the foreign coaches started falling out with the board. 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
13 December,2024 11:47 AM IST | Lahore | PTIThe 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has come out in support of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been under scrutiny for his poor Test form. Kapil shared his thoughts at the ADC (Art Design Culture Collective) event on Thursday, hosted by KHUSHII, an NGO he founded in 2003. While speaking to ANI, the cricket legend said, "Everyone faces bad and good times. On one day, Rohit was also performing like the big player he is. He has so much talent and ability. All it takes is one big performance and he will be back." In the ongoing 2024-25 Test season, which started with home series against Bangladesh in September, Rohit has made 142 runs in six Tests across 12 innings at an average of 11.83, with best score of 52 and just one fifty to his name. This year overall, Rohit has made 597 runs in 12 Tests and 23 innings at an average of 27.13, with two centuries and two fifties and best score of 131. Also, after a home series loss to New Zealand after wins over Bangladesh, which was a humiliating 0-3 whitewash, and pink-ball Test loss to Australia at Adelaide, Rohit's captaincy is under question. Also Read: Big batters is what matters! Speaking about India's approach for the upcoming third Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kapil advised the team to focus on enjoying the game. "At the moment, I will just say, go enjoy yourself. Express yourself, play well," said the cricket legend. The third Test of the series is set to begin on December 14 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Following a resounding 295-run defeat to the visitors at Perth's Optus Stadium--where standout performances from Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were on display--the hosts bounced back strongly with a 10-wicket win in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval, where they were given just 19 runs to chase after a disappointing show by Indian batters. With the five-match series now level at 1-1, the next encounter takes place at "The Gabba," a venue where an inexperienced Indian side handed Australia their first Test loss in over 32 years during the 2020-21 tour. Also, this year, West Indies had defeated Australia at Brisbane too in a pink-ball Test thanks to a memorable spell from pacer Shamar Joseph. These two losses put Aussies, battling demons of their own, under pressure. Meanwhile, the ADC event was attended by personalities including veteran actor Shabana Azmi, and veteran Indian screenwriter and lyricist, Sussanne Khan among others. ADC is a boutique art event that showcases India's artistic future. It also supports philanthropic efforts by donating part of its proceeds to KHUSHII, an NGO focused on the education and empowerment of underprivileged communities. 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
13 December,2024 11:46 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIThe Lahore High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of the alleged rape case against former Pakistan captain Babar Azam till December 16. The petitioner Hamiza Mukhtar told the court that Babar and she had been in a relationship for a while, and he assaulted her after promising marriage. As Babar's senior lawyer, Barrister Haris Azmat did not appear in the court, his junior lawyer requested to adjourn the case and the court granted the request. The petitioner reiterated her claims before the court. "Babar Azam sexually exploited me, making me pregnant. He later persuaded me to abort the child, which she did," she said, adding that the cricketer failed to honour his promise once he climbed the ranks. She has also attached medical documents to the petition to support her claims. She also alleged that police refused to file an FIR against Babar after she complained of "blackmail and fornication." Also Read: Babar’s fall from grace! This has been pending since 2021. Babar is currently in South Africa to play three T20Is, as many ODIs and two Tests. South Africa had beaten Pakistan by 11 runs in the first T20I at Durban in which Babar got out for a four-ball zero. 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
13 December,2024 11:44 AM IST | Lahore | PTIFormer Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli has expressed his willingness to enter rehabilitation in an effort to address his ongoing health concerns. The 52-year-old, who has been the subject of much attention in recent weeks due to his declining health, made this statement following a viral video showing him struggling to walk and holding onto Sachin Tendulkar’s arm at a public event. In a candid interview with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel, Kambli confirmed that he is ready to seek professional help to recover his health, stating, "I’m ready to go for rehab. I want to go there because I don’t fear anything. My family is with me." Kambli’s health has sparked concern among former cricketers, some of whom have voiced their support, while others have urged him to take responsibility for his well-being. The former cricketer revealed that he has received messages of encouragement from several colleagues, including legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar and former all-rounder Ajay Jadeja. "Gavaskar was the one who spoke to me first," Kambli shared, adding, "Jadeja is a very good friend of mine. He came to meet me and said, ‘Come on, get up.’ A lot of people have called me lately. Everyone saw me." Kambli also acknowledged that he has received support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with former Indian pacer Abey Kuruvilla reportedly in contact with him and his family. "Definitely, they [BCCI] will help. Abey Kuruvilla is with BCCI, he is in touch with me, and he is also in touch with my wife," Kambli said. Reflecting on his past struggles, Kambli admitted that his previous drinking habits contributed to his health troubles, but he assured that he has turned a new leaf. "No, no. I had stopped drinking and smoking six months ago. Did it for the sake of my kids. I used to do it earlier, but I’ve left it behind now," he revealed. Kambli, who enjoyed a successful but brief international career, played 17 Tests and 104 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for India between 1991 and 2000. He made a memorable debut against Pakistan in Sharjah in October 1991 and retired after his final ODI against Sri Lanka at the same venue in October 2000. Over the course of his career, Kambli scored 1,084 runs in Tests at an impressive average of 54.20, and amassed 2,477 runs in ODIs across 97 innings. Notably, he still holds the record for the fastest Indian batter to score 1,000 runs in Test cricket, achieving the milestone in just his 14th innings.
13 December,2024 10:47 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn recent weeks, former India cricketer Vinod Kambli has faced significant attention regarding his health struggles. Kambli, who has been a prominent figure in Indian cricket, recently attended a function honoring the late Ramakant Achrekar, the legendary coach who mentored him and Sachin Tendulkar at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Several videos from the event went viral on social media, showing Kambli struggling to properly conduct himself, which led to growing concerns about his well-being. Opening up about his health battles, the 52-year-old cricketer shared that he is feeling 'better' now, but had suffered a significant health scare just a month ago. Kambli revealed that he had been battling a urinary infection, which caused considerable discomfort. Also Read: 'More than I trying to support, he should support himself': Kapil Dev urges Vinod Kambli to 'go to rehab' The infection severely affected his health, but Kambli credited his family for supporting him through the tough time. He stated, "I am better now. My wife takes care of me a lot. She took me to three different hospitals and told me 'You have to get fit'. Ajay Jadeja also came to visit me. It felt nice. I was suffering from a urine problem. It was just flowing. My son, Jesus Cristiano, picked me up and brought me back to my feet. My daughter, who is 10 years old, and my wife came to help me. This happened one month ago. My head started spinning; I collapsed and fell down. The doctor told me to get admitted," Kambli shared in an interview with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel. Kambli also reflected on some of his most cherished cricketing moments, particularly his iconic knock of 224 runs against England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Recalling the innings, he said, "The double hundred which I scored at Wankhede, I will cherish it the most. I had Achrekar sir with me, and our teammates... what a team that was. We had Anil Kumble, Rajesh Chauhan, Venkatesh Prasad. We used to win a lot. Against Sri Lanka, we used to have some wonderful battles. I used to tell him 'Murali, haath to seedha kar (Get your arms straight).' He would then reply in his native language."
13 December,2024 10:22 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
