Former cricketer Simon Katich has advised Australian batsmen to keep rotating strike and maintaining a solid defence to dominate against Team India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Simon Katich noted that since Jasorit Bumrah bowls loose deliveries, the Aussies should be strategically good in their approach. "I know all the talk is around having more positive intent, and I think that's all well and good and it is certainly something they have to be mindful of. But against someone like Bumrah intent is not about just blazing him for fours, because he doesn't bowl many bad balls," Simon Katich told SEN 1116. "So a lot of that intent has to be about rotating strike and being able to defend really well, because you're not gonna be able to play with any intent if you aren't there after the tenth over. That's the challenge for all of these guys," Katich added. To give a clear explanation, Simon Katich gave the reference of Australia's second innings in the third Test match, where the hosts attempted an aggressive approach but ultimately kept losing their wickets. "We saw it in the second innings in Brisbane. Australians came out with really positive intent, trying to score more quickly and look what happened, 7/80 in no time. Also Read: India given slower pitches, but fresh wickets for Aussies: Is the pitch really level? "It's not easy to do against the red ball that moves around off the seam in a wearing wicket which the Gabba was starting to become with cracks. "The top order has to be very careful and mindful of how they go about it. You're not going to score many runs if you're trying to take him on off the length, because he is so good," he added. For the remaining two Test matches, the Australian think tank has decided to give teenager Sam Konstas a chance by replacing Nathan McSweeney. "I know the young kid's (Konstas) got a lot of potential, and a lot of ability, but it'll be a challenge because not many guys around the world have been able to do that to that quality of bowling," Katich said. Simon Katich also felt Mitchell Marsh's inability to bowl the expected volume of overs suggests he isn't "100%" fit and should be replaced by uncapped rookie Beau Webster for the Boxing Day Test against India. Marsh has been dealing with recurring back stiffness since the white-ball tour of the UK in September. During the Perth Test, he bowled 17 overs in total, taking two wickets on the opening day but later pulled up sore. In Adelaide, he bowled four overs while in Brisbane he rolled his arm for two overs. "I've been saying for a couple Tests, Mitch Marsh has not been able to bowl the volume of overs that everyone expected of him. Given the conditions and given he is a wicket taker", Katich said on 'SEN Breakfast'. "We saw that in Perth, he bowled well on day one. Took some key wickets and then struggled to back up. I mean obviously the Aussie hierarchy know better then we do around where his fitness is at. "But for him to bowl two overs the other day after Josh Hazlewood went down, that to me indicates something's not 100% right with him." After Marsh had pulled up sore, 30-year-old Tasmania all-rounder Webster was added to Australia's squad."At the end of the day, Beau Webster deserves to be in that squad", Katich said. "He's done very well for Tassie in the last few years, he's a genuine all-rounder given what his role is for Tassie and he plays that dual role with bat and ball," Katich added. (With PTI Inputs)
23 December,2024 03:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThey prod and poke until you finally snap, and when you do, suddenly they are the innocent ones, claiming victimhood. No one excels at playing the moral high ground quite like an Australian who, just moments earlier, was the one stirring the pot. This tactic isn’t just limited to Australian cricketers, it is a tried-and-true strategy for their media as well. Just days ago, Virat Kohli found himself embroiled in a heated exchange with a few members of the media at Brisbane's airport following the third Test. Kohli, who prefers to keep his personal life under wraps, was reportedly displeased at the media’s intrusion on his family. According to reports, Kohli insisted he couldn’t be filmed without permission. “It was upon seeing the waiting cameras that Kohli became a little heated over what is largely a misunderstanding when he thought the media was filming him with his children,” Channel 7 reporter Theo Doropoulos said on 7NEWS. Fast forward to Saturday, and it was Ravindra Jadeja's turn to face the media circus. Much on the expected lines, the Australian media wasted no time in labeling the press conference as a 'strange and frosty' affair, with their headline conveniently focusing on the fact that Jadeja 'refused to answer questions in English'. "At the MCG on Saturday, India’s media team pointed to reporters who were allowed to ask questions and even acknowledged a few Australian journalists. But Jadeja only responded in his native language," read the report. The report indicated that Jadeja answering in his native Hindi was an inconvenience for the Aussie journalists, and to top it off, he allegedly wrapped up the press conference early. It also made sure to mention that 'India's media team insisted the conference was for 'travelling Indian media only even though Australian media were invited'. Also Read: Is Fox Cricket's poster a subtle nod to Australia’s long-loved psychological warfare? Amit Shah, a reporter from Midday, pointed out that many Indian journalists don’t always get the chance to ask questions due to time constraints, but instead of keeping their cool, the Australian journalists 'misbehaved' and 'argued' with the Indian media manager after the press conference. Shah, who regularly attends press conferences, noted that this kind of behaviour is uncharacteristic of the Indian press, who have never raised a fuss. "Their behaviour was inappropriate and uncalled for. I cover press conferences regularly, and even during Australian press conferences, many Indian journalists don't get a chance to ask questions due to time limitations, but we have never argued or misbehaved," he said. But of course, this is Australia. Their cricketing culture has always been a masterclass in ‘psychological warfare'. It is not enough to outplay the opponent on the field, they’ve made an art form out of getting inside your head. Whether it’s the infamous ‘mental disintegration’ tactics of the ‘90s or today’s more polished version of mind games, Australia has long been the pioneer in the field of psychological gymnastics. And Saturday was no different. This story was first published on December 21.
23 December,2024 02:56 PM IST | Melbourne | Srijanee MajumdarWhile Australia has undeniably been a dominant force in ICC events, securing the most titles, Indian cricket is often regarded as the sport's true breadwinner. Over the past two decades, Indian cricket has experienced tremendous growth, consistently challenging the Aussies and other cricketing giants across all formats. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has played a pivotal role in this rise, with its strategic management and investment in the sport. One of the most notable contributions by the BCCI is the establishment of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has become one of the world’s most popular and lucrative franchise-based T20 leagues. The IPL has not only revolutionised the global cricketing landscape but also cemented India's position as a cricket powerhouse. The BCCI's influence has stretched beyond domestic cricket, shaping international cricket's commercial and competitive nature. As a result, even Australian cricketers have expressed admiration for the board. When asked for their thoughts on the BCCI, the ICC, and Indian cricket, Australian players had nothing but praise. In a recent social media video, a group of Australian cricketers was asked to define the BCCI, the ICC, and Indian cricket with a single word each. Their responses ranged from humorous to insightful, giving a glimpse into the respect India has earned in cricket. Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, described the BCCI, ICC, and Indian cricket with the words: "Big, Big, Big." Travis Head, the Australian middle-order batsman, offered "Rulers, second, strong" to define the BCCI, ICC, and Indian cricket. 🤭 Describe the BCCI, the ICC and Indian cricket in one word....Don't worry everyone, Smudge was just jokin! pic.twitter.com/AxJZJT15P8 — ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 23, 2024 Usman Khawaja’s take was slightly different, opting for "Strong, ICC, Talented," which emphasised India's robust presence in the cricketing world, Nathan Lyon, another key player in the Australian side, went with "Big, Boss, Passionate," clearly recognising the BCCI’s vast influence. Glenn Maxwell used "Powerful, Boss, Fanatic" to describe the BCCI and Indian cricket. Matthew Wade took a similar route, calling the BCCI and Indian cricket "Powerful, Trophy, Powerful," while Steve Smith initially labeled the BCCI as "Powerhouse" and the ICC as "not as powerful," before revising his statement to "leaders," perhaps signaling a more diplomatic view. The most intriguing responses came from Head and Smith. While Head remained firm in his assessment of Indian cricket as the "rulers," Smith found himself second-guessing his initial reaction. His initial words were "a joke," but he quickly changed his stance, calling India’s influence in cricket "leaders". Currently, the Indian and Australian teams are locked in a gripping 5-match Test series, with both sides having won one match each. India claimed victory in the first Test in Perth, while Australia made a strong comeback in Adelaide. With the series now level at 1-1, the two teams will face off in Melbourne on December 26.
23 December,2024 02:54 PM IST | Melbourne | mid-day online correspondentTo quell the ongoing controversy surrounding pitches, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) head curator Matt Page addressed concerns on Monday, stating that the pitch at the stadium has not been altered in response to the upcoming Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Kookaburra ball used in Australia, with its less pronounced seam and tendency to soften more quickly, presents a greater challenge for bowlers compared to the Dukes ball, which is known for supporting seam and swing bowling. The series is currently level at 1-1, following India's hard-fought draw in the third Test in Brisbane. The Boxing Day Test is set to begin on December 26 at the iconic MCG. Page reassured that the pitch will provide opportunities for bowlers at various stages of the match, while also offering a fair contest for the batsmen, at the press conference. "Nah, so we haven't altered our pitches because of the balls. We've basically like I said, we sat down probably seven years ago, after 2017, and discussed where we wanted to go as an organisation and what we wanted to be renowned for, and that's produced in test matches that are going to provide a thrilling contest, I guess. It gives the bowlers an opportunity at various points in the game, but it also gives the batters a chance too, if you play well," he told the reporters. The head curator added that earlier they had played around with our grass lengths of the pitch and after that, they reached the level where they wanted to get. "So we then tried and played around with our grass lengths, our compaction levels, moisture levels, and that probably took us three years to where we wanted to get to, and then we've probably been, I would say the last two or three years, we've been quite consistent in what we've rolled out, and we leave a bit more grass on them now than what we used to, but it's provided thrilling contests, and that's what we want to do," he added. Significant difference between the practice pitches both teams have got in preparation for the Boxing Day Test.#bgt pic.twitter.com/MYyMKZpEGi — Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) December 23, 2024 Earlier last week, Australia made a couple of changes to its squad, addressing the absence of Josh Hazlewood and concerns in the top order. The hosts have added Beau Webster, Jhye Richardson, and Sam Konstas have been added to the squad before the fourth Test match of the series. After a mild side strain in the Perth Test which ruled him out of the second Adelaide Test, Hazlewood did return for the third match in Brisbane but faced a calf strain during the warm-up on the fourth day. He bowled one over and left the field for scans which confirmed the serious extent of his injury, ruling him out of the series. In the first Test at Perth, Hazlewood had taken five wickets, including a four-wicket haul in the first innings. Scott Boland will likely take Hazlewood's spot in Australia's playing eleven for the fourth Test, held at the MCG, starting from December 26 onwards.
23 December,2024 02:53 PM IST | Melbourne | mid-day online correspondentAs Team India navigates through a long, five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia, it faced another challenge ahead of the fourth Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as players negotiated with the practice pitches allotted to them. During Sunday's practice session, a delivery from pacer Akash Deep kept low and hit skipper Rohit Sharma on his left knee. While dismissing any concerns over Rohit's fitness, Akash had revealed the low bounce on the pitch, saying that he felt that the practice surface was meant for white-ball cricket and kept low. "Such minor wounds are not anything unusual when you are playing cricket. It is not a big concern. But I felt the practice wicket was meant for the white ball and was keeping low. It was difficult to leave. But there are no concerns at all," the bowler had said as quoted by cricket.com.au. Significant difference between the practice pitches both teams have got in preparation for the Boxing Day Test.#bgt pic.twitter.com/MYyMKZpEGi — Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) December 23, 2024 With the series level at 1-1, both teams will be playing the highly-anticipated Boxing Day Test from December 26 onwards, with an aim to secure an all-important lead and an edge ahead of the final Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Also Read: India boycotts media match with Australia amid Jadeja press conference row Reports from Australia suggested that India was practicing on wickets that had been used for the Big Bash and were a bit worn out from use. Pictures from the MCG showed what appeared to slightly worn out wickets on which the Indian team had been doing its practice drills The practice wicket that had been marked for team Australia looked a bit fresher. However, on Monday morning, the MCG head curator Matt Page clarified that fresh pitches are only offered three days before the start of the match. "Yeah, so, for us, three days out, we prepare test match pitches for here. If teams come and train before that, they get what pitches we have had. So, today we are on fresh pitches. If India had trained this morning, they would have been on those fresh pitches. So, it is stock standard procedure for us, three days out," he said. (With agency inputs)
23 December,2024 02:01 PM IST | Melbourne | mid-day online correspondentThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has picked former Test all-rounder Abdul Razzaq to head a country-wide scouting program to find new talent for the national T20 squad. The program titled "Strike Force" aims to unearth hidden talent from all corners of Pakistan where T20 remains a popular format. An official of the PCB said that Razzaq has been given the task of initially spotting 50 players and shortlisting them so that some of them can go on to play for Pakistan. "We have been struggling in T20 cricket for a while and the idea is that with so much T20 cricket being played in the country, and Razzaq himself being a class hitter and all-rounder, can unearth some unknown talent," the official said. Pakistan is presently lagging in the eighth position in the ICC T20 rankings and has lost the recent T20 series in Australia and South Africa besides losing a match in Zimbabwe. Tape Tennis ball cricket matches in Pakistan are a big hit and some unknown players even command a good fee to appear in these local events and display their big hitting skills. "Pakistan is clearly lagging behind other countries when it comes to hitting sixes and fours and unconventional strokes and the idea is some of those players who are limited to playing in local events can be good enough to play in international cricket," the PCB official said. Razzaq was previously associated with the board as a national selector until a few months back. 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
23 December,2024 09:49 AM IST | Lahore | PTIHarmanpreet Kaur-led Team India achieved an elusive feat on Sunday with their mammoth 211-run win over West Indies in the first ODI match of the series at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. According to ESPNcricinfo, the 211-run triumph over the Caribbeans is India's second biggest win by runs in women's ODIs, behind the 249-run win against Ireland in 2017. It was also the biggest defeat by runs for West Indies in the history of women's ODIs. India Women extended their dominance in white-ball cricket. The emphatic win on Sunday gave the Women in Blue an early lead in the ODI series. Recapping the match, West Indies, led by Hayley Matthews, won the toss and opted to field. However, Harmanpreet Kaur's team set a daunting target for the visitors in the first innings. Openers Smriti Mandhana (91 off 102 balls, 13 fours) and Pratika Rawal (40 off 69 balls, 4 fours) put together a solid 110-run partnership, laying a strong foundation for the hosts. The duo's superb batting kept the Caribbean bowlers under pressure, making it difficult for them to claim early wickets. Skipper Matthews eventually broke the opening stand in the 24th over, dismissing Pratika Rawal, but the damage had already been done. Harleen Deol (44 off 50 balls, 2 fours and 1 six) then joined Mandhana at the crease, building a 50-run partnership. Zaida James dismissed Mandhana in the 32nd over, briefly stemming the flow of runs. However, Harleen and Harmanpreet Kaur (34 off 23 balls, 3 fours and 1 six) added a 66-run stand, further solidifying India's innings. Though West Indies managed to remove Harleen and Harmanpreet, India's middle order stepped up with confidence. Richa Ghosh (26 off 13 balls, 4 fours and 1 six), Jemimah Rodrigues (31 off 19 balls, 3 fours and 1 six), and Deepti Sharma (14* off 12 balls, 1 four) propelled India to a formidable 314/9. Deepti and Priya Mishra (1* off 3 balls) remained unbeaten at the end of the innings. Zaida James led the West Indies' bowling effort, taking five wickets for 45 runs at an economy rate of 5.60. Matthews chipped in with two wickets in her 10 overs. Chasing 315, West Indies struggled to establish a partnership against the disciplined Indian bowling attack. Renuka Thakur Singh was the star with the ball, claiming five wickets and dismantling the Caribbean batting lineup. Priya Mishra picked up two wickets, while Titas Sadhu and Deepti Sharma each grabbed one. The Indian bowlers skittled out West Indies for just 103 in 27 overs, sealing a comprehensive 211-run victory. Afy Fletcher (24* off 22 balls, 3 fours) was the top scorer for the visitors, while wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle (21 off 39 balls, 2 fours) also made a valiant effort before falling to Renuka Singh's lethal spell. Renuka Thakur Singh was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for her brilliant five-wicket haul. 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
23 December,2024 09:49 AM IST | Vadodara (Gujarat) | ANIOpener G Trisha made a doughty fifty before the left-arm troika of Ayushi Shukla, Sonam Yadav and Parunika Sisodia spun web around Bangladesh batters as India scored a 41-run win to emerge champions in the inaugural Women’s T20 U-19 Asia Cup here on Sunday. On a spongy pitch, Trisha’s 47-ball 52 (5x4, 2x6) guided India to 117-7, but Indian spinners cut through the Bangladesh line-up to bundle them out for 76 in 18.3 overs. The biggest partnership in the match, was between Trisha and her skipper Nikki Prasad—a 41-run alliance for the fourth wicket. India batters struggled against pacer Farjana Easmin, who took four wickets. Despite that, India were restricted to a below-par total, and Bangladesh seemed well on track for a win once they reached 44-2 in the seventh over. However, Ayushi (3-17), Sonam (2-13) and Parunika (2-12) took over from that point as Bangladesh lost remaining eight wickets for a mere 32 runs. Brief scoresIndia W U-19 117-7 in 20 overs (G Trisha 52; F Easmin 4-31) beat B’desh W U-19 76 all out in 18.3 overs (J Ferdous 22; A Shukla 3-17) by 41 runs 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
23 December,2024 06:20 AM IST | Kuala Lumpur | PTIThe scheduled press match between the Indian and Australian media was cancelled after the Indian media reportedly boycotted a pre-arranged game, following a press conference row involving all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The T20 game scheduled for Sunday at Junction Oval in Melbourne was cancelled after the Indian team’s media manager decided not to participate. This decision prompted several members of the travelling media contingent to withdraw as well, making it impossible to organise a formal match, a report in The Age quoted multiple sources. Also Read: Australia whip out the victim card...again! This comes after an incident at a press conference on Saturday involving Jadeja, where the spinner answered questions in Hindi. After a half-hour delay in the scheduled media appearance after India completed a training session at the ground. Jadeja began taking questions from Indian journalists. Following nine minutes of discussion in Hindi, the presser was ended as the team bus had to depart. Hence, the player couldn’t stay any longer, according to India’s media manager. However, some Australian media are claiming that Jadeja has refused to answer questions in English. “The Australian media were bemused and confused when the star all-rounder refused to answer questions in English. It was obviously an annoying situation for the journalists who made the effort to turn up,” Channel 7 said in its report. In reality, Jadeja never refused to answer questions in English. 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
23 December,2024 06:20 AM IST | Melbourne | PTITeam India batsman KL Rahul shares a significant connection with December 26, a date that has proven to be fortuitous for him. Rahul has two hundreds in Boxing Day Tests — at Centurion, South Africa, on the 2021-22 and 2023-24 tours. The opportunity for Rahul to score his third Boxing Day Test hundred comes in the form of Thursday’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Karnataka man has emerged as the most consistent batsman for Team India in this series thus far. Following the inaugural practice session at the MCG on Saturday, uncertainty remains regarding whether Rahul will assume the role of an opening batter. Rohit has relinquished his opening position for Rahul in the previous two Tests, opting to bat at No. 6 instead. Regardless of if he opens the batting or comes in at No. 6, the team management and Rahul, will be hoping for his third Boxing Day Test hundred.
23 December,2024 06:19 AM IST | Melbourne | Amit ShahWith skipper Rohit Sharma struggling to decipher a way to score runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former India coach Ravi Shastri says the stylish batter should go in with a clear mindset, change his tactics, and attack the bowlers. Rohit missed the opening Test Down Under to be with his family for the birth of his second child. He was expected to reclaim the opener’s spot but KL Rahul’s impressive 77 in India’s win at Perth prompted a rejig of the batting order with Rohit moving down to No.6. The change though has not been fruitful for Rohit as he has managed 10, three and six runs in the last three innings, while Rahul has encashed on the opportunity by notching up a fine 84 in the first innings at Brisbane in the third Test. “I would like to see Rohit Sharma, his tactics change a bit because he can still be extremely dangerous at that number [six],” Shastri opined on ICC Review.Shastri felt Rohit should shun the defensive mindset. “I think he’s got to be very clear in his mindset to go out there and take the attack to the opposition and not worry about anything else,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added. Rohit had made his Test debut in 2013 at No. 6 position, marking the occasion with a century. 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
23 December,2024 06:16 AM IST | Melbourne | PTIADVERTISEMENT
