Author: WebDesk

South Africa batter Tristan Stubbs took the blame upon himself for not converting a good start into a big score after making 49 in the team’s total of 247 at the end of day one of the series-deciding second Test in Guwahati. On a red-soil wicket, which played better than the Eden Gardens pitch, South Africa performed well in the first two sessions before losing four wickets in the final session, giving India the advantage on the opening day. Stubbs described it as a better wicket for batting. “I definitely think it’s a better wicket for batting. You can bat…

The spectators present on day two of the first Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium were on their feet in acknowledgement of Travis Head, who smashed a sensational 83-ball 123 to make light work of the 205-run chase against a fiery England pace attack. After playing a memorable knock, Head said his focus had been on blunting the new ball and avoiding early wickets while opening the batting in the absence of Usman Khawaja. For the second consecutive time in the match, Khawaja did not come out to open the batting. While it was Marnus Labuschagne in the first innings,…

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc shattered multiple records after completing his ten-wicket haul on day two of the first Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Having taken seven wickets in the first innings yesterday, Starc claimed three more in the first session to complete his third ten-wicket haul. With match figures of 10/113, Starc became the first Australian seamer to take a ten-wicket haul in an Ashes Test since Craig McDermott’s 11/157 in 1990–91. Coincidentally, that feat was also achieved in Perth. After Australia were bowled out earlier in the day for 132, England came out to bat, and…

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) new recruit Sanju Samson is excited beyond words to share the dressing room with his idol, MS Dhoni, for the entire season after having played against him in the IPL since his debut with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2013. In a historic player swap, Samson was brought in by CSK for Rs 18 crore in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, who moved to RR. At CSK, he will reunite with his childhood hero and former India team-mate, Dhoni. The Kerala-based cricketer recounted his first interaction with the five-time IPL-winning captain. “There’s one person…

Brydon Carse recalled how Ben Stokes gave a motivational talk that bolstered the morale of the England camp and helped them fight back to finish the opening day in a better position than Australia, despite being bowled out for 172 in their first innings in the ongoing Ashes opener at Perth Stadium. After opting to bat first, England’s batters disappointed on a pitch that offered assistance to the pacers. The visitors fought back to leave the hosts reeling at 123 for nine, still trailing by 49 runs. Stokes, who was dismissed for just six, led the team’s response with the…

Anrich Nortje has been recalled to the side after a long hiatus for the five-match T20I series against India, starting on December 9. Three ODIs will be played beforehand, and captain Temba Bavuma returns to lead the side after missing the Pakistan series through injury. Tristan Stubbs, however, has been dropped from the squad, while Rubin Hermann, who made his debut against Pakistan, has retained his place. The 32-year-old Nortje’s last appearance for the Proteas came in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final against India in Barbados in June 2024. Since then, he has been battling injuries. Another senior…

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia is optimistic that the Asia Cup trophy will return to India soon after he held discussions with Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi, which also involved ICC Chairman Jay Shah. Two months have passed, and India have still not received the trophy after the 2025 Asia Cup winners refused to accept it from Naqvi, who then took the trophy away. Since the Asia Cup final, multiple meetings have been held, but the issue remains unresolved. Saikia provided the latest update on the Asia Cup trophy dispute. “This is an unfortunate situation which has been ongoing since…

Stand-in captain Steve Smith took a cheeky dig at Monty Panesar for his comments ahead of the first Test of the five-match Ashes series, starting in Perth on November 21. Panesar had urged the England team to make Smith feel guilty about the Sandpapergate scandal of 2018 in Cape Town during the upcoming series. When asked about the former England spinner’s remarks, Smith’s sarcastic reply left reporters in stitches. “I am going to go off topic here — who in the room has seen Mastermind, and Monty Panesar on it? Any of you?” Smith said ahead of the Perth Test.…

Playing his 100th Test, Mushfiqur Rahim made the occasion memorable by scoring a century in Dhaka on Thursday, November 20. With this, he became only the 11th batter in the history of Test cricket to score a hundred in their centenary match. Mushfiqur remained unbeaten on 99 on the opening day of the ongoing first Test against Ireland. The veteran Bangladesh cricketer reached the magical three-figure mark by nudging Jordan Neill off his pads for a single. As soon as he completed the runs, the small crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium rose to acknowledge the special milestone and erupted…

Marnus Labuschagne has returned to his preferred number three position in the playing XI, which includes two debutants – Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett – for the first Ashes Test in Perth, set to begin tomorrow (November 21). This will mark the first time the hosts have selected multiple debutants in a Test since early 2019. On the back of a stellar run for Queensland in domestic cricket, Labuschagne has earned his spot back. With his return, Beau Webster, who played an important part in the WTC final, has been left out. Labuschagne’s reinstatement at number three means that Cameron…