Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

England Test captain Ben Stokes has indicated the possibility of utilising Joe Root with the new ball in the opening Test of the five-match series in Hyderabad. Additionally, Stokes is contemplating the inclusion of uncapped left-arm spinner Tom Hartley in the playing XI for Thursday’s Test against India. Stokes, who is not yet fit to bowl after recovering from a knee surgery, confirmed that Ben Foakes would return as wicketkeeper and bat at seven, leaving four bowling slots to consider. With Shoaib Bashir absent, England may opt to field all three frontline spinners on a dry surface. Fit-again Jack Leach…

India skipper Rohit Sharma said it was a headache to choose between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav for the first Test between India and England in Hyderabad, starting on January 24. The role of a wrist-spinner in Tests has been fairly limited in India. Ever since the retirement of the great Anil Kumble, India have never had a wrist-spinner for the long run. The fact that Kuldeep has played only four Test matches at home since 2017 is a testament to that. However, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being the first-choice spinners, the addition of Kuldeep’s left-arm wrist spin…

England Test captain, Ben Stokes, has confirmed that Ben Foakes will take on the wicketkeeping duties in the first Test of the upcoming five-match series, commencing on January 25 in Hyderabad. Consequently, Jonny Bairstow will assume the role of a specialist batter after Harry Brook left the tour due to personal reasons. Foakes’s last appearance for the national team was during their tour of New Zealand in February 2023. He has an average of 32.20 from 20 matches, including two centuries. Despite being excluded from the side for last summer’s Ashes as Bairstow returned from injury, Foakes now has the…

Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar has been drafted into the Indian squad for the first two Tests against England as a replacement for Virat Kohli, who opted out due to “personal reasons.” Kohli is expected to be back for the third Test. The right-handed Rajat Patidar has been in exceptional form, scoring two centuries in his last three innings for India A. With a first-class average of 46 and an impressive tally of 12 centuries, Patidar has proved himself as a dependable red-ball batter. His recent standout performances include 151 against England Lions in Ahmedabad last week, outshining the other…

Having not played a Test match for six months, England’s red-ball team is poised to return to action, initiating a five-match tour in Hyderabad, on January 25. As England prepares for the series against India on their home turf, all eyes are on the nature of the pitch for the crucial first Test. McCullum shared his observations, stating, “It looked promising. It appears that the pitch is conducive to spin. It may not start turning right away, but it’s likely to happen at some point, and I’m confident spin will play a significant role throughout the series.” Also Read: Rahul…

Rahul Dravid, India head coach, has reaffirmed the point that KL Rahul will not assume wicketkeeping duties in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, commencing on January 25 in Hyderabad. Dravid said that there will be a toss up between KS Bharat and the uncapped Dhruv Jurel. “Rahul will not be playing as a wicketkeeper in this series, and we are clear about that in the selection itself,” the India coach said in the presser. “We have picked two other wicketkeepers.” “Obviously, Rahul did a fantastic job for us in South Africa and really played a big part in…

Jasprit Bumrah, India’s pace spearhead, expressed his love for Test cricket, emphasizing that the red-ball format is his favourite. After ending the South Africa tour as the highest wicket-taker, Bumrah is gearing up for the upcoming five-match Test series against the visiting England team led by Ben Stokes. “This is, you know, my favourite, because I love the Test format. It gives you a lot of joy. Playing Test cricket was my dream and I did that,” he told Brut in an interview. Reflecting on his favourite memories from the format, Bumrah highlighted the significance of claiming his first Test…

India started their U-19 World Cup campaign with a bang, outplaying Bangladesh and registering a comprehensive 84-run victory at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Riding on half-centuries from Adarsh Singh and skipper Uday Saharan, India posted 251/7, a big total at this venue. In reply, Bangladesh was skittled out for 167, courtesy Saumy Pandey’s four-fer. India encountered a challenging start as Bangladesh’s seamers applied pressure, securing two early wickets. Arshin Kulkarni, in pursuit of quick runs, fell prey to the opposition’s tactics. Musheer Khan, coming at No. 3, aimed to dominate but struggled to gain momentum and was…

English paceman Ollie Robinson is eagerly anticipating the challenge of facing Virat Kohli in the upcoming five-match Test series on Indian soil. Robinson, a right-arm fast bowler, previously faced off against the star batter during India’s 2021 tour of England. In that series, Robinson dismissed Kohli on three occasions. Expressing his excitement ahead of the series, Robinson told ESPNCricinfo: “You always want to play against the best players, don’t you? And you always want to get the best players out. Kohli is one of those. He’s got a big ego, and I think playing on that, especially in India, where…

It was another thrilling night in Bengaluru, the ‘Garden City’. The game’s ebbs and flows were so intense that, despite both teams scoring over 200 runs, it came down to two Super Overs to determine the winner. Bengaluru witnessed a spectacle of shot-making, and in a game where neither team had a clear advantage until an astonishing Super Over – followed by another – India emerged winners in the first-ever double-super-over T20I. Afghanistan’s wait for a win over India continues. To sum up the two super overs in short, the brilliance of Ravi Bishnoi and Rohit Sharma outshone that of…