Sourav Ganguly to not participate in Legends League Cricket benefit match.
Fans had high hopes from India at the World Test Championship final, but they suffered a crushing defeat against Australia at The Oval…reports Asian Lite News
Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has advised the Indian team to play fearless cricket in order to end the long title drought at International Cricket Council (ICC) events.
Fans had high hopes from India at the World Test Championship final, but they suffered a crushing defeat against Australia at The Oval.
With another loss, India’s prolonged hunt for their first ICC title since 2013 continues. After the Champions Trophy win in 2013, India have featured in four semifinals and four finals of major ICC events but haven’t been able to cross the final hurdle.
“In the last 10 years, they played four finals. It’s not that they’ve been absolutely poor. They have just not won the big finals, hopefully that will happen. As someone who has seen Indian cricket closely. My only advice is to play without fear when you get to these big moments. Sometimes you have to take the hard decisions,” Ganguly told India Today.
Asked if the Indian team struggles due to tentativeness in big knockout matches, Ganguly said that Rohit Sharm and Rahul Dravid needs
“Maybe at times there is a bit of a different thought but that’s what I feel watching from outside and I say that with respect that just go and play,” the former India skipper said.
“The T20 World Cup semi-final also against England in Adelaide� They should have hit it and that’s the mindset Rahul and Rohit need to get we have a World Cup in six months. I feel this is a very strong team but the execution has to be fearless,” he added.
India will host the 2023 World Cup in October and November and it will be a huge opportunity for India to end the ICC title drought.
‘No idea why Kohli left Test captaincy’
Sourav Ganguly has said that the board was not ready for Virat Kohli to step down as India Test skipper, adding that it was his personal decision and the star batter can only reveal why he left the captaincy in the longest format of the game.
Ganguly’s latest remarks come in the wake of fans calling for the reinstatement of Kohli as India’s Test captain after the Rohit Sharma-led side suffered a 209-run defeat to Australia in the World Test Championship final. However, Kohli hasn’t been at his best with the bat in Test cricket in the last three years.
“BCCI were not prepared for Virat Kohli leaving the Test captaincy. It was unexpected for us also after the South Africa tour. Only Virat Kohli can reveal why he left the captaincy. There is no point talking about this now because Virat Kohli left the Test captaincy. Selectors had to appoint an India captain. And Rohit was the best option at that time,” Ganguly told Aaj Tak in an interview, after the WTC final.
With India already missing Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer due to injuries, leaving out Ashwin didn’t make any sense, especially with Australia having five left-handed batters…writes Niharika Raina
In the run-up to the 2023 World Test Championship final between Australia and India at The Oval, many former players like Ricky Ponting and Wasim Akram had given a slight edge to the Pat Cummins-led side to lift the coveted mace.
On June 11, just a little after noon in London, they were indeed proved right as Cummins & Co beat India by 209 runs to be the WTC winners for the very first time and complete their set of ICC trophies, making them the first side in men’s international cricket to do so.
For India, it was the second straight time they came runners-up in the WTC final after 2021, with the art of winning knockout games slowly becoming a lost heritage. But for its huge number of fans, it was back to familiar feelings as the 2023 WTC final entered the list of tournaments from which India came without an ICC title.
IANS looks at reasons behind India’s crushing finale loss at The Oval and with the new WTC cycle starting next month, what they need as a transition era looms over the team.
Ashwin selection call
One of the wise pieces of advice cricket has ever got is to go on the field with your best cricketers, barring injuries coming into play. That advice also means that you got to pick your best batters and bowlers. At The Oval, India chose to leave out ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the top-ranked Test bowler with 474 scalps, who had previously picked a six-fer at the venue while playing for Surrey in 2021.
When the match was on, one sensed that India missed the trick by not playing him on seeing the bit of assistance the pitch provided to Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon. Irrespective of whether conditions could have been, not playing your best spinner in a prestigious clash for the title is a big mystery which has left many, including the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, baffled.
Though Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj were excellent with the ball, the efforts of Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur as third and fourth pacers were less than desired of what the team would have liked them to be.
With India already missing Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer due to injuries, leaving out Ashwin didn’t make any sense, especially with Australia having five left-handed batters.
No response to being pushed on backfoot from day one
To be very honest, the result of the WTC final was decided on day one of the game itself. India elected to bowl first and were playing catch up throughout the match despite batting fightback from Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur in first innings.
India were excellent in the first hour, keeping Australia in check at 29/1 in 12 overs and taking out David Warner. But after that, as the bowlers changed, so did the game. From there, there was no stopping Australia as they reached 327/3 at stumps and eventually made 469.
Not being tight in tactics also played a part in India being pushed on backfoot right on day one. India bowled in strong areas of Travis Head, giving him the room to take boundaries quickly apart from rotating strike easily and bowling just one short ball to him in his first 29 balls. By the time the short-ball ploy to cramp him for room came, Head was already past 90 and got his hundred in no time.
Top-order failures come to the fore
Just like many times in the past, the batting problem of India’s top-order came back to hit them hard on a big stage, yet again, unable to even touch 300 in both innings. Rohit Sharma couldn’t replicate his stunning run in the 2021 tour of England in both innings. Shubman Gill is yet to look comfortable in playing Tests in England.
Cheteshwar Pujara, despite two months of county cricket for Sussex, couldn’t thrive in what was to be familiar conditions for him. Virat Kohli gave the feeling of going for a long stay at the crease, but flattered to deceive in his fifth tour of England by falling to the wide ball trap in second innings. Apart from Kohli dismissal shot in second innings, the shot selection in both innings left many legends of the game baffled.
Co-incidentally, the top-order from the WTC 2021 final was also featuring in the 2023 finale, which shows that nothing has changed in the lack of runs from top-order despite the personnel being the same.
Maybe it’s the right time for introducing some freshness in the top-order (like Yashasvi Jaiswal) as well as in middle-order, and look beyond the highly-experienced folks by rewarding performers of Ranji Trophy and India A tours.
Fast bowlers with more depth and control
In the last few years, a big part of India’s overseas success came from the fast-bowling unit, making Bumrah, Shami, Siraj, and Umesh Ishant Sharma the envy of the cricketing world.
But with Bumrah injured due to recurring back injury and doubts over whether he would be playing consistent Test cricket in future as well as Ishant being phased out, India’s fast-bowling unit suddenly looks thin on depth.
Shami and Siraj are certainties, but are people like Umesh, Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat seen as sure starters, especially when India take the field in their next WTC cycle assignment in West Indies? Umesh and Thakur lacked penetration and control with the ball, allowing Australia to run away with the game.
On-field things aside, India have also been unlucky on the fitness part too. Apart from Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna has been out for long due to back injury.
There’s no word on development of Navdeep Saini, Kamlesh Nagarkoti (he’s down with back injury too), Ishan Porel, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Shivam Mavi and Kartik Tyagi in longer format, who can also provide some runs with the bat.
Overall, all these factors show that there are a lot of problems in the Indian Test team which need urgent attention to solve. There is a lack of vision for the future for developing lethal and consistent fast bowlers as well as batters, which the opposition will fear too.
That also includes organising A tours regularly and appointing a chief of selectors, which also plays a role in teams winning big titles consistently. Otherwise, the mistakes from 2023 will continue to repeat endlessly, leading to more heartbreak for the Indian team and its ever-loyal fans in ICC tournaments.
The duo’s efforts meant the match is set up towards an exciting finish, as India are still alive in the chase with 280 runs needed while Australia will be aiming to get seven right balls to bowl them out quickly on day five…reports Asian Lite News
Australia looked to be in a prime position to win the World Test Championship Final when they declared on 270/8, as Alex Carey top-scored with 66 not out, and set India a daunting target of 444 at The Oval on Saturday.
In their pursuit of breaking the world record of 418 for the most successful fourth innings chase in a Test match, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane put together a solid unbeaten 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket, on yet another day of gripping action, and take India to 164/3 at stumps on Day Four.
On a pitch that flattened out and was devoid of demons in terms of movement and bounce, Kohli was in fantastic touch to be 44 not out off just 60 balls, with Rahane unconquered on 20.
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The duo’s efforts meant the match is set up towards an exciting finish, as India are still alive in the chase with 280 runs needed while Australia will be aiming to get seven right balls to bowl them out quickly on day five.
India made a fast start as Rohit Sharma looked classy in pull and on-drive off Pat Cummins to pick two quick boundaries. Shubman Gill joined the party with a gentle punch through cover and getting a thick edge wide of the gully for a brace of f’urs. Rohit’s brilliant timing continued when he flicked Scott Boland for four and pulled Mitchell Starc over long leg for six.
But Gill fell when Boland extracted the outside edge off his defensive prod, and the ball flew low to Cameron Green’s left, who took out his left hand for taking a one-handed screamer, with the third umpire adjudging it as a clean catch and tea taken immediately as fans debated whether the batter was out or not.
Cheteshwar Pujara began the final session by cracking a fierce cut through point off Boland for four while surviving an inside edge off him for another boundary. Rohit continued to be in great touch, pulling and driving beautifully off Starc’to bring India’s fifty in just nine overs.
Pujara followed it up by gently clipping and driving through mid-off against Starc for boundaries, followed by flicking off Cummins to pick another four. Rohit was exquisite in cutting off Starc and pulling against Green to pick a brace of fours to raise fifty of the partnership.
But Australia bounced back by taking out the duo in quick succession. Rohit tried to sweep against Nathan Lyon from around the wicket, but the ball went under the bat to be trapped lbw. Pujara, meanwhile, tried to upper-cut against Cummins but got a thick toe-edge behind to keeper Alex Carey.
Kohli looked in zone from the time he arrived at the crease – bringing his bottom-hand and supple wrists into play to hit five boundaries off pacers in the arc from mid-on to backward square leg, apart from a glorious off-drive against Starc for another boundary.
Rahane, playing with an injured right index finger, proved to be his perfect partner, oozing pristine timing in his sweep, steer, and drive. Kohli again brought out the bright off-drive against Starc for four and ended the day by glancing Lyon through fine leg for another four.
Earlier, Carey showed fine composure and muddled his shots well to hit eight fours in his unbeaten 105-bal’ vigil to take Australia’s lead to 443 before the declaration arrived. He found an able ally in Mitchell Starc, who made a nice 41 while sharing a quick 93-run stand for the seventh wicket.
India had a bright start to the day as Umesh Yadav had Marnus Labuschagne caught at first slip. Umesh got the delivery to come in and swung away late to take the ‘utside edge on Labuschagne’s defence to first slip, with the batter adding nothing to his overnight score of 41.
Green and Carey continued to add more to Australia’s big lead, playing slowly while finding a couple of boundaries as the ball got older, with the drives of the pacers being the standout shots. Ravindra Jadeja broke the 43-run partnership as he got the ball to spin in from over the wicket and ‘ounce sharply, hitting Green’s gloves and lobbing to hit the stumps.
Carey kept the reverse sweep, which caused his downfall in the first innings, completely away when facing Jadeja and went on to cut twice off Mohammed Siraj through’the off-side to take Australia’s lead to 350.
Starc took a four off Jadeja through a late cut to swell the lead, followed by Carey driving a half-volley from the left-arm spinner for another boundary. The duo rotated strike to perfection on a weary pitch till lunch arrived.
Post lunch, Starc began by driving Jadeja through mid-off for four, followed by feasting on overpitched deliveries from Umesh to hit back-to-back boundaries. On the other hand, Carey was lucky in getting an outside edge between first and second slip for four, followed by reaching his fifty in 82 balls.
Carey was lucky in getting a four through an outside edge off Jadeja while Starc dispatched Umesh over mid-on for a boundary. After the new ball was taken, there was no respite for India as Carey survived chopping on to his stumps, with the ball going for four.
Starc pulled and sliced Shami for back-to-back fours before being caught at first slip, breaking 93-run stand. Cummins lofted Siraj over mid-on for four before holing out to point off Shami, with the declaration coming immediately from Australia, who would take th’ee Indian wickets by the time day four’s play ended.
Brief scores:
Australia 469 and 270/8 decl. in 84.3 overs (Alex Carey 66 not out, Mitchell Starc 41; Ravindra Jadeja 3-58, Mohammed Shami 2-39) lead India 296 and 164/3 in 40 overs (Virat Kohli 44 not out, Rohit Sharma 43; Nathan Lyon 1-32, Scott Boland 1-38) by 280 runs
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes leaving Ashwin out will be something which India will rue later, citing the mastery he has on getting left-handed batters out…reports Asian Lite News
In the run-up to the World Test Championship Final between India and Australia at The Oval, there was a huge debate over whether ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will make it to the playing eleven or not.
With 474 wickets in 92 matches at a strike-rate of 51.8, including 32 five-wicket/innings hauls, keeping Ashwin, the top-ranked Test bowler, out of the marquee clash as India preferred four fast-bowlers has invited criticism from former cricketers of both nations.
The Oval pitch, which looked green, assisted the seamers for the first hour or so under overcast conditions. But as the sun came out and clouds began to move away, it turned good for batting.
Travis Head (146 not out) and Steve Smith (95 not out) feasted on a lacklustre Indian bowling line-up to stitch a mammoth 251-run unbeaten stand for the fourth wicket as Australia reached 327/3 at the stumps on Day 1.
Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar was left aghast over Ashwin’s exclusion from an important match. “He’s the No.1 ranked bowler. You don’t look at the pitch for players like him. You are playing a World Test Championship Final, and you don’t pick the number one bowler in Test cricket. This decision from Team India is beyond my understanding.”
“I would have picked him in place of Umesh Yadav, who was out of action and looks out of rhythm. There are four left-handed batters in this Australian side, and he has traditionally done well against them. It is shocking that there isn’t any off-spinner in this side,” he was quoted as saying by the broadcasters.
Similar sentiments were echoed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly. “That’s an afterthought and I don’t believe in after-thoughts once the toss is done. Every captain is different and Rohit had his own ideas.”
“The conditions suited four fast bowlers and India have won Test matches with such an attack. But I would have personally thought twice before keeping a spinner of his quality out of the XI.”
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes leaving Ashwin out will be something which India will rue later, citing the mastery he has on getting left-handed batters out.
“As this game goes on, I have got no doubt that there is going to be a turn. Australia have got a lot of left-handers in their batting line-up to which Ashwin would have been perfectly suited for.”
“So far for me, it looks like it was a mistake from them by playing the four-seamers, but we will see how the game pans out,” he was quoted as saying by ICC afte’ the end of day one’s play.
Similar views were echoed by his former teammate Matthew Hayden. “I feel that Ravichandran Ashwin is such a key factor, the leading wicket-taker in the Tests cycle is not there. There are a few factors worth pondering on in Team India’s perspective,” he said.
Ashwin had earlier been made to sit out of playing eleven during India’s tour of England in the 2021 and 2022 games. Former Australia pacer Damien Fleming is certain the ace off-spinner should have been named in the playing eleven.
“I thought Ashwin would play and in hindsight, he should have, because I thought Yadav and Thakur just didn’t beat build pressure, did they? In good condition for them. They should have played Ashwin,” he was quoted as saying by SEN Radio.
In the end-of-the-day press conference at The Oval, India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, defended the decision to leave out Ashwin, citing the conditions and previous history of seamers doing well for the side.
“See, it’s always a very difficult decision to drop a champion bowler like that. But I thought looking at the conditions in the morning, I thought having the additional seamer would definitely be beneficial. And it has worked in the past. If you look at the earlier games that we played, the last Test match, we went in with four seamers, which really went well.
“The seamers have done well out here for us. You can always look at it in hindsight, saying an additional spinner would have been different. But looking at the conditions in the morning, I thought an additional seamer would definitely be helpful,” he said.
Once again, eyes will be on India skipper Rohit Sharma, who is coming from an ordinary form in IPL 2023 and will certainly have that pressure to lead from the front with the bat….reports Asian Lite News
The Rohit Sharm-led India will be desperate to break their barren run in ICC events and win the coveted ‘mace’ when they face Pat Cummins’ formidable Australia in the much-awaited World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Kennington Oval, here on Wednesday.
Undoubtedly, India’s team has been the most consistent one over the past two WTC cycles. They have also managed to reach knockout phases of major white-ball tournaments over the last 10 years but a trophy has eluded them. On the other hand, Australia will be looking to add to their enviable collection of world titles after missing a spot in the WTC final last cycle.
As far as the competition between the two sides is concerned, India have dominated Australia in the recent past. They have won their last four Test series against Australia — two at home and two away — all by 2-1 margins.
Once again, eyes will be on India skipper Rohit Sharma, who is coming from an ordinary form in IPL 2023 and will certainly have that pressure to lead from the front with the bat.
However, a day before the start of the ‘Ultimate Test’, the 36-year-old was hit on the left thumb while batting in the nets. Rohit, who was taking throwdowns, was seen holding his left thumb following a hit in the nets but he did not appear to be in pain or a lot of discomfort.
According to reports, the Indian captain did not bat after getting hit but it was just a precautionary measure and there is nothing much to worry about. India will need a good start from Rohit, who had a successful England tour as an opener in 2021. His opening partner Shubhman Gill is in red-hot form and will look to continue the purple patch of his career. Though, his technique will also get tested in tough English conditions.
The good thing for India is that Cheteshwar Pujara has spent a decent amount of time in England this season during his County stints. Not only batting, but his advice on pitch and weather will also be valuable to the team. And once again, there will be huge expectations from Virat Kohli, who had a superb IPL 2023 season with the bat. Ajinkya Rahahne has also made his India comeback after an amazing IPL 2023 season with CSK and his experience will be valuable.
India’s top five batters are almost certain but there is a dilemma over the wicket-keeper’s slot. K.S. Bharat’s superior glovework gave him the chance over Ishan Kishan during the home series against Australia, but in English conditions where keepers spend far less time up to the stumps negotiating a sharp turn and inconsistent bounce, India could be tempted to back Kishan’s counter-attacking skills and left-handedness.
However, the biggest question the Indian team management faces, though, is whether to play four fast bowlers and just one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja or pair him with R. Ashwin. The likes of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav are likely to be India pacers for the all-important game.
On the other hand, the Pat Cummins-led Australia have already confirmed that Scott Boland will take the place of injured Josh Hazlewood. Thus the rest of the spots in their XI almost pick themselves.
In all likelihood, David Warner will open the innings with Usman Khawaja, followed by Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green and Alex Carey –which is a solid batting line-up. The mainstay of the Australian batting line-up — Labuschagne and Smith — were also part of the County cricket in England this season and it will certainly help them in countering the Indian bowling line-up.
And the likes of Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon, form a lethal bowling attack and will test the Indian batters for sure.
As far as pitch and weather are concerned, the Oval track typically tends to offer plenty of bounce, which could enthuse bowlers, both fast and slow, on either side, as well as allow batters to play their shots if there isn’t too much sideways movement. However, the ground has never previously hosted a Test match as early as June, so it will be interesting to see.
The forecast promises a clear, bright start to the Test match but there could be rain on Saturday, Sunday and Monday — the scheduled fourth, fifth and reserve days.
Notably, both Australia and India have struggled at The Oval ground, which has hosted 104 matches so far.
India have played 14 Test matches at this venue, winning two, losing three and drawing seven of them. The last time India played at The Oval, it won by 157 runs against England in 2021. On the other hand, Australia have played 34 matches at this venue, winning seven, losing 17, and drawing 14 of them. The last time it played at The Oval, it lost by 137 runs against England in 2019.
Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Michael Neser, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Josh Inglis, Todd Murphy, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
While Hussain has doubts over India taking multiple spinners into the winner-take-all clash in south London, the cricketer-turned-commentator acknowledged Jadeja and Ashwin offer more than just a bowling threat…reports Asian Lite News
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain feels that India should learn from past mistakes in finalising their playing XI for ICC World Test Championship against Australia if they want to secure the mace, two years after missing out on the inaugural title to New Zealand.
During the first-ever WTC final, the Black Caps stormed to an eight-wicket triumph in that rain-affected Test in 2021 that stretched into the reserve day, after their four pacers made the most of the overcast conditions to take all 20 India scalps.
While spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin terrorised Australia in their recent Test series on home soil, they had less impact in the WTC Final two years ago and Hussain believes India will have to carefully consider whether to turn to the pair again this time.
“I think India, as they showed in Australia, can win in any conditions. It helps with the balance of their side if the weather is good and if the sun shines at The Oval, that they can go with their formula of two spinners, two seamers, and have (Shardul) Thakur as your third seamer,” Hussain said on The ICC Review.
“If you look back at the last World Test Championship, I think India read the conditions wrong. The lights were on all five days, it was grey, it was miserable, it was cold. New Zealand didn’t play a front-line spinner. India played two, and I think seam dominated, swing dominated.
India have played some good cricket at The Oval. They beat England there last time in a really good game. I think it’s a pretty fair venue,” he added.
While Hussain has doubts over India taking multiple spinners into the winner-take-all clash in south London, the cricketer-turned-commentator acknowledged Jadeja and Ashwin offer more than just a bowling threat.
The experienced pair have scored eight Test tons between them and Jadeja reached 104 in India’s last red-ball match in England in 2022.
WTC Final: India should learn from past mistakes in finalising their playing XI, feels Nasser Hussain.
“I would go Jadeja and Ashwin, (for) batting depth. Then you can bat all the way down. Then you can play your best seamers,” Hussain said.
“Jadeja bowled beautifully there against England last time. He held up an end. He got it reverse swinging for them because he hits the scuffy side of the ball as well when he bowls.
But what they mustn’t do if it’s rainy and wet and damp and the lights are on and it’s green, then they have to change the balance of their side, which they didn’t do for the World Test Championship last time.
I would really look at those conditions the day before and on that first morning and not be wary of leaving one of your legends out if conditions demand that. But great bowlers are usually great bowlers in all conditions,” he added.
The battle of the pace attacks will be critical to the outcome at The Oval despite the quicks playing a supporting role in India’s 2-1 Test series victory over Australia earlier this year.
Australia captain Pat Cummins missed the last two Tests of that tour to be with his mother Maria as she passed away but will return for the WTC Final. On the other side Mohammad Shami looms as crucial to India’s chances especially with Jasprit Bumrah still unavailable due to ongoing injury concerns.
“I’m a massive fan of Pat Cummins in England with the Dukes ball. He bowls those lengths, ideal lengths. It’s the thing that Mohammad Shami has really worked on, his lengths in England. For years, we used to show Shami in that seam position and it was just back of a length,” Hussain said.
“That’s one thing that he has adjusted. He has gone a little bit fuller and he is finding the outside edge. He is finding the stumps. He’s bowling the right length for LBWs and that’s what Cummins does so well for me, his lengths in England are absolutely immaculate.
I think that’s a really good battle, Cummins against Shami. Some high-class bowlers,” he added.
Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very fast to test cricket where the bat speeds have to be a lot more controlled, that is something they’ll need to do, says Gavaskar
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels that the Indian batters will have to work on their bat speed control in order to make that transition from the fast-paced T20 format to the Test cricket as they are going to face Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship final from June 7 at The Oval.
Gavaskar emphasised the need for batters to play as late as possible in English conditions, allowing for swing and avoiding the mistake of reaching out for the ball.
IND v NZ: Sharma and Dravid are quite similar temperament wise, says Gavaskar.
“I think they are going to look at their bat speed. Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very fast to test cricket where the bat speeds have to be a lot more controlled, that is something they’ll need to do. They’ll need to play in England as late as possible to allow for the swing to do its bit, not to reach out for the ball which often a lot of people make the mistake of having played on good pitches,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports’ ‘Follow the Blues’.
“Wherever you play on good pitches, you tend to play through the line, not necessarily half volleys, but in England those deliveries can move just that little bit. So, I think those are the things that as a batter you need to watch out for. As a bowling unit also you’ll need to bowl a much fuller length for your new ball, for the bowlers to be able to get the movement in the air as well as after pitching,” he added.
Former India captain also highlighted the challenges Team India would face playing in English conditions, including the overcast weather and swing in the air, aspects unfamiliar to Indian, West Indian, and Sri Lankan players.
“I think the English conditions are challenging because firstly we are used to playing with the sun on our backs. When you are playing in England, often you are playing in conditions where there is no sun, it’s a little overcast, the weather is a little bit cooler, so you sometimes wear a jumper. That’s something that you know, the Indian players, West Indian players and Sri Lankan players are not really used to so that can be just a little bit of a dampener, little sort of light but you just feel a little bit encumbered by that,” he said.
So, that is one thing and because in these conditions the ball tends to swing in the air not just after pitching which doesn’t happen in India and therefore the swing in the air is what sometimes can take you some time to get used to and which is a reason people generally when you are going overseas suggest that you should may be play two or three warm-up matches, which will give you a better idea of what to get when you are playing in a test match,” he added.
The 73-year old feels that Cheteshwar Pujara can give some valuable insights to the team having experienced the conditions at The Oval.
“The fact that he has been around will mean that he will have also seen how the pitch has been behaving at The Oval. He might not have played at The Oval, he might be in Sussex not too far away from London but he will have kept an eye on what is happening and his inputs will be invaluable as far as the batting unit is concerned or even as far as the captaincy is concerned,” said Gavaskar.
“He will have the captains here as far as the Oval pitch is concerned and don’t forget he has also captained the team, so he definitely will have worked out quite a few strategies seeing that Steve Smith, the Australian is his teammate at the moment,” he added.
The former Australian skipper also feels there may be some room for a couple of surprise selections for the England tour…reports Asian Lite News
Australia legend Ricky Ponting expects to see some different faces in the squad when the Baggy Greens travel to England for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final and the Ashes.
While Australia currently trail India 2-1 and have failed to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, they showed plenty of spirit when they registered a comprehensive nine-wicket triumph in Indore Test and secured a place in the WTC final at The Oval in June.
Speaking on the episode of The ICC Review, Ponting expects Australia to take a large contingent of players to Europe for the lengthy two-month tour, but thinks it may include some faces that haven’t featured in the India tour.
“Matt Renshaw was picked on this (India) tour because everyone felt he was a good player of spin. Peter Handscomb was picked on this tour to India because he’s a good player of spin bowling. I think you’ve seen that through this series at different times,” Ponting noted.
But when you think about the different set of conditions in the UK, then I wouldn’t be surprised if maybe neither of those guys are on that tour. I think there’s a good chance that Renshaw will be on that tour, but I’m not so sure about Handscomb and if he’ll make it to England or not.”
The former Australian skipper also feels there may be some room for a couple of surprise selections for the England tour, predicting uncapped speedster Lance Morris and promising all-rounder Aaron Hardie may be in contention to make the cut.
“Lance Morris is part of that (India) squad and maybe someone like Aaron Hardie (could be a bolter too),” Ponting suggested. “I actually threw his (Hardie) name up when Cameron Green was going to miss that last Test (against South Africa) in Sydney.
“I threw Aaron Hardie’s name up as an all-rounder, a similar type of player to Green, not as quick with the ball, but a very good batsman who made a brilliant a hundred in the (domestic) Sheffield Shield final last year.
“But his selection might depend on someone like Mitchell Marsh, if he’s back to full fitness, then he’s probably going to find his way on the plane to England as a back-up all-rounder for Cameron Green as well,” he added.
Discussing Australia’s performances in India, the two-time World Cup-winning captain said there have been plenty of positives the tourists can take from the series.
“I think all the spinners (have performed well) � and I think at different times, most of the batters have actually shown that they can cope and survive in those conditions,” the former Australia captain said.
“The quicks haven’t had a chance to bowl and Australia have had the guys coming in and out as well. But I think, Usman (Khawaja), Travis (Head), (Marnus) Labuschagne, (Steve) Smith and then all of the spinners that have played, I think there are some real positives there.
“It’s just a bit of a shame that it’s taken Australia to the start of the third Test match to find the right style of play,” he concluded.
Winners of the inaugural World Test Championship and therefore the overall champions of cricket — indeed a scoop to savour for the Black Caps.,,,reports Ashis Ray
In the end no enterprise was needed on the part of either skipper to manufacture a result.
India folded up feebly; and this paved the way for a famous New Zealand victory in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), their first triumph in an ICC event after their victory in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000.
Winners of the inaugural World Test Championship and therefore the overall champions of cricket — indeed a scoop to savour for the Black Caps.
It was tight and tense till the conclusion. India had to remove the seasoned duo of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who formed an association for the third wicket. Cheteshwar Pujara dropped the latter at first slip off an otherwise under-par Jasprit Bumrah.
Batting was difficult throughout the game; but New Zealand coped better under the circumstances. Thereby, India are yet to capture an ICC title under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.
Indeed, it boiled down to a red ball ODI; but a battle of attrition between bat and ball, not the slam-bang-wallop of white ball settings on surfaces favouring batsmen. Much depended on India’s celebrated upper-middle order as the Indians resumed on the 6th and final morning at 64 for 2. But the trio disappointed.
The 6’8″ Kyle Jamieson produced another penetrative spell. He beat Kohli twice outside the off-stump, then rapped him on the pads, before forcing him to play away from his body. Pujara was pushed on to the backfoot and compelled to negotiate a delivery, which, too, finished in the slips.
Ajinkya Rahane drove and pulled with assurance. But he was caught in two minds against a legside delivery which he edged to wicketkeeper B.J. Watling, who resiliently continued keeping even after dislocating his right ring finger later.
Rishab Pant lived dangerously. But he combined his airy-fairy strokes with some exquisite drives. The 23-year-old is undoubtedly talented; but he needs to cultivate technique and temperament. Reportedly feeling unwell, he gave way to Wriddhiman Saha with the gloves after Tea.
Whether the New Zealand pacers exploited the atmosphere and the pitch better than their Indian counterparts or there was less assistance in the mid-afternoon sun when India got their opportunity with the new ball, the latter were palpably not as effective.
New Zealand has a population of five million or 0.36 per cent of India’s. The country’s investment in cricket is negligible compared to the outlay in India. A David versus Goliath scenario. Yet, David, because of better utilisation of limited resources, slayed Goliath.
The Indian cricket side, on this special occasion delightfully kitted in traditional sweaters, are fortunate that almost wherever in the world they play, there’s no dearth of their supporters among the spectators.
They mushroomed carrying conch shells and blew them vigorously in the hope of resisting the evil spirits — as the superstitious do at times of earthquakes. But the plaintiff sound of wind instruments failed to impact on incisiveness of the New Zealand swing merchants.
Every time an Indian boundary uncoiled amid the clatter of wickets or a New Zealand batsman got out, the fans would discover their voices with fresh but forlorn shouts of “INDIA JEETEGA”.
For the first time in a week, the sun shone brightly out of a cloudless blue sky on Wednesday. The green outfield with patterned squares looked glorious. The elegant architecture of the modern facility resplendent. But the Indian batting disintegrated.
In six successive Test innings against New Zealand, Kohli’s team failed to cross 250; out of which they have four times been dismissed for less than 200. This underlines an inability to tackle movement in the air and off the seam.
Admittedly, the Black Caps enjoyed two advantages. English conditions are similar to New Zealand’s; and having played two Tests against England in the run-up to the WTC final, their preparation was perfect. But then India knew this.
Other than 1986, the first half of an English summer – and the month of June falls into this category – has invariably been Indian cricket’s Waterloo. In IANS’s preview of the WTC final, we had flagged whether it had been wise of India to abjure a warm-up engagement before such a priceless fixture.
How could BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, with his extensive background at the highest level of the game, have allowed the Indians to become lambs for slaughter?
Watching the match, former India spinner Dilip Doshi, who spent some 15 years playing county or league cricket in England, said: “For much of the game, the Indians looked like playing a practice match.”
(Senior cricket writer Ashis Ray is a broadcaster and author of the book ‘Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge’)
This is an apt redemption for New Zealand, who had lost the final of the last two 50-over World Cups, in 2015 and 2019….reports Asian Lite News
New Zealand coasted to an unlikely eight-wicket win on the sixth — and reserve — day of the World Test Championship final against India at the Hampshire Bowl on Wednesday.
This is an apt redemption for New Zealand, who had lost the final of the last two 50-over World Cups, in 2015 and 2019.
The match, in which two days were lost to rain, saw a strong performance from Kiwis on the reserve day as their bowlers ran through the Indian batting line-up and dismissed them for just 170 runs. And then they scaled the 139-run target through a 96-run third-wicket partnership between Kane Williamson (52 not out) and Ross Taylor (47 not out).
India got a sniff of victory when off-spinner R Ashwin removed the two openers early and bowled a tight line to Taylor. However, Taylor smashed Ashwin for two boundaries in one over to break the shackles and then coasted along.
Earlier, India, who started the day at 64/2, lost three wickets — skipper Virat Kohli (13), Cheteshwar Pujara (15), and Ajinkya Rahane (15) — in the first session to go to lunch at 130/5.
Kyle Jamieson (2/30) removed Kohli and Pujara while Rahane fell to Boult (3/39).
Post lunch, India kept losing wickets as the tail failed to wag once again. Rishabh Pant, who was the innings top scorer with 41 runs, was the last hope for India but he fell to a rash shot as the seventh wicket with the score on 156.
Pace bowler Tim Southee picked four wickets for 48 runs to end as the most successful New Zealand bowler.
Indian seamers, in response, failed to make an impact on a pitch where New Zealand bowlers looked unplayable. Barring a brief spell during which Ashwin unsettled the Kiwis by removing Devon Conway (19) and Tom Latham (9), the entire bowling unit looked innocuous.
This is New Zealand’s sixth successive win over India in ICC tournaments, dating back to World T20 in 2007.
Brief scores: India 217 all out in 92.1 overs and 170 all out in 73 overs (R Sharma 30, R Pant 41, T Southee 4/48, T Boult 3/39, K Jamieson 2/30); New Zealand 249 all out in 99.2 overs and 140/2 wkts in 45.5 overs (K Williamson 52 not out, R Taylor 47 not out)
