#T20 World Cup champion australia

[a2zsportsnews]

Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: South Africa puts Australia to sword, hammers defending champion to make final

Revenge is a dish best served cold. South Africa settled scores with Australia for that heartbreaking loss in the T20 World Cup final last year with a dominant eight-wicket thrashing of the defending champion in the first semifinal of the 2024 edition at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. The Proteas, bidding for their maiden world title, bullishly went about their chase of 135. Skipper…

[sleepstxtic]

Okay. I’m going to go there. Here are my thoughts on this travesty of a match. But first:

Here are the Indian national cricket team’s international stats

World Test Championship

2021 - Runners Up

2023 - Runners Up

ODI World Cup

2015 - Semi-Finalists

2019 - Semi-Finalists

2023 - Runners Up

T20 World Cup

2014 - Runners Up

2016 - Semi-Finalists

2022 - Semi-Finalists

Champions Trophy

2017 - Runners Up

Now, I understand the points made about Choice of Pitch and Crowd Support. I do believe the outcome would’ve been different if we’d played anywhere except Ahmedabad. And as hosts, we’ve got to give our players every advantage, including a pitch that tilts in their favour.* BUT what about all the tournaments we didn’t host? We’ve consistently made the semis and finals of almost every single major international trophy in the past decade. We’re practically giants. We don’t need a pitch advantage to win a match - we’ve demonstrated that we can get the job done and we can do it anywhere, any pitch, any country. So why can’t we win when it matters most?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: cricket is just as much as a mental game as any other sport. We need to take note of this pattern and do something to address it. I’m not saying a sports psychologist will solve all our problems but it’s certainly a start. The minute Travis Head began to hit a few boundaries, shoulders began to droop. There were times when the fielding was so lax it felt like they couldn’t be bothered to do it faster because “eh, it’s just a single run.” Australia was on fire today. Not a single mistake, not a single toe out of line. They were in the zone, serious from the get go - and they got the job done. I have never seen that kind of coordination and perfection from our Indian team. We’re always wobbly in places, and then are stabilised and carried through by the stellar performance of a few players (who vary from match to match). We can talk about Batting Depth and Hardik’s absence from the team etc etc but the fact of the matter is we are capable enough to win on any pitch, in any conditions, as we’ve shown before, time and time again. But not if it’s a final. And I just think that’s a problem worth addressing with a solution that goes beyond “shiny new pitch, better gyms, and new talent.” 

*I know it's technically ICC who prepares pitches but iykyk

[astrallofivibes]

https://showbizsphere.co.in/australia-vs-bangladesh-australia-won-match/

Australia vs Bangladesh-A Damp Squib for Bangladesh: AUSTRALIA beat BANGLADESH, won by 28 runs via DLS method. The much-anticipated clash between Australia and Bangladesh in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 turned out to be a rain-affected affair, ultimately favoring the five-time champions. Australia vs Bangladesh witnessed a dominant bowling performance from the Aussies, followed by a solid batting display cut short by the weather, leading to a comfortable 28-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis method (DLS).

[kammartinez]

By Natasha Frost

Fans celebrated in central Melbourne this week after a national triumph: The Matildas, the Australian women’s soccer team, had defeated Canada, the reigning Olympic champion, 4-0.

It was a glorious victory after a dismal start to the Women’s World Cup for one of the two host teams. In Federation Square, Australians held up gold and green scarves and bellowed, “Up the Matildas!”

Two years earlier, the same city had seen a similar outpouring of support for the Australian women’s cricket team. Inside Melbourne Cricket Ground, more than 86,000 people had gathered to watch the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup, while 1.2 million people tuned in from elsewhere in Australia.

For Ellyse Perry, an Australian sporting legend who has represented the country in both the cricket and soccer World Cups, the 2020 match — the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s cricket match — was a milestone for women’s sports in Australia.

“It’s really now starting to become embedded in general society, and it’s commonplace,” she said. “We don’t think differently about it. It’s not an oddity any more.”

For as long as there have been sports in Australia, women have clamored to play and participate. What is believed to be the world’s first cycling race for women took place in Sydney in 1888; the country’s first golf championship, in 1894, was women only; and at the 1912 Olympics, Australian women won silver and gold in the first women’s Olympic freestyle race.

Yet even though Australian women’s sports have an extensive and proud history, only recently have they received significant mainstream support. A strong run in the World Cup — Australia will face Denmark in the round of 16 on Monday — was seen as an opportunity to change that, to cement the place of women’s sports in the country’s daily rhythms and conversation.

Australia’s win over Canada saved it from an early elimination, and sent it to a game against Denmark on Monday.Credit...Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Sam Kerr, the Matildas star who is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, said the impact of the tournament on women’s soccer was all but unimaginable.

“For years to come, this will be talked about — hopefully, decades to come,” she told reporters last month, citing an uptick in young boys and girls coming to women’s soccer games.

A longer view on the history of women’s sports in Australia involves many moments of triumph, but also times when able and enthusiastic sportswomen were simply shut out.

“There are peaks and troughs all the way through,” Marion Stell, a historian at the University of Queensland, said of women’s sports in Australia. “Women make advances — but then it goes away again. It’s never a smooth upward curve.”

Only in the past couple of decades had female athletes been able to make consistent strides on pay, opportunities and representation, she added. Today, half of all Australian girls play sports at least once a week, according to the Australian Sports Commission, compared with about 30 percent of girls in the United States.

“I don’t think anyone would have dreamed that it would happen so quickly,” Dr. Stell said. “On one hand, it’s been very slow. But on the other hand, when it happened, the floodgates just opened.”

Yet despite their enthusiasm, and their prodigious talent for bringing home Olympic medals, female athletes in Australia have, like their international peers, historically been sidelined, blocked or simply not taken seriously.

In 1980, women’s sports made up about 2 percent of print sports coverage in Australia. By 2009, women’s sports made up about 9 percent of television news coverage, according to a report from the Australian Sports Commission. But the balance appears to be shifting: A poll last year found that nearly 70 percent of Australians had watched more women’s sports since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fans watching the Australia-Ireland match in Melbourne on the World Cup’s opening night.Credit...Hannah Mckay/Reuters“A lot of it has been in line with the way that social perception has changed more broadly, in terms of how we perceive women’s role in society, and particularly the workplace,” said Perry, the sports star.

Dr. Stell, the historian, pointed further back. She saw the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where Australia failed to win a single gold medal, as a turning point. The country’s lackluster performance spurred a significant backlash in the Australian news media, which described the results as a “crisis for the government” and called for action for Australia to “regain its lost athletic potency.”

Women had historically been something of a golden goose for Australia at the Olympics, making up a minority of the country’s total athletes but often winning the majority of its medals. At the 1972 Games in Munich, for instance, 10 out of 17 Australian medals were won by women, even as they made up only about 17 percent of the team.

And so in 1981, Australia established the Australian Institute of Sport, a high-performance sports training center for both men and women that, for the first time, gave women the financial support to concentrate on their sports full-time — beginning with Australian rules football, basketball, gymnastics, netball, swimming, tennis, track and field and weight lifting.

That was followed a few years later by the Sex Discrimination Act, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality.

“Those two things together might be some kind of watershed,” Dr. Stell said. “But not, I guess, in the public imagination — more in sporting women’s lives.”

The Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, established in 1981.Credit...David James Bartho/Fairfax Media, via Getty Images

The facility offered dedicated training space to women in a variety of sports.Credit...Andrew Rankin/Fairfax Media, via Getty Images

Even after that, female athletes in most other sports often had no alternative but to play in a semiprofessional capacity. In the mid-1990s, as male Australian cricket players were on the cusp of striking over what they felt was inadequate remuneration, female players in the sport barely had their expenses covered, and often had to pay their own way to compete. Most juggled jobs and other commitments alongside their sports careers.

“How did it make me feel? I just wanted to play as much cricket as I possibly could,” said Belinda Clark, who was the captain of Australia’s World Cup-winning women’s cricket teams in 1997 and 2005.

She added: “We all structured our lives — our working lives and our personal lives — around being able to do that. That comes at a financial cost. We all accepted that.”

In recent decades, cricket has led the charge on fair pay for female athletes in Australia. While male cricketers still significantly out-earn their female counterparts, the majority of female players earn at least 100,000 Australian dollars, or $66,000. By comparison, female players of Australian rules football, rugby league, netball and professional soccer have a minimum salary of less than half of that — a source of ongoing tension since it is far below the country’s living wage.

Across all sports, perhaps the most important factor for female athletes was having women in positions of responsibility across journalism, management, coaching, umpiring and administration, Dr. Stell said.

In the early 1980s, Australian universities began to offer the country’s first sports management degrees. “That kind of allowed women to get a kind of professional qualification so that they could take the administration of sports off the kitchen table and make it more professional,” she said.

Belinda Clark next to statue of herself, with Quentin Bryce, the former governor general of Australia, at left.Credit...Brett Hemmings/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Women are gradually becoming more visible as sports people in Australia. But it was not until earlier this year that a female cricket player was celebrated in statue form for the first time, though the country claims more than 70 statues of male players.

A bronze statue of Clark was unveiled at Sydney Cricket Ground in January; it is the first public statue of any female cricket player anywhere in the world. Representation of that kind sends a powerful message, especially to younger players, Clark said.

“What are the photos in the club? Who’s on the honor boards? What are we saying to the people that walk in this door?” she asked. “Are you part of this, or are you a guest or a visitor?

“It symbolizes that you’re actually part of it. You’re no longer coming, cap in hand, to beg for an opportunity.”

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah at the trophy unveiling on the eve of the first Test between India and Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth. Photo: Debasis Sen/RevSportz In January 2011, a domestic T20 tournament was being held in Australia. But most of the hype seemed to surround just one player – the 17-year-old Pat Cummins. So much so that he already seemed to have a fan club, with one of the banners saying – Pat Cummins FC, we love you. The fast bowler lived up to the hype in one of the matches between New South Wales and Queensland as he ripped through a top order comprising Michael Lumb, James Hopes and Chris Simpson.  Cummins executed the simple but effective plan of hitting the pitch hard and zooming the ball on the stumps. And he did all of it with a smile on his face. At that moment, a thought flashed in the mind – not your archetypal Australian fast bowler.  The year is now 2024. Australia are geared up to lock horns against India in the Borer-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. From a marketing perspective, it can be safely said that the current Australian skipper, Cummins is one of the big draws of the series. Somewhere it also gives us an indicator that Cummins must have fulfilled all those prophecies about his potential and perhaps even exceeding expectations. Cummins has not just bagged close to 500 international wickets and accumulated crucial runs down the order, but he has also led Australia to a memorable World Cup triumph in India, alongside successfully defending the Ashes in England. However, Cummins’ career hasn’t always been a bed of roses. Right after participating in the Champions League in 2011, Cummins was picked in the Australian Test squad for the South African tour. He went on to bag seven wickets in the Wanderers Test and even hit the winning runs. Who can forget his delivery to Jacques Kallis in the second innings? Cummins hit the deck hard and the ball straightened to take the edge of the great batter. Basically, he had found the near-perfect line and length for the conditions at the Wanderers. But after touching noteworthy heights in his opening Test, Cummins’ world crash-landed with a thud as he was laid low by a foot injury. Earlier that year, during the Sheffield Shield final, he had sustained a back injury. The back problem came back to haunt him in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Such was the recurrence of his injury issues that he didn’t play a single Sheffield Shield game for five years. He was, however, sporadically a part of Australia’s limited-overs set-ups, including the successful 2015 World Cup campaign.  The general feeling was that Cummins perhaps needed to make a few tweaks to his load-up and action. One of them was his arms and legs seemed to be moving across his body. Or in a nutshell, some lateral flexion. At that stage of his career, the legendary Dennis Lillee came to his rescue. As Cummins himself once told the Sydney Morning Herald: “My old action was arms and legs everywhere. Both my legs and arms were going across my body, my shoulders were rocking. All my movements were left to right, as well as trying to go straight.  “When it came to my delivery, my legs were throwing me out to the right, my shoulders were throwing me to the left, just a twist, and then you are trying to bowl fast and straight, so all the forces get caught up in my back. It’s always going to be a work in progress, for me it’s trying to get my arms and legs relatively straight without losing pace.” The watershed moment of his career happened when Mitchell Starc injured his foot during the Tests in India in 2017.  Cummins, who had played a solitary first-class game going into that series, went on to bowl almost 40 overs on a flat pitch in Ranchi. He then put on a spirited display in Dharamshala, although Australia lost that Test and the series. That was followed by a successful tour of Bangladesh and the Ashes series at home. Incidentally, since the start of the 2017 Ashes, he has taken 248 of his 269 Test wickets at an amazing average of 22.29.

In that period, Cummins has also sharpened his quiver by adding different tools. Even in the Ranchi Test, Cummins was generating a hint of old-ball swing. With the new ball, he may not have an away-swinger that moves late.  Here, it has to be considered that a part of his middle finger was ripped off in a freak accident when he was young. He also has more of an 11 o’clock release point, not exactly suited to ushering in the outswinger. But there is a school of thought that his small handicap helps him to get more seam movement, as he has a different ‘release feel’ for the ball. He has also developed his own versions of the wobble seam, where with subtle changes in grip and seam position – the leather and seam part of the ball – he looks to outfox the opponent.  Obviously, the major weapon in his arsenal is still his ability to relentlessly hit the deck and extract bounce. Pakistan got a taste of it in the Sydney Test as did India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. On a slow deck in Ahmedabad, Cummins kept India quiet in the middle overs. He also silenced the massive crowd by removing Virat Kohli.  A day before that all-important match, Cummins had noted: “The crowd is obviously going to be very one-sided, but in sport, there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent, and that’s the aim for us.” The Australian skipper basically walked the talk by sending Kohli back to the hut.  A year later, Cummins would be hoping to wrest back to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which hasn’t changed hands since India reclaimed it in 2017. Make no mistake, Cummins and his band of men will be motivated to get the elusive trophy back in Australia’s glittering cabinet. Meanwhile, despite all the publicity surrounding the series, one expects Cummins to absorb the pressure with a smile. The very smile that wowed Australian crowds all those years ago.   The post Pat Cummins – The smiling assassin who continues to have the last laugh appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah at the trophy unveiling on the eve of the first Test between India and Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth. Photo: Debasis Sen/RevSportz In January 2011, a domestic T20 tournament was being held in Australia. But most of the hype seemed to surround just one player – the 17-year-old Pat Cummins. So much so that he already seemed to have a fan club, with one of the banners saying – Pat Cummins FC, we love you. The fast bowler lived up to the hype in one of the matches between New South Wales and Queensland as he ripped through a top order comprising Michael Lumb, James Hopes and Chris Simpson.  Cummins executed the simple but effective plan of hitting the pitch hard and zooming the ball on the stumps. And he did all of it with a smile on his face. At that moment, a thought flashed in the mind – not your archetypal Australian fast bowler.  The year is now 2024. Australia are geared up to lock horns against India in the Borer-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. From a marketing perspective, it can be safely said that the current Australian skipper, Cummins is one of the big draws of the series. Somewhere it also gives us an indicator that Cummins must have fulfilled all those prophecies about his potential and perhaps even exceeding expectations. Cummins has not just bagged close to 500 international wickets and accumulated crucial runs down the order, but he has also led Australia to a memorable World Cup triumph in India, alongside successfully defending the Ashes in England. However, Cummins’ career hasn’t always been a bed of roses. Right after participating in the Champions League in 2011, Cummins was picked in the Australian Test squad for the South African tour. He went on to bag seven wickets in the Wanderers Test and even hit the winning runs. Who can forget his delivery to Jacques Kallis in the second innings? Cummins hit the deck hard and the ball straightened to take the edge of the great batter. Basically, he had found the near-perfect line and length for the conditions at the Wanderers. But after touching noteworthy heights in his opening Test, Cummins’ world crash-landed with a thud as he was laid low by a foot injury. Earlier that year, during the Sheffield Shield final, he had sustained a back injury. The back problem came back to haunt him in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Such was the recurrence of his injury issues that he didn’t play a single Sheffield Shield game for five years. He was, however, sporadically a part of Australia’s limited-overs set-ups, including the successful 2015 World Cup campaign.  The general feeling was that Cummins perhaps needed to make a few tweaks to his load-up and action. One of them was his arms and legs seemed to be moving across his body. Or in a nutshell, some lateral flexion. At that stage of his career, the legendary Dennis Lillee came to his rescue. As Cummins himself once told the Sydney Morning Herald: “My old action was arms and legs everywhere. Both my legs and arms were going across my body, my shoulders were rocking. All my movements were left to right, as well as trying to go straight.  “When it came to my delivery, my legs were throwing me out to the right, my shoulders were throwing me to the left, just a twist, and then you are trying to bowl fast and straight, so all the forces get caught up in my back. It’s always going to be a work in progress, for me it’s trying to get my arms and legs relatively straight without losing pace.” The watershed moment of his career happened when Mitchell Starc injured his foot during the Tests in India in 2017.  Cummins, who had played a solitary first-class game going into that series, went on to bowl almost 40 overs on a flat pitch in Ranchi. He then put on a spirited display in Dharamshala, although Australia lost that Test and the series. That was followed by a successful tour of Bangladesh and the Ashes series at home. Incidentally, since the start of the 2017 Ashes, he has taken 248 of his 269 Test wickets at an amazing average of 22.29.

In that period, Cummins has also sharpened his quiver by adding different tools. Even in the Ranchi Test, Cummins was generating a hint of old-ball swing. With the new ball, he may not have an away-swinger that moves late.  Here, it has to be considered that a part of his middle finger was ripped off in a freak accident when he was young. He also has more of an 11 o’clock release point, not exactly suited to ushering in the outswinger. But there is a school of thought that his small handicap helps him to get more seam movement, as he has a different ‘release feel’ for the ball. He has also developed his own versions of the wobble seam, where with subtle changes in grip and seam position – the leather and seam part of the ball – he looks to outfox the opponent.  Obviously, the major weapon in his arsenal is still his ability to relentlessly hit the deck and extract bounce. Pakistan got a taste of it in the Sydney Test as did India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. On a slow deck in Ahmedabad, Cummins kept India quiet in the middle overs. He also silenced the massive crowd by removing Virat Kohli.  A day before that all-important match, Cummins had noted: “The crowd is obviously going to be very one-sided, but in sport, there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent, and that’s the aim for us.” The Australian skipper basically walked the talk by sending Kohli back to the hut.  A year later, Cummins would be hoping to wrest back to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which hasn’t changed hands since India reclaimed it in 2017. Make no mistake, Cummins and his band of men will be motivated to get the elusive trophy back in Australia’s glittering cabinet. Meanwhile, despite all the publicity surrounding the series, one expects Cummins to absorb the pressure with a smile. The very smile that wowed Australian crowds all those years ago.   The post Pat Cummins – The smiling assassin who continues to have the last laugh appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[therealmofcricket]

SAStun Defending Champions Australia To Enter Women's T20 World Cup Final

[starbiopic]

South Africa Shocks Australia, Secures Spot in Women’s T20 World Cup Final

In a historic upset, South Africa’s brilliant batting performance led them to defeat defending champions Australia by 8 wickets in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final, reaching the final for the second consecutive year. In an impressive semi-final clash, South Africa pulled off a major upset by defeating six-time champions Australia by eight wickets, securing a coveted place in the ICC…

[livescorewaves]

ICC Women's T20 World Cup

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: A Celebration of Incredible Talent

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a top-level international championship in women’s cricket, beautifully showcasing the amazing talent and athleticism of female cricketers from around the world. Organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), this exciting tournament brings together the best teams to compete in a format that captivates fans and highlights the rapid growth of women’s cricket.

The Legacy of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Launched in 2009, It was created to provide a global platform for women’s cricket. The first tournament was held in England and quickly became a highly anticipated event every two years. Over the years, powerfull teams like Australia, England, West Indies and India have made their mark, sparking fierce competition and growing interest in women’s cricket worldwide.

A Thrilling Competition: Format and Structure

The tournament features an engaging round-robin group stage followed by knockout rounds, culminating in a final match that determines the champion. Each edition may have slight format adjustments, but the excitement of T20 matches remains unchanged. Fans can look forward to high scores, nail-biting finishes, and standout individual performances that keep them on the edge of their seats.

Must-Watch Teams

Australia: With multiple titles, Australia’s women’s cricket team has a remarkable lineup of talented players, making them a force to be reckoned with.

England: As one of the original teams in the tournament, England consistently delivers strong performances, showcasing their skill and determination.

India: With a rapidly growing fan base and a talented roster, India is a team to watch as they continue to rise in women’s cricket.

Stars Shining Bright

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup has been a brilliant stage for extraordinary talent. Players like Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, and Smriti Mandhana have captivated audiences with their skill and charm. As the tournament progresses, fans eagerly await unforgettable performances that will be remembered in cricket history.

Growing Popularity and Impact

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup has played a key role in elevating women’s cricket globally. With increased media coverage, sponsorships, and passionate fan engagement, the tournament inspires a new generation of female cricketers. Initiatives to promote women’s sports are gaining traction, ensuring a bright future for women’s cricket.

Stay Connected to the Action

Visit ScoreWaves to keep up with live scores, match schedules, and player statistics. Our thorough coverage means you won’t miss a moment of the excitement. Join us in celebrating the incredible achievements of women cricketers and supporting their journey toward greater recognition in the sport.

Conclusion:

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a grand celebration of talent, resilience, and competitive spirit. As teams prepare for intense battles, fans around the world can expect a thrilling display of women’s cricket at its best. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to the game, this tournament promises exciting moments and unforgettable experiences.

For the latest updates and in-depth coverage of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, be sure to Download ScoreWaves app for android and iOS. Join us in supporting women’s cricket and celebrating the exceptional champions of tomorrow.

[oneturfnews]

ICC Women's T20 World Cup: Can India Women qualify for the semi-finals?

With two matches completed, India will now face Sri Lanka women and defending champions Australia in their remaining group stage fixtures in the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

[novumtimes]

Fixtures, results, how to watch and England’s odds

This year’s Women’s T20 World Cup, the ninth edition of the competition since its creation in 2009, began with Bangladesh, nominally the hosts, beating Sotland before being defeated by England on Saturday.  Australia, reigning champions and winners of six of the last seven tournaments, began their defence with a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in which Megan Schutt took three for 12 and Beth…

[truuther]

Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan captain for the second time

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, and Jasprit Bumrah for team India (PC: BCCI/X) The overload of left-arm spinners at the Indian team nets at the Wankhede Stadium two days before the start of the third Test against New Zealand was a compliment to Mitchell Santner. As Indian batsmen did their sessions, sweeps – conventional and reverse – were in vogue, from Virat Kohli to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan and Washington Sundar. An overseas spinner, who didn’t have a four-for in Tests before this series, out-bowling his more fancied Indian counterparts in Pune was a rarity. Externally, the Indian team management has kept a stiff upper lip even after the series defeat, but deep down, panic seems to have set in. This is an unfamiliar territory for India. For 12 years and 18 series, they were invincible at home. Now, they will be playing the Mumbai Test to avoid a home series whitewash. The last time it happened, against South Africa in 1999-2000, it proved to be seismic. Sachin Tendulkar would soon relinquish captaincy, with Sourav Ganguly taking over. The turn of the century was a period of transition, and upheaval, in Indian cricket. Circa 2024, and the Indian team stands on the cusp of another transition. The hard numbers from the ongoing series have been quite startling. After two Tests, Rachin Ravindra is the highest run-getter, with 247 runs at an average of 82.33. Devon Conway has scored 201 runs at an average of 50.25. As far as India are concerned, Sarfaraz has made 170 runs at an average of 42.50, and that is chiefly down to his 150 in the second innings in the Bangalore Test. Only two other Indians have reached three-figures, over four innings – Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant. Kohli has 88 runs from four innings, while Rohit Sharma has made 62. Moving to spin bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have 12 wickets between them from two Tests. The former’s average is 43.50, while Jadeja has taken his wickets at 37.50 apiece. Santner has 13 scalps from two innings at 12.07. For the Latest Sports News: Click Here Team India players in practice in Mumbai (PC: BCCI/X) On the face of it, the third Test is a dead rubber. But playing for World Test Championship (WTC) points makes it hugely important for the hosts. India will play another six Tests before the WTC final next year and they need to win four of them to be certain of their ticket to Lord’s. Not impossible, but at the moment, it looks a tad improbable. The marquee five-Test series Down Under will come on the heels of the ongoing assignment. With an eye on that, India need a turnaround in Mumbai. Another defeat, and negative vibes and sinking morale might accompany the Indian team to Australia.  For Abhishek Nayar, however, every cloud has a silver lining. India’s assistant coach rewound to India’s loss in the 50-over World Cup final last year and then the turnaround at the T20 World Cup. “I think when India lost the World Cup in India, that was a low point in Indian cricket for everyone; for the fans, for the players,” Nayar told reporters. “In the same breath, a few months later, they were T20I world champions.” The assistant coach missed an important point. India played brilliant cricket at the ODI World Cup en route to the final. The title showdown was one bad game. India have been playing poor cricket in the ongoing series against New Zealand. Hardwork on for team India men in Mumbai (PC: BCCI/X) They will have to regroup, and the inspiration should come from the galacticos, Rohit and Kohli. They are out of form and low on confidence. Kohli’s technical tweak – standing on the leg stump line and playing away from his body against the spinners, with DRS at the back of his mind – hasn’t worked well either. Maybe, the veteran duo needs to look back to India’s Test series in Australia in 2003-04 to move forward. India went to that series on the back of a humiliating defeat to the Aussies in the TVS Cup (an ODI tournament) final, with Ricky Ponting predicting a clean sweep Down Under.

In the first Test at the Gabba, with the tourists reeling at 62/3, Ganguly walked out to bat and scored a scintillating 144 off 196 balls. That was the turning point. India went toe-to-toe with Steve Waugh’s all-conquering Australia and the series ended 1-1. The skipper led from the front back then. The current captain and his predecessor should show the way now. Also Read: Playing well more important than losing sleep over nature of pitch The post Mumbai Test: Turnaround or bust for India appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, and Jasprit Bumrah for team India (PC: BCCI/X) The overload of left-arm spinners at the Indian team nets at the Wankhede Stadium two days before the start of the third Test against New Zealand was a compliment to Mitchell Santner. As Indian batsmen did their sessions, sweeps – conventional and reverse – were in vogue, from Virat Kohli to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan and Washington Sundar. An overseas spinner, who didn’t have a four-for in Tests before this series, out-bowling his more fancied Indian counterparts in Pune was a rarity. Externally, the Indian team management has kept a stiff upper lip even after the series defeat, but deep down, panic seems to have set in. This is an unfamiliar territory for India. For 12 years and 18 series, they were invincible at home. Now, they will be playing the Mumbai Test to avoid a home series whitewash. The last time it happened, against South Africa in 1999-2000, it proved to be seismic. Sachin Tendulkar would soon relinquish captaincy, with Sourav Ganguly taking over. The turn of the century was a period of transition, and upheaval, in Indian cricket. Circa 2024, and the Indian team stands on the cusp of another transition. The hard numbers from the ongoing series have been quite startling. After two Tests, Rachin Ravindra is the highest run-getter, with 247 runs at an average of 82.33. Devon Conway has scored 201 runs at an average of 50.25. As far as India are concerned, Sarfaraz has made 170 runs at an average of 42.50, and that is chiefly down to his 150 in the second innings in the Bangalore Test. Only two other Indians have reached three-figures, over four innings – Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant. Kohli has 88 runs from four innings, while Rohit Sharma has made 62. Moving to spin bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have 12 wickets between them from two Tests. The former’s average is 43.50, while Jadeja has taken his wickets at 37.50 apiece. Santner has 13 scalps from two innings at 12.07. For the Latest Sports News: Click Here Team India players in practice in Mumbai (PC: BCCI/X) On the face of it, the third Test is a dead rubber. But playing for World Test Championship (WTC) points makes it hugely important for the hosts. India will play another six Tests before the WTC final next year and they need to win four of them to be certain of their ticket to Lord’s. Not impossible, but at the moment, it looks a tad improbable. The marquee five-Test series Down Under will come on the heels of the ongoing assignment. With an eye on that, India need a turnaround in Mumbai. Another defeat, and negative vibes and sinking morale might accompany the Indian team to Australia.  For Abhishek Nayar, however, every cloud has a silver lining. India’s assistant coach rewound to India’s loss in the 50-over World Cup final last year and then the turnaround at the T20 World Cup. “I think when India lost the World Cup in India, that was a low point in Indian cricket for everyone; for the fans, for the players,” Nayar told reporters. “In the same breath, a few months later, they were T20I world champions.” The assistant coach missed an important point. India played brilliant cricket at the ODI World Cup en route to the final. The title showdown was one bad game. India have been playing poor cricket in the ongoing series against New Zealand. Hardwork on for team India men in Mumbai (PC: BCCI/X) They will have to regroup, and the inspiration should come from the galacticos, Rohit and Kohli. They are out of form and low on confidence. Kohli’s technical tweak – standing on the leg stump line and playing away from his body against the spinners, with DRS at the back of his mind – hasn’t worked well either. Maybe, the veteran duo needs to look back to India’s Test series in Australia in 2003-04 to move forward. India went to that series on the back of a humiliating defeat to the Aussies in the TVS Cup (an ODI tournament) final, with Ricky Ponting predicting a clean sweep Down Under.

In the first Test at the Gabba, with the tourists reeling at 62/3, Ganguly walked out to bat and scored a scintillating 144 off 196 balls. That was the turning point. India went toe-to-toe with Steve Waugh’s all-conquering Australia and the series ended 1-1. The skipper led from the front back then. The current captain and his predecessor should show the way now. Also Read: Playing well more important than losing sleep over nature of pitch The post Mumbai Test: Turnaround or bust for India appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

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Women’s T20 World Cup: With Australia, you can’t afford to make mistakes - Smriti Mandhana

There are no shortcuts to beating Australia and every team has to give its best if it aspires to overcome the six-time world champions, said India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup which begins here on Thursday. Australia’s dominance in the global showpiece has been unrivalled with the team winning the last three editions of the tournament. With charismatic former…