Cricket

Devdutt Padikkal Makes Test Debut as India Announces Changes for Dharamsala TestThe Indian cricket team has made two changes to its squad for the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala, with Devdutt Padikkal becoming the 314th player to represent India in the longest format of the game. Padikkal replaces Rajat Patidar, who sustained an injury in a training session on the eve of the match.Patidar's performance in the series had been underwhelming, but captain Rohit Sharma had expressed confidence in the batter at a press conference on Wednesday. However, Rohit revealed at the toss that Padikkal would be replacing Patidar in the playing XI."We would have batted first as well. We have done really well so far in this series and an opportunity to finish on a high. There should be good bounce on this pitch than the games before in this series. Good pitch to bat on and I don't think it will deteriorate that much. Ash has been a real stalwart of Indian cricket. Such a proud moment for him, his nation and the family. We will be rooting for him to do the magic," Rohit said on Thursday morning.The Patidar-Padikkal swap was not the only change in the team, with Jasprit Bumrah returning to the side in place of Akash Deep."Bumrah is back, Akash Deep misses out. Devdutt Padikkal makes his debut as Patidar got injured last evening," Rohit concluded.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) provided an update on Patidar's status, stating that he "got hit on his left ankle during Team India's practice session on 6th March, 2024. He pulled up sore on the morning of the game and was not available for selection for the 5th Test."Padikkal, a left-handed opening batter, has been in impressive form for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has scored over 1,000 runs in the last two seasons, including a century in the 2023 edition.Bumrah, on the other hand, is a key member of India's bowling attack. He has been rested for the first four Tests of the series but is expected to play a crucial role in the final match.India will be looking to seal a 4-0 series victory in Dharamsala, while England will be aiming to salvage some pride after losing the first four Tests.

Australia's Test team will remain unchanged for the fourth consecutive match, with the bowling quartet also set to stay intact for the seventh time this summer. Back-up quick Scott Boland is likely to be released to play Sheffield Shield cricket for Victoria on Monday.Captain Pat Cummins confirmed the expected lineup for the second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval, starting Friday. Australia aims to secure a 2-0 series victory after their triumph in Wellington.The final round of Shield matches begins Monday, and Victoria has a chance to qualify for a third straight final by hosting Western Australia at the Junction Oval in Melbourne. Boland and Michael Neser are the two reserve quicks on tour, while Matt Renshaw is the only spare batter in the 14-man squad.Australia must retain at least one spare batter and one spare bowler in case of a concussion but could release one of the quicks to play in the Shield. Queensland is out of contention for the final and would not require Neser's return.Boland is expected to be released after Friday's toss to prepare for Victoria's match against Western Australia. "There was talk of maybe sending Scotty back for Victoria but holding Nes back from Queensland just to annoy Marnus [Labuschagne] and Usman [Khawaja]," Cummins said.Boland has had a frustrating summer. He starred in Australia's World Test Championship final victory last June and kept Mitchell Starc out of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. However, England targeted him in the two Tests he played in the Ashes, and Australia reverted to their "big three" for the final two Tests.Boland was rested for specific Shield matches at the start of the summer at the request of Australia's selectors to be fresh for the Tests. However, the trio of Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc have remained fit, and Boland has played only five first-class matches this season."I think I said at the start of the summer I'd be surprised we played all seven just because it's rare that something doesn't pop up," Cummins said. "But thankfully we've all kind of managed all the little niggles that pop up pretty well."While Australia is settled, there is caution heading into the second Test. In 2022 against Sri Lanka and last month against the West Indies, Australia squandered 1-0 leads with poor performances in the second match of each series.Concerns surround the batting group, with frank discussions held internally during the week about being more ruthless and accountable to individual plans. "I think it's just decision-making around plans, and having really clear plans," Cummins said. "It doesn't mean you need to have 12 shot options. It might only be two or three."

Ahead of the fifth and final Test of the five-match series against England in Dharamsala, India captain Rohit Sharma expressed uncertainty about the meaning of "Bazball." The term, coined by English cricket commentator Simon Hughes, refers to England's aggressive batting approach under new coach Brendon McCullum."I honestly don't know what [Bazball] means, whether it is to go and strike, whether it is to go and defend and wait for the loose ball," Rohit said in the pre-match press conference.Rohit questioned the significance of the term, stating that he had not witnessed any excessive swinging from England's batters. "I have not seen any wild swinging from anyone, so I don't know exactly what this term means," he added.Despite his uncertainty about the term, Rohit acknowledged England's improved performance since McCullum's appointment. "But, yeah, clearly they have played better cricket from what they played the last time they were here," he said. "And you got to give credit to two of their batters who got big hundreds there and played well."Rohit also responded to England opener Ben Duckett's comment that Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting was influenced by Bazball. "There was a guy called Rishabh Pant in our team, probably Ben Duckett hasn't seen him play," Rohit said.England have faced three consecutive losses in the series, unable to capitalize on their early 1-0 advantage. The visitors had their chances, notably in Rajkot and Ranchi, but India came back strong on both occasions to win.The fifth and final Test match will begin on March 7 at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala and conclude on March 11, 2024. India and England still have World Test Championship points to gain in Dharamsala, even though the series is decided. India is on top of the World Test Championship standings while England is eighth on the points table.

Sri Lanka's frustration boiled over in the second T20I against Bangladesh after a controversial decision by third umpire Masudur Rahman overturned an on-field call.In the fourth over of Bangladesh's chase, opener Soumya Sarkar was adjudged out by umpire Sharfuddoula for edging a short delivery from Binura Fernando behind. Sarkar immediately reviewed the decision, but began walking off the field when the big screen displayed a clear spike on Ultra-edge.However, Rahman ruled that the spike was not caused by bat on ball, claiming there was a "clear gap" between the bat and the ball when the spike appeared. While there was a slight misalignment, it is customary in such situations to give the batter out, attributing the discrepancy to calibration differences in the technology.The lack of an alternative source for the spike further perplexed the Sri Lankan team. When Rahman communicated the overturned decision to the on-field umpire, Sri Lanka's players erupted in protest, surrounding Sharfuddoula and questioning the call. Coach Chris Silverwood also approached the fourth official to express his concerns.Sarkar, who was on 14 at the time, eventually fell for 26 in the seventh over. The controversial decision left a sour taste in the Sri Lankan camp, who felt they had been unfairly denied a wicket.The incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the use of technology in cricket. While Ultra-edge has been instrumental in reducing umpiring errors, it can also lead to contentious decisions when the evidence is inconclusive. In this case, the misalignment between the ball and the spike on Ultra-edge left room for interpretation, ultimately resulting in a decision that favored the batter.

Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, opted to field first in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet. The hosts retained the same lineup that narrowly lost the first match by three runs.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, made one change, bringing in left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka for spinner Akila Dananjaya. Pitch expert Farvez Maharoof noted that the surface had a more even grass covering and that dew could potentially impact the game.In the first T20I, Sri Lanka successfully defended a total of 206, thanks to a last-ball thriller. Jaker Ali's blistering 68 off 34 balls had given Bangladesh a scare, but Dasun Shanaka's composed bowling in the 20th over sealed the victory for the visitors.Bangladesh XI:1. Litton Das (wk)2. Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt)3. Soumya Sarkar4. Towhid Hridoy5. Mahmudullah6. Mahedi Hasan7. Jaker Ali8. Taskin Ahmed9. Rishad Hossain10. Mustafizur Rahman11. Shoriful IslamSri Lanka XI:1. Avishka Fernando2. Kusal Mendis (wk)3. Kamindu Mendis4. Sadeera Samarawickrama5. Charith Asalanka (capt.)6. Angelo Mathews7. Dasun Shanaka8. Maheesh Theekshana9. Dilshan Madushanka10. Binura Fernando11. Matheesha Pathirana

Joe Root has ascended to the No. 2 spot in the ICC Test batting rankings, trailing only New Zealand's Kane Williamson. This surge follows Steven Smith's recent dip in form, which saw him fall below 800 points for the first time since 2014.Root's resurgence, marked by a century against India in Ranchi last month, has been the primary beneficiary of Smith's decline. Since assuming the role of Australia's Test opener, Smith has struggled, posting scores of 31 and 0 in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington.Smith's teammate Marnus Labuschagne, another former No. 1-ranked batter, has also fallen out of the top ten for the first time since December 2019. His meager total of three runs in the same match has contributed to his slide. Travis Head, who achieved a career-best ranking of No. 2 during last year's Ashes, has also slipped to No. 12 after twin scores of 1 and 29.Head's decline has paved the way for three Indian batters to rise in the rankings. Yashaswi Jaiswal has broken into the top ten for the first time, amassing 665 runs in the ongoing series against England. Rohit Sharma follows closely at No. 11, while Virat Kohli climbs one place to No. 8 despite missing the series due to the recent birth of his child.Cameron Green has been the most significant climber in the batting rankings this week. His match-winning 174 not out in Australia's first innings at Wellington has propelled him 22 places to 23rd position, a career-best tally of 661 points.Williamson, with 870 points, maintains a comfortable lead over Root (799) at the top of the rankings. His remarkable run of seven centuries in his last eight Tests has solidified his dominance.On the bowling front, Nathan Lyon's 10-wicket match haul against New Zealand has elevated him two places to No. 6 in the rankings, just two points shy of his career-best tally at Edgbaston last year. Glenn Phillips, New Zealand's offspinning allrounder, has made significant gains on both the batting and bowling fronts, while Matt Henry has climbed into the top 20 for the first time after taking eight wickets in the match.Ireland's historic Test victory against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi has also impacted the rankings. Mark Adair's eight wickets in the match have moved him up 30 slots to 69th position on the bowling charts, while Andy Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Paul Stirling, and Andy McBrine have all moved into the top 100 in the batting rankings. Hashmatullah Shahidi has gained five places to reach 81st position among the batters, while Naveed Zadran has moved up 32 places to 79th among the bowlers.

India's Test captain, Rohit Sharma, has emerged as a more astute leader during the fiercely contested series against England. The demanding nature of the tour forced him to reflect on his shortcomings and make necessary adjustments.Despite England's victory in the opening Test, India rallied to secure an insurmountable 3-1 lead heading into the final encounter in Dharamsala. Rohit, who took over as Test captain from Virat Kohli in 2022, has maintained an unbeaten record in five series, excluding India's defeat in the World Test Championship final last year.Under Ben Stokes' leadership, England adopted an aggressive "Bazball" style of play, winning the opening match by a margin of 28 runs and challenging India. However, India managed to counter despite the absence of key players, including Kohli, who opted to skip the series following the birth of his second child.The series witnessed the emergence of young talent, exemplified by 22-year-old opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's remarkable double centuries in the second and third matches. In the bowling department, Indian players excelled, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja each accumulating 17 wickets in the series."Since I became captain, I haven't played with a full team. It's no excuse... work with what you have, keep a good atmosphere and play with freedom," Rohit told reporters."Basically it has been a series of comebacks. So throughout the series you must have seen that we have absorbed pressure and put it back on the opposition.""It was a great series for me to learn as a captain and there are a lot of different challenges that came across our way," added Rohit."As a captain, I got to learn a lot about how to utilise the players and obviously, when the pressure is put back on you, how to respond to certain situations of the game and things like that. I think it was a great series to be part of.""I am glad that I was captaining this series, it made me understand where I have lacked as a captain and what are the things I need to do differently."Stokes agreed that India had outclassed England during moments in the series when the game was in the balance."India have been better than us in those moments on more than one occasion. It's skill versus skill and in the moments that have mattered, since the first game, India have been better," he said.But when asked about being outsmarted by Rohit in the series, a visibly flustered Stokes said, "I will let you decide".The final Test will be a landmark 100th for Ashwin, and Rohit was all praise for his veteran "match-winner", who left the third match midway to be with his ailing mother and returned a day later."The biggest thing is that he is a big team player and we saw that in the Rajkot Test when it was a difficult situation for him but he called and said 'I want to come back and do something for the team'," said Rohit."When you have players like this then your head is held high."

MS Dhoni's IPL Future: Deepak Chahar Predicts Two More YearsWith the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season approaching, speculation has intensified regarding the future of legendary wicket-keeper batter MS Dhoni. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Deepak Chahar has weighed in on the debate, expressing his belief that Dhoni can continue playing for another two years.Chahar's assessment is based on Dhoni's impressive performances in the nets. "In T20s, you retire when you feel 140kmph is extremely fast. Last year, you saw how MS Dhoni hit sixes against 145kmph, and we see that in the nets as well," Chahar said on Aakash Chopra's YouTube channel.Chahar believes that Dhoni's fitness and ability to handle fast bowling suggest that he has plenty of cricket left in him. "He will play this year. I think he will decide after this season. I personally think he can play for two years," Chahar added.Dhoni's arrival in Chennai on Tuesday for CSK's pre-season training camp has further fueled speculation about his future. The 42-year-old led CSK to their fifth IPL title last season, but there have been questions about his batting form and whether he will continue playing beyond this season.Last year, Dhoni often came out to bat towards the end of CSK's innings, raising concerns about his ability to contribute significantly. However, Chahar's comments suggest that Dhoni remains a valuable asset to the team.CSK will open their IPL 2024 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22. Dhoni's performance in this season will be closely watched as fans and experts alike try to gauge his future plans.

The highly anticipated fifth Test of the Anthony de Mello Trophy 2024 series between India and England will take place at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on March 7, 2024. The match is scheduled to begin at 09:30 AM IST.India has dominated the series so far, winning three of the four matches played. England, on the other hand, managed to secure a solitary victory in the second Test. In their previous encounter, Dhruv Jurel emerged as the Man of the Match for India, while Joe Root topped the fantasy points leaderboard for England.The pitch at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is known to favor batters, with an average first innings score of 306 runs in the last 20 matches. The weather forecast predicts a cloudy day with temperatures hovering around 14.84 degrees Celsius and humidity at 45%. Winds are expected to blow at a speed of 2.23 m/s.Pace bowlers have historically been successful at this venue, accounting for 86% of the total wickets taken. Therefore, fantasy teams should consider selecting as many pace bowlers as possible.In terms of head-to-head records, India and England have played 135 matches, with batters from both teams contributing significantly to their respective team's fantasy points.IND vs ENG Dream11 Prediction:Wicket-Keepers: Dhruv Jurel, Ben Foakes, Jonny BairstowBatters: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Zak Crawley, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat PatidarAll-Rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Joe Root, Ravichandran AshwinBowlers: Mark WoodCaptain: Ravindra JadejaVice-Captain: Dhruv Jurel