Cricket

Legendary Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist has expressed concerns about the potential impact of India's recent 3-0 Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand on their upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour of Australia.Gilchrist believes that the humiliating defeat will have a significant psychological impact on the Indian team, particularly on its senior players. "It does (have an impact), more for the Indian players and the Indian team internally. They have to be asking themselves pretty hard questions," Gilchrist told FoxSports.He added, "I do think on the back of that loss and the fact that it was a clean sweep... I think that will raise some questions internally and the pressure and the expectation and the desire from a passionate cricketing nation to see that change around, that'll ride heavily on those shoulders of all those players."The series was particularly disappointing for India's experienced players. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli managed only 91 and 93 runs respectively in the entire series, while Ravichandran Ashwin picked up only nine wickets in spin-friendly conditions.Gilchrist expressed concern about how these players will bounce back from such a disappointing performance. "There are a few ageing players there who may start to even second guess themselves a little bit. There's some high class cricketers in that Indian squad. It's going to be fascinating to see how they rebound from that challenge," he said.Meanwhile, there have been reports that the Test future of the four senior players may be at risk. A senior BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity, "If India doesn't qualify for WTC final in England, one can be rest assured that all four super seniors won't be on that flight to UK for the ensuing five-Test series. In any case, all four have likely played their final Test at home together."

Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne has shared his earliest memory of Virat Kohli ahead of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series between India and Australia. The upcoming five-Test series carries immense significance as it will determine the teams' chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final in London next year.Labuschagne, who has been a consistent performer against India in the Test format, recalled his first encounter with Kohli during the 2018 series. "My first memory of Virat was probably, from a playing perspective, the 2018 series. He was captain at that time, I think, and he was quite intense. When I watched the series, it was a very intense series. I probably haven't seen that same Virat since then, you know, the start of that series. For a long time, he's just been a quality act, but my first memory would be that," Labuschagne told Star Sports.The 30-year-old batsman aims to continue his impressive record against India in the upcoming series. In 10 Test matches against India, Labuschagne has amassed 775 runs at an average of 45.58, including three fifties and one century.The BGT series commences on November 22 in Perth, with both teams facing challenges in their quest to reach the WTC final. India, after a disappointing 0-3 series loss against New Zealand, needs to secure at least four wins out of the five Test matches, with the remaining match ending in a draw or a loss, to qualify for the WTC final.Australia, on the other hand, is aiming to defend their WTC title and cannot afford a series defeat to keep their hopes alive. The series promises to be a thrilling contest between two of the world's top Test teams, with Labuschagne's performance against Kohli and India likely to be a key factor in determining the outcome.

Rohit Sharma's Test Future in Doubt, India Needs to Prepare for ReplacementFormer Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has raised concerns about Rohit Sharma's future in Test cricket, suggesting that the veteran opener may retire from the format if India performs poorly in the upcoming five-Test series in Australia.Sharma, who recently announced his retirement from Twenty20 internationals, has been in poor form in Tests, averaging just 26.67 in his last 10 innings. He has also acknowledged his lack of leadership during India's recent 0-3 home Test thumping by New Zealand."You have to start thinking ahead. If Rohit Sharma doesn't do well, I think he himself will retire from test cricket, for all you know," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. "He'll play ODIs only. He has already left T20I cricket. We have to keep in mind that he's also ageing."Sharma, 37, has amassed 4,270 runs in 87 Tests at an average of 42.27, but his recent performances have raised questions about his ability to continue at the highest level.Srikkanth praised Sharma for acknowledging his mistakes in a press conference after the New Zealand series. "Hats off to Rohit for accepting the fact that he played badly throughout the series and captained badly. That's a great thing," Srikkanth added. "That's the first move of a player to get back to rhythm. Accepting your fault is very important. That's a very important quality of a human being."India may be without Sharma for the first Test in Perth beginning on November 22 due to personal reasons. The team needs to win four of their five Tests in Australia to qualify for the World Test Championship final for the third time in a row next year.Srikkanth believes that India needs to start preparing for Sharma's potential retirement by identifying a suitable replacement. "We have to start thinking about who will replace Rohit Sharma," he said. "We have to start looking at the younger players and give them a chance."

Mohammed Shami's Comeback Delayed by Fresh Injury, Casting Doubt on Border-Gavaskar Series ParticipationIndia's premier fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, has suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, casting doubt on his availability for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series against Australia. According to reliable sources, Shami has developed a side strain injury, further delaying his return to competitive cricket.Shami, who has been sidelined for nearly a year due to a knee injury, was not included in the Bengal squad for the next two rounds of the Ranji Trophy. The experienced pacer had previously expressed his readiness to return to action after recovering from his knee injury. However, his name was conspicuously absent when India announced a 15-man squad for the Test series against Australia."I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can't put too much stress on my body. So we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%," Shami had said at a promotional event last month.Despite bowling at full tilt in the nets during India's recent Test series against New Zealand, Shami's side strain injury has raised concerns about his fitness for the Australia tour. India captain Rohit Sharma had previously stated that the team did not want to risk an "undercooked Shami" in Australia.Shami's last competitive appearance came in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November 2022. His absence from the Border-Gavaskar series would be a significant blow to India's bowling attack, which is already missing Jasprit Bumrah due to a back injury.The extent of Shami's side strain injury and the timeline for his recovery remain unclear. However, the fresh setback casts doubt on his ability to regain full fitness in time for the Australia tour, which begins in February 2023.

India's recent 0-3 Test series defeat against New Zealand at home has raised concerns about their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship Final. Despite the setback, former opener Shikhar Dhawan remains optimistic about India's prospects in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.Dhawan believes that India has a strong chance of completing a hat-trick of series wins in Australia, having triumphed in the previous two tours under Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. He highlights the experience of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah, who have played extensively in Australia and can guide the younger players.Dhawan also praises the confidence and motivation of the current Indian team, which includes a mix of experienced and emerging stars. He believes that the batters are well-prepared to handle the pace and bounce of Australian pitches.Regarding Rishabh Pant, Dhawan notes that the wicketkeeper-batter has returned to the field with renewed gratitude and positivity after his car accident in 2022. He commends Pant's mental strength and his ability to bring joy to fans with his fearless batting.Despite the recent loss to New Zealand, Dhawan remains confident in India's ability to bounce back and secure a historic victory in Australia. He believes that the team has the talent, experience, and determination to overcome the challenges and emerge victorious.

India's recent loss to New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) has raised concerns about the team's batting performance. Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria believes that India captain Rohit Sharma should consider changing his batting position to address the team's struggles.Kaneria, in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com, expressed his concern over the form of India's top order, particularly Rohit and Virat Kohli. He suggested that Rohit should move down to the middle order, possibly at number three, to improve his performance."Rohit has been struggling with the track in India. In the recent series, Southee got him out twice, and the ball will move more over there in Australia, so you have to see how you go with that," said Kaneria.Kaneria believes that the Indian top order should consist of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as openers, followed by Rohit at number three and Kohli at number four. He emphasized that the success of the team depends on the performance of the top order."Indian batters need to click; that's the only concern. If the bowlers take wickets, then the batters need to click. A Test is won by bowlers, so Indian batting needs to click as their top order, where Rohit and Kohli are struggling with runs," explained Kaneria.Kaneria also pointed out that the rise of T20 cricket has negatively impacted Indian batters' ability to face spin bowling. He believes that the team needs to address this issue to improve their performance in Test cricket.India's loss to New Zealand has dropped them to second place in the WTC standings. To secure a spot in the next WTC final, India will need to win at least four matches in their upcoming five-match Test series against Australia.

Former Indian cricket team spinner Anil Kumble has expressed surprise over the BCCI's decision to cancel the practice game ahead of the first Test match against Australia in Perth starting November 22. The Indian cricket team was going to play a practice match against India A, but following the Test series whitewash against New Zealand, the BCCI decided to scrap the encounter.Kumble, during a discussion on JioCinema, said that the practice match would have been ideal preparation for Rohit Sharma and Co. He added that such match practice cannot be achieved by just net sessions."I'm a bit surprised that India don't have a practice match going into the first Test because that would have been an ideal preparation. No matter how much you practice in the nets, going out in the middle and facing a few bowlers in the match is totally different," he said.Right-handed batter KL Rahul and wicketkeeper-batter Dhurv Jurel are on their way to link up with the India A squad ahead of their second four-day game against Australia A, set to begin at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from November 7.Sources told IANS that Rahul and Jurel left for Melbourne on Sunday night after the third Test ended at the Wankhede Stadium, which India lost by 25 runs to New Zealand and suffered a 3-0 series defeat.As per the sources, Rahul and Jurel will join the India 'A' squad by Tuesday and get to play in the second four-day game, with an eye to give them some game time before linking up with the main Test team to prepare for the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, starting on November 22 in Perth. It will be followed by games in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney till January 7, 2025.Rahul played three Tests in the Indian home season, with his last game coming via the hosts' series opener against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. After making scores of 0 and 12 in that game, where India lost by eight wickets, he didn't feature in the remainder of the series.On the other hand, Jurel didn't get a game to play in the five Tests India played at home, though he did get to feature as a substitute wicketkeeper in the first Test at Bengaluru after Rishabh Pant hurt his knee while being on keeping duties.The first four-day game saw India A, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, suffer a heavy seven-wicket defeat at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, Queensland, with left-handed batters B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal along with pacer Mukesh Kumar being the standout performers.

Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his views on India's chances in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. While acknowledging India's recent dominance over Australia in Test cricket, Gavaskar believes that a 4-0 victory for India in Australia is unlikely.Gavaskar emphasized that India's focus should be solely on winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, rather than on qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. He stated, "Don't talk about the World Test Championship final. Now just focus on trying to win the series in Australia."Gavaskar's prediction is based on the formidable nature of the Australian team in their home conditions. He believes that India can realistically aim for a 3-1 victory, but a 4-0 sweep is an ambitious target.India has won the previous four Test series against Australia, all by a margin of 2-1. However, Gavaskar believes that Australia will be a different proposition in their own backyard.Despite Gavaskar's cautious optimism, India's recent record against Australia provides some hope. India has won two Test series in Australia in the past decade, including a historic 2-1 victory in 2018/19.The WTC scenario is also complex. While India needs four wins to guarantee qualification for the final, it is unlikely that they will need to win all. Other nations in contention for the WTC final, such as Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and New Zealand, will face each other and potentially hamper each other's results.Overall, Gavaskar's prediction reflects a realistic assessment of India's chances in Australia. While a 4-0 victory may be a stretch, India has the potential to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and continue their recent dominance over Australia in Test cricket.

Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team's captain, has been under immense scrutiny following India's humiliating 0-3 Test series loss to New Zealand. The defeat has raised questions about Rohit's leadership and his ability to inspire his team to perform at the highest level.Rohit's struggles with the bat have been particularly concerning. In six innings during the series, he managed only 91 runs, averaging a meager 13.30. This is a far cry from the prolific run-scorer he has been in recent years. Rohit's poor form has put pressure on the rest of the batting lineup, which has also failed to deliver consistently.Compounding Rohit's batting woes, his decision-making as captain has also been criticized. In the first Test in Kanpur, he opted to bat first on a pitch that was clearly more suited to bowling. This decision backfired spectacularly, as India was bowled out for just 124 runs in their first innings.Rohit's decision to field first in the second Test in Mumbai was also questionable. The pitch was expected to deteriorate over the course of the match, and batting first would have given India the advantage of setting a large total. However, New Zealand batted first and scored 325 runs, putting India under pressure from the outset.Rohit's captaincy has also been criticized for its lack of aggression. In the past, India has been known for its attacking style of play, but under Rohit's leadership, the team has appeared more cautious and conservative. This has led to accusations that Rohit is too risk-averse and that he is not inspiring his players to play to their full potential.Rohit's struggles have come at a time when India is facing a crucial period in its Test cricket history. The team is currently ranked fourth in the World Test Championship standings, and it needs to win the remaining four Tests in the series against Australia to qualify for the final.Rohit's form and leadership will be under intense scrutiny in the upcoming Tests. If he can rediscover his batting touch and inspire his team to victory, he will silence his critics and prove that he is still the right man to lead India. However, if he continues to struggle, India's chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final will be in jeopardy.