Cricket

Pat Cummins, the Australian Test captain, has set his sights on conquering the final frontier of his illustrious career: a Test series victory over India. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) set to commence in Perth on November 22, Cummins is determined to fill the void in his impressive CV.Australia has enjoyed a golden era under Cummins' leadership, claiming the Ashes, World Test Championship, and ODI World Cup. However, a Test series win over India has eluded them, with India remaining undefeated in the BGT for the past decade."It's kind of the one big thing that I want to tick off," Cummins said at the launch of his book. "Particularly winning at home. Most Australians, me included, expect us to do well whenever we play at home."India's recent Test defeats at home against New Zealand have raised questions about their preparations for the Australia tour. However, Cummins remains wary of their formidable batting lineup."I think any time a team's under pressure, it's not a bad thing if you're playing against them," Cummins said. "But they've been out here before and performed well. Our job is to try and keep them quiet, see how we go."The BGT is also crucial for the World Test Championship, with India and Australia currently occupying the top two positions. A series win would strengthen their chances of qualifying for the final.Cummins is confident in his team's ability to perform well against India. "We feel like our team's in a really good place, so we've got no reason why we shouldn't perform really well," he said. "I just always expect us to do well against whoever we play. But India, particularly, is a big year, big season."

New Zealand's historic Test series victory in India has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. After securing the first Test in Bengaluru by eight wickets, the Kiwis sealed the series with a commanding 113-run win in Pune, marking their first series triumph on Indian soil.This victory snapped India's remarkable 12-year unbeaten streak at home, a testament to the Black Caps' resilience and determination. It also ended India's impressive run of 18 consecutive home series victories, a streak that had stood since England's triumph in 2012.New Zealand's veteran pacer Tim Southee expressed his team's elation at their historic achievement. "It's a very, very tough place to come," Southee said. "But I think you look at this one in particular, 12 years, 18 series. It's nice to be that side that's broken that run."Southee's words underscore the magnitude of New Zealand's accomplishment. India is renowned for its formidable home record, with its spinners wreaking havoc on visiting batsmen. However, the Kiwis defied the odds, showcasing their adaptability and skill in challenging conditions.The victory is a testament to the depth and quality of New Zealand's squad. Led by the experienced Kane Williamson, the team boasts a balanced attack and a resilient batting lineup. Their ability to adapt to different conditions and outplay India on their home turf is a testament to their tactical acumen and mental fortitude.New Zealand's historic triumph has sent a clear message to other teams worldwide: it is possible to defeat India in India. The Black Caps' victory has inspired hope and belief that even the most formidable teams can be overcome with the right combination of skill, determination, and belief.As the series moves to Mumbai for the third Test, New Zealand will aim to complete a 3-0 clean sweep. India, on the other hand, will be eager to salvage some pride and avoid a humiliating whitewash. The final Test promises to be an intriguing battle between two evenly matched teams, with the Kiwis looking to cement their status as one of the world's leading Test sides.

India's women's cricket team clinched the three-match ODI series against New Zealand with a resounding six-wicket victory in the decisive match on Tuesday. The triumph was orchestrated by a masterful century from star batter Smriti Mandhana, who anchored India's chase of 233 with an unbeaten 100 runs off 122 balls.Mandhana's innings was a return to form for the talented batter, who had struggled to make an impact in the previous two ODIs and the preceding T20 World Cup. Her patient yet dominant knock, studded with 10 boundaries, laid the foundation for India's successful run chase.After a shaky start that saw India lose Shafali Verma early, Mandhana found a willing partner in Yastika Bhatia. The duo stitched together a crucial 76-run partnership for the second wicket, steadying the Indian innings. Bhatia played the perfect foil to Mandhana, scoring a brisk 35 runs before falling to a return catch.Mandhana's partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur proved decisive, effectively sealing the match for India. Their 118-run stand for the third wicket deflated the New Zealand bowling attack, with Kaur playing a supporting role with an unbeaten 59.By the time Mandhana departed in the 41st over, India were within touching distance of victory. Earlier in the day, New Zealand recovered from a precarious 88/5 to post a respectable total of 232/5, thanks to a fighting knock of 86 runs from Brooke Halliday. The Indian bowlers, led by Deepti Sharma and Priya Mishra, had initially dominated the proceedings, reducing New Zealand to a moderate total. Despite the late fightback from New Zealand, Mandhana's century proved to be the difference between the two sides.India's victory in the series is a testament to the team's resilience and determination. Despite facing a strong New Zealand side, the Indian women showed their mettle and emerged victorious. Mandhana's century was the highlight of the match, but the contributions of other players, such as Bhatia and Kaur, were equally crucial.

Australia is poised to enter the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) as the frontrunner, according to former Australian captain Tim Paine. Paine attributes this to India's recent struggles with form and injuries.Paine, who captained Australia in their previous two BGT losses, believes Australia's stability and home advantage give them an edge. "Australia are going to start pretty strong favorites," he said. "I think India have not been playing pretty well, their batting looks a little brittle."Paine also highlighted the absence of Mohammed Shami as a significant blow for India. "Shami is going to be a huge difference," he said. "Bumrah, there is so much on his shoulders. If he gets hurt, then it's curtains for me."Reflecting on India's recent Test series loss to New Zealand, Paine expressed concern about their batting. "No. They (New Zealand) are not very good. Is that harsh? Unbelievable performance, no doubt about that. But that makes me worry a little about India, totally honest," he said.Paine also acknowledged India's historic 2020-21 series win in Australia, crediting Cheteshwar Pujara as the series hero. "The guy who won them the series was Pujara," he said. "He wore us down, he wore our fast bowlers down."India's selectors have named an 18-member squad for the five-Test series, but Shami's absence has forced them to field an inexperienced pace attack. Bumrah will lead the bowling unit, supported by Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana.India's first Test against Australia begins on November 22 in Perth, kicking off the much-anticipated series.

The 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of the Indian cricket team. Despite facing adversity at every turn, the team emerged victorious in a series that will forever be etched in the annals of cricket history.The series began with a humiliating defeat in Adelaide, where India was bowled out for a paltry 36 runs. However, the team refused to be disheartened and fought back valiantly. In the second Test in Melbourne, India defied all odds to draw the match, setting the stage for a thrilling finale in Sydney.The third Test in Sydney was a battle of attrition, with both teams refusing to give an inch. Ravichandran Ashwin played a pivotal role in the draw, batting for over four hours with an aching back alongside Hanuma Vihari.As the series reached its climax in Brisbane, Australia captain Tim Paine resorted to sledging in an attempt to unsettle Ashwin. Paine's tactics failed, as Ashwin remained unfazed and India went on to win the series 2-1.Paine has since defended his sledging, claiming that he was simply trying to unsettle Ashwin, who had been "annoying" him by getting his wicket frequently. However, Ashwin has hit back, saying that Paine's sledging was aimed at him personally and that he pulled out of the Brisbane Test due to a genuine back injury.The 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be remembered for its thrilling matches, intense rivalry, and the remarkable resilience of the Indian cricket team. It is a series that will inspire generations of cricketers to come.

Deepti Sharma's exceptional bowling performances in the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand have propelled her to a career-high ranking in the ICC ODI bowling charts. The Indian all-rounder has surged to the No. 2 spot, surpassing Kate Cross and Megan Schutt, with a rating of 687 points.Sharma's impressive display in the first two ODIs has earned her three wickets and an economical bowling average of 3.42. Her consistent performances have significantly boosted her ranking, although she remains 83 points behind the top-ranked Sophie Ecclestone.On the T20I bowling table, Sharma maintains her position at No. 3, trailing only Ecclestone and Sadia Iqbal. The Indian star's all-round abilities are also evident in the allrounders' rankings, where she has climbed to No. 4.From the New Zealand side, Lea Tahuhu has made significant progress, moving up three places to No. 12. Amelia Kerr, despite being ruled out of the series due to injury, has gained one spot to No. 13. Sophie Devine has also made a notable jump, rising nine positions to equal 30th among bowlers.Devine's all-round performance in the second ODI, where she scored 79 runs and claimed three wickets, has also elevated her to No. 8 in the ODI batters' rankings. Other New Zealand batters who have improved their positions include Kerr (No. 11), Suzie Bates (joint No. 15), and Maddy Green (No. 18).For India, Jemimah Rodrigues has made a significant gain among the batters, moving up to No. 35 after her crucial contribution in the first ODI victory.The ongoing ODI series between India and New Zealand has witnessed several notable performances, with Deepti Sharma and Sophie Devine emerging as key players for their respective teams. The final match of the series promises to be an exciting contest, with both sides aiming to secure the series victory.

Matthew Hayden Predicts Australian Victory in Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but Cautions of Indian ThreatFormer Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has predicted a home victory for Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series against India. However, he emphasized that the visiting Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, will pose a formidable challenge.India has emerged victorious in their last two Test tours of Australia, and they will aim to defend the BGT title in a five-match series starting with the first Test in Perth on November 24.Hayden believes that Australia's home advantage has diminished due to the widespread use of drop-in pitches by Cricket Australia. Of the five venues hosting the BGT, three will feature drop-in pitches: Perth, Adelaide, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)."I feel like there's less home advantage given the nature of the drop-in wickets than what had been previously there," Hayden said. "There are three drop-in venues -- Perth, Adelaide, and the MCG."Adelaide will host the day-night second Test from December 6, while the MCG will stage the fourth Test, beginning on Boxing Day (December 26). The fifth Test in Sydney will commence on January 3, 2025."So you've got your two home venues in Brisbane and Sydney; those just happen to be the third and fifth Test match, which is a very different combination to any series that's been played there," Hayden added. "I feel like at the moment there is probably not that much home advantage in the Australian summer anymore due to the wicket conditions."Before the start of the series, India will participate in a three-day warm-up match against India A, who will be touring Australia concurrently.

India's recent Test series defeat against New Zealand has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. For the first time in 12 years, the Indian team has lost a Test series at home, succumbing to the Kiwis in the first two matches of the three-match series.Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has been critical of skipper Rohit Sharma's captaincy in the Pune Test, which India lost by seven wickets. Karthik believes that Sharma was not proactive enough as a captain and failed to match New Zealand's intensity and clarity."Not at his best. I thought he had a very tough Test match, he did all he could. I could see there was a lot of pressure on him, add to the fact, that he did not get many runs as well. So overall, it was not a great Test match. He will reflect and think, 'what could I have done better? Was I a reactive captain or a pro-active captain?'" Karthik said on Cricbuzz.Sharma's struggles with the bat have also been a concern. He has been among India's worst performers with the bat in the first two matches."There is a fine line, this Test match was one where he was chasing the ball a little bit. He tried his best with whatever he could, but you have to say it wasn't the best game for either him or Team India," Karthik added.After the two losses, Sharma took a rather lighthearted stance in the press conference, saying that the team is allowed such a performance after being on top for the last 12 years."We are allowed one such performance in 12 years. If we were collapsing like this on a regular basis then we would not have been winning at home. We have a lot of expectations. We are expected to win every game at our home, and it is because of our performances," he said.However, Karthik believes that Sharma needs to be more proactive as a captain and take more responsibility for the team's performance."He needs to be more proactive. He needs to be more clear in his communication. He needs to be more clear in his plans. He needs to be more clear in his execution. He needs to be more clear in his decision-making," Karthik said.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has expressed his belief that Rohit Sharma will be deeply affected by India's Test series loss to New Zealand. This marks the first time India has lost a home Test series since 2012, with Rohit at the helm.Despite Rohit's post-match comments downplaying the defeat, Shastri believes that the Indian captain will be hurting. "Rohit Sharma is a proud man. He will not take it lightly. Let me assure you of that," Shastri said during commentary.Shastri emphasized that every player in the Indian dressing room will be eager to rectify the situation. "His body language might suggest that he's very relaxed. But deep down, he'll be hurting and hurting big. Not just with him but with every Indian player in that dressing room," Shastri added.Rohit's captaincy has been under scrutiny throughout the New Zealand series, particularly his decision to bat first after a day's washout in the first Test. His batting form has also been questioned, with the Indian captain managing only 62 runs in four innings.Despite the series defeat, which ended India's record-breaking run of 18 consecutive home Test series wins, Rohit downplayed its significance in the post-match press conference. "Just because we have lost a series, I don't think there is anything that we need to talk differently or do differently. But yeah, we need to find ways to come out of those situations," Rohit said."You don't need to overreact. But you need to have a quiet chat with certain individuals and let them know where they are at and what, as a team, we require from them," Rohit added.India will face New Zealand in the final Test of the series starting on Friday, November 1.