Cricket

In 1996, the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi, now known as the Arun Jaitley Stadium, hosted a historic Test match that marked the beginning of a legendary rivalry between India and Australia. The match, played as a one-off Test, was the first to be named the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, after Australian legend Allan Border and Indian icon Sunil Gavaskar.The series featured a plethora of debuts, including Brad Hogg and David Johnson for Australia and Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for India. However, it was Nayan Mongia who stole the show, scoring a magnificent 152 in his 14th Test for India.Mongia, who had previously been a middle-order batter, was elevated to the opening slot for this match. He played a gritty innings, batting for over eight hours and facing 366 balls. His century was instrumental in India's victory, as they chased down Australia's first-innings total of 182.The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has since become one of the most prestigious rivalries in Test cricket. The series has been played 15 times, with Australia winning nine and India winning five. The upcoming five-match series, starting on November 22, will be the first time India has played a five-match Test series in Australia since 1991-92.Former Indian wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia, who played a key role in India's victory in the inaugural Border-Gavaskar Trophy, believes that the rivalry has grown significantly over the years. "The main rivalry was India-Pakistan that time still. Australia (rivalry) was just growing up," he said. "Border-Gavaskar Trophy gave a platform to have such a huge rivalry."Mongia also expressed his concerns about India's batting form ahead of the upcoming series. "Playing against Australia in Australia is not going to be easy," he said. "But we have top-class bowlers as well. We will miss Mohammed Shami, there is no doubt about it. But we have other good bowlers who can step up leading from the front."

India vs Australia Test Series: News Corp Australia Unveils Multilingual CoverageThe highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) between India and Australia is set to ignite the cricketing world, and News Corp Australia is pulling out all the stops to provide comprehensive coverage for fans across the globe. The media giant has announced an extensive eight-page wrap in English, Hindi, and Punjabi in both print and digital editions to capture the essence of the five-Test series.The Indian team has already arrived in Australia, eager to defend their BGT title. The tour kicks off with the first Test in Perth on November 22, followed by matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.News Corp's special edition will be distributed across its various publications in Australia, ensuring that fans have access to in-depth analysis, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights. The coverage will commence on November 12, with a "16-page ultimate launch guide" scheduled for November 17, featuring additional content in Hindi and Punjabi.India's recent dominance in Australia has made this series even more intriguing. The visitors have emerged victorious in their last two Test tours Down Under, leaving the Aussies without a BGT triumph since 2014. However, India's recent form has been a cause for concern, with a 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand and key batsmen like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma struggling for runs.The announcement of multilingual coverage has generated excitement among cricket enthusiasts, particularly those from the Indian diaspora in Australia. The inclusion of Hindi and Punjabi content aims to cater to the growing number of Indian cricket fans who prefer to consume content in their native languages.

Fox Cricket Poster Controversy: Rohit Sharma Snubbed, Nathan McSweeney and Josh Inglis Earn Test CallsAustralian media channel Fox Cricket has sparked a social media storm with its poster for the upcoming Test series between India and Australia. The poster, featuring Pat Cummins and Virat Kohli, has drawn criticism for omitting Indian captain Rohit Sharma.Social media users were quick to point out the absence of Sharma, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time. Many accused Fox Cricket of disrespecting the Indian skipper and questioned the decision to feature Kohli instead.The controversy has overshadowed the announcement of Australia's Test squad for the series opener in Perth on November 22. Uncapped Nathan McSweeney has been handed a surprise call-up to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja, while Josh Inglis has been named as backup wicketkeeper to Alex Carrey.McSweeney, 25, has impressed with his consistent performances in the Sheffield Shield and his leadership qualities as captain of South Australia. Inglis, who moved to Perth from England at the age of 14, has also been rewarded for his strong domestic form.The pace unit will be led by skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, with Scott Boland as the reserve quick. Nathan Lyon remains the lone specialist spin option.The Test series between India and Australia is one of the most anticipated events in the cricketing calendar. The two teams have a long and storied rivalry, and the upcoming series promises to be another thrilling contest.However, the controversy surrounding Fox Cricket's poster has cast a shadow over the build-up to the series. The channel has been accused of bias and disrespect, and it remains to be seen how the issue will be resolved.

Ahead of the highly anticipated five-match Test series between India and Australia, Pakistan's interim head coach Jason Gillespie has drawn comparisons between star pacers Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah. Gillespie, a former Australia pacer, emphasized the similarities in their relentless approach and ability to create wickets when others struggle.Gillespie highlighted the relentless nature of Cummins and Bumrah, who consistently attack batters with challenging lines and lengths. He praised their ability to ask questions of batsmen's technique and force them into making mistakes."Their major strength is they are pretty relentless in attacking the batters," Gillespie said. "They have a good pace, bowl challenging lines and lengths. They are always asking questions about batsmen's technique. They are always making sure that the batsman has to make good decisions or they will get themselves out."Gillespie also acknowledged the unique ability of Cummins and Bumrah to produce unplayable deliveries, whether through late swing, extra pace, or unpredictable movement off the surface. He described their knack for creating wickets out of seemingly nothing as a rare and valuable asset."They just have a knack for creating a wicket when there doesn't seem to be a wicket," Gillespie said. "They just create opportunities seemingly out of nowhere."With India missing the services of injured pacer Mohammed Shami, Gillespie believes Bumrah holds the key for the visitors. He praised Bumrah's importance in the current Indian Test set-up and highlighted his ability to lead the bowling attack."Mohammed Siraj is a nice bowler, he bowled some pretty good spells the last time he was here," Gillespie said. "But I still think the key bowler for India is Bumrah."Gillespie also commented on the venue for the series opener in Perth, describing it as a fast and bouncy track that will challenge batters early on but play well as the match progresses.

Ravindra Jadeja's exceptional bowling performance in the ongoing Test match against Australia has earned him another five-wicket haul, his 14th in Test cricket. However, the all-rounder acknowledged the challenging conditions on the slow-turning pitch, which made bowling a demanding task.Jadeja's success stemmed from his ability to mix up his deliveries, targeting good length spots and exploiting the variable bounce and abrasive surface. He admitted that the wicket required significant effort to generate pace, indicating that Ravichandran Ashwin may have lost some velocity in his deliveries."I thought you need to mix and match (in terms of speed). The wicket has bounce but off the surface, the ball isn't taking off. Unless you put in a lot of shoulders and get the revs, it is difficult," Jadeja explained.Despite the arduous conditions, Jadeja praised the collective effort of the team, including Washington Sundar's impressive bowling performance. He emphasized the importance of the batters performing well to secure a first-innings lead.When asked about surpassing Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma in terms of Test wickets, Jadeja revealed that he only checks statistics when not actively involved in a series.Reflecting on the loss of three quick wickets towards the end of the day, Jadeja set a target of batting well enough to gain a 150-run lead on Saturday.

The upcoming India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy has sparked much anticipation, with the squad announcement revealing both expected and surprising inclusions. While the Rohit Sharma-led side boasts debutants Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, the absence of veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara has raised eyebrows.Pujara, known for his resilience and ability to anchor the Indian batting line-up, has been a key figure in India's recent Test series victories against Australia. However, he was overlooked for the upcoming tour, prompting speculation about his future in the national team.In a recent social media post, Pujara shared a video of his training session, accompanied by the caption "Sore today, strong tomorrow." The post has garnered significant attention, with fans expressing their support and urging the selectors to reconsider their decision.Former India batsman Hanuma Vihari, who played a crucial role in India's back-to-back series wins in Australia, believes Pujara's absence will be a significant loss. "Pujara will be a big miss. He was the backbone of the batting line-up in the last two series for Team India," Vihari said.Vihari highlighted Pujara's ability to absorb pressure, bat for extended periods, and provide stability to the batting order. He questioned who would fill that role in the current Indian team, which features a more attacking batting line-up.Despite the absence of Pujara, India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy includes a mix of experienced and promising players. Rohit Sharma will lead the side, with Jasprit Bumrah serving as vice-captain. Other notable inclusions include Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Ravichandran Ashwin.The series is expected to be fiercely contested, with both India and Australia aiming to assert their dominance in Test cricket. India will be looking to extend their winning streak against Australia, while the visitors will be determined to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia, former Indian cricketer M. S. K. Prasad has expressed confidence in Virat Kohli's ability to regain his form. Despite a challenging start to the decade in Test cricket, Prasad believes Kohli's love for Australian conditions will ignite his batting prowess.In 2024, Kohli's Test performance has been inconsistent, with an average of 27.22 in five Tests. However, in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, he has shown signs of improvement, scoring 556 runs at an average of 42.76.Prasad, who served as a BCCI selector, emphasized Kohli's affinity for Australian pitches. "Virat Kohli is like a duck getting into the water when he goes to Australia. He loves these conditions and probably he must be eagerly itching to just finish off this Wankhede Test match and then go and play in Australia because he loves that," Prasad said on Star Sports.The Border-Gavaskar series will commence on November 22 in Perth, with the second Test scheduled for Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. The third Test will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 14 to 18, followed by the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30. The series will culminate with the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7.India's squad for the series includes Rohit Sharma as captain, Jasprit Bumrah as vice-captain, and a mix of experienced and emerging players. Notably, Mohammed Shami was not included in the squad.

India's Test woes continue against New Zealand, with the visitors taking a commanding lead in the third innings of the second Test in Pune. Amidst the disappointment, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has urged the team to focus on the present series rather than the upcoming India vs Australia Test series.Gavaskar's comments came during commentary on the second day of the second Test, when fellow commentator Dinesh Karthik mentioned the Australia series. Gavaskar promptly interjected, emphasizing the importance of staying present and not getting distracted by future events."Don't talk about Australia now. That is a mistake that a lot of people often make. You've got to worry about what's happening now. Your focus should be only on what's happening at the moment. Australia will take care of itself. When you go there, you will find the methods to beat Australia. You've done that over the last couple of trips there. You found a way," Gavaskar said.Gavaskar also pointed out that the media and others outside the team are contributing to the distraction by constantly discussing the Australia series. He believes that this external noise can be detrimental to the team's performance in the current series."It's not the players. The players are focused on the game. It's the circle around which is the media and everybody else which is talking about Australia. There is so much of coverage about what is going to happen in Australia. The Australian players are all the time talking about the Indian team, what should be the team and all that. Pick him, pick that player. No body is asking us about the Australian team. All the former Australian players are telling us pick this guy, that guy. Ask us too who should be in the Australian team," Gavaskar said.Gavaskar's advice echoes the sentiments of many experts who believe that India needs to address its current challenges before looking ahead to the Australia series. The team has struggled with batting collapses and inconsistent bowling performances in the ongoing series against New Zealand, and these issues need to be resolved before they can hope to compete against a formidable Australian side.

India-Australia Clash: A Battle for Supremacy in Group AThe highly anticipated clash between India and Australia in the Women's T20 World Cup Group A is set to unfold at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. With both teams vying for a spot in the semi-finals, this match promises to be a thrilling encounter.Australia, the defending champions, have been in dominant form, winning all three of their group matches with an impressive net run rate. Led by stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath, they have opted to bat first on a pitch that appears more favorable than previous surfaces in Sharjah.India, on the other hand, has had a mixed tournament so far, losing their opening match to New Zealand but bouncing back with victories over Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They have made two changes to their team, bringing in Pooja Vastrakar and Radha Yadav in place of S Sajana and S Asha.The absence of Alyssa Healy and Tayla Vlaeminck has forced Australia to make adjustments to their lineup. Grace Harris returns to the XI to open with Beth Mooney, while Darcie Brown replaces Vlaeminck.India's batting lineup boasts the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues, who will be crucial in chasing down Australia's total. They also have the advantage of having trained at Sharjah ahead of the match, giving them valuable insights into the conditions.The match is not only a must-win for India but also an opportunity to improve their run rate. Australia's current net run rate of 2.786 puts them in a strong position, and India will need to chase aggressively to close the gap.With the echoes of past encounters between these two cricketing giants still lingering, the stage is set for a captivating battle. India will be determined to prove their mettle against the defending champions, while Australia will aim to maintain their dominance and secure their place in the knockouts.