Cricket

Pakistan's vice-captain Saud Shakeel has revealed his team's strategy for their upcoming Test series against England, echoing the sentiments of head coach Jason Gillespie. Shakeel believes that Pakistan can exploit England's aggressive approach to induce mistakes and gain an advantage."England always play attacking cricket, which gives us an opportunity to induce mistakes in them and use those mistakes to stay in the game," Shakeel said at a press conference in Multan.Pakistan will draw inspiration from their previous series against England in 2022, despite losing 3-0. Shakeel, who was Pakistan's second-highest scorer in that series, believes his team came close to winning on several occasions."The last series we played against England, there were times we were quite close to winning, such as Rawalpindi and Multan, but we couldn't finish it off," Shakeel said.In Multan, where the first Test starts on Monday, Pakistan pushed England to the brink. Needing 355 for victory in the fourth innings, Pakistan were well-placed at 290 with half the side still to bat, and Shakeel on 94. However, two wickets from Mark Wood on the stroke of lunch ended Pakistan's resistance, with England ultimately edging to a 26-run victory.Shakeel acknowledges that Pakistan's recent struggles with both bat and ball, as exposed by Bangladesh, make executing their plan far from guaranteed."We're struggling with the bat from time to time, and unable to convert starts into huge scores," Shakeel said. "That's a point of concern. The series that's over is now in the past. Admittedly we didn't play well there. Our focus is on what's ahead."Despite the challenges, Shakeel believes Pakistan's flexibility and ability to adapt to different situations will be key."We don't follow any particular style playing cricket, we play according to the requirement of any situation, which gives us flexibility," Shakeel said.Gillespie has also emphasized the importance of discipline and patience in Pakistan's approach."The strategy is often decided on the spot depending on how England play," Shakeel said. "Reverse swing may also come into play depending on the weather and the pitch [that is] prepared. If a team is being aggressive, it can be easy to get sucked into their style of play and over-attack. If they're attacking, and we just let them make their mistakes, that might work out better for us."

Yashasvi Jaiswal, the prodigious Indian opener, has taken the Test cricket world by storm since his debut in 2023. With an aggregate of 1217 runs in just 11 Tests, he ranks third in the world for most runs scored since his debut.Jaiswal's remarkable start to his Test career is highlighted by several impressive statistics. He has the highest average (64.05) among all batters with a minimum of 1000 runs, placing him behind only Sir Don Bradman and Kamindu Mendis in the all-time list.Jaiswal's aggressive approach has earned him the reputation as a leading proponent of "Indian Bazball." He has embraced the philosophy of attacking from the outset, scoring at a strike rate of 71.67 in Test cricket. This approach has been instrumental in India's recent success in limited-overs cricket and has now been extended to the Test arena.Jaiswal's ability to score big runs at a high strike rate makes him a genuine match-winner for India. He provides the team with explosive starts, demoralizes opposition attacks, and creates opportunities for the bowlers to dismiss the opposition twice.In addition to his impressive average and strike rate, Jaiswal has also achieved several notable milestones in his short Test career. He became the third-fastest Indian to reach 1000 Test runs, doing so in just 16 innings. He also scored a century on his Test debut, becoming the 17th Indian to do so.Jaiswal's unique feat of scoring a double century in an innings where no other batter reached fifty places him in an elite group of batters. He is only the seventh player in history to achieve this feat.Jaiswal's consistent performances have earned him comparisons to Brian Charles Lara. In a Test match against England, he became the third Indian to record two consecutive double centuries, joining Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli.With his exceptional talent and aggressive approach, Yashasvi Jaiswal is poised to become one of the most dominant batters in Test cricket. His impressive start to his career has set the stage for a remarkable future in the sport.

England's talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes has pledged his long-term future to the national team by signing a new central contract that will extend until the 2025-26 Ashes tour. The exact duration of the contract remains undisclosed, but it is believed to be a two-year deal.Stokes' commitment is a significant boost for England, who have endured a frustrating period without his services due to injuries. The 33-year-old missed the recent Test series against Sri Lanka with a hamstring injury sustained in August. Despite the setback, Stokes is confident that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery and does not anticipate any long-term concerns.The ECB has yet to announce the latest batch of central contracts, but Stokes' new deal is expected to take him through until September 2026. This commitment is particularly notable given Stokes' lucrative contract to play in the SA20 in January, which highlights his value on the franchise circuit.However, England recognizes Stokes' immense importance to their Test team, not only as a player but also as a leader and figurehead for Brendon McCullum's regime. In Stokes' absence, England have opted for a five-bowler formula, with Chris Woakes batting at No. 7. Woakes has a chance to improve his away Test record, which currently stands at 36 wickets at 51.88.Beyond his batting and bowling, England will miss Stokes' captaincy in Multan. He was the mastermind behind their unexpected series sweep in Pakistan two years ago, where his bold declaration in Rawalpindi defied conventional wisdom. Ollie Pope, who will captain England in Stokes' absence, faces the challenge of matching Stokes' proactivity in changing the tempo of matches.Pope has experience keeping wicket in Test cricket and is one of six players in England's XI who played in the 2022 series in Pakistan. However, he lacks Stokes' ability to seize opportunities and influence the game through his field placements. Stokes will be on hand to provide advice, while James Anderson, who has experience of reverse swing in Multan, will join the squad on the second day.Pakistan's desire for surfaces that suit their seamers has piqued England's interest, and the Test strip in Multan has a significant grass covering. England will not take Pakistan lightly, especially with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah in their ranks.England's clean sweep in Pakistan in 2022 remains their best series result under Stokes and McCullum. With Stokes unavailable for at least the first Test, a repeat performance on this tour would be a remarkable achievement.

Joe Root, England's batting maestro, has set his sights on surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for most Test runs, but his primary focus remains on contributing to his team's success.Root, who is on the verge of becoming England's leading Test run-scorer, is just 71 runs away from eclipsing Alastair Cook's tally of 12,472. With a few more years of playing time, Root could potentially challenge Tendulkar's elusive mark of 15,921 Test runs.However, personal milestones are not Root's driving force. He is solely focused on producing performances that help England win matches. "I think you judge yourself on how many games you can affect and how many games you can help win," Root said. "That's a big driver for me."Root's mindset is to succeed in any conditions, which he believes is enough motivation to keep him going. "I enjoy it at the moment," he added.For Root, achieving a milestone and then retiring is not something he considers. He is determined to enjoy the game and use that as a driving force to continue playing Test cricket. "I see myself playing Test cricket for a lot longer," Root said. "I just want to keep enjoying the game and keep playing."England are currently in Pakistan for a three-match Test series, which begins in Multan on Monday. The visitors will be without their regular captain, Ben Stokes, in the opening Test due to a hamstring injury. Ollie Pope will serve as the stand-in skipper for the Multan Test.

England's fast-bowling attack is undergoing a significant transformation as they prepare for their upcoming Test series in Pakistan. With the absence of veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad, a new generation of seamers is stepping into the unknown.During England's last tour of Pakistan in 2020, Anderson played a pivotal role in their 3-0 clean sweep. However, two years later, he is absent due to retirement, while Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson are also unavailable due to injury and form concerns.This leaves England with five seamers who have never played a first-class match in Pakistan: Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, and Chris Woakes. The absence of Anderson, who is currently playing in a golf tournament in Scotland, is a significant blow to the team's preparation.Despite being in daily contact with the quicks, Anderson's absence means that they will miss out on valuable in-person coaching. With Ben Stokes also emerging as a doubt for the first Test, Woakes is likely to play his first away Test in over two years.The conditions in Multan will be a challenge for England's bowlers. The temperature reached 40 degrees during their first training session, and the pitch is expected to offer some live grass. Pakistan captain Shan Masood has suggested that the surface could be more seam-friendly than in the past, which could benefit England's new-look attack.England's fast-bowling attack has evolved rapidly in the last year, with a focus on seam movement rather than swing. This transition is designed to help England compete more effectively away from home. The series in Pakistan will be the first real test for this new generation of quicks.

Ben Stokes' participation in the first Test of England's tour to Pakistan remains uncertain, while Zak Crawley has declared himself fit to play. Stokes, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, batted and bowled briefly in the nets on Friday but his inclusion in the team is not guaranteed.If Stokes is ruled out, Ollie Pope will continue as England's captain after leading them to a 2-1 win against Sri Lanka. Chris Woakes could also be in contention to play his first overseas Test in two-and-a-half years, providing balance to the side from No. 7.Crawley, who missed the Sri Lanka series with a broken finger, believes England have the depth to cope with Stokes' potential absence. "We've got a really deep squad, with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well," he said.England are expected to name their XI two days before the first Test, and Crawley suggested a late call would be made on Stokes' inclusion. "He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury," he said. "We don't know just yet. I think he's got to do a few more tests, but he's been doing some running and stuff."Crawley himself has not played competitively since England's third Test against West Indies in July. He fractured his little finger while dropping a catch in the slips and his absence highlighted his importance to the side.England trained for the first time in Multan on Friday, the venue for the first two Tests of the series. Crawley said he felt "brand new" and ready to play, despite not fielding in the slips."The finger is all right," Crawley said. "It's as good as it could be at this stage. I've recovered well from it. It was a nasty break at the time, but I've recovered well and I don't feel it at all while I'm batting."Crawley set the tone for England's clean sweep on their most recent tour to Pakistan with an 86-ball hundred on the first day of the series in Rawalpindi. He believes he has become a more adaptable player since then."You've got to read the conditions," he said. "That's something I've thought about in the past couple of months, being more adaptable, playing the right shots, still being very aggressive - that's always going to be me - but just playing the right shots."

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has praised his team for embracing the risk of forcing a result in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, despite the match being heavily affected by rain. With only 35 overs bowled in the first three days, India managed to secure a 2-0 series sweep, extending their lead at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) rankings.Rohit's aggressive approach was evident from the start, as he launched the first two balls he faced for sixes. This mindset was shared by the other batters, who were willing to take risks to achieve a result. "We had to take a little bit of risk to get a result," Rohit said. "I know the result could have gone either way, but I was okay with it."Rohit emphasized the importance of the team's collective effort, particularly the bowlers who dismissed Bangladesh for 233 in the post-lunch session on day four. "The bowlers came to the party first," he said. "They got the wickets that we needed."Under Rohit's leadership, India has adopted an aggressive approach across formats, including at World Cups. For Rohit, aggression is about actions, not reactions. "The kind of batting we do, the kind of field positioning we do, the kind of bowling we do; that to me is aggression," he explained.Rohit also highlighted the team's exceptional fielding, especially their slip catching. "We took 23 out of 24 catches that came our way," he said. "The guys who were standing behind were so sharp."Rohit's captaincy style is based on trusting his judgment and decisions. "When you are playing at such a high level, you need to have a bit of everything," he said. "You need to be calm, to think wisely. There are a lot of decisions that you have to take on the field."Rohit's aggressive approach and trust in his team's abilities have transformed India into a team that prioritizes winning over everything else.

Rishabh Pant, the charismatic wicketkeeper-batsman, celebrates his 27th birthday on October 4th. Known for his infectious smile and unwavering humor, Pant has emerged as a vital cog in India's cricketing machinery.2024 has been a remarkable year for Pant, marked by his triumphant return to international cricket after a horrific car accident in December 2022. In the recently concluded Test series against Bangladesh, he announced his comeback with a scintillating century, joining MS Dhoni as the Indian wicketkeeper with the most Test hundreds.Pant's resurgence has solidified his position as India's first-choice Test wicketkeeper-batsman, bolstering the team's defense ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia later this year. His heroics in the 2021 Brisbane Test, where he guided India to a memorable victory with an unbeaten 89, will serve as a reminder of his resilience and match-winning abilities.Beyond his Test exploits, Pant has also made significant contributions in limited-overs cricket. He led Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and played a pivotal role in India's T20 World Cup triumph in 2023.With 2432 runs in 35 Tests, 871 runs in 31 ODIs, and 1209 runs in 76 T20Is, Pant has established himself as a prolific run-scorer across formats. His aggressive batting style and fearless approach have made him a fan favorite and a formidable opponent.As Pant celebrates his birthday, the Indian cricket fraternity and fans alike will be eager to witness his continued brilliance on the field. His infectious enthusiasm and unwavering determination will undoubtedly inspire the team to greater heights in the years to come.

India-Australia Rivalry Evolves into Respect, Says Virat KohliThe intense rivalry between India and Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has undergone a significant transformation over the years, according to batting maestro Virat Kohli. Initially characterized by fierce competition and heated exchanges, the relationship has shifted towards mutual respect, particularly after India's consecutive Test series victories in Australia.Kohli, who has been at the forefront of this rivalry, believes that both teams have developed a deeper understanding and admiration for each other's abilities. "It was quite intense at the beginning, but I think since the time we had won two Test series in Australia, the rivalry has turned into respect," Kohli said in a Star Sports promo for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy."We are not taken lightly now as a Test team. The respect looks quite visible when you play against Australia since we have beaten them for back-to-back series wins at their own backyard," he added.The upcoming five-match Test series, which begins on November 22, will be the first between the two teams since 1991/92. It will be a crucial test for India, who currently sit atop the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.A 3-0 series win against New Zealand at home would secure India's place in the WTC final, scheduled for Lord's in June 2025. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will then become a matter of pride for the world's No. 1 team.Kohli's comments reflect the changing dynamics of the India-Australia rivalry. While the intensity and competitiveness remain, there is now a greater sense of respect and camaraderie between the two teams. This evolution is a testament to the growth of both teams and the enduring legacy of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.