Cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has deemed the pitches prepared for Pakistan's recent Test series against England as "satisfactory," despite the surfaces drawing significant attention for their contrasting nature.In the first Test, Pakistan's flat pitch allowed both teams to amass massive totals, with England setting a record-breaking 827 for 7 declared. However, Pakistan's subsequent innings collapse led to a result that seemed improbable earlier in the match.Following this defeat, Pakistan drastically altered their pitch-making strategy. For the second Test in Multan, they reused the same surface and employed giant fans to dry it out. The third Test in Rawalpindi, a venue known for its lack of spin, also involved fans and heaters to break up the surface.These changes resulted in pitches that provided significant assistance to spinners, with all 40 of England's wickets in the last two Tests falling to spin. Pakistan won the second Test on the fourth day, while the third Test ended before lunch on day three.Despite the contrasting nature of the pitches, England raised no public objections, while Pakistan maintained their right to prepare surfaces that offered them home advantage. The ICC's "satisfactory" rating reflects this view, as it is the lowest rating that does not constitute a censure.The ICC rates pitches and outfields on a scale from "very good" to "unfit." An "unsatisfactory" rating results in one demerit point, while an "unfit" rating incurs three. Grounds that accumulate five or more demerit points within a five-year period are suspended from hosting international cricket for 12 months.This was the third consecutive Test in Rawalpindi where the pitch came under scrutiny. In 2022, the surface was rated "below average" and docked a demerit point, which was later rescinded on appeal.

India's humiliating 3-0 Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand has raised serious concerns about the team's preparation and approach. This is the first time India has suffered a clean sweep in a Test series of three or more matches on home soil.Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the team for its dismal performance, particularly the batters' inability to counter the New Zealand spinners. Gavaskar believes that the Indian team was not adequately prepared for the series and cited Sachin Tendulkar's meticulous preparation for an important series in 1998 as an example.In 1998, India was set to face Australia in a home Test series. Gavaskar revealed how Tendulkar prepared himself during warm-up games for Mumbai against Australia to counter Shane Warne during the Test matches."That's the reason why Sachin Tendulkar was Sachin Tendulkar. He was so fiercely proud of what he could do and what he wanted to do for the team," Gavaskar said. "He asked Laxman Sivaramakrishnan to come and go around the wicket, create a rough around that area so that he could practice that slog sweep and the inside out shot against Shane Warne."Gavaskar emphasized the importance of such preparation, stating that it is essential for players to be ready for the challenges they will face in international cricket. He believes that the Indian team's lack of preparation contributed to their poor performance against New Zealand."So, I think that is the kind of preparation that everybody needs to do. If you don't do it then with the gaps that are there will always be that little body speed and back speed situation, which takes a long time to get back," Gavaskar said.The Indian team's performance in the Test series against New Zealand has raised questions about their ability to compete at the highest level. The team's batters have struggled against spin bowling, and their bowlers have been unable to take wickets consistently.The Indian team will need to address these issues if they want to regain their status as one of the top Test teams in the world. They will have a chance to do so in their upcoming Test series against Australia, which begins on February 9.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has urged Pakistan's Babar Azam to emulate Virat Kohli's strategy to regain his lost form. Babar, who was rested for the final two Tests against England due to poor form, has struggled to find his rhythm in recent times.Ponting believes that Babar should consider taking a break from cricket, similar to what Kohli did in 2022. Kohli's sabbatical helped him rediscover his form and return to his best."The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side. They've got to find a way to get Babar back into form and back into their (Test) team," Ponting said in the ICC Review."You know, when you look at (Babar's) numbers, it's been a bit like the stuff that we were talking about with Virat Kohli earlier on. Sometimes - and I think Virat was on record saying this - that little bit of a break that he had, he took himself away from the game for a while to freshen up and sort out some things that he needed to sort out."Ponting added that Babar may need to "get away for a while and stop trying too hard.""Lock the kit bag away for a while, and think about something else and then hopefully come back recharged, because we know at his best he's as good as anyone going around. Hopefully, we get to see that in the back half of his career again," Ponting said.Babar has amassed 3,997 runs at an average of 43.92 in 55 Test matches. However, he has not scored a Test half-century in 18 innings since late 2022.Pakistan won the Test series against England 2-1 under the leadership of Shan Masood. Babar's return to form will be crucial for Pakistan's success in upcoming Test matches.

India's recent home Test series loss to New Zealand has raised concerns about the future of head coach Gautam Gambhir. The team's first home Test series defeat in 12 years, and their first-ever clean sweep in a 3-match series, has brought Gambhir's coaching decisions under scrutiny.One of the key factors contributing to India's downfall was Gambhir's insistence on preparing rank-turners for the Pune and Mumbai Tests. This decision has been criticized by former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali, who believes it was a mistake to abandon the approach of Gambhir's predecessor, Rahul Dravid.Ali praised Dravid's coaching philosophy, which involved preparing pitches that would turn on the last couple of days. In contrast, Gambhir's pitches have allowed even part-time spinners to extract significant turn from the first day.Ali also questioned Gambhir's understanding of player psychology. He believes that Gambhir's aggressive approach, which encourages batsmen to play T10 and T20 style in Test cricket, is unfair to players like Virat Kohli.Gambhir's coaching philosophy and the performances of veterans like Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be crucial to India's success in their upcoming tour of Australia. The team faces a daunting task in the 5-Test series, and Gambhir's ability to guide them through the challenges will be tested.

India A's hopes of a Test recall for KL Rahul and other candidates suffered a setback as Australia A's Michael Neser wreaked havoc on their batting lineup on the opening day of their four-day clash at the MCG.Sent in on a green, bouncy pitch, India A collapsed to 65 for 5 at lunch, with Neser claiming 4 for 16 from eight overs. The damage began in the opening over when Neser dismissed Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan in consecutive deliveries.Rahul, who was hoping to impress as an opener, was caught behind for four by Scott Boland. Ruturaj Gaikwad also fell cheaply, edging Neser to second slip.Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel steadied the innings with a 43-run partnership, but Neser broke the stand with a superb delivery that induced Padikkal to slice a catch to gully.Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney rotated his bowlers effectively, with Nathan McAndrew, Beau Webster, and Corey Rocchiccioli providing support to Neser and Boland.India A's batting woes continued after lunch, with Jurel (24*) and Sarfaraz Khan (12*) holding on amidst the carnage. However, the visitors still face an uphill battle to recover from their disastrous start.

Rohit Sharma's struggles in Test cricket have continued, with the Indian skipper failing to impress in the recent 0-3 series defeat against New Zealand. Sharma's poor form has raised concerns, with former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar identifying a "real problem" in his batting technique.Manjrekar believes that Sharma is attempting to clear the boundary with brute force rather than making proper connections. "He is missing a few of his big hits," Manjrekar said. "He is mis-hitting a lot of his attacking shots and he is not trusting his defense enough."Sharma's statistics in the Test series against New Zealand were disappointing, with the opener scoring just 91 runs at a strike rate of 68.42. His dismissal in the second innings, where he attempted to hit a boundary rather than make a solid connection, highlighted his technical issues.The series loss against New Zealand marked a low point for Sharma's captaincy, as he became the first Indian captain to concede a 3-0 Test series defeat on home soil. New Zealand's victory was historic, as they became the first team to win a long format series by 0-3 in India.Despite leading Team India to 12 victories in 21 Test matches, Sharma's recent performances have raised questions about his suitability as captain. His inability to score runs consistently in red-ball cricket has been a major concern, and Manjrekar's analysis suggests that technical flaws may be contributing to his struggles.If Sharma is to regain his form and lead India to success in Test cricket, he will need to address the issues identified by Manjrekar. He must rediscover his defensive technique and focus on making solid connections rather than attempting to hit every ball for a boundary.

Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma's recent struggles have raised concerns among cricket pundits. Despite his impressive record in limited-overs cricket, Rohit's Test batting has been underwhelming, particularly in the recently concluded series against New Zealand.In the three-match series, Rohit managed only 91 runs across six innings, with three dismissals coming from fast bowlers on spin-friendly tracks. Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has attributed Rohit's poor form to his batting position and has suggested a change in order.Kaneria believes that Rohit should move down to the number three position, allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill to open the batting. He argues that Rohit has struggled against the moving ball in India and that the conditions in Australia, where India will tour later this year, will be even more challenging."Just see if Rohit Sharma is still comfortable opening or if he should come in one-down and change his order a little bit because he has been struggling with the track in India," Kaneria said. "The Indian top order should be Jaiswal and Shubman as openers, Rohit coming one-down, and Virat two-down."Kaneria's suggestion aligns with the growing consensus that Rohit's batting style is better suited to the middle order. As an opener, he faces the new ball and is more vulnerable to swing and seam bowling. By moving down the order, he would have the opportunity to settle in and play his shots more freely.Rohit's captaincy has also come under scrutiny following India's 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand. This is the first time India has been clean swept in a Test series of three or more matches at home. Kaneria believes that head coach Gautam Gambhir needs to manage the team's batting lineup more effectively, particularly in the absence of injured all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja."Gambhir needs to manage the long Indian batting line-up, as Ashwin and Jadeja are there, so they have a deep batting line-up," Kaneria said.Whether Rohit and Gambhir heed Kaneria's advice remains to be seen. However, it is clear that Rohit's Test form and captaincy are in need of improvement if India is to regain its status as a dominant force in the longest format of the game.

KL Rahul's batting performance in the upcoming second unofficial Test against Australia A will be closely scrutinized by the Indian national selection committee as he prepares to showcase his skills ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rahul, who was dropped midway through the home Tests against New Zealand, has been sent to the 'A' Test along with reserve keeper Dhruv Jurel to gain match practice before joining the senior team in Perth on January 11.The India A team will face a stern test against Australia A, which includes seasoned pacer Scott Boland. Boland's presence will provide a challenging environment for the Indian batters, including Rahul, who will likely bat at No. 5 or 6. Rahul's ability to handle quality fast bowling in bouncy conditions will be crucial, as he aims to prove his worth for a spot in the Test series.During the practice session at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Rahul looked in good touch. With Abhimanyu Easwaran and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad expected to open, Rahul's batting position will be similar to what it would be in the Indian Test XI.The Indian selectors believe that Rahul's experience and success in overseas conditions, including centuries at Lord's, Oval, Sydney, and Centurion, make him a more suitable choice than domestic doyen Sarfaraz Khan, despite Khan's impressive 150 against New Zealand in Bengaluru.The India A team will make four changes to the squad that played the first 'unofficial Test' at Mackay, which they lost by seven wickets. Rahul will replace Baba Indrajith, while Jurel will take the place of Ishan Kishan. Navdeep Saini will make way for left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, and off-spinner all-rounder Tanush Kotian will replace slow left-arm orthodox Manav Suthar.

Virat Kohli's recent Test series against New Zealand has been a disappointing one, with the former Indian captain scoring just 44 runs in five innings. This has resulted in a significant drop in his ICC Test ranking, with Kohli now sitting at 22nd, his lowest position in over a decade.Kohli's struggles have been evident throughout the series, with the 34-year-old failing to convert starts into substantial scores. In the first Test in Kanpur, he was dismissed for 0 and 1, while in the second Test in Mumbai, he managed only 4 and 1.Kohli's poor form has coincided with a resurgence from Rishabh Pant, who has moved up to sixth in the ICC Test batting rankings after a strong performance in the Mumbai Test. Pant scored half-centuries in both innings, helping India to avoid a whitewash.Other Indian batters to make gains in the rankings include Shubman Gill, who moved up four places to 16th, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who dropped a rung to fourth.In the bowling rankings, Ravindra Jadeja climbed two spots to sixth after taking 10 wickets against New Zealand. Jasprit Bumrah remains India's top-ranked bowler, sitting at fourth, while Ravichandran Ashwin is fifth.New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell also made a significant jump in the rankings, moving up eight places to seventh after scoring 82 in the first innings of the Mumbai Test.