Cricket

Joe Root has ascended to the No. 2 spot in the ICC Test batting rankings, trailing only New Zealand's Kane Williamson. This surge follows Steven Smith's recent dip in form, which saw him fall below 800 points for the first time since 2014.Root's resurgence, marked by a century against India in Ranchi last month, has been the primary beneficiary of Smith's decline. Since assuming the role of Australia's Test opener, Smith has struggled, posting scores of 31 and 0 in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington.Smith's teammate Marnus Labuschagne, another former No. 1-ranked batter, has also fallen out of the top ten for the first time since December 2019. His meager total of three runs in the same match has contributed to his slide. Travis Head, who achieved a career-best ranking of No. 2 during last year's Ashes, has also slipped to No. 12 after twin scores of 1 and 29.Head's decline has paved the way for three Indian batters to rise in the rankings. Yashaswi Jaiswal has broken into the top ten for the first time, amassing 665 runs in the ongoing series against England. Rohit Sharma follows closely at No. 11, while Virat Kohli climbs one place to No. 8 despite missing the series due to the recent birth of his child.Cameron Green has been the most significant climber in the batting rankings this week. His match-winning 174 not out in Australia's first innings at Wellington has propelled him 22 places to 23rd position, a career-best tally of 661 points.Williamson, with 870 points, maintains a comfortable lead over Root (799) at the top of the rankings. His remarkable run of seven centuries in his last eight Tests has solidified his dominance.On the bowling front, Nathan Lyon's 10-wicket match haul against New Zealand has elevated him two places to No. 6 in the rankings, just two points shy of his career-best tally at Edgbaston last year. Glenn Phillips, New Zealand's offspinning allrounder, has made significant gains on both the batting and bowling fronts, while Matt Henry has climbed into the top 20 for the first time after taking eight wickets in the match.Ireland's historic Test victory against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi has also impacted the rankings. Mark Adair's eight wickets in the match have moved him up 30 slots to 69th position on the bowling charts, while Andy Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Paul Stirling, and Andy McBrine have all moved into the top 100 in the batting rankings. Hashmatullah Shahidi has gained five places to reach 81st position among the batters, while Naveed Zadran has moved up 32 places to 79th among the bowlers.

India's Test captain, Rohit Sharma, has emerged as a more astute leader during the fiercely contested series against England. The demanding nature of the tour forced him to reflect on his shortcomings and make necessary adjustments.Despite England's victory in the opening Test, India rallied to secure an insurmountable 3-1 lead heading into the final encounter in Dharamsala. Rohit, who took over as Test captain from Virat Kohli in 2022, has maintained an unbeaten record in five series, excluding India's defeat in the World Test Championship final last year.Under Ben Stokes' leadership, England adopted an aggressive "Bazball" style of play, winning the opening match by a margin of 28 runs and challenging India. However, India managed to counter despite the absence of key players, including Kohli, who opted to skip the series following the birth of his second child.The series witnessed the emergence of young talent, exemplified by 22-year-old opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's remarkable double centuries in the second and third matches. In the bowling department, Indian players excelled, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja each accumulating 17 wickets in the series."Since I became captain, I haven't played with a full team. It's no excuse... work with what you have, keep a good atmosphere and play with freedom," Rohit told reporters."Basically it has been a series of comebacks. So throughout the series you must have seen that we have absorbed pressure and put it back on the opposition.""It was a great series for me to learn as a captain and there are a lot of different challenges that came across our way," added Rohit."As a captain, I got to learn a lot about how to utilise the players and obviously, when the pressure is put back on you, how to respond to certain situations of the game and things like that. I think it was a great series to be part of.""I am glad that I was captaining this series, it made me understand where I have lacked as a captain and what are the things I need to do differently."Stokes agreed that India had outclassed England during moments in the series when the game was in the balance."India have been better than us in those moments on more than one occasion. It's skill versus skill and in the moments that have mattered, since the first game, India have been better," he said.But when asked about being outsmarted by Rohit in the series, a visibly flustered Stokes said, "I will let you decide".The final Test will be a landmark 100th for Ashwin, and Rohit was all praise for his veteran "match-winner", who left the third match midway to be with his ailing mother and returned a day later."The biggest thing is that he is a big team player and we saw that in the Rajkot Test when it was a difficult situation for him but he called and said 'I want to come back and do something for the team'," said Rohit."When you have players like this then your head is held high."

MS Dhoni's IPL Future: Deepak Chahar Predicts Two More YearsWith the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season approaching, speculation has intensified regarding the future of legendary wicket-keeper batter MS Dhoni. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Deepak Chahar has weighed in on the debate, expressing his belief that Dhoni can continue playing for another two years.Chahar's assessment is based on Dhoni's impressive performances in the nets. "In T20s, you retire when you feel 140kmph is extremely fast. Last year, you saw how MS Dhoni hit sixes against 145kmph, and we see that in the nets as well," Chahar said on Aakash Chopra's YouTube channel.Chahar believes that Dhoni's fitness and ability to handle fast bowling suggest that he has plenty of cricket left in him. "He will play this year. I think he will decide after this season. I personally think he can play for two years," Chahar added.Dhoni's arrival in Chennai on Tuesday for CSK's pre-season training camp has further fueled speculation about his future. The 42-year-old led CSK to their fifth IPL title last season, but there have been questions about his batting form and whether he will continue playing beyond this season.Last year, Dhoni often came out to bat towards the end of CSK's innings, raising concerns about his ability to contribute significantly. However, Chahar's comments suggest that Dhoni remains a valuable asset to the team.CSK will open their IPL 2024 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22. Dhoni's performance in this season will be closely watched as fans and experts alike try to gauge his future plans.

The highly anticipated fifth Test of the Anthony de Mello Trophy 2024 series between India and England will take place at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on March 7, 2024. The match is scheduled to begin at 09:30 AM IST.India has dominated the series so far, winning three of the four matches played. England, on the other hand, managed to secure a solitary victory in the second Test. In their previous encounter, Dhruv Jurel emerged as the Man of the Match for India, while Joe Root topped the fantasy points leaderboard for England.The pitch at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is known to favor batters, with an average first innings score of 306 runs in the last 20 matches. The weather forecast predicts a cloudy day with temperatures hovering around 14.84 degrees Celsius and humidity at 45%. Winds are expected to blow at a speed of 2.23 m/s.Pace bowlers have historically been successful at this venue, accounting for 86% of the total wickets taken. Therefore, fantasy teams should consider selecting as many pace bowlers as possible.In terms of head-to-head records, India and England have played 135 matches, with batters from both teams contributing significantly to their respective team's fantasy points.IND vs ENG Dream11 Prediction:Wicket-Keepers: Dhruv Jurel, Ben Foakes, Jonny BairstowBatters: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Zak Crawley, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat PatidarAll-Rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Joe Root, Ravichandran AshwinBowlers: Mark WoodCaptain: Ravindra JadejaVice-Captain: Dhruv Jurel

India's Rohit Sharma Stresses Importance of Domestic Cricket for All PlayersIndian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has emphasized the paramount importance of players making themselves available for domestic cricket when not engaged in national duties. This directive aims to discourage players from prioritizing one format over another and ensure the strength of domestic cricket, which is the foundation of Indian cricket.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a firm stance on this issue, excluding ODI World Cup participants Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the pool of centrally contracted cricketers for failing to comply with the board's instructions regarding the Ranji Trophy.Rohit Sharma reiterated that this directive applies to all players, not just a select few. "It is important that we go and play that," he said. "It is not for just a few cricketers, it is for everyone to make sure that whenever you're available, and fine, you should be able to play domestic cricket."The Indian skipper highlighted the quality and excitement of domestic cricket, as witnessed in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy semi-finals. "When games like that happen, you see the quality and everything coming into display for everyone to watch," he said. "It is important that we give importance to domestic cricket, which is the core of Indian cricket."Rohit's comments come as India prepares for the final Test against England in Dharamsala. Despite his busy schedule, he made time to follow the Ranji Trophy semi-finals, including the match between his own domestic side Mumbai and Tamil Nadu.The BCCI's directive and Rohit Sharma's emphasis on domestic cricket underscore the importance of a strong domestic structure for the development and success of Indian cricket. By ensuring that players are available for domestic matches, the board aims to maintain the quality and competitiveness of the domestic circuit, which is essential for nurturing future talent and strengthening the national team.

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has strongly refuted comments made by England batter Ben Duckett, who suggested that England's "Bazball" approach had influenced Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting style. Rohit's response, delivered at a press conference on the eve of the fifth Test in Dharamsala, was a clear reminder of the impact of Rishabh Pant's fearless batting."There was a guy called Rishabh Pant in our team, probably Ben Duckett hasn't seen him play," Rohit stated.Jaiswal has emerged as India's leading run-scorer in the series, amassing 655 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 94.57 and a strike rate of 78.63. Duckett's comments, made after witnessing Jaiswal's boundary-filled innings in the Rajkot Test, implied that England's aggressive style had inspired the young Indian batter."When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they're playing differently than how other people play Test cricket," Duckett had said.Rohit's response was not the only criticism of Duckett's remarks. Former England captain Nasser Hussain also condemned the player's comments."He's not learned from you. He's learned from his upbringing, all the hard yards he had to put in growing up. If anything, lads, look at him and learn from him. I hope there's a little bit of self-introspection going on. Otherwise, it becomes a cult - and, at times, Bazball and this regime has been described as such, where you cannot criticise within or externally," Hussain said on Sky Sports.Rohit's firm stance and Hussain's criticism highlight the importance of acknowledging the individual talent and hard work of players, rather than attributing their success solely to external influences.

Ravichandran Ashwin, India's veteran spinner, was forced to leave the Rajkot Test against England after the second day's play due to a family emergency. Ashwin, who had reached the 500-wicket milestone earlier that day, addressed the press conference after the final session and immediately departed for home.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initially stated that it was a "family emergency" that prompted Ashwin's departure, but it was later revealed that the situation involved his mother's health. Ashwin himself has not yet spoken about the matter, but his wife Prithi explained the situation in a column she penned ahead of the cricketer's 100th Test.In her column for the Indian Express, Prithi revealed that Ashwin's mother suddenly collapsed, prompting the family to rush her to the hospital. However, instead of calling Ashwin, Prithi contacted Cheteshwar Pujara to arrange for the spinner's return."During Rajkot, the kids had just got back from school when five minutes later, he got to 500. And soon, all of us were on the phone answering all the congratulatory messages," Prithi wrote. "It was then that I heard a sudden scream from aunty as she collapsed, and in no time we were at the hospital. At that point, we had decided not to tell Ashwin because there wasn't good flight connectivity between Chennai and Rajkot."Prithi then called Pujara, whose family helped arrange Ashwin's return flight. After the scans, the doctor suggested that Ashwin's presence would be beneficial, so Prithi informed him of the situation."Over the phone, he sounded so broken and hung up. It took another 20-25 minutes to process what I told him and for him to call back. And thanks to Rohit (Sharma), Rahul bhai (Dravid) and the others in the team and the BCCI - who followed up all the way till he reached here - he got here late at night," she added.Ashwin arrived home and found his mother in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Fortunately, she recovered, allowing Ashwin to return to Rajkot and rejoin his teammates on Day 4 of the Test."It was a very emotional moment for him to see his mom in the ICU. And after she stabilized, we asked him to rejoin the team. Given his personality, he would never leave a game like that. And he would have an extreme amount of guilt if he didn't win the game for his team. Through those couple of days, I realized his yearning for time with his parents is a lot more now and it is coming with age and maturity," Prithi said.

Tamil Nadu's Ranji Trophy semifinal defeat against Mumbai has sparked a controversy after coach Sulakshan Kulkarni publicly criticized captain R Sai Kishore's decision to bat first. Kulkarni's comments have drawn the ire of former state stars, who believe the issue should have been handled internally.Kulkarni claimed that the entire dressing room was shocked by Kishore's last-minute change of plan. He had previously instructed Kishore to bowl first if they won the toss, but the captain opted to bat instead."If his inner voice or instinct told him that we have to bat first, there was no point in having me," Kulkarni said. "I am an experienced coach and a Ranji Trophy-winning coach. We were playing against Mumbai in Mumbai, a place I know everything about, but he did not listen."Kishore has not responded to Kulkarni's allegations. However, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has expressed its displeasure with the coach's outburst."What he (Kulkarni) did was wrong," said a TNCA official. "We got five outright wins with Sai Kishore's good decision-making. You cannot blame someone for just one decision. That is not how a coach should work. In my view, Kulkarni has committed a mistake."Former India captain K Srikkanth condemned Kulkarni's actions on his YouTube channel. "This is absolutely not fair," he said. "Dear TNCA, please do not recruit such coaches from outside (the state)."Hemang Badani, another former Tamil Nadu player, wrote on social media: "Good coaches do not do that."Dinesh Karthik, who captained Tamil Nadu in the past, expressed his disappointment on Twitter. "This is so wrong. This is so disappointing from the coach," he said.The controversy has cast a shadow over Tamil Nadu's impressive Ranji Trophy campaign. The team had won five matches in a row before suffering the innings defeat against Mumbai.

In a thrilling encounter of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Peshawar Zalmi emerged victorious over table-toppers Multan Sultans by a narrow margin of four runs. Despite a blistering 60 off 27 balls from Iftikhar Ahmed, Sultans fell short of their target of 205 runs, handing Zalmi their second win over the league leaders this season.Zalmi's chase got off to a strong start with captain Babar Azam and Saim Ayub putting on a 71-run partnership in the powerplay. Azam continued his impressive form, scoring 64 off 40 balls, while Ayub contributed 46 off 22 balls. However, Usama Mir's three-wicket haul, including the key wicket of Azam, slowed down Zalmi's progress.With 58 runs required off the last three overs, Iftikhar and Chris Jordan launched a counterattack, scoring 75 runs off just 28 balls. Jordan remained unbeaten on 30 off 12 balls, but Zalmi ultimately fell short at 200-5.Earlier, Sultans had posted a competitive total of 204-5, thanks to Azam's knock and Ayub's aggressive batting. However, Zalmi's rookie left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz impressed in the powerplay, dismissing Reeza Hendricks in his debut PSL over.Sultans' top-order struggled against Zalmi's bowling, with Mohammad Rizwan and Dawid Malan falling cheaply. Iftikhar and Jordan's late surge almost pulled off a victory for Sultans, but Zalmi's pacers held their nerve in the final overs to secure the win.With this victory, Zalmi moved closer to a place in the final four, while Sultans remained at the top of the table despite their second loss. The match showcased the exciting and unpredictable nature of the PSL, with both teams displaying their fighting spirit and determination.