Cricket

Interim head coach Marcus Trescothick has defended his young ODI squad after their crushing eight-wicket defeat to the West Indies, emphasizing that the result does not accurately reflect the state of English white-ball cricket.England's loss to the West Indies marked their twelfth ODI defeat in 18 matches since the start of the 2023 World Cup. The match featured a new-look eleven with four debutants, highlighting the team's ongoing transition.On a challenging surface, England was bowled out for 209. Despite a promising display with the ball, Windies opener Evin Lewis's explosive 94 off 69 balls ultimately sealed the victory for the home team.Trescothick acknowledged the challenges faced by the young squad, stating, "I think it's certainly not where England cricket is at. Because for a long period of time now, you've not had our main team in white-ball games. You don't really know where white-ball cricket is."He emphasized the need to invest in the next generation of players, despite the recent setbacks. "I think with the system that we've had and the volume of cricket that we've been trying to play and still look after the players, I think you could put a team together tomorrow for a World Cup, and it would probably look different to what you had this series and some of the series that we played against Australia."The current series lacks several key players due to England's Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand. However, Trescothick believes that the team's focus on youth development is crucial. "It's probably a better question for the selectors more than anything else. It's not my decision who comes in," he said. "But I think you can see from the plan of the England team in the last year, probably, and maybe a little bit further back, how much we want to invest in the next generation."England's innings saw five of the top six batsmen caught in the 30-yard circle, highlighting their struggles to balance defense and attack. "We've got to try and bat 50 overs first and foremost," said Trescothick. "The real skill in white-ball cricket in particular is the tempo and the balance between aggression and batting for long periods of time."Trescothick's tenure as white-ball coach will end in January when Brendon McCullum takes over. He has faced the challenge of balancing the need to emphasize opportunity for young players with the desire to win. "I am trying to get the priority right at the moment. I want to win every game and we dictate that in the dressing room. But we also want to see a few players in the environment before the structure changes and Brendon takes over. So, why not give them the opportunity to thrive in this environment?"Trescothick's future role in the white-ball setup remains uncertain. "I don't know just yet," he said. "We've got a bit of a plan behind the scenes, but nothing has been confirmed as such."

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.

Darren Gough, the former England fast bowler, has emerged as the frontrunner to become the head coach of Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Gough's appointment as head coach of Qalandars in the Global Super League (GSL), which begins in Guyana on November 26, is seen as a stepping stone towards a permanent role in the PSL.Aaqib Javed, who served as head coach and director of cricket operations for Qalandars for eight years, resigned last month to join the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a member of the selection committee for the Pakistan men's national team. Qalandars won back-to-back PSL titles in 2022 and 2023 but finished bottom of the table this year.Gough, who retired in 2006 as England's leading ODI wicket-taker, is eager to take on the role. The GSL is seen as an opportunity for him to gain experience before a permanent decision is made.Gough previously served as managing director at his former club, Yorkshire, after being appointed in December 2021 following the racism allegations that rocked the club. He parted ways with Yorkshire in March this year. Before that, he had a stint as England's bowling consultant in 2020.In 2021, Yorkshire launched a partnership with Qalandars aimed at "nurturing talent [by] reducing barriers to entry" following the racism crisis."I'm really excited about this opportunity because I've been fortunate to work with the Qalandars in Lahore on several occasions, assisting with their PDP [player development programme]," Gough said in a statement. "We know that Lahore Qalandars are all about giving young players opportunities they've never had before -developing their skills and shaping them into players who can go on to represent the Qalandars, and hopefully make Pakistan cricket proud."Sameen Rana, co-owner of Qalandars, said Gough's vision aligned "seamlessly with our commitment to player development", referring to the appointment as an embarkation on "a new journey".The GSL will feature five teams: Qalandars, Hampshire Hawks from the T20 Blast, Rangpur Riders from the BPL, Victoria from Australia, and the hosts, Guyana Amazon Warriors. The final will take place on December 7.

India's batting woes continued on the opening day of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai, as they slumped to 86 for four at the close of play. The hosts, already trailing 0-2 in the series, had earlier bowled out the visitors for 235, thanks to impressive performances from Ravindra Jadeja (5/65) and Washington Sundar (4/81).However, India's batting collapsed in the final 20 minutes of the day, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma all falling cheaply. Jaiswal was dismissed for 18, attempting an extravagant reverse slog-sweep, while Kohli was run out for 4 after a lapse in judgment. Sharma, playing his second Test at the Wankhede Stadium, failed to capitalize on an early chance and was caught for 18.India's batting collapse highlighted their shaky confidence, with Shubman Gill (31 not out) and Mayank Agarwal (17 not out) the only batsmen to show any resistance. The hosts ended the day still 149 runs behind New Zealand's first innings total.Earlier, Jadeja and Sundar had combined for nine wickets to restrict New Zealand to 235. Jadeja achieved his 14th five-for in Tests, surpassing Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma to move up to fifth on India's all-time Test wicket-taker list.Will Young (71) and Daryl Mitchell (82) played well for New Zealand, but they struggled against India's spinners on a spin-friendly pitch. Young looked poised for a century, but Jadeja ended his knock with a turning delivery that clipped the bat's shoulder. Mitchell, the highest scorer with 82 off 129 balls, showed resilience and hit three fours and three sixes in his fighting knock.India desperately need a win in this Test to stay in contention for the World Test Championship final, but their batting collapse on the opening day has put them in a challenging position.

Ravindra Jadeja's mesmerizing spell of left-arm spin wreaked havoc on New Zealand's batting lineup in the first innings of the third Test against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.With India already holding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, New Zealand opted to bat first after winning the toss. They made a promising start, reaching 159 for 4 with Will Young and Daryl Mitchell forging a solid partnership of 87 runs.However, the introduction of Jadeja proved to be a game-changer. The veteran spinner extracted sharp turn and bounce from the pitch, making life difficult for the Kiwi batsmen. In the 45th over, he struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Young for 71 and Tom Blundell for a three-ball duck.Jadeja's relentless attack continued, as he claimed the next three wickets to fall. He rattled the stumps behind Glenn Phillips for 17, trapped Ish Sodhi in front for 7, and cleaned up Matt Henry for 0 in his second double-wicket over of the day. This brought up his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.New Zealand's innings crumbled rapidly after Jadeja's onslaught. Off-spinner Washington Sundar joined the party, dismissing top-scorer Mitchell for 82 and Ajaz Patel for 7 to finish with impressive figures of 4 for 81.The Kiwis were eventually bowled out for 235 in 65.4 overs, with Jadeja finishing with a match-winning haul of 5 for 47. His exceptional performance put India in a commanding position in the match and brought them closer to a series sweep.

Amidst the fervor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) retentions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni celebrated Diwali with family and friends. The festivities coincided with the announcement of CSK's five retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.Dhoni, the former India and CSK captain, was retained as the 'uncapped' player for Rs 4 crore. This move was made possible by a rule allowing players who have not played international cricket or been centrally contracted to the BCCI for five or more years to be retained as 'uncapped' players.Dhoni's retention puts to rest rumors of his retirement. He has expressed his desire to enjoy the "last few years" of his career, indicating that he still has cricket left in him.CSK also showed faith in Ruturaj Gaikwad, who took over captaincy from Dhoni. Gaikwad was retained for Rs 18 crore, the same fee paid to retain Ravindra Jadeja. Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana and Indian middle-order powerhitter Shivam Dube were also retained by CSK.As a result, CSK retained four players as capped and one as uncapped, leaving them with one Right to Match (RTM) card to use at the auction. Players like Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, and Sameer Rizvi are potential candidates for CSK's RTM.The IPL auction is expected to take place in the last week of November. CSK will be looking to strengthen their squad with the remaining slots and RTM card.

India's No-Ball Woes Mar Impressive Start in Mumbai TestThe third and final Test between India and New Zealand in Mumbai got off to a lively start, with the Indian bowlers making early inroads but also struggling with a surprising number of no-balls.Off-spinner Washington Sundar led the Indian attack with two wickets, while Akash Deep claimed the first breakthrough. However, the bowlers' performance was marred by a series of no-ball infractions, with Sundar alone responsible for five. Jadeja and Akash also contributed three no-balls, bringing the total to eight by the middle of the second session.The no-ball problem drew the attention of commentator Ravi Shastri, who quipped that former Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar would have been furious. "Sunil Gavaskar was having lunch. He chucked the plate on the wall," Shastri said. "Thank god he's (Gavaskar) not fielding in the slip otherwise Washington would have been close to Washington DC."Gavaskar, who became the first cricketer to score 10,000 Test runs, has been a vocal critic of no-balls in cricket.Despite the no-ball issues, the Indian bowlers managed to restrict New Zealand to 92 runs for the loss of three wickets at lunch break. The visitors opted to bat first after winning the toss, hoping to sweep the series.The Indian bowlers' struggles with no-balls will be a concern for captain Virat Kohli, who will be keen to avoid a repeat of the second Test in Kanpur, where India conceded 39 no-balls.

New Zealand's stunning 2-0 Test series victory over India has left the hosts reeling, according to wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell. The Black Caps' historic triumph marks their first-ever Test series win in India and the first by a visiting team in 12 years.Blundell believes the Indian team has been caught off guard by New Zealand's unexpected dominance. "They're a little bit shell-shocked," he said. "When we first came over, they had a slogan on TV saying five-nil for their home summer. I'm pretty sure they wrote us off coming after Sri Lanka."The Black Caps' success has been built on a combination of strong batting, disciplined bowling, and astute captaincy. Blundell praised the team's ability to adapt to the challenging conditions in India. "We've come out and competed and played some really good cricket to beat these guys - one of the best teams in the world," he said.Despite their commanding lead, New Zealand is not taking anything for granted in the third and final Test in Mumbai. Blundell said the team is determined to complete a series sweep. "We've got a possibility of beating them 3-0," he said. "But regardless of that, we're pretty chuffed."The victory in India has given New Zealand a major boost ahead of their home summer, which includes three Tests against England. Blundell said the team will be filled with confidence after their historic achievement. "What we've achieved here is pretty immense," he said. "We're excited. We've got a possibility of beating them 3-0. But regardless of that, we're pretty chuffed."

Virat Kohli's Infectious Dance Moves Light Up Wankhede StadiumIndian cricket superstar Virat Kohli brought a touch of Bollywood flair to the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. Amidst the intense competition, Kohli couldn't resist showcasing his playful side by dancing to the iconic Bollywood number "My Name is Lakhan" from the 1988 film Ram Lakhan.Kohli's infectious dance moves were captured on camera and quickly went viral on social media, delighting fans and teammates alike. The moment provided a lighthearted respite from the high-stakes match, showcasing Kohli's ability to find joy even in the most competitive of environments.The dance came just a day after Kohli was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the next three IPL seasons. The Rs 21 crore contract makes Kohli the joint-second costliest retained player in the IPL 2025 retention list, alongside Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Heinrich Klaasen of Sunrisers Hyderabad leads the list with a Rs 23 crore retention.Kohli's retention by RCB is a testament to his enduring value as a player and leader. The former Indian captain has been a cornerstone of the franchise since 2008, leading them to two IPL titles and numerous other accolades.Kohli's dance at the Wankhede Stadium is a reminder that even the most accomplished athletes can find moments of joy and levity amidst the pressures of competition. His infectious enthusiasm and playful spirit are a testament to his love for the game and his ability to connect with fans on a personal level.