Explore Business Standard
Ashes Series
Travis Head flipped the narrative and dominated the England pace bowlers with one of the great centuries in Ashes cricket Saturday as Australia raced to an eight-wicket victory with three days to spare in the first Test. Head turned England's Bazball tactics back on the visitors, clobbering a century from 69 deliveries after being promoted up the order to open the innings when Usman Khawaja was injured. Australia captain Steve Smith said Head offered to open the innings and he told him: "Go for your life!" That innings from Travis Head was out of this world," Smith said. In three innings across five sessions, fast bowlers were right on top as 30 wickets fell for 468 runs 113 overs in Perth 19 on a chaotic Day 1 and 11 before the tea interval on Day 2. Set 205 to win, Head went in as a makeshift opener and plundered 123 from 83 balls, hitting boundaries to all parts of the ground as he hit the rope 16 times and cleared it on four occasions. He was caught in the outfield trying t
Former captain Michael Vaughan feels Australia looked jaded in the recent home Test series against the West Indies and said England stand a great chance in next year's Ashes if a "Dad's Army" is fielded by their arch-rivals. Vaughan said most of the players in the current Australian Test side are ageing and the need of the hour is to infuse fresh talent in order to continue dominating world cricket. Australia drew the recent two-Test series against the West Indies, who have a poor record Down Under. Playing in only his second Test, Shamar Joseph single-handedly guided West Indies to a narrow eight-run win at Brisbane, returning with stunning figures of 7/68 in the second innings. "There was not much optimism in Australia that it would be a great Test summer because the two touring teams, Pakistan and West Indies, had poor recent records Down Under. But it was actually very competitive, as proved by the Windies pulling off that stunning win at the Gabba," Vaughan wrote in a column f
England announced an unchanged team on Wednesday to play Australia in the fifth and final Ashes test at the Oval. England record wicket-taker James Anderson, who turns 41 on the fourth day, retains his place in the side despite a disappointing series so far while pacer Mark Wood and all-rounder Chris Woakes have both been passed fit. The fifth test starts Thursday. Australia takes a 2-1 lead into the match and has already retained the urn but England is looking to level the series after the final-day washout at Old Trafford in the drawn fourth test. Jimmy Anderson is the greatest fast bowler to play the game, England captain Ben Stokes said. He's not had the impact and the wickets he'd have liked to in this series, he's come under a bit of flak, but he's a quality performer. Australia arrived in south London with an insurmountable lead as holder of the Ashes, but a similar scenario in 2019 saw the team come unstuck in the final test and forced to settle for a drawn series. Austra
Australia has retained the Ashes after rain prevented any play on the final day of the fourth test against England at Old Trafford on Sunday. Australia has an insurmountable 2-1 lead with one test left. England needed to win the five-match series to take the urn off holder Australia. England was favorite to win the fourth test with Australia 214-5 and 61 runs behind the hosts. Only 30 overs were possible on Saturday.
Rain prevented play from starting on time on the last day of the fourth Ashes cricket test between England and Australia on Sunday. The weather forecast is bleak and it is possible that play will be washed out for the rest of the day. Only 30 overs were possible on Saturday, with plenty more rain forecast on what could be a frustrating final day at Old Trafford. Australia are more than happy to settle for a draw that would see them retain their 2-1 lead and the urn, meaning England will be forced to make the most of whatever windows of play are possible. They have already been frustrated by a 103-run stand between centurion Marnus Labuschagne and Mitch Marsh, but saw their prospects rise when Joe Root had the former caught behind. There is little margin for error after their 275-run first-innings lead was whittled down to 61 by the tourists, who will resume on 214-5.
Former wicketkeeper Ian Healy has targeted Australia skipper Pat Cummins for the team's abysmal showing in the fourth Ashes Test saying, "it was not a day to be proud of" for the visitors. Australia surrendered the initiative on the second day of the Test to England, who took a 67-run first-innings lead on Thursday and look set to pile more misery on Australia with Harry Brook and skipper Ben Stokes batting on 14 and 24 respectively. Responding to Australia's first-innings score of 317, England are 384 for 4, dealing a huge blow to the visitors' hopes of winning the crucial Test at Old Trafford. Healy was unimpressed with Cummins' tactics on Thursday, saying Australia couldn't keep the opposition in check. "It was not a day to be proud of whatsoever. We couldn't keep things tight. Cummins had a terrible day in the field. He dropped two catches and didn't see one," Healy told 'Sen Radio' on Friday. The legendary 59-year-old former wicketkeeper indicated that Cummins, while off-col