Page 29 - Test Cricket

ICC WTC 2025 Final: South Africa's road to the final vs Australia

The Proteas had only two wins in hand after their first six matches of the ICC WTC 2023-25 cycle, but they made a dream comeback and went on to win all six of their remaining Tests

South Africa announces playing 11 for ICC WTC 2025 final vs Australia

Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi will be the three pacers for the Proteas, while Keshav Maharaj will be the lone spinner in the squad

Australia announces playing 11 for WTC 2025 final; Cameron Green included

In a notable tactical move, Australia will promote Marnus Labuschagne to partner Khawaja at the opening slot

Kotian, Kamboj fifties power India A's lead past 400 in 2nd unofficial Test

Tanush Kotian (90 not out) and Anshul Kamboj (51 not out) brought up their respective half-centuries to take India A's overall lead to 438 at tea on the fourth day of their second unofficial Test here on Monday. Kotian, who hit the fourth ball that he faced over the fence off off-spinner Farhan Ahmed, struck 10 fours to reach 90 not out in 108 balls. In a wicket-less second session, the Mumbai all-rounder forged a busy partnership with Kamboj, putting on a robust 149-run unbeaten stand for the eighth wicket to frustrate England Lions' bowlers. Kamboj also made the most of his time out in the middle against a tiring bowling attack with a solid knock as England Lions were forced to turn to their part-time bowlers to push for wickets. Kotian brought up his 16th First-Class half-century with a cut towards the vacant third man region off McKinney in the 74th over. On the other hand, a maiden First-Class fifty for Kamboj came in the 91st over of the innings when he hit Tom Haines for th

Lack of solution to struggles prompted Kohli retirement: Monty Panesar

A probable lack of solution for his recurring struggles with the ball outside the off-stump prompted Virat Kohli to take retirement from Test cricket ahead of the England tour, feels former spinner Monty Panesar. Panesar, who played 50 Tests and helped England to a rare Test series win in India back in 2012, reckons Kohli would have found it tougher to deal with the moving ball around the off-stump than his previous tours of England. In 2018, Kohli had staged a stellar turnaround in England after a forgettable tour of 2014 when James Anderson got the better of him in the corridor of uncertainty. "With Kohli, what has happened is that against the ball outside the off stump, the fifth stump line, especially in Australia on fast bouncy pitches he was struggling," the left-arm spinner told PTI. "So he probably thought maybe the fact that in England it is going to swing a lot more, he'll probably hasn't worked out solutions in that corridor of uncertainty "And I think that's probably b

Matthew Hayden picks Stubbs as South Africa's X-Factor for WTC Final

Matthew Hayden, speaking during an interaction with Star Sports, praised Stubbs for his natural flair and match-winning abilities.

Sai Sudharshan is one of India's future 3-format players: Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa turned the spotlight to India's rising stars in the wake of IPL 2025, praising the new generation, "Gen Bold." He singled out one name in particular: Sai Sudharshan

IND A vs ENG A: Khaleel's fiery 4-fer hands India A slender 1st inning lead

Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed produced a penetrating spell of seam bowling, returning with figures of 4/70 as England Lions were bowled out for 327, handing India A a 21-run first-innings lead at tea on day three of the second unofficial Test, here on Sunday. Resuming at 192/3, the hosts suffered a dramatic collapse in the morning session, losing four wickets for just 10 runs. Khaleel set the tone, removing skipper James Rew (10) and George Hill (0) off successive deliveries to trigger the slide. He followed it up with the wicket of Chris Woakes (5), caught behind, reducing the Lions to 266 for 8 by lunch. After the interval, Nitish Kumar Reddy broke Farhan Ahmed's dogged resistance -- his 87-ball 24 frustrating the visitors -- to make it 279 for 9. But from there India A struggled to break through with the final wicket stand between Josh Tongue and No 11 Eddie Jack, frustrating the visitors. Tongue remained unbeaten on a resolute 36 (61 balls), while 19-year-old Jack -- playing o

AUS vs SA, WTC Final: AB de Villiers' golden advice for Test batters

The unpredictable nature of Lord's and the ever-present movement off the surface require players to approach their innings with caution and respect.

South Africa will bring fight to Australia in WTC 2025 final: Nathan Lyon

The veteran off-spinner noted that the challenge will be compounded for Australia by unfamiliar conditions in England and the use of the Dukes ball

Rohit Sharma will be missed deeply: Pant ahead of IND vs ENG Test series

The tour marks India's first Test series without stalwarts Rohit and Kohli, both of whom called time on their red-ball careers earlier this month

Australia becomes even stronger whenever they play in ICC events: Tom Moody

"There's something about ICC events that brings the best out of Australia," Moody said

KL Rahul proves himself England-ready with brilliant century for India A

India A made a few tweaks after the first unofficial Test, one of them being Rahul returning to the top of the order alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal

Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy set to debut in England-India Test series

This new trophy pays tribute to Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run-scorer in Test cricket and England's James Anderson the most prolific fast bowler in Test history with 704 wickets.

Not easy to replace Rohit and Kohli: Shubman Gill ahead of ENG vs IND Tests

New Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill spoke about Bumrah's availability, England's bazball style among other topics ahead of India's red ball tour of England.

ENG vs IND: Pacer Jofra Archer set to return for 2nd Test in Edgbaston

Archer, who hasn't featured in the longer format since 2021, is gradually working his way back from multiple injury setbacks, most recently a broken thumb sustained during the Indian Premier League.

England announce squad for first Test vs India; Overton, Woakes included

Woakes, who has over 180 Test wickets and nearly 2,000 runs, has not played a Test since the 2023 Ashes

KL Rahul under spotlight as India A take on England Lions in practice game

Rahul, who boasts two centuries in English conditions, remains one of India's most experienced batters in the absence of Rohit and Kohli

Youngsters can be the key for Proteas in WTC final vs AUS: Keshav Maharaj

Maharaj, one of the few seasoned campaigners in the South African squad, believes that the role of the experienced players has been to guide and support the younger ones

ENG vs IND tour is exam for Gill, good batting key to good captaincy: Karim

The upcoming England tour will be an exam for new Test leader Shubman Gill and his success as captain may depend on his own batting performance, reckons former India selector Saba Karim. India kick-started a new era in Test cricket with the appointment of Gill as captain following retirements of stalwarts such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin in quick succession. Gill is a gifted player but he is yet to flourish as a Test batter, managing just 1,893 runs in 32 Tests at an average just under 32, with four centuries. While his technique is compact and batting has flair, he's yet to deliver the kind of consistent, match-winning performances that mark elite Test batters. Yet, Saba Karim remains confident. "This is an examination for him. I am sure he's ready and up for it," Karim told PTI Videos on the sidelines of FIT India: Sunday on Cycle event on Sunday. "This is a big opportunity for him as a player. He needs to perform with the bat there, if he is able to do