Page 51 - Test Cricket

Khawaja believes India's success in Australia has made rivalry intense

India beating Australia in the last two Test series in the latter's backyard has made the rivalry between the two teams more intense, feels senior batter Usman Khawaja ahead of the five-match battle beginning November 22. India had beaten Australia on their last two tours of Australia (2018-19 and 2020-21) with an identical 2-1 margin. In fact, India have won all the last four series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking into account their home wins in 2016-17 and 2022-23 -- both also 2-1 results in a four-match contest. "For Indians it's always been the case to beat Australia. And more recently, you know, since the rise of India and IPL and everything else that happened, it's the same way with Australia against India," Khawaja said. "And particularly since India's beaten Australia in Australia the last two times they've come out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It just means a little bit more, he told Star Sports. The 37-year-old left-handed opener said that the rivalry between th

Sri Lanka beat England by 8 wickets in third Test, their fourth in England

Sri Lanka earned their only fourth Test victory on English soil after an unbeaten century by opener Pathum Nissanka helped the visitors secure an eight-wicket win in the third and final match of the series against England at The Oval here on Monday. England won the series 2-1 but missed out on a second clean sweep of its international summer, having defeated the West Indies 3-0 in July. Starting Day 4 on 94-1 and requiring 125 more runs to win, the Sri Lankans needed barely two hours to complete the job in clinical fashion. The platform was built on Sunday when they skittled England for 156 in just 34 overs and were given a victory target of 219. Nissanka underpinned the chase with his second test hundred, reaching three figures in 107 balls and finishing 127 not out as Sri Lanka got to 219 in 40.3 overs. The diminutive opener, who struck 13 fours and two sixes, spread his arms wide and soaked in the applause inside a half-full ground after passing 100, then kissed his bat and look

Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test Playing 11, live toss timings and streaming

The day 1 of the Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test has been called off due to wet outfield. The action will now resume on day 2.

How to get AFG vs NZ Test tickets? Greater Noida weather forecast on Sept 9

Given the wet conditions at the Saheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium over the past weeks, it would be a major surprise if AFG vs NZ toss happens at 9:30 AM IST on Sept 9 even if rain gods stay away

Lack of Test opportunities breeds more hunger, says NZ spinner Ajaz Patel

Disappointed that he did not get many opportunities to play Test cricket following his historic 10-wicket haul, Ajaz Patel believes that such setbacks only intensify the drive and ambition in New Zealand spinners to prove themselves in the subcontinent. Spinners from New Zealand frequently face a challenging environment at home to showcase their skills as pitches and conditions there offer more assistance to seamers. "If you ask all New Zealand spinners, it is difficult. Sometimes, obviously you don't get as many opportunities at home because of our home conditions," Patel told reporters here on Friday ahead of New Zealand's one-off Test against Afghanistan, which begins from September 9. "But it breeds more hunger when you do come to conditions like this and you know conditions that are spin-friendly and you're quite hungry to get out there and play and put your best foot forward and perform. But it's really important that you do prepare accordingly and prepare well," he added. Th

Why the formidable Bangladesh could be a threat to India's home dominance

The way the Bangla Tigers outmanoeuvred Pakistan in all departments to register their maiden series win against the latter means they will now be a formidable challenge for India

Historic win over Pakistan will make people in Bangladesh happy: Shanto

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believed his team's first Test cricket series win over Pakistan will give his compatriots reason to smile amid ongoing difficulties. The recent civil unrest that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina caused Bangladesh to be stripped of the ICC Women's Twenty20 World Cup, and in the past week the country has been hit by deadly flash floods that have affected millions of people. For the last 1 1/2 months, everyone (in Bangladesh) has struggled a lot, Shanto said after Bangladesh beat Pakistan by six wickets in the second Test here on Tuesday. Bangladesh clinched the series 2-0. We all know cricket is a very emotional thing in our country, so I hope they will get some smiles because we've won the series. Bangladesh followed an epic 10-wicket victory in the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with a comeback win in the second Test on the same ground. Bangladesh was 26-6 in their first innings but Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted the

Javed Miandad slams Pakistan cricket team after 0-2 loss against Bangladesh

Pakistan cricket reached its lowest ebb on Tuesday while nosediving to a six-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the second Test here, and the stalwarts termed the 0-2 series defeat as hurting. It was Pakistan's sixth defeat in their last 10 Tests at home and this was also the first time Bangladesh have beaten their neighbours in a Test and series. It is hurting that our cricket has come to this stage. Bangladesh deserve credit for their disciplined performances. But the way our batting has collapsed in this series is a bad sign, former Test captain Javed Miandad said. The second Test saw the Bangladesh batters dominate the second innings after Pakistan dropped pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi from the eleven and rested Naseem Shah. Pakistan had Bangladesh reeling on 26 for 6 in their first innings before centurion Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz produced a spectacular partnership to rescue their side. Miandad felt that the players have lost confidence because of the bickering in the

Rain delays Bangladesh's clean sweep over Pakistan in Test series

Rain halted Bangladesh's bid for a clean sweep against Pakistan after young pace bowlers Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana rattled the hosts for 172 on Day 4 in the second test on Monday. Bangladesh had scampered to 42-0 in seven overs before bad light, followed by rain, allowed only one over of play in the final session on Day 4. The tourists will be needing another 143 runs for a rare test series win away from home. Bangladesh has won just one bilateral test series outside home beating the West Indies in 2009 but won the first test by 10 wickets for its first ever test victory against Pakistan in 14 matches. The 24-year-old Mahmud grabbed 5-43 for his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second test match while 21-year-old Rana chipped in with 4-44 as Pakistan was bowled out half an hour before tea for an overall lead of 184. I should give credit to all my team members who work hard every time, Mahmud said. We're very happy to win the first game and now have a chance to get another on

Pakistan vs Bangladesh 2nd Test Playing 11, live timings, streaming

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Playing 11: Pakistan made two changes for the second Test, while Bangladesh also had to make one forced change.

Rashid Khan takes break from Test cricket to nurse his operated back

Afghanistan cricket's poster boy Rashid Khan will not play the Test format in the near future to nurse his back after having undergone a surgery last year. A source in the Afghanistan Cricket Board told PTI that Rashid and the team management had decided mutually on his break from the longest format considering his back issues. Earlier this week, he was not named in the preliminary squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida from September 9. Rashid was out of action for four months after undergoing a back surgery following the ODI World Cup in India in October-November. He was part of the more recent T20 Word Cup in the USA and Caribbean where he captained Afghanistan to the semifinals. The 25-year-old recently played three games in as many days in the Shpageeza T20 league in Kabul, taking six wickets in total. "The plan for Rashid after the surgery was to gradually increase his workload. Not playing the longer format for the next six months to one year was al

Pak skipper defends controversial selection call after 1st Test defeat

Pakistan captain Shan Masood on Sunday defended the decision to select four pace bowlers and no specialist spinner for the first Test, which the hosts lost to Bangladesh by 10 wickets. It was Pakistan's first ever defeat against Bangladesh in a Test. Masood, who failed with the bat in both innings, refused to admit that it was a bad call to go in without a specialist spinner even after Shakib ul Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared seven wickets on the final day to bowl out Pakistan for just 146 runs. We had anticipated the pitch to offer more assistance to the seamers. Looking at the pitch, we expected it to do more, he said at the post match conference. If we played 3 fast bowlers, we would be pushing them to the limit and the spinner would be bowling 25-30 overs a day, which we wanted to avoid. "We thought that with the weather, it may not even last the full 5 days. At the end of the day, we got it wrong, he said. Shan also said that the decision to declare the first innings on

Mushfiqur, Mehidy help Bangladesh take 94 runs lead against Pakistan

Mushfiqur Rahim dug in to score a superb 191 and share a record stand with Mehidy Hasan Miraz as Bangladesh nullified Pakistan's pace attack in the first test on Saturday. Mushfiqur's 11th test hundred, and first against Pakistan, came in more than 8-1/2 hours and lifted Bangladesh to 565 all out on Day 4. It was Bangladesh's third highest score away from home, as Pakistan's ploy to go with four fast bowlers failed to work on a greenish wicket that eased considerably for batting. Pakistan, which made 448-6 declared in its first innings, lost opener Saim Ayub early in its second and was 23-1 at stumps, trailing by 94 runs. Abdullah Shafique was not out on 12 while captain Shan Masood was unbeaten on 9. Mushfiqur's marathon 341-ball knock, featuring 22 fours and a six, ended in the final session when he attempted a square cut against Khurram Shahzad's good-length delivery and was caught behind. Mushfiqur and No. 8 Mehidy, who scored 77, made the four fast bowlers toil under hot and

ICC planning nearly $15 million fund to save Test cricket: Report

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is mulling a dedicated fund of at least USD 15 million for Test cricket that will help increase the players' match fee and address the migration of talent to lucrative T20 franchise leagues. The initiative, which was was proposed by Cricket Australia (CA), has the support of BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, who is the front-runner to become the next ICC Chairman, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), a report in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' stated. The fund would increase the minimum match payment for Test players and cover the cost of sending teams on overseas tours. It would support national boards like the West Indies that currently struggle to compete with the wages offered in global T20 competitions. "The fund would ensure a minimum Test payment for all players, thought to be USD 10,000, and pay the costs of overseas tours for struggling countries," the report stated. "It's fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test match fund," CA .

PAK vs BAN second test match to be played without fans in stadium

The second cricket test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Karachi starting Aug. 30 will be played without fans due to ongoing construction work at the National Bank Stadium, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Wednesday. The PCB started renovating the stadium this month as part of its preparations for next year's Champions Trophy, which begins Feb. 19. The PCB said it has suspended ticket sales for the Karachi test with immediate effect and that fans who have already purchased tickets will receive a full refund. The health and safety of our fans is our utmost priority, the PCB said in a statement. After careful consideration of all available options, we have decided that the safest course of action is to hold the second test in front of an empty stadium. The cricket board said it wanted to make the stadium more spectator-friendly for the Champions Trophy, which will be the first ICC event hosted in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup. The first test match will be played at ...

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Tests full schedule, live timings (IST), streaming

In the head-to-head record, Pakistan is way ahead of Bangladesh, as the latter is yet to register a single Test win over them. Check the PAK vs BAN Tests 2024 full schedule and live timings here

New Zealand to go with 5 spin bowling options for AFG and SL test series

New Zealand on Monday named a strong squad, which includes five spin bowling options, for next month's one-off Test against Afghanistan and the ensuing two-match rubber against Sri Lanka. While the one-off Test against Afghanistan will be played in Greater Noida, India, from September 9-13, the Black Caps will fly to Sri Lanka for the two ICC World Test Championship matches, starting September 18 and 26, respectively. Veteran pacer Tim Southee will lead the side which includes the likes of Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra, while Tom Latham continues to be the vice-captain. However, head coach Gary Stead hinted that if conditions call for a different balance, the skipper too may have to sit out for a game or two. "Test tours to the sub-continent can ask some really tough questions of pace bowlers due to the nature of the pitches and the heat and humidity," Stead said. "While we're going over with an open mind around conditions, there is an understan

Stokes hits 24-ball 50 as England beat WI by 10 wickets in series sweep

Ben Stokes smashed the fastest test 50 by an Englishman and Mark Wood took 5-40 with blistering pace as England beat West Indies by 10 wickets on the third day of the third test to sweep the series 3-0. The England captain needed only 24 deliveries Sunday to reach his half-century. He finished on 57 off 28 balls and got the winning runs with a six off Kraigg Brathwaite. Ben Duckett contributed a 16-ball 25. The opening pair scored at a run rate of almost 12 to hit 87-0 in 7.2 overs in England's second innings. Regular opener Zak Crawley fractured his little finger in the field, giving Stokes the opportunity to promote himself to opener and entertain the Edgbaston crowd. West Indies resumed Sunday on 33-2 but collapsed against Wood. He took his wickets in a ferocious spell after lunch, dismissing Josh Da Silva, Alzarri Joseph, Kavem Hodge, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph in the space of 21 dramatic deliveries. Wood intimidated the tourists with bumpers, threatened their outside edg

Laura Wolvaardt praises South Africa's 'grit' after loss against India

South Africa women's skipper Laura Wolvaardt on Monday praised her team for showing 'grit and determination' despite their 10-wicket hammering by India in the one-off Test here. South Africa were outplayed right on Day One with India piling up the highest score in a day's play in women's Tests of 525/4, eventually declaring at 603/6 for the highest-ever score. The visitors, who were shot out for a mere 266 in the first innings, put up a strong fight in the second after being asked to follow-on as they forced India bat again on the final day even though they could only manage a slender lead of 36 runs. "To lose is a bit disappointing, but the character shown by the group over the last two days has been absolutely amazing, Wolvaardt told the media here after the match. "The grit and determination of this group were amazing and it will do a lot of good for us," she added. Wolvaardt hit a 314-ball 122 while Sune Luus cracked 109 as South Africa fought valiantly to delay the ...

Shafali-Smriti script highest opening partnership in women's Test cricket

Indian pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana on Friday recorded the highest opening partnership in women's Test cricket, sharing a commendable 292-run stand on the opening day of the one-off Test against South Africa here. Shafali and Smriti thus surpassed the 241-run opening stand by Pakistan's Sajjida Shah and Kiran Baluch against West Indies in Karachi in 2004. It was also the second highest partnership in Women's Test for any wicket, behind the 309-run stand between Australian pair of LA Reeler and DA Annetts for the third wicket against England in Wetherby in 1987. Shafali and Smriti thus went past their previous best opening stand of 167 against England in Bristol in 2021. The duo thus also eclipsed the previous highest Indian partnership for any wicket -- 275 by Poonam Raut and Thirush Kamini against South Africa in Mysore 2014. The opening pair looked in ominous touch during their authoritative stand, which ended after Smriti fell short of her 150 by a run after being