Page 52 - Test Cricket

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

Debutants in focus as India Women take on South Africa in one-off Test

The focus will be on young talent, especially the debutantes, when the Indian women's cricket team squares off against South Africa in a one-off Test starting here on Friday, a decade after the two teams last clashed in a five-day game. With Test cricket not being a regular affair for women, as many as five in the Indian squad could get a debut in the longest format, after having established themselves and proved their mettle in the limited-overs circuit. Also, with India coming off a 3-0 clean sweep in the preceding ODI series against the same side, the momentum is surely with the hosts although this will be a different format altogether. The likes of Uma Chetry, Priya Punia, Saika Ishaque, Arundhati Reddy and Shabnam Shakil will be the ones to watch as they prepare for their Test debut. The last time India competed in a red-ball match was December 2023, which was their first Test outing in two years. Playing back-to-back home Tests against England and Australia (one each), the

Test cricket at low point in West Indies, mass exodus to US likely: Sarwan

Ramnaresh Sarwan, one of the most prolific batters to have played for the West Indies, is leading a comfortable life after retirement but when one talks him to him about the health of Test cricket in the region, he paints a grim picture, fearful of a talent exodus to the USA. The unexpected growth of T20 cricket and players' preference for the shortest format has put red-ball cricket on the backburner. First-class teams play as little as five games per season, which Sarwan thinks should be increased to at least 10. Speaking to PTI, the 44-year-old also lamented the lack of cricket facilities in the region. He featured in 87 Tests and 181 ODIs aggregating more than 10,000 runs across formats and played alongside fellow Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the great Brian Lara for the better part of his career. "Yeah well Test cricket is at a very low point to be honest. Among the games that we are playing again in the Caribbean, I don't think it's sufficient to develop our players but

T20 WC fallout: Captain Williamson steps down, declines central contract

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Wednesday decided to forego his national contract for the 2024-25 season and also stepped down from white-ball captaincy to extend his international career, following the Black Caps' shock early exit from the T20 World Cup. "Helping push the team forward across the formats is something I'm very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards," the 33-year-old said in a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) release on Wednesday. "However, pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means I'm unable to accept a central contract offer." The Black Caps have very little international cricket scheduled during the January window and Williamson, who had stepped down from Test captaincy in December 2022, will be available to play all three formats outside that month. "Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished," he said. "My life outside cricket has changed, ..

Happy Birthday Sachin Tendulkar: The god of cricket turns 51 today

Happy Birthday Sachin Tendulkar: As he turns 51 today, let's look into the glorious career of the 'god of cricket,' who holds the record for the most number of centuries

England to play three cricket Tests in New Zealand to conclude 2024

The England and Wales Cricket Board on Tuesday announced a three-Test tour to New Zealand starting at Christchurch on November 28. After the series opener at Hagley Oval, the tour will move to the North Island for tests in Wellington from December 6-10 and in Hamilton from December 14-18. The last time the Test teams met in February and March of last year, they split a two-match series after England was on the verge of a 2-0 victory when skipper Ben Stokes enforced the follow-on. New Zealand won by one run only the fourth team in history to win a Test after following on in the second Test after England won the first by 267 runs. The three matches at the end of this year form part of the World Test Championship, which New Zealand won in its inaugural edition before losing the title to Australia. India, which has won six of nine Tests in this edition, leads the WTC standings with Australia in second place and New Zealand in third. England is ninth ahead of home series against West

India vs Australia 2024 Test series full schedule, match timings, streaming

India's tour of Australia will begin on November 22 with Perth Stadium hosting the first Test. Adelaide will host the second Test match, which is going to be a Day/Night Test, of the series

Sri Lanka reduces Bangladesh to 32-3 to end day one on top in first Test

Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis hit centuries as Sri Lanka recovered from early trouble to end day one on top in the opening cricket test on Friday. Both de Silva and Kamindu scored 102 to steer Sri Lanka to 280 all out after being reduced to 57-5. The pacers then helped the side consolidate its position by reducing Bangladesh to 32-3 at stumps. Fast bowlers Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana, who made his debut, claimed three wickets each for Bangladesh on a 13-wicket day. Khaled (3-72) ripped through the top order before Rana, whose 3-87 included the wickets of both de Silva and Kamindu, caused a middle order havoc. Khaled struck in the second over after Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and put Sri Lanka in to bat. He had Nishan Madushka caught by Mehidy Hasan at third slip with a fuller, swinging delivery. Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne appeared to steady the innings, with Mendis reaching 4,000 career test runs when he hit pace bowler Shoriful

ICC Test bowlers rankings: Ashwin back at top, displaces another Indian

This is now the sixth stint for Ashwin at the top of the rankings as he first became number one in December 2015

WTC 2023-25 points table: Check India and Australia rankings after NZ Tests

India, who established their position at the top after an inning and 64 runs win against India at Dharamsala on March 9, is now only six percentage points (PoP) ahead of the Australian side

NZ vs AUS 2nd Test: Australia needs 202 runs and New Zealand 6 wickets

Australia needed 202 runs and New Zealand six wickets to win the second cricket test in what should be a thrilling finish after both teams had highs and lows on the third day Sunday. Rachin Ravindra made 82, Tom Latham 73 and Daryl Mitchell 58 before New Zealand was out for 372 in its second innings after trailing by 94 on the first. That left Australia needing 279 to win the match and complete a 2-0 sweep of the series. The target, if achieved, will be the 14th-highest successful fourth-innings run chase in test history. At stumps, Australia was 77-4 with Mitch Marsh 27 not out and Travis Head 17. Head and Marsh batted through the last 10 overs of the day to save Australia from further loss. Matt Henry and Ben Sears took two wickets each in the final session as New Zealand reduced Australia to 34-4 before it staged its late recovery. New Zealand heads into the final day in a strong position to continue its streak of unbeaten test series at home. After the current pair, Australia

India jump to No.1 in Test rankings, now reign supreme in all three formats

A day after India crushed England in Dharamsala to win the five-match series 4-1, Rohit Sharma's side claimed the top spot in the ICC Test rankings, overtaking Australia in the latest pecking order released by the world governing body for cricket on Sunday. India, who are already heading the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, are now at the summit of the ICC rankings in all three formats of the game. Rohit's side will remain at the top of the chart irrespective of the result of the second Test between New Zealand and Australia currently underway in Christchurch. Australia, the reigning World Test Championship winners are leading the two-Test series 1-0 following their 172-run victory in Wellington. India, with 122 rating points, are five points ahead of Australia in the Test ranking, while England are third with 111 rating points. In ODIs, India have 121 rating points, with Australia a close second with 118 points. In the T20Is, India have 266 rating points, with England (2

I do worry it's a backroom team made up of cheerleaders: Vaughan on England

Former skipper Michael Vaughan fears not all England players have fully adapted to the existing team culture and feels the backroom staff is "made up of cheerleaders". Vaughan suggested England must carry out an honest review of their 1-4 mauling in India by taking a leaf out of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola's book to breed an environment of ruthlessness. India completed a magnificent series triumph with an innings and 64-run victory inside three days in the fifth and final Test here on Saturday. "After a humbling series defeat in India, I strongly believe that a dose of honesty is the most important thing for this England team right now," Vaughan wrote in his column for Daily Telegraph. Vaughan, who led the Test team from 2003-08, added, "I don't believe they need to rip everything up. They are better playing this way than they would be otherwise. "I respect what they are trying to do, and get up early every day to watch them because they have me on the edge of my seat and I

Test Cricket Incentive: All you need to know about BCCI's red-ball scheme

According to the Test Cricket Incentive Scheme, if a player plays more than fifty per cent of the Tests in a season for the Indian men's cricket team, he can earn more money than the actual match fees

IND vs ENG 5th Test: Top five key takeaways for Team India from Dharamsala

The Dharamsala Test was the easiest win for the Indian team among the five Tests against England. Here are the top five reasons for this

BCCI triples per match incentive to Rs 45 lakh for playing red-ball format

Living up to its promise of giving highest priority to Test cricket, the BCCI has decided to give an incentive of Rs 45 lakh per game to all those who would play 75 per cent or more of the scheduled red-ball games in a particular season, Board secretary Jay Shah said on Saturday. A Test player, who appears in a possible 10 Tests in a season will be richer by a whopping Rs 4.50 crore as incentive apart from a possible Rs 1.5 crore (15 lakh per game) in usual match fee. The top cricketers also get an assured retainer fee from their annual central contracts. "I am pleased to announce the initiation of the 'Test Cricket Incentive Scheme' for Senior Men, a step aimed at providing financial growth and stability to our esteemed athletes," Shah stated on 'X'. "Commencing from the 2022-23 season, the 'Test Cricket Incentive Scheme' will serve as an additional reward structure on top of the existing match fee for Test matches, set at Rs 15 lakh," he further stated. The incentives will be ..

5-fer in 100th Test: Ashwin joins Warne, Kumble, Muralidaran in elite list

The first player to pick a five-wicket haul in their 100th Terst was Australian spinner Shane Warne. Muralidaran and Kumble are the only others among 23 bowlers to have played 100 Tests