Sunday, May 10
Prithvi Shaw will captain Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, replacing Ruturaj Gaikwad. Shaw has been in excellent form for Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 470 runs. This captaincy comes at a crucial time for Shaw, who went unsold in the IPL last year.
KL Rahul will captain India in the ODI series against South Africa, with Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad returning. Irfan Pathan believes Tilak Varma, who impressed in the Asia Cup final, deserves a chance at No. 4 in the middle order and could be very effective in ODIs.
The two-day Ashes Test in Perth reignited the long-running debate on pitch standards after 32 wickets fell in 141 overs. Indian players and experts questioned the double standards in global criticism of turning tracks. But unlike the underprepared Eden Gardens surface, the Perth pitch improved with time, offered consistent bounce, and allowed Travis Head’s match-defining century, showing that the collapses were due to skillful bowling rather than an unplayable wicket.
Aiden Markram's spectacular one-handed catch at second slip electrified the stadium in Guwahati, stealing the show as India's batting collapsed against South Africa. Nitish Kumar Reddy was the victim of the stunning grab, leaving India in deep trouble at 119/6. Marco Jansen's impressive bowling further pushed India towards a potential follow-on.
Sunil Gavaskar has sharply criticized the global double standards in pitch debates, highlighting the lack of scrutiny on the Perth Ashes Test's two-day finish compared to criticism of the Eden Gardens pitch.
