Monday, May 11
After battling a severe Hepatitis A bout that jeopardized her Olympic dreams, boxer Preeti Panwar made a triumphant return, clinching the World Boxing Cup Finals gold. She defeated the reigning world champion and Olympic medallist in the semifinals, marking a significant comeback after months of health struggles and proving her resilience.
India A captain Jitesh Sharma accepted responsibility for their semi-final loss to Bangladesh in the Rising Stars Asia Cup. The controversial decision to not bat Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the Super Over backfired, with Jitesh and Ashutosh dismissed for golden ducks. Despite a strong start and a late surge, India A narrowly missed out on a tie, ultimately falling short.
India face a leadership crisis for the South Africa ODIs with captain Shubman Gill ruled out and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer already sidelined. A stop-gap captain will be picked from KL Rahul, Axar Patel or Rishabh Pant. With an overly right-handed batting core, selectors are also considering left-handed options like Pant, Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar to rebalance the middle order.
England captain Ben Stokes expressed shock after a two-day defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test. Despite a strong bowling performance, Travis Head's century proved decisive. Stokes emphasized the need for the team to process the loss quickly and avoid carrying any "baggage" into the next match in Brisbane.
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate believes the Guwahati pitch suits their home approach, despite the surface not dictating Test results. He highlighted Kuldeep Yadav's effectiveness with three wickets, noting the conditions amplified his spin. Ten Doeschate anticipates that the finger spinners will become more prominent as the game progresses.
India fought back strongly on day one of the second Test. South Africa's top order scored runs but ended up setting an unwanted record never seen before in the sport. India's spinners took wickets, shifting the momentum towards the end. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were effective, as the visitors ended the day at 247 for 6.
