Tuesday, June 23
Ahead of the crucial 4th Test against India, Harry Brook has heaped praise on his teammate Joe Root, boldly declaring him the "best Test batter of all time." Brook's comments come after Root became the top ranked ICC Test batter in its rankings and broke the record for most catches taken in Test cricket.
Mitchell Owen shone on his international debut, scoring a vital half-century and taking a wicket as Australia defeated West Indies by three wickets in the first T20 match. Australia chased down 190, fueled by an 80-run partnership between Owen and Cameron Green. Ben Dwarshuis's impressive 4-36 helped restrict West Indies after a strong start led by Roston Chase's 60.
Scottie Scheffler secured his first Open Championship at Royal Portrush, finishing at 17-under and four strokes ahead of Harris English. Despite a double bogey on the eighth, Scheffler's consistent performance led to his fourth major title. English finished second, overcoming his caddie's visa issues, while Chris Gotterup impressed with a third-place finish after qualifying through the Scottish Open.
Massive selection headache for Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill ahead of the Manchester Test. In a do-or-die match, with weather set to play a key role, it would be interesting to see whether India will go for a specialist bowler or stick with their safety-first approach.
India faces injury concerns ahead of the fourth Test in Manchester, with Nitish Kumar Reddy potentially ruled out due to a knee injury. Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep are also being monitored. Anshul Kamboj has been called up as cover. The team might rely on Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar to step up, especially with uncertainty around Rishabh Pant's recovery.
The highly anticipated World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 clash between India and Pakistan has been cancelled. The decision follows the Indian team's refusal to participate, citing the Pahalgam terror attack in April. Despite India's withdrawal, the tournament will proceed as scheduled. Organizers initially aimed to foster positive memories but acknowledged unintentionally stirring emotions.
England welcome Liam Dawson back into the Test side, replacing injured Shoaib Bashir for the crucial Fourth Test against India. Meanwhile, young pacer Anshul Kamboj could debut for India amidst injury concerns in their pace attack. Rishabh Pant's return to wicketkeeping duties provides a significant boost as India aims to solidify their lead in the series.
Australia Champions batter Shaun Marsh lauded Shubman Gill's captaincy in the India-England Test series, praising his leadership under pressure. Marsh highlighted the emergence of young Indian talents filling the void left by retiring seniors like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, citing the most recent example of how the five-Test series has progressed.
Shahid Afridi has strongly criticized Indian players for withdrawing from the World Championship of Legends match against Pakistan, emphasizing that sports should remain separate from politics. He lamented the sudden change of heart after the Indian team had already arrived and practiced.
England's Harry Brook has ignited the debate surrounding on-field tensions during the Lord's Test, pointing fingers at India's aggressive behavior towards Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett as the main reason. Brook claims India's accusations of time-wasting provoked a united response from the English team, which did not hesitate to verbally taunt the Indian batters in the 2nd innings.
