Wednesday, June 24
Hans Niemann is in the final of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. He defeated Fabiano Caruana in the semi-final. Niemann will face Levon Aronian for the title. The tournament is happening in Las Vegas. Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura are competing for third place. Niemann aims to prove himself after his controversy with Carlsen.
Veteran Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has suggested that left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh should step in if Jasprit Bumrah is rested. Arshdeep, who has picked up 99 wickets in 63 T20Is, is still awaiting his Test debut. However, his participation in Manchester has been thrown into doubt due to an injury suffered during a practice session.
Mohammed Siraj's workload has been substantial, bowling 423.3 overs in Tests since the start of 2024, closely trailing Jasprit Bumrah. Going into the fourth Test against England, which starts on July 23, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate recognised the need to manage Siraj's intensity, as he consistently gives his all. But are they bowling more than the rest?
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in a bind with Azhar Mahmood's contract, facing a hefty compensation fee for early termination. Mike Hesson's appointment of his own staff further complicated matters, leaving the PCB struggling to justify Mahmood's salary. Despite Mahmood's interest in working with the junior team, internal opposition persists, leading to his interim appointment as Test head coach.
India faces England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, trailing 2-1 in the series. In their last Test at the venue in 2014, India suffered a batting collapse, with only MS Dhoni's resilient 71 offering resistance. Shubman Gill's team aims for a turnaround to level the series and force a decider at The Oval.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri lauds opening batter KL Rahul's impressive form in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, attributing his success to a subtle technical adjustment in his stance. Ravi Shastri highlights that Rahul's front-foot tweak has unlocked consistency, enabling cleaner bat flow and minimising past vulnerabilities.
Andre Russell, set to retire from international cricket, cherishes his explosive innings against India in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final as his most memorable moment. His crucial knock of 33 off 20 balls helped West Indies chase down a daunting target and secure a place in the final.
