Tuesday, July 14
Harbhajan Singh has expressed concerns over the Indian cricket team's decline in Tests and ODIs after their T20 World Cup win in Barbados. He emphasised the need for performance-based player selection over reputation. Singh also urged the BCCI and selectors to take action and give opportunities to promising players like Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sarfaraz Khan.
Aakash Chopra analyses Virat Kohli's decline in Test cricket over the past five years. Kohli's average has dropped to 30.72 with only three centuries. Chopra highlights the need for selectors to evaluate Kohli's place in the team. Despite his Test performance, Kohli remains strong in ODIs and IPL. Selectors must plan for the future.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma faced criticism from Harbhajan Singh for their poor performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He advised selecting players based on performance. Harbhajan also criticized the team management's decision to play two spinners on a pace-friendly Sydney pitch, suggesting a focus on effective selection strategies.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir refuted claims by Australia's Andrew McDonald that Jasprit Bumrah intimidated young opener Sam Konstas. Gambhir emphasised cricket's toughness and asserted Konstas had no right to interfere. McDonald voiced concerns about Konstas' mental state following the incident, but Gambhir dismissed the intimidation allegations.
India's batting woes continued as they suffered a 1-3 series defeat against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, leading to their elimination from the World Test Championship final race. At the post-match press conference on Sunday in Sydney, India's head oach Gautam Gambhir emphasized the importance of fairness and honesty within the team.
A tense moment occurred during the second Test between South Africa and Pakistan when Wiaan Mulder threw the ball at Babar Azam, hitting his foot. Despite the incident, Babar and captain Shan Masood built a strong 205-run partnership, with Masood scoring an unbeaten 102. Pakistan ended day three at 213/1, trailing by 208 runs.
India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after failing to draw at the SCG, hindered by poor bowling. Australia capitalized on Jasprit Bumrah's absence and ineffective Indian openers, while Virat Kohli's off-stump struggles continued. Australia reclaimed the trophy and secured a World Test Championship final spot. India had previously won two consecutive series in Australia under Virat Kohli’s captaincy in 2018 and Ajinkya Rahane’s in 2020.
Shan Masood and Babar Azam led Pakistan's fightback with a record 205-run opening stand against South Africa after following on in the second Test. Masood remained unbeaten on 102, while Babar scored 81. Pakistan ended day three at 213 for one, still needing 208 runs to make South Africa bat again.
India lost the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, resulting in a 3-1 series defeat. With that, India also missed the World Test Championship final qualification. Yashasvi Jaiswal stood out with his batting performance, but seasoned players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma failed to impress. Jasprit Bumrah shone with 32 wickets but was sidelined by injury during the last Test in Sydney.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Rohit Sharma for prioritizing the team's needs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India lost 1-3 to Australia. Rohit, struggling with form, batted in different positions and eventually rested, leading to India losing their hold on the trophy and missing the World Test Championship final.
