West Indies latest cricket team to commit to gender pay equity

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday committed to gender pay equity among its players having signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

The MoU is for the period from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2027 and covers all agreements in respect of player remuneration and updated terms and conditions across the West Indies system. “The MOU outlines plans to achieve parity in international and regional match fees, international captain’s allowances, international team prize money and regional individual prize money for all West Indies cricketers by 1 October 2027,” the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said in a statement.

Just last year, the ICC announced prize money parity at ICC tournaments for men’s and women’s teams. WICB President Kishore Shallow said the announcement was a significant moment in the region and major step for all parties in reaching pay equity in the future.

“This is a historic day for West Indies cricket…we are taking a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and progressive cricket framework. This step reflects our unwavering commitment to gender equality and acknowledges the immense contributions of female players to West Indies cricket,” he said.

“In the preceding year, we undertook substantial enhancements to our travel policy, mandating that the West Indies Senior Women’s team travel business-class on all extended international flights and are accommodated in single rooms during international assignments. This aligns seamlessly with the established policy for West Indies Senior Men’s tours. Today, with the signing of this MOU, we take another significant stride in narrowing the gender gap within our cricketing community.”

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'May we continue to prosper': Indian sporting greats extend wishes on 75th Republic Day

India is celebrating its 75th Republic Day on 26 January 2024 (Friday). The Republic Day celebrations marks the day India’s Constitution came into effect. The national celebrated the special occasion with president Droupadi Murmu hoisting the national flag at 8 am at Kartavya Path. French president Emmanuel Macron is the chief guest for the event this year.

On the 75th Republic Day, sportspersons of India also shared their wishes on the social media platforms. Here are some of their posts from X (formerly Twitter).

Today, we complete 74 years as a republic. May we continue to prosper more every year. Happy Republic Day!

सभी देशवासियों को गणतंत्र दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ।#HappyRepublicDay

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 26, 2024

Happy Republic Day everyone. More power to all out there to make a positive change around you. Jai Hind 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳#HappyRepublicDay #RepublicDay2024 pic.twitter.com/PmiucfQo3e

— Virat Kohli 🍥 (@imVKohji) January 26, 2024

Serving the spirit of the nation with every heartbeat. Happy Republic Day! 🏸🇮🇳 #HappyRepublicDay pic.twitter.com/aqtxIim3xB

— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) January 26, 2024

आप सभी को गणतंत्र दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ 🙏

जय हिन्द 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/qmJxY8pKNy

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) January 26, 2024

Always an honour to represent our nation 🇮🇳#HappyRepublicDay ✨ pic.twitter.com/KGGpEySkqA

— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) January 26, 2024

Wishing you all a happy Republic Day filled with love, peace, and prosperity🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Xr0rYObKU3

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) January 26, 2024

Happy 75th Republic Day!

Today is the anniversary of India’s constitution coming into force, shaping a sovereign, secular, socialist, and democratic nation.

I’ve had the privilege of representing this incredible nation and seeing its flag fly high 🇮🇳 hoping I can continue… pic.twitter.com/VJuKhr4Eh8

— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) January 26, 2024

Happy Republic Day everyone. pic.twitter.com/fU1g8JDb9P

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 26, 2024

Happy 75th Republic Day, India 🇮🇳💙🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/1IIY2DcliU

— Igor Štimac (@stimac_igor) January 26, 2024

Jai Hind 🇮🇳 #HappyRepublicDay pic.twitter.com/4k77jysMZ9

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 26, 2024

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WATCH: COVID-positive Cameron Green shooed away by Josh Hazlewood during Gabba Test

Cameron Green is playing at the Gabba for Australia against West Indies despite testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of the second Test. Green is eligible due to Cricket Australia’s protocols which allow players to compete even if they do not return negative results in the next 24 hours, but they must be kept apart from the team.

An example of that was visible when Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood shooed away Green in a funny manner after dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite. After the fall of wicket, all the Australian players ran towards Hazlewood to congratulate the bowler including Green, but the pacer playfully shooed away the all-rounder.

Hazlewood shoos away the Covid-positive Green! 🤪 #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/iQFbbKfpwV

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 25, 2024

Even at the time of the national anthem, Green was seen maintaining a distance form the play group.

Cameron Green who tested positive for COVID19 is playing the Test match against West Indies.

– He’s keeping distance with his teammates during the national anthem. (Daniel Cherny). pic.twitter.com/bLy6zQ2pzt

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 25, 2024

Australian camp was hit by the COVID storm ahead of the second Test match. Travis Head contracted the infection at the end of the first Test in Adelaide. A day ahead of the gabba Test, Green and head coach Andrew McDonald tested positive for COVID-19.

West India who lost the first Test by 10 wickets won the toss and opted to bat first in the second Test and were 123/5 at the time of publishing thsi report.

Joshua Da Silva and Kavem Hodge were batting, while Mitchell Starc has taken three wickets so far. Hazlewood and Pat Cummins got one wickets each.

Australia’s Playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

West Indies Playing XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Kevin Sinclair, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph

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'Got to own it': Pat Cummins on Glenn Maxwell drinking incident, investigation

Australia captain Pat Cummins said players have to “own it” over their decisions off the field after Glenn Maxwell’s alleged drunken incident in Adelaide.

Maxwell was hospitalised after attending the concert of Brett Lee’s band Six and Out with reports suggesting he was suffering from dehydration. In the aftermath, Cricket Australia (CA) have launched an investigation into the incident.

Ahead of the second Test against West Indies, Cummins was asked about the incident and whether Maxwell had a drinking problem.

Cummins revealed he was at the The Gov, the pub where Six and Out were performing, but had “left pretty early”. The Aussie skipper stated he and Maxwell didn’t meet at the venue.

“I knew he was in town but I didn’t see Maxi at all,” Cummins said.

The World Cup-winner added, “We’re all adults and part of being an adult is you make your own decisions.

“In terms of this incident he wasn’t on tour with Australia, he was over there for a private event, so he wasn’t with the cricket team. So it is a little bit different, but absolutely, any decision you make you’ve got to own it and be comfortable with it.”

When asked if Maxwell needed to consider his choices, Cummins said, “Potentially, I think only ‘Maxy’ can answer that one.”

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke expressed his shock regarding the incident with the idea of an ambulance being needed made him “nervous.”

“To have to be put into an ambulance, that makes me nervous,” said Clarke on Fox Sports.

“With these sorts of things, with off-field stuff. I like to go, ‘Benefit of the doubt and innocent until proven guilty’.”

“One thing I know, Cricket Australia will get to the bottom of it. These days there’s cameras, there’s people, so the truth will be told. The other thing we need to do is make sure he’s OK. He didn’t end up spending the night there (in hospital).

“I can’t think of a time where I’ve had to call an ambulance or an ambulance had to be called for me, no matter how drunk I was.

So I’m worried there is more to this and I just hope he’s OK first and foremost.”

Maxwell was not named in the 13-man squad to face West Indies in a three-match ODI series between 2-6 February.

“It is not related to him being replaced in the ODI squad, a decision that was made following the BBL and based on his individual management plan.

Maxwell is expected to return for the T20 series. No further comment will be made at this time,” CA had said in a statement.

Maxwell has had a couple of absurd off-field injuries. At the ODI World Cup last year, he suffered a concussion when he fell off a golf cart. In 2022, he broke his leg while running at a friend’s birthday party.

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India vs England: Four spinners included as England announce playing XI for first Test

England have announced their playing XI for the first Test against India which will start on 25 December ay Hyderabad. The Three Lions have included four spinners in their team and only one specialist pacer. Lancashire’s Tom Hartley will be making his Test debut for England. Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach are the players who enter the playing Xi after not being involved in England’s last Test against Australia at The Oval last summer.

England XI:

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Jonny Bairstow
6. Ben Stokes (C)
7. Ben Foakes
8. Rehan Ahmed
9. Tom Hartley
10. Mark Wood
11. Jack Leach

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Watch: Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar engage in a hilarious conversation about former pacer's run-up

Two fiercest rivals ever to play the game of cricket, Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar were recently involved in a playful banter. One of the most lethal fast bowlers of the game, former Pakistan cricketer Akhtar terrified opposition batters with his sublime pace and bounce. Sehwag, on the other hand, was known for his aggressive brand of batting. The duo were involved in a hilarious interaction recently. “Hamaray pyaray Viru bhai Virender Sehwag yeh batatay huay k mera lamba run up ko kitna intezar kerwata tha. And he feels it was a big distraction, [Our beloved Virender Sehwag shares how much my long run-up used to make him wait],” Akhtar wrote, sharing a video of his interaction with the ex-India batter on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

In the now-viral video, Sehwag can be heard saying, “I would keep looking down, knowing that it would take 10-15 seconds for him to finish his run-up”. Akhtar, in response, asked Sehwag if his long run-up used to distract him. The former India opening batter replied, “A lot of thoughts would run in mind. Will he hit my toes or a beamer on my head? He will hit somewhere.”

Hamaray pyaray Viru bhai @virendersehwag yeh batatay huay k mera lamba run up ko kitna intezar kerwata tha.
And he feels it was a big distraction. @ilt20official @ilt20onzee #dpworldilt20 #allinforcricket pic.twitter.com/xwzJFFpZdp

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) January 21, 2024

Previously, the two were involved in another hilarious conversation, where Akhtar was seen attempting to take a dig at Sehwag. Legendary Pakistan cricketers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were also present in the discussion. “I thought this interaction was only for bowlers. What is this gentle off-spinner doing here?” Akhtar asked in the Instagram session. Sehwag gave a witty response by saying, “Shoaib, it is my duty to hit first ball fours, not yours.”

Their hilarious exchange of words did not stop there with the Rawalpindi express replying, “Oh Viru, darna nahi. Last time jab hum teeno khel rahe the or tu apne chasme saaf kar raha tha [Don’t be afraid. Last time when we three were playing, you were wiping your glasses].”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ILT20 On Zee (@ilt20onzee)

Sehwag promptly issued a cheeky reply by saying “Bawaal karna achhi baat hai, but control. Chasme saaf karke ab mein lenses pehenta hun tumahara khoobsurat chehera dekhne ke liye [It’s good to play mischief but in control. I have tuned to contact lenses to see your beautiful faces].”

After enjoying a stellar outing on the field of cricket, Sehwag and Akhtar are now part of the commentators’ panel for the International League T20 2024. The competition will come to an end with the final being played on February 17 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

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England cricket team arrive in Hyderabad ahead of five-match Test series - watch video

The England cricket team arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday, 21 January. The English side will be involved in a five-match Test series, scheduled to start with the first match being played on 25 January at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

Ahead of the series, the England team suffered a big setback as middle-order batter Harry Brook opted out owing to personal reasons and returned home. Dan Lawrence has been called up to replace him in the squad. The official social media handle of the England cricket team posted a video of their team’s arrival in India.

“Hello, Hyderabad! The City of Pearls,” read the post shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Hello, Hyderabad! 👋

The City of Pearls ⚪

🇮🇳 #INDvENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/hJLQFWkIgp

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 21, 2024

Brook’s absence is a big jolt for England as they aim to become the first side to win a Test series in India in over a decade. Since making his debut in the final Test of the summer of 2022, Brook has been a regular performer with an average of 62.15, along with a strike rate of 91.76, across 12 appearances. Brook has four centuries to his name in these matches.

Now that Brook is no longer available, the England team management can deploy Jonny Bairstow as a specialist batter at the number five spot. Ben Foakes can take over the wicket-keeping duties, especially on tracks that are expected to assist the spinners a lot more.

In recent times, India have been the dominant side against England at home. India have maintained an unbeaten Test run against England on home soil since 2012. The last Test meeting between India and England in India was back in 2021 when the hosts came from behind to win 3-1. Remarkably, India have not lost any home Tests since 2012.

Rohit Sharma took part in a personal net session at the BKC Ground in Mumbai, while senior players such as Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja reached Hyderabad and were also seen training in the nets. The report went on to add that Rohit will join the Indian team in Hyderabad on Monday.

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India vs England: All you need to know about the upcoming five-match Test series

India will host England in a five-Test series scheduled to start on 25 January at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The last Test series between these two rivals ended in a 2-2 draw, with India losing the last match at Edgbaston in July 2022.

As the teams prepare for the upcoming series, India skipper Rohit Sharma expressed satisfaction with the team combination. Though, there are concerns after India’s recent performance against South Africa in red-ball cricket. India’s squad sees 22-year-old wicket-keeper batter Dhruv Jurel in the team along with the spin triumvirate of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel.

On the other hand, England captain Ben Stokes will come to India with a formidable side that include the likes of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, James Anderson and Mark Wood. Harry Brook has been withdrawn from the series due to personal reasons with Dan Lawrence coming in as replacement. There are also promising talents and the English side would want to make an impression with their new brand of cricket.

Here’s all you need to know for the India-England series

Head-To-Head Record

India and England have faced off 131 times in Tests. India have won 31 matches while England have emerged victorious 50 times. 50 Test matches have resulted in a draw.

Total matches played – 131

India won – 31

England won – 50

Drawn – 50

Tied – 0

Test record in India

For the matches played in India, there have been 16 series so far, with the hosts being the clear dominant force. Out of these, India emerged victorious in eight series, while England secured victory in four. Four series have ended in draws.

India vs England Full Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.

England: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Dan Lawrence

India vs England Test series schedule

1st Test: 25-29th January 2024, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad at 9:30 AM IST.

2nd Test: 2-6th February 2024, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam at 9:30 AM IST.

3rd Test: 15-19th February 2024, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot at 9:30 AM IST.

4th Test: 23-27th February 2024, JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi at 9:30 AM IST.

5th Test: 7-11th March 2024, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala at 9:30 AM IST.

India vs England: Broadcast details

India vs England matches will be televised live on the Sports18 network in India.

Where will the matches be live-streamed?

Fans in India can enjoy the live streaming of the Test matches on the JioCinema app and website.

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Mohammad Shami to fly to London for consultation over ankle injury: Report

Mohammad Shami is currently recovering from an ankle injury that he sustained during the World Cup last year. As per a report, Shami will now seek consultation from an expert in London. After his stellar performance at the World Cup, where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker, Shami has been out due to the injury and has not featured in competitive cricket since the final against eventual champions Australia in Ahmedabad. He had targeted the England series but has not been included in the squad for the first two matches.

Shami was satisfied with his progress and conveyed it to the medical experts at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). As per a report by Cricbuzz, Shami, accompanied by Nitin Patel from the NCA’s sports science department, will soon travel to London for further consultation.

Prithvi Shaw at NCA

Young Indian batter Prithvi Shaw, who too is undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA, is expected to require at least one more month before making a return to competitive cricket. Shaw’s comeback is hugely dependent on clearing higher levels of agility drills and acceleration tests.

Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has expressed optimism over Shaw’s availability for the knockouts of the Ranji Trophy. Shaw, retained by Delhi Capitals for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), had missed a significant part of the previous domestic season due to an injury. Shaw had picked up the injury when he was part of Northamptonshire in a one-day championship game against Durham.

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav recently underwent groin surgery in Germany. This was his second such surgical procedure in a short span. Surya was operated on by a specialist in Munich. This was similar to the procedure that was undergone by KL Rahul in 2022. After the surgery, the recovery process is expected to last four-to-five weeks. Reports suggest that Surya could take a longer time to recover. He will be a key batter for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He will also play a crucial role in India’s T20 World Cup journey later this year in June.

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India vs England: Harry Brook to miss Test series due to personal reasons

England batter Harry Brook will miss the upcoming Test series against India due to personal reasons and will return to the United Kingdom, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Sunday. “Harry Brook is set to return home with immediate effect for personal reasons from the England Men’s Test tour of India. He will not be returning to India.”

“The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space,” the ECB added.

The ECB said that a replacement for Brook would be announced in due time. “The England selectors will confirm a replacement player for the tour in due course,” it added in the release.

‘India are favourites, but wouldn’t write England off’: Nasser Hussain

The 24-year-old Brook has played 12 Test matches for England since making his debut against South Africa in September 2022. He has amassed 1181 runs at an average of 62.15, and has scored four centuries and seven half-centuries. In the last Test he played for England, in an Ashes Test last July, Brook scored a match-winning 85 in a match-winning cause at The Oval.

England have not won a Test series on Indian soil since 2012, when Alastair Cook and Co had come back from behind to clinch the four-match series 2-1.

India vs England: How England decimated MS Dhoni’s Team India in 2012

The first Test is scheduled to start in Hyderabad from 25 January.

 

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India vs England: India's spinners will play a big part in upcoming Test series, feels Michael Atherton

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton believes India’s spinners will play a big part and could be key to the hosts in their bid to win the upcoming Test series against England. India have announced a spin-heavy squad for the first two Tests against England, with the first Test starting in Hyderabad on 25 January. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav make India’s spin bowling attack. The pitches for the upcoming Tests are expected to offer a lot of turn that will assist the spinners immensely.

India vs England: How England decimated MS Dhoni’s Team India in 2012

“I think India will win. Their spinners are better than England’s and that will be the defining thing in the end. If you go to India, spin will play a big part, it historically has done and I suspect it will always do. India do have a very strong seam attack as well,” Atherton told on Sky Sports.

“India’s four spinners are very different to England’s. They have two left-arm finger spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. They have a wrist spinner in Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the greatest spinners of all time,” he added.

‘India are favourites, but wouldn’t write England off’: Nasser Hussain

Atherton feels England will face a challenge against India with their spin attack being led by Jack Leach. “England have a solid left-arm spinner in Jack Leach and then three very inexperienced spinners after that with Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed. It will be a particular challenge for them, but the selectors see a high ceiling for them,” added the 55-year-old.

England’s previous Test series win on Indian soil came in 2012, when Alastair Cook and Co came from behind to win the four-match series 2-1.

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Sania Mirza splits with Shoaib Malik: What's the difference between 'Talaq' and 'Khula' in Islam?

Sania Mirza addressed her decade-long relationship with Shoaib Malik and has clarified that the duo have divorced. In a statement, shared by her father, it said “…Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now.” On Saturday, Malik had posted a picture alongside new wife Sana Javed, confirming the nuptials.

Later, a family member told news agency PTI that it was Sania Mirza who had filed for a divorce. “It was a ‘khula’. I do not wish to comment beyond this,” said the source.

What is ‘Khula’ in Islam?

In Islamic law, ‘Talaq’ and ‘Khula’ are two ways for a husband/wife to get a divorce. The difference lies in how they start.

In ‘Talaq’ proceedings, husband is the one who decides to divorce. The husband notifies the wife about the desire for a divorce – orally or in written. Then, there’s a period called ‘iddah’ for the couple to try and fix things. If they can’t, the divorce is believed to be finalised.

For a ‘Khula’ in Islam, the wife takes the initiative. Usually, the wife is required to give back the wedding gifts or dowry from the ceremony. After khula she can’t claim ‘mehr’ or maintenance since the desire to divorce has come from the woman’s side. Like Talaq, there’s a time for both to fix things. But the big difference between both types of separation is in who gets the process underway.

A wife can seek ‘Khula’ in various situations. Abuse or neglect, irreconcilable marital differences, or financial neglect by the husband are some of the reasons. The wife can also for a divorce if the husband is unavailable for a prolonged period. Additionally, she may also initiate the process for personal reasons.

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India vs Bangladesh LIVE Score ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Group A match in Bloemfontein

India vs Bangladesh, ICC U-19 World Cup Group A match preview: India will be hoping to begin their defence of the ICC U-19 World Cup title on a winning note when they face Bangladesh in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Bangladesh won the toss and captain Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby invited his Indian counterpart Uday Saharan to bat.

India and Bangladesh have shared quite the intense rivalry at the U-19 level. Bangladesh, after all, had defeated India in the final of the 2020 World Cup, which incidentally had also taken place in South Africa.

The Akbar Ali-led Bangladeshi team had bowled the Indian team out for 177, and would successfully chase down a revised target of 170 from 46 overs to win their first major world title in any level — whether in men’s senior and U-19 or in women’s cricket.

Bangladesh had also recently handed India the knockout blow in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup, pulling off a major upset in the process. The Tigers would once again bowl the ‘Colts in Blue’ out for a sub-par 188, and would later chase the target down quite easily to collect a four-wicket victory. Bangladesh would later hammer UAE by 195 runs in the final to win the tournament for the first time.

Teams:

India XI: Adarsh Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan (c), Sachin Dhas, Priyanshu Moliya, Aravelly Avanish (wk), Murugan Abhishek, Saumy Pandey, Raj Limbani, Naman Tiwari

Bangladesh XI: Adarsh Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan (c), Sachin Dhas, Priyanshu Moliya, Aravelly Avanish (wk), Murugan Abhishek, Saumy Pandey, Raj Limbani, Naman Tiwari

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India vs England: Will be interesting to see if England sticks to Bazball whole series, says Zaheer Khan

The focus will be on Bazball and whether England sticks to their new-found policy when under pressure in India, said bowling great Zaheer Khan. India and England are set for five-match Test series which starts in Hyderabad on 25 January. The last time England won a Test series in India was in 2012, but there is a lot of buzz this time around since the visiting team adopted Bazball style of play under coach Brendon MCcullum. In an exclusive show titled ‘Insiders Preview Ind vs Eng’ on JioCinema, Zaheer Khan, Parthiv Patel and Pragyan Ojha provided a broad overview of what fans can expect from the mouth-watering contest ahead. They discussed England’s approach that revolves around Bazball, the pitches on offer and the importance of the toss. Excerpts:

On the teams’ approach to the series

Zaheer Khan: You don’t often see a five-Test series taking place these days. Bazball will remain in focus, and we’ll see whether England’s approach will remain the same. The kind of pitches that we’ll be playing on will also be another point of discussion for sure. But both teams will be eager to prove their supremacy.

On the concept of Bazball which has been so effective but is still untested in India

Pragyan Ojha: Bazball involves playing fearless cricket and England tries to gain a psychological edge using this strategy. Executing Bazball will be difficult in India because it won’t be easy to play the Indian spinners or for that matter Jasprit Bumrah and the other pace bowlers.

On India’s approach in the context of the World Test Championships standings

Parthiv Patel: I think the Indian team will aim for 5-0. I think they need a 4-0 win to get to the top of the WTC standings. Looking at the last cycle, India won a lot of overseas Tests. I don’t think India need to change their approach. It’s the visiting teams that have to come up with different strategies. It remains to be seen whether Bazball will work here or not. If the ball spins, I don’t think it will work here because there’s too much quality in India’s spin attack that includes Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar and Kuldeep.

On the confidence that England will carry after their 3-0 series win over Pakistan in 2022

Pragyan Ojha: I feel England will be very confident with the strategy they have adopted. But they need a back-up plan. Because the conditions won’t be like what they were in Pakistan. The wickets were slightly better and favoured the batsmen. Here, the conditions will favour the spinners. So how they tackle this will be very important. Their performance in the first Test will set the tone of the series.

On the pitches that can be expected

Parthiv Patel: I think every venue will have its own character. We may see similar tracks in Hyderabad and Vizag. In Rajkot, if they prepare a good wicket, we may see a lot of runs being scored. Their fast bowlers can hope to get some help in Dharamsala. At every venue, how many runs they get in the first innings, will be crucial. Winning the toss too will be crucial for them. If they lose the toss, it will be very difficult for them to come back.

Catch all the live action from India vs England – 1st Test starting January 25, 2024, Thursday, 9:30 AM onwards, LIVE & Exclusive on JioCinema, Sports18 1 (SD +HD) and Colors Cineplex (SD+HD)

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Kevin Pietersen offers advice to England batters on facing R Ashwin and Co in India: 'If your feet are good...'

After demolishing Afghanistan in the T20I series, the Indian cricket team will now have to shift their focus to Test cricket. In their next assignment, Team India will be up against England in a five-match Test series scheduled to start on January 25. The last time England had clinched a Test series victory in India it was Kevin Pietersen who produced a sublime performance back in 2012. The former England captain had pulled off a remarkable knock of 186 in the second Test in Mumbai back then. The English cricket team had gone on to win that Test series 2-1. Now, ahead of England’s Test series against India, Pietersen has recalled how he dealt with Indian spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin back then.

In an interview to former England cricketer Michael Atherton for The Times, Pietersen also offered a word advice to Ben Stokes and his men.

“I picked Ashwin’s ‘doosra’. He used to load the ball at the back of his run-up, and I think he still does that now. He never ran up with the ball in his hand as an off-spinner and changed it late for the doosra; you can’t do that. He loaded it up early,” Pietersen said.

“If your feet are good, and you are not planting your front foot and you are playing down the line of the ball, you should be fine. Just make sure you are not getting bowled or lbw. If you nick it to slip, no problem at all. If you get bowled or lbw that’s a big issue. You have so much time to wait for the ball and then judge length or line and then move,” he added.

The opening Test match between India and England is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium from 25 January. The Test series will come to an end with the fifth and final fixture being played in Dharamsala. The last Test series played between these two sides had ended 2-2. Despite taking a lead in that series, India had to concede a defeat in the final fixture.

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Sports this weekend: India start U19 World Cup campaign, Australian Open, AFC Asian Cup and more

There’s lots of sporting competitions to look forward to in the upcoming weekend. The Indian men’s senior team may not be in action this weekend, but their Under-19 side, led by Uday Saharan, commence their U19 World Cup title defence against Bangladesh in Bloemfontein on Saturday. India have been placed in Group A along with Bangladesh, USA and Ireland

Apart from cricket, there’s football and tennis too, with the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar and the Australian Open 2024 in Melbourne taking place respectively. And Premier League’s matchweek 21 carries on from last weekend, with Arsenal facing Crystal Palace in the London Derby at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, while Liverpool travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth.

As far as hockey is concerned, the India women’s team led by Savita Punia would hope to defeat Japan in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers bronze medal match after going down to Germany via penalties with a 3-4 margin. This will be the last chance at qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics for the women’s hockey team.

We now take a quick look at the sporting events that’s in store and where you can watch them (All times IST):

Cricket

ICC Under-19 World Cup (Star Sports/Disney + Hotstar)

India vs Bangladesh (Saturday, 1.30 pm)

Pakistan tour of New Zealand (Amazon Prime Video)

New Zealand vs Pakistan, 5^th T20I (Sunday, 5.30 am)

Football

AFC Asian Cup (Sports18/JioCinema)

Jordan vs South Korea (Saturday, 5 pm)

Kyrgyzstan vs Saudi Arabia (Sunday, 11 pm)

Premier League (Star Sports/Disney + Hotstar)

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (Saturday, 6 pm)

Bournemouth vs Liverpool (Sunday, 10 pm)

LaLiga (Sports18/JioCinema)

Real Madrid vs Almeria (Sunday, 8.45 pm)

Real Betis vs Barcelona (Sunday, 11 pm)

Serie A (Sports18/JioCinema)

AS Roma vs Hellas Verona (Saturday, 10.30 pm)

Udinese vs AC Milan (Sunday, 1.15 am)

Bundesliga (Sony Ten/Sony LIV)

FC Koln vs Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 8 pm)

Bayern Munich vs Werder Bremen (Sunday, 10 pm)

Ligue 1 (Sports18/JioCinema)

Lyon vs Rennes (Saturday, 1.30 am)

PSG vs Brest (Monday, 1.15 am)

Tennis

Australian Open (3^rd round) (Sony Sports Network)

Anna Kalinskaya vs Sloane Stephens (Saturday, 5.30 am)

Shang Juncheng vs Carlos Alcaraz (Saturday, 7.45 am)

Ugo Humbert vs Hubert Hurkacz (Saturday, 8 am)

Jelena Ostapenko vs Victoria Azarenka (Saturday, 8.30 am)

Grigor Dimitrov vs Nuno Borges (Saturday, 10 am)

Cameron Norrie vs Casper Ruud (Saturday, 11.30 am)

Magdalena Frech vs Coco Gauff (Sunday, time TBD)

 

 

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Explained: How the drop-in pitches for New York's T20 World Cup matches will be made?

The cricket matches in New York during the T20 World Cup 2024 in June will see the sport and organisers make multiple innovations as the International Cricket Council (ICC) tries to spread the game in the United States of America. US is one of the biggest markets for sports with billions being spent on it every year, but cricket is still to crack the code in the country. The US national cricket team has not achieved anything significant so far and international matches involving India in Miami over the years and Major League Cricket (MLC), a T20 franchise league which began in 2023 and has four teams out of six teams owned/co-owned by IPL franchises, have not made a major impact on the market so far.

The future, however, is expected to be different. With the inclusion of cricket in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and an ICC event moving to US for the first time in 2024, the sport is expected to get a massive boost. To forward cricket’s case in the US, the India vs Pakistan game in the 2024 T20 World Cup has been arranged in the North American country rather than in co-hosts West Indies.

T20 World Cup 2024: A look at USA’s cricketing infrastructure

The match has been scheduled to take place in New York in a pop-up stadium rather than in Florida or Dallas where permanent stadiums already exists. While the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Lauderhill, Miami, Florida has a capacity of 20,000 and the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas only has a capacity of 7,500.

To have a bigger crowd at the stadium, the decision was taken to schedule the match in New York in a new pop-up stadium which will have a capacity of 34,000. The Eisenhower Park which will be in Nassau County (Long Island), New York, will become first modular stadium in cricket and is expected to be ready by end of May. The Eisenhower Park will be hosting eight out of 16 matches US will be hosting during the T20 World Cup 2024.

T20 World Cup 2024: Check out all nine venues

The first match at the stadium will be on 3 June between South Africa and Sri Lanka. India play their first match on 5 June against Ireland, before facing Pakistan on 9 June. They will also take on US at the same venue.

With so many matches scheduled at a completely new venue, which will be a pop-up stadium, it’s natural that fans and organisers are concerns over the quality of the pitches at the ground.

T20 World Cup 2024: Full schedule of mega event in West Indies and USA

A drop-in pitch will be used for the T20 World Cup matches at New York. A drop-in pitch is a pitch that can be prepared anywhere away from the stadium and is later “dropped” into the stadium where it will be used.

Unique drop-in pitches

It has now be revealed that the drop-in pitches for the Eisenhower Park is going to be unique in the way it is being prepared. The ICC has hired Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions to execute the preparation and delivery of the pitches. One of the members of the Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions is the Adelaide Oval head groundsman Damien Hough.

Hough has revealed that six of 10 trays were built in Adelaide and have been shipped to Florida where the pitches are being made.

“It’s a bit tricky, we basically built six of the 10 trays here in Adelaide. We made them modular. We’re really proud of them. We’ve got a couple out of the back that will probably come out here [on Adelaide Oval] next year,” Hough told Channel 7.

“We put them in a shipping container and send them really wherever we want around the world. But they’ve gone over to Florida. And I’ve just come back from a month of work over there putting the trays together, putting the soil in, compacting them and putting the grass on. So we’re in the grow-in phase.

“We’ve got a business, a company over there called LandTek that are helping us with the grow-in phase. Then there’s a couple more strategic trips throughout the next six months to do some work on them and then transport them from Florida all the way up to New York where we’ll put them in and prepare them.

He added that it will take two days for the transport the drop-in pitches from Florida to New York and four drop-in pitches will be used at the venue.

“It’s a lot of work that’s gone into it so far. But the real work starts around the start of May. It’ll take two days to transport them up which is quite incredible. Never done that before. So there’s a lot of firsts. And then there’s getting them in the ground.

“Four go into that venue, that pop-up stadium, 34,000-seat stadium. Eight games in 10 days. One of them is Pakistan and India which will be amazing. And then there’s six that go into the warm-up venue with so many teams rotating through and so much training.”

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Australia vs West Indies: Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head put hosts in command

An inspired spell of bowling from Josh Hazlewood and a brilliant attacking century from Travis Head put Australia in complete control of the first Test against the West Indies in Adelaide on Thursday.

After Head smashed 119 from 134 balls to take Australia to 283 and a first-innings lead of 95, Hazlewood took four wickets for just two runs at the start of the West Indies second innings to deal a hammer blow to the visitors.

At stumps on the second day, the West Indies were 73-6, still 22 runs from making Australia bat again.

Joshua Da Silva was not out 17, with Justin Greaves dismissed off the last ball of the day’s play.

Hazlewood removed the top four West Indies batsmen in a superb spell of seam bowling.

He dismissed Tagenarine Chanderpaul for a first ball duck, then in his next over he had captain Kraigg Brathwaite caught by Head at a deepish short leg.

The West Indies were 7-3 when Alick Athanaze gloved a bouncer to keeper Alex Carey, then 19-4 when Kavem Hodge edged to Steve Smith at second slip

Kirk McKenzie and Greaves tried to rebuild the innings and took the score to 40 before McKenzie tried an expansive drive off Cameron Green, only to spoon the ball to Marnus Labuschagne at short cover.

Greaves and Da Silva batted sensibly and looked certain to take the West Indies safely to stumps, only for off-spinner Nathan Lyon to trap Greaves lbw for 24.

On a pitch that troubled every other batsman, Head seemed to be playing on a different surface when he batted, bringing up his seventh Test century with a glorious cover drive to the boundary.

He eventually fell after making a brisk century, caught brilliantly on the boundary by Kavem Hodge off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph, but by then the damage had been done and Australia were firmly in control.

– Dazzling debut –
The Australians were expected to dominate a below-strength West Indies, who have three players on debut in this match.

But led by exciting newcomer Shamar Joseph, the visitors took regular wickets throughout the first two sessions to initially keep the Australians on the back foot.

Joseph, playing only his sixth first class match, ended with 5-94 in a magnificent Test debut.

Australia had reshuffled their batting order on the retirement of David Warner, moving Steve Smith to opener so they could bring Green back into the side.

The first part of that experiment failed when Smith fell for 12 on Wednesday, so the Australians would have been hoping for big runs from the towering Green.

But he was gone for 14 in just the second over on Thursday morning, caught by wicketkeeper Da Silva off Shamar Joseph to leave the Australians 69-3.

Head came in and immediately looked to attack while Usman Khawaja, who started the day on 30, was slowly accumulating runs at the other end as the score passed 100.

It was another debutant, Greaves, who made the breakthrough, enticing an extravagant drive from Khawaja, who only succeeded in edging it to Athanaze at second slip.

All the batsmen struggled with the slow pace and variable bounce of the wicket, and it was no surprise when the Australians lost another wicket to the slips cordon, Mitchell Marsh edging to third slip where Greaves took a sharp catch.

Greaves nabbed his second wicket when he had Alex Carey caught by Da Silva, before Shamar Joseph got his fourth when Mitchell Starc gloved a ball to short leg.

The West Indies kept taking wickets, but they were unable to stem the runs and what could have been a manageable Australian lead quickly blew out to a daunting one.

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Rohit Sharma speaks on India's T20 World Cup squad selection: 'You can’t keep everyone happy'

India captain Rohit Sharma has said that the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 is “still not finalised” but the management is aware of the “8-10” players who will be making the cut. The T20 World Cup will be played in June but India don’t have anymore international matches to pick the squad. The IPL 2024 which will runs form Match to May will have a big say in the final squad. However, players like Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravi Bishnoi, who have done well in T20Is over the last one year are set to be part of the squad.

After the end of the third T20I against Afghanistan in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Rohit spoke to JioCinema and revealed India’s plans for T20 World Cup squad, spoke about managing a large talent pool and the series sweep over the Afghan Atalans.

On how India intend to manage the large talent pool

Rohit: It becomes challenging to a large extent because you are trying out a lot of players. Like when we were playing the ODI World Cup, we tried out many boys in T20s. They perform but when the main squad is announced, some boys have to be left out. So, it is disappointing for them. But our job is to bring clarity to the team. It shouldn’t be that we want to do something and something else is happening. So, in the pool of 25-30 players we have, they know what is expected of each player.

We have still not finalised the squad for the T20 World Cup, but obviously in the mind you know the 8-10 players who are going to play. Then you decide on the combination after looking at the conditions of the place you will be travelling to. In the West Indies, the conditions are quite slow, so we have to pick the squad accordingly. Again I say, Rahul bhai and I have tried to maintain clarity in the team. The one thing I have learnt from captaincy is that you can’t keep everyone happy. You have to focus on the needs of the team.

On to what extent India were able to execute their plans in the 3-0 series win

Rohit: We had a lot of discussions before the series. I had not played for one year, so I discussed ideas with Rahul bhai (Dravid). Although I was watching the games, I was not playing. I got an understanding of a few things, so we wanted to implement them and also do something different.

We wanted our bowlers to bowl in a different way, someone wasn’t comfortable bowling in the power play, so we had to use them there. Some were not comfortable bowling at the death, we asked them to bowl there.

On how difficult it was to motivate himself and the team post the ODI World Cup final loss

Rohit: I don’t think anyone here needs motivation. All the boys want to leave their imprint. Not everyone gets a chance to play for India, so I am sure all the boys who are here, want to make the most of it. You can see that they are making the most of the opportunities they are getting. That makes mine and Rahul bhai’s job a lot easier from that perspective. We just need to provide clarity.

On what he did post the World Cup final to get back to his best

Rohit: The 50-over World Cup is the biggest World Cup for me. It’s not that I don’t give importance to the T20 World Cup and the World Test Championships. But, we grew up watching the 50-over World Cup. And when it takes place in India, it’s a very big event. We tried. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win. The whole team was sad. I am sure all the fans were sad too. But we have one more opportunity now and we’ll focus on how to use that opportunity and win the World Cup.

On the switch hits and reverse sweeps he executed in the 3rd T20I

Rohit: I have been practicing it a lot in the nets. You have to play some shots in order to put the bowlers under pressure. When the ball is spinning and you can’t hit straight, you have to try something new. I have been practicing reverse sweeps and sweeps for the past two years. You would have seen me play them once or twice in Test matches. You have the options and it’s up to you how you are using those options. The ball was spinning and gripping today so, I thought I’d play with the spin rather than step out and hit hard in front of the wicket.

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Australia vs West Indies: Shamar Joseph shines after Aussies pacers wreak havoc

Debutant Shamar Joseph gave the West Indies some hope after taking two top-order wickets during Australia’s reply to the visitors’ first innings total of 188 in the opening Test in Adelaide Wednesday. Australia were 59-2 at stumps, with Usman Khawaja not out 30 and Cameron Green on six.

Australia were only 129 runs behind, but with key batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne back in the pavilion.

Earlier, Australian captain Pat Cummins won the toss and sent the West Indies in to bat on a cool and overcast morning, a decision that proved fruitful when the visitors were reduced to 133-9.

But Joseph, playing only his sixth first class match, gave the score some respectability with a breezy 36 off only 41 balls.

The best was still to come for the 24-year-old, who came on as first change and had Smith caught at third slip with his first ball in Test cricket.

Shamar Joseph dismissed Steven Smith on the first ball of his Test career.

– What a start by Shamar…!!! pic.twitter.com/ScCKm3lVXs

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 17, 2024

He then enticed a hook shot from Labuschagne, which went straight to Gudakesh Motie at deep fine leg to leave Australia 45-2.

That could have been even better had wicketkeeper Josh Da Silva not dropped Khawaja on one, a catch he should have taken.

Earlier, Josh Hazlewood took 4-44, including his 250th Test wicket, and Cummins 4-41 as Australia ran through the West Indies batting line-up.

Australia had gone into the Test making only one change from the team that beat Pakistan 3-0 earlier in the summer.

Smith moved to the top of the Aussie order in place of the retired David Warner and Green was back at number four.

It was a different story for the West Indies, who gave debuts to Joseph and all-rounders Kavem Hodge and Justin Greaves.

Windies skittled out 

West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul began sedately, content to leave as many balls as possible.

Cummins brought himself on in the 10th over with immediate results, a fuller ball enticing Chanderpaul into an expansive drive, only to slice the ball to gully where Green used all his height to take a comfortable catch.

Cummins then removed Brathwaite with a beautiful ball that was angled in, then straightened and took the top of off stump to leave the West Indies 27-2 after the first hour.

Alick Athanaze and Kirk McKenzie then steadied the ship and looked to take the West Indies to lunch at two down, but with the score on 52, Athanaze opted to leave a Hazlewood delivery only to see the ball cannon into his off stump.

It was Hazlewood’s 250th wicket in Test cricket, meaning the four main bowlers in Australia’s attack — Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Cummins and Nathan Lyon — have all reached that milestone.

Hazlewood continued after lunch with the wickets of Hodge (12), McKenzie (50) and Greaves (5) to leave the West Indies reeling at 108-6.

That became 132-7 when Cummins had Da Silva caught at deep square leg for six, before one run later they lost both Motie and Alzarri Joseph.

But Shamar Joseph rescued the situation, showing no fear as he reached his highest first class score, with Kemar Roach offering solid support.

The West Indies needed to make an early breakthrough and they put the disappointment of missing Khawaja behind them with the important wicket of Smith.

There were some Australian nerves jangling when Labuschagne fell, but Khawaja and Green saw the home side safely to stumps.

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