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England captain Ben Stokes stuck to his guns despite criticism of his fearless 'Bazball' approach and feels vindicated after his side levelled the Ashes series on a dramatic final day. Australia were well-placed at 264-3, chasing a mammoth 384 to win, and even had they come away with just a draw, that would have been enough to secure a 2-1 series success. But instead they suffered a dramatic collapse after a lengthy rain delay on the fifth day at The Oval.  Stuart Broad took the final two wickets as England won by 49 runs to pull level at 2-2. England started the series against Australia confident their gung-ho approach would work even against the newly crowned world Test champions. They had good reason to be upbeat, with an impressive record of 11 wins in 13 matches since Stokes had teamed up with coach Brendon McCullum , after whom Bazball is named. From the moment Zak Crawley hit the first ball of the Ashes for four at Edgbaston, it was apparent England had no intenti

Team India has been facing severe criticism after their experiment to bench skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli , miserably failed during the second ODI against West Indies. The visitors were led by all-rounder Hardik Pandya and were bundled out for just 181 runs. Later, West Indies comfortably chased down the target in just 36.4 over with six wickets in hand. 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has been critical about Team India's performance as the clock for the upcoming ODI World Cup is ticking. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be aiming to end their decade-long ICC trophy drought in the ODI World Cup, which will be held in October in India. Speaking about the mega event, Kapil lashed out at the BCCI for preparing a tough schedule, which involves a lot of travelling.  "I don't know. When you perform as good as that, it's the right board, nothing wrong. But the right board also needs to improve. If I show you the fixture I have seen today, India

Out-of-favour India opener Prithvi Shaw is headed to Northamptonshire for his maiden stint in the English county circuit. Shaw will make his debut for the county side on Friday against Gloucestershire in Cheltenham in the One-Day Cup. Shaw's arrival was delayed because of visa formalities as he could not play two four-day County Championship fixtures. "It's a great opportunity for me and I'm really thankful to Northamptonshire for giving me this chance to express myself here," Shaw was quoted as saying in a media release. "It's going to be amazing I think and I'm really looking forward to it." Shaw last played for India on the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021, and was part of the squad for the T20Is at home against New Zealand earlier this year. The Delhi Capitals batter had a woeful IPL 2023 campaign and was dropped midway through the competition.  source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/prithvi-shaw-set-for-one-day-cup-debut-with-northampto

England beat Australia by 49 runs to win the fifth Test at The Oval on Monday and end the Ashes series all square at 2-2. Australia, chasing 384 to win, collapsed from 264-3 to 334 all out, with England's retiring paceman Stuart Broad taking the final wicket. England did the bulk of the damage when, after a rain break of more than two hours, they took four Australia wickets for 11 runs in 19 balls. Off-spinner Moeen Ali took three wickets on his way to innings figures of 3-76 and all-rounder Chris Woakes ended with 4-50. Broad, England's all-time leading Ashes bowler, then polished off the tail. Australia, as the holders, had already retained the Ashes but they remain without an Ashes series win in England since 2001. "It was absolutely wonderful," Broad told Sky Sports. "I thought Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali set the tone absolutely unbelievably.  "Woakesy picked up a couple of wickets, particularly Steve Smith, who has just been a wonderful player to p

The inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket concluded on Sunday (Monday IST) with MI New York clinching the title against Seattle Orcas in Dallas. The brand MI continued to display its flawless cricketing skills as it added another trophy to its collection. Asked to bat first, the Orcas posted a good total of 183/9 in 20 overs with Quinton de Kock scoring 87 runs. However, the match turned upside down in the second innings as skipper Nicholas Pooran smashed a whopping total of 137 runs off just 55 balls and guided MI New York to victory by seven wickets. Pooran's massive knock was laced with 13 sixes and 10 boundaries. The most memorable moment of the match came during the 16th over of MI's chase as the West Indies wicketkeeper thrashed Harmeet Singh for 24 runs. That over included a boundary and a stunning hat-trick of sixes.  3 SIXES TO END THE LAST OVER OF THE POWERPLAY! THIS IS SOMETHING SPECIAL, NICKY P! 8⃣0⃣/2⃣ (6.0) pic.twitter.com/pGRwHNz0nT — Major Lea

A true legend in Indian cricket, Kapil Dev isn't known to mince his words when it comes to sharing his opinions on raging topics in the Gentlemen's Game. The 1983 World Cup winner isn't a pleased man, having seen how Indian cricket has evolved over the last few years. With injuries to key players hurting the team's performances in mega events, Kapil questioned the commitments of Indian stars, suggesting they would not mind playing the Indian Premier League (IPL) with minor injuries but when it comes to doing the same for the national team, they would prefer to sit out. In an interview with The Week , Kapil questioned the progression status of marquee pacer Jasprit Bumrah , who has been out of the Indian team for about a year. With the clock for the ODI World Cup already ticking, Kapil feels it would be a waste of time if Bumrah doesn't recover in time for the mega event. "What happened to Bumrah? He started working with so much belief, but if he's not th

Team India's hopes of sealing the fate of the 3-match ODI series against West Indies early were ruined after the hosts secured an unlikely win on Saturday. The Indian team, with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rested for the game, West Indies put in a solid performance to chase down the target of 182 runs. As West Indies sealed the win, a fan's tweet went viral, even catching the attention of the hosts' board. West Indies decided to share the tweet, with an epic reaction. The fan shared a picture which read: "Free Rum When West Indies Win". As the fan shared the tweet, West Indies quoted the tweet and said: "Brin the rum and come." Bring the rum and come. https://t.co/taZfJvr9cv — Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 29, 2023 As for the match, Indian bowlers failed to defend a low target of 182 as West Indies Captain Shai Hope 's 50 provided a 6-wicket victory to the Caribbeans in the second ODI of the three-match series in Barbad

Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja hit unbeaten fifties as the tourists reached 135-0 on a rain-shortened Sunday in pursuit of a mammoth target of 384 runs to win the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. They kept Stuart Broad waiting for a farewell wicket after the England fast-bowling great made a shock announcement on Saturday that he was retiring after the match. Warner was 58 not out and fellow left-hander Khawaja unbeaten on 69 when rain at 2:41 pm (1341 GMT) ended play on the fourth day. Australia need 249 more runs to complete a 3-1 series win and a first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001. If Australia do manage to reach that target, it will be the eighth-highest fourth-innings total to win any Test and the second-highest in England, behind Australia's 404-3 at Headingley in 1948 when Arthur Morris made 182 and batting great Don Bradman an unbeaten 173. It would also be a new ground record -- the highest successful fourth-innings chase in a Test at T

Indian cricket over the years has seen a sea change. From being minnows in the 70s, Indian cricket has come a long way. The financial might that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has translated it into hosting the costliest cricket tournament in the world - the Indian Premier League. The players have got richer too. From high-paid central contracts to lucrative IPL deals to costly brand endorsements, for an Indian cricketer, the avenues of income are manifold. However, despite such riches, India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev feels there is always room for improvement. "Differences come out, the good (thing) about these players...is that they are very confident. Negative point is they think they know everything. I don't know how to put it better than that. But they are confident, but they think 'you don't have to ask anybody'. What we believe is an experienced person can help you," Kapil Dev said on The Week . "Sometimes

India head coach Rahul Dravid said that India is looking at the bigger picture, which is the World Cup and Asia Cup, and therefore trying different players in the series against the West Indies. India lost to the West Indies by six wickets in Barbados on Sunday in the second ODI match. Speaking to the media, Dravid said that since many players are injured, they are trying out players for backup. "This was our last chance to be able to try out our players; we have got few of our players who are injured, who are in the NCA. You know, with months to go for the world cup or Asia cup, we are kind of running out of time in a lot of ways, and we are hopeful that some of him will be at least fit for the Asia Cup and the World Cup. But we cannot take our chances as we have to try out other people, so that in a worst case scenario they have game time behind them," he said. "We will always look into the bigger picture and we cannot think about every single game and series."

Shai Hope led from the front with an unbeaten half-century as West Indies defeated India by six wickets in the second ODI and bring the three-match series on an even keel in Bridgetown on Saturday. Hope (63 not out; 80 balls) found a fine ally in Keacy Carty (48 not out; 65b) as the duo put together 91 runs (118b) for the fourth wicket to steady their 182-run chase. WI reached the target with 80 balls to spare. In absence of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India's batting looked feeble. Following a 90-run opening partnership between Ishan Kishan (55; 55b) and Shubman Gill (34; 49b), India lost five wickets for 23 runs before folding for 181 in 40.5 overs after WI skipper Shai Hope opted to field. Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel all got out for single digit scores. Romario Shepherd (3/37) and Gudakesh Motie (3/36) were the pick of the Windies bowling, while Alzarri Joseph bagged 2/35. The final ODI of the series is slated in Tarouba on Tuesday. (T

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow combined for a sublime century partnership as England took a giant stride towards levelling the Ashes in the fifth Test at The Oval on Saturday. England, in a match they must win to square the series at 2-2, were 389-9 in their second innings at stumps on the third day -- a commanding lead of 377 runs. Root (91) and Bairstow (78) were both in superb touch during a fifth-wicket stand of 110, with the only sadness for a capacity home crowd the fact that neither Yorkshireman was able to complete an individual hundred. A late flurry of wickets, with Mitchell Starc taking 4-94 after a pounding by England's top order, gave Australia a glimmer of hope. But some of the biggest cheers of the day came when last man James Anderson got off the mark by reverse sweeping Todd Murphy for four and then next ball conventionally sweeping the off-spinner for another boundary. Nevertheless, England's current advantage means Australia already would have to achieve

England great Stuart Broad said Saturday he will retire from all cricket following the conclusion of the ongoing fifth Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval, describing his career as "a wonderful ride". The 37-year-old seamer, the fifth most successful bowler in Test history with 602 wickets, told Sky Sports after stumps on the third day: "Tomorrow (Sunday) or Monday will be my last game of cricket. It has been a wonderful ride and a huge privilege to wear the Nottinghamshire and England badge as much as I have." Broad, the son of former England opening batsman Chris Broad, added: "I am loving cricket as much as I ever have. I have always wanted to finish at the top and this series feels like one of the most enjoyable and entertaining I have been a part of." Broad, now appearing in the 167th Test of his career, made his debut in December 2007 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Along with fellow veteran fast bowler Jimmy Anderson, he shared one of Test cri

Day 2 of the ongoing second Ashes ended in the favour of England as the hosts bundled out Australia for 295, giving them a lead by 12 runs. It was a dominant show from the entire bowling unit of England as Chris Woakes took three wickets while the likes of Stuart Broad , Joe Root , and Mark Wood took two wickets each. However, the day also turned out to be controversial after Australia batter Steve Smith and England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow got involved in a bizarre run-out.  In the 78th over on Day 2, Smith played a shot on Chris Woakes' delivery and ran for a double. While coming back for the second one, substitute fielder George Ealham grabbed the ball and threw it towards wicketkeeper Bairstow, who did not waste any time and dislodged the bails. Smith made a dive into the crease and the decision was sent to the third umpire. After checking the different angles, it was shown that Bairstow had hit the stumps when Smith was out of crease. George Ealham Gary Pratt An inc

England fast bowler James Anderson insists that turning 41 on Sunday will not push him into retirement, claiming he "has a lot more to give". England's all-time leading wicket-taker with 690 Test victims, is enduring a rare lean patch in the ongoing Ashes series against Australia. So far he has taken only five wickets in the four matches he has played with one more innings left in the fifth Test at The Oval to add to his tally. "As soon as you get into your 30s as a bowler, people are asking how long you've got left," Anderson told the BBC's Test Match Special after the second day's play on Friday. "But in the past three or four years, I've bowled as well as I ever have. I feel like I've been in so much control, my body has been in a good place, my skills are as good as they ever have been. "In terms of retirement, I've got no interest in going any time soon. I feel like I've got a lot more to give." Anderson dismi

Former India batter Aakash Chopra has slammed the management for the under utilisation of pacer Umran Malik in the first ODI against West Indies on Thursday. Umran was picked in the XI for the series opener but bowled just three overs, and also failed to take a wicket. Despite giving 10 runs in his first over, Umran recovered and gave away only seven runs in his next two overs. However, he was the only bowler who failed to pick a wicket in the series opener. Chopra feels the Indian management missed a trick by not utilising Umran properly. "You kept him but bowled him only three overs. He didn't pick up a wicket. There was probably an opportunity for him to come and pick up two or three wickets in the end but you didn't go towards him. Umran Malik - a box that should have been ticked is not ticked," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. The cricketer-turned-commentator also pointed out that while the management is considering Umran as a back up pacer for World Cup,

ICC men's T20 World Cup 2024 is likely to be played from June 4 to June 30 in West Indies and the USA, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. According to reports, an ICC delegation visited five of the USA's shortlisted locations this week. These locations will be hosting an international global cricket event for the first time. These include Morrisville, Dallas, and New York for tournament matches and warm-ups, as well as Lauderhill in Florida. Morrisville and Dallas are currently hosting the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket in the USA, however, these grounds are yet to get international venue status, which is mandatory as per ICC rules.  In the next months, the ICC, along with Cricket West Indies (CWI) and USA Cricket (USAC), will make a final decision regarding the venues.  Ireland, Scotland, and Papua New Guinea qualified for the 20-team T20 World Cup this week using the ICC's system of regional qualifiers. While PNG won the East Asia-Pacific Region Qualifier, the top

Steve Smith's 71 helped Australia recover from a batting collapse as the tourists frustrated England by establishing a first-innings lead in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval on Friday. Australia were eventually bowled out with what became the last ball of the second day for 295, 12 runs ahead of England's 283. It looked as if England would enjoy a sizeable advantage as veteran seamer Stuart Broad sparked a slump that saw Australia decline from 115-2 to 185-7. But Smith and Australia captain Pat Cummins (36) kept England at bay with an eighth-wicket stand of 54. And off-spinner Todd Murphy -- recalled to the side following last week's rain-marred drawn third Test at Old Trafford -- added to England's woes with a sparkling 34 that belied his position of No 10. Cummins eventually holed out off part-time spinner Joe Root, with rival skipper Ben Stokes throwing the ball back in over the rope at long-on to complete a fine catch. Australia, as the holders, are as

Ireland became one of the two teams to seal an ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 berth from the ongoing Europe Qualifier following a washout against Germany on Thursday. The match between Ireland and Germany was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain on Thursday, 27 July. Ireland remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, having registered victories against Italy, Denmark, Austria, and Jersey before their clash against Germany resulted in a washout, as per ICC.  This means, after five games, Ireland now have a total of nine points with one more game remaining against Scotland.  Following their 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier heartbreak, Ireland made a strong comeback in the Europe Qualifier as they secured a spot in next year's T20 World Cup.  Ireland opened their account in this tournament with a close-fought victory over Italy by seven runs. Having set a target of 158 from their 20-overs quota, they restricted Italy to 151/9. Curtis Campher top-scor

IPL 2023 turned out to be really memorable for Arjun Tendulkar as the young pacer made his debut in the cash-rich league with Mumbai Indians. The son of legendary Sachin Tendulkar , Arjun had a mixed outing in IPL 2023 as he took three wickets in four matches but also leaked 92 runs. Currently, the 23-year-old pacer is playing for South Zone in the Deodhar Trophy 2023. Apart from hustling on the field, Arjun is also working on his fitness, which can be clearly seen in his Instagram story. Taking to the social media platform, Arjun shared a shirtless mirror selfie, where he can be seen flaunting his six-pack abs. The trend of keeping a chiseled in the Indian cricket camp has been started by star batter Virat Kohli and many other players like KL Rahul , Shubman Gill , and now even Arjun have followed the footsteps of the former captain.  Earlier in June, Arjun was called-up by the BCCI for a 20-day camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Arjun, who plays first-cla

India's star pacer Mohammed Siraj has flown back home after being rested from the three-match ODI series against West Indies, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. The bowler flew back with the rest of the Test returnees in Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat and Navdeep Saini. Siraj was anticipated to lead a pace attack that also includes the all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur, Mukesh, and Umran Malik while Mohammed Shami remained rested. However, according to ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI decided to rest Siraj from the ODI part of the West Indies tour due to his workload.  India have the Asia Cup from the end of August to the middle of September, followed by a three-game home series against Australia in September, during a hectic time leading up to the domestic ODI World Cup in October. Siraj, who was not included in the T20I squad for the Caribbean tour, took seven wickets in the two Tests, including a five-for in the first innings on a flat Port-of-Spain co

Sri Lanka's legendary cricketer Chaminda Vaas thinks that India do not rely on their star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as there are many other young players who can be considered as 'trump card' for prestigious events like Asia cup and World Cup. India will first play in Asia Cup starting from August 31 then they will host the ICC Men's World Cup which will start from October 5.  Chaminda told ANI, “If you talk about the Indian team, not only Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are trump cards, there are so many young cricketers who are trump cards, like Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav. Yashasvi (Yashasvi Jaiswal) is playing well, Gill is playing well, there are so many bunches of talent in India. Everybody is going to be competitive. When it comes to batting, I think India does not depend on Virat and Rohit all the time, others have also chipped in and if Virat and Rohit perform then mostly the game will be won by India."  Chaminda who is a bowling coach of the

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has picked his India XI for the upcoming three-match ODI series vs West Indies, starting with the first game in Barbadon on Thursday. As far as the team combination is concerned, Karthik picked two frontline pacers and two specialist spinners, with five quality batting options. With India set to host the ODI World Cup later this year, Karthik feels that the three-match series will be the most crucial leg of the ongoing West Indies tour. Karthik feels Suryakumar Yadav should be part of the Indian team for the World Cup. "For me, the biggest person who can take home a lot in terms of confidence and in terms of giving confidence to the selectors as well, and as someone who is a world-class player but strangely hasn't put a mark in ODI cricket, is Suryakumar Yadav. He has had quite a lean run, in the last series against Australia, he got three ducks, and post that, we also saw what he can do in the IPL. He is somebody who can take the

Indian women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has shaken the entire cricketing world with her unruly behaviour in the third ODI against Bangladesh. Harmanpreet's decision to smash her stumps upon getting dismissed before launching a scathing attack at the umpires in public has not just earned her severe criticism but also a suspension of 2 games. The veteran cricketer has been slammed by many in the Indian spectrum over her behaviour, and now, even former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has criticised her. According to an ICC release, Harmanpreet fined 75 percent of her match fee over a Code of Conduct breach and also received four demerit points. According to Afridi, the Indian batter should've been fined 100 percent of her match fee. When asked if a harsher penalty should've been given to Harmanpreet, Afridi agreed, saying that the ICC should've set an example for the future. "This is not just India. We've seen these things in the past as well. Although

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd Test, Day 3 LIVE: After an eventful Day 1 where Pakistan took charge of the proceedings by bundling out Sri Lanka for just 166, little happened on Day 2 as the heavens opened up, resulting in rain almost the entire day. As the third day's play begins, Pakistan would look to build on the 12-run lead they already have, with Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique in the middle. For Sri Lanka, making use of the first session in picking early wickets would be key to making a comeback. | LIVE Scorecard Here are the live score and updates from the Day 3 of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan from Colombo: source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sri-lanka-vs-pakistan-2nd-test-day-3-live-cricket-score-and-updates-4240314

Harmanpreet Kaur 's boorish behaviour during and after the third ODI captain against Bangladesh was rash and did not befit the image of an Indian captain, said former skipper Shantha Rangaswamy on Tuesday. Harmanpreet got a two match suspension for her outburst in Dhaka last week where she shattered stumps after being adjudged leg before and publicly criticised the match officials. "Her behaviour was deplorable. If she had stopped after her dismissal (it would still be acceptable to some) but what she did at the presentation was not good for the game. It was rash and she went overboard," Shantha told PTI. Harmanpreet's behaviour undid all the good work done by boards of both the countries, feels Shantha. "She is our best batter no doubt, but to behave like this is not acceptable. An act like that undoes good work done by the boards of respective countries. India is leading a country in the region and it needs the support of other nations. "Harman went ther

India skipper Rohit Sharma has been receiving a lot of praise for his performance in the recently concluded two-match Test series against West Indies. The 36-year-old batter not only brought up his hundred in the first Test but also went on to smash a half-century in the second match. Though Team India failed to register a clean sweep as Day 5 of the second Test got washed out, they still managed to claim the series with 1-0 lead. Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim praised Rohit for his excellent captaincy.  Karim hailed Rohit for his fearless batting in the first Test as the India skipper brought up a ton despite having difficult pitch conditions. He also praised Rohit including wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan into the Playing XI.  "In the first Test, the wicket was not easy to bat and Rohit got a hundred. Some of his decisions, bringing Ishan Kishan in the mix and all these showed that Rohit wants to win this time around," said Karim on Jio Cinema.  Players like Rav

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd Test, Day  2, Live Updates: Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam are standing strong for 2-down Pakistan on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka. Earlier in the day,  Abrar Ahmed takes a four-wicket haul as Pakistan bundled out Sri Lanka for 166 on Day 1 of the second Test. Apart from Abrar, Naseem Shah took three wickets while Shaheen Afridi scalped one. For Sri Lanka, Dhananjaya de Silva scored 57 runs. ( Live Scorecard ) Sri Lanka Playing XI:  Nishan Madushka , Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Mendis , Angelo Mathews , Dinesh Chandimal , Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama(w), Ramesh Mendis , Prabath Jayasuriya , Asitha Fernando , Dilshan Madushanka Pakistan Playing XI:  Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq , Shan Masood , Babar Azam(c), Saud Shakeel , Sarfaraz Ahmed (w), Agha Salman, Noman Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sri-lanka-vs-pakistan-2nd-test-day-2-live-score-updates-4238551

The Indian cricket team was denied the opportunity to take full points from the two-match Test series against West Indies after the second game ended in a draw due to a complete washout on Monday. As a result, India was able to get 16 points from the possible 24 which took their PCT (percentage of points won) to 66.67 percent. As a result, they are currently second in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table behind Pakistan who have 100 percent after winning their first Test against Sri Lanka. On the other hand, West Indies are currently fifth in the points table after getting 4 points for the draw which took their PCT to 16.67 percent. India have two away tours to South Africa and reigning world WTC champions Australia lined up, besides a home series against a formidable England. India won the two-match series 1-0 against the West Indies after heavy rain did not allow any play on the fifth and final day of the second Test in Port of Spain on Monday. India, who won

An Indian team in transition will feel robbed of an opportunity as torrential rain came in its way of potentially winning the second Test against West Indies and completing a 2-0 series whitewash in Port of Spain on Monday. Eyeing a clean sweep after their victory inside three days in Dominica, India called the shots here too and set the hosts an imposing target of 365. But the match ended in a draw after the fifth and final day's play was washed out. Having taken two wickets to leave the beleaguered West Indies trailing by 289 runs by the end of the fourth day's play, the Indians would have certainly fancied their chances of emerging victorious and grabbing a full 24 points in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. But that was not to be, thanks to the heavy downpour as India concluded their Test campaign with no further gains. The main cover was taken off after losing nearly two and half hours of play, as dark clouds gave way to clear blue skies. The game was fir

England batsman Zak Crawley has insisted the hosts will have no trouble motivating themselves for this week's fifth Test against Australia even though they can no longer regain the Ashes. What had looked like being a thrilling series-decider at The Oval has had some of the edge removed after England's quest to draw level in the fourth Test at Old Trafford was thwarted by rain, with only 30 overs possible across the final two days. England dominated proceedings in Manchester, with Crawley's superb 189 against world Test champions Australia the standout individual performance. But a rain-marred draw left England 2-1 down in the series with just this week's Test to come and Australia -- as the holders -- assured of retaining the Ashes. Nevertheless, a win for England at The Oval would deny Australia their first away Ashes series victory since 2001. "We're massively up for it," said Crawley, the series' leading run-scorer with 385.  He added: "As

WI vs IND, 2nd Test, Day 5 Highlights: The second Test between India and West Indies at Queen's Park Oval ended in a draw after no play on final day was possible due to rain. The heavens opened up and washed out the first session and continued to play hide and seek on Monday before the match was eventually called off. West Indies were 76 for 2 at Stumps on Day 4, needing 289 runs to beat India. On the other hand, the guests needed 8 wickets to win. India had declared their second innings at 181 for 2, setting a 365-run target for hosts.   The Rohit Sharma-led sealed the series 1-0 as it had won the first game by one innings and 141 runs.   ( Scorecard ) Here are the Highlights of Day 5 of the 2nd Test match between India and West Indies, straight from Trinidad: source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/india-vs-west-indies-2nd-test-day-5-live-score-updates-heavy-rain-in-trinidad-continues-to-delay-action-4236705

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd Test, Day 1 LIVE: After a convincing victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, Pakistan look to ace the Colombo test as the two teams square-off for the second time in the series. Sri Lanka had their moments in the first Test. They could've gone on to win the match but Saud Shakeel 's maiden double ton in the longest format of the game turned the tables in Pakistan's favour. Shaheen Afridi has been a venom since regaining full fitness. He was among the top wicket-takers in the first Test and the Lankans would need to work hard to keep him at bay in Colombo. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam didn't get the runs under his belt in the first Test, yet his team emerged triumphant. Sri Lanka would need to keep him quiet for another match. |  LIVE Scorecard Here are the live cricket score and updates from the Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd Test Day 1, from the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo: source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sri-lanka-v

Rohit Sharma became the first batter in the history of Test cricket to register 30 consecutive double-digit figures. The record previously belonged to Sri Lanka great Mahela Jayawardene who had 29 double-digit scores to his name but Rohit surpassed him during Day 4 of the second Test match against West Indies in Port of Spain. Often regarded as a specialist in white-ball cricket, Rohit has truly shown over the last couple of years that he is as good a batter in Test cricket, as he is in limited-overs formats. A look at the last 30 Test innings of Rohit Sharma - 12, 161, 26, 66, 25*, 49, 34, 30, 36, 12*, 83, 21, 19, 59, 11, 127, 29, 15, 46, 120, 32, 31, 12, 12, 35, 15, 43, 103, 80, 57. Rohit looked in tremendous form once again as he slammed a brilliant half-century and stitched together a decent partnership with new opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal to put India in a commanding position. India declared their second innings at 181 for 2 during the final session on day four, giving the