Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that the change in captaincy at Mumbai Indians would have come as a shock for Rohit Sharma. Hardik Pandya, who completed a sensational move from Gujarat Titans ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, was appointed captain and it meant the end of a ten-year tenure for Rohit. While Harbhajan pointed out that he hopes that the decision is for the "betterment" of MI going forward, the decision would have been quite sudden for Rohit.
"I hope it's for the betterment of the Mumbai Indians going forward. You know, Rohit has been a true leader and a champion player for Mumbai Indians and India as well. Knowing him, after winning so many trophies for MI and done so well at the international level, it must have come as a shock to him to suddenly not be part of the leadership group," Harbhajan said on the IPL Daily Show on Star Sports.
"I'm sure he is going to be involved in some way or the other but we have seen Rohit growing as a player and captain and winning those five trophies. That speaks volumes about his captaincy. I don't know; the management has taken the decision and I hope everyone takes it in the right spirit and Mumbai Indians plays like a champion side," the former Indian cricket team spinner added.
Harbhajan was all praise for Hardik as a captain and said that the proof of the all-rounder's leadership skills comes from the fact that led GT to the title back in 2022.
"He is someone who thrives on challenges; he has done well for GT, winning the title in the first year and runners-up the next. This goes to show that he is a leader; he is now very quiet; operates well. So I feel that he has got all the qualities of a leader," concluded the former Mumbai Indians player.
England batter Jason Roy and Pakistan all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed were involved in an ugly spat during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans on Tuesday. The incident took place during the second ball of the third over of Gladiators' run-chase after David Willey trapped Roy LBW. As Roy walked towards his opening partner Saud Shakeel to discuss a possible review, he got tangled in an altercation with Iftikhar Ahmed.
Before the matter could escalate, both players were separated by Shakeel and Iftikhar's teammates. Roy was fuming over the incident as he threw his bat and helmet in anger after reaching the dugout.
Reacting to the ugly war of words between Roy and Iftikhar, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram slammed the English batter for his "useless anger".
Akram said that Roy must not forget that he is playing in Pakistan, adding that the England opener has a knack of getting himself into such fights on a regular basis.
"Just gets angry unnecessarily. Jason Roy must know he is in Pakistan. He has to respect our players and our culture. Why was he angry after getting out? It was his own mistake, and his anger was useless. He does this regularly," Akram said on A Sports.
Meanwhile, Roy recently pulled himself out of the upcoming season of the T20 tournament due to "personal reasons".
Roy had joined KKR ahead of last season after Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan had confirmed his unavailability for the season.
As his replacement, KKR have roped in another Englishman in Phil Salt, who was released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.
"Kolkata Knight Riders have named Phil Salt as a replacement for Jason Roy after the latter pulled out of the upcoming IPL 2024 owing to personal reasons. Having remained unsold in the auction after representing the Delhi Capitals last year, this will be Salt's second season in the IPL."
KKR bagged Salt for his reserve price of Rs 1.5 crore.
"Bought at his reserve price of INR 1.5 crore, the aggressive wicket-keeper batter from England scored two consecutive T20I centuries against the West Indies in December last year. His 48-ball century in the 4th T20I at Trinidad is also the joint-fastest for England," it added.
Former India pacer Praveen Kumar lashed out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), demanding equality in rules for all the players. While announcing the central contracts in February, the country's apex cricket board made it clear that the players who are fit and not on national duty need to be available for their respective domestic teams. Several speculations suggested that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were axed from the player retention list of BCCI as they were unavailable for their respective domestic teams despite being away from India matches.
Iyer did play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy semi-final and final matches but both the games took place only after his ouster from the BCCI contract list. On the other hand, Kishan failed to appear in any of the games for Jharkhand in the tournament.
Another player who came under the scrutiny of several critics was Hardik Pandya. The premium all-rounder was retained in the 'A' category of the central contracts but many questioned his availability in domestic cricket when he is off national duty.
"Hardik Pandya chaand se thodi utar ke aaya hai? Khelna padega isko bhi. Kyun iske liye alag niyam hai? Isko bhi board ko dhamkana chahiye. (Has Hardik Pandya descended from the moon? He has to play too. Why are there different rules for him? The BCCI should threaten him)," said Kumar on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel.
Hardik has been out of the international circuit ever since he was ruled out of the Cricket World Cup 2023 due to an ankle injury. He recovered recently and played in the DY Patil T20 Cup in lead-up to the Indian Premier League 2024.
"Why would you play just the domestic T20 tournament? Play all three formats. Or have you played 60-70 Test matches that you will just play T20. The country needs you. If you don't want to play Test cricket, give it in writing," said Kumar.
"Maybe Pandya has been informed that he would not be picked for Tests. I don't have any clear information," he added.
Hardik is set to lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. He will be replacing Rohit Sharma in the role.
In November last year, Pandya moved back from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise as part of a trade between both franchises.
The star all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign in the cash-rich league with aplomb. In GT's debut season in 2022, Hardik got them off to a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians will look to their captain Harmanpreet Kaur for inspiration when they take on a plucky Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women's Premier League Eliminator in New Delhi on Friday. Mumbai head to the match on the back of five wins and three losses including the seven-wicket loss RCB inflicted on them earlier this week. However, the holders are counting it as a rare off day. "I have seen consistency. If we make an exception for the last match, all the other games that we won. Yes. the performance was not good in the last match, but that's okay.
"We are prepared for the next game. And this happened before the Eliminators so we are taking this as a good sign," MI batting coach Devika Palshikaar said on the eve of the game.
Last year, UP Warriorz dented MI's playoff chances by defeating them in the league stage. Harmanpreet and Co then went on to win a one-sided Elimnator before claiming the title.
"Don't you think that history is repeating. We went through this last year as well, just before the Eliminators there were little ups and downs, but we bounced back in the Eliminator and played one-sided against them.
"So, we are taking this as a 'good luck' sign hoping that we are going to repeat the same history this year with the same results as last year,"Palshikaar added.
Harmanpreet bailed MI out with a whirlwind 95 not out against Gujarat Giants and the skipper will be key with the bat come Friday.
RCB have improved vastly from last year but Smriti Mandhana and Co. have qualified for their maiden knockouts on the back of an inconsistent run. They have won four games and lost four.
The positives for RCB include Mandhana returning to form, and the big-hitting Richa Ghosh and all-rounder Ellyse Perry being among runs.
The bowling unit comprising Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil and Perry have also done reasonably well but will have to be razor sharp againt MI.
"We're really excited to qualify for the playoffs. To be able to do that, we've needed different contributors at different times. Except, we haven't been anywhere near perfect," RCB head coach Luke Williams said. "We've had performances we thought we can improve on. We're primed to play some good cricket hopefully on Friday and if we're good enough on Sunday as well," he added.
MI enjoy a 3-1 head to head against RCB.
The winner of the clash will take on Delhi Capitals in the final on Sunday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India's batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal has reacted to the comments made on him by Ben Duckett. Talking about the youngster's aggressive batting during England's recent five-match Test series against India, Duckett asserted that Jaiswal played in that style of cricket as a result of England's much-discussed Bazball approach in the game's purest form. Duckett remarked that England deserve "some credit" for the way Jaiswal adopted an attacking brand of cricket in Tests.
"When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they're playing differently than how other people play Test cricket," Duckett had said while commenting on Jaiswal's batting at the end of play on Day 3 in Rajkot Test.
When asked to comment on it, Jaiswal refrained from speaking much on the topic.
"I don't want to say anything about it. I just need to try and do whatever I can do on the ground that says the best I can do," Jaiswal told The Indian Express.
Jaiswal's attacking approach yielded runs in tons for him and he bagged the Player of the Series award. He scored 712 runs across five matches.
Meanwhile, 29-year-old England batter Deckett faced plenty of backlash for his comment.
The opening batsman's opinion did not sit well with ex-England captain Hussain, who chastised Duckett for his statements and urged England players to "self-reflect" when it comes to supporting 'Bazball'.
"He's not learnt from you. He's learnt from his upbringing, all the hard yards he had to put in growing up. If anything, lads, look at him and learn from him. I hope there's a little bit of self-introspection going on. Otherwise it becomes a cult - and, at times, Bazball and this regime has been described as such, where you cannot criticise within or externally," Hussain told Sky Sports.
The big-hitting Shafali Verma led the way with a blazing 37-ball 71 as a dominant Delhi Capitals secured direct qualification into the final of the Women's Premier League with a seven-wicket hammering of Gujarat Giants in New Delhi on Wednesday. Table-toppers Delhi Capitals entered the game looking to bag a direct spot in the final and once their bowlers restricted Giants to 126 for nine with a disciplined show at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the hosts inched closer to realising their goal.
In the final on Sunday, the Capitals will play the winner of the eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
As she is wont to, Shafali launched into a furry of boundaries, including hitting as many as five sixes and seven fours, to help her side complete the chase of 127 without much ado.
DC finished the game with as many as 41 balls remaining.
Shafali reached her fifty in just 28 balls. She got to the landmark with a four over extra cover off Mannat Kashyap.
The duo of Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues (38 not out) then bludgeoned Meghna Singh for 20 runs, and Ashleigh Gardner was also carted for 28 runs in two overs.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals' bowlers produced a fine effort to restrict Gujarat Giants to a modest total.
If it was not for Bharati Fulmali's 36-ball 42 and Kathryn Bryce's unbeaten 28, the Giants would have finished with a much lower total.
South African veteran Marizanne Kapp led the way with fine figures of 2/17 in four overs, bowling beautifully in the powerplay, while there were also two wickets apiece for Shikha Pandey and Minnu Mani.
Gugarat Giants' decision to bat first on winning the toss backfired as they found themselves in a spot of bother at 12/2 in the fourth over, including losing the big wicket of skipper Beth Mooney for a duck to South African all-rounder Kapp in the match's very first over.
Mooney shaped up to flick a length delivery on the leg stump but the ball brushed past her thigh pad before going on to disturb the leg and middle stump.
Dayalan Hemalatha (4) was the next batter to depart, bowled by Jess Jonassen as Delhi Capitals rejoiced the early success.
Another setback awaited the Giants as they lost Laura Wolvaardt (7), the successful bowler being Kapp again as the visitors slumped to 16 for three in the beginning of the fifth over.
Unable to force the pace, Wolvaardt was under pressure and succumbed in the face of some disciplined bowling by Kapp.
Experienced Australian player Ashleigh Gardner (12) and Phoebe Litchfield (21) looked to steady the innings but having added 23 runs for the fourth wicket, the former perished to a lovely flighted delivery from off-spinner Mani.
The Giants were tottering at 39 for four in the ninth over and the situation became worse for them when Radha Yadav pulled off a nice catch to send back Litchfield off the bowling of Mani.
At 48 for five in the 11th over, the Giants were in a hopeless situation but Fulmali and Kathryn Bryce put on 68 runs to help the side cross 120 and give their bowlers something to defend.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Mumbai Indians started their training camp, roughly two weeks before the start of the Indian Premier League. The likes of Hardik Pandya, Arjun Tendulkar. etc. could be spotted in the training camp, mesmerising fans with their practice sessions. The Mumbai franchise shared a video of Arjun bowling in full rhythm to a left-handed batter. Up against Arjun in the nets, the batter was bamboozled by a toe-crushing yorker that saw him lose balance and drop to the ground. Many social media users thought that the batter was Ishan Kishan. The India star has been in the headlines for a while because of his intriguing red-ball cricket stance.
However, Mumbai Indians released a list of players who attended the practice and Ishan Kishan's name was missing.
"Mumbai Indians team started their first practice session with a grilling session in the nets, Captain Hardik Pandya, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Nehal Wadhera, Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Vishnu Vinod, Shivalik Sharma, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj were amongst the other players who trained at the CCI grounds," MI said in a release.
Arjun was roped in by the Mumbai franchise in 2021 but it took him two years to make his debut. In the IPL 2023 season, Arjun featured in a total of 4 matches for the franchise. Looking at his performance in the nets, Arjun could be in for a longer haul in the playing XI this time.
The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start from March 22, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set to clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a South Indian derby at their home arena--MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Last year's runners-up Gujarat Titans and five-time champions Mumbai Indians will square off against each other in a mouth-watering clash on March 24 at Ahmedabad. The fixture has gained a lot of hype because of star all-rounder Pandya's move to his former franchise MI following two great seasons with GT. Shubman Gill has taken over the captaincy of GT.
The new Indian Premier League (IPL) season beckons and one of the most intriguing aspects of it will be the change of guard in Mumbai Indians. The five-time champions will have a new skipper at the helm in Hardik Pandya, with previous captain Rohit Sharma featuring just as a batter. The move to change captaincy has been one of the most debated topics in the buildup to the IPL 2024. Whether Hardik Pandya can lead his old franchise with success is the question.
In a video, which has been widely shared on social media, former Indian cricket team player Praveen Kumar can be seen being asked this tough question on Mumbai Indians' change in captaincy.
"Did MI take a hurried decision? Or, the decision to make Hardik Pandya captain was the right one?" Praveen Kumar, who has played for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, was asked.
"You don't play two months before, you get injured two months before the IPL, you don't play for the country, you don't play for your state in domestic cricket, and just directly play in the IPL. That's not how things work. It's okay to earn money, who is stopping you? There's nothing wrong with that. But you have to play for state and country and now people only give importance to the IPL", Praveen replied.
Former cricketer Praveen Kumar talking about Hardik Pandya how he's fit only for IPL but not for nation or domestic. He also feels Rohit Sharma could have captained 3-4 more years in MI colour pic.twitter.com/2I6Hljvf88
The former pacer advised young players to prioritise international cricket over the Indian Premier League (IPL) and try to balance both things in their careers.
"I have been saying this for long. Paisa kamao, kaun mana kar rha hai? Paisa kamane chahiye lekin aise bhi nahi hona chahiye ki aap domestic nahi khel rahe, country ko importance nahi de rahe. (Earn money, who is stopping you? But it shouldn't be like you are not playing for the country or domestic cricket). This thing is now firmly in the mind of players. Mai ek mahine pehle rest kar lunga, fir IPL khel lunga. Ye mentally hota hai, ki mai itne paise kaise chodun (Will rest for a month before the IPL and then play. This happens because mentally you are not willing to let go of that money). But this is not fair at all. A player needs to balance things. Money is important, but this (giving franchise cricket the priority) is wrong," Praveen had told Times of India
Legendary Australia cricketer Ian Chappell launched a scathing attack on Ben Stokes' captaincy after England were beaten 4-1 in the recently concluded five-match Test series against India. England won the first Test match in Hyderabad but ended up losing the next four matches. Chappell cited the example of the fourth Test match in Ranchi and said that Stokes' aggressive captaincy faltered in that situation resulting in India clinched the match rather easily and taking an unassailable lead.
"Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes have waged an intriguing captaincy battle in their Test series. However Stokes' aggressive leadership faltered at a crucial time and India - well led by Rohit - claimed the series with a resounding victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi," wrote Chappell in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
“On the third evening Stokes desperately needed to start India's chase with his best two bowlers and try to claim at least one wicket. Incredibly, he gave the ball to a part-timer, Joe Root, and ignored the experienced, probing bowling of Jimmy Anderson. India took full advantage and scored an invaluable 40 runs off just eight overs."
“Stokes missed a trick in Ranchi. He then compounded his error by allowing too many easy singles on the final day by resorting to some cautious field placings. At a time when Stokes needed to be extremely brave as captain and hope he got lucky, he was abnormally conservative,” he added.
Chappell explained that Stokes was not up to the mark in his captaincy during a demanding chase and asked him to take inspiration from Pakistan legend Javed Miandad.
"India probably would still have won but at least by going on the attack, Stokes would have given England their best chance of an upset victory. Stokes could improve his captaincy in demanding chases if he took the example of the leadership master in those situations - Pakistan's Javed Miandad."
"Rohit proceeded to take full advantage of the tentative field placings with a thoughtful innings and India's solid opening partnership helped seal victory," Chappell concluded.
Ellyse Perry came up with an allround show as she snapped a record six-wicket haul and then smashed an unbeaten 40 to set up Royal Challengers Bangalore's dominating seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians and seal their play-off berth in the Women's Premier League on Tuesday. The star Australian allrounder, who had gone wicketless so far in the tournament, had a night to remember as she registered the best-ever bowling figures in the history of Women's Premier League, snapping six for 15 runs as RCB dismissed MI for 113, their second lowest score in WPL, after opting to bowl first.
Chasing 114 to win, RCB were 39 for 3 in the seventh over. It could have been worse had Nat Sciver-Brunt held on to two catches off Shabnim Ismail.
However, the 33-year-old Perry slammed a 38-ball 40, sharing an unbroken 76-run stand with Richa Ghosh (36 off 28) to take RCB across the finish line in 15 overs.
With the win, RCB finished their league engagements at third position with eight points, while MI (10) stayed at the second spot behind Delhi Capitals (10) in the table.
Needing a win to seal their top-three position, Perry got the ball to nip back from the crease consistently to clean up four batters and trap two in front of the wicket to drain the life out of defending champions, leaving them tottering at 82 for 7 in 13 overs.
Sent in to bat, Hayley Matthews (26) and Sajeevan Sajana (30), who was promoted up the order, provided a blistering start to MI, adding 43 off 35 balls.
Matthew was the aggressor at the start, using her slog shots to blast two fours and two sixes. While Renuka Singh was on the line for Matthews in the third over, Sajana picked Sophie Molineux in the fifth over for special treatment.
However, Sophie Devine ended the powerplay dismissing Matthews, who holed out to Perry as MI were 43 for one in six overs.
Sajana then took over the reins and smashed Devine for a four and a six before Perry brought RCB back into the game.
Perry bowled outside off length deliveries and both Sajana and Harmanpreet Kaur fell for the trap as the ball rattled their stumps to leave MI at 65 for 3 in 9 overs.
Sajana hit five boundaries and a six in her 21-ball knock.
Perry continued to wreak havoc with the ball as she returned to trap Amelia Kerr (2) in front before cleaning up Amanjot Kaur (4) in the 11th over.
Completing her bowling quota of four overs on the trot, the Australian then flattened the off stumps of Pooja Vastrakar (6) first and then deceived Nat Sciver-Brunt (10) with another inward seam delivery in her final over to grab a record six-wicket haul.
It was a sensational show from Perry, who took the six wickets off her last 15 balls. Asha Sobhana (1/12), Molineux (1/26) and Shreyanka Patil (1/3) were also among the wickets.
Priyanka Bala, who replaced Yastika Bhatia in the XI, tried her bit smashing two sixes in her 18-ball 19 before MI folded up for a small total in 19 overs. It was only the second time that MI have been bowled out in WPL.
The India vs England Test series brought several positives for the Rohit Sharma-led hosts. Despite top stars like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami missing from action, the Indian cricket team was boosted by the presence of debutants like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel. They gave a good account of themselves along with the seniors as India notched a 4-1 series win in the five-match series. Kuldeep Yadav was one of the standout performers for India. The left-arm wrist spinner was the joint third-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps. But more than that, it was his batting which impressed everybody.
He has three 25-plus scores, which may not look big, but in terms of its impact left a lasting impression. He struck crucial stands with India in tricky spots and helped his team.
"We know Kuldeep's got something about him when he bowls. In the last couple of years, he's just come along a long way after he was injured and the way he's come back in white-ball cricket and now you got to see in red ball as well what he can do. He's understood what he needs to do," Rohit said on Jio Cinema.
"He's gone back, worked with his coaches, worked here as well. I see him bowling every time, putting one stump there and just getting that accuracy right. And then, obviously, I've been very critical about his batting. I've been the one who's been pushing him to bat well. Go and work out whatever he can because it definitely adds up when you bat at No. 8 or 9. We know how crucial it is when you add those
runs at the back end. And he's got the ability to bat and play some shots as well," he added.
Rohit was happy with the way Kuldeep Yadav and Shubman Gill batted in Rajkot.
"I'm very happy with his batting. He's played a crucial role with the bat as well. In Rajkot, we wanted that partnership. It was the fourth day, morning, I think with Gill and him batting there. Although Gill was not quite pleased with that runout.
"But what makes this team quite happy is also enjoying each other's success. Gill was quite happy about how Kuldeep batted when he came out rather than going and criticising him about that run. It definitely adds up to us when he bats like that and he puts runs on the board for us. It gives us another addition to our batting
lineup," he concluded.
Australia's Alex Carey joined the elite company of legendary compatriot Adam Gilchrist and Indian star Rishabh Pant, smashing the second-highest score ever by a wicketkeeper-batter in a successful Test run-chase. Carey achieved this during his side's second Test against New Zealand at Christchurch During a tense run-chase of 279 runs, Carey guided Australia out of troubled waters, rescuing them from 80/5. He went on to score 98* in 123 balls, striking 15 boundaries in a fine match-winning knock. He also had a crucial stand with skipper Pat Cummins.
The highest-ever score by a wicketkeeper in a successful run-chase is by Gilchrist, who smashed 149* in 163 balls against Pakistan in 1999 at Hobart in a run-chase of 369 runs. At number three is Pant, who smashed 89* in 138 balls against Australia at The Gabba back in 2021 in a run-chase of 328, securing a series win by 2-1 for India and becoming the first team to beat Aussies at the venue in 32 years.
The Christchurch Test was a historic affair for Carey as he also tied with Gilchrist for most dismissals in a Test match for Australia, with a total of 10 dismissals. Gilchrist had also affected 10 dismissals in the match against New Zealand back in 2000 at Hamilton.
Carey was given 'Player of the Match' for his fine performance.
Australia clean-sweeped the two-match Test series against New Zealand.
Chasing 279 runs for victory in the second Test, Australia were 80/5 but the lower middle order fought back remarkably. Carey, Mitchell Marsh (80 in 102 balls, with 15 fours and a six) and Cummins (32* in 44 balls, with four boundaries) sealed a three-wicket win for Australia and a series win of 2-0.
खेल की पिचों पर इंग्लैंड पर श्रृंखला में मिली शानदार जीत न केवल भारत की घरेलू मैदान पर सर्वश्रेष्ठ जीत थी, बल्कि इससे खेल के लंबे प्रारूप में भी उसकी श्रेष्ठता की पुष्टि हुई, जिसमें युवा और वरिष्ठ खिलाड़ियों ने मिलकर 'बजबॉल' की धज्जियां उड़ाईं। विराट कोहली और मोहम्मद शमी जैसे खिलाड़ी पूरे मैच में उपलब्ध नहीं थे और सीरीज के पहले मैच में मिली करारी हार के बाद केएल राहुल और रवींद्र जडेजा के चोटिल होने से भारत का घरेलू मैदान पर दबदबा खतरे में पड़ गया, लेकिन रोहित एंड कंपनी ने अगले चार मैचों में अपने आक्रामक विरोधियों पर दबाव बनाने का तरीका ढूंढ लिया।
पांच में से चार डेब्यू करने वाले खिलाड़ी - सरफराज खान, ध्रुव जुरेल, आकाश दीप और देवदत्त पडिक्कल - ने दिखाया कि वे बड़े मंच के लिए तैयार थे, जबकि कप्तान खुद, जसप्रीत बुमराह और आर अश्विन जैसे टीम के स्तंभ भी समय पर प्रदर्शन करके मजबूत स्थिति में रहे।
परिवर्तन के दौर से गुजर रही टीम का भविष्य उज्ज्वल दिखता है।
भारत को इंग्लैंड पर अपना दबदबा बनाए रखने में मदद करने वाले स्टैंडआउट प्रदर्शन करने वाले युवा सलामी बल्लेबाज यशस्वी जायसवाल और कलाई के स्पिनर कुलदीप यादव थे।
यह घरेलू मैदान पर भारत की लगातार 17वीं सीरीज जीत थी, एक उल्लेखनीय उपलब्धि जिसे अक्सर हल्के में लिया जाता है।
"मुझे लगता है कि कभी-कभी हम इसे हल्के में न लें। खास तौर पर खुशी की बात यह है कि पिछले 10 साल या एक दशक से भारत का दबदबा रहा है और वह लगातार सफल सीरीज जीतने में सफल रहा है और उसने बहुत ज्यादा टेस्ट मैच नहीं हारे हैं, जबकि विदेशी खिलाड़ियों को इस देश में जो अनुभव मिलता है, उसकी तुलना 90 या 80 के दशक या यहां तक कि 2000 के शुरुआती सालों में आईपीएल से पहले मिलने वाले अनुभव से नहीं की जा सकती है," हेड कोच राहुल द्रविड़ ने कहा।
वह शनिवार को यहां पांचवें और अंतिम टेस्ट में पारी और 64 रन की जीत के बाद बोल रहे थे, जिससे भारत ने सीरीज 4-1 से जीत ली।
"मुझे पता है कि यह एक अलग प्रारूप है, लेकिन यह परिचितता के बारे में है। बहुत से इंग्लिश खिलाड़ी या ऑस्ट्रेलियाई खिलाड़ी यहां इन परिस्थितियों में बहुत समय बिताते हैं, वे लोगों को जानते हैं। इसलिए यह बहुत आसान हो गया है। लेकिन इसके बावजूद, यह तथ्य कि हम उस रिकॉर्ड और मानक को बनाए रखने में सक्षम हैं, खिलाड़ियों के लिए एक वास्तविक श्रद्धांजलि है।"
जैसबॉल ने बाजबॉल को पछाड़ा
जैसवाल ने सीरीज में अपनी उम्र का लोहा मनवाया और 712 रन बनाए, महान सुनील गावस्कर के बाद सीरीज में 700 रन का आंकड़ा छूने वाले दूसरे भारतीय बल्लेबाज बने।
हालांकि, यह विशाल संख्या सीरीज में उनके निर्णायक प्रभाव को मापने के लिए पर्याप्त नहीं होगी।
विजाग और राजकोट में उनके लगातार दोहरे शतक ने अंग्रेजों को दूर रखने में काफी मदद की। खासकर विजाग में दूसरे टेस्ट में, उनके 209 रन ही एकमात्र कारण थे कि भारत पहली पारी में 396 रन तक पहुंच सका, इसके बाद अगला सर्वश्रेष्ठ स्कोर 34 रहा।
जिस तरह से वह ऐसा करने में सक्षम थे दबाव को झेलना और गियर बदलना उनकी बल्लेबाजी की पहचान थी और श्रृंखला में 26 छक्के उनके पावर गेम के बारे में बहुत कुछ बताते हैं।
फिट और मजबूत कुलदीप ने घातक स्पिन आक्रमण को और अधिक मजबूत बना दिया है
घरेलू परिस्थितियों में रवींद्र जडेजा और आर अश्विन की गेंदबाजी किसी भी विपक्षी टीम के मन में डर और संदेह पैदा करती है और उन्होंने क्रमशः 26 और 19 विकेट लेकर अपनी प्रतिष्ठा को बरकरार रखा।
कुलदीप यादव ने पिछले चार टेस्ट मैचों में अपने सर्वश्रेष्ठ प्रदर्शन से स्पिन आक्रमण को और अधिक घातक बना दिया, जिससे भ्रमित विपक्ष को सांस लेने का मौका नहीं मिला।
धर्मशाला में उनके प्रदर्शन ने टीम के लिए उनके अमूल्य योगदान को दर्शाया। पहले दिन सपाट पिच पर, उन्होंने गेंद को दूसरों की तुलना में बहुत अधिक घुमाया और पांच विकेट लिए, जिससे इंग्लैंड की टीम 1 विकेट पर 100 रन से 218 रन पर ऑल आउट हो गई।
उनकी बेहतर फिटनेस ने उन्हें सीधे रन अप के साथ तेज गति से गेंदबाजी करने की अनुमति दी और इससे सारा अंतर पैदा हुआ।
डेब्यू करने वाले खिलाड़ियों ने अहम भूमिका निभाई
विकेटकीपर बल्लेबाज ध्रुव जुरेल और सरफराज खान ने राजकोट में अपने डेब्यू मैच में तुरंत प्रभाव छोड़ा।
जुरेल ने पहली पारी के अंत में 46 रन बनाए और दूसरी पारी में बेन डकेट को रन आउट किया। इसके बाद उन्होंने 90 रन की पारी खेलकर भारत की अगली टेस्ट सीरीज के लिए खुद को सुरक्षित किया, जिससे मेजबान टीम इंग्लैंड के पहली पारी के स्कोर 353 के करीब पहुंच गई।
सरफराज, जिन्हें अपने बड़े ब्रेक के लिए सालों तक इंतजार करना पड़ा, ने राजकोट टेस्ट की दोनों पारियों में अर्धशतक बनाकर शुरुआत से ही खुद को सहज महसूस किया। स्पिन के खिलाफ उनका खेल शानदार था और धर्मशाला में उन्होंने दिखाया कि वह मार्क वुड की तेज गति का भी सामना कर सकते हैं।
तेज गेंदबाज आकाश दीप ने रांची में पहले दिन इंग्लैंड के शीर्ष क्रम को ध्वस्त करते हुए अपने जीवन की सबसे अच्छी सुबह बिताई, जबकि धर्मशाला में अप्रत्याशित पदार्पण करने वाले देवदत्त पडिक्कल ने 103 गेंदों पर 65 रन बनाकर अपनी क्लास दिखाई।
"युवा भारतीय खिलाड़ियों का आत्मविश्वास देखकर अच्छा लगा। युवा लड़के जिन्हें अपनी क्षमता पर बहुत भरोसा है। बहुत अधिक अनुभव और यह निश्चित रूप से मदद करता है," द्रविड़ ने कहा।
"इन सभी खिलाड़ियों को हाल ही में टीम में शामिल किया गया है।
भारत बनाम इंग्लैंड लाइव
स्ट्रीमिंग,
पहला टी20 कब, कहां और कैसे देखें IND vs ENG
भारत की अगुआई वाली टीम बुधवार, 22 जनवरी को कोलकाता के ईडन गार्डन्स में पांच मैचों की सीरीज के पहले टी20आई में इंग्लैंड से भिड़ेगी। तेज गेंदबाज मोहम्मद शमी एक साल से अधिक समय तक बाहर रहने के बाद भारतीय टीम में अपनी बहुप्रतीक्षित वापसी करेंगे। अक्षर पटेल को अतिरिक्त जिम्मेदारी दी गई है क्योंकि उन्हें पांच मैचों की सीरीज के लिए उप-कप्तान बनाया गया है। भारत और इंग्लैंड ने टी20आई में 24 बार एक-दूसरे का सामना किया है, जिसमें भारत ने 13 जीत के साथ इंग्लैंड के 11 के मुकाबले मामूली बढ़त हासिल की है।
इंग्लैंड ने पहले टी20आई के लिए अपनी प्लेइंग इलेवन की घोषणा कर दी है। जोस बटलर पूरी सीरीज के लिए विकेटकीपिंग नहीं करेंगे।
भारत ने इंग्लैंड के खिलाफ अपने पिछले सात टी20आई मैचों में से पांच जीते हैं। भारत और इंग्लैंड का आखिरी टी20 मैच 2024 आईसीसी पुरुष टी20 क्रिकेट विश्व कप था, जहां भारत ने सेमीफाइनल में यादगार जीत हासिल की थी।
> टीमें: भारत: सूर्यकुमार यादव (कप्तान), संजू सैमसन, अभिषेक शर्मा, तिलक वर्मा, हार्दिक पांड्या, रिंकू सिंह, नीतीश कुमार रेड्डी, अक्षर पटेल (उपकप्तान), हर्षित राणा, अर्शदीप सिंह, मोहम्मद शमी, वरुण चक्रवर्ती, रवि बिश्नोई, वाशिंगटन सुंदर, ध्रुव जुरेल पहले टी20 मैच के लिए इंग्लैंड की प्लेइंग इलेवन: बेन डकेट, फिल साल्ट (विकेट कीपर), जोस बटलर (कप्तान), हैरी ब्रुक, लियाम लिविंगस्टोन, जैकब बेथेल, जेमी ओवरटन, गस एटकिंसन, जोफ्रा आर्चर, आदिल राशिद, मार्क वुड।
Former England spinner Graeme Swann doesn't believe Rohit Sharma's captaincy was better than Ben Stokes' in the five-match Test series. Rather, it was a lethal set of bowlers that "did the trick" for the India skipper. While Stokes' leadership style has attracted all the attention prior to and during the series, Rohit's team emerged 4-1 winners in the end. "I don't think he has been superior as a captain because his bowlers have done the trick for him. I think he's got more weapons at his armoury," Swann told PTI Videos in an exclusive chat after India inflicted an innings and 64-run defeat on England in the fifth and final Test here on Saturday.
"He's been good don't get me wrong, Rohit Sharma, but, I don't think if you pick this apart and say Stokes has captained badly, I think you are barking up the wrong tree there.
"Rohit Sharma's bowlers have really come to town for him, come to the party for him, in the last four Test matches, they didn't in the first one but they have done for the last four," Swann noted.
No blaming Bazball
Far from blaming 'Bazball' for England's loss, Swann said Stokes and Co actually failed to play the brand of cricket that has brought them success in recent times.
Swann's observation is in stark contrast to the views expressed by few other former players who attributed the drubbing to the visitors' fixation with Bazball.
"I don't think we have seen Bazball in this trip whatsoever, we saw it for one innings of this Test series, that's when Ollie Pope got a 190, and that was the definition of bazball," he said.
"I think England, where they have fallen flat in this series is, they have not been brave enough. I don't think they have played what you guys in the media call Bazball.
"I think if they had, I think this series would have been closer if I am honest." Bazball, which is derived from England Test coach Brendon McCullum's nickname Baz, fell flat as the tourists capitulated inside three days in the fifth Test, helping India secure their 17th straight Test series triumph on home soil.
On the match getting over in under three days, Swann said: "I would say it's a very good advertisement for Test cricket, because it was an exciting match.
"India were just too good for England in this game. It's always at the end of a series if it's already been won by one team, you worry that this will happen, the resistance will be completely blown away and it was in this Test match.
"So England will have to go home and shake themselves off wondering where it went so badly wrong. India are world class especially their bowling attack, and that was really shown again in this Test match." As a former off-spinner himself, Swann applauded Ravichandran Ashwin's stupendous performance on his 100 Test match.
"You know what it's brilliant, to get a fifer on his hundredth Test match. I have not actually seen him, I was looking to go and congratulate him myself but I will have to do that at the hotel later.
"Bowling so well and making those early inroads, that was brilliant, possibly one of his best fifers in his 100 Test matches, so you have got to take your hat off to Ashwin," he observed.
On James Anderson becoming the first fast bowler to reach 700 wickets, Swann said: "He's a joke, Jimmy is an absolute joke, how he has kept going for all this amount of time.
"When I say it's a joke I mean that in a good way, he's been incredible, and to get 700 wickets, well you know it's almost nonsensical the achievement and I love him to bits.
"I was kind of hoping when he almost bounced Kuldeep out, almost hit his gloves and bobbled in the air, that would have been the dream for Jimmy, because he has not bowled a decent bouncer for 10 years, but he has now."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Richa Ghosh hit two monstrous sixes but paid the price for her poor fitness as Delhi Capitals found her short of crease to win a cliffhanger against Royal Challengers by a solitary run in the Women's Premier League on Sunday. Needing 17 off last over to reach a target of 182, Richa, who blasted 51 off 29 balls, smote left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen for a 78 metre straight six and another maximum off the penultimate delivery to bring the equation down to two runs off the final delivery.
However Richa, not exactly known for being the fittest among Indian cricketers despite brute power in her strokes, wasn't fast enough to beat Jonassen, who whipped the bails off in a flash to restrict RCB to 180 for 7.
DC, with their fifth win, are now on 10 points and lead the table due to superior net run-rate (+0.918) compared to Mumbai Indians (+.343).
Needing 28 off final two overs, Shikha Pandey conceded couple of boundaries but removed Georgia Wareham, leaving left-arm spinner Jonassen to defend 17 in the final over.
Earlier, Jemimah Rodrigues displayed her complete mastery over slow bowlers with a 26-ball half-century that propelled Delhi Capitals to a competitive 181 for 5 in 20 overs. However, young off-spinner Shreyanka Patil grabbed four for 26 in her four overs and was brilliant at the business end of the DC innings to put brakes on the home team's scoring.
In front of a vociferous holiday crowd, Rodrigues brought out sweeps, cuts, pulls and the exquisite inside-out lofted drive from the closet to score 58 off 34 balls, adding 97 runs in just 10.1 overs for the third wicket with Alice Capsey (48 off 32 balls), who used the long handle to good effect during the slog overs.
This was after Shafali Verma (23 off 18 balls) and Meg Lanning (29 off 26 balls) added 54 for the opening stand but they were then dismissed in quick succession.
Rodrigues, not exactly known for her power-hitting, depended on her solid touch play, immaculate timing and deft placements to get eight fours and a six.
The maximum off leg-break bowler Georgia Wareham, imperiously hit over extra cover, brought up her fifty.
However, her best shot was the inside out loft that was dispatched to boundary just wide of long-off. She found an able ally in Capsey, who initially let the Indian take more of the strike before upping the ante during the death overs.
Spinner Asha Shobhana, seeing her coming down the track, tried to bowl one wide and out of her reach but the Southern Stars batter used her big reach to wallop her over extra cover.
Rodrigues, who should have scored more, was bowled round the legs when she tried to convert off-spinner Shreyanka's full-toss into an over-pitched delivery in her bid to play a paddle sweep.
Capsey, who also hit eight boundaries, continued to find the gaps before opposition's best bowler Shreyanka bowled a great last couple of overs to keep DC under check, conceding only nine runs in them.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rohit Sharma's captaincy was rather understated vis-a-vis Ben Stokes' on-the-edge methods, but India head coach Rahul Dravid was delighted to see the players identify themselves with the Mumbaikar's leadership principles. Under Rohit, India never made tall claims even once but silently and categorically nullified the visitors' much-talked-about 'Bazball' and grabbed the five-match series 4-1. "I'm privileged to work with a lovely team. I'm learning from them all the time. Rohit has been fantastic to work with. I think he's a terrific leader, and the guys gravitate towards him phenomenally, which is fantastic to see," said Dravid told broadcasters after the match.
Dravid said India's series win was dotted by several shining moments but acknowledged that the return of Ravichandran Ashwin from a personal emergency underlined the character of this outfit.
"I'd just say Ashwin coming back to the team after what he went through (as the stand-out moment). Ash wanting to come back and contribute to the team... I think, for me, it signified what this team is about and what the character of this team is.
"I think that was just for me, probably the standout moment of the series. It really gladdens your heart as a coach to the kind of environment that that had been created," said Dravid.
Ashwin had to leave for Chennai because of a family emergency on the second day of the Rajkot Test, but the veteran off-spinner rejoined the action on the fourth day of the third Test.
There have been talks about the doors of the Indian team being shut now for players like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer after they defied the BCCI diktat to play in Ranji Trophy.
But Dravid did not buy into that.
"Rohit and I are selecting playing 11. Sometimes even I don't know who is contracted and who is not. So, no one is out of the mix as far as we are concerned," Dravid later said in the post-match press conference.
Kuldeep Yadav twinkled radiantly with his left-arm wrist spin besides chipping in with some handy runs lower down the order.
Dravid was chuffed to see the wholesome improvement in Kuldeep.
"It's been tough on Kuldeep Yadav. He's been bowling at a time when two legends (Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja) are playing for the team. He brings the X-Factor to the team. He has also worked hard on his batting which has been a bonus," said the former Indian captain.
India all-rounder Shardul Thakur recently urged the bigwigs to look into the hectic Ranji Trophy schedule, which he said has been putting a lot of pressure on the players.
Taking a serious note of the call, Dravid the players' views should be considered sooner than later.
"We need to hear the players. They are the ones putting bodies on the line. If they are saying (about a busy schedule), we need to see how to manage the domestic schedule better," he added.
