Masood falls but Pakistan continue to fight
South Africa picked up two crucial wickets including skipper Shan Masood (145) in the post-Lunch session but an unbeaten 69-run partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha took away any hopes of the hosts running through Pakistan. The visitors added 86 runs in the session and now only trail by 23 runs. Pakistan are currently 398/5 but are effectively six wickets down with only one wicket remaining for the tail to be exposed. After Lunch, South Africa got the old ball to reverse through Kwena Maphaka as he got Saud Shakeel to play some loose drives and beat him on the outside edge. Despite this, the hosts took the new ball two overs after it became due and were rewarded almost immediately. Pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada picked up Shakeel as one shaped in with the angle from around the wicket which the batter nicked to second-slip. In the very next over, Maphaka sent back Masood LBW after the hosts asked the third umpire to have a look once Nitin Menon gave it not-out on field.
Jahanra takes break from cricket due to mental health issues
The Bangladesh Cricket Board, on Monday, said that the country’s leading women’s pace bowler Jahanara Alam has taken a break from cricket for an indefinite period due to mental health issues. “She had given us a letter stating that she was not mentally ready to play and took a break from cricket for two months,” BCB women’s wing in-charge Habibul Bashar told Cricbuzz on Tuesday. “She even said that if necessary, she should not be kept in the contract. We need to respect that because if someone feels that she is not mentally ready and wants to take a break for some days, we need to accept that. There is no specific time frame for which she is out. Whenever she feels well, she will let us know.” Jahanara has played 52 ODIs and 83 T20Is in her career so far. She returned to the side after one year’s absence in July 2024, and was included in the T20 World Cup squad but did not feature in any of the games. She was a part of Bangladesh’s last home series against Ireland, where she played in the T20Is only and was benched during the ODIs.
Ashes on notice after astronomic Border-Gavaskar Series numbers
In the latest ICC Review, Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri compare the Border-Gavaskar Series rivalry with the Ashes. Ricky Ponting believes the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has set a tough benchmark for the Ashes to follow next Australian summer, as the two series jostle for best Test cricket rivalry bragging rights. Joining Sanjana Ganesan and Ravi Shastri for a bumper episode of The ICC Review after Australia’s 3-1 series win, Ponting says the quality of cricket and the number of fans walking through the turnstiles over the Australian summer mean the oldest Test cricket rivalry is on notice. “I had a look at the numbers yesterday, it was something like 837,000 people came to watch the Test matches, which is unheard of here in Australia,” Ponting told The ICC Review. “So now that this series has happened, Australia have England coming out next summer so we’ll get a better idea then. If the numbers aren’t the same, then there’ll be no doubt that the (Border-Gavaskar) rivalry (is bigger), certainly from the fans’ point of view.
Bangladesh unveil squad for a historic first tour of West Indies
The Tigresses are set to play three ODIs and three T20Is in the Caribbean, starting January 19. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has announced the squad for their historic tour of the West Indies. This marks the first-ever visit by the Bangladesh Women’s team to the Caribbean. The Tigresses are set to play three One-Day Internationals and as many T20 Internationals, with all matches scheduled to take place at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts. The Bangladesh team will arrive in St. Kitts on January 14. The ODI series will take place on January 19, 21, and 24, followed by three T20Is, scheduled for January 27, 29, and 31. The ODI series carries significant importance as both teams aim to secure vital ICC Women’s Championship points for direct qualification to the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India. Bangladesh currently sit 7th in the standings with 19 points, just outside the automatic qualification zone, while West Indies are in 9th place with 14 points on the board.
Bryant, Renshaw script turnaround to spoil Christian’s return
Dan Christian’s near-perfect return to competitive cricket was ruined right at the end by the dynamic duo of Max Bryant and Matt Renshaw as Brisbane Heat ended their winless run with a stunning turnaround at the Gabba against Sydney Thunder. Struggling to even score at six an over at the halfway point, Heat smashed 120 runs from 8.5 overs in the second half to canter home. Opting to bowl first, Heat made a decent start by removing Oliver Davies early. However, Matthew Gilkes came out all guns blazing and Warner soon joined the party with successive boundaries off Mitchell Swepson. Spencer Johnson then came into the attack and got rid of Gilkes immediately and Sam Billings didn’t last long either as he departed after miscuing a pull, only to get a top edge. While Warner kept the scorecard ticking at one end, Matthew Khunemann dented the batting side with the key wickets of Sherfane Rutherford and Hugh Weibgen. Warner remained the key heading into the death overs as he made use of a free-hit against Johnson to bring up his fifty.
South Africa strike twice but Masood stands firm
Pakistan continued to push on towards South Africa’s lead of 421 in the first session of Day 4 as they moved to 312/3 at Lunch in Newlands. Shan Masood continued to be the mainstay at the crease as he moved closer to 150 while the visitors reduced the deficit to 109 runs. The visitors added 99 runs despite losing two wickets at just above 3.5 runs per over. Nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad, who did his job seeing the visitors to Stumps on Day 3, played his shots to clinch a couple of early boundaries. The centurion Masood, on the other hand, was lucky to not nick behind to the ‘keeper and was relatively subdued in his approach early on. But he soon once again found joy with the pull shot which had worked so well for him throughout his innings. Marco Jansen finally broke the mini-partnership as the extra bounce forced Shahzad to tentatively push one to the point fielder. Jansen should have had two in the over but David Bedingham dropped Kamran Ghulam at first slip when he was on nought. To add salt to the wounds, the ball raced away for four.
Khawaja: ‘I was just getting Bumrah-ed’
Usman Khawaja came into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy not too worried about facing Jasprit Bumrah. In fact, Bumrah hadn’t been able to dismiss him across the seven Test innings they had faced each other previously, and the Australia opener reckoned the fast bowler gets easier to navigate as you play him more. But after six dismissals to the India fast bowler across eight innings where he faced him, Khawaja admitted he “was just getting Bumrah’ed”. “To be honest, I was just getting Bumrah-ed,” Khawaja told ABC Sport after Australia regained the BGT in Sydney. “It was friggin’ tough work. It was tough work. People were asking me ‘what’s going on?’ I’m being honest, I’m just getting Bumrah-ed.” Bumrah finished the series as the highest wicket-taker, with 32 scalps at an average of 13.06 and was duly named Player of the Series. He could bowl only nine innings though, and he couldn’t take the field during Australia’s chase at the SCG after experiencing back spasms during their first innings. In Bumrah’s absence, Australia sealed the win with six wickets to spare.
Rashid Khan spins Afghanistan to 1-0 series win
Rashid Khan’s seven-wicket haul powered Afghanistan to a 72-run victory in the second Test in Bulawayo, helping the visitors clinch the series 1-0 after the first rubber ended in a draw. Zimbabwe were already on the brink of defeat going into the final day at 205 for 8, and lost the last two wickets without any addition to their overnight tally. Rashid would’ve struck in his first over to remove Richard Ngarava, if not for captain Hashmatullah Shahidi putting down a chance at point after running in from cover. It didn’t make much of a difference as Ngarava fell in just the next over, run out by Shahidullah Kamal after a miscommunication for a run with Craig Ervine. Ervine, who kept Zimbabwe alive heading into the fifth day – even if only just – was trapped leg before to give Rashid his seventh wicket of the innings and Afghanistan their win. Before Rashid could run through Zimbabwe’s line-up across the last two days.
Harmanpreet, Renuka rested for Ireland series
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Thakur have been rested for India’s upcoming three-match ODI home series against Ireland. Shafali Verma, who had been dropped since the Australia tour in early December, continues to be on the sidelines, while Pooja Vastrakar – missing in action since India’s group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup last year – is still undergoing rehab. Squad: Smriti Mandhana (C), Deepti Sharma (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare.The 15-member squad will be led by Smriti Mandhana in Harmanpreet’s absence, with ace allrounder Deepti Sharma promoted as her deputy for the series. Harmanpreet had missed two games of the T20I leg of West Indies’ white-ball tour of India after picking up a knee niggle on-field in the series opener. With India’s qualification for the 2025 ODI World Cup already secured by the virtue of being hosts.
A tale of two Sundays
What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday in Centurion, South Africa won perhaps the most white-knuckle men’s Test of the southern summer; Australian exceptionalism notwithstanding. This Sunday at Newlands, Pakistan treaded water while they waited for it to rise above their heads. Sunday, bloody Sunday. There was always a danger that, because last week’s result booked the South Africans’ place in the WTC final at Lord’s in June, the second Test would lack relevance and therefore tension. And so it proved. After three days, Pakistan, who followed on 421 runs behind, need 208 more to make South Africa bat again. South Africa need eight more wickets to win. All involved would concur, privately, that the home side are winners in waiting. It’s difficult to believe that 18 of the 22 players involved at Newlands were also on the field at Centurion. That was a contest that remained in the balance until the winning runs were struck with just two wickets standing. This time, South Africa have not looked like losing since Temba Bavuma chose to bat on a pitch that couldn’t be more different from last year’s sorry strip at this ground, where the India Test hurtled from start to finish in 107 overs.
