Star, Who Last Played In 2021, Returns As Pakistan Name Playing XI For Boxing Day Test vs South Africa
Pakistan have named the 34-year-old pacer Mohammad Abbas in the playing XI for the opening Test of the two-match series against South Africa, starting December 26 at SuperSport Park. Abbas, a stalwart of Pakistan’s Test setup with 90 wickets in 25 matches, last donned the whites in August 2021 against the West Indies in Kingston. Pakistan’s batting lineup for the Centurion Test has undergone significant reshuffling. Abdullah Shafique, who scored 132 runs in the home Test series against England last October, has been left out. Shafique’s lean patch in the recent One-day International (ODI) series against South Africa, where he failed to open his account in three outings, likely influenced the decision.
Hardie an allrounder on the rise but injury hits bowling role
Make no mistake, Aaron Hardie is a genuine allrounder. This can be gleaned by a first-class batting average of almost 40 – having cemented No. 5 for Western Australia in recent Sheffield Shield seasons after starting off at eight – and a bowling average of 28.78. His versatility has been on show to a wider audience during his fledgling international career. Hardie has impressed as a finisher in white-ball cricket, while he claimed a three-wicket haul with his sharp seam bowling in his most recent appearance on the field in last month’s T20I against Pakistan in Hobart. Hardie, 25, has moved up the ranks by dedicating himself to each skillset, practicing them equally, with the hard work paying off for an emerging player favourably compared to his WA team-mate and former junior rival Cameron Green.
“Try And Reduce…” Ahead Of Boxing Day Test, Cheteshwar Pujara Gives Big Advice To Team India
India are all set to face Australia in the highly-anticipated Boxing Day Test from Thursday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This will be the fourth Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar series, which is currently levelled 1-1. India won the opening game by a whopping total of 295 runs in Perth but the hosts bounced back in style in the second match and won by 10 wickets. However, the third match ended in a draw, due to rain in Brisbane. Both the teams are now eager to taken a crucial lead in the series. Ahead of the fourth Test, veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has suggested that Rohit Sharma and co should opt for an extra pacer, in order to strengthen the bowling attack.
2 of your 3 fast bowlers have played 3 Test matches” – Aakash Chopra suggests a change in India’s playing XI for BGT 2024-25 4th Test
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested that India consider including an additional specialist fast bowler for the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, starting December 26, 2024, in Melbourne. Chopra expressed concerns about the workload on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who have both played all three Tests in the series. Chopra noted that in the 2020 Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), India fielded five frontline bowlers, including three pacers and two spinners, which contributed to their success. He questioned whether a similar strategy could be employed in the upcoming Test, especially considering the physical demands on Bumrah and Siraj.
Cheteshwar Pujara lauds Mitchell Starc, calls him the best bowler for Australia in BGT 2024-25
Veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara showered praise on seamer Mitchell Starc and said that the 34-year-old has been the “best bowler” for Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series, reported Star Sports. The series is currently tied at 1-1 after India secured a draw in the third Test in Brisbane. The Boxing Day Test will kick off on December 26 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Starc made his Test debut in 2011 against New Zealand. Following that, the 34-year-old has took part 92 Test matches and 176 innings, picking up 372 wickets at an economy rate of 3.42. The Aussies pacer has great numbers against India, he picked up 62 wickets after playing 21 Test matches against them.
Latest ICC ODI rankings: Saim Ayub makes meteoric rise, Afghanistan all-rounder enters top three
The latest ICC ODI rankings are out, with Pakistan’s opening batter Saim Ayub and Afghanistan’s all-rounder Azamatullah Omarzai making significant gains. Ayub was instrumental in Pakistan’s historic 3-0 series whitewash in South Africa recently. He played a starring role in the three-match series with twin centuries to his name, continuing the rapid start to his ODI career. The Player of the Series performance catapulted him from 70th to a joint-23rd position in the ODI batters’ rankings. In the same series, Heinrich Klaasen struck three fifties on the trot, helping him to make inroads in the top 10. He jumped from 13th to fifth with a current points tally of 743.
Babar Azam Continues To Dominate ODI Rankings
Pakistan’s cricketing stars, made impressive strides in the latest ICC Rankings across both white-ball and red-ball formats, owing to their exceptional performances in recent matches.In the ICC ODI Batter Rankings, Babar Azam continues to reign supreme, holding the number-one position. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha have also shown impressive progress in their Rankings. Pakistan’s skipper Mohammad Rizwan climbed three places, advancing from 24th to 21st with 612 rating points. In the ODI Bowling Rankings, rising star Saim Ayub who was named player of the series against South Africa, made a significant leap of 57 spots, securing the 23rd position with 603 rating points. In the T20I Rankings, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan maintained their standings at sixth and eighth, respectively.
Ravi Shastri compares Jasprit Bumrah with legendary West Indies fast bowler
Former India player Ravi Shastri lauded Jasprit Bumrah for his ability to know about the opposition batter’s strengths and weaknesses. He compared the speedster with legendary West Indies pacer Malcolm Marshall. Bumrah has been sensational for India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Bumrah has picked up 21 wickets in three Tests at an average of 10.90 in the five-match Test series against Australia. He was named the Player of the Match for his eight wickets in the series opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Bumrah dismissed four batters in the second game, while he accumulated 9 scalps in Brisbane. “He reads the game well when it comes to batters. Malcolm Marshall was the best bowler I faced and Bumrah is like him. Marshall was renowned for reading the strengths and weaknesses of the batters,” Ravi Shastri told Fox Cricket.
“I Am MVP Of My Cricket, Not Rohit Sharma Or Virat Kohli”: Ravichandran Ashwin
Ever since India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin announced his sudden retirement from international cricket, tributes have been pouring in from all corners for the veteran cricketer. However, Ashwin doesn’t want people to celebrate his career or worship him. For him, the sport is above all individuals. However, the owner of 537 Test wickets said that he does want to burst a few cricketing myths. Former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain had a detailed virtual conversation with Ashwin, who is currently in Chennai following his retirement from international cricket. During the interaction, Ashwin gave some interesting insights into his memoir “I Have The Streets: A Kutty Cricket Story” which was released earlier this year in July. During the chat, Ashwin opened up on one of the biggest myths about him. He said that people think that he is too serious and doesn’t enjoy the game as much as someone like Virat Kohli.
Why India must not drop Nitish Kumar Reddy for Boxing Day Test against Australia at MCG?
Despite the series locked at 1-1 after a rain-marred Gabba Test ended in a draw, India are likely to ring in a horde of changes for the fourth Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India’s record at the iconic Australian ground has been commanding over the last decade, having gone unbeaten in three editions of the BGT since 2014, with a draw and two wins in their last two appearances in 2018 and 2020. However, things have taken a remarkable turn since and within the break from the last Test which saw the retirement of spin legend, R Ashwin. Rookie off-spinner Tanush Kotian has since been drafted into the squad while Australia are backing teenager Sam Konstas to make his debut at the top of the order, with Scott Boland replacing seamer Josh Hazlewood.
