Steve Smith's unbeaten 104 propelled Australia to 330-2 on day one of the opening Test in Galle on Wednesday, surpassing 10,000 Test runs alongside Usman Khawaja's 147. The pair's unbroken 195-run stand frustrated Sri Lanka. Smith became the fourth Australian to reach the milestone, joining cricket legends Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting.
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During the second day of the fifth Test, Indian captain Rohit Sharma explained his absence due to poor form and praised stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit lauded Bumrah's growth and leadership skills. India's bowlers dominated, reducing Australia to 101/5, highlighting the challenging pitch and the importance of patience and pressure in Test cricket.
Australian pacer Scott Boland caused significant damage to India's batting lineup by dismissing key players Jaiswal, Rahul, and Kohli in the fifth Test at the SCG. Rishabh Pant stabilized the innings with a knock of 61. Kohli's struggle against Boland continued, with Boland dismissing him for the fourth time in the series.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir approves the challenging SCG pitch, emphasizing its importance for Test cricket. He highlights the need for converting starts into big scores and underscores the importance of fairness in team selection. Gambhir also advocates for senior players to guide Indian cricket forward and stresses the significance of domestic cricket.
Anil Chaudhary, a former international umpire, had highlighted Mohammad Rizwan's excessive appeals, prompting Indian wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan to critique Rizwan during a chat. Kishan advised appealing only when sure to instill confidence in umpires. He also discussed improvements in umpiring over the past decade with Chaudhary, emphasising the importance of confident, unbiased decision-making among new umpires.
Glenn Maxwell has agreed with his exclusion from Australia's Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour, understanding the selectors' decision to field uncapped all-rounder Cooper Connolly. Maxwell, who last played in 2017, prioritizes opportunities for new players in subcontinent conditions while refraining from future Test cricket plans.
India narrowly escaped a follow-on scare against Australia in the Gabba Test, thanks to a crucial 47-run partnership between Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah. Akash Deep's composed 31 runs proved vital, sparking celebrations in the Indian dressing room. With the series tied 1-1, the Melbourne Boxing Day Test promises a thrilling decider.
India allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has fully recovered from a side strain and is set to join the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp on Sunday, just in time for their IPL-2025 opener against Rajasthan Royals. Reddy had been sidelined due to the injury but passed his fitness test with a score of 18.1 at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.
Virat Kohli congratulated Rajat Patidar on being named the new captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, praising his growth and performance. Despite rumours of Kohli's return to captaincy, RCB chose Patidar, with Director of Cricket Mo Bobat emphasising Kohli's influence and support for the decision. Former RCB skipper Faf du Plessis also heaped praise on Patidar for earning the job.
Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana achieved a sensational hat-trick in the rain-shortened second ODI against New Zealand, limiting them to 255/9 at Seddon Park. He took 4/44, including crucial end-innings wickets, to swing the momentum back to Sri Lanka. New Zealand had initially dominated with Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman's half-centuries, setting a brisk pace.
Pratika Rawal's career-best 89 and Tejal Hasabnis's unbeaten 53 powered India's chase of 239, leading to a six-wicket victory over Ireland in the first Women's ODI. Smriti Mandhana set the stage with a rapid 41, while Gaby Lewis's 92 anchored Ireland's innings to a total of 238 for 7.