BCA suspends Deepak Hooda for entire domestic season

New ‘Running’ test to test the endurance Indian players introduced by BCCI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to introduce a unique running test alongside the dreaded Yo-Yo test as a standard of physical fitness for its contracted players. The new test is a mandatory 2-km time trial that will measure the speed and endurance levels of the players. This new test mandates that fast bowlers complete the 2 km run in 8 minutes and 15 seconds. On the other hand, batsmen, wicket-keepers, and spinners can take up to 8 minutes and 30 seconds to complete the run. The minimum yo-yo level for all remains at 17.1. Talking about the new test, a BCCI official, as quoted by Indian Express said, “The Board felt that the current fitness standard played a huge role in getting our fitness to the next level. It is important to take our fitness level to another level now. The time trial exercise will help us to compete even better. The Board will keep updating the standards every year.” The players were informed about the Tests and it has decided to create three windows in February, June, and August/September to conduct the Tests. The England Test series has been exempted from the newly inducted testing methods but the players vying for a place in the ODI team would have to undergo these Tests in February. In the past, the Yo-Yo test has brought doom for players like Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, and Sanju Samson who had failed the test and lost their place in the team. In other South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, the fitness testing methods are similar as far as Yo-Yo is concerned. Yo-Yo has a qualifying mark as set differently by different teams. India have set 17:1 as the qualifying speed level. To qualify means to run between two cones set apart 20 meters each and the players have to move between them as and when the beep goes and till the time the beep keeps ongoing. Neighbouring countries like Pakistan have a minimum level of 17:4 in the Yo-Yo test while West Indies and England are at 19. The New Zealand team has the highest level which is set at 20:1.

Shastri ensured the team did not go down despite Adelaide debacle: Inzamam

India created history after beating Australia 2-1 away from home to defend the Border-Gavaskar trophy earlier this week. India were handed a target of 328 runs on the last day of the final Test and they went over the line by 3 wickets. Shubman Gill scored 91 runs while wicket-keeper batsman remained unbeaten at 89 during the course. Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has praised the Indian team for their performance while has lauded head coach Ravi Shastri as well. “One factor that people are not mentioning is Ravi Shastri. He started as off the team director and returned as the head coach, the experience and the game sense he has I feel has helped the Indian team and its players a lot. Everyone has watched him play; he was a big player for India, a terrific all-rounder,” Inzamam said on his YouTube channel. “I remember when he used to do commentary, the kind of things he used to say and the eye for talent that he had, you could figure how much knowledge he had of the game. That I believe has helped this Indian team a lot. "He is a tough campaigner and it was evident by the fact that despite the Adelaide debacle, he ensured the team did not go down, and instead pulled them back up,” Inzamam added. With this series win, India have moved to the top spot in the points table of WTC. India were without captain Virat Kohli who had returned home for the birth of his first child. India had suffered a number of injury blows during the series. Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari had been ruled out of the series after sustaining individual injuries while R Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah weren’t a part of the side for the fourth Test as they were not fully fit.

WATCH: Panelist calls Virat Kohli's gestures a disorder

India skipper Virat Kohli is a pretty animated player on the field and his gestures are often compared with other captains in the world. Recently, a mainstream Hindi news channel also pointed out at Kohli’s celebrations gesture and one of the panelists even termed it a “disorder”. Kohli has returned to the side for the England series at home slated to begin from February 5 in Chennai. With Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has also been picked but as a pure batsman. India have been undergoing some injury concerns. Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Hanuma Vihari, Ravindra Jadeja had been earlier ruled out of the series against Australia after sustaining individual injuries while Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were also not picked as they were not fit. Ishant though has been picked for the England series. The spin department has got a new addition after Axar Patel alongside Washington Sundar and R Ashwin. T. Natarajan and Prithvi Shaw haven’t found a place for themselves in this squad. Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul (subject to fitnsess after first Test), Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Standbyes: KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Abhimanya Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rahul Chahar, Net Bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, K Gowtham, Saurabh Kumar

BBL10 | Preview: Thunder face Sixers in Sydney Smash as they fight for survival

It is going to be a battle for survival for the Thunder as they take on the cross-town rivals Sixers in what is going to be the most important game of their campaign in Adelaide. The Men in Fluorescent Green have lost three games in a row and hence what was looking like a certainty a few days ago, their chances of making it to the Playoffs have gotten slimmer by the day. This match is also important because if they are not able to win this one, the would-be facing Adelaide in two games straightaway at the Strikers’ home ground, winning those two matches on the trot would become very difficult, especially considering the form of the Strikers in their last game against the Heat. In this second Smash of the season, apart from all these things, avenging the last defeat would also be somewhere in the corner of all Thunder men's minds. Ferguson must find the right match The problem with the Thunder team in the last three games have been the throwing away of the wickets and all key batsmen getting out all at once. It is something that the team needs to look at and address as soon as possible. Even after having the top four as strong as they have with the likes of Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Ferguson himself, and then Billings coming at four, they haven’t really been able to utilize the death overs or even the power surge. On a batting-friendly Adelaide track, it would hence be necessary for skipper Ferguson to either anchor the innings or delegate it to someone like Khawaja and then let there be a free flow of runs from the other end. Similarly in the bowling department, their dependence on just Daniel Sams wouldn’t do any good as he wouldn’t be available for the three most important games of the Thunder campaign after getting a bone and ligament injury against Hurricanes at Manuka Oval. It is therefore important that the rest of the fast bowlers strategize their areas to bowl in and which overs they will bowl alongside the two spinners in Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green. Henriques, Abbott boost to the Sixers Already in a very strong position as of now, the Sixers have been given a big boost in the form of their skipper Moises Henriques and fast bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott joining them in the Sydney Smash. While this would pose selection problems, but at the same time, it is going to be a real challenge for the opposition to face a stronger Sixers team than they faced last time around at Manuka. With Josh Philippe and Steve O’Keefe in the best of their forms and two great all-rounders in Dan Christian and Carlos Brathwaite already available and going great, the inclusion of Henriques and Abbot is something that will boost the chances of Sixers going 2-0 in the Sydney Smash this year, until and unless Thunder find some inspiration from within. Sixers vs Thunder: Match Details Match Number- 48 Date and Time- Jan 22, 2021, 01:45:00 pm IST, 07:15pm Local, 08.15 am GMT Venue- Adelaide Oval Broadcast- Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The Adelaide wicket looks like a usual T20 wicket with a lot of runs scoring opportunities for batsmen and the bowlers have to really slog it out to get desired results. The only way bowlers can overpower the men with the willow in their hands is by being consistent with their variations. Bowling length or in a particular channel wouldn’t help on this wicket until and unless you have 200 runs in the kitty. Weather and Bat Flip The skies are going to be clear and the temperature perfectly all right for a cricket game hovering in the twenties of teh celsius. In such a situation, a skipper winning the toss would go for fielding first, although batting first wouldn’t be a bad option either, especially for Sixers to put pressure on the Thunder batsmen by scoring big in the first innings. Strongest XI Sixers Josh Philippe (wk), Daniel Hughes, James Vince, Moises Henriques(c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve O'Keefe, Sean Abbott, Jake Ball, Lloyd Pope Strongest XI Thunder Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings (wk), Chris Tremain, Oliver Davies, Ben Cutting, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Tanveer Sangha