Daily Round-up | 29 Dec: India third Test venue confirmed

It’s been an eventful day for the cricket fans. The Indian team has levelled the Test series against Australia after beating the hosts in Melbourne while New Zealand have set a target of 373 runs for Pakistan in the first Test at Bay Oval. Here’s a recap of what all happened in the day. 


India level series against Australia


Chasing a paltry 70 runs on the fourth day of the second Test in Melbourne, India went over the line by 8 wickets to level the series. The visitors suffered a defeat in the first Test but came back strong under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy and won the match. 

Australia began the day at 133/6 and were bowled out for 200 to set India a target of 70 runs. Rahane’s side had some early hiccups but a fine partnership between Shubman Gill and the captain steadied the ship for the side. The two put an unbeaten 51 for the third wicket and saw India home. 


Sydney has been confirmed as the venue of the third Test between the two sides. 


New Zealand set massive target for Pakistan


New Zealand have set a target of 373 runs for Pakistan in the first Test at Bay Oval. Pakistan began the proceedings on a disappointing note and lost a couple of wickets at the score of 0. Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail tried to hold on to the innings but Sohail too departed at an individual score of 9. Pakistan ended the day’s play at 71/3 needing 302 more to win with one day to go. 



South Africa thump Sri Lanka 


South Africa beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 45 runs in the first Test in Centurion. South Africa rode on Faf du Plessis’ 199 to post 621 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 396. Later, Sri Lanka began the proceedings on a disappointing note as they lost early wickets. The visitors kept losing wickets at regular intervals before getting bowled out for 180. Kusal Perera scored 64.

 


Australia fined for slow over-rate

The Australian team were slapped with a fine of 40% match fees and penalised four ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second Test against India. 


Sydney Thunder fetch win vs Melbourne Stars


Sydney Thunder etched a win by a huge margin of 75 runs against Melbourne Stars in Canberra. Chasing, 220 in 20 overs, the Stars never looked comfortable during the chase and lost wickets regularly. They were eventually bundled out for 144.

 

Earlier, Sydney Thunder had been clinical with their batting performance against Melbourne Stars and posted a mammoth 219/7 in 20 overs. Riding on Alex Hales’ 29-ball 71 and a brisk half-century from Ferguson, Thunder thoroughly dominated the Stars bowling attack. Usman Khawaja too chipped in with 37 runs off 31 balls. 

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AUS vs IND: Cricket Australia confirms SCG as venue for 3rd Test

Amid the rising uncertainty about the venue of the third Test between Australia and India, Cricket Australia has confirmed that the New Year Test will take place on its traditional vene at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Notably, there were discussions in Cricket Australia ranks as Sydney was reporting a number of Covid-19 cases in the past week. Cricket Australia in its statement said that the decision to host the Test at the SCG has been taken after various rounds of consultations on the issue of Covid-19 outbreak in the Northern beaches of Sydney. Both sides will travel to Brisbane where the health guidelines as per the Queensland state government are in action and hence Cricket Australia had to weigh in various options after meetings with New South Wales and Queensland state health officials. “Despite the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am delighted to say Cricket Australia remains on track to deliver the men’s international series as scheduled. We have met regularly over the past week to assess the unfolding public health situation in Sydney and gauge its impact on border restrictions around the country. To date, we have been able to deliver a safe and successful summer thanks to our detailed biosecurity protocols and the amazing work of so many great people behind the scenes. To that end, we have made the decision to keep the New Year’s Test at the SCG, which has a wonderful recent history of hosting the Pink Test and Jane McGrath Day on the third day of play,” Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO, Nick Hockley said. The ongoing Border Gavaskar series is levelled at 1-1 after the touring Indian side bounced back strongly at the MCG to register an eight-wicket win after facing a humiliating defeat in Adelaide.

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South Africa downs an injured and weakened Sri Lanka in centurion

The South African team aided by some inspiring bowling performance by the pacers, wrapped up the first Test against Sri Lanka, defeating the visitors by an innings and 45 runs at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. As soon as Kasun Rajitha was caught by Keshav Maharaj off Anrich Nortje, South Africa finally gave their fans some reason for joy after not so comprehensive results against England and Australia lately. For the Proteas, the pacers divided the eight wickets with four each for Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder. Kusal Perera was the only Sri Lankan that looked in some sort of control during the second innings of the islanders. The heroes of the previous innings Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella couldn’t really get going in these innings, while Sri Lanka was already devoid of the services of free-flowing Dhananjaya de Silva due to injury. Wanindu Hasarnaga also fought a lone battle at the end scoring his maiden Test fifty for the Lankan Tigers. He scored 59 of 53 balls with the help of 12 fours and one six. Earlier in the South Africa innings, the batsmen led by Faf du Plessis made full use of a depleted Sri Lankan bowling attack (injury to Rajitha and de Silva), scoring freely and getting to mammoth 621. The 34-year-old du Plessis got out in an antagonizing manner on 199, while Dean Elgar had got out 95 in the first innings. Keshav Maharaj, Temba Bavuma, and Aiden Markram were the other three who went past the 50 run barrier for South Africa. Faf was announced Man of the Match for his marathon innings. The next game would begin from 3rd January at the Wanderers.

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Hurricanes look to turn the tables on revitalised and at-home Heat

Just three days after facing each other at Brisbane, Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat would be fighting it out again at the Gabba. The first round was won by Brisbane Heat, giving themselves their first win of the tournament. But the two sides are evenly matched and predicting the winner would be an excercise in speculation more than anything else. Heat are without their captain and best batsman Chris Lynn, out with an injury. Hurricanes, on the other hand, now boast of having the no. 1 ranked T20I batsman in their team - Dawid Malan. Heat Heating Up It has not been an easy season for the Brisbane side. They lost their first three matches and then, their captain Lynn just before the start of their third game. However, in that match itself, the stand-in captain Jimmy Peirson showed great character to almost take his team home from a position of certain defeat. But Lynn's absence isn't just harmful due to his captaincy. With him out, the batting order looks a bit shaky. Peirson has stepped up to the challenge but he needs more support from the top order which has been underwhelming. They will have big hopes from their openers Max Bryant and Sam Heazlett who batted really well against Hurricanes on Sunday. The middle order is yet to fully fire. Perhaps, it would be a good idea for Peirson to shift himself to the top-4. Among bowlers, Mujeeb Ur Rahman seems to be getting a hang of things. Lewis Gregory proved to be the surprise package in the last match with figures of 3/22. Frontline bowlers like Xavier Bartlett, Jack Wildermuth, and Mark Steketee have blown hot and cold. But they will have a good opportunity to pick up wickets if Mujeeb could apply some pressure. Hurricanes Seek Revenge The Hobart side was riding high at the start of the tournament and were even at the top of the points table. However, they have since falled behind the two teams from Sydney. The batting line-up is a little unstable with the opening partnership not certain. D'Arcy Short is a star player but he is yet to produce his best. In the previous match, Ben McDermott, who has been very impressive, was promoted to open the innings alongside him. That experiment should continue, not dropped after just one game. The position of captain Peter Handscomb is a little tricky. He is yet to play a decisive knock in this season. Not a big-hitter by inclination, Handscomb would like to be the pivot around which the batting line-up revolves. But for that, he'll need bigger scores. But the ace in the pack of the Hurricanes is Dawid Malan. The best batsman in T20I cricket is expected to make a splash. He could be the difference-maker for the team. Hopes would also be high from Colin Ingram and James Faulkner. Faulkner has also been the best bowler for the team. Scott Boland has given him good support. While the last match didn't go according to plan, the team would be confident about them. Riley Meredith is starting to show his quality. But the surprise package was Short in the last game with his three wickets. It would be interesting to see whether this was a flash in the pan or a harbinger of bigger things for the opening batsman. Heat vs Hurricanes: Match Details Venue: Gabba, Brisbane Date and Time: December 30, 1:45 PM IST, 6:15 PM Local, 8:15 AM GMT Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV Pitch Report It seems like spin is proving to be the decisive factor at Gabba this year, at least in the Big Bash League. This is odd for a ground that was traditionally regarded as the most seamer-friendly in Australia. Perhaps the slowness of the wicket is making slower bowlers difficult to get away. Weather and Toss Rains are expected in the morning and the clouds are expected to hang around in the evening as well. This could assist the seamers but may also leave some moisture in the surface that the spinners will exploit. The captain winning the toss may think about bowling first as well since that may give his bowlers an opportunity to use the conditions. Probable XIs Heat: Max Bryant, Sam Heazlett, Jimmy Peirson (C, Wk), Dan Lawrence, Tom Cooper, Jack Wildermuth, Lewis Gregory, James Bazley, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett Hurricanes: D'Arcy Short, Ben McDermott (Wk), Dawid Malan, Peter Handscomb (C), Colin Ingram, Tim David, James Faulkner, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, Scott Boland, Wil Parker

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No jinx under Rahane's captaincy as India level series

“Winning a test in Australia is always special but to do so given the wounds of Adelaide and the absence of key players makes it one for the ages,” read tweet from commentator Harsha Bhogle after India levelled the series against Australia in Melbourne. India chased down paltry score of 70 runs after having a couple of early hiccups on Tuesday. Well Bhogle’s judgement about the win has been on point. This isn’t just a special win but an emotional one too. The Indian fans were left in despair after what all happened in Adelaide. Having dominated the Test for almost six sessions, hour an hour of disappointing run saw the visitors getting bundled out for 36 and eventually lose the game. This wasn’t the end of problems for India. Pacer Mohammed Shami had got injured and was ruled out, skipper Virat Kohli was returning back home for the birth of his first child and the inconsistent opening batting was exposed. Cut to Boxing Day where Ajinkya Rahane was forced to don the captain’s hat. But this wasn’t just another instance when the deputy was taking up the position in the skipper’s absence. There was much more to it. For starters, if India had suffered a defeat in this Test, the side would have lost the chances of winning the series. But the concern wasn’t just about winning the Test and levelling the series but it was about picking up an XI. Bold Calls Rahane started off the proceedings with a bold step of playing two debutants in one single match. Shubman Gill replaced Prithvi Shaw while Mohammed Siraj had come for injured Shami. The two youngsters didn’t disappoint either and played a vital role in the visiting team’s success in Melbourne. While Gill scored 45 and 35* in respective innings on debut, Siraj picked up a total of five wickets. Another couple of changes that were seen in the side were— Rishabh Pant finding a place for himself while Ravindra Jadeja too donning the Test jersey. Playing the anchor’s role Mayank Agarwal’s rough patch continued while Cheteshwar Pujara too hasn’t made any significant contribution on the scoresheet so far. He did play out a lot of deliveries but Pujara not being among runs is a different and major issue for India. This did become a cause of concern as India were reduced to 64/3 in reply to Australia’s 195 in the first innings. Then came the time when the skipper took the responsibility on himself and there was no looking back. Rahane had a couple of crucial partnerships with Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant respectively and then frustrated the home side’s bowling attack with a stand of 121 runs with Jadeja. The left-right duo stitched an important partnership that certainly steadied the ship for India and eventually handed them a lead in the first innings. Rahane went on to score a ton but his celebrations showed that he still meant business. There were no high jumps or aggressive celebrations. He just acknowledged the crowd showing his bat and was back to take the guard. He continued from where he left and continued to score runs but in a cautious manner. Unfortunately for India, the right-handed batsman was eventually dismissed for 112 becoming a victim of a controversial runout. Backing the players There were instances in the game that would have left any captain fuming. He initially got runout after a yes-no call with Jadeja. A well set Rahane had to return back to the pavilion. But the dismissal didn’t irritate him. He in fact gave a pat on the back to Jadeja and went back silently. Another instance of Rahane’s calmness unfolded when Siraj pushed him to take a DRS call that didn’t go India’s way. The ball had pitched outside the leg-stump line and a review was wasted. But the captain didn’t utter a word and backed the youngster. Instinctive Owing to his instincts, Rahane made the perfect bowling changes and also placed the fielders at the ideal positions that fetched him wickets . Eventually, Siraj returned with a three-for while Jadeja, Bumrah and Ashwin scalped a couple of wickets each. Ravindra Jadeja—No more a bits and pieces player Last year a comment from the former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar did the rounds after he called Jadeja a bits and pieces player. A lot of heated stuff was exchanged on the social media. Well the fans have moved on from this but it seems Jadeja is up to prove a point and he once again did what he is best at. The left-handed batsman first steadied the ship for the side with skipper Rahane in the first innings and went on to score an important half-century. The left-arm player also chipped in with important wickets. But Jadeja’s heroics ain’t something new. He is a well-known batsman when it comes to domestic circuit. He has played some fine knocks and has even notched up three triple tons. Rahane certainly capitalised on Jadeja’s batting ability more and it played perfectly well for India. Rahane’s report card As far as Rahane’s report card as a captain in this Test is concerned, he has been just phenomenal and has ticked all the boxes. He scored crucial runs, backed his players and made some important calls and the right time that helped India level the series. He is calm but a shrewd captain who is holding the fort well for now.