David Warner's Injury Could Bring About a First for Australia in 20 Years

BJ Watling doubtful for 1st Test against Windies, Kiwis call up Devon Conway

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling is doubtful for the first Test against West Indies scheduled to start on December 03. Kiwis’ head coach Gary Stead has confirmed the status of Watling injury and said that the right-hander has picked up a hamstring niggle in a domestic List A tournament. Watling’s injury has opened the selection door for rookie Devon Conway as the left-hander has been added to the Test squad as a cover for Watling. He has had an outstanding run of form in the current season of the domestic Plunket Shield, amassing 410, following an equally dominating last Plunket Shield season where he had piled on 710 runs with the top score of 327 not out. Conway has shown his mettle with the bat in the just-concluded T20 series against West Indies and he will face a stiff challenge from Will Young for an opener’s slot to partner Tom Latham at the top of the order as the head coach Gary Stead has confirmed that Tom Blundell who had opened in the last Test series against India will be shifted down the order to replace Watling as a wicketkeeper. Will Young scored a splendid 133 runs against the touring West Indies squad for the Test series. New Zealand won the T20 series 2-0 after persistent spells of rain washed off the last game. The competition for the men in maroon will be a lot stiffer in Tests as Kiwis will bank on the experience and pedigree and variation of its pacers along with the reliability and class of batsmen such as Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.

NZ vs PAK: Three more COVID-19 positive push overall tally in Pakistan camp to 10

There seems to be no end to troubles for the Pakistan cricket team on the ongoing tour of New Zealand as three more players have tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection. The latest addition of cases takes the overall tally of COVID-19 within the tourists camp to 10 and all have been shifted to a separate isolation centre, away from the remaining 42 members of the 53-men touring party. The New Zealand Health Ministry said in its bulletin that it is assessing if the three new cases are ‘historic cases’ while the result of a test is still pending. The ministry further outlined that the ban on their training that was imposed after members of the squad started testing positive will remain effective until local health officials rule out any chance of Covid-19 transmission in the city and country. “Day 6 swabs were taken yesterday from the 46 members of the Pakistan cricket squad in Christchurch who to date have returned negative test results for COVID-19. Of those, 42 have subsequently returned a further negative test result. Three are under investigation to determine whether they are historical cases, and one test result is pending. The team is not allowed to train until the Canterbury DHB medical officer of health determines they are satisfied that any training activities are unlikely to transmit COVID-19,” NZ’s Health Ministry said in its health bulletin. Notably, the members of the squad have been served a ‘final warning’ from the government against breaching the Covid-19 related guidelines they were caught flouting earlier. The CEO of Waseem Khan has already apprised the players and members of the consequence of another breach of the guidelines which can be as severe as the country sending them back home without any cricket.

Australia vs India | 3rd ODI: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

The Indian team has nothing but pride left to play for in the third and final ODI at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Although the Cricket World Cup Super League points are also up for grabs for the Indian team which is yet to open its account, the league is more or less irrelevant in the sense that India is the host of the tournament and qualifies automatically. What this match however offers both the teams that in spite of being a dead rubber, it would be an opportunity to test the skills of other players for the upcoming T20I series. India needs to try fresh faces Although most people might say that the same eleven should be played as the players who have lost the two matches would be raring to go into this one Virat Kohli would have to give their best in this game, playing without pressure. However, this is also the only game where you can test the remaining players of the team before the T20 series commences, otherwise, it might be a similar situation in the T20Is, where you are not sure of your playing eleven. Australia would go for the kill The Aussies would look to put a final stamp of their authority on the three-match series before moving on to the shortest version of the game. As it is they have Steve Smith, Aaron Finch, and Maxwell peaking, so there wouldn’t be much problem doing that, even in Warner’s absence. New players would be tested and hence they have an opportunity to test their squad for the T20Is too, especially after David Warner’s injury. The opening slot for Australia would be crucial in the T20I series and although D’Arcy Short would have looked to make case for himself if given a chance, however, he has only been selected for the T20Is. Aus vs Ind: Match Details 3rd ODI Venue: Manuka Oval, Canberra Broadcast: SonyLIV, Sony Ten Network, DD Sports Date and Timing: 2nd December, 09:10 IST, 03:40 GMT Pitch Report Playing at Sydney might have turned the batsmen into lazy lads, who have got used to the ball coming on to the bat. Well, Manuka Oval might not be too different in the first innings in that sense, however, in the second inning, the average total at the ground in 9 matches is just 234, and only twice, have the teams batting second have won it in nine completed games. Thus we can assume that spinners play an important role when the pitch gets worn out in the second innings. Weather and Toss The weather for this day/night affair would be sunny and good for a cricket game with clouds playing hide and seek with the sun intermittently throughout the day. And with the stats backing up the team batting first, there is no doubt that a captain winning the toss would choose to bat first. Team News Australia With the injury to Warner and vice-captain Pat Cummins being rested, two changes have been necessitated into the Aussie team. Experienced Matthew Wade is likely to get a shot at the opening spot while either Andrew Tye or Daniel Sams would get a chance as Cummins’ replacement. The chance for prodigy Cameron Green to play is minimal, mainly because of the fact that he is a proper all-rounder and Australia already have that in the form of Henriques, so they would like to go for a pure bowler. Strongest XI Aaron Finch(c), Matthew Wade, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa India The Indian team has the last chance to have a look at Shubman Gill before the start of the Test series, hence he would have to be given playtime, most probably in place of Mayank Agarwal. Similarly, just before the T20Is, you would like to have a look at Manish Pandey, T. Natarajan, and Shardul Thakur. Also going by Kohli’s ‘resting Bumrah and Shami alternatively’ policy, one of them would be rested for this game and Navdeep Saini is likely to be rested as well. Hence Pandey would come at the place of Iyer, Thakur in place of Saini, and Natarajan in place of Jasprit Bumrah. Strongest XI Shubman Gill, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), KL Rahul (wk), Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, T. Natarajan Australia vs India: Dream11 and fantasy team suggestions Aaron Finch, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Glenn Maxwell, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Josh Hazlewood, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa Captain: Steve Smith Vice Captain: Virat Kohli

Seven, Cricket Australia's host broadcaster, drags BCCI in dispute over scheduling

A widening rift between Cricket Australia and its host broadcaster, Seven West Media is taking down the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with it. The broadcaster has put up several allegations against the CA in a 25-page strongly-worded affidavit submitted in the federal court. It has made few explosive claims such as the decision by CA to change the overall structure of the series between India and Australia was taken purely under pressure from the Indian cricket board. The broadcaster through this lawsuit wants to establish a communication channel with the BCCI, CA and other parties of the dispute before assessing if it wants to sue the Australian cricket governing body for what it believes is the breach of the broadcasting agreement signed by the two sides. At the heart of this feud that has brought BCCI into the fray lies the preponement of the limited-overs series between Australia and India before the Test series while an earlier settled schedule between the CA and Seven West Media had Tests series scheduled before the white-ball series. The broadcaster had discussed the plans of fast starting the Big Bash League on the same day when India and Australia were to begin their Test series with the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval. “It appears to me that CA’s scheduling decisions may have been motivated by CA’s broader interests in relation to the BCCI, Foxtel and also a positive incentive given to CA by the State of Tasmania,” Seven’s Melbourne managing director and head of sport, Lewis Martin has written the affidavit submitted to the federal court according to a Sydney Morning Herald’s report. Seven Media believes that the revised schedule of the Big Bash League and the India-Australia will severely impact its finances. "If my belief is well founded I expect that Seven's damages claim may be for many millions of dollars given the significance of cricket coverage to Seven's advertising revenue and the magnitude of the scheduling changes made by CA,” Martin wrote further highlighting the negative impact the broadcaster will have to weather due to the change in schedule. Lewis Martin has outlined the details of the feud and has made a text from Cricket Australia’s interim Chief executive Nick Hockley to Seven West Media’s chief James Warburton on September 8 as the base of the company’s lawsuit in which Hockley had said that the white ball series was driven by the BCCI and that he can offer an explanation. "Mr Hockley was suggesting ... was at the request of the BCCI",” Martin wrote in the document as per a Sydney Morning Herald’s report. Martin cited another discussion held in a meeting that took place on August 7 between him and the BBL manager Alistair Dobson and CA head of operations Peter Roach where he had asked the rationale behind scheduling ODIs and T20s before the Test series. Martin has written in the document that Peter Roach made it absolutely clear to him that the decision was completely influenced by the BCCI who in the words of Roach didn't want its players to go through quarantine twice in the country. Cricket Australia has strongly objected to the possible release of confidential documents that it believes can harm its relationship with BCCI. CA Chief Nick Hockley said that he is disappointed to see Seven West Media is continuing its efforts to demean the ‘wonderful game.