Heat look to regain momentum on home soil against high-flying Sixers

Brisbane Heat would be looking to get back to winning ways after falling short by a solitary run against the Hobart Hurricanes in their year ending clash. In the new year though, they would like to move on, make use of the home conditions and crush the best team in the league - Sydney Sixers.

On the other hand, Sixers, with four wins in a row, would look to maximize on their form and the form of their star players, like Josh Philippe and Daniel Hughes. Now that Jason Holder is not available, the two other all-rounders in Carlos Brathwaite and Dan Christian would have to pull up their socks and fill in for him.

Denly and Burns to Turn the Tides for Heat

The Brisbane team has been a depleted side due to the pullouts from the likes of Tom Banton. Also, Chris Lynn, the captain, has not been able to play in the last two games and won’t be available for this one either. Morne Morkel has so far been missing from action, even after being deemed a local player.

It is due to these problems that the inclusion of experienced guys like Joe Burns, who has been released from the Aussie Test squad, and Joe Denly, who is finally fit and raring to strike hard, would give Heat some confidence ahead of the game.

Along with this, they would be looking to get a fine balance among their foreign stars who can all bowl, especially Mujeeb Ur Rehaman and Lewis Gregory, to get the team early and timely strikes. Mujeeb showed what he is capable of with the five-for in the last game while Gregory was at the top of his game in the match prior to that.

Sixers Won't Mind Another One

Having won two fiercely close games against two Melbourne sides, the Sydney Sixers won’t mind winning another close one against the Heat. They have been buoyed by the comeback of Jackson Bird and the overseas replacement of Holder, T20 Blast’s highest wicket-taker, Jake Ball. The England star will be looking to make an impact right from the word go.

While these factors form part of an important consideration, what is even more noticeable is the fact that the Sixers have always found an unlikely hero in every game. They wouldn’t mind one in this game either and Bird or Ball could be that hero as well.

Heat vs Sixers: Match Details

Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane

Date and Time: January 2, 02:45 PM IST, 07:15 PM Local, 09:15 AM GMT

Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV

Pitch Report

The pitch at Brisbane has been a bit on the slower side, helping spinners with grip and turn, and also those who are ready to get slowness off the surface with their cutters. This phenomenon is more pronounced in the second innings, although Gabba is considered to be one of the fastest squares in Australia.

No team in the three matches played here so far have been able to get past 150 in the first innings, and the chasing team, Heat on all three occasions, have struggled to get to that total, losing twice with close margins (by two runs vs Strikers and by one run vs Hurricanes) and winning one with a great seventh-wicket partnership. Hence, expecting a high score game would be too much for tomorrow

Weather and Bat Flip

The weather in Brisbane would remain a bit chilly with partly cloudy skies and a 40% chance of rain. Even in the last BBL game at the Carrara in Brisbane, it had to be decided through Duckworth-Lewis, hence teams winning the flip would look to field first.

Heat Probable XI

Joe Bruns, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jimmy Peirson(w/c), James Bazley, Simon Milenko, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Sixers Probable XI

Josh Philippe(w), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Daniel Hughes(c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshuis, Ben Manenti, Steve OKeefe, Jake Ball

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Reinforced Hurricanes eye win against mercurial Stars

The match between Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars is a crucial contest for both teams. Both teams have been inconsistent in the season so far and are looking to get some momentum going as the tournment enters into a more tense stage. Stars, under the captaincy of Glenn Maxwell, are facing a slight wobble mid-tournament. Losing their last match to Sydney Thunder by a big margin would not have done them any good. But with the nature of T20 cricket being very fickle, and plenty of match-winning players in their squad, Stars can easily get back into winning form. For Hurricanes, a season that started brilliantly is now throwing some problems at them. From being at the top of the table, the team has now come down to third. But they are still doing better than most other teams and need to keep the ship steady to book their place in the play-offs. Maxwell's Stars Need Boost With Glenn Maxwell and Nicholas Pooran in great form, scoring big runs shouldn't be a problem for the Stars. But there are some problems with the top order. Andre Fletcher hasn't got going in this season. His partner Marcus Stoinis has been hitting the ball well but hasn't gone on. Even Hilton Cartwright and Nicholas Maddinson have been underwhelming. But the lack of runs from these batsmen have been compensated for, to some extent, by Maxwell, Pooran, and Ben Dunk's batting. Like many other teams, the Stars have benefitted enormously from leg-spin. Adam Zampa has shown his match-winning abilities in this season already. However, the ban on him would leave a big hole in the team. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Billy Stanlake are capable bowlers with varying styles. The former relies on swing while the latter uses extra bounce. The nature of the pitch would decided who gets the preference. Hurricanes Looking Solid Hobart Hurricanes scored a victory in their last match by the slimmest margin - 1 run. But their overall performance in that match and the season, so far, hasn't been bad. There had been some issues with the batting line-up but they have been sorted out due to the arrival of Dawid Malan, world's premier batsmen in T20Is. The shifting of Ben McDermott to the opening slot has re-inforced the top order. D'Arcy Short is always a big threat at the top of the innings. McDermott, Short, and Malan will be the power center of the batting order. Colin Ingram and Tim David could help lift the score late in the innings. The bowling of Hurricanes has got a big boost due to the arrival of Sandeep Lamichhane. The spinner from Nepal has been an impact player in T20 leagues around the world. With spinners like Mujeeb and Rashid proving to be trump cards for their respective teams, Sandeep's arrival is very important. Faulkner's absence would leave a big void. But Scott Boland has been impressive. Riley Meredith has genuine pace but hasn't fully capitalised on it. Much was expected of Nathan Ellis and Keemo Paul but both have been disappointing till now. Stars vs Hurricanes: Match Details Venue: Blundstone Arena, Hobart Date and Time: January 2, 11:35 AM IST, 5:05 PM Local, 6:05 AM GMT Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV Pitch Report Hobart will be hosting a BBL match after a gap this season. In the previous matches, the pitch looked good for batting. But when the conditions were favourable, seamers also came into action. With many matches having been played so far, one wonders whether the pitches will show signs of wear and tear. The weather may also play a part in determining the nature of the contest. Weather and Bat Flip Clouds are expected to hang around on the day of the match. This could help the swing bowlers in both the teams. If the skies are fully overcast, the temptation to bowl first will be there for the captain who wins the bat flip. Probable XIs Stars: Sam Billings, Ben Dunk (Wk), Hilton Cartwright, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell (C), Nicholas Pooran, Nick Maddinson, Liam Hatcher, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Billy Stanlake, Zahir Khan Hurricanes: D'Arcy Short, Ben McDermott (Wk), Dawid Malan, Peter Handscomb (C), Colin Ingram, Tim David, Johan Botha, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, Scott Boland, Sandeep Lamichhane

Back to full fitness, Rohit replaces Pujara as vice-captain of Test team

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the updated team India squad for the remaining two matches of the Border Gavaskar series, and apart from the injury replacements, there was also a revelation about Rohit Sharma’s position in the squad, with Virat Kohli missing from the action. In the updates squad, Rohit Sharma has been labelled as the vice-captain of the squad, a position occupied by the current stand-in Captain Ajinkya Rahane for so long before he took over the reins from Kohli after his departure from Australia. The development means Cheteshwar Pujara, who was named the vice-captain of the side after Kohli’s departure and Rohit’s arrival in Australia, will no longer be the deputy to Rahane in the next two Tests. There were rounds of resentment mong fans and it led to curiosity on social media about Pujara’s position in the leadership group of the team, but a BCCI official said news agency PTI that Rohit was certain to be the deputy to Rahane and that the option of Pujara as the vice-captain of the side was just a ‘stop-gap arrangement.’ Apart from the hint about the leadership group in the team, the development also more or less confirms Rohit Sharma’s chances of playing at the SCG. The team management will have to drop one among Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, or Shubman Gill if they continue to take the aggressive approach of playing five bowlers whereas if they decide to go in with just four bowlers, Rohit will replace Umesh Yadav from the playing XI of the last Test that India won at the MCG. Team India Test squad Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan

Goodbye 2020: Here are the 5 best Test bowling performances from the year

2020 was a drought year for cricket, especially Test cricket. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, many tours and series got cancelled. When there was a relenting of lockdowns, cricket boards focussed on getting the T20 cash cow tournaments going. Still, the year produced some solid, highly-watchable Test cricket. There were several memorable individual performances that would stick in the minds of cricket fans who watched it. Bowlers enjoyed success as much as batsmen. For all the talk of batsmen ruling the roost in this sport, both spinners and pacers continue to make a big impression in Tests. The year saw Naseem Shah become the yougest bowler to take a Test hat-trick while Australia condemned India to their lowest-ever Test score. It also featured impressive debuts from Kyle Jamieson and Mohammad Siraj and reassertion of class by the likes of Stuart Broad and James Anderson. The year ended with the superhuman effort of Neil Wagner in bowling with two fractured toes and taking two crucial wickets for his team But, as we look forward to a bright new year, with possibilities of more great bowling efforts, let's take a glance at the year gone by and recount the five most impressive bowling performances in the Test format that took place in it. It's not necessarily the wickets only that determine what a good performance is, but also the context and the quality. 5. Ben Stokes (3/35 vs South Africa, Cape Town) For anyone to understand why Stokes is so special, watching the final day's play in the second Test between England and South Africa at Cape Town on January 7 would have been highly valuable. South Africa were looking to save the Test as the target of 438 was well beyond their reach once they were 7/237 in the final session. Then came one of those tight finishes only a Test match could offer. Proteas' lower order fought hard to save the match. The pitch was flat, England's leading strike bowler James Anderson was unfit, and the batsmen, led by the doughty Vernon Philander, were determined. Things didn't seem easy for the visiting side. Then, Stokes stepped up and bowled his heart out on a thankless wicket. First, he gobbled the wickets of Dwaine Pretorious and Anrich Nortje off successive deliveries to leave South Africa 9-down. Then, four overs later, he got a delivery to rise uncomfortably to take the glove of Philander and end up in the hands of the gully fielder. 3/35 in 23.4 overs may not look stunning. But words and numbers cannot do justice to that herculean effort by Stokes as he relentlessly went on seeking a victory for his team and earned it despite the pitch providing no help whatsoever to any bowler. 4. Shannon Gabriel (5/75 vs England, Southampton) Shannon Gabriel's lion-heartedness has always been admired. This quality came to the fore again during his team's tour to England. In the first Test, on the fourth day, West Indies were looking to restrict the target England were setting for them for the fourth innings. Gabriel rose to the challenge and bowled his heart out to restrict England to just 313, thereby giving his team a target of only 200, which they chased down successfully. The brilliance of Gabriel's spell lay in his unrelenting energy and fierce probing of batsmen's technique. Known for having decent pace and hitting the deck hard, the bulky pacer got through the lower order quickly as well to ensure the target did not go beyond England's means. 3. Stuart Broad (6/31 vs West Indies, Manchester) At the start of English season, Stuart Broad got a big jolt. He was dropped from the Test team for the first match, against West Indies. This didn't go down well with the man who now has more than 500 Test wickets. But this axing proved to be just the spur he needed. When he came back into the team, he looked determined to make a point and bowled beautifully. His best performance of the season came in the final Test against Windies at Manchester where he destroyed the opposition line-up. With broad, its not the exaggerated swing that Anderson gets which does the trick. It is getting the ball to just do enough and pitching it on a fuller length. He did that brilliantly in that spell and even set batsmen couldn't deal with the skill of Broad. 2. Pat Cummins (4/21 vs India, Adelaide) Very rarely does a bowler bowl so well but still gets completely overshadowed. Though Josh Hazlewood may have got the Man of the Match award and most of the accolades for his performance in this innings, the bowling of Cummins was special in itself. An incredibly accurate bowler, Cummins hardly bowled a bad ball in his entire spell of 10.2 overs and pitched his deliveries in the most difficult area for the batsmen. He also got just enough movement to get the edge of the unfortunate Indian batters, most of whom got out without having played a bad shot. It was a beautiful in-dipper by Cummins that started the mayhem. After going through the defences of Prithvi Shaw, Cummins then inflicted an even bigger blows on the Indian team by dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara - the rock of the line-up - and Virat Kohli, the master. Even though it was Hazlewood who walked away with the most wickets, it was Cummins' accuracy and control that stifled Indian and left them wobbling. 1. Josh Hazlewood (5/8 vs India, Adelaide) The very first ball that Josh Hazlewood bowled in this spell was a near-unplayable delivery that rose sharply, deviated just a little bit and took the edge of the bat, to be taken by the keeper. The next 29 balls he bowled were hardly any easier for the batsmen. In just five overs, Hazlewood ran through the famed Indian batting line-up and, along with Cummins, made them suffer the humiliation of getting bowled out for 36. In a spell that would have made Glenn McGrath proud, the Aussie seamer didn't bowl a single bad delivery and kept testing the technique of batsmen on that most difficult area just outside the off-stump. The slight extra bounce he got further added to his menace. There was no respite for the batsmen as they kept fumbling while trying to deal with the relentless assault of Hazlewood. The combination of bounce and a bit of movement proved too much to handle for the Indians. This was a bowling performance for the ages.

Just go out there and enjoy: Will Pucovski reveals his cricket mantra

Australian opener Will Pucovski is ready to get his maiden Baggy Green in the third Test against India. The 22-year-old, who has hit three double centuries in just 23 First-Class games, would be hoping to recreate some of the best memories when he finally gets a chance at the biggest stage. Talking about the butterflies in the stomach before the big game, Will said that he always remembers the advice his school coach gave him. “I had a coach at school who was very wise, his name was Gary McFair. When I was in year seven and was playing in the first team. I was a bit nervous and that time I was a bit chubby too. I was anxious to know what other guys might be doing. The coach came to me and said, ‘Mate you will be fine, just go out there and enjoy yourself’,” Will told former Aussie captain George Bailey in an interview shared by cricket.com.au “Now every time I go in the middle, I just try to remember that Mantra to go out there, enjoy and see what happens,” added the Victorian saying that he would be looking forward to the opportunity ahead and be able to help the team win the series. Bailey then asked a pertinent question about the long hauls that Pucovski is known for playing. “What do you think gives you the ability to bat for long enough to score the runs and the capacity to score hundreds?” Bailey asked. Answering it, Will said, “When I was a kid, I never believed that I had that ability. So I always just stayed in, nurdled the ball around, and made my 30 retired. I just hated going out of the ground,” “I used to watch Sammy Harper, now smacking them with Renegades. He is one of my best mates. I remember playing with him over one weekend and he used to hit sixes and fours at will. And I couldn’t do that. So I started focusing on what I could do better and started working on it,” he added.