Ind-Eng T20I series to have 50% crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium

Back to form Prithvi Shaw reveals Tendulkar's advice after getting dropped from Test

The world came crashing down for Prithvi Shaw when he was dropped from the Indian Test team following twin failures in the first Test against Australia. His technique was ridiculed by cricket fans on social media and there was immense scrutiny of his technique which was ripped open by the Australian bowling attack. The torrid tour of Australia seems to be a long way back now as Shaw has come raring back into form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy where he has plundered more than 750 runs with an astounding average of 188.5. And now, Shaw has opened up on his feelings while going through a rough patch and the right-hander has said that he stood once in front of the mirror to remind himself of his qualities irrespective of what the press critics were making him look like. “I was a bit confused, I was asking myself what was happening? Is there a problem with my batting? What is the problem? To pacify myself, I told myself it was a pink ball game against one of the finest bowling attacks in the world. The question was why was I getting bowled (Mitchell Starc in the first innings and Pat Cummins in the 2nd). I was down for sure. I stood in front of the mirror and said to myself ‘I am not as bad a player as everyone is saying I am’,” Shaw has said in an interview with The Indian Express. Shaw also said that he endured sleepless nights after facing the axe from the team, and he kept on telling him that ‘hard work defeats talents’ and that it was the time to pull up socks to resurrect batting technique and form. He also revealed the conversation he had with the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who suggested him to make a minor change in batting style and asked him to play the balls with the bat closer to his body. “I met Sachin sir (Tendulkar) after I came back, he said don’t make too many changes and to just play as close to the body as I could. I was late on the ball. So during the entire Australia tour, I worked on that part. Maybe it was because I had gone to Australia after playing in Dubai (IPL),” Shaw said further in the interview. The path of return to the Indian Test team looks tough for Shaw as of now, but the confidence after coming back among runs will be a welcome boost for the right-hander as India are set for a long haul of Test cricket in the season following IPL 2021.

WI vs SL: Angelo Mathews to fly back home

Angelo Mathews, who captained Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series against West Indies in the absence of regular skipper Dasun Shanaka, will be flying back home from the team’s West Indies tour, to attend family matters. The veteran was the backbone of the Sri Lankan batting line-up, although he got run out in the first ODI played on Wednesday. In the game, the Sri Lankan team got out for 232 after Dhanushka Gunathilaka, running in great form was controversially given out obstructing the field. The Windies team chased it down easily thanks to a brilliant hundred from Shai Hope. The second ODI would be played on Friday at the same venue- Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound. The final would also be played there on Sunday before the two-match Test series begins on 21st March.

Kraigg Brathwaite appointed West Indies Test captain in place of Jason Holder

Kraigg Brathwaite has been named the new captain of the West Indies Test team replacing the all-rounder Jason Holder, Cricket West Indies said in its statement. Braithwaite recently led Windies on a triumphant tour of Bangladesh when the then captain Holder and other senior players decided to opt-out of the series citing Covid-19 threat. Backed by excellent performances from youngsters, Windies ended up winning the Test series 2-0 against the hosts. Until now, Braithwaite has led Windies in seven Test matches in his career and also has been a long time deputy to Holder in the longest format. “It is a huge honour to be given the Captaincy of the West Indies Test team. I feel extremely proud and humbled that the Board and Selectors have given me the opportunity and responsibility to lead the team. The recent Test Series win in Bangladesh was a fantastic achievement and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and I’m excited about what I believe this team can achieve in the future,” Braithwaite said in CWI release. The Test series between West Indies and Sri Lanka will begin on March 21 for which the squad will be selected on March 12 by the selection committee under the chairmanship of Roger Harper.

Mithali Raj creates history, becomes first Indian woman to score 10,000 International runs

Indian women’s team ODI skipper Mithali Raj became only the second woman in the world to reach the milestone of 10,000 runs. She joined English Women’s cricket legend Charlotte Edwards in the elite list. By scoring the 35th run in her 36 run innings vs South Africa in the third match of the 5 match ODI series. Mithali, 38, is also the all-time leading run-scorer in woman’s ODI cricket with 6974 runs in her kitty at an average of 50.64 and at a strike rate of 85. The Andhra born has seven hundreds and 54 fifties in her 212 match ODI career. Apart from the ODIs, she has also scored 2364 runs in 89 T20Is and 663 in runs in 10 Tests. The match in which this feat was achieved is the third game of the five-match series which is tied at 1-1. The Indian women have set up a target of 249 courtesy a 77 off 108 balls by Punam Raut. In reply, South Africa women were at 55-1 in the reply at the time of writing this piece.