• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Ind Vs Nz 1St Test Not Concerned About My Form Says Ajinkya Rahane

IND vs NZ | 1st Test: Not concerned about my form, says Ajinkya Rahane

India stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane has said that he isn’t really concerned about his own form and is focusing on making the contributions for the team. Rahane didn’t score much runs in England as he only notched up one fifty during the course. 

"Not concerned about my form. My job is to contribute as much as possible for my team. Contribution doesn't mean that you need to score 100 in each game. Scores of 30, 40, 50 per innings are also important contributions," Rahane said ahead of the first Test against New Zealand.

Former India captain Rahul Dravid was appointed as the new head coach of the Indian team and talking about him, Rahane said that he has just asked the players to back his strengths. 

“Rahul bhai told us to back our strengths and keep it very simple. Not to bother too much about it and for me and Pujara, we know our gameplans and we have been playing since so many years,” he said. 

India and New Zealand will lock horns in the first Test in Kanpur slated to begin on Thursday. The last time the two sides met each was in the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship. The Blackcaps clinched a win in that encounter to lift the WTC. 

Discover more
Top Stories
news

WBBL 2021 | Amanda-Jade Wellington’s record-breaking performance guides Adelaide to challenger

Adelaide Strikers Women quick bowler Amanda Jade Wellington was on fire against Brisbane Heat Women in the eliminator of the Women’s Big Bash League as she picked up the best figures in the league’s history, finishing with ⅝ in her four overs spell. Courtesy of that record-breaking spell, the Heat could get up to only 114 for eight wickets in their 20 overs. Apart from Georgia Voll and experienced Grave Harris, none of the Heat pure batting talents could get into the double figures. Had Nicola Hancock not made 40 off just 26 balls while batting at number nine, getting past 100 would have also been very tough for the team from Brisbane. However, her efforts were not at all enough as the home team of the Strikers chased down the target of 115 in just 16.3 overs having eight wickets in the bank. While Katie Mack scored her fifth fifty of the tournament and remained not out on 50 off 42 balls, Strikers’ skipper Tahlia McGrath scored unbeaten on 38 off 27 balls to see her team home. With this win, the Strikers made their way to the next step in pursuit of their maiden WBBL glory. With this win, it has now been made clear that WBBL will see a new champion this year as all previous winners, Brisbane Heat, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder are out of the race for the final. Strikers will now face Melbourne Renegades in the Challenger on November 25, the winner of which will face Perth Scorchers Women in the final on November 27 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

news

I believe this is the right time: Bangladesh’s T20 skipper retires from Test cricket

Bangladesh’s T20 captain and one of the most experienced players in the international arena, Mahmudullah Riyadh has announced his official retirement from Test cricket just ahead of the start of the two-match Test series against Pakistan in Chattogram. Mahmdullaah who last played a Test match, also his 50th for his country was in Zimbabwe early this year in which he also scored unbeaten 150 and was adjudged Player of the Match. Bangladesh won that game by 220 runs. Mahmudullah on his official announcement said, “Leaving a format of which I have been a part of for such a long time is not easy. I had always thought of going on a high and I believe this is the right time to end my Test career. I want to extend my gratitude to the BCB President for supporting me when I returned to the Test team. I thank my teammates and the support staff for always encouraging me and believing in my ability.” It has been an absolute honour and privilege to play Test cricket for Bangladesh and I will cherish the many memories. Although I am retiring from Tests, I will still be playing ODIs and T20 internationals and really looking forward to continuing giving my best for my country in white-ball cricket,” the veteran added. The 35-year-old, who made his Test debut in 2009, featured in 50 matches, scoring 2914 runs at 33.49, including five centuries and 16 fifties and took 43 wickets. He also captained Bangladesh for six Tests.

news

SL vs WI | 1st Test | Day- 4: Ramesh Mendis spins a web around Windies batters, gets Lanka on brink of victory

The Sri Lankan spinners look threateningly beautiful on the Glle wicket which was proving to be a graveyard for the West Indies top order. The ball which got the wicket of Jason, Holder which was also the last wicket to fall on day four of the first Test between the two sides, was a perfect example of a straighter one from an off-spinner. It straightened ever so slightly and clipped the off stump that Holder stood holding the pose in disbelief. It was indeed a beauty of a ball. However, to Holder’s wicket, five other Windies batter had fallen to spin, a series of dismissals that started on the team score of only three runs in the fourth innings, chasing a target of 348. The first to go was the Caribbean skipper Kraigg Brathwaite who was trapped in front by Mendis. Jermaine Blackwood, the next most experienced pure batter in the team fell next as he was caught by Angelo Mathews off Lasith Embulduniya. The second wicket fell on the fourth ball of the seventh over at the team score of 11, but what transpired in the next five overs threatened to get West Indies bowled out for probably the lowest total in Test history as they lost the next four wickets with just an addition of seven runs. Mendis was the wrecker in chief, claiming three out of the four wi kets. From 11-1, the Windies were 18-6 in a span of 30 balls. However, after this storm, there was finally some resistance as Joshua da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner put up unbeaten 34 runs for the seventh wicket and saw the Windies through the fourth day. The day was called early due to bad light and Sri Lankan bowlers will get another go on day five of the Test. With only four wickets left, it would be interesting to see how West Indies fare in their resistance. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka bowlers rolled over the West Indian first innings with meagre addition of thor overnight total of 224-9. Batting in their second innings, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and experienced Mathews guided the team to 190 in just 40 overs and gave their bowlers a real shot at getting 10 wickets in the remaining overs. Karunaratne scored 83 off 104 balls while Mathews made an unbeaten 69 off 84 balls.