IND vs NZ | 2nd Test, Day 3: Ajaz Patel achieves best bowling figure by overseas bowler in India

The Ashes | Joe Root sets sight on India's example to up the ante at Gabba

India’s winning triumph in Tour DownUnder has certainly become an inspiration for the England team that will take on Australia in the Ashes series slated to begin on December 8, 2021 in Brisbane. England captain Joe Root credited India for playing exceptional cricket in Australia and setting an example. “Credit to India, they played exceptionally well throughout that whole series. And, in many ways, set a good example for any touring team to come here and play,” Root said as the Ashes series was launched at a ceremony at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday. Root had earlier talked about getting big scores to stay in front and further added that the Australian pitches might assist the batters too. "We can't hide away from the fact we need big scores," he says. "That's not putting pressure on our batters. We should relish that challenge,” he had said. "Australia can be a wonderful place to bat. It can get flat. You have to manage the bounce well and come through the odd barrage of short-pitched bowling, being wary of different kinds of dismissal,” he added. The English team last won an Ashes series back in 2011, the side which had the present fast bowling duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

The Ashes | Australia prepare blueprint to ease Pat Cummins' workload as pace bowling captain

Australia chose to appoint Pat Cummins as their Test captain and added on the mental pressure to the player, who is already burdened body with the physical workload. Cummins himself expressed expectations that Australia will rotate their pacers in the upcoming Ashes series at home and hence his elevation as the Test skipper was some sort of watershed moment for pace bowlers across the world of cricket. However, the team management has a blueprint ready to relieve some of the pressure both off his body and brain by “strategically” using other bowling sources and collective leadership of players who have been at the highest level for a long time. The head coach Justin Langer said that the team will take care of all commitments of the side and ensure that Cummins doesn’t have to deal with a lot of undue challenges. He said that Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne will roll their arm over to give him options and breathing space in bowling while senior players such as Steve Smith, David Warner and his bowling mates such as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will give him collective cricketing ideas. "He (Cummins) will be fine strategically," Langer said. "It will just be maintaining the balance of everything else that goes with his bowling load and then captaining and all the other commitments. So we'll keep an eye on that. "Cam Green is going to be important there with his extra bowling that he can give. Marnus bowling some as well. So we'll try and manage him as best we can. The role of Steve Smith will become very important on the field"This day and age, there's so much data, you're so well prepared ... Pat will get all the gold nuggets. He's got lots of support around him. Steve Smith is the formal vice-captain. David Warner has got as good of a cricket brain in the game.” "Alex Carey's been a captain before, now he's behind the stumps. He's got his three best mates there in the bowlers (Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon). He's got massive upside Pat Cummins, as a leader and a captain of Australian cricket. He's an outstanding person, he's an elite player". Cummins was the only bowler who played all the Tests of the last Ashes series in 2019 in England while other pacers were rotated with the help of Peter Siddle and James Pattinson as options. The upcoming Ashes will answer a lot of questions about Cummins’s leadership and in general about the viability of a pace bowler as captain of the side, and whatever good or bad will be the outcome for them, will set a standard and example for the rest of the world.

The Ashes | Australia declare playing XI for Brisbane Test; Travis Head, Starc get selection nod

New Test skipper Pat Cummins has announced the playing XI for his debut Test as captain of the Australian Test team in the form of the first Test of the Ashes series against Australia. The selection calls are largely on expected lines with Mitchell Starc and Travis Head getting the nod from the management to secure the contentious spots. Head has been preferred over Usman Khwaja and will return to bat at number five after a tough series against India that saw him dropped from the sid midway through the series. Both him and Khwaja have been in the superb run for form with the bat in the ongoing Sheffield Shield season but Cummins cited Head’s experience and past success against England while justifying the call to pick him over Khwaja. "It was a tight one. Both really good options, really strong form," said Cummins. "Experience is great from Uzzie and we feel really lucky to have that in the squad, but Trav’s been playing a lot for us the last couple of years. He’s gone away and he’s churned out runs in England, here in Australia, and we feel like he’s really ready to go." There was debate around the place for Mitchell Starc in the playing XI after mediocre series with the ball against India last summer. He was all over the place and struggled to swing the new ball as Australia suffered consecutive series defeats at home against India and first loss at the fortress Gabba in more than three decades. There was a school of thought that was promoting Jhye Richardson over Starc for the consistency and swing he brings to the table but Cummins has thrown his weight behind his longtime bowling mate. Marcus Harris was already confirmed to be the opening partner for David Warner in the first Test and Alex Carey was appointed the wicketkeeper-batsman in the playing XI. Australia XI for 1st Ashes Test Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins (c), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

BCCI increases age limit of match officials, coaching staff

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took a decision to increase the age limit of the match officials and support staff. "The age limit of match officials and support staff has been increased to 65 from 60 years subject to their fitness," the BCCI said in a statement. "Now we have the guidelines, they will get five years for retirement," a Board official told PTI. Apart from this, the board has also decided to sanction Rs 10 crore to state associations in order to develop indoor facilities. "Each state association has been sanctioned Rs 10 crore, and the stress would be on to develop indoor facility everywhere," the official said. Brijesh Patel and MKJ Majumdar were re-inducted into the IPL Governing Council while Pragyan Ojha will be continuing to be the representative of the Indian Cricketers Association in the GC. The GC comprises of seven members, Jay Shah and Arun Singh Dhumal), CEO (Hemang Amin), one representative from Players' Association (Ojha), a nominee of the CAG (CM Sane) and two members elected by the AGM (Brijesh and Majumdar).