Match Preview: Scorchers look to open account against charged-up Thunder

Perth Scorchers are yet to register a win in the Big Bash League's (BBL) ongoing 10th season. After losing their first match, they had to endure a no-result in their second game. They will now face an invigorated Sydney Thunder side who surged to a scintillating win in their previous match.

The shadow of COVID would be looming large in this contest also. Restrictions have been placed on the entry of spectators based upon their travel history. However, the two teams, secure in their bubble, are likely to remain focused on their performances.

Scorchers Need a Win

Not much has been achieved by the Perth team so far in this season. To be fair, they haven't had much of an opportunity. With only one-and-a-half matches so far, there isn't a decent sample to judge their performance.

They have one of the best fast bowling attacks in the league, at least on paper. Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, and Jhye Richardson have experience of bowling at the international level and even have modest success to their name. Richardson had decent figures in the first game but didn't receive any support from his two comrades. But one bad game won't worry the team too much.

What the Scorchers would like is their ace spinner Fawad Ahmed to fire. The next match won't be easy for him as Canberra, the venue, has a small ground. If he errs even slightly, there would be a heavy price to pay.

On the batting front, there are some very good signs that very visible in the unifinished last game. Colin Munro played a smashing knock, though he fell short of a half-century. However, the Kiwi batsman has got into his stride and that sets him up nicely for the rest of the season. The kind of batsman he is, Munro would either plunder the bowling attack or get out. He doesn't waste time.

The captain Ashton Turner also had a good hit-out in this match. Batting in the middle order, his good form is crucial for the team to have momentum through their innings.

Thunder Seek to Strike Again

It took a blazing innings from lower order batsman Daniel Sams to take Sydney Thunder to their first win of the season. This would boost their morale but it shouldn't hide the need for more runs from the top order.

Usman Khawaja needs to get some runs at the top of the order. His partner Alex Hales has scored a fifty and a first-ball duck in the two matches so far. But he would be a big threat for the opposition. The small ground in Canberra should favour Hales strokeplay.

Apart from Hales, only Callum Ferguson, the captain, has good form among the recognised batsmen. This is a worry for the team.

In the bowling department, Tanveer Sangha has emerged as the most exciting spin-bowling prospect in the league. Interestingly, he has creditaed his good performances to advice from one of his opponents in the Scorchers - Fawad Ahmed.

But it's not just Sangha that Thunder are excited about. Because, Kiwi speedster Adam Milne is ready to play and team's coach Shane Bond has said that his side are ready to 'unleash' him against Scorchers. This is a very exciting prospect.

Thunder vs Scorchers: Match Details

Venue: Manuka Oval, Canberra

Date and Time: December 22, 1:45 PM IST, 7:15 PM Local, 8:15 AM GMT

Broacasters: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV

Pitch Report

Action is returning to Manuka Oval after a gap of more than a week. In the previous matches of the season, the pitch has looked good for batting. Interestingly, both spinners and pacers have got some help, which suggests a good cricket wicket. So, a good contest between bat and ball is expected.

Weather and Toss

The weather on Tuesday evening is expected to be absolutely perfect with no clouds or rain expected. This means the toss wouldn't play a big part. The decision of the captain winning it would be more influenced by the team's strategy than conditions.

Probable XIs

Scorchers: Josh Inglis (Wk), Colin Munro, Joe Clarke, Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner (C), Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Fawad Ahmed

Thunder: Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (C), Alex Ross, Baxter Holt (Wk), Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Jonathan Cook, Tanveer Sangha

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India must answer tough questions to limit Australian punches in Boxing Day Test

When the BCCI had revealed about the paternity leave of Virat Kohli and said that he will not be available after the first Test Down Under, fans and experts had weighed in that the just-finished Test at the Adelaide Oval was the best chance for the Indian team to get the better of the home side. At the same time, they also argued that once Kohli will depart, the series will keep getting tougher for the Indians. The belief stemmed from Kohli's utter dominance in terms of his batting numbers over the last decade, especially in Australia and the fact that India registered a historic series win under his leadership a year ago. To be fair to the Indian team, they were well on their way to prove those assertions about the first Test right until the first session of the third day in Adelaide, when the Australian pace attack led by an accurate Josh Hazlewood ran riot and forced a surrender out of the Indian batting to their lowest score of 36. Although they were sure of a formidable challenge from the Australian batting with the return of Steve Smith and David Warner (at some point in the series), they had also expected Indian batsmen to up their game to match the Australian bowling attack. The humiliation in Adelaide has sent the fans and critics of the Indian team into a frenzy and they expect the team to bring wholesale changes come the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. After the debacle, the team management, now with stand-in captain in Ajinkya Rahane, have a lot of issues to ponder on and a lot more questions to find answers to than they would have hoped before the start of the Test series. Shaw vs Gill vs Rahul Virat Kohli and the team management backed Prithvi Shaw to come good in Adelaide overlooking his recent form with the bat and a definite chink in his technique that was exposed by quality swing bowling in the IPL and the Test series against New Zealand early this year. Kohli cited the continuity factor and the fact that Shaw was able to hit a half-century in New Zealand behind selecting him for the first Test, but Australian bowlers were well aware of where they had targeted Shaw. The Australian pace attack is famed to be relentless and coming into he game with a proper plan, they ripped open the gap between Prithvi Shaw and his bat, and with that the lack of solidity at the top order. Shaw was dismissed in identical fashion in both innings and it clearly emphasised that the flaw in his batting was much deeper than a dip in form. One of the challengers for the top order spot, Shubman Gill, was ignored for the Adelaide Test despite showing all the qualities of a batsman who can handle seam bowling. Another contender for the opening role is KL Rahul who has earned a call up to the Test squad on the back of strong performances in the white-ball formats and his pedigree as a batsman. 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Another contender, Navdeep Saini is not too far below in the standings although he did not look as menacing as he was expected to be before the series in the tour games. Saini is tall and can extract steep bounce and can fulfil the like-for-like goals of the team in the absence of Ishant Sharma. The Indian team management has some tough calls to make before the second test and such tough calls will have to be made if the state of the Indian team has to improve. However, both Rahane and coach Ravi Shastri would do well to guide the youngsters out of any sense of insecurity and help them in coming out of that disastrous session in Adelaide. The pressure has well and truly increased on the touring side and they will have to move on from the horrific phase of the game in the last test and walk onto the field at the MCG with the belief that they can win in Australia, otherwise, the perpetual threat of a clean sweep has never gone away from them since the news about Virat Kohli’s paternity leave and Ishant Sharma’s absence broke out. Powered by Froala Editor

Cricket Australia to pay tribute to Johnny Mullagh in Boxing Day Test against India

As part of the 2019 Reconciliation Action Plan of Cricket Australia, the best performer of the next Test match between Australia and India, would be awarded the Johnny Mullagh Medal in a move to pay rich tribute to the country’s indigenous people. Johnny Mullagh was the captain of Australia’s first sporting team to tour internationally on the 1868 Aboriginal tour to the United Kingdom. The medal will be the belt buckle that the team had worn on the tour to the United Kingdom in 1868. “The best player in the Boxing Day Test will be awarded the Mullagh Medal, named after the legendary Johnny Mullagh, captain of the 1868 cricket team who became the first Australian sporting team to tour internationally! #AUSvIND,” Cricket Australia revealed on its Twitter handle. Mullagh, whose real name was Unaarrimin, captained the Indigenous squad and played in 45 of 47 matches. He was a professional all-rounder and, during the legendary 1868 tour, scored 1698 runs at an average of about 20. He also took 245 wickets at an average of 10 runs per wicket. He also played the role of a part-time wicketkeeper and during his career, he carried out four stumpings. Notably, before the start of the series against India, Australian vice-captain Pat Cummins had admitted that enough has not been done to recognise the indigenous people of the country. To address the issue, Cummins had said that the home team were to stand in a barefoot circle before the start of every series. Indian captain Virat Kohli, too, led his side to take part in the barefoot circle move. "We have decided to do the Barefoot Circle. We are going to look at doing it at the start of each series and it is a pretty easy decision for us. As soon as you try and learn a little bit about it, it just becomes a really easy decision. Not only as a sport but we as people are absolutely against racism. We can probably put our hands up and say we have not done enough in the past and we want to get better, so this is one small thing we are going to introduce this summer," Cummins had said.

NZ vs PAK: Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq ruled out of 1st Test

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AUS vs IND: Joe Burns cleared to play Boxing day Test, Will pucovski ruled out

Young Will Pucovski who was hit by a bouncer in the tour game against India is yet to recover from the subsequent concussion and as a result, has been ruled out of the second test between Australia and India starting December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Absence of Pucovski would come as a relief to Joe Burns who himself was struck on his elbow by Jaspit Bumrah in Adelaide, but bounced back strongly in the second innings, hitting a fifty. Burns has been cleared of any severe injury and is set to open at the MCG while Pucovski is going through symptoms of concussions. “Pucovski had lingering headaches, as he has endured in the past after head knocks, had yet to return to the nets and was doubtful to be declared fit for selection for Saturday's match,”, The Age reported citing an unnamed source close to Pucovski. Joe Burns has been cleared of serious damage to his arm, while concussed young gun Will Pucovski has been ruled out of a Boxing Day Test debut. There were fears Burns, who was sent for scans, could join Australia’s extensive injury list. But the Queenslander has been cleared of a broken arm and is set to open at the MCG,” The West Australian reported. With Burns clearly in for the next test, it remains to be seen if David Warner can reclaim fitness before the Boxing Day test or the makeshift opening pair of him and Matthew Wade will continue in Adelaide as well. Warne was flown to Melbourne on a private jet as covid-19 cluster started emerging in Sydney, but there is a lack of clarity on the level of his fitness and availability for the next test.