SMAT 2021: Arjun Tendulkar makes debut for Mumbai

Glad Waqar Younis felt bad: Amir

Former Pakistan seamer Mohammad Amir has lashed out at the team management asking them to end the “scary” dressing room culture. “Give players some space and freedom. Put an end to this scary environment in the dressing room, these very players will win you matches,” he told the media. Amir had retired last month alleging that there has been mental torture for him by the team management. The left-arm pacer had been dropped from the side because of his inconsistency as per the team management. “The issue is not about performance I know I can make a strong comeback but it is about this mental torture they put you through,” he said. “One coach says speed does not matter what is important is taking 20 wickets (Waqar made the remarks on Thursday when asked about the lack of speed of the bowlers in New Zealand) and the other coach says speed is important in international cricket (Misbah said this at his interaction). Who should we believe? “First think what you want to say than try to teach Amir.” Waqar had earlier said that he was hurt by Amir’s comments. When asked about the same, Amir said, “I am glad he (Waqar) felt sad and bad because at least he will now realise how much someone’s statement can hurt you like I felt when he made statements about my decision to retire from Test cricket.” “I didn’t say anything wrong and I only spoke the truth, nothing else.”

Amateur India hang tight despite Labuschagne ton

The Aussie wunderkind leveraged fortune to smother his fifth Test ton that wrestled the advantage back after India got rid of the top-order early

BBL 10 | Match Preview: Rampant Scorchers run into Sixers in battle of table-toppers

The Sydney Sixers and the Perth Scorchers will have somewhat similar objective when they will come head to head against each other in Canberra on January 16. While the Scorchers would look to extend their winning streak and keep rising in their way up on the points table, the Sixers will have the goal of strengthening their domination at the top ofthe table in this edition of Big Bash League. The Sixers sit comfortably at the top with 29 points from their 10 games, while the Scoorchers have got back into their groove with 20 points from nine games. The Scorchers have started geling as a unit and have won five games on the trott. Apart from the winning streak, captain Asthon Turner will be delighted on different players contributing to the team’s dream run in the last five matches. The overseas batting trio of Colin Munro, Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone have provided them the arsenal to take on bowling attack and fair bit of that onsluaght was visible in the last game against the Hobart Hurricanes when they chased donw the target of 139 with the loss of just one wicket and 22 balls to spare. In the game before the one against the Hurricanes, it was the trio of pacers in Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye and Jason Behrendorff who dealt clinching blows and defeated the Sydney Thunders who are ranked above them on the points table. All in all, the Scorchers are looking like a side peaking at a right time as the league is entering into its business end but they will have their task cut out against an highly dominant Sydney Sixers which have al their bases covered. For the Sixers, the old dogs in Steve O'Keefe and young guns in the form of James Vince and Josh Phillipe have forged partnehips that have yielded match-winniing results for the men in pink. The Sixers were the champions of the Big Bash League last year, and they have not set their foot wrong on so many occasions. They have won seven of their 10 games in this season and majority of thise wins have come in dominating fashion. The game offers to throw up a riveting contest between table toppers as the Sixers will attempt to cling on their top spot and claim the ascendency on all teams, while the Scorchers would be desperate to not loose the winning momentum and will look to carry on with the habit of winning. Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers: Match Details Match Number- 41 Date & Time- Jan 15, 2021, 1:45:00 PM IST, 08:15 AM GMT, 07:15 pm LOCAL Venue- Manuka Oval, Canberra Broadcast: Sony Six and Sony LIV Pitch Report and weather The pitches at the Manuka Oval in the early part of the league were throwing up high scoring matches with team nothcing up scores in excess of 200 runs, but over the course fo time and as the league has aged well in thsi edition, the pitches have been conducive to bowling and batsmen have struggled to get going from the word go, eventually lowering the runs on the pitch. There is no chance of rain in the capital city of Australia on the night of the game with temperature hovering around 15 degree. Team winning the toss should have no doubt on batting first as the pitch will not get nay better for batting in the second innings. Sixers’ strongest XI Josh Philippe (wk), Justin Avendano, James Vince, Daniel Hughes (c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve OKeefe, Jackson Bird, Jake Ball, Lloyd Pope Scorchers’ strongest XI Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Cameron Bancroft, Josh Inglis (wk), Ashton Turner (c), Aaron Hardie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Fawad Ahmed, Kurtis Patterson

Navdeep Saini walks off the filed with groin injury concern; Rohit Sharma bowls seam up

Indian pacer Navdeep Saini walked off the filed on the first day of the fourth and final Test of the series in Brisbane. He pulled up his groin after bowling a good length delivery on the fifth ball of his eighth over which took the outside edge of Marnus Labuschagne but Indian skipper Ajinkya Rahane spilt the chance in gully region. In yet another sign of unlikely scenes from the Indian camp, opener Rohit Sharma completed the Saini’s over by bowling a seam-up delivery with a short run up. The move, if anything, establishes the state of crisis in the current Indian team on the tour of Australia. Later, Saini came back on to the filed, but for a brief period of time and left the filed of play once again due to the same discomfort. India have fielded four pacers, but the absence of Saini will make the case even worse for captain Ajinkya Raahane who has already dropped a sitter in the field.