USA vs Ireland 2nd ODI postponed due to fresh Covid-19 cases

Joe Root finishes 2021 with third-most calendar-year runs in history of Test cricket

England captain Joe Root signed off his incredible run of form in 2021 with the third most runs in history in a calendar year after raking up 1708 runs in 15 matches. Scoring 28 in his final innings of 2021 at the Boxing Day Test, Root was left just short of Legendary Vivian Richards who had scored 1710 runs in 1976. The chart is led by Mohhamad Yusuf who scored 1788 runs in 2006. Joe Root’s staggering run of form has come in stark contrast to England’s fortune in Test cricket after they failed to win respective series against India and New Zealand at home. While on tour England have lost woefully to India and now Australia where they are down by 0-3 playing a five match Test series. Root started his year in a tremendous fashion scoring double hundreds against India and Sri Lanka. Out of the five Test series that England have played in 2021, Root has scored at least one century in three of them. The only series where Root has not scored a half century is against New Zealand at home - one that the hosts lost 1-0 to the eventual World Test Champions.

SA vs IND | 1st Test, Day 3 - Weather Forecast

After the washout of Day 2 in the SuperSport Park, Centurion on Monday, 27 December, the fans might get full days play on Tuesday with low chances of precipitation during the match hours. There is a 30 per cent probability of rainfall on 28th, but that is mostly scheduled to arrive at Pretoria after the day’s play. India were in a strong position at the end of first day’s plan having scored 272 runs for the loss of three wickets. A 73-run partnership was brewing between KL Rahul and former Ajinkya Rahane before the second day’s play got completely washed out by rain. With predictions of washout on the final day’s play, the moving day of the Test match would be extremely crucial for India if they are to look for an unlikely result from this Test match.

SA vs IND | KL Rahul to captain India in SA ODIs: Report

Vice-captain KL Rahul might get a shot to captain India for the first time in One Day Internationals, in case Rohit Sharma is not able to get fit in time to play against South Africa, reported Sports Today. Sharma is currently nursing a hamstring injury that occurred while practising for the South Africa Test series in Mumbai. At the moment it is reported that he is in the National Cricket Academy and will require a few weeks to get fit. Rahul, who has captained India only once in a T20I game against England in early 2022, has had a strong start to the South African tour, scoring a century in the first innings. He is batting at 122 off 248 balls going into Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test match.

The Ashes | England suffer innings defeat to submit the Urn at the MCG

England have submitted the ‘Urn’ losing their third straight Test match of The Ashes Down Under at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, 28 December. Losing the Boxing Day Test match by a massive margin of an innings and 14 runs, England now have not been able to get their hands on the Urn for three series in a row. Already in a precarious position after losing four wickets on Day 2, England batting order once again succumbed to the relentless attack of the Aussie pace attack and folded within one and a half hours of play on the moving day of the Test match. They managed to put up just 68 runs in the second innings in reply to Australia’s 267. On debut, local lad Scott Boland picked up six wickets for just seven runs from his four overs to seal the massive win for the home side. The first indigenous cricketer to wear the Baggy Green since Jason Gillespie was rewarded with the man of the match award for his incredible work on Day 3. Boland picked seven wickets in total in this Test match. England found it incredibly difficult on the day as the Aussies consistently hit the top of off stump forcing the touring side into mistakes in the morning session. Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, all of England’s batters were found out against similar line of attack, failing to put up much resistance against the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Cameron Green. In the process, England scored their 54th duck in the 2021 Test calendar, their highest since 1998. Asked about the team’s performance in the post match interaction, England’s captain Joe Root called it disappointing considering how well the bowlers had performed in the Test match. He stated that he was proud of the way England were able to focus on the game despite the off field issues of Covid-19 that almost put the Test match in jeopardy. Australia captain, Pat Cummins, who has now won his debut Ashes as the skipper of the side ushered that this could start the new era for Australian cricket and he was really proud of how relentless the Aussie bowling attack was on this Test match.