Virat Kohli’s tweet announcing birth of his daughter becomes ‘most liked tweet in 2021’

R Ashwin moves to second spot in ICC Test Rankings for all-rounders

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel and India batsman Mayank Agarwal were rewarded for their brilliant performance during the bilateral tie between two sides. While Ajaz became only the third bowler to scalp 10 wickets in an innings, Mayank was back among runs as he struck a century and a fifty during the second Test in Mumbai. The right-handed batsman has jumped to 11th position in the ICC Test Rankings for the batsmen. On the other side, Ajaz has risen to 38th position after a 14-wicket haul in the match. But the spinner’s efforts went in vain as the visitors suffered a defeat by 372 runs in Mumbai to lose the two-match series 0-1. The first match of the series in Kanpur ended in a draw. Australia’s Pat Cummins is presently sitting at the helm in the ICC Test Rankings for bowlers while England’s Joe Root tops the chart in the batting list. In the all-rounders ranking in Tests, R Ashwin has moved up to second place. The off-spinner had a good run during the Test series against New Zealand after he picked up a three-fer in both the innings in the first match while bagging a four-wicket haul apiece in the second. Apart from this he also scored 38 & 32 in the respective innings of the first clash.

The Ashes | Gabba Test, Day 2: Travis Head repays team's faith, silences critics with 85-ball hundred

Overcoming off all the concerns about his format at the Test level and shutting all his critics who did not back for his inclusion in Australia’s Test playing XI, Travis Head hit a vital half-century to help the hosts get past the 300-run mark and take a significant lead of more than 150 runs in the first innings of the first Ashes Test at Gabba. He reached the milestone with a thumping cover drive off Mark Wood and repaid the faith shown by the Pat Cummins-led team management for the first Test of the Ashes series. He walked out to bat when England were coming back strongly in the game on the back of a tremendous over from Ollie Robinson where he took two big wickets on consecutive deliveries. Australia were going seamless on their way towards a possible big total on the back of a big century stand between David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, but the four big wickets including of Steve Smith and Cameron Green put Australia under some pressure. Head played a counterattacking innings and hit a run ball fifty to lead Australia’s response. Head was competing for the number five slot in the Australia’s middle order with Usman Khwaja and won the management’s trust based on his good numbers in the past Ashes series.

The Ashes | Gabba Test, Day 2: Robinson takes consecutive wickets of Warner, Green to halt Australia

After the couple of big wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the afternoon session, England got right back in the game with the biggest wicket of the innings of David Warner, who was looking well-placed for a big score in the final session on the second day of the Gabba Test. If Warner’s wicket was not enough for the tourists to lift their spirit, Cameron Green was bowled shouldering arms and Ollie Robinson came on the verge of hat-trick. First, he accounted for Warner with a slower ball and then sent Green back with his error in judgment Alex Carey faced the first ball of his Test career as a hat-trick ball. Warner and Labuschagne seemed to be in control in the afternoon session before the Australian number three got too eager to score on every ball of Jack Leach and threw his wicket away for 74. Steve Smith batted with method so unlike him as he charged Leach and scored some streaky runs before edging to Jos Buttler off the bowling of Mark Wood. Robinson’s success brought England right back in the game as they are at 196/5 in 56 overs and are left with only Travis Head and the debutant wicketkeeper-batsman Carey to extend the lead beyond England’s comfort level.

The Ashes | Mitchell Starc suggests Cummins, Hazlewood have 'blueprint' against Joe Root

England skipper Joe Root had to bat through a tough spell of bowling from Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood as both the pacers challenged him around the off stump line. They have dismissed him on numerous occasions in the same channel and Mitchell Starc has hinted of a “blueprint” that the Aussies are working with against Root. Although Starc took a wicket on the very first ball of the game to give England a major jolt in the form of Rory Burns’ wicket, as soon as Josh Hazlewood dismissed Dawid Malan, Australian skipper Cummins replaced the left armer with himself and bowled in tandem with Hazlewood against the England skipper. Root was found wanting against the back of a length around his off stump as after getting beaten on both inside and outside edge, he edged one that nipped away off the seam to take the edge of his bat. Starc said that both Cummins and Hazlewood are coming fully prepared into this Ashes series bases on their mode of success against Root in the 2019 Ashes series in England. "Josh and Pat have brought that blueprint from the previous Ashes, where they seemed to have their plans down pat to Joe. It's fantastic to get off to the start we did and have him for nothing," Starc said the hoast broadcaster Seven during the rain delay. “Hopefully that continues throughout the series, but those two have carried that blueprint on from four or five Tests in England to now at the Gabba. To stay on top of the opposition captain is a big one and we've certainly started off in that fashion today.” England were bundled out for 147 runs in their first innings as Hazlewood dismissed Root for ninth time, most by any bowler in the longest format of the game.