Wade, Maxwell drop jaws, but middle-order still a thorn in Australia's flesh

India fought a losing battle in Sydney to eventually go down by 12 runs, a stumbling block that jinxed their winning streak of a dozen T20Is. The last time they tasted defeat was against West Indies in Trivandrum in December 2019. Moreover, this blip comes after India's victorious run had extended to 11 matches on foreign soil since yielding to New Zealand in Hamilton in February 2019. The consolatory triumph warranted Australia a pat on the back in what had otherwise been a series that pegged level on the scales of competition. The sleek, silver trophy will ennoble the Indian cabinets, of course, but the hosts too bow out of the slam-bang squeeze with a few blessings to count upon.

Explosive Wade brings the house down

Accidental skipper Matthew Wade stepped into David Warner's shoes with gusto and relished the license and liberty granted to his natural instincts at the top of the order. He made merry with a couple of belligerent half-centuries, with the latter worth 83 central to Australia's salvation of pride. While David Warner's deputy-in-charge fired on all cylinders, D'Arcy Short couldn't quite measure up the expectations with a grand total of fifty in three ties. And those who aren't aware that Glenn Maxwell reverse-swept a 100m monster ought to be hibernating under an igloo. In Cricket Australia's video post of that hair-raising sorcery, keyboard warriors couldn't have enough of the 'Virender Sehwag has left the chat' jibe.

Moises Henriques stepped into Marcus Stoinis' spikes in both departments besides fielding like a cheetah on the prowl. Australia plough the same furrow as their arch-rivals in terms of a wafer-thin middle-order with neither of the contenders stealing the show. The merry-go-round will witness Alex Carey, Wade, Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Short tussle for the slots as the countdown begins for the T20 World Cup next year, even though the stand-in-captain sits pretty at the moment with a few crisp knocks in his kitty. Just a fun fact: Wade is the only Australian wicketkeeper to club a half-century in the T20I format, and he's got three for that matter.

The aforementioned arrangement is considering Warner and Aaron Finch will be reunited at the helm, with Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell floating around with Stoinis. Australia potentially have a five-match series against New Zealand and the BBL to strike an optimal balance for the marquee championship in October 2021.

The method to the leggies' magic

Pitches across the Tasman are tailor-made to suit the swashbuckling style of batsmanship and hence, Australia's second-string pace pack operated with zilch penetration. But the tennis-ball bounce augured well for tweakers of the ilk of Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson who impart a lot of revs on the cherry. For instance, the former's zooter which spelt Manish Pandey's doom in Manuka Oval, a top-edged slash bunted down short-third man's throat. Zampa, in particular, was gallantly brave in his lengths and reaped due rewards in return. He dangled the carrot in front of Hardik Pandya when he was marauding like a man possessed and bagged his prized scalp to avert a seemingly impending whitewash. Daniel Sams and Andrew Tye came a cropper while defending 72 off the last six with the series on the line. Tackling a near-similar scenario, their spin-twins Swepson and Zampa entwined to arrest 4 for 44 in seven overs to spare Australia a few blushes.

“It was a great series, and we just happened to be on the wrong end of the first two. It’s the first time we’ve had two leg-spinners in the side, and they were bold with the short boundaries here, so credit to both of them. It shows a lot of courage, backed their skills really well,” Finch summarized the duo's diligence in the post-match presentation at the SCG.

The T20 rainbow flickered for a while and disappeared into oblivion within the blink of an eye. Discoveries transpired in the bowling depots but the middle-order quandaries are taking longer to resolve than a broadband glitch in a remote town. Zoom out a little further into the bigger picture, and you will notice that it's scores level, 3-3 apiece in the two white-ball legs. A glaring testimonial of how this journey has unfolded. Delicately balanced and perfectly poised. Hanging loose between a myriad of pros and cons, hits and misses, and of course, a concussion and the subsequent chaos.

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Cricket South Africa confirms first tour of Pakistan in 13 years

The South Africa cricket team will tour Pakistan for the first time in 15 years in the January-February window next year for a T20 and Test series, Cricket South Africa has said in its release. The Proteas will play three T20Is and two Test matches from January 26. The Proteas will arrive in the country on January 16 and will undergo quarantine before they could begin training for the series and they will also play an intra-squad match to get ready for the first Test that will be played in Karachi from January 26, followed by the second Test from 4 February in Rawalpindi. The Test series will be quickly followed by a three-match T20I series scheduled to take place on February 11, 13 and 14 in Lahore. Notably, South Africa will be the only fourth team in the world to have agreed to tour Pakistan after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team in 2009 which led to international teams and their players showing hesitation and strong reluctance to return to the country. South Africa had toured Pakistan the last time under the captaincy of Graeme Smith, and the tourists had won the Test series 1-0 while the ODI series was won by the margin of 3-2. The Test series was an iconic one as one of the best batsmen of Pakistan, Inzamam-ul-Haq played his last Test match of a decorated career in the final Test of the series and missed out on breaking Javed Miandad’s record as the leading run-scorer of Pakistan’s cricket team at that time by just 3 runs. 15 years later, Graeme Smith is in a different role for the South African side as he is the Director of Cricket with CSA and he has welcomed the confirmation of tour and lauded the ‘cricket-loving’ people of Pakistan while also thanking them for giving enormous support on the previous tours when he was there in the country as a player and the captain of the Proteas team. “It’s pleasing to see so many countries making a return to Pakistan – a proud, cricket-loving nation. Cricket South Africa is delighted to be counted among them. As someone who has toured the country on more than one occasion back in my playing days, I know how much passion the people of Pakistan have for the game as well as the love and support that the Proteas enjoy there as a team,” Graeme Smith said. Tour Schedule 26-30 January – 1st Test, Karachi 04-08 February – 2nd Test, Rawalpindi 11 February – 1st T20I, Lahore 13 February – 2nd T20I, Lahore 14 February – 3rd T20I, Lahore Powered by Froala Editor

BBL Matchday 1 Preview | Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes to kick start season 10

Defending champions from the last season, Sydney Sixers would feature in the opening match of this season as they take on Hobart Hurricanes at the Bellerive Oval, in latter team's city. Both sides would be missing key players due to their presence in the Australian team as well as some international imports who are coming later in the season. Sixers enjoyed a great season last year where they performed strongly in the league phase and remained clinical in the finals also to win the title. Hurricanes, on the other hand, reached the play-offs but couldn't progress further. However, starting the season at their home ground does given them a good chance in this match. Sixer's Combination This year, they would be missing Steve Smith as the latter would be busy with the Australian national side. So would be Mitchell Starc, though he thinks he could make an appearance towards the end of the season. So, the Sydney team would be relying heavily on last season's find Ben Dwarshuis. He would lead the attack and hope for good support from the other frontline bowlers in the team, as well as the all-rounders who have a good presence in the team. In the absence of Tom Curran, who also withdrew due to the stress of being in bio-bubbles, the Sixers would have to rely on the expertise of bowlers such as Jackson Bird and Gurinder Sandhu with the new ball. But there are some very prominent names among the all-rounders who can make a mark. Carlos 'Remember the Name' Brathwaite has been signed up by the team. Along with him, there is captain Moises Henriques and Daniel Christian. All three of these players are capable bowlers. All three are all-rounders as well, which will help balacne the team. The batting looks more solid with the enigmatic James Vince in the line-up. Vince, a failure at the international level, has been very impressive in T20 leagues, especially BBL. His opening combination with Josh Philippe is likely to continue. The likes of Daniel Hughes and Jordan Silk will have to take greater responsibility in the absence of Steve Smith. Henriques too, now becomes the most crucial element of the middle order witih Smith not in the line-up. West Indian Brathwaite has a great opportunity to regain some of that stardom which he gained after his heroics in the final of World T20 in 2016. He would be used in the lower order to give a much-needed boost to the team. Hurricanes' on Home Soil Hurricanes would not just be playing at home but may be favorities owing to the presence of some highly capable players. D'Arcy Short and Matthew Wade formed a devastating opening partnership last season. If Wade plays in the first match, this opening pair would pose a great threat to the opposition. A lot would also depend on captain Peter Handscomb. The nuggety batsman has managed to carve a niche for himself in the shortest format also. His appointment as captain shows the faith this team have shown in him. While not a big striker of the cricket ball, Handscomb may be useful in the middle overs to keep the scoreboard moving at a decent pace. An important addition to the team is South African Collin Ingram. He adds much needed experience to the middle order as well as big-hitting ability. Handscomb and Ingram's addition makes the batting line-up look a lot more reliable. The bowling department would be enthused by the entry of veteran South African Johan Botha. Out of international cricket for nearly nine years, Botha's comeback into the league is a surprise. But he would add experience to the bowling unit. The main focus, however, would be on last season's star performer with the ball for this team, Nathan Ellis. He proved to be the perfect T20-style bowler with yorkers and slower balls in his armoury. Ellis' efforts last year played a key part in taking his team to the play-offs. He should get good help from James Faulkner. Once a member of Australia's World Cup-winning squad, Faulkner can get the ball to bounce sharply from the left-arm over angle. Not to mention, Faulkner is also a very dangerous batsman down the order. Two other men would be in contention to be members of the pace battery. Scott Boland is the local option while Keemo Paul from West Indies has been brought over with great hopes also. Paul would be ahead on the pecking list at the moment. Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers: Match Details Venue: Bellerieve Oval, Hobart Broadcast: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV Date and Timing: December 10, 1:45 PM IST, 7:15 PM Local, 8:15 AM GMT Pitch Report The pitch at Hobart is different from the ones at other venues of the country. In first class matches, it provides great help to swing bowlers. Jackson Bird had been very successful here in the past thanks to that quality of the wicket. However, for a T20 match, there isn't likely to be too much grass. That should make the surface more batsmen-friendly. Weather and Toss Weather is expected to suit the players by remaining cool. Some clouds are expected to appear in the skies but not threaten any rain. Since it's an evening match, the captain winning the toss may not be too bothered about batting first and second. In such situations, batting first seems to be the default option. Probable XIs Hobart Hurricanes: D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade, Colin Ingram, Peter Handscomb (C), David Moody, Ben McDermott (Wk), James Faulkner, Johan Botha, Nathan Ellis, Scott Boland, Macalister Wright Sydney Sixers: Josh Philippe (Wk), James Vince, Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques (C), Jordan Silk, Jack Edwards, Carlos Brathwaite, Daniel Christian, Steve O'Keefe, Ben Dwarshuis, Jackson Bird Dream11 Fantasy League Team: Josh Philippe, James Vince, Colin Ingram, Peter Handscomb, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, James Faulkner, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Steve O'Keefe

Inside Out: What Virat Kohli, an ODI great, doesn't get about batting in T20s

Virat Kohli has been an undisputed king of limited-overs cricket over the last decade and all the stats about batting are stacked heavily in favour of his supremacy in international cricket. But, with T20 being an always-evolving format, is Virat Kohli, the master of chasing and a template for young batsmen across the world on how to pace an innings, faltering on the lines of lack of dominance for the sake of reliability and consistency? Is he batting with the wrong approach in T20s and trying to be consistent and in the process of attaining that, becoming a liability for the team. These questions started doing rounds again after India lost the final game of the three-match T20 series on Tuesday, 8 December at the SCG. Fans and pundits weighed in on the fact that despite Kohli staying till the 19th over India dropped the game with 12 runs to spare, albeit the hope was there till Kohli was batting in the middle. But, an honest look back on the middle phase of the game would hint that Kohli took a lot of time and left a lot to do for himself and Hardik Pandya in the last three-four overs. Understand the context of Virat Kohli’s approach and the negative impact it carried onto the batting line up in the last game India lost. In the chase of 187 in the last game, Kohli scored a 61-ball-85 and that left the team with only 51 balls to score remaining 102 runs and ultimately, India were defeated by 12 runs in Sydney. A 61-ball-85 does not look or sound a bad score or a bad strike rate but the impact of those 61 balls was telling on other batsmen such as Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya and up to certain extent Kohli himself who was looking grumpy after missing balls he believed should have disappeared to give him and the team some impetus while the rate was surging higher and higher. To be fair to Kohli, his hands were tied by regular fall off wickets at the other end but scoring a fifty off 41 balls while the team is in pursuit of 187 runs does not bode well for the batting might of someone as Kohli. Or maybe, it’s the might of his batting and the enormity of the value he puts on his wicket is not letting him bat freely in T20s. Kohli bounced back a bit better, scoring his next 35 runs in mere 20 balls with a strike rate of 175, but his lack of ‘intent’ that everyone else in his team is blamed for in case they lacked in a match, put a lot of pressure on other batsmen and resulted in wickets. Another defence to Kohli’s batting approach in the last T20 could well be that Aussies bowled well to him and bowled with a specific plan and if he had gone out in quest of breaching those tactics, the visitors would have been in trouble anyway. But, Virat Kohli, would do well to take a leaf out of Brendon McCullum or Eoin Morgan’s book to understand that there are no marks for taking the game close or losing by a thin margin. One does not need to go beyond his scoring pattern in the last game to understand what is plaguing Virat Kohli in the T20 format. Australian captain Aaron Finch introduced the spin twins of Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson from the seventh of India’s attempt of the chase and since that time India got only one four and that came off Dhawan’s bat while Virat could not hit a solitary boundary between a dismissive off-drive off Sean Abbott on the first ball of the sixth over and the last ball of the 14th over that too was bowled by Abbott. He was batting at 31 from 21 balls at the end of the sixth over while at the end of the 14th over, his score read 64 runs from 48 balls, implying that the Indian captain took as many as 27 balls to score his next 31 runs. That is as abysmal as it gets for the standards set by batsmen like his friends AB de Villiers and his deputy in limited-overs cricket for India, Rohit Sharma. As stated earlier, Virat Kohli needs to understand there is no point scoring 80 odd runs and scoring 180 runs as a team when the flatness of the pitch allows batsmen to score as many as in excess of 200 runs. There will be no prize for either him and his team if they bat well and mount 180 odd runs with the loss of only two or three wickets and the opposition defeat them in the game of domination and aggressive batting approach. Kohli has been a master of understanding and reacting to the frailties in his own game and he would do well if he can utilise the time to find a balance between an aggressive approach and what he is doing now. He needs to unlearn a bit of discipline and the substantivity he has brought in his batting after suffering very few loss of forms in his fairly long batting career. Kohli needs to be realistic and weigh in his options while keeping in mind that he is no AB de Villiers or Rohit Sharma in terms of six-hitting or maybe even Jos Buttler purely in terms of ball-striking abilities to turn things around rapidly as they may have been able to do. Rohit too has been guilty of making slow starts in his innings, but he has always made sure that once he gets his eyes in, he starts making boundary lines smaller and smaller and similar is the case with AB de Villiers. Unlike those batsmen, Kohli’s game has not been built on ball-striking and that he relies on finding gaps and playing his natural strokes to get going even in T20s and those attributes don’t always work when the team needs 15 runs an over in a chase or as many as possible every over while setting up the total.

Sehwag attacks Glenn Maxwell again; says he comes to IPL for 'free drinks'

In a fresh attack on Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag said that the Australian comes to the Indian Premier League just to enjoy and have free drinks while sitting in the hotel rooms during his stays. Commenting on the impressive performance of Maxwell in the recently-concluded ODI and T20 series against India, Sehwag said that Maxwell do realise that it will be tough for him to bounce back in the Australian team if he fails for a longer period of time as he does in the IPL and hence his level of performance never dips while playing international cricket but his numbers in the IPL has been terrible in the recent past. “His attitude changes when he plays for Australia. When he goes to Australia, he knows that if he has two or three bad innings, he will be left out of the Australian team and it will be difficult to make a comeback,” Sehwag said on the Sony Sports Network where has been an analyst during the ongoing series between Australia and India, has not made such remarks on Maxwell for the first time. Earlier, Sehwag, while reviewing the performance of the Australian all-rounder in the IPL 2020, Sehwag had ripped into his poor showing and called out his inefficient attitude in the cash-rich league. He had labelled Maxwell as a ‘Rs 10 crore cheerleader’ to which Maxwell had replied saying that he is aware of Sehwag’s outspoken dislike for him and that he is in the media because of those statements he makes of him. Maxwell also said that he takes Sehwag’s comment with a grain of salt and moves on. Notably, Maxwell was a force to reckon with in the white-ball series vs India as he unleashed onslaughts against Indian bowlers in both the formats while his batting form was abysmal, to say the least in the IPL held earlier this year where he could not hit even a solitary six and that’s quite appalling for a batsman of Maxwell’s standards.