Watch | Ross Taylor’s final words as he signs off from the long format

Ross Taylor picks final wicket as New Zealand steamroll Bangladesh to level series

New Zealand stalwart Ross Taylor capped off his long format career with one final wicket as the home side rolled over Bangladesh in the final Test match of the series at Hagley Oval. Taylor bowling his first over of the match on Monday, 11 January, removed the visitor’s #11 Ebadot Hossain in the 80th over of the game to post a huge victory of an innings and 117 runs. Forced to follow on after a Trent Boult masterclass in the first innings, Bangladesh fared better on the day, but not enough to make a difference in the course of the Test match. Liton Das, who has seen a significant rise in form since his T20 World Cup fiasco, was once again the star of the show, scoring 102 runs off 114 deliveries. Barring Liton, no one in the Bangladesh line-up stood up to the NZ pace attack and were dismissed despite getting starts. With the win, NZ were able to maintain their undefeated streak at home and now have entered their 5th year of defence, not having lost since 2017/18. The match was also New Zealand’s first win in the World Test Championship 2023 calendar, having lost two out of their earlier three matches against India and Bangladesh. At the moment, the title defenders stand 8th in the league table with 16 points to their name. Out of their four matches played, they have won 1, lost 2, and drawn 1 Test match.

Watch: Odean Smith won’t apologise to Sheldon Cottrell for denting his Range Rover

Odean Smith, the West Indian all-rounder refused to apologise for a dent to fellow teammate Sheldon Cottrell’s car- the Range Rover, which was parked in the facility where Smith hit a six in the first ODI against Ireland. Speaking in a post-match discussion with commentators Ian Bishop, Niall O’Brien and Daren Sammy, Smith was asked by Bishop very cheekily whether he will apologise to his teammate for denting his new range rover. Answering it, Smith said, “No, that was just unfortunate. He’ll fix it and as I said it was unfortunate and probably parked in the wrong area! (cheeky smile).” The first ODI, which was played at the Sabina Park in Jamaica saw West Indies beat Ireland by 24 runs and Odean Smith, who made his international debut, also played an important role in the game with both the bat and the ball. While he scored a crucial 18 off just 8 balls, an innings which included two sixes, to take his team to 269, with the ball too, he picked up two wickets by giving away just 26 runs in 5.1 overs. Cottrell, who is a Jamaican, was not part of the playing XI and had come to watch the game with his car which was actually not parked in the proper parking space when the ball dented it. The two teams will now face each other in the second game of the three-match series at the same venue on Tuesday, January 11th.

BCCI postpones Cooch Behar Trophy 2021-22 due to Covid

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, having postponed the Vinoo Mankad Trophy 2021-22, decided to postpone the Knockout round of the Under-19 First Class competition, the Cooch-Behar Trophy 2021-22 on Monday, January 10th. In a press release, the board said, “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced the postponement of the knockout stage matches of the Cooch Behar Trophy following some positive COVID-19 cases within the team environment.” “Keeping everyone’s health and safety in mind, the knockout matches to be held in Pune have been put on hold until further notice. The BCCI had conducted 93 matches across 20 venues in the league stage. The Board will continue to monitor the situation and identify a new window once the situation improves,” it added. In total, 93 games of the first round of the competition had been conducted till January 04th, 2022. And courtesy of that, hosts Maharashtra, along with Mumbai, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Bengal and Haryana qualified for the quarter-finals, which were scheduled to begin in Pune from Monday, January 10th onwards.

SA vs IND | I am not near done: Rabada’s warning before landmark 50th Test appearance

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who would be appearing in his 50th Test when he takes to field against India in the third Test of the three-match Test series between the two sides, said that he is not done yet and this is just the beginning for a long career he aspires to have. Aged 26, Rabada became the youngest South African in history to reach 200 Test wickets when he did that two years ago. Currently, the right-arm fast bowler has 226 Test wickets to his name and is raring to add more to the list. “I think it’s quite special,” he said about the 50 Test landmark that he would achieve when he plays the Newlands Test starting Tuesday, January 11th. “I didn’t even know how many games I was on and only found out after the last Test match that this would be my 50th,” he added. “I’ve always wanted to represent my country, so this is a personal milestone and one that I’ll hold dear to my heart,” Rabada said before adding that reaching where he has so far has not been easy whatsoever. “It’s been tough navigating your way through the lows – I think that’s been quite difficult – and then also trying to get through the external pressures that can influence your game and also influence the team space. Those are things you have to get used to dealing and things you constantly learn how to deal with,” Rabada narrated. Asked what’s the biggest motivation for him to keep going, the Johannesburg born answered, “At the end of the day you almost have to remind yourself to keep enjoying it and remember yourself as this youngster who just wanted to represent your country and show the world what you’re about.” Currently, the leading wicket-taker in the series with 13 scalps to his name, Rabada, who made his Test debut in 2015 against India in India itself says that more than taking wickets, for him it’s about being the best version of himself. “It’s about being the best I can be and there’s no limit to that. I feel like I’m nowhere near done. You can never take international cricket for granted. For me, it’s about longevity and not doing it for just a short amount of time. It’s about doing it for a long time and that’s what keeps driving me,” he said. The Test series is currently tied at 1-1 and Rabada could play a decisive role in making sure that South Africa keep its record of not losing a Test series to India in South Africa.