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Tag: ICC Test Championship

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BAN vs SL first Test | Kasun Rajitha’s five-wicket haul helps Sri Lanka to a 328-run win over Bangladesh

Sri Lanka’s Kasun Rajitha celebrates after dismissing a wicket during the fourth day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet on March 25, 2024. | Photo Credit: AFP Kasun Rajitha claimed 5-56 as Sri Lanka bowled Bangladesh out for 182 in its second innings on March 25 to clinch a 328-run victory in the first Test. Rajitha, who returned 3-56 in the first innings, finished with career-best match figures of 8-112 in a Test match. Mominul Haque played a lonely defiant innings for the hosts, stranded on 87 from 148 deliveries when the final wicket fell in the middle session on Day 4. His innings contained 12 boundaries and a six. Bangladesh was set an improbable 511-run victory target after Sri Lanka rode on centuries in each innings from Kamindu Mendis and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva...
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Test cricket is hard, you are going to need each other to succeed: Dravid to young players

Head coach Rahul Dravid. File | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Rahul Dravid underlined the importance of staying together and functioning as a unit to be triumphant in the tough world of Test cricket while delivering a motivational dressing room speech after India registered a memorable 4-1 series win over England.After losing the opening Test in Hyderabad, the hosts bounced back in stunning fashion to win the next four matches to claim the series.𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺!Ft. Head Coach Rahul Dravid & Captain Rohit Sharma 💬#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @ImRo45 | @IDFCFIRSTBankpic.twitter.com/VL7RZvNyAO— BCCI (@BCCI) March 10, 2024   "Series like this have to be earned and this is tough. Test cricket is hard at times. It's hard in terms of your skill. It's hard physically, as you've se...
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World Test Championship | India consolidates top spot after 4-1 series win over England

Indian players celebrate with the trophy after winning the fifth Test match against England by an innings and 64 runs, in Dharamsala on March 9, 2024 | Photo Credit: ANI The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team consolidated its top position in the World Test Championship rankings following its 4-1 series win over England.India, following their innings and 64-run victory in Dharamsala on March 9, improved their percentage points from 64.58 to 68.51 after nine matches. India have won six, lost two and drawn one match in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. New Zealand, with 60 percentage points, are at second spot. Despite lacking several frontline players and starting the five-match series with a loss in the first Test at Hyderabad, India bounced back remarkably to decimate England....
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Ind vs Eng Test series | I was just thinking of taking the bowlers down: Yashasvi Jaiswal

Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot during the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala. Jaiswal won the player-of-the-series award by scoring 702 runs with two hundreds and three fifties averaging 89. | Photo Credit: ANI The Player-of-the-Series award winner Yashasvi Jaiswal on March 9 attributed his overwhelming success in the five-Test rubber against England to his uninhibited approach while opening the innings. Jaiswal ended the series with 712 runs with two hundreds and three fifties, averaging 89 and striking at 80. "I was just thinking if I can take a bowler down, I will take him down. That's the plan and there was no backing out," said Jaiswal during the post-series presentation. However, the left-hander, who became only the second Indian to score over 700 runs in a ser...
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NZ vs AUS second Test | Williamson strikes half-century in his 100th Test as New Zealand takes lead against Australia

New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in action day 2 of the second Test against Australia in Christchurch on March 9, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP Kane Williamson gave the fans what they came for with a fighting half century in his 100th test Saturday on the second day of the second test between New Zealand and Australia. After his first innings ended in disappointment, Williamson delivered in his second with his 34th test half century from 105 balls in a 105-run partnership for the second wicket with Tom Latham. The pair steered New Zealand from 6-1 to 111-2, erasing Australia's first innings lead of 94, before Williamson was out for 51. At stumps New Zealand was 134-2 and led by 40 runs. Latham was 65 not out, his highest test score against Australia, and Rachin Ravindra was 11. “They are quali...
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Ind vs Eng fifth Test | K.L. Rahul ruled out, Jasprit Bumrah returns

Jasprit Bumrah returns to the Indian squad for the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala. | Photo Credit: Gareth Copley Senior India batter KL Rahul will not feature in the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala owing to an injury while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will return to the team, the BCCI said on February 29.Rahul, who continues to feel sore in his right quadriceps, has travelled to London to get an expert opinion on his injury. The wicketkeeper-batter became unavailable after the series-opener in Hyderabad in January and as per the BCCI, he was 90 per cent fit before the third Test in Rajkot earlier this month. "Mr. KL Rahul, whose participation in the final IDFC First Bank Test was subject to fitness, has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test in Dharams...
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World Test Championship ranking | India consolidates second position with five-wicket win against England

Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel celebrate their win over England in the fourth Test in Ranchi on February 26, 2024. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak India consolidated their second spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) standing following their five-wicket win against Ben Stokes' England in the fourth Test at Ranchi on February 26. The hosts, led by Rohit Sharma, took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-Test series. India's point-percentage jumped from 59.52 to 64.58 following the hard-fought win and they further extended the gap with Australia (55%) and Bangladesh (50%), third third and fourth-placed teams, respectively. England, on the other hand, are languishing at eighth with 19.44%, just a spot ahead of bottom-placed Sri Lanka, who are yet to open their account. India have so far play...
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IND vs ENG | Rahul’s classy knock, Jadeja’s aggression carry India past 300

Ravindra Jadeja and Srikar Bharat in action on day 2 of the first Test against England in Hyderabad on January 26, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP KL Rahul’s classy effort and Ravindra Jadeja’s measured aggression carried India to 309 for five at tea for a slender yet significant lead despite a spirited fight by England bowlers on the second day of the first Test in Hyderabad on January 26.India are now 63 runs ahead of the visitors, with Ravindra Jadeja (45 batting) and KS Bharat (9 batting) manning the crease.Despite that lead, the more prevalent feeling inside the Indian camp after the second session of the day will be one of slight disappointment, as none of their set frontline batters did not score a hundred.Throughout his 123-ball 86, Rahul was a picture of imperious timing and meticulo...
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ICC Test rankings | Australia topples India as world’s No 1 Test side

Australia cricketers celebrate a wicket on day 3 of the third Test against Pakistan in Sydney on January 5, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP Despite a seven-wicket win at Cape Town to draw their two-match series in South Africa, India were toppled from the top spot in ICC Test rankings by Australia on January 5.Australia's impressive effort to take an unassailable 2-0 lead over Pakistan at home in the on-going three-match series has helped them move up in the rankings. The third match of that rubber is currently underway in Sydney.“Australia’s impressive run at home against Pakistan helped them take the crown of the No. 1 Test team once again, having last held the spot briefly following their WTC Final victory,” the ICC stated in a release.In the previous update, India had more points in thei...
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AUS vs PAK first Test | Pakistan digs in as Lyon edges closer to 500 Test wickets

Nathan Lyon moves with three wickets of joining the elite 500 club on December 15 as Pakistan dug deep to stay in touch on day two of the opening Test in Perth. | Photo Credit: AP Australian spin king Nathan Lyon moved to within three wickets of joining the elite 500 club on December 15 as Pakistan dug deep to stay in touch on day two of the opening Test in Perth. At stumps, the visitors were 132-2, trailing by 355, with a dogged Imam-ul-Haq not out 38 and nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad on seven after they lost skipper Shan Masood late on. But it was a slow grind with their runs coming off 53 overs after Aamer Jamal took 6-111 on debut to help dismiss the hosts for 487. Mitchell Marsh starred with 90 after David Warner’s defiant 164 on day one. Abdullah Shafique was the first to fall in...
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Pat Cummins | The atypical Aussie captain

Pat Cummins wears a broad smile as he stands awkwardly on the makeshift stage, the ODI World Cup trophy held low in his hands. He looks to one side and waits for his teammates to join him in the celebration. The Australian cricket team had only just ripped the script of India’s fairytale campaign and its captain was politely waiting for the dignitaries to leave the platform before the team could rush in and together lift Australia’s sixth World Cup trophy.Rewind to 2006, when an Australian side at the peak of its powers won a first Champions Trophy that had long eluded them. At the presentation ceremony after the final, Ricky Ponting, the chief architect of that golden generation, beckons the BCCI president to hand over the trophy and the rest of the team pushes the official off the sta...
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Zak Crawley looks to test India with Bazball approach next year, wants to adapt to pitches

England’s Zak Crawley plays a shot during the Ashes Test. Crawley said England’s upcoming tour to India in January-March 2024 presents them with an ‘amazing opportunity’ to showcase ‘Bazball’ but adapting to conditions will be the key. | Photo Credit: AP The swashbuckling opener Zak Crawley said England's upcoming tour to India in January-March 2024 presents them with an 'amazing opportunity' to showcase 'Bazball' but adapting to conditions will be the key.India will host England in a five-match Test series next year, and talks are already on about whether the latter would be able to follow their aggressive brand of cricket on Indian pitches.The series, for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, gets underway in Hyderabad with the first Test scheduled from January 25-29, the second Test is at Vi...
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World Test Championship final | Hard to see past Kohli: Hussey on India’s key players

Captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli. File | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena Michael Hussey feels it is “hard to see past Virat Kohli” if India are to win the World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval in London from June 7. Besides Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma will be key to India's chances in the WTC final, the former Australia batter said.“It’s hard to see past Virat Kohli. He (Kohli) is obviously coming back into some great form again in all forms of the game really, so both he and Rohit Sharma with the bat are going to be important for India,” Hussey told the ICC website. Kohli is back to his best and recently scored back-to-back hundreds in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kohli has reached the U.K. along with Mohammad Siraj, and the team is trai...