TEST News
Ashwin leaves the third Test: Medical situation in his family.
Due to a family issue, India's off-spinner R Ashwin has withdrawn from the third Test against England, which is now underway in Rajkot. After the second day's play, which saw the 37-year-old claim his 500th Test wicket, the announcement was made late on Friday,...
Ashwin’s insatiable thirst for more
The 500th wicket of R Ashwin in the current Rajkot Test hints at the inevitable. It was unexpected and against the game's flow that the milestone was reached in just his second over of the innings. With centurion Ben Duckett leading the assault against the Indian...
South Africa’s Test teams crawl home to SA20 Land.
At the very least, Kane Williamson performed the last rituals. If you have to lose a Test and be saddled with an unwelcome record that you have avoided for over 92 years, the kindest man in cricket should deliver the killing blows, not some smug aggressor.Against...
Shubman Gill prevails in a struggle with himself.
Shubman Gill played a variety of sweep strokes in the Vizag nets, including the full-blooded one in front of the square, the aerial one behind, the lap sweep, and the reverse sweep. Playing a half-squat, half-sweep, half-pull to find the boundary, he had not quite...
Kane Williamson surpasses Virat Kohli and Don Bradman; Rachin Ravindra scores his maiden hundred.
On the opening day of the first Test match against South Africa at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, February 4, Kane Williamson went over the combined total of 29 Test hundreds held by Don Bradman and Virat Kohli. Williamson now has the second-highest number of...
James Anderson asserted that England’s ultra-aggressive playing style had contributed to their recent success.
Pacer James Anderson suggested that although India held the upper hand for most of the Vizag Test, their clumsy third innings could have been caused by England's previous success with their hyper-aggressive style of play. On a very benign field that hasn't...
New Zealand’s advantage surpasses 500
Kane Williamson completed his second century in the inaugural Test against South Africa at Mount Maunganui, pushing New Zealand's lead past 500 at stumps on Day 3. The home team's desire to keep piling on the runs meant they did not impose follow-on after bundling out...
Jack Leach unlikely to play the Vizag Test
Brendon McCullum may have teased the prospect of an all-spin attack against India, but that strategy will have to wait. Jack Leach, England's most experienced spinner in the current squad, is unlikely to play the second Test against Visakhapatnam. Two days before the...
When Pope took over evils from the past.
The very last time India lost a Test with a first-innings lead of 190 odd was in Galle when Dinesh Chandimal scored an incredible 162. On that day, Chandimal's strategy was to "sweep and reverse-sweep to put pressure on the bowlers". That high-risk, high-reward credo...