Tuesday, November 26
Pat Cummins aims to achieve a Test series win against India in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy, starting November 22 in Perth. Despite Cummins' successes, including the Ashes and World Test Championship, defeating India remains. India's recent series loss to New Zealand puts them under pressure, adding significance to this year's match-ups.
Washington Sundar, the standout performer for India in the Pune Test against New Zealand, is set to enter the IPL auction (likely to be held in Riyadh on November 25-26) and has garnered interest from Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. The all-rounder is expected to be a hot property following his impressive Test comeback.
In the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Tim Paine defended sledging Ravichandran Ashwin, stating Ashwin often got him out, which frustrated him. Despite this, India won the series 2-1. Ashwin, along with Hanuma Vihari, secured a draw in the Sydney Test, after which he missed the Brisbane Test due to a back spasm.
India's WTC final qualification becomes tougher after a series defeat against New Zealand, narrowing their lead over Australia. With six tests remaining, including a challenging series in Australia, they need minimum three wins from five Australia tests. All top five teams remain closely contested in the WTC standings. Australia will play the most Tests among the teams that have a chance of qualifying for the final.
Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten was unhappy with Mohammad Rizwan's appointment as Pakistan's white-ball captain, preferring another player. Following this decision, Kirsten resigned as T20I and ODI coach, and Jason Gillespie was appointed as head coach for all formats. Rizwan will lead the team against Australia and Zimbabwe. The Pakistan cricket team has undergone notable transitions lately.
Gary Kirsten resigned as Pakistan's limited-overs coach due to dissatisfaction with the restructuring of coaching roles by the PCB, which has removed head coaches from the selection committee. Kirsten's resignation follows Pakistan's recent loss to England in the first Test and early exit from the T20 World Cup.
Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday surpassed Mithali Raj to become the Indian player with the most ODI centuries, scoring her eighth century in a match against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Mandhana’s 100 off 122 balls helped India secure a six-wicket victory, clinching the series 2-1. Mithali held the previous record with seven centuries.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has praised both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, labelling Ronaldo a 'monster' created by Messi. Guardiola's comments follow the 2024 Ballon d'Or, where City's Rodri ended the Messi-Ronaldo dominance. Rodri's win is a significant moment for Spanish football, echoing Guardiola's belief that Spanish footballers deserved global recognition.
