'There's a difference between a captain who consults and one who is uncertain; dithering is a bad look for a captain. There are times in Australia when a captain has to be imaginative in order to force the issue and this is not one of Root's strengths.'
Captain Joe Root's defiance gave England hope of saving the Ashes series as his unbeaten 75 helped the hosts to 156-3 in their second innings on day three of the third Test at Headingley.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell reckons India will start as favourites in the Test series against England owing to a quality pace attack with plenty of depth and a top order that is more consistent than the visitors'.
The performance of openers Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul has been the biggest plus for India in the batting department. Both have showed remarkable temperament and technique in testing conditions to give the team a solid start.
Gurkeerat Singh turned in a superb all-round showing as India 'A' beat fancied Australia 'A' by four wickets in the final of the 'A' teams triangular series in Chennai on Friday.
Kusal Mendis excelled under pressure again, hitting a sparkling 86 and featuring in two important partnerships to help Sri Lanka overcome a shaky start and post 281 all out on the opening day of the second Test against Australia on Thursday.
Usman Khawaja found his scoring touch and fast bowler Mitchell Starc returned to his fiery best as Australia moved within sight of victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Manuka Oval on Sunday.
Australia have left no stones unturned in their preparation as they chase their first Test series win in over a year, captain Tim Paine said.
Wood was also given a break after the series in the island nation where he went wicket-less in the first Test and took three wickets in the second.
England pace bowler Jofra Archer has been omitted from the side for the first Ashes Test against Australia starting at Edgbaston on Thursday
England battled to 96 for four in their second innings by the end of a dramatic fourth day at Lord's to lead Australia by 104 runs and leave the second Ashes Test on a knife-edge.
Rohit Sharma has overtaken captain Virat Kohli to become the top-ranked Test batsman from India.
England's Ollie Robinson struck four times with the second new ball as the hosts thrashed India by an innings and 76 runs to level the series on day four of the third Test at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
Australia's number one opener David Warner on Saturday said he is 'highly doubtful' about attaining full fitness ahead of the third Test against India though he will do everything possible to respond to a desperate selection panel and team management's call.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately halt his controversial judicial overhaul, warning that the move has put the country's security, economy and society under threat.
India 21 for no loss at stumps on Day 1 after bowling out England for 183 in the first Test, in Nottingham, on Wednesday.
Batting great and current Mumbai Indians head coach Ricky Ponting has expressed his desire to be involved with the Australian national cricket team in a coaching role and hinted that he could be ready for such a job after the 2019 World Cup. Ponting said the possibility of being involved with the Australian team down the track was certainly something that appealed to him. "I would love to be working with (David) Warner and (Steve) Smith along with some of the young guns like (Usman) Khawaja and (Joe) Burns -- that will be a lot of fun," the three-time World Cup winner, who retired in 2012, said.
India's pacemen produced a terrific display of swing bowling to crush England by 151 runs in the second Test at Lord's on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Images from Day 5 of the second Test between England and Pakistan at the Rose Bowl, in Southampton, on Monday
Opener Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson will all play their first Tests at Adelaide Oval after selectors wielded the axe following the Hobart humiliation, which gave South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
England face a rejuvenated Australian team who have turned day-night cricket into a competitive advantage, winning all eight of their Tests under lights dating back to the format's 2015 debut.
Kuldeep Yadav, among all the players in this team, has more experience of playing with pink ball and the kind of revolution he produces, he could make it difficult for batsmen to spot the black seam of the pink kookaburra under lights.
The hosts finished day two on 54-1 for an overall lead of 249 runs on a deteriorating track.
Swing and seam friendly conditions, a lack of truly scary Australian bowlers and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum's retirement are all themes that will resonate when the first Test gets underway in Wellington on Friday.
Images from Day 1 of the fourth Test between England and India, at The Oval, on Thursday.
Steve Smith and Adam Voges scored the fifth and sixth centuries of the second Test to give Australia a lead of 193 after Ross Taylor's epic 290 brought New Zealand back into the contest on day four on Monday.
Factbox on the five-Test Ashes series between England and Australia
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 5th Ashes Test played between England and Australia on Thursday.
Spinner Dom Bess was named in England's 13-man squad for the first Test against West Indies and there was no place for Moeen Ali among nine reserves, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Saturday.All-rounder Ben Stokes will lead England in the match, which will begin at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday in a bio-secure environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second Test between Australia and New Zealand ended in a draw on Tuesday, with the tourists 217 runs short of their victory target of 321 on a rain-disrupted fifth and final day at the WACA.
Australia named five uncapped players in a raw tour squad to play Pakistan in a Test series in the United Arab Emirates, while recalling pace veteran Peter Siddle for the first time in two years and dropping middle order batsman Peter Handscomb.
With pacer Jofra Archer, opener Rory Burns and star all-rounder Ben Stokes back in the England squad, the visitors are likely to have some competition for spots in the team for the 1st Test against India.
Air Commodore Jawahar Lal Bhargava recalls how he ejected from his failing aircraft in Pakistan during the 1971 War.
Australia's head cricket coach Darren Lehmann hopes the test team can avenge the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup final defeat by the All Blacks with a victory in the series opener in Brisbane starting this week.
Shardul Thakur's brilliant all-round showing helped India thrash England by 157 runs in the fourth Test at The Oval in London on Monday to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Strauss has also called for a change in England's top-order after another disappointing show by the batsmen.
Nathan Lyon took 5-68 as a dominant Australia dismissed New Zealand for 251 before the home batsmen took over to extend their lead to 243 by the close of play on the third day of the third and final Test in Sydney on Sunday. Already 2-0 down in the series after thumping defeats in Perth and Melbourne, New Zealand have been ravaged by illness and injury and now face a huge battle to avoid a third heavy loss before they head home. Images from Day 3 of the third Test in Sydney on Sunday.
Australia have employed former India all-rounder Sridharan Sriram as a coaching consultant to help with their troubles playing spin bowling in the leadup to their tour of Bangladesh.
Tim Southee and Matt Henry removed both England openers as New Zealand reduced the tourists to 39-2 and took control of the second Test by the close of play on the second day at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Saturday.
Dhananjaya de Silva hit a maiden century and combined with Dinesh Chandimal to resurrect Sri Lanka's innings after a poor start against Australia on the opening day of the third and final Test on Saturday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances