Australian speedster Mitchell Starc is not bothered about the criticism directed at him for not living up to his high IPL price tag but on Sunday admitted that his lack of T20 experience could be the reason for taking longer time to find his rhythm.
Alex Carey scored 63 and Beau Webster 60 as Australia were bowled out for 286. West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph took 4 wickets for 61 runs on Day 1 of the second Test.
While MI's win will assure them of a place in the play-offs, Delhi Capitals need to win both their remaining games to advance.
Hazlewood was initially named in the squad for South Africa, will also return home following the Test series. Xavier Bartlett has been drafted in as his replacement.
Pietersen doubled down on his criticism, calling out the Proteas for going into a shell rather than trying to wrest back momentum.
But the hosts will be a confident group as star batter Virat Kohli made a return to run-making ways after an all too brief blip.
Starc said the IPL would be good preparation for the T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies.
Delhi Capitals pulled off a thrilling win via the Super Over against Rajasthan Royals, courtesy a Mitchell Starc masterpiece.
Australia Women's team captain Alyssa Healy on Wednesday said that her husband and fast bowler Mitchell Starc deserved the record-breaking IPL paycheck as he has worked hard for many years.
'All the venues are high-scoring venues. So what you need is pace.' 'You really want someone to come there and control the flow of runs in the death overs, whether you are setting a target or setting a target.' 'It is going to be the fast bowlers because at how many venues have you seen spinners bowling the death overs?'
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne will be pushed up in the order to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
'You have to move ahead with whatever (players) you have and ensure they perform.'
With South Africa's seam attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen and Australia having Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and the ever-dependable Josh Hazlewood in their lineup, the battle between the two sides' fast bowlers is likely to be critical in determining the outcome of the World Test Championship final, as per ICC website.
Delhi Capitals annihilated Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets in an IPL match in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Shaken by the abrupt suspension of their previous match due to the India-Pakistan conflict, a struggling Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and address bowling concerns when they face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in a reverse-leg IPL clash in Delhi on Sunday to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Leading a T20 side for the first time, Australia's World Cup winning skipper Pat Cummins says the shortest format is not taxing on body but the travel involved in the two-month long IPL and different-style preparations to face a variety of teams is certainly a huge challenge.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
'I feel like my rhythm has been good for a few weeks now and I guess the last couple of nights I've got the ball to shape in the air and do a little bit off the wicket. So, it's feeling in a good place and hopefully it continues.'
Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel would like to quickly forget the underwhelming performances of his side in home conditions and get their stuttering campaign back on track when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are teetering on the edge of elimination, in the IPL match in Hyderabad on Monday.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals played in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Mukesh Kumar will be hoping that this dream IPL campaign can pave the way for his return to the Indian team. His control, clever variations, and mental resilience have made him one of Delhi's go-to bowlers this season.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Saturday rated Protea opener Aiden Markram's measured hundred against Australia in the World Test Championship final as the "best innings" by a South African batter in Test matches.
Change will be a key theme for both the West Indies and Australia in their upcoming three-Test series in the Caribbean with the visitors set to field a remodelled batting line-up and the hosts being led out for the first time by Roston Chase.
Steve Smith and fast bowler Mitchell Starc have been ruled out of the white-ball series in South Africa through injuries.
Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord's.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja would open the innings for Australia in the WTC final against South Africa while the fit-again Cameron Green would bat at the No. 3 position.
Josh Hazlewood has been a standout performer for RCB this season, claiming 18 wickets in 10 innings at an economy rate of 8.27.
Australia's batting maestro Steve Smith provided an update on the injury he sustained on his finger during their World Test Championship final defeat against South Africa at Lord's.
Speaking ahead of the first Test from June 25 onwards at Barbados, Joseph said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "To take 13 wickets across the series was a good feeling. A lot has changed. There were a lot of opportunities that came my way."
The spotlight in the World Test Championship Final is on the electrifying duel between Australia's batting mainstay Steve Smith and South Africa's pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada.
Ashutosh Sharma's late heroics earned Delhi Capitals a thrilling one-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.
Limping Bavuma, Markram lead South Africa to brink of history.
Australia batsman Steve Smith scored a half-century before pacer Mitchell Starc bagged a hat-trick to rip through the Netherlands top order in a rain-affected warm-up game in Thiruvananthapuram
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has allowed pacer Mustafizur Rahman to play for IPL side Delhi Capitals for a limited duration of May 18 to 24.
Mitchell Starc keeps away from T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL, despite the handsome money on offer as he wants to be at his best playing for Australia.
Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc was not part of the first Test against England, which Australia won by two wickets.
As many as 17 wickets fell in the match between Delhi Capitals and LSG in which 12 were caught dismissals.
Australia face a selection headache with Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood vying for two slots in the pace attack.
Fresh from their morale-boosting win over LSG, and bolstered by the return of India wicketkeeper-batter K L Rahul, Delhi Capitals will look to build on the momentum when they take on formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
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