Shami's Test career at a crossroads
The veteran pacer had already missed a high-stakes tour — the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Now, he finds himself sidelined once again, omitted from the squad for the Pataudi Trophy in England due to concerns over his ability to cope with the demands of Test cricket.
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Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
Dhruv Jurel scores second fifty, Jaiswal, Easwaran get some runs against England Lions
The India A top order got some much-needed batting practice on the final day of the four-day game against England Lions at Canterbury. Both sides scored in excess of 550 in their first innings and after conceding a first-innings lead of 30 in the drawn fixture, Abhimanyu Easwaran (68), Yashasvi Jaiswal (64), Dhruv Jurel (53 not out) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (52 not out) did their chances no harm as the visitors compiled a score of 241/2 in just 41 overs before proceedings came to a close. Jurel's half-century followed his first-innings knock of 94 while the other three batsmen had managed low scores in the first dig. Other than skipper Easwaran, the other three batters scored at strike rates of at least a run a ball. The time in the middle would be useful going into the second 'Test', starting in Northampton on Friday, June 6. These games are seen as a precursor and preparation for the five-Test series starting in Headingley on June 20. The track at Canterbury presented few demons for the batters, and the Lions amassed 587 in their first innings, replying to India A's 557. After an underwhelming Indian Premier League season for Sunrisers Hyderabad, the quick-fire fifty would be a morale-booster for Reddy. He is likely to be part of the playing XI for the first Test against England after his impressive performances during his first Test series, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where he scored his maiden Test hundred. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli calling time on their Test careers, spots in the batting order are up for grabs. It is imperative, therefore, that the contenders for these places get used to English conditions and acquire a few runs under their belts. Karun Nair, making a comeback to the Indian set-up after a long time, made a double hundred in the first innings, and Sarfaraz Khan, who didn't get an opportunity Down Under despite a big hundred in the preceding home series against New Zealand, threw his hat in the ring with a knock of 92. So the team management considered it fit to give the other batters a chance to get some centre-wicket time. The match was of little consequence as a contest in itself, but the Indian think tank would be a bit concerned with the bowling effort with Anshul Kamboj, Harshit Rana, Shardul Thakur and Reddy returning ordinary figures. Mukesh Kumar was the most successful bowler with figures of 3/92 from 25 overs. With no Mohammed Shami in the Test tour party, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and probably Prasidh Krishna will need some good pace back-up in the gruelling series, in which no pacer is expected to feature in all five matches. Brief Scores: India A 557 and 241/2 in 41 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 64, Abhimanyu Easwaran 68, Dhruv Jurel 53 not out, Nitish Kumar Reddy 52 not out) drew with England Lions 587 (Tom Haines 171, Max Holden 101, Dan Mousley 113, Mukesh Kumar 3/92)
NDTV
10 hours ago
- NDTV
Injured 156.7 Kmph Sensation Set To Travel To New Zealand. Reason Is Concerning
Injured India pacer Mayank Yadal will consult medical specialists in New Zealand to sort his recurring back injury issues, according to a report. Mayank got injured during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season while playing for the Lucknow Supergiants (LSG). The 22-year-old, who was retained for Rs 11 crore by LSG, played just two games after recovering from a previous issue at BCCI's Centre of Excellence. However, his season was cut short after he picked up another injury while bowling. According to a report in RevSportz, Mayank will fly to New Zealand in the coming days and will consult medical specialists for his back issue. He could even undergo surgery, depending on the seriousness of the injury. "The speedster is all set to follow the Jasprit Bumrah route. Bumrah had consulted and was operated on by specialists in New Zealand. Even when Bumrah was injured in Australia, during the last Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney, his reports were sent to the same specialists in New Zealand," the report said. For the unversed, India pacer Jasprit Bumrah too had consulted medical specialists in New Zealand for a similar issue few year back. Mayank had an injury-ridden 2024. After rising to fame with two 'Player of the Match' performances in his first three Indian Premier League (IPL) games, during which he troubled plenty of sports stars with his consistent 150 mph-plus pace, accurate and controlled line-and-length, he faced an abdominal issue that ruled him out of the tournament. In the two matches he played this season, Mayank took two wickets, with best figures of 2/40 against Mumbai Indians (MI). He conceded 60 runs in his wicketless four-over spell against Punjab Kings. Mayank has played nine T20 games between March 30, 2024 and May 4, 2025, which is precisely 13 months and four days. In these nine games, he played four T20s for Lucknow last year when he burst into the scene hitting speed guns at mid 150 clicks consistently. Listen to the latest songs, only on
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Indian Express
Stuart Broad to join South Africa coaching staff ahead of WTC Final vs Australia
Australia will have a familiar foe in the opposition camp when they face South Africa in the World Test Championship Final as former England pacer Stuart Broad will join the Proteas squad as a consultant for the match. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that Broad will attend South Africa's training session on June 9 at Lord's. Broad had ended his illustrious playing career with England in July 2023, retiring as the fifth most prolific Test wicket-taker and the second most succesfull fast bowler of all time in the format. This will be his first coaching role since then. Broad took 604 wickets in 167 Tests, second on England's all-time list, of which he took 153 of those against Australia, the most by any player in red-ball history. The fast bowler also boasts a strong record at Lord's, taking 113 wickets in 28 Test matches. The WTC Final is set to be played at the iconic ground from June 11 to 15. Meanwhile, the South African men's team have arrived in the United Kingdom for the match and will face Zimbabwe in a four-day warm-up match at the Arundel Castle Cricket Ground in Sussex from Tuesday. Zimbabwe had earlier faced England last month in one-off Test at Trent Bridge, which they lost by an innings and 45 runs. South Africa later play two Tests against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo after the WTC Final. Australia are the defending champions, having beaten India in the 2023 WTC Final by 209 runs at The Oval. Additionally, this is the first WTC Final to not feature India, with the team losing the first ever edition of the marquee Test in 2019 to New Zealand. India were among the favourites to reach a third final at the start of their home Test season late last year. However, their progression was derailed by a shocking 3-0 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand at home, which ended a streak of home Test series wins that lasted more than a decade. A subsequent 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia put paid to India's chances while South Africa's series wins in Bangladesh, coupled by home series wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan helped them book a maiden spot in the WTC Final.
