Khalid Jamil becomes new head coach of Indian football team, first Indian in 13 years
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Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy: With Sai Sudharsan & Karun Nair, India's No. 3 issue sticks out like a sore thumb
Bengaluru: Amidst a plethora of superlative efforts by the Indian batters throughout the just-concluded England vs India series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the performance of the No. 3 batters -- Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair -- stuck out like a sore Sudharsan (140 runs in 6 innings at an average of 23.33) and Karun Nair (111 runs in 4 innings at 27.75) neither could anchor the innings after a good start at the top of the order nor could they stabilise after early both were batting out of their comfort zone. While Sudharsan made himself a name worth a call to the Test squad due to his exploits as an opener, Nair has primarily given his best below No. said, in an era where there are two-three worthies competing for each position in the country, the trick is to adapt and grab the spot. Both Nair and Sudharsan, despite getting a few good starts, couldn't go on to play an innings substantive enough to secure their Trophy: Young India passes tough English test .While the team management might show more patience with Sudharsan given his age, the 33-year-old Nair will have to hope his brief but assured stints in the crease and a crucial half-century in the first innings of The Oval Test in the toughest batting conditions of the series, throw him another brings us back to India's No. 3 conundrum that has prolonged for too long to be Cheteshwar Pujara's last Test in June 2023 at The Oval against Australia, India have tried as many as six players over the last two years and five across the last 10 Tests (see the table) without much success. Skipper Shubman Gill, who demanded and got the No. 3 slot following the axing of Pujara, the most successful No. 3 batter after the peerless Rahul Dravid, experienced mixed results before deciding to occupy the No. 4 spot following the retirement of Virat Gill, Nair and Sudharsan, India have also used Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul, the man for all seasons and positions, on a make-shift basis with no encouraging one of the most prolific batting displays in the history of Test cricket, the nagging issue wouldn't have been lost on Gill and Head Coach Gautam Gambhir who know too well the importance of No. 3 position and the impact it can have on the batting line-up, especially in the SENA countries, if a reliable batter is not by modern greats like Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Kane Williamson, the No. 3 spot is a bridge between the top and the middle order with the job of either stabilising an innings in case of an early loss or building on a foundation laid by the openers. Often expected to play long innings -- whether to see off the difficult phase or to tire out opposition's bowlers -- they are required to possess the attributes of both an opener and a middle-order batter with technical excellence assuming as much importance as temperament..A weak No. 3 can expose the middle-order too early while a reliable one adds stability and resilience. The position, therefore, is critical not only in terms of tactic but also mindsets of the following India were lucky to offset the failure of No. 3s in England, partly due to the flat nature of the pitches in most Tests, they will not get the similar conditions every time and everywhere.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
With sub-24secs in 50m fly, Rohit makes a splash
Mumbai: Rohit Benediction had outlined three boxes to tick in a season where he dove fully into his primary career in the pool after splitting it with his back-up in engineering books. He wanted to become the first Indian to go under 24 seconds in the 50m butterfly, register the best Indian timing in the 100m butterfly, and qualify for the World Championships. Rohit Benediction in action. (HT) Over the last six weeks starting from the National Championships in late June to last week's Worlds, the 21-year-old checked all three. At the nationals in Bhubaneswar, Rohit clocked 52.57s in the 100m fly to erase Asian Games medallist Virdhawal Khade's long-standing best Indian mark (52.79) and take the gold beating the experienced Sajan Prakash. At last month's World University Games (WUG) in Germany, he clocked 23.96s in the 50m fly semi-finals to better his national record set in the heats and become the first Indian to go sub-24s in the event. Then, as a little reward, he found himself in the company of top swimmers at the Worlds in Singapore, where he signed off from the 100m fly heats. For someone only just about beginning to stroke his swimming path full-time, simply being at the Worlds was a dream. One that also presented him with a reality. 'It is true that we Indians are not anywhere near the podium at the world level,' Rohit said. 'But I want to take the first step, somewhere.' In his own ladder, that first step has come in the form of a sub-24s 50m fly timing. 'My only goal from the WUG was to get into the 23s. I wanted it so badly, and so did Nihar sir.' Nihar Ameen, the Dronacharya awardee swimming coach, labelled Rohit's talent as 'raw' but also 'massive' and 'exciting'. Rohit joined Ameen's Dolphin Aquatics in Bengaluru in 2021, even though it is only from this year that the coach has got the undivided focus of his trainee. 'Earlier he would be tied up with his college commitments and would come and train just for a month. This year I forced him to wind up his college stuff and focus just on training. And the result is already showing,' Ameen said. Rohit still has a backlog of exams to clear of his four-year civil engineering course. Born in Madurai with a birth defect of a broken thigh bone for which he took to swimming for physical strength, Rohit signed up for an engineering college the same year he enrolled into Ameen's academy. 'Back then I was not a good swimmer at all. I'd always be outside the top 3 in the nationals,' he said. 'So, I thought if not swimming, I should have a solid background in studies.' It wasn't the first time Rohit had doubts over his swimming journey. In 2019, grappling with a wave of poor results after trying out different styles – butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, individual medley – in age-group events, Rohit had almost given up on the sport. His mother convinced him to give it one last shot at the School Games Federation of India nationals. On the opening day, he came fifth in the 50m fly event. 'My mind was set that this will be my last competition.' Until, he came first in the next event (100m breaststroke). His mother couldn't stop crying. His swimming wouldn't stop. 'That changed my swimming life,' Rohit said. That, and winning gold in both 50m fly (24.39s) and 100m fly (53.89s) at the Uttarakhand National Games in January this year. 'After that, I started believing that I can do something. I knew I had to work a lot to achieve better things. And the first step in that was bettering both the national marks,' Rohit said. Six months later, he managed to cross that step. Much stiffer steps await, and Ameen believes there is potential – not just in fly but other events too. 'He has an amazing structure for swimming, and a wide repertoire,' he said. 'The Worlds experience would've been an eye opener for him of the world level.' The continental level will be up next, at the Asian Championships that Ahmedabad will host in October. 'I want to better my record there, and hopefully get a medal,' Rohit said.
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Young India passes tough English test
Right after Mohammed Siraj picked up the final wicket of Gus Atkinson, the entire Indian team erupted in jubilation. First the pacer leapt in the air with his customary 'Siuu' celebration, then his teammates converged around him while a few members of the support staff beyond the boundary line rushed into the middle, all of them dancing in joy. A few moments later, the entire team proceeded for a victory lap around The Oval, which was packed to the rafters and roaring in delight after watching an epic 6-run win for the ages. The Indians didn't clinch the newly coined Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but the boisterous celebrations—like they'd won a World Cup—showed how much the 2-2 verdict meant for this transitional team under new captain Shubman Gill. Having achieved some incredible success—home and away—over the past decade, the Indian team was hit by the sudden retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin. Transitions are an inevitable part of sport, but when three big superstars bid adieu around the same time, especially after lifting a team to rarefied heights, it's an extremely challenging affair. It's what new captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, who took charge from Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup a year ago, were tasked with — and to be fair, they've come out with flying colours. The biggest concern for the Indians before arriving here was on the batting front. Among the top order batters, only KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant had previous experience of playing a full series in England. Skipper Gill's form outside the subcontinent too was very average. Can this young crop deliver in a country where sound technique is of utmost importance? Yes, they did — with Gill leading from the front with a jaw-dropping 754 runs that included a career-best 269. Rahul scored 532 runs with two centuries and an equal number of half-centuries, his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal hit 411, starting and ending the series with a ton each, while vice-captain Pant was in elements, amassing 479 runs with two centuries and three fifties and earning a lot of praise for batting with a fractured foot. On the batting front, the find of the series was Washington Sundar. The Tamil Nadu off-spinning all-rounder scored a career-defining 101 not out to help India pull off a remarkable draw against all odds in the fourth Test in Manchester that ensured the series was still alive in the fifth. He was backed to the hilt by captain Gill, whose decision to play him instead of attacking spinner Kuldeep Yadav was pilloried by many critics — but Sundar repaid all that faith with performances on the field. No praise can be too high for Ravindra Jadeja, who yet again proved why he's the Most Valuable Player in the team still. One of the remnants of the old guard, the 36-year-old all-rounder brought his A-game in exceptional fashion, amassing 516 runs with one century and five half-centuries, playing several game-changing knocks. On the bowling front too, the southpaw didn't disappoint, bagging seven wickets. With regards to Gill's captaincy, the 25-year-old marshalled his resources incredibly well. He faced numerous challenges, especially in terms of fielding a settled bowling unit because of Jasprit Bumrah's 3-match availability 'clause', but he did a job with whatever he had. He made some bold calls in backing Sundar instead of Kuldeep because of the former's superior batting abilities and stood firm by his decision despite a lot of outside noise. There have been times when he has looked clueless and turned defensive when England batters were on the assault, but like he said, there are lessons to be learnt and he's willing to incorporate them in future assignments. On the bowling front, this tour has been Mohammed Siraj's. The Hyderabadi bowled with a lion's heart, sending down 185.3 overs with barely a dip in intensity. The spotlight was on Bumrah but Siraj deservedly stole the limelight with a mesmerising performance at The Oval. Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep fared decently as understudies but it's the back-ups where India have a problem with. During Kohli's reign they had a wealth of resources on the fast bowling front — but suddenly the barrel appears a little dry. It's something that needs serious addressing if India are to continue dominating.
