Pat Cummins-led Australia denied training access at Lord's two days before WTC final – Here's why
Amid Australia and South Africa all set to lock horns for the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 cycle, a controversy has erupted where Pat Cummins-led side was not permitted to train at Lord's on Saturday, reported FoxCricket.
According to the report, Australia are in London to play for the WTC title, but were booted from their planned training session at Lord's. Reason being, the Indian Cricket Team was granted access to the hallowed ground instead.
Though India failed to qualify for the WTC race back in January, they managed to muscle their way into the Lord's on Saturday and the Australian players had to look for alternative facilities.
As Lord's was reportedly unavailable for the Australians, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green were forced into a three-hour round trip to Beckenham in South London to train.
The Indian cricket team won't play at Lord's until 10 July. However, giving them a full session at the venue has ignited a controversy. Some even pointed out India's influence on the World's cricket.
India will be playing a 5-match Test series with England, beginning 20 June and concluding on 27 July. India will be led by Shubman Gill this time as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin have announced their retirement. Rishabh Pant has been announced as India's vice-captain.
Meanwhile, Australian skipper Pat Cummins did not make it a big deal, but during the press conference on Monday, he wished for better treatment this time around at the Lord's.
The Lord's, considered to be a Mecca of cricket, is where Australia and South Africa will clash for the WTC 2024-25 finals.
'There's no one around, which is great. I'm sure it will be much more civil this time around. Things got pretty heated in the middle of that Ashes series, but I think a lot of them will have learned their lesson and I'm sure they'll be very polite,' Cummins said while speaking to FoxSports.
The Australian cricket team are looking to win consecutive WTC titles under the leadership of Pat Cummins, while South Africa have eyes set on their first major ICC trophy since 1998.
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India went on to lift the trophy, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in a thrilling final and etching their names in history as the first T20 World Champions. India came close to victory in the subsequent editions under Dhoni's captaincy, including an appearance in the final of the 2014 edition and semi-finals of 2016. The victory not only sparked a new era of Indian cricket but confirmed that the future of its leadership was in safe hands. What followed was a period of sustained success across formats and the rise of Dhoni as one of the most influential captains the game has ever seen. India's rise under Dhoni's leadership wasn't limited to white-ball cricket; it extended seamlessly into the red-ball arena as well. Under his captaincy in December 2009, India reached the summit of Test cricket, claiming the No.1 spot in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings for the first time since its inception in 2003. As a batter, Dhoni continued to defy convention, even more so in the Test format. His unorthodox technique and aggressive instincts seemed ill-suited to the patience and precision Test cricket demanded. Yet, time and again, he found a way to make it work. He did not take long to stamp his presence in the longest format. In just his fifth Test match, against arch-rivals Pakistan in Faisalabad, Dhoni hammered a counter-attacking 148 off 153 balls. A year later, he proved he could thrive in testing conditions too. At Lord's, Dhoni walked out early on the final day with India reeling at 145/5. In challenging conditions, he scored a gritty 76* and stitched together a crucial 86-run partnership with VVS Laxman. Even after Laxman's dismissal, Dhoni stood firm with the tail to secure a hard-fought draw, which helped India seal a rare series win in England, their first in the country since 1986. Among Dhoni's many memorable batting contributions in whites, none stood taller than his lone double-century, which came in 2013 at his adopted home ground in Chennai. Australia had posted a formidable 380 in the first innings and India found themselves under pressure at 196/4 when Dhoni walked out to bat. But what followed was one of the most iconic innings by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter where Dhoni unleashed a brutal 224, his highest Test score. Built on vital century partnerships with Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dhoni took India to a decisive 192-run lead, and his innings proved to be the turning point of the match. Throughout his Test career, Dhoni faced numerous trials and tribulations both as a batter and captain until he called it quits in 2014. Yet, time and again, by fight or flight, he always found a way. Few in Indian or world cricket can lay claim to having redefined the ODI format quite like MS Dhoni - whether as a finisher, captain or wicketkeeper. It didn't take long for him to make his mark. In just his 40th ODI, Dhoni rose to the top of the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings, becoming the fastest player to ever achieve the No.1 spot, a record that still stands today. Dhoni's ODI legacy is studded with records, including the most stumpings in the format (123), the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper (183*), and the most matches as captain for India (200), to name a few. But the crowning moment of his career came in 2011, when he led India to World Cup glory after a 28-year wait. Despite a relatively quiet tournament with the bat, Dhoni rose to the occasion when it mattered most. On the night of the final against Sri Lanka, he made a bold call to promote himself to No.4, a decision that would go down in Indian cricketing folklore. Walking in at 114/3 with the final delicately balanced, Dhoni joined forces with Gautam Gambhir to stitch a vital 109-run stand, steadying the chase and taking India to the brink of glory. Then, in trademark MS Dhoni fashion, he sealed the win with a towering six over long-on, a shot now etched in Indian cricketing history, sparking celebrations across the country and ending a 28-year wait for the World Cup. He would go on to add another major title to his name, guiding India to the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. In a tense, rain-curtailed final against England, Dhoni's tactical acumen came to the fore once again, helping India lift the trophy and earning him the rare honour of being the only captain to win all three ICC men's white-ball titles. Even in his final international appearance at the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, Dhoni was, as he so often had been, India's last hope. His run-out in the semi-final against New Zealand, a moment that broke a billion hearts, would prove to be his final act on the international stage. Though his retirement came more than a year later, the silence that followed that dismissal felt like the closing chapter of an era. But by then, MS Dhoni had already etched himself into the fabric of Indian cricket, leaving behind memories and milestones that will be remembered for generations. (ANI)
