Latest news with #Dukes
Hans India
an hour ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Webster backs Labuschagne to give his best as an opener for Australia in WTC final
Seam-bowling all-rounder Beau Webster has backed Marnus Labuschagne to deliver his best if he's called upon to be the opener for Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship final against South Africa, starting on June 11 at Lords'. Labuschagne has just one Test century to his name since the end of 2022 and in his ongoing stint with county side Glamorgan, has averaged just nine from three innings so far. Australia also have teenaged opener Sam Konstas in their ranks to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja. 'When he's at his best, he's unbelievable. His record speaks for itself. He's a hundred-maker and a game winner. I'm sure going to the top (of the batting) wouldn't phase him too much. Whoever gets the nod for that final is going to be raring to go,' Webster was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald. With Cameron Green coming back to action as a specialist batter, it means Webster is in a shoot-out with him for a spot in Australia's playing eleven in the coveted clash. 'He (Green) is a generational talent and a phenomenal cricketer. He's only going to get better. He's only 25, so he's got a lot of cricket ahead of him.' 'I don't know what the make-up of the top six is going to look like or which way they're going to go with in terms of all-rounders, but I'm certainly hoping we can both be in there. I like testing myself with the Dukes ball in different conditions.' 'Hopefully, I can keep putting my name in front of selectors and become hard to drop out of that XI. That's probably my main purpose coming over, to keep my game ticking over,' he elaborated. Webster, who hit the winning runs on Test debut for Australia winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India by a 3-1 margin, signed off by calling that moment as his most memorable cricketing memory. 'It was a bit of a whirlwind. It all went so quickly, and I do wish I had soaked it up a little bit more. To be out in the middle with Travis was something I will never forget. To this day (hitting the winning runs) was my favourite cricketing moment, without a doubt. I'm very, very proud of what I've done. But it's only the start and I'm looking to build on what I've started in the Baggy Green.'
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Legends offer stirring reminder of what's at stake for Bavuma and Co at Lord's
It's unlikely the Proteas didn't understand the magnitude of what awaits them at Lord's in a fortnight, but just in case, a few legends gave them a send-off on Friday that indicated how much winning the World Test Championship would mean to South African cricket. From Makhaya Ntini telling Kagiso Rabada he'd happily give him his 'ten-for' from 2003 to Vernon Philander explaining how the Dukes ball worked and how the famous slope could be managed, Temba Bavuma and his teammates were given a rundown of what playing in that match against Australians means. 'I've been spending a week at home and before this event I was quite mellow, but hearing the past players speak like that, it just kick-starts everything. You can hear how proud they are, but also how desperate they are for us to get a trophy for South Africa,' said opener Aiden Markram. 'It gets the beans going, creates a fire in the belly. We'll have to manage that well. It's still a long way away from ball one. It's important to take those feelings in and acknowledge them,' Markram added. Hard at work, the Proteas skipper prepares for the contest of the Ultimate Test as the final of the ICC World Test Championship draws near. 🏏🔥💪 #WTC25 #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #ProteasWTCFinal — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) May 21, 2025 The Proteas' greatest player, Jacques Kallis, a hero to many in the current squad focused on how he didn't have a good record at Lord's as if to highlight that even the best have off days — though he did offer a reminder that it was his catch in 2012 which secured the series against England allowing Graeme Smith, who was also in attendance at the departure event, to lift the ICC Test mace. 'The preparation will be key,' said Smith. 'You need to get over the aura of Lord's, go there a few days before the match, walk around the Pavilion, sit in that changeroom look at the honours board, try to have lunch, visit the museum and then you can be locked in for the match.' The Proteas jetted to London on Friday night and will head to Arundel south of London, where they will have a training camp and then play a four-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe before heading to the capital. They will face Pat Cummins' side, who are the defending champions, in the third WTC final from June 11. In a break from the norm, the Lord's clash is a one-off encounter unlike what is normally the case in the Test format, where a series decides the victor. Markram acknowledged that it was strange that the format's biggest prize would be decided by one match, but felt South Africa's experience from playing so many two-match series of late might be beneficial. 'Even in those two-match series you know you can't afford to lose the first one because then you can't win the series. There is a similarity we can draw from that, I guess. Every hour is an important hour, if you give it your best over each hour, you see where that gets you.' Happy Birthday To The Proteas Test Captain Temba Bavuma 🎂. The owner Of Jasprit Bumrah 🔥. — Yash Jain (@yashjain4163) May 17, 2025 Smith said the one-match shoot-out was in fact better for the Proteas. 'There is absolutely no doubt that South Africa are underdogs, so a one-off game suits us. Australia is a good team, they've been consistent for a long period of time. A one-off Test, if we get our preparation right and everyone arrives ready, anything can happen,' said the former Proteas skipper. 'South Africa has match-winners that can get them into the game, and set up a victory.' Australian coach Andrew McDonald described having his players dotted around the world as a 'muddled mess', though he seemed hopeful that it wouldn't affect their preparation. McDonald's counterpart, Shukri Conrad, will count it as a small win that he can have all the players together for two weeks, which will allow them to dust off whatever cobwebs there may be and to properly get attuned to Test cricket after a number of them have been involved in the IPL recently.
India Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
India A vs England Lions: Karun Nair hits classy hundred, puts hand up for Test spot
Karun Nair delivered a masterful display with the bat on Day 1 of the first four-day match during India A's tour of the England Lions at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury. The seasoned campaigner appeared in complete control on a surface that offered good value for batting. Coming in at No. 3 after captain and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran fell cheaply, Karun put on a batting clinic against the red Dukes became the first Indian batter to hit a hundred on the much-awaited tour of England. The 33-year-old, who has returned to the Indian Test side after seven years, hit his 24th first-class hundred. It was also his second successive fifty in red-ball cricket after his match-winning hundred in the Ranji Trophy final for Vidarbha in got to his hundred in 155 balls in the post-Tea session, clipping leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed for a double. Karun removed his helmet and celebrated his hundred, soaking in the applause from the Indian dug-out and the crowd. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan gave Karun a standing ovation. Unfortunately, Sarfaraz Khan missed out on his hundred, getting out for 92 after the Tea break on Day 1 of the four-day reached his fifty in 85 balls in a stroke-filled innings. The Karnataka batter was unbeaten on 91 at Tea, having stitched together a 181-run partnership with Sarfaraz Khan, who was given a chance to bat at No. Lions relied on a four-pronged pace attack throughout the first session. They managed to keep the scoring rate in check after left-arm pacer Josh Hull dismissed Abhimanyu for 8, followed by Eddie Jack, a tall right-armer, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal for 24, caught behind in the 17th over. The new ball offered some movement, but Karun Nair negotiated it expertly, showing composure and looked assured with his footwork, displaying clarity in both front-foot and back-foot play. Karun was quick to capitalise on full deliveries, driving with elegance, and when the bowlers dropped short, he rocked back confidently to play late, piercing the field with also handled the short ball with authority, dispatching several to the boundary with classy pull shots. By Tea, he had struck 14 boundaries, guiding India A into a position of the other end, Sarfaraz Khan — overlooked by selectors for the Test series in England — made a strong case for himself. Showing maturity, he adapted to the conditions and curbed his natural aggression early in the innings. He brought up his fifty in 87 balls before shifting looked comfortable against spinners Rehan Ahmed and Dan Mousley, finding boundaries with ease. He scored his next 42 runs off just 31 balls as he raced towards a well-deserved hundred. Right after Tea, Sarfaraz was dismissed by left-arm pacer Hull. The Mumbai batter went hard at a delivery which was bowled down the leg-side from around the wicket. Sarfaraz only managed to edge it to the wicketkeeper, who dived and collected it was miffed with himself after missing out on an opportunity to hit a statement Watch
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"Constant Changes...": Jasprit Bumrah Breaks Silence Ahead Of India's England Tour
World No. 1 Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah is looking forward to testing himself once again in England's seam-friendly conditions as India prepares for their upcoming five-match Test series. The tour begins with a warm-up game on June 13, followed by the first Test at Headingley in Leeds on June 20. "Playing in England is always a different challenge," Bumrah told former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 cricket YouTube channel, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "I always love bowling with the Dukes ball," he said. "But I don't know how much the Dukes ball is doing right now because there's always constant changes to the ball. But the weather, the swinging conditions. And then when the ball becomes soft, there's always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England," he noted. Bumrah, who has already impressed in English conditions, sees the Dukes ball as a key component in the series. However, he pointed out that the biggest challenge for bowlers will be once the ball softens -- a phase when maintaining control becomes more difficult. This will be Bumrah's third Test tour of England. In his previous eight matches (excluding the 2021 World Test Championship final), he has taken 37 wickets at an average of 23.78 and a strike rate of 51.9 , he has been effective with the Duke ball. Speaking about the team's fast-bowling arsenal, Bumrah expressed confidence in the depth of the pace unit. Alongside him, India's squad includes Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh -- all capable of making a serious impact. "They're playing an interesting style of cricket which is interesting because I don't really understand it too much," Bumrah said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "But as a bowling unit, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra-aggressive, on a given day, anybody could run through and get wickets," he added. The five Tests will be played over a span of 46 days, from June 20 to July 4, across five iconic venues, Leeds, Birmingham, Lord's, Manchester, and The Oval. Given the intensity and tight schedule, Bumrah may not be available for all five matches. Listen to the latest songs, only on
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Jasprit Bumrah's Emotional Reveal Ahead Of England Tests: "This Journey Will Not Always Go On..."
Jasprit Bumrah is currently in action in the IPL 2025 for Mumbai Indians. After the T20 franchise league, the star fast bowler will be in action in the five-Test series against England. While it has been officially declared that Jasprit Bumrah will not be part of all the Tests, Bumrah's returns will be crucial. "Playing in England is always a different challenge," Bumrah told former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 cricket YouTube channel. "I always love bowling with the Dukes ball," he said. "But I don't know how much the Dukes ball is doing right now because there's always constant changes to the ball. But the weather, the swinging conditions. And then when the ball becomes soft, there's always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England." Bumrah is seen as a modern day great by former cricketers. After 45 Tests, Bumrah has 205 scalps. While statistically he may not be among the top bowlers historically, his profound impact over the last few years have made him the bowling spearhead. The 31-year-old has played 45 Tests, 89 ODIs and 70 T20Is so far for the country besides appearing in 143 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians. "This is a sport that I fell in love with. I went to Australia this time, and a lot of youngsters came up to me and tried to copy my [bowling] action. Which is surreal because I used to do that. So yeah, this journey will not always go on, but whenever it ends, I want to give it back to the sport. Because whatever I have and whatever I have learnt in life is through this sport. Thankful to the journey that I have had," Bumrah told former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast. "It is tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long. I have been doing it for a while. But eventually, you have to understand where your body is going and what the important tournaments are, so you have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body. Obviously, as a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going," added Bumrah. "At this moment, I am ok. But I don't set goals such as this is the number I should be at. I look at it one day at a time. The journey is going good so far, but the day I realise that the drive is gone or the effort is not there or my body is not holding up, that is the time when you make the decision." However, Bumrah termed the desire to represent India in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 as a motivating factor for him. Cricket will be a part of LA 2028, a first for the sport since 1900. "The journey's going good so far. The day I realise that the drive is gone or the effort is not there and my body's not holding up, that is a decision when you take that time. "I've heard that there's cricket in the Olympics, so that is something that I'm looking forward to. Who would have thought cricket as an Olympic sport? So, that is something that is really exciting to me. But I don't set goals because whenever I've set goals, I've never been able to fulfil them," he added.
