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Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Siraj faces wrath after Leeds loss, told ‘don't bowl with your heart, bowl with your mind': 'Give Gill - Shami, Ishant…'
Mohammed Siraj faced scrutiny for his dismal bowling performance against England in the opening Test. The premier pacer, who shared the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah, picked up two wickets in the first innings, while remained wicketless in the second as India failed to defend a 371-run target. He failed to give able support to Bumrah, who claimed a fifer in the first innings. Meanwhile, in the second innings he caused some trouble for Zak Crawley with the balls nipping back in for the batter and almost dismissed Ben Duckett on 97, but Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped his catch. Mohammed Siraj picked two wickets in first Test match against England.(Action Images via Reuters) Former India batter Mohammad Kaif didn't mince words as he dismissed the narrative of Siraj bowling with heart, bluntly stating that what the pacer really needs is to bowl with his head. 'People say Mohammed Siraj tried very hard, bowls with his heart. Sir, don't bowl with your heart, bowl with your mind and with line and length where we can get wickets," Kaif said on his YouTube channel. Also Read | Shubman Gill praised but branded 'helpless captain' with brutal attack on India pace trio: 'He led better than Stokes' Siraj, who was monumental in India's 2-2 series draw when India last toured England for the Test series, has witnessed a bit of a drop in his performance in recent times. Having picked up just 28 wickets in his last 10 Tests, Siraj's inconsistency has only added to the burden on Bumrah, who is expected to deliver every time he's handed the ball. 'Give Gill - Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Bumrah' Kaif further assessed the Indian bowlers' performance in Leeds and said that the English batters were watchful while facing Bumrah, which is why he remained wicketless in the second innings. He said that the hosts went after the other three pacers to keep the scoreboard moving, but the trio failed to control things. 'Why didn't Bumrah take wickets in the second innings? It's because the batters played defensively. They attacked Krishna, Shardul, and Siraj. Gameplan becomes very easy when you know Bumrah will bowl 4-5 overs, play him well," he added. Also Read | 'I'm sorry, Shardul Thakur has to go out': Shubman Gill, Gambhir ordered to use 'common sense' like Ben Stokes The former India batter didn't shy away from claiming that if Gill gets the pace trio of Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Bumrah, he will definitely win this series, which is not the case with the current line-up. 'In the same bowling lineup, you give him (Gill) Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Bumrah. I guarantee you Gill will win this Test series. There will be bowlers who know how to take 20 wickets," he concluded.
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Talking to fiancee no different before Ireland-England'
Ireland hooker Cliodhna Moloney said that talking to her fiancee and England scrum-half Claudia MacDonald "hasn't been much different" before Saturday's Women's Six Nations is named among Ireland's replacements for the game in Cork, while MacDonald has not made England's matchday squad, scuppering the couple's chances of playing against each other on the pitch for the first 31-year-old said that they have been keen to steer their phone call conversations away from the build-up to the game as they attempt to navigate being on opposite sides after being team-mates at Wasps and now at Exeter Chiefs."It's funny we wouldn't talk much about team stuff anyway, it hasn't been much different this week because we don't share the technical detail but it's exciting, probably challenging, too," she said."I don't know what it will be like because I have never done this before. We have been together seven years through lots of different circumstances, but we have never come up against each other because of injuries." 'Hopefully we are both happy and healthy' With their wedding set for May, soon after the conclusion of the tournament, Moloney says that the mood between her and MacDonald should "hopefully be fine" after the full-time whistle."It depends on how it goes, hopefully we are both happy and healthy," she added."I think it is going to be a really competitive game, there will be a different feeling no matter what the result, but there would be different things that we would see as success with Ireland and I'm sure it's the same for England."Moloney will start on the bench as she has done for the previous two games against France and Italy due to Niamh O'Dowd's impressive the competition between the two players, Moloney says that they get on "quite well" together even if they are different types of hookers."We are slightly different players, but we work really well together and that is a theme across the group, it is a whole group effort, not starters versus finishers," she continued."Niamh would agree she is more of a defensive player, but I am more of an attacking hooker, there are areas we are similar in, but the main difference is she loves defence. "Her tackle stats are through the roof, and she plays like a seven, I am more of a breakdown or attacking hooker." Ireland want to make 'statement' against England Moloney was part of the side that suffered a record 88-10 Six Nations defeat by England in last year's championship, something she says will "never happen again".The 31-year-old believes that the turnover in players since that games mean that the scar tissue will not be an issue for Ireland against the Red Roses on Saturday."A lot has changed with our experience as a group. The group has changed, new people have come in and people have developed a lot. I think they are really excited and there is no fear."England are the best team in the world right now in terms of ranking it's a challenge but we're luck to play them at home and I think there will be a great crowd in Cork."Our main goal is about improving every week and making a statement against England, whatever that looks like on the day."
BBC News
02-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Thomas happy to return to centre stage for Wales
Wales centre Ben Thomas is content with returning to his more comfortable position after starting this year's Six Nations tournament at was employed in the number 10 jersey by former head coach Warren Gatland for the opening defeats against France and Sherratt took the coaching reins on an interim basis after Gatland's departure following 14 successive Test match defeats and immediately handed the 26-year-old the role he plays for their acknowledges the impact Sherratt has had on him in his day-job - just as the Cardiff coach moved him back to inside centre on the Test stage to form a midfield partnership with Max Llewellyn and specialist fly-half Gareth Anscombe alongside them."It [12] is probably a position I am more comfortable in, especially given that we played a similar style of game-plan to what we play at Cardiff, so it was pretty simple for me to fall back into," said Thomas."When I first met him [Sherratt], he was pretty clear on the fact he likes playing with a ball-playing 12. "He was able to really help me develop my game in ways I hadn't thought of at that time." Falling back in love with Welsh rugby Thomas hopes the sense that people can "fall back in love with Welsh rugby" will continue when they resume their Six Nations campaign against Scotland in Edinburgh next immediate impact saw him turn Wales around from a team humbled by Italy to one that gave Six Nations title favourites Ireland one of their biggest challenges of this season's Wales lost 27-18 for a record 15th successive Test match loss, the performance and what centre Thomas calls the "licence to play" Sherratt has issued, highlighted a transformation that augers well for remaining Six Nations appointments with Scotland and England."We wanted to bring some positivity back," Thomas said."Ultimately, there is a lot that is out of your control in terms of getting results, so we had a big focus on playing a game of rugby and a brand of rugby that would get people excited, to almost fall back in love with Welsh rugby."And I suppose it doesn't change next week. The process has to be the same. We will put our best game out on the field and hopefully the result goes our way."I wasn't surprised with how he [Sherratt] took to it because he has got a brilliant rugby brain. That is clear for everyone to see by the way he coaches Cardiff."The challenge would have been trying to get things across in such a small period of time but the way he delivers messages is pretty clear and the boys were able to pick things up quite well."Wales will arrive at Murrayfield on Saturday with an impressive recent record, having won six of the last eight Six Nations games against Scotland in Edinburgh."The mood has been pretty positive," said Thomas."It is an exciting way to play rugby to go out there and just try and throw as many punches as possible."We probably came off the pitch after the first two matches [against France and Italy] feeling we hadn't fired any shots at the opposition."To come off against Ireland, knowing that we had been in the game for the most part - and were able to put our game on the pitch, as opposed to just absorbing what was being thrown at us - was pretty pleasing for us." Red card experiment Thomas was involved in the incident which saw Ireland centre Garry Ringrose shown a 20-minute red card in was dismissed in the 34th minute following head-on-head contact with the Wales the 20 minutes had elapsed, Ireland were able to bring on Bundee Aki with the British and Irish Lions centre outstanding in the final Ireland benefitting from no permanent red card sanction, Thomas backs the new concept."To be honest, I don't mind it as a rule and I can understand why it is in place," said Thomas."Watching the World Cup final last year, as a spectator I was a little bit gutted it was going to be 14 against 15 for the game. "It was a bit frustrating we felt we'd got them on the ropes with 14 men and then they were back up to 15."He [Aki] was brilliant when he came on, so it was probably a bit of a double blow in that they've gone back up to 15 and brought a player of that quality on."
BBC News
09-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Australia cruise to 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka
Second Test, Galle (day four of five):Sri Lanka 257 & 231: Mathews 76, K Mendis 50*; Kuhnemann 4-68, Lyon 4-84Australia 414 & 75-1: Khawaja 27*, Labuschagne 26*Australia won by nine wickets; win series 2-0Scorecard A clinical Australia completed a nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka early on day four in Galle to seal a dominant 2-0 series tourists took just 25 minutes to take Sri Lanka's final two second-innings wickets, dismissing their hosts for left Australia, who won the first Test by an innings and 242 runs, chasing 75 and they cruised to victory before lunch, despite the loss of opener Travis Head for Khawaja ended 27 not out and Marnus Labuschagne unbeaten on 26. Sri Lanka batter Dimuth Karnuaratne bowled the last over in his 100th and final sealed Australia's first series win in Sri Lanka since 2011."We played really well from the outset," said Australia stand-in captain Steve Smith, who whose 131 in the first innings followed 141 in the first Test."The plans that the batters came with and were able to adapt to the conditions here - it was amazing.""I thought all our bowlers did a tremendous job."The match also concludes the league phase of the 2023-25 World Test Championship had already secured their place in June's final at Lord's, where they will play South Africa, who finished top of the table. Sri Lanka end the cycle sixth, a place below England."Losing a home series 2-0 is very disappointing," said Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva. "The conditions were very suitable for us.""We haven't had opportunities to get into the game, right from the first game, and Australia proved why they are in the final."
