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India Gazette
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Ponting predicts Australia's WTC final playing XI; Labuschagne at top, no place for Konstas
New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting picked his Baggy Greens playing XI for their upcoming World Test Championship final fixture against South Africa at the iconic Lord's, scheduled to kick off on June 11. Australia, which announced a star-studded 15-player squad earlier this month, is coming into the WTC final hot on the heels of an imposing 3-1 triumph over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Even though Australia's squad appears to be settled, there are still underlying questions that they need to address when selecting their playing XI. With runs dried up from Marnus Labuschagne's bat and Cameron Green's return to prolific form, Ponting weighed in on Australia's potential lineup and believes Labuschagne will be pushed up in the batting order alongside Usman Khawaja, leaving no room for young Sam Konstas. Green will follow the top-order and then Steve Smith at number four, while Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey will comprise the middle order. 'I have just got a bit of a feeling that Marnus Labuschagne might be pushed up the order to open the batting with Khawaja. I think Green will bat at three, and Steve Smith will be at four. Then it's Travis Head five, Beau Webster six, Carey at seven, Cummins eight, Starc nine and Lyon 10,' Ponting said in the ICC Review. While skipper Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc straightaway slot into Ponting's XI, he believes Australia will be in a conundrum regarding the selection of Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland. For Ponting, the last spot will come down to Hazlewood's fitness. If the 34-year-old Hazlewood is fit, he will return to the team. 'And the one that everyone talks about the last couple of years is the whole Hazlewood (versus) Boland one. It's a really tough selection every time because every time Boland plays, he just does so well. But unfortunately, if Hazlewood is fit, I think Hazlewood comes straight back into the team,' he added. Ponting elaborated that the biggest dilemma for the selectors will be Labuschagne. The 30-year-old has lost his mojo and is in a hunt for his rich vein of form. Since the end of 2022, Labuschagne boasts just a solitary century and hasn't made much of an impression in two matches for County Championship side Glamorgan. Despite the speculations, the ICC Hall of Famer believes Australia will stick with Labuschange, citing the route the selectors took with David Warner in the last WTC final and said, 'I actually think that that will go with Labuschagne. Looking back to the last World Test Championship Final there was some talk about David Warner and whether he should hold his spot going into that.' 'And there was a bit of talk around the team about wanting to get through that period or that phase or, if you like, with the same group of players and give them the chance to, to be able to play off in that one-off final. Labuschagne has been through this cycle with the team, albeit batting at No.3, and I think they will want to get through the cycle with the same players, so I think Labuschagne will get the nod. Whether I agree with it or not, it's a different will be revealed in the next couple of weeks,' he added. Ricky Ponting's predicted Australia XI for the World Test Championship Final: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood. (ANI)
Int'l Cricket Council
2 days ago
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Bumrah positive India can counter ‘ultra-aggressive' England
India and England will lock horns in a five-Test match series, marking the beginning of the upcoming ICC World Test Championship cycle . Bumrah, currently part of the Mumbai Indians squad for the Indian Premier League, is among the experienced campaigners who feature in India's Test squad against England, especially after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Jasprit Bumrah on his multiple ICC honours for an incredible 2024 | ICC Awards An elated Jasprit Bumrah speaks on the privilege of being honoured with multiple ICC awards for his incredible 2024 🤩 #ICCAwards The 31-year-old, who was phenomenal with the ball during India's previous Test assignment in Australia, is eager to take on the challenge of playing in English conditions. 'Playing in England is always a different challenge, I always love bowling with the Dukes ball,' Bumrah said in a conversation with Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast. 'The weather, the swinging conditions sometimes, and then when the ball becomes soft, there's always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England.' The seasoned pacer added that in Ben Stokes' England side, a unique challenge awaits India. "They're playing an interesting style of cricket which is interesting because I don't really understand it too much. "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." India and England will kickstart the five-match series on 20 June with the first Test in Headingley. With cricket set to make a big return at the Summer Olympics, Bumrah also has his sights set on making an appearance at Los Angeles 2028. "Obviously, it is tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long," he said. "I've been doing it for a while, but eventually you have to understand where your body is going, what is the important tournament. "You have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body. As a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going. But I don't set goals or look at numbers. whenever I have [set goals], I've never been able to fulfil them. 'Yes, you have to be selective. Now I've heard there's Olympics in cricket coming as well. So that is something that I'm looking forward to. Who would've thought cricket will become an Olympic sport?' Why Ricky Ponting is excited about cricket in LA28 Olympics | ICC Review Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting shared his excitement on the ICC Review about cricket's reintroduction on a global stage in the 2028 Olympic Games. Back in April, the number of teams set to participate in the men's and women's cricket tournament for LA 2028 were confirmed. Both tournaments will be hosted at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California. NewsJasprit BumrahICC World Test Championship
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Ponting advocates for Arshdeep Singh to start for India in England Test series
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has urged India to start the England Tests with Arshdeep Singh in its high-stakes Test affair, with the series opener scheduled for June 20 at Headingley. Arshdeep, who holds the prestigious title of being India's highest T20I wicket-taker at 26, is yet to earn his maiden Test cap for the nation. He earned a call-up to India's squad that brims with youth for the five Tests in England. Ponting has monitored the left-arm speedster's growth during their time at Punjab Kings in the ongoing 18th season of the IPL. The ICC Hall of Famer has put his faith in Arshdeep's character, work ethic, and technical strength, which he believes make him an indispensable asset for the newly crowned Test captain, Shubman Gill. 'I've had a good chance to get to know him really well. He's a great character to have around the team. He's a fun-loving guy. He's very laid-back around the group, which is great. Which is what we all like,' Ponting said on the ICC Review. 'As soon as the squad was announced the other day, the Test squad, the first thing I did in our team meeting was to make sure that I acknowledged that Arshdeep had been picked in front of everybody and just congratulated him in front of everybody. I think it's well deserved. I think he'll bowl well in England as well,' he added. After establishing himself as a mainstay for India in the shortest format of cricket, Arshdeep will take his first steps towards cementing his place in the red-ball format. With Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar hinting at the possibility of Jasprit Bumrah's unavailability for all five Tests, the 26-year-old stands a chance of enchanting the spectators with his mastery of the art of swing. Apart from his exploits in the T20Is, Arshdeep has been a silent hero in India's domestic red-ball circuit. In 21 first-class fixtures, Arshdeep has tormented the opposition and scalped 66 wickets to establish his supremacy. 'I would actually have him in their Test team at the start. He's very skillful. I think the Dukes ball will help him in the UK as well. And I just think to have that point of difference, having a left-armer in your team, I think will be something that, if India don't do it, then it'll be a bit of a surprise to me,' Ponting added. To support his views, Ponting emphasised the left-armer's stint in County Cricket last year, which has offered him valuable insights on thriving in the English conditions. While representing Kent last year during his County Championship spell, Arshdeep scythed 13 scalps in five Division 1 games, with figures of 3/58 standing out as his best. 'He's played county cricket and he knows the conditions there as well. Arshdeep is close to six-foot-four, so he's going to get decent we know in England, the ball still swings when it is 30, 40 or 50 overs old,' he said. 'To have someone that's got that swing bowling ability and a left-armer, I think, is something that the Indian team should definitely look out for on that tour,' he added. (ANI)
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Disturbed And Frustrated": Ex-India Star's Big 'Behind The Scenes' Take On Rishabh Pant
It has been a disappointing season for Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant. The Indian cricket team wicket-keeper batter, who was bought for a record Rs 27 crore by LSG in the IPL mega auction, has scored just 128 runs in 11 matches at an average of 12.80. With just one half-century, Pant's form has left a lot to be desired and it has also resulted in criticism from both fans as well as experts. Former Indian cricket team batter Aakash Chopra weighed in on Pant's dismal run and said that he looked extremely disturbed and frustrated during the last couple of matches. He went on to say that Pant has not been the captain that one desires and went on to wonder what is happening "behind the scenes". "It's also true that he was extremely animated as a captain in the last match before the IPL suspension. It seemed like he was extremely disturbed and frustrated. That's not the captain you want, one who looks frustrated on the ground. You and I will never get to know what's going on behind the scenes," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. "One shouldn't come to know from the captain's face that he is angry, but the anger was visible, which is not a great thing," he added. Earlier, Ravi Shastri says Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are ideal candidates to captain India in the Test format, given that they have age on their side and already have the experience of leading IPL sides. Shastri also feels that Jasprit Bumrah would have been an obvious choice for the leadership role in the traditional format but for his fitness issues, the pacer should be protected from the additional burden. "See for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia. But I don't want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler," Shastri said on the latest episode of the ICC Review with Bumrah's wife Sanjana Ganesan. The selectors will have to pick a new Test captain following the recent retirement of Rohit Sharma. India's next assignment is a five-match series against England, starting June 20 at Leeds. Bumrah, 31, struggled with a back injury sustained in the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy match in Sydney. He was out of action for nearly three months -- early January until April -- and missed India's Champions Trophy winning campaign.
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Rohit Sharma Namedropped In Support For Jasprit Bumrah As Test Captain: "Why Are We..."
The debate surrounding India's next Test captain is heating up, especially with a five-Test series against England approaching hard and fast. Rohit Sharma 's Test retirement has opened the door for a new captain who can take the team forward heading into the next World Test Championship (WTC) points table. Shubman Gill is currently leading the race ahead of pacer Jasprit Bumrah, as per multiple reports. However, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels Gill isn't the right option considering the presence of Bumrah. Bumrah's fitness issues is a major factor behind Gill's likely elevation. Bumrah has had a long history of injuries, most recently during the fifth and final Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. However, Manjrekar feels Bumrah should be in charge of the team regardless of how many games he plays in England. "Has Bumrah said he won't captain India? Or has he ruled himself out of the England series? Then why are we discussing who will captain India?" Manjrekar wrote. Has Bumrah said he won't captain India? Or has he ruled himself out of the England series? Then why are we discussing who will captain India? — Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 18, 2025 "If Bumrah's availability because of injuries is the issue, didn't we have Rohit captain India in just 3 off the 5 Tests in Aus recently? Availability can't be the be all & end all, deservability far more important. Especially in Tests," he added in another post. If Bumrah's availability because of injuries is the issue, didn't we have Rohit captain India in just 3 off the 5 Tests in Aus recently? Availability can't be the be all & end all, deservability far more important. Especially in Tests. — Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 18, 2025 India's next assignment is a five-match series against England, starting June 20 at Leeds. On the contorary, former India coach Ravi Shastri says Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are ideal candidates to captain India in the Test format, given that they have age on their side and already have the experience of leading IPL sides. Shastri also feels that Jasprit Bumrah would have been an obvious choice for the leadership role in the traditional format but for his fitness issues, the pacer should be protected from the additional burden. "See for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia. But I don't want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler," Shastri said on the latest episode of the ICC Review with Bumrah's wife Sanjana Ganesan.
