Australia vs India Archives

Hazlewood, Marsh star as Australia thump India in second T20I

MELBOURNE: Josh Hazlewood took three wickets, and captain Mitchell Marsh scored a quick 46, leading Australia to a commanding victory over India in the second T20I on Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Set to chase a modest total of 146, Australia successfully reached the target in 13.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Marsh and Travis Head set up the victory with a quick-fire opening stand of 51 runs from 28 balls.

However, Varun Chakravarthy provided the breakthrough with the wicket of Head, who struck 28 off 15 with the help of three fours and one six.

Marsh continued his onslaught and took his team’s total to 87 inside eight overs before Kuldeep Yadav ended his entertaining knock. The Australian captain departed after scoring a 26-ball 46, which featured four sixes and two boundaries.

Tim David joined Josh Inglis at the crease but could not contribute much, falling to Chakravarthy in the next over. Inglis soon returned to the pavilion after scoring a run-a-ball 20, dismissed by Yadav.

Mitchell Owen scored 14 runs, bringing Australia within striking distance of victory with only two runs remaining.

However, Jasprit Bumrah struck on back-to-back deliveries, removing Owen and the new batter, Matthew Short, who scored 0.

After the setback, Marcus Stoinis scored the winning runs, steering Australia to a five-wicket victory.

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Earlier, India were booked for just 125 runs in 18.4 overs, despite a remarkable innings from Abhishek Sharma, who scored 68 runs off 37 balls.

The Indian team faced early setbacks, with Shubman Gill falling to Hazlewood for just 5 runs in the third over. This was followed by Sanju Samson’s dismissal for 2 runs by Ellis in the next over.

Hazlewood struck again, taking the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav for 1 and Tilak Varma for a duck, reducing India to 32 for 4 in just 4.5 overs.

A mix-up on the field led to Axar Patel being run out in the eighth over, leaving India in a precarious position.

Sharma, who was fighting a lone war, found a reliable partner in Harshit Rana (35), and they added 56 runs for the sixth wicket.

The partnership was broken when Bartlett dismissed Rana, and later took the wicket of Shivam Dube for just 4 runs. Marcus Stoinis then removed Kuldeep Yadav, who did not score.

Sharma’s valiant innings came to an end soon after, and Bumrah was run out without scoring, bringing India’s innings to a close.

Hazlewood finished with outstanding bowling figures of 3 wickets for 13 runs in 4 overs, while Bartlett and Ellis each took 2 wickets.

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Struggling Test opener Konstas sent on Australia A tour of India

Struggling Test opener Sam Konstas has been picked in the Australia A squad for the red-ball tour of India next month, with chief selector George Bailey saying the experience will be invaluable.

The 19-year-old, who had a horror time during Australia’s recent senior tour of the West Indies, was the only incumbent Test player selected for two four-day games in Lucknow.

Test-capped players Cooper Connolly, Todd Murphy, and Nathan McSweeney were also in the 14-man squad.

A separate Australia A squad was named for three one-day games.

“The subcontinent provides many unique challenges and the opportunity to utilise different skills with bat and ball,” said Bailey.

“We hope repeated experiences in these conditions will assist players in developing an effective method and understanding of their game for future subcontinent tours.

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“For many of these players, we remain interested in the development of their short-form cricket as well, but balancing out priorities meant we wanted them back and available for the start of the Sheffield Shield season.”

Sam Konstas made headlines in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test last year when he took on Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to make a blazing debut 60 with a succession of unorthodox shots.

He lasted one more Test before being jettisoned, only to win back his place for the West Indies Test series in June-July.

However, he failed to pass 25 in six innings with his hold on the position increasingly shaky ahead of Australia’s home Ashes series against England this year.

Australia A four-day squad: Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott

Australia A one-day squad: Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Callum Vidler

READ: ECB fears losing key rivalries in proposed two-tier Test system

Rohit Sharma opens up on rumours of Test retirement

India captain Rohit Sharma refuted the rumours of his retirement on Saturday while revealing that he stood down from the ongoing fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia due to his below-par form.

The acclaimed opener has had a poor series, with critics suggesting his omission from the Test — with the visitors down 2-1 going into the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) — was the end of his red-ball career.

But the 37-year-old has hit back, telling Indian broadcaster Star Sports at the SCG: “I’m not going anywhere.”

“This decision is not a retirement decision nor am I going to step aside from the game,” Rohit Sharma added.

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Rohit Sharma missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child and has not looked fully engaged since, failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings.

Rohit said that he had told the coach and selectors that he was “not in form” and that for the critical final Test, the team needed “a player in form”.

His recent lacklustre performances come on the back of a similarly poor return during India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand during October-November.

Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah insisted at the coin toss on Friday that Rohit had “opted to rest” for the good of the team rather than being forced out.

READ: Jasprit Bumrah leaves Sydney Test with possible injury

Jasprit Bumrah leaves Sydney Test with possible injury

SYDNEY: India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah left the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) midway through the second session on day two of the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia here on Saturday.

Bumrah, who was leading the Indian team in the fifth Test after Rohit Sharma was rested, was possibly headed for hospital scans.

He left the field shortly before lunch but reappeared after the break and bowled one over. But his speed was clearly down and he went off again.

TV pictures showed him in his training kit with medical staff, getting in a car and driving out of the ground. Commentators suggested he was going for scans for an unknown injury.

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After the day’s play, Prasidh Krishna revealed that Bumrah was suffering from back spasms.

“Yes, he had a back spasm. He had gone for scans,” Prasidh said. “The medical team is monitoring him. So we will know whenever the medical team gets back to us,” he said when asked if Bumrah would bowl in the final innings of the series.

The visitors need to win the match to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, with Bumrah their key strike bowler. Jasprit Bumrah has taken 2-33 so far in Australia’s first innings with the match finely poised.

READ: Saim Ayub ruled out of second South Africa Test

Usman Khawaja dons black armband for THIS reason in fifth India Test

SYDNEY: Australia top-order batter Usman Khawaja wore a black armband on Friday during the first day of the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India here at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Khawaja made this gesture in remembrance of a profound personal tragedy—the untimely passing of his friend, former South African cricket star Ashwell Prince’s wife, Melissa.

Prince, who played for South Africa in 66 Test matches and 52 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 2002 and 2011, recently lost his 40-year-old wife to cancer.

The former South African cricketer announced the news on Instagram with a video and a caption honoring his late wife.

“It was extremely difficult to have to see you endure as much pain as you did in the last few months of your life,” he wrote.

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“But we choose to remember you in the way that we knew you. A gem, one of the rare types who touched people’s hearts in a special way wherever you went.”

“We miss you mama and can hardly believe that you’re gone. But you have made an imprint in all of our hearts that can never be erased.

“Happy New Year my love. Rest in Peace up there, your boys will always love you!”

It is important to note that Usman Khawaja and Prince developed a strong friendship while playing together for the Lancashire cricket team in England.

Khawaja came out to bat in the final session of the first day after India were skittled for a meagre 185 in their first innings. However, the veteran opener could not contribute much as he fell prey to Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah after scoring two runs off nine balls.

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Ravi Shastri expects Rohit Sharma to ‘pull plug’ on Test career

Former India coach Ravi Shastri said on Friday that he expected skipper Rohit Sharma to “pull the plug” on his red-ball career after being left out of the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Sydney.

The 37-year-old opener has had a poor series and the writing was on the wall when he failed to show up for India’s pre-match press conference.

Coach Gautam Gambhir instead fronted the media on Thursday and declined to throw his support behind him.

Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah insisted at the coin toss Friday that Rohit had “opted to rest” for the good of the team rather than being forced out.

Ravi Shastri believes Rohit jumped rather than was pushed but suspects it is the end of his 67-Test career.

“It still is a brave call for a captain to own up and say, ‘I’m prepared to take the bench in this game,'” Shastri said while commentating on Fox Sports.

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“If there was a home season coming up he might’ve thought of carrying on, but I think he might just pull the plug at the end of this Test.

“It’s not that India don’t have youngsters. There are very, very good players in the wings and it’s time to build.

“Tough decisions, but there is a time for everything.”

Rohit Sharma quit T20I cricket last year after lifting the World Cup, but is yet to call time on his ODI career. He missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child and has not looked fully engaged since, failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings.

His recent form comes on the back of a similarly poor return during India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand during October-November.

“Our captain has shown his leadership, he’s opted to rest in this game,” Bumrah said at the toss. “So that shows there’s a lot of unity in our team, there’s no selfishness, whatever is in the team’s best interest, we are looking to do that.”

READ: South Africa make three changes to Playing XI for second Pakistan Test

Gautam Gambhir tight-lipped on Rohit Sharma’s participation in final Australia Test

India coach Gautam Gambhir declined to confirm on Thursday whether embattled skipper Rohit Sharma would play in the decisive fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia but said he was “extremely confident” his team could win.

There will be at least one change to the side that lost the fourth Test at Melbourne this week by 184 runs after pace bowler Akash Deep was ruled out with a back problem.

Either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna could play instead in the match which begins in Sydney on Friday.

Opening batter Rohit has failed to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings in Australia, with speculation mounting that the veteran could be axed.

The captain was not at India’s eve-of-match press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Instead Gautam Gambhir faced the media but offered no confirmation of Rohit’s fate.

“Everything is fine with Rohit and I don’t think it’s anything traditional,” he said when asked why Rohit was absent from the usual media duties.

“The head coach is here and that should be good enough. We are going to have a look at the wicket and finalise (the team) tomorrow.”

Asked again if Rohit would be part of that team, Gambhir responded: “The answer remains the same.”

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Rohit Sharma missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child, with Jasprit Bumrah assuming the captaincy and guiding India to their only win of the five-match series so far.

Superstar batter Virat Kohli is also under pressure. Aside from scoring 100 not out in Perth, he has struggled to get out of single figures.

In contrast, younger batsmen such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy have excelled.

“It is not about phasing out senior players or getting the youngsters in,” Gambhir said. “Ultimately the only thing that can keep you in that dressing room is performance.”

Australia are currently leading the series 2-1 with India needing to win in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Gambhir said he remained upbeat despite the victory in Perth being India’s only win in their last seven Tests.

“Extremely confident,” he said. “We know we have the skill sets, the individuals, we’ve got everything in that dressing room that can win a Test match here.

“Not only here, but will probably go on to do some unbelievable things in the future as well.”

READ: Mitchell Marsh dropped as Australia unveil Playing XI for fifth Test against India

Mitchell Marsh dropped as Australia unveil Playing XI for fifth Test against India

Out-of-form all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was dropped on Thursday as Australia announced their Playing XI for the series-deciding fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in Sydney with Beau Webster to make his debut.

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc retained his place for Friday’s match despite carrying a rib niggle and will line up in the attack alongside Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon.

“Mitchy [Mitchell Marsh] obviously hasn’t quite got the runs or wickets he would have liked this series and felt like it was time for a freshen-up,” said skipper Cummins. “Beau’s been with the squad and been great.”

“It’s a shame for Mitchy because we know how much he brings to the team, but we feel like now is a good time for Beau to get a chance.”

Marsh’s position had been under intense scrutiny after a poor series with bat and ball and his axing could potentially herald the end of the 33-year-old’s Test career.

After making his debut in 2014, he struggled to cement his place in the team and with the emergence of Cameron Green had been on the red-ball sidelines in recent years.

He returned to the Test side when Green was ruled out of the series following surgery on his spine.

Cummins said Marsh, who remains a key figure for Australia in the white-ball game, took the news well.

“He was totally understanding. I think his words were, ‘I’m not necessarily blindsided.’

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“He knows he hasn’t scored the runs or (taken) wickets he would have liked so that makes you vulnerable.”

Tasmanian Webster, 31, has toiled for years in Sheffield Shield cricket and will be Australia’s third debutant in the series.

Teenage opener Sam Konstas was called up for the fourth Test in Melbourne, in place of Nathan McSweeney who had made his debut in the first Test in Perth but had a poor run and was dumped after the third in Brisbane.

Konstas announced himself with a quickfire 60, audaciously ramping India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah for a six.

Webster can bowl pace and off-spin and was considered a better option in case left-armer quick Starc has any issues. Starc bowled 41 overs in Melbourne — which Australia won by 184 runs on day five — but clearly struggled in the latter stages.

But despite this Cummins said: “He was never going to miss this one.”

Australia are 2-1 up in the series and will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw the Test which begins on Friday.

Victory would also guarantee them a place in the June World Test Championship final at Lord’s against South Africa.

Australia Playing XI for final Test against India: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

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Ravi Shastri suggests bold move to ensure Test cricket’s survival

Former India coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday advocated for a two-tier structure in Test cricket with relegation and promotion to ensure the survival of the red-ball game.

His comments follow the blockbuster fourth Test between India and Australia that drew a record 373,691 spectators to the Melbourne Cricket Ground over five enthralling days.

That beat the previous record of 350,534 at the same ground during the 1936-37 Ashes series against England, when Donald Bradman ruled the sport and Tests were played over six days.

Shastri, now a commentator, said he could not remember “a bigger advertisement for Test cricket” and said it proved the five-day game continued to hold its own in the face of ever-increasing T20 franchise cricket.

But the 62-year-old said it also reinforced his view that for Test cricket to survive, the biggest teams needed to be playing each other more often.

“To break crowd records that have stood for nearly a century… is testimony to the fact that when the best teams play, the toughest and best format of the game is still alive and thriving,” he said in a column for The Australian newspaper.

“It was also a sound reminder to the ICC (International Cricket Council) that the best should play the best for Test cricket to survive. I will say that there’s too much of a clutter otherwise.

“This match further emphasises why we need a two-tier system with the top 6-8 teams and then include promotion and demotion. You will not get these kinds of crowds if you don’t have two proper teams playing.”

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The ICC has been contemplating a two-tier system for years to keep the format competitive but the plans have never got off the ground.

A proposal for a de facto premier league featuring the top seven sides was on the agenda of the world governing body in 2016. It was scrapped after the powerful Indian board led a backlash.

While India stand to gain from playing more matches against teams such as England and Australia, the BCCI said at the time the cost to smaller cricketing nations was too great.

Ravi Shastri also said the Melbourne game proved that Tests should remain five days, amid chatter that they should be reduced to four to help streamline schedules.

“The theatre in the end on (day five) Monday was further proof of why we need five days for a classic Test match,” he said.

“However, if you don’t create a two-tier system, you’ll continue to have unmatched teams up against each other and then it’s very unlikely they’ll be able to take a game into the fifth day.

“Then there’ll always be talk of four-day Tests.”

Australia won the Test by 184 runs deep into day five and lead the series 2-1 heading into the final clash in Sydney this week.

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Australia head coach optimistic for Mitchell Starc’s fitness for final India Test

Australia coach Andrew McDonald on Tuesday said he was optimistic that pace spearhead Mitchell Starc will be fit for the decisive fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

The hosts pulled off a stunning 184-run win deep into day five of the fourth Test in Melbourne and there is a quick turnaround before the match in Sydney from Friday.

Australia are 2-1 up in the series and will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw the New Year’s Test against India.

Victory would also guarantee them a place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s against South Africa.

Mitchell Starc bowled 41 overs in Melbourne but clearly struggled in the latter stages, reportedly with sore ribs.

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McDonald said selectors would wait to see how he is before making any calls.

“We’ll see how the bodies are. Clearly, Starcy’s carrying something of some description. We’ll assess that,” he said. “But other than that it looks as though we got through.”

“But short turnaround, recovery is important and we’ll assess what the team looks like in Sydney based upon the surface, as we always do.”

Andrew McDonald said though it was a good indicator that Mitchell Starc kept bowling in Melbourne.

“It didn’t stop him. Clearly, there was a little bit of discomfort early on in spells but once he got warm, it seemed as though he was pretty free. Ball speeds are good.”

Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott are the other fast bowlers in the squad, with skipper Pat Cummins and Scott Boland certain to play again.

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