Tag: australia

Two players from the Australia women’s cricket team were reportedly subjected to inappropriate behaviour and harassment by a motorcyclist in Indore during the ongoing ICC World Cup 2025.

The incident took place on Thursday morning when the players were walking to a nearby cafe, a day after Australia’s win over England.

According to Cricket Australia (CA), the motorcyclist approached and inappropriately touched the players before fleeing the scene.

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“CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a café in Indore,” the board said in a statement, adding that the matter was promptly reported to local authorities.

The players immediately informed their team security officer, Danny Simmons, who coordinated with local security personnel to dispatch a vehicle to the location.

Indore police later confirmed that a suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the case.

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The incident has cast a shadow over Australia’s preparations for their final group-stage clash against South Africa on Saturday.

The defending champions currently top the table and need a win to cement their position and set up a semi-final showdown with India in Navi Mumbai on October 30.

If they falter, however, South Africa would leapfrog them to first place, meaning Australia would face England in the opening semi-final in Guwahati on October 29.

READ: Rohit, Kohli masterclass powers India to victory over Australia

SYDNEY: Veteran duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rolled back the years with a vintage partnership as India cruised to a comprehensive victory over Australia in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Chasing a modest target of 237, the visitors made light work of the pursuit, reaching 238-1 with 69 balls to spare in front of a packed SCG crowd.

Notably, Australia won the series 2-1, having won the first two games of the three-match series at Adelaide and Perth.

Rohit struck a magnificent unbeaten 121 off 125 balls, laced with 13 boundaries and three sixes, while Kohli provided steady support with a fluent 74 not out off 81 deliveries.

India got off to a strong start as Rohit and skipper Shubman Gill added 69 runs for the opening wicket before Josh Hazlewood dismissed Gill for 24.

From there, it was all about India’s two modern-day greats, who batted with authority and ease against an Australian attack that struggled for answers.

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Rohit reached his 33rd ODI century, timing the ball beautifully and barely offering a chance, while Kohli’s elegant strokeplay ensured there were no further hiccups as India wrapped up the win comfortably.

Earlier, Australia’s innings imploded after a steady start. From a promising 183/3, the hosts collapsed to 236 all out, losing their final seven wickets for just 53 runs.

Harshit Rana was the chief destroyer with 4-39, while Matt Renshaw top-scored with a patient 56.

Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh had earlier given Australia a brisk start before the Indian spinners applied the brakes. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar claimed two wickets apiece, triggering the middle-order collapse.

Renshaw fought hard to register his maiden ODI fifty but ran out of partners as India turned the screws. Cooper Connolly chipped in with 23 late on, but it was too little too late.

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Australia have tweaked its squads ahead of the final One Day International (ODI) and T20I series against India, with star batter Glenn Maxwell returning to the shorter format after recovering from a wrist injury.

Among the notable inclusions, all-rounder Jack Edwards has earned his maiden call-up to the national side for the final ODI in Sydney, as the home side eyes a clean sweep over India.

Besides Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis is also named in the T20I squad, whereas emerging pacer Mahli Beardman is also drafted in for the five-match series.

Maxwell, who suffered a wrist injury while bowling in the nets before New Zealand T20Is last month, is set to feature in the final three matches of the T20I series.

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The changes were confirmed by Cricket Australia (CA) on Friday, with an eye on Ashes preparations.

From the ODI squad, Marnus Labuschagne has been released to play Domestic cricket. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott will also miss the final matches of the T20I series to play in the Sheffield Shield.

Hazlewood will take part in just the first two T20I matches, while Abbott, currently recovering from a split webbing injury in his hand, will exit the squad after the third T20I hosted in Hobart.

The first T20I between both sides will begin on October 29 at Manuka Oval, Canberra.

Australia ODI squad for the third ODI vs India

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Australia T20I squad vs India

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott (first three matches only), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman (last three matches only), Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis (last two matches only), Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood (first two matches only), Glenn Maxwell (last three matches only), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

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ADELAIDE: India’s batting icon Virat Kohli endured another tough day, setting an unwanted record after he fell for a four-ball duck in the second ODI against Australia on Thursday.

With this duck, Kohli bagged an unwanted milestone that makes him the active player with the most ducks in One Day Internationals.

Kohli now has 18 ducks in ODI cricket, surpassing Rohit Sharma, Litton Das, and former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor, each of whom has 16 to their name.

The rare slump saw Kohli dismissed for zero in consecutive ODIs for the first time in his illustrious career.

Globally, Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya holds the all-time record with 34 ODI ducks, followed by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi with 30.

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During the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval, Kohli’s dismissal came at the hands of Xavier Bartlett, who was playing his first game of the series.

Bartlett delivered a sharp, good-length ball around the off-stump, which nipped in and trapped Kohli leg-before as he attempted an across-the-line flick.

Though he briefly conferred with his batting partner, he chose not to review, accepting the on-field decision. The crowd at Adelaide Oval rose in applause as Kohli trudged back, his frustration evident despite the warm reception.

The dismissal followed his eight-ball duck in the opening ODI at Perth, marking back-to-back scoreless outings for the former Indian captain, a rarity in a career defined by consistency and run-scoring brilliance.

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INDORE: Ashleigh Gardner’s sublime 104* and Annabel Sutherland’s 98* powered Australia to an easy win over arch-rivals England in the 23rd fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory marked Australia’s fifth consecutive victory in six matches, and they are now the only unbeaten side in the tournament.

Set 245, Australia hit the winning runs at ease, losing just four wickets in the process with 57 balls to spare.

The defending champions’ chase started on a shaky note as they lost the opener Phoebe Litchfield on the third ball of their innings. She was castled for one from two balls.

England had left Australia reeling with two more wickets in the next four overs. Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry were the next batters to be dismissed. Both made six and 13 runs respectively.

Consequently, Australia were 24-3 in 5.2 overs before a 44-run partnership between Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland, bringing the total to 68 in 15.5 overs.

However, Sophie Ecclestone scalped the prize wicket of Mooney, further derailing the chase. She scored 20 from 44 balls with the help of a boundary.

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At this stage, England gained a foothold on the match, but it was Sutherland’s and Gardner’s monumental 180-run stand that took the game away from the Three Lions.

Both batters not only took the game away from England but also batted so briskly that the game ended in 40 overs.

Gardner’s knock was peppered with 16 fours, whereas Sutherland struck nine fours and six and ended up two runs shy of what could have been a magnificent hundred.

For England, Linsey Smith picked up two wickets in her eight overs.

Earlier, after being put into bat, England scored 244-9 in their 50 overs, courtesy of Tammy Beaumont’s composed knock.

Beaumont remained the cornerstone in England’s batting lineup and made 78 from 105 balls, studded with 10 fours and a six.

Alice Capsey was the second-highest scorer for her team, making 38 from 32 balls with the aid of five fours.

For Australia, Annabel Sutherland starred with the ball, picking up three vital wickets in her quota of 10 overs.

READ: Zimbabwe crush Afghanistan to seal rare innings win

Australia middle-order batter Marnus Labuschagne opened up about his poor form with an Ashes spot looming, admitting that he had been trying too hard instead of relying on his natural batting strengths.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports, Marnus stated that he wants to enjoy his game and play with freedom.

“It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. The only thing I really wanted coming into this summer — take everything out, selections, everything else — I just wanted to be back playing cricket the way I want to be playing, playing with that freedom,” he said.

“It’s nice to have come out and started the way I have. Coming into this summer, runs was going to be the currency and that was probably the big focus point,” he continued.

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With Ashes looming, Marnus has picked form and scored four hundreds in his last six innings in Australia’s domestic competition.

He was going through a poor run of form from last couple of year, eventually sidelining him from the Test squad ahead of their three-match series against West Indies across June and July earlier this year.

“It doesn’t matter how you score them or what it looks like; just find a way to keep scoring runs. Since then, my technique moulded into whatever the game needs,” he explained.

The right-hander lamented diving too deep into the technical aspects of his game instead of focusing on what natural ability he had in his batting.

“There’s a few technical things that I’ve ironed out of my game and had a bit of time to work on.

(I was) getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of just playing with what I’ve got; just going out there, reading the game and then using my technique to adjust to whatever they’re bowling and how they’re trying to attack me,” he concluded.

Australia has started its action-packed summer on a high note with a thumping seven-wicket victory over India.

Meanwhile, the first of the five Ashes Tests against England will begin on November 21 at the Perth Cricket Stadium.

READ: Marsh, bowlers power Australia to win in rain-hit ODI opener

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh guided his side to a comfortable seven-wicket win against India in a rain-affected first one-day international in Perth on Sunday.

Chasing 131 for victory in a match that was reduced to 26 overs a side, Marsh scored 46 not out as the home side cruised to an easy win to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Matt Renshaw was unbeaten on 21 alongside Marsh as Australia reached 131-3 with 29 balls remaining. Josh Philippe contributed 37, batting at number four.

“I was proud of the way our young guys came out and got the job done.”

Marsh, who was also named player of the match, won the toss and chose to field due to the inclement weather around the Western Australia city.

It paid dividends as India’s innings was hampered by rain delays, which frustrated the visitors who struggled to build any momentum.

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A quickfire 38 off 31 balls from KL Rahul helped India to recover to 136-9, with Australia set 131 to win after the total was adjusted on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.

Australia’s opening bowlers, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, troubled the Indian batters with a good line and movement.

Hazlewood had Rohit Sharma caught at second slip for eight before Starc claimed Virat Kohli without scoring, leaving the visitors 21-2.

India skipper Shubman Gill was caught by wicketkeeper Philippe off Nathan Ellis for 10 before the first rain delay, with India 23-3 after 8.5 overs.

Hazlewood grabbed his second victim when Shreyas Iyer gloved a ball to Philippe before another long delay with India at 45-4.

When they eventually resumed, the game was reduced to 26 overs.

Rahul smashed two huge sixes but fell on the boundary going for a third.

Nitish Reddy blasted 19 runs off the last two overs, but the reduced total was never enough.

The two teams meet again in Adelaide on Thursday before the final match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

READ: Did Starc break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for world’s fastest delivery?

PERTH: India batting maestro Virat Kohli return to international cricket was cut short by Australia ace pacer Mitchell Starc, who bowled a terrific delivery to send the right-hander back for a duck in the first ODI here on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, India did not have the best of a start as returning Rohit Sharma perished for just eight from 14 balls.

As a result, the visitors were 13-1 at the end of the fourth over with Virat Kohli coming at his long-occupied No. 3 spot.

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The right-hander’s much-awaited return was highly anticipated; however, he could not open his account after playing eight deliveries and was caught at backward point.

Notably, this was Virat Kohli’s first duck on Australian soil in 65 matches played from 2011 to 2025. Overall, the right-hander has scored 3616 runs at a stellar average of 51.65 with 11 centuries and 19 fifties to his name.

Yet, India set Australia a 137-run target in a match reduced to 26 overs per side, courtesy of KL Rahul and Axar Patel’s 39-run stand, which lifted the visitors out of trouble.

Rahul made 38 from 31 balls with the aid of two sixes and two fours, whereas Patel struck three fours on his way to 31 from 38 balls.

For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, and Josh Hazlewood scalped two wickets each.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.

Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Josh Hazlewood.

READ: Did Starc break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for world’s fastest delivery?

JOHOR BAHRU: Pakistan junior hockey team made a strong comeback to secure a 3-3 draw against Australia here at the Taman Daya Stadium in the Sultan of Johor Hockey Cup 2025.

Pakistan will now face Great Britain tomorrow for the third spot in the tournament.

The 15th match of the tournament between Pakistan and Australia ended in a 3-3 draw. The Kookaburras started the match in dominant fashion, with Oscar Sproule and captain Toby Mallon scoring the goals in the first quarter.

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Meanwhile, Green Shirts made a much-needed comeback in the third quarter with captain Hannan Shahid scoring their first goal. Australia, who were 2-1 till the third quarter, notched another in the 47th minute of the game to consolidate their position.

However, Shahid Hannan struck for Pakistan again in the next minute, followed by an equalizer from Saif Ullah. Both teams tried hard in the last quarter, yet the last group stage fixture for Green Shirts ended in a stalemate.

 

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Pakistan had a topsy-turvy campaign as they opened their account dominantly with a win against hosts Malaysia; however, they suffered defeats against Great Britain and New Zealand.

The final will be played between unbeaten Australia and India, who topped the group standings.

READ: WATCH: Pakistan, South Africa squads arrive in Rawalpindi ahead of second Test

Australia have been hit by a double blow ahead of the opening ODI against India, with leg-spinner Adam Zampa and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis ruled out of the series opener in Perth.

Cricket Australia (CA) has added Matthew Kuhnemann and Josh Philippe to the squad as replacements.

Zampa will miss the match due to paternity reasons, as his wife, Harriet, is expecting their second child.

The 32-year-old has opted to remain in northern New South Wales with his family, given the logistical challenge of travelling back from Perth on short notice.

The leg-spinner is expected to rejoin the team for the second and third ODIs in Adelaide and Sydney, and will also be available for the upcoming five-match T20I series, all set to be played on the east coast.

Inglis, meanwhile, continues to recover from a calf strain sustained during a running session in Perth. The injury had already sidelined him from the New Zealand tour, and he is also expected to miss the second ODI in Adelaide.

With Inglis unavailable, Josh Philippe is set to don the gloves for the first time in ODIs.

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The 27-year-old has been in fine form on the domestic circuit and recently impressed for Australia A. This marks his return to the national setup after last representing Australia during the 2021 Caribbean tour.

Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann also makes a comeback to the ODI side after three years.

He last featured during Australia’s 2022 tour of Sri Lanka and has since remained on the fringes of national selection, turning out consistently in domestic one-day cricket for Tasmania.

Selectors are keeping a close eye on player workloads with the Ashes approaching.

All-rounder Cameron Green is expected to feature in the first two ODIs but may skip the third in Sydney to play a Sheffield Shield fixture in Perth. Green is also unlikely to bowl in the India series as he gradually builds up his workload.

Regular wicketkeeper Alex Carey is expected to rejoin the side for the second ODI after completing his Shield commitments for South Australia.

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