Tag: australia

COLOMBO: The fifth match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 between Australia and Sri Lanka has been abandoned without a ball bowled due to persistent rain here on Saturday.

The conditions in Colombo worsened, which prevented the toss from happening as both teams were awarded one point.

Following the washout, Australia now sits at the top of the table with three points, whereas Sri Lanka slipped to fifth place with a negative run-rate of -1.255.

Before heading into the match, both teams had contrasting results. Defending champions Australia defeated New Zealand by 89 runs in a one-sided affair, while India outplayed Sri Lanka by 59 runs (Via DLS method).

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to clash against arch-rivals India at the same venue; however, the forecast shows an ample chance of rain, which could interrupt the match.

The 13th edition of the marquee event is jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, running from September 30 to November 2 across five cities.

Eight teams are competing in a round-robin format, out of which the top four will advance to the knockout stage.

READ: Jadeja stars as India crush West Indies inside three days

INDORE: Skipper Sophie Devine’s ton went in vain as Australia humbled New Zealand by 89 runs in the second fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The defending champions started their title defence with a 16th straight victory over New Zealand.

“The defending champions started their title defence on a perfect note, as Australia’s opening World Cup win marked their 16th straight victory over the Black Caps.”

Set a daunting 327-run target, New Zealand’s batting faltered and were bundled out for 237 in 43.2 overs.

Australia’s bowlers endured a miserable start in New Zealand as they lost both of their openers on ducks. As a result, they were reduced to 0-2 in 1.3 overs.

However, Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine put New Zealand back on course in the chase with a 75-run partnership. However, Australia chipped in with regular wickets in the middle, which never allowed the Black Caps to play with freedom.

Devine remained the top-scorer with 111 off 112 balls, laced with 12 fours and three sixes.

For Australia, Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux starred with the ball, picking up three wickets each.

Earlier, Ashleigh Gardner rose to the occasion with a masterful century, rescuing her side as Australian women posted a strong total.

After opting to bat first, Australia were bowled out for 326 runs in 49.3 overs.

The openers were off to a flyer with 40 on the board at the end of five overs. Skipper Alyssa Healy scored 19 from 17 balls with the help of three fours before getting dismissed by Bree Illing.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Australia batters kept up the run rate despite the wickets tumbling, and at the end of the powerplay, they were 81-1. However, New Zealand made a strong comeback once the fielding restrictions were lifted.

Phoebe Litchfield was bowled on the first ball after the power play. She made 45 from 31 balls, striking two sixes and half a dozen fours.

The wickets in the middle over shifted momentum towards New Zealand until Ashleigh Gardner’s arrival, who added a string of partnerships with the lower order, which steadied Australia’s innings.

The 28-year-old was involved in 64, 47, and 69 runs stands with Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, and Kim Garth, respectively.

She was eventually removed in the 46th over after scoring 115 from just 83 balls, peppered with 16 fours and a six.

For New Zealand, Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr shared six wickets between them.

READ: Marsh’s sublime knock powers Australia to victory in T20I opener

Mitchell Marsh’s swashbuckling knock overshadowed Tim Robinson’s maiden ton as Australia cruised to a comfortable six-wicket win over New Zealand in the opening T20I at Bay Oval on Wednesday.

Skipper Mitchell Marsh led Australia’s chase with 85 off 43 balls as they raced to 185-4 off 16.3 overs in response to the home side’s 181-6.

The powerful Marsh struck nine fours and five sixes in cold, windy conditions at Mount Maunganui.

He was caught in the deep in the 15th over to fall short of what would have been his first century in 74 T20 internationals.

Fellow-opener Travis Head scored 31 in an electric opening stand of 67 off just 5.3 overs that set up victory and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Marsh said he and Head complemented each other as opening batters.

“We’ve got a great relationship off the field and I’m hoping that translates into good partnerships,” he said.

“Tonight was a lot of fun.”

Robinson plundered 106 not out off 66 balls after a dreadful New Zealand start when they were asked to bat first.

The hosts collapsed to 6-3, with seamer Ben Dwarshuis removing Devon Conway and Mark Chapman off successive balls in the second over.

The fightback was launched by Robinson and Daryl Mitchell (34), whose fourth-wicket stand of 92 came from just 55 deliveries.

Robinson, 23, became the second-youngest New Zealander to score a T20 century when he blasted a four and then a six from the last two balls of the innings from Dwarshuis.

“I got streaky through the middle there and got away with a few chances but that’s cricket,” Robinson said.

“Those Aussies bowled really well at the top and Daryl and I spoke about getting through that really tough period when the ball was nipping around.”

Both teams had a key player ruled out of the series in training incidents on Tuesday.

New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra suffered facial cuts when he collided with a boundary fence during fielding practice.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell broke his arm when struck by a shot from team-mate Mitchell Owen while bowling in the nets.

The remaining two games are also day-night fixtures in Mount Maunganui on Friday and Saturday.

READ: Never apologised to BCCI nor will I: Mohsin Naqvi dismisses Indian media reports

LONDON: The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday named a 16-member pace-heavy squad for the Ashes tour to Australia with Harry Brook replacing Ollie Pope as vice-captain.

Alongside Ashes, England have also named IT20 and ODI squads for the white-ball tour of New Zealand, which precedes the Ashes.

The squad features five 90mph seamers: Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue. Among the notable inclusions is the recall of all-rounder Will Jacks, whose last appearance in the longest format came against Pakistan in 2022.

The 26-year-old, who will provide England with an attacking option with the bat, is picked ahead of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Jack Leach.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Besides the inclusion of Jacks and the change of Ben Stokes’ deputy, the squad is largely as expected.

The decision to change Pope as vice-captain was looming since Brook took over the captaincy reins from Jos Buttler in white-ball cricket. Notably, Pope has captained the Three Lions five times in the absence of Ben Stokes in the past five months.

England Test squad vs Australia:

Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.

England T20I squad vs New Zealand:

Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.

England ODI squad vs New Zealand:

Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith replace Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, and Phil Salt from the T20I squad.

New Zealand fixtures (all D/N):

T20Is: October 18, 20 (both Christchurch) and 23 (Auckland).
ODIs: October 26 (Mount Maunganui), 29 (Hamilton), and November 1 (Wellington).

Ashes fixtures:

1st Test: November 21-25 (Perth)
2nd Test: December 4-8 (Brisbane, D/N)
3rd Test: December 17-21 (Adelaide)
4th Test: December 25-29 (Melbourne)
5th Test: January 3-7 (Sydney)

READ: PCB chief meets Shan, Azhar ahead of Test series against South Africa

Australia suffered another setback ahead of their three-match T20I tour of New Zealand as wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis was ruled out with a calf strain, with Alex Carey drafted in as his replacement.

Inglis complained of discomfort in his right calf during a running session in Perth on Tuesday, and scans the following day confirmed the injury.

The 29-year-old is now sidelined for the series scheduled from October 1–4 in Mount Maunganui.

This marks Inglis’ second calf issue in less than a year, after a low-grade strain during the Boxing Day Test against India curtailed his BBL campaign last season.

Despite the latest setback, he is expected to regain fitness in time for the ODI series against India starting October 19 in Perth.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The absence of Inglis adds to Australia’s growing list of withdrawals for the tour. Captain Pat Cummins is missing due to lumbar bone stress, Cameron Green has stayed back for Sheffield Shield duties as part of his Ashes buildup, and Nathan Ellis withdrew to be present for the birth of his first child.

With no reserve wicketkeeper in the original 14-man squad, selectors turned to Alex Carey, who was preparing to feature for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.

Carey last appeared against South Africa in Cairns in August 2023, stepping in when Inglis was unwell, and hasn’t kept wicket in a T20I since 2020.

Australia T20I squad for New Zealand series

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

READ: Australia skipper Pat Cummins ‘hopeful’ of playing in Ashes

Australia skipper Pat Cummins said Friday he hoped to play in all five Ashes Tests against England but conceded he will need to see how his back injury holds up, local media said.

Pace spearhead Cummins has been ruled out of the October white-ball series against New Zealand and India with “lumbar bone stress”.

The 32-year-old has not bowled since the Test tour of the West Indies in June-July, and no firm date has been set for his return.

Cummins said Friday that although he hopes to be part of the Ashes, he would need to “wait and see”.

“There are no hard and fast plans yet,” the skipper told reporters.

“I’m still doing a bit of gym and keeping things kicking over, but with this kind of injury, it’s rest and then we’ll build back and kind of work back from the Ashes,” he said.

“Still really hopeful to be able to be part of the Ashes. But it is a little bit of a wait-and-see.”

Pat Cummins told reporters he aimed to play in all five Tests, but conceded a decision would have to be made closer to the time.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“It’s honestly too far out to say. But the aim at the moment is to try and be ready for all of it,” he said.

Cummins has suffered severe back issues several times over the years, including a flare-up in 2018 that kept him out of action for a full off-season.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said this week he was confident Cummings would play a key part in the Ashes.

But he acknowledged to SEN radio that the uncertainty around Cummins “is not ideal”, but it was an “overreaction” to say the skipper would not play.

“It’s not ideal. I’m not going to sit here and say that it’s ideal,” McDonald told the radio station.

The first Ashes Test against England in Perth starts on November 21.

Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2023 after the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

They enjoyed a 4-0 sweep of England at home in 2021-22. Cummins was the leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an average of 18.

READ: Official song for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 revealed

England coach Brendon McCullum has left open the possibility of Harry Brook replacing Ollie Pope as vice-captain during the upcoming Ashes tour of Australia.

Pope officially took on the role in May 2023 after securing his place as England’s number three in Test cricket, and has since led the team five times when inspirational skipper Ben Stokes has been absent through injury.

Stokes is back training following a shoulder problem, but his coach at county side Durham, Ryan Campbell, was “not 100 percent sure” the all-rounder would feature in all five Tests against Australia, with England bidding for their first Ashes series win since 2015.

Doubts have been raised about Pope’s tactical acumen, with England white-ball captain Brook regarded as a more proactive leader in the field.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

And should Stokes be ruled out of a Test during the Ashes series, which starts on November 21 in Perth, the 26-year-old Brook could now be asked to lead England in red-ball cricket as well.

McCullum, asked Sunday whether Pope will take up his usual role as Stokes’ deputy in Australia, replied: “We will work on that one. We will chat about that over the coming days as we finalise our Ashes squad.

“I think it’s a pretty easy squad to pick. We don’t need too big a squad, but we have a very settled group of batters, a cartel of fast bowlers, and Shoaib Bashir as our frontline spinner.”

The former New Zealand captain, speaking after England’s third and deciding T20 against South Africa in Nottingham, which was washed out without a ball being bowled, added: “I think it’s no secret Harry Brook is emerging as a leader within English cricket, so that’s something we need to work out.”

READ: Former Pakistan captain slams India over handshake controversy

Former captain Virat Kohli has become the first active Indian cricketer to complete a BCCI-supervised fitness test outside the country, with his assessment conducted in London, according to Indian media reports on Wednesday.

The board is said to have approved Kohli’s request to use specialised facilities in England, while ensuring the process remained fully monitored.

In contrast, most of his teammates, including ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, undertook their evaluations at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Kohli, who has retired from Tests and T20 internationals, is now focused solely on ODIs.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Meanwhile, Rohit impressed observers in Bengaluru by passing the newly introduced Bronco Test with strong numbers, alongside the traditional Yo-Yo assessment.

The 38-year-old captain was praised for his conditioning and consistency, while pacer Prasidh Krishna also stood out with high scores. Reports suggest all players who took part in the evaluations on August 30 and 31 cleared them successfully.

The Bronco Test, a rugby-inspired drill involving continuous shuttle runs of 20, 40, and 60 metres, was recently added to the Indian team’s fitness protocols by strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux.

It now stands alongside the Yo-Yo test, which has long been the benchmark for evaluating player fitness.

READ: Galatasaray sign Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City on free transfer

Australia are confident that captain Pat Cummins will be fit for the Ashes after he was ruled out of the series against New Zealand and India with a back complaint on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old fast bowler was rested from the recent white-ball series against the West Indies and South Africa and is still dealing with what Cricket Australia described as “lumbar bone stress”.

Test skipper Cummins has been struggling with the issue since July, and the Ashes start in November.

“Despite this planned (rest) period, Cummins has experienced some ongoing lower back pain following the West Indies Test tour,” Cricket Australia said.

“Further investigation has identified a level of lumbar bone stress that will require further management over the coming months.”

No date was set for a return, but chairman of selectors George Bailey said he expected Cummins to play the first Ashes Test at Perth from November 21.

“It still feels like there’s plenty of time,” Bailey said. “Full expectation that Pat will be right to go come the first Test.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

But he conceded they could be forced to select Pat Cummins without any recent cricket under his belt.

“If it got to that stage… I still think that we’d be comfortable with Pat’s experience and skill level,” he said.

It would be a devastating blow for Australia if Cummins were unable to return for the start of the Ashes.

Cummins will definitely miss white-ball matches against New Zealand and India starting on October 1.

Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2023 after the series ended 2-2. Cummins took 18 wickets during that series, his second Ashes series as captain.

Australia enjoyed a 4-0 sweep of England at home in 2021-22, and Cummins was the leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an average of 18.

READ: BCCI eyes MS Dhoni as mentor for T20 World Cup 2026: reports

MELBOURNE: Australia have named a 14-member squad for next month’s three-match T20I series against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, with allrounder Marcus Stoinis making his international return.

Stoinis, who stepped away from ODIs earlier this year and has been without a central or state contract for 12 months, last featured for Australia in late 2024.

His comeback headlines a squad that also sees Mitchell Owen and Matthew Short back in the fold. Owen returns after a concussion ruled him out of the South Africa series, while Short has recovered from a side strain picked up during training in Jamaica.

Selectors have opted to rest captain Pat Cummins as he manages a back problem in the lead-up to the Ashes summer, while pacer Nathan Ellis will miss the series due to paternity leave.

Cameron Green has also been left out, with his immediate focus on Sheffield Shield cricket as he builds back towards bowling.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Fast bowler Xavier Bartlett has earned a recall, but back-up keeper Alex Carey and allrounder Aaron Hardie, both injury replacements during the South Africa series, miss out.

Ellis, who has played 10 of Australia’s last 11 T20Is, is widely regarded as a long-term option in the pace attack following Mitchell Starc’s retirement.

Left-arm quick Ben Dwarshuis also remains in contention after impressive performances in the Caribbean and against South Africa.

The three-match series begins on October 1, with all games scheduled at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The second and third T20Is will be played on October 3 and 4, respectively.

Australia squad for New Zealand T20Is

Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

READ: Mitchell Starc announces retirement from T20I cricket