Tag: india

GUWAHATI: Towering pacer Marco Jansen took six wickets to put South Africa in sight of a first Test series win in India in 25 years after bundling out the hosts for 201 in the second match on Monday.

Replying to South Africa’s 489, India were 288 behind in their first innings, but the tourists did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again on day three in Guwahati.

After winning the first Test in the two-match series in Kolkata, South Africa are closing on a first series win in India since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed in 2000.

India are under massive pressure once more, having suffered their fourth defeat in six Tests at home in the first match.

A dominant South Africa reached 26-0 at stumps to extend their lead to 314 in the second innings.

Left-handed Ryan Rickelton, on 13, and Aiden Markram, on 12, were batting when bad light ended the day’s play in the northeastern city, where the sun sets early.

Jansen, a left-arm quick, claimed his fourth five-wicket Test haul before wrapping up the Indian innings with his sixth strike of the day in the final session.

India slumped to 122-7 despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 58 as wickets kept tumbling on what still seems like a good pitch to bat on.

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Washington Sundar, who made 48, and fellow left-hander Kuldeep Yadav resisted in a partnership of 72 off 208 balls before off-spinner Simon Harmer struck to end Sundar’s defiance.

Jansen then dismissed Kuldeep for 19 and Jasprit Bumrah for two to pack a shell-shocked India off in under three sessions.

Earlier, the left-handed Jaiswal lost overnight partner KL Rahul for 22 in the first hour of play before reaching his 13th Test half-century.

Jaiswal used the sweep to good effect and took on the bowlers, hitting seven fours and one six until his departure off Harmer.

Harmer had Sai Sudharsan caught at mid-wicket for 15, and Jansen removed Dhruv Jurel for a duck to further put India on the back foot at the first break.

The 6ft 8 in (2.03 metres) tall Jansen, who made 93 in South Africa’s imposing first-innings total, used the bouncer to snare the Indian batters with Jurel falling to the pull off a short ball.

Skipper Rishabh Pant fell caught behind for seven to Jansen soon after in the second session, and the batting fell apart like nine pins.

Aiden Markram took a stunning catch as he ran from second slip to take a one-handed diving catch to his right to dismiss Nitish Kumar Reddy off Jansen. Reddy made 10.

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Senuran Muthusamy struck his first Test century and Marco Jansen hammered 93 to guide South Africa to a commanding 489 all out on day two of the second match against India on Sunday.

The left-handed Muthusamy made 109 and put on 97 runs for the eighth wicket with Jansen, who was the last wicket to fall in the final session in Guwahati.

Muthusamy praised Jansen’s knock, saying, “Marco was sublime when he came in. He’s a clean striker of the ball, and he really, really showed his skills today. So, that was an awesome treat to watch from the other end.”

Janson struck six fours and seven sixes in his 91-ball blitz before he dragged a delivery from Kuldeep Yadav onto his stumps, and the innings ended after 151.1 overs.

The hosts reached nine for no loss in 6.1 overs at stumps, trailing South Africa by 480 runs on a pitch still looking good to bat at India’s newest Test venue.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, on seven, and KL Rahul, on two, were at the crease when bad light stopped play for the day in the northeastern city where sunsets are early.

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The 6ft 8in (2.03m) Jansen frustrated the Indian attack as he hung on with numbers nine and 10 after he reached his fourth Test half-century and surpassed his previous best of 84 not out in the longer format.

Jansen’s seven hits over the fence are the joint-most in a Test innings against India. Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi hit as many during his 103 in Lahore in 2006.

Muthusamy reached his hundred in 192 balls off pace bowler Mohammed Siraj, as he punched the air and raised his bat to a standing ovation from the crowd and the dressing room.

He fell soon after the second break, but Jansen, a right-hand batter and left-arm quick, kept up the charge with Simon Harmer (5) and Keshav Maharaj, unbeaten on 12.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ended an 88-run seventh-wicket stand after a wicketless first session when Kyle Verreynne was stumped for 45 by captain Rishabh Pant.

Kuldeep finished with four wickets with his left-arm wrist spin.

The tourists, who won the toss and elected to bat on Saturday, are in the hunt for their first series victory in India in 25 years after they won the opener of the two-match series.

Earlier, Muthusamy and Verreynne used their feet to tackle spinners in a sedate first hour of play when only 28 runs were scored, including two fours.

Muthusamy survived a scare on 48 when Jadeja had him given out lbw, but the batter’s review showed a murmur when the ball passed his glove, and the decision was overturned.

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GUWAHATI: Spinner Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets as India rattled South Africa with late strikes to leave the tourists 247-6 at stumps on the first day of the second Test on Saturday.

Tristan Stubbs, who made 49, and skipper Temba Bavuma (41) put on 84 runs for the third wicket after South Africa elected to bat in their bid for a first Test series win in India in 25 years.

The World Test champions won the first Test of the two-match series by 30 runs at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

Ravindra Jadeja sent back Bavuma with his left-arm spin in the final session before Kuldeep denied Stubbs his fifty to raise the noise of a large weekend crowd in Guwahati.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (3-48) dismissed Wiaan Mulder for 13, and pace bowler Mohammed Siraj ended Tony de Zorzi’s defiance on 28 with the second new ball to further dent South Africa.

Left-hander Senuran Muthusamy, on 25, and wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne, on one, were batting when bad light forced stumps with only 81.5 overs possible, fewer than the usual 90 overs in a day.

Aiden Markram, who scored 38, and Ryan Rickelton (35) fell either side of the first break to Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep after an opening partnership of 82.

Bavuma and Stubbs, promoted to number three in the batting order, then got to the grind and slowly took the attack to the hosts with regular boundaries as the pair used their feet against the Indian spinners.

Jadeja broke through with his left-arm spin to dismiss in-form Bavuma, who scored the only fifty in the opener in Kolkata, after the batter chipped to mid-off.

Stubbs attempted to keep up the tempo as he hit Jadeja for a six, but soon Kuldeep had him caught at slip.

Play started 30 minutes earlier than usual, with the order of the session breaks reversed, meaning tea came before lunch at India’s newest Test venue, which attracted an opening-day crowd of over 15,000 fans.

Bumrah had Markram bowled at the stroke of tea when the batsman inside-edged a delivery on to his stumps.

Kuldeep struck on the third ball after the break to cut short Rickelton’s 82-ball stay.

The openers had started cautiously, and Markram got off the mark on his 17th ball with a crunching cover drive for four off Bumrah.

Bumrah nearly had his revenge next ball, only for KL Rahul to drop a regulation chance at second slip. The bowler covered his face in dismay.

South Africa, who recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan, are chasing a first series win in India since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed there in 2000.

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GUWAHATI: South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the second and final Test against India, starting here on Saturday, because of injury.

The World Test champions won the first match and are chasing a first series win on Indian soil since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed there in 2000. They must again do without Rabada, who also missed the victory in Kolkata with a rib injury.

“Lungi Ngidi has been added. In terms of starting XI, we will finalise that tomorrow once we take one last look at the wicket,” captain Temba Bavuma said on Friday.

The tourists won a low-scoring opener at Eden Gardens inside three days after they bundled out India for 93 while chasing 124.

“The mood is buoyant amongst the boys,” Bavuma said. “We’re excited to try and replicate our performances as we did in the first Test.”

“We’ll just try and make sure that we lock in for the next five days.”

South Africa beat India at their own game of spin in Kolkata on a turning pitch with uneven bounce.

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Pundits slammed the track, where South African spinner Simon Harmer returned match figures of 8-51.

Bavuma made a best individual score of 55.

“I think it will be a more traditional sub-continent wicket,” Bavuma said of the Guwahati strip.

“Good for batting the first two days, and then on day three, the spinners should come into play.

“So I think all the fundamentals that come with playing in the sub-continent, first innings becomes crucial from a batting point of view to really set the game up.”

South Africa beat Australia to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June at Lord’s and recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan.

Bavuma has an unbeaten record as Test captain in 11 outings, winning 10 and drawing one.

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DUBAI: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Thursday revealed the schedule for the U-19 Asia Cup, with India and Pakistan set to lock horns on December 14. 

The continental rivalry at the junior level is slated to commence on December 12 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the tournament’s summit clash to be played on 21 December at the ICC Academy.

The announcement of the schedule came via ACC’s X handles.

 

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“The journey to the U19 Asian crown begins on 12th December!  With the brightest young talents set to light up the UAE, the MensU19AsiaCup2025 promises high-quality cricket from the very first ball,” the caption of the post read.

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The tournament will feature eight teams segregated into two groups, with arch-rivals Pakistan and India place in Group A. They will be joined by Qualifiers 1 and 3.

On the other hand, Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, with one team joining them from Qualifier 2.

ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025 schedule

December 12 – India vs Qualifier 1 at the ICC Academy
December 12 – Pakistan vs Qualifier 3 at The Seven’s

December 13 – Afghanistan vs Bangladesh at the ICC Academy
December 13 – Sri Lanka vs Qualifier 2 at The Seven’s

December 14 – India vs Pakistan at the ICC Academy
December 14 – Qualifier 1 vs Qualifier 3 at The Seven’s

December 15 – Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka at the ICC Academy
December 15 – Bangladesh vs Qualifier 2 at The Seven’s

December 16 – Pakistan vs Qualifier 1 at the ICC Academy
December 16 – India vs Qualifier 3 at The Seven’s

December 17 – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka at the ICC Academy
December 17 – Afghanistan vs Qualifier 2 at The Seven’s

Semi-Final 1
December 19 – A1 vs B2 at the ICC Academy

Semi-Final 2
December 19 – B1 vs A2 at The Seven’s

Final
December 21 – Final at the ICC Academy

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GUWAHATI: India Test captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa, scheduled to begin here on November 21, ESPNcricinfo reported on Thursday.

Gill, who suffered a neck injury on the second day of the first Test in Kolkata, has failed to recover sufficiently ahead of the Guwahati Test.

The 26-year-old retired hurt on four and did not return to complete his innings, nor did he take the field for the remainder of the match.

India ultimately lost the first Test by 30 runs, after being dismissed for 93 while chasing 124 on a pitch with uneven bounce.

He had previously missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024 due to a neck spasm, too.

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With Shubman Gill sidelined, vice-captain Rishabh Pant will assume the captaincy for the Guwahati Test.

According to ESPNcricinfo, medical advice suggests that playing too soon carries a high risk of recurrence for Gill, prompting doctors to recommend additional rest.

Gill’s absence also casts uncertainty over his inclusion in India’s ODI squad for the three-match series against South Africa starting on November 30, with selections expected to be announced on November 23.

India now face a selection dilemma, with Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Nitish Kumar Reddy emerging as potential replacements for the injured captain.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday provided an update on the injury of captain Shubman Gill ahead of the second Test against South Africa, starting 22 November in Guwahati.

Gill has responded well to treatment for a neck injury, the BCCI said on Wednesday; however, it remains to be seen if he will participate in the second Test.

Gill suffered the injury on the second day of the first Test in Kolkata and spent one night in the hospital.

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He retired hurt on four and did not return to resume his innings and nor did he field, with vice-captain Rishabh Pant leading the hosts for the remainder of the first Test, which South Africa won by 30 runs.

“Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on 19th November, 2025,” the BCCI said in a statement ahead of the second Test.

“He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team, and a decision on his participation in the 2nd Test will be taken accordingly.”

READ: No India-Pakistan clash as ICC announces U19 World Cup 2026 schedule

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday unveiled the full schedule for the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, confirming that arch-rivals Pakistan and India will not meet in the group stage.

The absence of the marquee fixture stands out, especially given how often the two sides are deliberately placed together in ICC youth and senior events to tap into the rivalry’s unmatched global pull.

Set to run from 15 January to 6 February 2026 in Namibia and Zimbabwe, the 16th edition of the U19 World Cup will continue with its familiar format: 16 teams, four groups, 41 matches, and a Super Six stage leading into semi-finals and a final.

The sides will begin arriving on 8 January for warm-ups scheduled from 9–14 January.

The opening day features India vs USA, co-hosts Zimbabwe vs Scotland, and newcomers Tanzania vs West Indies. Tanzania will be making their debut, while Japan return after last featuring in 2020.

Pakistan begin their campaign on 16 January against England in Harare, followed by fixtures against Scotland (19 Jan) and Zimbabwe (22 Jan).

Matches will be split across five venues: Harare Sports Club, Takashinga Sports Club, Queens Sports Club, Namibia Cricket Ground, and HP Oval.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah hailed the tournament’s legacy of shaping future stars, noting its role in introducing talents ranging from Brian Lara and Sanath Jayasuriya to Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Shubman Gill.

“The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has long been the cradle of greatness, a tournament that reveals not just the next generation of cricketers, but the next generation of icons,” said Jay Shah.

“From Brian Lara and Sanath Jayasuriya to Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith and Shubman Gill, the event has consistently shaped the future of our sport.

“As we look ahead to the 2026 edition in Zimbabwe and Namibia, we are excited to provide young cricketers with a world-class platform that mirrors the standards and pressures of senior international cricket.

“This tournament is where dreams are ignited, rivalries are born, and the global cricketing landscape begins to take its next form.

“We are especially pleased to welcome Tanzania as they make their debut and join a truly global field of teams.

“I extend my warmest wishes to all participating squads as they embark on this remarkable journey, representing their countries with pride and promise.”

Group A comprises the most successful side in the tournament’s history, India (five titles), the 2020 winners, Bangladesh, the USA, and New Zealand; meanwhile, Group B has co-hosts Zimbabwe, Pakistan, England, and Scotland.

Moreover, Group C comprises the defending champions Australia, Ireland, Japan, and Sri Lanka, while Group D has Tanzania, the West Indies, Afghanistan, and South Africa.

ICC U19 World Cup 2026 schedule

• 15 January, USA v India, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 15 January, Zimbabwe v Scotland, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 15 January, Tanzania v West Indies, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 16 January, Pakistan v England, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 16 January, Australia v Ireland, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 16 January, Afghanistan v South Africa, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 17 January, India v Bangladesh, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 17 January, Japan v Sri Lanka, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 18 January, New Zealand v USA, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 18 January, England v Zimbabwe, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 18 January, West Indies v Afghanistan, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 19 January, Pakistan v Scotland, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 19 January, Sri Lanka v Ireland, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 19 January, South Africa v Tanzania, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 20 January, Bangladesh v New Zealand, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 20 January, Australia v Japan, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 21 January, England v Scotland, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 21 January, Afghanistan v Tanzania, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 22 January, Zimbabwe v Pakistan, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 22 January, Ireland v Japan, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 22 January, West Indies v South Africa, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 23 January, Bangladesh v USA, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 23 January, Sri Lanka v Australia, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 24 January, India v New Zealand, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 24 January, A4 v D4, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 25 January, Super Six A1 v D3, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 25 January, Super Six D2 v A3, HP Oval, Windhoek
• 26 January, B4 v C4, Harare Sports Club, Harare
• 26 January, Super Six C1 v B2, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 26 January, Super Six D1 v A2, Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
• 27 January, Super Six C2 v B3, Harare Sports Club, Harare
• 27 January, Super Six C3 v B1, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 28 January, Super Six, A1 v D2, Harare Sports Club, Harare
• 29 January, Super Six D3 v A2, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 30 January, Super Six D1 v A3, Harare Sports Club, Harare
• 30 January, Super Six B3 v C1, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 31 January, Super Six B2 v C3, Harare Sports Club, Harare
• 01 February, Super Six B1 v C2, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 03 February, First semi-final, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 04 February, Second semi-final, Harare Sports Club, Harare
• 06 February, Final, Harare Sports Club, Harare

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India and Pakistan women teams brushed aside political tensions on Sunday, shaking hands in neutral Sri Lanka at a Blind women cricket tournament for the visually impaired.

At what organisers describe as the world’s first blind women’s T20 tournament, players from the two South Asian neighbours showed they had sporting vision even if they lacked sight — unlike their regular national teams.

Tensions off and on the field have been high since a deadly military clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.

India’s men refused to shake hands with their Pakistani opponents at the Asia Cup in September, since when neither side has shown signs of making up.

That animosity spread to the women’s sides, who declined any greeting at the recent T20 World Cup, and also to Sunday’s men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup tie in Doha.

India’s blind players were expected to mirror the conduct of their sighted teams when there was no handshake after the toss, but at the end of the match, both sides warmly greeted each other.

The two sides, who travelled to the venue together in the same bus, not only shook hands but also exchanged generous compliments.

India won by eight wickets in just 10.2 overs after Pakistan were restricted to 135 for eight in their 20 overs at the Free Trade Zone grounds in Katunayake, 30 kilometres (18 miles) north of Colombo.

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Pakistan skipper Nimra Rafique congratulated India on their comprehensive victory, while her Indian counterpart T. C. Deepika said Pakistan had played well.

The teams applauded one another loudly, but neither set of players was permitted to talk to the press.

There were hardly any spectators but the match was shown live on Sri Lanka’s national television, Rupavahini. Blind Sri Lankan officials hosting the tournament “watched” the match on YouTube by listening to the commentary.

Indian team manager Shika Shetty told AFP before the match that the tournament was opening up opportunities for more women.

“This is the first-ever World Cup for blind women… I think this is one of the biggest opportunities for our entire visually impaired girls,” said Shetty, who is not blind.

“Maybe many girls with disabilities will come out from their villages. Maybe they will come for studies, maybe they will come for the sport. So it is helpful for other girls too.”

Blind cricket relies on a sharp ear, as players must detect a white plastic ball — the size of a tennis ball — filled with ball bearings that rattle as it moves.

Pakistan coach Tahir Mehmood Butt, also speaking before the game, said the launch of women’s blind cricket had created new opportunities for young players in Pakistan.

“For the totally blind, if they have good hearing, they can become good cricketers,” Tahir told AFP.

Each team must field at least four completely blind players, three who can see up to two metres, and four partially sighted players able to see up to about six metres.

Totally blind batters may have a partially sighted runner. Bowling is underarm, unlike in the traditional game.

Four other nations – Australia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the US — are competing in the tournament which began in India and moved to Sri Lanka for the final stages. The final is scheduled for next Sunday in Colombo.

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Spinner Simon Harmer claimed a match haul of eight wickets to lead South Africa to a thrilling 30-run win over India inside three days of a low-scoring opening Test on Sunday.

India, without captain and leading batter Shubman Gill, who was ruled out because of a neck injury he suffered on Saturday, faltered in their chase of 124 to be bowled out for 93 in Kolkata.

Harmer, who had figures of 4-30 in the first Indian innings, struck key blows in the second session, including getting Rishabh Pant caught and bowled for two to dent the opposition chase.

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj struck twice in two balls to pack off India and trigger wild celebrations in the South African camp, with the reigning world Test champions taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma hit a defiant 55 not out to lift his team’s second innings total to 153 after they slipped to 91-7 on day two.

“Very exciting, you want to be a part of those types of games and obviously be on the right side of the result,” Bavuma said.

“I think we tried to hold our ground as much as we could. We knew it was going to be tough with the bat; it was tough for us, but we needed to exploit what was there.”

South Africa, who beat Australia in the World Test Championship final in June at Lord’s, have lived up to their winners’ tag with a recent 1-1 draw in Pakistan and now beating India at their own game of spin.

Washington Sundar attempted to anchor India’s chase but fell to Aiden Markram’s off-spin for 31.

Axar Patel gave the crowd some cheer with his two sixes off Maharaj before the bowler had his revenge to send the batter caught out for 26 off 17 balls.

Left-arm quick Marco Jansen ripped out the Indian openers before lunch with the hosts effectively 10-3 in the absence of Gill, who is in hospital and “under observation”, at the break, and Harmer soon took charge and returned figures of 4-21.

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Wickets fell in clusters as Harmer, who was named player of the match, kept up the charge to send back Dhruv Jurel, Pan,t and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession.

“A game like this, you can’t dwell into it too much,” said vice-captain Pant, who took charge of the team after Gill was forced out.

“We should’ve been able to chase this score. The pressure built on us in the second innings, and we weren’t able to capitalise.”

Earlier, Bavuma played a defiant knock to keep South Africa in the hunt after they resumed on 93-7 on a tough pitch with inconsistent bounce.

He started the day on 29 and played with grit to complete the first half-century of a low-scoring contest.

Bavuma’s 44-run eighth-wicket stand with overnight partner Corbin Bosch frustrated the Indian bowlers until pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah broke through.

Bumrah bowled Bosch for 25 before Bavuma reached his fifty in 122 balls, raising his bat to an applauding dressing room.

Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj shattered Harmer’s stumps for seven and removed last man Maharaj for a duck in the space of four balls as Bavuma ran out of partners.

South Africa fought back on day two after being all out for 159 on Friday, after winning the toss and electing to bat.

They dismissed India for 189 on Saturday to keep the deficit to 30 before again faltering in their batting.

The second Test starts Saturday in Guwahati.

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