Category Archives: India cricket team

Australia settle on new Test opener as Nathan McSweeney named in squad to face India

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  • South Australian to debut at top of batting order in first match in Perth
  • In-form Josh Inglis also picked as batter in 13-player squad

Australia have settled on Nathan McSweeney to be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner for the start of the blockbuster Test series against India. After an outstanding start to the domestic season, McSweeney has beaten Marcus Harris for the vacant spot in the Australian XI.

McSweeney will become the first Australian player in 47 years to make his Test debut as an opener despite never having batted there at Sheffield Shield level. The 25-year-old top-scored in both innings of the first Australia A match in Mackay when batting at No 4. But he was unable to convert starts – 14 and 25 – in both innings as Australia A closed out a six-wicket win in the second match at the MCG.

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Australia crash to defeat against India in first ODI after losing eight wickets for 59

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  • Hosts chase down 189 despite shaky start left them on 89-5
  • Australians imploded in Mumbai from 129-2

India have overcome a scintillating spell from Mitchell Starc to post a five-wicket win over Australia in the series-opening one-day international clash in Mumbai.

Australia were bowled out for a paltry 188 in 35.4 overs on Friday after suffering a collapse of 8-59.

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England v India fifth Test called off at last minute over Covid concerns

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  • Cloud of uncertainty hangs over result of Test series
  • ECB staring at a £30m financial black hole after decision

England’s summer of Test cricket has ended in dramatic fashion after their series finale against India at Old Trafford was cancelled on the first morning of the match following the recent Covid-19 outbreak among the touring party.

The England and Wales Cricket Board believed the fifth Test would go ahead on Thursday evening after India’s players cleared a full round of emergency PCR tests in response to a fourth member of their backroom staff contracting the virus.

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India v Australia: Cricket World Cup 2019 – live!

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5th over: India 19-0 (Rohit 7, Dhawan 10) Dhawan survives the first jaffa of the day and it’s again from that length on the very outer margin of good from Pat Cummins. Pitching on middle it seams and bounces towards the cordon just skimming beyond the outside edge. If anything Clive, it was too good. Is Dhawan phased? No chance. He responds by stroking the first boundary of the day with the minimum of fuss through the covers. No need to move his feet, just swing the bat and get the hands through the ball. There are plenty of runs on offer for any batsman who gets his eye in today.

4th over: India 11-0 (Rohit 7, Dhawan 3) Starc looks to be nearing his rhythm, sending down a classic one-two combination to Dhawan, first the bumper then the yorker, but the Indian left-hander navigates both well. The sucker punch is a length delivery outside off that Dhawan attacks on the up and drives unconvincingly but safely into the ring. No fireworks from either side to report yet.

John Starbuck has joined the conversation about the physical danger we put ourselves in when we take the field - or a net session. “Another nets danger is when you’re on a large practice ground and, while your nets are taking place at one end, an actual match can be happening elsewhere. This means that over-enthusiastic net batters can disturb the match by hitting high and long, with a possibly dangerous result for fielders. I’ve been ticked off for this sometimes, but curiously did not feel especially apologetic.”

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Australia v India: SCG fourth Test, day three – as it happened

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  • Bad light brings an early end to day three with Australia 236-6

So an early end to another day of Indian dominance at the SCG. The lost overs will make it more difficult for them to force a victory but the delay will allow their attack to rest up in preparation for enforcing the follow on should Australia’s batting woes continue.

Day three actually began promisingly for the home side. Marcus Harris showed plenty of intent during the opening session and he was ably supported by Marnus Labuschagne on a pitch perfect for batting. But both fell in a sloppy afternoon session that yielded four wickets for India and reinforced the issues at the heart of this brittle Australian XI.

“As this game hurtles towards a swift conclusion (barring a Cummins century and inclement weather)” begins Abhijato Sensarma, “I am left to wonder about minuscule things which I frankly have no time for - yet, one can’t help overthinking ideas during such sessions of Test cricket.

Ever since the dawn of professional cricket, the scorecard has been said to say ‘only half the story’. The minutes batted column, the last saving grace of first-class matches, are slowly disappearing too. Can it not be that annotations are used for cricketing scorecards?

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