Cricket News sort by India tour of Australia, 2020-21

Although Australia ended Day 1 of the Gabba Test at a healthy 274 for 5, Indian spinner Washington Sundar feels that T Natarajan brought India back in the match by claiming two wickets in the final session of the day’s play. Both Sundar and Natarajan made their Test debut at Brisbane for the injury-hit Indian team. The left-arm seamer dismissed Mathew Wade and centurion Marnus Labuschagne as India kept fighting in the Test, despite Navdeep Saini also walking off injured during the course of the day’s play.

Former India all-rounder Madan Lal has admitted that India could find the going very difficult in the fourth Test against Australia at the Gabba in the wake of the number of injuries the team is battling. While all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari have both been ruled out due to finger dislocation and hamstring tear respectively, there is very little possibility of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah playing as well.

Following his heroics in the SCG Test against Australia on Monday, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that Test cricket teaches a lot about life. He went on to add the important lesson he took away from the famous draw at the SCG - it does not matter if you are bruised and battered, it is important to hang in there.

At the end of day four, Rahane and Pujara stand unbeaten, with 309 runs more required for India to go 2-1 up in the four match series. However, India wouldn’t be thinking about winning from hereon, as the much more realistic target would be to bat out the three sessions, as difficult as it may sound given the current circumstances.

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday alleged that racial abuse from a section of the crowd at Sydney was not nothing new. He claimed that they have faced similar issues at the SCG in the past as well. Ashwin's allegations come in the wake of Mohammed Siraj facing racial slurs from a section of the Sydney crowd on Day 4 of the Test against Australia.

ndian No.3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara defended his ‘slow’ batting tactics on Day 3 of the SCG Test against Australia, stating that he couldn’t have done anything better than what he was doing. Pujara scored 50 off 176 balls, his slowest Test fifty, but was dismissed soon after. The experienced Indian batsman termed Pat Cummins’ delivery to dismiss him as the ball of the series. India crumbled to 244 all out in their first innings, and Australia ended the day in command, with a significant overall lead of 197

Ravindra Jadeja came up with a brilliant bowling and fielding effort to seize the advantage for India on Day 2 of the SCG Test against Australia. Resuming the day at 166 for 2, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne took Australia past 200 before the left-arm spinner struck by having the latter caught for 91. With an opening available, Jadeja went on to dismiss Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to finish with figures of 4 for 62. After Steve Smith reached 131 and was looking good for much more, Jadeja ran him out with a brilliant direct hit, coming rushing in from deep square leg. Australia all-out for 338.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir feels that the current Australian batting line-up is the weakest he has ever seen. Gambhir wants the Indians to make best use of the same and ensure that they clinch the Test series. According to the cricketer-turned-politician, the current Aussie batting line-up is nowhere near that of England, New Zealand, and India.

Australia coach Justin Langer was all praise for the Indian bowlers for the manner in which they have kept Australian batsmen on the backfoot in the series so far. Even though India lost the first Test before coming back hard to clinch the second, their bowlers have been on the spot right through the two Tests. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin were brilliant in the Boxing Day Test while debutant Mohammed Siraj provided him excellent support.