India vs Bangladesh Test

 After an unexpected 2-1 loss to Bangladesh in the ODI series, India came back strongly to register a 2-0 victory in the test series. India won the first test in Chattogram by 188 runs and the second test in Mirpur by 3 wickets. Bangladesh too had their moment in the series, especially in the second match of the series. With the victories India has managed to move into the second position of World Test Championship. 

India Vs Bangladesh, First Test 2022

In the first test Indians managed a more than decent score of 404 in their firs innings. At one stage India were 112/4. But Chetheshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer managed to score half centuries and pulled India out of the tricky situation. But both missed their centuries and were out for 90 and 86 respectively. Down the order there were strong contributions from Rishabh Pant(46), Ashwin(58) and Kuldeep Yaday(40). Bangladeshi spinners Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam picked up 4 wickets each. Mehidy Hasan as a batsman has been a thorn in Indian flesh in the ODIs and he continued to challenge the Indian batsmen with the ball as well in the test series. But he failed to repeat his heroics with the bat in the test series. In reply Bangladesh could only manage 150 runs with Mushfiqur Rahim being the top scorer with 28. Bangladeshi batsmen were clueless to the left arm wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav. The Indian spinner managed to pick up 5 wickets for just 40 runs.

                                                
                                                                        Kuldeep Yadav

In the second innings India declared at 268/2. Chetheshwar Pujara scored an uncharacteristic century. The Indian middle order batsman scored 102 off 130 balls, with the second part of 50 runs coming at a strike rate of more than 100. Bangladesh had a whooping target of 513 runs. But Bangladesh put up a better fight in their second innings. They managed to score 324 runs, but lost the match by a huge margin of 188 runs. The debutant Zakir Hasan scored a gritty century. The youngster showed great application and composure during the innings. Shakib Al Hasan and Najmul Hossain also scored half centuries. Had the Bangladeshi batsmen showed the same intent and quality in the first innings too, it wouldn't have been a one sided affair. Shakib Al Hasan also seemed to be not cent percent fit, as he was not bowling much in the match.


             Cheteshwar Pujara

India Vs Bangladesh, Second Test 2022

The second test match was played at Mirpur and Bangladesh had better hopes this time coming from a fine second innings show in the first test. Having missed out the first test due to  injury, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the second test too. But the surprise move came in from the Indian stand in captain KL Rahul, when he dropped the hero of the first test Kuldeep Yadav. India went in with 3 pacers. Jayadev Unadkat was chosen ahead of Kuldeep Yadav. The Indian think-tank considered the pitch to be more helpful to pacers than the spinners. Batting first Bangladesh managed to score only 227 in their first innings. Mominul Haque who was making a comeback to the test team scored 84. Jayadev Unadkat managed to pick 2 wickets, while Umesh Yadav and Ashwin picked 4 wickets each. Jayadev Unadkat had made his debut against South Africa in 2010. He had to wait all these 12 years to play his second test match. In reply to Bangladesh's first innings, Indians managed to score 314. At one stage India were 94/4. But once gain Bangladesh let the Indians off the hook. Rishabh Pant (93) and Shreyas Iyer (87) scored half centuries to take a lead of 87 runs in the first innings. Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam picked up 4 wickets each. Bangladesh's first innings failure was going to hurt them for a second time. In the second innings, Bangladesh had a poor start, and at one stage they reached 113/6, with the lead being only 26. So effectively they were at 26/6. But once again Bangladesh were reluctant to go down without a fight. Litton Das scored a fluent 73 which included 7 fours. There was ample support from the lower order batsmen . Nurul Hasan and Taskin Ahmed scored quickfire 31 runs each and their lead had reached 144. India had to score 145 runs. The target was only a small one, but the pitch was deteriorating at each moment. Bangladesh smelled the chance. Bangladesh removed the Indian captain KL Rahul when the Indian scoreboard was at 3 runs. The Bangladeshi spinners picked regular Indian wickets and at he end of day 3 India has lost 4 top order batmen for just 45 runs. Axar Patel who was sent ahead of Virat Kohli and night watchman Jayadev Unadkat were at the crease. India needed another 100 runs on day 4, with 6 wickets in hand.  The Bangladeshi spinners, especially Mehdi Hasan were giving the Indian batsmen a tough time. Some balls were turning and others were skidding through, with the odd ones keeping low. Axar Patel contributed a valuable 34 with the bat. Bangladeshi bowlers were making things worse for India, when they restricted them to 74/7. India needed another 71 runs and had 3 wickets in hand. Shreyas Iyer and Ashwin were at the crease. Ashwin has showed multiple times, even in Australia how he can handle these pressure situations. Shreyas Iyer and Ashwin managed to overcome some tense situation and took India over the line. Shreyas scored 29, and Ashwin scored 42. India managed a 3 wicket victory. 



                                                                             Zakir Hasan

The omission of Kuldeep Yadav was a flawed decision and could have been fatal, had India lost the match. The form of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli is a matter of concern for the Indian team management. As far as Bangladesh is concerned, their low first innings score hurt their chances in the match. The need to put up a better show in the first innings. Zakir Hasan has been a bright spot for Bangladesh. The youngster showed great maturity and application and has the talent to reach great heights. 

Interesting Facts About Cricket


*Andrew Strauss, Tony Greig, Kevin Pietersen and Allan Lamb are South African born England Cricket captains.
*Mark Butcher played 71 tests for England, but never got to play an ODI.
* Until 2008,VVS Laxman was the only cricketer to score two "300" in Ranji trophy. Laxman has never played in a WC match.
*Sunil Gavaskar has hit more number of sixes in tests than in ODIs!
*Shanta Rangaswamy is the first woman cricketer to receive Arjuna award.
*Keppler Wessels first played for Aus and then shifted to SA team, becoming the first cricketer to play for two national sides.
* Rodney Redmond of NZ played in just one test and scored century on debut. He could not continue in cricket because he could not adjust with the contact lenses! 
*  The English cricketer, Wilfred Rhodes holds the world records both for the most appearances made in first-class cricket and for the most wickets taken. He has played in 1,110 matches and taken 4,204 wickets.
*  The first ODI in history of cricket was played between England and Australia in 1971 at MCG. Australia won the match by 5 wickets. John Edrich was the player of the match.
*  Mohammed Irfan of Pakistan is the tallest cricketer in the world. His height is 2.16m.  


Indian Players Waiting for Debut in 2023

The Indian cricket squad is moving in a new direction. The amount of people who come to the national team's door has risen with each passing season. As a result, very few people can be said to have a spot in the team locked up. While seniority should be taken into account, it is unethical to ignore how young players are performing. As a result, commencing in 2023, the Indian team may undergo radical changes.

The BCC may make a number of significant choices, including appointing Hardik Pandya as the new T20 captain in place of Rohit Sharma. India intends to confine Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma to ODIs while developing the next generation in T20. Let's have a look at the five players that are now waiting to join the Indian team in 2023.

Abhimanyu Easwaran

 One player who need to be taken into consideration for India's Test opening line is Abhimanyu Easwaran. India is contemplating Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill for the opening position among foreign pitches. But given the likelihood that Rohit Sharma will soon retire, Abhimanyu Iswaran is the player that India might take into consideration. Abhimanyu has been involved with India's A squad actively, but he hasn't been able to join the senior Indian team. Eshwar has a distinguished first-class cricket resume. In 76 games, Abhimanyu amassed 5278 runs at an average of 43.61. The 27-year-old star may get the opportunity to make his debut in the following year.

 

KS Bharat

 An Andhra Pradesh native who bats as the wicket keeper is KS Bharat. Along with Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, Bharath is most likely to serve as India's backup keeper in Test matches. Bharath was able to replace the original wicketkeeper earlier, but he was not able to make the starting 11. Bharat amassed 4425 runs at an average of 37 in 82 appearances of first-class cricket. has 282 catches to go along with 82 stumpings. Bharat is a player that provides India optimism in both ODIs and Test matches.



Yaswasi Jaiswal

Yaswasi Jaiswal is a celebrity who excelled in under-19 cricket as she grew up. At such a young age, the left-handed opener has everyone's attention. In seven matches of first-class cricket, Jaiswal scored 1015 runs. In List A, Jaiswal has scored 1511 runs in 32 games. Jaiswal excels for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL as well. In all three formats, Jaiswal is a valuable asset for India. India doesn't have many left-handers, so Jaiswal's success offers optimism.




Sarfaraz Khan

For India's Test team, a capable middle-order batter is important. Sarfaraz Khan is a player who can be considered for middle order, especially in a situation where some of the players are getting into their late 30s and are out of form. The left-handed batsman's recent form has been excellent. Sarfaraz Khan shone at an average of 81.33 in first-class cricket. This will include 10 centuries and eight fifties. Looking ahead to the future of Indian cricket, there is a high possibility that India will consider Sarfaraz Khan in the team next year.



Yash Dubey

Yash Dubey is a right handed batsman who plays for Madhya Pradesh. The 23 year old promising player had a wonderful Ranji Trophy in 2022. The promising youngster scored 614 runs at an average of 76.75. He had scored two centuries in the tournament which included a double century (289) against Kerala and 133 against Mumbai in the finals. 



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Rod Marsh, the former Australian Wicket keeper Passes Away

Rod Marsh, the former Australia wicketkeeper, died last week in an Adelaide hospital after having a heart attack in Queensland. He was hospitalised last week after going into cardiac arrest. Marsh, an aggressive left-handed batsman and one of Test cricket's best wicketkeepers, played 96 Tests for Australia between 1970 and 1984, amassing 3633 runs, featuring three hundreds. Marsh owned the world record for maximum Test dismissals (355) at the time of his retirement. During an epic combination with fast bowler Dennis Lillee, it included the classic "c Marsh b Lillee" entry in a scorebook, which has been replicated a record 95 occasions in Test cricket. Marsh also played in 92 One-Day Internationals, scoring 1225 runs at 20.08 and dismissing 124 batsmen. Marsh earned his first-class debut for Western Australia in the 1968-69 campaign and ended up playing 257 first-class matches for the Western Australians, amassing 11,067 runs at 31.17 and achieving 869 dismissals.

Marsh's collaboration with famed fast bowler Dennis Lillee, famed for his athletic keeping, is the most prolific bowler-wicketkeeper alliance in Test history, with 'caught Marsh, bowled Lillee' being recorded 95 times - a record to this day.

After retiring and becoming a selector, Marsh stepped on to lead Australia's selection committee from 2014 to 2016. Marsh is a part of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, Sport Australia's Hall of Fame, and the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame, and he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to cricket in 1981.


His children Paul, Dan, and Jamie, as well as his wife Ros, survive him.

"This is a terrible day for Australian cricket and all those who loved and revered Rod Marsh," Cricket Australia chairman Dr Lachlan Henderson remarked. "Caught Marsh, bowled Lillee' has iconic importance in our game, and Rod will be regarded for the manner he played the game and the joy he brought to audiences as a member of several great Australian sides."

Rod was a monumental force in Australian cricket, serving the country for for 50 years, from his debut in the 1970/71 Ashes series to his period as National Selector, during which time many of the current batch of Australian men's cricketers came into direct touch with him. He was fantastic to work with since he not only knew the game thoroughly and out, but he also had a way of putting you at ease.

He was renowned as a bold and tough batsman, but over the course of a decade, his dashing batting and skill behind the stumps elevated him to one of the sport's all-time greats, not just through Australia, but worldwide. Marsh was also a left-handed hitter who became the first Australian wicketkeeper to achieve a century in a Test match. During his career, which was cut short by World Series Cricket for two years, he scored three Test hundreds.

While Marsh's on-field heroics were legendary, he was also a keen observer of the game and a sought-after coach and talent scout around the globe. Marsh was the inaugural head of an ICC world coaching academy in Dubai, and he commanded Cricket Australia's academy before moving to England to do the same.

He has also worked as a commentator and, in 2014, was appointed as Australia's chairman of selectors, a role he occupied for two years. As a gesture of respect for Marsh, Australia's Test players are set to wear black armbands when the first Test against Pakistan begins later Friday in Rawalpindi.

The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) president Shane Watson and chair Greg Dyer issued a joint statement saying, "Rod's service, or more precisely, his remarkable link, can be traced back through all generations of players before and after his own, all the way to the current group. They will all be devastated by his death. Rod's impact on cricket is immeasurable."


India's Loss to South Africa in ODI: A Review

 

The ODI series versus South Africa was an unforeseen tragedy for team India and coach Rahul Dravid. India lost the series 3-0, and experts including the Indian coach believes the first and third matches were lost due to "bad shots." The recent ODI results of the current South African team hasn’t been enviable. India wasn’t expected to lose the ODI series, in this manner.

Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli kept India's pursuit on course in both games, but neither batter was able to turn their half-centuries into massive knocks. In the absence of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, the middle and lower-middle order struggled to complete the task once Dhawan and Kohli were dismissed. But again India need to look into better options than Hardik Pandya, because of his inability to bowl. India cannot afford to play Hardik as a pure batsman. India has better options of pure batsmen.

In one-day internationals, India always start slow, preserving wickets. "We certainly could perform more in the middle overs," Dravid remarked when asked if they should tweak the template. We understand the blueprint, and a major part of that blueprint is determined by the composition of your team. Some of the players who help us balance the roster and provide all-around possibilities at Nos. 6, 7, and 8 were unavailable for selection. When they return, maybe it will give us a bit more depth, allowing us to play in a somewhat different way.

The Indian spinners were outbowled by their South African peers throughout the tournament. The Indian spinners are failing to be a real threat to those foreign batsmen even on the subcontinent pitches. Indian which boasted of some quality spinners like Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrashekhar and Kumble in earlier times, now fail to produce such spinners who are feared by the opposition batsmen.

 The team needed to improve their wicket-taking in the middle overs. In the third ODI, India attempted something different: their seamers hit the deck more regularly than they had in the first two games, and they got marginally greater results. During the middle overs, India will most likely need to strengthen their wicket-taking alternatives. Spinners assume a significant role in this.

Prior to the tournament, stand-in captain KL Rahul stated that Venkatesh Iyer will be the squad's sixth bowling option. Iyer, on the other hand, did not bowl an over in the first ODI, but he did deliver five in the following before being kept out for the third.

There has also been some debate about Iyer's batting position, but Dravid stated that the team administration was "quite explicit with him" about his purpose in the team.

For KKR [in the IPL] and at times for Madhya Pradesh, he batted towards the top of the order, however he has also batted in the middle order for MP. The Indian team was hunting for a No. 6 bowler who could provide a sixth bowling option. Because they had a lot of alternatives at the top of the order right now, especially when Rohit returns, that was the job they assigned to him. But Venkatesh Iyer who was selected to the team purely on the basis of his heroics in the IPL, failed to deliver the goods. India need to have a better option as an all rounder.

Deepak Chahar's batsmanship in the final ODI was one of the few bright spots for India in the series. India were 223 for 7 at one point in their chase of 288, but Chahar, who was playing his first game of the series, smashed 54 off only 34 balls to get them near. In Sri Lanka, he had pulled off an identical chase, but India ended four runs short tonight. Chahar and Shardul Thakur, who played as seam-bowling allrounders and scored 50* and 40* in the first 2 ODIs, were praised by Dravid. It's wonderful to have players like Chahar and Shardul, who have shown they can contribute with the bat in recent games. Players like these, who can impact with the bat at a lower level, make a huge influence.

                                                                               Deepak Chahar

Except for Surya's chance in the 3rd ODI, India's middle order has remained unchanged. Aside from that, they didn't make any changes to the batting order. The team's management wants to provide them with a steady run and a sense of stability. When you give people that, you have to demand performances, and big ones at that, because that's what people expect when they play at this level for their nation.

Karun Nair

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