India’s No. 3 has a highest score of 36 outside Asia over the last three years and has shown a habit of throwing his wicket away after great starts

Alagappan Muthu20-Dec-2024At every net session, it becomes clear why India believe in Shubman Gill. He plays shots that are supposed to be hard ever so easily. There was this pull to a ball that was climbing up towards his rib cage at the Gabba. He swayed inside the line, just a subtle realigning of his torso, nothing more followed by a swivel of the back foot to direct the ball where he wanted it to go.The eye test in cricket is a rudimentary measure of how good a batter is based on how comfortable they look in the middle. Are they moving into the ball, or are they stuck on the crease? Are they rushed by quality bowling, or do they actually make it look a bit meh? Gill has been very good at passing the eye test in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But his highest score is 31. This has been happening for a while.In Birmingham 2022, as India attempted to build on their 2-1 lead in the Pataudi Trophy, he began his innings with a couple of crisp drives, and then he pulled Stuart Broad disdainfully in front of square. Each of those shots was a rendition of his natural instincts. Letting them take over got him to 17 runs from 20 balls. Letting them run unchecked got him dismissed for 17 off 24. James Anderson dangled one wide of off stump, and Gill took the bait.Related

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Since Gill announced himself almost four years ago, setting up India’s win at the Gabba with 91 off 146 balls, his highest score outside Asia is 36. During this period, he has only 267 runs to show across 16 innings in Australia, England, South Africa and the West Indies, for an average of 17.80.He has developed a habit of looking really, really good, and then just randomly getting out. Earlier this week, at the Gabba, he essentially middled a wide ball from Mitchell Starc into a packed slip cordon for Mitchell Marsh to pull off a superb catch. India were 6 for 2, and the irony was that Gill had attended the pre-match press conference and highlighted how the batters’ focus was in doing whatever it took to get big first-innings runs.Gill once spoke, to the podcast, of how his technique has been able to survive the journey up to international cricket; that even his coaches didn’t really believe he needed to change much. He must have wowed them all with his attacking shots, the ones that are difficult to play but come so naturally to him, especially off the back foot. From that point, it can almost be taken for granted that the other stuff – the boring stuff like blocking the ball or leaving it – would also be in order.Only the hard hands that he uses to put power into those impossible shots – the pulls, the jabs, and the punches – were leading to his downfall when he had to just defend. The hard hands that took advantage of bowlers just trying to hold a line outside off stump in limited-overs cricket were leading him into trouble in Test cricket. He ended up playing deliveries he should be leaving. In the WTC 2023 final, he left one that he should have been playing. It became confusing. On a Port of Spain pitch where every other member of the top four made fifties, he got caught for 10 because he didn’t seem to trust his own judgment of what to play and what not to, so he just played at everything. It bled into another one of his strengths – dealing with left-arm pace. Until 12 months ago, he had only been dismissed to them once, averaging 145. In the last 12 months, he has been knocked by them over five times, averaging 13.80.1:47

Pujara: Gill’s hard hands and lack of footwork causing trouble in Australia

In 2024, Gill began the home series against England with a pair of low scores, and it felt like his place in the side was under threat. He trained extremely hard – he had kids bowling to him in the Visakhapatnam nets, and he gave them the utmost respect – and emerged the second-highest scorer across the five Tests with two crucial centuries. He has credited that period as an important part of his career so far. Preparation and repetition, that’s how Gill likes to work through the challenges he comes up against. So perhaps the more time he has spent at No. 3, the better he will get. It has been 18 months since he has permanently taken over that position. He isn’t the perfect fit there. His best position might be one step lower, but that’s occupied.Melbourne, the venue of the fourth Test against Australia, is likely to offer fast-bowler friendly conditions again, and Australia will once again look to drag him forward – which he tends to do reluctantly – and tempt him to play away from his body – which he tends to do liberally – and that disconnect is what often leads him into danger, as he ends up reaching away from his body.Gill could still get out that way. Batting in the top three has been extremely hard in this series. But he would want to make it a little harder than it currently is for bowlers to pick up his wicket.

It’s difficult to see a road for his return with Webster and Hardie moving up the list and Green set to return later in 2025

Andrew McGlashan02-Jan-2025It has been one of the feel-good stories in Australian cricket over the last 18 months, but not quite a year on from being named the Allan Border Medalist, and giving an acceptance speech for the ages, Mitchell Marsh’s Test career is at a crossroads.”Not necessarily blindsided,” Cummins said of Marsh’s reaction when the news was given to him that he was dropped for the final Test against India at the SCG with Beau Webster handed a debut in his place. With 73 runs in the series and limited impact with the ball, the numbers were not in his favour.Having been informed of the decision before Cummins spoke to reporters, Marsh left the nets having not batted but still signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans who had come in to watch Australia’s opening training session. A very popular team figure, Cummins made a point of mentioning Marsh’s first thoughts on Webster’s inclusion. “The first thing he said was, ‘I can’t wait to see Beau out there and give it a crack’,” Cummins said.Related

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Sydney Tests against India have not been kind to Marsh. In the 2018-19 series he was also dropped for the equivalent fixture having made a one-match return at the MCG where he was booed in what became an often-recalled story of his career. From there he played one Test in four and a half years before his return midway through the 2023 Ashes.In the last few weeks Marsh has looked a shadow of the player who produced a string of match-changing innings since his recall against England. That day at Headingley he was dropped on 12 at slip before racing to a thrilling hundred. Marsh said he played that game as though it was his last, having undergone ankle surgery earlier in the year to give himself a chance of playing Test cricket again. But such was the impact he had he remained for 14 consecutive matches, even forcing Cameron Green to the sidelines early last summer.However, this series he has only once threatened to dominate with the bat, making 47 in the second innings Perth with Australia’s defeat inevitable. At times he has appeared caught between attack and defence.Mitchell Marsh has made just 73 runs across seven innings in the series•Getty ImagesMarsh’s bowling workload has been a regular talking point – since the Perth Test he has sent down just 16 overs – but while Cummins referenced Webster’s capabilities with the ball, for a match where the workloads of the captain and Mitchell Starc will be of particular focus, it is the lack of runs that has cost Marsh his spot.”He was in the side this summer for being a top six batter so that’s generally a guiding principle when you are picking a top order,” Cummins said. “Think when he’s at his best he gets into the side on his batting alone and his bowling’s a bonus.”At 33 it doesn’t have to be the end of Marsh’s Test career, something which Cummins stressed when he confirmed the team, but like Green missing out in England to give him his unexpected return, he will now wait for the cards to fall in his favour. Green will return later in 2025 while Webster has moved ahead of him in the pecking order and, if he can regain bowling fitness, Aaron Hardie will likely soon move up the list.It’s difficult to see a road for Marsh’s return. Australia are likely to get creative with the balance of their side in Sri Lanka in late January, and playing spin is not one of Marsh’s strengths despite his natural power down the ground. It would be difficult to see him being recalled for a World Test Championship final should Australia qualify having just been left out. Being a key part of Australia’s ODI side means he will also miss Sheffield Shield cricket in February and early March.Beau Webster is set to make his Test debut at the SCG•Getty ImagesIt is the second significant selection call Australia have made in the last two Tests following the axing of Nathan McSweeney in favour of Sam Konstas, a move that paid off in dramatic style at the MCG.In contrast to 19-year-old Konstas, Webster is a player who has done the hard yards through domestic cricket to earn a debut aged 31. In 2023-24 he scored 938 runs and took 30 wickets in the Sheffield Shield, a return only bettered by Garry Sobers. He is also one of the best slip catchers in Australia.He has reinvented himself, too, having revived his medium pace during the 2020 Covid lockdowns to a point where it has now overtaken offspin as his primary weapon with the ball.”I don’t think I’d be standing here if I was still wheeling out the offspinners,” Webster said in Melbourne last week. “It’s a part of my game I’ve been really proud to develop in the last four years. It’s taken a lot of hard work early doors from being sore at the start and trying to get my body used to bowling a few overs here and there and then bowling lots and lots of Tasmania.”Now it feels like it’s as important as my batting game and they go hand-in-hand if you’re struggling with the bat you can still contribute with the ball and vice versa.”Webster will have good memories of his most recent outing at the SCG where he helped Tasmania to victory over New South Wales with a total of 110 runs and five wickets in the match.”He’s a special player at the moment,” Tasmania captain Jordan Silk said after that match in late November. “Any time I feel like we’re in trouble, I feel like I can throw him the ball and he just seems to be able to create something.”

A look at the qualification chances of the seven teams which are still in contention for a place in the playoffs

S Rajesh13-May-20253:27

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Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans (GT) are just one win away from making the playoffs – 18 points will assure a team of a top-four finish. However, if they lose their three remaining games they could get knocked out as four teams can still finish on 17 or more points. Titans have a favourable itinerary too, with their last two games scheduled at home in Ahmedabad, where they have a formidable 4-1 record so far. Their net run rate is currently second only to Mumbai Indians (MI), which could help them with qualification or a top-two finish.Related

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Like GT, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are also one win away from securing their place in the playoffs. RCB can also make the top four with 16 points if other results go their way. However, two wins will not yet guarantee a top-two finish as two other teams – GT and Punjab Kings (PBKS) – can still finish with 20 or more points. GT currently have a better NRR, while PBKS can finish on 21 if they win all three remaining matches.RCB are second on the points table•BCCIPunjab Kings
PBKS need two wins to be certain of qualification. At the moment, 17 points won’t assure qualification as five teams can get to 17 or more: if, for instance, they beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) but lose to Delhi Capitals (DC) and MI, and if DC beat GT but lose to MI, then RCB, GT, MI, DC and PBKS can all finish on 17 or more points. However, PBKS can qualify with 17 points if they beat DC and lose their other two matches, as in that case only one of MI or DC can finish on 17 or more points, since they play each other.PBKS can sneak through even if they lose all three matches and stay on 15, but for that to happen DC will have to lose their two other matches, so that they stay on 15, and LSG will have to win no more than two of their three games. It’ll then come down to run rates between PBKS and DC (and Kolkata Knight Riders, if they win both matches) for one spot.Mumbai Indians
Despite the loss to GT, MI are still in control of their destiny, as wins in their last two matches will ensure a place in the playoffs. For them to go through on 16 points, though, they’ll need help from other results, while defeats in their two remaining games will eliminate them. MI also have an excellent net run rate of 1.156, which could yet be crucial if qualification comes down to that.Delhi Capitals
KKR are on the brink of elimination as the maximum they can finish with is 15; there are already two teams who have more than 15, while PBKS are on 15 with three games to go.Assuming that those three teams go through, KKR will have to hope that MI lose their two remaining matches and stay on 14. Since one of their matches is against DC, who are currently on 13, that will take DC to 15. The fourth spot will, in that scenario, come down to an NRR battle between KKR and DC.On the other hand, if PBKS lose their three remaining matches, then MI will go past 15, while DC, PBKS and KKR could all be on 15 points, fighting for the fourth spot.However, any washed-out game will see them eliminated.Lucknow Super Giants
LSG are struggling for momentum, having lost three in a row, and four of their last five. The best they can do now is win their three remaining matches, finish on 16 points, and hope that one or more of the in-form teams suffer a sudden reversal of fortunes. If they lose another match, though, they will be eliminated. Their terrible NRR of -0.469 doesn’t help their cause either.

From a brisk fifty on debut to herculean efforts in Sydney and Brisbane, here’s a look at Pujara’s best knocks

Ashish Pant24-Aug-202572 vs Australia, Bengaluru, 2010Pujara’s debut innings lasted just three balls, but in the second innings, with India chasing 207, the 22-year-old showed his class. Promoted to No. 3, ahead of Rahul Dravid – whom he would eventually replace at that position – Pujara scored 72 off 89 balls in a tricky chase. He had been dismissed by Mitchell Johnson in the first innings, but having settled himself in, he handled the pace remarkably well in this time. He was also immaculate against the spin of Nathan Hauritz, often waltzing down the track. By the time Pujara was dismissed, India were just 61 shy of their target.153 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2013Pujara showed his wares on a spicy Johannesburg surface, recording a second-innings century against a top South African attack, which included Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. He came into bat on 23 for 1, with India 59 ahead. He added 70 with Murali Vijay before a mammoth 222-run stand with Virat Kohli. Pujara’s 153 off 270 balls included 21 fours, his innings helping India set South Africa a target of 458. The match eventually ended in a draw.Cheteshwar Pujara is pumped after reaching his double hundred•Associated Press202 vs Australia, Ranchi, 2017An all-time great knock on a spiteful Ranchi surface. KL Rahul and Vijay gave India a good start after Australia’s 451, before Pujara came to the crease and stitched a century stand with Vijay. The middle order did not contribute much, but Pujara stood firm and amassed 202 off 525 balls against some tight Australia bowling. That helped India declare on 603 for 9, and the match ended in a draw. This is the only instance of an Indian batter facing more than 500 balls in an innings (where data is available).Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates his Adelaide hundred•Associated Press123 and 71 vs Australia, Adelaide, 2018Pujara showed the value of patience on the opening day of the 2018 Adelaide Test, even as the rest of India’s batting crashed. Batting first, India found themselves on 41 for 4, with most of the batters guilty of playing loose shots. Pujara, though, held his own and almost single-handedly took India to 250, facing 246 balls for his 123. The next best score was Rohit Sharma’s 37. If that wasn’t enough, Pujara scored a vital 71 in the second innings to set Australia a target of 323. They fell short by 31.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo Ltd 50 and 77 vs Australia, Sydney, 2021 and 56 vs Australia, Brisbane, 2021Pujara was a different beast in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and not just with the amount of runs but also the way he put his body on the line. In a show of tremendous grit and resolve, he wore several blows to help India save the Sydney Test. He scored 50 off 176 balls in the first innings, but it was his 77 off 205 in the second innings that gave India the belief. Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin then showed similar resistance to deny Australia. A few days later, Pujara was at it again in Brisbane. He scored 25 off 94 in the first innings and 56 off 211 in the second, often getting pinged on the body. India eventually pulled off a famous win to take the four-match series 2-1.

Extraordinary century bends The Oval narrative to his will before India’s fightback threatens nightmare ending

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Aug-20251:58

Bangar: Brook largely responsible for what unraveled

On Saturday evening, with England one down and still 324 away from winning this fifth Test and the series, Brendon McCullum ran through the ways they could do it all.The runs would not be squarely on one man, he said. Partnerships, as they were for both previous 370-odd chases against India, would be crucial. With spirits and belief raised, McCullum sent his players away with one request: “Dream the dream”.Now, they must dream another dream. And the gorgeous nonsense of this sport is those final 35 runs will bring a more restless sleep than the night before. With Chris Woakes expected to bat if required, they at least have four wickets to come, and a heavy roller to make their beds a little comfier. Related

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They do not, however, have either Joe Root or Harry Brook. But England owe their favourable position to both. For 55.3 overs between their coming-together at 106 for 3, and Root’s dismissal at 337 for 6, Yorkshire’s favourite sons were making those dreams come true.It was during their stand of 195 that England and their fans were deep in the REM cycle: revelling in lucid streams concocted from previous happy memories, and not simply those from previous Test chases. Mohammed Siraj’s misstep on the boundary sponge at long leg, after clinging on to a Brook hook for 19, was surely just a lazy re-interpretation of Trent Boult’s similar costly error during the 2019 World Cup final.Brook, even by that point, was in his flow state, having charged Akash Deep to send him over cover for six. And so, rather than stir, he went deeper, clearing cover and then the cordon (deliberately) in the same over.At times, Brook’s tenth century felt like contorted reality, altering a few universal laws across the 91 balls it took to get there.Root, on his way to a 39th century, was playing his trusty anchor role, which offered the dressing-room and home fans grounding during such tense times. But, suddenly, the man who was No. 2 on the all-time Test run-scorers’ charts was, well, in the way. Thanks for the memories Joe, but piss off for a bit – Harry’s on one.3:37

Root: ‘Amazing spectacle to look forward to’ on fifth day

India’s pace trio, who had run roughshod over England’s line-up only two days earlier, were now being reduced to million-dollar cannon fodder.Throughout the series, India’s support staff have been stationed around the boundary – saving the fielders’ legs and buying back time for overs – but now they were contributing to the very things they were supposed to prevent.The balls were coming back from the boundary as quickly as they were heading there. At times, it was as if Shubman Gill had opted for Sisyphus at both ends. India at one point were six behind on overs, but also unable to slow the game down in a meaningful way.The clarity of Brook’s boundaries lifted the atmosphere and quietened the , despite how reliant the former had previously been on the latter. None of it really made sense.Brook’s celebration, too, was out of the ordinary. He is, by his own admission, a muted celebrator, believing hundreds are just his job. But this time he pumped his fist, screamed towards the floor, cut the air with a fling of his bat and raised both arms aloft.It was as much relief at England’s situation as a chance to draw a line under the last few weeks. Until this innings, an impressive series that ends with 481 runs at 53.44 had threatened to end with a bitter after-taste.Brook’s part in the verbals in the closing overs at Lord’s had been followed by a bigger role in the dissent that marred the end of the Emirates Old Trafford Test. It put a target on his back, and it was clear that some quarters sensed an opportunity to get at a player still relatively early in his career, despite the size of the role he plays in this batting line-up.A vital 53 on day two has now been followed by a stellar fourth-innings hundred, his second meaningful contribution in the last throes of a Test after his 75 against Australia at Headingley in 2023. This, too, may prove to be another match-winning contribution from a talent whose strike rate of 87 is the highest of anyone with more than 1000 runs to their name.”He mentioned that out there,” Root said, on Brook acknowledging the extra feeling fueling his celebrations. “I don’t even think he knew where it came from, but clearly it’s been a hard-fought series and, and he’s desperate to win games of cricket for England.”Brook’s eye-catching demise then put the onus back on Root, who did not so much assume the lead role, but took it upon himself, as he picked apart the moments that India felt might have been heading their way.Brook’s century celebrations were unusually demonstrative•Getty ImagesAfter Prasidh Krishna removed Jacob Bethell, he beat Jamie Smith twice, then Siraj attempted to pin Root down. A dabbed single to point punctured the crescendo-ing pressure, drawing relieved cheers from fans starting to wake up and face reality once more. And like all dreams, there was one last chance to clasp at a memory of love rather than fiction.A shuffle across his stumps, and a tip around the corner took Root to his hundred. After removing his helmet and initially saluting all corners, he pulled out a commemorative white headband made in honour of the late Graham Thorpe, put it on and saluted to the heavens.You always hope to do right by your mentors. And for all the work Thorpe put into Root throughout his career – the fruits of which labour have given him a shot of becoming Test cricket’s all-time run-scorer – there would have been uncertainty in the moment for Root. Doing right by someone when they pass is a duty for life.All of us are made up of pieces of those who have reared us. Root’s third century of this series, and his general standing in the game’s history, is a testament to the part that Thorpe played in that development. But the ability to pay tribute with a knock of such guts and class, in a Test dedicated to Thorpe’s legacy at his home ground, merely underlined the romance of what was unfolding in front of us.But then … a jolt of inspired bowling from Prasidh removed Root, before Siraj’s unrelenting attitude sent the day’s final half-hour into nightmare territory as far as England were concerned.Nerves rattled. Heads in space. A night’s sleep (if they can get it) will do everyone some good.What dreams await this time may finally be realised on Monday.

Khaleel Ahmed has had two good years across formats and now has his eyes set on the next goal: play Test cricket for India

Himanshu Agrawal27-Aug-2025Khaleel Ahmed first played for India in September 2018, just months before turning 21. Seven years on, with just 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is to his name, there doesn’t seem to be a way back to the national side for him.He had made a brief comeback to international cricket when he played four T20Is across India’s tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in July 2024. But that came after nearly five years out, and he hasn’t been picked for India since then.Those five years included missing almost the entire domestic season in 2022-23 because of hernia surgery. Khaleel was back to playing competitive cricket in IPL 2023, and since 2023-24, his numbers across formats in domestic cricket and the IPL, while not outstanding, have been noteworthy. And he has former India left-arm quicks Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan to thank for it.Related

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“I had to start from zero [after surgery], including learning how to walk,” Khaleel told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Duleep Trophy quarter-final, where he is part of the Central Zone squad to face North East Zone starting Thursday. “Irfan spent a lot of time with me. He showed me how I can keep my seam upright, and also helped me sharpen my skills.”He and Zaheer also advised me on how I could do well in red-ball cricket. I am fortunate and grateful to have had them available whenever I wanted to speak to them.”Sixteen of Khaleel’s 22 first-class matches have come since the 2023-24 domestic season. That includes touring Australia and England with India A, and representing Essex in county cricket. During this time, Khaleel has bagged 49 wickets at an average of 26.40. In the six games before these, he had only 11 wickets at 46.72.