Latest news with #XI
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Jadeja can't be effective in England': India must be willing to lose matches and change spin mindset, says Brad Haddin
Former Australia wicket-keeper Brad Haddin questioned the role of Ravindra Jadeja as the lead spinner in India's Test line-up in England after his underwhelming performance in the first Test defeat at Headingley earlier this week. With wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav sitting out, Jadeja played as the sole spin option and was marked to play a key holding role against the Englishmen. However, Jadeja failed to induce any pressure until late on day five when the ball occasionally spun from the footholes. As England gunned down 350 of the 371-run target on the final day, the 36-year-old left-arm spinner conceded 104 runs in 24 overs at 4.33 for a solitary wicket. Haddin reckoned that the declining all-rounder was not India's most effective spin option in the conditions and said Jadeja could, at best, play a supporting role as the second spinner abroad. 'Are we seeing the decline of Ravindra Jadeja? I mean yes, he is effective in Indian conditions and how hard it is to play left-arm spin in India, but I don't think he is the best option to have in the team spin wise,' Haddin said on the Willow Talk podcast. With veteran Ashwin retired and Jadeja's overseas performances on the wane, Haddin said India must be look at more attacking tweakers and be willing to sacrifice a few matches to unearth new heroes. 'I don't think Jadeja can be effective. Yes, he is good all-rounder and he could play as a second spinner – hold at the other end. But I think they need to be more attacking, be willing to lose a Test match with some inexperienced bowlers but change their mindset at the way they go about it,' Haddin added. Haddin also suggested that India must rope in left arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the XI alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy to reduce the impact of benching Jadeja. 'I would look at Kuldeep. Someone who is an attacking spinner, who can get wickets. You've got a couple of hold-in bowlers. Siraj can play that role, but I think they need to be a bit more bold in their selection of bowlers,' he said. 'If Reddy plays, then you don't have to play Jadeja and bring the attacking spin option. I think that's one thing they've got to look at, especially away from home,' he added. Former England batter Mark Butcher had lambasted Jadeja's bowling after the first Test. 'I could not believe how poorly Jadeja bowled, really,' said Mark Butcher on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast. 'I'd likened it to owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist instead – not landing the ball in the rough at all until, basically, it was too late. That was extraordinary, really. 'You talk about experience, and Jadeja has all the experience in the world. Somehow, it didn't seem to click to him or Rishabh Pant, the keeper, that it might be a good idea not to keep missing the rough all day to the left-handers,' he added after Jadeja's match figures read 47 overs, 172 runs and one wicket.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Rocky Bushiri signs new Hibs deal as length confirmed
Bushiri started the campaign out of the XI but stayed patient and then made sure he was a key contributor when he got his chance. A rock at the back, he also scored big goals against Aberdeen and Rangers. The DR Congo international had interest from down in England and overseas but has chosen to keep plying his trade at Easter Road for the next three years. Gray said: 'I am delighted that we've been able to agree a three-year deal with Rocky. Read more: 'Rocky played a huge part in our success last season not only on the pitch but off it in the dressing room too. As a character, he's a perfect role model; he always works as hard as he can, is consistently trying to push himself, and he's a real leader. 'As a player, it was clear to see we saw the best of him last season. He has the perfect physical attributes for Scottish football and was growing in confidence and developing week on week. 'We look forward to working with him and helping him develop further over the next few years.' Sporting director Malky Mackay added: 'Unsurprisingly there were a number of teams interested in Rocky this summer, so we're really pleased he saw his future with us. 'We want to keep good people and good players at the Football Club, and Rocky is both of those. He'd a leader in the dressing room, cares about his teammates, and cares about the Football Club. 'He has great ambitions moving forward and a deep desire to play for DR Congo, and we want to help him achieve those. I look forward to seeing him out on the pitch again at Easter Road.'
India Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Stuart Broad highlights India's major blunder in Leeds Test: Team selection was wrong
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has highlighted India's major blunder in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds. England beat India by five wickets as they chased down the massive target of 371 in the first innings. As a result, India became the first team in the history of the game to lose a Test after scoring five India's loss, Stuart Broad analysed their tactics and mentioned that they got their playing combination wrong. The former seamer stated that the inclusion of left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav instead of Shardul Thakur would've made a lot of difference in the game, given England's struggles against wrist think they got their team selection wrong, if I'm honest. Kuldeep Yadav should have played instead of Shardul Thakur. Especially with the kind of pitch and England's known struggle against wrist spin, Kuldeep could have made a big difference,' Broad said on 'For the Love of Cricket'. Furthermore, Broad suggested including Arshdeep Singh into playing XI for the second Test in Birmingham with doubts of Jasprit Bumrah's selection.'If Bumrah is going to be rested at Edgbaston, I'd be tempted to bring in Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm angle and his ability to swing the ball early on could offer something different to India's bowling attack. While Prasidh Krishna improved in the second innings, the attack overall lacked control and wicket-taking not panic stations. You can't afford to rip up plans after one loss. India were in control for most of the Test, and just need a few tweaks rather than wholesale changes,' he Singh earned his maiden Test call-up for the ongoing series against England. He reaped the benefits of impressing with his ability to swing the new ball in the shorter formats, which makes him an ideal candidate for English left-arm seamer has played 21 first-class matches and picked 66 wickets at an average of 30.37 with two five-wicket hauls to his name. It remains to be seen if Arshdeep Singh makes it into the playing XI, especially with the presence of experienced seamer Akash Deep in the squad.- EndsTrending Reel
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
ZIM vs SA 1st Test: South Africa to test new players against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo
South Africa tasted long-awaited success with victory in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia earlier this month, but there will be several new faces for the first Test against Zimbabwe that starts in Bulawayo on Saturday. Captain Temba Bavuma has not recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in the five-wicket win at Lord's, while batters Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs, and bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, are all rested. The latter will be available for the second Test, but with seven of the XI who started at Lord's missing the series opener at the Queen's Sports Club, it will be a new-look line-up with much to prove. Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis and 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius are all young, attacking batters, and it is likely at least two of the three will play. The more experienced Lesego Senokwane could also make his international debut. The expected slow wicket means stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj and off-spinning all-rounder Prenelan Subrayen will likely both play, but firebrand 19-year-old fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, who debuted against Pakistan earlier this year, could also be given a chance. Uncapped seamer Codi Yusuf is also in the squad. 'I think there's a lot of guys who want to prove a point, why they're here, and how well they've played over the last couple of domestic seasons to get here,' all-rounder Wiaan Mulder told reporters. 'We look at ourselves as world champions. That's the standard we set for ourselves. Everybody has that in the back of their mind. We are not trying to become something new. The guys that are going to fill a spot or take someone like Ricks' (Rickelton) or Marco's (Jansen) place are going to put them under pressure when they come back.' Zimbabwe will also be missing several of its regular players, including the injured pair of batter Ben Curran and new-ball bowler Richard Ngarava. Experienced middle-order batter and spin option Sikandar Raza has opted to play in Major League Cricket over this period. 'There's a real buzz around the squad. I think they're very excited. I'm super excited for the challenge that lies ahead and the guys are amped for it,' Zimbabwe's South African-born coach Justin Sammons said. 'They're looking forward to testing themselves and showing what they're capable of. I think they really want to make a statement over the next couple of weeks.' South Africa has won eight of its previous nine Tests against Zimbabwe, with a single draw in 2001, which was also its only previous fixture in Bulawayo.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Could not believe how poorly Ravindra Jadeja bowled': Mark Butcher's verdict after Leeds Test
Ravindra Jadeja has been pilloried for his efforts with the ball in the first India versus England Test at Headingley, where he laboured for nearly 50 overs and ended with just one wicket to show for it. Ben Stokes, who aided his own downfall by going for an audacious reverse sweep in the second innings with the finish line appearing close, was Jadeja's only victim at Leeds. Jadeja's figures with the ball at the end of the first Test read: 47 overs, 172 runs and one wicket. With the bat too, Jadeja, one of India's senior-most players in the XI could manage just 11 and 25*. 'I could not believe how poorly Jadeja bowled, really,' said former England batter Mark Butcher on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast. 'I'd likened it to owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist instead – not landing the ball in the rough at all until, basically, it was too late. That was extraordinary, really. 'You talk about experience, and Jadeja has all the experience in the world. Somehow, it didn't seem to click to him or Rishabh Pant, the keeper, that it might be a good idea not to keep missing the rough all day to the left-handers.' Butcher then pointed out how picking Shardul Thakur had dulled their attack with the ball. 'The issue around the lineup itself… how much more interesting might that last day have been had they gone for Kuldeep [Yadav] instead of [Shardul] Thakur, Thakur had had a really poor game until that one over where he gave India a tiny sniff at the back-end. 'If you're not contributing with the bat down there at No.8, you damn well be taking wickets, and be in the game as a bowler for more of the game than he was,' he added. After losing the first Test to England at Headingley in Leeds by five wickets, India will be back in action on July 2-6 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
