India vs Australia: Rohit, Kohli under pressure ahead of crucial test series
Questions over coach Gautam Gambhir's temperament also add to batting and bowling issues
Virat Kohli
(left) and Rohit Sharma will
be under pressure to perform
By Eastern EyeNov 21, 2024
INDIA play Australia in five Tests starting on Friday(22) in Perth, after their first red-ball series defeat at home in more than a decade exposed the visitors’ growing vulnerabilities.
India won 2-1 against Australia on both of their last two Test tours, but suffered a 3-0 whitewash at home to New Zealand last month.
They now go into a series – which is crucial in deciding the finalists of the World Test Championship – with a number of issues to sort out.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were both poor with the bat against the Kiwis.
Skipper and opening batsman Rohit managed just 91 runs in three matches and Kohli only 93, including four singledigit scores across six innings.
Coach Gautam Gambhir backed his premier batsmen as “incredibly tough men” ahead of the side’s departure for Australia, and this will be the time to prove it.
Doubters say there are signs of a longer-term decline in Kohli. For years one of the world’s most feared batsmen, the 36-year-old has managed only two Test centuries in the last five years.
As for Rohit, batting great Sunil Gavaskar warned he could struggle in particular against Australian quick Mitchell Starc’s “lengths and lines”.
Rohit, 37, appears set to miss the first Test following the birth of his second child. His poor form has damaged India’s ability to start well in recent times, and placed the onus on young opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal to set the tone.
Despite his recent struggles, Rohit would have opened in Perth so now Indian selectors are pondering their replacement options.
KL Rahul looks most likely to open with Jaiswal, but he has also not been in great touch and was dropped from the final two Tests against New Zealand.
Former coach Ravi Shastri had suggested Shubman Gill could be an option to start the innings, but he looks set to miss the opening match after reportedly fracturing a thumb.
The uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran, 29, has emerged as a contender.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has lacked support at the other end with senior pacer Mohammed Shami injured and fellow quick Mohammed Siraj struggling to take wickets.
Siraj claimed two wickets from three innings in the New Zealand series and lost his place to Akash Deep.
According to media reports, Shami could make a late entry into the Test squad after an impressive comeback from injury in a domestic match and form a new-ball combination with Bumrah.
As vice-captain, Bumrah will find himself stepping up to lead the side if, as expected, Rohit misses the Perth Test.
Former Australia all-rounder Brendon Julian has said that taking all this into account, it “could be a lot of pressure on your opening bowler”.
Gambhir, a former opening batsman and successful Indian Premier League (IPL) coach, took over a triumphant national side which won the T20 World Cup in June. But the honeymoon did not last long, with pundits in India questioning the coach’s tactics in the series whitewash to New Zealand.
“I don’t think as if I am feeling the heat,” the 43-year-old fired back.
Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar cricitised Gambhir’s public defence of his side after the loss, suggesting that Rohit and chief selector Ajit Agarkar were “much better guys to front up for the media”.
Former Australia captain Tim Paine was also scathing of Gambhir, saying that “the concern for India right now isn’t Rohit Sharma’s batting, isn’t Virat Kohli’s batting – it’s their coach and his ability to stay calm under pressure”.
Veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, 38, and 35-year-old Ravindra Jadeja were outshone by their New Zealand counterparts on home soil.
Spin duo Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel bamboozled India’s batting line-up whereas Ashwin and Jadeja struggled by comparison on what should have been favourable home conditions.
Only one of the Indian slow bowlers is expected to make the playing 11 on bouncy Australian pitches where quicks will likely play a larger role.
Off-spinner Washington Sundar, 25, is in the mix after taking 16 wickets in two matches against New Zealand.
Cricket fans with their bodies painted in the colours of the Indian and Pakistani national flags pose for photographs ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan, in Ahmedabad. (PTI Photo)
INDIA and Pakistan face off on Sunday (14) in their first T20 International in more than 15 months, a contest carrying both sporting and political weight.
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has urged his players to put emotions aside after recent cross-border tensions, stressing that focus must remain on cricket.
“It’s a very sensitive issue and I’ve got no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public,” Ten Doeschate said. “But the team has to put those sentiments behind and focus on the 120 balls with bat and ball.”
The Asia Cup group-stage clash is being played under a new sports policy that allows India to face Pakistan in multinational events but not in bilateral series.
The two sides last met in June 2024. India, the reigning T20 world champions, have won 18 of their 21 matches since then and crushed hosts UAE in their opening fixture. Pakistan, under new captain Salman Ali Agha, began their campaign with a convincing win over Oman after a recent tri-series triumph in Sharjah. India began their campaign with a nine-wicket win against the UAE, bowling them out for 57 in 13.1 overs before chasing the target in just 27 balls last Thursday (11).
Suryakumar Yadav (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images) Getty Images
With both teams likely to progress to the Super Four stage – and possibly meet again in the final on September 28– Sunday’s game is seen as the first of several high-intensity encounters.
India start as favourites, but Pakistan’s fresh line-up without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan has shown promise under coach Mike Hesson.
Five match-ups to watch
Shubman Gill vs Shaheen Shah Afridi Gill, India’s vice-captain, faces Afridi for the first time in a T20 International. Afridi’s early movement remains a threat, but Gill’s strong record against left-arm seamers could make this a fascinating battle.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Saim Ayub Ayub’s fearless hitting, including his trademark ‘No Look Six’, will be tested against Bumrah’s pace and movement. How the young batter responds could shape Pakistan’s innings.
Kuldeep Yadav vs Fakhar Zaman The duel between India’s left-arm wrist-spinner and Pakistan’s aggressive opener may determine momentum. Fakhar has faced few bowlers of Kuldeep’s type in his career, making this contest especially intriguing.
Salman Ali Agha (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Abhishek Sharma vs Abrar Ahmed India’s in-form southpaw has dominated leg-spinners in recent years, scoring at a strike rate near 300. Pakistan will need to use Abrar carefully if Abhishek settles in beyond the Powerplay.
Hasan Nawaz vs Varun Chakravarthy Nawaz, Pakistan’s rising star, has a reputation for fast scoring but struggles against wrist spin. Chakravarthy’s deceptive variations may prove difficult to read.
For both sides, the game goes beyond cricket. As Doeschate said, “India do start as favourites tomorrow, but in games like this, anything can happen.”
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India began their campaign with a nine-wicket win against the UAE, bowling them out for 57 in 13.1 overs before chasing the target in just 27 balls on Thursday. (Photo: Getty Images)
AN INDIA-PAKISTAN cricket match always draws attention, and emotions are set to run high when the two teams meet on Sunday in the Asia Cup. The contest comes months after the neighbours engaged in a four-day military conflict in May.
Bilateral cricket ties between the two countries have been suspended for years, and the arch-rivals now face each other only in multi-nation tournaments. The upcoming Group A fixture will be their first meeting since the May clashes, which nearly escalated into a full-scale war.
Political relations have worsened since then, with some former Indian cricketers calling on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to boycott the match. The boycott call has been set aside, and both teams have said they will not ease up on aggression when they meet.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha have made clear they want their teams to play hard. India, the current 20-overs world champions, are also looking to defend their Asia Cup title.
"Once the BCCI said they are aligned with the government, we are here to play," India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Friday. "Once we are here to play, I think players are focused on playing cricket. I personally don't think they have anything in mind apart from playing cricket and that's what we focus on."
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson also stressed focus, though he acknowledged the intensity of the occasion.
"Being part of a highly-charged event is going to be exciting," Hesson said this week.
"From my perspective ... it is about keeping everybody focused on the job at hand. That will be no different.
"We know India are obviously hugely confident and rightfully so. But we are very much focused on improving as a team day-by-day and not getting ahead of ourselves."
India look the strongest side in the eight-team event, bolstered by the return of pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and batter Shubman Gill. They began their campaign with a nine-wicket win against the United Arab Emirates, bowling them out for 57 in 13.1 overs before chasing the target in just 27 balls on Thursday.
Pakistan started with a win against Oman but their batting has been inconsistent. They are without former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan but recently won a T20 tri-series in the UAE that also featured Afghanistan.
"We have been playing good cricket in the last two-three months and we just have to play good cricket," Pakistan captain Salman said on Friday. "If we can execute our plans for a long enough period, we are good enough to beat any team."
(With inputs from agencies)
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Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase, but Litton built a 95-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, who remained unbeaten on 35, to take the team to 144-3 in 17.4 overs. (Photo: c
CAPTAIN Litton Das scored 59 to guide Bangladesh to a seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in their opening Asia Cup match on Thursday.
Invited to bat first in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong made 143-7 with Nizakat Khan top-scoring on 42.
Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase, but Litton built a 95-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, who remained unbeaten on 35, to take the team to 144-3 in 17.4 overs. Litton reached his half-century in 33 balls before being dismissed by medium-pacer Ateeq Iqbal. Towhid then hit the winning run.
"Very important to win the first game," said Litton, who was named player of the match. "Last couple of series, we have played good cricket. But in Asia Cup, little bit of pressure comes automatically."
This was Bangladesh’s first T20 win over Hong Kong, who had beaten them in their only previous meeting in 2014.
Hong Kong suffered their second loss in Group B, which also features Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs in the tournament opener.
In their innings, Hong Kong lost two quick wickets before Nizakat added 41 with Zeeshan Ali, who made 30. He then put on 46 with captain Yasim Murtaza, who scored 28 off 19 balls. Murtaza was run out and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain struck twice in the next over, including Nizakat’s wicket.
"I am happy with the way our batters scored," said Murtaza. "But I will be happier if we got 160-170 plus -- that would be a different total."
Tanzim Hasan Sakib impressed with 2-21 in four overs, while Taskin Ahmed and Rishad also claimed two wickets each.
Bangladesh slipped to 47-2 in reply but Litton and Towhid steadied the chase.
Pakistan face Oman on Friday in Dubai. The Asia Cup is also a build-up to the T20 World Cup scheduled in India and Sri Lanka in February-March.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Kuldeep picked three wickets in one over with his left-arm wrist spin as India bowled out UAE for 57 in 13.1 overs after choosing to field.
KULDEEP YADAV took 4-7 as India began their Asia Cup campaign with a nine-wicket win over hosts United Arab Emirates in Dubai on Wednesday.
Kuldeep picked three wickets in one over with his left-arm wrist spin as India bowled out UAE for 57 in 13.1 overs after choosing to field.
India chased down the target in 4.3 overs. Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma hit 30 off 16 balls, while vice-captain Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 20.
The bowlers set up the win for India, with medium-pacer Shivam Dube taking three wickets before Kuldeep finished the innings.
"Clinical performance from the boys," captain Suryakumar Yadav said. "Wanted good energy and attitude in the field and that carried over into the batting."
UAE opener Alishan Sharafu scored 22 off 17 balls before falling to Jasprit Bumrah. Captain Muhammad Waseem made 19 and was the only other batter to reach double figures.
Kuldeep dismissed Waseem in his second over, claiming three wickets in total in that spell. He was named player of the match and said it was the "perfect" return in his first T20 outing for India since the World Cup win in Barbados last year.
Chasing 58, world number one T20 batter Sharma attacked spinner Haider Ali for a six and a four, hitting two more sixes before being dismissed by Junaid Siddique. Gill completed the win with a boundary, while Suryakumar remained unbeaten on seven.
"We can say that they (India) are a brilliant team and are bowling really well," Waseem said. "They executed their plan for every batter. That is why they are the number one team. As a team, we have to come back stronger and we have to learn from these mistakes."
India, who won the last Asia Cup in the 50-over format in 2023, will next play Pakistan on Sunday.
(With inputs from agencies)
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England manager Thomas Tuchel gives instructions to England's Djed Spence before he comes on as a substitute.
TOTTENHAM Hotspur defender Djed Spence made his England debut on Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim to play for the national team.
The 25-year-old came on as a substitute in the 69th minute, replacing Chelsea’s Reece James during England’s 5-0 World Cup qualifying win in Belgrade.
"I was surprised because I didn't know I was the first, so it's a blessing," Spence, who was born in London, said after the match.
"It's good to make history and hopefully inspire young kids around the world that they can make it as well. They can do what I am doing."
Spence’s debut was described as a significant moment for British Muslims, who remain under-represented in professional football despite making up 6 per cent of the UK population.
"It's a moment of celebration for British Muslims," said Ebadur Rahman, founder of Nujum Sports, an organisation that supports more than 400 Muslim athletes.
"Djed has big responsibility on his shoulders - not only is he playing for England, he is playing for Muslims around the world because he is now a role model breaking a barrier."
Spence started his career at Middlesbrough before moving to Tottenham in 2022. After loans to other clubs, he became a regular in the squad and featured in their Europa League final win last season.
His selection for England is being seen as a breakthrough for Muslim players in the country.
"We just haven't had the Muslim players coming through," said Yunus Lunat, grassroots coach and former chair of the FA's race equality advisory board.
"Muslims haven't had enough opportunities or enough role models for young, aspiring players to follow. It's not particularly good that it's taken until 2025 for a Muslim to play for England."
Spence said the moment carried deep meaning for him.
"Whatever religion you believe in, just believe in God," he said.
"Days like today are special because of God, for me. I was a little bit emotional because the journey hasn't been easy. But I am officially an England player now and I am over the moon."