Rohit Sharma considers playing second spinner in Melbourne
"Whatever we have to do to make the best possible XI in these conditions, we will do that -- whether that is playing an extra spinner or not," Rohit said during a media interaction.
The pitch is predicted to favour fast bowlers, according to the curator earlier this week, but Rohit hinted at the possibility of a change in strategy. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA captain Rohit Sharma remained non-committal about his team’s lineup for the Boxing Day Test against Australia, indicating that a second spinner could be included.
The match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is expected to see temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The pitch is predicted to favour fast bowlers, according to the curator earlier this week, but Rohit hinted at the possibility of a change in strategy.
"Whatever we have to do to make the best possible XI in these conditions, we will do that -- whether that is playing an extra spinner or not," Rohit said during a media interaction.
With off-spinning allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from international cricket after the Brisbane Test, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to retain his spot in the playing XI. Washington Sundar is another spin option being considered.
India’s pace attack has largely been carried by Jasprit Bumrah, who has performed strongly throughout the series.
However, the other fast bowlers have struggled to provide consistent support. Speedster Akash Deep replaced Harshit Rana after the latter’s poor performance in Brisbane and is expected to play alongside Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy, should India stick with three pacers.
Despite the mixed performance from the pace attack, Rohit expressed confidence in his bowlers. “When you talk about our bowling unit, I have enough faith in all our bowlers to get the job done,” he said. “Anyone can have tough games or series. It doesn’t mean they are not good enough to perform at this level.”
Rohit himself has been under scrutiny, having missed the first Test in Perth for personal reasons. In the subsequent games in Adelaide and Brisbane, he batted at number six instead of opening, allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to stay at the top of the order.
There is speculation that Rohit may open in Melbourne, but he deflected questions on the topic. “Let’s not worry about that,” he said. “I think who bats where is something that we need to figure out within ourselves. Whatever it takes for our team to look good or gives us the best chance to succeed, we’ll try and do that.”
The series is currently tied at 1-1. India secured a dominant 295-run victory in Perth but suffered a 10-wicket defeat in Adelaide. The third Test in Brisbane ended in a draw due to persistent rain.
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot on the opening day of the first cricket test match between England and India at Headingley cricket ground in Leeds on June 20, 2025.
ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first against India in the opening Test at Headingley on Friday.
The match began under clear skies and with a pitch showing only a slight green tinge, suggesting decent conditions for batting in the first game of the five-Test series.
Stokes said: "Headingley is generally a good cricket wicket, we have had some good games here over the years so we will look to use the early conditions and get a bit out of it (the pitch)."
England had already named their team, with two changes from the side that beat Zimbabwe by an innings at Trent Bridge. Chris Woakes returned in place of the injured Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse was included for his home debut.
India handed a debut to Sai Sudharsan, who was listed to bat at number three. New captain Shubman Gill was set to bat at number four.
India are aiming for their third Test series win in England, following previous victories in 1971, 1986 and 2007. Gill said: "Preparation has been amazing, I think all the boys are feeling in a good space mentally and physically."
The match also marks the start of a new cycle in the World Test Championship, following South Africa’s win over Australia in last week’s final at Lord's.
Both teams wore black armbands in memory of those who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, where all but one of the 242 people on board were killed.
Teams
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have recently announced their retirements from Test cricket. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA will miss Virat Kohli more than Rohit Sharma in the upcoming Test series against England, according to former England captain Geoffrey Boycott. Kohli and Rohit’s recent retirement from the format will affect India’s chances in the five-match series starting Friday, he said.
The two teams begin their new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with this series, which will be played over six weeks.
“The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hurts the chances of India beating England. Kohli is the biggest loss as he has been their best batsman and talisman in all three formats,” Boycott wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph.
“With so much international cricket played by India, and so little rest, it takes its toll and the mind becomes fatigued.”
'Kohli won’t be easy to replace'
Boycott called Kohli’s exit a bigger loss, saying mental freshness is key in Test cricket.
“It does not matter how much talent or experience you have, if you are not mentally fresh and up for the challenge then it becomes draining.
“Rohit was a superb batsman. At his best, a beautiful stroke player, but he won't be missed as much as Kohli because his Test record was good rather than exceptional. In the last couple of years his batting was a little inconsistent, which was not surprising in his late 30s.
“Rohit was never a natural athlete like Kohli and he knows that opening the innings in England can be pretty tough because the new ball moves around more. You really have to be up for the challenge to have any chance of success.
“I just think that over time the wear and tear of opening the innings and being captain in all three formats wore him down,” Boycott wrote.
'England need to control Bazball'
Kohli and Rohit announced their retirement from Test cricket last month. Shubman Gill has since been appointed captain in Rohit’s place. India last won a Test series in England in 2007. England are coming into the series after winning a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
Boycott advised the Ben Stokes-led side to moderate their attacking ‘Bazball’ approach.
“England should beat India if they temper Bazball and use some common sense. At times their cricket has been thrilling and super enjoyable but also reckless batting has lost them Test matches.
“Their only thought should be winning because it is no use telling us how good you are when the last three World Test Championship finals have been played in our country but England have not qualified for any of them. They should be embarrassed. Their aim should be to make the next WTC final.
“The new cycle starts now and somebody needs to get through to the England players that being a winner is better than being known as an entertainer. If you can win and entertain, that is a bonus. At the moment England are like a one-trick-pony.”
'Don’t get complacent'
Boycott also warned England against taking India lightly, even in the absence of their senior players.
“It’s Bazball or Bazball and that is the way we play; take it or leave it. They don’t want to change or learn from their losses. It doesn’t seem to make any difference that so many top class ex-England Test players keep telling them to moderate their batting.
“So please, get your act together, bring your best game and apply some cricket nous,” Boycott wrote.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Temba Bavuma of South Africa lifts the ICC World Test Championship Mace with teammates following his team's victory on Day Four of the WTC final against Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground on June 14. (Photo: Getty Images)
AIDEN MARKRAM's century helped South Africa secure a five-wicket win over Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on Saturday. With this result, South Africa claimed their first major global title in men’s cricket.
Set 282 to win, South Africa reached the target before lunch on the fourth day, finishing on 282-5. Markram was dismissed for 136 after bringing his team to within six runs of victory.
The Proteas resumed on 213-2, needing 69 runs more. Markram, who had been out for a duck in the first innings, was unbeaten on 102 at the start of the day. Captain Temba Bavuma was on 65 despite struggling with a hamstring injury.
South Africa’s history in knockout games had often been marked by defeats, including 18 failed attempts in previous ODI and T20 World Cups. They had only reached one final before this – last year’s T20 World Cup in Barbados, where they lost to India after requiring just 30 runs from the last 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
On Saturday, however, South Africa held on to win. A team without many big names succeeded where players like Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis had not.
South Africa had an early setback when Bavuma, adding only one run to his overnight score, was caught behind off Australia captain Pat Cummins. His partnership with Markram ended at 147, but South Africa were still in control at 217-3.
With clear skies and a flat pitch, conditions were in the batters’ favour. Markram continued, cutting Cummins for four and later pulling him again to bring the target down to 50.
Cummins brought on Nathan Lyon, hoping for spin. But it was Mitchell Starc who got a breakthrough, bowling Tristan Stubbs for eight with a delivery that cut in sharply.
Australia took the new ball with South Africa at 268-4, needing just 14 more runs. Markram then drove Josh Hazlewood’s first ball for four and followed it up with three more runs off the next.
He fell shortly after, pulling Hazlewood to Travis Head at midwicket. His 207-ball innings included 14 fours.
Markram walked back to a standing ovation. Several Australian players shook his hand.
Kyle Verreynne then scored the winning run. He might have been out had Australia had any reviews remaining. South Africa’s 282-5 became the second-highest fourth-innings chase in a Lord’s Test, behind the West Indies’ 344-1 against England in 1984.
Kagiso Rabada also played a key role in the victory, finishing with match figures of 9-110.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli (C), along with his teammates, celebrates with the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 final cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 4, 2025. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
BRITISH giant Diageo is exploring the sale of its controlling stake in India's Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team, potentially valuing the newly-crowned champions at up to £1.6 billion ($2bn).
The maker of Guinness and Johnnie Walker whisky is weighing its options for the Indian Premier League franchise, including selling part or all of its ownership through United Spirits, its Indian subsidiary where it holds a 55.9 per cent controlling interest, reported the Bloomberg.
Reports said that the London-based company has been in talks with potential advisers about various possibilities for the team, though no final decision has been made and Diageo may choose to keep the franchise.
United Spirits quickly dismissed the speculation in a stock exchange filing, calling reports of a potential sale "speculative in nature" and adding it was "not pursuing any such discussions". Diageo declined to comment when approached.
The timing of these discussions coincides with mounting pressure from India's health ministry, which is pushing to ban all tobacco and alcohol advertising from the IPL. Current Indian law already prohibits direct promotion of these products, forcing companies like Diageo to advertise alternative products using cricket stars instead.
However, the triumph was overshadowed by tragedy when a deadly stampede during the team's victory celebrations in Bengaluru killed at least 11 people, creating reputational challenges for the franchise owners.
Diageo's connection to the team traces back to troubled aviation entrepreneur Vijay Mallya, once known as "India's Richard Branson" and "the king of good times".
Mallya was forced to sell his spirits empire to Diageo for £60 million thirteen years ago to raise funds for his failing Kingfisher Airlines, which eventually collapsed in 2012 owing roughly £1bn to banks.
The potential disposal fits with Diageo's broader strategy to streamline its global portfolio. Finance chief Nik Jhangiani recently outlined plans for "substantial" disposals beyond the "usual smaller brand disposals" as part of a £400m cost-cutting programme.
"It's clearly going to be above and beyond the usual smaller brand disposals you've seen over the last three years," Jhangiani said during the company's third-quarter update.
The company has already begun reducing its exposure in various markets, selling its Nigerian and Ghanaian Guinness operations last year and swapping Cîroc vodka rights for basketball star LeBron James-backed tequila brand Lobos 1707 in April.
Any sale would come at a time when IPL team valuations are soaring, making franchises among the most coveted assets in global sport. The league has grown into a commercial powerhouse rivalling the NFL and Premier League, with its short three-hour matches attracting hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
Diageo aims to generate around £2.4bn in free cash flow from 2026, supported by its cost-saving programme, to fund further investments and improve its financial position amid challenging market conditions in key regions like the US.
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Kagiso Rabada celebrates with teammate Kyle Verreynne after taking the wicket of Alex Carey during day two of the WTC Final 2025 between South Africa and Australia at Lord's on June 12, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
SOUTH AFRICA remain confident about chasing down a big target in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, despite the match being dominated by the bowlers so far.
David Bedingham, who top scored with 45 in South Africa’s first innings total of 138, said the team believed they could chase whatever target Australia set.
Australia, who lead by 218 runs with two second innings wickets remaining, will resume on Friday aiming to stretch their lead further and put South Africa under more pressure.
“I think it's just an amazing chance. And I think we're all very, very excited about the opportunity to win,” Bedingham said after the second day’s play.
“Like I said, it could go either way, but I think us as a team are very, very excited and there's a lot of belief in the dressing room.”
With 28 wickets falling over the first two days, bowlers have dominated the contest so far. South Africa’s chances of chasing down the target appear challenging.
“I think when you have six quality seamers on a tricky pitch, it obviously makes batting tough. But I think the way the game's going, I think the wicket has slowed down a bit. The nicks aren't carrying," Bedingham said.
“So I think in the fourth innings, they'll maybe come a bit straighter, and hopefully we can get those runs.”
He said Australia’s bowling, led by Pat Cummins who took six wickets on Thursday, had been difficult to handle.
“Personally, I don't think the Australians gave us any bad balls. That's why they're the best in the world.
“But hopefully, going forward, we can just counteract that and win the World Test Championship. The main thing is just to 100% commit if you are defending or attacking. I think as soon as you get caught in two minds against this attack, you get found out,” he said.
The third-highest successful chase at Lord’s is England’s 277 against New Zealand three years ago. West Indies chased down 342 against England in 1984, while England scored 282 against New Zealand in 2004.
England also chased 218 against New Zealand in 1965, which is the fourth-highest successful chase at the venue.