Rohit Sharma shared his thoughts on social media for the first time after the heartbreaking World Cup for India on Wednesday. He candidly discussed how emotionally taxing the India defeat to Australia in the ODI World Cup final was for him. After India had been performing well in the competition, the loss came as a shock to Rohit, who had to cope with the fallout.

On Wednesday, December 13, South Africa and India will play their third and final Twenty20 international match at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium. The second T20I proved to be quite important after the previous one was swept. After winning the toss, Aiden Makram chose to bowl first. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who were the first players to be ejected by the visitors before they could pose a threat to the scoring, gave the team a terrible start. Despite having more experience than players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma was chosen for the playing XI. Despite having a strong start, the southpaw was unable to build on it.

Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper of India and the top-ranked T20I batsman, put together an impressive 70 runs off of 48 balls for the fourth wicket. After the veteran was out for a 36-ball 56, it fell to Rinku to lead India to a significant victory. The little batsman had an impressive performance, hitting an undefeated 68 off just 39 balls. In the latter stages, India lost a few wickets quickly. Play was halted by rain in 19.3 overs, with them at 180/7. The Proteas’ two best bowlers were Gerald Coetzee (3/32) and Tabraiz Shamsi (1/18).

The hosts were given a revised goal of 152 runs in 15 overs following the rain break. The Indian bowlers found it difficult to contain the top order of South Africa. After a commanding 30-ball partnership of 54 runs between Reeza Hendricks and Markram, Tristan Stubbs and Andile Phehlukwayo completed the picture. The Indian bowlers had a tough time holding the ball since it was getting wet every time it was struck down the ground, making circumstances difficult for them. Using the DLS technique, South Africa ultimately prevailed by five wickets with seven balls remaining. India’s chances of winning the series are now slim. They can only tie the series at one game remaining.

Pitch report for Wanderers Stadium
One of the Rainbow Nation’s most batter-friendly stadiums is The Wanderers. In T20Is, the average score after one inning is 173. At this location, the West Indies achieved the most successful chase, scoring 236/6 in 19.2 overs against South Africa. Teams trailing have won 17 games, while teams batting first have won 15. The good news is that there is no probability of rain in Johannesburg on match day, according to AccuWeather.

Most Likely Starting XI
South Africa

Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen were only chosen for the first two games of the tournament; they are projected to quit the team, forcing South Africa to rely more heavily on their fast bowling resources. Uncapped pacers: Ottniel Baartman and Nandre Burger may take their spot. But if the hosts follow this path, the batting lineup would appear very thin because Jansen is a highly valuable batsman at No. 7. The home team may choose to replace Coetzee with one of Burger and Baartman’s players and bring in the explosive Donovan Ferreira to fill his absence. In this scenario, Markram will need to bowl four overs.

Predicted starting lineup: David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nandre Burger, Ottniel Baartman, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi, Aiden Markram (C), Matthew Breetzke, Reeza Hendricks, and Heinrich Klaasen (WK).

India

In terms of selection for the second Twenty20 International, India took a few risks. They selected Tilak instead of the more seasoned Shreyas Iyer, who earlier this month hit fifty runs in India’s final Twenty20 International match against Australia. Additionally, they did not include Ravi Bishnoi in the starting XI. Bishnoi was the Player of the Series winner in the most recent T20I series against Australia. If they are re-added to the squad for the game that matters most, it will be intriguing to see.

Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Rinku Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Mukesh Kumar are the predicted starting eleven.

T20Is Head-to-Head Records between SA and IND:
Matches Played 26
India won 13
South Africa won 11
NR 2
First Meeting 1 December, 2006
Last Meeting 12 December, 2023
SA vs IND 3rd T20I Broadcast details:
Date Thursday, December 14
Timing 08:30 PM (IST)
Live Streaming Disney+Hotstar
Live Broadcast Star Sports Network

Rain played spoilsport and made the surface unfit for play, forcing South Africa and India to postpone their first Twenty20 international of the present series. On Sunday, December 10, both teams were scheduled to play at Kingsmead Stadium. It is noteworthy that Cricket South Africa (CSA) expects to make over a billion rand ($53 million) from the series against the Men in Blue alone, mostly from TV rights. But the Proteas suffered an early defeat in the series due to a wet start. In relation to this, former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar assumed the spotlight and examined how the CSA was getting ready for the opening Twenty20 international in Durban. In the first Twenty20 International, the 74-year-old described how the rain did not cover the entire field.

It doesn’t begin for another hour if the earth is still exposed and the rain stops. Abruptly, the rain returns. Thus, there is absolutely no play. Everyone is receiving large sums of money (cricket boards). Let’s be clear about this. Every cricket board is quite wealthy. They are lying if they claim not to. They may not own the same wealth as the BCCI. Alright, it makes sense. However, Gavaskar told Star Sports, “every board has the funds to purchase these covers to cover the entire ground.”

Let’s not make an apology. Sunil Gavaskar
In addition, Gavaskar spoke highly of former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, pointing out that Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the only venue in the country equipped with a completely covered rain management system.

“At this point, the boards must completely cover the ground. We shall make no excuses. I seem to recall that there was a Test match at Eden Gardens when the game didn’t start due to an issue. Eden Gardens had the entire field covered for the next game. That’s the type of initiative you should strive for. “The person in charge was Sourav Ganguly, who ensured that Eden Gardens remained blame-free,” stated Gavaskar.

As David Warner prepares to retire, all eyes will be on the person who will take over as Australia’s opening man once he leaves. The hero of Australia’s ODI World Cup victory, Travis Head, has dismissed any speculation that he would take first place.

In Test cricket, Head highlighted that opening the batting is a “specialist job.”. Travis Head said that the players who have been waiting a long time to join the squad should get a chance first, despite his outstanding performances at the top of the order in the ODI format.

“The first opportunity should go to the people who have been waiting a long time to join the team. However, discussions with everyone are still ongoing; for me, the opening in the subcontinent is the only one, according to Head’s comments as cited by ESPNcricinfo.

Andrew McDonald, Australia’s head coach, has alluded to an unusual selection for Warner’s heir. Head thinks the selectors are happy with his middle-order effort, though.

“[Selectors] are pleased with my middle-order performance. In the future, I don’t see myself traveling about too much,” he declared.

The three most probable candidates to start are Marcus Harris, Matthew Renshaw, and Cameron Bancroft. These players are still being considered by selectors because of their performance in the home arena. Head, who had, owing to an injury, replaced Warner as an opener during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year in India, said that his concentration is on the middle order and that he is dedicated to contributing where he has excelled over the previous two years. “I think [opening] it’s a specialist job,” he stated.

Not sure whether I’ll make it to that T20 World Cup: Travis Head
After being instrumental in Australia’s ODI World Cup victory, Head’s focus is now on Test cricket, with the opening match against Pakistan scheduled for December 14. He stated that he was really interested in clinching a berth for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA next year after thinking back on his previous T20I series against India.

“Since I’m not guaranteed a spot in that T20 World Cup, I wanted to show up, give it my all, and attempt to earn a spot on the squad. We thought playing the three T20s was a better opportunity than Shield,” Head remarked. “We haven’t got many T20 opportunities coming up over the next little bit, so it was sort of that last chance to press my claims to make sure that I’m in the mix.”

Head was upbeat, despite his damaged hand not feeling fully recovered. He admitted that the training at the WACA field had been dull.

“It was a pretty average training session yesterday. The wicket is trickier,” Travis Head remarked. Nothing much has changed on my end; I try to be upbeat. I want to be bold, but I also want to use the proper ratios.”

In Australia, Head has become a hero to many admirers; some even dress up as him for holiday get-togethers. He anticipates a resounding reception from the local supporters coming to the Perth Test.

Head is focused on his middle-order position and hopes to carry on his cricket career with the same positive vibes that have made him a beloved figure in Australia as the first Test match against Pakistan draws near.

Unexpectedly, match officials at the GMHBA Stadium in Geelong called off the fourth Big Bash League (BBL) game between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers because they deemed the playing surface “unsafe.” The Renegades also released a formal statement regarding the same.

The club asserts that the intense rain that fell before the game caused a damp spot, which is why the umpires stopped play during the seventh over. In the meantime, Cricket Australia (CA) declared that it would examine the cause of the match’s cancellation.

According to the governing body’s statement, “Cricket Australia (CA) will conduct a thorough review into the extremely frustrating circumstances that have resulted in the game’s abandonment and a huge disappointment for fans and players.”

In the event that the game cannot be postponed, the regulating board further declared that both sides would split one point each.

Before the game, Head Coach Adam Voges of the Scorchers expressed his worries about the wicket. Along with discussing the disappointment of the fans, he expressed gratitude to Melbourne Renegades management for guaranteeing refunds to all general public ticket buyers.

“The batters still took a couple hits to the stomach, but overall, I’m glad that nobody was gravely hurt in this incident. Though I believe they finally made the right decision, it is disheartening for everyone who came out to watch tonight. We came here to win the game, so it’s disappointing that we split the points while not doing anything wrong, he remarked.

“Our first thoughts are with our supporters, the devoted Geelong and Victoria followers that we have. The events of tonight have left us deeply disillusioned. Our supporters had every right to be deeply disappointed because we played the Scorchers in a crucial game. We’ll talk about the results of that fantastic cricket night in the coming days. It was supposed to be fantastic. The team’s general manager, James Rosengarten, stated in a statement: “The club will ensure that all general public ticket purchasers receive a refund.”

In a stunning display of batting prowess, Australian player Jake Fraser-McGurk recorded the fastest century in professional cricket history. In October, he played for South Australia in the Marsh One-Day Cup, and his amazing performance of 125 runs off just 38 balls mesmerized cricket fans all around the world. By far, the explosive hitter has played for Cricket Australia XI and Australia under-19.

He recently revealed a significant shift in his strategy, citing Indian cricket great Virat Kohli as an inspiration. In prior seasons, he said, he had not watched the ball very intently. But he tried to mimic the laser-like focus and sharp attention to detail of Kohli, hoping to identify the ball’s seam and respond without thinking. His game-changing century came about as a result of this vital modification to his batting approach.

“I feel like, I know this sounds strange, but I haven’t been watching the ball as much as I could the past few seasons. Players such as Virat Kohlikar have quite wide eyes when they face up. According to Fraser-McGurk, who spoke to Fox Sports, “He’s studying it like a hawk, so I figured I could learn something from that and try to find the ball’s seam before just acting on instinct and believing my gut.”

The ultimate ambition of Fraser McGurk is to represent Australia in the Whites.
The 21-year-old expressed her love for Travis Head, the hero of Australia’s 2023 World Cup. The right-handed batter had success this season by applying Head’s commitment and unique flair to his own game. In addition to captivating cricket enthusiasts, his extraordinary accomplishments have elevated him to the forefront of possible IPL chances.

In the Big Bash League of 2023–24, McGurk is scheduled to play for the Melbourne Renegades. A pair of outstanding innings coupled with a solid start might put the young Australian on the IPL teams’ radar. Fraser-McGurk is still committed to his ultimate goal of playing Test cricket for Australia, even with the possibility of a big IPL contract.

November 2023: The competition for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award is intensifying after an incredible month of cricket performances. Along with Mohammed Shami, the master of fast bowling from India who was a major factor in India’s success in the major tournament, there are two World Cup-winning Australians, Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell, among the competitors.

The Australian batting star Travis Head has returned from a protracted injury break with incredible grace. He proved his mettle in the one-day internationals against New Zealand, amassing 220 runs at an astounding average of 44 across five games. Australia’s sixth World Cup triumph was secured in large part thanks to Head’s outstanding efforts in the semifinal and championship games.

In the semi-final match against South Africa, Head was outstanding with the bat and had a significant influence with the ball as well. He took two vital wickets to disrupt the Proteas’ innings reconstruction. He was instrumental in Australia’s win, having saved them from a dire situation at 47/3 with his amazing performance of 137 from 120 balls in the final match against India.

Glenn Maxwell is another Australian who dazzled everyone at the main event with his talents. Maxwell triumphed against Afghanistan on his comeback, despite an injury that prevented him from playing in a World Cup match. Among his many achievements was a double century that broke records, becoming the second-fastest double ton in history and the first by an Australian in men’s ODIs. With 21 fours and 10 sixes, Maxwell’s outstanding power-hitting exhibition demonstrated his ability as a genuine all-rounder.

With a stunning hundred in the third Twenty20 International, Maxwell’s valiant efforts continued into the T20I series against India, where he was instrumental in Australia’s victory. His flawless innings of 104* off 48 balls, which included eight fours and eight sixes, proved to be the crucial factor in chasing down India’s formidable 223 total.

Mohammed Shami, an Indian pacer, dominated the bowling ranks at the ODI World Cup.
The fierce Indian pacer Mohammed Shami stood out among the competitors in the just finished ODI World Cup. With an astounding 24 wickets in just seven innings, the experienced fast bowler was declared the tournament’s top wicket-taker. His most memorable performance came in the semi-final matchup with New Zealand, where Shami’s devastating 7/57 bowling effort was a major factor in India’s triumph.

Shami turned the tide in a high-scoring match for India with his steady performances, which featured a brilliant 5/18 against Sri Lanka. His well-managed 2/18 played a crucial role in the South Africa team’s crushing at Eden Gardens, demonstrating his capacity to perform well under duress.

Gautam Gambhir, a former cricket player, dismissed the notion of hiring foreign coaches in order to improve Indian cricket. He thinks the country has enough competent workers who are able to put in the necessary effort. Notably, there were discussions of replacing the coaching staff following India’s defeat by Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup finals; however, the BCCI ultimately expressed confidence in Rahul Dravid and other support personnel to stay with the national squad.

But in the recent past, Pakistan has changed a lot of their coaching staff. Prior to the World Cup, Mickey Arthur and Morne Morkel were appointed, although it was unclear if Zaka Ashraf would stick with them. After speaking with Babar Azam, the then-chairman of the selection committee, Inzamam-ul-Haq, expressed faith in them; nonetheless, the squad was unable to do well in the prestigious Indian event. After that, Mohammad Hafeez was appointed the team’s new head coach and all of them were fired.

Wasim Akram, the renowned cricket player, recently made the point that foreign coaches are ineffective because they do not comprehend Pakistani cricket. The same was said by Gambhir when he claimed that only Pakistanis should coach their national team, and only Indians should coach the Indian squad.

“India performed admirably in the World Cup, demonstrating our independence from outside help. It demonstrates that there are no foreign coaches behind our coaches. Our issue is that we most likely don’t speak English fluently, utilize the laptop, or deliver presentations in that manner. NDTV quoted Gautam Gambhir as saying, “We don’t come from that corporate culture, but we know how to put the hard yards on the field and do the groundwork.”

“Cricket is not a sport that our countries adopted ten years ago. We have players with World Cup victories. The 42-year-old said, “A Pakistani should coach the Pakistani squad, and an Indian should coach the Indian team.

Additionally, Gambhir stated that BCCI and PCB ought to support their former players’ transition into coaching since they have a sufficient understanding of the game. He also stated that the former cricket players are aware of how crucial emotion is to success.

In the fifth Twenty20 International of the current five-game series, Australia and India will square off. On Sunday, December 3, both teams will play in the series finale at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Men in Blue will enter the match feeling relieved because they defeated the Australians in the fourth Twenty20 International, giving them an unbeatable 3-1 series lead.

It could be intriguing to watch how India performs in the championship match and what lineup the side field has as it gets closer. Deepak Chahar, the pacer, is also a target for many eyes. In his fourth T20I match, the 31-year-old was pretty costly, giving up 44 runs and claiming two wickets in his four overs as a bowler making his long-awaited comeback to international cricket.

Regarding this, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed his opinion, saying that Chahar would want to make a name for himself in Bangalore by taking plenty of wickets for the Indian side.

“Deepak Chahar must return after showing himself to be a little pricey with the new ball because he is starting to establish himself as a regular member in all formats. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Chopra stated, “He took wickets in the previous game, but this is a good game to enhance his reputation as a wicket-taker with the new ball.”

Additionally, Chopra mentioned that wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma would have a great opportunity if he gets a chance in the fifth Twenty20 International. In the fourth T20I, the hitter appeared to be in the zone and soon added runs to the score.

“I consider Jitesh’s opportunity to be very significant. Ishan Kishan plays the gun. He finished the first two bouts with half-centuries. The major news is that you won’t be able to accommodate Ishan if Virat (Kohli) bats at number three. So the only keeper who can play is one who is a No. 5 or No. 6 player, according to Chopra.

Legendary cricketer Wasim Akram voiced his displeasure with foreign coaches in Pakistani cricket after his team did poorly in the just finished ODI World Cup. The 57-year-old claims that because the coaches don’t attend the national team academy (NCA) or stick with the squad for the full season, they aren’t contributing to the development of the team. He bemoaned the fact that foreign coaches simply visit during a tour and then leave, which does not help the side.

In Akram’s opinion, there is little long-term growth and very little involvement. He advocated for Pakistanis to coach the national team and called for a more active role. The former cricket player Gautam Gambhir has a similar opinion, saying that Pakistan has just recently been duped by foreign trainers.

“Our foreign coaches aren’t always present in Pakistan.” They are merely there for the excursions. They don’t try to come to the NCA and work with kids or other coaches. They ignore the psychological component and man-management. DNA cited Akram as stating, “Unhone to laddu khilaya hua hai hum sab ko (we are just being fooled)”.

Shan Masood: We have the power to alter history.
Shan Masood took over as the team’s captain after Babar Azam resigned, and his first task is a challenging away series against Australia. Pakistan has never won a Test series in Australia, thus the players have a wonderful chance to rewrite history, the newly chosen captain said ahead of the practice match against Prime Minister XI.

First of all, we consider it an opportunity. In situations where you haven’t done anything in your past, you have the chance to attempt and make a difference. In order to help Pakistan and this World Test Championship, that is what we are attempting to achieve,” Masood said during a news conference.