Australia head into Boxing Day Test a different proposition to two years ago

Australia’s progress under Tim Paine has been marked since suffering a heavy defeat the last time they faced India at the MCG

When considering the week ahead at the MCG, it is difficult to do so without reflecting on what happened to Tim Paine’s team at the same ground against their same Indian adversaries two years ago. The heavy defeat they suffered then, after conceding a 242-run deficit earlier in the encounter, was the punctuation point to end a brutal year – Australia’s annus horribilis.

The surge made by the home side to the top of the traditional form of the game since – at least as far as two sets of ICC rankings are concerned – is neatly charted against the stocks of the captain. Back then, I described the Tasmanian’s mission as quixotic: the honourable stand-in doing his best as the side stumbled from one misadventure to the next. But now, any such sentiment is long since shelved in the glow of the extraordinary triumph in Adelaide.

New Zealand get a chance to improve their prospects in the ICC World Test Championship

 New Zealand get a chance to improve their prospects in the ICC World Test Championship when they take on Pakistan in a two-match home series starting on Boxing Day in Tauranga.
New Zealand won by identical 2-0 margins against both the West Indies and India in their two previous series and are third in terms of percentage points won, the factor that determines the final placings rather than total points won, following a change to the points system owing to the Covid-19 disruption.

Australia and India are ahead in the points table on that basis. New Zealand, currently on 0.625 percentage points, could go up to 0.700 if they can whip up another 2-0 win and move up to second depending on the results in the other series Down Under. However, a 1-1 draw would reduce them to 0.600 points and a 2-0 loss to 0.500 points.

Australia, who overtook India to the top position after the change in regulations from maximum points to percentage points, are currently on 0.835 one match into their four-match home series against India. India are on 0.705 playing their fifth series and in danger of losing more points after a forgettable loss in the opening match in Australia.

Hafeez levels with Malik

 2323 – Mohammad Hafeez, with 2323 runs, is now the leading run-getter in the T20I format for Pakistan equalling Shoaib Malik’s tally. Overall, Malik has scored 2335 runs in the T20I cricket which includes 12 runs in a T20I he played for the ICC World XI.

End to Hafeez’s dream year

20 – Mohammad Hafeez struck as many as 20 sixes across 8 T20I innings in 2020; the most number of T20I sixes hit in a calendar year for Pakistan. Hafeez went past Fakhar Zaman’s tally of 19 sixes during 2018.

415 – Hafeez scored 415 runs in T20I cricket in 2020; the most runs by any player in the format at an average of 50+ and a strike rate of 150+ in a calendar year. Hafeez scored 415 runs across 8 T20I innings this year with four fifties at an average of 83 and a strike rate of 152.57

Rizwan’s record knock:

 89 – Mohammad Rizwan’s 89-run knock is now the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper during a T20I chase. The previous highest was Tim Seifert’s unbeaten 84 during the 2nd T20I of this series which was played on Sunday.

3 – Only two wicketkeepers scored more runs in a Men’s T20I than Rizwan’s 89 while opening the innings – Mohammad Shahzad’s 118* (vs ZIM in 2016) and Morne Van Wyk’s 114* (vs WI in 2015).

89 – The 89 runs scored by Mohammad Rizwan in the 3rd T20I are the most by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in a T20I game. Sarfaraz Ahmed also scored an unbeaten 89 during the 2018 Edinburgh T20I against Scotland.

– Mohammad Rizwan’s 89 is also the 3rd highest individual score for Pakistan in the T20I format while chasing. Fakhar Zaman scored 91 during the 2018 Zimbabwe Tri-series Final against Australia while Babar Azam made 90 against South Africa during an unsuccessful chase in the 2019 Johannesburg T20I.

A big chase for Pakistan

 174 – The 174-run chase by Pakistan is their biggest successful chase in the T20I format where they elected to bowl first. Their previous highest T20I chase after choosing to bowl was 165 against Australia during the 2007 WT20.

It is also their 4th highest successful chase in the T20I format and the 2nd biggest outside Asia. Their highest successful T20I chase came in Harare where they chased 184 against Australia in the 2018 Zimbabwe T20I Tri-series final.

174 – Pakistan’s 174-run chase is also the joint 3rd biggest successful chase by any team against New Zealand. Australia in 2018 and India in 2020 chased down targets of 244 and 204 respectively at the Eden Park. South Africa also defeated the Kiwis while chasing 174 during the 2012 Hamilton T20I.

NZ vs PAK, 2020: 3rd T20I – Pakistan’s big chase, Rizwan’s record knock, Hafeez’s dream year with bat and more stats

 Pakistan avoided a whitewash in the T20I series against New Zealand as they clinched a consolation win on Tuesday. Devon Conway’s 45-ball 63 got the Kiwis to finish with 173/7 in 20 overs despite losing wickets regularly. Mohammad Rizwan paced his innings pretty well to finish with a 59-ball 89 which included 13 boundaries. Rizwan scored 54 runs from his last 29 balls after being 35 off 30 around the half-way stage.  Pakistan got to the target with four wickets and two balls to spare despite losing quick wickets during the death overs.

Twitter can’t keep calm after Yuzvendra Chahal marries Dhanashree Verma

 

Yuzvendra Chahal, whose engagement with Dhanshree ahead of IPL 2020 had set Twitter on fire with former cricketers like Virender Sehwag was pulling his leg, was again trending on social media for his marriage.

Twitter was flooded with congratulatory messages for India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who tied the knot on Tuesday with choreographer Dhanashree Verma. Chahal shared the photo from his wedding on Twitter, captioning the post as: “22.12.20. We started at “Once Upon A Time” and found “Our Happily Ever After,” coz’ finally, #DhanaSaidYuz for infinity and beyond.”

Chahal, whose engagement with Dhanshree ahead of IPL 2020 had set Twitter on fire with former cricketers like Virender Sehwag was pulling his leg, was again trending on social media for his marriage.

Here are some hilarious twitter reactions on Chahal’s wedding.

 

‘I, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Sehwag - none of us thought MS Dhoni could captain India the way he did’: Mohammad Kaif

 Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif, who was the Man of the Match in MS Dhoni’s first ODI for India, recalled his first impression of the former India captain. Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year, cemented his legacy as India’s most successful captain, winning all three major ICC trophies and leading India to two World Cup titles, one Champions Trophy win and to the top of the ICC Test rankings for the first time.

Dhoni made his debut for India on December 23, 2004, in a match where Kaif scored 80 off 111 balls to help India beat Bangladesh by eight wickets. It was also the game where Dhoni was run out for a duck after facing just one ball. Exactly 16 years after Dhoni’s India debut, Kaif recalled the time he spotted a young Dhoni and what came to his mind.

Shahid from Kolkata!

 Wisden (@WisdenCricket) Tweeted:

Check out the technique on young Shahid from Kolkata!

Shahid is just four years old 👀

That cover drive remind you of anyone? https://t.co/81tXozufgf https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket/status/1341454107429785602?s=20

Cricket world erupts at ‘criminal’ umpiring decision in Big Bash League thriller

 The Big Bash League’s DRS debate has reignited following another umpiring “howler” during the Sydney Thunder’s clash with the Perth Scorchers at Manuka Oval on Tuesday evening.

For several years, players and spectators have pleaded for DRS technology to be utilised in the T20 tournament, allowing for on-field umpiring errors to be rectified.

Cricket Australia has resisted introducing the DRS because of the hefty financial repercussions, but those pleas grew in volume after Scorchers bowler Andrew Tye was robbed of a certain wicket in the nation’s capital on Tuesday.

Tye immediately confronted Lightbody, who explained: “I thought the bat hit the ground mate.”

Tye fumed: “How did the bat hit the ground? It was that far off the ground!”

Lightbody replied: “That’s what I thought.”

The Fox Cricket commentary could barely comprehend what they had witnessed, because the edge was easily audible on the stump mics and Khawaja’s bat was nowhere near the ground.

Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh muttered: “Oh my goodness … wow.

“That is regulation … he’s just had a shocker there, unfortunately. That’s just a huge nick. That’s a big nick.”

New Zealand international Colin Munro claimed he heard the edge from the boundary rope.

“I’ve got to really have my ears open at home to hear the Mrs talk to me, but I actually heard that from the boundary at backward square-leg,” Munro cheekily said on Fox Cricket.

The decision sparked fierce backlash on social media, fuelling the argument for the DRS to be brought into the Big Bash.

Explained: Is ‘Summer of 36’ Indian cricket’s lowest point?

Explained: Is ‘Summer of 36’ Indian cricket’s lowest point?

 In  June 1974, India were bowled out for 42 in the second innings against England at Lord's. That innings had one double-digit score; Eknath Solkar making 18 not out. On Saturday in Adelaide, India's second innings didn't have a single double-digit score.