November 14, 2023
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Mike Hesson surely possesses some knowledge about India and Indian cricket and, naturally, is also an expert on the New Zealand team, with a deep understanding of both sides. And he believes the India-New Zealand semifinal in the World Cup on Wednesday will be a contest between David and Goliath, but the Kiwis would not have preferred to face their mighty opposition anywhere other than at the Wankhede in Mumbai. "I guess it's a little bit of the David and Goliath...

November 14, 2023
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Aravinda de Silva, Diana Edulji and Virender Sehwag are the latest cricketers to be inducted in ICC's Hall of Fame. They will be honoured during the World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium, the ICC said. Edulji, the third highest wicket-taker in Women's Tests, is the first Indian female cricketer inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. She played international cricket for 17 years, featuring in 20 Tests and 34 ODIs, and captained India at the...

November 14, 2023
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Former South Africa pacer Morne Morkel has resigned as Pakistan's fast bowling coach, becoming the first personnel to exit in the aftermath of an underwhelming ODI World Cup performance by the side. Morkel had signed up only in June on a six-month contract, with his first assignment in Sri Lanka for two Tests. He also oversaw an ODI series win against Afghanistan, followed by the Asia Cup and the showpiece event in India. Pakistan's pace department was severely hamstrung by Naseem Shah's...

November 14, 2023
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Temba Bavuma trained without significant evidence of discomfort during South Africa's optional practice session at the Eden Gardens on Monday ahead of Thursday's men's World Cup semifinal against Australia in Kolkata. The South Africa captain's movements were noticeably affected after his strained his right hamstring five balls into the match against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on Friday, putting his participation in the semifinal in doubt. Team management said on Saturday Bavuma had "showed improvement overnight" and on Sunday that he "did not go...

November 14, 2023
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Manchester 2019 to Mumbai 2023. Four years down the line, its India, and New Zealand again to face off in the first semifinal of a World Cup. Like in 2019, India's road to the semis was a smooth ride all the way while New Zealand's was far more topsy turvy but as always New Zealand did find a way. India have steamrolled most of their opponents in this competition while New Zealand can take confidence from the fact that they were...

November 14, 2023
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A 14-year-old Bloemfontein boy, tall for his age, singular in his ambition, watched Grant Elliott launch Dale Steyn down the ground for six at Eden Park to send South Africa crashing out of another World Cup. In the coming days he would read about CSA's crass and thoughtless interference in the selection of the XI for that semifinal. Four years later in England, when the boy was just old enough to vote and drink beer legally, South Africa shambled through their...

November 14, 2023
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Five years after Sachin Tendulkar had called it a "perfect recipe for disaster", Mitchell Starc has asked for those running the sport to do away with having two new balls in ODI cricket. Along with a return to using a single ball throughout a 50-over innings as was the case before the rule change back in October 2011. Tendulkar had lamented back in June 2018 on his Twitter handle about how the two new balls had more or less killed off reverse...

November 14, 2023
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KL Rahul walked out to a familiar and friendly setting. Friendly because the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is where he played a bulk of his cricket in his formative years. Friendly also because he had a 200-run base set up for him to invoke mayhem from against a very limited Netherlands attack. Familiar because the match situation was strangely similar to the game three years ago when Rahul made the first rumblings of being India's lock-in ODI No.5. At Rajkot, India had...

November 14, 2023
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Aravinda de Silva, Diana Edulji and Virender Sehwag are the latest cricketers to be inducted in ICC's Hall of Fame. They will be honoured during the World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium, the ICC said. Edulji, the third highest wicket-taker in Women's Tests, is the first Indian female cricketer inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. She played international cricket for 17 years, featuring in 20 Tests and 34 ODIs, and captained India at the...