November 8, 2023
By

For Jos Buttler's team, the World Cup campaign has turned into a catastrophe. Never before have the defending World Cup champions exhibited such pusillanimity and plummeted to such abysmal depths. Currently, England find themselves at the bottom of the points table, even lower than the 14th-ranked Netherlands, their adversaries in the penultimate game scheduled for Wednesday, (November 8) in Pune. With their chances of defending the title gone, the postmortem has already begun. Some of the points under debate include whether...

November 7, 2023
By

Such was their trust in the existing batting firepower that Bangladesh opted to pick a fifth pace bowler in their 15-member World Cup squad. The trust came from their recent ODI records. However, before the match against Sri Lanka on Monday, Bangladesh had failed to put up any century partnership in the tournament; the highest being a 97-run stand between Mehidy Hasan Miraz & Najmul Hossain Shanto for the third wicket, in the only game the team won before losing...

November 7, 2023
By

Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra are part of a strong spin contingent in New Zealand's squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh scheduled to be played later this month. Santner played the last of his 24 Tests in 2021 while Ravindra, one of the stars of the ongoing World Cup, hasn't donned the New Zealand whites since the home series against Bangladesh in January 2022. Santner, who enjoyed a strong Plunkett Shield season taking 15 wickets at an average of 26.00,...

November 7, 2023
By

Charith Asalanka's second ODI hundred saw off regular strikes from Bangladesh to take Sri Lanka to 279 in the World Cup match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday (November 6). In an eventful innings played in the midst of severe pollution in Delhi, Angelo Mathews became the first player to be 'timed out' in international cricket. Bangladesh hit the right notes from the get go when wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim completed a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss the returning Kusal Perera in the...

November 7, 2023
By

In what was a first in international cricket, Angelo Mathews was dismissed 'timed out' during the first innings of the World Cup game in Delhi between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday (November 6). Mathews was timed-out after Shakib Al Hasan, the opposition captain, successfully appealed in the 25th over of the first innings. The on-field umpires asked Shakib twice if he wanted to withdraw the appeal. According to the ICC Playing Conditions for the World Cup, the incoming...

November 7, 2023
By

Sri Lanka Cricket has plunged into a deep crisis, both on and off the field, as the country's Sports Ministry has suspended the SLC's operations in its entirety. This development comes on a day when Sri Lanka suffered a controversy-marred defeat, their third in a row in the World Cup, against Bangladesh in Delhi on Monday (November 6), pushing the team to a new low in the standings. With their chances of reaching the semifinals already quashed, the Lankans are...

November 7, 2023
By

"Out-skilled" was the word South Africa's head coach Rob Walter chose to use as he put things in perspective after a rather stunning loss against India. It's a word that could perhaps be borrowed by any other opposition that has faced India in this tournament and still aptly sum up their predicament. If there's one thing that India have managed to get right, it's their understanding of conditions and executing their skills, making it look as simple as withdrawing money from...

November 7, 2023
By

For the umpteenth time during this World Cup, the focus and attention throughout an Australian training session was on one vital player. After Glenn Maxwell a few days ago in Ahmedabad and Marcus Stoinis earlier in the tournament, all eyes at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday (November 6) were on Steve Smith. The Australian vice-captain had attended a press conference earlier, where he'd looked a bit out of sorts, even if he did manage to get through all the questions posed...

November 7, 2023
By

Anmolpreet Singh and Nehal Wadhera put on a six-hitting clinic in Mohali against Baroda as Punjab scored 223/4 - the highest-ever total in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. Anmolpreet went on to complete an incredible hundred while Wadhera smashed 61 and the pair added 138 runs off just 57 balls. Baroda fought fire with fire via Ninad Rathva (47 off 22) Abhimanyu Singh (61 off 42), Krunal Pandya (45 off 32) and Vishnu Solanki (28 off 11) and took...

November 6, 2023
By

Rob Walter brings many attributes to his position as South Africa's head coach. An oversized ego is not among them, which helps when you're lumped with explaining a record defeat. There was no better candidate to do so in the wake of India's thundering 243-run win in a men's World Cup match at Eden Gardens on Sunday. The game was a top-of-table clash between teams who had lost only one of their combined 14 matches in the tournament. But there was just one...