The BCCI statement comes two days after Ireland’s director of high performance Graham West confirmed the series
| Photo Credit: PTI

India’s Sanju Samson celebrates after scoring the winning runs.
| Photo Credit: K R DEEPAK

Captain Marvel: Nigar Sultana, as always, will look to lead Bangladesh from the front
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

No image defines the 2011 World Cup better than Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s six that won India cricket’s biggest trophy, 28 years after the miracle at Lord’s. The skipper, who memorably promoted himself up the order, swung Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on and deep into the stands to make India the first team in the tournament’s history to emerge as the champion at home.

But, there is another image from the Wankhede Stadium on that summer night which remains as significant and fresh still: a young, beardless — however unimaginable it might seem now — Virat Kohli carrying Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders, and saying, unforgettably: “He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him.”

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From the heart

That was as eloquent a statement as you could have imagined from a 22-year-old. That came from his heart, much like his cricket. And Tendulkar must have found it heartening.

Kohli wasn’t just carrying the legend. He was probably testing his own shoulders to see whether he could carry such a burden himself in the future.

He has, hasn’t he?

The bat that has to make a billion dreams come true had changed hands smoothly. Two years after finally winning his first World Cup, Tendulkar played his last Test on the same ground, his beloved Wankhede. He requested the BCCI to stage it in Mumbai, so that his ailing mother could watch him play; she would not have been able to travel to any other ground. In all his years as a cricketer, she had never watched him live in a stadium.

It was quite a farewell to the bat.

Few athletes have received such an emotional send-off. And yes, there was that poignant speech by the little maestro, too.

An unbelievable career had an unbelievable end. He made 74, and India defeated the West Indies. The picture became perfect. Like his straight drive.

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After Tendulkar, no player has had quite as much influence on Indian and international cricket as Kohli has. No one has made Test cricket more intense or revered. No one has chased targets better. The ODI numbers say as much, too.

What the numbers don’t reveal is the sheer passion he brings to cricket, especially in Tests. Next month at Ahmedabad, India will take on the West Indies; it is the country’s first Test at home since Kohli told his 270 million followers on Instagram that he was retiring from the classical format.

The announcement came in May, before India’s team for the England tour was named. That meant his last Test innings was against Australia at Sydney in January: he was caught at second slip by Steve Smith off the magnificent Scott Boland. Kohli perished yet again fishing outside the off-stump: the most painful sight in international cricket for a period except to those in the field and their supporters. Watching a champion performer struggle is always difficult.

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Days before Kohli’s announcement, Rohit Sharma had also written on Instagram that he was retiring from Test cricket. Before that, during the disappointing tour of Australia, R. Ashwin had quit. Last month, Cheteshwar Pujara called time on all forms of cricket as well. His last Test was in 2023, though — the World Test Championship final at The Oval.

Within a space of a few months, four of India’s finest long-serving cricketers retired from Test cricket. And none of them got the opportunity to say a proper farewell. Like Tendulkar, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steve Waugh, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Muthiah Muralidaran, and Don Bradman did. All those greats knew it was their final act on the stage they loved and lived for. As did the people that loved them.

Climaxes and anticlimaxes

And some of those cricketers could end their career in perfect fashion. Broad took the last Australian wicket to give England a series-levelling draw at The Oval in 2023. The following year, his partner in crime with the new ball for some 15 years, James Anderson, also played his part in England’s win in his final Test against the West Indies at Lord’s.

The greatest batter of all time, however, had a most anticlimactic end to his career. Don Bradman was bowled for a duck by leg-spinner Eric Hollies in the 1948 Ashes Test at The Oval. All he needed was a shot — for four — to take his Test average to 100.

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Bradman was just shy of his 40th birthday when he hung up his boots. Anderson was almost 42, and for a pace bowler to last that long is remarkable. Yet, he wasn’t exactly planning to quit.

“It is one of those things that was out of my hands,” he said in an interview with TheIndependent a few months ago. “They made the decision to move away from having me in the team. That was pretty gutting at the time. I had been preparing before my last Test match for the next six, 12, 18 months of Test cricket; I wasn’t anywhere near retirement in my head.”

That is the thing with team sports. Timing your farewell is not in your hands. In individual sport, you are the master of your own destiny. But in team sports, even in cricket for all its individual elements, things that Anderson spoke of come into play. For instance, your belief that you are still good enough to be in the team has to be shared by the selectors, the coach and the captain (if you are not one).

Sujith Somasunder, the former India opener who is now pursuing a PhD in sports psychology, says it can be very difficult for a top athlete to make that decision to retire. 

“Players like Kohli thrive on winning a game for the country, and they get a kick out of it; it is not money or fame that drives them,” he told The Hindu. “But someone like him would not want people to remember him for his failures, of which has had a few of late. He would rather like to be remembered for the great match-winner that he has been for India. He has a big number of international hundreds, but what is really special about him is that he has won more games for India than anybody else perhaps.”

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Understandable reaction

Sujith, who heads Education at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, feels it is understandable that people are disappointed that men like Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin didn’t get one final Test. “Ours is a hierarchical society where there is a lot of respect for seniority and the services someone has provided over a long period of time,” he says. “In sport, someone who is in the evening of their career should be able to view their role objectively, to examine if their presence is helping the team. That of course is not easy.”

He believes someone like Kohli deserves to be honoured in the manner Tendulkar was. “Maybe Shubman Gill could carry him on his shoulders,” he says. “Kohli deserves a gesture like that.”

India’s Mohammed Siraj, captain Rohit Sharma and teammates during Day 2 of the second Test match, at Adelaide Oval, in Adelaide on December 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering a slew of disciplinary measures in the aftermath of India’s disastrous tour of Australia, including limiting the presence of spouses on tours and barring managerial staff of coaches and players from the team bus.

The steps which could be taken moving forward will limit the presence of wives and other family members on assignments to a maximum of two weeks if the tour is 45 days or more. If the duration is less than that, the presence of wives could be limited to a week.

In addition, all players might have to use the team bus and not any other vehicle when on assignments. Majority of the players follow this norm but at times, some of them and the support staff use other modes of transportation as well.

All these measures were discussed during the review meeting of the tour Down Under but none of them are to be immediately enforced.

The issue of managers of players and coaches was highlighted when the personal manager of a senior coaching staff member was allowed on the team bus on the recent tour that ended with India losing 1-3.

“Personal managers travelling on the team bus also raises a red flag with the anti-corruption unit. It should be avoided going forward. As far as the presence of wives on tours is concerned, it is being discussed in the board and a call would be taken on it soon,” a Board official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“Also players and coaches should only travel by team bus. It was always supposed to be the case but of late, players use other modes of transportation. That should be avoided,” he added.

Former India Opener Aakash Chopra was intrigued by the BCCI’s new diktat on the team bus.

“All Players Will Have to Travel On The Team Bus’ Finding this one most amusing. Wasn’t that always the norm??? If it isn’t the case anymore…it’s worth finding out who changed that?? And why??” wrote Chopra on X.

The disciplinary diktat comes after it came to light that the spouse of a travelling reserve in Australia made content for her own youtube channel and that included behind the scenes footage of the couple’s and the team travels.

Another rule that could come into effect covers the luggage of the players on tours.

If the players luggage is more than 150kg, the BCCI will not pay extra luggage charges. Players will have to pay that, added the source.

The team management, including skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, were a part of the review meeting of the tour Down Under.

India lost the series 1-3, their first loss to Australia in 10 years. The debacle also meant that the Indians failed to make the cut for the World Test Championship final to be held in London in June.

India’s next Test assignment away from home is a five-match tour of England starting in June.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah with Australia’s captain Pat Cummins following the fifth cricket test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, Australia, on January 5, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continued to reign supreme at the top of the bowlers’ chart with a career-best rating of 908 in the latest ICC Test Rankings, released on Wednesday (January 8, 2025).

Bumrah, who made history ahead of the fifth and final Test against Australia by recording the highest-ever ICC Rankings rating for an Indian bowler at 907 points, improved that tally by one point after taking two wickets in the first innings at the SCG.

However, a back spasm ruled him out of bowling in the second innings, restricting his role to just batting.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who climbed a spot to be joint-ninth, is the other Indian giving Bumrah company in the top-10.

He shares the ninth spot with Australian pacer Scott Boland, who has made a remarkable leap of 29 places to break into the top 10.

Boland’s stellar performance in the Sydney Test, where he claimed a 10-wicket haul (4/31 and 6/45), proved too much for the Indian batters on a lively pitch.

His efforts were instrumental in Australia’s triumph, ending a decade-long wait to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins also made gains in the rankings, climbing to number two after picking up five wickets in the final match. South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada rose a spot to occupy the third place while injured Josh Hazlewood moved down two places to be fourth.

Rishabh Pant’s blistering 33-ball 61 in the second innings earned him a three-spot rise in the batting rankings, moving him to number nine while India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal retained his fourth spot.

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma extended his rich vein of form, scoring a vital century in the first innings to climb three spots to number six, also achieving a career-best rating of 769.

Meanwhile, Kyle Verreynne’s impressive century saw him rise four places to secure the 25th spot.

The right-arm pacer has also been the best bowler in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy with 30 wickets in a mere four Tests Down Under. File
| Photo Credit: AP

India’s peerless fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was on Monday (December 30, 2024) nominated for the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award along with England’s prolific scorer Joe Root.

Another English batter Harry Brook and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis also featured in the list.

Mr. Bumrah has been the best bowler in Test cricket in 2024 with 71 wickets from 13 matches at an average of 14.92 and a strike rate of 30.16, the best figures for any bowler in the traditional format.

The right-arm pacer has also been the best bowler in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy with 30 wickets in a mere four Tests Down Under.

“Having returned to the Test arena following his recovery from a recurring back injury in 2023, Bumrah dominated the bowling charts in 2024. Featuring across 13 Tests in the calendar year, Bumrah delivered his best-ever annual tally — 71 wickets — finishing the year with more Test wickets than any of his counterparts,” the ICC said on its website.

“Be it the pace-conducive conditions in South Africa and Australia, or tougher conditions for quicks at home, Bumrah was equally impressive through the year. However, it was on India’s tour of Australia that the pace spearhead produced his magnum opus,” it added. The ICC rated Mr. Bumrah’s match-defining spells at Perth, to guide India to a 295-run win, among his most memorable performances.

England mainstay Mr. Root has been the most dominant batter in the year, amassing 1,556 runs from 17 Tests at 55.57. The 34-year-old crossed the 1,000-run mark in a calendar year for the fifth time in his career while scoring six tons and five fifties. The ICC said, “Across 17 Tests, Joe Root compiled his second-best annual run-tally in Tests — second only to his 1,708 runs from 2021. It was also the fifth instance of Root scoring over 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year.” “With six Test hundreds to go alongside five half-centuries, Root was a consistent performer for England — both home and away. His impressive run with the bat saw Root amass joint-fifth highest tons in Tests (36) alongside Rahul Dravid,” it added.

The ICC recalled Mr. Root’s career-best 262 against Pakistan at Multan, also his sixth double century in Tests, as one of his best efforts.

Mr. Root’s compatriot Brook is also in the list of four shortlisted players after scoring 1,100 runs from 12 Tests at 55.00 with four centuries and three fifties.

Brook is fourth in the list of highest run-scorers in 2024 behind table-topper Mr. Root, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (1,478 runs at 54.74) and England’s Ben Duckett (1,149 runs at 37.06).

“A flagbearer of England’s quickfire brand of batting, Harry Brook emerged as a breakthrough performer in the longest format,” the ICC said.

“A noticeable trait in his performances was the fact that most of his runs (723) came away from home while playing the same number of games as he did in England (6),” it added.

The ICC said Mr. Brook’s “blistering” 317 off 322 deliveries was one of his top performances.

Sri Lanka’s Mr. Mendis, who hit 1,049 runs from nine Tests at 74.92, is also in the list after enjoying a terrific year, during which he became the joint-third quickest to score 1000 Test runs, equalling Sir Don Bradman’s 13-innings mark to reach the milestone.

“Mendis averaged more than any of the batters who played more than two Tests in the calendar year — a staggering 74.92 from nine matches,” the ICC said.

“His performances with the bat helped Sri Lanka push their claim for their first-ever appearance in the ICC World Test Championship Final with wins over New Zealand, England and Bangladesh,” it added.

Mr. Mendis’ twin centuries against New Zealand at home, which helped him finish as the fifth highest run-scorer this year, were called his most “memorable performance” by the ICC.

The pitch for the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba is expected to have a traditional pace and bounce. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The pitch for the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba is expected to have a traditional pace and bounce considering the game is scheduled in the early part of the summer and not post-Christmas.

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India’s famous win at the Gabba on their previous tour came when the game was scheduled in the second half of the series. A Rishabh Pant special ensured India a back-to-back series win Down Under with Australia left licking their wounds. It was the hosts’ first loss at the venue since 1988.

Since then Australia have lost to the West Indies at the ‘fortress’ and no wonder the players prefer to play at the Gabba at the start of the summer and not at end of it.

“Different times of year definitely makes it different, it can be a slightly different pitch,” Gabba curator David Sandurski was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au ahead of the third Test beginning Saturday (December 14, 2024).

“Pitches later in the season might have a bit more wear and tear while ones early in the season usually are a bit fresher and might have a bit more in them.”, he said.

“Generally speaking, we still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for. We are just trying to make a traditional Gabba wicket like we do each year,” he said.

The five-match series is locked at 1-1 following Australia’s comprehensive win in the pink ball Test at Adelaide.

As many as 15 wickets fell on the opening day of a domestic pink ball game last month and the curator said the surface would be similar to that.

“The aim is to be similar to that wicket where there was a good balance between bat and ball. Hopefully, there is a bit in it for everyone,” Sandurski added.

Indian teams lands in Brisbane

The BCCI on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) posted a video of the India players’ arrival in Brisbane from Adelaide. India won the opening Test in Perth by 295 runs before succumbing to the moving pink ball in Adelaide.

West Indies’ Shai Hope. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The West Indies won a one-day international series against Bangladesh for the first time in 10 years on Tuesday, December 11, 2024.

The West Indies shot out Bangladesh for 227 in 46 overs and strolled to 230-3 in 37 overs. The host won the series with a game to spare.

“It’s great to see the bowlers bounce back the way they did,” captain Shai Hope said. “Gotta tick boxes and keep improving. We were clinical. We’ve been struggling to win series at home (so) hope to finish 3-0 now.”

On the same pitch where the West Indies won by five wickets on Sunday, the par score was 300. But fast bowler Jayden Seales undercut Bangladesh with three wickets in the first powerplay. Seales returned to bag Mahmudullah for 62 in the 45th over and finish with a match-deciding 4-22 in nine overs.

The chase was almost a formality. Brandon King and Evin Lewis opened with a 109-run partnership in 21 overs. King led with 82 and Lewis and Keacy Carty were out just short of half-centuries.

Bangladesh was 115-7 in the 26th over when Tanzim Hasan Sakib joined Mahmudullah and they rescued the innings.

While they were batting with increasing ambition, Bangladesh could dream of 270-280.

Mahmudullah reached a fifty off 84 balls, and Tanzim was closing on his when he was out caught and bowled by off-spinner Roston Chase. Tanzim had 45 off 62 and the partnership reached 92 runs from 106 balls.

Mahmudullah was out in the next over for 62 off 92.

In the chase, Lewis was slower to get in a groove than King and was dropped on 28.

King and Lewis were both hit on the body in the 40s while attempting pulls at Nahid Rana.

King’s eighth boundary brought up his fifty off 52 balls but Lewis was out for 49, to a tame caught and bowled by Rishad Hossain.

King’s best shot was a six when he came down the track at Tanzim and sent the ball back over the medium-pacer’s head and rebounding off the roof.

He was eventually yorkered by Rana, out for 82 off 76 balls, including eight boundaries and three sixes.

He’d combined for 66 in eight overs with Carty, who would fall for 45 off 47 with victory just 31 more runs away. The teams stay in Basseterre for the last ODI on Thursday (December 12).

Mohammed Shami’s return to competitive cricket has been further pushed back after the veteran pacer was not named in the Bengal squad for the next two rounds of the Ranji Trophy. File photo
| Photo Credit: PAUL CHILDS

Mohammed Shami’s return to competitive cricket has been further pushed back after the veteran pacer was not named in the Bengal squad for the next two rounds of the Ranji Trophy against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

Bengal will take on Karnataka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here from Wednesday, before travelling to Indore to take on MP from November 13.

Shami was expected to play the fixture against Karnataka to test his fitness in a real-match situation as he bowled at full tilt at nets after India’s recent Test match against New Zealand here, though with bandage on his operated leg.

On that occasion, he was also monitored by India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel.

Later Shami said during a promotional event that he was feeling “100%” at nets.

“I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can’t put too much stress on my body. So, we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%.

“It felt great, and the results are good. Hopefully, I’ll be back on track soon,” he had said.

India skipper Rohit Sharma had also opined against taking an undercooked Shami to Australia.

“We don’t want to bring undercooked Shami to Australia. We are keeping our fingers crossed,” Rohit had said in Bengaluru recently.

Other than Shami, Bengal will also miss the services of prolific opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, wicketkeeper batter Abhishek Porel and pacer Mukesh Kumar, who are with India A squad in Australia.

Pacer Akash Deep, who was part of the Indian team for the recent series against New Zealand, was also not named in the state squad.

However, veteran wicketkeeper batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has announced his retirement from cricket after the ongoing domestic season, has been named for the two matches.

Bengal squad against Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh: Anustup Majumdar (capt), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sudip Chatterjee, Sudip Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Writtick Chatterjee, Avilin Ghosh, Shuvam Dey, Shakir Habib Gandhi, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Ishan Porel, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Kaif, Rohit Kumar, Rishav Vivek.