News Analysis India

Tag: Warm-up

  • Under Rahane’s leadership, three changes likely for visitors at MCG

    36 all out, eight wickets defeat, captain Virat Kohli flew back home and now a depleted, demoralised Indian team will have to face the mighty Australians in the Boxing Day Test at MCG. The odds are stacked up for the Indian team ahead of the 2nd Test. But trailing by 1-0 already in the four-match series, India will have to fight back hard to get back into the game. Leading the charge will be Ajinkya Rahane, who will also have the hard task of lifting the spirits of the team back up ahead of the 2nd Test.

    Shubman Gill had a good showing in the limited-overs series in Australia, and he only played better than Prithvi Shaw in the warm-up game. Shaw got a chance in Adelaide but he could not grasp the brass ring, and now Gill may get his chance at MCG.

    Mayank Agarwal struggled in the first Test, but he is likely to get another chance. If he can hold one end for two sessions, he can put his team in a good spot.

  • Pink-ball lessons for India bowlers in draw

    India couldn’t force a tour match victory at Sydney on Sunday, though that’s not what they were chasing. With the visitors as well as Australia having dumped the idea of playing their virtual Test elevens in the warm-up tie, it became all about maximising the takeaways.

    Although India’s struggle for wickets once the pink ball got soft during the day is something they may want to learn from, they did tick many boxes in their quest to be best prepared for the opening Test starting in Adelaide on Thursday.

    Australia A finally offered some batting resistance in the form of Ben McDermott (107*), Alex Carey (58) and Jack Wildermuth (111*) to reach 307/4 in their second innings. Having run through the batting in a single session under lights on Day 1, the Indian bowlers wouldn’t be too unhappy to be subjected to the kind of grind they should be prepared for come the real test.

    Before settling for a draw, Mohammed Shami delivered two powerful punches to Australia’s Test preparations. Joe Burns and Marcus Harris, picked by Australian selectors to open at Adelaide, fell in Shami’s opening burst.

  • Prithvi Shaw Fails To Impress In Tour Game, Memes Flood Twitter

    The debate about who will open the innings for India alongside Mayank Agarwal in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide has been a hot topic ever since it was revealed that Rohit Sharma will not be part of the playing XI. Many contenders emerged with fans and pundits giving their preferences. Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw were the two names that cropped up time and again. The two warm-up games were seen by many as an audition for the opener’s slot with Gill and Shaw battling it out. After seeing the two players over four innings, fans have had their say, and it doesn’t make for a pleasant reading for Shaw

    On Saturday, Shaw was dismissed for 3, throwing his wicket away with another loose shot, and that proved to be the last straw for many fans, who took to Twitter to express their frustration. Others decided to have some fun and posted memes.