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India spinner Varun Chakravarthy, in an interaction with Ravichandran Ashwin, talked in details about the duo’s captaincy style. He was also asked about the conversation he had with Rohit while taking DRS calls.   

“I can’t mention the exact words, since this is a family show. I can’t use those words. He asked me, “Macha are you sure it’s hitting the stumps or are you bluffing me. And a conversation likle that. If its does not go his way, he is exasperated,” Varun Chakaravarthy said on R Ashwin’s YouTube channel.   

He was also asked about the difference between captaincy style of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. 

“Virat is a true leader. When you just see him, when you just observe what he is doing and you must have also noticed the match against Pakistan, you were also there. We lost first two wickets to Shaheen Shah Afridi. But when Virat came, he stepped down and hit Shaheen for a six and it was so inspiring and motivational, but how he is giving it back and all this. So Virat is exceptional, as in the way he can cheer up everyone. So the main thing was whenever I spoke to him his answers were very motivational and in that thing and when I spoke to Rohit Sharma, it was very tactical. So it was two different parts,” Ashwin said.

“I sympathised with the India captain, Shubman Gill, in that fourth innings,” Cook wrote in his column for UK-based newspaper The Times.

“With it going round the park you could see lots of people out on the field making decisions and getting involved with DRS calls, and they got all of those wrong. You can read all the leadership books you like but until you are out there, there is no other feeling like it. I imagine he would have felt shell-shocked,” Cook added.

Gill smashed a superb 147, the second-highest individual score of the match, in the first innings. It was one of five centuries made by India batters across the Test, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul slamming one each, and Rishabh Pant smashing two.

Featuring for Rajasthan in India’s domestic List A structure, he has played 63 matches, taking 92 wickets at an average of 27.92, with best figures of 4-35.

Ahmed’s abilities are not limited to white-ball cricket; he has also represented Rajasthan in first-class cricket on 20 occasions. In Indian conditions, he has taken 56 red-ball wickets at a healthy average of 27.67, with best figures of 5-37.

The 27-year-old was part of the India A squad that faced the England Lions at the start of June, playing in the first game at Northampton.

Ahmed took four wickets in the first innings from 19 overs, dismissing James Rew, George Hill, Chris Woakes, and Jordan Cox.

On signing for the Club, Khaleel Ahmed said: “I am thrilled to sign for Essex.I have heard a lot about the rich history of the Club, and I’m excited to be part of it and will look to make an immediate impact. I’m looking forward to playing at Chelmsford, meeting the loyal Essex Members and fans, and delivering performances they can be proud of.”

Featuring for Rajasthan in India’s domestic List A structure, he has played 63 matches, taking 92 wickets at an average of 27.92, with best figures of 4-35.

Ahmed’s abilities are not limited to white-ball cricket; he has also represented Rajasthan in first-class cricket on 20 occasions. In Indian conditions, he has taken 56 red-ball wickets at a healthy average of 27.67, with best figures of 5-37.

The 27-year-old was part of the India A squad that faced the England Lions at the start of June, playing in the first game at Northampton.

Ahmed took four wickets in the first innings from 19 overs, dismissing James Rew, George Hill, Chris Woakes, and Jordan Cox.

On signing for the Club, Khaleel Ahmed said: “I am thrilled to sign for Essex.I have heard a lot about the rich history of the Club, and I’m excited to be part of it and will look to make an immediate impact. I’m looking forward to playing at Chelmsford, meeting the loyal Essex Members and fans, and delivering performances they can be proud of.”

In general, you don’t want to make too many changes after the first game, but you have also got to think this is a very young side. It’s a new captain, newish side. So you have got to get the combination right. Karun Nair has got most of his runs at No. 3. Also, he batted for India A against the England Lions at No. 3,” the former India wicketkeeper-batter said on Star Sports.

“So you might want to look at Karun Nair at No. 3. That opens up a space for someone like Nitish at No. 6, who, if required, can give you a few overs of seam. I will have a chat with Sai Sudharsan and say this is not a reflection of what happened in the first Test, but this is a combination things. So that conversation becomes very, very important, how you put it across to someone like Sai,” he added.

A picture posted by RevSportz on X (formerly Twitter) showed Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy forming the slip cordon while Yashasvi Jaiswal practised at leg slip and short leg. The inclusion of Reddy in the slip cordon was considered to be a massive indication while questions remained over Jasprit Bumrah‘s availability.

Meanwhile, Australia legend Greg Chappell believes India paid the price for a lack of variety in their bowling attack during the first Test against England and has called for the inclusion of Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav, whom he hails as the “best wrist-spinner since Shane Warne“, in the playing XI

A picture posted by RevSportz on X (formerly Twitter) showed Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy forming the slip cordon while Yashasvi Jaiswal practised at leg slip and short leg. The inclusion of Reddy in the slip cordon was considered to be a massive indication while questions remained over Jasprit Bumrah‘s availability.

Meanwhile, Australia legend Greg Chappell believes India paid the price for a lack of variety in their bowling attack during the first Test against England and has called for the inclusion of Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav, whom he hails as the “best wrist-spinner since Shane Warne“, in the playing XI

In the opening Test, Kensington Oval’s strip, which played all sorts of tricks on the batters, Australia missed Smith’s presence in the middle order. The WTC 2025 finalists were dwindling at 22/3 in the first innings and 65/4 in the second.

“Australian cricket’s batting head coach and every state batting coach [should be under pressure] because there’s not enough runs being scored around the nation,” Healy said on SEN Radio, as quoted from the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Michael Di Venuto – a friend of mine who is a good coach and a good man – has held the job since mid-2021. In this time, our national team batting has regressed in performance at Test level. That’s all that’s important to me, the performance. I don’t care how you do it or what will make it easier for you – just get it done,” he added.

Smith refuted Healy’s remark about Di Venuto and feels the batting coach has done a “wonderful” job since taking over the position in 2021. For Smith it isn’t Di Venuto who goes out on the field to bat, it is up to the players to deliver on the pitch.

“Any criticism of ‘Diva’, [I am] completely against it. He works as hard as anyone. He knows batting inside out. He’s seen cricket all around the world. He’s done a wonderful job for a long time now, and the boys are really enjoying working with him,” Smith said, as quoted from the Sydney Morning Herald.

“He’s not the one out there actually doing the batting. Guys have to be able to figure it out themselves in the middle, and sometimes you can’t have someone holding your hand out there,” he added.

New Delhi:

“Monojit dada is in our hearts (Team MM)” reads a wall graffiti inside the Kolkata law college that has made headlines for a student’s rape on campus. “Monojit dada” here is Monojit Mishra, prime accused in the rape case and an alumnus who wielded huge influence on the campus even after he graduated.

According to Monojit’s profile, he has led the college unit of Trinamool College Chhatra Parishad, the student wing of the ruling party in West Bengal, since 2017. Amid nationwide outrage over the rape case, the Trinamool has claimed he has no links with the party and must face the strictest punishment.

Students of the college say Monojit, called “Mango” by friends, wielded massive clout on campus, to the extent that even teachers and office staff feared him. According to reports, multiple complaints of harassment and molestation had been registered against him in the past, but no action was taken.

India’s Under-19 team made a commanding start to their five-match Youth ODI series against England with a six-wicket win at Hove, chasing down 175 in just 24 overs at the County Ground, Hove.

The star of the show was 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who blazed 48 off just 19 balls in his debut innings on English soil, smashing five sixes and three fours to set the tone for India’s emphatic victory.

Suryavanshi, already a record-breaker as the youngest century-maker in men’s T20s thanks to his Indian Premier League (IPL) heroics for Rajasthan Royals earlier this year, looked unstoppable during his brief but electric stay at the crease. He and captain Ayush Mhatre added 71 in 7.3 overs for the second wicket, dismantling the English attack before Suryavanshi holed out off Ralphie Albert after an explosive cameo.

There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. If you look at his performances in Test cricket, you will find that he has not won a lot of matches,” Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

“He won two matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia. However, he lost three against New Zealand, three against Australia and one against England. He has been continuously losing,” Chopra stated.

Chopra stated that Gambhir’s future as India’s head coach in Test cricket may be in serious jeopardy if he loses the India series.

“But in Test cricket, I think the questions are going to be there. And I think there is a lot of pressure on this series,” Chopra said.

“If the England series doesn’t go too well, then there will be a question mark – where are they going and what are they doing? Because the selectors will feel that whatever team management is asking for, it is being given. The type of player you want, the number of players you want, and the player you are pointing at are being given. So, if that is the case, you need to deliver the results. Period. There are no excuses,” Chopra said.

Excerpts:

Q. You toured India for the first time in the 1984-85 series, having made your debut at Lord’s in 1982 against India. How would you sum up the rise of Indian cricket? A. I always thought that Indian cricket was going to go up, it was on the gradual climb. And because of the population and being your number one sport, cricket was always going to be the top of the tree.

The IPL has changed cricket in India and the world. It’s incredible to see these youngsters coming through, the 15-year-olds and the 16-year-olds (like Vaibhav Suryavanshi), and making a name for themselves.

In one day cricket, India should win every competition. In Test matches, you’re going to rely a lot on Bumrah and you’re going to miss Virat Kohli big time.

Q. Would you have fancied playing in the IPL and how has it changed the life of an international cricketer? A. It’s changed the life of all cricketers that are playing now. They don’t have to play Test cricket. They can just have 20-20 contracts all around the world and earn a fortune. I mean, the money we earned was tippings when we played. But good for them. They deserve all the millions; as entertainers they deserve to be paid.