Cricket | DD News

November 27, 2025 5:56 PM

Ashes pitch rated ‘very good’ after two-day test in Perth

The Perth Stadium pitch that saw Australia complete a thumping eight-wicket Ashes win inside two days over England has earned the International Cricket Council's (ICC) highest rating, Cricket Australia said on Thursday. The ICC match referee gave the surface a "very good" rating, denoting good carry, limited seam movement and consistent early bounce despite the rapid finish to the series-opener. "The match referee's 'very good' rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that pr...

November 27, 2025 5:56 PM

Travis Head worried about firing up England’s quicks during Ashes century

Australia's Ashes match-winner Travis Head said he was wary of inciting England's fast bowlers as he slogged his way to a stunning century in the first test in Perth. Head's brilliant 83-ball 123 as a makeshift opener in the second innings helped Australia seal an eight-wicket win in two days and give the hosts a 1-0 lead. He told Australian radio station Triple M on Thursday that he feared he might make the English bowlers angry with him too early in the five-test series. "I’m also very re...

November 27, 2025 5:04 PM

Lions no more, India’s test team appear vulnerable on home soil

The thought of playing a test series in India once struck fear into the hearts of touring sides, but with their fortress now breached twice in the last 12 months local cricket fans know the team's aura of invincibility on home soil has been shattered. India did not lose a home test series for 12 years until New Zealand whitewashed them 3-0 late last year, and while the reverberations from that stunning defeat had grown faint, South Africa's 2-0 victory has delivered another almighty shock to ho...

November 27, 2025 5:00 PM

South Africa underline test credentials after conquering ‘final frontier’ in India

Beating India in their backyard is considered test cricket's biggest challenge, and Temba Bavuma's men aced it with a 2-0 series sweep, which will dispel any doubt about South Africa's credentials as world champions in the long format. The outcry over the minefield of a pitch in Kolkata overshadowed their triumph inside three days in the series opener - South Africa's first test win in India since 2010. Besides, India were one batter short in that low-scoring match after home captain Shubman G...

November 27, 2025 4:55 PM

India’s young batters need more time, Gambhir says after record test loss

India's young batters need more time to gain red-ball experience, coach Gautam Gambhir said after his team suffered their heaviest loss by runs in test cricket as South Africa earned a 408-run win in Guwahati on Wednesday to sweep the series 2-0. Gambhir's own coaching style also faced heavy criticism as India's batters folded for 201 or less in every innings in the two-match series, handing world test champions South Africa their first series win in the format on Indian soil since 2000. It wa...

November 21, 2025 10:01 AM

India vs South Africa: Shubman Gill doubtful for second test due to neck injury

India captain Shubman Gill could miss the second test against South Africa if there is any concern about a recurring neck spasm, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Thursday. Gill, who retired hurt in the first innings of the Kolkata test which India lost by 30 runs, travelled with the team to Guwahati on Wednesday. "He is definitely recovering really well. Now, the decision (whether to play him or not) will be taken tomorrow evening," Kotak told reporters. "If we have a guarantee that very ...

November 18, 2025 10:37 AM

Lack of transition leaves Australia reliant on ageing Ashes team

Australia are favourites to retain the Ashes over the next two months but anything short of their usual dominance over England on home soil is sure to reignite the debate over the pace of transition to a younger generation. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head are all in their mid to late 30s and form the core of the team bidding to keep hold of the urn for another 18 months. It would be a surprise, however, if all seven were stil...

November 18, 2025 10:35 AM

Fearless England ready to shake off weight of failure

Recent history will weigh heavily on the shoulders of England's players when they take the field in Perth on Friday seeking to end a lamentable run of Ashes failure in Australia. They have lost 13 of their previous 15 test matches Down Under, drawing the other two, and you must go all the way back to 2011 for the last England victory. Confident noises are coming out of England's camp, though, and whether or not Brendon McCullum's side can turn the tide, one thing is for sure, the touring side ...

November 18, 2025 10:01 AM

South Africa coach lauds Bavuma as one of the best in the world

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad hailed captain Temba Bavuma as one of the best batters in the world over the past two years after his gutsy match-winning innings at Eden Gardens secured a 30-run win in the first test against hosts India. Bavuma remains unbeaten in his 11 tests as skipper, winning 10 of them to go with a draw, and in that period has averaged 57.00 with the bat. His unbeaten 55 on a treacherous wicket in the second innings on Sunday helped his side set a modest victory target o...

November 17, 2025 1:08 PM

Team India confronts batting blind spot after Kolkata pitch boomerangs

India have long curated home tracks that accentuate turn, but the assumption their own batters would master such conditions no longer appears safe following their defeat in the opening test against South Africa. On a treacherous Eden Gardens' pitch, the ball bounced irregularly and turned sharply and none of the teams posted 200. Touring captain Temba Bavuma's unbeaten 55 was the highest score by any batter. India, a batter short as skipper Shubman Gill retired hurt in the first innings with a...