Tasmanian cricketer Beau Webster, who made his debut at the age of 31, displayed a remarkable calmness and confidence at the press conference before the fifth Test between Australia and India. He performed well in his debut match, bowling 13 overs with an economy of 2.2 and taking two catches. He comes from a long line of successful cricket players from Tasmania, including David Boon and Ricky Ponting, and has the potential to follow in their footsteps.
The fifth Test match between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground was off to an intense start as the Australian team thought they had caught star batsman Virat Kohli out on the first ball. However, third umpire Joel Wilson gave it not out, causing a stir among former Australian players and coaches. While Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting believe Kohli should have been given out, the decision has divided opinions and sparked a heated debate.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar criticize the 20% match fee fine imposed on Virat Kohli for his on-field altercation with debutant Sam Konstas. While Ponting argues that the punishment is not harsh enough, Gavaskar states that it was just a "slap on the wrist" for a highly paid professional like Kohli. The incident occurred during Konstas' much-anticipated debut in Australia, where he made headlines for playing a key role in India's tussle against Australia. Despite the controversial incident, Australia ended the day on a strong note with a total of 311/6.
Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has been fined 20% of his match fee and given a demerit point by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for deliberately making physical contact with Australian batsman Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The incident, which occurred on the second day of the test match, sparked a heated exchange between the players and drew criticism from former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. Kohli has accepted the sanctions imposed by the match referee.
Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli and Australian debutant Sam Konstas were involved in a heated altercation during the 4th Test match between India and Australia. The incident occurred when Kohli bumped into Konstas while crossing the pitch, leading to a heated exchange of words. While Konstas downplayed the incident as accidental, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting suggests that Kohli may face disciplinary action for instigating the confrontation.
Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting believes Indian opener Shubman Gill can improve his overseas record by making minor changes to his approach. Despite scoring four hundreds in 17 Tests at home, Gill's average of 23.8 across nine Tests in England, Bangladesh, West Indies, South Africa and Australia is a cause of concern for Ponting. The 21-year-old may be overcomplicating his approach, and Ponting suggests that he should trust his instincts and maintain an attacking mindset for better results.
New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson made his comeback with a bang as he slammed his 33rd Test century in the ongoing New Zealand vs England 3rd Test at Seddon Park, Hamilton. His knock of 156, along with help from his team, put up a daunting target of 658 runs against England in the fourth innings. Williamson also became the first New Zealand player to reach 5000 runs in Test cricket, placing him among top players like Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, and Steve Smith.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson achieved a historic feat by becoming the first batter to score five consecutive Test centuries at a specific venue - Hamilton's Seddon Park - during the third Test against England. With this century, Williamson also surpassed 14 other batters who have scored four consecutive Test hundreds at specific grounds, including the legendary Don Bradman. Williamson also became the third-fastest batter to reach 33 Test centuries, behind Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar. His impressive batting average of 66.77 in New Zealand puts him in an elite league of batsmen with over 5000 Test runs in a specific country. Williamson's 156-run knock helped New Zealand post a massive total of 658 for England to chase on the third day of the Test.
Australian cricketer Steve Smith achieved a milestone by scoring a century in the third Test match against India at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. In 185 balls, Smith completed his 33rd career century, surpassing Steve Waugh and trailing behind only Ricky Ponting (41) for the most centuries by an Australian player in Tests. This momentous event has captured the attention of cricket fans globally, and the match is set to be an intense battle between two top-ranked teams.
In the second Test between India and Australia, Rohit Sharma dropped himself to no. 6 in the batting order to accomodate KL Rahul at the top. While Gavaskar defended Rohit's decision, Ponting suggested that Rahul's form might keep Rohit at no. 6 in the future as well.