Pakistan's rising cricket star Saim Ayub stole the show with a magnificent hundred as his team narrowly edged out South Africa in a pulsating first ODI match. Ayub's 109 runs off 119 balls not only guided Pakistan's chase, but also proved crucial in overcoming a challenging target of 240. Supported by Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten 82, Ayub's heroics led Pakistan to a nail-biting three-wicket victory against a resilient South African team. With the series tied at 1-1, the stage is set for an exciting contest at Cape Town's Newlands for the second ODI.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced two bills in Lok Sabha proposing simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections in the country. The bills, officially known as the 'Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024', faced stiff opposition from the opposition parties, with many calling for the bills to be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further consultations. However, the bills, if passed, will align the elections of union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, and Delhi with Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly polls.
On the second day of the third Test, Australia's Steve Smith scored his 33rd Test hundred and praised India's Akash Deep for his exceptional bowling skills. Deep, who went wicketless but impressed with his movement and length, also received accolades from Smith's partner Travis Head. With Australia in a strong position at 405 for seven, Smith also talked about his on-field chat with Head who scored a sparkling 152.
The pay gap between men and women in cricket is set to widen even more in the 2025 season, with the top bracket of men's players in The Hundred set to earn £135,000 more than their female counterparts. While overall, women's salaries have seen a 30% increase and men's a 60% increase, the large discrepancy at the top level is causing concern among players and fans. England captain Heather Knight has spoken out, calling the situation "not ideal" and emphasizing the need for progress towards gender pay parity in the sport. Don't miss the upcoming Test between England and South Africa, live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Travis Head dominates with his second century in the series against Indian cricket team. Team India's domination came crushing down on their day two of the third BGT Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane when Travis Head scored another hundred, his second in the series and ninth overall in Tests. This has been the second consecutive time in a row that the Australian left-hander has targeted the Indian team in a decisive manner since his pivotal role in both the 2025 WTC Final and the dramatic 2023 ODI World Cup Final. With these two innings, Head has been the source behiond Australia's two biggest wins against India in recent times and the end is still not in sight.
Australian cricket star Steve Smith finally found his form with a phenomenal 33rd Test hundred against India at the Gabba in Brisbane. This century not only put him second on the list of Australian batters with the most centuries in Tests, but also equalled Joe Root's record for the most centuries against India and broke Rohit Sharma's record in the World Test Championship. Smith's partnership with Travis Head of 241 runs has put India in a difficult position and fans are eagerly waiting to see if India can make a comeback on the third day.
A nail-biting second day of the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2024 saw former India cricketer and current coach Rahul Dravid's younger son, Anvay, steal the show with an unbeaten hundred during Karnataka's match against Jharkhand. His patient batting, along with a solid top-order, led Karnataka to dominate the game. Despite a few breakthroughs from Jharkhand's Ayush Khare, Anvay's unbeaten hundred proved to be the highlight of the day.
In a thrilling match between Mumbai and Baroda, Mumbai emerged victorious and secured their spot in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. Ajinkya Rahane's scintillating knock of 98 runs played a major role in their win, with the right-handed batter scoring five sixes and 11 fours in just 56 balls. Despite missing out on a hundred, Rahane's performance was enough to lead Mumbai to the much-awaited final.
In a thrilling first one-day international match, Sherfane Rutherford showcased his prowess with a superb maiden hundred, leading the West Indies to a five-wicket win over Bangladesh. His impressive innings of 113, along with captain Shai Hope's 86, took the West Indies just seven runs short of the highest ever run chase at Warner Park. Despite strong performances from Bangladesh openers Tanzid Hasan and skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz, it was Rutherford's consistency and hard work that ultimately secured the win for his team.
In a high-scoring match, Australian women's cricket team dominated India as Ellyse Perry scored a quickfire century and Georgia Voll made her maiden international hundred. The target of 372 runs is the highest ever set by Australia in an ODI against India. Indian batters will need to put up an exceptional performance to overcome this massive challenge in the series decider.