Test cricket

SYDNEY: India, having claimed a first series triumph on their last trip Down Under, will again look to break new ground when they lock horns with the Australians on Thursday in the opening test under the lights of Adelaide Oval. Australia have featured in half of the 14 day-night matches played in test cricket and won all seven by comfortable margins, five of them at the picturesque ground by the River Torrens. India also won their only day-night test but the Bangladesh pace attack at Eden Gardens last year probably did not present as much of a threat in the evening sessions as Australia's will. Australia's pace battalion have flourished with the pink ball and India's fine array of batsmen will have to be at their best if they are to hand their hosts a first test defeat under the lights. Skipper Tim Paine said over the last few days Australia had also enjoyed a decent refresher course to prepare for the match, which will be played in front of a restricted crowd of 21,000. … [Read more...] about Cricket-Opener issues as India series begins under Adelaide lights

LONDON: Pakistan's bowling coach Waqar Younis is set for a family reunion following a six-month hiatus after the country's cricket board (PCB) granted him leave on Tuesday to fly to see them in Lahore after the first test against New Zealand. Younis, whose family is usually based in Sydney, has been travelling with Pakistan since they toured England in June. The 49-year-old attempted a reunion in Sydney in September but his father passed away while Younis was in quarantine so he had to fly back to Pakistan for the funeral. Younis asked the team management for leave to spend time with his family who are in Lahore until Jan. 17. "Considering Waqar has not seen his family since June and taking into account that our home series against South Africa, which follows the series against New Zealand, doesn't finish until Feb 14, we took a pragmatic view of his request," Pakistan manager Mansoor Rana said. "(We) have allowed him to return home early so that he can spend additional … [Read more...] about Cricket: Pakistan coach Younis granted leave to see family after six months

SYDNEY: The "baggy green" cap awarded to late Australian cricketing great Don Bradman on his test debut in 1928 has been sold to a local businessman for A$450,000 (US$340,000) after it failed to sell at auction last week. Auctioneers had hoped to reach between A$1 million and A$2 million for the cap, which had failed to reach its reserve price of A$400,000 in the online auction. The sale still surpasses the A$425,000 paid for Bradman's baggy green cap from his final tour of England in 1948 that was sold in 2003. Australian businessman Peter Freedman said in a statement released by the auction house Pickles that he had bought the cap and intended to tour it around the country. "All too often, memorabilia such as this ends up spending its life on the wall of some boardroom or in some basement bar of a well-heeled sports fanatic," Freedman said. "I want as many people to enjoy it as possible." Bradman, who was known as "The Don", is regarded as one of Australia's greatest … [Read more...] about Cricket: Bradman’s ‘baggy green’ sold for US$340,000

MELBOURNE: Australia batsman Steve Smith has no concerns that a nagging back injury will hamper him during the second test against India, which starts on Saturday (Dec 26) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Smith had missed some training time in the buildup to the series opener at Adelaide and was still feeling "a little stiff" on Tuesday, but 31-year-old said he been able to prevent serious flare-ups from the long-standing issue. "It's just something I need to manage whenever it goes and I probably haven't had an episode since 2014, I think it was, so hopefully they can continue to be six years apart if they come," Smith told reporters. "If I'm moving around and laying down I'm good. If I sit around for too long it's not great for it, but I'm not worried about it. "I think everything will be fine and I'll be good to go." Smith scored just one run in the first innings at Adelaide Oval and was one not out when Joe Burns hit the winnings runs as Australia secured an … [Read more...] about Cricket: Nagging back injury not a problem for Smith ahead of Boxing Day test

JOHANNESBURG: Quinton de Kock has accepted the South Africa test captaincy for this international season only as he concedes the selectors have struggled to identify a viable candidate as a long-term solution in the five-day game. De Kock, who leads the side in white-ball cricket, was a surprise pick for the South African summer, only because both he and director of cricket Graeme Smith have previously said the burden of captaincy across all three formats would be too much for the wicketkeeper. But as the team prepares for the start of the two-test home series against Sri Lanka on Boxing Day, and with tests against Pakistan and Australia early next year, De Kock says he is happy in a temporary role. "When they (the selectors) told me the situation, I understood where they are coming from. I didn’t accept it immediately, I did think about it," he told reporters on Monday. "It's just for this season. When somebody else puts up their hand, they will take over. But I am happy … [Read more...] about Cricket-De Kock happy with South Africa test captaincy SOS “for now”