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England Played Really Well”: Steve Smith Credits Ben Stokes-Led Side After MCG Defeat

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Australia captain Steve Smith admitted that England outplayed them in the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia captain Steve Smith admitted that England outplayed them in the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as the Ben Stokes-led Three Lions defeated the Aussies for the first time since January 2011. While Australia have already won the five-match Ashes series, having won three Tests on the trot, their wish of handing England a humiliating 5-0 defeat is over now. England defeated Australia by four wickets in the fourth Ashes Test at MCG, registering their first victory on the tour as the series now stands at 3-1. Notably, this is England’s first Test win on Australian soil in over 5000 days.

In the match, England opted to bowl first. Josh Tongue’s five-wicket haul helped bowl Australia out for 152, before England collapsed to 110, trailing by 42. Australia then struggled again on a difficult pitch, managing just 132 in their second innings, setting England a target of 175. England’s chase was steadied by solid partnerships at the top, and despite a late wobble, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith saw them home to a memorable four-wicket victory.

Australia had extended their dominance at home by winning the first three Ashes Tests in a row, stretching their unbeaten streak against England in Australia to 16-0. England’s victory in the fourth Test has now brought that run to an end.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Steve Smith said Australia aim to win every match and keep every streak going, but credited England for turning the game around. He noted that strong starts from Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett broke the back of the chase and made the difference in England’s victory.

“We’d love to win every game and keep every streak going. But, England played really well today. We probably controlled the first half of the game or yesterday, and then they came back in to play today and took the game away from us. Particularly the way (Zak) Crawley and (Ben) Duckett started, they got them off to a flyer and broke the back of the chase, I suppose, and softened the ball, as I said before, which made a big difference. But we try to win every game we can,” Smith said.

Harry Brook played audacious knocks in both of England’s innings, playing a crucial hand in the Three Lions’ victory on a bowler-friendly wicket. He scored a 34-ball 41 (two fours and two sixes) in the first innings and then scored a 22-ball 18 in the second innings during England’s chase.

Smith said Harry Brook was the most successful batter on the difficult pitch, using aggressive shots to disrupt the bowlers’ lengths. He added that Australia might discuss being more proactive but noted it was hard to balance aggression with digging in.

“I think the guy with the most success on that wicket was probably Harry Brook. Running down the wicket, playing some kind of rogue shots, I suppose, and trying to get the bowlers off their lengths that way,” Smith said.

“Whether we could have been a bit more proactive, potentially, and played a few more of those, that’s something we’ll talk about. But in the end, it’s also a tricky one to do that. You want to try and dig in for your team sometimes. And if we were able to just extend a couple of those partnerships, then maybe the ball would have got a bit softer and played a little easier. We never really got to that point in the game. Both teams getting bowled out inside of 50 overs. So it never really got to the point where it got soft and potentially would have been easier to bat,” Smith added.

Source: NDTV

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गौतम गंभीर पर क्यों उठते हैं सवाल? हरभजन सिंह ने बताई वजह

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गौतम गंभीर की आलोचना पर हरभजन सिंह ने रखी अपनी बात

भारत के पूर्व स्पिनर हरभजन सिंह ने टीम इंडिया के हेड कोच गौतम गंभीर का बचाव किया है। उन्होंने कहा कि टीम के खराब प्रदर्शन के लिए हमेशा सिर्फ कोच को जिम्मेदार ठहराना सही नहीं है।

हरभजन ने कहा कि गौतम गंभीर एक जोशीले और साफ बोलने वाले इंसान हैं। वह जो सोचते हैं, वही खुलकर कह देते हैं। हालांकि, उनका यही अंदाज कई लोगों को पसंद नहीं आता और उनकी बातें कुछ लोगों को कड़वी लग सकती हैं।

गौतम गंभीर की आलोचना क्यों?

हरभजन ने कहा कि उन्हें समझ नहीं आता कि जब टीम अच्छा प्रदर्शन नहीं करती तो लोग सबसे पहले कोच को ही दोष क्यों देने लगते हैं। उनके मुताबिक, गंभीर हमेशा टीम को सबसे ऊपर रखते हैं और जीत के लिए पूरी मेहनत करते हैं।

गंभीर के स्वभाव पर क्या बोले हरभजन?

हरभजन ने बताया कि जब गौतम गंभीर टीम में नए आए थे, तब वह ज्यादा बोलते नहीं थे और कुछ चुनिंदा खिलाड़ियों के साथ ही रहते थे। बाद में उनके वीरेंद्र सहवाग, अमित मिश्रा और मुनाफ पटेल जैसे खिलाड़ियों के साथ अच्छे संबंध बने।

हरभजन ने गंभीर को एक अच्छा और सीधे-सादे स्वभाव का इंसान बताया। उन्होंने कहा कि गंभीर की बातें कई बार लोगों को कड़वी लगती हैं, लेकिन वह अपनी बात साफ तरीके से रखते हैं।

जीतना ही है गंभीर की सोच

हरभजन के अनुसार, अब कोच के तौर पर गौतम गंभीर की सबसे बड़ी सोच टीम को जीत दिलाना है। वह चाहते हैं कि टीम हर मुकाबले में जीत के इरादे से खेले। हरभजन ने कहा कि गंभीर को सिर्फ उनकी छवि या लोगों की धारणाओं के आधार पर आंकना सही नहीं है।

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Low Fame, High Performance: The Young Cricketers India Is Ignoring.

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Indian cricket has long been celebrated for its stars on the international stage, but beyond the spotlight lies a group of young cricketers whose performances have consistently strengthened the game at the domestic and developmental levels. Through discipline, resilience, and sustained excellence, these players have built impressive records, often away from public attention. Their journeys reflect the depth of talent within India’s cricketing structure and underline the importance of performance over popularity. This feature highlights five such young cricketers whose achievements continue to shape the future of Indian cricket.

The following cricketers have consistently delivered strong performances across domestic and international platforms, building impressive records through discipline, resilience, and sustained excellence, often away from the limelight.

Sai Sudharsan

Sai Sudharsan is a left-handed top-order batsman from Tamil Nadu who has steadily built a reputation as one of India’s most reliable young batters. A product of the Tamil Nadu domestic system, he impressed early in age-group cricket and carried that consistency into senior domestic tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Known for his calm temperament and strong technique, Sudharsan gained wider recognition through impactful performances in high-pressure matches, including major IPL games and finals. His ability to anchor an innings as well as accelerate when needed has marked him as a promising all-format prospect for Indian cricket.

Yash Dhull

Yash Dhull is a right-handed batsman from Delhi who rose to prominence after captaining India to victory in the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. A technically sound top-order player, Dhull has been regarded as a mature cricketer from a young age, known for his leadership skills and composure under pressure. Following his U-19 success, he transitioned into domestic cricket, where he continues to work on establishing himself at the senior level. His journey reflects the path of a disciplined batsman focused on long-term growth rather than early fame.

Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma is a left-handed middle-order batsman from Hyderabad who has emerged as one of India’s most promising young players in limited-overs cricket. He gained attention through consistent domestic performances before making an impact in the IPL and subsequently earning opportunities at the international level. Known for his fearless yet controlled batting style, Tilak is particularly effective against both spin and pace. His adaptability, temperament, and ability to perform in pressure situations have made him a strong contender for a long-term role in India’s white-ball teams.

Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan is a right-handed batsman from Mumbai who has dominated India’s domestic cricket circuit with exceptional consistency. After early exposure to professional cricket at a young age, Sarfaraz faced setbacks but rebuilt his career through remarkable performances in the Ranji Trophy, where he recorded some of the highest batting averages in recent years. Known for his hunger for big scores and strong work ethic, he has repeatedly delivered match-winning innings at the domestic level. His career is often cited as an example of perseverance and performance-driven progression in Indian cricket.

Abhimanyu Easwaran

Abhimanyu Easwaran is a technically sound opening batsman who has been a pillar of consistency in India’s domestic cricket for several seasons. Representing Bengal, he has amassed runs across formats and earned recognition as a dependable long-format player. Easwaran has also captained India A and delivered strong performances in overseas conditions, highlighting his temperament and leadership qualities. Known for patience, discipline, and classical batting technique, he continues to be viewed as a strong contender for India’s Test setup.

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Frank Lampard’s Coventry Extend Lead In Championship

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Coventry pulled further clear of the chasing pack in the Championship on Friday as Frank Lampard’s side beat Swansea 1-0 to open up an eight-point lead at the top.

Coventry pulled further clear of the chasing pack in the Championship on Friday as Frank Lampard’s side beat Swansea 1-0 to open up an eight-point lead at the top. The Sky Blues, seeking to end a 25-year wait for Premier League football, stretched their lead over Middlesbrough and have a 13-point cushion over third-placed Ipswich. Lampard admitted his free-scoring side were far from their best but they did enough for the three points thanks to Ephron Mason-Clark’s emphatic finish just before half-time.

Liam Cullen and Melker Widell both wasted good chances to equalise in the closing stages, but Coventry held on for an eighth consecutive home win.

“Over the course of the season there are games you play where everything goes in and others where you have chances and it doesn’t quite drop or go in,” said former Chelsea boss Lampard.

“We had chances to get that second goal but it didn’t quite fall. We were not as good today as we usually are off the ball.”

Middlesbrough’s promotion push stumbled in a 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn.

After winning Kim Hellberg’s first four games in charge, they have failed to score in their last two after a 2-0 defeat at Bristol City last time out.

“We have had a lot of good performances over the last period of time, but I think this result was quite fair because we didn’t deserve anything more than a draw,” said Hellberg.

Ipswich failed to apply pressure to the top two after being held 0-0 at Millwall.

Wrexham came from 3-1 down to beat Sheffield United 5-3 in the game of the day.

Backed by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Welsh side are aiming for a fourth consecutive promotion.

A double from Kieffer Moore helped snap a five-game winless run to lift Wrexham up to 13th and within five points of the play-off places.

Hull and Preston remain in the play-off places despite being held to draws away at Sheffield Wednesday and Hull respectively.

Bristol City were the only other side in the top six other than Coventry to win as a 2-1 victory at West Brom piled more pressure on former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason.

Leicester slipped to 14th after a 2-1 home defeat to Watford in a further blow to their chances of bouncing straight back to the top flight.

Source: NDTV

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