Ravindra Jadeja achieves rare record to join all-time greats
Ravindra Jadeja’s first Test against Sri Lanka proved memorable. Jadeja achieved a feat with the ball that placed him among the select group of Test cricket’s greatest all-rounders. Jadeja became only the fourth all-rounder in the world to achieve the feat of scoring over 4,000 runs and taking 350 wickets in Test cricket.
Jadeja took two wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings. He dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva and Keshara Nuwantha. With these two wickets, his Test career tally reached 350. Prior to this, Jadeja had scored 13 runs in the Indian innings. While his batting contribution wasn’t significant, he etched his name in the history books by taking two wickets with his bowling. Before Jadeja, only three all-rounders had achieved the feat of scoring 4,000 or more runs and taking 350 wickets in Test cricket.
KL Rahul sees big things ahead for Devdutt Padikkal
Indian batter KL Rahul expressed his delight at Devdutt Padikkal’s maiden Test century during the match against Sri Lanka in Galle and highlighted their long-standing association dating back to their Under-19 days. Rahul is confident that Padikkal will continue to play big innings for India consistently. Stepping in at number three to replace the injured Sai Sudharsan, Padikkal cemented his place in the Test team by playing a magnificent knock of 167 runs off 230 balls. His excellent play against spin bowling was the standout feature of this innings.
In a video released by the BCCI, Rahul said, “Obviously, coming from the same state, I have watched Dev progress since his Under-19 days. He has scored a lot of runs for Karnataka and earned his spot in the Indian cricket team.” He added that for the past few years, Padikkal had been waiting for his opportunity while quietly working hard in the nets to iron out certain flaws in his batting. “Since he joined the squad, we have frequently discussed the areas he needed to improve, what to expect in Sri Lanka, and what might unfold in the upcoming Test matches.”
ICC to impose a fine of $44,000 on Australia
Bangladesh made history by defeating Australia by nine wickets in the first Test match. This was the first time in Test cricket history that Australia had lost a match to Bangladesh at home. This was a defeat Australia likely wouldn’t want to remember. Meanwhile, the Kangaroo team could face another setback. Australia may now not only face points deductions in the World Test Championship standings, but could also face a fine of thousands of dollars.
The penalty for Australia will be determined only after the match referee’s assessment of the match circumstances. However, under the over-rate penalty rules, Australia could face a point deduction in the World Test Championship points table. Australia currently has 84 points and a points percentage (PCT) of 77.78. If four points are deducted, it will drop to 80 points.
The ICC will also have the option of deducting the match fees of the Australian players. Since the team bowled four overs less, players could be fined 5 percent of their match fees per over. This could result in a hefty fine of $44,000 for all 11 players, which is approximately ₹4.2 million.
Report: Babar Azam out of the first Test match against England
A three-match Test series is scheduled between England and Pakistan. The first match of the series will begin on August 19th. The Pakistan team has arrived in England for this series. However, the bad news for the team is that Babar Azam may be ruled out of the first Test. Pakistan may have to play without Babar Azam in the first Test match. This could weaken the team’s batting department.
Recently, Babar Azam participated in Pakistan’s warm-up match against the Professional County Club Select XI in Beckenham. He suffered a hand injury while batting. He had to leave the field due to the injury. Now, teammate Mohammad Abbas has provided a significant update on Babar, leading to speculation that he may be ruled out of the first match due to unfitness. He said, “Whether Babar will play or not will be decided on match day. He did some throwdowns and batting practice today. But for that, we will have to follow the doctors’ advice.”
Afghanistan announces team for Asian Games 2026
On August 17th, the Afghanistan Cricket Board also announced its squad for 2026 Asian Games. Fifteen players have been selected for the team. The Afghanistan team for the 2026 Asian Games features mostly young players, but there are also some veterans who have previously represented the senior Afghanistan team.
Afghanistan has named Darwish Rasooli as captain for the 2026 Asian Games. Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat, both of whom have represented Afghanistan internationally, have also been included in the team. Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Azmatullah Umarzai have not been included in the team, resting them. Young players like Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Khalid Taniwal, Imran Mir, and Faisal Khan Shinozada have been included in the squad.
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