“Draw not hurting like a defeat”: Shubman Gill
After the second Test in Colombo ended in a draw, the Indian cricket team clinched the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0. Despite posting a massive 503 runs in the first innings and enforcing the follow-on, India could not secure a victory due to the resilient batting performance of the home team. Following this thrilling draw and series win, Indian captain Shubman Gill praised the opposition’s spirit and expressed satisfaction with his young team’s performance.
When asked after the match if Team India could have done anything differently to achieve a result, Gill said, “Honestly, nothing. We fielded for nearly 250 overs across three consecutive days and did everything within our power. Sri Lanka played exceptionally well. Their batsmen batted brilliantly; they had both talent and a bit of luck on their side. So, I don’t think we could have done anything differently.”
He also said, “There were many positives for us in this series; we even learned a lot from the opposition. It was fantastic to see the pressure situation they were in and the way they staged a comeback. Even during lunch and tea breaks, we were discussing that there was nothing more we could have done. Padikkal played brilliantly throughout the series, KL Rahul was excellent, Manav Suthar bowled superbly, and Prasidh Krishna worked hard in both innings. Our bowlers gave it their all.”
Major setback for India in WTC points table after draw
Although the Indian cricket team returns from the Sri Lanka tour having won the two-match Test series 1-0, they will undoubtedly rue the missed opportunity to secure a victory in the Colombo Test, despite enforcing the follow-on. After posting a massive 503 runs in the first innings, India had a golden chance to complete a series clean sweep. However, Sri Lankan batters displayed great resilience in the second innings, scoring 429/9 to force a draw.
This match was crucial for India in the context of the World Test Championship. Had India won, they would have gained 12 points, raising their points percentage to 63.33 and potentially propelling them to fourth place. Instead, the draw resulted in both teams receiving 4 points each. Following this result, India’s points percentage (PCT) dropped from 53.33 to 51.51, though the team remains in fifth place. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s PCT remains steady at 33.33, keeping them in sixth place.
Aaryavir Sehwag included in India’s U19 squad
Australia’s Under-19 team is scheduled to tour India. India’s Under-19 squad has been announced for this tour. Aaryavir Sehwag, son of former Indian batsman Virender Sehwag, has been included in the squad. Three ODIs and two multi-day matches will be played between the two teams. The first match of the tour will be played in Rajkot on September 18th.
Aaryavir is currently playing in the Delhi Premier League. Born on October 19, 2007, Aaryavir is 18 years old. He is a top-order batsman. Anvay Dravid, son of former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, has also been included in the team. Anvay is a wicketkeeper-batsman. Lakshya Raichandani is captaining the team.
India U19 One-Day squad: Lakshya Raichandani (captain), Yashbardhan Chauhan (vice-captain), Rajat Baghel, Aaryavir Sehwag, VK Vineet, Kushagra Ojha, Arjun Rajput, Manal Chauhan, Anvay Dravid, V Yashveer, Rohit Yadav, Shavin Vinodh, Mohit Ulva, Chigurupati Venkata, Kavya Patel
India U19 Multi-Day squad: Yashbardhan Chauhan (captain), Lakshya Raichandani (vice-captain), Sagar Virk, Kushagra Ojha, Manal Chauhan, Kush Patel, Manav Krishna, Abhipray Biswas, Rohit Yadav, Ishan Om, Ayaan Akram, Pranav Ragavendra, Priyanshu Singh, Mohit Ulva, Aryan Yadav
Joe Root equals Ricky Ponting, achieves a major feat
A three-match Test series is currently underway between England and Pakistan, with the second match being played at Lord’s starting August 27. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first. The first match was held at Headingley, where Pakistan suffered a defeat against England by an innings and 103 runs. Meanwhile, in this second Test, England captain Joe Root has equaled Ricky Ponting’s record upon taking the field as part of the playing XI.
Joe Root has now matched Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh in terms of the number of Test matches played. Both Ponting and Waugh played 168 Test matches during their careers; Root has now reached the same mark of 168 matches. Root has become the fourth player in the world to play the most Test matches. The record for the most Test matches played globally belongs to Sachin Tendulkar, who played 200 matches. England’s James Anderson holds the second spot on this list, having played 188 Test matches. Ricky Ponting is in third place, while Joe Root and Steve Waugh share the fourth and fifth spots, each having played 168 matches.
Afghanistan vs India T20I series media rights given to Pakistan company
Team India and Afghanistan are scheduled to play a three-match T20 series next month. The Indian team will play as home guests in this series, which will be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi from September 13th. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is hosting the event. Meanwhile, shocking news has emerged. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has sold the media rights for this T20 series to a Pakistani company, TransGroup, which is also associated with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“Vany will continue as ACB’s long-term clothing partner. TG (Transgroup) will serve as ACB’s global media rights syndication partner. TPT360 will serve as the media production partner, and FanCode will be the official streaming partner in India,” the board said.
For more news & updates, follow The Crichub on Instagram, X and YouTube
