Month: December 2018

1:32 AM ET The Ranji Trophy 2018-19 match between Puducherry and Uttarakhand started afresh on the fourth day, with a new toss taking place on a fresh pitch at the CAP Siechem Ground in Puducherry. The game had been badly affected by rain, with the first two days completely washed out. The skies cleared on the third day and the toss finally took place with Puducherry opting to bowl. Play,…

12:37 AM ET Australian selectors have indicated to Peter Handscomb that he has work to do on his batting as they opted to replace him with Mitchell Marsh in the Boxing Day Test. Handscomb has made a total of 68 runs across four innings in the first two Tests of the series, but the Victorian was still in the running for a place in the team partly because of his…

11:12 PM ET MSK Prasad, India’s chairman of selectors, has added to the intrigue around the non-selection of Ravindra Jadeja in the Perth Test by saying Jadeja was “absolutely fit” when picked for the Australia tour. He neither confirmed nor denied if he was apprised of Jadeja’s fitness by the team management. India went into the Perth Test without a spinner, a selection that was widely criticised by former players,…

Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn run towards pavilion as the rain comes down  3:00 AM ET Big picture South Africa’s first Test of the home summer is one of three starting on Boxing Day around the world, and there are a couple of reasons why this match is definitely worth following amid a packed schedule. For starters, it will be Centurion’s first time hosting the…

Want to keep counter-attacking in Melbourne – Rahane (3:56) India batsman Ajinkya Rahane is confident a big score is around the corner, and wants to keep counter-attacking to help India gain an advantage in Melbourne (3:56) 3:00 AM ET Big Picture The MCG Boxing Day Test is always an eagerly anticipated occasion, but this year it feels like there is an added edge. The series is poised at 1-1; the…

1:39 PM ET Dale Steyn has spent the last six months on the cusp of becoming the most successful South African Test bowler in history, but he has spent even longer within close striking distance of the record. He passed the 400-wicket mark three-and-a-half years ago, but has only played eight Tests since, and ahead of what should be a record-breaking game against Pakistan on Boxing Day, Steyn insisted he…

1:01 PM ET For all the things this away tour is for Pakistan, one thing it is not is timely. They take on, in South Africa, the opponents they have only beaten two times in 12 attempts on away soil, the side that, for the overwhelming part of the past dozen years or so, has been the best Test side in the world. And they do so at a time…

11:37 AM ET Pakistan will have to fight for just their third Test match win in South Africa without the services of Mohammad Abbas. Sarfraz Ahmed confirmed at a press conference at Supersport Park that the Boxing Day Test came too soon for Abbas, with the shoulder injury that kept him out of the third Test against New Zealand ensuring he will play no part in the opening Test. “Abbas…

7:08 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff MS Dhoni is back in India’s T20I squad. He hadn’t found a place in India’s two most recent T20I squads, against West Indies at home and in Australia, but he has returned as one of three wicketkeeper-batsmen for the three-match T20I series in New Zealand in early February. In more spinning of the wicketkeeping carousel, Dinesh Karthik is back in the ODI squads for Australia…