Gavaskar feels that Kohli was in the wrong when he mad the decision to engage with the crowd, as this gesture ended up putting more pressure on the shoulders of his teammate.

“Kohli must understand that whatever he does to react to the crowd actually puts more pressure on his teammates, who also then become targets of the spectators,” Gavaskar wrote in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald.

While Kohli was facing criticism for doing this act to provoke the Australian crowd, he failed with the bat. The Australian pacers made full use of his weakness against deliveries on the outside off stump, the star Indian batter was caught eight times behind the stumps.

Kohli managed to score just 190 runs at an average of 23.75. His best knock was in the opening Test of the five-match Test series in Perth, where he scored a century to help India beat the hosts by 295 runs.

The post Sunil Gavaskar blames Virat Kohli for increasing ‘Pressure on his Teammates’ by interacting with Australian crowd appeared first on Cricket Country.

During the 11th over of the innings, Kohli engaged with the crowd and showed both of his empty pockets. This was a reference to an action done by Australian opener Cameron Bancroft during their tour of South Africa, when three players were found guilty of ball-tampering.

The crowd at the Sydney Cricket ground (SCG) seemed to love this action by Kohli as this showed him playing in a fair manner when he was in the slip cordon. This act also brought a smile to the face of wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Virat Kohli showing empty pockets indicating no sandpaper with him.#INDvsAUSTest #AUSvsIND
"Without Bumrah" #Siraj #PrasidhKrishna pic.twitter.com/mCx8HdZPha

— Ashok (@imashok1234) January 5, 2025

Coming to the match, Prasidh Krishna helped India stay in the match. He brought the first wicket of young opener Sam Konstas in the 4th over of the innings. A few overs later, Marnus Labuschagne got caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at the third slip. Steve Smith was also dismissed by Prasidh Krishna by the bounce. Australia was 71/3 after 13 overs.

The post WATCH: Irritated by Australian crowd, Virat Kohli trolls them by imitating Ball-Tampering action during Sydney Test appeared first on Cricket Country.

The batter recently starred in the 2-match unofficial Test series between Australia A and India A, top-scoring with 166 runs. This includes a match-winning knock of 88 in the first Test.

McSweeney managed to outdo the likes of Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris to get selected for the highly important 5-match series against India.

Warner believes that McSweeney has fine technique and patience

Speaking to Fox Cricket, Warner said about McSweeney that he has got a fine technique.

“McSweeney has got a good technique and we know he can bat for long periods of time. It is a great time for him to come in; it is a big series,” Warner said.

The former Australian cricketer then revealed that he has picked McSweeney to pile up the highest score in the series and added that the 25-year-old has the technique and patience to partner with Usman Khawaja.

“I have pencilled him (McSweeney) in for the highest run score this summer, so I am looking forward to that. I am also looking forward to seeing how he adapts batting with someone like Usman Khawaja as well, because it is a partnership that you have to build,” Warner said.

Warner wants selectors to give youngsters ample time to settle

Warner also urged the selectors to be patient with the youngsters and asked to give them 2 summers in order to establish themselves in the team.

“We have just got to be patient with all the guys that are coming through now. Uzzie (Usman Khawaja) is touching on 38 now as well, he has probably got another 12 to 18 months to go” Warner said..

“He is (McSweeney) 25 years of age; you’ve got to give guys a crack … it would be exciting just to see him score some runs first and establish himself — but if he does not just give him some time, give him maybe two summers,” Warner added.

The post NOT Virat Kohli or Steve Smith: David Warner backs THIS Australia star to get ‘highest score’ in BGT appeared first on Cricket Country.

As Australia A came for the chase, captain Nathan McSweeney took a single on the first ball. Krishna came around the wickets and took Harris. Krishna lured him to a drive where the ball hit the inside edge and went straight to the wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel who took a simple catch.

On the next ball, Bancroft was left dumbfounded by the fuller delivery. He could not get his bat to hit properly. The umpire hence did not take any second guess and raised his finger as Bancroft was dismissed. Krishna was exceptional in his first spell. He bowled a total of four overs and gave out just six runs.

Marcus Harris 🦆
Cameron Bancroft 🦆

Prasidh Krishna removes two Test contenders on consecutive balls in the first over #AUSAvINDA pic.twitter.com/5bOOhC7Fqj

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 9, 2024

Krishna walked in to bat in 57th over after Nitish Kumar Reddy got dismissed for 81-ball 38. He had a partnership of 49 runs with Tanush Kotian. He smashed 5 fours before he got dismissed by off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli.

The post Watch: Prasidh Krishna destroys Australian openers- Dismissed both for Ducks appeared first on Cricket Country.

On the other hand, McSweeney batted comparatively well in both the innings, playing steady knocks of 39 and 47 in the first and second innings respectively.

In the ongoing unofficial Test between India A and Australia A, there were 3 candidates Konstas, McSweeney and veteran Marcus Harris giving audition for opener’s slot in upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“I thought a bit more about it, and he (Konstas) is so young and he has probably not even played on grounds like Optus Stadium or at the Gabba,” Ponting told ICC.

“He wouldn’t have played a pink-ball (match) at Adelaide Oval either. So there’s a lot of things that stack up against the young guy, although there’s no doubt that he’s got talent,” Ponting added.

Ponting doesn’t think George Bailey and his panel would go back to Cameron Bancroft and Harris and hence McSweeney is the obvious choice.

“Another thing that I’d said then was that I don’t think they’d go back to a (Cameron) Bancroft or (Marcus) Harris – because if they’re willing to do that, they would’ve done it the last year,” Ponting said.

“So the only name left for me more or less is Nathan McSweeney… he got the most out of any of those guys from the A game in Australia at the moment. And he’s more experienced. He (McSweeney) has captained Australia A in the past, and he’s captaining them now. So I’m leaning towards McSweeney now for that opening role at the start of the Australian summer,” Ponting concluded.

The post “He got the most…”: Ricky Ponting wants THIS Australian batter to open in Border-Gavaskar series appeared first on Cricket Country.

Bancroft was the highest run scorer in Sheffield Shield and even this season, he currently leads the chart with 512 runs.
After the 2018 sandpaper scandal, Bancroft has featured in two Test matches against England in 2019.

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Bailey was quizzed about Bancroft’s snub and said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo, “Categorically, no. I’ve shared this with Cameron on a number of occasions. It has never at any stage been discussed from the panel’s perspective. It’s purely a cricketing decision.”

“There is not a member of the team that would have an issue with Cam playing, we certainly don’t have an issue with it. I’d be disappointed if people were looking to that as a reason. All I can do is reiterate to you and to Cam that’s not the case; never has been, and never will be,” Bailey added.

Matthew Renshaw was given the nod over Bancroft. Bailey admitted that the 31-year-old made a compelling case for his inclusion on the roster, but they see Renshaw as the next batter in line.

Cam’s record over the last couple of years has been phenomenal and it’s made this decision really challenging, a line-ball call. He is banging down the door. Think there’s a number of players who are banging down the door and that’s great,” Bailey said.

“As excited as Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green are, you know there’s always guys on the other side of the coin who are shattered and who are working their backside off. All those guys know what it’s like to be part of that Test team, all of them are striving to get back there…and there will be opportunities going forward,” Bailey added.

The post AUS vs WI Test: George Bailey clears air on Cameron Bancroft’s omission appeared first on Cricket Country.

Recently, Bancroft shed some light on the incident and claims that players other than the three accused knew about the incident in Capetown. In a conversation with a journalist, Bancroft revealed that Australian bowlers’ knowledge of the incident is “self-explanatory”.

Taylor feels that Cricket Australia will not go away with it which makes the case worse for Smith at the moment to regain the captaincy.

“It doesn’t help. No doubt about it, it doesn’t help his case, because he like I’m sure most people involved in the game would like this just to go away; which it won’t go away,” Mark Taylor, a staunch supporter of Steve Smith, said on Sports Sunday.

The former Aussie player feels that there is no doubt that the momentum was shifting in favour of Smith before the reawakening of the incident.

“There’s no doubt there’s a growing momentum around Steve Smith being a potential captain, no doubt about that.”

On Bancroft’s revelation, Taylor claims that he thinks that the Australian bowlers didn’t have any idea about the ball-tampering during that incident.

“The bleeding obvious to me is they didn’t know that it had been doctored. You only have to read what they said during the week. If I could just read it out: ‘We did not know a foreign substance was taken on to the field to alter the condition of the ball’. And as they said, the two umpires in the game did not change the ball. So there was an attempt to change the condition of the ball but they didn’t get to do it. The umpire said, ‘That ball’s still fine, let’s get on with it’. So they did not know,” Taylor said.

The post Mark Taylor Feels Reawakening of Ball-Tampering Scandal Dents Steve Smith’s Chances of Regaining Captaincy appeared first on Cricket Country.

“The report that was done, they (CA) didn’t interview all the players. The whole thing was so badly handled, it was a joke. But eventually, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, will come out, and I know the whole truth,” Erskine was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.

“But it doesn’t serve any purpose because the Australian public over a period of time got to dislike the Australian team because they didn’t behave particularly well.”

The ball-tampering fiasco in South Africa had led to a review of Australia’s win-at-all-cost team culture, besides the ban on the three players.

“There is absolutely no doubt that Smith, Warner and Bancroft were treated despicably. The fact of the matter is they did the wrong thing but the punishment didn’t fit the crime. I think if one or two of those players had taken legal action they would have won because of what the truth was,” Erskine added.

Erskine’s reaction came after Bancroft’s recent statement on the infamous episode has once again brought the ball-tampering issue under the spotlight.

During an interview, Bancroft had hinted that bowlers might have known about the plot that made him and two others — Smith and Warner — pay a huge price.

CA has stated that it was open to re-investigation into the whole episode.

The post David Warner’s Manager Slams Cricket Australia Over Treatment of Players Involved in Sandpaper Gate, Calls Investigation ‘A Joke’ appeared first on Cricket Country.

The 77-year-old Chappell’s views are in contrast to Paine, who recently said he will have no qualms about former skipper Smith returning to the job whenever he chooses to retire. “I think it’s time to move on. To me if you go back to Smith, you’re going backward. It’s time to look ahead, not in the rear-vision mirror,” Chappell told Wide World of Sports.

He also feels Cummins’ prospects of leading Australia in future should not be dented even if he was aware of any plans to tamper with the ball during the infamous 2018 Test match against South Africa in Cape Town.

The ball-tampering fiasco had led to a review of Australia’s win-at-all-cost team culture besides one-year ban on then captain Smith, his deputy David Warner and a nine-month suspension for Cameron Bancroft.

During an interview, Bancroft had hinted that other bowlers might have known about the plot that saw him and two others — Smith and Warner — pay a huge price. “If people start jumping up and down about Pat Cummins captaining Australia if he knew, well the answer is pretty clear, because it falls back on Smith,” Chappell said.

Chappell stated that it was Smith’s responsibility to stop his teammates from tampering the ball and giving him back the Test captaincy will be like going backwards.

“He’s (Steve Smith) the bloke who should have stopped it. The captain’s got the overall say and power to stop it, and he didn’t. I don’t think it should count against Cummins, even if they decide the bowlers did know.

“Smith is the bloke who should have made sure the whole thing never started,” added Chappell.

Bancroft’s recent statement on the infamous episode has once again brought the ball-tampering issue under the spotlight. In a recent interview, the out-of-favour opener said that bowlers being involved in the scandal was “self-explanatory”. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh were the bowlers used by Australia in the match which South Africa had won by 322 runs.

During the Test at Newlands in March 2018, Bancroft was caught by television cameras of trying to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper.

The post Ian Chappell Backs Pat Cummins Ahead of Steve Smith as Australia’s Next Test Captain appeared first on Cricket Country.

The scandal led to year long bans being slapped on then captain Steve Smith and David Warner, with Cameron Bancroft facing a nine-month suspension. It once again caught the headlines, when Cameron Bancroft shed light that Australian bowlers at that time, might have had some knowledge about the incident.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Big Sports Breakfast, Clarke said: “They’ve got to hold the ball to bowl with it. I can tell you now if you went and grabbed a pen, just a pen and put a little ‘1’ somewhere on my cricket bat; on top of the handle, on the edge of the bat, on the toe of the bat, on the face, under the grip, anywhere, just a little number one, I would have noticed. If you are playing sport at the highest level you know your tools that good it’s not funny. Can you imagine that ball being thrown back to the bowler and the bowler not knowing about it? Please,” he added.

“What’s the surprise? That more than three people knew? I don’t think anybody who has played the game of cricket or knows a little bit about cricket would know that in a team like that, at the highest level, when the ball is such an important part of the game. I don’t think anybody is surprised that more than three people knew about it,” Clarke said.

Bancroft, who is currently playing county cricket in Durham, said it was ‘probably self-explanatory’ whether the bowlers were aware that the ball was being tampered with.

“Yeah, look, all I wanted to do was to be responsible and accountable for my own actions and part. Yeah, obviously what I did benefits bowlers, and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory,” Bancroft told The Guardian interviewer Donald McRae. I guess one thing I learnt through the journey and being responsible is that’s where the buck stops [with Bancroft himself]. Had I had better awareness I would have made a much better decision,” he added.

The post Michael Clarke is not surprised about Cameron Bancroft’s ball tampering claim appeared first on Cricket Country.