THE HAMMERING

 Image Credit – ESPN CricInfo.

Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth [December 14-17, 2023].

In the summer of 2023-24, the Pakistani cricket team toured Australia to play 3 test matches. The tour marked the beginning of an era for the visitors as they had a leadership change before the tour down under. Shan Masood was appointed as the new Test captain. However, he had multiple challenges before him. Firstly, they were facing the world champions in their own backyard, where they have not lost a single test to them in the last 3 decades. Forget about a defeat; the visitors have even struggled to draw a test match there. Moreover, the morale of the Aussies was quite high after their 6th World Cup triumph. On the other hand, the men in green had a terrible World Cup before this series. So there was a mountain to climb now for the men in green.

The first test was scheduled in Perth, a venue wherein the Aussies have a brilliant track record. On a bright sunny day it was the Aussie captain Pat Cummins who won the toss, and he decided to bat first. The decision turned out to be a masterstroke, as the opening duo of Khwaja and Warner gave the Aussies a brilliant start. David Warner, who had earlier announced that he would retire after the series, took the charge from the front and hammered a brilliant 164 of 211 deliveries. In an innings which lasted for around 6 hours, Warner hit a total of 16 boundaries and 4 sixes. It was truly a delight to watch. After all, the innings had everything – power, timing and placement. Apart from Warner, Mitch Marsh too scored a quickfire 90 as the Aussies ended up scoring 487 in their first innings. For the visitors, Aamir Jamal had something to cheer about as he picked up 6 wickets in his debut test match.

In response, the visitors started off pretty well. However, once Imam-ul-Haq got dismissed for 62, the men in green fell like a pack of cards. The Aussies got a massive first-innings lead of 216 runs, and the option of a follow-on was available to Cummins. However, he decided to grind the visitors and thus refused to enforce a follow-on. Furthermore, the Aussies in the 2nd innings came all guns blazing as they scored at a quick rate. The hosts declared at a score of 233/5, with the visitors now needing a massive 450 runs to win the match.

It was almost certain that the Aussies were winning this test. The question was how long the visitors would survive. To everyone's surprise, there was no fight offered by the men in green as they crumbled for just 89 runs in 30.2 overs. The Aussie quartet of Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon dismantled the men in green like anything as they won the game by a massive 360 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series.

THE WHITEWASH

             

 Image Credit – ESPN CricInfo.

Venue – Old Trafford, Manchester [June 24, 2018].

In the summer of 2018, the Australian cricket team toured England to play 5 ODIs and one T20 International. At the end of 4 ODIs the English were leading the series 4-0, and the clouds of a whitewash were looming before the visitors – something which had never happened before. The final ODI thus became a matter of prestige for the Aussies now.

Interestingly, on a bright sunny day in Manchester, it was Australian captain Tim Paine who won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a batting paradise. The decision turned out to be a good one as the visitors got off to a flyer with Travis Head and Aaron Finch striking aggressively. Head scored a quickfire 56 off 42 deliveries as the Aussies got past the 50-run mark in no time. However, the hosts made a strong comeback in the later overs as they pushed the Aussies to a backfoot by picking up wickets at regular intervals. Moreover, apart from Head, no other Australian batsman could cross the 50-run mark as the visitors were bowled out for just 205 runs in 34.4 overs. The good start provided by the opens had been wasted again. Furthermore, it appeared that the English would chase down the target in no time, and the whitewash would be complete.

But mind you, this is cricket. A game of surprises and uncertainty. The English got off to the worst possible start as the Aussies demolished the top order in no time. The hosts were reeling at 114/8 when Adil Rashid joined Buttler in the middle. The game was on a knife-edge. A couple more wickets and the match would have been over. But this is when Jos Buttler rose to the occasion and scored a majestic 110* off 122 deliveries and took his side home. It is pertinent to note that Buttler had a dual task to perform. Firstly, he was the main batsman who was required to score the majority of runs. Secondly, he needed to make sure that Rashid and Jake Ball faced a minimal number of deliveries. It was truly a batting masterclass by one of the finest English batsmen. However, one also needs to praise Rashid for his well-composed 20 of 47 deliveries in the partnership of 81 runs with Buttler.

It was that important ninth-wicket partnership of Rashid and Buttler which brought the hosts back into the game. However, at one stage it appeared that the Aussies would chip in again when Rashid got dismissed. Fortunate enough, Jake Ball survived 10 deliveries as Buttler hit the winning runs. The crowd in Manchester erupted in joy as the impossible had happened – the Aussies had been whitewashed.

Jos Buttler was awarded the player of the match award for his exceptional hundred at Old Trafford. Moreover, after eight years the knock has attained the status of a classic. One of the best ODI innings played on English soil. 

To watch the Highlights of the match, Click Here. 

THE END OF AN ERA

          

Image Credit—NDTV Sports.

No Indian cricket fan would like to remember the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy. It was a series that literally ended the beautiful era of Indian cricket. Ashwin retired mid-series post the Gabba Test, whereas Rohit and Kohli played their last test games in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively, before announcing retirement in May 2025. It was surely the worst of times.

However, the thing that pained us the most as a cricket fan was the struggle that these two stalwarts of the game were going through in Australia. Virat Kohli scored just 190 runs in 9 innings with an average of a mere 23.75. However, it is pertinent to note that even this 190 includes his 30th and last ton at Perth, wherein he scored 100*. Moreover, apart from his Perth heroics, he managed to score 36 runs in the first innings of the 4th test at Melbourne. This in turn implies that he scored just 54 runs in the remaining 7 innings, which is truly disastrous. In the case of Rohit Sharma, things got even worse than Kohli. Firstly, he missed the first test and was dropped from the final test. Secondly, in the 5 innings that he played in Australia, he scored just 31 runs with an average of 6.20, which is not even expected from a tailender.

However, there are ups and downs in every cricketer's life. Hence, despite the disastrous tour down under, we all were expecting a comeback in the England series. Unfortunately, the same didn't happen, and the two champion cricketers retired silently on Instagram.

The comeback did not happen, but we will always remember the memories that these two gave us over a period of time. One could never forget the historic 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy wherein Virat took charge of the Indian Test side and hammered 692 runs at an average of 86.50. The twin tons at Adelaide, followed by tons in Melbourne and Sydney, are still fresh in the memories. In the case of Rohit Sharma, it was the 2021 England tour, where he played one of his best knocks with a special ton in the Oval.

Today all of this is just memories, which we can no longer see but can simply feel and cherish. But, yes, whenever we would think about them, a smile would surely come up on our faces. 

O CAPTAIN ! MY CAPTAIN !

 

Image Credit – Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

On May 12, 2025, Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket and broke the hearts of millions of cricket fans all across the globe. It is pertinent to note that a couple of days ago there were news pieces which indicated that Kohli might quit the longer format of the game and it will be a young brigade that will be touring England for the 5-match Test series. However, everyone had some hope and belief that the king would be convinced by his near ones to play at least the England series. But all the hopes got dashed on a random Monday morning when Virat Kohli announced his retirement on an Instagram post. No one could believe their eyes. King Kohli has bid farewell from the format he loved the most.

But the thing which hurt everyone the most was that a player who revolutionised red-ball cricket was not even accorded a proper farewell. Yes, the RCB fans did come in white to honour the legacy at the Chinnaswamy. But nothing could come close to the grand farewell which the God of cricket received in Wankhede in 2013. It was a shame that the greatest Indian red-ball captain went away without a proper goodbye to his fans. It would have been wonderful if he had announced that the English tour would be his last. I am sure the crowd at the Oval would have given him a legendary farewell like they gave to Captain Cook and King Richards.

Yes, Virat Kohli still features for the Indian cricket team in one-day internationals and for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. But Kohli in whites was an emotion which, for the time being, is just a golden memory from the past. No Indian fan could ever forget the joy and happiness which Cap Number 269 gave in those 13 years. Farewell, Captain. You will always be missed. 

THE ENGLISH FIND THEIR MOJO BACK

Image Credit – ESPN CricInfo.

Venue: Headingly, Leeds [June 1-5, 2018].

In the summer of 2018, the Pakistani cricket team toured England to play a couple of test matches. The English were on a backfoot after a disastrous tour of Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, the situation got even worse as they lost the first test at Lord's and were now playing for survival. The team was literally facing criticism from every corner. Careers of many English players were now at stake.

Amidst such huge pressure, the teams reached Yorkshire for the final test. Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision, however, turned out to be a disaster as the pace trio of Anderson (3), Broad (3) and Woakes (3) dismantled the visitors in no time. The Men in Green were bowled out for just 174 runs in 48.1 overs as the speedsters ran riot in their favourite hunting ground. Headingley is known for its pace, bounce and swing, and the English capitalised on it to the fullest. In response, the English posted a competitive 363 in their first innings as the visitors struggled for wickets. Jos Buttler played a scintillating knock of 80* as the hosts found their rhythm back. It is pertinent to note that even though it was only Jos who crossed the 50 runs mark, but if we look at the English scorecard, then we will see that every English batsman contributed significantly, unlike the Pakistanis, wherein only Shadab Khan got some runs.

                                     Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

A deficit of 189 runs proved to be too much for the visitors as they were bowled out for just 134 runs in their second innings. The English won the test by an innings and 55 runs, and the series was levelled 1-1. Most importantly, the hosts got their mojo back just before the big Indian summer.

To watch the Highlights of the Test Match, Click Below-

Day 1.

Day 2.

Day 3. 

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

 

Image Credit—ESPN CricInfo.

Venue: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam [November 17-1, 2016].

In the winters of 2016-17, the English cricket team toured India to play 5 test matches, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20 internationals. The first test in Rajkot ended in a nail-biting draw wherein Captain Kohli played a gritty knock on the final day to save the test for his side. The action for the series now shifted to the eastern coast of the country (Vishakhapatnam). Indian Captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first. The pitch appeared to be batter-friendly, but the duo of Broad and Anderson dismissed both the openers cheaply. The Indian scorecard read 22/2 when Captain Kohli joined Pujara in the middle. The game was on a knife-edge. One more wicket and the visitors would have got the better of the hosts.

However, this is when the duo of Kohli and Pujara stitched a massive partnership of 226 runs and brought the Indians back into the game. Cheteshwar Pujara scored a well-made 119 of 204 deliveries, whereas Captain Kohli, who was in the form of his life, scored a monumental 167 of 267 deliveries. In an innings that lasted for more than 6.5 hours, Kohli hit a total of 18 magnificent boundaries. It was a treat to watch as the innings had everything. From power to placement. Shots that had timing and precision. Captain Kohli was at his very best that day. Apart from Kohli and Pujara, Ashwin too scored a gritty half-century as the hosts were bowled out for 455 in their first innings.

In response, the visitors bundled out for just 255 in their first innings. It is pertinent to note that English players did get a start. Root, Stokes, and Bairstow all scored brilliant fifties, but none of them were able to emulate the duo of Pujara and Kohli. For Indians, Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 5 big wickets as the possibility of a follow-on became wide open.

Surprisingly Captain Kohli decided not to enforce a follow-on, and the Indians came out to bat. However, this time the English bowling line-up came out stronger as the hosts crumbled for just 204 in their second innings. If not for Kohli's 81, the Indian scorecard would not have even crossed the 150 mark. The English now needed 405 runs to win the match and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

But this is when the Indian spin attack ran riot and made a mess of the English batting line-up. The troika of Ashwin (3), Jadeja (2), and Jayant (3) picked 8 wickets in total as the hosts won the game by a massive 246 runs. Furthermore, the bowling was so top-notch that, apart from Captain Cook, no other English batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark as the visitors bundled out for 158 in their 2nd innings.

Captain Kohli was awarded the player of the match award for his excellent contribution with the bat as the series moved forward for another interesting chapter.

To watch the Highlights of that Test Match, Click Here.

To watch the Innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

STARCY'S ASHES

 

Image Credit – ESPN Cricinfo.

The Ashes 2025 are one of the most anticipated Test series in the Australian circuit. England, under the duo of Captain Stokes and Coach Baz, was determined to script history. On the other hand, Aussies wanted to keep their fortress intact. But this was not going to be an easy task for the hosts as their key players got injured just before the marquee event. The lethal troika of Lyon, Cummins and Hazlewood were to miss the series because of the injuries. Whereas the visitors had their top squad available. As a result, there was a belief that the English could do the impossible and break the winning streak of the mighty Aussies.

But this is when Mitchell Starc rose to the occasion and delivered one of the greatest performances in the history of Ashes cricket. The 35-year-old warhorse not only picked up 31 wickets but also scored 156 runs with the bat at an average of 26. His half-century at the Gabba was one of the sole reasons why the Aussies were able to get a first-innings lead. Moreover, his bowling spells were equally ferocious. In Perth and the Gabba, he single-handedly destroyed the English batting line-up. Apart from that, he also bowled brilliantly in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney as the Aussies retained the Ashes 4-1.

It was truly one of the greatest performances by one of the most legendary cricketers. Ashes 2025 was truly Starcy's Ashes.

One can Enjoy Starc's Incredible Bowling Performace Here.

To watch the Gritty Half-Century of Mitchell Starc, Click Here.