IND vs SA 1st Test: India's Playing11: It can be, now, said that the sheen of test cricket, the traditional form of the sport, has been revived in the last couple of years. Unlike earlier, there is huge excitement among the fans for the test series happening around the world and it gets bigger if it has something to do with Team India, who is set to play a two-game test series against South Africa.



India and South Africa will lock horns in the first of the two-match test series at the SuperSport Park in Centurian on December 26. The fixture is just one night away as we write this article for you.



While India will aim to win their maiden series in South Africa and become the second Asian side to conquer the Protean land, South Africa will have the sole objective of not allowing the opposition to do so.



In 2021-22, Team India managed to defeat South Africa in the first test, but the home side turned the tables in the next two games to deny Team India their first series win in South Africa.



In good news for the Indian side, star batter Virat Kohli has rejoined the Indian contingent after abruptly leaving the team midway due to personal reasons. 



The key to winning in South Africa would begin with picking the right playing11 for the fixtures. Though India will be short on the playing options, they would not feel the urgent need for any special player.



Let's now discuss India's Playing11 picked by former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">IND vs SA 1st Test: India's Playing11</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/07/Virat-Kohli-Ravindra-Jadeja-1.jpg" alt="IND vs SA 1st Test: India's Playing11, Rohit-Jaiswal to open, Gill at 3, Ashwin-Jadeja pair picks Sunil Gavaskar" class="wp-image-116846" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pic - Twitter</figcaption></figure>



Sunil Gavaskar came up with some interesting playing combinations for the Indian team ahead of the 1st IND vs SA test. The former cricketer turned analyst seemed to be impressed with Yashasvi Jaiswal and paired him alongside captain Rohit Sharma in the opening slot.



Shubman Gill, who usually opens with Rohit, was pushed down to number three by Gavaskar. The third position belonged to Cheteshwar Pujara earlier, but the batter has been dropped from the squad recently.



Virat Kohli retained his fourth place followed by KL Rahul at five, who will also have the added responsibility of wicketkeeping. Shreyas Iyer is placed at number 6 followed by two all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin at seventh and eighth positions.



Gavaskar picked three pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Mukesh Kumar - as his three pace bowling options.



?My playing XI is gonna be very simple. The openers will be Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma - the captain. No.3 Shubman Gill, No.4 - Kohli, No. 5 KL Rahul, and No.6 Shreyas Iyer. 5 and 6 can move, and after that will be Ravindra Jadeja and?Ravichandran Ashwin," Gavaskar told?Star Sports.



Then I'll have three fast bowlers - Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj," Gavaskar added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">India's Playing11 against South Africa 1st Test</h2>



Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Mukesh Kumar.



ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2024-csk-captain-ms-dhoni-expected-to-be-fit-to-play-in-the-tata-ipl-2024-chennai-super-kings/#google_vignette">IPL 2024: CSK Captain MS Dhoni expected to be fit to play in the Tata IPL 2024 | Chennai Super Kings</a>



For more details head to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ICC?s&nbsp;</a>official website.<a href="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/plugins/gumlet/assets/images/pixel.png"></a>

IND vs SA 1st Test: India's Playing11, Rohit-Jaiswal to open, Gill at 3, Ashwin-Jadeja pair picks Sunil Gavaskar

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The Indian Men's National Cricket Team, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma are currently taking part in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series versus the Mighty Australians in Australia and both teams are currently fighting it our against each other in the five-match Test-Series. 
Post the conclusion of the Australian tour, the Men in Blue will shift their focus towards their upcoming bilateral assignment versus England and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Alongside the squad for the Bilateral series verus the Three Lions, the country's Cricket Governing Body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is also expected to announce the Indian squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy tournament. 
<h2>Schedule of the White-Ball series assignment versus England</h2>
The Men in Blue will kick off the white-ball assignment versus England with the five-match T20 International series which will kick off from the 22nd of January. Then both the teams will lock horns versus each other in the three-match One Day International series from the 6th of January.
The ODI series versus the 2019 ODI World Cup winners will act as a preparatory ground for the Men in Blue ahead of the Champions Trophy. Post the conclusion of England's tour of India, Rohit Sharma &amp; CO will immediately travel to Dubai. They will be kicking off their Champions Trophy 2025 (CT) campaign on the 20th of February versus the Bangladeshi Tigers.
<h2>Big players likely to get rested</h2>
According to the workload management policy of the BCCI, experienced players like Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to get rested for the T20 International series. Apart from them, the likes of Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also anticipated to be rested. 
Talking to Inside sport, a executive of BCCI said, "He (Jasprit Bumrah) has been playing Cricket continuously since the last 2 months. It's our priority to keep him fit for the 2025 Champions Trophy and IPL 2025 too. That's why, Bumrah will not be included in the T20 squad for the England series."
<h2>Probable T20 Squad of the Indian team versus England</h2>
Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, T20 specialists will likely get selected in the squad. Players like Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel and Sanju Samson will be getting the chance to showcase their skills. The duo of Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav, who have just returned from their respective injuries might also get selected to help them get ready for the Champions Trophy. 
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (WK) and Riyan Parag. 
<h2>Probable ODI Squad of the Indian team versus England</h2>
Regular skipper Rohit Sharma will be handling the leadership duties of the One-Day Team. The presence of experienced players like Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj are expected to increase the strength of the squad.
Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and KL Rahul. 
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/shaheen-afridi-neglected-the-orders-of-the-selectors-and-this-led-to-his-exclusion-from-the-test-team/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shaheen Afridi neglected the orders of the selectors and this led to his exclusion from the Test Team</a>

Kuldeep Yadav of India celebrates the wicket of Liam Livingstone of England during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 between India and England | Image: Getty Images

The Indian Team will be shifting their focus towards the England series and Champions Trophy post the conclusion of the 2024-25 BGT Series. It's likely the BCCI will announce the Champions Trophy squad along side the England white-ball series squads.

India vs England: Team India's predicted squad for the ODI and T20i series versus England

india-vs-england-team-india-s-predicted-squad-for-the-odi-and-t20i-series-versus-england

India batter Nitish Kumar Reddy has made the whole country proud after his sensational innings with the bat in the fourth game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The match between the teams is taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. 
Nitish Kumar Reddy slammed his maiden Test ton, and it came at a time when India was under massive pressure. The all-rounder looked in terrific touch with the bat and didn't put a foot wrong, which brought the Rohit Sharma-led side back in the game with his incredible effort. 
Almost every Indian fan, as well as the Indian players, stood up and applauded the batter for his innings. This was because, being the 21-year-old, the all-rounder was better than almost every Indian batter and racked up ton in front of his family.
While his family was in tears, a prominent figure in Indian cricket, Ravi Shastri, was also in tears. The former Indian head coach was commentating, and Nitish Kumar Reddy slammed his ton and was seen crying when the batter achieved his milestone. The video went viral, and you can see below the article. 
Coming to the match, India made a slight comeback on Day three of the ongoing fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 after being dominated for two days. Overnight batters Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (17) did all the hard work in the first hour of day three after India resumed at 165 for five. 
However, after that both the batters perished with visitors under pressure at 221 for seven. It was then when Nitish Kumar Reddy (105*) and Washington Sundar (50) joined hands and bailed India out of trouble and put Australia under massive pressure. 
The Nitish-Washington duo added 127 runs to put Australia under pressure. While the Southpaw was back after a fifty, Nitish hit his maiden Test century as India ended Day three on high. At stumps, India was 358 for nine, trailing by 116 runs. 
The Indian team would be hoping that Nitish Kumar Reddy bats longer and helps his team reduce the deficit under 100. His innings tomorrow will be extremely important for the team in the context of the ongoing match.
Also read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gautam-gambhir-and-rohit-sharma-ordered-to-drop-mohammed-siraj-following-his-worst-performance-/">Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma ordered to drop Mohammed Siraj following his worst performance</a>
<h2>Watch: Ravi Shastri gets emotional as Nitish Kumar Reddy slams his maiden Test ton at MCG</h2>
Here is the video:

India batter Nitish Kumar Reddy has made the whole country proud after his sensational innings with the bat in the fourth game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Watch: Ravi Shastri left in tears as Nitish Kumar Reddy slams a magnificent century at MCG

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India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy achieved a massive feat after his sensational performance with the bat in the ongoing fourth Test against Australia. The right-hander became the third youngest player from India to hit a century in Australia. He joined the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant in the elite list.
Nitish Kumar Reddy came up with a blistering effort with the bat in Melbourne. When the chips were down, he came up with a magical effort and stood tall for his team when they needed him the most. The all-rounder bailed the team out of trouble and brought them back into the game. 
<h2>Nitish Kumar Reddy came to bat after India was under massive pressure</h2>
Nitish Kumar Reddy came to bat after India was under massive pressure, having lost both Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja early on Day two. The all-rounder proved his prowess with the bat as he hit the bowlers all over the park en route to his maiden century in the longest format of the game. 
Nitish Kumar Reddy showed great discipline and made sure that he took his team close to the total of Australia. His innings came at a time when India was facing the threat of follow-on as they had lost 7 wickets in no time, and the hosts were all over them. 
Nitish Reddy, along with Washington Sundar, made sure that India made a strong comeback and frustrated the Australian bowlers. While the left-hander slammed a glorious half-century, the right-hander went on to hit a blistering century in tough conditions. The duo together added 127 runs to stage the Indian comeback. 
Nitish Kumar Reddy, with his maiden ton, also became the first player from India to score a century in Australia while batting at No.8 in Tests. He would want to double his effort and take his team to a comfortable position. A lot of Indian hopes would be on him tomorrow, especially after his effort on day three.
Nitish was unbeaten at 105 runs at the stumps on Day three. He would be keen to add more runs to his tally and reduce the deficit under 100 runs, which is currently his 116 runs. It remains to be seen how much can he score on Day four.
Also read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gautam-gambhir-and-rohit-sharma-ordered-to-drop-mohammed-siraj-following-his-worst-performance-/">Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma ordered to drop Mohammed Siraj following his worst performance</a>

India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy achieved a massive feat after his sensational performance with the bat in the ongoing fourth Test against Australia.

Nitish Kumar Reddy scripts history; becomes third  youngest Indian player to…

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India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has dropped a bombshell statement about his battle with Australia batter Sam Konstas. He said that the batter was interesting, and he was enjoying the battle and is looking forward to the next innings of the match. 
Jasprit Bumrah, who has been the best bowler for India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, was made look clueless by the 19-year-old Sam Konstas. The Australia debutant tackled the 'Bumrah' challenge brilliantly as, according to him, the attack was the best option to counter his challenge.
Sam Konstas brought his T20 style in the Tests as he hit Jasprit Bumrah for sixes and boundaries all over the park. It wasn't conventional shots but the batter was at his unorthodox best as he played reverse scoops and hit the fast bowler for runs all over the park. 
Jasprit Bumrah was hit for two sixes by Sam Konstas and it marked the first instance since 2018 when the fast bowler was hit for two sixes in the match. The pacer was taken out of attack in the first spell till the time the batter was back in the hut. 
<h2>He is an interesting batter - I always felt, I was in the game, some days, it pays off - Jasprit Bumrah on his battle with Sam Konstas </h2>
Talking about his battle with Sam Konstas, Jasprit Bumrah claimed that he has experienced a lot in his career and while calling the batter interesting batter, he said that he felt he was always in the game. He also stressed that when the batter fails, he will be criticised a lot. Speaking to 7 Cricket, he explained: 
"I have experienced a lot - played T20I cricket for more than 12 years - He is an interesting batter - I always felt, I was in the game, some days, it pays off, it looks good - some days, it won't and you guys will be criticizing the same person - I love different challenges and looking forward to new challenges". 
Sam Konstas raced away to his half-century in the game and ended with an inning of 60 runs. He set a great platform for the Australia team which allowed them to post a massive first innings total of 474 runs on the board. 
Jasprit Bumrah, on the other picked a four-wicket haul and gave away 99 runs. This was the first time in his career that he was taken for this many runs. He would be looking for a strong response in the second innings.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/how-much-is-virat-kohli-s-match-fee-what-will-he-get-after-a-20-percent-penalty-at-the-mcg-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How much is Virat Kohli's match fee? What will he get after a 20 percent penalty at the MCG?</a>

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has dropped a bombshell statement about his battle with Australia batter Sam Konstas.

Jasprit Bumrah afraid of Sam Konstas? Fast bowler's 'interesting batter' comment goes viral

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Fierce-rivals Australia and India are currently taking on each other in the fourth Test-Match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and this match is being played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The superb performances of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar with the bat has helped the Men in Blue to get in a strong position on the 3rd day of the contest. 
From here on, the chances of Team India's win in the Melbourne Test have increased significantly. However, rain interruption was seen on the 3rd day of the contest and this has increased the threat of even more rain interruptions on the fourth and fifth days of the encounter. In this article, we will take a look at the weather reports of the fourth and fifth days of the fourth Test-Match which is currently being played in the city of Melbourne.
The third day of the Boxing-Day Test-Match was halted for some time due to rain after which the question started to raise among the fans that will the fourth and fifth days also get intervened by rainfall? Due to constant rainfall, the Gabba Test-Match ended as a draw. In such situation, keeping the World Test Championship Final qualification in mind for the Indian team, the rain can hamper their chances of qualifying for the title-deciding clash in June of next year. 
<h2>Weather forecast of the fourth and fifth days of the Melbourne Test-Match</h2>
According to the weather report of AccuWeather, the chances of rainfall intervening with the third day of the Melbourne Test-Match were 49% and rain intervened with the proceedings of the game too. But, no major impact was caused on the match by the intervention of the Weather Gods.
<h3>Weather Forecast on the fourth day of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match</h3>
The chances of rain intervening with the Australia vs India match on the fourth day i.e 29th of December, Sunday are just two percent. The minimum temperature is anticipated to be between 14-25 degrees Celsius. At the same time, winds are expected to blow at a speed of 17km/h.
<h2>Weather Forecast on the 5th day of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match</h2>
Talking about the fifth day of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test, the rainfall interruption chances are pretty low, sitting at just 3%. The temperature is expected to be around 15 degrees Celsius with a maximum of 28 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the winds will be blowing at the speed of 15km/h. 
Both the weather forecast reports of both days are positive and this decreases the chances of the contest getting washed out due to rain and this is a positive news for the Men in Blue.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/will-rohit-sharma-retire-after-the-border-gavaskar-series-bcci-gives-a-huge-statement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will Rohit Sharma retire after the Border-Gavaskar Series? BCCI gives a huge statement</a>

It was an overcast morning session at the MCG on the 3rd day of the fourth Test-Match between Australia and India | Image: Associated Press

Rain intervened with the proceedings of the match on the third day of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match. So will the Rain Gods play spoilsport on the fourth and fifth days too? Let's find out

IND vs AUS 4th Test: Will the fourth and fifth days witness rain interruptions? Know the weather reports of both the days

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Indian Cricket Team's captain Rohit Sharma has been in poor form with the bat so far in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series versus Australia. Playing as an opener, the 37-year-old got dismissed after scoring just three runs in the first inning and it was yet another failure for the Indian skipper versus the Mighty Aussies. His poor form has created a lot discussions regarding his retirement from Red-Ball Cricket. 
Through various Social Media platforms, a lot of claims are being made that Rohit is going to retire from the longest format of the game post the conclusion of the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy series and the BCCI has come ahead and they have given a huge statement regarding the same.
Speaking to Insidesports regarding the possible retirement of Rohit, a BCCI official said, " There have been no discussions regarding the retirement of Rohit (Sharma). All of these are rumours and we don't prefer to respond on rumours. We are hearing these baseless rumours for the first time. It's upto him (Rohit) to decide whether we are in the middle of a Test-match or not. It's about winning matches."
<h2>The poor form of Rohit Sharma continues</h2>
The Indian skipper is currently having a tough time out there in the middle with the bat in Australia. If we take a look at his last 10 Test innings, he has managed to score just a single fifty. In the last 10 Test-innings, the 37-year old has scored 3, 10, 6, 3, 11, 18, 8, 0, 52 and 2 runs respectively. Even in the first inning of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test, the former Mumbai Indians captain got dismissed after scoring just three runs.
<h2>Rohit Sharma's Test career so far</h2>
37-year-old Rohit Sharma has taken part in 66 Test-matches so far in his career. In 114 innings of these contests, he has managed to score 4,289 runs at average of 41.24 with the help of 12 hundreds and 18 fifties with a highest score of 212 runs next to his name. It's worth noting that Sharma made his Test debut in 2013 versus the Windies. 
<h2>The captain himself is proving to be the weakling</h2>
A captain of a team is regarded as the most important and experienced player and their role is to rescue their team from difficult situations and lead them to victory. However, in the case of Rohit Sharma, he is proving to be the weakest link of the Men in Blue. 
His poor performances with the bat are proving to be problematic for the Indian Team and in the last 14 test innings, Rohit has managed to score just 155 runs at a horrendous average of 10.07 which includes just a single half-century.The score of 52 runs has been his best score and besides that, the 37-year-old has not managed to cross the 20 runs mark even once.
Do Read<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-cricket-champions-trophy-2025-schedule-teams-fixtures-full-squads-time-table/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">: ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule, Teams, Fixtures, Full Squads, &amp; Time Table</a>

Indian Captain Rohit Sharma walks back to the pavilion after getting dismissed for yet another low score | Image: Associated Press

Rohit Sharma's repeated poor performances with the bat have raised questions regarding his place in the team and many experts and Indian fans want him to retire from Test Cricket

Will Rohit Sharma retire after the Border-Gavaskar Series? BCCI gives a huge statement

will-rohit-sharma-retire-after-the-border-gavaskar-series-bcci-gives-a-huge-statement

The time is ticking for India captain Rohit Sharma in Test cricket. As per the reports in PTI, it is learned that the opening batter is all set to play his last match in red-ball cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which will be the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, provided few conditions. 
Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar is in Melbourne, and he will soon be having a conversation with Rohit Sharma related to his future in Tests. As per the reports, if India fails to reach the final of the series, then the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 will be the last match for India's captain.
This comes after Rohit Sharma's struggles in the Test cricket of last. In the last 8 games, the opening batter has scored just 155 runs at an average of 11.07 and his struggles are visible in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he has managed just 22 runs from 5 innings. 
After playing two games in the middle order, Rohit Sharma moved back to the top order in the ongoing Melbourne Test. However, the move didn't pay off, as the skipper was back in the hut after facing just 5 balls. He attempted a half-hearted pull shot and was caught by Scott Boland with ease. 
<h2> Rohit Sharma felt uncomfortable while batting in the middle order in the second and third Test matches</h2>
The reports also added that Rohit Sharma felt uncomfortable while batting in the middle order in the second and third Test matches. However, to accommodate him back as an opener, Shubman Gill was dropped from the team for the ongoing game as Washington Sundar replaced him as an all-rounder. 
With their place for the ICC World Test Championship very far away, it is fair to say Rohit Sharma won't be playing any more Tests after the ongoing game. To make it into the final, India will have to win both the remaining games. However, with the way things are going in the ongoing match, Australia look like clear favourites. 
There also have been some other sections of reports that have claimed that a big announcement will be around the corner after the Melbourne Test concludes. It is learned that there will be some big news coming from Indian cricket, especially if the team loses the game. 
If the reports related to Rohit Sharma's retirement after the Sydney Test are true, it's safe to say that the batter will have a great opportunity to turn things around in the remaining three innings. If he sets the stage on fire in three innings, chances are he will continue leading the team.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/how-much-is-virat-kohli-s-match-fee-what-will-he-get-after-a-20-percent-penalty-at-the-mcg-/#google_vignette">How much is Virat Kohli's match fee? What will he get after a 20 percent penalty at the MCG?</a>

As per the reports in PTI, it is learned that Rohit Sharma is all set to play his last match in red-ball cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground

Rohit Sharma to retire after Sydney Test, Ajit Agarkar set to talk to captain about his future

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Jasprit Bumrah bowled the worst spell of his career in the Tests during the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The match between the teams is taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. 
Jasprit Bumrah was taken for a lot of runs in the Tests against Australia. The fast bowler returned with the figures of 4/99 in the 28.4 overs. This saw him achieving a wanted record to his name as, for the first time, he gave away more than 90 runs in an innings in his career in Tests. 
Jasprit Bumrah also was hit for four sixes during his spell. It was for the first time in 4562 deliveries that six was hit against him. Sam Konstas slammed the fast bowler for two sixes, while Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc also hit one six each against the premier fast bowler. 
This was only the second time that more than one six in an innings (after England's first innings in 2018 at the Oval) was hit against the fast bowler. This was the first time three or more sixes were hit against the fast bowler. 
<h2>Jasprit Bumrah has been the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25</h2>
Jasprit Bumrah has been the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The fast bowler has looked a class apart in the series. He picked fifer in Perth and followed it up with the four-fer in Adelaide. The pacer picked 6-fer wickets in Gabba and then four-fer in Melbourne.
Jasprit Bumrah, in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, has taken 25 wickets at an average of 13.12 with five-wicket hauls. With the way he is going, he is expected to take more wickets in the series and it won't be a surprise if he goes past 35-mark in the series. 
Coming to the match, Australia had another dominating outing in the ongoing fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, underway at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. 
They came up with a terrific effort with bat and ball on Day two to put India under pressure. The hosts ended their first innings on 474 and then took five Indian wickets. At stumps, India was 165 for five and is still behind 310 runs.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gautam-gambhir-and-rohit-sharma-ordered-to-drop-mohammed-siraj-following-his-worst-performance-/">Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma ordered to drop Mohammed Siraj following his worst performance</a>

Jasprit Bumrah bowled the worst spell of his career in the Tests during the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

Shocking! Jasprit Bumrah bowls the worst spell of his career and achieves two unwanted feats

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Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has ordered skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir to drop Mohammed Siraj for the next game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He said that the team should include Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna in the team at Sydney. 
Mohammed Siraj has been one of the poor performers for India in the ongoing series against Australia. The fast bowler has failed to provide support to Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing series, which has been the main reason behind the team's struggles with the ball. 
With Mohammed Siraj failing to take wickets and restrict run flow, all the burden has come on Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowler has been single-handedly carrying the bowling lineup of the team and is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with 25 wickets to his name. 
Mohammed Siraj has also leaked a lot of runs and his poor effort is the reason why Australia has piled up over 400 runs in the last two games. In the Melbourne Test, he failed to take a single wicket and gave away 122 runs in the 23 overs that he bowled. 
Sunil Gavaskar feels that Mohammed Siraj needs a break and team management needs to tell him that they are dropping him on the basis of his poor performances. While speaking to Star Sports, he explained: 
"I think Siraj, perhaps, needs a little bit of a break. In the sense that, I am not saying a break, he needs to be told that he is left out of the team for non-performance. There has to be a situation where you can’t beat around the bush." 
<h2>If you want to make two changes. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana to support Jasprit Bumrah - Sunil Gavaskar wants Mohammed Siraj to be dropped </h2>
Sunil Gavaskar mentioned that Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma need to directly say to Mohammed Siraj they are dropping him. The batting great also batted for the inclusion of Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. He explained: 
"But I think Siraj needs to be told ‘look, you are not bowling as well as we expected you to on pitches that have been helpful’. That is something that needs to be told. If you want to make two changes. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana to support Jasprit Bumrah. By all means, do that," he concluded.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/yashasvi-jaiswal-went-past-virat-kohli-to-join-sachin-tendulkar-in-an-elite-list-of-indians-with-his-glorious-82-at-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yashasvi Jaiswal went past Virat Kohli to join Sachin Tendulkar in an elite list of Indians with his glorious 82 at MCG</a>

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has ordered skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir to drop Mohammed Siraj for the next game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma ordered to drop Mohammed Siraj following his worst performance

gautam-gambhir-and-rohit-sharma-ordered-to-drop-mohammed-siraj-following-his-worst-performance-

In the 2nd day of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, the Indian Cricket Team has hit the axe on their own feet. In reply to Australia's first inning score of 474 runs, the Indian batters helped their team reach the score of 153-2 at one point and they were on course of reaching a big score in their first-inning. 
However, in the 41st over, young Indian opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal got run out after playing a good knock of 86 runs. Lack of co-ordination with Virat Kohli on the other end meant he youngster missed out on the opportunity to slam his 2nd ton versus the Aussies in the ongoing BGT series. On one hand, the threat of a follow on being enforeced is looming over the Indian Team while on the other hand, the run out of Jaiswal sparked a heated argument between Cricket experts Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Manjrekar and the video of the same has gone viral on social media platforms. 
The Men in Blue ended the 2nd day of the Melbourne test at the score of 164 runs for the loss of five wickets and they are still trailing the Kangaroos by 310 runs. Post the conclusion of the 2nd day, Sanjay Manjrekar and Irfan Pathan were discussing the run out of Jaiswal in the post match show of Star Sports. Manjrekar on one hand was seen criticising Kohli while the opinions of Irfan were completely opposite.
Watch the full video <a href="https://x.com/Musafirr_hu_yar/status/1872543107272806770?t=08VDV_x1Pzgs82fX6qIX2g&amp;s=19">here</a>
<h2>Manjrekar had some harsh words to say about Kohli</h2>
First, Sanjay Manjrekar put forward his perspective and said, 
<blockquote>
"The ball was coming at a slower speed, I don't think that Virat would have got run-out in that situation. It was the call of Jaiswal and this run was probably not a free one but Jaiswal was the one who was running at the danger-end not Virat. It was his (Virat's) childish mistake that he looked back and decided that it was not a run. If Yashasvi's judgement was wrong then he would have got dismissed on the non-striker's end."

</blockquote>
<h2>Irfan Pathan hit back at the comments of Manjrekar</h2>
Initiating a counter attack on the views of his fellow commentator, Irfan said, 
<blockquote>
"He (Kohli) was probably not confident about taking that run because the ball went to fielder in a quick manner. Kohli, who was standing at the non-striker's end also has the right to deny a run call if he feels he's at the risk of getting run-out."

After this, Manjrekar said, "If you don't want to let me talk, then it's okay.
</blockquote>
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/steve-smith-goes-past-sachin-tendulkar-and-kohli-sets-the-record-for-the-most-number-of-centuries-in-border-gavaskar-trophy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Smith goes past Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli, sets the record for the most number of centuries in Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>

Irfan Pathan (L) and Sanjay Manjrekar (C) in the post match show of Star Sports alongside Jatin Sapru (R) | Image: X (Cricket NDTV)

Cricket Experts Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Manjrekar got involved in a heated exchange with each other on live television following the run out of Yashasvi Jaiswal