<p><strong>ENG vs SL:</strong> England are again one of the world?s only teams to feature in the most number of matches, as they surpassed the Aussies. In yet another WTC circle, England has played around more matches than another team, while the Bazball still remains in the hunt for their first-ever entry into the WTC final, which is held at the end of every two years in the iconic grounds across England itself. <br> <br>With yet another exciting summer awaiting them, England was gearing up to host the Sri Lankan team before their tour to Pakistan and New Zealand later in this WTC circle. </p>



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><nav><ul><li class=""><a href="#eng-vs-sl-the-skipper-ruled-out">ENG vs. SL: The skipper ruled out</a></li><li class=""><a href="#naming-a-new-captain-big-role-ahead-for-ollie-pope">Naming a new captain?big role ahead for Ollie Pope</a></li><li class=""><a href="#squad-details-full-squads-eng-vs-sl">Squad details: Full Squads ENG vs. SL</a></li></ul></nav></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="eng-vs-sl-the-skipper-ruled-out">ENG vs. SL: The skipper ruled out</h2>



<p>The Three Lions will host the Lankans for a three-match Test series to be played within a span of 21 days, with the first match starting on the 21st of August. <br> <br>Now with just a week left, England has faced a major blow. The English side was already recovering from the absence of their star opener Zak Crawley, while now they are in the middle of yet another crisis in the form of an injured Ben Stokes. <br> <br>The England skipper in the longest format of the game was last seen in action in The Hundred for the Northern Superchargers back on Sunday. However, while being called for a quick double, the England great pulled his hamstring and fell to the ground on completion of his run. </p>



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<p><br>Stokes, who had to be helped out of the ground, was seen with crutches on the field later, with Superchargers skipper Brook confirming that Stokes's injury would be scanned in order to know his recent status. <br> <br>On Tuesday, scans suggested that Stokes has a torn hamstring in his left leg, as a result of which the English skipper is out of the team for the rest of the summer, eyeing a probable return in the Pakistan tour.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="naming-a-new-captain-big-role-ahead-for-ollie-pope">Naming a new captain?big role ahead for Ollie Pope</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/Pope-named-new-English-skipper.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-145600" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pope named new English skipper for Lankan tests (Image: Parimatch News)</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<p>England, who were already with 14 men, have now ruled out their skipper and named Ollie Pope, the young batter, as his deputy. Pope, with no international experience and no domestic greatness as a skipper as well, will mark his debut as a captain of the Three Lions in Manchester. <br> <br>The young batter has been an asset for his side at No. 3, as England would yet have to name a replacement for the skipper since his chances of return have been totally ruled out. <br> <br>England might fancy their chances on players like Sam Curran for a test return in order to replace the English skipper. Though Stokes's batting prowess is tough to be replaced by any other all-rounder. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="squad-details-full-squads-eng-vs-sl">Squad details: Full Squads ENG vs. SL</h2>



<p>The Lankan Lions also made the headlines after the recruitment of former England batter Ian Bell as their batting coach for the Red Ball game in England. With nothing confirmed over how long he would continue, Bell is likely to make Sri Lankan players aware of the playing conditions in the nation. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/Bell-will-once-again-be-seen-coaching-an-international-sdie-1024x576.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-145601" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bell will once again be seen coaching an international side - this time Sri Lanka (Image: Crictoday)</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<p><br>From the England side as well, legendary pacer James Anderson will once again be seen in the English nets, as he has been with the team in a new coaching role since his retirement last month. <br> <br><strong>ENG Full Squad:</strong> Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (c), Matthew Potts, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Root">Joe Root</a>, Shoaib Bashir, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. <br> <br><strong>SL Full Squad: </strong>Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dinesh Chandimal, Nishan Madishka, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Dimuth Karunaratne, Nisala Tharaka, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Kumara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kasun Rajitha, Milan Rathnayake, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Jeffrey Vandersay.</p>



<p><strong>ALSO READ: </strong><a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/sl-vs-eng-ian-bell-has-been-appointed-sri-lankas-batting-coach-for-the-upcoming-tour/">SL vs ENG: Ian Bell has been appointed Sri Lanka?s batting coach for the upcoming tour</a><br></p>

ENG vs SL Tests: England names new skipper after Stokes ruled out, players to replace him in the squad, full squad, and more

eng-vs-sl-tests-england-names-new-skipper-after-stokes-ruled-out-players-to-replace-him-in-the-squad-full-squad-and-more

<p><strong>ENG vs SL: </strong>England and <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-mens-odi-team-rankings-updated-after-ind-vs-sl-odi-series-2024-full-odi-team-standings/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-mens-odi-team-rankings-updated-after-ind-vs-sl-odi-series-2024-full-odi-team-standings/">Sri Lanka</a> had a rich history in the cricket world. These two teams have produced some of the excellent performances in the past against each other. This rivalry will see a new episode added when these sides will face each other in a three-match <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/cricket-series/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/cricket-series/">Test series</a>.</p>



<p>The series will start on August 21, and three games will take place at Old Trafford, Lord's, and Kennington Oval, respectively. This <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/cricket-series/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/cricket-series/">series</a> is also part of the <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/icc-wtc/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/icc-wtc/">World Test Championship</a>, so it is very important for both teams.</p>



<p>These two teams don't play very often, so every ENG vs SL test or series is very important. In this article, we will talk about the head-to-head record between these two sides in<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/news/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/category/news/"> Test cricket</a> and some other records as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ENG vs SL: England vs Sri Lanka Head to Head Records in Tests</h2>



<p>The ENG vs SL rivalry had their first ever meeting in 1982, when these two teams met for the first time in red-ball cricket in Colombo. Since then, these two have played numerous battles against each other. Overall, these two teams have played 36 Test matches. <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/sl-vs-eng-ian-bell-has-been-appointed-sri-lankas-batting-coach-for-the-upcoming-tour/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/sl-vs-eng-ian-bell-has-been-appointed-sri-lankas-batting-coach-for-the-upcoming-tour/">England</a> are ahead in this race with 17 wins, <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/sl-vs-eng-ian-bell-has-been-appointed-sri-lankas-batting-coach-for-the-upcoming-tour/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/sl-vs-eng-ian-bell-has-been-appointed-sri-lankas-batting-coach-for-the-upcoming-tour/">Sri Lanka</a> have won 8 games, and the remaining 11 games have ended in draws.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Total Matches</strong></td><td>36</td></tr><tr><td><strong>England Won</strong></td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Sri Lanka Won</strong></td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td><strong>No Result</strong></td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tie</strong></td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Highest Total</strong></td><td>628/8d by SL on 18 Dec 2003</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Lowest Total</strong></td><td>81 All Out by ENG on 18 Dec 2007</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Biggest Win (Runs)</strong></td><td>ENG beat Sl by 211 Runs on 6 Nov 2018</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Biggest win (Innings)</strong></td><td>ENG beat SL by an innings and 215 runs on 18 Dec 2003</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Smallest win (runs)</strong></td><td>ENG&nbsp;beat SL by 42 Runs on 23 Nov 2018</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Smallest win (wickets)</strong></td><td>ENG beat SL by 3 Wickets on 7 Mar 2001</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/headtohead/batting-most-runs-career/england-sri-lanka-1vs8/test-matches-1" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/headtohead/batting-most-runs-career/england-sri-lanka-1vs8/test-matches-1">ENG vs SL: Most Runs</a></h2>



<p>Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene is the only batter who has scored more than 2000 runs in the ENG vs SL rivalry. His countryman, Kumar Sangakkara, is next on the list. There are three Sri Lankans in the top five run-getters in ENG vs SL test history.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Batter</strong></td><td><strong>Span</strong></td><td><strong>Mts</strong></td><td><strong>Inns</strong></td><td><strong>Runs</strong></td><td><strong>HS</strong></td><td><strong>Avg</strong></td><td><strong>50s/100s</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Mahela Jayawardene (SL)</td><td>1998-2014</td><td>23</td><td>41</td><td>2212</td><td>213*</td><td>58.21</td><td>10/8</td></tr><tr><td>Kumar Sangakkara (SL)</td><td>2001-2014</td><td>22</td><td>40</td><td>1568</td><td>152</td><td>40.20</td><td>9/3</td></tr><tr><td>Alastair Cook (ENG)</td><td>2006-2016</td><td>16</td><td>28</td><td>1290</td><td>133</td><td>53.75</td><td>7/3</td></tr><tr><td>Joe Root (ENG)</td><td>2014-2021</td><td>10</td><td>18</td><td>1001</td><td>228</td><td>58.88</td><td>1/4</td></tr><tr><td>Angelo Mathews (SL)</td><td>2012-2021</td><td>12</td><td>21</td><td>970</td><td>160</td><td>46.19</td><td>6/3</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ENG vs SL: Most Wickets</h2>



<p>Muttiah Muralidharan is the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. So, it is not a surprise that he is at the top of this list. Murali has excellent numbers against every team, and he has 116 wickets in just 16 Tests against England. Here are the top five wicket-takers in the ENG vs SL test.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Bowlers</strong></td><td><strong>Span</strong></td><td><strong>Wkts</strong></td><td><strong>Mts</strong></td><td><strong>BBI</strong></td><td><strong>Avg</strong></td><td><strong>4fer</strong></td><td><strong>5fer</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Muttiah Muralidharan (SL)</td><td>1993-2007</td><td>112</td><td>16</td><td>9/65</td><td>20.06</td><td>8</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>James Anderson (ENG)</td><td>2003-2021</td><td>58</td><td>14</td><td>6/40</td><td>22.18</td><td>1</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Chaminda Vaas (SL)</td><td>2001-2007</td><td>49</td><td>15</td><td>6/73</td><td>31.36</td><td>3</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Rangan Herath (SL)</td><td>2011-2018</td><td>43</td><td>11</td><td>6/74</td><td>33.27</td><td>2</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Matthew Hoggard (ENG)</td><td>2002-2007</td><td>27</td><td>9</td><td>6/92</td><td>29.86</td><td>2</td><td>1</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/pak-vs-ban-pakistan-vs-bangladesh-head-to-head-record-in-test-most-runs-most-wickets-and-other-records/">PAK vs BAN: Pakistan vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head Record in Test, Most Runs, Most Wickets and other Records</a></strong></p>

ENG vs SL: England vs Sri Lanka Head-to-Head Record in Test, Most Runs, Most Wickets and other Records

eng-vs-sl-england-vs-sri-lanka-head-to-head-record-in-test-most-runs-most-wickets-and-other-records

<p><strong>ENG vs SL:</strong> England are currently hosting Sri Lanka for a 2-match test series, the first one being played at the Old Trafford, Manchester. The match started on the 21st of August with Sri Lanka looking to bat on the track. <br> <br>The English bowlers caused early trouble for the Lankan batters as they struck very early with 3 wickets, and even Mathews and Chandimal fell early. Now, the skipper took over the role with Sri Lanka?s no.9 debutant Milan Rathnayake. They both landed decent 74 and 72, which took Sri Lanka to a 236-run total in their first inning. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/Milan-rathnayake-1024x576.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-146173" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Milan Rathnayake scores a stunning 72 on debut (Image: Cricbuzz.com)</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<p><br>The England innings started at the end of Day 1, as Ben Duckett took strike with new opener Dan Lawrence, who replaced the injured Zak Crawley. The new English skipper, Ollie Pope, came in at No. 3 and went early. <br> <br>However, it was their highly anticipated player Joe Root who added stability to the innings before Harry Brook and wicketkeeper batsman Jamie Smith took England to an impressive total. <br> <br>Jamie Smith took over injured skipper Ben Stokes, batting position at No. 6, and he kept his nerve to deliver a stunning inning. In between the two, the partnership was broken by a jaffa of a delivery from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prabath_Jayasuriya">Prabhat Jayasuiriya</a>, one that took a sharp turn before taking the top of the off-stump. </p>



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<p><br>The next one to fall was Chris Woakes with another similar delivery that spun unconventionally. Jamie Smith remained firm till the end of Day 2, as he took England to 259/6 and he himself stood on 72*. </p>



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<p><br>Alongside Gus Atkinson, he came into bat on the 3rd day and kept his composure to score his maiden international test century. The player already has 10 First-Class centuries and the highest individual score of 234 in his county career. </p>



<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong> <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/eng-vs-sl-jamie-smith-and-ollie-pope-put-england-on-top-in-a-rain-affected-day-2/">ENG vs SL: Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope put England on top in a rain-affected day 2</a><br> <br>Now aged 24 years and 40 days, Jamie is the youngest English wicketkeeper batsman to have scored a century in red-ball cricket. At the time of writing, Sri Lanka in their second innings is 107/4, with Angelo Mathews their best batter standing alone on 48*, with even the skipper back in the pavilion this time. <br> <br>The team is still behind by 15 runs at tea break, and if Chandimal, who is retired and hurt, makes a comeback onto the field, Sri Lanka might pose a decent total.<br></p>

ENG vs SL: Jamie Smith's maiden century receives appreciation while English bowlers upset Sri Lanka early

eng-vs-sl-jamie-smiths-maiden-century-receives-appreciation-while-english-bowlers-upset-sri-lanka-early

<p>Wicketkeeper Batsman Jamie Smith continued to have an impressive start to his Test career as he pushed Ollie Pope-led England into a first-inning lead of 23 runs against Sri Lanka in the first test match of the three-match series by playing an impressive unbeaten inning of 72 runs as the Three Lions put up a score of 259-6 on the board before the proceedings of the second day ended earlier than expected due to constant rainfall interruptions at Old Trafford.</p>



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><nav><div><div class=""><a href="#sri-lanka-1st-inning-scorecard">Sri Lanka 1st Inning Scorecard</a></div><div class=""><a href="#england-1st-inning-scorecard">England 1st Inning Scorecard</a></div></div></nav></div>



<p>Replying to the 236 runs score put up on the board by the Sri Lankans, the duo of Harry Brook (56 runs) and Joe Root (42 runs) steadied things for the hosts in the middle of constant rain interruptions which eventually washed out the entire morning session of day 2.</p>



<p>But the rain showers had some other plans as they made players walk off the field and the umpires took the harsh decision of calling play off with more than an hour of play still left after the tea break.</p>



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<p>24-year-old Smith, playing in just his fourth test match after getting included in the squad for this summer?s matches, played brilliant knocks of 95 runs and 70 runs during the 3-0 series sweep over West Indies last month and now he brought up his third fifty in the ongoing first test against Sri Lanka.</p>



<p>His knock of 72 runs consisted of one six and five fours and he continues to remain unbeaten at the crease alongside Gus Atkinson (4*runs).</p>



<p>The visitors are still in the match though and after struggling at 6-3 in the initial phase of their inning, they managed to post a decent total of 236 runs on the scoreboard. The Sri Lankans fought back in a really good way with the ball as fast bowler Asitha Fernando was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of 3-68 next to his name.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="sri-lanka-1st-inning-scorecard">Sri Lanka 1st Inning Scorecard</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th><strong>BATTING</strong></th><th><strong>R</strong>un</th><th><strong>B</strong>all</th><th><strong>4s</strong></th><th><strong>6s</strong></th><th><strong>SR</strong></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Nishan Madushka&nbsp;</td><td><strong>4</strong></td><td>16</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>25.00</td></tr><tr><td>Dimuth Karunaratne&nbsp;</td><td><strong>2</strong></td><td>18</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>11.11</td></tr><tr><td>Kusal Mendis&nbsp;</td><td><strong>24</strong></td><td>34</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>70.58</td></tr><tr><td>Angelo Mathews&nbsp;</td><td><strong>0</strong></td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr><tr><td>Dinesh Chandimal</td><td><strong>17</strong></td><td>40</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>42.50</td></tr><tr><td>Dhananjaya de Silva (c)</td><td><strong>74</strong></td><td>84</td><td>8</td><td>0</td><td>88.09</td></tr><tr><td>Kamindu Mendis&nbsp;</td><td><strong>12</strong></td><td>25</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>48.00</td></tr><tr><td>Prabath Jayasuriya&nbsp;</td><td><strong>10</strong></td><td>20</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>50.00</td></tr><tr><td>Milan Rathnayake&nbsp;</td><td><strong>72</strong></td><td>135</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>53.33</td></tr><tr><td>Vishwa Fernando&nbsp;</td><td><strong>13</strong></td><td>62</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>20.96</td></tr><tr><td>Asitha Fernando&nbsp;</td><td><strong>0</strong></td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/sri-lanka-in-england-2024-1385672/england-vs-sri-lanka-1st-test-1385694/full-scorecard">ESPNcricinfo</a></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="england-1st-inning-scorecard">England 1st Inning Scorecard</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th><strong>BATTING</strong></th><th><strong>R</strong>un</th><th><strong>B</strong>all</th><th><strong>4s</strong></th><th><strong>6s</strong></th><th><strong>SR</strong></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Ben Duckett&nbsp;</td><td><strong>18</strong></td><td>20</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>90.00</td></tr><tr><td>Dan Lawrence&nbsp;</td><td><strong>30</strong></td><td>39</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>76.92</td></tr><tr><td>Ollie Pope(c)</td><td><strong>6</strong></td><td>8</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>75.00</td></tr><tr><td>Joe Root&nbsp;</td><td><strong>42</strong></td><td>57</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>73.68</td></tr><tr><td>Harry Brook&nbsp;</td><td><strong>56</strong></td><td>73</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>76.71</td></tr><tr><td>Jamie Smith</td><td><strong>72</strong></td><td>97</td><td>5</td><td>1</td><td>74.22</td></tr><tr><td>Chris Woakes&nbsp;</td><td><strong>25</strong></td><td>65</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>38.46</td></tr><tr><td>Gus Atkinson&nbsp;</td><td><strong>4</strong></td><td>10</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>40.00</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/sri-lanka-in-england-2024-1385672/england-vs-sri-lanka-1st-test-1385694/full-scorecard">ESPNcricinfo</a></figcaption></figure>



<p><strong><mark class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Check:</mark></strong> <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/pak-vs-ban-pakistan-declare-at-448-6-as-bangladeshi-batters-start-on-a-cautious-note/">Pakistan declare at 448-6 as Bangladeshi batters start on a cautious note</a></p>

ENG vs SL: Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope  put England on top in a rain-affected day 2

eng-vs-sl-jamie-smith-and-ollie-pope-put-england-on-top-in-a-rain-affected-day-2

<p><strong>ENG vs SL</strong>: The first test of Sri Lanka?s tour of England has been concluded with England winning it comfortably. The first test was played at Manchester, while the next is set to be played at Lord?s from the 29th of August. <br> <br>Sri Lanka was pushed to bat first, and after some recent trouble with the batters, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva along with the debutant Rathanayake secured an innings for the Lankans with their 70?s. Next, the England innings went better as the middle order contributed largely to their innings, with Jamie Smith?s maiden hundred being the major reason for success.<br> <br>In return, the Lankan innings were built upon experienced batters Mathews and Chandimal?s supportive innings, with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamindu_Mendis">Kamindu Mendis</a> scoring his first ever Test hundred down the order, batting at no. 7.  However, with the joint effort from Root, Brook, and Jamie, the Bazball secured the match. </p>



<p><strong>ALSO READ: </strong><a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/rumours-over-kkr-unofficially-offering-captaincy-to-suryakumar-yadav-for-ipl-2025/">Rumours over KKR unofficially offering captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav for IPL 2025</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mark Wood raises concerns for Bazball management</h2>



<p>Wood while bowling the 2nd ball of his 11th over faced sheer discomfort with his as he aborted his run-up. He left the field with Joe Root brought into the attack by Pope, as he struck in his second ball with the wicket of Milan Rathnayake after his debut inning heroics.</p>



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<p> <br>Wood didn?t take the field on the 4th day, as he left for a scan to determine the full extent of the damage, as the ECB are hopeful for just a strain and not more. Though it is likely that he will miss the 2nd test, he might be brought back for the test at The Oval on the 6th if his injury is not as serious. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/Olly-Stone-1024x576.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-146247" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Olly Stone can be the replacement for Wood (Image Credit: Cricket Addictor)</figcaption></figure>
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<p><br>However, England?s only reserved pacer, Olly Stone, might make a comeback to the English side for the second test, and even the likes of Sam Curran can be included as a replacement player if Wood is ruled out. <br> <br>Curran was last seen for Surrey; if he makes a comeback to red-ball cricket, then he will be England?s all-rounder option as a possible replacement for injured skipper Ben Stokes.<br></p>

ENG vs SL: Reports are awaited yet Mark Wood is set to miss the next test at Lord?s

eng-vs-sl-reports-are-awaited-yet-mark-wood-is-set-to-miss-the-next-test-at-lords

<p><strong>ICC WTC Points Table:</strong> England's home season is being fruitful for them as they have claimed their fourth win in a row. The home team England have won the first Test against Sri Lanka and are 1-0 up in the series. This series of wins has put England from the last position to the Top 4 ranks in the Latest Updated ICC WTC points table 2023-25.</p>



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><h2><strong>Table of Contents</strong></h2><nav><ul><li class=""><a href="#eng-vs-sl-1st-test-match-summary">ENG vs SL 1st Test Match Summary</a></li><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-points-table-2023-25">ICC WTC points table 2023-25</a></li></ul></nav></div>



<p>Sri Lanka are on a tour of England for a series of three test matches. The absence of Ben Stokes was one of the major concerns for the English Team coming to this Test Series but Olie Pope and his leadership skills never made us miss Stokes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="eng-vs-sl-1st-test-match-summary"><strong>ENG vs SL 1st Test Match Summary</strong></h2>



<p>The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first. They didn't receive a warm welcome from the home side as England pushed Sri Lanka into terrible situation in the first half hour only. Sri Lanka lost three wickets within 7 overs of the day with just 6 runs on the board. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/WOOD-ENjoys-early-wickets.jpg" alt="ICC WTC Points Table Updated After ENG vs SL 1st Test | England in TOP 4 With Commanding Victory" class="wp-image-146241" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Wood celebrates Mendis's Dismisal (Getty Image)</figcaption></figure>



<p>Sri Lanka were not allowed to make a comeback against the fiery English bowling attack but later assault by skipper Dhananjaya De Silva and <a href="https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/39678/milan-rathnayake">Milan Rathnayake</a> added individual 70+ runs and Sri Lanka ended their first innings at 260 runs. </p>



<p>England also lost wickets in regular intervals, nevertheless, the overtook Sri Lanka by 57th over. The maiden century by wicketkeeper batter James Smith was the dominating factor for England in the first innings. Riding over his crucial innings England were 122 runs in lead after first innings.</p>



<p>Again, in the second innings, Sri Lanka lost two wickets within 10 balls and England were simply on the driving seat. Angilo Methews, and Dinesh Chandimal showed the fighting spirit and they took Sri Lanka to lead again. Kamindu Mendis came again for rescue and smashed a valient century to give Sri Lanka some space to defend in the fourth innings.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/joe-root.jpg" alt="ICC WTC Points Table Updated After ENG vs SL 1st Test | England in TOP 4 With Commanding Victory" class="wp-image-146240" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Root and Woakes lead England to Win (ESPN)</figcaption></figure>



<p>England needed to chase 205 runs in the fourth innings and they got a fluent start to ease things off. Joe Root led the England's innings with his not-out 62 and with the loss of five wickets, England took just 57 overs to chase down the target and sealed the match.</p>



<p>Let's Take a look at the the ICC WTC points table updated after ENG vs SL 1st Test:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-points-table-2023-25"><strong>ICC WTC points table 2023-25</strong></h2>



<p>England, after winning the four test matches in a row have made a big jump from 9th rank to the 4th rank. They, now, have played 14 tests and have won 7 and have a PCT of 50%. </p>



<p>Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have won 2 out of the 5 matches, they played. With the PCT of 40%, they are ranked 5th. </p>



<p>India and Australia are at the top of the WTC Points Table with 68.52% and 62.50% wins. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>POS</th><th>TEAM</th><th>MAT</th><th>WON</th><th>LOST</th><th>DRAW</th><th>DED(-)</th><th>POINTS</th><th>PCT</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>INDIA</td><td>9</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>74</td><td><strong>68.52</strong></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>12</td><td>8</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>90</td><td><strong>62.50</strong></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>NEW ZEALAND</td><td>6</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>36</td><td><strong>50.00</strong></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>14</td><td>7</td><td>6</td><td>1</td><td>19</td><td>69</td><td><strong>41.07</strong></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>SRI LANKA</td><td>5</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>24</td><td><strong>40.00</strong></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>SOUTH AFRICA</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>28</td><td><strong>38.89</strong></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>PAKISTAN</td><td>5</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>22</td><td><strong>36.66</strong></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>BANGLADESH</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>12</td><td><strong>25.00</strong></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>WEST INDIES</td><td>9</td><td>1</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>20</td><td><strong>18.52</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>ICC WTC points table 2023-25</em></figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/rumours-over-kkr-unofficially-offering-captaincy-to-suryakumar-yadav-for-ipl-2025/">Rumours over KKR unofficially offering captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav for IPL 2025</a><div></div><div class="tdb-author-name-wrap" style="align-items: baseline"></div></strong><div><span style="font-family: Rubik;font-size: 36px"></span></div></p>



<p><strong>SOURCE- <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/world-test-championship/standings">ICC OFFICIALS</a></strong></p>

ICC WTC Points Table Updated After ENG vs SL 1st Test | England in TOP 4 With Commanding Victory

icc-wtc-points-table-updated-after-eng-vs-sl-1st-test-england-in-top-4-with-commanding-victory

<p><strong>ENG vs SL:</strong> Josh Hull announced as Wood's replacement for the remaining two tests. England will play their 3-match test series, as of which the first match has been played and England secured a win early on. With the other two tests scheduled to be played in Lord?s and the Oval, England will end their summer with the final test from September 6th to 10th. <br> <br>In the recently concluded tests, Sri Lankan players did give the Englishmen a firm resistance before the hosts secured a win. However, in the game, England pacer Mark Wood suffered an injury while bowling in the second innings against the Lankans. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/Olly-Stone-2.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-146267" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Olly Stone might be included in place of Wood in the starting XI (Image Credit: Times of India)</figcaption></figure>
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<p><br>Mark Wood seemed to struggle bowling his 11th over in the 2nd inning, while Wood left the field after aborting his run-up. Wood was also not seen on the field at the start of Day 4, and then post-scans, the ECB confirmed that the 34-year-old will not be able to feature in the series any further. <br> <br>With <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olly_Stone">Olly Stone</a> already in the team as their backup reserved pacer, the ECB still had to name a new inclusion in place of the injured Wood. For the same England has considered young Leicestershire left-arm pacer Josh Hull and has given him his maiden test call. </p>



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<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong> <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/pak-vs-ban-bangladesh-scripts-history-with-a-first-ever-test-match-win-over-pakistan-at-rawalpindi/">PAK vs BAN: Bangladesh scripts history with a first-ever Test match win over Pakistan at Rawalpindi</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Josh Hull was named as Mark Wood?s replacement</h2>



<p>Hull is an exciting English prospect; at 20 he produces a raw pace, sometimes excelling with a pace above 90 MPH. He was seen playing for the England Lions against Sri Lanka in their only warm-up match, as he struck five times across two innings. <br> <br>Though his County performance has been very modest with just 16 wickets, his run in the Metro Bank One Day Cup and later his debut this time in The Hundred for the Manchester Originals have brought him to sheer limelight. </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><br> <br>"It's come around pretty quickly; I didn't think it would happen this fast, but I am really excited to be joining them."<br> <br>"I was happy with how I performed [for the England Lions], but I never thought it would lead to a call this early. They've got Olly Stone there as the first replacement, so it will be a great opportunity to join up and be part of that environment."<br></p>
<cite>Said by Josh Hull to BBC Radio Leicester</cite></blockquote>

ENG vs SL: Josh Hull receives maiden test call after Mark Wood's injury

eng-vs-sl-josh-hull-receives-maiden-test-call-after-mark-woods-injury

<p><strong>ENG vs SL:</strong> The English are hosting the Sri Lanka team for a three-match test series at home, with the first having already been played in Manchester. The English as well as the visitors made some undeniably great attempts from their end, but in the end, there could only be a single winner, and it was rightly the English. <br> <br>However, despite the English?s win, no one could forget the wonderful debut innings the Sri Lanka no. 9 Milan Rathnayake played at Old Trafford. His 72-run knock broke the long-standing record of 41 years, which was set by Balwinder Singh Sandhu in 1983 on his test debut as a no. 9.<br> <br>To follow the great knock, English wicketkeeper-batsman Jamie Smith responded with his stunning maiden Test century. Later, Sri Lankan veterans Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, despite injuries, sustained the English attack and stood alongside <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamindu_Mendis">Kamindu Mendis</a>, who scored a brilliant hundred. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/Kamindu-Mendis-1024x576.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-146381" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kamindu Mendis's stunning hundred at Manchester (Image: NewsBytes) </figcaption></figure>
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<p><br>However, England, on the back of their most legitimate batter, Joe Root?s 50, earned another home win by 5 wickets. <br> <br>Now with Mark Wood ruled out of the rest of the series, Josh Hull selected as his replacement, and Olly Stone probably looking forward to a test return, England will surely have some changes to their squad. </p>



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><nav><ul><li class=""><a href="#lets-have-a-look-at-englands-probable-playing-xi-for-the-2nd-test">Let?s have a look at England's probable playing XI for the 2nd Test: </a></li><li class=""><a href="#sri-lanka-probable-playing-xi-ahead-of-the-2nd-test">Sri Lanka probable playing XI ahead of the 2nd test: </a></li></ul></nav></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="lets-have-a-look-at-englands-probable-playing-xi-for-the-2nd-test">Let?s have a look at England's probable playing XI for the 2nd Test: </h3>



<p><strong>Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Matthew Potts, and Shoaib Bashir.</strong><br> <br>England will probably not be making many changes to their squad, as they just have a 13-member squad, of which Cox cannot replace Jamie after his sizzling ton recently, and Josh Hull has recently been brought into the side, with the only change being injured Mark Wood being replaced by Olly Stone. </p>



<p><strong>ALSO READ: </strong><a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/jay-shah-to-begin-term-as-icc-chairman-after-being-elected-unopposed/">Jay Shah to begin term as ICC Chairman after being elected unopposed</a></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="sri-lanka-probable-playing-xi-ahead-of-the-2nd-test">Sri Lanka probable playing XI ahead of the 2nd test: </h3>



<p><strong>Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, and Lahiru Kumara. </strong><br> <br>Some eminent changes might be seen in the Sri Lankan team, as Madushka might be dropped after a stint of low scores, while Sadeera Samarawickrama might come in his place. While Jayasuriya might be dropped due to not-so-suitable pitches for multiple spin options, instead Lahiru Kumara?s raw pace can come in handy at Lord?s.<br></p>

ENG vs SL: Predicting the possible starting XI?s before the second test at Lord?s|

ENG vs SL: Predicting the possible starting XI?s before the second test at Lord?s

eng-vs-sl-predicting-the-possible-starting-xis-before-the-second-test-at-lords

<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><nav><div><div class=""><a href="#mens-test-batting-rankings">Men's test Batting Rankings</a></div><div class=""><a href="#mens-test-bowling-rankings">Men's test Bowling Rankings</a></div><div class=""><a href="#mens-test-all-rounder-rankings">Men's test All-Rounder Rankings</a></div></div></nav></div>



<p>The International Cricket Council on Wednesday unveiled the updated ICC Test Player Rankings; many changes have occurred in the rankings. Pakistan?s former skipper Babar Azam?s poor form in the longest format of the game has seen him drop in the rankings by six places as he has fallen from the third position to the ninth in the Test Rankings.</p>



<p>Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan on the other hand who played a really good unbeaten inning of 171 runs in the first inning and 51 runs in the second inning against Bangladesh in the first test match has achieved his best Test Career ranking as he has entered the top 10 ranks and is currently sitting at joint 10th position.</p>



<p>Rizwan sitting at joint 10th rank means his fellow teammate Babar is ahead of him by a small margin of just six-rating points in the updated ICC Test player rankings for batters while Pakistan?s vice-captain Saud Shakeel is not too far behind as he has moved up by one spot to the 13th position, thanks to the century he scored against Bangladesh in the first test match.</p>



<p>Indian batters have also risen in the Test batting rankings with Virat Kohli jumping by two spots to the eighth position while Yashasvi Jaiswal is ahead of Kohli by one position at the seventh spot.</p>



<p>England?s Harry Brook who had a terrific test series against West Indies and had a good first test match against Sri Lanka has risen to the fourth position in the rankings while England?s former test skipper Joe Root continues to remain at the top of ICC Test Batting Rankings.</p>



<p>Bangladesh?s experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim has also climbed in the rankings, jumping by seven positions to the 17th spot, while Sri Lankan batter Dinesh Chandimal who had a good outing with the bat against England in the first test match has risen by four places to 23rd.</p>



<p>Kamindu Mendis?s phenomenal form with the bat in the longest format of the game has seen him rise by eight ranks to the 36th spot while England?s new wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith has entered the top 50 positions in the batting rankings as he is currently sitting at the 42nd position.</p>



<p>Talking about the Test Bowling Rankings, Indian off-spinner continues to rule at the first position with 870 rating points followed by Josh Hazlewood, Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, and Kagiso Rabada. Bumrah and Hazlewood hold the joint 2nd position with 847 rating points next to their name.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In terms of changes in the bowling rankings, Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya has risen by one spot to the ninth position thanks to his five-wicket haul against England in the Manchester test.</p>



<p>England fast bowler Chris Woakes has climbed by four spots to the 16th with 665 rating points next to his name while Sri Lankan fast bowler Asitha Fernando has also risen by 10 positions to the 17th.</p>



<p>The other two bowlers who have benefitted in the Test Bowling rankings are England?s Gut Atkinson (up by four spots to 42nd place) and Pakistani right-arm seam bowler Naseem Shah (up by four places to 33rd position). Both of these bowlers have achieved their career?s highest test rankings after their impressive performances with the ball in their nation?s respective test outings.</p>



<p>ICC?s Test All-Rounder Rankings on the other hand witnesses Ravindra Jadeja sitting comfortably at the top followed by fellow compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin at the second position, Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan at the third spot, and England?s Joe Root at the fourth position respectively.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="mens-test-batting-rankings"><strong>Men's test Batting Rankings</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Players</th><th>Rating</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>01</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>Joe ROOT</td><td>881</td></tr><tr><td>02</td><td>NEW ZEALAND</td><td>Kane WILLIAMSON</td><td>859</td></tr><tr><td>03</td><td>NEW ZEALAND</td><td>Daryl MITCHELL</td><td>768</td></tr><tr><td>04</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>Harry BROOK</td><td>758</td></tr><tr><td>05</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>Steven SMITH</td><td>757</td></tr><tr><td>06</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Rohit SHARMA</td><td>751</td></tr><tr><td>07</td><td>to INDIA</td><td>Yashasvi JAISWAL</td><td>740</td></tr><tr><td>08</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Virat KOHLI</td><td>737</td></tr><tr><td>09</td><td>PAKISTAN</td><td>Babar AZAM</td><td>734</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>Usman KHAWAJA</td><td>728</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="mens-test-bowling-rankings"><strong>Men's test Bowling Rankings</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Players</th><th>Rating</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>01</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Ravichandran ASHWIN</td><td>870</td></tr><tr><td>02 .</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>Josh HAZLEWOOD</td><td>847</td></tr><tr><td>03</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Jasprit BUMRAH</td><td>847</td></tr><tr><td>04</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>Pat CUMMINS</td><td>820</td></tr><tr><td>05</td><td>SOUTH AFRICA</td><td>Kagiso RABADA</td><td>820</td></tr><tr><td>06</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>Nathan LYON</td><td>801</td></tr><tr><td>07</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Ravindra JADEJA</td><td>788</td></tr><tr><td>08</td><td>PIN NEW ZEALAND</td><td>Kyle JAMIESON</td><td>729</td></tr><tr><td>09</td><td>SRI LANKA</td><td>Prabath JAYASURIYA</td><td>727</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>PAKISTAN</td><td>Shaheen AFRIDI</td><td>716</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="mens-test-all-rounder-rankings"><strong>Men's test All-Rounder Rankings</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Players</th><th>Rating</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>01</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Ravindra JADEJA</td><td>444</td></tr><tr><td>02</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Ravichandran ASHWIN</td><td>322</td></tr><tr><td>03</td><td>BANGLADESH</td><td>Shakib AL HASAN</td><td>308</td></tr><tr><td>04</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>Joe ROOT</td><td>293</td></tr><tr><td>05</td><td>WEST INDIES</td><td>Jason HOLDER</td><td>270</td></tr><tr><td>06</td><td>INDIA</td><td>Axar PATEL</td><td>269</td></tr><tr><td>07 .</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>Ben STOKES</td><td>261</td></tr><tr><td>08</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>Chris WOAKES</td><td>259</td></tr><tr><td>09</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>Pat CUMMINS</td><td>245</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>BANGLADESH</td><td>Mehidy HASAN</td><td>235</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p><strong>Credit: <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/">ICC</a></strong></p>



<p><strong><mark class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Check:<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/pak-vs-ban-2nd-test-match-details-squad-expected-changes-in-playing-11-and-live-streaming-details/"> PAK vs BAN 2nd Test</a></mark></strong></p>

ICC Men's Test Player Rankings Updated after PAK vs BAN and ENG vs?SL?Test?Match

icc-mens-test-player-rankings-updated-after-pak-vs-ban-and-eng-vs-sl-test-match

<p>England cricketer Joe Root scored his 33rd century in the history of Test cricket, and he emerges as the joint-highest century-getter for England with the same number of hundreds as former skipper Alastair Cook. </p>



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<p><br>Joe Root played a wonderful inning, while he came in with both opener Dan Lawrence and skipper Ollie Pope back to the pavilion with very few runs. Root kept the innings at an end until <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Atkinson">Gus Atkinson</a>, who came in at 8, stood firm alongside him. <br> <br>Root played the best of his innings with 143 runs, and Atkinson scored a stunning maiden Test fifty under pressure as he shared a partnership worth remembering. <br> <br>Joe Root scored his 33rd century, which adds to his 16 centuries in the last 44 months of cricket. Root was placed behind all the players from Fab-4, as he just had 17 tons at the start of 2021 and now has surpassed all of them to lead the chart with 33 centuries ahead of Smith's (32), Williamson's (32) and Kohli?s (29). </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
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<p><strong>ALSO READ: </strong><a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/pak-vs-ban-shaheen-shah-left-out-as-pakistan-announced-playing11-for-2nd-test/">PAK vs BAN: Shaheen Shah LEFT OUT As Pakistan Announced Playing11 for 2nd Test</a><br> <br>Root emerged as England?s highest run-getter on English soil as he now went past the likes of Alastair Cook, who had 6568 runs, and also English legend Graham Gooch. <br> <br>Joe Root is now behind the likes of Alastair Cook and Kumara Sangakara, who have 12472 and 12400 runs, respectively, and Root is just behind by 198 and 126 runs to these legendary batters. <br> <br>He is also considered the best contender, to have been the best to break the invincible record of the great Sachin Tendulkar, who has 15921 runs in the format the modern legend is behind by just 3500+ runs, and the 33-year-old has much of a wide career awaiting him. </p>



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<p><br>England ended their tally of runs at a score of 358/7, as Brook and Jamie went early this time with Atkinson?s maiden fifty still making him unbeaten on 74* off just 81 deliveries. He will come to bat in the 2nd day as England resume their innings.<br></p>

Joe Root enters record books as England?s joint-highest centurion in Test cricket

ENG vs. SL: Joe Root enters record books as England?s joint-highest centurion in Test cricket at the end of 1st innings at Stumps

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<p>On this day i.e 30th of December, in 2014, Indian Cricket Team's prominent skipper MS Dhoni announced his decision to retire from Test-Cricket midway through the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India. </p>
<p>The 2014 Boxing-Day Test-Match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) witnessed Dhoni's final appearance in the white jersey of Team India while the introduction of Lokesh Rahul was also witnessed in the red-ball format. </p>
<p>The 2014 Boxing-Day Test ended in a draw with neither sides able to secure the win but both of them showcased exceptional level of performances. Former Australian skipper Steven Smith played an outstanding knock of 192 runs in the 1st inning, while the duo of Rahane and Kohli steadied the sinking ship of the Indians by getting involved in a massive 262-run partnership for the 4th wicket.</p>
<p>The former played a sublime knock of 147 runs in 171 deliveries while the latter was even better scoring 169 runs in 272 deliveries before getting dismissed off the bowling of the legendary Mitchell Johnson. </p>
<p><img class="img-additional" src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/images/202412/image_870x_6772d5aed1bb4.jpg" alt="" width="386" height="263" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p>Talking about MSD, he played a decent inning of 24 runs which was an unbeaten one and it also proved to be his final one in the five-day format. While the Indians played well and were in search of their maiden BHT series victory on Australian soil, the dream didn't get achieved at that time as the Kangaroos showcased some brilliant level of Cricket and sealed the series by a margin of 2-0.</p>
<p>Talking about the record of MSD's captaincy in Tests, he helped the Men in Blue win the Test Mace twice under his leadership and he kept the team highly competitive in the five-day format. He led the Indian Team in 60 Test-Matches, securing wins in 27 games, 15 draws and 18 defeats. He had a winning percentage of 45% as the captain of the Indian Team in red-ball Cricket. </p>
<p>In terms of personal stats, Dhoni managed to score a total of 4,876 runs in 90 Tests with the help of six magnificent centuries and 33 fifties. </p>
<p>Post his retirement from the longest format of the game, MSD continued to represent the Men in Blue in limited overs formats and played his last matches in One Day International and T20 Internationals in 2019 before calling it a day on the 15th of August, 2020</p>
<p>The Veteran wicket keeper batsman continues to play in the best T20 league in the world of Cricket i.e the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He has helped them lift the IPL Trophy five times under his leadership.</p>
<p>Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/travis-head-at-the-risk-of-getting-punished-by-the-icc-due-to-his-controversial-celebration-in-melbourne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travis Head at the risk of getting punished by the ICC due to his controversial Celebration in Melbourne</a></p>

MS Dhoni of India leaves the field on day five of the Third Test match between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 30, 2014 | Image: Getty Images

The legendary Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni played his last test-match on this day in 2014

On this day in 2014, the legendary MS Dhoni played his final test and retired from the longest format of the game

on-this-day-in-2014-the-legendary-ms-dhoni-played-his-final-test-and-retired-from-the-longest-format-of-the-game

<p><span>Australia skipper Pat Cummins has come with a massive statement on Jasprit Bumrah after the win against India in the fourth Test of the series. He said that he had no empathy for the vice-captain of the Indian cricket team for not winning the game despite giving his best.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been one of the main reasons why the team has been putting in a great fight in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The premier fast bowler has given his best with the ball, and the same was the case in the Melbourne Test.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span></span></p>
<p><span>Jasprit Bumrah yet again single-handedly carried the bowling lineup of the team. He hardly got any support from others as he was seen bowling his heart out. Since there was no support from others, he had to bowl again and again which took a lot out of him.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>Jasprit Bumrah picked up four wickets in the first innings and then followed it with five wickets in the second innings. His exceptional effort with the ball was the massive reason behind India making a comeback in the match giving them a chance to draw and even win the match.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled 53 overs in the match, unfortunately ended on the losing side as Australia won the game by the massive margin of 184 runs. With this win, they took a 2-1 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with one game to go.</span></p>
<h2><span>"Empathy? Not too much, no - Pat Cummins on Jasprit Bumrah</span></h2>
<p><span>Pat Cummins was in awe of Jasprit Bumrah, saying that he is the most influential Indian player. He claimed that the fast bowler has been troubling them a lot in the series and is a big threat to them. Speaking to reporters, he explained:</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span></span></p>
<p><span>"Yeah, he's, you know, obviously a really good bowler in great form. You know, he's been their most influential player. He's made it difficult for us at times. You know, I thought all their bowlers bowled really well yesterday.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>"Again, I don't think the pitch was doing too much, but they made it really tough for us and toiled hard. So I thought, yeah, they all bowled quite well. You know, he, in particular, poses the biggest threat."</span></p>
<p><span>Pat Cummins was also asked by one of the reporters if he feels empathy for Jasprit Bumrah losing after such a game. Replying to this, he said: "Empathy? Not too much, no."</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>Jasprit Bumrah notably is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The premier Indian pacer has picked 30 wickets in the series and would want to add more to his tally.</span></p>
<p><span>Read Also: </span><a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/india-lost-the-boxing-day-test-at-the-melbourne-cricket-stadium-by-184-runs-australia-took-a-2-1-lead-in-the-series-/">India lost the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium by 184 runs. Australia took a 2-1 lead in the series.</a></p>

Australia skipper Pat Cummins has come with a massive statement on Jasprit Bumrah after the win against India in the fourth Test of the series

Pat Cummins makes fun of Jasprit Bumrah, says he has no...

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<p><span>India skipper gave a bold verdict on Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal during the second innings of the Melbourne Test against Pat Cummins. He said he didn't know what to make of it but also subtly blamed umpires for not deciding in their favour. </span></p>
<p><span>Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal in the second innings of the fourth Test against Australia. The batter was literally holding the fort for India, and until he was batting, it also seemed that the Rohit Sharma-led side would draw the game and head into the last match with a score of 2-1. </span></p>
<p><span>But in what was a turning point of the game, Yashasvi Jaiswal bagged a controversial dismissal. This was because third umpire Sharfuddoula didn't consult the technology and gave the verdict based on the visible evidence that he saw after multiple replays being played. </span></p>
<p><span>Pat Cummins bowled a short ball on the leg stump, to which Yashasvi Jaiswal attempted to play a pull shot. The ball took the glove and was grabbed by Alex Carey, but the on-field umpire didn't raise his finger. Upon taking the DRS, the Australia team was pretty confident about the batter hitting the ball. </span><span></span></p>
<p><span>As the replays were being played, there seemed a deflection and after seeing replays three to four times, the umpire was convinced and then finally decided to check the ultra Edge. What caught the attention of many was when the RTS showed up, there wasn't any spike there. </span><span></span></p>
<p><span>This invited huge controversy as even Yashasvi Jaiswal didn't look okay with the dismissal, he was seen having a conversation with the umpire. It also invited a lot of debate with many fans and experts sharing their take on the same. </span></p>
<h2><span>I really don't know what to make of that because the technology didn't show anything - Rohit Sharma on on Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal </span></h2>
<p><span>Captain Rohit Sharma also shared his verdict on the same and pointed out the same thing related to technology not showing the spike. He was left confused about how umpires want to use the technology. </span></p>
<p><span>The skipper also was upset with things not going their way in the last few years related to technology. While talking about the same, he explained: </span><span></span></p>
<p><span>"Look, I really don't know what to make of that because the technology didn't show anything. With the naked eye, it seemed that he did touch something. I don't know how the umpires want to use the technology, but in all fairness, he did touch the ball. But again, it's about the technology, which we all know is not 100 per cent." </span></p>
<p><span>"Like I said, we don't want to look too much into that. It's just that we are more often than not falling on the wrong side of it. It has been happening since India. I think we have been a little unfortunate."</span></p>
<p><span>Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/top-five-highest-totals-chased-down-by-india-in-test-cricket-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top five highest totals chased down by India in Test cricket </a></span></p>
<p></p>

India skipper gave a bold verdict on Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal during the second innings of the Melbourne Test against Pat Cummins.

"Don't know how the umpires..." Rohit Sharma delivers bold verdict on Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal

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<p>IND vs AUS: Team India need to sit back and look at what they missed in the Boxing Day Test that they let the game slip away. They had the game under control when Australia was 90/6 in the second innings with a lead of around 200 runs. But eventually, the hosts played better cricket than India.</p>
<p>They won the fourth IND vs AUS test by 184 runs to take an unassailable 2-1 lead. With this, Australia inches closer to winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a wait of ten years and are also a frontrunner to qualify for the World Test Championship 2023-25 final.</p>
<p>India, on the other hand, will have everything on the line when they step on the field for the fifth test at the SCG. That final test will begin on January 03, 2025. India need this win anyhow. Hence, we will talk here about three crucial changes India need to make to win the fifth test.</p>
<h2>IND vs AUS: Three crucial things India need to do to win the fifth and final Test at the SCG</h2>
<p><strong>1. Rohit Sharma should be dropped</strong></p>
<p>Rohit Sharma has been going through a horrid run with the bat. The last couple of months has been horrible for the Indian captain. He has managed only 164 runs in the last 15 innings at a poor average of 10.93. Shubman Gill had to be left out from the fourth test.</p>
<p>Despite his poor form, he is still part of the playing XI and taking up a spot of a deserving player. India won the first test when he was not available under Jasprit Bumrah. Hence, India should drop Rohit and bring Gill back and let Bumrah to lead the side.</p>
<p><strong>2. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to open</strong></p>
<p>The pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul has been pretty decent for India in this series. Both have complemented each other and played well along. Rohit opened in the third test, and India had opening stands of 8 and 25 in two innings.</p>
<p>India need a good start from their openers because losing early wickets exposes other batters against the new ball, which is very hard to face this series. Hence, with Rohit getting dropped, let Jaiswal and Rahul open.</p>
<p><strong>3. Make necessary changes to bowling unit</strong></p>
<p>It will not be wrong to say that Jasprit Bumrah has been the lone warrior for India throughout the series. 30 wickets in four tests at an average of 12.83 is unmatchable. But he has not had support from other fast bowlers. Mohammed Siraj has taken 16 wickets at 31.44, and Akashdeep has 5 wickets at an average of 54.</p>
<p>So, it is time for a change. It is time for India to go with fresh legs and pick Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana for the last IND vs AUS test. Both are tall bowlers and quicker in pace. Adding to that, India should stick to two spinners, as the surface at SCG has more help for spinners than other Australian surfaces.</p>
<p>Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/struggling-rohit-sharma-registers-an-all-time-embarrassing-record-with-his-dismal-performance-at-the-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Struggling Rohit Sharma registers an All-time embarrassing record with his dismal performance at the MCG</a></p>

Australia are leading by 2-1, and the fifth and final test will begin on January 3, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India need to win to retain the BGT trophy.

3 changes India must make to win the SCG Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

3-changes-india-must-make-to-win-the-scg-test-to-retain-the-border-gavaskar-trophy

<p><span>India batter Virat Kohli has come under a massive firing line after he failed in the recently concluded fourth Test against Australia. The Boxing-day Test match between the teams took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>Virat Kohli was expected to play a major role for India in the fourth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. This was because, after his century, he looked torrid with the bat with balls outside off stump, bringing his downfall in the Australian conditions.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>In the first innings of the MCG Test, Virat Kohli looked very solid with the bat, and it seemed that he had found the solution to the balls outside off. The batter didn't deal with the balls in that channel, but his patience didn't last long as he ultimately poked at the ball, which was in the same area bowled by Scott Boland.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>In the second innings, Virat Kohli was expected to bring the Indian innings on track after the team lost Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul early on in the innings. However, this wasn't the case. The batter was back in the hut with the ball outside off yet again, bringing in the downfall.</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span></span></p>
<p><span>Mitchell Starc bowled a delivery around the fifth stump, and this lit Virat Kohli's eyes as he went for the big drive. The ball caught the outside edge of his bat and was caught by Usman Khawaja in the slips as the batter had to take the long walk back to the pavilion after scoring just 5 runs.</span></p>
<h2><span>The King is dead, King Bumrah has taken the mantle now - Simon Katich </span></h2>
<p><span>As Virat Kohli failed to make an impact in the second innings at MCG, Simon Katich fumed at the batter and said that the King is dead. The premier batter was dethroned from his title, with former Australia cricketer naming Jasprit Bumrah the new King. Speaking while doing commentary, he explained:</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span>"The King is dead. He trudges off. King Bumrah has taken the mantle now. Kohli looks dejected with himself. That was a big knock for him. He has come up short. Australia will be very, very happy with the situation they find themselves in."</span><span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span></span></p>
<p><span>Virat Kohli, in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has managed just 61 runs in other matches. Overall, in 2024, he has only scored 417 runs this year at an average of 24.52. </span></p>
<p><span>Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/top-five-highest-totals-chased-down-by-india-in-test-cricket-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top five highest totals chased down by India in Test cricket </a></span></p>

India batter Virat Kohli has come under a massive firing line after he failed in the recently concluded fourth Test against Australia.

"The King is dead" - Virat Kohli destroyed as new King of Cricket gets named

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<p>Team India fell to an embarrassing 184-runs defeat in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match versus the Mighty Australians on the 30th of December, 2024. On the fifth day of the contest, a strange celebration of Australian player Travis Head was spotted, the video of which is going viral on various social-media platforms. The batting all-round executed this celebration after picking up the crucial wicket of Rishabh Pant. </p>
<h3><strong>Head's celebration has created controversey</strong></h3>
<p>In the final day of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match, Head helped the Aussies gain the advantage with this really good bowling display. He gave a massive blow to the Men in Blue by sending Rishabh Pant back to the pavilion who was looking settled out there in the middle. But, soon after dismissing the Indian wicket-keeper batsman, the celebration of the 31-year-old shocked the world of Cricket and Social Media users. </p>
<p>The kind of celebration which Head excecuted after taking the important wicket of Pant is not easy to understand. Some people believe that his celebration gestures were to show that Pant got caught in his trap, but many spectators were not happy with his celebration. Some called it indecent and unusual but the debate in the world of Cricket still continues regarding his way of celebrating. </p>
<h2><strong>The reason behind the controversial celebration of Travis Head</strong></h2>
<p>Following the dismissal of Pant, Head's way of celebrating didn't go down well with many Indian Fans. He put one of his fingers in a circular gesture of the other hand. This celebration took the Commentators and audience by surprise. </p>
<p><em><strong>James</strong><strong> Brayshaw, the Australian commentator explained the action of the elite Australian player and said, "After ending the Test-Match versus Sri Lanka with figures of 4-10 next to his name in 17 deliveries in 2022, he (Head) said that he had to put the digit on the ice. This was a reference to that and he said that I did it again and now I am putting it back on the ice".</strong></em></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Video of his digit on the ice: <a href="https://x.com/CricCrazyJohns/status/1873597172471759073?t=JKhvpA_npLGeMo2VWq4Dog&amp;s=19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch here</a></strong></em></span></p>
<p>While Head's actions may seem controversial, his intentions were not negative and he didn't target Pant in any way at all. So it's highly unlikely that the ICC will punish him.</p>
<p>Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/struggling-rohit-sharma-registers-an-all-time-embarrassing-record-with-his-dismal-performance-at-the-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Struggling Rohit Sharma registers an All-time embarrassing record with his dismal performance at the MCG</a></p>
<p></p>

Travis Head of Australia celebrated in a controversial manner after getting the wicket of India's Rishabh Pant in the Boxing-Day Test-Match | Image: Getty Images

Travis Head's celebration after getting the wicket of Rishabh Pant has sparked a controversy among the world of Cricket

Travis Head at the risk of getting punished by the ICC due to his controversial Celebration in Melbourne

travis-head-at-the-risk-of-getting-punished-by-the-icc-due-to-his-controversial-celebration-in-melbourne

<p>Rohit Sharma and his men have suffered their second defeat in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy as Australia clinched a 184-run win in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium. With this win, they have taken a 2-0 unassailable lead in the series with one game to play.</p>
<p>Australia have a golden chance to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade-long wait and also qualify for the World Test Championship final. On the other hand, it has been a horrible last few months for Team India and Rohit Sharma. India were clean swept for the first time in history by New Zealand.</p>
<p>They lost an ODI series in Sri Lanka. Apart from that, the form of the Indian captain is another big talking point among the former cricketers and fans. Rohit once again failed in the second innings at MCG and got out for nine runs off 40 balls. He never looked in control and lost the game.</p>
<h2>IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma achieves an unwanted record with another failure in ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25</h2>
<p>India had a target of 340 runs to win. But the top order failed once again. Rohit got out to the Australian captain Pat Cummins yet again. It was the 8th time that Cummins dismissed the Indian captain in Tests. Rohit scored only nine runs. With this, he has only scored 31 runs in five innings across three tests he has played on this tour.</p>
<p>He has scored runs at a dismal average of 6.20 with a high score of 10 runs. Rohit has now recorded the lowest batting average by a visiting captain on Australian soil. His average of 6.20 is the lowest of all time since the game has started. Earlier, former West Indian captain Courtney Walsh held this record with an average of 7.75 during the 1996-97 tour.</p>
<p>Rohit's form has come under scrutiny as the MCG loss has demolished India's chances to qualify for the WTC final. The Indian captain has struggled to get to even double figures. He has only scored 164 runs in the last 15 innings at a below-par average of 10.93. Overall, he has scored 619 test runs in 2024 at an average of 24.76.</p>
<p>India needed to win this test, and they were in a good position at one point. But now, their qualification depends on Sri Lanka when they host Australia for two tests. But before, India need to win the fifth test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. </p>
<p>Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/india-lost-the-boxing-day-test-at-the-melbourne-cricket-stadium-by-184-runs-australia-took-a-2-1-lead-in-the-series-/">India lost the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium by 184 runs. Australia took a 2-1 lead in the seri</a>es</p>

Rohit Sharma got out after scoring 9 runs off 40 balls in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test match at the MCG.

Struggling Rohit Sharma registers an All-time embarrassing record with his dismal performance at the MCG

struggling-rohit-sharma-registers-an-all-time-embarrassing-record-with-his-dismal-performance-at-the-mcg

<p>Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, Team India managed to lift the T20 World Cup for the 2nd time ever in their history as they secured a nail-biting win versus South Africa in the final and left arm pacer Arshdeep Singh played a key role in helping his team lift the trophy. </p>
<p>Arshdeep finished the tournament as the joint-highest wicket taker alongside Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi (17 wickets) and his exceptional performances in the shortest format of the game in 2024 have been rewarded as the pacer has been nominated in ICC's Men's T20 International Player of the year award. Alongside the 25-year-old, Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe and Travis Head of Australia have also been nominated. </p>
<h3><strong>The performance of Arshdeep Singh in 2024</strong></h3>
<p>The performance of Arshdeep Singh with the ball in 2024 has been phenomenal. In 18 matches, the 25-year-old has managed to dismiss 36 batters at an exceptional average of 13.5. With these statistics, he finished the year of 2024 as the joint-highest wicket-taker in T20 Internationals.</p>
<p>Earlier in the year 2022, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had taken 37 wickets. This is the second best performance of an Indian fast bowler in T20 Internationals in a calendar year. Now Arshdeep Singh has become number two in this list.</p>
<h2><strong>Smriti Mandhana is also in the race of winning the ICC Women's ODI Player of the year</strong></h2>
<p>Apart from Arshdeep, Indian Women's Cricket Team's elite batter Smriti Mandhana is also a part of the race of winning the ICC award. Her exceptional performances with the bat in the 50 over format meant that her name has also been nominated in the list of 'ICC Women's ODI Player of the year award'. </p>
<p>She will be locking horns for this award versus Annabel Sutherland of Australia and South African captain Laura Wolvaardt. It will be interesting to see which player will be given the ICC Women's ODI Player of the year award.Mandhana is anticipated to be the favorite to win the award.</p>
<p>Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/can-team-india-still-qualify-for-the-wtc-final-despite-suffering-a-defeat-in-melbourne-versus-australia-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Can Team India still qualify for the WTC Final despite suffering a defeat in Melbourne versus Australia?</a></p>

Arshdeep Singh of India celebrates their T20 World Cup 2024 win in Mumbai's Marine Drive | Image: BCCI

Left Arm pacer Arshdeep Singh of Team India has been nominated for ICC Men's T20 Player of the year award and he's regarded as the favorite to win the award

Arshdeep Singh of India the favorite to win ICC's Men's T20 Player of the year award

arshdeep-singh-of-india-the-favorite-to-win-icc-s-men-s-t20-player-of-the-year-award

<p>The Indian Cricket Team, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, suffered a humiliating 184 runs defeat in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match and after this defeat, their road to qualifying for the 2023-25 WTC Final has become even more difficult. In this article, we will find out how the Men in Blue can still qualify for the WTC final despite suffering a defeat in Melbourne</p>
<p>Let us tell you that Temba Bavuma-led South Africa have already booked their ticket for the 2023-25 WTC Final in Lord's. The Indian Team are competing with the Mighty Australians to secure the second vacant final spot. While the Men in Blue are currently sitting at the third position in the overall WTC standings following their defeat in Melbourne, the Kangaroos on the other hand have occupied the second spot. </p>
<h2><strong>How can the Indian Team qualify for the WTC Final after suffering a defeat in the Melbourne Test-Match?</strong></h2>
<p>Following their defeat in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match, the first thing which the Indian team needs to do is defeat the Mighty Australians by any means possible in the fifth and highly important Test-Match in Sydney of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The Sydney Test-Match is going to be the Rohit Sharma-led team's final fixture of the current WTC cycle which makes it mandatory for them to secure a victory there. </p>
<p>If they suffer a defeat in the Sydney Test-Match, then all of their hopes of qualifying for the final will get crushed. Securing a win in the final BGT Test will allow Rohit Sharma and his men to snatch the second position away from the Kangaroos in the overall standings. </p>
<p>This will only be possible though if the Pat Cummins-led team lose the two-match Test-Series versus Sri Lanka by a margin of 1-0 or 2-0. If the Kangaroos lose the Sydney Test but end up winning the Test-Series versus the Sri Lankans by a margin of 2-0, then in this situation, the Men in Blue will get eliminated from the race of the final. </p>
<h2><strong>The Proteas have qualified for the WTC Final for the first time</strong></h2>
<p>The Proteas have qualified for the WTC Final for the first time ever in their Cricketing history and they will be looking to go all out in search of their first ever ICC Trophy. The Final of the previous edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) was played between Fierce-Rivals Australia and India where the the Kangaroos managed to reign supreme. The Final of the Inaugural edition of the event took place between New Zealand and the Indians in 2021 where the Kane Williamson-led team crossed the finish line successfully.</p>
<p><strong></strong>Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/-rohit-thank-you-for-your-service-massive-statement-comes-on-india-retirement-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Rohit, thank you for your service' - Massive statement comes on India retirement</a></p>

Australia celebrate after dismissing the final Indian batter in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test | Image: ICC

The Indian Team suffered a humiliating defeat in the Boxing-Day Test and this defeat has made their chances of qualifying for the WTC 2023-25 cycle Final even harder.

Can Team India still qualify for the WTC Final despite suffering a defeat in Melbourne versus Australia?

can-team-india-still-qualify-for-the-wtc-final-despite-suffering-a-defeat-in-melbourne-versus-australia-

<p><span>The Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium ended with a dominating win for the hosts. After having a wicketless second session prior to the tea break on Day 5, India came back strong to take seven wickets in the final session.</span></p>
<p>The Indian batting line-up once again struggled against the disciplined bowling attack and were bowled out for just 155 runs in the second innings. As a result, Australia have bagged a win by 184 runs to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series.</p>
<p>This win has certainly boosted Australia's chances of winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after more than a decade and also booking a place in the World Test Championship 2023-25 final. India had their chances, and they would have liked a win, but their performance with the bat was one key reason that they had to surrender once again.</p>
<h2>WTC 2023-25 Final: Australia firm their grip on the remaining place in the World Test Championship final with the MCG win</h2>
<p>It was India's fifth loss in the last seven tests, which has put them on the verge of being eliminated from the race to the World Test Championship final. And now, the loss at the Boxing Day Test has hurt their chances to qualify to a big extent. South Africa have already made it to the final after winning the first Test against Pakistan in Centurion.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.9702%; height: 200px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"><col style="width: 11.1012%;"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Pos</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Teams</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Played</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Won</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Lost</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Draw</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Ded</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>Points</strong></td>
<td style="height: 20px;"><strong>PCT</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">South Africa (Q)</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">3</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">88</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">66.67</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">Australia</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">16</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">10</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">10</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">118</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">61.46</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">3</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">India</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">18</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">9</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">114</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">52.78</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">New Zealand</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">14</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">3</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">81</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">46.21</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">5</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">Sri Lanka</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">5</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">60</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">45.45</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">England</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">22</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">10</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">22</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">114</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">43.18</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">Bangladesh</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">12</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">8</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">3</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">45</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">31.25</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">8</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">Pakistan</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">8</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">40</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">30.30</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="height: 20px;">9</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">West Indies</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">32</td>
<td style="height: 20px;">24.24</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>They are at the top of the WTC table with 66.67 PCT. The race is between Australia and India for the second spot. However, the loss at MCG has decreased India's chances more. Australia are second on the WTC table with 61.45 PCT, and India are placed third with 53.27 PCT now.</p>
<div dir="auto">The fifth and final test at the Sydney Cricket Ground has now become a must-win clash for Rohit Sharma and his men. They need to win that game to draw the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and also to keep their hopes alive for the WTC final. But if India win that game, they also need to hope that Sri Lanka can beat Australia in the upcoming home test series.</div>
<div dir="auto">Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/top-five-highest-totals-chased-down-by-india-in-test-cricket-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top five highest totals chased down by India in Test cricket </a></div>

India lost the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium by 184 runs. Australia took a 2-1 lead in the series.