Cricket
T20 WC 2024: Rathore backs Pant at No.3

Ray Sportz News Desk: Indian Cricket Team beat Ireland at an ease on Wednesday as they beat their opponents by 8 wickets. Beside skipper Rohit Sharma, the wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant played brilliantly at No.3. The team’s batting coach Vikram Rathore has backed Pant to bat at No.3, and beside that he is very happy to see a fully-fit Hardik Pandya back in the team.
Both Pant and Pandya, who returned to top-flight cricket in the IPL, are making a comeback to international cricket after a long gap.
The duo delivered the goods in India’s eight-wicket thrashing of Ireland in their opening game here on Wednesday.
On a challenging pitch with uneven bounce, run-scoring was difficult but Pant unleashed a few stunning shots, including a reverse-scoop over the Irish wicket-keeper’s head for a match-winning six in his unbeaten 36.
The Ireland match was Pant’s first game for India since December 2022 when he was involved in a horrific car accident.
”Yes, he has been batting really well. The two games (warm-up and Ireland) he has played, he has looked really, really good,” Rathour told the media after the match here at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium.
”Yes, at the moment he is our No. 3 and it helps that he is a left-hander,” Rathour added, in a way cementing the combination of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at the top.
Both Pant and Pandya made their way back into the India squad for the T20 World Cup after proving their fitness and form in the IPL.
Even though he did not garner big numbers as an all-rounder in a turbulent season as captain for Mumbai Indians, India chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said that there is no one in the country who could match Pandya’s skills as an all-rounder.
On Wednesday, Pandya was quick and precise with his line and length to produce 4-0-27-3 in his first match since October 2023 — also in a World Cup.
Pandya had hobbled off the pitch in Pune playing against Bangladesh after twisting his ankle, which left India without an all-rounder and also disrupting the balance of their playing XI, with incoming Suryakumar Yadav failing to make an impact in the 50-overs quadrennial showpiece.
”Hardik looked really good. Hardik has been — I mean, even in the practice game and even in the practice — bowling really well,” Rathour said.
”He looks fit enough to go through four overs and he’s been bowling with some pace and some accuracy, so yeah, it’s great,” he added.
Cricket
India beat England to clinch the series

Ray Sportz Web Desk: India beat England by 15 runs in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday to clinch the series 3-1. Concussion substitute Harshit Rana (3/33) was the pick of the bowlers for India with three wickets.
England started the match on a high – with Saqib Mahmood scalping three India batters in his first over – second of the match – also a maiden. England also finished the innings on a high, with India losing three wickets in the last over. For most of the 17 overs in between, however, the allrounder duo of Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya ruled the roost to ensure India set England a respectable target.
Earlier, fifties from Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube powered India to 181/9. Sent in to bat, India lost three wickets in the second over to be 12/3 at one stage before a remarkable stand 87 runs between Pandya (53 off 30 balls) and Dube (52 off 33 balls) pulled the hosts up. At the end England were bundled up for 166. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) and concussion substitute Harshit Rana (3/33) then shared six wickets between them after Varun Chakravarthy’s 2-28.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
AUS vs IND: Mitchell Starc reveals his plan for his Day 1 outstanding bowling performance

Ray Sportz Web Desk: After day 1 in the second test of the border gavaskar trophy, Australia is in very good condition. With help of Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labushagne, Australia at 86 for losing just 1 wicket at the end of day 1. Australia star performer Mitchell Starc delivered an absolute class delivery with the very first ball of the match to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal. After day 1, Mitchell Starc revealed his plan behind the dismissal.
At the day 1 game, Mitchell Starc got 6 wickets for just 48 runs. It is his best figures in Tests. For this spell, India were bundled out for just 180 runs. Mitchell Starc revealed his plan that he ensure to hit the pads of Jaiswal. Starc also gave his plan while bowling the first over. He said, “We know how important it is to make early blows for India. So it’s my role for a while to attack the stumps and try to make early inroads”.
Starc also praise Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne for their tough 3rd session with the pink ball and appreciate them to ensuring Australia to lost only one wicket on day 1. Starc says, “A good day all out. It’s a good way to finish the day. But the hardest time to bat is that third session with the new pink ball. On the other hand Marnus and McSweeney to fight through sustained to finish the day one down. We have a chance to go on tomorrow, it was fantastic from them. Obviously, a fair bit of outside noise. Very pleased for them”.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
AUS vs IND: Gambhir Flies Back Home Over ‘Family Emergency’

Sourav Roy, Perth: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has flown back home with his family due to a “personal emergency” and is unlikely to rejoin the squad before the second Test against Australia beginning December 6 in Adelaide.
The Delhi-based Gambhir will skip India’s two-day pink ball warm-up game against Prime Minister’s in Canberra starting November 30.
“He left with his family on early Tuesday morning for India. It is an unavoidable personal emergency. He will be back in Adelaide before the start of the second Test match,” a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
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