David Warner announces ODI retirement, keeps Champions Trophy option open

David Warner has announced his retirement from ODI cricket ahead of his final Test match in Sydney.

In a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 1, Warner announced his decision to retire from the ODI format (along with Test cricket) but has kept the possibility of participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy open.

“I’m definitely retiring from one-day cricket as well,” Warner said. “That was something that I had said through the World Cup, get through that, and winning it in India, I think that’s a massive achievement.

“So I’ll make that decision today, to retire from those forms, which does allow me to go and play some other leagues around the world and sort of get the one-day team moving forward a little bit.

“I know there’s a Champions Trophy coming up. If I’m playing decent cricket in two years’ time and I’m around and they need someone, I’m going to be available.”

The ongoing Test series against Pakistan is Warner’s last. Midway through 2023, he had announced his desire to retire from Test cricket after the upcoming New Year’s Test at SCG. With his announcement today, Warner has effectively gone the T20-only route.

Related Story: David Warner backs Marcus Harris to replace him as Australia Test opener

If he doesn’t end up making a comeback for the 2025 Champions Trophy, Warner’s last ODI would turn out to be the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad. Warner scored 535 runs in a successful 2023 World Cup campaign for Australia, including two fifties and two hundreds. He will retire 68 runs short of 7,000 runs in the format.

No Australian batter has scored more runs at a higher average in ODI cricket than Warner, though Ricky Ponting (29) has scored more centuries than him (22).

Warner had made some social posts after the 2023 World Cup victory, hinting that he might continue on till the next World Cup in 2027. However, that seems highly unlikely now, given his announcement today (January 1).

Warner is still available to play for Australia in the shortest format though, and is expected to feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which can potentially be his last outing in international cricket.

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Wisden’s Men’s ODI Spell of 2023, No.4: Mohammed Shami’s 4-22

No.4 in Wisden’s men’s ODI spell of 2023 is Mohammed Shami’s 4-22 in India’s win in a low-scoring clash against England in Lucknow. Sarah Waris looks back at the lion-hearted showing.

Wisden’s men’s ODI spell of 2023, No.4: Mohammed Shami – 4-22 (7)

India vs England
ODI World Cup, Match No.29
Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, October 29

That brief passage of play summed up Mohammad Shami’s genius. On a tricky wicket at the Ekana in Lucknow, bowling his first over after England were 30-2, he brought out his searing pace against Ben Stokes, who was struggling for runs in the World Cup. Having announced his decision to take back his ODI retirement for the event, Stokes would have been left questioning the move as he found himself at sea against a seamer who, till two games ago, was not even in India’s World Cup plans.

The first ball to Stokes was short of a length and moved away from the left-handed Stokes, who left it alone. On the next, Stokes, eager to get off the mark, danced down the track against a similar delivery, but was beaten as the ball moved away off the seam past his outside edge. Shami beat the bat again as Stokes attempted a cut to a good-length ball, the bowler sticking to the length after England’s quicks proved it to be successful in their half. The last ball of Shami’s over thudded into Stokes’ pad as he looked to play it on the leg side.

After a blazing start when England raced away to 30-0 in 24 balls, the crowd had gone silent with the visitors needing 200 more to inflict India with their first defeat of the World Cup. Jasprit Bumrah’s two-in-two brought India, and the decibel levels, back into the game and when Shami came on to bowl, he was urged on by 46,000 fans, the united aaah building up his flight perfectly.

Shami’s fifth ball to Stokes shaped away slightly, beating his defence while the sixth saw the frustrated batter mistime the good-length delivery to mid-off. He made contact again on the next delivery but was still unable to get off the mark after slapping it to cover. Shami was relentless as another good-length ball followed – it came in before seaming away slightly – beating Stokes on the outside edge. The ninth ball to Stokes was fuller and on the stumps: Stokes played his only calm shot of the day, towards mid-on.

Nine balls, all dots. Four misses, two unsuccessful charges, one aim.

The tenth ball Stokes faced was bowled round the wicket, and he made room in a desperate bid to get England’s first run in 15 deliveries. The three sticks were rattled after the ball shaped in off the seam, sending the entire stadium into a frenzy, and it was incredible to think that Shami had not played India’s first four World Cup games.

On his very next ball, Shami bowled Jonny Bairstow off the inside edge, leaving England reeling at 39-4. Dew covered the outfield and one mature innings was all that it needed from England. But Shami’s seam and wrist position, his stubbornness to stick to the good length along with the lateral movement he found gave the rivals no inroads.

Shami also dismissed Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, setting up the latter with a ball that angled in after sending down three widish ones. By the end, India galloped away to an easy win. Shami claimed figures of 7-2-22-4, enough to establish him as one of India’s greatest World Cup bowlers in only 13 innings, an honour he went onto single-handedly claim during the tournament.

The innings began with a typical Bumrah masterclass early on but ended in Shami’s name. Having been an equal contributor in India’s Test resurgence since 2018, Shami often found himself under Bumrah’s shadow over the years, reduced to a mere bowler operating in an attack led by a magician who debuted three years after him. In Lucknow and then through the World Cup, he emerged as a leader of his own, the belated but deserved Shamiiiii, Shamiiiiii chants paying homage to a hero of Indian cricket who has battled injuries and personal tragedies to reach where he has.

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No.4 in Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023 is Michael Bracewell’s counter-attacking hundred in a heart-breaking loss  for New Zealand against India. Sarah Waris looks back at the knock.

Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, No.4: Michael Bracewell – 140 (78)

India vs New Zealand, 1st ODI
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, January 18

On the first ball of the 50th over, Michael Bracewell sat back and pounced on a slower short ball over long-on for his 10th six of the night. Walking out in his 14th ODI innings at No.7, Bracewell, batting on 140 off 77 after his team had slumped to 131-6, bludgeoned a Shardul Thakur delivery to reduce the equation to 14 in five. A wide made it 13 off five.

Having already seen off a rocky chase of 301 against Ireland a year earlier with an 82-ball 127* after New Zealand had slipped to 217-8, Bracewell’s knock in Hyderabad was another entry into the canon of out-of-the-blue classics.

Bracewell came in with the rate nearing 10 an over and more than half the overs left to bat, but still gave himself some time to get set, moving to 13 off his first 12. Tom Latham fell, leaving Mitchell Santner as his last capable batting support. The asking rate crossed 11.

At first he dealt in fours, seven of them in his first 29 balls, but still the asking rate climbed. Then Thakur, against whom it would end was reintroduced, and the switch properly flicked.

Four, six and four saw Bracewell scorch past fifty. Thakur attempted to bowl wide lines but conceded wides instead. The ball skidded on to Bracewell. Between overs 37-40, he smashed four sixes and as many fours. Thakur’s figures had read 1-13 after five overs. In his next two he conceded 34.

2023 In Review

2023 In Review

Wisden’s Men’s ODI Innings of 2023, No.4: Michael Bracewell's 140

2023 In Review

Wisden’s 2023 men’s ODI team of the year

2023 In Review

Wisden’s Men’s ODI Innings of 2023, No.5: David Miller’s 101

2023 In Review

Eight players unlucky to miss out on Wisden’s 2023 men’s ODI team of the year

New Zealand needed 103 off the last 10 overs. The chase was back on, Bracewell showed his game sense. He looked for the shots but was not over-eager. Mohammed Shami was scooped for six, but then he patiently played out Mohammed Siraj’s 42nd over without a boundary. He trusted that the loose deliveries would come. The next two overs went for 25 runs, and two quiet overs followed, the second of which contained two wickets. It was all on Bracewell, with two wickets in hand, and 56 needed off four overs. Hardik Pandya was swung twice for six. Lockie Ferguson chipped in with a first-ball boundary, and then Bracewell scooped and carved four and six. With 24 needed off two came another pause. Pandya conceded four and dismissed Ferguson. The game oscillated between the lone-spirited fighter and a group of men nearly succumbing in their attempt to stop him.

Twenty needed off the last six balls and one wicket in hand, the exact equation as it was against Ireland. Bracewell began with a six, then came a wide. Thirteen needed off five. Then the death rattle, a Thakur yorker his undoing as he looked to shuffle across and ramp it again.

Bracewell slumped on his knees in anguish. He had delivered another wonder knock, but this time he had come up short.

He ended up missing the World Cup due to an injury but if his Hyderabad innings was an indication, there will be another shot at glory for Bracewell. Watch out for him then.

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South Africa’s Neil Brand joins the club: Every cricketer to captain their country on men’s Test debut

Uncapped Neil Brand has been named South Africa’s captain for their two-Test tour to New Zealand, meaning he will join the exclusive club of players to captain on Test debut. Here’s the list of all the cricketers to lead their country in their first Test.

South Africa have named seven uncapped cricketers in a second-string Test squad for the New Zealand series, with several senior members set to be busy playing their trade for their respective franchises in SA20 2024. Brand, a 27-year-old all-rounder who is yet to make his international debut, will lead the side.

With a first-class experience of 51 matches, Brand, being named the captain of his national side, will become the 35th player overall to lead a Test team on debut.

However, it is to be noted that the illustrious list contains cricketers who achieved this feat on their country’s Test debut. In 1877, James Lillywhite jnr led an English side which toured Australia to play the first-ever Test match, thus coinciding with their red-ball debuts.

Owen Dunnel for South Africa in 1889, Robert Karl Nunnes for West Indies in 1928, Tom Lowry for New Zealand in 1930 and CK Nayudu for India in 1932 captained their respective national sides on their nation’s Test debut, while Sri Lanka’s Bandula Warnapura in 1982,  Zimbabwe’s David Houghton in 1992 were the last inductees in the 20th century.

Talking of 21st century, Bangladesh played their inaugural Test against India under captain Naimur Rahman in 2000. Meanwhile, Ireland’s William Porterfield and Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan being the most recent entrants to the club in 2018 on the back of their country’s first match after receiving Test status.

Leading your country on Test debut has become far less common in recent years. Brand will be just the second to do so in the last 50 years (excluding the above who captained in their country’s first Tests). New Zealand’s Lee Germon, appointed skipper in 1995, is the other to do so in that time.

It’s worth mentioning the circumstances surrounding South Africa’s first Test after isolation, in 1992. With a long gap between Test appearances, none of the side had played a Test for the Proteas before. However, Kepler Wessels, the captain, had played Test cricket for Australia. All of the other South African players in the game were Test debutants.

Every cricketer to captain their country on men’s Test debut

Dave Gregory, Australia, 1877
James Lillywhite jnr, England, 1877
Lord Harris, England, 1879
Ivo Bligh, England, 1883
Owen Dunell, South Africa, 1889
Aubrey Smith, England, 1889-1889
Akfred Richards, South Africa, 1896
Murray Bisset, South Africa, 1899
Henry Taberer, South Africa, 1902
Biddy Anderson, South Africa, 1902
Percy Sherwell, South Africa, 1906
Henry Leveson Gower, England, 1910
Johnny Douglas, England, 1911
Frank Mann, England, 1922
Rony Stanyforth, England, 1927
Karl Nunes, West Indies, 1928
Harold Gilligan, England, 1930
Tom Lowry, New Zealand, 1930
Freddie Calthorpe, England, 1930
Nelson Betancourt, West Indies, 1930
Jackie Grant, West Indies, 1930
CK Nayudu, India, 1932
Herby Wade, South Africa, 1935
Maharajah of Vizianagram, India, 1936
Alan Melville, South Africa, 1938
George Mann, England, 1948
Nigel Howard, England, 1951
Tony Lewis, England, 1972
Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka, 1982
Dave Houghton, Zimbabwe, 1992
Lee Germon, New Zealand, 1995
Naimur Rahman, Bangladesh, 2000
William Porterfield, Ireland, 2018
Asghar Afghan, Afghanistan, 2018

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Wisden’s Men’s ODI Innings of 2023, No.5: David Miller’s 101

No.5 in Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023 is David Miller’s battling hundred in South Africa’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Australia. Aadya Sharma pays tribute to a gutsy fightback.

Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, No.5: David Miller – 101 (116)

South Africa v Australia
Cricket World Cup semi-final
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, November 16

The great thing about David Miller’s batting can actually be its vulnerability. His good days can very well look like his bad days. Often, they start the same way: nervous pokes, minimal foot movement, a close call here and a dropped catch there. You can never get the sense that a special one is unravelling.

At Kolkata, Miller’s miracle began the same way. On a spongy, sticky, spinning wicket, at a World Cup semi-final – the last four words carry a trauma of their own – South Africa were fastened into a box by Australia’s holy pace trinity. Eighteen runs and two wickets came off the first ten overs. They lost two more wickets in the next two.

In at No.6, Miller’s first runs came off a jittery prod, the edge dropping short of second slip and breaking Josh Hazlewood’s magic trance. The batting had been so fragile so far: it could very well have been a first-ball duck. So insulted was Hazlewood that he bowled two straight maidens after that.

Next over, he was nearly undone by Pat Cummins’ crafty pace change. The ball ballooned off his bat and fell short of mid-on. South Africa, not even crossed 40, almost lost their fifth.

In the Kolkata semi-final, David Miller hit his first ODI century in five years

Miller, a white-ball behemoth, has often turned matches with backs-to-the-wall cameos, but as an ODI player, he has rarely been afforded the chance to bat for this long. He entered Eden Gardens with one fifty in the league stages, and no ODI century in five years.

Dark grey clouds, about to leak, didn’t help with the gloominess. A 40-minute rain break must have helped shake the daze.

Was this it for the Proteas? With most of their batting star cast already back, they wouldn’t have minded staying in the comforts of their dugout. Their batting had acted excessively bipolar through the campaign. A rescue mission looked unlikely.

That’s where the Miller effect comes in. When he clubbed Adam Zampa, the tournament’s best spinner, over long on, South Africa were shaken out of their stupor. He’s always had the ability to, out of nowhere, drain away every shred of non-complying statistic, track record or match scenario, ditch vulnerability and click into mode maverick.

Little by little, he conquered lost ground. Against Glenn Maxwell, he used the depth of his crease to attack square of the wicket. Against Zampa, he climbed into flighted deliveries, the big lever swinging them down the ground. It wasn’t always aesthetically pleasing, but rescue acts aren’t about the glamour.

Despite a paucity of partners, he appeared conveniently detached from the situation, turning survival into an extended battle with each ball. First with Heinrich Klaasen and then Gerald Coetzee, he forged pressure-releasing stands. By the time a fierce pull took him to three figures, and he was hugged to the spine by Kagiso Rabada, South Africa had crossed 200, a miracle in its own right.

Barring him, and a counterpunching Travis Head for Australia, none of the other batters crossed fifty. Such was the dominance of bat over ball. If you ever feel Miller only clobbers on flat tracks, this innings was a loud contradiction.

Five Novembers ago, Miller had last hit a century, against the same opposition. That day, he had another centurion, Faf du Plessis for coming. Kolkata was a solo act: nearly 48 per cent of the team’s runs had come off his bat. From having next to nothing, it gave South Africa hope.

In the end, they even managed to make a close game out of it. Just like Miller, even in their vulnerability, there was no surrender.

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Franchise v Tests v finance: Why SA20 has forced South Africa to pick a weakened squad to tour New Zealand

In the Boxing Day Test against India, South Africa put in about as dominant a performance as is possible.

Up against a team containing several greats of the game, finalists in each of the first two World Test Championships, competitive in all conditions unlike Indian team before them, the Proteas were clinical. KL Rahul’s first innings fightback was quickly put into perspective by Dean Elgar putting on a show in his farewell series. The quicks were quick, and the movement they found was devastating. India were razed for 131 in the second innings and lost by an innings.

And how have South Africa responded? By leaving out nine of those 11 players for their next Test tour, of New Zealand. The squad includes seven uncapped players, including uncapped captain Neil Brand. Calling it second-string would be generous.

However, this isn’t the selection call to make Darren Pattinson, Shoaib Bashir and the rest pale into insignificance. It is a choice, but there are reasons behind it. Cricket South Africa have taken a look at the balance books and at the World Test Championship table and reasoned that, if they don’t prioritise the former, they won’t be around much longer to contest the latter.

Last year, CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki made the situation clear while speaking to ESPNcricinfo: “We still want bilateral cricket to be supreme but the reality for countries like us is that you only make money when you play India. In the pre-Covid year, in 2019, we hosted England and Australia and we still made a loss. So we have to look at other options.”

Then, he was defending the decision that should be considered the precursor to this one: South Africa forfeiting an ODI series against Australia. Like this time, doing so significantly dented their chances in an international event. Back then it was World Cup qualification, and this time it’s the World Test Championship. And like this time, CSA did so to prioritise their new franchise T20 competition, the SA20. As soon as the fixture clash became clear, Moseki made clear which way South Africa would lean. “Protea players in the SA20 will not be going to New Zealand and that is a directive from CSA,” he said. If South African cricket is to survive, SA20 needs to thrive.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT

CSA has today announced a 14-player squad for the Proteas two-match Test tour of New Zealand next month#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/pLBxCrNvJF

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 30, 2023

This is not the players’ decision, many of whom have been adamant in their desire to play more Test matches. “I see Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game, and a lot of the players in the change-room, if not all, would see that,” Kagiso Rabada said earlier this year.

And while it is CSA’s call, it’s hardly their fault. They are not world cricket’s powerbrokers, who have accrued the game’s global revenue for themselves and left the rest to wither. The ‘Big Three’ and the ICC share culpability for the situation. That all of the six SA20 franchises were snapped up by Indian Premier League team owners shows who most stands to benefit.

South Africa may yet prove competitive against New Zealand, against whom they have never lost a Test series. The emergence of Nandre Burger, who overcame injury after injury to hurl down 92mph left-arm rockets on international debut, shows the resilience both of South Africa’s talent pools and the cricketers who rise from them. And even if they do lose, they may still make the WTC final, with home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan and away tours to West Indies and Bangladesh representing about as easy a schedule as is possible.

But this, as Ian Bishop, as clued-in a pundit as it is possible to find, has said this is “another indication of the changing landscape of the game”. Cricketers dream of playing for their countries and governing bodies are charged with ensuring their success. Now, a governing body is preventing its cricketers from playing for their country, hurting their chances, and it’s hard to criticise either too harshly. The blame lies elsewhere.

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Eight players unlucky to miss out on Wisden’s 2023 men’s ODI team of the year

2023 was a big year for ODI cricket with several stand out performers. Here is a look at eight players who narrowly missed out on making Wisden’s men’s ODI Team of the Year.

Quinton de Kock

20 innings, 937 runs @ 46.85, SR: 100.64, 1 fifty, 4 hundreds, HS: 174

The South Africa wicketkeeper announced before the 2023 World Cup that he would retire from ODIs. He did so on a high after a stellar World Cup campaign, scoring as many as three hundreds in his final ODI tournament. Across the year, he averaged nearly 50 and stuck at just above a run a ball. However, the competition at the top of the order was high. Rohit Sharma with his consistently blistering starts and Travis Head with his scarcely believable strike rate of 133.17 pipped the South African southpaw to the team of the year.

Shubman Gill

29 innings, 1584 runs @ 63.36, SR: 105.45, 9 fifties, 5 hundreds, HS: 208

Shubman Gill had one of the best years a batter has had in the history of ODI cricket. He crossed fifty in every other game he played this year and also became the fifth Indian to score a double hundred in ODIs. He missed out on our team of the year by the narrowest of margins with his opening partner Rohit Sharma, and the Australian lynchpin at the top, Travis Head, edging the vote. Gill’s slightly underwhelming World Cup perhaps held him back

Sean Williams

9 innings, 720 runs @ 90, SR: 129.26, 3 fifties, 3 hundreds, HS: 174
9 innings, 6 wickets @ 34.66, ER: 4.95, BBI: 3-41

Williams was unstoppable with the bat in the limited number of games he played this year, most of them coming in the World Cup Qualifier in July. Unsurprisingly, he was named Player of the Tournament. Williams chipped in with the ball as well, providing Zimbabwe timely wickets and a lot of control with his left-arm spin. He was competing with Daryl Mitchell for the No.4 spot in Wisden’s men’s ODI Team of the Year. The New Zealander, who averaged 52 and struck at 100 in 2023, beat Williams courtesy of his performances across the globe and at the biggest of stages including the World Cup semi-final.

Aiden Markram

24 innings, 1033 runs @ 51.65, SR: 113.26, 5 fifties, 3 hundreds, HS: 175
15 innings, 7 wickets @ 61.57, ER: 5.91, BBI: 2-40

Markram had his best year in ODIs so far in 2023, nailing the middle order role to perfection. He scored a mammoth 175 against the Netherlands in April, before shepherding South Africa’s middle order in the World Cup in India. Markram was also handy with his part-time off-spin on occasions. While he was quicker than Mitchell in terms of strike rates, Markram’s lack of performances against top sides like England and India (zero fifties in eight games against these two sides) led to him missing out on the No.4 spot.

KL Rahul

24 innings, 1060 runs @ 66.25, SR: 87.74, 7 fifties, 2 hundreds, HS: 111*

Rahul was India’s banker in the middle order this year, adapting to different conditions and situations and coming good no matter what was thrown at him. An injury suffered during the IPL kept him out for a long time but he made a successful return in the Asia Cup and never looked back. Rahul’s competition for the middle-order wicketkeeper-batter’s position was with Heinrich Klaasen, whose mind-boggling strike rate of 140.66 meant that he just couldn’t be overlooked.

Marco Jansen

17 innings, 406 runs @ 33.83, SR: 116, 1 fifty, HS: 75*
20 innings, 33 wickets @ 29.96, ER: 6.37, 1 five-for, BBI: 5-39

Jansen had a breakthrough year as a seam-bowling all-rounder. There were question marks over South Africa’s balance as the played with Jansen at No.7 nearly throughout the year, but the improvement in his batting meant that they never had to worry about the longish tail on paper. With the ball, he was incisive as ever, providing regular wickets especially with the new ball. His occasional lack of control (reflected in the economy rate of 6.37) however, was the only major issue which prevented him from finding a place in our team of the year.

Shaheen Afridi

21 innings, 42 wickets @ 24.04, ER: 5.59, 1 four-for, 1 five-for, BBI: 5-54

Afridi took an average of two wickets per innings in ODIs in 2023. In a Pakistan bowling attack that was plagued with injuries, especially towards the second half of the year, Afridi was one of the only ones who made it through the year without missing more games than he played. Despite brilliant numbers and regular impactful performances though, Afridi didn’t look at the peak of his powers like he was a couple of years back, unlike the Indian fast bowlers, all of whom were at their very best throughout the year, resulting in Afridi narrowly missing out.

Adam Zampa

20 innings, 38 wickets @ 26.31, ER: 5.78, 5 four-fors, BBI: 4-8

Zampa was the third-highest wicket-taker in men’s ODIs in 2023 among spinners. Such was the confidence and control he offered that Australia went into the 2023 World Cup with him as the only frontline spinner in conditions that were supposed to be conducive to spin-bowling. And he delivered, picking 23 wickets from 11 games at the World Cup. Unfortunately for Zampa, with Ravindra Jadeja already making it to our team of the year as an all-rounder, and Kuldeep Yadav with 49 wickets at 20.48 being the first-choice spinner, there was no space left for a third twirler in the XI.

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Watch: Pooja Vastrakar gives Alyssa Healy fiery send-off after uprooting leg stump

Watch: Pooja Vastrakar gave Australia captain Alyssa Healy a fiery send-off after knocking over her leg stump in the second IND W vs AUS W ODI today (December 30) at the Wankhede Stadium.

India were put into field first on a warm afternoon in Mumbai after Australia won the toss in the second ODI. The visitors were given a life early on as Phoebe Litchfield was dropped by Amanjot Kaur on the second ball of the match.

India’s sloppiness in the field continued as they dropped Litchfield on two more occasions, did not take a review against Alyssa Healy that would have resulted in her wicket, and took a wild one against Litchfield despite the ball pitching way down the leg stump.

After nine overs of toil, India were finally rewarded with their first wicket of the game when Vastrakar sneaked through Healy’s defences to uproot her leg stump out of the ground.

Perhaps frustrated with all the missed chances, Vastrakar let out an immediate and aggressive celebration, giving Healy a send-off without directly looking at her.

With this, Healy’s poor form with the bat continued as she followed her duck in the first ODI with a 24-ball 13 in the second. India, however, could not capitalise on the wicket as Ellyse Perry came out with positive intent at No.3 and stitched a solid partnership with Litchfield.

After the first 20 overs, Australia’s score read 98-1.

Watch Pooja Vastrakar give Alyssa Healy a send-off after taking her wicket:

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India cricket schedule in 2024: Full list of IND Tests, ODIs and T20I fixtures in 2024

India men are scheduled to play at least 12 Tests, three ODIs, and nine T20Is, apart from the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean – below is the full India men’s cricket schedule for the next calendar year.

South Africa v India (away)

January 2024

India started their all-format tour of South Africa in December 2023, which will spill over to January 2024 with the second Test in Cape Town bringing the curtains down on the tour.

India v Afghanistan (home)

January 2024

Within a week after returning from South Africa, the Indian team will face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series starting from January 11.

India v England (home)

January-March 2024

The Afghanistan T20I series will be followed by a marathon five-match Test series at home against the touring England side. The series will stretch across more than six weeks with the first Test to start from January 25 and the fifth Test scheduled to end on March 11. This series will form an important part of the World Test Championship for both sides.

"If Pandya was in an auction, there's almost no upper limit on what he'd go for." @Ben_Wisden and @Yas_Wisden discuss Hardik Pandya's huge trade from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians

Listen: https://t.co/prOH8SylAY
Watch: https://t.co/XSMnBFmA9B#IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/9xnJO2hWSf

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 30, 2023

T20 World Cup 2024 (away)

June 2024

IPL 2024 will be immediately followed by the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup. Starting on June 4, the tournament will take up the entire month of June with the final scheduled on June 30. India, who have only won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, will look to add to their tally.

Sri Lanka v India (away)

July 2024

Following the T20 World Cup, India will head over to Sri Lanka for a white-ball tour comprising of three ODIs and three T20Is, the exact schedule of which is yet to be announced.

India v Bangladesh (home)

September 2024

After getting a rare month-long break in August, India will face up against Bangladesh at home in two-Test and three-T20I series. The Tests will form a part of the World Test Championship 2023-25.

India v New Zealand (home)

October 2024

The Bangladesh series will be followed by three home Tests against New Zealand. This will be India’s penultimate Test series of their 2023-25 World Test Championship campaign.

Australia v India (away)

November-December 2024

India will end the year with a five-match Test series against Australia in Australia that will stretch into 2025. With the schedule for the series not confirmed yet, it can’t be said with certainty exactly how many of those five Tests will be in 2024 and how many in January 2025.

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Watch: Cheteshwar Pujara follows Ajinkya Rahane, posts batting video following India’s Centurion loss

Watch: Discarded India batter Cheteshwar Pujara posted a video of himself batting in the nets today (December 30), a day after his long-time teammate Ajinkya Rahane did the same.

Both Rahane and Pujara are currently out of favour from the Indian Test side, having been dropped after prolonged periods of poor form.

Rahane posted a video of himself batting in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) nets yesterday (December 29) on X (Twitter), with Pujara following suit today (December 30), posting a similar video of himself practicing in the nets on Twitter (X).

The timing of these posts are interesting to note as they have come right after India’s heavy Test defeat in Centurion. Rahane, who was the vice-captain in the last Test series, has been replaced by Shreyas Iyer for the South Africa Tests, while Pujara had been dropped following the World Test Championship final with his place going to Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Pujara’s recent post includes the caption, “Ranji Trophy prep mode”. The first round of fixtures in the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy, India’s premier first-class tournament, are scheduled to begin from January 5. Saurashtra, Pujara’s side, are set to play Jharkhand at their home ground in Rajkot to start their campaign. Interestingly though, Pujara is seen practicing with a white ball in the recently posted video, and not a red one.

The last time Pujara posted a video of himself batting on social media was on November 26, 2023 before the start of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the premier List A tournament in the country.

Watch Cheteshwar Pujara’s recent batting video:

Ranji Trophy prep mode: pic.twitter.com/kFN3PyvTHx

— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) December 30, 2023

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South Africa squad update: Injured Gerald Coetzee to miss second Test | SA vs IND

Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the second SA vs IND Test scheduled to start on January 3 in Cape Town due to an injury.

South Africa won the first Test convincingly in Centurion by an innings and 32 runs. They played an all-seam attack of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Nandre Burger, and Coetzee at the SuperSport Park that wrecked the Indian batting line up.

Coetzee, however, has been ruled out of the New Year’s Test in Cape Town after suffering from “pelvic inflammation” during the first Test. Coetzee experienced discomfort in his pelvis, “which progressively got worse while bowling on day three of the match”.

Scans conducted on Friday (December 29) revealed the extent of Coetzee’s injury, forcing the South Africa management to rule him out of the second Test. He has been released from the squad as a precautionary measure and no replacement has been announced.

Coetzee did not have the best of games in Centurion, taking 1-74 off his 16 overs in the first innings and 0-28 off five overs in the second. He struggled to find rhythm and control, conceding nearly five runs per over throughout the Test.

Lungi Ngidi, who missed out on the first Test as he failed to recover from an injury, is expected to take Coetzee’s place in Cape Town. Ngidi has a stellar record in Tests in South Africa, having taken 36 wickets in 16 innings at an average of 17.9.

Ngidi also has a particularly good record against Virat Kohli, who was India’s highest scorer in the second innings in Centurion. The right-arm seamer has dismissed the former India captain four times in Tests, the joint-most number of dismissals he has against any batter.

India, who are yet to win a Test match in Cape Town, would hope that they can pull one back and salvage some pride after their drubbing in the first Test.

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India squad update: Mohammed Shami replaced by Avesh Khan for New Year’s Test | SA vs IND

Avesh Khan has replaced Mohammed Shami in India’s squad ahead of the second Test against South Africa in Capetown.

The BCCI drafted pace bowler Avesh Khan into India’s squad before the second Test against South Africa at Newlands Capetown to replace the injured Mohammed Shami, who is ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury.

Avesh was part of India’s 2-1 ODI series win in the lead-up to the Test series. He picked 4-27 in the curtain-raiser game to set the tone for the remaining clashes. He has 149 first-class scalps at an impressive average of 22.65 with a career-best figures of 7-24 in an innings.

The development came a day after India were trounced by an innings and 32 runs in the first match against South Africa. India’s bowlers looked rusty despite the lively Centurion deck on offer. Prasidh Krishna, playing his first Test, conceded 1-93 off his 20 overs, while Shardul Thakur leaked 1-101 off his 19.

India’s squad for 2^nd Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Avesh Khan

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Ben Stokes hits back at Steve Harmison’s criticism of England tour preparation

Ben Stokes has hit back at Steve Harmison’s criticism of England’s Test preparation for the forthcoming tour of India.

Ex-England seamer Harmison, a former Durham team-mate and close friend of Stokes, believes that arriving in India just three days before the start of a five-match series is a recipe for disaster.

He claimed the tourists would “deserve to get beat 5-0” without spending longer acclimatising to conditions, drawing a curt response from the England captain.

Good job we’re going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp before we go to India for even more training before that 1st test then isn’t it. https://t.co/2Q0qCOEbFO

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) December 28, 2023

Stokes replied to a video of Harmison’s comments, saying: “Good job we’re going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp before we go to India for even more training before that 1st test then isn’t it.”

England, who lost 3-1 in their previous Indian tour on spinning pitches, do not have any warm-up fixtures scheduled but hope to tune up for the series opener on January 25 with a week-long workout in the United Arab Emirates.

Harmison suggested that approach was insufficient, telling talkSPORT: “If England go in three days before they deserve to get beat 5-0, they really do.

“I’m an old man, that’s what they’ll say…times have changed, but preparation hasn’t changed. I love this new approach, I love Ben Stokes and (head coach) Brendon McCullum. But I’m sorry, going three days before…you’d never do that for an Ashes series.

“You’d never go to Australia three days before the Gabba, so why go three days before Hyderabad? For me it stinks, it absolutely stinks.”

Stokes is recovering from knee surgery after confronting a long-term injury (Mike Egerton/PA)

Stokes, meanwhile, is racing to be fully fit for the first Test.

He underwent surgery on his longstanding left knee injury at the end of November and has been chronicling his rehabilitation with a sequence of videos on Instagram.

England are not expecting him to feature as a bowler but even having him available to bat pain-free would represent an improvement on recent times.

Posting from the gym on Wednesday, he wrote: “massive progress for the week”, “muscle symmetry coming back” and “finally able to get into the flexion needed for a spin on the bike, for something normally so easy it was very pleasing to be able to do [it] today”

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South Africa hammer India by an innings at Centurion to continue Test series win wait

India lost to South Africa inside three days at Centurion, going 1-0 down in the two-Test series and ensuring that their search for a first Test series-win in South Africa will go on.

The Proteas racked up a 164-run lead on the third day, building on Dean Elgar’s 185 with Marco Jansen’s unbeaten 84. Temba Bavuma didn’t bat after he sustained a hamstring injury on the first day of the Test. When India came back out to bat again in the afternoon session, wickets quickly feel which left them struggling to force South Africa to bat again.

Kagiso Rabada dismissed Rohit Sharma for a duck in the third over of the innings and Yashasvi Jaiswal was also quickly sent back. India slipped to 96-6 after Test debutant Nandre Burger took two wickets in two balls, and the tail were left battling to survive the day. Virat Kohli mounted a lone stand to score the majority of India’s runs, before he became the last wicket to fall, mistiming a slog off Jansen to giving a catch to Rabada.

The result means that India cannot win the series, which concludes at Cape Town next week. India have never won a Test series in South Africa and have lost six out of their last eight Tests in the country. The losing margin of an innings and 32 runs is also their largest-ever defeat in South Africa, and only the second time they’ve lost by an innings. It also means Sri Lanka remain the only Asian side to have won a Test series in South Africa, after they won a two-Test series in 2019.

Fantastic – and huge – win for South Africa to ensure that they will hold on to their record of never being beaten by India in a series at home.

The last time they beat India by an innings was 13 years ago, on this ground. On to Cape Town. #SAvIND #cricket

— Firdose Moonda (@FirdoseM) December 28, 2023

Between 2014 and this match, India have lost only one Test without taking 10 wickets: Lord’s 2018.

— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) December 28, 2023

The dream to win a Test series in South Africa remains a dream. pic.twitter.com/FDzxXtPvxp

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 28, 2023

Winning by an inns inside 3 days with weather interruptions doesn’t happen more often. Clinical this from the proteas. Clearly ahead in both batting and bowling departments. #INDvsSA

— Prasanna (@prasannalara) December 28, 2023

Some online commentators also focussed on Kohli to praise his fighting 76 in a losing cause, as well as highlight the limited Test cricket South Africa host.

Kohli misses out on a well deserved ton here, just like he was in the 1st inns of Cape Town test in the last tour. Ran out of partners while looking sublime. And this innings has been better than that one. In the last 15 years that I have watched India play in SA, only Sachin has…

— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) December 28, 2023

In the wake of this comprehensive defeat & with South Africa playing fewer & fewer Tests with every passing year, you can’t help but wonder if India will ever win that elusive Test series in South Africa #SAvInd

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) December 28, 2023

The second and final Test of the series will begin on January 3 in Cape Town.

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Composed Elgar helps South Africa move ahead of India in first Test

Dean Elgar began his farewell series with an accomplished unbeaten century to put South Africa ahead of India on day two of the first Test at Centurion.

Elgar will retire from international cricket after next week’s clash in Cape Town and offered a fitting reminder of his qualities with a polished 140 not out – his first Proteas ton in nearly three years.

The 36-year-old occupied the crease for 66 overs, facing 211 deliveries and cracking 23 fours to lead his side to 256 for five. That put South Africa into a narrow lead of 11, with the tourists having earlier been bowled out for 245.

KL Rahul, resuming on 70 overnight, completed a superb century of his own as he scored 31 of his side’s 37 runs in the morning session. He was last man out, bowled by debutant Nadre Burger, having almost single-handedly kept India competitive.

With Elgar holding firm at the top of the order and captain Temba Bavuma absent with a hamstring injury, India successfully chipped away Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi and Keegan Petersen to leave the hosts 113 for three.

But another newcomer, Durham batter David Bedingham, helped South Africa press ahead with an elegant 56 in his maiden Test innings. He put on 131 alongside Elgar, who brought up his 14th hundred, before being cleaned up by Mohamed Siraj.

Kyle Verreynne followed as Prasidh Krishna opened his account as a Test bowler before bad light brought an early finish.

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Zak Crawley on the Ashes: ‘Losing those first two Tests was the making of us’

Zak Crawley has opened up on what prompted England’s comeback from 2-0 down to level the 2023 men’s Ashes series.

England lost close games at Edgbaston and Lord’s to trail against Australia. Both games were close, with Australia winning the first by two wickets and the second by 43 runs. England then won two other close games – by three wickets at Headingley and 49 runs at The Oval – with rain curtailing the fourth Test, dominated by England, to ensure a shared series.

Speaking to The Times, Crawley explained how, in his view, England managed to turn things around. “We had to put some pressure back on them,” he said. “The lads played really well actually. I think losing those first two Tests was the making of us. At the time you think it is the worst thing that can happen to you, but I think it really brought us out of our shells and we played really well in those last three games. We played with more freedom. That is a result of losing.”

Crawley also expanded on his own success. His place had been under pressure coming into the summer, but he finished the series as England’s leading run scorer, with his contributions including a century in Manchester. He discussed a technique change, getting his head towards the ball, and also how relaxing helped him find consistency. “It didn’t really click for me in 2022,” he said. “I was still in my old mindset of trying to get a score — ‘I need runs to stay in the team’— but, when I decided I was going to relax a bit more and start enjoying the game a bit more this year, what he was saying finally clicked. It’s about the journey and chasing those moments, even individual moments, little impacts — they’re much more enjoyable than trying to grind out a score, certainly for someone like myself.”

He also discussed his cover-driven four to kick off the series, revealing that making a statement had always been on his mind.

“It was something I had thought about, to be honest,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fan of the first ball of the Ashes. I’ve been watching it since growing up and I knew a couple of weeks out that if we won the toss there would be a good chance of facing it. I was saying to a couple of good friends in the team — I chatted to Brooky [Harry Brook] about it when we were golfing in Scotland — that it would be cool if I could get the first one away and make a statement. I was always going to try to hit it, but luckily it came out of the screws,”

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UAE vs AFG T20I, where to watch live: TV channels and live streaming | UAE v Afghanistan 2023/24

The UAE will host Afghanistan for a T20I series from December 29. Here is where you can watch the UAE vs AFG T20Is live, including the TV channels and live streaming information.

The UAE are hosting Afghanistan for two 50-over matches – these will not have ODI status – and three T20Is. Afghanistan have won both tour matches at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

In the first, on December 25, Afghanistan posted 214 and bowled out the UAE Falcons for 105 as Yamin Ahmadzai claimed 5-22. In the second, Afghanistan made 249-7, and the UAE Falcons responded with only 154.

The two teams will now play three T20Is, on December 29, December 31, and January 2, at the same venue. All matches will begin at 3 PM local time.

The two teams have met nine times so far – including the last seven in the UAE – between July 2015 and February 2023. Afghanistan hold a 7-2 lead over the UAE. including a 2-1 win in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

Ahead of their UAE tour, the Afghanistan Cricket Board denied NOCs to Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, all of whom are their regular internationals, from playing in the franchise-based T20 leagues around the world. They have not selected any of them for the tour of the UAE either.

Between October and November, Afghanistan had an excellent run at the 2023 World Cup in India, albeit in another format: they beat England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands.

The UAE Under-19s, on the other hand, stunned Sri Lanka and, in the semi-final, Pakistan, to qualify for the final of the 2023 Under-19 Asia Cup earlier this month.

UAE vs AFG T20I, where to watch live: TV channels and live streaming | UAE v Afghanistan 2023/24

There will be no live telecast of the series between the UAE and Afghanistan. However, Fancode will provide live streaming for UAE v AFG in India.

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Australia cricket schedule in 2024: Full list of Tests, ODI and T20I fixtures in 2024

Australia have a packed schedule in 2024, including several bilateral series and three ICC trophies.

Australia Women cricket schedule in 2024

Australia Women are currently in India for a multi-format tour that started in December 2023. They have played a Test match, and will play two ODIs by the time 2023 ends, but the third ODI and the three T20Is will be played in January 2024.

Back home, they will host South Africa for another multi-format tour, consisting of a Test match, three ODIs, and three T20Is, from February. In March, they will tour Bangladesh for three ODIs and three T20Is. They will return to Bangladesh in October to defend their Women’s T20 World Cup title.

In November, they will then host India and New Zealand for three ODIs each.

Australia Men cricket schedule in 2024

Australia Men will start 2024 with the final Test of their three-match home series against Pakistan. After that, they will host the West Indies for two Test matches, three ODIs, and three T20Is. Then, in March, they will travel to New Zealand for two Test matches and three T20Is.

Australia then tour the West Indies and the USA for the Men’s T20 World Cup in June. In August, they play three ‘away’ T20Is against Afghanistan – a team they refused to play in a bilateral series in 2023 – presumably in the UAE.

In September, Australia Men tour the British Isles, to play three ODIs and a T20I in Ireland, and five ODIs and three T20Is in England. Back home, they host Pakistan again, for three ODIs and three T20Is from November.

Australia Men end their year with a five-match Test series – the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India – that will spill over into 2025. These, and all other Test matches they play in 2024, will be part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship.

Australia Under-19s cricket schedule in 2024

The Australia Under-19s will travel to South Africa for the Under-19 World Cup in January 2024.

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On This Day in 2006 – Shane Warne makes Test bowling history with 700th wicket

Shane Warne became the first bowler in Test history to claim 700 wickets when he dismissed England’s Andrew Strauss in Melbourne on this day in 2006.

The Australia leg-spinner went into the fourth Test of the Ashes at his beloved Melbourne Cricket Ground on 699 wickets, having revealed in the build-up that he would be retiring from international cricket at the end of the series.

Warne fittingly reached yet another milestone in front of a Boxing Day crowd of 89,155 with a sharply turning leg-break which spun into the stumps of England opener Strauss.

He went on to dismiss another four batters that day, claiming what would be the 37th and final five-wicket haul of his illustrious Test career, as the tourists collapsed to 159 all out.

Shane Warne celebrates bowling England’s Andrew Strauss to take his 700th Test wicket (Gareth Copley/PA)

“As it turned out, whoever writes my scripts is doing an unbelievable job,” said Warne.

“I’ve just been sitting there since we started batting just shaking my head – I can’t believe it happened to be honest. It was a pretty amazing day.”

Warne would go on to finish with 708 wickets in 145 Tests as Australia sealed a 5-0 whitewash over England.

He died aged 52 in March last year from a suspected heart attack in Thailand.

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